bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Method of Generating Real-Time Natural Light Color Temperature Cycle for Circadian Lighting Service
Authors: Oh Seung-Taek , Ga Deog-Hyeon , Lim Jae-Hyun
Published: January 2023

The light intensity and color temperature of natural light periodically change and promote the circadian entrainment of the human body. In addition, the color temperature cycle of natural light that is unique to each region is formed by its location and geographic and environmental factors, affecting the health of its residents. Research on lighting and construction to provide the color temperature of real-time natural light has continued to provide the beneficial effect of natural indoor lighting. However, lighting technology that provides the real-time color temperature of natural light could not be realized since it is challenging to select a color temperature cycle zone due to abrupt color temperature changes at sunrise and sunset. Such drastic shifts cause an irregular measurement of color temperature over time due to general weather or atmospheric conditions. In a previous study, a method of generating a color temperature cycle using deep learning was introduced, but the performance at the beginning and end of the color temperature cycle was unreliable. Therefore, this study proposes generating a real-time natural light color temperature cycle for the circadian lighting service. The characteristics of the daily color temperature cycle were analyzed based on the measured natural light characteristics database, and a data set for learning was established. To improve the color temperature cycle generation performance, a deep learning (TadGAN) model was implemented by searching for the lowest point of the color temperature at the start and end points of the color temperature cycle and applying the boot and ending datasets to these points. The color temperature cycle zone was accurately detected in real-time in the experiment, and the generation performance of the color temperature cycle was maintained at the beginning and end of the color temperature cycle. The mean absolute error decreased by about 67%, confirming the generation of a more accurate real-time color temperature cycle.
Enhancing Free-Living Fall Risk Assessment: Contextualizing Mobility Based IMU Data
Authors: Moore Jason , Stuart Samuel , McMeekin Peter , Walker Richard , Celik Yunus , Pointon Matthew , Godfrey Alan
Published: January 2023

Fall risk assessment needs contemporary approaches based on habitual data. Currently, inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based wearables are used to inform free-living spatio-temporal gait characteristics to inform mobility assessment. Typically, a fluctuation of those characteristics will infer an increased fall risk. However, current approaches with IMUs alone remain limited, as there are no contextual data to comprehensively determine if underlying mechanistic (intrinsic) or environmental (extrinsic) factors impact mobility and, therefore, fall risk. Here, a case study is used to explore and discuss how contemporary video-based wearables could be used to supplement arising mobility-based IMU gait data to better inform habitual fall risk assessment. A single stroke survivor was recruited, and he conducted a series of mobility tasks in a lab and beyond while wearing video-based glasses and a single IMU. The latter generated topical gait characteristics that were discussed according to current research practices. Although current IMU-based approaches are beginning to provide habitual data, they remain limited. Given the plethora of extrinsic factors that may influence mobility-based gait, there is a need to corroborate IMUs with video data to comprehensively inform fall risk assessment. Use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based computer vision approaches could drastically aid the processing of video data in a timely and ethical manner. Many off-the-shelf AI tools exist to aid this current need and provide a means to automate contextual analysis to better inform mobility from IMU gait data for an individualized and contemporary approach to habitual fall risk assessment.
A Two-Step Simulated Annealing Algorithm for Spectral Data Feature Extraction
Authors: Pei Jian , Xu Liang , Huang Yitong , Jiao Qingbin , Yang Mingyu , Ma Ding , Jiang Sijia , Li Hui , Li Yuhang , Liu Siqi , Zhang Wei , Zhang Jiahang , Tan Xin
Published: January 2023

To address the shortcomings in many traditional spectral feature extraction algorithms in practical application of low modeling accuracy and poor stability, this paper introduces the “Boruta algorithm-based local optimization process“ based on the traditional simulated annealing algorithm and proposes the “two-step simulated annealing algorithm (TSSA)”. This algorithm combines global optimization and local optimization. The Boruta algorithm ensures that the feature extraction results are all strongly correlated with the dependent variable, reducing data redundancy. The accuracy and stability of the algorithm model are significantly improved. The experimental results show that compared with the traditional feature extraction method, the accuracy indexes of the inversion model established by using the TSSA algorithm for feature extraction were significantly improved, with the determination coefficient R2 of 0.9654, the root mean square error (RMSE) of 3.6723 μg/L, and the mean absolute error (MAE) of 3.1461 μg/L.
An Impact Localization Solution Using Embedded Intelligence—Methodology and Experimental Verification via a Resource-Constrained IoT Device
Authors: Katsidimas Ioannis , Kostopoulos Vassilis , Kotzakolios Thanasis , Nikoletseas Sotiris E. , Panagiotou Stefanos H. , Tsakonas Constantinos
Published: January 2023

