bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Lower-Limb Muscle Endurance Following an Acute Bout of Aerobic Exercise in Young Men
Authors: Vieira Itamar P. , de Paula Amanda G. , Gentil Paulo , Pichard Claude , Candow Darren G. , Pimentel Gustavo D.
Published: January 2020

We aimed to determine whether creatine supplementation influences lower-limb muscle endurance following an acute bout of aerobic exercise (AE) in young healthy men. Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, 11 men (26.5 ± 6.2 years, body mass index 26.6 ± 2.1 kg/m2),with 12 months of experience in strength training (three times/week) and AE (two times/week) were randomized to receive creatine (20 g/day plus 20 g/day maltodextrin) and placebo (40 g/day maltodextrin) for 7 days, separated by a washout period of 14 days, before performing an acute bout of AE (30 min on treadmill at 80% baseline maximum velocity) which was followed by four sets of bilateral leg extension endurance exercise using a 10-repetition maximum protocol (10 RM)). There was a significant decrease in the number of repetitions performed in the third (Placebo: −20% vs. Creatine: −22%) and fourth set (Placebo: −22% vs. Creatine: −28%) compared with the first set (p < 0.05), with no differences between creatine and placebo. Additionally, no differences were observed between creatine and placebo for the total number of repetitions performed across all four sets (Placebo: 33.9 ± 7.0 vs. Creatine: 34.0 ± 6.9 repetitions, p = 0.97), nor for total work volume (Placebo: 3030.5 ± 1068.2 vs. Creatine: 3039.8 ± 1087.7 kg, p = 0.98). Short-term creatine supplementation has no effect on lower-limb muscle endurance following an acute bout of aerobic exercise in trained young men.
New Computational Artificial Intelligence Models for Generating Synthetic Formation Bulk Density Logs While Drilling
Authors: Gowida Ahmed , Elkatatny Salaheldin , Al-Afnan Saad , Abdulraheem Abdulazeez
Published: January 2020

Synthetic well log generation using artificial intelligence tools is a robust solution for situations in which logging data are not available or are partially lost. Formation bulk density (RHOB) logging data greatly assist in identifying downhole formations. These data are measured in the field while drilling by using a density log tool in the form of either a logging while drilling (LWD) technique or (more often) by wireline logging after the formations are drilled. This is due to operational limitations during the drilling process. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a predictive tool for estimating RHOB while drilling using an adaptive network-based fuzzy interference system (ANFIS), functional network (FN), and support vector machine (SVM). The proposed model uses the mechanical drilling constraints as feeding input parameters, and the conventional RHOB log data as an output parameter. These mechanical drilling parameters are usually measured while drilling, and their responses vary with different formations. A dataset of 2400 actual datapoints, obtained from a horizontal well in the Middle East, were used to build the proposed models. The obtained dataset was divided into a 70/30 ratio for model training and testing, respectively. The optimized ANFIS-based model outperformed the FN- and SVM-based models with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.93, and average absolute percentage error (AAPE) of 0.81% between the predicted and measured RHOB values. These results demonstrate the reliability of the developed ANFIS model for predicting RHOB while drilling, based on the mechanical drilling parameters. Subsequently, the ANFIS-based model was validated using unseen data from another well within the same field. The validation process yielded an AAPE of 0.97% between the predicted and actual RHOB values, which confirmed the robustness of the developed model as an effective predictive tool for RHOB.
An Integrated Multi-Criteria and Multi-Objective Optimization Approach for Establishing the Transport Plan of Intercity Trains
Authors: Stoilova Svetla
Published: January 2020

The development of the transport plan must take into account various criteria impacting the transport process. The main objective of the study is to propose an integrated approach to determine the transport plan of passenger trains. The methodology consists of five steps. In the first step, the criteria for optimization of the transport plan were defined. In the second step, variants of the transport plan were formulated. In the third step, the weights of the criteria are determined by applying the step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis method (SWARA) multi-criteria method. The multi-objective optimization was conducted in the fourth step. The following multi-objective optimization approaches were used and compared: weighted sum method (WSM), compromise programming method (CP), and the epsilon–constraint method (EC). The study proposes a modified epsilon–constraint method (MEC) by applying normalization of each objective function according to the maximal value of the solution by individual optimization for each objective function, and hybrid methods: hybrid WSM and EC, hybrid WSM and MEC, hybrid CP and EC, and Hybrid CP and MEC. The impact of the variation of passenger flows on the choice of an optimal transport plan was studied in the fifth step. The Laplace’s criterion, Hurwitz’s criterion, and Savage’s criterion were applied to come to a decision. The approbation of the methodology was demonstrated through the case study of Bulgaria’s railway network. Suitable variant of transport plan is proposed.
The Underlying Reasons behind the Development of Public Electric Buses in China: The Beijing Case
Authors: Song Zeyuan , Liu Yingqi , Gao Hongwei , Li Suxiu
Published: January 2020

