bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Intra-Urban Heat Island in a Densely Populated City Using Remote Sensing: A Case Study for Manila City
Authors: Purio Mark Angelo , Yoshitake Tetsunobu , Cho Mengu
Published: November 2022

Changes in the environment occur in cities due to increased urbanization and population growth. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 is intrinsically linked to the environment, one facet of which is the need for universal access to secure, inclusive, and accessible green and public places. As urban heat islands (UHI) have the potential to negatively influence cities and their residents, existing resources and data must be used to identify and quantify these effects. To address this, we present the use of satellite-derived (2013–2022) and meteorological data (2014–2020) to assess intra-urban heat islands in Manila City, Philippines. The assessment includes (a) understanding the temporal variability of air temperature measurements and outdoor thermal comfort based on meteorological data, (b) comparative and correlative analysis between common Land-Use Land Cover indicators (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI)) and Land Surface Temperature (LST), (c) spatial and temporal analysis of LST using spatial statistics techniques, and (d) generation of an intra-urban heat island (IUHI) map with a recommended class of action using a suitability analysis model. Finally, the areas that need intervention are compared to the affected population, and suggestions to enhance the thermal characteristics of the city and mitigate the effects of UHI are established.
Deep-Learning-Based Three-Dimensional Detection of Individual Wave-Dissipating Blocks from As-Built Point Clouds Measured by UAV Photogrammetry and Multibeam Echo-Sounder
Authors: Xu Yajun , Kanai Satoshi , Date Hiroaki , Sano Tomoaki
Published: November 2022

Wave-dissipating blocks are the armor elements of breakwaters that protect beaches, ports, and harbors from erosion by waves. Monitoring the poses of individual wave-dissipating blocks benefits the accuracy of the block supplemental work plan, recording of the construction status, and monitoring of long-term pose change in blocks. This study proposes a deep-learning-based approach to detect individual blocks from large-scale three-dimensional point clouds measured with a pile of wave-dissipating blocks placed overseas and underseas using UAV photogrammetry and a multibeam echo-sounder. The approach comprises three main steps. First, the instance segmentation using our originally designed deep convolutional neural network partitions an original point cloud into small subsets of points, each corresponding to an individual block. Then, the block-wise 6D pose is estimated using a three-dimensional feature descriptor, point cloud registration, and CAD models of blocks. Finally, the type of each segmented block is identified using model registration results. The results of the instance segmentation on real-world and synthetic point cloud data achieved 70–90% precision and 50–76% recall with an intersection of union threshold of 0.5. The pose estimation results on synthetic data achieved 83–95% precision and 77–95% recall under strict pose criteria. The average block-wise displacement error was 30 mm, and the rotation error was less than 2∘. The pose estimation results on real-world data showed that the fitting error between the reconstructed scene and the scene point cloud ranged between 30 and 50 mm, which is below 2% of the detected block size. The accuracy in the block-type classification on real-world point clouds reached about 95%. These block detection performances demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Monitoring Air Quality in Urban Areas Using a Vehicle Sensor Network (VSN) Crowdsensing Paradigm
Authors: Diviacco Paolo , Iurcev Massimiliano , Carbajales Rodrigo José , Potleca Nikolas , Viola Alberto , Burca Mihai , Busato Alessandro
Published: November 2022

We present new advances in monitoring particulate matter (PM) in urban areas within a participatory vehicle sensor network (VSN) that exploits the use of multiple mobile low-cost IoT devices. These devices send geolocated PM measurements to an IT infrastructure and enabled us to reconstruct, in real time, the spatial and temporal distribution of pollutants in the study area in a web-based environment. The newly acquired data were integrated with independent reference measurements available from governmental environmental agencies. We deployed the infrastructure in the city of Trieste (Italy), since the beginning of 2021, with the help of several volunteers and the local transportation authority (Trieste Trasporti). By analysing the data, we delineate areas with lower air quality and identify the possible causes of these anomalies. We were able to define a belt outside the urban center where an enhanced concentration of pollutants occurs due to a higher flux of vehicular traffic that tends to jam there. Overall, our results demonstrate that this approach can be helpful in supporting urban planning and can also stimulate the community to reflect on how they can improve air quality in the area they live by reducing the use of private cars in favour of more widespread public transportation usage.
A Region-Based Feature Fusion Network for VHR Image Change Detection
Authors: Chen Pan , Li Cong , Zhang Bing , Chen Zhengchao , Yang Xuan , Lu Kaixuan , Zhuang Lina
Published: November 2022

