bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards Better Visualisation of Alpine Quaternary Landform Features on High-Resolution Digital Elevation Models
Authors: Novak Andrej , Oštir Krištof
Published: October 2021

Alpine topography is formed by a complex series of geomorphological processes that result in a vast number of different landforms. The youngest and most diverse landforms are various Quaternary sedimentary bodies, each characterised by its unique landform features. The formation of Quaternary sedimentary bodies and their features derive from the dominant building sedimentary processes. In recent years, studies of Quaternary sedimentary bodies and processes have been greatly aided by the use of digital elevation models (DEMs) derived by airborne laser scanning (ALS). High-resolution DEMs allow detailed mapping of sedimentary bodies, detection of surface changes, and recognition of the building sedimentary processes. DEMs are often displayed as hillshaded reliefs, the most common visualisation technique, which suffers from the limitation of a single illumination source. As a result, features can be barely visible or even invisible to the viewer if they are parallel to the light source or hidden in the shadow. These limitations become challenging when representing landforms and subtle landscape features in a diverse alpine topography. In this study, we focus on eleven visualisations of Quaternary sedimentary bodies and their sedimentary and morphological features on a 0.5 m resolution DEM. We qualitatively compare analytical hillshading with a set of visualisation techniques contained in the Raster Visualisation Toolbox software, primarily hillshading from multiple directions RGB, 8-bit sky view factor and 8-bit slope. The aim is to determine which visualisation technique is best suited for visual recognition of sedimentary bodies and sedimentation processes in complex alpine landscapes. Detailed visual examination of previously documented Pleistocene moraine and lacustrine deposits, Holocene alluvial fans, scree deposits, debris flow and fluvial deposits on the created visualisations revealed several small-scale morphological and sedimentary features that were previously difficult or impossible to detect on analytical hillshading and aerial photographs. Hillshading from multiple directions resulted in a visualisation that could be universally applied across the mountainous and hilly terrains. In contrast, 8-bit sky view factor and 8-bit slope visualisations created better visibility and facilitated interpretation of subtle and small-scale (less than ten metres) sedimentary and morphological features.
A Flow Sensor-Based Suction-Index Control Strategy for Rotary Left Ventricular Assist Devices
Authors: Liang Lixue , Qin Kairong , El-Baz Ayman S. , Roussel Thomas J. , Sethu Palaniappan , Giridharan Guruprasad A. , Wang Yu
Published: October 2021

Rotary left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have emerged as a long-term treatment option for patients with advanced heart failure. LVADs need to maintain sufficient physiological perfusion while avoiding left ventricular myocardial damage due to suction at the LVAD inlet. To achieve these objectives, a control algorithm that utilizes a calculated suction index from measured pump flow (SIMPF) is proposed. This algorithm maintained a reference, user-defined SIMPF value, and was evaluated using an in silico model of the human circulatory system coupled to an axial or mixed flow LVAD with 5–10% uniformly distributed measurement noise added to flow sensors. Efficacy of the SIMPF algorithm was compared to a constant pump speed control strategy currently used clinically, and control algorithms proposed in the literature including differential pump speed control, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure control, mean aortic pressure control, and differential pressure control during (1) rest and exercise states; (2) rapid, eight-fold augmentation of pulmonary vascular resistance for (1); and (3) rapid change in physiologic states between rest and exercise. Maintaining SIMPF simultaneously provided sufficient physiological perfusion and avoided ventricular suction. Performance of the SIMPF algorithm was superior to the compared control strategies for both types of LVAD, demonstrating pump independence of the SIMPF algorithm.
An Improved Rapidly-Exploring Random Trees Algorithm Combining Parent Point Priority Determination Strategy and Real-Time Optimization Strategy for Path Planning
Authors: Tian Lijing , Zhang Zhizhuo , Zheng Change , Tian Ye , Zhao Yuchen , Wang Zhongyu , Qin Yihan
Published: October 2021

In order to solve the problems of long path planning time and large number of redundant points in the rapidly-exploring random trees algorithm, this paper proposed an improved algorithm based on the parent point priority determination strategy and the real-time optimization strategy to optimize the rapidly-exploring random trees algorithm. First, in order to shorten the path-planning time, the parent point is determined before generating a new point, which eliminates the complicated process of traversing the random tree to search the parent point when generating a new point. Second, a real-time optimization strategy is combined, whose core idea is to compare the distance of a new point, its parent point, and two ancestor points to the target point when a new point is generated, choosing the new point that is helpful for the growth of the random tree to reduce the number of redundant points. Simulation results of 3-dimensional path planning showed that the success rate of the proposed algorithm, which combines the strategy of parent point priority determination and the strategy of real-time optimization, was close to 100%. Compared with the rapidly-exploring random trees algorithm, the number of points was reduced by more than 93.25%, the path planning time was reduced by more than 91.49%, and the path length was reduced by more than 7.88%. The IRB1410 manipulator was used to build a test platform in a laboratory environment. The path obtained by the proposed algorithm enables the manipulator to safely avoid obstacles to reach the target point. The conclusion can be made that the proposed strategy has a better performance on optimizing the success rate, the number of points, the planning time, and the path length.
Detecting Fall Risk and Frailty in Elders with Inertial Motion Sensors: A Survey of Significant Gait Parameters
Authors: Ruiz-Ruiz Luisa , Jimenez Antonio R. , Garcia-Villamil Guillermo , Seco Fernando
Published: October 2021