After great efforts towards the development of the electric vehicle (EV) industry and the use of its products in public transportation networks, more electric buses operate in China than in any other country in the world. As more investors will enter the industry, the effect of new participants on the development of the EV industry becomes an important issue. Based on the analysis of several key stakeholders (central and local governments, electric bus producers, users/bus companies, and providers of charging infrastructure in public transportation, this paper constructs a dynamic game-theory model to determine the main participants and their strategic space payoff functions, and ultimately estimates a Nash equilibrium. The dynamic game-model analysis clearly shows that the government’s decision to provide subsidies or not is currently affecting the entire industry and is an important prerequisite for a dynamic game. The user decides the pace of the development of this industry and the user’s management efficiency is a key factor affecting users’ needs. In addition, the availability of EVs and charging station facilities are equally important to the development of the industry.
Dynamic Crosswalk Signal Timing Optimization Model Considering Vehicle and Pedestrian Delays and Fuel Consumption Cost
Authors: Bai Keyan , Yao Enjian , Pan Long , Li Linze , Chen Wei
Published: January 2020

Due to the development of video perception technology, obtaining the volume of pedestrians and vehicles at a crosswalk has become much easier. Based on this development, this paper proposes a dynamic crosswalk signal timing optimization model and then analyzes the effects for three different signal timing strategies. First, we propose the dynamic signal timing optimization model by involving the delays of pedestrians and vehicles, as well as the fuel consumption cost, simultaneously. In the model, we design a dynamic signal timing strategy, using the volume of past cycles to predict the present volume, and then calculate the optimal signal timing by minimizing the total cost of the system. Second, the model is applied to a crosswalk in Beijing, China, as an example, and we compare and analyze the results of three timing strategies: Dynamic signal timing, optimal fixed timing, and current fixed timing. The results show that the dynamic signal timing is more efficient during the morning peak hour in terms of decreasing the total cost. Compared to the current fixed timing result, the vehicle delay and the fuel consumption decrease, while the pedestrian delay increases in both morning peak hour and flat hour for the other two signal timing strategies.
Characterization of Daily Travel Distance of a University Car Fleet for the Purpose of Replacing Conventional Vehicles with Electric Vehicles
Authors: He Jiahang , Yamamoto Toshiyuki
Published: January 2020

This study attempts to fit daily travel distances (DTD) data collected from the Nagoya University (NU) car-sharing system for one year to several distribution functions, including a lognormal mixture model. It is deemed here that the lognormal distribution performs best among the five tested single-distribution functions based on their p-values. Moreover, the lognormal mixture model can represent the driving pattern better overall with respect to the Akaike information criterion (AIC). Taking two types of electric vehicles (EVs) into consideration, the results show that 30 out of 48 vehicles can be substituted by the EV type with a larger battery capacity according to the observed DTD data and when a 95% confidence level is considered. In this exercise, the updated car-sharing system can have up to nine available vehicles at peak hour, which can reach the peak-shaving need and provides the possibility of contributing electricity for common use with the help of the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system. Additionally, the updated system with a larger battery capacity can also reduce 24% of the CO2 emissions. These types of systems could be widely applied to other organizations or companies in the consideration of electricity consumption and emission reduction.
Architecture Discourses and Thermal Environment of Initial Urban Residence in Northeast China: A Case Study of the 156 Projects Residences
Authors: Han Rui , Liu Daping
Published: January 2020

The objective of this study was to understand the development of Chinese contemporary architectural discourses and analyze the comfort of the 156 projects residences to help improve the sustainable planning and design of today’s urban residential buildings. With a literature review, we described the formation and evolution process of the Soviet Union socialist realism architectural discourses that initially and deeply influenced urban residence in Northeast China and revealed the input channel and localization process of Chinese socialist realism in residential projects. Through field measurement and investigation into the building design and construction from four aspects—building group planning, unit schema standardization design, facade aesthetics, and structural design—we comparatively analyzed results that indicated the design and construction in that era. The thermal environment was also simulated using analytical software to comprehensively evaluate heat loss and heat accumulation in the cases. Finally, three passive design strategies were discussed to improve the sustainability of residence in Northeast China.
Platforms in Power: Householder Perspectives on the Social, Environmental and Economic Challenges of Energy Platforms
Authors: Smale Robin , Kloppenburg Sanneke
Published: January 2020

