bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Desiccant-Based Air Handling Unit Alternatively Equipped with Three Hygroscopic Materials and Driven by Solar Energy
Authors: Bareschino Piero , Pepe Francesco , Roselli Carlo , Sasso Maurizio , Tariello Francesco
Published: April 2019

The energy demand for the air-conditioning of buildings has shown a very significant growth trend in the last two decades. In this paper three alternative hygroscopic materials for desiccant wheels are compared considering the operation of the air handling unit they are installed in. The analyses are performed by means of the TRNSYS 17® software, simulating the plant with the desiccant wheel made of: silica-gel, i.e., the filling actually used in the experimental plant desiccant wheel of the University of Sannio Laboratory; MIL101@GO-6 (MILGO), a composite material, consisting of graphite oxide dispersed in a MIL101 metal organic framework structure; Campanian Ignimbrite, a naturally occurring tuff, rich in phillipsite and chabazite zeolites, widespread in the Campania region, in Southern Italy. The air-conditioning system analyzed serves a university classroom located in Benevento, and it is activated by the thermal energy of a solar field for which three surfaces are considered: about 20, 27 and 34 m2. The results demonstrate that a primary energy saving of about 20%, 29%, 15% can be reached with silica-gel, MILGO and zeolite-rich tuff desiccant wheel based air handling units, respectively.
Least Mean Squares and Recursive Least Squares Algorithms for Total Harmonic Distortion Reduction Using Shunt Active Power Filter Control
Authors: Martinek Radek , Rzidky Jaroslav , Jaros Rene , Bilik Petr , Ladrova Martina
Published: April 2019

This paper deals with the use of least mean squares (LMS, NLMS) and recursive least squares (RLS) algorithms for total harmonic distortion (THD) reduction using shunt active power filter (SAPF) control. The article presents a pilot study necessary for the construction of our own controlled adaptive modular inverter. The objective of the study is to find an optimal algorithm for the implementation. The introduction contains a survey of the literature and summarizes contemporary methods. According to this research, only adaptive filtration fulfills our requirements (adaptability, real-time processing, etc.). The primary benefit of the paper is the study of the efficiency of two basic approaches to adaptation ((N)LMS and RLS) in the application area of SAPF control. The study examines the impact of parameter settings (filter length, convergence constant, forgetting factor) on THD, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), root mean square error (RMSE), percentage root mean square difference (PRD), speed, and stability. The experiments are realized with real current and voltage recordings (consumer electronics such as PC source without power factor correction (PFC), HI-FI amplifier, etc.), which contain fast dynamic transient phenomena. The realized model takes into account a delay caused by digital signal processing (DSP) (the implementation of algorithms on field programmable gate array (FPGA), approximately 1–5 μs) and a delay caused by the reaction time of the proper inverter (approximately 100 μs). The pilot study clearly showed that the RLS algorithm is the most suitable for the implementation of an adaptive modular inverter because it achieved the best results for all analyzed parameters.
Experimental Study of DI Diesel Engine Operational and Environmental Behavior Using Blends of City Diesel with Glycol Ethers and RME
Authors: Zannis Theodoros C. , Papagiannakis Roussos G. , Pariotis Efthimios G. , Kourampas Marios I.
Published: April 2019

An experimental investigation is performed in a single-cylinder direct-injection (DI) diesel engine using city diesel oil called DI1 and two blends of DI1 with a mixture of glycol ethers. The addition of glycol ethers to fuel DI1 produced oxygenated fuels GLY10 (10.2 mass-% glycol ethers) and GLY30 (31.3 mass-% glycol ethers) with 3% and 9% oxygen content, respectively. The addition of biofuel rapeseed methyl ester (RME) to fuel DI1 produced oxygenated blend RME30 (31.2 mass-% RME) with 3% oxygen content. Engine tests were performed with the four fuels in the DI diesel engine at 2500 RPM and at 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% of full load. The experimental diesel engine was equipped with devices for recording cylinder pressure, injection pressure, and top dead center (TDC) position and also it was equipped with exhaust gas analyzers for measuring soot, NO, CO, and HC emissions. A MATLAB 2014 code was developed for analyzing recorded cylinder pressure, injection pressure, and TDC position data for all obtained engine cycles and for calculating the main engine performance parameters. The assessment of the experimental results showed that glycol ethers have more beneficial impact on soot and NO emissions compared to RME, whereas RME have less detrimental impact on engine performance parameters compared to glycol ethers.
Thermal Efficiency and Material Properties of Friction Stir Channelling Applied to Aluminium Alloy AA5083
Authors: Karvinen Heikki , Hasani Aleni Afshin , Salminen Pauli , Minav Tatiana , Vilaça Pedro
Published: April 2019

