bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural Integrity Assessment of an NEPE Propellant Grain Considering the Tension–Compression Asymmetry in Its Mechanical Property
Authors: Zhang Pengjun , Han Wangshen , Zhou Dongmo , Wu Hanxu
Published: August 2023

In order to investigate the effect of tension–compression asymmetry of propellant mechanical properties on the structural integrity of a Nitrate Ester Plasticized Polyether (NEPE) propellant grain, the unified constitutive equations under tension and compression were established, a new method for grain structural integrity assessment was proposed and the structural integrity of the NEPE propellant grain under the combined axial and transverse overloads was evaluated. The results indicate that the mechanical state of the NEPE propellant grain is in the coexistence of tension and compression under the combined axial and transverse overloads, and the tension and compression regions in the propellant grain is independent of the propellant constitutive behavior. The tension–compression asymmetry of the propellant mechanical properties has a certain impact on its mechanical response. The maximum equivalent stress and strain considering the tension–compression asymmetry falls between that obtained through the tension and compression constitutive model, and is the same as damage coefficient. The safety factor of the NEPE propellant grain considering the tension–compression asymmetry of its mechanical properties is larger than that non-considering, and the traditional method of structural integrity assessment is conservative.
Research Advances of Porous Polyimide—Based Composites with Low Dielectric Constant
Authors: Pang Zhenjiang , Sun Hengchao , Guo Yan , Du Jun , Li Liang , Li Qiuyang , Yang Junzhong , Zhang Jijun , Wu Weiguo , Yang Sen
Published: August 2023

With the burgeoning of the microelectronics industry, in order to improve the transmission speed between chips in large-scale integrated circuits to meet the demands of high integration, it is necessary for interlayer insulation materials to possess a lower dielectric constant (k). Polyimide (PI) has been widely used as interlayer insulation materials for large-scale integrated circuits, and the exploration on reducing their dielectric constant has attracted extensive attention in recent years. In this work, porous PI-based composites with a low dielectric constant are mainly reviewed. The application of porous SiO2, graphene derivatives, polyoxometalates, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane and hyperbranched polysiloxane in reducing the dielectric constant of PI is emphatically introduced. The key technical problems and challenges in the current research of porous polyimide materials are summarized, and the development prospect of low k polyimide is also expounded.
Evaluating Nationwide Non-Point Source Pollution of Crop Farming and Related Environmental Risk in China
Authors: Duan Yang , Jiang Hongqiang , Huang Xiao , Zhu Wenhui , Zhang Jie , Wang Bo , Wu Wenjun
Published: August 2023

The increase in non-point source (NPS) pollution from agricultural cultivation and production sources has been cited as one of the main reasons for water eutrophication. This study built a national NPS database and estimated the nutrient (including both nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) balance and NPS pollution of crop farming at the county level in 2015. Finally, the NPS pollution risks were assessed, and relative policy suggestions were provided. The results indicated that (1) in 2015, the total amounts of N and P surpluses in China were 7.95 and 7.39 million tons, respectively. The south of the Yangtze River had a relatively higher nutrient surplus compared to that in northern China. (2) The NPS emissions for N and P in China were 168.84 × 104 tons and 8.93 × 104 tons, respectively, with the highest NPS loads occurring in the eastern part of the Sichuan Basin, southern China and southwestern China, while the lowest loads occurred in northeast China. (3) The potential risk assessment results showed that a broad division emerged at the Yangtze River basin, with the northern area under lower risk than the southern area. This estimation work can provide guidance and technical support for local government and policy makers to control NPS pollution.
Enhanced Oil Recovery and CO2 Storage Performance in Continental Shale Oil Reservoirs Using CO2 Pre-Injection Fracturing
Authors: Zhang An , Lei Yalin , Zhang Chenjun , Tao Jiaping
Published: August 2023

CO2 pre-injection fracturing is a promising technique for the recovery of continental shale oil. It has multiple advantages, such as oil recovery enhancement, CO2 geological storage and water consumption reduction. Compared with conventional CO2 huff and puff and flooding, CO2 pre-injection features higher injection rates and pressures, leading to EOR and improved CO2 storage performance. Combining physical experiments and numerical simulation, this research systematically investigated the EOR and storage performance of CO2 pre-injection in continental shale reservoirs. The results showed that CO2 pre-injection greatly improved the oil recovery; after seven cycles of soaking, the average oil recovery factor was 39.27%, representing a relative increase of 31.6% compared with that of the conventional CO2 huff and puff. With the increasing pressure, the CO2 solubility grew in both the oil and water, and so did the CO2 adsorption in shale. Numerical simulation indicated that the average CO2 storage ratio of the production stage was 76.46%, which validated the effectiveness of CO2 pre-injection in terms of CO2 geological storage.
‘Housing’ as Christian Social Practice in African Cities: Centering the Urban Majority Theologically
Authors: De Beer Stephan
Published: August 2023

