bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Mixed Commercial Cold Flow Improvers on Flow Properties of Biodiesel from Waste Cooking Oil
Authors: Nie Siyu , Cao Leichang
Published: September 2020

The uniform design method was used to screen the solidifying point depressing effects of 18 traditional diesel cold flow improvers on biodiesel derived from waste cooking oil. The cold flow improvers with good effects were selected for orthogonal optimization. Finally, the mixed cold flow improver (CFI) with the best depressing effect was selected to explore its depressing mechanism for biodiesel. The results show that the typical CFIs such as A132, A146, 10-320, 10-330, A-4, CS-1, AH-BSFH, Haote, T1804D, and HL21 all have a certain solidifying point depressing effect on biodiesel, while other cold flow improvers had no obvious effect. Amongst them, 10-330 (PMA polymer) and AH-BSFH (EVA polymer) had better solidifying point depressing effects over others, both of which reduced the solidifying point (SP) of biodiesel by 4 °C and the cold filter plugging point (CFPP) by 2 °C and 3 °C, respectively. From the orthogonal mixing experiment, it can be seen that the combination of 10-330 and AH-BSFH at a mass ratio of 1:8 had the best depressing effect, reducing the solidifying point and cold filter plugging point of biodiesel by 5 °C and 3 °C, respectively. Orthogonal analysis showed that when used in combination, AH-BSFH had a greater impact on the solidifying point, while the ratio of the combination had a greater impact on the cold filter plugging point.
Instrument Development: Chinese Radiometric Benchmark of Reflected Solar Band Based on Space Cryogenic Absolute Radiometer
Authors: Ye Xin , Yi Xiaolong , Lin Chao , Fang Wei , Wang Kai , Xia Zhiwei , Ji Zhenhua , Zheng Yuquan , Sun De , Quan Jia
Published: September 2020

Low uncertainty and long-term stability remote data are urgently needed for researching climate and meteorology variability and trends. Meeting these requirements is difficult with in-orbit calibration accuracy due to the lack of radiometric satellite benchmark. The radiometric benchmark on the reflected solar band has been under development since 2015 to overcome the on-board traceability problem of hyperspectral remote sensing satellites. This paper introduces the development progress of the Chinese radiometric benchmark of the reflected solar band based on the Space Cryogenic Absolute Radiometer (SCAR). The goal of the SCAR is to calibrate the Earth–Moon Imaging Spectrometer (EMIS) on-satellite using the benchmark transfer chain (BTC) and to transfer the traceable radiometric scale to other remote sensors via cross-calibration. The SCAR, which is an electrical substitution absolute radiometer and works at 20 K, is used to realize highly accurate radiometry with an uncertainty level that is lower than 0.03%. The EMIS, which is used to measure the spectrum radiance on the reflected solar band, is designed to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio and polarization. The radiometric scale of the SCAR is converted and transferred to the EMIS by the BTC to improve the measurement accuracy and long-term stability. The payload of the radiometric benchmark on the reflected solar band has been under development since 2018. The investigation results provide the theoretical and experimental basis for the development of the reflected solar band benchmark payload. It is important to improve the measurement accuracy and long-term stability of space remote sensing and provide key data for climate change and earth radiation studies.
Fusarium Wilt of Radish Detection Using RGB and Near Infrared Images from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Authors: Dang L. Minh , Wang Hanxiang , Li Yanfen , Min Kyungbok , Kwak Jin Tae , Lee O. New , Park Hanyong , Moon Hyeonjoon
Published: September 2020

The radish is a delicious, healthy vegetable and an important ingredient to many side dishes and main recipes. However, climate change, pollinator decline, and especially Fusarium wilt cause a significant reduction in the cultivation area and the quality of the radish yield. Previous studies on plant disease identification have relied heavily on extracting features manually from images, which is time-consuming and inefficient. In addition to Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images, the development of near-infrared (NIR) sensors has enabled a more effective way to monitor the diseases and evaluate plant health based on multispectral imagery. Thus, this study compares two distinct approaches in detecting radish wilt using RGB images and NIR images taken by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The main research contributions include (1) a high-resolution RGB and NIR radish field dataset captured by drone from low to high altitudes, which can serve several research purposes; (2) implementation of a superpixel segmentation method to segment captured radish field images into separated segments; (3) a customized deep learning-based radish identification framework for the extracted segmented images, which achieved remarkable performance in terms of accuracy and robustness with the highest accuracy of 96%; (4) the proposal for a disease severity analysis that can detect different stages of the wilt disease; (5) showing that the approach based on NIR images is more straightforward and effective in detecting wilt disease than the learning approach based on the RGB dataset.
Application of UAV Photogrammetry with LiDAR Data to Facilitate the Estimation of Tree Locations and DBH Values for High-Value Timber Species in Northern Japanese Mixed-Wood Forests
Authors: Moe Kyaw Thu , Owari Toshiaki , Furuya Naoyuki , Hiroshima Takuya , Morimoto Junko
Published: September 2020