The Friction Stir Channelling (FSC) is a novel advanced solution for producing internal closed channels along any desired path with a constant or continuously modified shape along the path in a single manufacturing step. The channels are formed by continuous extraction of part of the stirred processed material into external flash. In this work, the performance of channels with the same shape and dimensions but produced by FSC and milling respectively, are compared using an experimental calorimeter setup with a focus on the influence of the geometrical features of the channels on the thermal efficiency. The investigation is implemented in a plate of AA5083-H111, with a thickness of 10 mm. The material properties of the channels produced by FSC are investigated with a microhardness field and optical microscopic analysis, assessing the thermomechanically processed and heat affected zones. The mechanical resistance of the channels produced by FSC is evaluated with an application of internal pressure up to 380 bar. The results show that the FSC enhanced the heat transfer by about 45 % compared with smoother milled channels. The optical microscopy shows evidence of a good consolidation of the solid state joining mechanisms activated during the FSC, with a small reduction of the hardness around the channel in the stirred zone and heat affected zone, being assisted by a harder top region at the ceiling of the channel.
Full Coverage of Optimal Phasor Measurement Unit Placement Solutions in Distribution Systems Using Integer Linear Programming
Authors: Chen Xuebing , Sun Lu , Chen Tengpeng , Sun Yuhao , Rusli  , Tseng King Jet , Ling Keck Voon , Ho Weng Khuen , Amaratunga Gehan A. J.
Published: April 2019

Integer linear programming (ILP) has been widely applied to solve the optimal phasor measurement unit (PMU) placement (OPP) problem for its computational efficiency. Using ILP, a placement with minimum number of Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) and maximum measurement redundancy can be obtained while ensuring system observability. Author response: please delete this above sentence. However, the existing ILP-based OPP methods does not guarantee full coverage of solutions to the optimization problem, which may sequentially results in suboptimal supervision of the system. In this paper, a hybrid ILP-based method is proposed to cover all solutions to the OPP problem without any omission. Comparing with the existing exhaustive searching methods, the proposed method is more computationally efficient, which makes finding all solutions in a large system a more feasible problem.
Reactive Power Optimization for Transient Voltage Stability in Energy Internet via Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach
Authors: Cao Junwei , Zhang Wanlu , Xiao Zeqing , Hua Haochen
Published: April 2019

The existence of high proportional distributed energy resources in energy Internet (EI) scenarios has a strong impact on the power supply-demand balance of the EI system. Decision-making optimization research that focuses on the transient voltage stability is of great significance for maintaining effective and safe operation of the EI. Within a typical EI scenario, this paper conducts a study of transient voltage stability analysis based on convolutional neural networks. Based on the judgment of transient voltage stability, a reactive power compensation decision optimization algorithm via deep reinforcement learning approach is proposed. In this sense, the following targets are achieved: the efficiency of decision-making is greatly improved, risks are identified in advance, and decisions are made in time. Simulations show the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Economies of Scale in the South Korean Natural Gas Industry
Authors: Yu Jeong-Joon , Yoo Seung-Hoon , Baek Chulwoo
Published: April 2019

The South Korean natural gas (NG) import volume in 2017 was 33.7 million tonnes per annum (13.1%), making it the second-largest NG-importing country in the world after Japan. Nevertheless, the NG wholesale market in South Korea has remained monopolistic since the Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) was established in 1983. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine whether the NG wholesale market in South Korea has economies of scale by estimating the translog cost function and estimating the minimum efficient scale (MES) using robust linear regression. We used quarterly business reports of KOGAS from the first quarter of 2000 to the second quarter of 2018 to construct the data. The results showed that diseconomies of scale existed in all the years in the first and fourth quarters, and the second quarter showed the same result during 2010–2014. From 2011, the production quantity of all the quarters has exceeded the MES (5.81 million tons). The reason for these results is that the demand for NG power generation and city gas has surged since 2000, while the monopolistic structure of the past has been maintained. This study implies that it would be more efficient to allocate some of KOGAS’s additional import volume to the existing private NG companies and mitigate the regulation on resale.
Impact of Trajectories’ Uncertainty in Existing ATC Complexity Methodologies and Metrics for DAC and FCA SESAR Concepts
Authors: Gomez Comendador Victor Fernando , Arnaldo Valdés Rosa María , Vidosavljevic Andrija , Sanchez Cidoncha Marta , Zheng Shutao
Published: April 2019

The most relevant SESAR 2020 solutions dealing with future Capacity Management processes are Dynamic Airspace Configuration (DAC) and Flight Centric ATC (FCA). Both concepts, DAC and FCA, rely on traffic flow complexity assessment. For this reason, complexity assessments processes, methods and metrics, become one of the main constraints to deal with the growing demand and increasing airspace capacity. The aim of this work is to identify the influence of trajectories’ uncertainty in the quality of the predictions of complexity of traffic demand and the effectiveness of Demand Capacity Balance (DCB) airspace management processes, in order to overcome the limitations of existing complexity assessment approaches to support Capacity Management processes in a Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO) environment. This paper presents research conducted within COTTON project, sponsored by the SESAR Joint Undertaking and EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. The main objective is to deliver innovative solutions to maximize the performance of the Capacity Management procedures based on information in a TBO environment.
Behavior of Weakly Cemented Rock with Different Moisture Contents under Various Tri-Axial Loading States
Authors: Liu Honglin , Zhang Dongsheng , Zhao Hongchao , Chi Mingbo , Yu Wei
Published: April 2019

