bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automatic Detection of Pothole Distress in Asphalt Pavement Using Improved Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Wang Danyu , Liu Zhen , Gu Xingyu , Wu Wenxiu , Chen Yihan , Wang Lutai
Published: August 2022

To realize the intelligent and accurate measurement of pavement surface potholes, an improved You Only Look Once version three (YOLOv3) object detection model combining data augmentation and structure optimization is proposed in this study. First, color adjustment was used to enhance the image contrast, and data augmentation was performed through geometric transformation. Pothole categories were subdivided into P1 and P2 on the basis of whether or not there was water. Then, the Residual Network (ResNet101) and complete IoU (CIoU) loss were used to optimize the structure of the YOLOv3 model, and the K-Means++ algorithm was used to cluster and modify the multiscale anchor sizes. Lastly, the robustness of the proposed model was assessed by generating adversarial examples. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed model was significantly improved compared with the original YOLOv3 model; the detection mean average precision (mAP) was 89.3%, and the F1-score was 86.5%. On the attacked testing dataset, the overall mAP value reached 81.2% (−8.1%), which shows that this proposed model performed well on samples after random occlusion and adding noise interference, proving good robustness.
Quantifying the Effects of Climate Variability, Land-Use Changes, and Human Activities on Drought Based on the SWAT–PDSI Model
Authors: Zhu Yanbing , Li Baofu , Lian Lishu , Wu Tianxiao , Wang Junshan , Dong Fangshu , Wang Yunqian
Published: August 2022

Much attention has recently been devoted to the qualitative relationship between climate factors and drought; however, the influences of climate variability, land-use/cover changes (LUCC), and other human activities on drought have rarely been quantitatively assessed. Based on the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), this study presents a framework to quantify drought changes in an attribution study, and quantifies the effects of climate factors, LUCC, and other human activities on drought in a typical basin (Yihe River) in eastern China from 1980 to 2019. (1) The SWAT–PDSI results revealed a slight decreasing trend from 1980 to 2019, indicating that the degree of drought increased—especially in the middle of the basin. (2) The precipitation in the basin exhibited a downward trend (−2.7 mm/10 a), while the temperature exhibited a significant increasing trend (0.13 °C/10 a, p < 0.05). Over the past 40 years, LUCC in the Yihe River Basin was mainly characterized by a reduction in the dryland area (149 km2) and an increase in the built-up area (135 km2), which changed by −1.77% and 18.96%, respectively. (3) Climate fluctuation was the main driving factor of drought change, with a contribution rate ranging from 68 to 84%, and the contribution to drought gradually increased. Among the various factors, the contribution of temperature exceeded that of precipitation from 2010 to 2019, suggesting that temperature has become the most important climate factor affecting drought. The contribution rates of LUCC to drought changes over the periods 1990–1999, 2000–2009, and 2010–2019 were 7.8%, 18%, and 12.6%, respectively. This indicates that the relative contributions of other human activities to drought changes gradually decreased. This study refines the drought attribution framework, which could provide scientific support for the quantitative attribution of drought and the formulation of disaster prevention and reduction strategies.
An Integrated Raw Data Simulator for Airborne Spotlight ECCM SAR
Authors: Lee Haemin , Kim Ki-Wan
Published: August 2022

Airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems often encounter the threats of interceptors or electronic countermeasures (ECM) and suffer from motion measurement errors. In order to design and analyze SAR systems while considering such threats and errors, an integrated raw data simulator is proposed for airborne spotlight electronic counter-countermeasure (ECCM) SAR. The raw data for reflected echo signals and jamming signals are generated in arbitrary waveform to achieve pulse diversity. The echo signals are simulated based on the scene model computed through the inverse polar reformatting of the reflectivity map. The reflectivity map is generated by applying a noise-like speckle to an arbitrary grayscale optical image. The received jamming signals are generated by the jamming model, and their powers are determined by the jamming equivalent sigma zero (JESZ), a newly proposed quantitative measure for designing ECCM SAR systems. The phase errors due to the inaccuracy of the navigation system are also considered in the design of the proposed simulator, as navigation sensor errors were added in the motion measurement process, with the results used for the motion compensation. The validity and usefulness of the proposed simulator is verified through the simulation of autofocus algorithms, SAR jamming, and SAR ECCM with pulse diversity. Various types of autofocus algorithms were performed through the proposed simulator and, as a result, the performance trends were identified to be similar to those of the real data from actual flight tests. The simulation results of the SAR jamming and SAR ECCM indicate that the proposed JESZ is well-defined measure for quantifying the power requirements of ECCM SAR and SAR jammers.
Laboratory Calibration of an Ultraviolet–Visible Imaging Spectropolarimeter
Authors: Shi Jingjing , Li Mengfan , Hu Yadong , Wang Xiangjing , Xu Hua , Chi Gaojun , Hong Jin
Published: August 2022