High-value timber species play an important economic role in forest management. The individual tree information for such species is necessary for practical forest management and for conservation purposes. Digital aerial photogrammetry derived from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV-DAP) can provide fine spatial and spectral information, as well as information on the three-dimensional (3D) structure of a forest canopy. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data enable area-wide 3D tree mapping and provide accurate forest floor terrain information. In this study, we evaluated the potential use of UAV-DAP and LiDAR data for the estimation of individual tree location and diameter at breast height (DBH) values of large-size high-value timber species in northern Japanese mixed-wood forests. We performed multiresolution segmentation of UAV-DAP orthophotographs to derive individual tree crown. We used object-based image analysis and random forest algorithm to classify the forest canopy into five categories: three high-value timber species, other broadleaf species, and conifer species. The UAV-DAP technique produced overall accuracy values of 73% and 63% for classification of the forest canopy in two forest management sub-compartments. In addition, we estimated individual tree DBH Values of high-value timber species through field survey, LiDAR, and UAV-DAP data. The results indicated that UAV-DAP can predict individual tree DBH Values, with comparable accuracy to DBH prediction using field and LiDAR data. The results of this study are useful for forest managers when searching for high-value timber trees and estimating tree size in large mixed-wood forests and can be applied in single-tree management systems for high-value timber species.
Simplified Approach to Detect Dielectric Constant Using a Low-Cost Microfluidic Quarter Mode Substrate-Integrated Waveguide
Authors: Salim Ahmed , Memon Muhammad Usman , Jeong Heijun , Lim Sungjoon
Published: September 2020

Liquid materials’ characterization using commercial probes and radio frequency techniques is expensive and complex. This study proposes a compact and cost-effective radio frequency sensor system to measure the dielectric constant using a three-material calibration. The simplified approach measures reflection coefficient magnitudes for all four materials rather than the complex values in conventional permittivity detection systems. We employ a sensor module based on a circular substrate-integrated waveguide with measured unloaded quality factor = 910 to ensure measurement reliability. Miniaturized quarter-mode substrate-integrated waveguide resonators are integrated with four microfluidic channels containing three known materials and one unknown analyte. Step-wise measurement and linearity ensures maximum 4% error for the dielectric constant compared with results obtained using a high-performance commercial product.
No Free Lunch—Characterizing the Performance of 6TiSCH When Using Different Physical Layers
Authors: Rady Mina , Lampin Quentin , Barthel Dominique , Watteyne Thomas
Published: September 2020

Low-power wireless applications require different trade-off points between latency, reliability, data rate and power consumption. Given such a set of constraints, which physical layer should I be using? We study this question in the context of 6TiSCH, a state-of-the-art recently standardized protocol stack developed for harsh industrial applications. Specifically, we augment OpenWSN, the reference 6TiSCH open-source implementation, to support one of three physical layers from the IEEE802.15.4g standard: FSK 868 MHz which offers long range, OFDM 868 MHz which offers high data rate, and O-QPSK 2.4 GHz which offers more balanced performance. We run the resulting firmware on the 42-mote OpenTestbed deployed in an office environment, once for each physical layer. Performance results show that, indeed, no physical layer outperforms the other for all metrics. This article argues for combining the physical layers, rather than choosing one, in a generalized 6TiSCH architecture in which technology-agile radio chips (of which there are now many) are driven by a protocol stack which chooses the most appropriate physical layer on a frame-by-frame basis.
A Fully-Printed CRLH Dual-Band Dipole Antenna Fed by a Compact CRLH Dual-Band Balun
Authors: Khattak Muhammad Kamran , Lee Changhyeong , Park Heejun , Kahng Sungtek
Published: September 2020

In this paper, a new design method is proposed for a planar and compact dual-band dipole antenna. The dipole antenna has arms as a hybrid CRLH (Composite right- and left-handed) transmission-line comprising distributed and lumped elements for the dual-band function. The two arms are fed by the outputs of a compact and printed CRLH dual-band balun which consists of a CRLH hybrid coupler and an additional CRLH phase-shifter. Its operational frequencies are 2.4 and 5.2 GHz as popular mobile applications. Verifying the method, the circuit approach, EM (Electromagnetics) simulation and measurement are conducted and their results turn out to agree well with each other. Additionally, the CRLH property is shown with the dispersion diagram and the effective size-reduction is mentioned.
Simulation/Experiment Confrontation, an Efficient Approach for Sensitive SAW Sensors Design
Authors: Achour Bilel , Attia Ghada , Zerrouki Chouki , Fourati Najla , Raoof Kosai , Yaakoubi Nourdin
Published: September 2020

