The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has appeared to be inattentive towards the globally lobbied Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) movement that endeavors to leverage sport for non-sporting development, currently subscribing to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By adopting the concept of ‘tiyu (体育)’—the supposed Chinese counterpart of ‘sport’—which also seeks to achieve wider objectives grounded on its premise of ‘body cultivation’, this paper proceeds with a text-based qualitative study incorporating document analysis and literature review to examine its current links to SDP. The findings suggest that: (1) While the national development foci of the PRC have demonstrated alignment with the SDGs, its tiyu policies have not. (2) Mainstream SDP projects have failed to be accommodated in the PRC, although some non-SDP tiyu practices have shown a commitment to SDP-desired outcomes. (3) The relative lack of interest in SDP in the PRC has not prevented some tiyu scholars from heeding this movement. Accordingly, this paper assesses the prospects of changing attitudes in the PRC toward SDP. Full article

Fin-and-tube heat exchangers have been extensively used in many fields, especially in heat, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration systems. In the case of the operation of a fin-and-tube heat exchanger as an air cooler, frost formation is an important effect that should be taken into account. The frost accumulation process is undesirable since it deteriorates heat transfer due to the insulation of the frost layer as well as causing excessive pressure loss. The analysis of the effect of the frosting process on a fin-and-tube air cooler performance is presented in this paper. Based on long-term experimental investigations applied to the air cooler in a cold storage chamber, the general degradation of the heat exchanger performance is discussed. The influence of frost on the cooling capacity, by-pass factor, and thermal resistance is analysed. The temperature distribution of the air passing through the air cooler before and after the defrosting process is presented and discussed. A method for the assessment of the amount of frost formed at the air cooler surface, based on visualisation of the air cooler during operation and synchronised with the thermal measurements, is developed. The results show that the frosting process causes deterioration of the cooling capacity by up to 40% in the analysed case. Correlation is demonstrated between frost formation and heat transfer degradation in the air cooler. Full article

Over the last few decades, Alpine communities have been affected by many social, cultural, economic and demographic changes that have challenged the hegemonic development models of the 20th century and questioned the city–country cleavage. Nevertheless, the huge potential expressed by culture-based practices in low-density areas—such as the Alps—still represents an unexplored field of research. In order to progress in research in the field, through the analysis of a case study in the Italian Western Alps (Cuneo, Piedmont Region), the article proposes a new methodology of analysis and highlights that new places of cultural production are emerging and that the related culture-based practices can play the role of driver of innovative and sustainable development paths. Based on the results of the case-study analysis, the article presents a taxonomy of new practices in which the binomial culture–territory acts as a driver and explores how these processes can be transferred to similar contexts, in particular, other low-density areas. Full article

This contribution presents the control of the electrical system of a Wave Energy Converter (WEC) prototype developed by SINN Power. Due to the movement of the waves, the generated power has a very high fluctuation with a period of a few seconds. To be able to use this power, it has to be smoothed. The used Energy Storage System (ESS) is a supercapacitor bank, which is directly connected to the DC-link. Therefore, the DC-link voltage has to fluctuate according to the generated power, to charge and discharge the capacitors. The smoothed power is used to charge batteries with a DC/DC converter, which is typically used for photovoltaic applications. The DC-link voltage can be controlled with the current through the DC/DC converter, yielding a nonlinear control system where a stability analysis is carried out to prove a safe and stable operation. Measurement results at the prototype under typical sea conditions are presented, which fit the simulation results. With the presented control system, smooth power output can be guaranteed. Full article

Coal-accompanying gas is an essential resource, with numerous mining methods. The practice has proved that injecting high-pressure air into the coal seam can replace and flush the gas in the coal seam, effectively solving the problem of inadequate single gas drainage in soft and low permeability coal seams. This paper uses the finite element method to solve the model, simulate and study the gas drainage by high-pressure air injection in the bedding drilling, and establish a fluid-structure coupling model for gas drainage by high-pressure air injection. The competitive adsorption of N₂, O₂, and CH₄, diffusion and migration of CH₄ in coal matrix and fissure, matrix deformation caused by CH₄ adsorption, and desorption and control of coal deformation by applied stress are considered in the model. When the fixed extraction time is 600 days (d), the optimal spacing between the extraction hole and injection hole is 12.5 m. The safe extraction effect and minimum drilling amount can be ensured. It provides a basis for guiding gas drainage by injecting high-pressure air on-site. Full article

The load prediction of distribution network lines and the accurate prediction of impending overload lines can provide an important reference for the formulation of the power supply plan of distribution networks. This paper designs a line load predicting and heavy overload early warning model based on the Prophet method, where the time series decomposition and machine learning technologies are used. Firstly, we used the 5-day moving average to automatically fill the missing values in the data and automatically detect and correct the abnormal values in the data. Then, we decomposed the prediction model into the trend component, periodic component, and data mutation component by fully considering the periodicity, seasonality, holidays, and other factors of power data, which effectively improves the prediction accuracy and gives early warning of potential heavy overload risk. Finally, we tested the model according to the processing speed, root-mean-squared error (RMSE), recognition accuracy, and overload warning hit rate. The results showed that the model obtained in this paper has high accuracy and practicability. Full article