In the elderly, geriatric problems such as the risk of fall or frailty are a challenge for society. Patients with frailty present difficulties in walking and higher fall risk. The use of sensors for gait analysis allows the detection of objective parameters related to these pathologies and to make an early diagnosis. Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) are wearables that, due to their accuracy, portability, and low price, are an excellent option to analyze human gait parameters in health-monitoring applications. Many relevant gait parameters (e.g., step time, walking speed) are used to assess motor, or even cognitive, health problems in the elderly, but we perceived that there is not a full consensus on which parameters are the most significant to estimate the risk of fall and the frailty state. In this work, we analyzed the different IMU-based gait parameters proposed in the literature to assess frailty state (robust, prefrail, or frail) or fall risk. The aim was to collect the most significant gait parameters, measured from inertial sensors, able to discriminate between patient groups and to highlight those parameters that are not relevant or for which there is controversy among the examined works. For this purpose, a literature review of the studies published in recent years was carried out; apart from 10 previous relevant reviews using inertial and other sensing technologies, a total of 22 specific studies giving statistical significance values were analyzed. The results showed that the most significant parameters are double-support time, gait speed, stride time, step time, and the number of steps/day or walking percentage/day, for frailty diagnosis. In the case of fall risk detection, parameters related to trunk stability or movements are the most relevant. Although these results are important, the total number of works found was limited and most of them performed the significance statistics on subsets of all possible gait parameters; this fact highlights the need for new frailty studies using a more complete set of gait parameters.
Discovering Daily Activity Patterns from Sensor Data Sequences and Activity Sequences
Authors: Sepesy Maučec Mirjam , Donaj Gregor
Published: October 2021

The necessity of caring for elderly people is increasing. Great efforts are being made to enable the elderly population to remain independent for as long as possible. Technologies are being developed to monitor the daily activities of a person to detect their state. Approaches that recognize activities from simple environment sensors have been shown to perform well. It is also important to know the habits of a resident to distinguish between common and uncommon behavior. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to discover a person’s common daily routines. The approach consists of sequence comparison and a clustering method to obtain partitions of daily routines. Such partitions are the basis to detect unusual sequences of activities in a person’s day. Two types of partitions are examined. The first partition type is based on daily activity vectors, and the second type is based on sensor data. We show that daily activity vectors are needed to obtain reasonable results. We also show that partitions obtained with generalized Hamming distance for sequence comparison are better than partitions obtained with the Levenshtein distance. Experiments are performed with two publicly available datasets.
FBG-Based Sensor for the Assessment of Heat Transfer Rate of Liquids in a Forced Convective Environment
Authors: Lazaro Renan , Frizera-Neto Anselmo , Marques Carlos , Castellani Carlos Eduardo Schmidt , Leal-Junior Arnaldo
Published: October 2021

The assessment of heat transfer is a complex task, especially for operations in the oil and gas industry, due to the harsh and flammable workspace. In light of the limitations of conventional sensors in harsh environments, this paper presents a fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based sensor for the assessment of the heat transfer rate (HTR) in different liquids. To better understand the phenomenon of heat distribution, a preliminary analysis is performed by constructing two similar scenarios: those with and without the thermal insulation of a styrofoam box. The results indicate the need for a minimum of thermal power to balance the generated heat with the thermal losses of the setup. In this minimum heat, the behavior of the thermal distribution changes from quadratic to linear. To assess such features, the estimation of the specific heat capacity and the thermal conductivity of water are performed from 3 W to 12 W, in 3 W steps, resulting in a specific heat of 1.144 cal/g °C and thermal conductivity of 0.5682 W/m °C. The calibration and validation of the HTR sensor is performed in a thermostatic bath. The method, based on the temperature slope relative to the time curve, allowed for the measurement of HTR in water and Kryo 51 oil, for different heat insertion configurations. For water, the HTR estimation was 308.782 W, which means an uncertainty of 2.8% with the reference value of the cooling power (300 W). In Kryo 51 oil, the estimated heat absorbed by the oil was 4.38 kW in heating and 718.14 kW in cooling.
An Enhancement for IEEE 802.11p to Provision Quality of Service with Context Aware Channel Access for the Forward Collision Avoidance Application in Vehicular Ad Hoc Network
Authors: C Tripti , M G Jibukumar
Published: October 2021