Deep learning (DL)-based architectures have shown a strong capacity to identify changes. However, existing change detection (CD) networks still suffer from limited applicability when it comes to multi-scale targets and spatially misaligned objects. For the sake of tackling the above problems, a region-based feature fusion network (RFNet) for CD of very high spatial resolution (VHR) remote sensing images is proposed. RFNet uses a fully convolutional Siamese network backbone where a multi-stage feature interaction module (MFIM) is embedded in the dual encoder and a series of region-based feature fusion modules (RFFMs) is used to generate change information. The MFIM fuses features in different stages to enhance the interaction of multi-scale information and help the network better distinguish complex ground objects. The RFFM is built based on region similarity (RSIM), which measures the similarity of bitemporal features with neighborhoods. The RFFM can reduce the impact of spatially offset bitemporal targets and accurately identify changes in bitemporal images. We also design a deep supervise strategy by directly introducing RSIM into loss calculation and shortening the error propagation distance. We validate RFNet with two popular CD datasets: the SECOND dataset and the WHU dataset. The qualitative and quantitative comparison results demonstrate the high capacity and strong robustness of RFNet. We also conduct robustness experiments and the results demonstrate that RFNet can deal with spatially shifted bitemporal images.
The Time Lag Effect Improves Prediction of the Effects of Climate Change on Vegetation Growth in Southwest China
Authors: Wang Meng , An Zhengfeng , Wang Shouyan
Published: November 2022

Climate change is known to significantly affect vegetation development in the terrestrial system. Because Southwest China (SW) is affected by westerly winds and the South and East Asian monsoon, its climates are complex and changeable, and the time lag effect of the vegetation’s response to the climate has been rarely considered, making it difficult to establish a link between the SW region’s climate variables and changes in vegetation growth rate. This study revealed the characteristics of the time lag reaction and the phased changes in the response of vegetation to climate change across the entire SW and the typical climate type core area (CA) using the moving average method and multiple linear model based on the climatic information of CRU TS v. 4.02 from 1982 to 2017 together with the annual maximum (P100), upper quarter quantile (P75), median (P50), lower quarter quantile (P25), minimum (P5), and mean (Mean) from GIMMS NDVI. Generally, under the single and combined effects of temperature and precipitation, taking the time lag effect (annual and interannual delay effect) into account significantly improved the average prediction rates of temperature and precipitation, which increased by 18.48% and 25.32%, respectively. The optimal time delay was 0–4 months when the annual delay was taken into consideration, but it differed when considering the interannual delay, and the delaying effect of precipitation was more significant than that of temperature. Additionally, the response intensity of vegetation to temperature, precipitation, and their interaction was significantly more robust when the annual delay was taken into account than when it was not (p < 0.05), with corresponding multiple correlation coefficients of 0.87 and 0.91, respectively. However, the degree of response to the combined effect of individual effects and climate factors tended to decrease regardless of whether time delay effects were taken into account. A more comprehensive analysis of the effects of climate change on vegetation development dynamics suggested that the best period for synthesizing NDVI annual values might be the P25 period. Our study could provide a new theoretical framework for analyzing, predicting, and evaluating the dynamic response of vegetation growth to climate change.
Multi-Sensor Fusion Based Estimation of Tire-Road Peak Adhesion Coefficient Considering Model Uncertainty
Authors: Tian Cheng , Leng Bo , Hou Xinchen , Xiong Lu , Huang Chao
Published: November 2022

The tire-road peak adhesion coefficient (TRPAC), which cannot be directly measured by on-board sensors, is essential to road traffic safety. Reliable TRPAC estimation can not only serve the vehicle active safety system, but also benefit the safety of other traffic participants. In this paper, a TRPAC fusion estimation method considering model uncertainty is proposed. Based on virtual sensing theory, an image-based fusion estimator considering the uncertainty of the deep-learning model and the kinematic model is designed to realize the accurate classification of the road surface condition on which the vehicle will travel in the future. Then, a dynamics-image-based fusion estimator considering the uncertainty of visual information is proposed based on gain scheduling theory. The results of simulation and real vehicle experiments show that the proposed fusion estimation method can make full use of multisource sensor information, and has significant advantages in estimation accuracy, convergence speed and estimation robustness compared with other single-source-based estimators.
Soil Moisture Prediction from Remote Sensing Images Coupled with Climate, Soil Texture and Topography via Deep Learning
Authors: Celik Mehmet Furkan , Isik Mustafa Serkan , Yuzugullu Onur , Fajraoui Noura , Erten Esra
Published: November 2022