New business models and digital infrastructures, in the form of ‘energy platforms’, are emerging as part of a transition towards decarbonised, decentralised, and digitised energy systems. These energy platforms offer new ways for householders to trade or exchange energy with other households or with energy system actors, but also bring along challenges. This paper examines how householders engage with potential environmental, social, and economic opportunities and risks of energy platforms. We convened two serious-game style workshops in which Dutch frontrunner householders assumed the role of platform members and were challenged to deliberate about different scenarios and issues. The workshop results, while explorative in nature, are indicative of a willingness to pursue energy system integration rather than autarky or grid defection. The idea of energy platforms as vehicles for energy justice appealed less to the householders, although the participants were moderately interested in sharing surplus renewable energy. Finally, environmental motivations were of key importance in householders’ evaluation of different platform types. This shows that in the role of energy platform members, householders can engage with both the community and the grid in new and different ways, leading to a diversity of possible outcomes for householder engagement.
Content Analysis of Family Policy Instruments to Promote the Sustainable Development of Families in China from 1989–2019
Authors: Yang Qi , Huang Jianyuan
Published: January 2020

Family policy involves a combination of policies enacted to address various family problems and improve the sustainable development of families. Evaluating family policy by considering policy instruments is conducive to optimizing policy allocation and promoting this sustainable development. This study constructs a two-dimensional analysis framework of policy instruments and policy themes and employs content analysis to conduct a quantitative analysis of 112 family policy texts issued by the Chinese government. The results show that the policy instruments used in China are not effective. The study also shows that environmental policy instruments are most frequently used, but the internal structure is unbalanced; supply-side policy instruments are moderately used; and the use of demand-side policy instruments is obviously limited. Policy themes focus excessively on “safeguard measures” and pay less attention to “parental welfare and protection”. Overall, China’s family policy is still in its infancy, as it focuses mainly on assistance and remains incomplete. Therefore, the parties responsible for the formulation of family policy should adjust and optimize the combinations of policy instruments that are employed are required to consider “general welfare”, and promote the two-dimensional integration of policy instruments and policy themes.
Science and Technology Resource Allocation, Spatial Association, and Regional Innovation
Authors: Zhang Fuqin , Wang Yue , Liu Wei
Published: January 2020

Considering the impact of science and technology resource allocation on regional innovation output, based on the inter-provincial panel data of 30 provinces in China from 1998 to 2017, this paper establishes a regional innovation output growth model, including science and technology resource input and science and technology resource allocation, and investigates the spatial relationship between regional innovation output and the allocation of science and technology resources, the effect of the inter-subjective configuration structure and inter-regional space re-allocation on regional innovation output. The research results show that there are obvious spatial autocorrelation agglomeration characteristics of China’s regional innovation output and science and technology resource input. The efficiency of the allocation of science and technology resources in the region is relatively low. The application-oriented research subjects with enterprise-oriented research are more efficient in investing in science and technology resources, and the promotion of regional innovation output is more significant. The investment in science and technology resources in neighboring provinces will have a significant inhibitory effect on the province’s innovation output. The regional mobility of science and technology resources has a significant role in promoting regional innovation output growth. The effect of science and technology personnel mobility on regional innovation output is better than that of technology capital flows.
Evaluating Dual Ecological and Well-Being Benefits from an Urban Restoration Project
Authors: de Bell Siân , Graham Hilary , White Piran C. L.
Published: January 2020

The degradation of urban natural spaces reduces their ability to benefit human populations. Restoration can support urban sustainability by improving both the ecological health of these spaces and the public benefits they provide, but studies rarely combine both perspectives. We assessed the ecological and social benefits of an urban river restoration project relative to an unrestored river on the basis of the following four principles: Increasing ecological integrity; benefitting and engaging society; taking account of the past and future; and sustainability. Ecological health at each site was assessed by analyzing macroinvertebrate samples. The social benefits were measured by conducting focus groups with local users of green spaces surrounding the two rivers and comparing their responses. Restoration increased the ecological health of the river and was viewed positively by users, enhancing the river as a space to visit for psychological benefits. However, there were concerns over the erasure of the cultural heritage of the area. Our findings indicate that the long-term sustainability of restoration projects, particularly in urban areas, can be enhanced by integrating ecological and social dimensions. Although short-term ecological improvements may be small, they have the potential to provide a range of benefits for human populations.
Trade Imports Increasingly Contribute to Plant Nutrient Inputs: Case of the Finnish Food System 1996–2014
Authors: Parviainen Tuure , Helenius Juha
Published: January 2020