Key application of an intelligent transportation system is traffic safety, and it provides driver assistance. Safety messages are of two types, beacon messages and event messages. The nodes broadcast these messages in the vehicular networks. The system must rely on a robust medium access control (MAC) protocol to support delivery of safety messages. The standard medium access scheme that is used in vehicular networks to provide service differentiation to support various applications is IEEE 802.11p. The emergency event messages should reach the drivers immediately to take necessary steps to avoid casualties on the road. In IEEE 802.11p, both of these messages are considered with the same priority so that no separate differentiation is created. The proposed work focuses on improving the quality of service for forward collision warning applications in intelligent transportation systems. The scheme proposes a priority-based cooperative MAC (PCMAC) for channel access that works on the context of information. Simulation and analytical results validate improved performance of PCMAC in terms of packet delivery ratio, throughput, and average packet delivery delay, as compared with other eminent MAC protocols. The simulation results show that it has a 9% higher improvement in throughput than IEEE 802.11p and has better performance in the increasing number of emergency messages.
Impact of Structural Health Monitoring on Aircraft Operating Costs by Multidisciplinary Analysis
Authors: Cusati Vincenzo , Corcione Salvatore , Memmolo Vittorio
Published: October 2021

Structural health monitoring is recognized as a viable solution to increase aviation safety and decrease operating costs enabling a novel maintenance approach based on the actual condition of the airframe, mitigating operating costs induced by scheduled inspections. However, the net benefit is hardly demonstrated, and it is still unclear how the implementation of such an autonomic system can affect performance at aircraft level. To close this gap, this paper presents a systematic analysis where the impact of cost and weight of integrating permanently attached sensors—used for diagnostics- affect the main performance of the aircraft. Through a multidisciplinary aircraft analysis framework, the increment of aircraft operating empty weight is compared with the possible benefits in terms of direct operating costs to identify a breakeven point. Furthermore, the analysis allows to establish a design guideline for structural health monitoring systems returning a safer aircraft without any economic penalties. The results show that the operating costs are lower than those of the reference aircraft up to 4% increase in maximum take-off weight. Paper findings suggest to considering a condition monitoring strategy from the conceptual design stage, since it could maximize the impact of such innovative technology. However, it involves in a design of a brand-new aircraft instead of a modification of an existing one.
Resolving Cross-Sensitivity Effect in Fluorescence Quenching for Simultaneously Sensing Oxygen and Ammonia Concentrations by an Optical Dual Gas Sensor
Authors: Liu Chih-Yi , Deb Moumita , Sadhu Annada Sankar , Karmakar Riya , Huang Ping-Tsung , Lin Yi-Nan , Chu Cheng-Shane , Pal Bhola Nath , Chang Shih-Hsin , Biring Sajal
Published: October 2021

Simultaneous sensing of multiple gases by a single fluorescent-based gas sensor is of utmost importance for practical applications. Such sensing is strongly hindered by cross-sensitivity effects. In this study, we propose a novel analysis method to ameliorate such hindrance. The trial sensor used here was fabricated by coating platinum(II) meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (PtTFPP) and eosin-Y dye molecules on both sides of a filter paper for sensing O2 and NH3 gases simultaneously. The fluorescent peak intensities of the dyes can be quenched by the analytes and this phenomenon is used to identify the gas concentrations. Ideally, each dye is only sensitive to one gas species. However, the fluorescent peak related to O2 sensing is also quenched by NH3 and vice versa. Such cross-sensitivity strongly hinders gas concentration detection. Therefore, we have studied this cross-sensitivity effect systematically and thus proposed a new analysis method for accurate estimation of gas concentration. Comparing with a traditional method (neglecting cross-sensitivity), this analysis improves O2-detection error from −11.4% ± 34.3% to 2.0% ± 10.2% in a mixed background of NH3 and N2.
Ion Current Sensor for Gas Turbine Condition Dynamical Monitoring: Modeling and Characterization
Authors: Addabbo Tommaso , Fort Ada , Landi Elia , Mugnaini Marco , Parri Lorenzo , Vignoli Valerio , Zucca Alessandro , Romano Christian
Published: October 2021

This paper aims to thoroughly investigate the potential of ion current measurements in the context of combustion process monitoring in gas turbines. The study is targeted at characterizing the dynamic behavior of a typical ion-current measurement system based on a spark-plug. Starting from the preliminary study published in a previous work, the authors propose a refined model of the electrode (spark plug), based on the Langmuir probe theory, that incorporates the physical surface effects and proposes an optimized design of the conditioning electronics, which exploits a low frequency AC square wave biasing of the electrodes and allows for compensating some relevant parasitic effects. The authors present experimental results obtained in the laboratory, which allow for the evaluation of the validity of the model and the interpreting of the characteristics of the measurement signal. Finally, measurements carried out in the field on an industrial combustor are presented. The results confirm that the charged chemical species density sensed by the proposed measurement system and related to the mean value of the output signal is an indicator of the ‘average’ combustion process conditions in terms e.g., of air/fuel ratio, whereas the high frequency spectral component of the measured signal can give information related to the turbulent regime and to the presence of pressure pulsations. Results obtained with a prototype system demonstrated an achievable resolution of about 5 Pa on the estimated amplitude, even under small biasing voltage (22.5 V) and an estimated bandwidth of 10 kHz.
Short-Time Impedance Spectroscopy Using a Mode-Switching Nonsinusoidal Oscillator: Applicability to Biological Tissues and Continuous Measurement
Authors: Yamaguchi Tomiharu , Ogawa Emiyu , Ueno Akinori
Published: October 2021

