Integrated assessment of urban environment in China

The principles and procedures for integrated environmental assessment(IEA) based on the specific urban conditions and Chinese characteristics have been developed. The development processes and the general principles and procedures are presented in this paper. Indicators and methods for IEA may vary from case to case, but guidelines for selection of indicators and methods may be applicable for a specific case, so they are also introduced. Although great progress has been made in IEA, there is still a lot for future development. Prospects are presented as follows: (1) IEA at strategic level; (2) mechanisms for public involvement; (3) post project analysis; (4) cumulative impact assessment; and (5) application of new approaches such as expert system and GIS in IEA.

Integrated Assessment of Mineral Resources and Environmentin Mid-South of Shandong Province

On the bases of the field survey and a large number of testing data, we process the qualitative and quantitative assessment of the mine environment in the mid south of Shandong Province using the following grade Ⅰ factors:the surface subsidence in mining area, the three wastes of mine industries, the pollution sources, the surface water pollution, the underground water pollution and the air pollution. By means of emitting factor judgment and water quality indexes, we locate pollution sources, main pollutants, pollution type and pollution grade in the study area. Using the MAPGIS, we draw a zonality map of the mine environment. This paper attempts to offer a concrete example, including valuable assessment method, data and conclusion, for the assessment of mine environment from the integrated assessment of mineral resources and mine environment. This research is oriented towards the sustainable development and the ecological environment optimization.

Assessment of climate damage in China based on integrated assessment framework

Developing a localized and consistent model framework for climate loss and damage assessment is crucial for the policy-making of climate change mitigation and adaptation.This study introduces a comprehensive,multidisciplinary Integrated Assessment Model(IAM)framework for evaluating climate damage in China,utilizing BCC-SESM climate model and FUND sectoral climate damage model under the SSP2-RCPs scenario.Employing a bottom-up approach,the research estimates climate damage across eight major sectors,recalibrates sectoral climate damage functions and parameters for China,and elucidates distinctions among direct climate loss,market climate loss,and aggregate climate loss.The findings reveal that the total climate damage function for China follows a quadratic pattern in response to temperature rise.By 2050,the estimated climate damage is projected to be 5.4%,5.7%,and 8.2%of GDP under RCP2.6,RCP4.5,and RCP8.5,respectively.Additionally,both direct and market climate losses are projected to remain below 2%of GDP by 2050,while the aggregate climate loss could reach as high as 8.2%,which is predominantly attributed to non-market sectors.From a sectoral perspective,under the RCP8.5 scenario,human health damage constitutes the largest share(61.9%)of the total climate loss by 2050,followed by sea-level rise damage(18.6%).This study sheds lights on the adaptation policy that should attach importance to the non-market sectors,particularly focusing on human health and sea-level rise.

Integrated assessment and changes of ecological environment in the Daning River Watershed

Based on Remote Sensing(RS),Geographical Information Systems(GIS),and the Spatial Principal Compo-nent Analysis(SPCA)method,the integrated assessment and changes in the ecological environment of Daning River Watershed are studied in this paper.The watershed is located in the Three Gorge Area in China.The result of the integrated assessment showed that level 9 had the biggest proportion in the year 1990,which was about 40%.In the year 2000,however,there were no levels with a proportion significantly bigger than the others.By comparing the assessment results in 1990 and 2000,it is discovered that the ecological environ-ment in Daning River Watershed in 1990 was better than that in 2000.

An integrated assessment method of urban drainage system:A case study in Shenzhen City,China

In recent years,the urban drainage system in China is facing the dual pressure of renovation and construction.This requires that the integrated assessment for the planning and operation of the urban drainage system is obligatory.To evaluate the urban drainage system,an integrated assessment methodology based on the analytic hierarchy process(AHP),integrated simulation,and fuzzy assessment is established.This method is a multi-criteria decision adding app roach to the assessment of the urban drainage system comprehensively.Through the integration of the Storm Water Management Model(SWMM),a simple wastewater treatment plant model,and a surface water quality model,an integrated modelling system for the urban drainage system is developed and applied as a key tool for assessment.Using the established method,a case study in Shenzhen City has been implemented to evaluate and compare two urban drainage system reno vation plans,the distributed plan and the centralized plan.Because of the particularity of this case study,the established method is not applied entirely.Considering the water environ mental impact,ecological impact,technological feasibility,and economic cost,the integrated performance of the distri buted plan is better.As shown in this case study,the proposed method is found to be both effective and practical.