Sensitivity is one of the most important parameters to put in the foreground in all sensing applications. Its increase is therefore an ongoing challenge, particularly for surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors. Herein, finite element method (FEM) simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics software is first used to simulate the physical and electrical properties of SAW delay line. Results indicate that 2D configuration permits to accurately obtain all pertinent parameters, as in 3D simulation, with very substantial time saving. A good agreement between calculation and experiment, in terms of transfer functions (S21 spectra), was also shown to evaluate the dependence of the SAW sensors sensitivity on the operating frequency; 2D simulations have been conducted on 104 MHz and 208 MHz delay lines, coated with a polyisobutylene (PIB) as sensitive layer to dichloromethane (DCM). A fourfold increase in sensitivity was obtained by doubling frequency. Both sensors were then realized and tested as chem-sensors to detect zinc ions in liquid media. 9-{[4-({[4-(9anthrylmethoxy)phenyl]sulfanyl} methyl)]methyl] anthracene (TDP-AN) was selected as the sensing layer. Results show a comparable response curves for both designed sensors, in terms of limit of detection and dissociation constants Kd values. On the other hand, experimental sensitivity values were of the order of [7.0 ± 2.8] × 108 [°/M] and [16.0 ± 7.6] × 108 [°/M] for 104 MHz and 208 MHz sensors, respectively, confirming that the sensitivity increases with frequency.
A Non-Linear Temperature Compensation Model for Improving the Measurement Accuracy of an Inductive Proximity Sensor and Its Application-Specific Integrated Circuit Implementation
Authors: Wang Li , Tao Hui-Bin , Dong Hang , Shao Zhi-Biao , Wang Fei
Published: September 2020

The non-linear characteristic of a non-contacting Inductive Proximity Sensor (IPS) with the temperature affects the computation accuracy when measuring the target distance in real time. The linear model based method for distance estimation shows a large deviation at a low temperature. Accordingly, this paper presents a non-linear measurement model, which computes the target distance accurately in real time within a wide temperature range from −55 °C to 125 °C. By revisiting the temperature effect on the IPS system, this paper considers the non-linear characteristic of the IPS measurement system due to the change of temperature. The proposed model adopts a non-linear polynomial algorithm rather than the simple linear Look-Up Table (LUT) method, which provides more accurate distance estimation compared to the previous work. The introduced model is fabricated in a 0.18 μm Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) process and packaged in a CQFN40. For the most commonly used sensing distance of 4 mm, the computed distance deviation of the Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chips falls within the range of [−0.2,0.2] mm. According to the test results of the ASIC chips, this non-linear temperature compensation model successfully achieves real-time and high-accuracy computation within a wide temperature range with low hardware resource consumption.
Catalyzing Transformational Partnerships for the SDGs: Effectiveness and Impact of the Multi-Stakeholder Initiative El día después
Authors: Moreno-Serna Jaime , Purcell Wendy M. , Sánchez-Chaparro Teresa , Soberón Miguel , Lumbreras Julio , Mataix Carlos
Published: September 2020

Partnerships are essential to delivering the transformational change demanded by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and essential to achieving Agenda 2030. It is therefore necessary to strengthen the partnering capacity of different types of organizations so they can collaborate in multi-stakeholder partnerships. However, partnership working can be costly in terms of time and other resources and is complex. Given the urgency and importance of sustainable development, illustrated by the recent pandemic and social unrest around inequity, we focused on the creation of a partnership that became effective quickly and was able to deliver societal impact at scale. Using a case study approach, the transformational potential and the early stages of “El día después” (in English, “The day after”) were analyzed as it represents a multi-stakeholder partnership forged to frame an SDG-oriented collaborative response to the COVID-19 crisis in Spain. El día después is defined as a partnership incubator, a space where public administrations interact under conditions of equivalence with all the other stakeholders, where private companies can link their innovation processes to other SDG-committed actors and social needs and where the academic sector can participate in a sustained dialogue oriented to the action. Our findings reveal that in order to catalyze the co-creation process and achieve systemic change through a set of connected multi-stakeholder initiatives, a very flexible collaborative arrangement is required, with all partners acting as facilitators. In this way, a solid interdisciplinary team is created, united around a shared vision, with trust-based relationships and a common identity fueling impact-oriented projects targeted to advance the SDGs.
Dealing with Daily Rhythms: Families’ Strategies to Tackle Chronic Time Pressure
Authors: Drevon Guillaume , Gerber Philippe , Kaufmann Vincent
Published: September 2020

