bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Capacity of 5G NR Grant-Free Scheduling with Shared Radio Resources to Support Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications
Authors: Lucas-Estañ M. Carmen , Gozalvez Javier , Sepulcre Miguel
Published: August 2019

5G and beyond networks are being designed to support the future digital society, where numerous sensors, machinery, vehicles and humans will be connected in the so-called Internet of Things (IoT). The support of time-critical verticals such as Industry 4.0 will be especially challenging, due to the demanding communication requirements of manufacturing applications such as motion control, control-to-control applications and factory automation, which will require the exchange of critical sensing and control information among the factory nodes. To this aim, important changes have been introduced in 5G for Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications (URLLC). One of these changes is the introduction of grant-free scheduling for uplink transmissions. The objective is to reduce latency by eliminating the need for User Equipments (UEs—sensors, devices or machinery) to request resources and wait until the network grants them. Grant-free scheduling can reserve radio resources for dedicated UEs or for groups of UEs. The latter option is particularly relevant to support applications with aperiodic or sporadic traffic and deterministic low latency requirements. In this case, when a UE has information to transmit, it must contend for the usage of radio resources. This can lead to potential packet collisions between UEs. 5G introduces the possibility of transmitting K replicas of the same packet to combat such collisions. Previous studies have shown that grant-free scheduling with K replicas and shared resources increases the packet delivery. However, relying upon the transmission of K replicas to achieve a target reliability level can result in additional delays, and it is yet unknown whether grant-free scheduling with K replicas and shared resources can guarantee very high reliability levels with very low latency. This is the objective of this study, that identifies the reliability and latency levels that can be achieved by 5G grant-free scheduling with K replicas and shared resources in the presence of aperiodic traffic, and as a function of the number of UEs, reserved radio resources and replicas K. The study demonstrates that current Fifth Generation New Radio (5G NR) grant-free scheduling has limitations to sustain stringent reliability and latency levels for aperiodic traffic.
M-ary Cyclic Shift Keying Spread Spectrum Underwater Acoustic Communications Based on Virtual Time-Reversal Mirror
Authors: Zhou Feng , Liu Bing , Nie Donghu , Yang Guang , Zhang Wenbo , Ma Dongdong
Published: August 2019

Underwater acoustic communications are challenging because channels are complex, and acoustic waves when propagating in the ocean are subjected to a variety of interferences, such as noise, reflections, scattering and so on. Spread spectrum technique thus has been widely used in underwater acoustic communications for its strong anti-interference ability and good confidentiality. Underwater acoustic channels are typical coherent multipath channels, in which the inter-symbol interference seriously affects the performance of underwater acoustic communications. Time-reversal mirror technique utilizes this physical characteristic of underwater acoustic channels to restrain the inter-symbol interference by reconstructing multipath signals and reduce the influence of channel fading by spatial focusing. This paper presents an M-ary cyclic shift keying spread spectrum underwater acoustic communication scheme based on the virtual time-reversal mirror. Compared to the traditional spread spectrum techniques, this method is more robust, for it uses the M-ary cyclic shift keying spread spectrum to improve the communication rate and uses the virtual time-reversal mirror to ensure a low bit error rate. The performance of this method is verified by simulations and pool experiments.
Chromatic Confocal Displacement Sensor with Optimized Dispersion Probe and Modified Centroid Peak Extraction Algorithm
Authors: Bai Jiao , Li Xinghui , Wang Xiaohao , Zhou Qian , Ni Kai
Published: August 2019

Chromatic confocal technology (CCT) is one of the most promising methods for the contactless and accurate measurement of structure profiles. Based on the principles of chromatic dispersion and confocal theory, a dispersion probe is proposed and optimized with several commercial and cheap refractive index lenses. The probe provides 0.3× magnification and a dispersion range of 400 μm with a commercial LED source with an effective bandwidth of ca. 450–623 nm. Since the noise fluctuation can affect the extraction stability of the focal wavelength, a modification to the centroid peak extraction algorithm is proposed in this paper, where several virtual pixels are interpolated among the real pixels of the spectrometer before thresholding. In addition, a series of experiments were carried out to test the system’s displacement measurement performance. The results clearly show that stability is improved by the modified algorithm, and the calibration repeatability is ±0.3 μm in the full measurement range with a linear stage. The standard deviation at the fixed position has an optimal value of 0.009 μm. The section profile of a Fresnel lens is measured by the CCT system to demonstrate its high feasibility and efficiency.
Joint Banknote Recognition and Counterfeit Detection Using Explainable Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Han Miseon , Kim Jeongtae
Published: August 2019

