bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Crop Canopy Localization Method Based on Ultrasonic Ranging and Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis Technique Algorithm
Authors: Li Fang , Bai Xiaohu , Li Yongkui
Published: February 2020

To protect crops from diseases and increase yields, chemical agents are applied by boom sprayers. To achieve the optimal effect, the boom and the crop canopy should be kept at an appropriate distance. So, it is crucial to be able to distinguish the crop canopy from other plant leaves. Based on ultrasonic ranging, this paper adopts the fuzzy iterative self-organizing data analysis technique algorithm to identify the canopy location. According to the structural characteristics of the crop canopy, based on fuzzy clustering, the algorithm can dynamically adjust the number and center of clusters so as to get the optimal results. Therefore, the distances from the sensor to the canopy or the ground can be accurately acquired, and the influence of lower leaves on the measurement results can be alleviated. Potted corn plants from the 3-leaf stage to the 6-leaf stage were tested on an experiment bench. The results showed that the calculated distances from the sensor to the canopy using this method had good correlation with the manually measured distances. The maximum error of calculated values appeared at the 3-leaf stage. With the growth of plants, the error of calculated values decreased. The increased sensor moving speeds led to increased error due to the reduced data points. From the 3-leaf stage to the 5-leaf stage, the distances from the sensor to the ground can also be obtained at the same time. The method proposed in this paper provides a practical resolution to localize the canopy for adjusting the height of sprayer boom.
Routing Protocol for Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks Based on a Modified Grey Wolf Optimizer
Authors: Zhao Xiaoqiang , Ren Shaoya , Quan Heng , Gao Qiang
Published: February 2020

Wireless sensor network (WSN) nodes are devices with limited power, and rational utilization of node energy and prolonging the network lifetime are the main objectives of the WSN’s routing protocol. However, irrational considerations of heterogeneity of node energy will lead to an energy imbalance between nodes in heterogeneous WSNs (HWSNs). Therefore, in this paper, a routing protocol for HWSNs based on the modified grey wolf optimizer (HMGWO) is proposed. First, the protocol selects the appropriate initial clusters by defining different fitness functions for heterogeneous energy nodes; the nodes’ fitness values are then calculated and treated as initial weights in the GWO. At the same time, the weights are dynamically updated according to the distance between the wolves and their prey and coefficient vectors to improve the GWO’s optimization ability and ensure the selection of the optimal cluster heads (CHs). The experimental results indicate that the network lifecycle of the HMGWO protocol improves by 55.7%, 31.9%, 46.3%, and 27.0%, respectively, compared with the stable election protocol (SEP), distributed energy-efficient clustering algorithm (DEEC), modified SEP (M-SEP), and fitness-value-based improved GWO (FIGWO) protocols. In terms of the power consumption and network throughput, the HMGWO is also superior to other protocols.
A Real-Time Fault Early Warning Method for a High-Speed EMU Axle Box Bearing
Authors: Liu Lei , Song Dongli , Geng Zilin , Zheng Zejun
Published: February 2020

An axle box bearing is one of the most important components of high-speed EMUs (electric multiple units), which runs at a very fast speed, suffers a heavy load, and operates under various complex working conditions. Once a bearing fault occurs, it not only has an enormous impact on the railway system, but also poses a threat to personal safety. Therefore, there is significant value in studying a real-time fault early warning of a high-speed EMU axle box bearing. However, to our best knowledge, there are three obvious defects in the existing fault early warning methods used for high-speed EMU axle box bearings: (1) these methods based on vibration are extremely mature, but there are no vibration sensors installed in high-speed EMU axle box because it will greatly increase the manufacturing cost; (2) a TADS (trackside acoustic device system) can effectively detect early failures, but only a portion of railways are equipped with such a facility; and (3) an EMU-ODS (electric multiple unit onboard detection system) has reported numerous untimely warnings, along with warnings of frequent occurrence being missed. Whereupon, a method is proposed to realize the fault early warning of an axle box bearing without installing a vibration sensor on the high-speed EMU in service, namely a MLSTM-iForest (multilayer long short-term memory–isolation forest). First, the time-series data of the temperature-related variables of the axle box bearing is used as the input of MLSTM to predict the axle box bearing temperature in the future. Then, the deviation index of the predicted axle box bearing temperature is calculated. Finally, the deviation index is input into an iForest algorithm for unsupervised classification to realize the fault early warning of an axle box bearing. Experimental results on high-speed EMU operation data sets demonstrated the availability and feasibility of the presented method toward achieving early fault warnings of a high-speed EMU axle box bearing.
A Model-Driven Method for Pylon Reconstruction from Oblique UAV Images
Authors: Huang Wei , Jiang San , Jiang Wanshou
Published: February 2020

