bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding Customer Experience and Satisfaction through Airline Passengers’ Online Review
Authors: Ban Hyun-Jeong , Kim Hak-Seon
Published: July 2019

This study was conducted to understand customer experience and satisfaction through airline passengers’ online review. To achieve the purpose of this study, the semantic network analysis was conducted qualitatively by collecting reviews in top 10 airlines selected by Skytrax (airlinequality.com). In addition, this study quantitatively identified the relationship among six evaluation factors (seat comfort, staff, food and beverage (F&B), entertainment, ground service, and value for money), customer satisfaction and recommendation. This study collected 9632 reviews from the Skytrax. Through a CONCOR (CONvergence of iterated CORrelation) analysis, keywords were grouped into six clusters (seat comfort, staff, entertainment, ground service, value for money, and airline brand). Through the linear regression analysis, all evaluation factors except ‘entertainment’ factor significantly had impact on customer satisfaction and recommendation. These results showed that understanding online review can provide both academic implication and practical implication to develop sustainable strategy in the airline industry.
Coupling Activity-Based Modeling and Life Cycle Assessment—A Proof-of-Concept Study on Cross-Border Commuting in Luxembourg
Authors: Baustert Paul , Navarrete Gutiérrez Tomás , Gibon Thomas , Chion Laurent , Ma Tai-Yu , Mariante Gabriel Leite , Klein Sylvain , Gerber Philippe , Benetto Enrico
Published: July 2019

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in 2010 the transport sector was responsible for 23% of the total energy-related CO2 emissions (6.7 GtCO2) worldwide. Policy makers in Luxembourg are well-aware of the challenges and are setting ambitious objectives at country level for the mid and long term. However, a framework to assess environmental impacts from a life cycle perspective on the scale of transport policy scenarios, rather than individual vehicles, is lacking. We present a novel framework linking activity-based modeling with life cycle assessment (LCA) and a proof-of-concept case study for the French cross-border commuters working in Luxembourg. Our framework allows for the evaluation of specific policies formulated on the trip level as well as aggregated evaluation of environmental impacts from a life cycle perspective. The results of our proof-of-concept-based case study suggest that only a combination of: (1) policy measures improving the speed and coverage of the public transport system; (2) policy measures fostering electric mobility; and (3) external factors such as de-carbonizing the electricity mix will allow to counteract the expected increase in impacts due to the increase of mobility needs of the growing commuting population in the long term.
The Association between Violent Behavior, Academic Performance, and Physical Activity According to Gender in Scholars
Authors: Ramírez-Granizo Irwin Andrés , Zurita-Ortega Félix , Ubago-Jiménez José Luis , Sánchez-Zafra María
Published: July 2019

Background: Aggressive behaviors have increased in a worrying way all over the world, and this has been one more reason to be able to investigate what happens in schools. Its presence has been increasing in recent decades and, therefore, this issue has been approached from different points of view of society. The aim of this study was to analyze and establish the indices of aggressive behaviors and their possible association with gender, academic achievement, and the Physical Activity (PA) in schoolchildren aged 10–12 in Granada (Spain). Methods: Its design is descriptive and cross-sectional, the sample is 320 students, an ad-hoc questionnaire was used to establish socio-demographic variables, violent behavior (measured with the scale of violent behaviors), gender, academic performance, and PA. Results: The results showed that schoolchildren with higher levels of violent behaviors have been in the reactive and relational reactive manifest dimension, males are more assiduous to practice PA than females, and these were characterized by greater manifest and relational aggressiveness. However, they present higher average values in violent behaviors than they do if academic performance is taken into account. Conclusions: The main recommendation is the need to study, in greater depth, the active sports population in order to try to know the cause of these results.
Mandatory Convertible Bonds and the Agency Problem
Authors: Huerga Angel , Rodríguez-Monroy Carlos
Published: July 2019

A large proportion of the academic literature about the agency problem focuses on corporate governance or the instruments that can be used to balance the incentives of shareholders and debt holders. Following the real options company valuation framework, one method to increase shareholder value involves increasing the intrinsic risk of the firm; however, such a practice reduces the bondholder value. We analyzed an innovative balance sheet instrument, the mandatory convertible bond, as a means to increase financial sustainability of companies, improving the value for shareholders without increasing the perceived default risk. The results of the empirical analysis illustrate that for companies in a weak credit position, the agency problem can be mitigated by the issuance of mandatory convertible bonds, which allows managers to increase company risk without being detrimental for bondholders. However, when the probability of distress is small, shareholders have less incentive to increase company risk than in a company funded by mandatory convertible bonds, being more aligned with bondholders. A better alignment of debt holders and shareholders incentives reduces inefficiencies, mitigates the probably of distress, and improves the long-term financial sustainability of companies and can promote stable growth and innovation.
Evaluation of the Water Conservation Function of Different Forest Types in Northeastern China
Authors: Zheng Xueliang , Chen Lihua , Gong Wenyan , Yang Xia , Kang Yingli
Published: July 2019