We investigated machine learning-based joint banknote recognition and counterfeit detection method. Unlike existing methods, since the proposed method simultaneously recognize banknote type and detect counterfeit detection, it is significantly faster than existing serial banknote recognition and counterfeit detection methods. Furthermore, we propose an explainable artificial intelligence method for visualizing regions that contributed to the recognition and detection. Using the visualization, it is possible to understand the behavior of the trained machine learning system. In experiments using the United State Dollar and the European Union Euro banknotes, the proposed method shows significant improvement in computation time from conventional serial method.
Evaluation of Sentinel-3A OLCI Products Derived Using the Case-2 Regional CoastColour Processor over the Baltic Sea
Authors: Kyryliuk Dmytro , Kratzer Susanne
Published: August 2019

In this study, the Level-2 products of the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) data on Sentinel-3A are derived using the Case-2 Regional CoastColour (C2RCC) processor for the SentiNel Application Platform (SNAP) whilst adjusting the specific scatter of Total Suspended Matter (TSM) for the Baltic Sea in order to improve TSM retrieval. The remote sensing product “kd_z90max” (i.e., the depth of the water column from which 90% of the water-leaving irradiance are derived) from C2RCC-SNAP showed a good correlation with in situ Secchi depth (SD). Additionally, a regional in-water algorithm was applied to derive SD from the attenuation coefficient Kd(489) using a local algorithm. Furthermore, a regional in-water relationship between particle scatter and bench turbidity was applied to generate turbidity from the remote sensing product “iop_bpart” (i.e., the scattering coefficient of marine particles at 443 nm). The spectral shape of the remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) data extracted from match-up stations was evaluated against reflectance data measured in situ by a tethered Attenuation Coefficient Sensor (TACCS) radiometer. The L2 products were evaluated against in situ data from several dedicated validation campaigns (2016–2018) in the NW Baltic proper. All derived L2 in-water products were statistically compared to in situ data and the results were also compared to results for MERIS validation from the literature and the current S3 Level-2 Water (L2W) standard processor from EUMETSAT. The Chl-a product showed a substantial improvement (MNB 21%, RMSE 88%, APD 96%, n = 27) compared to concentrations derived from the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS), with a strong underestimation of higher values. TSM performed within an error comparable to MERIS data with a mean normalized bias (MNB) 25%, root-mean square error (RMSE) 73%, average absolute percentage difference (APD) 63% n = 23). Coloured Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) absorption retrieval has also improved substantially when using the product “iop_adg” (i.e., the sum of organic detritus and Gelbstoff absorption at 443 nm) as a proxy (MNB 8%, RMSE 56%, APD 54%, n = 18). The local SD (MNB 6%, RMSE 62%, APD 60%, n = 35) and turbidity (MNB 3%, RMSE 35%, APD 34%, n = 29) algorithms showed very good agreement with in situ data. We recommend the use of the SNAP C2RCC with regionally adjusted TSM-specific scatter for water product retrieval as well as the regional turbidity algorithm for Baltic Sea monitoring. Besides documenting the evaluation of the C2RCC processor, this paper may also act as a handbook on the validation of Ocean Colour data.
The Flexible Operation of Coal Power and Its Renewable Integration Potential in China
Authors: Na Chunning , Pan Huan , Zhu Yuhong , Yuan Jiahai , Ding Lixia , Yu Jungang
Published: August 2019

At present time, China’s power systems face significant challenges in integrating large-scale renewable energy and reducing the curtailed renewable energy. In order to avoid the curtailment of renewable energy, the power systems need significant flexibility requirements in China. In regions where coal is still heavily relied upon for generating electricity, the flexible operations of coal power units will be the most feasible option to face these challenges. The study first focused on the reasons why the flexible operation of existing coal power units would potentially promote the integration of renewable energy in China and then reviewed the impacts on the performance levels of the units. A simple flexibility operation model was constructed to estimate the integration potential with the existing coal power units under several different scenarios. This study’s simulation results revealed that the existing retrofitted coal power units could provide flexibility in the promotion of the integration of renewable energy in a certain extent. However, the integration potential increment of 20% of the rated power for the coal power units was found to be lower than that of 30% of the rated power. Therefore, by considering the performance impacts of the coal power units with low performances in load operations, it was considered to not be economical for those units to operate at lower than 30% of the rated power. It was believed that once the capacity share of the renewable energy had achieved a continuously growing trend, the existing coal power units would fail to meet the flexibility requirements. Therefore, it was recommended in this study that other flexible resources should be deployed in the power systems for the purpose of reducing the curtailment of renewable energy. Furthermore, based on this study’s obtained evidence, in order to realize a power system with high proportions of renewable energy, China should strive to establish a power system with adequate flexible resources in the future.
The Spatial Analysis and Sustainability of Rural Cultural Landscapes: Linpan Settlements in China’s Chengdu Plain
Authors: Li Qiushan , Wumaier Kabilijiang , Ishikawa Mikiko
Published: August 2019