Pylons play an important role in the safe operation of power transmission grids. Directly reconstructing pylons from UAV images is still a great challenge due to problems of weak texture, hollow-carved structure, and self-occlusion. This paper presents an automatic model-driven method for pylon reconstruction from oblique UAV images. The pylons are reconstructed with the aid of the 3D parametric model library, which is represented by connected key points based on symmetry and coplanarity. First, an efficient pylon detection method is applied to detect the pylons in the proposed region, which are obtained by clustering the line segment intersection points. Second, the pylon model library is designed to assist in pylon reconstruction. In the predefined pylon model library, a pylon is divided into two parts: pylon body and pylon head. Before pylon reconstruction, the pylon type is identified by the inner distance shape context (IDSC) algorithm, which matches the shape contours of pylon extracted from UAV images and the projected pylon model. With the a priori shape and coplanar constraint, the line segments on pylon body are matched and the pylon body is modeled by fitting four principle legs and four side planes. Then a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampler is used to estimate the parameters of the pylon head by computing the maximum probability between the projected model and the extracted line segments in images. Experimental results on several UAV image datasets show that the proposed method is a feasible way of automatically reconstructing the pylon.
Zero-Shot Human Activity Recognition Using Non-Visual Sensors
Authors: Al Machot Fadi , R. Elkobaisi Mohammed , Kyamakya Kyandoghere
Published: February 2020

Due to significant advances in sensor technology, studies towards activity recognition have gained interest and maturity in the last few years. Existing machine learning algorithms have demonstrated promising results by classifying activities whose instances have been already seen during training. Activity recognition methods based on real-life settings should cover a growing number of activities in various domains, whereby a significant part of instances will not be present in the training data set. However, to cover all possible activities in advance is a complex and expensive task. Concretely, we need a method that can extend the learning model to detect unseen activities without prior knowledge regarding sensor readings about those previously unseen activities. In this paper, we introduce an approach to leverage sensor data in discovering new unseen activities which were not present in the training set. We show that sensor readings can lead to promising results for zero-shot learning, whereby the necessary knowledge can be transferred from seen to unseen activities by using semantic similarity. The evaluation conducted on two data sets extracted from the well-known CASAS datasets show that the proposed zero-shot learning approach achieves a high performance in recognizing unseen (i.e., not present in the training dataset) new activities.
Agreement between Inertia and Optical Based Motion Capture during the VU-Return-to-Play- Field-Test
Authors: Richter Chris , Daniels Katherine A. J. , King Enda , Franklyn-Miller Andrew
Published: February 2020

The validity of an inertial sensor-based motion capture system (IMC) has not been examined within the demands of a sports-specific field movement test. This study examined the validity of an IMC during a field test (VU®) by comparing it to an optical marker-based motion capture system (MMC). Expected accuracy and precision benchmarks were computed by comparing the outcomes of a linear and functional joint fitting model within the MMC. The kinematics from the IMC in sagittal plane demonstrated correlations (r2) between 0.76 and 0.98 with root mean square differences (RMSD) < 5°, only the knee bias was within the benchmark. In the frontal plane, r2 ranged between 0.13 and 0.80 with RMSD < 10°, while the knee and hip bias was within the benchmark. For the transversal plane, r2 ranged 0.11 to 0.93 with RMSD < 7°, while the ankle, knee and hip bias remained within the benchmark. The findings indicate that ankle kinematics are not interchangeable with MMC, that hip flexion and pelvis tilt higher in IMC than MMC, while other measures are comparable to MMC. Higher pelvis tilt/hip flexion in the IMC can be explained by a one sensor tilt estimation, while ankle kinematics demonstrated a considerable level of disagreement, which is likely due to four reasons: A one sensor estimation, sensor/marker attachment, movement artefacts of shoe sole and the ankle model used.
Accuracy of Trajectory Tracking Based on Nonlinear Guidance Logic for Hydrographic Unmanned Surface Vessels
Authors: Stateczny Andrzej , Burdziakowski Pawel , Najdecka Klaudia , Domagalska-Stateczna Beata
Published: February 2020

A new trend in recent years for hydrographic measurement in water bodies is the use of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). In the process of navigation by USVs, it is particularly important to control position precisely on the measuring profile. Precise navigation with respect to the measuring profile avoids registration of redundant data and thus saves time and survey costs. This article addresses the issue of precise navigation of the hydrographic unit on the measuring profile with the use of a nonlinear adaptive autopilot. The results of experiments concerning hydrographic measurements performed in real conditions using an USV are discussed.
DYSKIMOT: An Ultra-Low-Cost Inertial Sensor to Assess Head’s Rotational Kinematics in Adults during the Didren-Laser Test
Authors: Hage Renaud , Detrembleur Christine , Dierick Frédéric , Pitance Laurent , Jojczyk Laurent , Estievenart Wesley , Buisseret Fabien
Published: February 2020

