bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbubble Resonators for All-Optical Photoacoustics of Flowing Contrast Agents
Authors: Frigenti Gabriele , Cavigli Lucia , Fernández-Bienes Alberto , Ratto Fulvio , Centi Sonia , García-Fernández Tupak , Nunzi Conti Gualtiero , Soria Silvia
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we implement a Whispering Gallery mode microbubble resonator (MBR) as an optical transducer to detect the photoacoustic (PA) signal generated by plasmonic nanoparticles. We simulate a flow cytometry experiment by letting the nanoparticles run through the MBR during measurements and we estimate PA intensity by a Fourier analysis of the read-out signal. This method exploits the peaks associated with the MBR mechanical eigenmodes, allowing the PA response of the nanoparticles to be decoupled from the noise associated with the particle flow whilst also increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. The photostability curve of a known contrast agent is correctly reconstructed, validating the proposed analysis and proving quantitative PA detection. The experiment was run to demonstrate the feasible implementation of the MBR system in a flow cytometry application (e.g., the detection of venous thrombi or circulating tumor cells), particularly regarding wearable appliances. Indeed, these devices could also benefit from other MBR features, such as the extreme compactness, the direct implementation in a microfluidic circuit, and the absence of impedance-matching material.
Concurrent Validity of a Novel Wireless Inertial Measurement System for Assessing Trunk Impairment in People with Stroke
Authors: Alhwoaimel Norah , Warner Martin , Hughes Ann-Marie , Ferrari Federico , Burridge Jane , Wee Seng Kwee , Verheyden Geert , Turk Ruth
Published: March 2020

Background: The Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) is recommended for clinical research use to assess trunk impairment post-stroke. However, it is observer-dependent and neglects the quality of trunk movements. This study proposes an instrumented TIS (iTIS) using the Valedo system, comprising portable inertial sensors, as an objective measure of trunk impairment post-stroke. Objective: This study investigates the concurrent and discriminant ability of the iTIS in chronic stroke participants. Methods: Forty participants (20 with chronic stroke, 20 healthy, age-matched) were assessed using the TIS and iTIS simultaneously. A Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to examine concurrent validity. A ROC curve was used to determine whether the iTIS could distinguish between stroke participants with and without trunk impairment. Results: A moderate relationship was found between the observed iTIS parameters and the clinical scores, supporting the concurrent validity of the iTIS. The small sample size meant definitive conclusions could not be drawn about the parameter differences between stroke groups (participants scoring zero and one on the clinical TIS) and the parameter cut-off points. Conclusions: The iTIS can detect small changes in trunk ROM that cannot be observed clinically. The iTIS has important implications for objective assessments of trunk impairment in clinical practice.
Towards Dynamic Controller Placement in Software Defined Vehicular Networks
Authors: Toufga Soufian , Abdellatif Slim , Assouane Hamza Tarik , Owezarski Philippe , Villemur Thierry
Published: March 2020

The emerging SDVN (Software Defined Vehicular Network) paradigm promises to bring flexibility and efficient resource utilization to vehicular networks, enabling the emergence of novel Intelligent Transportation Services. However, as it was initially designed with wired network in mind, applying the SDN paradigm to a vehicular context faces new challenges related to the peculiar characteristics of this network (high node mobility and node density, and the presence of wireless links). In this paper, we focus on one of the critical architectural elements of SDVN, namely, the SDN Controller Placement, and promote the use of dynamic placement methods that take into account the dynamicity of vehicular networks’ topology. We also describe the different approaches towards a dynamic controller placement and also propose an ILP (Integer Linear Programming) based dynamic placement method that adaptively readjusts the number and placement of controllers according to road traffic fluctuations. The proposed method is evaluated using a realistic traffic trace from Luxembourg City. Simulation results show that our approach outperforms the static approach as proposed in the literature.
Scene Classification for Sports Video Summarization Using Transfer Learning
Authors: Rafiq Muhammad , Rafiq Ghazala , Agyeman Rockson , Choi Gyu Sang , Jin Seong-Il
Published: March 2020