Decent, affordable housing and secure housing tenure remain elusive for Africa’s urban majority. The urban majority is expected to live in self-help housing, reflected in the fact that 62% of African urban dwellers live in urban informal settlements. The inability to access safe, decent, and secure housing, and the reality that Africa’s urban majority is perpetually precarious, have a severe impact on Africa’s urban households and the well-being of individuals, families, and neighborhoods. This article articulates housing as a critical and urgent Christian social practice in African cities—an extension of the church’s pastoral and missional concern. It considers housing both as a product and a process: people need housing to live secure lives; yet, the process of housing is as critical as the outcome. It then proposes housing, as a Christian social practice, being engaged in (i) supporting precarious households; (ii) preventing homelessness; (iii) creating housing; (iv) supporting rights-based land and housing movements; and (v) centering housing pastorally–liturgically. The article grounds itself in Jean-Marc Ela’s insistence on God’s presence ‘in the hut of a mother whose granary is empty’ and in Letty Russell’s ‘household of freedom’.
At the Burning Ground: Death and Transcendence in Bengali Shaktism
Authors: McDaniel June
Published: August 2023

The burning ground is both a place and a metaphor in the religion of Shaktism or goddess worship in West Bengal, India. As a place, it is where corpses are cremated. As a metaphor, it refers to the human heart, which has been left as a wasteland through sorrow and tragedy. It is when the soul loses its attachment to this world, when the heart is desolate and alone, that the dark goddess Kali descends from the heavens. She may bring the gift of salvation, bringing the soul to her paradise, or she may save it from unhappy rebirth by bringing a new and better life. She may also bring the universal consciousness that is moksha or liberation. Transcendence from the bondage of worldly attachments, which are left behind amid the ashes of the burning ground, brings divine vision and realization. This paper explores the roles of negation and desolation in ritual practice and religious experience in Bengali Shaktism.
Distributed Least-Squares Monte Carlo for American Option Pricing
Authors: Xiong Lu , Luo Jiyao , Vise Hanna , White Madison
Published: August 2023

Option pricing is an important research field in financial markets, and the American option is a common financial derivative. Fast and accurate pricing solutions are critical to the stability and development of the market. Computational techniques, especially the least squares Monte Carlo (LSMC) method, have been broadly used in optimizing the pricing algorithm. This paper discusses the application of distributed computing technology to enhance the LSMC in American option pricing. Although parallel computing has been used to improve the LSMC method, this paper is the first to explore distributed computing technology for LSMC enhancement. Compared with parallel computing, distributed computing has several advantages, including reducing the computational complexity by the “divide and conquer” method, avoiding the complicated matrix transformation, and improving data privacy as well as security. Moreover, LSMC is suitable for distributed computing because the price paths can be simulated and regressed separately. This research aims to show how distributed computing, particularly the divide and conquer approach implemented by Apache Spark, can be used to improve the efficiency and accuracy of LSMC in American option pricing. This paper provides an innovative solution to the financial market and could contribute to the advancement of American option pricing research.
A Study on Leveraging Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Collaborative Driving and Aerial Photography Systems to Improve the Accuracy of Crop Phenotyping
Authors: Lee Kangbeen , Han Xiongzhe
Published: August 2023

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based aerial images have enabled a prediction of various factors that affect crop growth. However, the single UAV system leaves much to be desired; the time lag between images affects the accuracy of crop information, lowers the image registration quality and a maximum flight time of 20–25 min, and limits the mission coverage. A multiple UAV system developed from our previous study was used to resolve the problems centered on image registration, battery duration and to improve the accuracy of crop phenotyping. The system can generate flight routes, perform synchronous flying, and ensure capturing and safety protocol. Artificial paddy plants were used to evaluate the multiple UAV system based on leaf area index (LAI) and crop height measurements. The multiple UAV system exhibited lower error rates on average than the single UAV system, with 13.535% (without wind effects) and 17.729–19.693% (with wind effects) for LAI measurements and 5.714% (without wind effect) and 4.418% (with wind effects) for crop’s height measurements. Moreover, the multiple UAV system reduced the flight time by 66%, demonstrating its ability to overcome battery-related barriers. The developed multiple UAV collaborative system has enormous potential to improve crop growth monitoring by addressing long flight time and low-quality phenotyping issues.
Self-Incremental Learning for Rapid Identification of Collapsed Buildings Triggered by Natural Disasters
Authors: Ge Jiayi , Tang Hong , Ji Chao
Published: August 2023