In Finland, while total agricultural production has remained relatively constant, nutrient input from industrial mineral fertilizers has declined over the past 20 years, which has been the target of environmental policies due to eutrophication risks. From 1996 to 2014, the use of nitrogen (N) declined by 18%, phosphorus (P) by 49%, and potassium (K) by 49%. However, at the same time, the international agricultural products trade has increased dramatically by mass (58%), and Finland has increased imports of food and feed products, such as, protein feeds, vegetables, and fruits. We analyzed the nutrient contents of foreign trade from 1996 to 2014 by using a substance flow analysis. We discovered that, when comparing nutrients contained in trade to the use of fertilizers, the trade of food and feed accounts for more than one-third (40%) of the fertilizer input to the Finnish food system. In 2014, 53 Gg of N, 8 Gg of P, and 15 Gg of K were imported due to trade, equating to 35%, 70%, and 45%, respectively, compared to the use of fertilizers in the food system. Declines in fertilizer inputs to crop production are partially offset by flows of plant nutrients from feed imports. In formulating agri-environmental policies targeting nutrient loading, more attention should be paid to national imports–export balances and, especially, to the spatial distribution of flows in feed trade.
Financial Viability of an On-Farm Processing and Retail Enterprise: A Case Study of Value-Added Agriculture in Rural Kentucky (USA)
Authors: Clark Sean
Published: January 2020

Value-added processing and direct marketing are commonly recommended strategies for increasing income and improving the economic viability of small farms. This case study uses partial budgeting to examine the performance of an on-farm store in Kentucky (USA) over a six-year period (2014–2019), intended for adding value to raw farm ingredients through processing and direct sales to consumers. Three primary product supply chains were aggregated, stored, processed, and sold through the farm store: livestock (meats), grains (flours and meals), and fresh produce (fruits, vegetables, and herbs). In addition, prepared foods were made largely from the farm’s ingredients and sold as ready-to-eat meals. Whole-farm income increased substantially as a result of the farm-store enterprise but the costs of operation exceeded the added income in every year of the study, illustrating the challenges to small farms in achieving a sufficient economy of scale in value-added enterprises. By the final two years of the study period, the enterprise was approaching break-even status. Ready-to-eat items, initially accounting for a small fraction total sales, were the most important product category by the end of the study period. This study highlights the importance of adaptability in the survival and growth of a value-adding enterprise as well as the critical role of subsidies in establishing similar enterprises, particularly in low-income, rural areas.
How to Engage with Sustainability Issues We Rarely Experience? A Gamification Model for Collective Awareness Platforms in Water-Related Sustainability
Authors: Koroleva Ksenia , Novak Jasminko
Published: January 2020

Collective awareness platforms offer innovative ways to engage citizens in becoming aware of and contributing solutions to sustainability challenges, such as climate change, water scarcity, or extreme weather events. Although such platforms have been successful in engaging citizens to contribute and self-organize during or directly after emergency situations, it has proven rather hard to motivate citizens to participate in preparing their local communities to address sustainability challenges whose effects are likely to be felt in the future and which they have not experienced yet. In this paper, we discuss the development, implementation, and assessment of a gamification model for a collective awareness platform for water-related sustainability challenges. The model is designed to address the motivational drivers of different user types and uses visualization elements to support gamified interaction in a way that relates otherwise intangible, abstract issues to more immediate (short-term), tangible objectives. The model was empirically validated with 507 users through a series of online experiments. The results confirmed a positive motivational effect in a large majority of participants and the suitability of the model to address different user types and various water-related sustainability issues. The findings will inform the design of gamification models for collective awareness platforms in sustainability-related domains.
Green Product Pricing and Order Strategies in a Supply Chain under Demand Forecasting
Authors: Fang Yiling , Wang Xinhui , Yan Jinjiang
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we investigate price and order strategies for innovative green products using demand forecasting and sharing. We formulate the problem using a Stackelberg game and propose a dynamic contract that specifies an initial wholesale price, a minimum order quantity, a demand sharing agreement, and a decisions adjustment agreement. We arrived at the following main findings and implications. First, the manufacturer offers a higher or lower wholesale price than the initial one depending on the variation in the market status. Also, the retailer’s ordering decisions will increase with the wholesale price, which contradicts the common assumption that ordering decisions decrease with the wholesale price. Interestingly, if the market improves, the manufacturer obtains a higher profit margin than the retailer; if the market worsens, the manufacturer suffers more loss of profit margin than the retailer. Second, when the cost of information sharing is smaller than an upper bound, demand forecasting and sharing are always beneficial to the manufacturer. However, the value of demand forecasting and sharing for the retailer is significantly affected by the market status variation. Third, high information accuracy will not necessarily increase the profits of the manufacturer and the retailer, even if the market status is better than expected. Finally, numerical examples show the parameters’ effects. We have several main managerial insights. When the shared demand information is received from the retailer, the manufacturer can determine wholesale price strategies according to the retailer’s demand forecast. Moreover, if the manufacturer wants to ensure profitability, they should not choose retailers with a higher capability of demand forecasting.
Climate Change Mitigation: Application of Management Production Philosophies for Energy Saving in Industrial Processes
Authors: Niñerola Angels , Ferrer-Rullan Ramon , Vidal-Suñé Antoni
Published: January 2020

