bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Demethylation of Alkali Lignin with Halogen Acids and Its Application to Phenolic Resins
Authors: Wang Hao , Eberhardt Thomas L. , Wang Chunpeng , Gao Shishuai , Pan Hui
Published: October 2019

Lignin, a byproduct from the chemical processing of lignocellulosic biomass, is a polyphenolic compound that has potential as a partial phenol substitute in phenolic adhesive formulations. In this study, HBr and HI were used as reagents to demethylate an alkali lignin (AL) to increase its hydroxyl content and thereby enhance its reactivity for the preparation of phenolic resins. Analyses by FT-IR, 1H-NMR and 2D-NMR(HSQC) demonstrated both a decrease in methoxyl groups and an increase in hydroxyl groups for each demethylated lignin (DL). In addition, the molar amounts of phenolic hydroxyls, determined by 1H-NMR, increased to 0.67 mmol/g for the HI-DL, and 0.64 mmol/g for the HBr-DL, from 0.52 mmol/g for the AL. These results showed that HI, a stronger nucleophilic reagent than HBr, provided a higher degree of AL demethylation. Lignin-containing resins, prepared by copolymerization, met the bonding strength standard for exterior plywood with DL used to replace as much as 50 wt.% of phenol. The increased hydroxyl contents resulting from the lignin demethylations also imparted faster cure times for the lignin-containing resins and lower formaldehyde emissions. Altogether, the stronger nucleophilicity of HI, compared to HBr, impacted the degree of lignin demethylation, and carried through to measurable differences the thermal properties and performance of the lignin-containing PF resins.
A Quantum Charged Particle under Sudden Jumps of the Magnetic Field and Shape of Non-Circular Solenoids
Authors: Dodonov Viktor V. , Horovits Matheus B.
Published: October 2019

We consider a quantum charged particle moving in the x y plane under the action of a time-dependent magnetic field described by means of the linear vector potential of the form A = B ( t ) − y ( 1 + β ) , x ( 1 − β ) / 2 . Such potentials with β ≠ 0 exist inside infinite solenoids with non-circular cross sections. The systems with different values of β are not equivalent for nonstationary magnetic fields or time-dependent parameters β ( t ) , due to different structures of induced electric fields. Using the approximation of the stepwise variations of parameters, we obtain explicit formulas describing the change of the mean energy and magnetic moment. The generation of squeezing with respect to the relative and guiding center coordinates is also studied. The change of magnetic moment can be twice bigger for the Landau gauge than for the circular gauge, and this change can happen without any change of the angular momentum. A strong amplification of the magnetic moment can happen even for rapidly decreasing magnetic fields.
Ship Detection under Complex Backgrounds Based on Accurate Rotated Anchor Boxes from Paired Semantic Segmentation
Authors: Xiao Xiaowu , Zhou Zhiqiang , Wang Bo , Li Linhao , Miao Lingjuan
Published: October 2019

It is still challenging to effectively detect ship objects in optical remote-sensing images with complex backgrounds. Many current CNN-based one-stage and two-stage detection methods usually first predefine a series of anchors with various scales, aspect ratios and angles, and then the detection results can be outputted by performing once or twice classification and bounding box regression for predefined anchors. However, most of the defined anchors have relatively low accuracy, and are useless for the following classification and regression. In addition, the preset anchors are not robust to produce good performance for other different detection datasets. To avoid the above problems, in this paper we design a paired semantic segmentation network to generate more accurate rotated anchors with smaller numbers. Specifically, the paired segmentation network predicts four parts (i.e., top-left, bottom-right, top-right, and bottom-left parts) of ships. By combining paired top-left and bottom-right parts (or top-right and bottom-left parts), we can take the minimum bounding box of these two parts as the rotated anchor. This way can be more robust to different ship datasets, and the generated anchors are more accurate and have fewer numbers. Furthermore, to effectively use fine-scale detail information and coarse-scale semantic information, we use the magnified convolutional features to classify and regress the generated rotated anchors. Meanwhile, the horizontal minimum bounding box of the rotated anchor is also used to combine more context information. We compare the proposed algorithm with state-of-the-art object-detection methods for natural images and ship-detection methods, and demonstrate the superiority of our method.
SAR Pancake Ice Thickness Retrieval in the Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica) during the PIPERS Expedition in Winter 2017
Authors: Aulicino Giuseppe , Wadhams Peter , Parmiggiani Flavio
Published: October 2019