The building damage caused by natural disasters seriously threatens human security. Applying deep learning algorithms to identify collapsed buildings from remote sensing images is crucial for rapid post-disaster emergency response. However, the diversity of buildings, limited training dataset size, and lack of ground-truth samples after sudden disasters can significantly reduce the generalization of a pre-trained model for building damage identification when applied directly to non-preset locations. To address this challenge, a self-incremental learning framework (i.e., SELF) is proposed in this paper, which can quickly improve the generalization ability of the pre-trained model in disaster areas by self-training an incremental model using automatically selected samples from post-disaster images. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified on the 2010 Yushu earthquake, 2023 Turkey earthquake, and other disaster types. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach outperforms state-of-the-art methods in terms of collapsed building identification, with an average increase of more than 6.4% in the Kappa coefficient. Furthermore, the entire process of the self-incremental learning method, including sample selection, incremental learning, and collapsed building identification, can be completed within 6 h after obtaining the post-disaster images. Therefore, the proposed method is effective for emergency response to natural disasters, which can quickly improve the application effect of the deep learning model to provide more accurate building damage results.
Projecting the Impact of Climate Change on Runoff in the Tarim River Simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool Glacier Model
Authors: Fang Gonghuan , Li Zhi , Chen Yaning , Liang Wenting , Zhang Xueqi , Zhang Qifei
Published: August 2023

Analyzing the future changes in runoff is crucial for efficient water resources management and planning in arid regions with large river systems. This paper investigates the future runoffs of the headwaters of the Tarim River Basin under different emission scenarios by forcing the hydrological model SWAT-Glacier using six regional climate models from the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) project. Results indicate that compared to the period of 1976~2005, temperatures are projected to increase by 1.22 ± 0.72 °C during 2036~2065 under RCP8.5 scenarios, with a larger increment in the south Tianshan mountains and a lower increment in the north Kunlun Mountains. Precipitation is expected to increase by 3.81 ± 14.72 mm and 20.53 ± 27.65 mm during 2036–2065 and 2066–2095, respectively, under the RCP8.5 scenario. The mountainous runoffs of the four headwaters that directly recharge the mainstream of the Tarim River demonstrate an overall increasing trend in the 21st century. Under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, the runoff is projected to increase by 3.2% and 3.9% (amounting to 7.84 × 108 m3 and 9.56 × 108 m3) in 2006–2035. Among them, the runoff of the Kaidu River, which is dominated by rainfall and snowmelt, is projected to present slightly decreasing trends of 3~8% under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. For catchments located in the north Kunlun Mountains (e.g., the Yarkant and Hotan Rivers which are mix-recharged by glacier melt, snowmelt, and rainfall), the runoff will increase significantly, especially in summer due to increased glacier melt and precipitation. Seasonally, the Kaidu River shows a forward shift in peak flow. The summer streamflow in the Yarkant and Hotan rivers is expected to increase significantly, which poses challenges in flood risk management.
A Systematic Review on Advancements in Remote Sensing for Assessing and Monitoring Land Use and Land Cover Changes Impacts on Surface Water Resources in Semi-Arid Tropical Environments
Authors: Mashala Makgabo Johanna , Dube Timothy , Mudereri Bester Tawona , Ayisi Kingsley Kwabena , Ramudzuli Marubini Reuben
Published: August 2023

This study aimed to provide a systematic overview of the progress made in utilizing remote sensing for assessing the impacts of land use and land cover (LULC) changes on water resources (quality and quantity). This review also addresses research gaps, challenges, and opportunities associated with the use of remotely sensed data in assessment and monitoring. The progress of remote sensing applications in the assessment and monitoring of LULC, along with their impacts on water quality and quantity, has advanced significantly. The availability of high-resolution satellite imagery, the integration of multiple sensors, and advanced classification techniques have improved the accuracy of land cover mapping and change detection. Furthermore, the study highlights the vast potential for providing detailed information on the monitoring and assessment of the relationship between LULC and water resources through advancements in data science analytics, drones, web-based platforms, and balloons. It emphasizes the importance of promoting research efforts, and the integration of remote sensing data with spatial patterns, ecosystem services, and hydrological models enables a more comprehensive evaluation of water quantity and quality changes. Continued advancements in remote sensing technology and methodologies will further improve our ability to assess and monitor the impacts of LULC changes on water quality and quantity, ultimately leading to more informed decision making and effective water resource management. Such research endeavors are crucial for achieving the effective and sustainable management of water quality and quantity.
Geophysics in Antarctic Research: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Zhang Yuanyuan , Zou Changchun , Peng Cheng , Lan Xixi , Zhang Hongjie
Published: August 2023