This paper proposes a novel method for sports video scene classification with the particular intention of video summarization. Creating and publishing a shorter version of the video is more interesting than a full version due to instant entertainment. Generating shorter summaries of the videos is a tedious task that requires significant labor hours and unnecessary machine occupation. Due to the growing demand for video summarization in marketing, advertising agencies, awareness videos, documentaries, and other interest groups, researchers are continuously proposing automation frameworks and novel schemes. Since the scene classification is a fundamental component of video summarization and video analysis, the quality of scene classification is particularly important. This article focuses on various practical implementation gaps over the existing techniques and presents a method to achieve high-quality of scene classification. We consider cricket as a case study and classify five scene categories, i.e., batting, bowling, boundary, crowd and close-up. We employ our model using pre-trained AlexNet Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for scene classification. The proposed method employs new, fully connected layers in an encoder fashion. We employ data augmentation to achieve a high accuracy of 99.26% over a smaller dataset. We conduct a performance comparison against baseline approaches to prove the superiority of the method as well as state-of-the-art models. We evaluate our performance results on cricket videos and compare various deep-learning models, i.e., Inception V3, Visual Geometry Group (VGGNet16, VGGNet19), Residual Network (ResNet50), and AlexNet. Our experiments demonstrate that our method with AlexNet CNN produces better results than existing proposals.
Monitoring and Assessment of Rehabilitation Progress on Range of Motion After Total Knee Replacement by Sensor-Based System
Authors: Huang Yo-Ping , Liu Yu-Yu , Hsu Wei-Hsiu , Lai Li-Ju , Lee Mel S.
Published: March 2020

For total knee replacement (TKR) patients, rehabilitation after the surgery is key to regaining mobility. This study proposes a sensor-based system for effectively monitoring rehabilitation progress after TKR. The system comprises a hardware module consisting of the triaxial accelerometer and gyroscope, a microcontroller, and a Bluetooth module, and a software app for monitoring the motion of the knee joint. Three indices, namely the number of swings, the maximum knee flexion angle, and the duration of practice each time, were used as metrics to measure the knee rehabilitation progress. The proposed sensor device has advantages such as usability without spatiotemporal constraints and accuracy in monitoring the rehabilitation progress. The performance of the proposed system was compared with the measured range of motion of the Cybex isokinetic dynamometer (or Cybex) professional rehabilitation equipment, and the results revealed that the average absolute errors of the measured angles were between 1.65° and 3.27° for the TKR subjects, depending on the swing speed. Experimental results verified that the proposed system is effective and comparable with the professional equipment.
A Comprehensive Evaluation Method of Sensor Selection for PHM Based on Grey Clustering
Authors: Guan Fei , Cui Wei-Wei , Li Lian-Feng , Wu Jie
Published: March 2020

Sensor selection plays an essential and fundamental role in prognostics and health management technology, and it is closely related to fault diagnosis, life prediction, and health assessment. The existing methods of sensor selection do not have an evaluation standard, which leads to different selection results. It is not helpful for the selection and layout of sensors. This paper proposes a comprehensive evaluation method of sensor selection for prognostics and health management (PHM) based on grey clustering. The described approach divides sensors into three grey classes, and defines and quantifies three grey indexes based on a dependency matrix. After a brief introduction to the whitening weight function, we propose a combination weight considering the objective data and subjective tendency to improve the effectiveness of the selection result. Finally, the clustering result of sensors is obtained by analyzing the clustering coefficient, which is calculated based on the grey clustering theory. The proposed approach is illustrated by an electronic control system, in which the effectiveness of different methods of sensor selection is compared. The result shows that the technique can give a convincing analysis result by evaluating the selection results of different methods, and is also very helpful for adjusting sensors to provide a more precise result. This approach can be utilized in sensor selection and evaluation for prognostics and health management.
Monitoring the Heavy Metal Lead Inside Living Drosophila with a FRET-Based Biosensor
Authors: Yang De-Ming , Manurung Robeth Viktoria , Lin Yu-Syuan , Chiu Tai-Yu , Lai Wei-Qun , Chang Yu-Fen , Fu Tsai-Feng
Published: March 2020

The harmful impact of the heavy metal lead on human health has been known for years. However, materials that contain lead remain in the environment. Measuring the blood lead level (BLL) is the only way to officially evaluate the degree of exposure to lead. The so-called “safe value” of the BLL seems to unreliably represent the secure threshold for children. In general, lead’s underlying toxicological mechanism remains unclear and needs to be elucidated. Therefore, we developed a novel genetically encoded fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based lead biosensor, Met-lead, and applied it to transgenic Drosophila to perform further investigations. We combined Met-lead with the UAS-GAL4 system to the sensor protein specifically expressed within certain regions of fly brains. Using a suitable imaging platform, including a fast epifluorescent or confocal laser-scanning/two-photon microscope with high resolution, we recorded the changes in lead content inside fly brains ex vivo and in vivo and at different life stages. The blood–brain barrier was found to play an important role in the protection of neurons in the brain against damage due to the heavy metal lead, either through food or microinjection into the abdomen. Met-lead has the potential to be a powerful tool for the sensing of lead within living organisms by employing either a fast epi-FRET microscope or high-resolution brain imaging.
A New Fault Feature Extraction Method for Rotating Machinery Based on Multiple Sensors
Authors: Miao Feng , Zhao Rongzhen , Wang Xianli , Jia Leilei
Published: March 2020

