How can technology and efficiency alleviate the dilemma of economic growth and carbon emissions in China's industrial economy? A metafrontier decoupling decomposition analysis

This paper attempts to explore the decoupling relationship and its drivers between industrial economic increase and energy-related CO_(2) emissions(ICE). Firstly, the decoupling relationship was evaluated by Tapio index. Then, based on the DEA meta-frontier theory framework which taking into account the regional and industrial heterogeneity and index decomposition method, the driving factors of decoupling process were explored mainly from the view of technology and efficiency. The results show that during2000-2019, weak decoupling was the primary state. Investment scale expansion was the largest reason hindering decoupling process of industrial increase from ICE. Both energy saving and production technology achieved significant progress, which facilitated the decoupling process. Simultaneously, the energy technology gap and production technology gap among regions have been narrowed, and played a role in promoting decoupling process. On the contrary, both scale economy efficiency and pure technical efficiency have inhibiting effects on decoupling process. The former indicates that the scale economy of China's industry was not conducive to improve energy efficiency and production efficiency, while the latter indicates that resource misallocation problem may exist in both energy market and product market.

Stability Analysis of Nonlinear Models of Nose Landing Gear Shimmy

Shimmy can reduce the service life of the nose landing gear, affect ride comfort, and even cause fuselage damage leading to aircraft crashes. Taking a light aircraft as the research object, the torsional freedom of landing gear around strut axis and lateral deformation of tire are considered. Since the landing gear shimmy is a nonlinear system, a nonlinear mechanical model of the front landing gear shimmy is established. Sobol index method is proposed to analyze the influence of structural parameters on the stability region of the nose landing gear, and Routh-Huritz criterion is used to verify the reliability of the analysis results of Sobol index method. We analyse the effect of torsional stiffness of strut, caster length, rated initial tire inflation pressure, rake angle, and vertical force on the stability region of theront landing gear. And the research shows that the optimization of the torsional stiffness of the strut and the caster length of the nose landing gear should be emphasized, and the influence of vertical force on the stability region of the nose landing gear should be paid attention to.

Integrated Analysis of Water Quality in Artificial Fishponds Using WQI and GIS in South-East Sierra Leone

Artificial fishponds play a pivotal role in global aquaculture, serving as a source of livelihood and nourishment for many communities. Ensuring the sustained health and productivity of Fishes in these environments relies heavily on water quality management. This assessment was done to determine the water quality of ten artificial fishponds in the south-eastern part of Sierra Leone using twelve physicochemical factors (pH, BOD, EC, TDS, turbidity, COD, Fe2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH3, , and alkalinity) to find out the Water Quality Index (WQI) and spatial distribution of respective parameters. The assessment of artificial fishponds using WQI and Inverse Distant Weighting (IDW) integration represents a relatively underexplored area within the domain of environmental water resources. The WQI was determined using the “Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality Index’’ method. The results of WQI in the study area range from 65.05 to 147.26. Several locations have water quality deemed unsuitable for consumption, while others range from good to very poor. It is essential to address and improve water quality in locations categorized as unsuitable for consumption and very poor to ensure safe and healthy water sources. It was also clear from the calculation that the smaller the mean concentration value of the pH as compared to the ideal value (7), the smaller the WQI value and the better the water quality. To keep the artificial fishpond water in good condition, mass domestic use should be controlled, and draining of surrounding organic matter should be stopped in ponds Bo_001, Kenema_001, and Kenema_002.

A Comparative Analysis of Environmental Quality Assessment Methods for Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils

Four assessment methods （two pollution indexes and two fuzzy mathematical models） were employed to investigate the environmental quality of four soils around a ferroalloy plant in Nanjing City. Environmental quality was assessed as class Ⅳ （moderately polluted） for each soil with single-factor index method, and was identified to be classes Ⅳ, Ⅲ （slightly polluted）, Ⅲ, and Ⅲ for soils A, B, C, and D, respectively, with the comprehensive index model. In comparison with the single-factor index method, the comprehensive index model concerned both dominant parameter and average contribution of all factors to the integrated environmental quality. Using the two fuzzy mathematical methods （single-factor deciding and weighted average models）, the environmental risks were determined to be classes Ⅳ, Ⅲ, Ⅱ （clean）, and Ⅱ for soils A, B, C, and D, respectively. However, divergence of the membership degree to each pollution class still occurred between the two methods. In fuzzy mathematical methods, membership functions were used to describe the limits between different pollution degrees, and different weights were allocated for the factors according to pollution contribution. Introduction of membership degree and weight of each factor to fuzzy mathematical models made the methods more reasonable in the field of environmental risk assessment.