Recent advances both in hardware and software have facilitated the embedded intelligence (EI) research field, and enabled machine learning and decision-making integration in resource-scarce IoT devices and systems, realizing “conscious” and self-explanatory objects (smart objects). In the context of the broad use of WSNs in advanced IoT applications, this is the first work to provide an extreme-edge system, to address structural health monitoring (SHM) on polymethyl methacrylate (PPMA) thin-plate. To the best of our knowledge, state-of-the-art solutions primarily utilize impact positioning methods based on the time of arrival of the stress wave, while in the last decade machine learning data analysis has been performed, by more expensive and resource-abundant equipment than general/development purpose IoT devices, both for the collection and the inference stages of the monitoring system. In contrast to the existing systems, we propose a methodology and a system, implemented by a low-cost device, with the benefit of performing an online and on-device impact localization service from an agnostic perspective, regarding the material and the sensors’ location (as none of those attributes are used). Thus, a design of experiments and the corresponding methodology to build an experimental time-series dataset for impact detection and localization is proposed, using ceramic piezoelectric transducers (PZTs). The system is excited with a steel ball, varying the height from which it is released. Based on TinyML technology for embedding intelligence in low-power devices, we implement and validate random forest and shallow neural network models to localize in real-time (less than 400 ms latency) any occurring impacts on the structure, achieving higher than 90% accuracy.
The Influence of the Chemical Composition of Natural Waters about the Triclocarban Sorption on Pristine and Irradiated MWCNTs
Authors: Ivan Georgeta Ramona , Ion Ion , Capra Luiza , Oprea Ovidiu , Ion Alina Catrinel
Published: January 2023

The influence of the chemical composition of natural waters on triclocarban (TCC) sorption on pristine and irradiated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) at different temperatures was studied. Natural waters have been characterized in terms of the concentrations of cations and anions, pH, and electric conductivity. The sorption process of TCC on MWCNTs is influenced by both the chemical composition of natural waters and the variation of the temperature. The adsorption capacity of TCC on pristine and irradiated MWCNTs in the studied natural waters increased by increasing the temperature. The increase of the concentration of monovalent cations (Na+ and K+) in natural waters determined a significant decrease of the adsorption capacity of TCC on both pristine and irradiated MWCNTs while the increase of the bivalent cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) determined an easy increase adsorption capacity. Freundlich and Langmuir models were selected to describe the steady adsorption of the TCC on the pristine and irradiated MWCNTs.
Old and New Actors and Phenomena in the Three-M Processes of Life and Society: Medicalization, Moralization and Misinformation
Authors: Alarcão Violeta , Pintassilgo Sónia
Published: January 2023

Medicalization has been a key concept in the field of the sociology of health and illness over the past 50 years, capturing the expanding social control of everyday life by medical experts [...]
Soil Slope Instability Mechanism and Treatment Measures under Rainfall—A Case Study of a Slope in Yunda Road
Authors: He Yuqiong , Li Bo , Du Xuan
Published: January 2023

The unique geological conditions in Yunnan make it likely for landslides to occur there. For the purpose of exploring the soil slope instability mechanism, this paper takes a slope in Yunda Road, Chenggong, Kunming, as case study and establishes a slope model utilizing FLAC 3D coupled with Geo-studio software. The displacement, strain and deformation rate of the slope under the condition of rainfall are simulated, and the influence of rainfall and rainfall duration on rainfall infiltration is analyzed. The results indicated the following: (1) The effective stress on and shear strength of slope soil at the foot of the slope gradually decreased under rainfall, resulting in the loosening of the slope soil and slip at the foot of the slope. This affected the stability of the upper slope which, in turn, reduced the stability of the whole slope; (2) When the duration of rainfall reached 72 h, the slope stability coefficient Fs = 0.88, indicating a failure state. The increments of principal stress and shear stress at the foot of the slope were the largest, and the strain speed was the fastest, with the maximum values of principal stress and shear stress reaching 0.412 and 0.579, respectively; (3) The maximum total displacement was 2.177 m at the foot of the slope, the maximum vertical Z-axis displacement was 1.673 m in the negative direction of the Z-axis, and the soil at the foot of the slope was 0.6 m in the positive direction of the Z-axis. Our simulation results were consistent with the actual failure of the slope. After analyzing the slope mechanism and adopting targeted treatment measures, the slope was subjected to four rainfall cycles without any sign of landslips, indicating that the effect of our interventions was favorable.
Mechanism and Empirical Study of Excise Tax Affecting Green Development in China’s Provincial Capitals—Mediating Effect Based on Technological Innovation
Authors: Fang Xingcun , Li Miaoying , Huang Wei-Chiao
Published: January 2023