Soil moisture (SM) is an important biophysical parameter by which to evaluate water resource potential, especially for agricultural activities under the pressure of global warming. The recent advancements in different types of satellite imagery coupled with deep learning-based frameworks have opened the door for large-scale SM estimation. In this research, high spatial resolution Sentinel-1 (S1) backscatter data and high temporal resolution soil moisture active passive (SMAP) SM data were combined to create short-term SM predictions that can accommodate agricultural activities in the field scale. We created a deep learning model to forecast the daily SM values by using time series of climate and radar satellite data along with the soil type and topographic data. The model was trained with static and dynamic features that influence SM retrieval. Although the topography and soil texture data were taken as stationary, SMAP SM data and Sentinel-1 (S1) backscatter coefficients, including their ratios, and climate data were fed to the model as dynamic features. As a target data to train the model, we used in situ measurements acquired from the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN). We employed a deep learning framework based on long short-term memory (LSTM) architecture with two hidden layers that have 32 unit sizes and a fully connected layer. The accuracy of the optimized LSTM model was found to be effective for SM prediction with the coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.87, root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.046, unbiased root mean square error (ubRMSE) of 0.045, and mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.033. The model’s performance was also evaluated concerning above-ground biomass, land cover classes, soil texture variations, and climate classes. The model prediction ability was lower in areas with high normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values. Moreover, the model can better predict in dry climate areas, such as arid and semi-arid climates, where precipitation is relatively low. The daily prediction of SM values based on microwave remote sensing data and geophysical features was successfully achieved by using an LSTM framework to assist various studies, such as hydrology and agriculture.
Distribution Characteristics of Cloud Types and Cloud Phases over China and Their Relationship with Cloud Temperature
Authors: Cai Hongke , Yang Yue , Chen Quanliang
Published: November 2022

The existence of clouds significantly increases or decreases the net radiation of the Earth. The influence of cloud type and cloud phase on radiation is as important as cloud amount, and the physical processes of different types of clouds are obviously different. In this study, the occurrence frequency of different cloud types (low transparent, low opaque, stratocumulus, broken cumulus, altocumulus transparent, altostratus opaque, cirrus, and deep convective) and cloud phases (ice and water) over China and its surrounding areas (0–55°N, 70–140°E) are calculated based on cloud vertical feature mask products from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP). The results show significant spatial differences and seasonal variations in the distribution of different cloud types and cloud phases. There are four prevailing cloud types over the whole year, among which cirrus and altocumulus transparent are the most widely distributed and have the highest occurrence frequency. Cirrus clouds are mainly distributed at altitudes above 6 km north of 30°N and south of 20°N. Altocumulus transparent clouds are mainly distributed over the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and at an altitude of 3–6 km to the north of 40°N, and they are more widely distributed in winter than in summer. Water clouds are mainly distributed in the latitude range of 20°N–40°N and are obviously influenced by the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Water clouds are widely distributed in autumn and winter. Ice clouds are mainly distributed in the areas south of 20°N and north of 40°N. Regardless of the choice of altitude between 3 km and 7 km, the boundary between ice cloud and water cloud is always near the −14 °C isotherm, and when the −14 °C isotherm moves southward, the ice-cloud distribution range expands southward. The probability density functions of the temperature in the cloud always show the distribution characteristics of two peaks and one valley, which is particularly obvious in the middle and high clouds, and the peak temperature is warmer than the sub-peak temperature. The valley temperature and its corresponding latitude of all cloud types are different: the cirrus valley temperature is not significantly affected by the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, but the plateau has an effect on the latitude of the valley temperature distribution of other types of cloud. The above conclusions lay the foundation for further research on the radiation effects of different clouds on China and its surrounding areas and also have certain indicating significance for weather effects caused by various cloud physical processes.
Modeling the Impact of Driving Styles on Crash Severity Level Using SHRP 2 Naturalistic Driving Data
Authors: Chen Kuan-Ting , Chen Huei-Yen Winnie
Published: November 2022

Previous studies have examined driving styles and how they are associated with crash risks relying on self-report questionnaires to categorize respondents based on pre-defined driving styles. Naturalistic driving studies provide a unique opportunity to examine this relationship differently. The current study aimed to study how driving styles, derived from real-road driving, may relate to crash severity. To study the relationship, this study retrieved safety critical events (SCEs) from the SHRP 2 database and adopted joint modelling of the number of the aggregated crash severity levels (crash vs. non-crash) using the Diagonal Inflated Bivariate Poisson (DIBP) model. Variables examined included driving styles and various driver characteristics. Among driving styles examined, styles of maintenance of lower speeds and more adaptive responses to driving conditions were associated with fewer crashes given an SCE occurred. Longer driving experiences, more miles driven last year, and being female also reduced the number of crashes. Interestingly, older drivers were associated with both an increased number of crashes and increased number of non-crash SCEs. Future work may leverage more variables from the SHRP 2 database and widen the scope to examine different traffic conditions for a more complete picture of driving styles.
Research on the Optimization Model of Railway Emergency Rescue Network Considering Space-Time Accessibility
Authors: Zuo Jing , Shang Mengxing , Dang Jianwu
Published: November 2022