Various noninvasive measurement devices can be used to assess cervical motion. The size, complexity, and cost of gold-standard systems make them not suited to clinical practice, and actually difficult to use outside a dedicated laboratory. Nowadays, ultra-low-cost inertial measurement units are available, but without any packaging or a user-friendly interface. The so-called DYSKIMOT is a home-designed, small-sized, motion sensor based on the latter technology, aiming at being used by clinicians in “real-life situations”. DYSKIMOT was compared with a gold-standard optoelectronic system (Elite). Our goal was to evaluate the DYSKIMOT accuracy in assessing fast head rotations kinematics. Kinematics was simultaneously recorded by systems during the execution of the DidRen Laser test and performed by 15 participants and nine patients. Kinematic variables were computed from the position, speed and acceleration time series. Two-way ANOVA, Passing–Bablok regressions, and dynamic time warping analysis showed good to excellent agreement between Elite and DYSKIMOT, both at the qualitative level of the time series shape and at the quantitative level of peculiar kinematical events’ measured values. In conclusion, DYSKIMOT sensor is as relevant as a gold-standard system to assess kinematical features during fast head rotations in participants and patients, demonstrating its usefulness in both clinical practice and research environments.
3DOF Ultrasonic Motor with Two Piezoelectric Rings
Authors: Jūrėnas Vytautas , Kazokaitis Gražvydas , Mažeika Dalius
Published: February 2020

A novel design of a multiple degrees of freedom (multi-DOF) piezoelectric ultrasonic motor (USM) is presented in the paper. The main idea of the motor design is to combine the magnetic sphere type rotor and two oppositely placed ring-shaped piezoelectric actuators into one mechanism. Such a structure increases impact force and allows rotation of the sphere with higher torque. The main purpose of USM development was to design a motor for attitude control systems used in small satellites. A permanent magnetic sphere with a magnetic dipole is used for orientation and positioning when the sphere is rotated to the desired position and the magnetic field synchronizes with the Earth’s magnetic dipole. Also, the proposed motor can be installed and used for robotic systems, laser beam manipulation, etc. The system has a minimal number of components, small weight, and high reliability. Numerical simulation and experimental studies were used to verify the operating principles of the USM. Numerical simulation of a piezoelectric actuator was used to perform modal frequency and harmonic response analysis. Experimental studies were performed to measure both mechanical and electrical characteristics of the piezoelectric motor.
Hydrogen Sensing Performance of ZnO Schottky Diodes in Humid Ambient Conditions with PMMA Membrane Layer
Authors: Jang Soohwan , Jung Sunwoo , Baik Kwang Hyeon
Published: February 2020

Enhanced hydrogen sensing performance of Pt Schottky diodes on ZnO single crystal wafers in humid ambient conditions is reported using a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membrane layer. ZnO diode sensors showed little change in forward current when switching to wet ambient H2 conditions with 100% relative humidity. This sensitivity drop in the presence of water vapor can be attributed to surface coverage of hydroxyl groups on the Pt surface in humid ambient conditions. The hydrogen sensitivity of PMMA-coated diode sensors recovered up to 805% in wet H2 ambient conditions at room temperature. The PMMA layer can selectively filter water vapor and allow H2 molecules to pass through the membrane layer. It is clear that the PMMA layer can effectively serve as a moisture barrier because of low water vapor permeability and its hydrophobicity. In both dry and wet conditions, ZnO diodes exhibited relatively fast and stable on/off switching in each cycle with good repeatability.
Label-Free Detection of Zeptomol miRNA via Peptide Nucleic Acid Hybridization Using Novel Cyclic Voltammetry Method
Authors: Takase Shintaro , Miyagawa Kouta , Ikeda Hisafumi
Published: February 2020

To harness the applicability of microribonucleic acid (miRNA) as a cancer biomarker, the detection sensitivity of serum miRNA needs to be improved. This study evaluated the detection sensitivity of miRNA hybridization using cyclic voltammograms (CVs) and microelectrode array chips modified with peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes and 6-hydroxy-1-hexanethiol. We investigated the PNA probe modification pattern on array chips using fluorescently labeled cDNA. The pattern was not uniformly spread over the working electrode (WE) and had a one-dimensional swirl-like pattern. Accordingly, we established a new ion-channel sensor model wherein the WE is negatively biased through the conductive π–π stacks of the PNA/DNA duplexes. This paper discusses the mechanism underlying the voltage shift in the CV curves based on the electric double-layer capacitance. Additionally, the novel hybridization evaluation parameter ΔE is introduced. Compared to conventional evaluation using oxidation current changes, ΔE was more sensitive. Using ΔE and a new hybridization system for ultrasmall amounts of aqueous solutions (as low as 35 pL), 140 zeptomol label-free miRNA were detected without polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification at an adequate sensitivity. Herein, the differences in the target molar amount and molar concentration are elucidated from the viewpoint of hybridization sensitivity.
Experimental Validation of Microwave Tomography with the DBIM-TwIST Algorithm for Brain Stroke Detection and Classification
Authors: Karadima Olympia , Rahman Mohammed , Sotiriou Ioannis , Ghavami Navid , Lu Pan , Ahsan Syed , Kosmas Panagiotis
Published: February 2020