Pancake and frazil ice represent an important component of the Arctic and Antarctic cryosphere, especially in marginal ice zones. The retrieval of their thickness by remote sensing is, in general, a difficult task. A processing system was developed and refined by the present authors in the framework of the EU SPICES project; it is meant for routinely deriving ice thickness in frazil-pancake regions using the spectral changes in wave spectra from imagery provided by space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems. This methodology was successfully tested in the Beaufort Sea through comparison with ground truth collected during the cruise of the “Sikuliaq” in the fall of 2015. In the present study, this technique has been adapted and applied to Antarctic frazil/pancake icefields using COSMO-SkyMed satellite images. Our retrievals were analyzed and validated through a comparison with co-located in situ observations collected during the 2017 PIPERS cruise in Terra Nova Bay polynya. A broad agreement was found between measured thicknesses and those retrieved from the SAR analysis. Results and statistics presented and discussed in detail in this study represent a step towards the autonomous measurement of pancake icefields in remote areas such as Antarctic coastal polynyas and marginal ice zones.
Spatio-Temporal Variations of Carbon Use Efficiency in Natural Terrestrial Ecosystems and the Relationship with Climatic Factors in the Songnen Plain, China
Authors: Li Bo , Huang Fang , Qin Lijie , Qi Hang , Sun Ning
Published: October 2019

The Songnen Plain (SNP) is an important grain production base, and is designated as an ecological red-line as a protected area in China. Natural ecosystems such as the ecological protection barrier play an important role in maintaining the productivity and sustainability of farmland. Carbon use efficiency (CUE), defined as the ratio of net primary productivity (NPP) to gross primary productivity (GPP), represents the ecosystem capacity of transferring carbon from the atmosphere to terrestrial biomass. The understanding of the CUE of natural ecosystems in protected farmland areas is vital to predicting the impact of global change and human disturbances on carbon budgets and evaluating ecosystem functions. To date, the changes in CUE at different time scales and their relationships with climatic factors have yet to be fully understood. CUE and the response to land surface phenology are also deserving attention. In this study, variations in ecosystem CUE in the SNP during 2001–2015 were investigated using Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) GPP and NPP data products estimated using the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford approach (CASA) model. The relationships between CUE and phenological and climate factors were explored. The results showed that ecosystem CUE fluctuated over time in the SNP. The lowest and highest CUE values mainly occurred in May and October, respectively. At seasonal scale, average CUE followed a descending order of Autumn > Summer > Spring. The CUE of mixed forest was greater than that of other ecosystems at both monthly and seasonal scales. Land surface phenology plays an important role in the regulation of CUE. The earlier start (SOS), the later end (EOS) and longer length (LOS) of the growing season would contribute increasing of CUE. Precipitation and temperature affected CUE positively in most areas of the SNP. These findings help explain the CUE of natural ecosystems in the protected farmland areas and improve our understanding of ecosystem carbon allocation dynamics in temperate semi-humid to semi-arid transitional region under climate and phenological fluctuations.
UAV Multispectral Imagery Combined with the FAO-56 Dual Approach for Maize Evapotranspiration Mapping in the North China Plain
Authors: Tang Jiandong , Han Wenting , Zhang Liyuan
Published: October 2019

As the key principle of precision farming, variation of actual crop evapotranspiration (ET) within the field serves as the basis for crop management. Although the estimation of evapotranspiration has achieved great progress through the combination of different remote sensing data and the FAO-56 crop coefficient (Kc) method, lack of the accurate crop water stress coefficient (Ks) at different space–time scales still hinder its operational application to farmer practices. This work aims to explore the potential of multispectral images taken from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for estimating the temporal and spatial variability of Ks under the water stress condition and mapping the variability of field maize ET combined with the FAO-56 Kc model. To search for an optimal estimation method, the performance of several models was compared including models based on Ks either derived from the crop water stress index (CWSI) or calculated by the canopy temperature ratio (Tc ratio), and combined with the basal crop coefficient (Kcb) based on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Compared with the Ks derived from the Tc ratio, the CWSI-based Ks responded well to water stress and had strong applicability and convenience. The results of the comparison show that ET derived from the Ks-CWSI had a higher correlation with the modified FAO-56 method, with an R2 = 0.81, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.95 mm/d, and d = 0.94. In contrast, ET derived from the Ks-Tc ratio had a relatively lower correlation with an R2 = 0.68 and RMSE = 1.25 mm/d. To obtain the evapotranspiration status of the whole maize field and formulate reasonable irrigation schedules, the CWSI obtained by a handheld infrared thermometer was inverted by the renormalized difference vegetation index (RDVI) and the transformed chlorophyll absorption in reflectance index (TCARI). Then, the whole map of Ks can be derived from the VIs by the relationship between CWSI and Ks and can be taken as the basic input for ET estimation at the field scale. The final ET results based on multispectral UAV interpolation measurements can well reflect the crop ET status under different irrigation levels, and greatly help to improve irrigation scheduling through more precise management of deficit irrigation.
Microwire-Based Sensor Array for Measuring Wheel Loads of Vehicles
Authors: Olivera Jesus , Aparicio Sofia , Hernández Margarita Gonzalez , Zhukov Arcady , Varga Rastislav , Campusano Maximo , Echavarria Enmanuel , Anaya Velayos Jose Javier
Published: October 2019