The appropriate feature/predictor selection is as significant as building efficient estimation methods for the accurate estimation of power consumption, which is required for self-awareness and autonomous decision systems. Traditional methodologies define predictors by assessing whether there is a relationship between the predictors and the response variable. Contrarily, this study determines predictors based on their individual and group impacts on the estimation accuracy directly. To analyze the impact of predictors on the power-consumption estimation of an IT rack in a data center, estimations were carried out employing each prospective predictor separately using the measured data under the real-world workload. Then, the ratio of CPU usage was set as the default predictor, and the remaining variables were assigned as the second predictor one by one. By utilizing the same approach, the best combination of predictors was determined. As a result, it was discovered that some variables with a low correlation coefficient with power consumption improved the estimation accuracy, whereas some variables with high correlation coefficients worsened the estimation result. The CPU is the most power-consuming component in the server and one of the most used predictors in the literature. However, the estimation accuracy obtained using only the CPU is 10 times worse than the estimation result conducted by utilizing the predictor set determined at the end of the experiments. This study shows that instead of choosing predictors only from one point of view or one method, it is more convenient to select predictors by assessing their influence on estimation results. Examining the trend and characteristics of the estimated variable should also be considered. Full article

As a key component of ubiquitous computing, the wireless body area network (WBAN) can be used in a variety of disciplines, including health monitoring. Our everyday routines have been transformed by wearable technology, which has changed the medical industry and made our lives more convenient. However, the openness of the wireless network has raised concerns about the privacy and security of patient’s data because of the latent threat imposed by attackers. Patients’ sensitive data are safeguarded with authentication schemes against a variety of cyberattacks. Using pulse signals and a lightweight cryptographic approach, we propose a hybrid, anonymous, authentication scheme by extracting the binarized stream (bio-key) from pulse signal. We acquired 20 different sample signals to verify the unpredictability and randomness of keys, which were further utilized in an authentication algorithm. Formal proof of mutual authentication and key agreement was provided by the widely known BAN logic, and informal verification was provided by the Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocol and Applications (AVISPA) tool. The performance results depicted that storage cost on the sensor side was only 640 b, whereas communication cost was 512 b. Similarly, the computation time and energy consumption requirements were 0.005 ms and 0.55 µJ, respectively. Hence, it could be asserted that the proposed authentication scheme provided sustainable communication cost along with efficient computation, energy, and storage overheads as compared to peer work. Full article

Agricultural activities generate CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O, affecting the global climate and the sustainability of agricultural production systems. This topic is essential in those areas where agriculture has caused soil decarbonization. The soil can regenerate by implementing sustainable soil management (SSM), and this regeneration is finite. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the maximum carbon (C) storage capacity to establish the most SSM for soil recarbonization. This research analyzes the C storage capacity in soils with rainfed olive groves and traditional tillage in the largest olive-oil-producing area in the world (Jaén, Andalusia, Spain). The results show that these soils had low soil organic C (SOC) content, ranging from 5.16 g kg⁻¹ (topsoil) to 1.60 g kg⁻¹ (subsoil) and low SOC stock (SOC-S) (43.12 Mg ha⁻¹; 0–120 cm depth). In addition, the SOC fractionation showed that the highest SOC concentrations were in the particulate organic C form. The SOC-S linked to the fine mineral fraction (<20 µm) in topsoil was 21.93 Mg C ha⁻¹, and the SOC-S saturated ranged between 50.69 and 33.11 Mg C ha⁻¹. Therefore, on the soil surface (0–32.7 cm depth), these soils have a C storage maximum capacity of 28.76 Mg C ha⁻¹, with a net C sink capacity of 105.55 Mg ha⁻¹ of CO₂-eq. All this suggests that these soils could have a high recarbonization capacity, and applying SSM (in the coming years) could be an essential C sink. Full article

In the COVID-19 crisis, telecommuting has become one of the most powerful countermeasures against spreading infections. Companies cannot effectively implement telecommuting owing to difficulties predicting organizational performance and future problems and responding to them in advance. Furthermore, even after overcoming the crisis, it is expected that the performance of so-called “ontact” jobs involving telecommuting will increase rapidly in the new typical environment. Nevertheless, there has been no systematic study on a holistic response method considering work interruption time and lead time from work interruption in the ontact work environment. This study predicts organizational performance by modeling the impact of the ontact work environment on organizational performance and presents problem-solving guidelines from three perspectives: business process, organizational structure, and human resource allocation. Additionally, it presents a case study of a simulation model established by extending a previously developed enterprise simulation software. This study presents a scientific model for predicting organizational performance and solving problems in the ontact work environment, which is presently the most significant concern in companies. This facilitates decision-making to minimize damage based on predicting corporate performance in the ontact work environment. Full article