Amid rapid urbanization and globalization, rural zones in many countries have undergone dramatic shifts. Although the future development of cultural landscapes is clear, their planning and management are uncertain. The Chengdu Plain is one of the most prosperous in China, which is home to well-developed irrigation and drainage systems, with the earliest history of planting found in Sichuan Province. The Chengdu Plain’s unique farming landscape is an important human resource that represents the natural integration of the material and spiritual forms in the farming era. This study takes the unique farming settlements in Dujiangyan Irrigation District as the research object and analyzes the culture, human environment, and spatial order of the Linpan settlement based on the system theory. From the hierarchical structure of each individual Linpan settlement to the spatial layout of the Linpan community, the changes in the relationship between humans and land in the farming area are explored to explain the sustainability of the rural cultural landscape. With long-term field research, the rural geographic information database is built as a basis for the identification and classification of Linpan Cultural landscape types. The results show that between 2005−2018, the Linpan of Juyuan Town illustrated a decreasing trend, and about six Linpan settlements disappeared per square kilometer. The change in the type of Linpan landscape is spatially unbalanced, which is mainly due to the difference between regional development and residents’ needs. This study introduces the concept of “demand” and “restriction” in sustainable development to explore a future strategy of maintaining the cultural landscape, which is expected to provide a basis for future policy formulation to protect the traditional rural landscape.
A Lightweight Collaborative GIS Data Editing Approach to Support Urban Planning
Authors: Jing Changfeng , Zhu Yanli , Fu Jiayun , Dong Meng
Published: August 2019

Collaborative geospatial data editing is different from other collaborative editing systems, such as textual editing, owing to its geospatial nature. This paper presents a version-based lightweight collaborative geospatial editing method for urban planning. This method extracts editing data and generates a version for collaborative editing, which reduces the data size and thus allows for a high feedback speed. A replication mechanism is engaged to replicate a version for the client to freely edit, which ensures constraint-free editing in collaboration. Based on this method, realizing the fact that heterogeneous geospatial data and non-professional users are involved, a lightweight architecture, integrating web services, and component technologies, was proposed. This architecture provides a unified data access interface and powerful editing ability and ensures a high feedback speed and constraint-free editing. The result of the application of the proposed approach in a practical project demonstrates the usability of collaborative geospatial editing in urban planning. While this approach has been designed for urban planning, it can be modified for use in other domains.
Villagers’ Perceptions of Tourism Activities in Iona National Park: Locality as a Key Factor in Planning for Sustainability
Authors: Morais Jorge , Castanho Rui Alexandre , Loures Luis , Pinto-Gomes Carlos , Santos Pedro
Published: August 2019

Local people’s perception of nature-based tourism evolution and consequent impacts on their well-being are crucial in promoting ecotourism and achieving sustainable development. This study focused on indigenous populations’ attitudes concerning tourism activities taking place in the Iona National Park, located in the Namibe Province of Angola, where ecotourism is considered an anchor product and is expected to become an economic driver of major importance. To obtain information that is useful for a changing tourism management in order to increase rural communities’ well-being, we conducted a survey addressing local people’s perceptions about the following main topics: perception of the presence of visitors and of their activities; present and prospective positive and negative effects of the park; and government policies that should be developed in the near future. The research shows that most respondents’ perceptions strongly vary according to locality. The level of urbanization and the distance to the core areas of touristic activities appear to be the main factors driving the villagers’ perception polarization. Thus, conflicting interests between nature conservation and local populations’ well-being should be addressed and managed according to locality profiles, with some exceptions, such as ensuring the entire population has access to pastoral lands.
Thermodynamic Fundamentals for Fuel Production Management
Authors: Tucki Karol , Mruk Remigiusz , Orynycz Olga , Wasiak Andrzej , Świć Antoni
Published: August 2019

An increase of needs for replacement of fossil fuels, and for mitigation of Carbon Dioxide emissions generated from fossil fuels inspires the search for new fuels based on renewable biological resources. It would be convenient if the biological component of the fuel required as little as possible conversion operations in the production. The obvious response is an attempt to use unconverted, neat plant oils as a fuel for Diesel engines. The present paper is devoted to the experimental studies of the combustion process of neat rapeseed oil, and its mixtures with gasoline and ethanol as additional components of the mixtures. The investigation of combustion was carried out in a fixed volume combustion chamber equipped with a Common Rail injection system. It is shown that the instant of ignition, as well as time-dependence of heat emanation, are strongly dependent upon mixture composition. The results enable the design of mixture compositions that could serve as commercial fuel for Diesel engines. Such fuels are expected to fulfill the requirements for the sustainability of road transport.
A Synthesis of Opportunities for Applying the Telecoupling Framework to Marine Protected Areas
Authors: Hull Vanessa , Rivera Christian J. , Wong Chad
Published: August 2019