The capability of railway emergency rescue can be enhanced by maintaining the railway emergency rescue network and upgrading its technology. Nowadays, influenced by the factors, such as resource type, personnel distribution, line level, etc., space-time differences may be unavoidable. In the meantime, the general description method of the transportation network may lack the consideration of the rescue transportation particularity, so the strategies of resource allocation, maintenance, and upgrading could be illogical. Hence, in this paper, the gravity model is utilized to improve the classical travel time budget model and to construct the space-time accessibility model, firstly. Then, further exploring the space-time accessibility of nodes and edges of railway emergency rescue network and considering the randomness of travel time, a space-time accessibility measurement method for an emergency network is proposed. Moreover, a global optimization model with accessibility characteristics is then constructed for the maintenance allocation of the emergency rescue transportation network. The results show that the proposed method can solve the maintenance allocation problem of the large-scale rescue network effectively, reduce the risk of maintenance allocation strategy failure caused by unreasonable node index parameters, and provide an effective basis and theoretical support for the rational formulation of railway rescue transportation network maintenance allocation strategy.
Knowledge Reuse in Product-Service Systems
Authors: Xin Yan , Ojanen Ville
Published: November 2022

The current study examines knowledge reuse (focused on the recipient) from a product life-cycle perspective in the context of product-service systems through 27 semi-structured interviews in 11 firms. This study focused on the phases of the beginning-of-life (represented by R&D, purchasing, and production) and the middle-of-life (represented by logistics, customer service/quality, and sales). Similarities and differences were found between and within the two phases and the six sub-phases. Our research suggests that to remain competitive, a consistent understanding of the knowledge requirements for both sender and recipient should be identified, a match between the knowledge sourced and the mechanism employed should be made, and organizational culture/mechanisms to retain higher-caliber employees should be prioritized.
International Manufacturer’s Online Marketplace Choice Considering Behavior-Based Pricing
Authors: Wang Tao , Wang Shi-Xiao
Published: November 2022

Considering the fact that the phenomenon of consumer behavior-based pricing (BBP) is becoming more prominent in global online sales, an international online channel decision-making model composed of an e-commerce firm and a manufacturer is established. The e-commerce firm is the leader, while the manufacturer is the follower. This study analyzes the decision-making problems in two cases. The first case happens when an international manufacturer establishes its own online-selling website. The second case uses the e-commerce firm’s online-selling platform. We make a horizontal and vertical comparison of equilibrium decision-making for these two participants, respectively. We examine how the manufacturer makes choices and how the e-commerce firm makes decisions about the referral fee rate and franchise fee under the BBP in the international environment. Whether the two players make different decisions between new customers and regular customers is verified. By constructing mathematical models under different channel structures and solving them, and finally, by comparing the equilibrium decisions under different structures and numerical analysis with the help of mathematical software, we have obtained some interesting conclusions. It is found that if the manufacturer establishes its own online-selling website, the e-commerce firm will provide new customers with lower prices than the price for regular customers. At this point, as direct competition forms between the e-commerce platform and the manufacturer, this allows the platform to offer lower prices to new customers in order to attract more new customers to shop on the platform. The manufacturer would differentiate new customers and regular customers according to the unit selling cost of its own website and consumers’ shopping costs. If the manufacturer uses the online-selling platform of the e-commerce firm, the manufacturer will provide a lower price to new customers; however, the e-commerce firm’s attitude to new and regular customers is affected by the referral fee rate. In addition, when the referral fee rate is reduced and the franchise fee is moderated, or the referral fee rate is moderate, and the franchise fee is reduced, the e-commerce firm will decide to attract manufacturers to sell products on its online platform. The manufacturer will give up establishing its own online-selling website and prefer to sell on the e-commerce firm’s online platform.
Healthier and Environmentally Responsible Sustainable Cities and Communities. A New Design Framework and Planning Approach for Urban Illumination
Authors: Zielinska-Dabkowska Karolina M.
Published: November 2022

Although sustainability and sustainable development are both considered necessary practices in various fields today, a recent analysis showed that the Sustainable Development Goal SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities established by the United Nations does not address urban illumination and its impact. This oversight is of concern because research carried out in the last 20+ years indicates artificial light at night (ALAN) in cities, and the light pollution this generates can have negative consequences on human health and well-being and the entire environment, including ecosystems and the flora and fauna that inhabit them. By applying a literature review, analysis and synthesis method, this work offers a new perspective on lighting and a timeline of key events that established ALAN and light pollution awareness in different disciplines and professional groups connected to urban illumination. It also identifies three fundamental aspects which require further transdisciplinary research and the translation of this knowledge into practice in order to enable the development of sustainable cities and communities at night. Finally, it presents in detail a new, theoretical environment-centred design framework for responsible urban illumination, with four iterative design phases, in order to help guide various stakeholders in cities, along with a four-level pyramid model that can be applied to urban illumination in the form of principles, processes, practices, and tools. This framework is especially relevant for those urban planners, architects, and landscape designers, who are unfamiliar with the subject in order to present the most effective and appropriate lighting design approach and methods that should be taken into consideration with the design of a given urban nighttime environment/situation.
Investigating the Education Policy Implementation of Excellent Teacher Plan for Teacher Education Sustainability in China: Challenges and Strategies
Authors: Li Jian , Xue Eryong , Li Kun
Published: November 2022