Antarctica is of great importance in terms of global warming, the sustainability of resources, and the conservation of biodiversity. However, due to 99.66% of the continent being covered in ice and snow, geological research and geoscientific study in Antarctica face huge challenges. Geophysical surveys play a crucial role in enhancing comprehension of the fundamental structure of Antarctica. This study used bibliometric analysis to analyze citation data retrieved from the Web of Science for the period from 1982 to 2022 with geophysical research on Antarctica as the topic. According to the analysis results, the amount of Antarctic geophysical research has been steadily growing over the past four decades as related research countries/regions have become increasingly invested in issues pertaining to global warming and sustainability, and international cooperation is in sight. Moreover, based on keyword clustering and an analysis of highly cited papers, six popular research topics have been identified: Antarctic ice sheet instability and sea level change, Southern Ocean and Sea Ice, tectonic activity of the West Antarctic rift system, the paleocontinental rift and reorganization, magmatism and volcanism, and subglacial lakes and subglacial hydrology. This paper provides a detailed overview of these popular research topics and discusses the applications and advantages of the geophysical methods used in each field. Finally, based on keywords regarding abrupt changes, we identify and examine the thematic evolution of the nexus over three consecutive sub-periods (i.e., 1990–1995, 1996–2005, and 2006–2022). The relevance of using geophysics to support numerous and diverse scientific activities in Antarctica becomes very clear after analyzing this set of scientific publications, as is the importance of using multiple geophysical methods (satellite, airborne, surface, and borehole technology) to revolutionize the acquisition of new data in greater detail from inaccessible or hard-to-reach areas. Many of the advances that they have enabled be seen in the Antarctic terrestrial areas (detailed mapping of the geological structures of West and East Antarctica), ice, and snow (tracking glaciers and sea ice, along with the depth and features of ice sheets). These valuable results help identify potential future research opportunities in the field of Antarctic geophysical research and aid academic professionals in keeping up with recent advances.
Gendered Micropolitics in Academic Work Environments: Uncovering Microaggressions during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Lopes Mónica , Ferreira Virgínia , Santos Caynnã
Published: August 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought increased attention to the existing gender asymmetries in academia, which have been extensively studied in the literature. Using the analytical lens of “gendered academic citizenship”, this paper takes a micropolitical perspective to examine how the pandemic has impacted the dynamics of academic work, specifically focusing on the often-overlooked aspect of everyday interactions in the work environment. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of survey data collected from 1750 lecturers and researchers in Portuguese higher education and research institutions, the study uncovers that women, especially those who are younger, single, have specific caregiving responsibilities, and are in the early stages of their careers, were more vulnerable to experiencing “everyday” microaggressions such as silencing, exclusion, belittlement, being ignored, lack of validation, and invisibility compared to men during the pandemic. These findings suggest that, while the marginalization of women in academia is a longstanding issue, the virtual work model has created a platform for the expression of subtle forms of disempowerment and discrimination against women. These dynamics are perpetuated within the micropolitics of organizations, shaping subjective feelings of belonging and circulating differential levels of recognition within academic institutions.
Key Concepts in the Poliheuristic Theory of Foreign Policy Decision Making: A Comparative Examination Using Systemist Theory
Authors: Redd Steven B.
Published: August 2023

The poliheuristic theory of foreign policy decision making incorporates the conditions surrounding foreign policy decisions, as well as the cognitive processes decision makers undergo en route to a choice. It argues that high-level decision makers, who routinely face stressful decision environments, engage in a two-stage decision process wherein they first employ cognitive-based, heuristic shortcuts in an attempt to simplify the decision task. In the second stage, once the decision task is more manageable, decision makers employ more analytic strategies in order to minimize risks and maximize rewards. Poliheuristic theory also posits that politics is the essence of decision and that decision makers will avoid choosing alternatives that hurt them politically. Using systemist theory, I compare two journal articles that use poliheuristic theory to explain foreign policy behavior and choices. More specifically, I compare Özdamar and Erciyas’s 2020 Foreign Policy Analysis article, which uses case study methods to analyze Turkish decisions during the crises of 1964, 1967, and 1974, with Redd’s 2002 Journal of Conflict Resolution article that uses experimental methods to analyze decision making in an advisory group setting. Systemism uses diagrams in a visual approach to explicate the relationships among various factors in any given theory. As such, systemism enables us to precisely examine how poliheuristic theory has evolved over nearly twenty years as well as compare what the different methodologies of case studies and experimental methods have to offer in explaining the foreign policy behavior of leaders and their advisers.
Green Energy Consumption Path Selection and Optimization Algorithms in the Era of Low Carbon and Environmental Protection Digital Trade
Authors: Yuan Jiayi , Gao Ziqing , Xiang Yijun
Published: August 2023

In order to better study the chosen path of the consumption model of public green energy and more accurately predict consumers’ green energy consumer behavior, we take new energy vehicles as an example to explore the driving mechanism and internal mechanism of the public green energy consumption model from the perspective of motivation. We propose an ensemble learning model based on a stacking strategy. The model uses XGBoost, random forest and gradient lifting decision trees as primary learners to transform features, and uses logistic regression as a meta-learner to predict users’ consumer behavior. The experimental results show that this feature engineering method can significantly improve the accuracy rate in multiple model algorithms, and the prediction effect of the ensemble learning model is better than that of a single model, with the accuracy rate of 82.81%. In conclusion, the ensemble learning model based on a stacking strategy can effectively predict the public’s consumer behavior. This provides a theoretical basis and policy recommendations for promoting green energy products represented by new energy vehicles, thereby improving the practical path for proposing green energy consumption.
An Iterative Method for the Simulation of Rice Straw-Based Polyol Hydroxyl Moieties
Authors: Dingcong Roger G. , Radjac Daryl B. , Alfeche Fortia Louise Adeliene M. , Dizon Arniel Ching O. , Tejas Kassandra Jayza Gift D. , Malaluan Roberto M. , Al-Moameri Harith H. , Dumancas Gerard G. , Alguno Arnold C. , Lubguban Arnold A.
Published: August 2023