In this paper, a magnetic microwire-based sensor array embedded under the pavement is proposed as a weighing system at customs ports of entry. This sensor is made of a cementitious material suitable for embedding within the core of concrete structures prior to curing. The objective of this research is to verify the feasibility of stress monitoring for concrete materials using an array of cement-based stress/strain sensors that have been developed using the magnetic sensing property of an embedded microwire in a cement-based composite. Test results for microwire-based sensors and gauge sensors are compared. The strain sensitivity and their linearity are investigated through experimental testing under compressive loadings. Sensors made of these materials can be designed to satisfy specific needs and reduce costs in the production of sensor aggregates with improved coupling performance, thus avoiding any disturbance to the stress state.
Service Benefit Aware Multi-Task Assignment Strategy for Mobile Crowd Sensing
Authors: Li Zhidu , Liu Hailiang , Wang Ruyan
Published: October 2019

Mobile crowd sensing (MCS) systems usually attract numerous participants with widely varying sensing costs and interest preferences to perform tasks, where accurate task assignment plays an indispensable role and also faces many challenges (e.g., how to simplify the complicated task assignment process and improve matching accuracy between tasks and participants, while guaranteeing submitted data credibility). To overcome these challenges, we propose a service benefit aware multi-task assignment (SBAMA) strategy in this paper. Firstly, service benefits of participants are modeled based on their task difficulty, task history, sensing capacity, and sensing positivity to meet differentiated requirements of various task types. Subsequently, users are then clustered by enhanced fuzzy clustering method. Finally, a gradient descent algorithm is designed to match task types to participants achieving the maximum service benefit. Simulation results verify that the proposed task assignment strategy not only effectively reduces matching complexity but also improves task completion rate.
An ISE-based On-Site Soil Nitrate Nitrogen Detection System
Authors: Li Yanhua , Yang Qingliang , Chen Ming , Wang Maohua , Zhang Miao
Published: October 2019

Soil nitrate–nitrogen (NO3−-N) is one of the primary factors used to control nitrogen topdressing application during the crop growth period. The ion-selective electrode (ISE) is a promising method for rapid lower-cost in-field detection. Due to the simplification of sample preparation, the accuracy and stability of ISE-based in-field detection is doubted. In this paper, a self-designed prototype system for on-site soil NO3−-N detection was developed. The procedure of spinning centrifugation was used to avoid interference from soil slurry suspension. A modified Nernstian prediction model was quantitatively characterized with outputs from both the ISE and the soil moisture sensor. The measurement accuracy of the sensor fusion model was comparable with the laboratory ISE detections with standard sample pretreatment. Compared with the standard spectrometric method, the average absolute error (AE) and root-mean-square error (RMSE) were found to be less than 4.7 and 6.1 mg/L, respectively. The on-site soil testing efficiency was 4–5 min/sample, which reduced the operation time by 60% compared with manual sample preparation. The on-site soil NO3−-N status was dynamically monitored for 42 consecutive days. The declining peak of NO3−-N was observed. In all, the designed ISE-based detection system demonstrated a promising capability for the dynamic on-site monitoring of soil macronutrients.
Research on Longitudinal Active Collision Avoidance of Autonomous Emergency Braking Pedestrian System (AEB-P)
Authors: Yang Wei , Zhang Xiang , Lei Qian , Cheng Xin
Published: October 2019

The AEB-P (Autonomous Emergency Braking Pedestrian) system has the functional requirements of avoiding the pedestrian collision and ensuring the pedestrian’s life safety. By studying relevant theoretical systems, such as TTC (time to collision) and braking safety distance, an AEB-P warning model was established, and the traffic safety level and work area of the AEB-P warning system were defined. The upper-layer fuzzy neural network controller of the AEB-P system was designed, and the BP (backpropagation) neural network was trained by collected pedestrian longitudinal anti-collision braking operation data of experienced drivers. Also, the fuzzy neural network model was optimized by introducing the genetic algorithm. The lower-layer controller of the AEB-P system was designed based on the PID (proportional integral derivative controller) theory, which realizes the conversion of the expected speed reduction to the pressure of a vehicle braking pipeline. The relevant pedestrian test scenarios were set up based on the C-NCAP (China-new car assessment program) test standards. The CarSim and Simulink co-simulation model of the AEB-P system was established, and a multi-condition simulation analysis was performed. The results showed that the proposed control strategy was credible and reliable and could flexibly allocate early warning and braking time according to the change in actual working conditions, to reduce the occurrence of pedestrian collision accidents.
Three-Point Inverse and Forward Kinematic Algorithms for Circle Measurement from Distributed Displacement Sensor Network
Authors: Mayyas Mohammad
Published: October 2019