The ultraviolet–visible imaging spectropolarimeter (UVISP), developed by the Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (AIOFM), Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), is a dual-beam snapshot instrument for measuring the spectral, radiometric, and linear polarization information of absorbing aerosol in a wavelength range from 340 to 520 nm. In this paper, we propose a complete set of calibration methods for UVISP to ensure the accuracy of the measured radiation polarization data, thus guaranteeing the reliability of inversion results. In geometric calibration, we complete the assignment of the field of view (FOV) angle to each pixel of the detector using a high precision turntable and parallel light source. In addition, the geometric calibration accuracy of the S beam and P beam is also analyzed. The results show that the residuals of all row pixels are less than 0.12°. Based on geometric calibration, a spectral calibration is conducted at each spectrum of the S beam and P beam for the given FOV, and the relation between the wavelength and pixel is obtained by a linear fitting procedure. For radiometric calibration, the uniformity of spectral responsivity is corrected, and the function between spectral radiance and output digital data is established. To improve the accuracy of the polarimetric measurement, a polarimetric calibration is proposed, and validated experimental results show that the root mean square (RMS) errors for the demodulated value are all within 0.011 for the input linear polarized light with different angles of linear polarization (AoLPs). Finally, field measurements are conducted, and the absolute deviations are all within 0.01 when the UVISP and CE-318 sun–sky polarimetric radiometer (CE318N) simultaneously measure the degree of linear polarization (DoLP) of the sky at different zenith angles. These experimental results demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed calibration methods.
Pomelo Tree Detection Method Based on Attention Mechanism and Cross-Layer Feature Fusion
Authors: Yuan Haotian , Huang Kekun , Ren Chuanxian , Xiong Yongzhu , Duan Jieli , Yang Zhou
Published: August 2022

Deep learning is the subject of increasing research for fruit tree detection. Previously developed deep-learning-based models are either too large to perform real-time tasks or too small to extract good enough features. Moreover, there has been scarce research on the detection of pomelo trees. This paper proposes a pomelo tree-detection method that introduces the attention mechanism and a Ghost module into the lightweight model network, as well as a feature-fusion module to improve the feature-extraction ability and reduce computation. The proposed method was experimentally validated and showed better detection performance and fewer parameters than some state-of-the-art target-detection algorithms. The results indicate that our method is more suitable for pomelo tree detection.
Impact of Topographic Correction on PRISMA Sentinel 2 and Landsat 8 Images
Authors: Santini Federico , Palombo Angelo
Published: August 2022

Over the past decades, remote sensing satellite sensors have significantly increased their performance and, at the same time, differed in their characteristics. Therefore, making the data repeatable over time and uniform with respect to different platforms has become one of the most challenging issues to obtain a representation of the intrinsic characteristics of the observed target. In this context, atmospheric correction has the role of cleaning the signal from unwanted contributions and moving from the sensor radiance to a quantity more closely related to the intrinsic properties of the target, such as ground reflectance. To this end, atmospheric correction procedures must consider a number of factors, closely related to the specific scene acquired and to the characteristics of the sensor. In mountainous environments, atmospheric correction must include a topographic correction level to compensate for the topographic effects that heavily affect the remote signal. In this paper, we want to estimate the impact of topographic correction on remote sensing images based on a statistical analysis, using data acquired under different illumination conditions with different sensors. We also want to show the benefits of introducing this level of correction in second level products such as PRISMA L2C reflectance, which currently do not implement it.
High-Performance Breaking and Intelligent of Miniature Circuit Breakers
Authors: Yin Jianning , Lang Xiaojian , Xu Haotian , Duan Jiandong
Published: August 2022

The exploitation and utilization of clean energy such as wind and photovoltaic power plays an important role in the reduction in carbon emissions to achieve the goal of “emission peak and carbon neutral”, but such a quantity of clean energy accessing the electric system will foster the transition of the electric power system structure. The intelligentization of power equipment will be an inevitable trend of development. High breaking performance, remote control and a digital detection platform of miniature circuit breaker, a protective equipment of a power distribution system, have also been inevitable requirements of the power Iot system. Based on the above, this paper studies three aspects: high-performance AC and DC general switching technology, remote control technology and operation status’ digital monitoring. A new DC non-polar breaking technology is proposed, which improves the short circuit breaking ability. An experimental prototype using the above techniques was fabricated and passed the DC 1000 V/10 kA short-circuit breaking test. On the basis of the above, an intelligent circuit breaker is developed, which contains multiple functions: remote switching, real-time temperature detection, energy metering and fault warning. Moreover, a software for digital condition monitoring and remote control is developed. This work has certain theoretical and practical significance for the development of the power Internet of things.
Modeling and Verification of an Acquisition Strategy for Wheel Loader’s Working Trajectories and Resistance
Authors: Wang Shaojie , Yin Yue , Wu Yanfeng , Hou Liang
Published: August 2022