Bio-derived polyol products have gained global interest as a green and sustainable substitute for fossil-based polyols in a diverse range of polyurethane (PU) applications. According to previous studies, PU properties are highly influenced by the reaction kinetics during their formation. One major factor affecting this is the reactivity of their polyol’s functional hydroxyl moieties that are classified as primary, secondary, and hindered-secondary. However, experimental quantitative characterization of these polyol hydroxyl moieties remains a challenge in the field due to various factors affecting them, including extensive time requirements, the need for substantial and expensive resources, large potential errors, and the generation of wastes, as well as health and safety considerations. In this study, the molar fraction of primary, secondary, and hindered-secondary hydroxyl moieties of a petroleum-based polyol (V490) and a rice straw-based polyol were determined via an iterative computational method. The method employed a MATLAB script that can simultaneously solve multiple differential equations involving PU gelling reaction kinetics and thermodynamics. In this manner, numerical combinations of the fraction of each type of hydroxyl moiety are generated by looping together the respective numerical fractions for each moiety. The best-fit combinations of the fractions of the mixed polyol’s hydroxyl moieties were successfully found via curve fitting of the simulated and experimental gelling temperature profile with an average numerical deviation of less than 1%. Thus, the method presented in this study offers a faster and more reliable characterization of the polymeric reaction kinetics than the experimental and conventional computational methods for product property enhancement and development in the field.
Impact of Digital Economy on Inter-Regional Trade: An Empirical Analysis in China
Authors: Li Meiling , Zhang Lijie , Zhang Zhuangzhuang
Published: August 2023

Unimpeded domestic inter-regional trade is an inevitable choice for a country to improve its economic development autonomy and internal stability. The booming development of the digital economy profoundly affects inter-regional trade exchanges and the construction of domestic trade patterns. Based on China’s inter-provincial panel data, this study analyzes the mechanism channels and regional heterogeneity of the digital economy’s impact on inter-regional trade. We found that firstly, the digital economy significantly promotes inter-regional trade outflows and inflows with positive spatial spillover effects. Secondly, the digital economy promotes inter-regional trade by reducing trade costs and stimulating market demand, while the role of the resource allocation effect and technological innovation effect needs to be enhanced. Thirdly, the promotion of inter-regional trade by the digital economy is more prominent and has the potential for less developed regions or non-border regions. In addition, the digital economy significantly boosts inter-regional trade in labor-intensive regions, while it has a limited effect on inter-regional trade in technology-intensive regions. Therefore, this study suggests increasing the construction of digital infrastructure in less developed regions, tapping the role of the digital economy in resource allocation, and promoting the in-depth integration of the digital economy with the region’s advantageous industries, so as to promote inter-regional trade and economic development.
Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment of Biomass Pellets Biofuel in Hazara Division, Pakistan
Authors: Hassan Maaz , Usman Naveed , Hussain Majid , Yousaf Adnan , Khattak Muhammad Aamad , Yousaf Sidra , Mishr Rankeshwarnath Sanjay , Ahmad Sana , Rehman Fariha , Rashedi Ahmad
Published: August 2023

A thorough life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to determine whether wood pellets were a viable substitute for non-renewable fuels like oil and gas, especially for heating. To evaluate the properties of wood pellets and their effects on the environment, the study was conducted in the Hazara division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A few factors were investigated, including the carbon and water footprints and the identification of potential growth opportunities in the production of wood pellets. One kilogram of wood pellets served as the analysis reference unit. Raw materials were obtained from sawmills and furniture stores to make the wood pellets. Sawdust, a bio binder, and lubricating oil were used in the production process along with the pelletizer machine. SimaPro 9.2 software was used in the environmental footprint assessment to evaluate several environmental effects, including eutrophication, ozone depletion, abiotic depletion, rusting, human toxicity, and aquatic ecotoxicity. The highest contribution was shown by the wood pellets produced from the softwood sawdust as 149.8558 in marine aquatic ecotoxicity. The study’s findings showed that using lubricating oil during the production of wood pellets significantly affected the overall environmental results. The characterization of wood pellets showed that the Higher heating Values (HHV) resulted from burning wood pellets made from sawdust of Melia azedarach as 24.79 MJ/kg. Softwood mixed species recorded the highest water footprint and damage assessment impact and the highest carbon footprint of 0.186 CO2 e. With a 3.84 × 10−7 DALY (disability-adjusted life years) measurement, softwood mixed species showed the highest contribution to human health damage among the damage categories. In terms of cost, producing one kilogram of wood pellets from softwood mixed species was priced at 22 PKR, the lowest among the assessed species. The highest cost of 26 PKR was associated with producing wood pellets from Parthenium hysterophorus and Diospyros lotus.
Application of Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm II in Multi-Objective Water Supply Optimization Model Design for Mountainous Complex Terrain
Authors: Guan Yihong , Chu Yangyang , Lv Mou , Li Shuyan , Li Hang , Dong Shen , Su Yanbo
Published: August 2023