Automatic fitting of an arc center and radius is a quality problem frequently encountered when manufacturing a mechanical component. Due to the complexity of the measurement, validating each manufactured component via inspection is not feasible or economical. This paper introduces a new validation procedure for measuring arcs from distributed sensors. The goal of this proposed measurement process is to improve measurement throughput (i.e., parts measured per unit of time) and reduce measurement errors associated with hardware and algorithms. This proposed model develops a three-point inverse kinematic algorithm (TPIK) accompanied by a calibration master to obtain the relative location of the measurement system by solving a set of six non-linear equations. This technique allows deployment of a high accuracy gauge systems that in general, reduces machine and algorithm errors. The direct fitting is validated by using mathematical, CAD, and experimental models. Furthermore, a modified definition for the roundness index is introduced based on the proposed forward and inverse algorithms. The simulations examine the roundness index in relation to the measurement precision, sampling angle, nominal radius, and part variation. A benefit of this proposed method is accurate and rapid inspection of the radii and elimination of the human error associated with part loading variation during conventional radii measurement. The rapid, accurate inspection and corresponding reduction in human error make this method an excellent process for inspection of large quantities of components.
Derivation of All Attitude Error Governing Equations for Attitude Filtering and Control
Authors: Bani Younes Ahmad , Mortari Daniele
Published: October 2019

This article presents the full analytical derivations of the attitude error kinematics equations. This is done for several attitude error representations, obtaining compact closed-forms expressions. Attitude error is defined as the rotation between true and estimated orientations. Two distinct approaches to attitude error kinematics are developed. In the first, the estimated angular velocity is defined in the true attitude axes frame, while in the second, it is defined in the estimated attitude axes frame. The first approach is of interest in simulations where the true attitude is known, while the second approach is for real estimation/control applications. Two nonlinear kinematic models are derived that are valid for arbitrarily large rotations and rotation rates. The results presented are expected to be broadly useful to nonlinear attitude estimation/control filtering formulations. A discussion of the benefits of the derived error kinematic models is included.
A Method to Assess and Reduce Pollutant Emissions of Logistic Transportation under Adverse Weather
Authors: Zhang Mingkong , Hu Xiaobing , Wang Jingai
Published: October 2019

With the increase of vehicle activities and adverse weather under the background of modernization and global warming, more attention should be paid to vehicle emissions reduction in such circumstances for environmental protection and sustainable transportation. Different from some typical measures, e.g., relevant government policies, improvement of vehicle hardware technologies, and optimization of traffic management, this paper develop a new method based on emergency path optimization to evaluate and reduce pollutant emissions of logistic transportation under adverse weather. Firstly, we establish a calculation model of pollutant emissions (LT-PE model) to calculate the amount of vehicle pollutant emissions produced under adverse weather. Then, a co-evolving path optimization (CEPO) method-based ripple-spreading algorithm is proposed in order to reduce pollutant emissions. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, this paper selects fruit logistics transportation affected by typhoon in China’s Hainan Island as a case study. The results show that total vehicle pollutant emissions from the fruit transportation of 35 farms under the typhoon are 28.1% more than when there is no typhoon. The proposed method can reduce pollutant emissions by 21.2% compared with the traditional methods under typhoon.
Economic Dispatch Optimization of Multi-Water Resources: A Case Study of an Island in South Korea
Authors: Gnawali Kapil , Han Kuk Heon , Geem Zong Woo , Jun Kyung Soo , Yum Kyung Taek
Published: October 2019

Ensuring stable and continuous water supplies in isolated but populated areas, such as islands, where the water supply is highly dependent on external factors, is crucial. Sudden loss of function in the water supply system can have enormous social costs. To strengthen water security and to meet multiple water demands with marginal quality, the optimized selection of locally available, diversified multi-water resources is necessary. This study considers a sustainable water supply problem of Yeongjong Island, 30 km west from Seoul, South Korea. The self-sufficiency of several locally available water resources is calculated for four different scenarios based on the volume and quality of the various water sources. Our optimization results show that using all the available local sources can address the water security issues of the island in the case of interruption in the existing supply system, which is fed from a single source of mainland Korea. This optimization framework can be useful for areas where water must be secured in the event of emergency.
The Role of Small Farm Activities for the Sustainable Management of Agricultural Landscapes: Case Studies from Europe
Authors: Slámová Martina , Belčáková Ingrid
Published: October 2019

In Europe, a broad variety of agricultural landscape types have originated as a result of traditional farming activities and landscape diversity maintenance over centuries. The rapid development of socio-economic activities during the twentieth century caused significant loss of traditional rural landscapes. Traditional/historical European agricultural landscape types (EALs) represent a type of cultural landscape with many specific unique cultural, historical, and biodiversity patterns. Despite their high value, maintenance in practice is lacking. European farmers and landowners need to learn how to implement innovative multifunctional farming techniques within these landscapes. An online interactive educational tool of the ERASMUS+ FEAL project (FEAL: multifunctional Farming for the sustainability of European Agricultural Landscapes) deals with these topics. Case studies from the FEAL project showed the best examples of sustainable agricultural management practices in different types of EALs. The aim of this article was to evaluate case studies within coordination of information on the environment (CORINE) Land Cover (CLC) 2012 classes representing traditional land use forms, nature and landscape protection areas, and ecologically important areas, as well as High Nature Value (HNV) farmland. Results based on 28 case studies from five European countries interpreted the positive external effects of farms on values of EALs. A prevailing number of farms exhibited a coincidence between CLC 2012 classes with traditional land use forms and HNV farmland and protected areas. Regarding land cover classes with traditional land use forms, key words selected by farmers gave importance to recreation and tourism, furthering of biodiversity, direct sale, social farming, renewable energy, and traditional building. The highest frequencies of the key words were achieved in CLC 2012 classes concerning (to some degree) natural and semi-natural ecosystems.
Pre-Service Teachers’ Reflections on Cooperative Learning: Instructional Approaches and Identity Construction
Authors: Cañabate Dolors , Serra Teresa , Bubnys Remigijus , Colomer Jordi
Published: October 2019