Water conservation is an important function of forest ecosystems, but it is still unclear which forest types function best in this regard. We investigated the water conservation function indicators including the water-holding rate of branches and leaves (BLwr), water-holding capacity of litter (Lwc), water absorption rate of litter (Lwr), soil infiltration rate (Ir), soil and water content (SWC), soil water storage (SWS), and soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation of five forest types (Larix gmelinii forests, Pinus koraiensis forests, Robinia pseudoacacia forests, Pinus tabulaeformis forests, and mixed forests) and evaluated them using the gray correlation method (GCM). The results indicate that the BLwr of five stands in the study area varied from 18.3% to 33.5%. The SWC and SWS of the R. pseudoacacia stand were 13.76% and 178.9 mm, respectively, which was significantly higher than that of the other stands (p < 0.05). The SOM was similar for the R. pseudoacacia (0.23%), mixed forest (0.22%), and L. gmelinii (0.22%) sites. The BLwr, Lwc, Lwr, SWC, and SWS values of broad-leaved tree species were higher than those of the mixed species, followed by those for coniferous tree species. Soil infiltration rate followed the order L. gmelinii > P. koraiensis > mixed forest > P. tabulaeformis > R. pseudoacacia. Based on our results, the R. pseudoacacia stand had the highest water conservation ability, while the lowest performance was found for the P. tabuliformis site. This suggests that, in order to enhance the water conservation function of forests in northeastern China, the focus should be on the establishment of R. pseudoacacia forests.
Selection of Sites for the Treatment and the Final Disposal of Construction and Demolition Waste, Using Two Approaches: An Analysis for Mexico City
Authors: Araiza-Aguilar Juan Antonio , Gutiérrez-Palacios Constantino , Rojas-Valencia María Neftalí , Nájera-Aguilar Hugo Alejandro , Gutiérrez-Hernández Rubén Fernando , Aguilar-Vera Rodrigo Antonio
Published: July 2019

This paper proposes a solution to the current problems of Mexico City (Ciudad de México) with respect to construction and demolition waste, through a spatial analysis to locate a waste treatment and disposal infrastructure. Two analysis methodologies, specifically the multi-criteria evaluation technique and network analysis, are used with the support of geographic information systems. The results of the multi-criteria evaluation technique indicate that the most suitable places for this infrastructure location are in the south and southeast of the study area, in the Tlalpan, Milpa Alta, Xochimilco and Cuajimalpa boroughs. The results of the network analysis technique indicate that four facilities strategically located in Miguel Hidalgo, Gustavo A. Madero, Tlahuac and Tlalpan boroughs would permit the provision of service to almost all waste generation points in the study area. Decision makers in Mexico City can use either of the two approaches. If the objective is to find the best location of a single place for the treatment or disposal of huge amounts of waste, the results obtained with the multi-criteria evaluation technique should be used. On the other hand, if waste treatment is favored over final disposal, decision makers should use the results of the network analysis technique.
Research in Meteorological Modeling Oriented Comprehensive Surface Complexity (CSC)
Authors: Zhang Chunxiao , Zheng Xinqi , Li Jiayang , Wang Shuxian , Xu Weiming
Published: July 2019

Ground surface characteristics (i.e., topography and landscape patterns) are important factors in geographic dynamics. Thus, the complexity of ground surface is a valuable indicator for designing multiscale modeling concerning the balance between computational costs and the accuracy of simulations regarding the resolution of modeling. This study proposes the concept of comprehensive surface complexity (CSC) to quantity the degree of complexity of ground by integrating the topographic complexity indices and landscape indices representing the land use and land cover (LULC) complexity. Focusing on the meteorological process modeling, this paper computes the CSC by constructing a multiple regression model between the accuracy of meteorological simulation and the surface complexity of topography and LULC. Regarding the five widely studied areas of China, this paper shows the distribution of CSC and analyzes the window size effect. The comparison among the study areas shows that the CSC is highest for the Chuanyu region and lowest for the Wuhan region. To investigate the application of CSC in meteorological modeling, taking the Jingjinji region for instance, we conducted Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) modeling and analyzed the relationship between CSC and the mean absolute error (MAE) of the temperature at 2 meters. The results showed that the MAE is higher over the northern and southern areas and lower over the central part of the study area, which is generally positively related to the value of CSC. Thus, it is feasible to conclude that CSC is helpful to indicate meteorological modeling capacity and identify those areas where finer scale modeling is preferable.
Building a Framework to Understand the Energy Needs of Adaptation
Authors: Davide Marinella , De Cian Enrica , Bernigaud Alexis
Published: July 2019