During the operation of rotating machinery, the vibration signals measured by sensors are the aliasing signals of various vibration sources, and they contain strong noises. Conventional signal processing methods have difficulty separating the aliasing signals, which causes great difficulties in the condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of the equipment. The principle and method of blind source separation are introduced, and it is pointed out that the blind source separation algorithm is invalid in strong pulse noise environments. In these environments, the vibration signals are first de-noised with the median filter (MF) method and the de-noised signals are separated with an improved joint approximate diagonalization of eigenmatrices (JADE) algorithm. The simulation results found here verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Finally, the vibration signal of the hybrid rotor is effectively separated by the proposed method. A new separation approach is thus provided for vibration signals in strong pulse noise environments.
An Angle Error Compensation Method Based on Harmonic Analysis for Integrated Joint Modules
Authors: Hu Yi , Zhan Yuyi , Han Liang , Hu Penghao , Ye Bing , Yu Yue
Published: March 2020

Nowadays, integrated joint modules are increasingly adopted in manipulators for their advantages of high integration, miniaturization and high repeatability positioning accuracy. The problem of generally low absolute positioning accuracy (namely angle measurement accuracy) must be solved before they can be introduced into the self-driven articulated arm coordinate measuring machine which is under study in our laboratory. In this study, the sources of joint module’s angle error were analyzed and the error model based on harmonic analysis was established. Two integrated joint modules were calibrated on the self-designed calibration platform and the model parameters were deduced, respectively. The angle error was then compensated in the experiments and the results demonstrated that the angle error of the joint modules was reduced by 82.03% on average. The established angle error model can be effectively applied into the self-driven articulated arm coordinated measuring machine.
Design of a Measuring System for Electricity Quality Monitoring within the SMART Street Lighting Test Polygon: Pilot Study on Adaptive Current Control Strategy for Three-Phase Shunt Active Power Filters
Authors: Martinek Radek , Bilik Petr , Baros Jan , Brablik Jindrich , Kahankova Radana , Jaros Rene , Danys Lukas , Rzidky Jaroslav , Wen He
Published: March 2020

This study focuses on the design of a measuring system for monitoring the power quality within the SMART street lighting test polygon at university campuses with relation to testing an adaptive current control strategy for three-phase shunt active power filters. Unlike conventional street lighting, SMART elements are powered 24/7. Due to the electronic character of the power part of such mass appliances, there are increased problems with the power quality of the electric energy. Compared to the current concept of street lighting, there is a significant increase in the content of higher current harmonic components, which cause several problems in the distribution system. The test polygon contains 16 luminaires made by various manufacturers and mounted with various SMART components. Using the polygon control and monitoring system, dynamic load scenarios were selected. These scenarios tested the possibilities of different adaptive current control strategies for three-phase shunt active power filters to improve the power quality of electricity. This study focuses on three adaptive algorithms that respond to dynamic changes of current harmonics level in real-time. The possibility of active filter control was tested using FPGA, mainly due to the low latency of the filter control part.
Model Predictive Controller Based on Online Obtaining of Softness Factor and Fusion Velocity for Automatic Train Operation
Authors: Wang Longda , Wang Xingcheng , Sheng Zhao , Lu Senkui
Published: March 2020

This paper develops an improved model predictive controller based on the online obtaining of softness factor and fusion velocity for automatic train operation to enhance the tracking control performance. Specifically, the softness factor of the improved model predictive control algorithm is not a constant, conversely, an improved online adaptive adjusting method for softness factor based on fuzzy satisfaction of system output value and velocity distance trajectory characteristic is adopted, and an improved whale optimization algorithm has been proposed to solve the adjustable parameters; meanwhile, the system output value for automatic train operation is not sampled by a normal speed sensor, on the contrary, an improved online velocity sampled method for the system output value based on a fusion velocity model and an intelligent digital torque sensor is applied. In addition, the two improved strategies proposed take the real-time storage and calculation capacities of the core chip of the controller into account. Therefore, the proposed improved strategies (I) have good performance in tracking precision, (II) are simple and easily conducted, and (III) can ensure the accomplishing of computational tasks in real-time. Finally, to verify the effectiveness of the improved model predictive controller, the Matlab/simulink simulation and hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) are adopted for automatic train operation tracking control, and the tracking control simulation results indicate that the improved model predictive controller has better tracking control effectiveness compared with the existing traditional improved model predictive controller.
Electrochemical Biosensors Based on S-Layer Proteins
Authors: Damiati Samar , Schuster Bernhard
Published: March 2020