This paper focusses on university pre-service teachers developing cooperative physical challenges within reflective and cooperative learning frameworks. The pre-service teachers were involved in reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action and contemplated their professional identity in both reflective narratives and focus group discussions. The students’ reflections were scored using two rubrics. The first elements scored from the pre-service teacher’s reflective narratives included the focus of the reflection, awareness of previous beliefs, knowledge, and experiences, inquiring and focusing on possible actions through questions and hypotheses, and arguing for concrete learning objectives. The second rubric scored elements of the pre-service teachers’ professional identity, including self-esteem, task perception, job motivation, and expectations about future jobs. The results from the instructional cooperative approaches based on the reflections on the in-practice at a primary school disclosed the differences between them, with the non-structured approach scoring higher than the structured one. The cooperative challenges, when embedded in the reflection process, profoundly helped pre-service teachers to identify aspects of their professional identity that would ensure an effective intake of sustainable competences.
Analytic Hierarchy of Motivating and Demotivating Factors Affecting Labor Productivity in the Construction Industry: The Case of Azerbaijan
Authors: Aghayeva Konul , Ślusarczyk Beata
Published: October 2019

This research is aimed to identify and comparatively assess the motivation factors influencing labor productivity from the construction employees’ perception. Based on results of a filled-in and returned questionnaire distributed among 350 workers and managers from 25 construction companies throughout the Republic of Azerbaijan, motivation and demotivation factors were identified. The statistical analysis of motivation drivers showed that most important ones for all construction employees are remuneration (including its timely payment), job security, bonuses, and fringe benefits. Among top demotivators for all types of employees are unsafe work conditions, underpayment, and colleagues’ aggressive management style. Workers are also affected by bad treatment by managers and changing on workmates. While workers are more concerned with quality of site management and good relations with colleagues, managers are more motivated by responsible job and challenging tasks and demotivated by chaos and incompetent colleagues. Thus, according to the study, both economic and non-economic motivation and demotivation drivers occurred to be important for construction employees, and must be accounted by human resource (HR) officers. The results of the research would assist construction companies’ management in developing more precise and employee-oriented human resources strategies and policies.
Predicting the Price of WTI Crude Oil Using ANN and Chaos
Authors: Yin Tao , Wang Yiming
Published: October 2019

This paper mainly studied the chaotic characteristics and prediction of WTI crude oil monthly price time series from January 1980 to June 2017. Meanwhile, we analyzed whether the major shock of the financial crisis in July 2008 would break the chaotic character of the time series. In addition, when using the largest lyapunov exponent to determine chaotic characteristics, the robustness test of the largest lyapunov exponent was carried out using bootstrap method. Then, we utilized three types of prediction models (ANN+Chaos-type models, Chaos-type model and ANN-type models) to predict the price of crude oil in different months. And we found that the prediction accuracy of ANN-type model is lower than the other type models. This indicated that the accuracy of the prediction with ANN model under the model misspecification is not high because the time series of WTI crude oil price has chaotic characteristics. At last, we constructed a new predictive model, namely HWP-CHAOS model, to compare the prediction accuracy of the above three type models, and discovered the best prediction model among these models is HWP-CHAOS model.
Environmental Criteria for Assessing the Competitiveness of Public Tenders with the Replacement of Large-Scale LEDs in the Outdoor Lighting of Cities as a Key Element for Sustainable Development: Case Study Applied with PROMETHEE Methodology
Authors: Hermoso-Orzáez Manuel Jesús , Lozano-Miralles José Adolfo , Lopez-Garcia Rafael , Brito Paulo
Published: October 2019