Adaptation is a critical option to cope with climate change, as it alleviates the residual climate damages not avoided by emission reduction measures. However, adaptive actions can consume extra amounts of energy. This paper introduces a framework to identify the energy use associated with adaptation and qualifies its relevance in terms of sustainable development. A qualitative, bottom-up analysis of the policy commitments submitted in the context of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 UN Agenda for sustainable development is complemented with a review of the literature on adaptation, energy, and sustainable development. The analysis of the policy options related to vulnerability reduction in the Nationally Determined Contributions reveals a set of recurring adaptation strategies strongly associated with energy use. By linking the resulting options to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets and indicators, we show that energy-related adaptation options are all connected to at least one SDG, though the strength of the connection varies across adaptation options and SDGs. The descriptive synthesis provided in this paper sets a framework for future research aimed at assessing the energy implications of adaptation strategies, contributing to further understand the nexus between climate policy and development.
Is an Environment with High Biodiversity the Most Attractive for Human Recreation? A Case Study in Baoji, China
Authors: Gao Tian , Zhu Ling , Zhang Tian , Song Rui , Zhang Yuanqun , Qiu Ling
Published: July 2019

Evidence has been accumulating of the psychological and physiological benefits and well-being gained by individuals from recreational activities in urban green spaces due to their ability to sustain biodiversity, but maximizing both biodiversity and recreational values of green spaces has become increasingly difficult in practice. In order to better maximize the biodiversity and recreational value of urban green space, this study was conducted through the utilization of an onsite questionnaire to understand people’s perceptions of and preferences for biodiversity and recreational values of urban green spaces in Baoji City, China. The results showed that respondents were able to correctly perceive biodiversity and preferred to engage in recreational activities in the high biodiversity environment. However, the respondents’ perceptions of the eight perceived sensory dimensions (PSDs) in the different habitats were divergent, and an environment which is high in biodiversity does not necessarily have higher PSDs. Moreover, ‘living environment’ and ‘frequency to the park’ had significant impacts on perception of and preference for urban biodiversity. In addition, ‘education level’, ‘living environment’, ‘age’, and other indicators were more likely to influence the perception of the eight PSDs. Therefore, the presented findings can be applied by urban landscape planners to assess the qualities of urban green spaces in order to maintain urban biodiversity and meet the satisfaction of human recreation in the future.
A Recursive Definition of Goodness of Space for Bridging the Concepts of Space and Place for Sustainability
Authors: Jiang Bin
Published: July 2019

Conceived and developed by Christopher Alexander through his life’s work, The Nature of Order, wholeness is defined as a mathematical structure of physical space in our surroundings. Yet, there was no mathematics, as Alexander admitted then, that was powerful enough to capture his notion of wholeness. Recently, a mathematical model of wholeness, together with its topological representation, has been developed that is capable of addressing not only why a space is good, but also how much goodness the space has. This paper develops a structural perspective on goodness of space (both large- and small-scale) in order to bridge two basic concepts of space and place through the very concept of wholeness. The wholeness provides a de facto recursive definition of goodness of space from a holistic and organic point of view. A space is good, genuinely and objectively, if its adjacent spaces are good, the larger space to which it belongs is good, and what is contained in the space is also good. Eventually, goodness of space, or sustainability of space, is considered a matter of fact rather than of opinion under the new view of space: space is neither lifeless nor neutral, but a living structure capable of being more living or less living, or more sustainable or less sustainable. Under the new view of space, geography or architecture will become part of complexity science, not only for understanding complexity, but also for making and remaking complex or living structures.
Regional Total Factor Energy Efficiency Evaluation of China: The Perspective of Social Welfare
Authors: Cai Haixia , Fan Ruguo
Published: July 2019

The energy resource is an essential input of economic growth, which has an important impact on the ecological environment and social welfare. From the perspective of social welfare, considering the radial and non-radial characteristics of different input and output indicators, and the inseparability of the energy input and undesirable output, this study employs the non-separable hybrid DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) model to evaluate the total energy efficiency of Chinese provinces between 2012 and 2016. Furthermore, this study calculates the energy saving and emission reduction potentials of China. The results reveal that the average total factor energy efficiency in China from 2012 to 2016 is 0.694, which means that there are still 30.6% energy efficiency losses. There is great potential for China to save energy, reduce pollutant emissions, and increase the output of social welfare. There are great differences in the total factor energy efficiency among provinces. The average energy saving potential of the whole country is 60.5%. If the energy efficiency of all provinces can reach the frontier, the whole country can save more than half of the energy consumption. The highest national average emission reduction potential is SO2, followed by dust, CO2, and NOX. The implication of the conclusion is that in the development of regional economy, we cannot sacrifice the social welfare and sustainable development and take the growth rate of GDP as the only objective. Different energy saving and emission reduction policies should be put forward according to the characteristics of different provinces.
How Taxes Relate to Potential Welfare Gain and Appreciable Economic Growth
Authors: Vatavu Sorana , Lobont Oana-Ramona , Stefea Petru , Brindescu-Olariu Daniel
Published: July 2019