Herein, we propose an impedance spectroscopy method using a mode-switching nonsinusoidal oscillator and apply this method for measuring the impedance of biological tissues and continuous impedance measurement. To obtain impedance spectra over a wide frequency range, we fabricated a novel nonsinusoidal oscillator incorporating binary counters and analog switches. This oscillator could periodically switch oscillation frequency through the mode switching of the feedback resistor. From the oscillation waveform at each oscillation frequency of this circuit (oscillator), we determined the impedance spectrum of a measured object using the discrete-time Fourier transform. Subsequently, we obtained the broad impedance spectrum of the measured object by merging odd-order harmonic spectral components up to the 19th order for each oscillation frequency. From the measured spectrum, the resistive and capacitive components of the circuit simulating bioimpedance were estimated with high accuracy. Moreover, the proposed method was used to measure the impedance of porcine myocardium; changes in the impedance spectrum of the myocardial tissue due to coagulation could be measured. Furthermore, rapid variations in the resistance value of a CdS photocell could be continuously measured using the proposed method.
Manufacturing and Characterization of Three-Axis Magnetic Sensors Using the Standard 180 nm CMOS Technology
Authors: Wu Chi-Han , Shih Po-Jen , Tsai Yao-Chuan , Dai Ching-Liang
Published: October 2021

A three-axis micro magnetic sensor (MS) is developed based on the standard 180 nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The MS designs two magnetic sensing elements (MSEs), which consists of an x/y-MSE and an z-MSE, to reduce cross-sensitivity. The x/y-MSE is constructed by an x-MSE and an y-MSE that are respectively employed to detect in the x- and y-direction magnetic field (MF). The z-MSE is used to sense in the z-direction MF. The x/y-MSE, which is constructed by two magnetotransistors, designs four additional collectors that are employed to increase the sensing current and to enhance the sensitivity of the MS. The Sentaurus TCAD software simulates the characteristic of the MS. The measured results reveal that the MS sensitivity is 534 mV/T in the x-direction MF, 525 mV/T in the y-direction MF and 119 mV/T in the z-axis MF.
Peak-Load-Regulation Nuclear Power Unit Fault Diagnosis Using Thermal Sensors Combined with Improved ICA-RF Algorithm
Authors: Wu Yifan , Wu Kaiyu , Li Wei , Chen Jianhong , Yu Zitao
Published: October 2021

Owing to the fact that large-scale peak-load-regulation nuclear power turbine units’ thermal signal is greatly influenced by background noise and has non-stationary and nonlinear characteristics, this paper proposes a new fault diagnosis method for thermal sensors based on an improved independent component analysis (Improved-ICA) algorithm and random forest (RF) algorithm. This method is based on independent component analysis (ICA), which is not capable of extracting components independently. Therefore, we propose the use of the maximum approximate information negative entropy optimization model in order to improve the ICA algorithm’s independent principal component extraction ability and obtain better non-Gaussian physical source signal separation results. The improved ICA algorithm is used for the blind source separation of the thermal parameters of peak-load-regulation nuclear power units. A series of stationary physical source functions and a series of non-stationary noise signals are obtained. Then, according to the specific signal format and data volume of the nuclear power parameter signal, the network parameters of the random forest algorithm are determined, giving rise to the fault diagnosis model. Finally, the real-time operation data of an 1121 MW nuclear power unit are used to complete the training and fault diagnosis of the random forest network and analyze the diagnosis results. The results indicate that the model can effectively mine the abnormal sample points of thermal parameters and classify the fault type of the thermal sensor during peak load operation of the nuclear power unit. The accuracy rate is found to be at the threshold of 99%.
Real-Time Fault Detection and Diagnosis of CaCO3 Reactive Crystallization Process by Electrical Resistance Tomography Measurements
Authors: Aghajanian Soheil , Rao Guruprasad , Ruuskanen Vesa , Wajman Radosław , Jackowska-Strumillo Lidia , Koiranen Tuomas
Published: October 2021