To better understand the physical and mechanical behavior of weakly cemented rock with different moisture contents for the success of water-preserved mining, this paper presents the systematic tri-axial compression tests on three typical rock samples (i.e., mudstone, sandstone, and sandy mudstone) sampled from Ili mining area, where the environmental requirements for water conservation are significantly strict. Both the influences of moisture content and confining pressure on the failure mode and the stress-strain behavior of weakly cemented rock have been discussed and compared with each other. Test results showed that: (1) compared to sandstone and sandy mudstone, both the peak stress and residual stress of the weakly cemented mudstone are much more sensitive to confining pressure and moisture content. In detail, the peak stress is very relevant to moisture content, whereas, the residual stress is more sensitive to the confining pressure, (2) with the increase of moisture content, both the yield and ductility of weakly cemented mudstone have been significantly enhanced. However, a similar experimental observation has been found for sandstone and sandy mudstone, and (3) the microstructure and the mineral component are believed to be the two main factors leading to the scatter in terms of the stress-strain behavior for different weakly cemented rocks. Experimental results and discussions presented in this paper can provide the guideline for further research on the application of water-preserved mining in other coal mines with a similar geological condition.
Economic and Technological Analysis of Commercial LNG Production in the EU
Authors: Hönig Vladimír , Prochazka Petr , Obergruber Michal , Smutka Luboš , Kučerová Viera
Published: April 2019

There is a global need to increase the production of alternative sources of energy due to many issues related to conventional sources, such as environmental degradation or energy security. In this paper, decentralized liquefied natural gas production is analyzed. Liquefied natural gas, according to the analysis, can be considered a viable alternative even for decentralized applications Design and economic analysis of a small-scale biogas LNG plan together with the necessary technology and economic evaluation are presented in the paper. The results show that a project of the proposed size (EUR 3 million) offers a relatively good profitability level. Specifically, the net present value of the project is mostly positive (around EUR 0.1 million up to EUR 0.8 million). Therefore, based on the research, small LNG plants operating across the continent can be recommended for the processing of local sources of biogas.
Effect of Fuel and Air Dilution on Syngas Combustion in an Optical SI Engine
Authors: Martinez-Boggio S.D. , Merola S.S. , Teixeira Lacava P. , Irimescu A. , Curto-Risso P.L.
Published: April 2019

To mitigate the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, energy production processes must change from fossil to renewable resources. Bioenergy utilization from agricultural residues can be a step towards achieving this goal. Syngas (fuel obtained from biomass gasification) has been proved to have the potential of replacing fossil fuels in stationary internal combustion engines (ICEs). The processes associated with switching from traditional fuels to alternatives have always led to intense research efforts in order to have a broad understanding of the behavior of the engine in all operating conditions. In particular, attention needs to be focused on fuels containing relatively high concentrations of hydrogen, due to its faster propagation speed with respect to traditional fossil energy sources. Therefore, a combustion study was performed in a research optical SI engine, for a comparison between a well-established fuel such as methane (the main component of natural gas) and syngas. The main goal of this work is to study the effect of inert gases in the fuel mixture and that of air dilution during lean fuelling. Thus, two pure syngas blends (mixtures of CO and H2) and their respective diluted mixtures (CO and H2 with 50vol% of inert gases, CO2 and N2) were tested in several air-fuel ratios (stoichiometric to lean burn conditions). Initially, the combustion process was studied in detail by traditional thermodynamic analysis and then optical diagnostics were applied thanks to the optical access through the piston crown. Specifically, images were taken in the UV-visible spectrum of the entire cycle to follow the propagation of the flame front. The results show that hydrogen promotes flame propagation and reduces its distortion, as well as resulting in flames evolving closer to the spark plug. All syngas blends show a stable combustion process, even in conditions of high air and fuel dilution. In the leanest case, real syngas mixtures present a decrease in terms of performance due to significant reduction in volumetric efficiency. However, this condition strongly decreases pollutant emissions, with nitrogen oxide (NOx) concentrations almost negligible.
DC-DC Converter Topologies for Electric Vehicles, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Fast Charging Stations: State of the Art and Future Trends
Authors: Chakraborty Sajib , Vu Hai-Nam , Hasan Mohammed Mahedi , Tran Dai-Duong , Baghdadi Mohamed El , Hegazy Omar
Published: April 2019