To overcome the difficulty of collecting the working resistance and working trajectory of a wheel loader, this paper constructs a statics model of the bucket working resistance and a kinematics model of the working trajectory in the shoveling process and analyzes the key parameters of measuring the working resistance and working trajectory. Based on this, a working resistance and working trajectory acquisition strategy is proposed. To verify the effectiveness of the acquisition strategy, the in-service operation data of fine sand and loose soil shoveled by the wheel loader are collected and analyzed. Then, the test-fitted working resistance and working trajectory are obtained, and the working trajectory is input into the RecurDyn–EDEM co-simulation model to obtain the simulation-fitted working resistance. Considering the complex working conditions of the wheel loader, it is difficult to obtain accurate working resistance, and the actual working resistance is also a relative value. Therefore, a strong correlation between the two curves indicates that the acquisition strategy of the wheel loader’s working trajectory and working resistance proposed in this paper is feasible.
High Gain, Low Noise and Power Transimpedance Amplifier Based on Second Generation Voltage Conveyor in 65 nm CMOS Technology
Authors: García-Montesdeoca José C. , Montiel-Nelson Juan A. , Sosa Javier
Published: August 2022

A transimpedance amplifier (TIA) based on a voltage conveyor structure designed for high gain, low noise, low distortion, and low power consumption is presented in this work. Following a second-generation voltage conveyor topology, the current and voltage blocks are a regulated cascode amplifier and a down converter buffer, respectively. The proposed voltage buffer is designed for low distortion and low power consumption, whereas the regulated cascode is designed for low noise and high gain. The resulting TIA was fabricated in 65 nm CMOS technology for logic and mixed-mode designs, using low-threshold voltage transistors and a supply voltage of ±1.2 V. It exhibited a 52 dBΩ transimpedance gain and a 1.1 GHz bandwidth, consuming 55.3 mW using a ±1.2 V supply. Our preamplifier stage, based on a regulated cascode, was designed considering detector capacitance, bonding wire, and packaging capacitance. The voltage buffer was designed for low-power consumption and low distortion. The measured input-referred noise of the TIA was 22 pA/√Hz. The obtained total harmonic distortion of the TIA was close to 5%. In addition, the group delay is constant for the considered bandwidth. Comparisons against published results in terms of area (A), power consumption (P), bandwidth (BW), transimpedance gain (G), and noise (N) are were performed. Both figures of merit FoMs—the ratio √ (G × BW) and P × A—and FoM/N values demostrated the advantages of the proposed approach.
Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Guided Waves Based Damage Localization Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors in Remote Configuration
Authors: Soman Rohan , Boyer Alex , Kim Jee Myung , Peters Kara
Published: August 2022

Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems may allow a reduction in maintenance costs and extend the lifetime of the structure. As a result, they are of interest to the research community. Ideally, the SHM methods should be low cost, while being able to detect and localize small levels of damage reliably and accurately. The fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are light in weight, insensitive to electric and magnetic fields, and can be embedded. The edge filtering configuration for transduction allows the use of FBG for guided wave (GW) sensing. This sensitivity may be further enhanced through their application in the remote bonded configuration. This paper provides a proof-of-concept for the use of remotely bonded FBG for damage localization. In order to improve the computational efficiency, a particle swarm optimization (PSO) based algorithm is developed. The PSO allows a significant improvement in the computation time which makes it better suited for real-time damage localization. The proposed objective function is based on the exponential elliptical approach. First, the suitability of the PSO for damage localization is shown. Then the performance of the chosen objective function is compared with the brute-force algorithm as well as other objective functions found in the literature. The methodology is employed on a simple aluminum plate. The results indicate that indeed the objective function along with the PSO is suitable for damage localization. Also as the objective function is developed taking into consideration the specific challenges with the use of FBG sensors, performs better than the other objective functions as well as the brute force algorithm.
Cost-Effective Fitting Model for Indoor Positioning Systems Based on Bluetooth Low Energy
Authors: Yeh Sheng-Cheng , Wang Chia-Hui , Hsieh Chaur-Heh , Chiou Yih-Shyh , Cheng Tsung-Pao
Published: August 2022