Evaluation of regional water resources carrying capacity based on binary index method and reduction index method

Based on the regional water resources carrying capacity(WRCC)evaluation principles and evaluation index system in the National Technical Outline of Water Resources Carrying Capacity Monitoring and Early Warning(hereafter referred to as the Technical Outline),this paper elaborates on the collection and sorting of the basic data of water resources conditions,water resources development and utilization status,social and economic development in basins,analysis and examination of integrity,consistency,normativeness,and rationality of the basic data,and the necessity of WRCC evaluation.This paper also describes the technique of evaluating the WRCC in prefecture-level cities and city-level administrative divisions in the District of the Taihu Lake Basin,which is composed of the Taihu Lake Basin and the Southeastern River Basin.The evaluation process combines the binary index evaluation method and reduction index evaluation method.The former,recommended by the Technical Outline,uses the total water use and the amount of exploited groundwater as evaluation indices,showing stronger operability,while the latter is developed by simplifying and optimizing the comprehensive index system with greater systematicness and completeness.The mutual validation and adjustment of the results of the above-mentioned two evaluation methods indicate that the WRCC of the District of the Taihu Lake Basin is overloaded in general because some prefecture-level cities and city-level administrative divisions in the Taihu Lake Basin and the Southeastern River Basin are in a severely overloaded state.In order to explain this conclusion,this paper analyzes the causes of WRCC overloading from the aspects of basin water environment,water resources development and utilization,water resources regulation and control ability,water resources utilization efficiency,and water resources management.

A new method of formation evaluation for fractured and caved carbonate reservoirs:A case study from the Lundong area,Tarim Basin,China

The carbonate reservoirs in the Tarim Basin are characterized by low matrix-porosity,heterogeneity and anisotropy,which make it difficult to predict and evaluate these reservoirs.The reservoir formations in Lundong area experienced a series of diagenesis and tectonic evolution stages.And secondary storage spaces such as fractures and dissolution caves were developed while nearly all the primary pores have disappeared.Based on a summary of different types of storage spaces and their responses in conventional logs,FMI and full waveform sonic logs which are sensitive to different reservoirs,the comprehensive probability index （CPI） method is applied to evaluating the reservoirs and a standard of reservoir classification is established.By comparing the evaluation results with actual welllogging results,the method has proven to be practical for formation evaluation of carbonate reservoirs,especially for the fractured carbonate reservoirs.In reservoir fluid identification,the multivariate stepwise discriminant analysis （MSDA） method is introduced.Combining the CPI method and MSDA method,comprehensive formation evaluation has been performed for fractured and caved carbonate reservoirs in the Tarim Basin.Additionally,on the basis of secondary pore inversion results,another new method of formation evaluation is also proposed in the discussion part of this paper.Through detailed application result analysis,the method shows a promising capability for formation evaluation of complex carbonate reservoirs dominated by various secondary pores such as holes,caves,and cracks.

Evaluation of Natural Ecological Environment in Guangzhou City Based on Remote Sensing Technology and Comprehensive Index Method

Based on the ETM remote sensing images of Guangzhou City in 2014, the spatial distribution results o f three environmental factors including vegetation coverage(NDVI), soil index(vegetation index of bare soil) and sl ope were obtained. By using comprehensive index method, the normalized environmental factors were weighted and superimposed, and the fi nal evaluation results of ecological environment in Guangzhou City were obtained. The results showed that overall situation of natural ecological environment in Guangzhou was not optimistic, that is, the area of land with bad, moderate, good and superior environment accounted for 59.70%, 35.79%, 4.50% and around 0.01% of total area of land in Guangzhou City respectively. Ecological environment was generally poor in the central urban districts in the south of Guangzhou City, while it was relatively better in the north and northeast. Attaching importance to the constr uction of greenbelts and greenways is an effective way to improve regional environmental quality and natural ecological e nvironment level.