As suggested by the conservation of resources theory, in contemporary societies time is considered as a limited resource in the same way as money and energy. In the current paper, a novel daily rhythm approach related to motility is presented, in order to highlight the effects of life acceleration on family life management and other professional, leisure, and consumption activities. The analysis is based on a qualitative survey involving 20 families (40 interviewees) that include long-distance commuters living in the suburban areas of Voiron and Thionville in France. These families are composed of an active couple and at least two children under 18 years of age, and the couple commutes at least 60 km every day between home and work. Based on this particularly stressful daily configuration, the qualitative survey deals with the modalities of managing daily time between and within these couples. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the corpus of interviews shows first, a very high daily rhythm, and second, the diversity of strategies that lead to a typology of resources used to deal with daily time pressures. The results suggest that forms of time-related vulnerabilities depend on social, economic, and temporal resources, while confirming the importance of rhythms analysis in the daily mobility field and in the resource theory.
Solids Removal Efficiency of a Sedimentation Tank in a Peri-Urban Catchment
Authors: Falco Salvatore , Brunetti Giuseppe , Grossi Giovanna , Maiolo Mario , Turco Michele , Piro Patrizia
Published: September 2020

At the outlet of the Vermicelli catchment—a peri-urban area located in the campus of University of Calabria (Cosenza, Southern Italy)—a sedimentation tank is located, aiming at collecting the basin surface runoff and improve its quality. First, experimental results of the treatment effects are here presented and analyzed. In addition, a monitoring campaign was conducted in order to characterize the particles transported by surface runoff and to determine the treatment efficiency of the tank. The analysis showed the presence of a pollutant load in the surface runoff of the Vermicelli basin and provided information on its particle-size distribution (PSD). Results were considered in terms of the treatment efficiency of the sedimentation tank, showing a good overall removal efficiency value, together with a high variability of the removal sedimentation efficiency. This variability is mainly due to the different grain size of the suspended solids and the characteristics of the rainfall event.
Value Relevance of Corporate Environmental Performance: A Comprehensive Analysis of Performance Indicators Using Korean Data
Authors: Choi Hyunwoo , Han Ingoo , Lee Jaywon
Published: September 2020

This paper examines the value relevance of corporate environmental performance (CEP) using individual environmental performance indicators and multidimensional constructs derived from Trumpp et al. (2015). Accounting information can be described as ‘value-relevant’ when the information in financial statements has the ability to explain firm value. In recent years, stakeholders such as governments, public institutions, firms, customers, and local communities have recognized the importance of corporate environmental performance. Thus, one of the main research questions is whether corporate environmental performance is value relevant. The empirical results in this paper indicate that only a few individual environmental performance indicator variables are value relevant, while most environmental performance constructs have a significant impact on firm value. Our findings suggest that firm value significantly increases with improved environmental management or operational performance. In addition, environmental performance indicators and environmental performance constructs have a significant impact on firms in environmentally sensitive industries, confirming the notion of higher value relevance of environmental information for firms in these industries. This study contributes to prior literature by carrying out a comprehensive analysis on the multidimensional nature of corporate environmental performance and its impact on value relevance. This paper also reconciles extant literature on the construct validity of environmental performance indicators and environmental performance constructs by formulating standardized composite measures of CEP following Larker et al. (2007).
The Implementation of Strategic Management in Greek Hospitality Businesses in Times of Crisis
Authors: Varelas Sotirios , Apostolopoulos Nikolaos
Published: September 2020

The aim of this research was to explore the implementation of strategic management approaches in Greek tourism and hospitality businesses during economic crises, in order to further expand our current knowledge of operating in a turbulent environment and embracing novel aspects by linking economic crises with the current literature on the COVID-19 pandemic. This research emphasizes the connection between the strategic management approaches of 131 tourism organizations and hospitality business performance by analyzing entrepreneurs’ opinions and hospitality business markets. The results reveal that a significant percentage of the participants understand and use some strategic management procedures, and some strategy in general, but there is a lack of a concrete strategy for managing the turbulent environment caused by an economic crisis. However, a large percentage of small tourism businesses are completely unaware of strategic management approaches, and their knowledge of implementing a strategy during an economic crisis is limited. The practical implications of this research can act as a navigator of the economic consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research on Consumers’ Preferences for the Self-Service Mode of Express Cabinets in Stations Based on the Subway Distribution to Promote Sustainability
Authors: Jiang Xiaohong , Tang Ting , Sun Luhui , Lin Tengfei , Duan Xuan , Guo Xiucheng
Published: September 2020

With the explosive growth in the express delivery business, last-mile delivery issues have come to the forefront in China. Subway-based distribution has been demonstrated and practiced. The self-service mode of express cabinets in stations based on the subway distribution can effectively reduce the last-mile delivery costs, increase the utilization rate of public transportation resources, and reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions. This paper designed self–service mode of express cabinets in stations and discussed the feasibility by investigating consumers’ preferences. The consumers’ preferences and influencing factors were examined by using the multicategorical logit model. The results show that consumers’ gender, education level and number of online purchases per month have an impact on consumers’ preferences. The majority of consumers are willing to actively engage in green consumer behavior. Meanwhile, consumers are more concerned about whether the express mode is convenient to conduct and the queuing of an express cabinet. Some suggestions and recommendations on promoting this self-service mode were put forward, such as pushing different advertisements for different groups of consumers, designing efficient and multi-function express cabinets, and adopting a reward system. This research provides guidance for decision making regarding the promotion of a new self–service mode based on the subway distribution, which can promote sustainable consumption and improve the efficient operation of urban last-mile delivery and the low-carbon development of urban transportation.
Mobile Access Hub Deployment for Urban Parcel Logistics
Authors: Faugère Louis , White Chelsea , Montreuil Benoit
Published: September 2020