This article reviews the design and evaluation of different DC-DC converter topologies for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs). The design and evaluation of these converter topologies are presented, analyzed and compared in terms of output power, component count, switching frequency, electromagnetic interference (EMI), losses, effectiveness, reliability and cost. This paper also evaluates the architecture, merits and demerits of converter topologies (AC-DC and DC-DC) for Fast Charging Stations (FCHARs). On the basis of this analysis, it has found that the Multidevice Interleaved DC-DC Bidirectional Converter (MDIBC) is the most suitable topology for high-power BEVs and PHEVs (> 10kW), thanks to its low input current ripples, low output voltage ripples, low electromagnetic interference, bidirectionality, high efficiency and high reliability. In contrast, for low-power electric vehicles (<10 kW), it is tough to recommend a single candidate that is the best in all possible aspects. However, the Sinusoidal Amplitude Converter, the Z-Source DC-DC converter and the boost DC-DC converter with resonant circuit are more suitable for low-power BEVs and PHEVs because of their soft switching, noise-free operation, low switching loss and high efficiency. Finally, this paper explores the opportunity of using wide band gap semiconductors (WBGSs) in DC-DC converters for BEVs, PHEVs and converters for FCHARs. Specifically, the future roadmap of research for WBGSs, modeling of emerging topologies and design techniques of the control system for BEV and PHEV powertrains are also presented in detail, which will certainly help researchers and solution engineers of automotive industries to select the suitable converter topology to achieve the growth of projected power density.
Optimised Heat Pump Management for Increasing Photovoltaic Penetration into the Electricity Grid
Authors: Sánchez Cristian , Bloch Lionel , Holweger Jordan , Ballif Christophe , Wyrsch Nicolas
Published: April 2019

Advanced control of heat pumps with thermal storage and photovoltaics has recently been promoted as a promising solution to help decarbonise the residential sector. Heat pumps and thermal storage offer a valuable flexibilisation mean to integrate stochastic renewable energy sources into the electricity grid. Heat pump energy conversion is nonlinear, leading to a challenging nonlinear optimisation problem. However, issues like global optimum uncertainty and the time-consuming methods of current nonlinear programming solvers draw researchers to linearise heat pump models that are then implemented in faster and globally convergent linear programming solvers. Nevertheless, these linearisations generate some inaccuracies, especially in the calculation of the heat pump’s coefficient of performance ( C O P ). In order to solve all of these issues, this paper presents a heuristic control algorithm (HCA) to provide a fast, accurate and near-optimal solution to the original nonlinear optimisation problem for a single-family house with a photovoltaic system, using real consumption data from a typical Swiss house. Results highlight that the HCA solves this optimisation problem up to 1000 times faster, yielding an operation that is up to 49% cheaper and self-consumption rates that are 5% greater than other nonlinear solvers. Comparing the performance of the HCA and the linear solver intlinprog, it is shown that the HCA provides more accurate heat pump control with an increase of up to 9% in system Operating Expense OPEX and a decrease of 8% in self-consumption values.
Oil Factor in Economic Development
Authors: Humbatova Sugra Ingilab , Hajiyev Natig Qadim-Oglu
Published: April 2019

The research examines the role of oil in the world economy and the evaluation of the oil factor in the economy of Azerbaijan. The error correction model (ECM) has been used in terms of reliability of the obtained results, and assessment has been done by the FMOLS, DOLS and CCR co-integration methods. Engel-Granger and Phillips-Ouliaris co-integration tests have been used for checking the co-integration relations among variables. Times series have been checked whether they are unit root (Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF), Phillips-Perron (PP) and Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin (KPSS) as a methodology of the research. The results of the research reveal that daily oil production and consumption have less effect on the formation of the world oil prices. On the other hand, the impact of the world GDP and world industry production volume is a bit more. Generally, the influence of these factors on oil market has been reduced gradually. However, the reverse process is observed during the analysis of the influence of oil production and oil price on the main indicators of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Therefore, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are an oil-exporting countries which is why their macroeconomic indicators, especially currency, GDP and DNP, heavily depends on the oil factor. The research has been limited but highlights the obtained results to some problems and this must be considered as a new source for future research. Thus, the similar studies have been considered to be done thoroughly on several alternative econometric models, but a lack of statistical information on a yearly basis and strong currency intervention constitute some barriers to transiting to a floating currency. The practical importance of the research is to prove that the dependency of the oil prices on the world GDP and world industry production, daily oil production and world oil consumption have decreased gradually. In the second part of the research, the dependency of the Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan economies on oil was proved. This might be a signal to transfer oil resources into human capital.
Controllability Evaluation of EV Charging Infrastructure Transformed from Gas Stations in Distribution Networks with Renewables
Authors: Gao Shuang , Wu Jianzhong , Xu Bin
Published: April 2019