The world’s oceans face unprecedented anthropogenic threats in the globalized era that originate from all over the world, including climate change, global trade and transportation, and pollution. Marine protected areas (MPAs) serve important roles in conservation of marine biodiversity and ecosystem resilience, but their success is increasingly challenged in the face of such large-scale threats. Here, we illustrate the utility of adopting the interdisciplinary telecoupling framework to better understand effects that originate from distant places and cross MPA boundaries (e.g., polluted water circulation, anthropogenic noise transport, human and animal migration). We review evidence of distal processes affecting MPAs and the cutting-edge approaches currently used to investigate these processes. We then introduce the umbrella framework of telecoupling and explain how it can help address knowledge gaps that exist due to limitations of past approaches that are centered within individual disciplines. We then synthesize five examples from the recent telecoupling literature to explore how the telecoupling framework can be used for MPA research. These examples include the spatial subsidies approach, adapted social network analysis, telecoupled qualitative analysis, telecoupled supply chain analysis, and decision support tools for telecoupling. Our work highlights the potential for the telecoupling framework to better understand and address the mounting and interconnected socioeconomic and environmental sustainability challenges faced by the growing number of MPAs around the world.
Strengthening of Fibre Reinforced Concrete Elements: Synergy of the Fibres and External Sheet
Authors: Gribniak Viktor , Ng Pui-Lam , Tamulenas Vytautas , Misiūnaitė Ieva , Norkus Arnoldas , Šapalas Antanas
Published: August 2019

In structural rehabilitation and strengthening, the structural members are often required to cope with larger design loading due to the upgrading of building services and design standard, while maintaining the member size to preserve the architectural dimensions and headroom. Moreover, durability enhancement by mitigating or eliminating the reinforcement corrosion problem is often desired. Concrete cracking is a major initiating and accelerating factor of the corrosion of steel reinforcement. The application of fibres is a prominent solution to the cracking problem. Furthermore, the fibres can increase the mechanical resistance of the strengthening systems. This study reveals the synergy effect of the combined application of steel fibres and external carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets. The investigation encompasses the use of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcing bars, discrete steel fibres, externally bonded and mechanically fastened FRP sheets in different combinations. It is discovered that the steel fibres can help to control concrete cracking and eventually alter the failure mode and enhance the flexural resistance. The FRP reinforcement system, together with the steel fibres, radically resolves the structural safety problem caused by corrosion of the steel bar reinforcement. Finally, the impact of the external sheet on the fire limit state performance needs to be resolved, such as by adopting fire protection rendering for the finishes layer.
Grains Production Prospects and Long Run Food Security in Egypt
Authors: Abdelaal Hamdy Sayed Abdou , Thilmany Dawn
Published: August 2019

Egypt’s population growth, scarce resources, and a struggling economy threaten its capacity to achieve food security. Water is of particular interest at this juncture given impending development projects under increasingly uncertain climate conditions. The main objective of this research is to forecast grains production in Egypt under different productivity scenarios, based on annual data from 1980 to 2017, to estimate and forecast cultivated area. Findings suggest that the potential reduction in the Nile flows into Egypt will adversely impact agricultural production, especially during the summer season, reducing cultivated areas and decreasing crop yields. These findings suggest that Egypt’s reliance on imports will continue and grain imports will increase as the population grows and opportunities to reclaim lands remain limited. If food security and concerns about reliance on food imports persist among leaders, future policy options should focus on increasing water-use efficiency and raising productivity of both land and water.
A Study of the Feasibility of International ETS Cooperation between Shanghai and Korea from Environmental Efficiency and CO2 Marginal Abatement Cost Perspectives
Authors: Qi Chao , Choi Yongrok
Published: August 2019

With the worldwide spread of emissions trading schemes (ETSs) and the need for international cooperation on climate change, there is growing interest in linking ETSs. Along with sustainable development, preventing and controlling pollution, is now regarded as an urgent priority by China and Korea. In the context of the willingness of the Chinese and Korean governments to cooperate on ETS, this paper examines the feasibility of a pilot ETS cooperation between Shanghai and Korea from environmental efficiency and CO2 marginal abatement cost (MAC) perspectives. We apply a directional distance function (DDF) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to estimate the environmental efficiency and the CO2 MAC of coal-fueled power plants in Shanghai and Korea using cross-sectional data from 2015. The results indicate that the group frontier environmental efficiency of Shanghai and Korea reached a similarly high score. However, as to meta-frontier environmental efficiency, the coal-fueled power plants in Korea performed better than those in Shanghai. The CO2 MAC results indicate that, despite the small gap in efficiency performance, the CO2 MAC of coal-fueled power plants is much higher than that in Shanghai due to the big feed-in tariff difference. This is because the MAC not only relates to the environmental efficiency, but also to the feed-in tariff. A higher feed-in tariff leads to higher MAC. To tackle this serious problem, which has also been addressed in previous studies, we suggest that policymakers should focus on the huge CO2 MAC differences caused by feed-in tariff differences to avoid equity problems when building the structure of the Shanghai-Korea ETS cooperation. For instance, compared with power plants in Shanghai, policymakers should set a looser cap and a higher offset for Korean plants. To reduce the impact of feed-in tariff on carbon trading in the market, it would also be effective to arrange a higher quota or a lower carbon tax for coal-fueled power plants in Korea. In addition, policymakers should fill the gaps of 85.15% and 67.6% between the realistic market price and the MAC results of coal-fueled power plants in Shanghai and Korea, respectively, by introducing stricter regulations.
Analysis of the Influence of Socio-Economic Factors on Occupational Safety in the Construction Industry
Authors: Hoła Bożena , Nowobilski Tomasz
Published: August 2019