Data-driven integrated assessment of global wild-caught seafood exported to Hong Kong by 2030 in different representative concentration and shared socioeconomic pathways

Wild-caught seafood is an important commodity traded globally.As elimate change and socioeconomic development is affecting global marine capture fisheries,the impact on regional supply remains unexplored,especially for areas like Hong Kong relying on global trading to meet high seafood consumption.However,it is challenging to assess the global marine capture fisheries production using complex process-based models.In this study,a data-driven integrated assessment approach was developed to evaluate the change of global seafood supply from wild catch.With the catch data available from 1990 to 2014,machine learning models were trained and tested including environmental,socioeconomic,geographic,and technological features to estimate the catch by ocean grid cells for individual species.Nine popular seafood categories in Hong Kong were studied,which include 68 species in total.Important input features for estimating the catch were compared across species and the impacts of these input features were interpreted using partial dependence plots.The global marine wild catch of the 68 species by countries and the export to Hong Kong were projected by 2030 in RCP2.6-SSPi,RCP4.5-SSP2,RCP7.0-SSP3,and RCP8.5-SSP5.Performances of machine learning models demonstrate the reliability of data-driven methods to estimate the catch by ocean grid cells.The importance of geographic features rank top for the estimate while that of climate change and socioeconomic development varies significantly across species.The projection reflects a drop of squid exported to Hong Kong due to the reduction of squid supply from China's mainland during 2015-2019.The export of wild-caught seafood of the nine categories to Hong Kong willhave a slight decline by about 16%from the 2020 level by 2030.The projection also suggests no significant differences among the four climatic-socioeconomically interrelated scenarios regarding the export to Hong Kong before 2030.Top producers include China's mainland,United States,and Japan.However,China's mainland and Japan will suffer from the decline.The data-driven integrated assessment approach can be improved to provide more insights into the long-term change and sustainable management.

INTEGRATED RISK ASSESSMENT OF MAJOR METEOROLOGICAL DISASTERS WITH PAPRIKA PEPPER IN HAINAN PROVINCE

Paprika pepper, as one of the main vegetable crops, is originated in the tropics and now widely planted in the world for its dietary therapy and medicinal functions. For its typical physiological properties referring to low tolerances to flood, drought and cold, paprika pepper often suffers from one or several disasters during its growing period,especially under tropical climate. Paprika pepper in Hainan, as a typical region of tropical climate in China, sustains flood, chilling and drought disaster risks induced by varied weather systems. This study was to develop and employ appropriate indices to assess hazard, sensitivity, vulnerability and prevention capability for major disasters during paprika pepper growth period, using long-term meteorological data from 1998 to 2011, actual disasters record from 1999 to 2011, production and socioeconomic statistics from 2002 to 2011 at 18 weather stations. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Entropy method, the combined weight was given to each disaster factor, thus an integrated disaster risk assessment model was developed and applied at regional level. High flood hazard mainly occurred in eastern Hainan, high chilling hazard in north and central mountain areas, and high drought hazard in the western part of Hainan. Drought and chilling sensitivity had a similar spatial distribution which decreased from central to coastal regions while flood sensitivity was the opposite. High vulnerability of the disasters mainly occurred in central regions,similar to low prevention capability. Eastern Hainan suffered from high integrated damage risk. The predicted damage occurrence showed a good agreement with the occurrence of actual disasters. We concluded that an integrated damage risk assessment model could provide a new tool to assess major meteorological disasters and help farmers and policy makers to alleviate the risks of major meteorological disasters for paprika pepper, which seems also suitable for other crops.