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a positioning technology that is commonly used in indoor positioning systems (IPS) such as shopping malls or underground parking lots, because of its low power consumption and the low cost of Bluetooth devices. It also maintains high positioning accuracy. Since the cost of BLE itself is low, it has now been used in larger environments such as parking lots or shopping malls for a long time. However, it is necessary to configure a large number of devices in the environment to obtain accurate positioning results. The most accurate method of using signal strength for positioning is the signal pattern-matching method. The positioning result is compared through a database with the overheads of time and labor costs, since the amount of data will be proportional to the size of the environment for BLE-IPS. A planar model that conforms to the signal strength in the environment was generated, wherein the database comparison method is replaced by an equation solution, to improve various costs but diminish the positioning accuracy. In this paper, we propose to further replace the planar model with a cost-effective fitting model to both save costs and improve positioning accuracy. The experimental results demonstrate that this model can effectively reduce the average positioning error in distance by 31%.
Economic Linear Parameter Varying Model Predictive Control of the Aeration System of a Wastewater Treatment Plant
Authors: Nejjari Fatiha , Khoury Boutrous , Puig Vicenç , Quevedo Joseba , Pascual Josep , de Campos Sergi
Published: August 2022

This work proposes an economic model predictive control (EMPC) strategy in the linear parameter varying (LPV) framework for the control of dissolved oxygen concentrations in the aerated reactors of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). A reduced model of the complex nonlinear plant is represented in a quasi-linear parameter varying (qLPV) form to reduce computational burden, enabling the real-time operation. To facilitate the formulation of the time-varying parameters which are functions of system states, as well as for feedback control purposes, a moving horizon estimator (MHE) that uses the qLPV WWTP model is proposed. The control strategy is investigated and evaluated based on the ASM1 simulation benchmark for performance assessment. The obtained results applying the EMPC strategy for the control of the aeration system in the WWTP of Girona (Spain) show its effectiveness.
To Live Together Is to Move Together: Social Actigraphy Applied to Healthy Elderly People
Authors: Rabuffetti Marco , De Giovannini Ennio , Ferrarin Maurizio
Published: August 2022

(1) Background: Actigraphic methods allow prolonged monitoring of human physical activity (PA) by wearable sensors in a real-life unsupervised context. They generally do not characterize the social context, and nearby persons can have a modulating effect on the performed PA. The present study aims to apply an existing method for bimanual actigraphy to both components of a marital dyad to verify the level of association between the two PA profiles. Other dyad comparisons complete the overall figure. (2) Methods: Seven-day actigraphic recordings collected from both components of 20 married couples of retired, cohabiting, healthy subjects (age ranging from 58 to 87 years) were considered. (3) Results: PA profiles of a marital dyad are significantly more correlated (coefficient: 0.444) than unrelated couples (0.278). Interestingly, participants’ profiles compared with their own recording shifted by 24 h, evidencing an intermediate level of association (0.335). Data from the literature, the high association (0.875) of individual right and left wrist profiles, enforce the analysis. (4) Conclusions: The proposed method, called “social actigraphy”, confirmed that the partner has a relevant effect on one’s PA profile, thus suggesting involving the partner in programs concerning lifestyle changes and patient rehabilitation.
Development of a Novel HPLC-MS Method to Separate Polar and Non-Polar Compounds in Biodiesel/Petrodiesel Mixtures
Authors: Hamacher David , Schrader Wolfgang
Published: August 2022

Due to a trend to higher sustainability, biodiesel is often mixed into petrodiesel. The analysis of these blends on a molecular level is not trivial, since huge differences in concentrations and polarity of the analytes require a large dynamic range of the analytical method, as well as the ability to investigate molecules of widely different polarities. A combination of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was identified as a promising method and a normal-phase (NP)-HPLC using amino-functionalized silica gel-based stationary phase delivered the best results with very fast (under 4 min) measurements, with distinct separation of the compounds and clean mass spectra of singular compounds. This method can also be easily modified to elute all FAMEs (fatty acid methyl esters) in one singular peak, thus making the separation even faster (under 3 min).
Quantitative Analysis of the Impact of Ecological Industry and Ecological Investment on the Economy: A Case Study of Beijing, China
Authors: Qu Yongyu , Ni Hongzhen , Zhao Jing , Chen Genfa , Liu Changshun
Published: August 2022

As China attaches increasing importance to its ecological environment, ecology-related industries have become essential to China’s national economy. However, in the current national economic accounting practice, the ecological industry (eco-industry) is not independent, and the ecological service value ecology creates is currently not within the scope of national economic accounting. To clarify the impact of the development of the eco-industry on the whole regional economy, this paper takes Beijing as the study area. For the first time, the input–output analysis method is adopted to differentiate the eco-industry as an independent sector. Moreover, the ecosystem services value is integrated into the eco-industry, and each coefficient is quantitatively analyzed from an industrial-chain perspective. The results show that the eco-industry exerts a good pulling effect on the regional economy. The inputs and outputs of the eco-industry clearly tend to focus on eco-environmental and public-service-related industries, followed by industries for which ecological development can create value. Judging from the entire regional economy, ecological investment significantly impacts both the education and financial industries. Ecological investment can promote socio-economic development, achieving a 1.318 increase in regional GDP per unit of eco-investment. The results imply that the development of the eco-industry in China should be boosted further and social capital investment should be attracted. Finally, this paper provides a scientific basis for policymakers to better understand the overall situation of both the eco-industry and industry linkages and guide them to develop relevant ecological investment strategies.
Research on Mechanical Properties and Energy Evolution Law of Coal–Rock Assemblage with Different Gas Pressures
Authors: Dai Linchao , Zhang Zhigang , Sun Haitao , Gao Huali
Published: August 2022