Based on the panel data from 30 provincial capitals in China from 2005 to 2019, the level of green development in China’s provincial capitals was measured using the entropy value method, and their spatial distribution was analyzed using ArcGIS software. The impact of excise tax and technological innovation on the green development of China’s provincial capitals was examined by constructing a dynamic spatial Durbin model. This study shows that: (1) There are spatial differences in the green development level of the cities, with the overall characteristics of “east > central > west”; (2) The level of green development in Chinese cities has “time inertia” and positive “spatial spillover” effect; (3) Excise tax can promote green development in cities, and it exerts differential effects on green development in the eastern, central and western regions; (4) The results of the mediating effects model demonstrate that technological innovation mediates the relationship between consumption tax and green development in China’s provincial capitals.
Tourism and Development: The Impact of Sustainability—Comparative Case Analysis
Authors: Cárdenas-García Pablo Juan , Alcalá-Ordoñez Alejandro
Published: January 2023

In recent years, tourism has established itself as one of the most important economic sectors worldwide. Given the economic importance of this activity, different international organizations have decided to bet on tourism as a development tool. However, the expansion of tourism, on many occasions, can cause significant environmental deterioration, so it is necessary to analyze the costs and benefits generated by tourism in those territories that host this activity. To deepen our knowledge about the relationship between tourism, environmental sustainability and economic development, the objective of this work is to analyze the relationships that may exist between these three variables, which will allow us to determine if tourism influences economic development, and if there are factors pertaining to environmental sustainability that influence this relationship. In this paper, a comparative analysis of cases is used to analyze how environmental sustainability influences the relationship between tourism and economic development. The analysis carried out shows that tourism, although with some limitations, can be configured as an instrument of economic development.
The Impact of Financial System on Carbon Intensity: From the Perspective of Digitalization
Authors: Yu Yeguan
Published: January 2023

Financial system reforms are important for developing regions in the period of structural transformation. In the face of climate change, which is an important issue for all mankind. This paper empirically explores the impact of financial structure on carbon intensity based on China’s provincial level data from 2005 to 2019, and discusses the intermediary effect of digitalization. The results show that: (1) Market leading financial system can significantly reduce the carbon intensity, which is more prominent in Northeast China. (2) The improvement of the digital level has accelerated the development of financial marketization and helped to reduce the carbon intensity. (3) The construction of digital talents and digital infrastructure have partial intermediary effects between market leading financial system and carbon intensity. However, there is no intermediary effect in the construction of digital ecological environment. This paper provides empirical research on the environmental effects of market leading financial system, which is helpful to the construction of green finance and digital financial system, and contributes to the market transformation of the financial system in China.
An Assessment of the Social Costs of Road Traffic Crashes in Cameroon
Authors: Taniform Peter , Persia Luca , Usami Davide Shingo , Kunsoan Noella Bajia , Karumba Mary M. , Wijnen Wim
Published: January 2023

This study estimated the social costs of road traffic crashes (RTCs) in Cameroon, motivated by a lack of empirical evidence for economic loss and social suffering associated with RTCs menace in developing countries particularly Sub-Sahara Africa. A model for estimation of cost based on a combination of valuation methods was developed following international guidelines, and can be adapted for other developing countries similar to Cameroon’s context. Five cost components were estimated namely: production loss; human costs; medical costs; property damage costs and administrative costs. Data from the field, secondary databases and transfer values were used together with adjustments for under-reporting of road traffic crash data that is prevalent particularly in developing countries. Total social cost of RTCs in Cameroon in 2018 was USD 3.6 Billion and is equivalent to 3.8% of GDP in 2018. This estimate is way above RTCs cost estimates obtained by studies in Sub-Sahara Africa using the human capital approach, and slightly outside the range of social cost estimates found in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) literature. The estimate is also larger than the conservative figures used for policy purposes such as the current National Road Safety Strategy, implying that under-reporting of RTCs data under-represents apparent socio-economic value of RTCs. The study recommends improvement in the procedures of crash data by operationalizing the recently established centralized RTCs database, as well as adoption of systematic approaches to estimation of crash costs by policy makers.
Effects of Acidic/Alkaline Contamination on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Silty Clay
Authors: Shan Yepeng , Cai Guoqing , Zhang Ce , Wang Xiao , Shi Yehui , Li Jian
Published: January 2023