Climate change is a fact. Global warming of the planet is a result of the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the cause of serious sustainability issues. The objective of this article is to highlight the potential of the Six Sigma methodology to reduce energy consumption in the productive sphere, with consequential reductions in pollutant emissions. We present a systematic literature review that highlights the increasing interest from academics and practitioners in using quality management philosophies for addressing sustainability issues. From the analysis carried out, it is clear that Lean is being used in this regard but the potential of Six Sigma is not being exploited. Taking advantage of the best of both approaches (Lean Six Sigma) can contribute to reducing energy consumption in industrial processes and contribute to mitigating the impacts of those processes on climate change. Moreover, through keyword analysis, we found that the three dimensions of sustainability are currently gaining importance in the literature, when previously only the economic pillar was relevant. Finally, we raise some questions for reflection for academics but also for practitioners, as the problem is a global problem that should be faced by all the community.
Evolution of Carbon Shadow Prices in China’s Industrial Sector during 2003–2017: A By-Production Approach
Authors: Cheng Wenyin , Yang Zhusong , Pan Xia , Baležentis Tomas , Chen Xueli
Published: January 2020

Global warming and the rapid growth of carbon emissions have attracted the attention of governments and academia throughout the world. In 2006, China surpassed the United States as the emitter of the greatest volume of carbon, the largest contribution of which is derived from China’s industrial sector. This study investigated the evolution of industrial carbon shadow prices (CSPs) in China at the provincial level to assess the opportunity costs in terms of value added foregone owing to decreasing carbon emissions. A dual formulation of the by-production data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was applied to estimate the industrial carbon abatement costs in China during 2003–2017. This study represents the first attempt to apply the dual by-production DEA model for this purpose. Empirical results showed that industrial CSP increased by 3.83% annually and that the average provincial CSP was approximately $562.43 USD/ton. A significant upturn in the CSP occurred after 2006. Furthermore, disparities of changes in industrial CSP over time were checked using the test of sigma convergence. Regional divergence was observed for the period 2011–2017. Policy implications were derived from the empirical results in terms of improvements regarding carbon abatement.
Research on Sensor Placement for Disaster Prevention in Water Distribution Networks for Important Users
Authors: Wu Jiajia , Ma Donghui , Wang Wei , Han Zhao
Published: January 2020

Sensor placement for disaster prevention for important users in urban water distribution networks is essential for post-earthquake monitoring and repair. Herein, we proposed a sensor placement approach for disaster prevention monitoring for important users, to (a) improve the fault diagnosis ability of the water distribution network and to (b) guarantee the function of emergency services for key nodes after an earthquake. First, an evaluation system of node users’ disaster prevention impact factors was presented to evaluate the node influence degree from three aspects: post-earthquake leakage, emergency support and topology structure; and the weight values of node users’ disaster prevention impact factors were obtained. Second, a post-earthquake hydraulic analysis model based on the pressure-driven demand was used to calculate the water shortage ratio of nodes. Third, using the three-way clustering integration method, the results of four clustering techniques were integrated to divide the monitoring domain in the water distribution network based on sensitivity analysis. Finally, on basis of the sensitivity matrix, the division of the monitoring area and the impact factors of node users’ disaster prevention were combined to place sensors for post-earthquake disaster prevention in the water distribution network. Detailed computational experiments for a real urban water network in China were performed and compared with the results of other traditional techniques to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach. The results show that the approach is better than traditional methods. It not only considers the actual hydraulic information of the water distribution network, but also the important user nodes after an earthquake, and is of great significance for emergency command and rescue and disaster relief after an earthquake in the city.
Contaminants of Emerging Concern Removal in an Effluent of Wastewater Treatment Plant under Biological and Continuous Mode Ultrafiltration Treatment
Authors: Ferreiro Cristian , Gómez-Motos Iker , Lombraña José Ignacio , de Luis Ana , Villota Natalia , Ros Oihana , Etxebarria Nestor
Published: January 2020