The purpose of the article was to identify the socio-economic factors generated in a construction environment, which affect the number of accidents at a construction site. Moreover, the objective was to construct a mathematical model that correlates selected factors with the number of employees injured in accidents at work at a construction site, and also to estimate the influence of the identified factors on the level of occupational safety. Based on the analysis of the literature, it was stated that there are no studies describing the impact of socio-economic factors on accident rates in construction. The research included 104 factors that characterize the production value, the potential of enterprises, the generic structure of entities, and also employment and its volatility in the construction industry. In order to solve the problem, multiple regression analysis, available in the Statistica software, was applied. The developed mathematical multifactor model reflects empirical values very well, which was confirmed by the values of multiple correlation coefficients, the coefficient of determination, the adjusted coefficient of determination, as well as the mean square error and root mean square error. The construction of the model does not include qualitative factors, e.g., factors that describe the level of safety culture in the society. The developed model was used to determine the number of people injured in accidents at work. The model has certain limitations regarding its applicability. The model was developed for four selected Polish voivodeships that have a similar level of economic development and occupational safety.
A Systemic Approach to City Image Building. The Case of Katowice City
Authors: Adamus-Matuszyńska Anna , Michnik Jerzy , Polok Grzegorz
Published: August 2019

Making long-term decisions and developing successful policy is always a challenge for a governing body. Within the framework of causal mapping, we evolved a model for the problem of creating and reinforcing a city’s image. Then, the model was enhanced into a quantitative form and processed with a novel approach: the extended form of the Weighted Influence Non-linear Gauge System (WINGS). A real-life case study of the city of Katowice showed that the presented approach can be helpful for city authorities. It reinforces the understanding of the problem, facilitates choosing policy options, and supports sustainable city development.
Capital Structure across Italian Regions: The Role of Financial and Economic Differences
Authors: di Pietro Filippo , Bontempi Maria Elena , Palacín-Sánchez María-José , Samaniego-Medina Reyes
Published: August 2019

The objective of this article is to analyse how regional financial and economic differences influence the capital structure decisions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, this paper considers the regional financial and economic differences in four ways: the development of the financial sector in the region, bank market concentration, the financial cost of obtaining funds, and regional economic development. For this purpose, we used unbalanced panel data from 26,504 SMEs across the 20 Italian regions and over the period from 2004 to 2010. This work is completed with an analysis of a no-crisis (2004–2007) and a crisis period (2008–2010). The results show that the regional differences in the degree of financial sector development, banking concentration, and local economic situations have a significant impact on the leverage level of SMEs, while the cost of obtaining funds is only relevant during a period of economic stability. These results suggest that insights can be derived from data disaggregation at the regional level inside the same country. These regional divergences in the capital structure of SMEs could influence regional economic resilience.
Removal of Pb(II) from Acid Mine Drainage with Bentonite-Steel Slag Composite Particles
Authors: Zhan Xinhui , Xiao Liping , Liang Bing
Published: August 2019

Abandoned lead and zinc (Pb-Zn) mines around the world produce large amounts of acid mine drainage (AMD) containing Pb(II), which is toxic and accumulates in the environment and in living organisms. Bentonite-steel slag composite particles (BSC) are a new type of acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment material that can remove heavy metal ions and reduce acidity. To date, there have been no reports on the treatment of Pb(II)-containing AMD using BSC. Therefore, the effects of pH, reaction time, temperature, and Pb(II) concentration on the adsorption of Pb(II) onto BSC were studied. Moreover, the BSC before and after the reaction, as well as the precipitation after the reaction, were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses. The effect of pH on the adsorption process is similar to that of the formation of soluble and insoluble hydrolysates of Pb(II) on pH. The adsorption mechanism includes ion exchange, complexation, precipitation, and synergistic adsorption–coagulation effect. Adsorption kinetics are best-fit with the pseudo-second order kinetics model ( R 2 > 0.98). Furthermore, the total adsorption rate is controlled by liquid film diffusion and in-particle diffusion, the liquid film diffusion rate being higher than the in-particle diffusion rate. The isothermal adsorption of Pb(II) onto BSC fit well with Langmuir and Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) isotherms ( R 2 > 0.995), and both single layer adsorption and local multilayer adsorption were observed. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic, and that the degree of freedom increases with time. In summary, this study provides a theoretical basis for the use of BSC in treating AMD containing Pb(II).
AI-Based Physical and Virtual Platform with 5-Layered Architecture for Sustainable Smart Energy City Development
Authors: Park Sanguk , Lee Sanghoon , Park Sangmin , Park Sehyun
Published: August 2019

