bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Flexible Tool for Modeling and Optimal Dispatch of Resources in Agri-Energy Hubs
Authors: Ramos-Teodoro Jerónimo , Giménez-Miralles Adrián , Rodríguez Francisco , Berenguel Manuel
Published: October 2020

The dispatch of energy and resources in agricultural systems often involves the definition and resolution of optimization problems. This paper presents a novel tool composed of a set of MATLAB® and Simulink® files that has been developed to ease such tasks. In contrast to other alternatives, it allows the consideration of multiple kinds of resources in the problem and the relationships between the inputs and outputs of the system; its parametrization can be defined graphically in Simulink® without requiring third party software, and the entire package is freely available on Github. The package can generate the constraints in MATLAB® code and can get the optimal dispatch schedule for the deterministic mixed-integer linear problem that represents the defined system. Its main functions and blocks as well as a case study based on a traditional Mediterranean greenhouse and a photovoltaic parking lot located in Almeria (Spain) are included to demonstrate its use and clarify how the problem is formulated. The simulation performed validates the tool as being useful for decision-making (schedule irrigation and CO2 enrichment, as well as managing storage systems) in these and similar environments. Future implementations are intended to incorporate the interconnection of agents with opposed interests and robust optimization strategies for uncertain scenarios.
New Production Route of Magnesium Hydroxide and Related Environmental Impact
Authors: Jarosinski Andrzej , Radomski Piotr , Lelek Lukasz , Kulczycka Joanna
Published: October 2020

The paper presents research on a method of obtaining magnesium hydroxide from magnesium sulphate salts and NaOH. In order to acquire the desired and controlled properties, the method of precipitating in aqueous solutions by introducing a NaOH solution into a solution of MgSO4 has been applied. To get as stable a product as possible with graining, the introduction of NaOH takes place at a constant flow rate. In order to identify the environmental impact of the developed process, a life cycle assessment (LCA) has been made. The use of the proposed method for the synthesis of Mg(OH)2 incorporating washing with 25% ammonia solution and acetone enabled a product with a high specific surface area. The Mg(OH)2 obtained was characterised by a higher specific surface area than commercially available magnesium hydroxides that are used as additives for flame retardants in polymeric materials. This allows the material to be used as an anti-pyrogen for a wider group of polymeric materials. For the LCA analysis, two scenarios were assumed, from which the basic one included recovery of ammonia and acetone. The environmental analysis carried out confirmed the validity of this assumption, as it was stated that the main part of the impact was connected with the supply chain for the process examined.
A Framework for Early Stages of Socially Sustainable Renovation of Multifamily Buildings with Occupants’ Participation
Authors: Golić Kosa , Kosorić Vesna , Lau Siu-Kit
Published: October 2020

Research shows that in most cases occupants are not actively involved in the design process but only informed about the decisions already made. This paper proposes a framework for the early phases of socially sustainable renovation design of multifamily buildings enabling occupants’ active and timely involvement by defining appropriate mechanisms for participation in a structured manner. It further considers the interdependence of the social, environmental and economic aspects of renovation design and underlines the significance of their simultaneous consideration. The presented research shows the existence of significant heterogeneity, complexity and interdependence of a number of factors that need to be considered in order to adequately conceptualize sustainable building renovations. Finally, the paper discusses future directions for the development of the proposed model.
Exploring Fruit and Vegetable Waste in Homeless Shelters that Receive Surplus Donation from a Wholesale Market in Chile
Authors: Fredes Carolina , García Francisco , Pérez María Ignacia , Fernández-Verdejo Rodrigo
Published: October 2020

Redistribution of food surplus helps to prevent waste production and feed hungry people. But this has not been tested in the context of a wholesale market that redistributes fruit and vegetable surplus to homeless shelters. We aimed to compare the amount of fruit and vegetable waste between shelters that received or did not receive a surplus donation in Chile. We also explored possible causes that explained the waste. Five homeless shelters that received donations (HS+DON) and five that did not (HS) were included. For three days, fruit and vegetable waste was disposed into containers for direct quantification. The amount of waste was compared between groups using the Mann–Whitney U test, both in winter and spring. A questionnaire was applied to identify causes of waste. For vegetables, we found no difference in the median (25th percentile–75th percentile) waste of HS+DON vs. HS (winter: 152 (83–262) vs. 104 (63–163) g per person/day, p-value = 0.22; spring: 114 (61–229) vs. 63 (50–132) g per person/day, p-value = 0.41). HS had no fruit waste, thus, fruit waste was higher in HS+DON in both seasons (winter: 74 (16–134); spring: 13 (6–40) g per person/day). The main reasons explaining waste were excessive donation, looking badly, and smelling moldy. In conclusion, redistribution of fruit and vegetable surplus helped to reduce waste at the wholesale market and to feed homeless shelters’ beneficiaries with nutritious food. But efforts are still required to avoid excessive donation of surplus soon-to-be spoiled. We propose a tailored donation plan to reduce waste to the unavoidable one.
Fast Setting Binders for Application in 3D Printing of Bio-Based Building Materials
Authors: Sinka Maris , Zorica Jelizaveta , Bajare Diana , Sahmenko Genadijs , Korjakins Aleksandrs
Published: October 2020