The technological change to LEDs is an unstoppable reality which, little by little, is becoming increasingly important in terms of the lighting inside and outside our homes. The exterior lighting of our cities is moving decisively and clearly towards the incorporation of this technology in urban spaces. The energy efficiency, light quality, and economic benefits of LED technology are an unquestionable reality. This is causing public administration projects involving large-scale switches to LEDs to be promoted and financed; however, it is beginning to be observed that the commitment to the policies decided by this technology should take into account some environmental aspects which have not been studied to date. The environmental impact of the substitutions is caused by the need to valorize the replaced luminaires. Until now, most have been stored without the possibility of use, reuse, or recovery. The environmental impact produced in the manufacture of LED luminaires that replace the old sodium vapor (VSAP) or metal halide (MH) discharge lamps must also be considered. In addition, in the administrative clauses specifications that govern the public tenders, it is observed that the fundamental environmental aspects both of recycling the old lamps, and of the life cycle analysis (LCA) of the luminaires that are replacing them, have not been contemplated or valued with sufficient weight. In addition, there are very few public substitution contests in which environmental criteria are rewarded or valued in an important way. This work intends to summarize a methodological proposal using the techniques of multiple decision-making criteria for the selection of bidding companies for public outdoor lighting competitions. We propose the use of the PROMETHEE method multi-criteria analysis for the application of the most commonly used criteria for the luminaire LED selection process, including an environmental impact assessment with LCA techniques, and propose this as a case or model guide in the public contests of cities. A model of the bidding conditions that addresses and assesses the environmental aspects which are absolutely key to sustainable development is supported by the ecological criteria of the circular economy.
How Does Reciprocity Affect Undergraduate Student Orientation towards Stakeholders?
Authors: Godos-Díez José-Luis , Fernández-Gago Roberto , Cabeza-García Laura
Published: October 2019

Nowadays, students are more aware of the impact of companies on their stakeholders and the need for properly handling their expectations to operationalize corporate social responsibility. Nevertheless, little is known about how certain individual traits may relate to their stance on the issue. This exploratory research contributes to stakeholder theory by analysing the effect of the individual’s decision-making process, including the consideration of their social preferences, on their orientation toward stakeholder management. Here, we draw upon a theoretical model for resource-allocation decision-making consisting of reciprocal and non-reciprocal components. Our data, from undergraduate students enrolled in different degrees, were collected through a questionnaire and two social within-subject experiments (ultimatum and dictator games). Thus, our results show that the presence of a reciprocal component when decisions are made is positively linked to an instrumental orientation toward stakeholders. In addition, a greater non-reciprocal component in the decision-making process corresponds to a more normative orientation.
Pennisetum Hydridum’s Potential for Controlling Invasive Chromolaena Odorata
Authors: Xu Qiu-Yuan , Wang Dan , Quan Guo-Ming , Zhang Jia-En , Li Rong-Hua , Liu Hui
Published: October 2019

The exotic Chromolaena odorata is one of the most destructive invasive plant species in South China, and hence an efficient and sustainable control method is urgent. One method, replacement control, which eliminates harmful plants by introducing another competitive plant, is being used increasingly for controlling invasive plants. To test the potential of Pennisetum hydridum to control C. odorata, a series of polyculture experiments with different proportions of the two species was conducted. Competitive indices, plant morphological and physiological traits, and soil nutrient contents were measured to test the impacts of P. hydridum on C. odorata. The presence of P. hydridum significantly suppressed growth of C. odorata, and P. hydridum was not sensitive to the presence of C. odorata. Moreover, increased root/shoot ratios of P. hydridum enhanced its underground competitive ability, and competition between the two species resulted in remarkable reductions of soil nutrient contents which would further decrease the competitiveness of the invasive C. odorata. In summary, our results suggest that P. hydridum is a prospective candidate to control C. odorata.
Economic Resilience of German Lignite Regions in Transition
Authors: Stognief Nora , Walk Paula , Schöttker Oliver , Oei Pao-Yu
Published: October 2019

This paper recalls the development of the German lignite regions Rhineland and Lusatia since 1945 to allow for a better understanding of their situation in 2019. We analyze their economic resilience, defined as adaptive capacity, using Holling’s adaptive cycle model. We find that the Rhineland is currently in the conservation phase, while Lusatia experiences a reorganization phase following the economic shock of the German reunification. Key policy recommendations for the upcoming coal phase-out are to foster innovation within the Rhineland’s infrastructures to avoid overconnection, and to expand digital and transportation infrastructure in Lusatia so that the structurally weak region can enter the exploitation phase. Future policymaking should take into consideration the differences between the two regions in order to enable a just and timely transition during which lasting adaptive capacity can be built.
The Landscape Patterns of the Giant Panda Protection Area in Sichuan Province and Their Impact on Giant Pandas
Authors: Qin Qing , Huang Yuan , Liu Jingru , Chen Dai , Zhang Ling , Qiu Jian , Tan Hongli , Wen Yali
Published: October 2019

As the flagship species of biodiversity conservation in China, the giant panda has significant ecological protection value and plays an important demonstrative role for conservation. Sichuan Province has the largest area of giant panda habitat, making its protected areas the most important for the conservation of this species. However, the habitats of the giant panda are shrinking due to human disturbance through land encroachment for agriculture and other forms of resource exploitation. Reducing these pressures requires assessing current land use and the causes of fragmenting giant panda habitats. This paper reports on changes in land-use patterns and socio-economic development in typical counties with giant panda habitats in Sichuan in 2003 and 2015, with a focus on giant panda protection areas and human pressures in the surrounding lands. We found that road construction, industrial infrastructure, and other forms of economic development have led to increases in human populations and fragmentation of the giant panda habitats, such that that the population of this species has been significantly reduced in some counties. Improving the protection of giant panda requires designing regional economic development activities based on scientific principles to provide benefits to both the local people and the giant pandas. For example, when making land use plans, the local government should consider the impact of the development of the communities surrounding the giant panda areas on the giant pandas’ habitat.
Designing Powerful Learning Environments in Education for Sustainable Development: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Sinakou Eleni , Donche Vincent , Boeve-de Pauw Jelle , Van Petegem Peter
Published: October 2019