To build sustainable smart energy cities (SECs) around the world, many countries are now combining customized services and businesses within their energy infrastructure and urban environments. Such changes could then promote the development of platforms that ultimately provide benefits for citizens such as convenience, safety, and cost savings. Currently, the development of technologies for SECs focuses on independent products and unit technology. However, this is problematic, as it may not be possible to develop sustainable cities if there is a lack of connectivity between various elements within the SEC. To solve such problems, this paper presents an AI-based physical and virtual platform using a 5-layer architecture to develop a sustainable smart energy city (SSEC). The architecture employs both a top-down and bottom-up approach and the links between each energy element in the SSEC can readily be analyzed. The economic analysis based on return on investment (ROI) is carried out by comparing the economic benefits before and after the application of this system. Deploying the proposed platform will enable the speedy development and application of new services for SSECs and will provide SSECs with measures to ensure sustainable development, such as rapid urban development, and cost reductions.
Reducing Edible Oil Import Dependency in Tanzania: A Computable General Equilibrium CGE Approach
Authors: Peter Mgeni Charles , Müller Klaus , Sieber Stefan
Published: August 2019

Reducing food imports and promoting domestically produced food commodities are long-standing goals for policymakers and other stakeholders in sub-Saharan African countries. For instance, Tanzania, after a long period of dependency on imported food commodities, such as sugar and edible oils, intends to meet its demand for these commodities through domestic production by transforming its agriculture sector to achieve this goal. Applying a general computable equilibrium (CGE) model, this study determines the multiplier effects of technological progress that is assumed to foster domestic edible oilseed crop production, other crops, and Tanzania’s economy in general. Findings from the model establish an increase in domestic production not only for the edible oilseed crops but also for other commodities from other sectors of the economy. In addition, there is a decrease in prices on domestically produced commodities sold in the domestic market, and an increase in disposable income is predicted for all rural and urban households, as well as government revenues. Based on model results, we recommend that the Tanzanian government invests in technological progress and interventions that increase production in sectors such as agriculture, where it has a comparative advantage. Interventions that increase smallholder farmer’s production, such as the use of improved seed and other modern technologies that reduce costs of production, are critical for reducing food imports and improving food security.
Universal Basic Income and Inclusive Capitalism: Consequences for Sustainability
Authors: Hall Ralph P. , Ashford Robert , Ashford Nicholas A. , Arango-Quiroga Johan
Published: August 2019

Over the past forty years, income growth for the middle and lower classes has stagnated, while the economy (and with it, economic inequality) has grown significantly. Early automation, the decline of labor unions, changes in corporate taxation, the financialization and globalization of the economy, deindustrialization in the U.S. and many OECD countries, and trade have contributed to these trends. However, the transformative roles of more recent automation and digital technologies/artificial intelligence (AI) are now considered by many as additional and potentially more potent forces undermining the ability of workers to maintain their foothold in the economy. These drivers of change are intensifying the extent to which advancing technology imbedded in increasingly productive real capital is driving productivity. To compound the problem, many solutions presented by industrialized nations to environmental problems rely on hyper-efficient technologies, which if fully implemented, could further advance the displacement of well-paid job opportunities for many. While there are numerous ways to address economic inequality, there is growing interest in using some form of universal basic income (UBI) to enhance income and provide economic stability. However, these approaches rarely consider the potential environmental impact from the likely increase in aggregate demand for goods and services or consider ways to focus this demand on more sustainable forms of consumption. Based on the premise that the problems of income distribution and environmental sustainability must be addressed in an integrated and holistic way, this paper considers how a range of approaches to financing a UBI system, and a complementary market solution based on an ownership-broadening approach to inclusive capitalism, might advance or undermine strategies to improve environmental sustainability.
A New Framework for the Regeneration Process of Mediterranean Historic City Centres
Authors: Tanrıkul Ali , Hoşkara Şebnem
Published: August 2019