The construction industry is one of the largest emitters of CO2 because the production of traditional building materials is highly energy-intensive and uses considerable amounts of raw materials. This research aims to decrease the negative environmental impact of the construction industry by providing biocomposites with a low environmental impact due to their bio-based components and efficient use of the materials through 3D printing. Agricultural waste products—hemp shives—are used in these materials as a filler together with three different types of fast-setting binders—magnesium, calcium sulphoaluminate (CSA) and those that are gypsum-based. The study determines the setting time and compressive strength of these binders, as well as the formation of biocomposites of different densities for different applications; extrusion tests and preliminary life cycle assessment (LCA) are also performed. Results show that biocomposites with hemp shives and fast setting binders have a possible application in 3D printing due to their shape stability and buildability, as well as relatively high compressive strength, which allows for load-bearing use at high densities and thermal insulation use at low densities, although printability at low binder content remains a significant challenge. Preliminary LCA results show that CSA and gypsum binders have the lowest environmental impact from the binders considered.
Conceptual Analysis of Influential Factors in the Motivation and Involvement of the University Student towards the Assessment in Physical Education
Authors: Barba-Martín Raúl A. , Hortigüela-Alcalá David , Pérez-Pueyo Ángel , Sánchez-Santamaría José
Published: October 2020

The involvement of university students in their own assessment leads to motivation towards learning. The aim of this study is twofold. The first aim is to analyze the factors of evaluation in Physical Education that generate motivation and involvement. To do this, we have discussed five factors: (1) to generate awareness of what is being learned; (2) to delimit the deadlines in the development of tasks; (3) to associate it with the development of competencies; (4) to apply it in a variety of contexts and tasks; and (5) to allow reflection on the teaching and learning process. The second aim, based on the previous one, tries to delimit strategies to implement a quality evaluation in the university classrooms. Five strategies have been analyzed: (1) triadic assessment; (2) grade distribution; (3) collaborative creation of instruments; (4) elaboration of formative questions; and (5) use of apps. Finally, a series of reflections are proposed to put into practice the formative and shared assessment as opposed to the traditional evaluation. This manuscript is a substantial contribution to the existing literature, as it serves as a clear guide for university teachers to implement this type of assessment in the classroom, generating student motivation and transferability of their learning.
Social Entrepreneurship and Regional Economic Development: The Case of Social Enterprise in South Korea
Authors: Doh Soogwan
Published: October 2020

Although many discussions of regional economic development have been made to this day, the regional economic development sector is constantly looking for new models to address the many challenges of each region in a sustainable way. This study aims to empirically examine the relationship between social entrepreneurship and regional economic development, focusing on government-driven social enterprises in South Korea. I conduct an exploratory study of government support for social enterprises in South Korea at the local and central government level and empirically examine the relationship between social entrepreneurship and regional economic development by using time sequential panel data collected over an eight-year period from 2007 to 2014. Results from panel regression (fixed-effect and random-effect) models indicate that social entrepreneurship measured as the number of government-driven social enterprises has a positive relationship with regional economic development. As claimed in numerous previous studies on regional economic development, the fixed-effect regression results of this study also indicate that physical capital, human capital, knowledge capital, and entrepreneurship are all significant and important factors shaping regional economic output. The results of this study suggest a new direction for policy that focuses on instruments to promote social entrepreneurship. Thus, governments of each region need to make efforts to promote job creation in social enterprises because they possess the ability to efficiently respond to the immediate needs of local social enterprises. These government-driven social enterprises can contribute to regional economic development through creating new jobs in South Korea.
Parents’ Views on Family Resiliency in Sustainable Remote Schooling during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Finland
Authors: Koskela Teija , Pihlainen Kaisa , Piispa-Hakala Satu , Vornanen Riitta , Hämäläinen Juha
Published: October 2020