We present an initial experimental validation of a microwave tomography (MWT) prototype for brain stroke detection and classification using the distorted Born iterative method, two-step iterative shrinkage thresholding (DBIM-TwIST) algorithm. The validation study consists of first preparing and characterizing gel phantoms which mimic the structure and the dielectric properties of a simplified brain model with a haemorrhagic or ischemic stroke target. Then, we measure the S-parameters of the phantoms in our experimental prototype and process the scattered signals from 0.5 to 2.5 GHz using the DBIM-TwIST algorithm to estimate the dielectric properties of the reconstruction domain. Our results demonstrate that we are able to detect the stroke target in scenarios where the initial guess of the inverse problem is only an approximation of the true experimental phantom. Moreover, the prototype can differentiate between haemorrhagic and ischemic strokes based on the estimation of their dielectric properties.
Printed Smart Devices on Cellulose-Based Materials by means of Aerosol-Jet Printing and Photonic Curing
Authors: Serpelloni Mauro , Cantù Edoardo , Borghetti Michela , Sardini Emilio
Published: February 2020

Printed electronics is an expanding research field that can reach the goal of reducing the environmental impact on electronics exploiting renewable and biodegradable materials, like paper. In our work, we designed and tested a new method for fabricating hybrid smart devices on cellulose substrates by aerosol jet printing (AJP) and photonic curing, also known as flash lamp annealing (FLA), capable to cure low temperature materials without any damage. Three different cellulose-based materials (chromatographic paper, photopaper, cardboard) were tested. Multilayer capability and SMDs (surface mount devices) interconnections are possible permitting high flexibility in the fabrication process. Electrical and geometrical tests were performed to analyze the behavior of printed samples. Resulted resistivities are 26.3 × 10−8 Ω⋅m on chromatographic paper, 22.3 × 10−8 Ω⋅m on photopaper and 13.1 × 10−8 Ω⋅m on cardboard. Profilometer and optical microscope evaluations were performed to state deposition quality and penetration of the ink in cellulose materials (thicknesses equal to 24.9, 28.5, and 51 μm respectively for chromatographic paper, photopaper, and cardboard). Furthermore, bending (only chromatographic paper did not reach the break-up) and damp environment tests (no significant variations in resistance) where performed. A final prototype of a complete functioning multilayer smart devices on cellulose 3D-substrate is shown, characterized by multilayers, capacitive sensors, SMDs interconnections.
Academic Causes of School Failure in Secondary Education in Spain: The Voice of the Protagonists
Authors: Martínez-Valdivia Estefanía , Burgos-Garcia Antonio
Published: February 2020

School failure is, at the international level, a problem that affects, most educational systems. In Spain, it is currently a current problem that remains unresolved. Therefore, our research aims to discover and analyze situations of school failure experienced by different agents with long experience in order to understand them and find out the possible responsibility of the school itself and the teacher. The methodology used in this research is qualitative in its focus on the phenomenological approach. The sample is constituted by the following: (a) active teachers; (b) retired teachers; (c) students who live school failure and (d) subjects integrated into the working world who experienced situations of school failure. The instrument used to collect information was the semi-structured interview and the focus groups, supported by a script designed and submitted to expert judgment. The results have been obtained from “content analysis” using the Nvivo11 Plus program. A wide overview of the main academic causes, incidents from the school and the classrooms that are involved in school failure is presented. Among the most relevant conclusions is that the school, with certain actions and in an indirect way, can lead to the construction of school failure.
The 3R Principles for Applying Biochar to Improve Soil Health
Authors: Guo Mingxin
Published: February 2020

Amending soil with biochar is a promising approach to persistently improve soil health and promote crop growth. The efficacy of soil biochar amendment, however, is soil specific, biochar dependent, and influenced by the biochar application programs. To maximize the benefits of biochar application, this paper proposes the 3R principles for applying biochar to soils: right biochar source, right application rate, and right placement in soil. The quality of biochar as a soil amendment varies significantly with the feedstock and the production conditions. Biochar products capable of everlastingly sustaining soil health are those with high stable organic carbon (OC) content and high water- and nutrient-holding capacities that are manufactured from uncontaminated biomass materials. Acidic, coarse-textured, highly leached soils respond remarkably more to biochar amendment than other types of soils. Soil amendment with particular biochars at as low as 0.1 mass% (equivalent to 2 Mg ha−1) may enhance the seasonal crop productivity. To achieve the evident, long-term soil health improvement effects, wood- and crop residue-derived biochars should be applied to soil at one time or cumulatively 2–5 mass% and manure-derived biochars at 1–3 mass% soil. Optimal amendment rates of particular biochar soil systems should be prescreened to ensure the pH of newly treated soils is less than 7.5 and the electrical conductivity (EC) below 2.7 dS m−1 (in 1:1 soil/water slurry). To maximize the soil health benefits while minimizing the erosion risk, biochar amendment should be implemented through broadcasting granular biochar in moistened conditions or in compost mixtures to cropland under low-wind weather followed by thorough and uniform incorporation into the 0–15 cm soil layer. Biochars are generally low in plant macronutrients and cannot serve as a major nutrient source (especially N) to plants. Combined chemical fertilization is necessary to realize the synergic beneficial effects of biochar amendment.
Unlocking the Linear Lock-In: Mapping Research on Barriers to Transition
Authors: Sopjani Liridona , Arekrans Johan , Laurenti Rafael , Ritzén Sofia
Published: February 2020