For thousands of years, cities have evolved with changing needs. Cities are like living organisms, which are exposed to transformations as a result of changing needs and requirements. City centres are one of the attractive, essential, and vital parts of the city that are also affected by these changes. Specifically, historic city centres, which refer to the origins of the city, will be discussed within this context. Urban design aims to shape our cities with better quality and provide better places for everyday life. In addition, urban regeneration can be utilized as generic public policy for solving problems and providing physical improvements for these cities. Although the problems that emerge in each city are similar, sometimes they change circumstantially. As a result, the planning, implementation, and management of urban regeneration projects as well as their sustainability can produce serious complications. This article focuses on the process of urban regeneration, historic city centres, and the Mediterranean region and aims to develop an applicable regeneration framework for historic city centres limited to the Mediterranean region. First, the main problems of these cities are described. Next, characteristics of historic city centres and associated problems of the Mediterranean region are explained. Subsequently, the concept of urban regeneration is clarified, and the processes involved are discussed. Finally, an applicable urban regeneration framework for historic Mediterranean city centres, developed by the authors, is explained with the goal to reduce social segregation while incorporating the contributions of views from both local inhabitants and stakeholders in the process. The methodology of the overall research presented in this article is mainly based on a critical review of primary and secondary documents from the literature through a comparative and exploratory approach.
“We Are Prisoners in Our Own Homes”: Connecting the Environment, Gender-Based Violence and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights to Sport for Development and Peace in Nicaragua
Authors: Hayhurst Lyndsay M. C. , del Socorro Cruz Centeno Lidieth
Published: August 2019

This paper draws on postcolonial feminist political ecology theory, feminist theories of violence and new materialist approaches to sport and physical cultural studies—combined with literature on the role of non-humans in international development—to unpack the connections between gender-based violence and the environment in sport, gender and development (SGD) programming in Nicaragua. To do this, postcolonial feminist participatory action research (PFPAR), including visual research methods such as photovoice, was used to better understand, and prioritize, young Nicaraguan women’s experiences of the environment and gender-based violence as they participated in an SGD program used to promote environmentalism and improve their sexual and reproductive health rights. To conclude, the importance of accounting for the broader physical environment in social and political forces was underlined as it shapes the lives of those on the receiving end of SGD interventions.
Assessment of Sustainable Construction Measures in Building Refurbishment—Life Cycle Comparison of Conventional and Multi-Active Façade Systems in a Social Housing Complex
Authors: Sattler Stefan , Österreicher Doris
Published: August 2019

Building refurbishment plays a key role in the de-carbonization of the European building stock. Whilst the renewal of the thermal envelope increases energy efficiency during the operational phase, the type of material is highly relevant for the overall environmental impact of the refurbishment. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is most widely used for external thermal insulation systems but is also a material based on fossil resources. Thus, alternatives made from renewable raw materials must be more widely used in order to reach the climate goals. However, comparable data on long-term material effects over the life cycle are needed for developers and planners to make informed decisions. In a Viennese case study for the largest social housing property manager in Europe, two different façade systems have been analyzed to assess the overall environmental impact of the materials. In a comprehensive life cycle assessment, a Multi-Active Façade system based on recycled paper has been compared with a conventional external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) using EPS. It shows that whilst the evaluation during the operational phase alone results in a similar ecological footprint of the ETICS, the analysis over the whole life cycle provides a clear positive indication for the novel Multi-Active Façade.
An Optimum Irrigation Schedule with Aeration for Greenhouse Tomato Cultivations Based on Entropy Evaluation Method
Authors: Chen Hui , Shang Zi-Hui , Cai Huan-Jie , Zhu Yan
Published: August 2019

To balance multiple objectives of high yield by farmers, high quality by customers, and high irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) for sustainable development of agriculture, a two-growing-season study was performed to test the effect of aeration at three irrigation levels (60%, 80%, and 100% of full irrigation) on crop growth, nutrient uptake, yield, IWUE, and fruit quality of tomato. The results showed that compared to the control, aeration significantly increased total dry weight at harvest, total N and K accumulation, which increased tomato yield by 23% and IWUE by 23% (p < 0.05). Yield and IWUE were significantly affected by irrigation with the increasing rate of 20.5% and 14.3% for yield, and with the decreasing rate of 27.7% and 8.6% for IWUE under 100% of full irrigation than that under 60% and 80% of full irrigation, respectively. Aeration positively impacted fruit quality while irrigation had a negative impact (p > 0.05). Based on these indicators, full irrigation with aeration could be an appropriate schedule for greenhouse tomato cultivations by the entropy evaluation method with the comprehensive score of 0.879 and 0.77 for the spring-summer and autumn-winter season, respectively. The result is of great significance to the farmers’ or researchers’ management of aerated irrigation in greenhouse tomatoes.
The Hydrosocial Cycle in Coastal Tourist Destinations in Alicante, Spain: Increasing Resilience to Drought
Authors: Baños Carlos , Hernández María , Rico Antonio , Olcina Jorge
Published: August 2019