Policymakers have pinpointed the importance of living in a more sustainable society. Education for Sustainable Development aims at developing future citizens competent to take actions in order to cope with Sustainable Development issues. The instructional design that teachers apply in class play a crucial role in students’ learning. This study is a conceptual analysis based on a narrative review of the literature in the field of Environmental Education/Education for Sustainable Development. It makes use of the CLIA-model (Competence, Learning, Intervention, Assessment), developed by De Corte, Verschaffel and Masui in 2004 to prescribe how a powerful learning environment in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) could be developed. In particular, the study focusses on the Intervention component. Holistic, pluralistic as well as action-oriented teaching in Education for Sustainable Development are thought to be effective in cultivating students’ action competence. This paper presents first the Action-oriented ESD framework. This framework consists of five components: (a) action-taking, b) students’ leadership in their learning and teaching, c) peer interaction, (d) community involvement and e) interdisciplinarity. We then integrate the Action-oriented ESD framework with Holism and Pluralism into the Holism-Pluralism-Action-orientation in the ESD framework. Integrating holistic, pluralistic as well as action-oriented teaching in ESD is highly important in theoretical discussion as well as in instructional design. The Holism-Pluralism-Action-orientation ESD framework addresses the lack of an integrated conceptual framework in the field of ESD. This framework is motivated by a growing consensus on the importance of these three approaches in ESD teaching. The Holism-Pluralism-Action-orientation in ESD Framework is based on more than three decades of efforts to define knowledge on Environmental Education/Education for Sustainable Development teaching and on the rich and growing body of research on effective ESD teaching.
Simulation of the Impact of Urban Forest Scale on PM2.5 and PM10 based on System Dynamics
Authors: Zhou Yejing , Liu Helin , Zhou Jingxuan , Xia Meng
Published: October 2019

In the context of ecological civil construction in China, afforestation is highly valued. Planting trees can improve air quality in China’s large cities. However, there is a lack of scientific analysis quantifying the impact urban forest scale has on the air quality, and what scale is advisable. The problem still exists of subjective decision-making in afforestation. Similar studies have rarely analyzed the long-term effect research of urban forests on air improvement. Using as an example, the city of Wuhan, this paper identifies the regularity between particulate matter concentration and adsorption of sample leaves, and establishes a system dynamics model of "economy, energy and atmospheric environment.” By combining this regularity with the model, the long-term impact of forest scale on particulate matter and atmospheric environment was simulated. The results show that if the forest coverage rate reaches at least 30%, the annual average concentrations of inhalable particulate matter (PM10) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can both reach the Grade I limit of national Ambient Air Quality Standard by 2050. The current forest cover is 22.9% of the administrative area. Increasing the forest cover by 600 km2 would increase this percentage to 30% of the total area. In the long run (by the year 2050), however, we showed that this increase would only reduce the annual concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 by 1–2%. Therefore, about 90% of the concentration reduction would still rely on the traditional emission reduction measures. More other ecological functions of forests should be considered in afforestation plan.
Determination of Aflatoxin B1 and B2 in Vegetable Oils Using Fe3O4/rGO Magnetic Solid Phase Extraction Coupled with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Fluorescence with Post-Column Photochemical Derivatization
Authors: Yu Li , Ma Fei , Zhang Liangxiao , Li Peiwu
Published: October 2019

In this study, magnetic graphene nanocomposite Fe3O4/rGO was synthesized by facile one-pot solvothermal method. The nanocomposite was successfully used as magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) adsorbents for the determination of aflatoxins in edible vegetable oils through the π–π stacking interactions. MSPE parameters including the amount of adsorbents, extraction and desorption time, washing conditions, and the type and volume of desorption solvent were optimized. Under optimal conditions, good linear relationships were achieved. Limits of detection of this method were as low as 0.02 µg/kg and 0.01 µg/kg for aflatoxin B1 and B2, respectively. Finally, the magnetic graphene nanocomposite was successfully applied to aflatoxin analysis in vegetable oils. The results indicated that the recoveries of the B-group aflatoxins ranged from 80.4% to 106.0%, whereas the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were less than 8.1%. Owing to the simplicity, rapidity and efficiency, Fe3O4/rGO magnetic solid phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography fluorescence with post-column photochemical derivatization (Fe3O4/rGO MSPE-HPLC-PCD-FLD) is a promising analytical method for routine and accurate determination of aflatoxins in lipid matrices.
Prey and Venom Efficacy of Male and Female Wandering Spider, Phoneutria boliviensis (Araneae: Ctenidae)
Authors: Valenzuela-Rojas Juan Carlos , González-Gómez Julio César , van der Meijden Arie , Cortés Juan Nicolás , Guevara Giovany , Franco Lida Marcela , Pekár Stano , García Luis Fernando
Published: October 2019