This paper investigates new insights into the effect taxation has on the welfare state, using Granger causality analysis, and focusing on both economic growth and human development as welfare components. Moreover, Granger causality allows us to determine whether or not there is a bidirectional causal relationship between taxes, growth, and human development. The analysis is based on a comparative study between part of the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries and the richest European Countries, over the period 1995–2015. Taxes are illustrated by different types of tax revenues to GDP ratio, economic growth is defined by gross domestic product and gross national income, while the human development index (HDI) included in the analysis is a composite measure used to rank countries based on their social and economic development level. Results confirm the fact that taxes support economic growth, but their impact on human development is rather limited. However, in countries with higher HDI, an increase in tax revenues is expected, but over long-term. This study confirms that taxes are an important instrument for governments, and should be used in economic growth. In addition, taxes are closely related to well-being, as citizens from countries with large HDI values are more likely to pay higher taxes over time. Therefore, practical tax reforms should imply an equilibrium between equity and a decent standard of living that supports life expectancy, increased tax revenues, and efficiency.
Living Lab as an Ecosystem for Development, Demonstration and Assessment of Autonomous Mobility Solutions
Authors: Pucihar Andreja , Zajc Iztok , Sernec Radovan , Lenart Gregor
Published: July 2019

Autonomous vehicles (AV) have the potential to disrupt the entire transport industry. AV may bring many opportunities as for example reduction of road accidents, less congestion on the roads, and a lower number of vehicles that are better utilized. Full AV also brings new social element as they enable mobility for all. In addition, the use of digital technologies in combination with AV introduces new business models in transportation, where the lines between car ownership, rental, and lease modes are more and more blurred. To explore the potential of AV in a smart city context, the AV Living Lab was created on the premises of BTC City in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2017. The AV Living lab was created to test and to learn about real-life solutions for implementation of AV. The underlying concept is BTC City as a Living lab innovation ecosystem, where the latest advanced technologies, business models, and services are tested with real users, real cars, on real roads over the real interactions in a cross-industry environment. In this paper, we describe the AV Living Lab concept and provide details of a specific use case—a large-scale pilot demonstration of AV and future mobility solutions. During the event, users participated in a survey and expressed their attitudes towards autonomous mobility. The results offer the first insights into the readiness of citizens for AV implementation and directs future actions needed for faster adoption of AV and future mobility solutions.
Landscape Performance for Coordinated Development of Rural Communities & Small-Towns Based on “Ecological Priority and All-Area Integrated Development”: Six Case Studies in East China’s Zhejiang Province
Authors: Zhao Tiezheng , Zhao Yang , Li Ming-Han
Published: July 2019

Over the last decade, the Chinese government has focused on addressing development challenges in rural areas. The “Ecological Priority and All-Area Integrated Development” concept was thus developed, and it was found to be crucial for rural areas in Eastern Zhejiang Province. A new comprehensive evaluation system was composed by comparing and synthesizing existing Chinese assessment criteria, and landscape performance metrics developed by the Landscape Architecture Foundation. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method (FCE) were used to conduct post-development evaluation on six cases using the new evaluation system. The results of four cases show that ecology should be considered a high priority when dealing with rural community and small town developments. The other two cases emphasizing infrastructure development verified that “coordinating the development of rural communities and small town area” is crucial for building sustainable and livable rural communities, and avoiding redundancy and inefficiency. The newly developed comprehensive evaluation system integrates existing systems with a broader vision and is more holistic in its objectives for the region. The development-led intervention (based on landscape performance evaluation) is conducive to the implementation of a more scientific and comprehensive development model, with predictable performance.
Transdisciplinary Responses to Children’s Health Challenges in the Context of Rapid Urbanization
Authors: Lawrence Roderick
Published: July 2019

Urban transformations are complex, dynamic, and systemic societal phenomena that have many positive and negative consequences, including irreversible changes to land-use and loss of soil permeability, deforestation and accelerating losses of biodiversity, energy consumption and increasing volumes of green-house gas emissions, demographics and greater socio-economic inequalities, and accelerating incidences of non-communicable diseases. These omnipresent diseases (e.g., asthma, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes) have no cultural, geographical, or socio-economic boundaries and they impact all age groups including children and young adults. Local and national authorities North and South of the Equator, and international organizations and networks, have rarely responded effectively to children’s health challenges in the context of rapid urban development. The purpose of this article is to describe and illustrate more effective approaches. It proposes new ideas, founded on collective thinking involving several disciplines and professions, and new working methods, founded on collaboration with community associations in civil society. Both promote shared understandings about the complex, dynamic, systemic, and emergent nature of urban health risks for children. The article explains why transdisciplinary contributions should be distinguished from multi- and inter-disciplinary contributions, and it presents examples of participatory action research in the WHO European region about children’s health.
Selection of the Most Sustainable Renewable Energy System for Bozcaada Island: Wind vs. Photovoltaic
Authors: Oğuz Elif , Şentürk Ayşe Eylül
Published: July 2019