Water distribution networks (WDN) model optimization is an important part of smart water systems to achieve optimal strategies. WDN optimization focuses on the nonlinearity of the discharge head loss equation, the availability of discrete properties of pipe sizes, and the conservation of constraints. Multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) have been proposed and successfully applied in the field of WDN design optimization. Previous studies have focused on comparing the optimization effects of algorithms in water distribution networks, ignoring the problems of unbalanced pressure distribution and water hammer at the nodes of the pipe network caused by the complex terrain in mountainous areas. In this paper, a multi-objective water supply optimization model that integrated cost, reliability, and water quality was established for a mountainous WDN in real engineering. The method of traversing the nodes to solve the water age was introduced to find a more scientific and practical water age solution model, with setting the weight function to evaluate the water age of the water supply model comprehensively. Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm II (SPEA-II) and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) were adopted to optimize the WDN design model in the mountainous complex terrain. The significance levels of the number of Pareto solutions (NOPS) and running time are 0.029 and 0.001, respectively, indicating that the two algorithms have significant differences. Compared to NSGA-II, SPEA-II has a better convergence rate and running time in multi-objective water supply optimization design. The solution set distribution of SPEA-II is more concentrated than that of NSGA-II, also the numerical value is better. The number of SPEA-II optimization schemes is larger and the scheme is more effective. Among them, the Pareto solution set of SPEA-II can obtain more desirable optimization results on cost, reliability index (RI) and water age. In summary, the study provides valuable information for decision makers in WDN with complex terrain.
Green Credit Guideline Influencing Enterprises’ Green Transformation in China
Authors: Liao Xianchun , Wang Jie , Wang Ting , Li Meicun
Published: August 2023

To achieve high-quality corporate development, it is essential to undergo green transformation. Unlike previous literature, this paper explores relevant mechanisms affecting firms’ green transformation from a novel perspective of green credit guidelines (GCG). Using A-share listed industrial enterprises in China from 2010 to 2020 as a sample, we combine the generalized moment estimation model (GMM) with the difference-in-difference model (DID) and demonstrate that (1) GCG significantly promotes enterprises’ green transformation measured by the method of super-efficient Slacks-Based Measure and Data Envelopment Analysis (SBM-DEA). (2) GCG tends to improve green technology innovation, which further facilitates firms’ green transformation, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reinforces the positive relationship between GCG and firms’ green transformation. Correspondingly, we provide policy recommendations for China and other developing countries.
Nature-Based Solutions to Regenerate Mediterranean Cities: A Case Study in Catania, Sicily
Authors: Leonardi Mariagrazia
Published: August 2023

This work is part of research conducted within the Di3A Landscape Design and Redevelopment Laboratory at the University of Catania. Its objective is to improve the enjoyment of public spaces through the study of landscape design in highly urbanised and historical areas. The case study used was the historical centre of the city of Catania in Sicily. This study focused on the green aspects of the redevelopment of some open spaces of the Antico Corso district using international and national thematic studies on public spaces as a reference. In particular, the research concentrated on the design of the Garden of Via Biblioteca inside the former Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò La Rena, a UNESCO world heritage site redeveloped by the famous architect Giancarlo De Carlo. After a careful analysis of the area, we decided to use contemporary project themes with the aim of enhancing the present historical elements and nature-based solutions, which, through the introduction of carefully selected plant species, favour biodiversity in the urban environment. The method adopted was divided into three main phases: (1) spatial analysis; (2) a SWOT analysis method; and (3) the planning and design of the green redevelopment of places to be reconverted into public spaces. This methodology has already been tested on the open spaces of the former Vittorio Emanuele Hospital inside the Antico Corso District, showing how the multidisciplinary approach applied can be replicated in other urban contexts in historical centres. The results of these studies may be useful in the context of urban planning reforms envisaged by Regional Law No. 19/2020 and Regional Law 13/2015 in Sicily and to help the Superintendencies of Landscape and Cultural Heritage to preserve and to enhance historical greenery. The adopted strategies may also be useful in the application of the PUI (Integrated Urban Plan) of the Province of Catania that follows the PNRR (National Plan of Reconstruction and Resilience) parameters to provide local services to the municipalities involved. These pilot projects should be extended to bigger areas. The applicability of the methodology could be tested in other parts of the Municipality of Catania with a particular focus on run-down areas, followed by further testing on territorial sections of the province.
Spatial Distribution and Driving Mechanisms of Rural Settlements in the Shiyang River Basin, Western China
Authors: Li Kaiming , Wang Min , Hou Wenbin , Gao Fuyuan , Xu Baicui , Zeng Jianjun , Jia Dongyu , Li Jun
Published: August 2023