This work presents a case study of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), located in Biscay (Spain), in which the removal of high-occurrence contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) was studied. The existing biological treatment in the WWTP was complemented with a continuous ultrafiltration (c-UF) pilot plant, as a tertiary treatment. Thus, the effect on CEC removal of both treatments could be analyzed globally and after each operation. A total of 39 CEC were monitored, including pharmaceutical products, industrial additives, food additives, herbicides and personal care products. For evaluation of the efficiencies, the removal rates of the biological and of the c-UF treatments, including their variability over a day and a week in relation to the ammonium content, were examined in the influent of the WWTP. In the biological treatment, a wide range of different removal rates was obtained due to the different CEC’s biodegradability and concentration. In UF, lower, but more constant removal rates, were achieved. In addition, the reduction of the general toxicity by the UF treatment in terms of the Microtox® toxicity assay was also evaluated. After UF, all of the samples yielded values of TU50 lower than 1, confirming this result the UF effectiveness for toxicity removal.
An Operational Protocol for the Valorisation of Public Real Estate Assets in Italy
Authors: Carbonara Sebastiano , Stefano Davide
Published: January 2020

The Italian Treasury Department reports that a quota of the country’s public real estate assets, with an estimated value of some 63 billion euros, consists of properties not directly utilised by the State Government and is therefore available for decommissioning alienation; in other words, for adaptive reuse. Numerous legislative initiatives dedicated to this issue over the past 30 years have produced very few comforting results. A plausible explanation for these shortcomings can be traced to the gap between established regulatory principles and the possibilities/capacities of local institutions to apply them. Put another way, legislation and indications, many of interest, have not been supported by adequate economic, structural, and organisational resources. The underlying question is, what is the structure of the decision-making process behind the sale or redevelopment of real estate assets? Beginning with these premises, this paper proposes an operational Business Process Modelling protocol that develops three different indexes—urban values index (Ivu), use index (Iut), and technical-maintenance index (Itm)—which may suggest three hypothetical scenarios of valorisation and three lines of action. A test of this model using a selection of public buildings owned by the City of Pescara showed it to be prognostic of some of the choices subsequently made by the municipal administration.
Monitoring and Analysis of Stress and Deformation Features of Boundary Part of Backfill in Metal Mine
Authors: Lu Rong , Ma Fengshan , Zhao Jie , Wang Jianbo , Li Guilin , Dai Bing
Published: January 2020

The backfill mining method is widely used in metal mines. A large and thick backfill body has formed in the No.2 zone of Jinchuan Nickel Mine, and its stability is critical for mining safety. In order to study the mechanical behavior of the boundary part of backfill, ground subsidence monitoring, underground filed monitoring of displacement, and stress and numerical simulation were conducted to analyze stress distribution and deformation of backfill. According to underground monitoring, the bed separated displacement has the consistent trend with ground subsidence in the mine area. Based underground stress monitoring, both horizontal and vertical stress of the internal part of backfill is less than the stress boundary part of the backfill. The characteristic of backfill boundary outline is a step-profile. Contact interaction between the surrounding rock and backfill led to complex stress distribution. According to stress monitoring of the boundary points in a numerical model, the multi-peak value of stress development is the major feature of the boundary part of backfill. The multi-peak stress behavior of the boundary part of backfill was influenced by mining depth. The boundary part of backfill deformation influenced the local stability of mining. This article provided a scientific basis for strength design and the support choice of a metal mine by the method of backfill mining.
The Uncertainty Contagion: Revealing the Interrelated, Cascading Uncertainties of Managed Retreat
Authors: Hanna Christina , White Iain , Glavovic Bruce
Published: January 2020

Managed retreat presents a dilemma for at-risk communities, and the planning practitioners and decisionmakers working to address natural hazard and climate change risks. The dilemma boils down to the countervailing imperatives of moving out of harm’s way versus retaining ties to community and place. While there are growing calls for its use, managed retreat remains challenging in practice—across diverse settings. The approach has been tested with varied success in a number of countries, but significant uncertainties remain, such as regarding who ‘manages’ it, when and how it should occur, at whose cost, and to where? Drawing upon a case study of managed retreat in New Zealand, this research uncovers intersecting and compounding arenas of uncertainty regarding the approach, responsibilities, legality, funding, politics and logistics of managed retreat. Where uncertainty is present in one domain, it spreads into others creating a cascading series of political, personal and professional risks that impact trust in science and authority and affect people’s lives and risk exposure. In revealing these mutually dependent dimensions of uncertainty, we argue there is merit in refocusing attention away from policy deficits, barrier approaches or technical assessments as a means to provide ‘certainty’, to instead focus on the relations between forms of knowledge and coordinating interactions between the diverse arenas: scientific, governance, financial, political and socio-cultural; otherwise uncertainty can spread like a contagion, making inaction more likely.
Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Near-Surface Wind in Shenzhen
Authors: Liu Cheng , Li Qinglan , Zhao Wei , Wang Yuqing , Ali Riaz , Huang Dian , Lu Xiaoxiong , Zheng Hui , Wei Xiaolin
Published: January 2020