In order to study the mechanical failure characteristics and energy evolution law of gas-bearing coal–rock composites under different gas pressures, a uniaxial mechanical loading experiment was carried out on an upper-rock lower coal binary coal–rock assembly under different gas pressures. The changes in parameters such as compressive strength and elastic energy of the coal–rock combination were analyzed, and the energy transfer in the failure process of the gas-bearing coal–rock assemblage was studied. The results showed that the compressive strength of the combined body decreased linearly with the increase in gas pressure, and the decreasing rate of compressive strength was 6.4%, 16.3%, and 21.4%. The elastic modulus of the combined body decreased with the increase in gas pressure in a power function relationship. The energy accumulated before the peak of the rock part of the composite body and the elastic energy released after the peak, the energy accumulated before the peak of the composite body, and the energy dissipated after the peak of the coal body part all decreased with the increase in gas pressure. The variation range of the indicators K1 and K2, which reflect the influence degree of the partially accumulated elastic energy of the rock on the failure of the assemblage, were 5.85~6.68% and 7.34~9.46%, respectively.
Public Perceptions of Renewable Energy in the Philippines
Authors: Lloyd Steven , Nakamura Tetsuya
Published: August 2022

The current study examines how renewable energy is perceived by the Philippine public through the use of an online survey. As a developing economy with limited fossil fuel resources but huge potential for renewable energy (RE), and as a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol and other international environmental agreements, RE should be central to the government’s energy policy. However, at the time of the survey, RE provided less than 25% of electricity capacity, placing it below the ASEAN average, despite its ambitious public announcements and being the first to adopt a legal framework explicitly intended to support RE expansion. The study corroborates other research that finds a high level of awareness and concern for the climate crisis amongst the Philippine public. Given that RE is often locally and community based, public knowledge and support would greatly facilitate the expansion of RE. The research found that 86.2% of the participants supported the expansion of RE and 80.8% expressed willingness to install RE on their property if it was affordable, but there was also continued support for traditional fossil fuels among 45.0% of the participants. Regression analysis found that claimed knowledge of RE was found to have a largely positive correlation with support for RE, and just over 50% saw cooperation between local and central governments as necessary for RE expansion to succeed.
A Development of Counseling Competency for Academic Advisors in Higher Education
Authors: Choompunuch Bovornpot , Lebkhao Dussadee , Suksatan Wanich , Suk-erb Wipanee
Published: August 2022

Southeast Asia has a high prevalence of mental health problems and a low desire to seek professional help. Low treatment rates in LMICs are also reflected in the lack of readily available treatments geared toward students. In developing countries such as Thailand, academic advisors in higher education play another extra role in providing appropriate mental health counseling beyond teaching, researching, and delivering academic advising to their students. This quasi-experimental research aimed to study counseling’s competency of academic advisors in higher education and develop counseling’s competency of academic advisors in higher education. The sample groups used in this study were academic advisors who worked in a Thai university. There were two data collection stages. In stage 1, 250 samples were selected using a multi-stage random sampling technique for examining counseling competency. In stage 2, 60 samples used in the first stage having counseling’s competency score rating from low to moderate were equally divided into two groups (control and intervention). The results in the first stage showed that the total mean score of counseling competency was moderate. In the second stage, the hypothesis-tested result also showed significant differences in counseling competency outcomes in the intervention and control groups. These findings highlight intervention; the Brief Counseling Competency Training Program (BCCTP) could be helpful for reskilling and upskilling academic advisors’ counseling competency, especially attitude dimension, and implicate set friendly services, a sustainable academic advisor network to support and strengthen these competencies.
Influence of Latex and Vinyl Disposable Gloves as Recycled Fibers in 3D Printing Sustainable Mortars
Authors: Mousavi Seyed Sina , Dehestani Mehdi
Published: August 2022

The disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE) is a main concern of researchers. In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic made this issue worse, so the production and use of large quantities of disposable gloves in recent years and the lack of a suitable solution for the disposal of these recycled materials are some of the consequences of this pandemic. To address this issue, the present study performed a comprehensive experimental program to determine the possibility of using recycled latex and vinyl gloves as recycled fibers within extrusion-based 3D printing concrete. Moreover, a graphene oxide (GO) nanomaterial was also used to compensate for some undesired properties of mixtures. Flow table, buildability, and mechanical tests were performed in this study. Results show that the synergic effect of recycled fibers and GO significantly improved the 3D printing characteristics of mortar. Although very promising results were obtained in this study, findings show that using a high content of recycled fibers reduces the concrete compressive strength. However, the addition of GO significantly compensates for this reduction.
Characteristics of Pedestrians in Bangladesh Who Did Not Receive Public Education on Road Safety
Authors: Chowdhury Tanvir , Rifaat Shakil Mohammad , Tay Richard
Published: August 2022