In the context of the rural revitalization strategy, an accurate grasp of the spatial differentiation characteristics and influencing factors of rural settlements in underdeveloped arid inland river basins is urgently required. Taking the Shiyang River Basin as an example, rural settlements from 2000 to 2019 were examined via visual interpretation using satellite remote sensing data and official statistical data. Following the logic of “state characteristics—evolutionary patterns—influence factors—layout optimization”, the average nearest index, the gravity-center migration model, spatial statistical analysis, and other methods were used in combination with GIS. The spatiotemporal pattern evolution characteristics of rural settlements in the past 20 years were analyzed. The results revealed the following: (1) The distribution pattern of rural settlements in the study area is sheet-like and strip-shaped. The projects in the southeast are mostly distributed in a patchy pattern with high density, while the characteristics in the west and north are exactly opposite. The objects in the south are distributed in an alluvial area of rivers, while settlements in the north are located in an oasis area. (2) From 2000 to 2019, the scale of rural settlements in the Shiyang River Basin, where there is a simultaneous occurrence of newly-built and disappearing phenomena, shows an expansion trend that first increased quickly and then slowed down. Spatially, rural settlements in the basin show a clustering trend toward the southwest. (3) The distribution characteristics of rural settlements are close to water and roads, and they are greatly influenced by urban–rural integration and ecological migration. The results will provide a scientific basis for accelerating the modernization of rural areas and the construction of new rural areas according to local conditions.
Certain Results on the Lifts from an LP-Sasakian Manifold to Its Tangent Bundle Associated with a Quarter-Symmetric Metric Connection
Authors: Khan Mohammad Nazrul Islam , Mofarreh Fatemah , Haseeb Abdul , Saxena Mohit
Published: August 2023

The purpose of this study is to examine the complete lifts from the symmetric and concircular symmetric n-dimensional Lorentzian para-Sasakian manifolds (briefly, (LPS)n) to its tangent bundle TM associated with a Riemannian connection DC and a quarter-symmetric metric connection (QSMC) D¯C.
Dual-Energy CT Arthrography: Advanced Muscolo-Skelatal Applications in Clinical Practice
Authors: Foti Giovanni , Booz Christian , Buculo Giuseppe Mauro , Oliboni Eugenio , Longo Chiara , Avanzi Paolo , Campacci Antonio , Zorzi Claudio
Published: August 2023

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the potential applications of dual-energy CT (DECT) in improving image quality and the diagnostic capabilities of CT arthrography (CTA) in clinical practice. The paper covers the use of virtual non-contrast (VNC) images, in which the injected contrast medium is subtracted from the articular cavity in order to better analyze 2D and 3D images of the bone. Moreover, virtual monoenergetic imaging (VMI) applications and their potential use for the reduction of metal artifacts and improving image contrast are reviewed. The role of virtual non-calcium (VNCa) in detecting bone marrow edema surrounding the imaged joint will be discussed. Furthermore, the role of iodine maps in enhancing the contrast between soft tissues, optimizing the visualization of contrast material, and distinguishing contrast material from calcifications is described. Finally, a case series including different joints is provided to underline the additional advantages of high-spatial-resolution dual-energy CT reconstructed images.
Potential Application Performance of Hydrochar from Kitchen Waste: Effects of Salt, Oil, Moisture, and pH
Authors: Su Xuesong , He Jizu , Khan Muhammad Amjad , Chang Kenlin , Liu Yin , Guo Genmao , Li Xiaohui , Jin Fangming , Kuang Meijuan , Gouda Shaban , Huang Qing
Published: August 2023

The surge in kitchen waste production is causing food-borne disease epidemics and is a public health threat worldwide. Additionally, the effectiveness of conventional treatment approaches may be hampered by KW’s high moisture, salt, and oil content. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a promising new technology to convert waste biomass into environmentally beneficial derivatives. This study used simulated KW to determine the efficacy of hydrothermal derivatives (hydrochar) with different salt and oil content, pH value, and solid-liquid ratio for the removal of cadmium (Cd) from water and identify their high heating value (HHV). The findings revealed that the kitchen waste hydrochar (KWHC) yield decreased with increasing oil content. When the water content in the hydrothermal system increased by 90%, the yield of KWHC decreased by 65.85%. The adsorption capacity of KWHC remained stable at different salinities. The KWHC produced in the acidic environment increases the removal efficiency of KWHC for Cd. The raw material was effectively transformed into a maximum HHV (30.01 MJ/kg). HTC is an effective and secure method for the resource utilization of KW based on the adsorption capacity and combustion characteristic indices of KWHC.
Analysis of Seasonal Driving Factors and Inversion Model Optimization of Soil Moisture in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau Based on Machine Learning
Authors: Deng Qinghai , Yang Jingjing , Zhang Liping , Sun Zhenzhou , Sun Guizong , Chen Qiao , Dou Fengke
Published: August 2023