A considerable market share of electric vehicles (EVs) is expected in the near future, which leads to a transformation from gas stations to EV charging infrastructure for automobiles. EV charging stations will be integrated with the power grid to replace the fuel consumption at the gas stations for the same mobile needs. In order to evaluate the impact on distribution networks and the controllability of the charging load, the temporal and spatial distribution of the charging power is calculated by establishing mapping the relation between gas stations and charging facilities. Firstly, the arrival and parking period is quantified by applying queuing theory and defining membership function between EVs to parking lots. Secondly, the operational model of charging stations connected to the power distribution network is formulated, and the control variables and their boundaries are identified. Thirdly, an optimal control algorithm is proposed, which combines the configuration of charging stations and charging power regulation during the parking period of each individual EV. A two-stage hybrid optimization algorithm is developed to solve the reliability constrained optimal dispatch problem for EVs, with an EV aggregator installed at each charging station. Simulation results validate the proposed method in evaluating the controllability of EV charging infrastructure and the synergy effects between EV and renewable integration.
Particle Simulation Model for Self-Field Magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster
Authors: Li Jian , Zhang Yu , Wu Jianjun , Cheng Yuqiang , Du Xinru
Published: April 2019

In order to clarify the discharge principle of the self-field magnetoplasmadynamic thruster (MPDT), a two-dimensional axisymmetric particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision (PIC/MCC) model is proposed. The spatial distribution and the collision characteristics of discharge plasma were calculated using this model. In addition, the influence of the operation parameters on the plasma was analyzed including the voltage and mass flow rate. The effectiveness of the model was verified by comparison to the experimentally induced magnetic field. It was found that the electrons were mainly accelerated by the electric field in the cathode sheath and the electric field shielding effect of plasma was obvious in the bulk plasma region. Due to the pinch effect, the charged particles were constrained near the cathode. The results of the present work implied that the PIC/MCC model provides an approach to investigate the plasma distribution and a kinetic description of particles for the discharge of the self-field MPDT.
Modeling and Solving of Uncertain Process Abnormity Diagnosis Problem
Authors: Hou Shiwang , Wen Haijun
Published: April 2019

There are many uncertain factors that contribute to process faults and this make it is hard to locate the assignable causes when a process fault occurs. The fuzzy relational equation (FRE) is effective to represent the uncertain relationship between the causes and effects, but the solving difficulties greatly limit its practical utilization. In this paper, the relation between the occurrence degree of abnormal patterns and assignable causes was modeled by FRE. Considering an objective function of least distance between the occurrence degree of abnormal patterns and its assignable cause’s contribution degree determined by FRE, the FRE solution can be obtained by solving an optimization problem with a genetic algorithm (GA). Taking the previous optimization solution as the initial solution of the following run, the GA was run repeatedly. As a result, an optimal interval FRE solution was achieved. Finally, the proposed approach was validated by an application case and some simulation cases. The results show that the model and its solving method are both feasible and effective.
Challenges and Design Requirements for Industrial Applications of AC/AC Power Converters without DC-Link
Authors: Szczesniak Pawel
Published: April 2019

AC/AC converters that do not have a DC energy storage element, such as a matrix chopper and a matrix converter, are increasingly becoming alternatives to conventional two-stage AC/DC/AC converters and thyristor choppers. In such systems, the main DC-link capacitor does not exist, so the system provides more reliable operation and makes it possible to reduce the financial costs of its construction. It should be noted that AC/AC converters without an energy storage element in a form of DC-link capacitors have not been implemented on an industrial scale. The reasons involve technical aspects and cost components. The main aim of this paper is to present some of the challenges and selected design requirements for industrial applications of AC/AC high reliability power converters.
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Hybrid Photovoltaic/Thermal Collectors in a Nearly Zero-Energy Building
Authors: Conti Paolo , Schito Eva , Testi Daniele
Published: April 2019

This paper analyzes the use of hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) collectors in nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEBs). We present a design methodology based on the dynamic simulation of the whole energy system, which includes the building energy demand, a reversible heat pump as generator, the thermal storage, the power exchange with the grid, and both thermal and electrical energy production by solar collectors. An exhaustive search of the best equipment sizing and design is performed to minimize both the total costs and the non-renewable primary energy consumption over the system lifetime. The results show that photovoltaic/thermal technology reduces the non-renewable primary energy consumption below the nearly zero-energy threshold value, assumed as 15 kWh/(m2·yr), also reducing the total costs with respect to a non-solar solution (up to 8%). As expected, several possible optimal designs exist, with an opposite trend between energy savings and total costs. In all these optimal configurations, we figure out that photovoltaic/thermal technology favors the production of electrical energy with respect to the thermal one, which mainly occurs during the summer to meet the domestic hot water requirements and lower the temperature of the collectors. Finally, we show that, for a given solar area, photovoltaic/thermal technology leads to a higher reduction of the non-renewable primary energy and to a higher production of solar thermal energy with respect to a traditional separate production employing photovoltaic (PV) modules and solar thermal (ST) collectors.
Condenser-Type Heat Exchanger for Compost Heat Recovery Systems
Authors: Bajko Jaroslav , Fišer Jan , Jícha Miroslav
Published: April 2019