Last-mile logistics is an essential yet highly expensive component of city logistics responsible for many nuisances in urban areas. Mobile access hubs are flexible consolidation and transshipment points aiming at creating more sustainable city logistics systems by dynamically using urban space as logistics facilities. In this paper, we examine the potential of mobile access hub deployments for urban parcel logistics by identifying the impact of design parameters on economic and environmental performance. We propose a mathematical modeling framework and an integer program to assess the performance of mobile access hub deployments, and study the impact of a set of design parameters through synthetic cases and an illustrative case inspired from a large parcel express carrier’s operations. Results indicate design flexibility relative to the location of hubs and pronounced advantages in highly variable environments. The illustrative case shows significant savings potential in terms of cost and time efficiency as well as environmental sustainability. It emphasizes a trade-off between operational efficiency and environmental sustainability that can be balanced to achieve global sustainability goals while being economically sound.
Mechanisms of Weak Governance in Grasslands and Wetlands of South America
Authors: Eufemia Luca , Bonatti Michelle , Sieber Stefan , Schröter Barbara , Lana Marcos A.
Published: September 2020

Weak governance is a major threat to sustainable development, especially in rural contexts and within ecosystems of great social and economic value. To understand and compare its arrangement in the grasslands and wetlands of the Colombian Llanos and the Paraguayan Pantanal, we build upon the Institutional and Development Framework (IAD) as we explore the role of political, economic, and social institutions and combine components of the theory of common-pool resources (CPR) and new institutional economics (NIE). This hybrid conceptualization provides a synthesis of how top-down hierarchical and market-based systems of community-based and natural resource management negatively affect sustainable development in both study areas. Our findings suggest three underlying mechanisms causing a situation of weak governance: centralized (economic and political) power, the role of central and local governments, and social exclusion. Understanding these multidimensional contextual mechanisms improves the understanding that institutional structures supporting arrangements that handle grasslands and wetlands in a sustainable way are needed to protect the ecosystem’s social and economic values, especially in rural and marginalized contexts.
Perception and Drivers of Financial Constraints for the Sustainable Development
Authors: Teplova Tamara , Sokolova Tatiana , Gubareva Mariya , Galenskaya Kristina , Teplov Andrey
Published: September 2020

Financial market imperfections constrain firms’ ability to obtain funds. This is especially true for the former communist bloc countries. However, the restrictions on access to financing and the attitudes of management in these geographies remain overlooked by academic research and represent an important obstacle on the roadmap to sustainable development. The objective of this paper is to fill this gap by analyzing the impact of ownership structure, institutional environment development, and debt market profile on the perception of financial constraints by the representatives of corporate top management from 28 countries of the former communist bloc. Our analysis spans over the period 2002–2013. We apply the probit and Heckman models to investigate nonlinear and multicast effects of the considered factors. We evidence that during the crisis and post-crisis periods, foreign ownership alleviates the restrictions on access to financial resources. We also discuss the role of state ownership. We find that the volume of local currency bond market has a nonlinear U-shape relationship. Our results are useful for policy makers focused on sustainable development of the former communist economies by means of improving access of businesses to financing.
Sustainable Mobility in the Mobile Risk Society—Designing Innovative Mobility Solutions in Copenhagen
Authors: Freudendal-Pedersen Malene , Hartmann-Petersen Katrine , Friis Freja , Rudolf Lindberg Malene , Grindsted Thomas Skou
Published: September 2020

The issue of creating more sustainable mobility systems has been revisited during the past 50 years. So far, we are still waiting for an innovative systemic change that is not simply an iteration of existing technologies. This standstill is to a large degree due to the hegemonic mobility paradigm, working under a “predict and provide”-driven approach, with little attention being paid to environmental and social externalities. This paper calls for a new understanding of mobility transition interlinked with the cultural values of modern societies, deeply rooted in the mobile risk society. To create sustainable mobility practices we need robust, socially coherent, and inclusive mobility systems that are more than just transportation systems and connections. The empirical starting point is a visionary workshop on designing “Sustainable Innovative Mobility Solutions” in three urban areas in Copenhagen. The workshop created a cross-disciplinary space for actors to meet across dominant silos and acknowledge the need for intervention framings to focus on innovation as a matter of interlinking sustainable mobilities practices within everyday living in a mobile risk society.
Analysis of Cellulose Pulp Characteristics and Processing Parameters for Efficient Paper Production
Authors: Małachowska Edyta , Dubowik Marcin , Lipkiewicz Aneta , Przybysz Kamila , Przybysz Piotr
Published: September 2020