The accuracy of soil moisture retrieval based on traditional microwave remote sensing models in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau (QTP) is unstable due to its unique plateau climate. However, considering the impact of multiple multi-scale factors effectively improves the accuracy and stability of soil moisture inversion. This article uses Sentinel-1 and seasonal climate data to analyze factors and influencing mechanisms of soil moisture in the QTP. First, an artificial neural network (ANN) was used to conduct a significance analysis to screen significant influencing factors to reduce the redundancy of the experimental design and insert information. Second, the normalization effect of each factor on the soil moisture inversion was determined, and the factors with significant normalization influences were input to fit the model. Third, different fitting methods combined the semi-empirical models for soil moisture inversion. The decision tree Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) analyzed the model accuracy, and the Pearson correlation coefficient between the sample and measured data was tested to further validate the accuracy of the results to obtain an optimized model that effectively inverts soil moisture. Finally, the influencing mechanisms of various factors in the optimization model were analyzed. The results show that: (1) The terrain factors, such as elevation, slope gradient, aspect, and angle, along with climate factors, such as temperature and precipitation, all have the greatest normalized impact on soil moisture in the QTP. (2) For spring (March), summer (June), and autumn (September), the greatest normalized factor of soil moisture is the terrain factor. In winter (December), precipitation was the greatest factor due to heavy snow cover and permafrost. (3) Analyzing the impact mechanism from various factors on the soil moisture showed a restricted relationship between the inversion results and the accuracy of the power fitting model, meaning it is unsuitable for general soil moisture inversion. However, among the selected models, the accuracy of the linear fit was generally higher than 79.2%, the Pearson index was greater than 0.4, and the restricted relationship between the inversion results and accuracy was weak, making it suitable for the general inversion of soil moisture in the QTP.
Responses of a Submerged Macrophyte Potamogeton crispus and Epiphytic Biofilm to Humic-Substance Enrichment Coupled with Brownification in Freshwater Habitats
Authors: Wan Xiang , Wang Guoxiang , Yang Fei , Zhu Yueming
Published: August 2023

Brownification denotes increasing water color, partly caused by increasing dissolved organic matter of terrestrial origin in freshwater. Brownification has become a wide-spread environmental problem because water color alters the physicochemical environment and biological communities in aquatic ecosystems. However, our understanding of its ecological effects on aquatic macrophytes is limited. Here, an indoor mesocosm experiment with a common submerged macrophyte, Potamogeton crispus, along an increasing gradient of brownification was conducted over a period of 42 days. Results showed that P. crispus was able to overcome low degrees of brownification owing to the plasticity in morphological and physiological traits and P. crispus growth even benefitted from the concomitant nutrients along with brownification. However, the macrophyte growth was negatively affected by a 10-fold increase in water color beyond its current level. Additionally, collapse in antioxidant systems and potent photosynthesis inhibition implied that P. crispus could not adapt to the low-light stress generated under the high degree of brownification. Epiphytic bacteria are more sensitive to brownification than their hosts. Any degree of brownification initially caused a decrease in microbial diversity of epiphytic biofilm, whereafter the concomitant nutrients under brownification favored the growth of epiphytic microorganisms. The shading effect of a large number of epiphytic biofilms under brownification may further aggravate the low-light stress on macrophytes. Overall, the study provides new insights into the comprehensive effects and underlying mechanisms of brownification on macrophytes.
Features of the identification customs examination of vegetables
Authors:   FSBEI HE Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (Moscow), Agapkin Aleksandr Matveevich , Bystrova Darya Andreevna ,   FSBEI HE Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (Moscow)
Published: August 2023

To date, there are certain gaps and contradictions in the system of identification customs examination of vegetables, which dictates the need to search for and implement more rational and effective concepts.
A set of standards for maintaining the quality of pastille products
Authors:   All-Russian Research Institute of the Confectionery Industry – branch of the V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of the RAS, Belova I.A. , Petrova N.A. ,   All-Russian Research Institute of the Confectionery Industry – branch of the V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of the RAS
Published: August 2023

In modern conditions, some manufacturers reduce the content of fruit raw materials in marshmallows and pastilles. In order to maintain the quality of pastille products at the same level, the All-Russian Research Institute of the Confectionery Industry developed GOST, which regulates the minimum content of fruit raw materials. The analytical defi nition of this indicator is based on the determination of organic acids and macronutrients by capillary electrophoresis and the subsequent calculation of the mass fraction of fruit raw materials.
Features of terminology and modern classifi cation of milk according to various regulatory documents and for customs purposes
Authors:   Department of Commodity Science and Customs Expert Examination, Russian Customs Academy, Krishtafovich V.I. , Remizova P.А. ,   Commodity Science, Russian Customs Academy
Published: August 2023

The features of modern terminology and the classification of milk (including powdered milk), adopted in Russia in accordance with the current national and interstate standards, as well as problematic aspects of the classification of these products for customs purposes, are considered.