Evaluation method of cracking resistance of lightweight aggregate concrete

The cracking behavior of lightweight aggregate concrete(LWAC) was investigated by mechanical analysis, SEM and cracking-resistant test where a shrinkage-restrained ring with a clapboard was used. The relationship between the ceramsite type and the cracking resistance of LWAC was built up and compared with that of normal-weight coarse aggregate concrete(NWAC). A new method was proposed to evaluate the cracking resistance of concrete, where the concepts of cracking coefficient ζt(t) and the evaluation index Acr(t) were proposed, and the development of micro-cracks and damage accumulation were recognized. For the concrete with an ascending cracking coefficient curve, the larger Acr(t) is, the lower cracking resistance of concrete is. For the concrete with a descending cracking coefficient curve, the larger Acr(t) is, the stronger the cracking resistance of concrete is. The evaluation results show that in the case of that all the three types of coarse aggregates in concrete are pre-soaked for 24 h, NWAC has the lowest cracking resistance, followed by the LWAC with lower water absorption capacity ceramsite and the LWAC with higher water absorption capacity ceramsite has the strongest cracking resistance. The proposed method has obvious advantages over the cracking age method, because it can evaluate the cracking behavior of concrete even if the concrete has not an observable crack.

Determination of Fructose and Glucose Contents in Honey by Liquid Chromatography-refractive Index Detection Method and Direct Titration Method

In this study, fructose and glucose contents in honey were determined by liquid chromatography-refractive index detection method and alkaline copper tartrate solution-direct titration method. According to the results, there were great differences between determination results of reducing sugar contents by liquid chromatography-refractive index detection method and alkaline copper tartrate solution-direct titration method. Specifically, average determination results of reducing sugar contents by liquid chromatography-refractive index detection method were reduced by about 9.5% compared with alkaline copper tartrate solution-direct titra- tion method. Subsequently, determination results of reducing sugar contents by two methods were compared and analyzed. Liquid chromatography-refractive index detection method was used to determine fructose and glucose monomers in honey, but alkaline copper tartrate solution-direct titration method was used to determine reducing sugar composition in honey, which might lead to significantly different results. Due to small sample size and limited conditions, the determination results were not necessarily representative. Bee product acquisition and processing enterprises and relevant departments should pay much attention on these issues and fully consider the current situation of grass-roots units to develop scientific, rigorous, simple, universal, convenient, low-cost and practicable standards, thus ensuring the safety and reliability of food quality.

Water Quality Analysis of Fuping Section of the Shichuan River Based on Different Evaluation Methods

In order to study the water quality of the Shichuan River basin in Fuping,Shaanxi Province,based on improved Nemerow index method,comprehensive pollution index method and principal component analysis method,eight water quality indexes such as pH,dissolved oxygen(DO),total dissolved solids(TDS),COD,total hardness,total phosphorus,total nitrogen and Zn in three monitoring sections of Fuping section of the Shichuan River in Shaanxi Province were detected and analyzed.The results show that the water quality of the surface water in the Shichuan River basin is gradeⅢorⅣwater,that is,the water is slightly polluted and moderately polluted.It is necessary to monitor the water quality after regulation and clarify the main factors causing the water pollution.

Precise Object Detection Using Iterative Superpixels Grouping Method

The region completeness of object detection is very crucial to video surveillance, such as the pedestrian and vehicle identifications. However, many conventional object detection approaches cannot guarantee the object region completeness because the object detection can be influenced by the illumination variations and clustering backgrounds. In order to overcome this problem, we propose the iterative superpixels grouping （ISPG） method to extract the precise object boundary and generate the object region with high completeness after the object detection. First, by extending the superpixel segmentation method, the proposed ISPG method can improve the inaccurate segmentation problem and guarantee the region completeness on the object regions. Second, the multi- resolution superpixel-based region completeness enhancement method is proposed to extract the object region with high precision and completeness. The simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms the conventional object detection methods in terms of object completeness evaluation.

Advances in Methods of Surface Water Extraction Based on MODIS Data

In recent years,remote sensing technology has been widely used to distinguish and extract water body information on the surface of land,investigate and analyze surface water resources,monitor and study ecological environment,monitor and assess floods. Remote sensing data provided by MODIS sensor carried on satellites in the United States Earth Observation System（ EOS） have high spatial and temporal resolution and spectral resolution,and images have a wide coverage range and are available for free. Moreover,they can be used for dynamic monitoring of changes in water body area on the earth quickly and efficiently. In this study,based on the analysis of spectral characteristics of water body,the characteristics of MODIS data and the methods of surface water extraction were introduced,and the advantages and disadvantages of various methods of water body extraction were analyzed by the comparison between the practical application effects of these methods.