For economic reasons, increasing the use of various fibrous pulps with high lignin contents—i.e., chemothermomechanical pulp (BCTMP and CTMP), thermomechanical pulp (TMP), and semichemical pulp—is desirable. The relatively good quality and increased efficiency of these pulps make them attractive paper semi-products. In particular, they could alleviate the severe shortage of paper semi-products. Although mechanical pulp and semichemical pulp are achieving increasing quality with substantially increased wood efficiency, their production is often characterised by high consumption of electricity to defibre chips or refine high-lignin-content fibrous pulps. Technological, environmental, and economic evaluations of the manufacture and application of increased efficiency cellulose pulps that take into account potential profits from increased cellulose pulp efficiency and losses due to energy costs and degradation in the properties of the resulting paper are relevant and essential to paper mills. This article reports such an analysis. The authors have analysed the usable properties of ten cellulose pulps with various degrees of digestion and identified the optimum pulp that yields the optimum product properties, considering the yield; pulp refining time, which determines the cost of paper manufacture; and strength properties of the obtained paper.
Assessing the Level of Inter-Sectoral Policy Integration for Governance in the Water–Energy Nexus: A Comparative Study of Los Angeles and Beijing
Authors: Sixt Gregory N. , Strambo Claudia , Zhang Jingjing , Chow Nicholas , Liu Jie , Han Guoyi
Published: September 2020

As concerns around water scarcity and energy security increase, so too has interest in the connections between these resources, through a concept called the water–energy nexus. Efforts to improve the integration of water and energy management and to understand their cross-sector relevance are growing. In particular, this paper develops a better empirical understanding on the extent to which governance settings hinder and/or enable policy coherence between the water and energy sectors through a comparative analysis of two case studies, namely, Los Angeles County, California, the United States, and the city of Beijing, China. This paper examines the extent to which the institutional context enables policy coordination within (vertically) and between (horizontally) the water and energy sectors in Beijing and Los Angeles. To do so, we propose a framework for analyzing policy integration for the water energy nexus based on environmental policy integration (EPI). The results highlight the multiple and flexible approaches of EPI in nexus governance, not least with regards to horizontal and vertical policy integration, but also in terms of explicit (i.e., intended) and implicit (i.e., unintended) coordination. The level of nexus-focused policy integration is highly dependent on the motivation at the local context and the criteria to evaluate policy success in each sector.
Analysis of the Characteristics of Ecological Security Zoning and Its Dynamic Change Pattern: A Case Study of the Weibei Area
Authors: Zhang Yue , Zhang Liyuan , Yu Kanhua , Zou Yifan
Published: September 2020

The development pattern of agriculture and energy exploitation in the southern marginal area of the Loess Plateau is widespread in the northern part of China. As a typical example, the fragile ecological area in the Weibei region is greatly affected by human factors, which makes the local ecological environment and social sustainability disturbed to varying degrees. Taking the Weibei region as the study area, through the comprehensive analysis of social, economic, and climate data, an index system suitable for the ecological security assessment of the Weibei region was constructed. The ecological security of this region was quantitatively evaluated by spatial principal component analysis (SPCA), and its ecological security partition was divided and analyzed. There were five zones at different levels, and I to V represented the development of ecological security from a low level to a high level. The results showed that from 1997 to 2017, the ecological security of different districts and counties in the Weibei region showed different trends. For example, the ecological security index of Tongguan County, Chengcheng County, and Pucheng County continued to decrease, but the overall index value was still high, and the ecological security index of Dali County, Fuping County, and Hancheng County increased. During this period, the ecological security of regions I and II continued to increase, while regions IV and V first decreased and then increased. At the same time, the area of the ecological security buffer region increased year by year. This study can provide a feasible method for assessing ecological security of the current regional model of mixed agriculture and energy extraction industry.
Farm Differentiation Strategies and Sustainable Regional Development
Authors: Mihailović Branko , Radić Jean Ivana , Popović Vesna , Radosavljević Katica , Chroneos Krasavac Biljana , Bradić-Martinović Aleksandra
Published: September 2020