Designing and development of electrochemical biosensors enable molecule sensing and quantification of biochemical compositions with multitudinous benefits such as monitoring, detection, and feedback for medical and biotechnological applications. Integrating bioinspired materials and electrochemical techniques promote specific, rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive biosensing platforms for (e.g., point-of-care testing). The selection of biomaterials to decorate a biosensor surface is a critical issue as it strongly affects selectivity and sensitivity. In this context, smart biomaterials with the intrinsic self-assemble capability like bacterial surface (S-) layer proteins are of paramount importance. Indeed, by forming a crystalline two-dimensional protein lattice on many sensors surfaces and interfaces, the S-layer lattice constitutes an immobilization matrix for small biomolecules and lipid membranes and a patterning structure with unsurpassed spatial distribution for sensing elements and bioreceptors. This review aims to highlight on exploiting S-layer proteins in biosensor technology for various applications ranging from detection of metal ions over small organic compounds to cells. Furthermore, enzymes immobilized on the S-layer proteins allow specific detection of several vital biomolecules. The special features of the S-layer protein lattice as part of the sensor architecture enhances surface functionalization and thus may feature an innovative class of electrochemical biosensors.
Optimizing an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System for Spatial Prediction of Landslide Susceptibility Using Four State-of-the-art Metaheuristic Techniques
Authors: Mehrabi Mohammad , Pradhan Biswajeet , Moayedi Hossein , Alamri Abdullah
Published: March 2020

Four state-of-the-art metaheuristic algorithms including the genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), differential evolutionary (DE), and ant colony optimization (ACO) are applied to an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) for spatial prediction of landslide susceptibility in Qazvin Province (Iran). To this end, the landslide inventory map, composed of 199 identified landslides, is divided into training and testing landslides with a 70:30 ratio. To create the spatial database, thirteen landslide conditioning factors are considered within the geographic information system (GIS). Notably, the spatial interaction between the landslides and mentioned conditioning factors is analyzed by means of frequency ratio (FR) theory. After the optimization process, it was shown that the DE-based model reaches the best response more quickly than other ensembles. The landslide susceptibility maps were developed, and the accuracy of the models was evaluated by a ranking system, based on the calculated area under the receiving operating characteristic curve (AUROC), mean absolute error, and mean square error (MSE) accuracy indices. According to the results, the GA-ANFIS with a total ranking score (TRS) = 24 presented the most accurate prediction, followed by PSO-ANFIS (TRS = 17), DE-ANFIS (TRS = 13), and ACO-ANFIS (TRS = 6). Due to the excellent results of this research, the developed landslide susceptibility maps can be applied for future planning and decision making of the related area.
Power Laws and Elementary Particle Decays
Authors: Chiatti Leonardo
Published: March 2020

This study analyzes the correlation between the lifetime and the rest energy of the unstable particle states with a lifetime greater than the zeptosecond (10−21 s), using data available from the Particle Data Group. This set of states seems to be divided into three groups, in each of which the two quantities can be correlated through a remarkably accurate power law. Although this fact does not represent anything new compared to the predictions of the Standard Model, it nevertheless reveals an unexpected order structure in the set of particle decays, emerging from such predictions.
Adopt Big-Data Analytics to Explore and Exploit the New Value for Service Innovation
Authors: Thuethongchai Nopsaran , Taiphapoon Tatri , Chandrachai Achara , Triukose Sipat
Published: March 2020

Big-data analytics is gaining substantial attention due to its contribution to the process of determining business strategy and providing valuable information for the design and development of service innovation. The principal objective of this research is to study the adoption of big-data analytics for service innovation. The focus will be on leveraging features of data analytics to capture genuine customer’s requirements from the communication data through the digital service channel. This study used mixed methods research of documentary research, with supplementary semi-structured interviews. The interviews were conducted with 11 executive managements who have more than ten years of experience in data analytics or service development. The result of the research found that organizations in the services industry are using big data analytics to build capabilities to gain competitive advantages as well as the ability to rapidly and accurately respond to the market’s demands. The process of adopting big-data analytics for service innovation described in this article consists of seven essential procedural steps that impact the success of the development of service innovation, and also considered with the objective of increasing effectiveness in opportunity identification and reduce complexity in the fuzzy frond-end service innovation development theory.
Relationships between Change of Direction, Sprint, Jump, and Squat Power Performance
Authors: Suarez-Arrones Luis , Gonzalo-Skok Oliver , Carrasquilla Irene , Asián-Clemente Jose , Santalla Alfredo , Lara-Lopez Pilar , Núñez F. Javier
Published: March 2020