Energy production without destroying the environment has been one of the most crucial issues for people living in today’s world. In order to analyze whole environmental and/or economic impacts of the energy production process, life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost (LCC) are widely used. In this study, two distinct renewable energy systems are assessed. First, a land-based wind farm, which has been operating in Bozcaada Island since 2000, is compared to a proposed solar photovoltaic power plant in terms of Energy Pay-Back Time (EPBT) periods and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and life cycle cost. The energy production process including the recycling phase evaluated “from cradle to grave” using GaBi software for both cases. All scenarios are compared by considering different impact categories such as global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), and eutrophication potential (EP). Following this, levelized unit cost to produce 1 MWh electricity (LUCE) is calculated for both systems. This study revealed that LCA and LCCA are useful and practical tools that help to determine drawbacks and benefits of different renewable energy systems considering their long-term environmental and economic impacts. Our findings show that onshore wind farms have a number of benefits than proposed photovoltaic power plants in terms of environmental and cost aspects.
Evaluation on Strength Properties of Lime–Slag Stabilized Loess as Pavement Base Material
Authors: Jia Liang , Zhang Li , Guo Jian , Yao Kai , Lim Sin Mei , Li Bin , Xu Hui
Published: July 2019

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using lime–slag stabilized loess as base-course material by assessing its unconfined compressive strength (UCS). Loess stabilized with various mix ratios were compacted and cured to three, five, seven, and 28 days, respectively, for further strength tests. The effects of binder content, lime-to-slag (L/S) ratio, porosity, and curing time on the UCS of stabilized loess were addressed in detail. The test results show that UCS increases with the increase in binder content or curing time, and it gains strength rapidly within the first seven days of curing. At the same binder content, UCS decreases with the decrease in L/S ratio or porosity. Finally, the correlations of UCS with binder content, porosity, and curing time were derived, which exhibited reasonable correlation coefficients R2 (from 0.86 to 0.97).
Electrophoretic Deposition of Hydroxyapatite–Chitosan–Titania on Stainless Steel 316 L
Authors: Sorkhi Leila , Farrokhi-Rad Morteza , Shahrabi Taghi
Published: July 2019

In this research, hydroxyapatite (HA)–chitosan–titania nanocomposite coatings were formed on 316 L stainless steel using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) from alcoholic (methanol and ethanol) suspensions containing 0.5 g/L chitosan and 2 and 5 g/L HA and 2 and 5 g/L Titania. The effect of different parameters on the deposition rate, morphology, and corrosion resistance of the coatings in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 °C has been studied. The coatings’ properties were investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Based on the results of this work, it was found that the deposition rate in ethanolic suspensions is lower than methanolic ones. Moreover, the coating surface was smoother when the ethanol was used as a solvent in suspensions in comparison to the ones where methanol was the solvent. The coating deposited from a suspension containing 0.5 g/L chitosan, 2 g/L HA, and 5 g/L titania with ethanol as solvent had the highest corrosion resistance in SBF at 37 °C.
Study on the Algebraic Structure of Refined Neutrosophic Numbers
Authors: Li Qiaoyan , Ma Yingcang , Zhang Xiaohong , Zhang Juanjuan
Published: July 2019

This paper aims to explore the algebra structure of refined neutrosophic numbers. Firstly, the algebra structure of neutrosophic quadruple numbers on a general field is studied. Secondly, The addition operator ⊕ and multiplication operator ⊗ on refined neutrosophic numbers are proposed and the algebra structure is discussed. We reveal that the set of neutrosophic refined numbers with an additive operation is an abelian group and the set of neutrosophic refined numbers with a multiplication operation is a neutrosophic extended triplet group. Moreover, algorithms for solving the neutral element and opposite elements of each refined neutrosophic number are given.
The Cyclic Triangle-Free Process
Authors: Jiang Yu , Liang Meilian , Teng Yanmei , Xu Xiaodong
Published: July 2019

For positive integers s and t, the Ramsey number R ( s , t ) is the smallest positive integer n such that every graph of order n contains either a clique of order s or an independent set of order t. The triangle-free process begins with an empty graph of order n, and iteratively adds edges chosen uniformly at random subject to the constraint that no triangle is formed. It has been an important tool in studying the asymptotic lower bound for R ( 3 , t ) . Cyclic graphs are vertex-transitive. The symmetry of cyclic graphs makes it easier to compute their independent numbers than related general graphs. In this paper, the cyclic triangle-free process is studied. The sizes of the parameter sets and the independence numbers of the graphs obtained by the cyclic triangle-free process are studied. Lower bounds on R ( 3 , t ) for small t’s are computed, and R ( 3 , 35 ) ≥ 237 , R ( 3 , 36 ) ≥ 244 , R ( 3 , 37 ) ≥ 255 , R ( 3 , 38 ) ≥ 267 , etc. are obtained based on the graphs obtained by the cyclic triangle-free process. Finally, some problems on the cyclic triangle-free process and R ( 3 , t ) are proposed.
Energy Consumption Load Forecasting Using a Level-Based Random Forest Classifier
Authors: Chen Yu-Tung , Piedad Eduardo , Kuo Cheng-Chien
Published: July 2019