The closure of schools because of the COVID-19 pandemic created a challenge for families and teachers in supporting children’s remote schooling. This study investigates parents’ perspectives on their accommodation to the rapid change to remote schooling from the point of view of sustainable education. The study was conducted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 via an online questionnaire for parents, to which 316 voluntary participants responded. Data were analyzed using a theory-driven content analysis. According to the results, parents were worried about the learning and wellbeing of their children as well as management of daily life and use of information and communications technology (ICT). The results show the importance of schools and teachers as well as networks in supporting family resilience during rapid changes. Families’ individual needs should be acknowledged and met in a sustainable way to support children’s learning in changing settings, including remote schooling.
BIM-Based Human Machine Interface (HMI) Framework for Energy Management
Authors: Kang Taewook
Published: October 2020

This study proposes a Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based Human Machine Interface (HMI) framework for intuitive space-based energy management. The BIM-based HMI supports building managers with a method of linking data between BIM and Building Energy Management System (BEMS), which are heterogeneous systems, and provides space-based real-time energy monitoring. This study also proposes a BIM and BEMS data linking framework for systematic BIM-based HMI development. Towards this end, the BIM-based HMI framework was defined after deriving the considerations and requirements necessary for linking the energy control point and BIM through a questionnaire designed by practitioners. Through case analysis, the authors implemented BIM-based HMI and analyzed its effects. The results of the analysis confirmed the positive effects (3.9/5.0) on the connectivity of BIM-based HMI, the benefits (4.3/5.0) for real-time data monitoring, the system function expandability, and the BIM-based spatial intuitiveness.
Spray Backstop: A Method to Reduce Orchard Spray Drift Potential without Limiting the Spray and Air Delivery
Authors: Pourreza Alireza , Moghimi Ali , Niederholzer Franz J. A. , Larbi Peter A. , Zuniga-Ramirez German , Cheung Kyle H. , Khorsandi Farzaneh
Published: October 2020

Unmanaged spray drift from orchard pesticide application contributes to environmental contamination and causes significant danger to farmworkers, nearby residential areas, and neighbors’ crops. Most drift control approaches do not guarantee adequate and uniform canopy spray coverage. Our goal was to develop a spray backstop system that could block drifting from the top without any negative impact on spray coverage and on-target deposition. The design included a foldable mast and a shade structure that covered the trees from the top. We used a continuous loop sampling to assess and quantify the effectiveness of spray backstop on drift potential reduction. We also collected leaf samples from different sections of trees to compare on-target deposition and coverage. The results showed that the spray backstop system could significantly (p-Value < 0.01) reduce drift potential from the top (78% on average). While we did not find any statistical difference in overall canopy deposition with and without the backstop system, we observed some improvement in treetops deposition. This experiment’s output suggests that growers may be able to adjust their air-assist sprayers for a more uniform spray coverage without concern about the off-target movement of spray droplets when they employ the spray backstop system.
Improving Maritime Transport Sustainability Using Blockchain-Based Information Exchange
Authors: Jović Marija , Tijan Edvard , Žgaljić Dražen , Aksentijević Saša
Published: October 2020

In this paper, the authors perform a comprehensive literature review of the positive impacts of blockchain-based information exchange in the maritime transport sector, as well as the challenges and barriers for successful blockchain-based information exchange, considering all three aspects of the sustainability (economic, environmental, and social). The papers from relevant databases (Web of Science and Scopus) and selected studies have been used. The literature coverage was expanded by using backward snowball sampling. In total, 20 positive impacts and 20 challenges/barriers were singled out. Despite the identified barriers and challenges (such as the slow acceptance of blockchain technology in the maritime transport sector or the high implementation cost), blockchain technology possesses a definite potential to improve the information exchange between all involved stakeholders (for example, by improving the visibility across transport routes and by reducing the paper-based processes), positively affecting all three aspects of sustainability. The authors contribute to the existing research of the economic aspect of maritime transport sustainability by blockchain-based information exchange by expanding it and by researching the environmental and social aspects of sustainability.
Examining the Asymmetric Nexus between Energy Consumption, Technological Innovation, and Economic Growth; Does Energy Consumption and Technology Boost Economic Development?
Authors: Zeraibi Ayoub , Balsalobre-Lorente Daniel , Shehzad Khurram
Published: October 2020

This study aims to explore the connection between the potential effects of energy consumption and technological innovation on economic growth in China from 1980 to 2018. The Non-Linear Autoregressive Distributive Lag (NARDL) econometric approach reveals an asymmetric connection between technological innovation, energy consumption, and economic growth in China from 1980 to 2018. The empirical results also reveal that a 1% decrease in energy consumption would imperatively decline economic growth by 12.5%. Moreover, a 1% upsurge in trademark applications improves economic growth by 8.2%. For the case of China, this study reveals that a large portion of the energy was used by families, which is regarded as a non-contributing element to the economy of China. This study suggests that the promotion and production of energy-efficient processes and products is necessary in order to make a more significant step toward sustainable development. The empirical findings also suggest that the Chinese government should regulate suitable policies aimed at promoting energy efficiency and the control of inefficient energy uses.
Application of Limit Equilibrium Analysis and Numerical Modeling in a Case of Slope Instability
Authors: Sengani Fhatuwani , Mulenga François
Published: October 2020