The paper examines differentiation business strategies in food production in Braničevo-Podunavlje region (Serbia). The research methodology includes survey research focused on the producers engaged in the production of value-added agricultural products, which have a greater potential for differentiation and branding. A range of survey indicators enable farmers and entrepreneurs of differentiated products to emphasize key success factors, detect barriers, and generate business ideas and innovations. Survey research was conducted in the period December 2018–January 2019, among 67 farmers, legal entities, and unincorporated enterprises−producers of high-quality niche food products in Braničevo–Podunavlje region. Results of the research indicated vegetable and fruit processing, beekeeping, and milk processing as sectors of the most promising value-added food products, including those that form the region’s basket of products. The study’s findings should contribute to the development of differentiated business models in the food sector and strengthening their role in smart regional development.
Environmental Impact Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils Near the Runway at the International Airport in Central Europe
Authors: Brtnický Martin , Pecina Václav , Baltazár Tivadar , Vašinová Galiová Michaela , Baláková Ludmila , Bęś Agnieszka , Radziemska Maja
Published: September 2020

The environmental impacts of air transport and air transportation systems have become increasingly important and are heavily debated. The aim of the study was to determine the degree of soil contamination by the potentially toxic elements (Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the vicinity of the airport runway and to evaluate whether airport traffic has had factual toxic effects on airport vegetation. The overall assessment of soil contamination by means of the Nemerow integrated pollution index indicated slight pollution; evaluation by the geoaccumulation index evinced moderate contamination by Zn and nonexistent to moderate contamination by Cu, Ni, and Pb. A significant difference between the take-off and landing sections of the runway was not statistically confirmed. The vegetation risk assessment by means of the potential ecological risk index (RI) showed the low ecological risk, while the phytotoxicity test revealed an inhibition of up to 33.7%, with a slight inhibition of 16.7% on average, and thus low toxic effects of airport traffic on airport vegetation. The results of the linear regression model between phytotoxicity and RI manifested no relation between the two. The outcomes from other studies suggest that the range of elements and the extent of contamination can be highly variable at different airports and frequently affected by car traffic. Therefore, further research on this issue is needed for the more precise determination of the elements emitted by air traffic at airports.
Toward Flood Resilience in Serbia: The Challenges of an (Un)Sustainable Policy
Authors: Trgovčević Filip , Stupar Aleksandra , Ivanović Milena , Susman Roni
Published: September 2020

In May 2014, Serbia was hit by a catastrophic flooding event. The Municipality of Obrenovac suffered severe consequences due to a number of reasons, mainly the poor conditions of flood protection infrastructure and outdated land use management. These problems have been triggered and/or affected by the post-socialist transition of Serbia, initiated during the 1990s. The ongoing period of socio-economic turbulences, also detected in other countries with a similar development background, caused a shift in both the planning paradigm and the economy (from a planned/centralized model to a market-oriented model), creating numerous problems related to the synchronization of legislation, governance, implementation and management. Considering the specificities of local context, as well as its similarities to other post-socialist countries, the main aims of the article are to establish a relationship between planning, legislation and flood resilience, identify its (un)sustainable elements and provide an insight into the dynamic of their causal links whose effectiveness could be improved in given conditions. The main findings indicate an absence of a sustainable policy which would guarantee efficient implementation (regarding both planning documents and laws). Simultaneously, there were other challenges—from the lack of risk assessment to outdated regulations and general unpreparedness which led to severe damage of urban systems and local economy, while many lives were lost. Consequently, the article provides guidelines for new planning documents, suggesting measures that would increase the resilience of flood protection (applicable in both local and regional context), as well as the overall sustainability of the analyzed area and its ecosystem.
Spatial Structure Characteristics of Slope Farmland Quality in Plateau Mountain Area: A Case Study of Yunnan Province, China
Authors: Chen Zhengfa , Shi Dongmei
Published: September 2020

As an important part of farmland, the slope farmland is widely distributed in the central and western plateau mountain region in China. It is necessary to scientifically evaluate the slope farmland quality (SFQ) and analyze the spatial structure characteristics of SFQ to ensure reasonable utilization and partition protection of slope farmland resources. This paper takes the typical plateau mountain region—Yunnan Province in China—as an example and systematically identifies the leading factors of SFQ. The sloping integrated fertility index (SIFI) is adopted to reflect the SFQ. The evaluation system is built to quantitatively evaluate the SFQ and the spatial structure characteristics of SFQ were analyzed by a geostatistical model, autocorrelation analysis and spatial cold–hot spot analysis. The results show that the SFQ indexes in Yunnan Province are between 0.36 and 0.81, with a mean of 0.59. The SFQ grade is based on sixth-class, fifth-class, seventh-class and fourth-class land. The SFQ indexes present a normal spatial distribution, and the Gaussian model fits well with the semi-variance function of the spatial distribution of SFQ indexes. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of SFQ indexes is moderately autocorrelated. The structural factors play a major role in the spatial heterogeneity of SFQ indexes, but the influence of random factors should not be ignored. The spatial distribution of SFQ grades has a significant spatial aggregation characteristic, and the types of local indicators of spatial association (LISA) are based on high–high (HH) aggregation and low–low (LL) aggregation. The cold spot and hot spot distributions of SFQ grades display the significant spatial difference. The hot spot area is mainly distributed in Central Yunnan and the Southern Fringe, while the cold spot area mainly distributes in the Northeastern Yunnan, Northwestern Yunnan and Southwestern Yunnan. This study could provide a scientific basis for SFQ management and ecological environment protection in the plateau mountain region.
The Attractive Power of Rural Destinations and a Synergistic Community Cooperative Approach: A “Tourismability” Case
Authors: Rainero Christian , Modarelli Giuseppe
Published: September 2020