This study explores the challenges and strategies of education policy implementation of the Excellent Teacher Plan for teacher education sustainability in China. We conduct 36 interviews at one key national, normal university within two campuses, including deans, administers and teachers. It is found that it is difficult to accurately select students who are truly happy and suitable for teaching. The synergy of academy education needs to be further improved. The low comprehensive quality of students leads to the prominent difficulty of training. The guidance and strength of post-employment security policy are still unclear. It is suggested that we should strengthen public publicity and call for greater autonomy in enrollment; establish a collaborative training system and standardize the operation mechanism of the academy system; promote the quality and increment of teaching and balance the cultivation of various types of students; and clarify the post-employment development policy and improve the graduate security system. In addition, the conclusion is offered last.
Spatio-Temporal Pattern and Influence Mechanism of Rural Human Settlements System Resilience: Case from China
Authors: Ge Dandong , Zheng Yanyan , Zhang Shenning , Fu Jiayi , Su Fei
Published: November 2022

The study of rural habitat systems from the perspective of resilience is of great significance in revealing the inner laws of the evolution of the rural human settlements system and promoting sustainable rural development. This study aims to explain the theoretical connotation of the rural human settlements system resilience (RHSSR), construct an evaluation system and zoning rules for rural habitat system resilience, and explore the spatial distribution pattern of rural habitat system resilience in China and the factors influencing the differences in the level of rural resilience using 30 Chinese provinces as examples to provide effective governance solutions for sustainable rural development. The results show that: (1) The RHSSR refers to the sustainability of the RHSS; i.e., the ability of a system to absorb and adapt to internal and external disturbances and shocks by adjusting the structure and scale of its internal elements, discarding the original inapplicable state to the greatest extent possible and creating a new recovery path to another new equilibrium state. (2) The overall downward trend of RHSSR in 30 Chinese provinces between 2000 and 2020 is consistent with the fact that a large number of villages have died out in China in recent years. (3) The RHSSR is higher in eastern China than in central and western China; although the regional gap is gradually narrowing. (4) An analysis of the evolutionary trend of the RHSSR shows that the northeastern and eastern regions of China belong to the major evolution area of the RHSSR; most areas in central and western China belong to the degraded vulnerable area of the RHSSR, while the potential recession area of the RHSSR is more scattered, mainly in Beijing, Tianjin, and Inner Mongolia in northern China, Chongqing, Hubei, and Qinghai in central China, and Guangdong and Fujian in the southern China region of Guangdong and Fujian. (5) The results of the analysis of geographical detectors show that the effect of the basic-driven factors in the RHSSR decreases significantly with time, while the effect of the core-driven and externally-driven factors increases, and the effect of the two factors is greater than that of the single factor. Among them, industrial structure (IS) has an important influence on the spatial differentiation of the resilience level of rural human settlements system. (6) Optimization strategies are proposed in terms of spatial planning; industrial integration and public participation for the development of different sub-regions.
A Systematic Literature Review of the Predictive Maintenance from Transportation Systems Aspect
Authors: Ersöz Olcay Özge , İnal Ali Fırat , Aktepe Adnan , Türker Ahmet Kürşad , Ersöz Süleyman
Published: November 2022

With the rapid progress of network technologies and sensors, monitoring the sensor data such as pressure, temperature, current, vibration and other electrical, mechanical and chemical variables has become much more significant. With the arrival of Big Data and artificial intelligence (AI), sophisticated solutions can be developed to prevent failures and predict the equipment’s remaining useful life (RUL). These techniques allow for taking maintenance actions with haste and precision. Accordingly, this study provides a systematic literature review (SLR) of the predictive maintenance (PdM) techniques in transportation systems. The main focus of this study is the literature covering PdM in the motor vehicles’ industry in the last 5 years. A total of 52 studies were included in the SLR and examined in detail within the scope of our research questions. We provided a summary on statistical, stochastic and AI approaches for PdM applications and their goals, methods, findings, challenges and opportunities. In addition, this study encourages future research by indicating the areas that have not yet been studied in the PdM literature.
Does Digital Inclusive Finance Enhance the Creation of County Enterprises? Taking Henan Province as a Case Study
Authors: Liang Chang’an , Du Guoming , Cui Zhaoda , Faye Bonoua
Published: November 2022