The application of limit equilibrium analysis and numerical simulation in case of slope instability is described. The purpose of the study was to use both limit equilibrium methods (LEMs) and numerical simulations (finite element method (FEM)) to understanding the common factor imposing the selected slope into slope instabilities. Field observations, toppling analysis, rotational analysis, and numerical simulations were performed. The results of the study showed that the selected unstable slopes were associated with the sliding types of toppling; it was observed that the slopes were governed by tension cracks and layered soil mass and dominated with approximately two joints sets throughout. The simulated factor of safety (FoS) of the slopes composed of clay soil was denoted to be prone to slope instability while others were categorized as moderately stable. The simulated FoS of the slopes correlated very well with the visual observations; however, it is anticipated that properties of soil mass and other characteristics of the slopes contributed largely to the simulated FoS. The sensitivity of the model was further tested by looking into the effect of the slope angle on the stability of the slope. The results of the simulations showed that the steeper the slope, the more they become prone to instability. Lastly, Phase 2 numerical simulation (FEM) showed that volumetric strain, shear stress, shear strain, total displacement, and σ1 and σ3 components of the slope increase with the stages of the road construction. It was concluded improper road construction, steepness of the slope, slope properties (soil types), and multiple geological features cutting across are the common mechanisms behind the slope instability.
Characteristics Analysis of Commercial Gentrification in Seoul Focusing on the Vitalization of Streets in Residential Areas
Authors: Ryu Hwayeon , Kim Donghyun , Park Jina
Published: October 2020

This study examines commercial gentrification, focusing on areas where commercial gentrification occurred or was expected to occur in Seoul, Korea. To identify the general phases of commercial gentrification, we used data collected from January 2015 to January 2019 by cluster analysis. Cluster analysis was conducted with a ratio of terms including “birth”, “replacement”, and “vacancy”, and characteristics including the “homogenization index”, “chain stores”, “vitalization”, and the “front width of stores” were applied. The contributions of this study are as follows. Three clusters were formed and supplemented according to differing types of industry change. Cluster 1 represents a stage where commerce has begun to penetrate residential areas, and it can be seen that gentrification has just started. Cluster 2 is more commercialized than Cluster 1, but characteristics remain in the vicinity of neighborhood commercial facilities. Cluster 3 describes a phase of full vitalization, characterized by franchise stores. The implications of this study are as follows. Commercial gentrification is proven to have distinctly different stages of commercial characterization that can be interpreted and observed sequentially, thereby requiring a differentiated approach to commercial gentrification by phase.
Framing the Retirement Planning Behavior Model towards Sustainable Wellbeing among Youth: The Moderating Effect of Public Profiles
Authors: Afthanorhan Asyraf , Mamun Abdullah Al , Zainol Noor Raihani , Foziah Hazimi , Awang Zainudin
Published: October 2020

This study examines the effect of financial literacy, saving attitudes, social influence, and goal clarity on the retirement planning construct. In addition, it investigates how the public demographic profile moderates these relationships. The questionnaire approach was utilized to collect data by adopting and customizing the measurement scale from previous studies. A systematic random sampling approach was employed on 323 prospective respondents. The outcomes of this study illustrate that all relationships are significantly and positively associated with retirement planning using structural equation modeling (SEM). Furthermore, all moderator variables (gender, age, status, income, and education) moderated the relationships. The government should construct a holistic retirement planning model that is based on demographic characteristics.
Requirement-Oriented Engineering Characteristic Identification for a Sustainable Product–Service System: A Multi-Method Approach
Authors: Liu Chunting , Jia Guozhu , Kong Jili
Published: October 2020

Product–service systems (PSSs) have great potential for competitiveness and sustainability. Customers’ requirements cannot be directly used in the design of a PSS. Accurate identification of customer requirements, especially hidden requirements in the product life cycle, and transformation of customer requirements into specific engineering characteristics for PSS design are urgent problems. This study proposed a systematic and whole-process framework employing specific identification processes and methods, as well as a big data analysis. A set of refined and integrated methods were used to better identify customer requirements and to transform the customer requirements into specific engineering characteristics more accurately and efficiently. We also used customers’ online review data—a huge information resource to be explored—and big data technology to improve the requirement information identification process. A case study was implemented to verify our methodology. We obtained the engineering characteristics of a smartphone PSS matching the customer requirements as well as the exact importance rankings of customer requirements and engineering characteristics. The analysis results revealed that the proposed methodology allowed PSS designers to assess the PSS requirements more specifically and accurately by providing an intuitive evaluation of the role and importance of the requirements, engineering characteristics, and their mutual interactions that were hidden or indirect.
Sustainability of an Activity Node in Global Supply Chains
Authors: Bogataj David , Bogataj Marija , Drobne Samo
Published: October 2020