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships between countermovement jump (CMJ) height and inertial power in squat and sprint variables with change of direction (COD) performance. Fifty young healthy active males participated in the study. To determine these relationships, we carried out a 10-m linear sprint test (T 10 m), vertical jump tests (CMJ and CMJ Abalakov), an assessment of power relative to bodyweight in a flywheel squat (Pbw), and 10-m COD sprints with two different turn types (COD-90° and COD-180°). T10 m showed statistically large and moderate correlations with T10 m COD-180° (r = 0.55) and T10-m COD-90° (r = 0.41), respectively. Moderate to large correlations between jumping height, linear sprinting, and sprints with COD were found (r = −0.43 to r = −0.59), and there were unclear correlations between jumping height and the loss of speed caused by executing COD (DEC-COD). Pbw showed a large correlation with CMJ Abalakov and CMJ jump height (r = 0.65 and r = 0.57, respectively), and a moderate and large correlation with T 10 m, T 10 m COD-180°, and T10 m COD-90° (r = −0.33, r = −0.38, and r = −0.54, respectively). Despite the existence of substantial correlations between variables, straight linear sprinting, jumping performance, CODs and squat power were, for the most part, separate motor qualities (R2 from 14% to 34%), suggesting that all of them should be specifically assessed and trained.
Service Customer Loyalty: An Evaluation Based on Loyalty Factors
Authors: Vilkaite-Vaitone Neringa , Skackauskiene Ilona
Published: March 2020

This study sheds light on customer loyalty based on three groups of factors (customer, service provider, and environment). Noting the diversity of the effects of customer loyalty factors, this research investigates the impact of every factor upon customer loyalty. This paper provides an innovative insight into how a variety of customer loyalty factors might be combined into a single measure of customer loyalty. Finally, this study examines phases of customer loyalty and identifies the factors that prevent a peak of customer loyalty. The factors determining customer loyalty explain why customers move across different loyalty phases over time. The results of the empirical testing confirmed the practical applicability of the suggested approach for evaluating customer loyalty based on these factors. An innovative approach to the evaluation of customer loyalty is essential for marketers because it will help them to evaluate loyalty in cases where data about customer behavior are not collected. The findings of the research contribute to a better understanding of which factors are a viable basis for increasing customer loyalty, specifically in the catering and beauty markets, and offer guidance to marketing managers on how to shift customers to more desirable loyalty phases.
Near Zero-Energy Buildings in Lebanon: The Use of Emerging Technologies and Passive Architecture
Authors: Omar Osama
Published: March 2020

Architecture always aims to find solutions for problems around the world. One of the major trends at present relates to energy consumption and climate change. Construction is responsible for 18% of CO2 emissions. However, continuing to use fuel as a main source of energy consumption for economic reasons, as it is the cheapest raw material and most easily available material for most of the Arab countries, results in a negative environmental impact on the quality of life in these countries. This paper investigates a new design concept and decision-supporting tools for zero-energy buildings. Based on critical thinking as a new mechanism to create a hierarchy of designing a building, the research presents the experience of the author in teaching architecture courses for postgraduates for five years (ARCH 662: Architecture Design and Decision-Supporting Tools and Arch 663: Advanced Sustainable Architecture). The result of this research could be new methodologies that help and guide the architect in creating more zero-energy buildings in their countries. In addition, the spread of knowledge in the future generation of architects in architecture schools will mean that new designers believe in protecting and taking care of their environment, which will increase awareness of environmental issues and improve the quality of life in these countries.
Factors Underlying Life Quality in Urban Contexts: Evidence from an Industrial City (Arak, Iran)
Authors: Pazhuhan Musa , Shahraki Saeed Zanganeh , Kaveerad Niloofar , Cividino Sirio , Clemente Matteo , Salvati Luca
Published: March 2020

Cities play a vital role in local development providing a high education level, specialized jobs and advanced services. When assessing living conditions and wellbeing in cities, economic indicators alone are generally unable to evaluate the inherent complexity of the ‘quality of life’ issue in urban environments. With rapid urbanization, shortage of infrastructures and services emerged in metropolitan regions of developing countries, leading to disadvantaged settlements, urban poverty, lower citizens’ satisfaction, and an overall decline in life quality. Based on these premises, the present study illustrates a subjective investigation of life quality in an emerging economy such as Iran, focusing on Arak, the fourth largest industrial pole of the country. Based on a literature review on quality of life in industrial cities of emerging economies, subjective indicators of citizens’ satisfaction on living quality in Arak were identified and quantified using empirical results from a field survey. Results of our study show that the overall satisfaction for living quality in Arak is rather low, reaching the lowest rank in the issues of environmental sanitation and public transportation. Lack of investments in urban infrastructure justifies the low citizens’ perception of life quality in Arak city. The paper concludes outlining the urgent need of homogeneous and comparable macro- and micro-data on multiple aspects of quality of life at both city-level and metropolitan-level in emerging economies.
Scientific Performance and Mapping of the Term STEM in Education on the Web of Science
Authors: Hinojo-Lucena Francisco-Javier , Dúo-Terrón Pablo , Ramos Navas-Parejo Magdalena , Rodríguez-Jiménez Carmen , Moreno-Guerrero Antonio-José
Published: March 2020