The broad inclusiveness of digital inclusive finance is essential for promoting coordinated regional development. This paper focuses on the impact of digital inclusive finance on creating county enterprises, discussing its heterogeneity in terms of region and type of entrepreneurship and revealing the mechanisms by which this set of impacts works. The methodology integrates the 2015–2020 Peking University Digital Inclusive Finance Index, business registration data from the industrial and commercial sectors and statistics from counties in Henan Province. The results show that digital inclusive finance can significantly promote the creation of county enterprises. All secondary dimension indices show positive effects; this result remains when replacing the core explanatory variables and lagged terms. Heterogeneity analysis finds no significant heterogeneity in the entrepreneurial effect of digital inclusive finance between urban and rural areas and types of entrepreneurship. The mechanism analysis finds that digital inclusive finance can promote the creation of county enterprises through two paths: improved financing and mobile payment. These findings reveal that we should use digital inclusive finance to improve the breadth and depth of financial services within the county and take advantage of its mobile payments to promote micro and small businesses.
The Effect of Pore Pressure on the Mechanical Behavior of Coal with Burst Tendency at a Constant Effective Stress
Authors: Liu Xiaobo , Xue Kangsheng , Luo Yong , Long Kun , Liu Yanan , Liang Zhiming
Published: November 2022

The mechanical evolution of coal is evident when the pore pressure and the surrounding stress alone influence it. However, the evolution of the mechanical response of saturated coal under the coupling effect of pore pressure and confining pressure needs further investigation. This study identifies the mechanical behaviors of burst tendency dry and saturated coal under the stress condition where confining and pore pressure simultaneously increase but keep the constant difference by conducting a series of triaxial compressions on high burst tendency dry and saturated coal samples. The results show that the elastic modulus (E) and strength (σpeak) of dry coal increase from 3.4 to 4.8 GPa and 78.5 to 92.6 MPa, respectively, and the macro shear failure angle decreases from 64.2° to 56.5° when the confining pressure increases from 9 to 15 MPa. However, these parameters show the opposite evolution law when the pore pressure increases. Furthermore, the E and σpeak of saturated coal decrease from 3.84 to 2.75 GPa and 73.4 to 60.3 MPa, respectively, and the macro shear failure angle of saturated coal increases from 64.7° to 72.4° when the confining pressure and pore pressure increase simultaneously. The coefficient μ is proposed to reveal the evolution of strength at the effective confining pressure. Furthermore, the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion, including μ, is ameliorated for application in coal under pore pressure conditions. In addition, a model was developed to reveal the effect of a pore-rich layer on the angle of macrocracks, which was confirmed by acoustic emission. The research reveals the mechanical behavior of coal under high pore pressure. Improved Mohr–Coulomb criterion criteria provide new guidance and vision for the analysis of coal instability in high pore pressure coal seams.
Bioactivity of Grape Skin from Small-Berry Muscat and Augustiatis of Samos: A Circular Economy Perspective for Sustainability
Authors: Michalaki Afroditi , Iliopoulou Elpida Niki , Douvika Angeliki , Nasopoulou Constantina , Skalkos Dimitris , Karantonis Haralabos Christos
Published: November 2022

Consumer interest in health-promoting foods has prompted researchers to use wine by-products to increase food’s functional characteristics. This research aims to examine the skin bioactivities of Samos white (small-berry Muscat) and red (Augustiatis) grape skin extracts (M-GSkE, A-GSkE). Total phenolic content, antiradical activity, the inhibition of plasma oxidation and platelet aggregation, and the phenolic profile were examined. A-GSkE and M-GSkE showed high total phenolics (1.19 ± 0.13 vs. 2.12 ± 0.23 mM GAE), antiradical activity (7.7 ± 0.4 vs. 6.6 ± 0.3 μM GAE for ABTS; 31.12 ± 0.8 vs. 26.4 ± 1.0 μM GAE for DPPH), resistance to plasma oxidation (5.7 ± 0.4 vs. 1.1 ± 0.2 μM GAE), and antithrombotic activity (19.7 ± 0.1 vs. 26.6 ± 0.2 μM GAE). Ferulic (41.3 ± 0.1 > 13.2 ± 0.1 μg/g DM), vanillic (26.3 ± 1.7 > 12.2 ± 1.2 μg/g DM), and gallic (16.6 ± 0.1 > 8.4 ± 2.9 μg/g DM) acids along with ε-viniferin (3.6 ± 0.4 > 2.8 ± 0.3 μg/g DM) were identified in higher content in A-GSkE. Catechin (59.8 ± 1.5 μg/g DM), chlorogenic acid (43.8 ± 0.9 μg/g DM), and resveratrol (0.83 ± 0.13 μg/g DM) were identified only in M-GSkE, while caffeic acid 19.8 ± 0.4 μg/g DM) and daidzein (16.8 ± 0.1 μg/g DM) were identified only in A-GSkE. The specialized bioactivities researched in two previously unexplored Samos’ wine grape skin extracts give them added value. The valorization of such by-products promises a sustainable future in the food sector of local communities and an improvement in local public health.
Fisheries Co-Management in the “Age of the Commons”: Social Capital, Conflict, and Social Challenges in the Aegean Sea
Authors: Fratsea Loukia-Maria , Papadopoulos Apostolos G.
Published: November 2022