Energy consumers may not know whether their next-hour forecasted load is either high or low based on the actual value predicted from their historical data. A conventional method of level prediction with a pattern recognition approach was performed by first predicting the actual numerical values using typical pattern-based regression models, hen classifying them into pattern levels (e.g., low, average, and high). A proposed prediction with pattern recognition scheme was developed to directly predict the desired levels using simpler classifier models without undergoing regression. The proposed pattern recognition classifier was compared to its regression method using a similar algorithm applied to a real-world energy dataset. A random forest (RF) algorithm which outperformed other widely used machine learning (ML) techniques in previous research was used in both methods. Both schemes used similar parameters for training and testing simulations. After 10-time cross training validation and five averaged repeated runs with random permutation per data splitting, the proposed classifier shows better computation speed and higher classification accuracy than the conventional method. However, when the number of its desired levels increases, its prediction accuracy seems to decrease and approaches the accuracy of the conventional method. The developed energy level prediction, which is computationally inexpensive and has a good classification performance, can serve as an alternative forecasting scheme.
The Effect of the Terminal Functional Groups on Fluoropolymer on Electrowetting Device Performance
Authors: Oishi Eri , Araki Noritoshi , Goto Teruya , Awano Hiroshi , Takahashi Tatsuhiro
Published: July 2019

Electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) devices were fabricated using two hydrophobic organic fluoropolymers, comprising CYTOP (a product name) having different chemical structures only at the terminal functional groups. These devices were subsequently characterized by applying a range of direct current (DC) voltages. The data demonstrated that the EWOD performance was dramatically improved upon incorporating a CYTOP polymer having highly polar terminal functional groups, as compared to a polymer having terminal groups with lower polarity. The new finding about the positive effect of highly polar terminal functional groups on the enhancement of EWOD was exhibited through various careful experiments, changing only the quantitative amount of polar terminal functional groups while keeping other factors constant (thickness, substrate, etc.).
Ostreopsis cf. ovata Bloom in Currais, Brazil: Phylogeny, Toxin Profile and Contamination of Mussels and Marine Plastic Litter
Authors: Tibiriçá Carlos , Leite Isabel , Batista Talita , Fernandes Luciano , Chomérat Nicolas , Herve Fabienne , Hess Philipp , Mafra Luiz
Published: July 2019

Ostreopsis cf. ovata is a toxic marine benthic dinoflagellate responsible for harmful blooms affecting ecosystem and human health, mostly in the Mediterranean Sea. In this study we report the occurrence of a summer O. cf. ovata bloom in Currais, a coastal archipelago located on the subtropical Brazilian coast (~25° S). This bloom was very similar to Mediterranean episodes in many aspects: (a) field-sampled and cultivated O. cf. ovata cells aligned phylogenetically (ITS and LSU regions) along with Mediterranean strains; (b) the bloom occurred at increasing temperature and irradiance, and decreasing wind speed; (c) cell densities reached up to 8.0 × 104 cell cm−2 on fiberglass screen and 5.6 × 105 cell g−1 fresh weight on seaweeds; (d) and toxin profiles were composed mostly of ovatoxin-a (58%) and ovatoxin-b (32%), up to 35.5 pg PLTX-eq. cell−1 in total. Mussels were contaminated during the bloom with unsafe toxin levels (up to 131 µg PLTX-eq. kg−1). Ostreopsis cells attached to different plastic litter, indicating an alternate route for toxin transfer to marine fauna via ingestion of biofilm-coated plastic debris.
Label-Free Fluorescent Aptasensor for Ochratoxin—A Detection Based on CdTe Quantum Dots and (N-Methyl-4-pyridyl) Porphyrin
Authors: Liu Li , Tanveer Zafar Iqbal , Jiang Keqiu , Huang Qingwen , Zhang Jinghui , Wu Yongjiang , Han Zheng
Published: July 2019

With the widespread contamination of ochratoxin A (OTA), it is of significant importance for detecting OTA in foods and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In this study, a novel label-free fluorescent aptasensor utilizing the interaction between OTA-triggered antiparallel G-quadruplex and (N-methyl-4-pyridy) porphyrin (TMPyP) for the rapid and sensitive determination of OTA was established. The fluorescence of CdTe quantum dots (QDs) could be quenched by TMPyP. In the presence of analyte (OTA), the aptamer could recognize OTA and transform from a random coil to the antiparallel G-quadruplex. The interaction between G-quadruplex and TMPyP could release CdTe QDs from TMPyP, and thus recover the fluorescence of CdTe QDs. Under optimized conditions, the detection limit of the designed aptasensor was 0.16 ng mL−1, with a linear range of 0.2 to 20 ng mL−1. Furthermore, this aptasensor showed high selectivity toward OTA against other structural analogs and other mycotoxins, and was successfully applied in Astragalus membranaceus samples. The presented aptasensor for OTA detection could be a promising tool for the field monitoring of food and TCM.
Probing Morbillivirus Antisera Neutralization Using Functional Chimerism between Measles Virus and Canine Distemper Virus Envelope Glycoproteins
Authors: Muñoz-Alía Miguel Angel , Russell Stephen J.
Published: July 2019