Spiders rely on venom to catch prey and few species are even capable of capturing vertebrates. The majority of spiders are generalist predators, possessing complex venom, in which different toxins seem to target different types of prey. In this study, we focused on the trophic ecology and venom toxicity of Phoneutria boliviensis F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897, a Central American spider of medical importance. We tested the hypothesis that its venom is adapted to catch vertebrate prey by studying its trophic ecology and venom toxicity against selected vertebrate and invertebrate prey. We compared both trophic ecology (based on acceptance experiments) and toxicity (based on bioassays) among sexes of this species. We found that P. boliviensis accepted geckos, spiders, and cockroaches as prey, but rejected frogs. There was no difference in acceptance between males and females. The venom of P. boliviensis was far more efficient against vertebrate (geckos) than invertebrate (spiders) prey in both immobilization time and LD50. Surprisingly, venom of males was more efficient than that of females. Our results suggest that P. boliviensis has adapted its venom to catch vertebrates, which may explain its toxicity to humans.
Venom Diversity and Evolution in the Most Divergent Cone Snail Genus Profundiconus
Authors: Fassio Giulia , Modica Maria Vittoria , Mary Lou , Zaharias Paul , Fedosov Alexander E. , Gorson Juliette , Kantor Yuri I. , Holford Mandё , Puillandre Nicolas
Published: October 2019

Profundiconus is the most divergent cone snail genus and its unique phylogenetic position, sister to the rest of the family Conidae, makes it a key taxon for examining venom evolution and diversity. Venom gland and foot transcriptomes of Profundiconus cf. vaubani and Profundiconus neocaledonicus were de novo assembled, annotated, and analyzed for differential expression. One hundred and thirty-seven venom components were identified from P. cf. vaubani and 82 from P. neocaledonicus, with only four shared by both species. The majority of the transcript diversity was composed of putative peptides, including conotoxins, profunditoxins, turripeptides, insulin, and prohormone-4. However, there were also a significant percentage of other putative venom components such as chymotrypsin and L-rhamnose-binding lectin. The large majority of conotoxins appeared to be from new gene superfamilies, three of which are highly different from previously reported venom peptide toxins. Their low conotoxin diversity and the type of insulin found suggested that these species, for which no ecological information are available, have a worm or molluscan diet associated with a narrow dietary breadth. Our results indicate that Profundiconus venom is highly distinct from that of other cone snails, and therefore important for examining venom evolution in the Conidae family.
Analysis of the Use of Cylindrospermopsin and/or Microcystin-Contaminated Water in the Growth, Mineral Content, and Contamination of Spinacia oleracea and Lactuca sativa
Authors: Llana-Ruiz-Cabello Maria , Jos Angeles , Cameán Ana , Oliveira Flavio , Barreiro Aldo , Machado Joana , Azevedo Joana , Pinto Edgar , Almeida Agostinho , Campos Alexandre , Vasconcelos Vitor , Freitas Marisa
Published: October 2019

Cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins constitute a serious environmental and human health problem. Moreover, concerns are raised with the use of contaminated water in agriculture and vegetable production as this can lead to food contamination and human exposure to toxins as well as impairment in crop development and productivity. The objective of this work was to assess the susceptibility of two green vegetables, spinach and lettuce, to the cyanotoxins microcystin (MC) and cylindrospermopsin (CYN), individually and in mixture. The study consisted of growing both vegetables in hydroponics, under controlled conditions, for 21 days in nutrient medium doped with MC or CYN at 10 μg/L and 50 μg/L, or CYN/MC mixture at 5 + 5 μg/L and 25 + 25 μg/L. Extracts from M. aeruginosa and C. ovalisporum were used as sources of toxins. The study revealed growth inhibition of the aerial part (Leaves) in both species when treated with 50µg/L of MC, CYN and CYN/MC mixture. MC showed to be more harmful to plant growth than CYN. Moreover spinach leaves growth was inhibited by both 5 + 5 and 25 + 25 µg/L CYN/MC mixtures, whereas lettuce leaves growth was inhibited only by 25 + 25 µg/L CYN/MC mixture. Overall, growth data evidence increased sensitivity of spinach to cyanotoxins in comparison to lettuce. On the other hand, plants exposed to CYN/MC mixture showed differential accumulation of CYN and MC. In addition, CYN, but not MC, was translocated from the roots to the leaves. CYN and MC affected the levels of minerals particularly in plant roots. The elements most affected were Ca, K and Mg. However, in leaves K was the mineral that was affected by exposure to cyanotoxins.