In the present research work, an electrical resistance tomography (ERT) system is utilized as a means for real-time fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) during a reactive crystallization process. The calcium carbonate crystallization is part of the carbon capture and utilization scheme where process monitoring and malfunction diagnostics strategies are presented. The graphical logic representation of the fault tree analysis methodology is used to develop the system failure states. The measurement consistency due to the use of a single electrode from a set of ERT electrodes for malfunction identification is experimentally and quantitatively investigated based on the sensor sensitivity and standard deviation criteria. Electrical current measurements are employed to develop a LabVIEW-based process automation program by using the process-specific knowledge and historical process data. Averaged electrical current is correlated to the mechanical failure of the stirrer through standard deviation evaluation, and slopes of the measured data are used to monitor the pump and concentrations status. The performance of the implemented methodology for detecting the induced faults and abnormalities is tested at different operating conditions, and a basic signal-based alarming technique is developed.
Quantitatively Recognizing Stimuli Intensity of Primary Taste Based on Surface Electromyography
Authors: Wang Hengyang , Lu Dongcheng , Liu Li , Gao Han , Wu Rumeng , Zhou Yueling , Ai Qing , Wang You , Li Guang
Published: October 2021

A novel approach to quantitatively recognize the intensity of primary taste stimuli was explored based on surface electromyography (sEMG). We captured sEMG samples under stimuli of primary taste with different intensities and quantitatively recognized preprocessed samples with Support Vector Machine (SVM). The feasibility of quantitatively recognizing the intensity of Sour, Bitter, and Salty was verified. The sEMG signals were acquired under the stimuli of citric acid (aq), sucrose (aq), magnesium chloride (aq), sodium chloride (aq), and sodium glutamate (aq) with different concentrations, for five types of primary tastes: Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Salty, and Umami, whose order was fixed in this article. The acquired signals were processed with a method called Quadratic Variation Reduction to remove baseline wandering, and an adaptive notch to remove power frequency interference. After extracting 330 features for each sample, an SVM regressor with five-fold cross-validation was performed and the model reached R2 scores of 0.7277, 0.1963, 0.7450, 0.7642, and 0.5055 for five types of primary tastes, respectively, which manifested the feasibilities of the quantitative recognitions of Sour, Bitter, and Salty. To explore the facial responses to taste stimuli, we summarized and compared the muscle activities under stimuli of different taste types and taste intensities. To further simplify the model, we explored the impact of feature dimensionalities and optimized the feature combination for each taste in a channel-wise manner, and the feature dimensionality was reduced from 330 to 210, 120, 210, 260, 170 for five types of primary tastes, respectively. Lastly, we analyzed the model performance on multiple subjects and the relation between the model’s performance and the number of experiment subjects. This study can provide references for further research and applications on taste stimuli recognition with sEMG.
Table in Gradshteyn and Ryzhik: Derivation of Definite Integrals of a Hyperbolic Function
Authors: Reynolds Robert , Stauffer Allan
Published: October 2021

We present a method using contour integration to derive definite integrals and their associated infinite sums which can be expressed as a special function. We give a proof of the basic equation and some examples of the method. The advantage of using special functions is their analytic continuation, which widens the range of the parameters of the definite integral over which the formula is valid. We give as examples definite integrals of logarithmic functions times a trigonometric function. In various cases these generalizations evaluate to known mathematical constants, such as Catalan’s constant C and π.
A First Insight on the Interaction between Desiccation Cracking and Water Transfer in a Luvisol of Belgium
Authors: Ralaizafisoloarivony Njaka , Degré Aurore , Mercatoris Benoît , Léonard Angélique , Toye Dominique , Charlier Robert
Published: October 2021

The present paper presents the interactions between water retention/evaporation and cracking during the desiccation of intact and disturbed Belgian Luvisol. The disturbed (DS) and undisturbed (NDS) samples (reduced-tillage-residue-in (RTRI) and conventional-tillage-residue-out (CTRO)) were collected from an agricultural field in Gembloux, Wallonia, Belgium. The drying experiment took place in controlled laboratory conditions at 25 °C. Moisture content, soil suction and surface cracks were monitored with a precision balance, a tensiometer and a digital camera, respectively. The image processing and analysis were performed using PCAS® and ImageJ® software. The results showed that crack formation was initiated at a stronger negative suction and a lower water content (Wc) in DS > CTRO > RTRI. The suction and the crack propagation were positively correlated until 300 kPa for the DS and far beyond the wilting point for the NDS. For the NDS, the cracking accelerated after reaching the critical water content (~20% Wc) which arrived at the end of the plateau of evaporation (40 h after crack initiation). The Krischer curve revealed that the soil pore size > 50 µm, and that it is likely that cracks are important parameters for soil permeability. The soil structure and soil fibre content could influence the crack formation dynamic during drying. The agricultural tillage management also influences the crack propagation. As retention and conductivity functions are affected by cracks, it is likely that the movement of fluids in the soil will also be affected by the cracks following a desiccation period (i.e., when the cracked soil is rewetted).
Challenges and Successes in Identifying the Transfer and Transformation of Phosphorus from Soils to Open Waters and Sediments
Authors: Ross Donald S. , Young Eric O. , Jaisi Deb P.
Published: October 2021