Measles virus (MeV) is monotypic. Live virus challenge provokes a broadly protective humoral immune response that neutralizes all known measles genotypes. The two surface glycoproteins, H and F, mediate virus attachment and entry, respectively, and neutralizing antibodies to H are considered the main correlate of protection. Herein, we made improvements to the MeV reverse genetics system and generated a panel of recombinant MeVs in which the globular head domain or stalk region of the H glycoprotein or the entire F protein, or both, were substituted with the corresponding protein domains from canine distemper virus (CDV), a closely related morbillivirus that resists neutralization by measles-immune sera. The viruses were tested for sensitivity to human or guinea pig neutralizing anti-MeV antisera and to ferret anti-CDV antisera. Virus neutralization was mediated by antibodies to both H and F proteins, with H being immunodominant in the case of MeV and F being so in the case of CDV. Additionally, the globular head domains of both MeV and CDV H proteins were immunodominant over their stalk regions. These data shed further light on the factors constraining the evolution of new morbillivirus serotypes.
Biased Estimation of Groundwater Velocity from a Push-Pull Tracer Test Due to Plume Density and Pumping Rate
Authors: Kim Hong-Hyun , Koh Eun-Hee , Lee Seong-Sun , Lee Kang-Kun
Published: July 2019

The single-well push-pull tracer test is a convenient and cost-effective tool to estimate hydrogeological properties of a subsurface aquifer system. However, it has a limitation that test results can be affected by various experimental designs. In this study, a series of laboratory-scale push-pull tracer tests were conducted under various conditions controlling input tracer density, pumping rate, drift time, and hydraulic gradient. Based on the laboratory test results, numerical simulations were performed to evaluate the effects of density-induced plume sinking and pumping rate on the proper estimation of groundwater background linear velocity. Laboratory tests and numerical simulations indicated that the actual linear velocity was underestimated for the higher concentration of the input tracer because solute travel distance and direction during drift time were dominantly affected by the plume density. During the pulling phase, reasonable pumping rates were needed to extract the majority of injected tracer mass to obtain a genuine center of mass time (tcom). This study presents a graph showing reasonable pumping rates for different combinations of plume density and background groundwater velocity. The results indicate that careful consideration must be given to the design and interpretation of push-pull tracer tests.
Was Drought Really the Trigger Behind the Syrian Civil War in 2011?
Authors: Karnieli Arnon , Shtein Alexandra , Panov Natalya , Weisbrod Noam , Tal Alon
Published: July 2019

The role played by unsustainable resource management in initiating international conflicts is well documented. The Syrian Civil War, commencing in March 2011, presents such a case. The prevailing opinion links the unrest with sequential droughts occurring from 2007–2010. Our research, however, reveals that the winter-rainfed agricultural conditions before 2011, as detected by satellite-derived vegetation indices, were similar and even better for Syrian farmers than for those of their Turkish counterparts across the border. Concurrently, summer-irrigated crops, heavily dependent on Euphrates River water originating from Turkey, notably declined in Syria while flourishing in Turkey. These findings are firmly supported by other independent and validated datasets, including long-term cross-border discharge, the water level in Syrian and Turkish reservoirs, and transborder groundwater flow. We conclude that the Turkish policy of unilaterally diverting the Euphrates water was the main reason for the agricultural collapse and subsequent instability in Syria in 2011. The obvious inference is that while prolonged drought exacerbated conditions, unsustainable anthropogenic water management in Turkey was the proximate cause behind the Syrian uprising.
Evaluation of Stream and Wetland Restoration Using UAS-Based Thermal Infrared Mapping
Authors: Harvey Mark C. , Hare Danielle K. , Hackman Alex , Davenport Glorianna , Haynes Adam B. , Helton Ashley , Lane John W. , Briggs Martin A.
Published: July 2019

Large-scale wetland restoration often focuses on repairing the hydrologic connections degraded by anthropogenic modifications. Of these hydrologic connections, groundwater discharge is an important target, as these surface water ecosystem control points are important for thermal stability, among other ecosystem services. However, evaluating the effectiveness of the restoration activities on establishing groundwater discharge connection is often difficult over large areas and inaccessible terrain. Unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) are now routinely used for collecting aerial imagery and creating digital surface models (DSM). Lightweight thermal infrared (TIR) sensors provide another payload option for generation of sub-meter-resolution aerial TIR orthophotos. This technology allows for the rapid and safe survey of groundwater discharge areas. Aerial TIR water-surface data were collected in March 2019 at Tidmarsh Farms, a former commercial cranberry peatland located in coastal Massachusetts, USA (41°54′17″ N 70°34′17″ W), where stream and wetland restoration actions were completed in 2016. Here, we present a 0.4 km2 georeferenced, temperature-calibrated TIR orthophoto of the area. The image represents a mosaic of nearly 900 TIR images captured by UAS in a single morning with a total flight time of 36 min and is supported by a DSM derived from UAS-visible imagery. The survey was conducted in winter to maximize temperature contrast between relatively warm groundwater and colder ambient surface environment; lower-density groundwater rises above cool surface waters and thus can be imaged by a UAS. The resulting TIR orthomosaic shows fine detail of seepage distribution and downstream influence along the several restored channel forms, which was an objective of the ecological restoration design. The restored stream channel has increased connectivity to peatland groundwater discharge, reducing the ecosystem thermal stressors. Such aerial techniques can be used to guide ecological restoration design and assess post-restoration outcomes, especially in settings where ecosystem structure and function is governed by groundwater and surface water interaction.
Smoothing of Slug Tests for Laboratory Scale Aquifer Assessment—A Comparison among Different Porous Media
Authors: Aristodemo Francesco , Lauria Agostino , Tripepi Giuseppe , Rivera-Velasquéz Maria Fernanda , Fallico Carmine
Published: July 2019