The linear paradigm of take-make-dispose in production and consumption patterns impedes the achievement of global sustainability goals. Strategies for maintaining the added value of resources and circulating them have been discussed as promising for the future. There are, however, many barriers to be addressed to overcome the linear lock-in. The large body of literature on these barriers is notably diverse in terms of theory, methods, sectors, products, and settings. This demonstrates the complexity of delineating implications to the practice and research needs. Without a common framework to analyse barriers, knowledge does not accumulate, hindering the development and implementation of solutions and policies that could effectively address the barriers. In this article, we developed a systematic map of studies on barriers related to the circular transition. The purpose was twofold: (1) to classify published research on barriers; (2) to provide a searchable database for future more rigorous systematic literature reviews. We reviewed the abstract of 527 publications and classified the study according to a developed scheme. This classification scheme includes the research paradigms (circular economy, sharing economy, collaborative consumption and product-service systems), circular strategy (recycling, remanufacturing, component/product reuse, and access-based consumption), country, sector/industry/product, and research approach and method. The resulting research map is open source, serving also as an adaptive digital database for researchers alike to perform systematic reviews and contribute further to its collaborative development.
An Inverted-U Impact of Environmental Regulations on Carbon Emissions in China’s Iron and Steel Industry: Mechanisms of Synergy and Innovation Effects
Authors: Chen Ya , Fan Xiaoli , Zhou Qian
Published: February 2020

Based on a panel data of China’s iron and steel (IS) industry from 2000 to 2014, this paper explores the impact of environmental regulations on CO2 emissions in the industry. The results show that there is a clear inverted-U relationship between environmental regulations and CO2 emissions in the IS industry. Additionally, there are regional heterogeneity and regulatory intensity on the impact of environmental regulations on CO2 emissions. The results in the eastern region are consistent with the whole sample results, while the upward trend in the central region and the downward trend in the western region together lay the basis for the inverted-U shape of the whole sample. High environmental regulations affect CO2 emissions in an inverted-U shape, while low environmental regulations present a U shape. The mechanisms of environmental regulations affecting CO2 emissions are synergy effect and technological innovation effect. Finally, this paper proposes some policy recommendations according to the above findings.
Tolerance Management in Construction: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Talebi Saeed , Koskela Lauri , Tzortzopoulos Patricia , Kagioglou Michail
Published: February 2020

Defects associated with dimensional and geometric tolerance variability (tolerance problems) are often dealt with during the construction phase of projects. Despite the potentially severe consequences of those defects, tolerance management (TM) is a perennial challenge, and the construction industry lacks a systematic and practical process to provide insight into avoiding the reoccurrence of tolerance problems. The aim of this research is to present a conceptual framework to proactively reduce the reoccurrence of tolerance problems at stages preceding on site construction. The research uses an exploratory case study approach exploring TM in a civil engineering consultancy. Evidence was collated from semi-structured interviews and document analysis, and validated in a group interview. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The study contributes to knowledge in engineering management by providing new insights into drawbacks of existing TM guidelines. It also describes a good practice application of TM by a civil engineering consultancy, and proposes a conceptual framework to improve TM, which provides a basis to develop more effective practical solutions for TM.
A Pattern of Collaborative Networking for Enhancing Sustainability of Smart Cities
Authors: Rădulescu Corina M. , Slava Svitlana , Rădulescu Adrian T. , Toader Rita , Toader Diana-Cezara , Boca Grațiela Dana
Published: February 2020

This paper represents a research response to the current vision on transformations regarding the capacity building of smart cities focused towards sustainability, by addressing the knowledge based urban development and collaborative tools that support the development, dissemination, and use of knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to develop a collaborative pattern of knowledge networking, focusing on sustainability goals within a smart city concept, using the logic of the Complex Adaptive System (CAS). The study was carried out in an innovation cluster in Romania; the Social Network Analysis (SNA) was used as a tool to perform the study. The results of this analysis, due to the suggested networking, have led to delimitation of the roles that Groups of Competences play to enhance the sustainability of smart cities in areas where the use of knowledge has the greatest impact. Results show that the success of the smart solutions’ implementation depends on how the social and competence structures of the network are shaped and whether it permanently adapts to fit the sustainability objectives in the considered areas.
Fortresses as Specific Areas of Urban Greenery Defining the Uniqueness of the Urban Cultural Landscape: Warsaw Fortress—A Case Study
Authors: Zaraś-Januszkiewicz Ewa , Botwina Jakub , Żarska Barbara , Swoczyna Tatiana , Krupa Tomasz
Published: February 2020