Application of Fourier Series Expansion Method with PMLs to the Microcavities on Two-Dimensional Photonic Crystals

By using a Fourier series expansion method combined with Chew＇s perfectly matched layers （PMLs）, we analyze the frequency and quality factor of a micro-cavity on a two-dimensional photonic crystal is analyzed. Compared with the results by the method without PML and finite-difference time-domain （FDTD） based on supercell approximation, it can be shown that by the present method with PMLs, the resonant frequency and the quality factor values can be calculated satisfyingly and the characteristics of the micro-cavity can be obtained by changing the size and permittivity of the point defect in the micro-cavity.

IMPROVED COVARIANCE DRIVEN BLIND SUBSPACE IDENTIFICATION METHOD

An improved covariance driven subspace identification method is presented to identify the weakly excited modes. In this method, the traditional Hankel matrix is replaced by a reformed one to enhance the identifiability of weak characteristics. The robustness of eigenparameter estimation to noise contamination is reinforced by the improved Hankel matrix, in combination with component energy index （CEI） which indicates the vibration intensity of signal components, an alternative stabilization diagram is adopted to effectively separate spurious and physical modes. Simulation of a vibration system of multiple-degree-of-freedom and experiment of a frame structure subject to wind excitation are presented to demonstrate the improvement of the proposed blind method. The performance of this blind method is assessed in terms of its capability in extracting the weak modes as well as the accuracy of estimated parameters. The results have shown that the proposed blind method gives a better estimation of the weak modes from response signals of small signal to noise ratio （SNR）and gives a reliable separation of spurious and physical estimates.

Environmental availability and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in zinc leaching residue

Four different methods,namely mineralogical analysis,three-stage BCR sequential extraction procedure,dynamic leaching test and Hakanson Potential Ecological Risk Index Method were used to access the environmental activity and potential ecological risks of heavy metals in zinc leaching residue.The results demonstrate that the environmental activity of heavy metals declines in the following order：CdZnCuAsPb.Potential ecological risk indices for single heavy metal are CdZnCuAsPb.Cd has serious potential ecological risk to the ecological environment and contributes most to the potential toxicity response indices for various heavy metals in the residue.

Waveguide Optimization for a 9.0μm GaAs-Based Quantum Cascade Laser

Improved waveguide designs for 9.0μm GaAs-based quantum cascade laser （QCL） structures are presented. Modal losses and confinement factors are calculated for TM modes with the transfer matrix method （TMM） and effective index method （EIM）. The thicknesses of the cladding layer and waveguide layer, the ridge-width, and the cavity length are all taken into account. Appropriate thicknesses of epilayers are given with lower threshold gain and more economical material growth time.

Regional ecological security anddiagnosisof obstaclefactors in underdevelopedregions：acasestudy in Yunnan Province,China

In order toclarify regional ecological security status and formation mechanism of regional ecological security barriers in underdeveloped regions of China,we took Yunnan province as a case to evaluate its regional ecological security by using entropy matter-element model,comprehensive index and GIS spatial method,and we diagnosed itsobstacle factors through obstacle degree model. We found a low overall level of regional ecological security in Yunnan. Only Kunmingfell into the good level, 68% of the regions were below the critical safe level. For the vast majority of regions in Yunnan, their regional ecological security was unstable. The indexes related to per capita resources, geological and topographyenvironment, economic, and technologywere at the unsafe or dangerous level.The indexes related to urban expansion, level of income, cultivated land quality were at the level of critical safety. The indexes concerning urban management capacity, airqualityand waterenvironment were at the good or ideallevel. Yunnan's regional ecological security was not good due to natural obstructive environment itself, simultaneously lower backward economic and social level restricted the ability of ecological security response to manage ragile ecological environment. The results of the composite index wereroughly consistent with those of the entropy weight matterelement model. The mean values of the classification index,from high to low, were: the state index>the response index>the pressure index. The state index and the response index had a significant mutual promotion to each other.The regions with good composite index, state index and response index mainly distributed in the central regions of Yunnan Province. Spatial autocorrelation of regional ecological security level in Yunnan was not obvious. Water resources, economic and social development were main obstacle factors of the regional ecological security.When distinguishing with obstacle type, Kunming belonged to natural ecological environment barrier type, while other regions belonged to economic and social barrier type.