Tourism, and particularly residential tourism, has led to a change in the urban and demographic model of towns along the European Mediterranean coastline. Water as a resource limited and limiting for the growth of tourism is a popular topic in the scientific literature. However, the incorporation of non-conventional resources (desalination) has meant, in theory, that this limitation has been overcome. The aims of this paper are: (a) to identify the different tourism models existing in coastal towns in Alicante province and characterize them according to their water consumption from 2002–2017; and (b) analyse the hydrosocial cycle, highlighting the measures aimed at satisfying water demand and identifying the limitations related to these hydrosocial systems. To this end, different types of information have been processed, and various basic indicators have been analysed. The results revealed the increase in the resilience of this region to natural aridity and drought events. This was possible because the demand management and the use of desalinated water. However, this has generated other problems associated (energetics, environmental) due to maintenance of a non-sustainable territorial model based on an accelerated real estate development.
Geodesic Chord Property and Hypersurfaces of Space Forms
Authors: Kim Dong-Soo , Kim Young Ho , Yoon Dae Won
Published: August 2019

In the Euclidean space E n , hyperplanes, hyperspheres and hypercylinders are the only isoparametric hypersurfaces. These hypersurfaces are also the only ones with chord property, that is, the chord connecting two points on them meets the hypersurfaces at the same angle at the two points. In this paper, we investigate hypersurfaces in nonflat space forms with the so-called geodesic chord property and classify such hypersurfaces completely.
A New Strategy for Improving the Tracking Performance of Magnetic Levitation System in Maglev Train
Authors: Zhai Mingda , Long Zhiqiang , Li Xiaolong
Published: August 2019

The maglev train is a whole new method of transportation without wheels, consisting of 20 groups of symmetry suspension units. The magnetic levitation system plays a major role in suspending the maglev train stably and following the track quickly with the desired gap. However, vertical track irregularity in the maglev train line has a dreadful effect on the tracking performance of the magnetic levitation system. The investigations carried out by our team have revealed that the fluctuation of the suspension gap becomes more and more serious with increases in running speed. In this paper, a mathematical model with consideration of vertical track irregularity is established. In order to overcome and suppress the fluctuation of the suspension gap, we propose a new strategy which includes installing an accelerometer on the electromagnet to address this problem. This strategy has already been successfully implemented and applied to the suspension controller for a magnetic levitation system in the Changsha maglev express. Real operation data indicates the tracking performance of the magnetic levitation system was obviously improved.
An Efficient Class of Weighted-Newton Multiple Root Solvers with Seventh Order Convergence
Authors: Sharma Janak Raj , Kumar Deepak , Cattani Carlo
Published: August 2019

In this work, we construct a family of seventh order iterative methods for finding multiple roots of a nonlinear function. The scheme consists of three steps, of which the first is Newton’s step and last two are the weighted-Newton steps. Hence, the name of the scheme is ‘weighted-Newton methods’. Theoretical results are studied exhaustively along with the main theorem describing convergence analysis. Stability and convergence domain of the proposed class are also demonstrated by means of using a graphical technique, namely, basins of attraction. Boundaries of these basins are fractal like shapes through which basins are symmetric. Efficacy is demonstrated through numerical experimentation on variety of different functions that illustrates good convergence behavior. Moreover, the theoretical result concerning computational efficiency is verified by computing the elapsed CPU time. The overall comparison of numerical results including accuracy and CPU-time shows that the new methods are strong competitors for the existing methods.
Generalization of Maximizing Deviation and TOPSIS Method for MADM in Simplified Neutrosophic Hesitant Fuzzy Environment
Authors: Akram Muhammad , Naz Sumera , Smarandache Florentin
Published: August 2019

With the development of the social economy and enlarged volume of information, the application of multiple-attribute decision-making (MADM) has become increasingly complex, uncertain, and obscure. As a further generalization of hesitant fuzzy set (HFS), simplified neutrosophic hesitant fuzzy set (SNHFS) is an efficient tool to process the vague information and contains the ideas of a single-valued neutrosophic hesitant fuzzy set (SVNHFS) and an interval neutrosophic hesitant fuzzy set (INHFS). In this paper, we propose a decision-making approach based on the maximizing deviation method and TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) to solve the MADM problems, in which the attribute weight information is incomplete, and the decision information is expressed in simplified neutrosophic hesitant fuzzy elements. Firstly, we inaugurate an optimization model on the basis of maximizing deviation method, which is useful to determine the attribute weights. Secondly, using the idea of the TOPSIS, we determine the relative closeness coefficient of each alternative and based on which we rank the considered alternatives to select the optimal one(s). Finally, we use a numerical example to show the detailed implementation procedure and effectiveness of our method in solving MADM problems under simplified neutrosophic hesitant fuzzy environment.