Integrated environmental assessment: an urban perspective

A broadening of the strategic approach to environmental issues coupled with changes in the mechanisms of environmental governance and management has generated demands for new kinds of environmental knowledge and for new ways of using it. In particular there is now a strong demand for information about the environment to be linked to information about the impacts of human activities so that the unsustainable aspects of economic development can be anticipated and controlled. The scope of environmental assessment has enlarged to provide information that will help a wide range of stakeholders, including business and publics to make decisions, choosing between alternatives on the basis of sound environmental information set in a social and economic context. This paper provides a discussion of these developments and illustrates how integrated environmental assessment of a specific urban environmental problem, the reduction of health impacts of air borne particles, can deliver broad strategic information for participants in the solution.

Preface for Integrated Ecosystem Assessment of Western China

Human well-being is dependent on ecosystems. Earth＇s mosaic of ecosystems - forests, grasslands, wetlands, streams, estuaries, and oceans - when functioning naturally, provide materials, conditions, and processes that sustain all life on this planet, including human life. The benefits that all living things obtain from ecosystems are called ＂ecosystem services.＂ Some are very familiar to us, such as materials like food and timber that are essential for our lives and important parts of the global economy. What are equally important, but certainly less well recognized, are the array of services delivered by ecosystems that do not have easily assigned monetary values, but that make our lives possible. These include the purification of air and water, the decomposition of wastes, the recycling of nutrients on land and in the oceans, the pollination of crops, and the regulation of climate.

Theory and practice for assessing structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains

Purpose–The safety and reliability of high-speed trains rely on the structural integrity of their components and the dynamic performance of the entire vehicle system.This paper aims to define and substantiate the assessment of the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains in both theory and practice.The key principles and approacheswill be proposed,and their applications to high-speed trains in Chinawill be presented.Design/methodology/approach–First,the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains are defined,and their relationship is introduced.Then,the principles for assessing the structural integrity of structural and dynamical components are presented and practical examples of gearboxes and dampers are provided.Finally,the principles and approaches for assessing the dynamical integrity of highspeed trains are presented and a novel operational assessment method is further presented.Findings–Vehicle system dynamics is the core of the proposed framework that provides the loads and vibrations on train components and the dynamic performance of the entire vehicle system.For assessing the structural integrity of structural components,an open-loop analysis considering both normal and abnormal vehicle conditions is needed.For assessing the structural integrity of dynamical components,a closed-loop analysis involving the influence of wear and degradation on vehicle system dynamics is needed.The analysis of vehicle system dynamics should follow the principles of complete objects,conditions and indices.Numerical,experimental and operational approaches should be combined to achieve effective assessments.Originality/value–The practical applications demonstrate that assessing the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains can support better control of critical defects,better lifespan management of train components and better maintenance decision-making for high-speed trains.

Establishment of a Risk Assessment Framework for Analysis of the Spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

To evaluate the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza （HPAI） in China's Mainland, a risk assessment framework was built. Risk factors were determined by analyzing the epidemic data using the brainstorming method; the analytic hierarchy process was designed to weigh risk factors, and the integrated multicriteria analysis was used to evaluate the final result. The completed framework included the risk factor system, data standards for risk factors, weights of risk factors, and integrated assessment methods. This risk assessment framework can be used to quantitatively analyze the outbreak and spread of HPAI in China's Mainland.

Smoke Hazard Assessment Model Based on Fire Dynamics Simulator and FED Model

Smoke is the main cause of fire death. In order to minimize the potential danger of smoke hazard, a rational VR based fire training simulator should fully consider all aspects of smoke hazard. In the simulator, the visualization of data based on FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator) and FED fire dynamic data and volume rendering is further optimized, which can be effectively and quickly applied to virtual fire protection. In addition, a comprehensive smoke hazard assessment model based on FED and FED is established to assess the IHD value of different paths, which represents the safety of different paths, and can be used for evacuation or rescue in virtual training. Taking the case of campus fire drill as an experiment, the research shows the accuracy and effectiveness of smoke assessment based on FDS and FED model. The road force with the highest safety can be selected through the comprehensive model. So the assessment model is proved to be valuable.