Contaminated soil management and renovation is one of the major environmental geotechnical issues in China. Due to their special strength and stiffness properties, contaminated soil has attracted extensive attention in foundation and slope stability design. For the differentiated influence of acidic/alkaline contamination on the geotechnical physical and mechanical characteristics of soil, this study mainly introduced a remodeled silty clay sample contaminated by acidic and alkaline solutions in the laboratory and conducted research into its basic physical properties, compressive properties, shear strength, and microstructure. It was shown that when the hydrochloric acid concentration increased from 1% to 7%, the density and specific gravity decreased by 7.07% and 3.11%, respectively. The void ratio showed a descending trend with increasing concentration of acid. The acidic solution concentration was negatively correlated with the cohesion of the soil, but the internal friction angle remained constant with a concentration of 1–5%. Alternatively, when the sodium hydroxide concentration increased from 1% to 7%, the density and specific gravity increased by 1.88% and 2.67%, respectively. The void ratio decreased linearly with the increase in consolidation pressure. Alkaline concentration could affect the internal friction angle and cohesion in a positive correlation. Through the observation of microstructure, the surface of acidified soil particles was smooth and flat, while the surface of alkalized soil particles was rough and uneven. The results can provide reference for the evaluation of the mechanical properties of soil contaminated by acid and alkali.
Resource Bundling: How Does Enterprise Digital Transformation Affect Enterprise ESG Development?
Authors: Zhong Yingjia , Zhao Hongyan , Yin Tianbao
Published: January 2023

The value created by enterprise digitalization is not only reflected in economic value but also has social and environmental value. Using data on A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2010 to 2020 as research samples, empirically tested the impact and mechanism of enterprise digital transformation on the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Overall, enterprise digital transformation can significantly improve the ESG performance of enterprises. Further, the mechanism testing shows that there are three main driving factors in promoting digital transformation: restraining the short-sightedness of management; improving the transparency of the internal information of enterprises; and improving the technological innovation of enterprises. The conclusion of the study enriches the strategic level of enterprise sustainable development from the perspective of “resource allocation”, and reveals the “black box” of the causal relationship between digital transformation and enterprise ESG performance.
Element of Disaster Risk Reduction in Geography Education in Malaysia
Authors: Hawa Nabila Nurul , Zakaria Sharifah Zarina Syed , Razman Muhammad Rizal , Majid Nuriah Abd , Taib Aizat Mohd , Emrizal
Published: January 2023

Currently, there are many natural disasters such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, and climate change. These disasters certainly affect the conditions of human life from economic, social, and environmental perspectives. Therefore, it is necessary to take preventive action and learn so that people understand the potential for disasters and how to deal with them. The geography education curriculum is one of the subjects that contains topics on disaster education, but this has not been carried out thoroughly in Malaysia. This study analysed the types of natural disasters and elements of priorities for action in reducing disaster risks, based on the Sendai framework. The data were collected from the Ministry of Education Malaysia, namely Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Menengah (KSSM) of Geography form 4 and 5 Secondary School, geography textbook form 4, and geography textbook form 5. The data were analysed by a qualitative method with a content analysis approach. All documents were analysed with a focus on disaster risk reduction materials, based on the Sendai framework. As a result, the geography education curriculum for secondary schools in Malaysia has included these types of natural disasters: earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, landslides, droughts, hurricanes, and volcanoes. It also includes four elements of priority action for disaster risk reduction, albeit with an uneven composition. Overall, this study has shown that elements of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) were included in the geography education curriculum for secondary schools in Malaysia.
Transformation of the Urban Energy–Mobility Nexus: Implications for Sustainability and Equity
Authors: Payakkamas Peerawat , de Kraker Joop , Dijk Marc
Published: January 2023

In the coming decades, decarbonization of society in response to climate change will result in transformation of urban systems, especially in the energy and mobility sectors. This transformation will likely lead to stronger links between both sectors, which may have both desired and undesirable consequences. However, current policies are predominantly sectoral and tend to assume only a positive impact of the transformation of the energy–mobility nexus on urban sustainability. We conducted a systematic literature review, which covered 78 articles, to identify the interactions between the transformations of urban energy and mobility systems, their impacts on various aspects of sustainability and equity, and the relevant policies that target the nexus. The results show that the positive impacts of the transformation of the urban energy–mobility nexus are outnumbered by negative impacts on various aspects of sustainability and equity. A major equity issue concerns a possible reinforcement of socio-spatial inequalities in access to renewable self-production of electricity, electric vehicles, their integration, and the associated benefits. In conclusion, the issue of socio-spatial inequalities should be a priority for further research and policy development, given the currently limited understanding of these equity risks and the growing emphasis on the need for a just transition.
DSM Formula for Local-Global Interaction Buckling of Cold-Formed Stainless Steel I-Beams
Authors: Yang Yueming , Niu Shuang , Zhi Xudong
Published: January 2023

The paper presents a set of Direct Strength Method (DSM) formulae for cold-formed stainless steel I-section beams. On basis of a carefully calibrated FE model for stainless steel open-section beams featuring local-global interaction buckling, an extensive database was first established. The existing DSM formula of the best prediction performance was commented on for its drawbacks. For improved strength prediction, a traditional-form DSM formula was proposed first, and novel two-phase DSM formulae were derived on basis of a deep insight into the varying trend of the member strengths. The two-phase DSM formulae were found to be very powerful predictors yielding more accurate strength predictions over the whole range of slenderness and avoiding undue conservatism for intermediate and short members. A considerable boost in design strength by up to 39% can be achieved with the two-phase DSM formula. The DSM curves were developed with a due reliability level to fit into the current design codes.
A Feasibility Study on CHP Systems for Hotels in the Maltese Islands: A Comparative Analysis Based on Hotels’ Star Rating
Authors: Magro Bernice , Borg Simon Paul
Published: January 2023