The safety of pedestrians, such as workers who largely walk to and from work, has not been given sufficient attention, especially in the area of traffic safety in developing countries, including Bangladesh. Although the National Road Safety Strategy has a very strong emphasis on road safety education and publicity campaigns, the road safety knowledge may not have reached these vulnerable road users who most needed them. Moreover, little is known about the penetration rate of these campaigns and who have benefited or not benefited from them. On the other hand, the developing country, like Bangladesh, is heavily dependent on its Readymade Garment (RMG) workers for earning foreign currency, and walking is one of the major mode of transports of those workers. The objective of this study is to identify those who are not reach by the safety education. Results from a survey of 1020 RMG workers around Dhaka identified several socioeconomic, demographic, travel characteristics and accident experience that affect the most vulnerable segments who are left out of the system. The findings of this study would help the policy makers to arrange necessary road safety education for the most vulnerable cohorts of pedestrians to encourage the continued use of this sustainable mode of commute.
Distributed Optimization of Joint Seaport-All-Electric-Ships System under Polymorphic Network
Authors: Xia Wenjia , Shan Qihe , Xiao Geyang , Tu Yonggang , Liang Yuan
Published: August 2022

As a result of the trend towards auto intelligence and greening of vehicles and with the concept of polymorphic network being put forward, the power transmission mode between seaports and all-electric ships (AESs) is likely to be converted to “peer-to-peer” transmission. According to practical shore power systems and carbon trade mechanisms, an advanced peer-to-peer power dispatching model-joint seaport-AESs microgrid(MG) system has been proposed in the paper. The joint seaport–AES system model is proposed to minimize the total operational cost of power production and marketing, including distributed generation (DG) cost, electricity trading cost, and carbon emissions, and the boundary conditions are given as well. A parameter projection distributed optimization (PPDO) algorithm is utilized to solve the distributed optimization power operation planning of the proposed joint seaport–AES MG system under a polymorphic network and to guarantee the precision of power dispatching, which compensates for the insufficiency of the computing power. Finally, a case study of a five-node polymorphic joint seaport-AESs system is conducted. The feasibility of the parameter projection approach and the peer-to-peer power dispatching model are verified via the convergence of all the agents within the constraint sets.
Motivation and Its Effect on Language Achievement: Sustainable Development of Chinese Middle School Students’ Second Language Learning
Authors: Jiao Shi , Jin Hui , You Zheng , Wang Jie
Published: August 2022

The spread of COVID-19 has changed the traditional education pattern, and prolonged home isolation and online learning have brought unprecedented challenges to second language teaching and learning. A sample of 1036 Chinese students from four representative middle schools participated in the research. The results indicated four motivations: intrinsic interest, learning situation, personal development, and immediate achievement. There were significant gender differences in English learning motivation. Moreover, intrinsic interest and personal development motivation had a significantly positive impact on English learning achievement, while learning situation had no significant impact, and immediate achievement motivation had a significantly negative impact. The findings highlight the cultivation of students’ learning autonomy and school-family interaction to promote the sustainable development of middle school students’ second language learning.
Do Governance Perceptions Affect Cooperativeness? Evidence from Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes in Northern Ghana
Authors: Akuriba Margaret Atosina , Haagsma Rein , Heerink Nico
Published: August 2022

We use household survey data and results from a lab-in-the-field experiment to examine the impact of governance perceptions on the cooperativeness of water users in the maintenance of 19 small-scale irrigation schemes in northern Ghana. Cooperativeness is measured by two indicators, one indicator derived from the experiment and the other obtained from the survey. We distinguish the governance perceptions of users into six main components, and regress the two indicators on these six components. We consistently find for both indicators that cooperativeness is lower when users perceive that their water user association (WUA) is more successful in resolving conflicts. We also find that perceptions of accountability, transparency, and participation in governance jointly affect cooperativeness in a positive way, but collinearity problems refrain us from identifying which component(s) do(es) so. Type of leadership—whether or not the WUA leader was democratically elected—does not have a significant effect on cooperativeness, while having received irrigation-related training positively affects cooperativeness as measured by labor contributions to scheme maintenance. We argue that these novel insights can be of great importance for promoting sustainable management of small-scale irrigation schemes, but needs further research to examine its external validity.
Predicting Factors Influencing Preservice Teachers’ Behavior Intention in the Implementation of STEM Education Using Partial Least Squares Approach
Authors: Wijaya Tommy Tanu , Jiang Peijie , Mailizar Mailizar , Habibi Akhmad
Published: August 2022