Urban shrinkage is a remarkable phenomenon that cannot be convincingly explained by existing theories on urban growth and is closely linked to the global supply chain (SC) nodes in the labour market. This paper shows how a municipality in which an activity SC cell (production or service) is located as a node in the SC graph can be made more attractive for industrial activities and human resources, more sustainable, and less shrinking, through appropriate tax policies and investments in the infrastructure of the central places—cities where production or services are located. To this end, we developed the decision support model for the joint control of urban rightsizing by SC managers and local authorities. In the model we linked the extended material requirements problem (MRP) with a normalised asymmetric gravity model. The paper outlines how local authorities and institutions, when planning for the growing intensity of production or services, in a city where the number of workers is insufficient, should take into account the impact of taxation as well as investment in the infrastructure of a municipality, and not just net wages, in order to attract human resources. They need a decision support model for their negotiations on the rightsizing of the city. The objective was to develop a model of fiscal mechanisms in the interactive decision making processes of local authorities and SC managers to control the availability of labour in the city where production or services are running and need to grow because SC managers want to increase production or services but the available labour force is shrinking. A case study in Slovenia shows how local authorities and SC managers should work together to maintain a sustainable activity cell in a functional region of the urban agglomeration where this production or service is located. It models how to plan the rightsizing. Such an integrated policy best achieves the desired intensity of the supply chain, thereby avoiding the relocation of activities outside the region, which allows unsustainable flows of human resources and uncontrolled shrinking of a city or region.
Reinforcement Learning for Optimizing Driving Policies on Cruising Taxis Services
Authors: Jin Kun , Wang Wei , Hua Xuedong , Zhou Wei
Published: October 2020

As the key element of urban transportation, taxis services significantly provide convenience and comfort for residents’ travel. However, the reality has not shown much efficiency. Previous researchers mainly aimed to optimize policies by order dispatch on ride-hailing services, which cannot be applied in cruising taxis services. This paper developed the reinforcement learning (RL) framework to optimize driving policies on cruising taxis services. Firstly, we formulated the drivers’ behaviours as the Markov decision process (MDP) progress, considering the influences after taking action in the long run. The RL framework using dynamic programming and data expansion was employed to calculate the state-action value function. Following the value function, drivers can determine the best choice and then quantify the expected future reward at a particular state. By utilizing historic orders data in Chengdu, we analysed the function value’s spatial distribution and demonstrated how the model could optimize the driving policies. Finally, the realistic simulation of the on-demand platform was built. Compared with other benchmark methods, the results verified that the new model performs better in increasing total revenue, answer rate and decreasing waiting time, with the relative percentages of 4.8%, 6.2% and −27.27% at most.
Analysis of the Interfacial Adhesion between a Stainless-Steel Fiber and an Epoxy Resin by the Single Fiber Microdroplet Test
Authors: Kwon MiYeon , Lee Seung Goo
Published: October 2020

In this study, the surfaces of the stainless-steel fibers of the kind primarily utilized in fiber-reinforced composite materials were modified by an acid treatment to increase the interfacial adhesion between the fibers and epoxy resins in composite materials. The interfacial shear strength between the resins and acid-treated fibers was determined by a single fiber microdroplet test, where the resin droplet was located at the center of the fiber. The etching effect at the surface of the fibers increased with the increase in the acid-treatment time. The interfacial shear strength between the stainless-steel fiber and epoxy resin increased with the increase in the specific surface area of contact between the fiber and resin. Furthermore, there was no significant deterioration in the mechanical properties of the stainless-steel fibers with the increase in the surface etching effect. The modification of the surfaces of the stainless-steel fibers by the acid treatment resulted in an increase in the interfacial shear strength between the fibers and resins. Thus, this study demonstrated the possibility of widening the scope of the applications of stainless-steel fiber/epoxy resin composites.
Fuzzy Divisive Hierarchical Clustering of Solvents According to Their Experimentally and Theoretically Predicted Descriptors
Authors: Nedyalkova Miroslava , Sarbu Costel , Tobiszewski Marek , Simeonov Vasil
Published: October 2020