In Europe, the energy consumed for heating and cooling purposes by the hospitality sector is significant. In island economies such as that of the Mediterranean Island of Malta, where Tourism is considered essential to the local economy, energy consumption is perhaps even more significant, and energy-efficient systems, or the use of renewable energy, are often listed as possible solutions to counter this. Based on this premise, the research contained in this paper presents an investigation on the technical and financial feasibility of using Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power (CCHP) systems for the hospitality sector in Malta. Using a supply–demand design methodology, the research made use of the software package RETScreen to model the electrical and thermal demand of a number of hotels ranging from 3- to 5-star hotels. Based on these modelled hotels, different scenarios were simulated to analyze the technical and financial implications of installing a CHP in these modelled hotels. A number of parameters, including thermal size matching, presence of financial grants, electricity tariffs, feed-in tariffs, and fuel prices, were tested out for a total of 144 scenarios. Results showed that the parameters having the highest impact were those of a financial nature. Specifically, the study showed that the 4-star hotels considered were the hotels which would benefit the most from having such systems installed.
Reconstructing Rural Settlements Based on Structural Equation Modeling—Taking Hongshanyao Town of Jinchang City as an Example
Authors: Xie Xiaoling , Ye Lin
Published: January 2023

Rapid urbanization has driven great changes in China’s rural areas. In order to adapt to the changes in the internal elements and external regulation of the countryside, rural reconfiguration, i.e., to make rural development more adaptable to the spatial pattern of social development through optimal allocation and effective management, can achieve structural optimization and functional improvement within the rural territorial system. This study selects Hongshanyao Town of Jinchang City as the study area, constructs a structural equation model and an adaptability evaluation system to investigate the suitability of rural settlement layout, and constructs a differentiated and suitable rural settlement reconstruction model for different villages based on meeting farmers’ wishes, to intending to serve the current major national strategic needs and solve the real dilemmas faced by rural areas in the process of urban-rural transformation and development. The corresponding strategies are proposed, which provide a theoretical basis for future village development and spatial reconfiguration practices in rural areas, and are of great significance for realizing rural revitalization as well as village planning and construction.
Narrative or Logical? The Effects of Information Format on Pro-Environmental Behavior
Authors: Nakano Yuuki , Hondo Hiroki
Published: January 2023

To build a sustainable society, the provision of information is very important. This study examines the different methods by which providing a narrative and logical information on climate change affects pro-environmental behavior. Narrative information is defined as expressions describing the process of someone experiencing an event, and logical information refers to straightforward representations composed of only central facts. According to the dual-process theory, these two formats of information seem to be processed in different ways: the former is processed automatically and intuitively, and the latter is processed deliberatively and logically. This study aims to reveal the potential of narrative information to encourage behavioral intentions and policy acceptance in energy and environmental fields. In an experiment conducted via the internet, participants either read the narrative or logical information on climate change and completed the questionnaires before and after reading. The results indicate that narrative evokes stronger emotions, such as anxiety and fear, and leads to higher behavioral intentions and policy acceptance of climate change than logical information. They further infer that this tendency is more pronounced when the participants tend to be absorbed into narratives or have little interest in climate change. Our results suggest that the narrative approach can be effective for providing information on energy and environmental issues.
Influence of Vetiver Root Morphology on Soil–Water Characteristics of Plant-Covered Slope Soil in South Central China
Authors: Wang Xuan , Li Zhenyu , Chen Yongjun , Yao Yongsheng
Published: January 2023

The soil–water characteristic curve is an important tool to evaluate the water-holding capacity of unsaturated soil. Plant roots can affect the matric suction of soil and the water-holding capacity and permeability of the soil. Therefore, the morphological characteristics of plant roots will lead to the difference in soil–water characteristics between soil slope and plant-covered slope. This study aims to investigate the effect of Vetiver root morphology on soil–water characteristic curves of plant-covered slope soil. The hydrological effect of the root distribution on the root–soil system was also discussed. The results showed that: (1) The root surface area index (RAI) and root volume ratio (Rv) of each soil section of the vetiver root system varied with depth in accordance with the Gaussian function distribution; (2) In the process of natural drying, the matric suction generated within the root system is significantly higher than that generated by evaporation of bare soil in the same soil layer. The ability of vegetation soil to enhance soil matrix suction increases with the increase of soil root surface area index; and (3) The α and n values of the SWCC model decreased with the increase of Rv (root volume ratio of soil), while the air entry value increased. Under the same water content, the matric suction corresponding to vegetation soil is significantly greater than bare soil. In addition, the soil–water characteristic curve can be effectively predicted by combining the Rv of vegetated soils.
Impact of Carbon Sequestration by Terrestrial Vegetation on Economic Growth: Evidence from Chinese County Satellite Data
Authors: Zhang Zuoming , Wan Xiaoying , Sheng Kaixi , Sun Hanyue , Jia Lei , Peng Jiachao
Published: January 2023