The integration of STEM education has been promoted to improve the quality of education in the 21st century, with its usage leading to emphasis on the factors influencing the intentions of preservice teachers. Therefore, this study aims to determine the factors influencing preservice teachers’ intentions, as well as the effects of gender and age on the implementation of STEM education. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was adopted to predict the relationship between knowledge, social influence, attitude, perceived usefulness, control, and behavioral intention (BI) of using STEM education among preservice secondary school teachers. A total of 30 item questionnaires on behavioral intentions were distributed to 201 respondents, with data being analyzed using the Structural Equation Model (SEM). The results showed that perceived usefulness had a positive significance, and a relationship with the attitudes of preservice teachers toward STEM education. Habit had a positive significance in influencing teachers’ behavioral intentions and implementation. Subjective norms did not have a significant correlation with BI and implementation. These results are recommended for providing solutions to analytical problems, and to successfully improve future learning through an educational approach.
How Does the Circular Economy Applied in the European Union Support Sustainable Economic Development?
Authors: Sabău-Popa Claudia Diana , Bele Alexandra Maria , Dodescu Anca Otilia , Boloș Marcel Ioan
Published: August 2022

This research paper aims to find a causal relationship between the circular economy and sustainable economic development. The implementation of the circular economy in the European Union requires, on the one hand, smart regulation and on the other hand, the long-term involvement of all actors in society at all levels—member states, regions, cities, businesses, citizens—and their ability to develop cooperation networks and suitable collaboration and exchange patterns. Moreover, the circular economy is based on business models for reusing, recycling and recovering materials in the production and consumption of goods. This research establishes correlations between circular economy performance measurement indicators and sustainable economic development using panel analysis. Statistically significant correlations were noted between GDP per capita and three independent variables, mainly due to the high R-squared coefficient. This research’s innovation contribution is related to the selection and combination of circular economy indicators. Finally, the results confirmed that an increase in the recycling rate of municipal waste and a decrease in environmental tax revenues and environmental protection expenditures led to an increase in GDP per capita and sustainable economic development.
Assessment of Tropical Fish Stocks Using the LBB Method in Dongzhaigang Bay, Hainan Island, China
Authors: Jiang Chengpu , Wang Wenqing , Yan Suzhen , Ding Yipeng , Mi Xuefang , Wang Mao , Pauly Daniel
Published: August 2022

This study used catch/effort (CPUE) and length-frequency (L/F) data to evaluate the status of 26 fish species in the mangroves of the Dongzhaigang National Reserve, Hainan Province, China, sampled in 2009 (16 species), 2014 (18 species) and 2020 (15 species) using CPUE and the length-based Bayesian biomass (LBB) method. The CPUE, both in number and weight, was lower in 2009 than in 2014 and lower again in 2020, with the 2009 low attributed to pollution due to shrimp, pig and duck farming within the reserve. Of the 26 fish species assessed, four experienced a large reduction of length from 2009 to 2020, and nine exhibited a decline in the ratio of current biomass to biomass at carrying capacity (B/B0), which is expressed as the ‘biomass left’. This ratio was, for most species, below 0.5 in 2009, which suggests that overfishing occurred in 2009 and that it has since become worse. Thus, while the CPUE data provided ambiguous results, the L/F data analyzed by the LBB method demonstrated unambiguously that ‘miniaturization’ through overfishing is occurring among the exploited 26 fish species from the mangroves of the Dongzhaigang National Reserve. For the fisheries in the mangals of Dongzhaigang Bay to remain viable, fishing effort should be reduced by local governments working with the affected communities, just as they reduced pollution a decade ago.
Long-Term Loading Experimental Research of Prestressed Glulam Beams Based on Creep Influence
Authors: Wang Tong , Di Jing , Zuo Hongliang
Published: August 2022

In this paper, long-term loading tests of ten prestressed glulam beams were carried out for 45 days, using the loading method of three-point hanging heavy objects. We analyzed the influence of prestressed steel wire numbers and total preloading force on parameters such as failure mode of beams, variation of steel wire stress, and long-term deflection of mid-span. When the total prestress was constant and the number of steel wires was 2, 4, and 6, the total stress of steel wires decreased by 33.07%, 37.26%, and 50.04%, respectively, after long-term testing for 45 days. The ratio of mid-span deflection to total deflection was 61.5%, 54.8%, and 40.9% respectively. When the number of steel wires was constant and the values of total prestress were 0, 3.079 kN and 6.158 kN, the total stress decreased by 28.90%, 36.59%, and 36.63%, respectively, after long-term loading. The ratio of long-term deflection of mid-span to total deflection was 60.7%, 54.8%, and 39.3%, respectively. The more steel wires, the greater the value of total prestress and the loss of total stress, the smaller the mid-span long-term deflection. After the test, we analyzed and fitted the test data to obtain the specific numerical of the creep coefficient θ under normal conditions, and the formula for calculating the long-term stiffness of the glulam beams based on the creep effects is proposed.
Deformation Characteristics and Damage Assessment of Prefabricated Frame Tunnels after Central and External Explosions
Authors: Huang Zhen , Hu Zhaojian , Zhang Chenlong , Pan Zhijun , Hu Jie , Chen Xinpeng
Published: August 2022