The spatiotemporal characteristics of near-surface wind in Shenzhen were investigated in this study by using hourly observations at 92 automatic weather stations (AWSs) from 2009 to 2018. The results show that during the past 10 years, most of the stations showed a decreasing trend in the annual mean of the 10 min average wind speed (avg-wind) and the mean of the 3 s average wind speed (gust wind). Over half of the decreasing trends at the stations were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Seasonally, the decrease in wind speed was the most severe in spring, followed by autumn, winter, and summer. The distribution of wind speed tends to be greater in the east and coastal areas for both avg-wind and gust wind. From September to March of the following year, the prevailing wind direction in Shenzhen was northerly, and from April to August, the prevailing wind direction was southerly. The seasonal wind speed distribution exhibited two different types, spring–summer type and autumn–winter type, which may be induced by their different prevailing wind directions. The analysis by the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) method confirmed the previous findings that the mean wind speed was decreasing in Shenzhen and that two different seasonal wind speed spatial distribution patterns existed. Such a study could provide references for wind forecasting and risk assessment in the study area.
Citizen Action as a Driving Force of Change. The Meninas of Canido, Art in the Street as an Urban Dynamizer
Authors: Piñeira Mantiñán María José , Durán Villa Francisco R. , López Rodríguez Ramón
Published: January 2020

The austerity policies imposed by the government in the wake of the 2007 crisis have deteriorated the welfare state and limited neighborhood recovery. Considering the inability and inefficiency on the part of administrations to carry out improvement actions in neighborhoods, it is the neighborhood action itself that has carried out a series of resilient social innovations to reverse the dynamics. In this article, we will analyze the Canido neighborhood in Ferrol, a city in north-western Spain. Canido is traditional neighborhood that was experiencing a high degree of physical and social deterioration, until a cultural initiative called “Meninas of Canido,” promoted by one of its artist neighbors, recovered its identity and revitalized it from a physical, social, and economic point of view. Currently, the Meninas of Canido has become one of the most important urban art events in Spain and has receives international recognition. The aim of this article is to evaluate the impact that this action has had in the neighborhood. For this, we conducted a series of semi-structured interviews with the local administration, neighborhood association, the precursors of this idea, merchants, and some residents in general, in order to perceive the reception and evolution of this action.
Optimization of the Product–Service System Configuration Based on a Multilayer Network
Authors: Zhang Zaifang , Xu Darao , Ostrosi Egon , Cheng Hui
Published: January 2020

Product–service systems (PSS) accelerate the transition of value creation patterns for manufacturing industries, from product design and production to the delivery of overall solution integrating products and services. Existing PSS configuration solutions provide customers with preferable product modules and service modules characterized by the module granularity. Every service module is essentially a whole service flow. However, the performance of the PSS configuration solution is greatly influenced by service details. In summary, this paper studied the configuration optimization of product-oriented PSS using a fine-grained perspective. A multilayer network composed of (i) a product layer, (ii) a service layer, and (iii) a resource layer was constructed to represent the elements (product parts, service activities, resources) and relationships in PSS. Service activities selection and resource allocation were considered jointly to construct the mathematical model of PSS configuration optimization, thus enabling the calculation of optimizing objectives (time, cost, and reliability) under constraints closer to the actual implementation. The importance degree of service activity was considered to improve the performance of service activities with higher importance. Corresponding algorithms were improved and applied for obtaining the optimal solutions. The case study in the automotive industry shows the various advantages of the proposed method.
Drivers and Benefits of Integrating Climate Adaptation Measures into Urban Development: Experience from Coastal Cities of Indonesia
Authors: Wijaya Nurrohman , Nitivattananon Vilas , Shrestha Rajendra Prasad , Kim Sohee Minsun
Published: January 2020