Land vegetation plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and stabilizing atmospheric CO2 concentration. However, the impact of carbon sequestration of terrestrial vegetation on economic growth has not yet been reported in the literature, especially in the context of China’s current high-quality economic development strategy, and clarifying carbon sequestration on high-quality economic development has an important research-support role in achieving the goal of “carbon peak” and “carbon neutral”. Therefore, based on the panel data from 2735 countries and cities in China from 2000 to 2017, this statistical analysis adopts a dual-fixed-effect model to identify the heterogeneous impacts of land-based vegetation carbon sequestration on high-quality urban economic development. The results show that carbon sequestration by terrestrial vegetation has a significant positive impact on economic growth in northeast, central, south, and southwest China but not in north, east, or northwest China, and after a series of stability tests, the effect still holds. Terrestrial vegetation carbon sequestration affects economic growth mainly through upgrades of industrial structures, resource allocation effect, and vegetation coverage. This statistical model further clarifies the empirical evidence provided by vegetation carbon sequestration for high-quality economic development and the economic effects on afforestation and ecological conservation.
Short-Term Traffic Flow Prediction Based on the Optimization Study of Initial Weights of the Attention Mechanism
Authors: Lan Tianhe , Zhang Xiaojing , Qu Dayi , Yang Yufeng , Chen Yicheng
Published: January 2023

Traffic-flow prediction plays an important role in the construction of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). So, in order to improve the accuracy of short-term traffic flow prediction, a prediction model (GWO-attention-LSTM) based on the combination of optimized attention mechanism and long short-term memory (LSTM) is proposed. The model is based on LSTM and uses the attention mechanism to assign individual weight to the feature information extracted via LSTM. This can increase the prediction model’s focus on important information. The initial weight parameters of the attention mechanism are also optimized using the grey wolf optimizer (GWO). By simulating the hunting process of grey wolves, the GWO algorithm calculates the hunting position of the grey wolf and maps it to the initial weight parameters of the attention mechanism. In this way, the short-time traffic flow prediction model is constructed. The traffic flow data of the trunk roads in the center of Qingdao (China) are used as the research object. Multiple sets of comparison models are set up for prediction analysis. The results show that the GWO-attention-LSTM model has obvious advantages over other models. The prediction error MAE values of the GWO-attention-LSTM model decreased by 7.32% and 14.35% on average compared with the attention-LSTM model and LSTM model. It is concluded that the GWO-attention-LSTM model has better model performance and can provide effective help for traffic management control and traffic flow theory research.
Alleviating Relative Poverty in Rural China through a Diffusion Schema of Returning Farmer Entrepreneurship
Authors: Zhang Yuanyuan , Yang Chenyujing , Yan Shaocong , Wang Wukui , Xue Yongji
Published: January 2023

Addressing poverty is one of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. Alleviating relative poverty by stimulating the endogenous motivation of poor people to improve their ability for self-proliferation and diffusion is the focus of attention worldwide. China, as the world’s most populous country, has already left absolute poverty, and the vast rural areas are facing the challenge of managing relative poverty. We use the Delphi method to select three representative cases from the typical cases of rural entrepreneurship published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and describe the diffusion process and poverty reduction effect of returning farmers’ ‘entrepreneurship’ through the whole process analysis method. We found that the entrepreneurship diffusion model based on returning farmers has a bright future and great potential to improve rural poverty. Using family and local ties and the internet, returning farmers can effectively spread their entrepreneurial experience to other poor households, lowering their entrepreneurial risks and barriers, and thus collectively bringing more farmers out of poverty. The entrepreneurship diffusion of returning farmers can increase farmers’ income, promote the employment and entrepreneurship of poor households and improve the rural ecological environment, thus alleviating the multidimensional poverty of farmers in economic, social and ecological aspects. This provides an experience and reference for developing countries to solve the problems of poverty, especially poverty governance in rural areas. It is worth noting that implementing the diffusion of entrepreneurship among returning farmers requires the support of appropriate policies and the active participation of local governments.
Effects of Engine Load and Ternary Mixture on Combustion and Emissions from a Diesel Engine Using Later Injection Timing
Authors: Ge Jun Cong , Kim Jung Young , Yoo Byeong O , Song Jun Hee
Published: January 2023