The term “fortress landscape” is a holistic one which involves coverage and terrain adapted for defensive purposes. The specificity of the historical heritage of the Polish cultural landscape is expressed in a great number of such objects, some of which have been absorbed by its cities. A case in point is the Warsaw Fortress. A significant part of its fortification has survived to this day. Due to its spatial structure, manner of use and condition, the Fortress constitutes a valuable element of Warsaw’s natural system. At the same time, it should be noted that this element is important due to being a tourist attraction and is an example of qualified military tourism. Military tourism is one of the most popular types of modern tourism. Its elements are frequently integrated into the urban green area system. Moreover, due to its specific spatial structure, the Fortress provides a unique element enriching the cultural landscape of the city. In this paper, a historical background of the Warsaw Fortress is analyzed with a special emphasis on its cultural value and public perception. The methods used in the study include a cultural value assessment, the WNET method, a survey questionnaire and both PCA and PCC statistical methods. The analysis showed that the landscape value of the Fortress received 70% of the maximum possible rating in the conducted survey. What is more, the Warsaw Fortress was also evaluated using all the assessment criteria. The study shows that the entry of the fortress elements into the city’s natural system is perceived as being valuable, although it often lacks a specific program. Consequently, the Warsaw Fortress should be subject to landscape protection with a view towards revitalization, along with introducing a recreational program.
Impact of Residential Building Layouts on Microclimate in a High Temperature and High Humidity Region
Authors: Jiang Yingjie , Wu Changguang , Teng Mingjun
Published: February 2020

Microclimatic condition is a fundamental indicator for evaluating outdoor space livability and vitality. Research has shown that poorly designed building layouts can lead to discomfort; however, the mechanisms influencing outdoor microclimate based on residential building layout are unclear for high temperature and high humidity regions. This study explores the relationship between residential building layouts and the outdoor wind and thermal environment at the pedestrian level in Wuhan, a city renowned for high temperatures and high humidity. Six typical residential building layouts were simulated, using the ENVI-met numerical model, to determine the spatial distribution of wind speed and air temperature. The Universal Thermal Climate Index was adopted as a comprehensive index with which to assess spatial and diurnal variations in microclimates surrounding each building layout. Results showed that parallel building layouts formed a ventilation corridor that increased wind speeds by approximately 0.3 m/s. A staggered building layout, in line with the prevailing wind direction, facilitated airflow in the ventilation corridor and further increased wind speeds. Windward buildings blocked high-temperature airflows and reduced air temperatures by approximately 1 ℃ in parallel layouts, and 1.4 ℃ in enclosed layouts. However, the cooling effect of windward buildings on high-temperature airflow was weaker than the warming effect caused by the wind shadow effect and direct sunlight. Additionally, the performance of the thermal comfort of the enclosed type layout was significantly better, for most of the day, than the parallel type layout.
Survey on Household Awareness and Willingness to Participate in E-Waste Management in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
Authors: Miner Kangyang Josiah , Rampedi Isaac Tebogo , Ifegbesan Ayodeji Peter , Machete Fannie
Published: February 2020

Nearly 290,000 tons of electronic waste was generated in Nigeria during the year 2017, which is likely to increase further due to high population growth rates, accelerated urbanization, high demand for electronic products, as well as disposal at their end-of-life. At the same time, e-waste is associated with negative human health impacts, as well as environmental pollution. Therefore, environmental awareness on this waste stream is crucial in its management and possible minimization. In this paper, we report on a survey which investigated awareness levels and knowledge amongst households in the Jos metropolis, Plateau State (Nigeria). We interviewed 228 respondents by means of close-ended questionnaires. The results indicated that cell phones (93%) and television sets (82%) were mentioned by most respondents. The main reasons for acquiring these electronic devices entailed the replacement of damaged ones (49.6%), frequent product upgrades (37.7%), as well as theft (35.55%), amongst others. The most predominant method of disposing e-waste included illegal dumping in open spaces along with other household wastes (25%), storing it at home indefinitely (27.6%), and selling it to others for possible reuse (17.5%). Although the handling and storage of this waste is currently inappropriate, most respondents (84.2%) were willing to participate in its management provided they are given appropriate knowledge (89.9%) on its safe disposal and recycling. Lastly, we found no significant correlation between existing awareness levels on e-waste and willingness to participate in its management based on the socio-demographical profile of respondents. Thus, we recommend educational interventions on sound e-waste management in the Jos metropolis, along with a systematic analysis of how policy interventions such as the extended producer responsibility schemes can be designed for effective e-waste management and recycling amongst all stakeholders.
A Integrated Dedicated Outdoor Air System to Optimize Energy Saving
Authors: Chuah Yew Khoy , Yang Jun Jie
Published: February 2020