The present study describes a simple procedure to separate into patterns of similarity a large group of solvents, 259 in total, presented by 15 specific descriptors (experimentally found and theoretically predicted physicochemical parameters). Solvent data is usually characterized by its high variability, different molecular symmetry, and spatial orientation. Methods of chemometrics can usefully be used to extract and explore accurately the information contained in such data. In this order, advanced fuzzy divisive hierarchical-clustering methods were efficiently applied in the present study of a large group of solvents using specific descriptors. The fuzzy divisive hierarchical associative-clustering algorithm provides not only a fuzzy partition of the solvents investigated, but also a fuzzy partition of descriptors considered. In this way, it is possible to identify the most specific descriptors (in terms of higher, smallest, or intermediate values) to each fuzzy partition (group) of solvents. Additionally, the partitioning performed could be interpreted with respect to the molecular symmetry. The chemometric approach used for this goal is fuzzy c-means method being a semi-supervised clustering procedure. The advantage of such a clustering process is the opportunity to achieve separation of the solvents into similarity patterns with a certain degree of membership of each solvent to a certain pattern, as well as to consider possible membership of the same object (solvent) in another cluster. Partitioning based on a hybrid approach of the theoretical molecular descriptors and experimentally obtained ones permits a more straightforward separation into groups of similarity and acceptable interpretation. It was shown that an important link between objects’ groups of similarity and similarity groups of variables is achieved. Ten classes of solvents are interpreted depending on their specific descriptors, as one of the classes includes a single object and could be interpreted as an outlier. Setting the results of this research into broader perspective, it has been shown that the fuzzy clustering approach provides a useful tool for partitioning by the variables related to the main physicochemical properties of the solvents. It gets possible to offer a simple guide for solvents recognition based on theoretically calculated or experimentally found descriptors related to the physicochemical properties of the solvents.
A Limit Load Solution for Anisotropic Welded Cracked Plates in Pure Bending
Authors: Alexandrov Sergei , Lyamina Elena , Pirumov Alexander , Nguyen Dinh Kien
Published: October 2020

The present paper’s main objective is to derive a simple upper bound solution for a welded plate in pure bending. The plate contains a crack located in the weld. Both the weld and base materials are orthotropic. Hill’s quadratic yield criterion is adopted. The solution is semi-analytic. A numerical method is only required for minimizing a function of two independent variables. Six independent dimensionless parameters classify the structure. Therefore, the complete parametric analysis of the solution is not feasible. However, for a given set of parameters, the numerical solution is straightforward, and the numerical method is fast. A numerical example emphasizes the effect of plastic anisotropy and the crack’s location on the bending moment at plastic collapse. In particular, the bending moment for the specimen having a vertical axis of symmetry is compared with that of the asymmetric specimen. It is shown that the latter is smaller for all considered cases. The solution found can be used in conjunction with flaw assessment procedures.
A Novel Strategy for Complete and Phase Robust Synchronizations of Chaotic Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Mahmoud Emad E. , Higazy M. , Althagafi Ohood A.
Published: October 2020

Our work here is to propose a novel technique by which chaos complete and phase synchronizations can be accomplished via a low-cost scheme. We call the proposed technique a “single-state feedback track synchronization control algorithm”. A single-state feedback track synchronization control algorithm is designed so that both complete and phase synchronizations can be accomplished using the same controller. Complete synchronization between two chaotic systems means complete symmetry between them, but phase synchronization means complete symmetry with a phase shift. In addition, the proposed method is applied to the synchronization of two identical chaotic Lorenz models. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed algorithm is well illustrated via exhaustive numerical simulation experiments based on the Matlab toolbox of the powerful genetic algorithm. The robustness of the proposed algorithm motivated us to apply this method of synchronization in a secure communication application.
On Repdigits as Sums of Fibonacci and Tribonacci Numbers
Authors: Trojovský Pavel
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we use Baker’s theory for nonzero linear forms in logarithms of algebraic numbers and a Baker-Davenport reduction procedure to find all repdigits (i.e., numbers with only one distinct digit in its decimal expansion, thus they can be seen as the easiest case of palindromic numbers, which are a ”symmetrical” type of numbers) that can be written in the form Fn+Tn, for some n≥1, where (Fn)n≥0 and (Tn)n≥0 are the sequences of Fibonacci and Tribonacci numbers, respectively.
Role of MicroRNAs in Bone Pathology during Chikungunya Virus Infection
Authors: Roy Enakshi , Byrareddy Siddappa N. , Reid St Patrick
Published: October 2020