As a high oxygenated fuel, bioethanol has already obtained more and more widespread attention in diesel engines. The present work aims to study and compare effects of various diesel-bioethanol-biodiesel ternary mixture fuels on combustion and emissions from a four-cylinder diesel engine. A series of engine experiments are conducted on neat diesel fuel (D100), 95% D100 blended with 5% bioethanol and 1% biodiesel by volume (D95E5B1), 90% D100 blended with 10% bioethanol and 1% biodiesel by volume (D90E10B1), and 85% D100 blended with 15% bioethanol and 1% biodiesel by volume (D85E15B1) according to various engine loads (40, 80 and 120 Nm). The experimental results show that the peak value of pressure and heat release rate (HRR) in the cylinder, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and smoke emissions increase with the increase in engine load, but the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) decreases. There is no significant variation in cylinder pressure with the addition of ethanol, but HRR is improved and NOx and smoke emissions are effectively controlled. It is exciting that the addition of ethanol can simultaneously reduce NOx and smoke emissions under medium and high load conditions. Specifically, at 120 Nm, ethanol addition simultaneously reduces NOx emissions by 2.08% and smoke opacity by 36.08% on average. Through the results of this study, it is found that the ethanol can improve the combustion of the four-cylinder diesel engine and also effectively control the emissions of NOx and smoke. Therefore, ethanol will play an important role in the future research field of energy saving and emission reduction for diesel engines.
Managing Information Sensitivity: The Relationship between the Interbank Offered Rate and the Characteristics of Bank-Issued Wealth Management Products in China
Authors: Bai Gang , Chen Chunhui
Published: January 2023

Unlike previous studies that focused on measures and changes in debts’ information sensitivity, this paper examines how banks in China manage the information sensitivity of wealth management products (WMPs), one of the most important assets in Chinese shadow banking. Employing the interbank offered rate to proxy investors’ incentives for private information production, we find when the interbank offered rate rises for newly issued WMPs, banks shorten their maturity, provide them with more guarantees, and reduce the risk of their underlying assets. Moreover, these effects are more pronounced in small and medium-sized banks (SMBs) relative to the largest five state-owned (Big5) banks. Furthermore, we also find that banks reduce the number of WMPs issued to institutional investors when the interbank offered rate rises, and this effect exists in both Big5 banks and SMBs. Our findings suggest that banks adjust the characteristics of WMPs to maintain WMPs’ information insensitivity when investors’ incentives to produce private information increase. These results also indicate that there is less need for Big5 banks to adjust WMPs’ characteristics since individual investors consider WMPs issued by Big5 to be safer and thus to have less incentive to produce private information. However, institutional investors understand WMPs’ risks better and, therefore, all banks reduce the number of issues to them when the interbank rate rises.
Challenges and Opportunities for the Recovery of Critical Raw Materials from Electronic Waste: The Spanish Perspective
Authors: Torrubia Jorge , Valero Alicia , Valero Antonio , Lejuez Anthony
Published: January 2023

The path toward energy transition requires many metals, some of which are scarce in nature or their supply is controlled by a few countries. The European and Spanish situations are particularly vulnerable because of the scarcity of crucial geological mineral resources, especially those known as critical. In this context, the recovery of metals from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) presents an important opportunity to partly alleviate this situation because this region produces most of the WEEE per capita. In this study, 43 different categories of EEE placed in the Spanish market between 2016 and 2021 were assessed, considering the composition of up to 57 elements, with 34 being critical. The results show the great opportunities for urban mining: 1.4 million tons of metals valued at USD 2.43 billion, representing 80% of the mass and 25% of the price of the primary extraction in Spain during that period. In addition, 20,000 tons corresponded to critical metals. However, the short life of EEE and the low traceability and low recovery of metals, especially critical and precious (94% and 87% of their values are lost, respectively), make it necessary to overcome major challenges to develop a new industry capable of moving toward a deeper circular economy.
A Digital Product Passport for Critical Raw Materials Reuse and Recycling
Authors: Koppelaar Rembrandt H. E. M. , Pamidi Sreenivaasa , Hajósi Enikő , Herreras Lucia , Leroy Pascal , Jung Ha-Young , Concheso Amba , Daniel Radha , Francisco Fernando B. , Parrado Cristina , Dell’Ambrogio Siro , Guggiari Fabiana , Leone Deborah , Fontana Alessandro
Published: January 2023