The majority of heat released during composting is contained in latent form of water vapour. To improve the rate of heat recovery, a simple heat exchanger based on condensation of compost vapours was designed. A prototype of this condenser-type heat exchanger was built and tested as a part of pilot-scale compost heat recovery system. Passively aerated static pile (modified Jean Pain mound) with enhanced aeration using vertical channels was chosen for this composting experiment. Insulation of the compost mound and adjacent hoop house further improved the efficiency of the heat recovery and utilization.
Projecting the Potential Global Distribution of Carpomya vesuviana (Diptera: Tephritidae), Considering Climate Change and Irrigation Patterns
Authors: Guo Siwei , Ge Xuezhen , Zou Ya , Zhou Yuting , Wang Tao , Zong Shixiang
Published: April 2019

The ber fruit fly Carpomya vesuviana Costa (Diptera: Tephritidae) is the most destructive pests of Ziziphus spp. Carpomya vesuviana infestation causes great economic losses. We re-parameterized an existing CLIMEX model, and used the updated CliMond 30′ gridded resolution datasets within CLIMEX for the periods 1987–2016 and 2071–2100, representing historical and future climates, respectively, to predict the potential global distribution of the pest. Under the historical climate scenario, C. vesuviana had a wide climatically suitable distribution worldwide, from approximately 46° S to 50° N. Future climate change expanded the upper boundary of the potential distribution northward, and predicted that the pest would distribute approximately from 50° S to 60° N. Temperature was the primary determinant of the potential distribution of the pest among all driving variables. Irrigation was associated with a slight improvement in the climate favorability for the pest in some areas, including south-western North America, northern and southern Africa, and most of Oceania. The projections clarify the impacts of climate change on the potential global distribution of C. vesuviana, and are instructive for quarantine and management agencies for reducing economic damage caused by the fly and preventing expansion of C. vesuviana due to climate change.
Variation of Leaf Carbon Isotope in Plants in Different Lithological Habitats in a Karst Area
Authors: Zou Jun , Yu Lifei , Huang Zongsheng
Published: April 2019

Drought is the major factor that limits vegetation recovery in rocky desertification areas. The leaf carbon isotope (δ13C) value is related to plant water-use efficiency (WUE) and is of great significance in revealing the WUE characteristics of species in karst areas. Measurements of the δ13C value in plant leaves and the nutrient and water contents of lithologic soils were obtained for six woody species (cypress, Cupressus funebris Endl.; mansur shrub, Coriaria nepalensis Wall.; camphor, Cinnamomum bodinieri Levl.; birch, Betula luminifera H. Winkl.; alder, Alnus cremastogyne Burk. and dyetree, Platycarya longipes Wu.) planted in three different lithologic soil types (dolomite, dolomite sandstone, limestone) in the karst area of Guizhou Province. The results showed that C. funebris in the dolomite sandstone soil had the highest δ13C value (−27.19‰), whereas C. bodinieri in the limestone soil had the lowest δ13C value (−31.50‰). In terms of lithology, the average leaf δ13C values were −28.66‰ (dolomitic sandstone), −28.83‰ (dolomite), and −29.46‰ (limestone). The δ13C values of C. funebris and A. cremastogyne were significantly lower in the limestone soil than in the dolomite and dolomite sandstone soil, indicating that the WUE of some tree species is affected by soil conditions under different lithological development processes. Moreover, the relationship between the δ13C value in the leaves and the comprehensive soil conditions varied among the species, and the δ13C value was negatively correlated with the soil water content in all three soil types. Our study provides basic data on the composition characteristics of the δ13C value of tree species, which is beneficial for the selection of tree species for vegetation restoration and afforestation in karst areas.
Exploring ISO31000 Risk Management during Dynamic Fire and Emergency Operations in Western Australia
Authors: Penney Greg
Published: April 2019

Firefighting remains an inherently dangerous occupation with serious injuries and fatalities reported globally. The Australasian Fire Authorities Council adopt ISO31000 as the standard of risk management for all firefighting and mitigation operations. However, previous studies have reported that decisions made by incident controllers during dynamic emergencies are typically reactionary and only partially compliant with the ISO31000 process. This paper describes research using new qualitative and quantitative data that support incident controllers in managing risk during dynamic fire and emergency situations, in accordance with ISO31000. The research was completed through two studies. The first study explored risk attitudes of serving fire service officers through semistructured interviews and in-depth structured surveys. The second study identified the severity of firefighting consequences and likelihood through analysis of Western Australian fire service safety and incident reports between January 1st, 2001 and January 1st, 2015. The overall and conditional probability of specific injuries during the various tasks undertaken during emergency incidents was calculated using Bayesian statistical analysis. The findings indicate that whilst current practices are arguably effective in preventing worst case consequences being realised, improvements in operational risk management can be made in accordance with ISO31000 during emergencies and in pre-incident planning.
Novel Y Chromosome Retrocopies in Canids Revealed through a Genome-Wide Association Study for Sex
Authors: Tsai Kate L. , Evans Jacquelyn M. , Noorai Rooksana E. , Starr-Moss Alison N. , Clark Leigh Anne
Published: April 2019