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus, transmitted by mosquitoes, which causes Chikungunya fever with symptoms of fever, rash, headache, and joint pain. In about 30%–40% of cases, the infection leads to polyarthritis and polyarthralgia. Presently, there are no treatment strategies or vaccine for Chikungunya fever. Moreover, the mechanism of CHIKV induced bone pathology is not fully understood. The modulation of host machinery is known to be essential in establishing viral pathogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate major cellular functions by modulating gene expression. Fascinatingly, recent reports have indicated the role of miRNAs in regulating bone homeostasis and altered expression of miRNAs in bone-related pathological diseases. In this review, we summarize the altered expression of miRNAs during CHIKV pathogenesis and the possible role of miRNAs during bone homeostasis in the context of CHIKV infection. A holistic understanding of the different signaling pathways targeted by miRNAs during bone remodeling and during CHIKV-induced bone pathology may lead to identification of useful biomarkers or therapeutics.
Influence of Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Sediment on Macroinvertebrate Communities in Agricultural Headwater Streams
Authors: Shuman Tyler C. , Smiley Peter C. , Gillespie Robert B. , Gonzalez Javier M.
Published: October 2020

Agricultural land use leads to changes in physical and chemical characteristics of sediment that influence macroinvertebrate community diversity and abundance in streams. To the best of our knowledge the joint influence of sediment’s physical and chemical characteristics on stream macroinvertebrates has not been assessed. We measured sediment’s physical and chemical characteristics and sampled macroinvertebrates in eight agricultural headwater streams in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, United States, in 2017 and 2018 to determine the physical and chemical conditions of the sediment, to evaluate the relationships between physical and chemical characteristics of the sediment, and the relationship of macroinvertebrate communities with the sediment’s physical and chemical characteristics. Sediments within most sites were dominated by sand or silt. pH was suitable for macroinvertebrates and nitrate, herbicide, and trace metal concentrations were below concentration levels anticipated to affect macroinvertebrate survival. Linear mixed effect model analysis results indicated that a physical gradient of percent small gravel and percent silt was positively correlated (p < 0.05) with a chemical gradient of potassium concentrations, magnesium concentrations, and percent total nitrogen in the sediments. Our linear mixed effect model analysis results also indicated that Invertebrate Community Index scores were negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with a chemical gradient of simazine and calcium concentrations and were negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with physical gradient of grain size diversity and percent sand. Our results suggest that watershed management plans need to address physical and chemical degradation of sediment to improve macroinvertebrate biotic integrity within agricultural headwater streams in the Midwestern United States.
Assessing the Ecological Water Level: The Case of Four Mediterranean Lakes
Authors: Petriki Olga , Zervas Dimitrios , Doulgeris Charalampos , Bobori Dimitra
Published: October 2020

The ecological water regime in lake water bodies refers to the water levels that enable the fulfillment of the ecosystem’s multiple functions. Therefore, assessing the ecological water regime necessitates the consideration of hydrological, economic, social, and ecological factors. The present research is focused on the assessment of the ecological water level of four Mediterranean natural lake ecosystems, considering their morphological and biological features. Initially, suggestions on the ecological water regime of the studied lakes were made based on an analysis of the lakes’ morphometry. Further, the ecological and biological requirements of the present fish fauna and aquatic macrophytic vegetation were considered. For the latter, mapping was conducted by extensive sampling according to international standards, in order to assess macrophyte composition, abundance, and chorology, as well as species sensitivity to water level fluctuations. The above guided the proposals on the optimal water level regime that should be met by each lake regarding the macrophytic and fish communities’ sustainability, also taking into account the unique hydromorphological features of each lake. The differences in the outcoming results revealed that hydromorphological and biological approaches should be combined for assessing lakes’ ecological water regimes.
Addressing Urban–Rural Water Conflicts in Nagpur through Benefit Sharing
Authors: Sukhwani Vibhas , Thapa Kamakshi , Shaw Rajib , Deshkar Sameer , Mitra Bijon Kumer , Yan Wanglin
Published: October 2020

Urban and rural areas often meet their water demands from a shared stock of finite water resources. Against the changing climate, the rising water demands in fast-growing urban areas are leading to increasing water-use conflicts with the co-dependent rural areas. Although poor water governance is frequently cited as the key reason for such urban–rural conflicts, it is also recognized as a potential pathway to resolve them. In the case of Nagpur Region in Central India, water stress has today become a subject of serious concern. The water demands in Nagpur City are primarily met through the multipurpose Pench Dam on priority, but the recently declining water availability has raised undue concerns for irrigation in the Pench command areas. To substantiate the limited understanding of ongoing water conflicts in the wider Nagpur Metropolitan Area, this study analyzes a specific set of secondary data related to the history of the Pench Project and its water utilization trends. By uncovering the periodic decline in irrigated area and the increasing groundwater use for irrigation, the cross-sectoral and transboundary implications of increasing water transfer to Nagpur City are revealed. To address these concerns, this study then suggests feasible governance strategies based on benefit sharing and multi-stakeholder engagement.
Interaction among Controlling Factors on Riverine DIN Export in Small Mountainous Rivers of Taiwan: Inseparable Human-Landscape System
Authors: Lee Wen-Shiuan , Huang Jr-Chuan , Chang Chung-Te , Chan Shih-Chien , Liou Ying-San , Liao Chien-Sen , Lee Li-Chin , Lee Jun-Yi , Shih Yu-Ting , Lu Meng-Chang , Chen Pei-Hao
Published: October 2020