The urban social environment is complex and changeable, and there are accidental and non-accidental explosion risks in tunnels. Performance analysis and assessment after tunnel explosions has become important work. In this study, a prefabricated frame structure (single-layer and double-layer) for urban road tunnels was designed. A three-dimensional refined dynamic response numerical model of a frame tunnel considering the joint effect was established, and the reliability of the modeling method was verified by a full-scale explosion test. Considering factors such as the explosion equivalent (100, 200, 300, and 400 kg), explosion distance (3, 6, 9, and 12 m), and central and external explosions, the deformation characteristics and damage evolution law of the prefabricated frame tunnel after the explosions were explored. The deformation failure mode of the prefabricated frame tunnel was analyzed. The study shows that the roof of a single-layer tunnel and the mid-partition of a double-layer tunnel are weak components of a prefabricated frame tunnel with steel column joints under a central explosion load. The deformation and damage at tunnel joints are greater than those at other positions. Under an external explosion load, the closer the explosion point is, the greater the damage and deformation of the prefabricated frame tunnel lining are. Furthermore, showing a high degree of locality. With the equal amplitude increase of the detonation distance (3–6 m, 6–9 m, 9–12 m), the lining displacement is relatively reduced by about 75.7%, 39.9%, and 10.0%, respectively, and the lining deformation is mainly represented by the overall bending deformation.
Why Is Blood Glucose Control Important to Self-Care of Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus?
Authors: Lee Mi-Joon , Seo Bum Jeun , Kim Yeon Sook
Published: August 2022

This study aimed to investigate the change in self-care, self-efficacy, and health status of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and to identify whether blood glucose control influences pregnancy outcomes. This study is experimental research using a one-group pretest-posttest design. The study subjects were 40 pregnant women diagnosed with GDM, and the data were collected in their 24th and 40th week of gestation and analyzed using SPSS 27.0. Paired samples t-test was used to compare the health status, self-care, and self-efficacy of subjects between antepartum and postpartum, and t-test and non-parametric test were used to evaluate the changes in self-care and self-efficacy according to the ability to control blood glucose. As a result of this study, maternal BMI, self-care, and self-efficacy after childbirth were significantly worse than before (p < 0.001). However, HbA1c did not deteriorate and remained at a similar level, which is possibly the effect of diabetes education (p = 0.902). Furthermore, it was found that HbA1c control has a significant effect on preventing a decrease in self-care. In conclusion, it is necessary to develop and apply various diabetes education programs to manage blood glucose levels in pregnant women with GDM as blood glucose control is effective for improving not only their health outcomes but also their cognitive status, such as self-care.
Investigation into the Effect of Multi-Component Coal Blends on Properties of Metallurgical Coke via Petrographic Analysis under Industrial Conditions
Authors: Kieush Lina , Koveria Andrii , Schenk Johannes , Rysbekov Kanay , Lozynskyi Vasyl , Zheng Heng , Matayev Azamat
Published: August 2022

The coalification rank of the coal blend components and their caking properties initially impact the coke’s quality. In part, the quality of coke depends on the technological parameters of the coke production technology, such as the method of blend preparation, the coking condition, the design features of the coke ovens, and the technique used for post-oven treatment. Therefore, to improve the coke quality, the main attention is paid to the quality of the coal blend. The petrographic analysis is the simplest and most reliable way to control coal quality indicators under industrial conditions. In this paper, the effect of nine industrial blends on coke quality using petrographic analysis has been studied. Additionally, this paper addresses the efficient use of coals and the preparation of coal mixtures under industrial conditions, which contributes to the sustainability of cokemaking. For the preparation of blends, 17 coals were used, for which, in addition to petrographic and proximate analyzes, the maximum thickness of the plastic layer was determined. Industrially produced cokes were analyzed for coke reactivity index (CRI), coke strength after reaction with CO2 (CSR), and Micum indices (M25 and M10). It has been established that the petrographic properties of coal blends are reliable parameters for assessing the quality of coke under conditions of an unstable raw material base, multi-component blends, and changes in coking regimes. Moreover, the research results have shown that to ensure the rational use of coals in the preparation of coal blends to achieve the required coke quality and consequently the sustainability of cokemaking, it is necessary to consider not only the mean reflectance of vitrinite but the proximate and caking properties of coals.