APPLICATION OF SINTAP TO THE SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF X65 PIPELINE STEEL

The recently developed European flaw assessment procedure, structural integrity assessment procedure（SiNTAP） is applied to assessment for welded joints of the API 5L X65 pipeline steel with an assumed embedded flaw and surface flaw at the weld toe. As one of the basic input data, fracture toughness crack tip opening displacement （CTOD） tests are conducted at 0℃ and performed according to the requirements of the standard of BS7448. For the heat affected zone （HAZ） specimens, the microstructure observation is performed to insure that the tip of the crack is located in the coarse grain zone. The result explains the dispersity of the test values. In structural integrity assessment procedure-fracture assessment diagram（SINTAP FAD） method, the failure curves of welded joints at level 1 and 3 are derived from the tensile test results. The results of the assessment show that all assessment points are located within the failure lines of analysis level 1 and 3. So the welded joint of the pipeline is safe. This study laid the foundation of application of SINTAP to pipeline structure assessment.

Exploring the Care Experience of a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Team in the Management of Debilitating Syndromes in Older People

This study was conducted to investigate the clinical effects of applying the integrated geriatric assessment team approach on the care of elderly patients with debilitating syndromes.This study was conducted in Xi’an Jiaotong University hospital from January 2021 to January 2022.Around 50 patients with the geriatric debilitating syndrome were selected and retrospectively were analyzed,and psychiatrists,geriatric nurses,pharmacists,medical specialists,physiotherapists,and dieticians were selected to form a comprehensive geriatric assessment team.The patients were then assessed,a treatment plan was developed,and care was provided according to the actual situation,and the effectiveness of the clinical intervention was analyzed.This study demonstrated that,of the 50 patients in this study,the longest hospital stay was 15 days,while the shortest was 4 days,and the average length of stay was 10.23±4.37 days.Around 40 of the patients were able to eat on their own and consume food as prescribed,with a compliance rate of 80%,showing the effectiveness rate of the geriatric assessment team.In summary,the use of a comprehensive geriatric assessment team to treat and care for patients with debilitating syndromes in the elderly is an effective way,and this can significantly improve the life quality of the patients.

Climate Warming Mitigation from Nationally Determined Contributions

Individual countries are requested to submit nationally determined contributions(NDCs)to alleviate global warming in the Paris Agreement.However,the global climate effects and regional contributions are not explicitly considered in the countries’decision-making process.In this study,we evaluate the global temperature slowdown of the NDC scenario(ΔT=0.6°C)and attribute the global temperature slowdown to certain regions of the world with a compact earth system model.Considering reductions in CO_(2),CH_(4),N_(2)O,BC,and SO_(2),the R5OECD(the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in 1990)and R5ASIA(Asian countries)are the top two contributors to global warming mitigation,accounting for 39.3%and 36.8%,respectively.R5LAM(Latin America and the Caribbean)and R5MAF(the Middle East and Africa)followed behind,with contributions of 11.5%and 8.9%,respectively.The remaining 3.5%is attributed to R5REF(the Reforming Economies).Carbon Dioxide emission reduction is the decisive factor of regional contributions,but not the only one.Other greenhouse gases are also important,especially for R5MAF.The contribution of short-lived aerosols is small but significant,notably SO_(2)reduction in R5ASIA.We argue that additional species beyond CO_(2)need to be considered,including short-lived pollutants,when planning a route to mitigate climate change.It needs to be emphasized that there is still a gap to achieve the Paris Agreement 2-degree target with current NDC efforts,let alone the ambitious 1.5-degree target.All countries need to pursue stricter reduction policies for a more sustainable world.

The integrated quality assessment of Chinese commercial dry red wine based on a method of online HPLC-DAD-CL combined with HPLC-ESI-MS

AIM: To apply an integrated quality assessment strategy to investigate the quality of multiple Chinese commercial dry red wine samples. METHOD: A comprehensive method was developed by combining a high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-chemiluminescence(HPLC-DAD-CL) online hyphenated system with an HPLC-ESI-MS technique. RESULTS: Chromatographic and H2O2-scavenging active fingerprints of thirteen batches of different, commercially available Chinese dry red wine samples were obtained and analyzed. Twenty-five compounds, including eighteen antioxidants were identified and evaluated. The dominant and characteristic antioxidants in the samples were identified. The relationships between antioxidant potency and the cultivated variety of grape, producing area, cellaring period, and trade mark are also discussed. CONCLUSION: The results provide the feasibility for an integrated quality assessment strategy to be efficiently and objectively used in quality(especially antioxidant activity) assessment and identification of dry red wine.