Technological progress is causing terms such as “STEM”, an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, to burst into the educational arena, marking a new era in the application of innovative and motivating teaching and learning processes. The objective of this research is to analyze the trajectory and the transcendence of the “STEM” concept in the educational field, having as reference the reported literature of Web of Science. The methodology applied in this research is based on bibliometrics, analyzing both the performance and the structural and dynamic development of the concept through a co-word analysis. The total number of documents analyzed is 4390. The results show that the scientific community mainly uses English and research papers to present their results. From 2015 onwards, the main lines of research are beginning to be established, which focus on “women” and “science”. It can be concluded that the term “STEM” in education is beginning to have a greater incidence and impact on the processes of teaching and learning, especially in the field of science, although there are currently discrepancies between men and women in its use.
Green Supply Chain Decisions Considering Consumers’ Low-Carbon Awareness under Different Government Subsidies
Authors: Su Chang , Liu Xiaojing , Du Wenyi
Published: March 2020

This study examined how to arrange the generation and pricing of supply chain members in the case of consumer green preference with different government subsidies. The green supply chain comprises a manufacturer and a retailer; the government subsidizes manufacturers who produce green products and consumers who buy green products. The study built a green supply chain pricing decision model with different forms of subsidy under various power structures. By backward induction and sensitivity analysis, this study analyzed optimal strategies of green supply chain under various modes, and we discuss how the government subsidy coefficient affects the optimal decision of a green supply chain. The results show that, firstly, whether the government subsidizes the manufacturers or the consumers, the wholesale price offered by the manufacturer is directly proportional to the subsidy coefficient under the two power structures. Secondly, when the government subsidizes the manufacturer, the carbon-emission level and the retail price are inversely proportional to the subsidy coefficient under the manufacturer leader; the carbon-emission level and the retail price are all directly proportional to the subsidy coefficient under the retailer leader. Finally, when the government subsidizes the consumers, the carbon-emission level and the retail price are directly proportional to the subsidy coefficient under the two power structures.
Decarbonizing the Galapagos Islands: Techno-Economic Perspectives for the Hybrid Renewable Mini-Grid Baltra–Santa Cruz
Authors: Eras-Almeida Andrea , Egido-Aguilera Miguel , Blechinger Philipp , Berendes Sarah , Caamaño Estefanía , García-Alcalde Enrique
Published: March 2020

The fragile ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands is being affected by population growth, intensive tourism, the exploitation of local resources and the high consumption of imported fossil fuels. This unsustainable development model makes the provision of services such as electricity a challenge. This research investigates the hybrid renewable mini-grid Baltra–Santa Cruz, which represents 62% of the electricity generation mix of the archipelago. This study aims to support the Galapagos Zero Fossil Fuel Initiative and the Sustainable Development Goal 7 through the reduction in diesel consumption and electricity generation costs. To do so, HOMER Pro, a specialized hybrid renewable mini-grid planning tool, is used to perform several techno-economic assessments, focusing on different electricity demand scenarios. Therefore, multiple pathways are compared to identify the most reliable alternatives towards the progressive decarbonization of this hybrid system. The results indicate that installing 18.25 MWp of photovoltaic and 20.68 MWh of battery capacity could reduce the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) from 32.06 to 18.95 USc/kWh, increasing the renewable energy (RE) share from 18% to 39%. Additionally, the successful application of energy efficiency measures would even reduce the LCOE to 17.10 USc/kWh. What is more, distributed energy is considered the most attractive way to involve islanders in the energy transition process. Finally, this paper offers a comprehensive business model proposal to achieve a resilient energy supply, based on a combination of auctions and energy community models, which demands high political will, reliable and innovative regulations and social awareness about energy use.
Validation and Psychometric Properties of the Gameplay-Scale for Educative Video Games in Spanish Children
Authors: Zurita Ortega Félix , Medina Medina Nuria , Gutiérrez Vela Francisco Luis , Chacón Cuberos Ramón
Published: March 2020