The lack of an annotated reference sequence for the canine Y chromosome has limited evolutionary studies, as well as our understanding of the role of Y-linked sequences in phenotypes with a sex bias. In genome-wide association studies (GWASs), we observed spurious associations with autosomal SNPs when sex was unbalanced in case-control cohorts and hypothesized that a subset of SNPs mapped to autosomes are in fact sex-linked. Using the Illumina 230K CanineHD array in a GWAS for sex, we identified SNPs that amplify in both sexes but possess significant allele frequency differences between males and females. We found 48 SNPs mapping to 14 regions of eight autosomes and the X chromosome that are Y-linked, appearing heterozygous in males and monomorphic in females. Within these 14 regions are eight genes: three autosomal and five X-linked. We investigated the autosomal genes (MITF, PPP2CB, and WNK1) and determined that the SNPs are diverged nucleotides in retrocopies that have transposed to the Y chromosome. MITFY and WNK1Y are expressed and appeared recently in the Canidae lineage, whereas PPP2CBY represents a much older insertion with no evidence of expression in the dog. This work reveals novel canid Y chromosome sequences and provides evidence for gene transposition to the Y from autosomes and the X.
Relationships between Social Capital, Social Capital Satisfaction, Self-Esteem, and Depression among Elderly Urban Residents: Analysis of Secondary Survey Data
Authors: Lee Hyun Jin , Lee Dong Kun , Song Wonkyong
Published: April 2019

The role that psychological variables play in depression among elderly urban residents has received little research attention. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between social capital, social capital satisfaction, self-esteem, and depression among elderly urban residents. We used the responses provided by 701 elderly persons to scales assessing social capital (i.e., network, trust), social capital satisfaction, self-esteem, and depression, as part of the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS). We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis and tested the validity of a proposed statistical model using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that trust in social capital, social capital satisfaction, and self-esteem were significantly related to depression. Further, social capital satisfaction and self-esteem fully and partially mediated the relationship between trust and depression, respectively. These findings serve as an empirical base upon which social welfare policies can be founded that benefit elderly urban residents with weak social capital, low social capital satisfaction, and poor self-esteem.
Future Work and Disability: Promoting Job Motivation in Special Employment Centers in Spain
Authors: Romeo Marina , Yepes-Baldó Montserrat
Published: April 2019

The technological transition currently taking place in the labor market is having severe implications for people. One vulnerable group at risk of marketplace exclusion are employees with disabilities. This research explores their job motivation, including the moderated effect of self-efficacy. A 187 employees from Special Employment Centers (SECs) in Spain with intellectual and physical disabilities completed the Internal Motivation Scale, the Psychological Critical States (PCS) and the self-efficacy sub-scale of the Psychological Processes Scale (PPS) tests. Following the International Tests Commission guidelines, the instruments were adapted to the special needs of the participants. We found differences depending on the kind of disability of employees. In employees with intellectual disabilities, their levels of self-efficacy moderated the effect of responsibility for outcomes and meaningfulness of work on motivation. In the case of employees with physical disabilities, the knowledge of results is a predictor of motivation when they had medium or high levels of self-efficacy. Additionally, in this group, responsibility for outcomes and meaningfulness of work had a direct effect on motivation, independently of their levels of self-efficacy. Employees with disabilities should be empowered to make choices and exercise control in their working lives. To do so, human resources managers should promote their wellbeing, taking into consideration the workforce diversity.
Improving Working Conditions to Promote Worker Safety, Health, and Wellbeing for Low-Wage Workers: The Workplace Organizational Health Study
Authors: Sorensen Glorian , Peters Susan , Nielsen Karina , Nagler Eve , Karapanos Melissa , Wallace Lorraine , Burke Lisa , Dennerlein Jack T. , Wagner Gregory R.
Published: April 2019