Occupational Health Risk Assessment of Benzene,Toluene,and Xylene in Shanghai

Objective This study was designed to conduct a retrospective and systematic occupational health risk assessment(OHRA)of enterprises that used benzene,toluene,and xylene(BTX)in Shanghai,China.Methods All data for the study were obtained from 1,705 occupational health examination and evaluation reports from 2013 to 2017,and a semiquantitative model following Chinese OHRA guidelines(GBZ/T 298-2017)was applied for the assessment.Results The selected enterprises using BTX were mainly involved in manufacturing of products.Using the exposure level method,health risk levels associated with exposure to BTX were classified as medium,negligible,or low.However,the risk levels associated with benzene and toluene were significantly different according to job types,with gluers and inkers exhibiting greater health risks.For the same job type,the health risk levels assessed using the comprehensive index method were higher than those using the exposure level method.Conclusion Our OHRA reveals that workers who are exposed to BTX still face excessive health risk.Additionally,the risk level varied depending on job categories and exposure to specific chemicals.Therefore,additional control measures recommended by OHRA guidelines are essential to reduce worker exposure levels.

Source analysis and risk evaluation of heavy metal in the river sediment of polymetallic mining area:Taking the Tonglüshan skarn type Cu-Fe-Au deposit as an example,Hubei section of the Yangtze River Basin,China

In this paper,25 sampling points of overlying deposits in Tonglushan mining area,Daye City,Hubei Province,China were tested for heavy metal content to explore pollution characteristics,pollution sources and ecological risks of heavy metals in sediments.A geo-accumulation index method was used to evaluate the degree of heavy metal pollution in the sediment.The mean sediment quality guideline quotient was used for evaluating the ecological risk level of heavy metal in the sediment.And a method of correlation analysis,clustering analysis,and principal component analysis was used for preliminary analysis on the source of heavy metal in the sediment.It was indicated that there was extremely heavy metal pollution in the sediment,among which Cd was extremely polluted,Cu strongly contaminated,Zn,As,and Hg moderately contaminated,and Pb,Cr,and Ni were slightly contaminated.It was also indicated by the mean sediment quality guideline-quotient result that there was a high ecological risk of heavy metals in the sediment,and 64%of the sample sites had extremely high hidden biotoxic effects.For distribution,the contamination of branches was worse than that of the main channel of Daye Dagang,and the deposition of each heavy metal was mainly influenced by the distance from this sample site to the sewage draining exit of a tailings pond.The source analysis showed that the heavy metals in the sediment come from pollution discharging of mining and beneficiation companies,tailings ponds,smelting companies,and transport vehicles.In the study area,due to the influence of heavy metal discharging from these sources,the ecotoxicity of heavy metals in the sediment was extremely high,and Cd was the most toxic pollutant.The research figured out the key restoration area and elements for ecological restoration in the sediment of the Tonglüshan mining area,which could be referenced by monitoring and governance of heavy metal pollution in the sediment of the polymetallic mining area.

Epistemic-Based Investigation of the Probability of Hazard Scenarios Using Bayesian Network for the Lifting Operation of Floating Objects

Owing to the increase in unprecedented accidents with new root causes in almost all operational areas, the importance of risk management has dramatically risen. Risk assessment, one of the most significant aspects of risk management, has a substantial impact on the system-safety level of organizations, industries, and operations. If the causes of all kinds of failure and the interactions between them are considered, effective risk assessment can be highly accurate. A combination of traditional risk assessment approaches and modern scientific probability methods can help in realizing better quantitative risk assessment methods. Most researchers face the problem of minimal field data with respect to the probability and frequency of each failure. Because of this limitation in the availability of epistemic knowledge, it is important to conduct epistemic estimations by applying the Bayesian theory for identifying plausible outcomes. In this paper, we propose an algorithm and demonstrate its application in a case study for a light-weight lifting operation in the Persian Gulf of Iran. First, we identify potential accident scenarios and present them in an event tree format. Next, excluding human error, we use the event tree to roughly estimate the prior probability of other hazard-promoting factors using a minimal amount of field data. We then use the Success Likelihood Index Method(SLIM) to calculate the probability of human error. On the basis of the proposed event tree, we use the Bayesian network of the provided scenarios to compensate for the lack of data. Finally, we determine the resulting probability of each event based on its evidence in the epistemic estimation format by building on two Bayesian network types: the probability of hazard promotion factors and the Bayesian theory. The study results indicate that despite the lack of available information on the operation of floating objects, a satisfactory result can be achieved using epistemic data.