The anthropogenic loading of phosphorus (P) to water bodies continues to increase worldwide, in many cases leading to increased eutrophication and harmful algal blooms [...]
Fibre-Reinforced Concrete Is Sustainable and Cost-Effective for Water-Retaining Structures
Authors: Ryan Ciarán , Garcia-Taengua Emilio
Published: October 2021

Although fibre-reinforced-concrete (FRC) is increasingly used, it has been occasionally applied to water-retaining structures (WRSs), and no comprehensive design guidelines are currently available for the design of WRSs with FRC. A design methodology for such applications based on available recommendations and research has been applied to three reference scenarios representing a wide range of WRSs: a flood defence wall, a weir wall, and a swimming pool wall. For each of these scenarios, alternative designs using different FRC mix designs have been compared through the statistical analysis of several relevant parameters. This study confirms that the use of FRC significantly reduces reinforcement requirements when compared to conventional reinforced concrete solutions. Clear trends have been identified between the structural performance of the resulting WRS designs, the FRC mix characteristics and the fibre type and dimensions. This study has considered not only structural performance but also the total cost and environmental footprint per unit length of WRSs, and these considerations further the case for adoption of FRC in such applications. Overall, fibre dosages below 0.75% and 2% in volume for steel and synthetic fibres, respectively, can lead to WRS designs with lower cost and carbon footprint than their reinforced concrete counterparts.
Changes in the Frequency of Extreme Cooling Events in Winter over China and Their Relationship with Arctic Oscillation
Authors: Song Shuaifeng , Yan Xiaodong
Published: October 2021

Extreme weather and climate events are becoming increasingly frequent and have gained an increasing amount of attention. Extreme cooling (EC) events are a major challenge to socioeconomic sustainability and human health. Based on meteorological stations and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, this study analyzed the temporal and spatial distributions of EC events in winter in China by using the relative threshold and the relationship between EC events and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) index during the period of 1961–2017. The results show that the frequency of EC events in China decreased by 0.730 d in these 57 years, with a trend of −0.1 d/10 y. Northeast China had the highest frequency of EC events in winter, with an average of 4 d. In addition, EC events are significantly negatively correlated with the AO index in China, with a correlation coefficient of −0.5, and the AO index accounts for approximately 21% of the EC event variance. The strongest correlations are mainly located in Northwest China. Our research shows that significant changes in the mid–high latitude atmospheric circulation anomalies, which are associated with the AO, are responsible for EC events. These findings provide theoretical guidance for the prediction and simulation of EC events.
Assessing the Relationship between Market Orientation and Green Product Innovation: The Intervening Role of Green Self-Efficacy and Moderating Role of Resource Bricolage
Authors: Akhtar Shamim , Martins José Moleiro , Mata Pedro Neves , Tian Hongyun , Naz Shumaila , Dâmaso Maria , Santos Ricardo Simões
Published: October 2021

Environmental issues have gradually gained attention in the last decade because of increased global warming and high waste production. Therefore, this article aims to add value to the environment management research by analyzing green product innovation through market orientation. Moreover, this study includes green self-efficacy as a mediator, being less focused in the past literature to examine employees’ confidence in innovating green products according to customers’ needs. In addition, resource bricolage is also introduced as a moderator because fewer studies display the empirical results about organizations producing or tend to produce innovated green products with a limited number of resources. Data were collected from 477 employees of small and medium-sized enterprises using a self-administered questionnaire in Pakistan. Empirical results revealed by SmartPLS software delineate that market orientation has a positive and significant impact on green self-efficacy and green product innovation. Moreover, green self-efficacy shows a significant mediation impact between market orientation and green product innovation. Additionally, resource bricolage also moderates the relationship between market orientation and green product innovation. Overall, the study contributes to theoretical and practical knowledge about green product innovation in tackling the world’s environmental issues.
Applicability of Assessment Indices for Hanok-User Sensory Comfort Based on Visual and Tactile Comfort Evaluation Indicators
Authors: Choe Seung-Ju , Han Seung-Hoon
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to present an evaluation system to assess comfort that reflects the unique value of vernacular architecture. For this purpose, the background, purpose, evaluation items, and evaluation methods of Korean Standard-Basic Part: 6300-1, 2 (KS A 6300) were analyzed. As a result, the weakness was found in the KS system that there was no method to evaluate the user’s human sensory comfort. To overcome this problem, the contents of KS A 6300-1, 2 were analyzed, and evaluation indices were categorized to assess the comfort of human sensory experience. A comfort assessment index was then derived to evaluate the visual and tactile comfort of the Korean traditional house by analyzing previous research and systems. To assess the possibility of using the Hanok evaluation system for the derived comfort indices, the actual building environmental and user data were collected for one year. Based on the previous step, Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Daylight Glare Probability (DGP) were calculated, and at the same time, a comparative analysis was conducted with the collected user data. As a result, DGP showed a tendency of changing user comfort and an error of 7 to 8% regardless of region, while PMV showed a tendency similar to the change in user discomfort response rate. Accordingly, it was concluded that each evaluation index could be used for the comfort evaluation of Hanok.
Unleashing the Importance of TQM and Knowledge Management for Organizational Sustainability in the Age of Circular Economy
Authors: Zhang Boyao , Comite Ubaldo , Yucel Ali Gokhan , Liu Xintao , Khan Mohammed Arshad , Husain Shahid , Sial Muhammad Safdar , Popp József , Oláh Judit
Published: October 2021