The knowledge of evaluation instruments to determine the level of gameplay of schoolchildren is very important at this time. A systematic review has been carried out in this study. The aim of this paper is to investigate the psychometric properties of a study of a sample of Spanish gamers. Two hundred and thirty-seven children (mean age: 11.2± 1.17 years, range: 10-12 years, 59.5% female) completed the Gameplay-Scale to discover their opinions after a game session with a serious educational game. The final scale consisted of three factors. The fit for factor 1 (usability) was 0.712, the fit for factor 2 was 0.702 (satisfaction), the fit for factor 3 was 0.886 (empathy) and the overall fit was 0.868. A positive and direct relationship could be observed between all the dimensions of the developed scale. The greatest correlation strength is shown between satisfaction and empathy (r = 0.800; p < 0.005), followed by satisfaction and usability (r = 0.180; p < 0.05) and the association between empathy and usability (r = 0.140; p < 0.05). In summary, the results of the present study support the use of the Gameplay-Scale as a valid and reliable measure of the game experience of youth populations. These results demonstrate strong psychometric properties so that the Gameplay-Scale appears to be a valid instrument for children in different contexts where an educational video game is used, analyzing its usability/“playability” in terms of learning to use it, game satisfaction, and empathy.
Spatial Correlation of Industrial NOx Emission in China’s 2 + 26 Policy Region: Based on Social Network Analysis
Authors: Jiang Shurui , Tan Xue , Wang Yue , Shi Lei , Cheng Rong , Ma Zhong , Lu Genfa
Published: March 2020

The Chinese government has identified air pollution transmission points in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region and its surrounding areas under 2 + 26 initiative. This study introduces a modified Gravity Model to construct the spatial correlation network of industrial NOx in 2 + 26 policy region from 2011 to 2015, and further explores network characteristics and socioeconomic factors of this spatial correlation network by Social Network Analysis. Results indicate significant correlation of industrial NOx emission in 2 + 26 policy cities. The spatial correlation network of industrial NOx has remained stable within 5 years, implying no pollution exacerbation of interregional transmission. According to the effect of output and input in the correlation network of industrial NOx, cities in 2 + 26 policy region can be categorized into four types: high-high, high-low, low-low, and low-high, as each should adopt the corresponding strategies for emission reduction. Shijiazhuang, Liaocheng, Cangzhou, Heze and Handan should be key monitored during implementation of emission reduction. Taiyuan, Hebi, Langfang, Tangshan and Yangquan, should give priority to local emission reduction although less associated with other cities, based on city type and current emission situation. Environmental regulation and geographical distance have significant influence on the spatial correlation network of industrial NOx, of which the indicator of environmental regulation difference matrix has become significantly negative since 2014, while the indicator of geographical effect has been significantly positive all along. Urban industrial emission has significant correlation between cities with distance of 0–300 km, while no significant correlation between cities with distance exceeding 300 km.
From Blockbuster to Neighbourhood Buster: The Effect of Films on Barcelona
Authors: Martin-Fuentes Eva , Nieto Ferrando Jorge , Marine-Roig Estela , Ferrer-Rosell Berta
Published: March 2020

In recent years, cities such as Venice, Dubrovnik, Paris and Barcelona have experienced an exponential increase in visitor numbers leading to episodes of tourismphobia by anti-tourism movements, or even the decline of the destination. Among other solutions, some destinations see film-induced tourism as a possible way of diversifying tourism supply and demand. Through the analysis of the locations of six thematic film routes in Barcelona compared to the same locations on the largest online travel review platform, TripAdvisor, it is concluded that, far from spreading out tourist flows, fiction-induced tourism in Barcelona has concentrated tourism at the main attractions of the city. Only a few exceptions of films with minor audiences lead tourists off the beaten track. Overall, this paper provides a set of recommendations, strategies and challenges for destination managers to help alleviate overtourism and to offer more sustainable tourism away from spots that attract mass tourism.
Coal Resource Security Assessment in China: A Study Using Entropy-Weight-Based TOPSIS and BP Neural Network
Authors: Yang Yuexiang , Zheng Xiaoyu , Sun Zhen
Published: March 2020

Energy security has become a worldwide issue in recent years. Coal resources security (CRS), an important part of energy security, has been an emerging concern in many countries, due to the diminishing fossil energy reserve and unbalanced energy structure. However, there is no universally agreed method of constructing indicator system for CRS assessment. Subjectivity in the process of evaluation also affects the results of assessment. Moreover, CRS is a complex system that should be evaluated scientifically under diverse methods. Therefore, we constructed an indicator system and evaluation model of CRS and used a case study of China and 31 provinces in its mainland to evaluate CRS at both national and provincial levels. The indicator system included two subsystems—long-term CRS and short-term CRS. We also chose a few elements and factors that are consistent with China’s reality. Different research methods were used: the entropy-weight-based TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution) method is applied to evaluate the degree of CRS, which avoids the subjectivity of weight determination and reflects the relative merit of each indicator; the BP (Back-Propagation) Neural Network method is used to analyze the sensitivity of CRS to each index. The results show that the national level of CRS dropped in the early years but slowly picked up with the help of government intervention. Investment in coal industry development resulted in the immediate effect of improving CRS. The positive impact of maintaining environmental sustainability is stable over either the short, medium, or long term. The degrees of CRS vary significantly across provinces, even between those with similar coal stock levels. Extra attention should be paid to the transportation of coal resources among provinces and intervention to balance supply and demand within the regions.
Application of Specific Mathematical Methods in the Context of Revitalization of Defunct Intermodal Transport Terminal: A Case Study
Authors: Ližbetin Ján , Stopka Ondrej
Published: March 2020