Outdoor air supply is required to maintain good indoor air quality (IAQ). For tropical or subtropical regions, warm and humid outdoor air would cause excess air-conditioning energy use. This study has proposed an integrated dedicated outdoor air system (IDOAS), which integrates the enthalpy exchange and outdoor air cooling into a unitary system. IDOAS could operate independently of central air-conditioning systems thus saving tremendous piping cost and energy needed to deliver chilled water to outdoor air unit in a conventional centralized system. An experimental unit of IDOAS was built to prove this novel concept. Enthalpy exchange efficiency was tested to be about 44%. The test results show that about 44% of energy needed to condition the outdoor air can be saved. A reverse Rankine refrigeration cycle was integrated to cool the outdoor air. Due to this integrated configuration, the air passing through the condenser would be at a lower temperature. The consequent lower refrigerant condensing temperature would improve the cooling cycle efficiency. The cooling coefficient of performance (COP) was improved by about 46%. In addition, the outdoor air could be conditioned to a lower humidity before being supplied to space, which would improve the thermal comfort. The test results of this novel IDOAS show that it could provide good air quality at lower energy use.
Effects of Roadside Trees and Road Orientation on Thermal Environment in a Tropical City
Authors: Zaki Sheikh Ahmad , Toh Hai Jian , Yakub Fitri , Mohd Saudi Ahmad Shakir , Ardila-Rey Jorge Alfredo , Muhammad-Sukki Firdaus
Published: February 2020

Emerging tropical cities are experiencing rapid population growth and development, which can greatly affect the thermal environments. The effects of roadside trees and road orientation on the outdoor thermal environment were investigated on four different roads in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Field measurements were conducted to assess outdoor thermal environments, where the selection of sites was based on different roadside tree morphological features and road orientations. Outdoor air temperature (Ta), relative humidity (RH), globe temperature (Tg), wind speed (WS), and wind direction (WD) were measured. Absolute humidity (AH) was estimated based on relative humidity and air temperature. Planting dense canopy trees with an average sky view factor (SVF) of 0.07 reduced the mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) by 35% and the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) by 25%. East–West (E–W) and Northwest–Southeast (NW–SE) oriented roads had high PET values of 41 °C and 43 °C, respectively. North–South (N–S) and Northeast–Southwest (NE–SW) orientated roads had lower PET values (37 °C), providing improved outdoor microclimate. Roadside trees provided greater cooling potential in E–W and NW–SE oriented roads. The findings are useful for urban road design in tropical cities in order to improve the outdoor thermal environment and pedestrian comfort.
Sustainability of Reinforced Concrete Beams with/without BF Influenced by Cracking Capacity and Chloride Diffusion
Authors: Zhang Yurong , Mao Chaojun , Wang Jiandong , Gao Yanhong , Zhang Junzhi
Published: February 2020

Concrete’s production causes pronounced environmental impacts. It is confirmed that adding basalt fiber (BF) into concrete can improve the mechanical properties and reduce the chloride diffusion coefficient of concrete. Moreover, research on the environmental impact of BF and its application in concrete has gradually emerged in recent years. However, there is little research on the chloride diffusivity of concrete structures with BF under the coupling interaction of external loads and chloride action. Therefore, at first, six beams were cast to obtain the depth-dependent chloride diffusivity of concrete under the coupling interaction of chloride penetration and 50% and 80% of the cracking capacity. Then, a functional unit (FU) combining durability, cracking capacity and volume was proposed to evaluate the sustainability of the concrete structure. In addition, three extra FUs (volume, considering volume and cracking capacity simultaneously and considering volume, cracking capacity and durability simultaneously) were also proposed and compared with the first FU. Results indicate that, regardless of the applied load level, the average chloride diffusion coefficient of a reinforced concrete (RC) beam with BF is larger than that of an ordinary RC beam. Moreover, the sorting of life cycle assessment (LCA) results will vary significantly with the different preset functional units. When taking the cracking capacity into consideration, adding BF into concrete is a suitable solution to improve the sustainability of RC beams.
The Effect of Grazing System and Level of Concentrate Protein Feeding on Milk Production and N Use Efficiency of Dairy Cows on Peat Meadows
Authors: Hoekstra Nyncke , Holshof Gertjan , Zom Ronald , Philipsen Bert , Schils René , van Eekeren Nick
Published: February 2020

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of two contrasting grazing systems, strip-grazing and kurzrasen, at a high stocking rate on herbage intake and milk production and quality on a peat meadow. Additionally, we assessed the effect of the level of crude protein (CP) fed in concentrate on milk production and N use efficiency. Even at the relatively high stocking rates, cows still achieved substantial fresh grass intake (on average >6 kg dry matter cow−1 day−1) from both systems. Despite the lower level of gross grass production under kurzrasen management, the difference in milk production between kurzrasen and strip-grazing was small and non-significant. Feeding concentrate with a lower CP level, had no negative impact on milk yield, provided that the CP content of the total ration remained above ~150 g kg−1 DM and milk urea content was above ~18 mg 100 g−1 milk. Reducing the CP content in the concentrate significantly increased the N use efficiency, and both were strongly related to the milk urea content. Therefore, optimising the use of milk urea as a management tool on dairy farms, also during the grazing season, could reduce N losses to the environment, while maintaining productivity.
Mapping Heat Stress Vulnerability and Risk Assessment at the Neighborhood Scale to Drive Urban Adaptation Planning
Authors: Maragno Denis , Dalla Fontana Michele , Musco Francesco
Published: February 2020