Despite the growing importance of the concept of circular economy, the case of developing countries remains under-explored. Against this backdrop, the present research aims to examine the association between the constructs of total quality management (TQM) and organizational sustainability (OS) with the mediating effect of knowledge management (KM) from the perspective of a circular economy. The data were collected from the manufacturing sector of a developing economy (n = 510) to serve the purpose of the current research through a self-administered questionnaire (paper-pencil technique). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed for hypothesis testing of the current survey. Six TQM dimensions were drawn from the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award (MBNQA) model. OS is composed of economic, social, and environmental sustainability, and KM is composed of four dimensions including acquisition, creation, sharing, and application of knowledge. The empirical examination suggests that TQM positively relates to OS, with KM playing a partial mediation role between this association. This study provides important insights for the management of the manufacturing industry of Pakistan on how to ensure organizational sustainability in the age of a circular economy by using the constructs of TQM and KM.
Global Systematic Mapping of Road Dust Research from 1906 to 2020: Research Gaps and Future Direction
Authors: Semerjian Lucy , Okaiyeto Kunle , Ojemaye Mike O. , Ekundayo Temitope Cyrus , Igwaran Aboi , Okoh Anthony I.
Published: October 2021

Roadside dust resulting from industrialization of society has an adverse effect on the environment and human health. However, despite the global research progress in this field, to date, no bibliometric report on the subject has been documented. Hence, bibliometric mapping is important to assess the quality and quantity of the global research activities on road dust. Data were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus, while RStudio software was used for data analysis. A total of 1186 publications were retrieved from these databases, and progressive growth in the subject over the last 10 years was observed, considering the positive correlation (y = 0.0024 × 3 − 0.1454 × 2 + 2.6061 × −8.5371; R2 = 0.961) obtained for these indices. China had the highest publications, and environmental science-related journals dominated publications on road dust. The findings suggest that other regions of the world, such as the Middle East and Africa, need to channel their research efforts toward this field, considering the shortage of publications on the subject from these regions. Therefore, this study shows that assessing research activity on road dust is important for planning impactful research directions and setting protective and adaptive policies related to the field.
Reflecting on Existing English for Academic Purposes Practices: Lessons for the Post-COVID Classroom
Authors: Kohnke Lucas , Zou Di
Published: October 2021

This study explored the remote teaching experiences of a group of English-for-academic-purposes teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on what was learned from the transition to identify which practices are worth keeping and which should be abandoned as well as how English-for-academic-purposes practitioners can move from emergency to sustainability. In this qualitative, interpretive study, a total of 15 teachers participated in semi-structured interviews investigating their experiences, challenges, and opportunities teaching English-for-academic-purposes during emergency remote teaching and their opinions on how this information could be leveraged to develop sustainable English-for-academic-purposes technology practices. The results indicated that the teachers understood the necessity of emergency remote teaching, were aware of their role in their students’ academic success, and believed in the importance of integrating technology into language teaching and learning. They also adopted various strategies for online English-for-academic-purposes delivery. It is suggested that effective professional development for English-for-academic-purposes teachers consider what teachers believe they need, the shifting educational landscape, and how to inculcate pedagogical practices that will enrich the language classroom by using technology in language teaching and learning. They also adopted various strategies for online English-for-academic-purposes delivery. It is suggested that effective professional development for English-for-academic-purposes teachers must consider what teachers believe they need, the shifting educational landscape, and how to inculcate pedagogical practices that will enrich the language classroom.
The Relationship between Workforce Sustainability, Stress, and Career Decision: A Study of Kindergarten Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Dos Santos Luis Miguel
Published: October 2021

A shortage of qualified teachers has been a long-term problem in many school districts and education systems internationally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the current human resource gap in teaching significantly impacted the quality of teaching services and the experience of all school parties. Based on social cognitive career and motivation theory, two research questions guided this study: (1) Why did kindergarten teachers decide to leave their teaching positions and education professions permanently during the COVID-19 pandemic? (2) Did stress, burnout, and technology-related issues influence their career decision? 60 kindergarten teachers shared their insights through interviews and focus group activities. The results indicated that personal considerations of their family and trained skills, surrounding environment and individuals, and financial considerations played important roles in their career decisions and sources of stress. The study provides recommendations to government heads, school leaders, human resource planners, and headteachers to replan and reform current human resource and workforce planning for the ongoing teachers’ shortages during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ownership by Mutual Funds and Corporate Reporting of Environmental Responsibility: Empirical Evidence from China 2007–2019
Authors: Luo Yi , Lu Lijun , Lin Shu
Published: October 2021