Approach for Obtaining Material Mechanical Properties in Local Region of Structure Based on Accurate Analysis of Micro-indentation Test

The hot or cold processing would induce the change and the inhomogeneous of the material mechanical properties in the local processing region of the structure,and it is difficult to obtain the specific mechanical properties in these regions by using the traditional material tensile test.To accurately get actual material mechanical properties in the local region of structure,a micro-indentation test system incorporated by an electronic universal material test device has been established.An indenter displacement sensor and a group of special micro-indenter assemblies are estab-lished.A numerical indentation inversion analysis method by using ABAQUS software is also proposed in this study.Based on the above test system and analysis platform,an approach to obtaining material mechanical properties in the local region of structures is proposed and established.The ball indentation test is performed and combined with the energy method by using various changed mechanical properties of 316L austenitic stainless steel under differ-ent elongations.The investigated results indicate that the material mechanical properties and the micro-indentation morphological changes have evidently relevance.Compared with the tensile test results,the deviations of material mechanical parameters,such as hardness H,the hardening exponent n,the yield strength σy and others are within 5%obtained through the indentation test and the finite element analysis.It provides an effective and convenient method for obtaining the actual material mechanical properties in the local processing region of the structure.

LIMIT AND SHAKEDOWN ANALYSIS OF PRESSURIZED PIPELINES CONTAINING DEFECTS

In this paper, the integrity assessment of pressurized pipelines containing defects is performed by direct simplified methods of limit and shakedown analysis. The defects considered are part-through slots of various geometrical configurations. The engineering situation considered here has practical importance in the pressure vessel and pipe industry. The results are compared with those obtained by a step-by-step procedure using the professional code ABAQUS and where possible, with those provided by semi-empirical formulae used in engineering. The simplified methods are found more economical and more reliable than marching solutions achieved by step-by-step evolutive elastic-plastic analysis. The effects of various part-through slots on the load-carrying capacities of pipelines are investigated.

A multi-model assessment of climate change damage in China and the world

Quantifying climate damage is essential to informing rational climate policies,but only a few studies have systematically compared the climate damage estimates made by different models,especially for China.In this study,we used three widely applied integrated assessment models-FUND,RICE,and PAGE-to estimate the damage under coupled shared socioeconomic pathways and representative concentration pathways(RCPs).Results show that the costs of climate damage constitute approximately 1.5%and 0.7%of China's GDP and global GDP per 1℃ temperature rise on average,respectively.Mitigation can reduce climate risk by lowering the average estimate and worst-case effects of climate damage.Compared with business-as-usual emissions(RCP8.5),the 2℃ target will reduce the average estimate of climate damage for China and the world by 93%and 87%,respectively,and by 80%and 84%,respectively,in the worst-case situation.Sectorial analysis of climate damage highlights the inconsistency of sector scope and significant parameter uncertainties in damage modules,requiring further improvement to integrate subfield research advances,particularly for damage related to rising sea levels and cooling energy demand.

Recent, development in low-constraint fracture toughness testing for structural integrity assessment of pipelines

Fracture toughness measurement is an integral part of structural integrity assessment of pipelines. Traditionally, a single-edge-notched bend （SE（B）） specimen with a deep crack is recommended in many existing pipeline structural integrity assessment procedures. Such a test provides high constraint and therefore conservative fracture toughness results. However, for girth welds in service, defects are usually subjected to primarily tensile loading where the constraint is usually much lower than in the three-point bend case. Moreover, there is increasing use of strain-based design of pipelines that allows applied strains above yield. Low-constraint toughness tests represent more realistic loading conditions for girth weld defects, and the corresponding increased toughness can minimize unnecessary conservatism in assessments. In this review, we present recent developments in low-constraint fracture toughness testing, specifically using single-edge- notched tension specimens, SENT or SE（T）. We focus our review on the test procedure development and automation, round-robin test results and some common concerns such as the effect of crack tip, crack size monitoring techniques, and testing at low temperatures. Examples are also given of the integration of fracture toughness data from SE（T） tests into structural integrity assessment.