Climate change is one of the most complex issues of the 21st century, and even though there is general consensus about the urgency of taking action at the city level, the planning and implementation of adaptation measures is advancing slowly. The lack of data and information to support the planning process is often mentioned as a factor hampering the adaptation processes in cities. In this paper, we developed and tested a methodology for heat stress vulnerability and risk assessment at the neighborhood scale to support designers, planners, and decision makers in developing and implementing adaptation strategies and measures at the local level. The methodology combines high-resolution spatial information and crowdsourcing geospatial data to develop sensitivity, adaptive capacity, vulnerability, exposure, and risk indicators. The methodology is then tested on the urban fabric of the city of Padova, Italy. Our results show that different vulnerability and risk values correspond to different typologies of urban areas. Furthermore, the possibility of combining high-resolution information provided by the indicators and land use categories is of great importance to support the adaptation planning process. We also argue that the methodology is flexible enough to be applied in different contexts.
Outcomes of Long-Term Conservation Tillage Research in Northern China
Authors: Chimsah Francis Azumah , Cai Liqun , Wu Jun , Zhang Renzhi
Published: February 2020

Sustainable food production has long been a priority for mankind and this is being challenged by limited arable land, challenged landscapes, and higher human population growth. China started conservation farming around the 1950’s. However, main Conservation Tillage (CT) research started in 1992. Using a systematic meta-analysis approach, this review aims at examining China’s approach to CT and to characterize the main outcomes of long-term CT research across northern China. Data from organizations in charge of CT research in China showed an improvement in crop yield of at least 4% under double cropping systems and 6% under single cropping systems in dry areas of northern China. Furthermore, long-term CT practices were reported to have improved soil physical properties (soil structure, bulk density, pore size, and aggregate stability), soil nutrient levels, and reduction in greenhouse gas emission. Other benefits include significant increase in income levels and protection of the environment. Limitations to CT practice highlighted in this study include occasional reduction in crop yields during initial years of cropping, significant reduction in total N of soils, increase in N2O emission, and the need for customized machinery for its implementation. Outcomes of CT practice are ecologically and economically beneficial though its limitations are worth cogitating.
A Hybrid Intelligence Approach to Enhance the Prediction Accuracy of Local Scour Depth at Complex Bridge Piers
Authors: Tien Bui Dieu , Shirzadi Ataollah , Amini Ata , Shahabi Himan , Al-Ansari Nadhir , Hamidi Shahriar , Singh Sushant K. , Thai Pham Binh , Ahmad Baharin Bin , Ghazvinei Pezhman Taherei
Published: February 2020

Local scour depth at complex piers (LSCP) cause expensive costs when constructing bridges. In this study, a hybrid artificial intelligence approach of random subspace (RS) meta classifier, based on the reduced error pruning tree (REPTree) base classifier, namely RS-REPTree, was proposed to predict the LSCP. A total of 122 laboratory datasets were used and portioned into training (70%: 85 cases) and validation (30%: 37 cases) datasets for modeling and validation processes, respectively. The statistical metrics such as mean absolute error (MAE), root mean squared error (RMSE), correlation coefficient (R), and Taylor diagram were used to check the goodness-of-fit and performance of the proposed model. The capability of this model was assessed and compared with four state-of-the-art soft-computing benchmark algorithms, including artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), M5P, and REPTree, along with two empirical models, including the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. 18 (HEC-18). The findings showed that machine learning algorithms had the highest goodness-of-fit and prediction accuracy (0.885 < R < 0.945) in comparison to the other models. The results of sensitivity analysis by the proposed model indicated that pile cap location (Y) was a more sensitive factor for LSCP among other factors. The result also depicted that the RS-REPTree ensemble model (R = 0.945) could well enhance the prediction power of the REPTree base classifier (R = 0.885). Therefore, the proposed model can be useful as a promising technique to predict the LSCP.
An Application of the A’WOT Analysis for the Management of Cultural Heritage Assets: The Case of the Historical Farmhouses in the Aglié Castle (Turin)
Authors: Bottero Marta , D’Alpaos Chiara , Marello Alessia
Published: February 2020

In recent years, governments, public institutions, and local communities have devoted growing attention to the identification of promising strategies for the preservation and valorization of cultural heritage assets. Decisions on the management of cultural heritage assets based on multiple, often conflicting, criteria and on the stakes of various, and potentially non-consensual actors and stakeholders. In this context, in which the trade-offs between the preservation of assets historical symbolic values and the adaptation to alternative and economically profitable uses play a key role in investment decisions, multi-criteria analyses provide robust theoretical and methodological frameworks to support decision-makers in the design and implementation of adaptive reuse strategies for cultural heritage and public real estate assets. In this paper, we provide a multi-criteria decision aiding approach for ranking valorization strategies of cultural heritage assets aimed at promoting their restoration and conservation, as well as at creating cultural and economic benefits. In detail, we present a novel application of the A’WOT analysis to support the design and implementation of alternative management strategies of abandoned cultural heritage assets. The paper focuses on the potential reuse and management of four historical farmhouses (Cascina Mandria, Cascina Lavanderia, Cascina Gozzani, and Cascina Ortovalle) located in the Agliè Castle estate, one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy, currently listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.