Integrating climate adaptation measures into urban development has emerged as a holistic approach to minimize climate change impacts and to enhance urban resilience. Although there has been an initial implementation of the integrated strategy at the national level, the progress of its adoption at the local level is relatively less studied. The study aims to examine the integration development of climate adaptation measures into urban development strategies by looking at its drivers and benefits in two coastal cities of Indonesia, i.e., Semarang and Bandar Lampung. Both cities have experienced climate change impacts and the preliminary effort of the integration process. The study was depended on close-ended Likert-scale questions with key actors representing local authorities and relevant stakeholders. Then, a Weighted Average Index was applied to transform their perceptions. The assessment of their knowledge of related issues was conducted. Secondary data was obtained from a desk study. The study found out that the effort of the integration process had influenced stakeholder’s understanding of the issue of climate change and urban development, as well as its relationship. The level of stakeholder’s knowledge related to the issue was very high. The result also revealed that the most influencing driver of the integration process is related to the motivation and initiative of municipal officers. It significantly contributed local governments to adopt its integration strategy. There was a strong consensus regarding the benefits of the integration process. They believed that it could ensure sustainable urban development in the future. This empirical study distinguishes the significance of integration development based on the local perspective for the approach improvement. The results could be applied to encourage other local municipalities in other emerging coastal cities.
The Impact of Resource and Nutritional Resilience on the Global Food Supply System
Authors: Martindale Wayne , Swainson Mark , Choudhary Sonal
Published: January 2020

Pressure points in global food supply where resilience in supply chains can be limited or controlled are the equivalent of Critical Control Points in food safety systems. The approach of using critical control in supply chains can provide insights for nutritional improvement, sustainable food trade and food waste reduction. The pressure points determine the provision of a secure and sustainable food system where the outcomes of reducing their criticality are identified in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and other international programmes. These seek to reduce climate change impact and improve public health provision. While policy makers are rightly focussed on these targets, the data analysis methods required to rank and associate resource flow pressure points with commercial food supply chains and nutritional goals remain untested. Here, we show how methodologies can identify where opportunities to tackle future criticality exist, and where they are currently being overlooked for food categories that have the greatest consumer and dietary protein demand. The analysis provides insights that identify where latent restrictions in resilience can occur, so that the future risk of food insecurity is reduced.
Recreation as a Social-Ecological Complex Adaptive System
Authors: Morse Wayde C.
Published: January 2020

The environment and society are both the context for and product of human actions and interactions. Outdoor recreation is the primary interaction many people have with the environment and it is an interaction that greatly contributes to human well-being. To sustainably manage the social and ecological components of outdoor recreation, an integrative and dynamic systems perspective is needed. Analyses that link recreation management and recreational experiences to both social and ecological outcomes across multiple sales and over time are not developed. This article will outline how a number of fragmented recreation management frameworks such as the recreation experience model, beneficial outcomes, the recreation opportunity spectrum, limits of acceptable change, and constraints theory can be organized within a larger social-ecological framework. The outdoor recreation meta-framework presented here links structuration theory from the social sciences with theories of complex adaptive systems and hierarchical patch dynamics from ecology to understand the human and ecological drivers for and responses to outdoor recreation.
Spatio-Temporal Variation Characteristics and Driving Forces of Farmland Shrinkage in Four Metropolises in East Asia
Authors: Shi Yaxin , Shi Yishao
Published: January 2020

The shrinkage of cultivated land is a general trend in metropolitan areas. However, previous studies have mainly paid attention to the shrinkage of arable land in major grain-producing areas, mixed agro-pastoral areas, ecologically fragile areas and construction areas of major engineering projects (such as the Three Gorges project). This paper analyses the characteristics and driving factors of cultivated land change on the metropolitan area scale and longer time dimension. Exemplified by four metropolises in East Asia, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, based on official statistics for the cities involved, using correlation analysis, principal component analysis and regression analysis methods and Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) 25 software, the main driving factors and differences in cultivated land shrinkage in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and the Tokyo metropolitan area are quantitatively revealed. The results show the following: (1) there are some differences in the shrinkage in arable land and spatial distributions among different cities. Tokyo and Guangzhou still have some cultivated land in central urban areas, while there is no arable land in the central areas of Beijing and Shanghai. (2) There is a clear difference in the main driving factors of cultivated land shrinkage between the Tokyo metropolitan area and Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Residential area and population are the main driving factors for the former, while economic development and urbanisation are the main driving factors for the latter three areas. It shows that the shrinkage of cultivated land is closely related to the developmental stage of urbanisation. (3) There is a rather obvious difference in the main driving factors of cultivated land change among Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the primary factor leading to the shrinkage of arable land in Beijing, built-up area is the primary factor in Shanghai, and the Engel’s coefficient for rural residents is the primary factor in Guangzhou. This reflects the difference in measures for the utilisation and protection of cultivated land among different cities. (4) The socioeconomic factors that affect the contraction of cultivated land are varied. In this study, industrial restructuring is included in the evaluation index system, mainly because industrial transformation and upgrading is essential for sustainable development of emerging global cities, and agricultural production conditions are not included in the evaluation index system, mainly because they are more the result of urbanisation than the cause.