Fishing activity in Greece remains important for the management of marine resources. Fishery co-management, involving various social groups and stakeholders, is considered necessary for marine ecological conservation. Environmental NGOs have acquired valuable expert and scientific knowledge on marine ecosystems which is essential for natural resource management. However, such knowledge is often in conflict with the interests of fishers, who often have tacit/lay knowledge which is rarely considered. The aim of this paper is twofold: first, to critically discuss the perceptions of different stakeholders regarding the protection of marine commons, and second, to unveil the potential conflicts in the management of the MPA on Gyaros Island. Gyaros is a cultural heritage monument, home to a colony of Mediterranean monk seals, and a traditional fishing area for adjacent island communities. Methodologically, the paper synthesises the empirical findings of a five-year (2013–2018) research project. Survey material collected over two separate periods (2014 and 2017) from the local population and professional and recreational fishers is combined with rich qualitative material from various stakeholders and participatory research to inform the research objectives. The successful management of MPAs requires that all users contribute to, agree to, and respect the terms of the MPA.
Study on the Hydraulic Fracturing Failure Behaviour of Granite and Its Comparison with Gas Fracturing
Authors: Li Ning , Xie Heping , Gao Ziqi , Li Cunbao
Published: November 2022

Efficient technology is needed to realise reservoir stimulation for deep geothermal energy exploitation. However, the main control parameters of traditional hydraulic fracturing technology are not clear, as well as their coupling effects; besides, the damage mechanism of novel gas fracturing technology is still not determined, which restricts the mining of hot dry rock resources. Therefore, through a series of true triaxial hydraulic fracturing tests, this paper explores the coupling effect of horizontal stress difference and injection rate on hydraulic fracturing; then, the cohesive element is used to establish hydraulic fracturing and gas fracturing models under the same test conditions. Differences in fracture width and fracture network morphology between the two technologies were compared, and the rock-breaking effects in in-situ reservoirs were analysed. The results show that the breakdown pressure of granite increases gradually with the increase of injection rate, at the small horizontal stress difference; but this trend is opposite at the large horizontal stress difference. Under a higher horizontal stress difference, the increment of the maximum fracture width of gas fracturing becomes larger than that of hydraulic fracturing after increasing the injection rate. When the fracturing cluster spacing is reduced, the fracture width and length of gas fracturing gradually become larger than those of hydraulic fracturing; when the injection rate is increased, the hydraulic fracturing network becomes more complex than gas fracturing. This study can provide useful information for applying hydraulic fracturing and gas fracturing in deep geothermal reservoirs.
The Use of Fermented Plant Biomass in Pigs Feeding
Authors: Płacheta Barbara , Motyl Ilona , Berłowska Joanna , Mroczyńska-Florczak Marta
Published: November 2022

The demand for animal-based food production is increasing mainly due to the rapid growth of the human population. The effective production of high-quality agricultural products promotes and protects the natural environment, human health, and animal welfare. Sustainable processing involves minimizing the waste stream. One way to use agricultural plant-based waste, which is often rich in bioactive substances, is to produce fermented feed in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. Corn, yellow lupins, and narrow-leaved lupins are rich in nutrients, and are suitable for fermentation and use in pig feed. They are also safe for weaned piglets. Used as a feed additive, fermented plant biomass has a positive effect on the health of pigs, increasing their weight and improving the taste and appearance of the meat. The fermentation of plant biomass reduces antinutritional substances that are abundant in feed components. It also improves the digestibility of the silage and the composition of the pig’s intestinal microflora.
Proposal for an Institutional Carpooling System among Workers from the Public-Education Sector
Authors: Rey-Merchán María del Carmen , López-Arquillos Antonio , Pires Rosa Manuela , Gómez-de-Gabriel Jesús Manuel
Published: November 2022

Car journeys to work represent a high percentage of daily mobility. Carpooling can be an efficient alternative for managing this transport demand. Carpooling benefits are not limited to reducing emissions and energy consumption: users can also benefit in the reduction in travel costs and travel time using high-occupancy vehicle lanes, as well as reducing commuting stress. The organization of such a system is not easy to carry out individually. Institutions and companies with a high number of employees are suitable for carpooling initiatives, and the education sector holds a high number of workers. Considering the large number of teachers and the fact that many of them are regular drivers, the sector presents an opportunity to design a formal carpooling transport system. This paper presents the design of a proposal for a carpooling system among workers from the education sector in the region of Andalusia, Spain. The system yielded relevant benefits such as cost savings, emissions reductions, and a high number of potential users. The designed system can potentially improve transport conditions for workers in commuting displacements and reduce occupational traffic accidents.
Spatial Methods for Inferring Extremes in Dengue Outbreak Risk in Singapore
Authors: Soh Stacy , Ho Soon Hoe , Seah Annabel , Ong Janet , Richards Daniel R. , Gaw Leon Yan-Feng , Dickens Borame Sue , Tan Ken Wei , Koo Joel Ruihan , Cook Alex R. , Lim Jue Tao
Published: November 2022