After 40 years of economic ascendancy, China’s environmental challenges and public awareness of them have swelled substantially. Both concern mutual funds that invest in publicly traded Chinese firms, many of which have shown questionable environmental responsibility. This study investigates whether mutual fund ownership of Chinese corporations influences firms’ disclosures of environmental responsibility by empirical methodologies. Annual data for 25,188 firm-year observations of corporations trading as A-shares in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2007–2019 revealed that ownership by mutual funds, and especially by leading funds, correlates strongly and positively with environmental disclosures. These results imply that mutual funds were activist investors that influenced sampled firms to disclose their environmental responsibility during the period 2007–2019. We also examine environmental reporting and mutual fund stock ownership in relation to security analyst coverage, whether sampled firms are government-owned, and periods before and after the implementation of China’s New Environmental Protection Law. Results are heterogeneous with respect to all three considerations. Our findings are significant for regulators, investors, and corporate managers.
Resident Perceptions of Mosquito Problems Are More Influenced by Landscape Factors than Mosquito Abundance
Authors: Brown Jeffrey A. , Larson Kelli L. , Lerman Susannah B. , Cocroft Alexandreana , Hall Sharon J.
Published: October 2021

Mosquitoes and the pathogens they carry are increasingly common in urban areas throughout the globe. With urban landscapes, the need to manage mosquitoes is driven by the health risks and nuisance complaints associated with mosquitoes. Controlling the number of mosquitoes may reduce the overall risk of disease transmission but may not reduce nuisance complaints. This study focuses on Maricopa County in Arizona, USA, to investigate the relationship between mosquito abundance and landscape-level and sociodemographic factors on resident perceptions of mosquitoes. We used boosted regression trees to compare how mosquito abundance, collected from Maricopa Vector Control, and landscape factors and social factors, assessed through the Phoenix Area Social Survey, influence survey respondents’ reporting of mosquitoes as a problem. Results show that the landscape and sociodemographic features play a prominent role in how individuals perceive mosquitoes as a problem; specifically, respondents’ perception of their local landscape as messy and the distance to landscape features such as wetlands have more substantial roles in shaping perceptions. This work can highlight how potential mosquito and non-mosquito-related communications and management efforts may improve residents’ satisfaction with mosquito control or other wildlife management efforts, which can help inform best practices for vector control agencies.
Optimization of Cyclone-Type Rotary Kiln Reactor for Carbonation of BOF Slag
Authors: Ko Ming-Sheng , Chang Tong-Bou , Lee Cho-Yu , Huang Jhong-Wei , Lim Chin-Fong
Published: October 2021

Mineral carbonation of the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag produced in the steel-making process not only provides an effective approach for carbon dioxide storage, but also stabilizes the slag such that it can be reused as a construction material. Generally speaking, carbonation performance improves as the time for which the carbon dioxide resides within the reactor increases. This research proposes a method to increase the residence time of carbon dioxide in the cyclone converter slag carbonization kiln by adjusting the inclination angle and length of the feed pipe. Therefore, it has the same effect of increasing the flow path length of the cyclone in the reactor. The optimal values of the inclination angle and length of the gas inlet tube are determined using the robust Taguchi design method. Computational fluid dynamics simulation results show that the optimized reactor design increases the average residence time of carbon dioxide gas by 60.4%, compared with the original rotating reactor design with a straight (non-cyclonic) flow path. Moreover, the experimental results show that the optimized design increases the carbon dioxide storage capacity from 12.15 g per kilogram of BOF slag in the original rotary kiln reactor to 16.00 g in the re-designed reactor.
When the Going Gets Tough … the Effect of Economic Reform Programmes on National Well-Being
Authors: Andrijić Marijana , Barbić Tajana
Published: October 2021

Well-being is an essential human need and has social, psychological and economic benefits. Consequently, social scientists and economists, in particular, want to know whether economic reform can lead to increased (and sustainable) happiness. To answer this question, we applied a new approach—investigating the effect of economic reform programmes on national well-being for 154 countries between 2005 and 2018. As the dependent variable, we employed national subjective well-being scores based on people’s evaluation of their satisfaction with life. International Monetary Fund economic reform programmes provided a sufficiently long time–series and global presence for the main independent variable. We used a treatment effect model and fixed-effects instrumental variable panel with the novel approach of synthetic instruments, to address selection bias generated by the non-random selection of countries into International Monetary Fund programme participation, also controlling for unobservable characteristics influencing both International Monetary Fund participation and national well-being. Irrespective of the approach used, empirical findings show that economic reform programmes lead to increased national well-being globally, both in the short-term and the long-term. The results do not imply that International Monetary Fund arrangements should be used as policy tools to increase national well-being. They empirically confirm our argument that improvements in national economies sustaining increased well-being require intentional effort and engagement.