This paper addresses a significant gap in the literature by describing a study that tests the feasibility and efficacy of an organizational intervention to improve working conditions, safety, and wellbeing for low-wage food service workers. The Workplace Organizational Health Study tests the hypothesis that an intervention targeting the work organization and environment will result in improvements in workers’ musculoskeletal disorders and wellbeing. This ongoing study is being conducted in collaboration with a large food service company. Formative evaluation was used to prioritize outcomes, assess working conditions, and define essential intervention elements. The theory-driven intervention is being evaluated in a proof-of-concept trial, conducted to demonstrate feasibility and potential efficacy using a cluster randomized design. Ten worksites were randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions. The 13-month intervention uses a comprehensive systems approach to improve workplace policies and practices. Using principles of participatory engagement, the intervention targets safety and ergonomics; work intensity; and job enrichment. The evaluation will provide a preliminary assessment of estimates of the intervention effect on targeted outcomes and inform understanding of the intervention implementation across worksites. This study is expected to provide insights on methods to improve working conditions in support of the safety and wellbeing of low-wage workers.
Factors Affecting HIV Testing among Youth in Kenya
Authors: Nall Allison , Chenneville Tiffany , Rodriguez Lindsey M. , O’Brien Jennifer L.
Published: April 2019

With the high prevalence of HIV among youth in sub-Saharan Africa, it is vital to better understand factors affecting HIV testing among this population; this is the first step in the HIV treatment cascade. The purpose of this study was to examine factors related to behavioral intentions regarding HIV testing using existing pre-test data from the HIV SEERs (Stigma-reduction via Education, Empowerment, and Research) Project, a community-based participatory research program targeting 13–24-year-olds in Kenya. It was hypothesized that HIV knowledge, social support, subjective well-being, and mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress) would serve as facilitators to HIV testing while projected stigma and substance use would serve as barriers to HIV testing. In partial support of our hypotheses, findings from logistic regression analyses revealed that HIV knowledge, substance use, depression, and social support were significant predictors of HIV testing intentions. However, HIV knowledge and substance use served as facilitators while depression and social support served as barriers. While projected stigma was correlated with HIV testing intentions, it was not a significant predictor in the regression analysis. Subjective well-being, anxiety, and stress were not significant predictors in the regression analysis. These findings have important implications for HIV testing initiatives designed for youth in Kenya as well as future research on HIV testing with this population.
Built Environment and Health Behaviors: Deconstructing the Black Box of Interactions—A Review of Reviews
Authors: Travert Anne-Sophie , Sidney Annerstedt Kristi , Daivadanam Meena
Published: April 2019

A review of reviews following a scoping review study design was conducted in order to deconstruct the black box of interactions between the built environment and human behaviors pertaining to physical activity and/or diet. In the qualitative analysis 107 records were included, 45 of which were also coded. Most review papers confirmed the influence of the built environment on the behaviors of interest with some noting that a same built environment feature could have different behavioral outcomes. The conceptual model developed sheds light on these mixed results and brings out the role of several personal and behavioral factors in the shift from the measured to the perceived built environment. This shift was found to shape individuals’ behaviors critically and to have the power of redefining the strength of every interaction. Apart from its theoretical relevance, this model has high practical relevance especially for the design and implementation of interventions with a behavioral component. Intervention researchers can use the model developed to identify and label the built environment and individual factors that can be measured objectively or perceived as facilitators, concurrent options and barriers, in order to develop comprehensive and multi-component intervention strategies.
Relation between Psychological Restorativeness and Lifestyle, Quality of Life, Resilience, and Stress-Coping in Forest Settings
Authors: Takayama Norimasa , Morikawa Takeshi , Bielinis Ernest
Published: April 2019

Previous research has mainly dealt with the physiological and psychological restorative effects of the forest environment. However, comparatively few studies have focused on how the traits and attributes of individuals (individual traits) affect the restorative effects of the forest environment. In this study, we examined the relationships between the psychological restorative effects offered by perceived restorativeness of outdoor settings and the individual traits. Then, we investigated the relationships between the restorative indicators that are useful in examining the restorative properties (i.e., the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS); seven indicators in total), the psychological restorative effect (Profile of Mood States (POMS), Restorative Outcome Scale (ROS), positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS), and Subjective Vitality Scale (SVS); 10 indicators in total), and the individual trait indicators that could be used to investigate individual traits (Development of Health and Life Habit Inventory for lifestyle, Lazarus-type Stress Coping Inventory for stress coping, World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment 26 for quality of life (QOL), and Sukemune-Hiew Resilience test for resilience; 28 indicators in total) in forest and urban settings. Respondents consisted of 46 male students in their twenties. A short-term experiment was conducted using the same method in both environmental settings. We then analyzed the intrinsic restorative properties and the restorative effects of the settings and referred to prior research to determine the restorative effects. Furthermore, we analyzed the relationship between the restorative indicators and the individual trait indicators by correlation analysis and multiple regression (step-wise) analysis. These new findings were obtained: (1) the forest setting was a restorative environment with a higher restorative effect than the urban setting; (2) although the forest setting had a higher restorative effect than the urban setting, and the influence of individual traits was small; (3) in the forest setting, the relationship between the restorative indicators and individual traits indicators were arranged; (4) distancing (Stress coping), psychological health (QOL), and satisfaction with living environment (QOL) were likely important indicators that are related to the restorative effects in the forest setting.