Dengue is a major vector-borne disease worldwide. Here, we examined the spatial distribution of extreme weekly dengue outbreak risk in Singapore from 2007 to 2020. We divided Singapore into equal-sized hexagons with a circumradius of 165 m and obtained the weekly number of dengue cases and the surface characteristics of each hexagon. We accounted for spatial heterogeneity using max-stable processes. The 5-, 10-, 20-, and 30-year return levels, or the weekly dengue case counts expected to be exceeded once every 5, 10, 20, and 30 years, respectively, were determined for each hexagon conditional on their surface characteristics remaining constant over time. The return levels were higher in the country’s east, with the maximum weekly dengue cases per hexagon expected to exceed 51 at least once in 30 years in many areas. The surface characteristics with the largest impact on outbreak risk were the age of public apartments and the percentage of impervious surfaces, where a 3-year and 10% increase in each characteristic resulted in a 3.8% and 3.3% increase in risk, respectively. Vector control efforts should be prioritized in older residential estates and places with large contiguous masses of built-up environments. Our findings indicate the likely scale of outbreaks in the long term.
Editorial COVID-19 and Thrombosis 2023: New Waves of SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Triage Organization in Emergency Department and the Association of VOCs/VOI with Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: di Gennaro Ciro , Galdiero Mariano , Scherillo Giovanna , Parlamento Stefano , Poggiano Maria Rita , Arturo Claudia , Vasta Antonio , Giordano Beniamino , Pisano Viviana , Lobasso Antonio , Camporese Giuseppe , Di Micco Pierpaolo
Published: November 2022

Nearly two years ago, the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak began, and our lives have changed significantly since then [...]
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Otitis Media
Authors: Choi Soo-Young , Yon Dong-Keon , Choi Yong-Sung , Lee Jinseok , Park Ki-Ho , Lee Young-Ju , Kim Sung-Soo , Kim Sang-Hoon , Yeo Seung-Geun
Published: November 2022

Otitis media is one of the most common diseases in children, with 80% of children experiencing it by the age of three years. Therefore, the resulting social burden is enormous. In addition, many countries still suffer from complications due to otitis media. Meanwhile, COVID-19 has affected many diseases, with otitis media being one of the most strongly affected. This review aims to find out how COVID-19 has affected otitis media and its significance. A series of measures brought about by COVID-19, including emphasis on personal hygiene and social distancing, had many unexpected positive effects on otitis media. These can be broadly classified into four categories: first, the incidence of otitis media was drastically reduced. Second, antibiotic prescriptions for otitis media decreased. Third, the incidence of complications of otitis media was reduced. Fourth, the number of patients visiting the emergency room due to otitis media decreased. The quarantine measures put in place due to COVID-19 suppressed the onset and exacerbation of otitis media. This has great implications for the treatment and prevention of otitis media.
The Epidemiology of Influenza and the Associated Vaccines Development in China: A Review
Authors: Zhang Jiayou , Nian Xuanxuan , Li Xuedan , Huang Shihe , Duan Kai , Li Xinguo , Yang Xiaoming
Published: November 2022

Influenza prevention and control has been one of the biggest challenges encountered in the public health domain. The vaccination against influenza plays a pivotal role in the prevention of influenza, particularly for the elderly and small children. According to the epidemiology of influenza in China, the nation is under a heavy burden of this disease. Therefore, as a contribution to the prevention and control of influenza in China through the provision of relevant information, the present report discusses the production and batch issuance of the influenza vaccine, analysis of the vaccination status and vaccination rate of the influenza vaccine, and the development trend of the influenza vaccine in China.
Quality Characterization of Groundwater for Drinking Purposes and Its Network Distribution to Assure Sustainability in Southern Region of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alramthi Saad M. , Ali Gamila H. , Shaban Ahmed M. , Abdou Tarek A. , Elthagafi Atiah M. , Eldosari Saad H. , Zhu Bao-Ku , Safaa Hosam M.
Published: November 2022

Water demand per capita will rise in the Arab world as a result of climate change and population expansion. One of the most important aims in coping with population increase around the world is to conserve water supplies. As a result, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) constructed the Al Wajeed Water Treatment System to meet the demands of its southern population. This research aims to assess the drinking water quality produced from the Al Wajeed Water Treatment System. Monthly water samples were collected (January 2018 to January 2021) from the Al Wajeed Water Treatment Framework (4 sites), extending to governorates, Bishah`s distribution system (5 sites), and Tathleeth`s distribution system (7 sites). Water quality criteria, such as physical-, chemical-, and microbiological-parameters, revealed that the majority of water samples collected from the Al Wajeed Water Framework and its environs are of a good quality and matched the national and International standards. Few sites showed water quality criteria such as turbidity, fluoride, and total coliform, which did not comply with national and global standards. The obtained results explained the importance of monitoring and follow-up programs for drinking water criteria. In addition, they can help the authorities and stakeholders in the sustainable development.