The reuse and recycling of critical raw materials is limited, as waste electrical and electronic recycling focuses on base and precious metals, and device component reuse is in its infancy. To help to address this issue this paper provides the conceptual design of a Digital Product Passport based circular supply management system. To enable the recovery of critical raw materials at component and material levels for reuse and recycling. The works include an assessment of existing critical raw materials information management and an information needs identification survey, with 10 manufacturers, producer responsibility organisations, collectors and recyclers. The needs were used to generate 14 key product information management processes and exchanges that when implemented form a Digital Product Passport based circular supply management system. Information managed via a physical-digital linkage through individual product tags includes product registrations, materials declarations, life cycle status updates, the sorting of products at collection points based on critical raw material contents, and flagging of products for critical raw materials component extraction. A dataspace-based IT systems architecture is proposed for the implementation of the supply management system taking into account global and European information standards. Finally, key challenges to implement such an IT architecture are discussed.
Optimal Inclusion Levels of Cricket and Silkworm as Alternative Ruminant Feed: A Study on Their Impacts on Rumen Fermentation and Gas Production
Authors: Ahmed Eslam , Nishida Takehiro
Published: January 2023

Due to growing interest in alternative and sustainable high-quality feed sources for the livestock industry, we carried out a study to determine the optimal inclusion levels of two insect species (Gryllus bimaculatus and Bombyx mori) in a feed for ruminants, as well as evaluating their impacts on rumen fermentation characteristics and methane production. An experiment was performed using an in vitro model for 24 h with a ruminant diet (control group) of 60%:40% grass:concentrate, in order to investigate the effects of insect inclusion into the diet at 10, 20, 30, and 40%, through their substitution into the concentrate mixture. The rumen fermentation parameters indicated that each insect could be included in the diet up to 20% without adverse effects on nutrient digestibility, while increasing the production of ammonia-nitrogen. Increasing the inclusion level beyond 20% led to significant decreases (p < 0.05) in the total gas production, nutrient digestibility, and volatile fatty acids production due to the high fat content in these dietary treatments. Therefore, G. bimaculatus and B. mori could be used as an alternative ruminant feed up to 20%, in order to replace high-quality feed ingredients. Formulating ruminant feed using insects as ingredients should take into consideration their fat content and the total dietary fat content.
Non-Invasive SWIR Monitoring of White Marble Surface of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence, Italy)
Authors: Vettori Silvia , Romoli Davide , Salvatici Teresa , Rimondi Valentina , Pecchioni Elena , Moretti Sandro , Benvenuti Marco , Costagliola Pilario , Manganelli Del Fà Rachele , Coppola Michele , Agostini Beatrice , Di Benedetto Francesco
Published: January 2023

The monitoring of stone alteration represents a key factor in the knowledge and prediction of the status of conservation of building stones in the urban framework. A continuous monitoring requires a non-destructive analytical approach and, possibly, a simple, low-cost and effective tool to study the decay processes. Previous studies demonstrated the capability of the SWIR hyperspectral technique to gain information on the degree of sulfation of carbonate stone surfaces. In this study we aim at setting up a protocol to investigate on-site the sulfation degree of the white marble cladding surfaces of the worldwide-famous Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence (Italy). The proposed protocol couples information by SWIR hyperspectral and colorimetric techniques. We have proved that, in selected areas investigated at a distance of nine years, the colour and the mineralogical changes (i.e., sulfation) are significantly greater than the relative uncertainties of the two methods. Moreover, the proposed protocol results rapid, repeatable and fully not invasive.
The Use of Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) as a Sentinel Species for the Microplastic Pollution of Freshwater: The Case of Beyhan Dam Lake, Turkey
Authors: Atamanalp Muhammed , Kokturk Mine , Gündüz Fatih , Parlak Veysel , Ucar Arzu , Alwazeer Duried , Alak Gonca
Published: January 2023

The presence of microplastics (MPs) in several components of different ecosystems has aroused great concern and led to numerous studies on MP pollution. Although there has been an increasing number of these studies in aquatic ecosystems, no data about the MP pollution in zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha, Pallas 1771) living in Beyhan dam lake (Elazığ, Türkiye) are available. This study aimed to investigate the presence of MPs in freshwater mussel species found in this water reservoir. The distribution and characterization of MPs were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in zebra mussel (D. polymorpha) samples at four different stations. A significant difference in the MP presence between the 1st and 4th stations was observed (p < 0.05). A total of 52 MPs were determined in mussels collected from different stations in Beyhan Dam Lake. A total of 18 MPs of this total (1.80 ± 0.92 MP/individual) were obtained in station 1 and 7 of them (0.70 ± 0.82 MP/individual) were from the 4th station. Results of the MP investigation showed that the dominant color was black, the common size range was 1001–2000 µm, the dominant polymer shape was fiber, and the main polymer type was polypropylene (PP). A positive correlation was found among total MP and factors (length, tissue weight, and MP/individual). The detection of MPs in a freshwater mussel of the Beyhan dam lake can be suggested as a threat indicator and offers the possibility of using D. polymorpha as a bioindicator in the aquatic ecosystems’ MP pollution.