A filtering analysis of hydraulic head data deduced from slug tests injected in a confined aquifer with different porous media is proposed. Experimental laboratory tests were conducted in a large-scale physical model developed at the University of Calabria. The hydraulic head data were deduced from the records of a pressure sensor arranged in the injection well and subjected to a processing operation to filter the high-frequency noise. The involved smoothing techniques are the Fourier transform and two types of wavelet transform. The performances of the filtered hydraulic heads were examined for different slug volumes and four model layouts in terms of optimal fitting of the Cooper’s analytical solution. The hydraulic head variations in the confined aquifer were analyzed using wavelet transform in order to discover their energy contributions and frequency oscillations. Finally, the raw and smoothed hydraulic heads were adopted to calculate the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer.
Freshwater Ecosystems versus Hydropower Development: Environmental Assessments and Conservation Measures in the Transboundary Amur River Basin
Authors: Simonov Eugene A. , Nikitina Oxana I. , Egidarev Eugene G.
Published: July 2019

Hydropower development causes a multitude of negative effects on freshwater ecosystems, and to prevent and minimize possible damage, environmental impact assessments must be conducted and optimal management scenarios designed. This paper examines the impacts of both existing and proposed hydropower development on the transboundary Amur River basin shared by Russia, China, and Mongolia, including the effectiveness of different tools and measures to minimize damage. It demonstrates that the application of various assessment and conservation tools at the proper time and in the proper sequence is the key factor in mitigating and minimizing the environmental impacts of dams. The tools considered include basin-wide assessments of hydropower impacts, the creation of protected areas on rivers threatened by dam construction, and environmental flows. The results of this work show how the initial avoidance and mitigation of hydropower impacts at early planning stages are more productive than the application of any measures during and after dam construction, that the assessment of hydropower impacts must be performed at a basin level rather than be limited to a project implementation site, and that the full spectrum of possible development scenarios should be considered. In addition, this project demonstrates that stakeholder analysis and robust public engagement are as crucial for the success of environmental assessments as scientific research is for the protection of river basins.
Assessment and Minimization of Potential Environmental Impacts of Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) Systems
Authors: Casasso Alessandro , Sethi Rajandrea
Published: July 2019

Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) gained increasing interest owing to benefits such as low heating and cooling costs, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and no pollutant emissions on site. However, GSHPs may have various possible interactions with underground and groundwater, which, despite the extremely rare occurrence of relevant damages, has raised concerns on their sustainability. Possible criticalities for their installation are (hydro)geological features (artesian aquifers, swelling or soluble layers, landslide-prone areas), human activities (mines, quarries, landfills, contaminated sites), and groundwater quality. Thermal alterations due to the operation of GSHPs may have an impact on groundwater chemistry and on the efficiency of neighboring installations. So far, scientific studies excluded appraisable geochemical alterations within typical ranges of GSHPs (±6 K on the initial groundwater temperature); such alterations, however, may occur for aquifer thermal energy storage over 40 °C. Thermal interferences among neighboring installations may be severe in urban areas with a high plant density, thus highlighting the need for their proper management. These issues are presented here and framed from a groundwater quality protection perspective, providing the basis for a discussion on critical aspects to be tackled in the planning, authorization, installation, and operation phase. GSHPs turn out to be safe and sustainable if care is taken in such phases, and the best available techniques are adopted.
Framing Time in Climate Change Litigation
Authors: Hilson Chris
Published: July 2019

Time is of the essence in relation to climate change. However, there have been few studies of how time features as a frame in legal mobilization against climate change. The current article explores temporal framing in a number of high profile climate litigation cases, including Urgenda, Kivalina, Kingsnorth, and the current US Our Children’s Trust proceedings. I argue that there is a tension between a future-looking scientific framing of time and both an environmentalist policy framing of time and a present-based scientific time frame. Under future-looking scientific framing, the effects of dangerous climate change have not yet occurred and remain some way off in the ‘modelled’ future. Under an environmentalist policy time frame, action is needed immediately, now in the present, and with a present scientific time frame climate harm is already happening or is imminent.