Increasing anthropogenic nitrogen (N) emission via different pathways has shown prominent impact on aquatic ecosystems for decades, but the effects of interaction among climate-, landscape- and human-associated variables on riverine DIN (dissolved inorganic nitrogen, mainly NO3− and NH4+) export are unclear. In this study, the data of 43 watersheds with a wide range of climate-, landscape- and human-associated gradients across Taiwan were evaluated with partial redundancy analysis (pRDA) to examine their interactive controls on riverine DIN export. Results show that the annual riverine DIN export in Taiwan is approximately 3100 kg-N km−2 yr−1, spanning from 230 kg-N km−2 yr−1 in less disturbed watersheds (eastern and central Taiwan) to 10,000 kg-N km−2 yr−1 in watersheds with intensive human intervention (southwestern and northern Taiwan). NO3− is generally the single dominant form of DIN, while NH4+ renders significance in disturbed watersheds. Nearly all environmental variables display a positive correlation with DIN export, except for landscape setting variables (e.g., slope, area, channel length), which show a negative relationship. In terms of seasonal pattern, climate and human-landscape variables are related to NO3− export independently in the wet season, yet in the dry season climate-human variables jointly dominate NO3− export. Meanwhile, human-landscape (LH) variables (λ1 of LH > 0.60) control NH4+ exports in both seasons, and human-associated (H) variables (λ1 of H = 0.13) have a minor effect on NH4+ exports in dry season. Precisely, the contribution of controlling variables on DIN export vary with species and seasons, indicating water quality management could be time-dependent, which should be taken into consideration for designing mitigation strategies.
Significant Extremal Dependence of a Daily North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI) and Weighted Regionalised Rainfall in a Small Island Using the Extremogram
Authors: Espinosa Luis Angel , Portela Maria Manuela , Rodrigues Rui
Published: October 2020

Extremal dependence or independence may occur among the components of univariate or bivariate random vectors. Assessing which asymptotic regime occurs and also its extent are crucial tasks when such vectors are used as statistical models for risk assessment in the field of Climatology under climate change conditions. Motivated by the poor resolution of current global climate models in North Atlantic Small Islands, the extremal dependence between a North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAOI) and rainfall was considered at multi-year dominance of negative and positive NAOI, i.e., −NAOI and +NAOI dominance subperiods, respectively. The datasets used (from 1948–2017) were daily NAOI, and three daily weighted regionalised rainfall series computed based on factor analysis and the Voronoi polygons method from 40 rain gauges in the small island of Madeira (∼740 km2), Portugal. The extremogram technique was applied for measuring the extremal dependence within the NAOI univariate series. The cross-extremogram determined the dependence between the upper tail of the weighted regionalised rainfalls, and the upper and lower tails of daily NAOI. Throughout the 70-year period, the results suggest systematic evidence of statistical dependence over Madeira between exceptionally −NAOI records and extreme rainfalls, which is stronger in the −NAOI dominance subperiods. The extremal dependence for +NAOI records is only significant in recent years, however, with a still unclear +NAOI dominance.
Characteristics and Mechanism of the Environmental Capacity Changes in Haizhou Bay, Northern Jiangsu, China from 2006 to 2016
Authors: Sun Lei , Wang Jing , Zhang Haifeng , Xu Min
Published: October 2020

Haizhou Bay is an open bay located in northern Jiangsu Province, China. This study analyzes the changes in the coastline, coastal development, and water quality of Haizhou Bay between 2006 and 2016. The box model method and numerical simulation are adopted to calculate the environmental capacities of Haizhou Bay in 2006 and 2016, analyze changes to environmental capacity features, and assess the influencing factors over this period. The scenario analysis method is used to discuss the influencing mechanism and degree of influence of factors (e.g., the water quality difference inside and outside the bay, and sea reclamation) on the environmental capacity and calculate the contribution of each influencing factor. The changes in terrain triggered by sea reclamation and water quality from 2006 to 2016 reduced the total environmental capacity of Haizhou Bay, with an influencing ratio of 0.198:0.802. In other words, poorer water quality inside the bay reduces the environmental capacity by a degree of 4.05 times that of sea reclamation. This study can offer guidance on related future research aiming to protect the marine environment of Haizhou Bay and control the total amount of pollutants discharged into the sea.