The recent climate change, food scandals, pollution and work-related stress, are affecting life in big cities and tourism is suffering changes expanding its typical boundaries. The past decades were characterized by the tourism choice of exotic destinations; nowadays, a route inversion would be visible and remote and inner destinations are acquiring value and attractiveness. According to this perspective, administrators and event organizers are planning and structuring strategies ensuring memorable experiences for the tourists. In the sense of sustainable development, important aspects are cooperative approaches and capability to integrate traditions and expectations. The proposed research work focuses the attention on the analysis of 15 semi-structured interviews through SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) and perception analysis on an event called “Dream of a night…to that town” provided by the Municipality of Colobraro, Basilicata Region (Italy). The proposition of the research would focus the attention on a case study able to form not a top-down/bottom-up, but a horizontal strategy, a sharable best practice for the whole tourism sector in rural areas that would make truly effective the State decentralization, in which the small communities’ activism configures crucial source of competitiveness. The case proposed, contrasting modern lifestyles and common tourism choice, would be able to redirect the concept of attractiveness in privileging remote places that could offer memorable tourism experiences. So, a promotional “tourismability” strategy, integrating agricultural connotates of the territory with heritage, traditions, myths and legends, through a synergistic community cooperative approach, would be necessary to constitute an identitary, attractive, memorable and immersive tourism experience in rural areas.
Innate Immune DNA Sensing of Flaviviruses
Authors: Zhu Tongtong , Fernandez-Sesma Ana
Published: September 2020

Flaviviruses are arthropod-borne RNA viruses that have been used extensively to study host antiviral responses. Often selected just to represent standard single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses in early studies, the Flavivirus genus over time has taught us how truly unique it is in its remarkable ability to target not just the RNA sensory pathways but also the cytosolic DNA sensing system for its successful replication inside the host cell. This review summarizes the main developments on the unexpected antagonistic strategies utilized by different flaviviruses, with RNA genomes, against the host cyclic GAMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon genes (STING) cytosolic DNA sensing pathway in mammalian systems. On the basis of the recent advancements on this topic, we hypothesize that the mechanisms of viral sensing and innate immunity are much more fluid than what we had anticipated, and both viral and host factors will continue to be found as important factors contributing to the host innate immune system in the future.
Analytical Modeling of Particle Tracking for Dynamic Pumping Conditions
Authors: Gao Yuan , Sale Thomas
Published: September 2020

Movement of fluid particles about historic subsurface releases and through well fields is often governed by dynamic subsurface water levels. Motivations for tracking the movement of fluid particles include tracking the fate of subsurface contaminants and resolving the fate of water stored in subsurface aquifers. Based on superposition of the Theis solution in both space and time, this research explores an analytical solution based on the Theis equation using dynamic pumping well data to resolve how fluid particles move around wells under dynamic pumping conditions. The results provide relatively uniform capture zones for a pumping well. Further, the results show that even under continuous pumping and injection conditions, groundwater will not flow far from the well. Accordingly, groundwater positions can be evaluated based on the research for dynamic pumping. Using the assumptions proposed by the Theis solution, the analytical solution developed in this study provides a simple method to evaluate particle movement in wells used to both store and recover water.
Numerical Modelling and Simulation of Two-Phase Flow Flushing Method for Pipeline Cleaning in Water Distribution Systems
Authors: Tang Zhaozhao , Wu Wenyan , Han Xiaoxi , Zhao Ming , Luo Jingting , Fu Chen , Tao Ran
Published: September 2020

Secondary pollution by microorganisms and substances peeling off from the “growth ring” causes clean water deterioration during the water distribution process. In order to reduce the secondary pollution, our previous research investigated the best settings of a two-phase flow flushing method for pipeline cleaning in water distribution systems experimentally, and a case study was carried out for comparison of the efficiencies between two-phase and single-phase flow methods. In this paper, based on the results of the experimental study, numerical modelling and a simulation study are carried out by FLUENT to evaluate the performance of the two-phase flow flushing method for removal of the “growth ring”. Results: the simulation results match the experimental results; pressure, water-phase flow velocity and water-phase volume ratio distributions in a section of pipe are simulated and analysed; the shear force against time in a period is obtained; elbow pipes cause flushing energy loss, and therefore, at most one section of elbow pipe is flushed in one flushing period.