The article deals with a specific research study discussing the possibility to revitalize a specific non-functional intermodal transport terminal. The structure of the manuscript consists of five sections. The first part is focused on the analysis of the subject being investigated in important scientific publications. The second part of the article presents a brief analysis of the current situation concerning intermodal transport in the Czech Republic and emphasizes the need to build an intermodal transport terminal in the South Bohemia region. The third section describes the contemporary state of the Nemanice transshipment station, provides a calculation of the terminal transport potential, which is thereafter used in the next paper section in order to design individual terminal elements. The objective of this study is to propose an approach methodology regarding the terminal connection to railway and road infrastructure, necessary quantification of the transport potential, which subsequently defines the operational need for handling equipment, and other parameters of the terminal fundamental elements. This methodological guideline is based on variant recommendations to equip the terminal with various handling devices, which are then evaluated, applying the exact decision making methods. Such an evaluation is included in the fourth part of the article. Here, the authors try to find out which terminal equipment is the most appropriate in terms of overall terminal efficiency. The last part of the manuscript is devoted to the final discussion of the key findings and conclusion containing an insight into potential future projects or studies to be addressed.
Identifying Urban Flood Regulation Priority Areas in Beijing Based on an Ecosystem Services Approach
Authors: Li Xiaoyong , Kuang Wenhui , Sun Fengyun
Published: March 2020

Climate change and rapid urbanization have severe impacts on urban flood regulation ecosystem services (UFRES). Quantifying the UFRES has attracted increasing attention for urban sustainable development. However, few studies have focused on how to identify urban flood regulation priority areas. In this study, we simulated urban surface runoff by using the soil conservation services-curve number model, and quantified UFRES supply and demand by using relative indicators (i.e., runoff reduction ratio and urban vulnerability) at the subdistrict scale in Beijing, China. Then, an urban flood regulation priority index was developed by integrating UFRES demand and supply, and further used to identify priority areas. The results show that the mean runoff reduction ratio in Beijing decreased from 38.70% (for a 1-year rainfall return period) to 24.74% (for a 100-year rainfall return period). Subdistricts with low UFRES supply were mainly located in the urban central area and the southeastern zone, while subdistricts with high UFRES demand were mainly located in the urban central region. Meanwhile, places with high priority for flood regulation were mainly located in the inner city, and low priority areas were mainly located in northwestern, southwestern, and northeastern Beijing. Our results also imply that the urban flood regulation priority index is an effective indicator to identify urban flood regulation priority areas. These findings could provide urban planners with a comprehensive understanding of UFRES and scientific guidance to improve them.
‘Greening’ Green Infrastructure. Good Italian Practices for Enhancing Green Infrastructure through the Common Agricultural Policy
Authors: Magaudda Stefano , D’Ascanio Romina , Muccitelli Serena , Palazzo Anna Laura
Published: March 2020

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was established by the European Community in the 1950s to provide financial support to farmers in member states, increase agricultural productivity by promoting technical progress, and ensure a fair standard of living for farmers. Over time; awareness about the externalities of intensive farming would prompt environmentally friendly practices. These include, in the current programming period 2014–2020, the so-called “greening”, which consists of: (i) crop diversification; (ii) the maintenance of permanent grassland surfaces; and (iii) the availability of 5% of arable land for ecological focus areas devoted to agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment. These provisions, spurred by a decades-long debate that also stresses the importance of creating/restoring ecological connectivity on different scales to counter land fragmentation, are in tune with spatial planning initiatives throughout Europe. Here the point is how to combine these directions with either “ecological networks” (EN), designed as physical corridors to be preserved and enhanced for plants and animals’ mobility needs; or “green infrastructure” (GI), defined on the European level as a “strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas with other environmental features designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services” (European Commission; 2013). While in several European countries environmental measures targeting farmers and ecological networks directed at specific areas have been merged in a place-based approach, Italy is lagging behind. In general, no guidelines have been provided on the national level to support regional paths, while regions and municipalities lack the resources to implement GI. Conversely, while greening policies in the framework of the CAP are properly funded, they lack directions to be efficiently allocated. Against the backdrop of such concerns, this paper frames and reflects upon ongoing practices in three pilot areas in different Italian regions, selected based on desk analysis, in-depth interviews, and direct knowledge. Here, despite or thanks to the legislative framework, experimental approaches have been adopted to harness performance issues in targeted areas through broad participation by public and private stakeholders and multilevel governance schemes, opening possible pathways in view of the forthcoming programming period.