Changes in hydrologic and climatic trends will influence the ecology of Florida, and climate scenarios agree that many areas of Florida are susceptible to sea-level rise impacts. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Climate Change Action Program focuses on a framework to examine climate change effects on fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats of all three. To follow the program, this study examines how to incorporate current scientific knowledge about regional climate projections in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service analyses. It provides climate change and sea-level rise projections based on 2017 projections, information on changes in tropical cyclones, temperatures, and precipitation. This study also examines future effects of sea-level rise on existing habitat from saltwater intrusion of the freshwater lens below Big Pine Key. Projections of future sea-water elevations will periodically be reached or exceeded well before 2040 from short-term, stochastic, and extreme events (e.g., king tides and storm surge), and will increasingly inundate the root zone before complete saltwater intrusion. Future trends were connected to 2017 stakeholder-driven conversations about adaptation strategies to develop a suite of actions for creating temporary or permanent freshwater resources. However, beyond 3 ft (0.9 m) of sea-level rise, there are few adaptation options available for the Florida Key deer beyond relocations outside of the Florida Keys. Overall, the approach of connecting future environmental trends to assessments of fish and wildlife resources of concern can be transferred to other situations. Additionally, this approach can be used to update these analyses, such as with the recent 2022 sea-level rise updates by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, released after this work was conducted. Full article

Mega sport events were among the very few types of events still attracting tourists during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and represented an exceptionally attractive tourism opportunity for Bucharest through the matches scheduled for the UEFA 2020 championship. Motivated by the novelty of the event which was organized for the first time in the Romanian capital city and motivated by the exceptionally restrictive context imposed by the sanitary crisis, the aim of this study was to analyze domestic tourist participation in and satisfaction with this event. An extended survey focusing on the autochthonous participants was applied to gather data and then further computed using SPSS software through crosstabulations and associated statistical analysis adapted for nominal and ordinal variables. The main results emphasize a large participation of Romanian football supporters who came specifically for the event. Most of them expressed dissatisfaction with souvenir, food and drink products sold within the stadium area but were satisfied with the COVID-19 measures and their costs. Supporters coming from rural areas opted for VFR accommodations while retirees and elderly supporters preferred hotels. Occupation and age were the main variables determining accommodation preferences as well as satisfaction with souvenir prices. These options may be valuable input for future adapted marketing strategies for sport event tourism in Romania. Lacking important urban tourist attractions and competing with other mature European urban destinations, mega sport events may represent an opportunity for autochthonous large cities to increase tourist attractiveness and maintain leisure travel even during periods of travel restrictions. Full article

In order to realize the sustainable development of the field of automotive industrial engineering and reduce the emissions of heavy-duty trucks (HDTs), a simulation analysis method that combined fluid–structure coupling and a discrete phase model was proposed in this study. The pressure, velocity, and other parameters of an HDT air filter and its cartridge were analyzed by using CFX and the Static Structure module in the ANSYS software. The results showed that under six different flow rates, the error between the simulation results and the test results was basically less than 3% (the maximum error was 3.4%), and the pressure distribution of the fluid in the air filter was very uneven, leading to a severe deformation of 3.51 mm in the filter element. In order to reduce the pressure drop of the air filter and the deformation of the filter element, the position of the air inlet duct, the height of the filter element, and the number of folds of the air filter were optimized in this study. The optimization results showed that when the rated flow was 840 m³/h, compared with the original structure, the pressure drop of the air filter was reduced by 445 Pa, the maximum deformation of the filter element was reduced by 54.1% and the average deformation is reduced by 39.8%. After the optimization, the structural parameters of the air filter were as follows: the position of the air inlet moved down 126 mm along the shell, the filter height was 267 mm, and the pleat number of the filter element was 70. The simulation method and optimization design method of an air filter based on fluid–structure interaction presented in this study can be used to reduce the pressure drop, improve the engine performance, and reduce the amount of harmful emissions. Full article

The current study examines knowledge reuse (focused on the recipient) from a product life-cycle perspective in the context of product-service systems through 27 semi-structured interviews in 11 firms. This study focused on the phases of the beginning-of-life (represented by R&D, purchasing, and production) and the middle-of-life (represented by logistics, customer service/quality, and sales). Similarities and differences were found between and within the two phases and the six sub-phases. Our research suggests that to remain competitive, a consistent understanding of the knowledge requirements for both sender and recipient should be identified, a match between the knowledge sourced and the mechanism employed should be made, and organizational culture/mechanisms to retain higher-caliber employees should be prioritized. Full article

In order to reveal the influence law of freezing pressure and confining pressure on the strength characteristics of frozen sand, with the self-developed high-pressure frozen soil triaxial instrument, the triaxial compression tests of frozen sand under different freezing pressures and confining pressures were carried out. The test results show that the freezing pressure will not change the stress–strain curve of the frozen sand. Similar to the confining pressure, the freezing pressure influences the strength of the frozen soil in two ways: strengthening and weakening. The threshold confining pressure resulting from the test was about 45 MPa. Through comparison of the initial elastic modulus with the secant elastic modulus at 0.5 times the strength, it is found that the initial elastic modulus is more appropriate to use in engineering calculations. The internal friction angle is greatly affected by the freezing pressure, and cohesion shows little change with the freezing pressure. Compared with the test results and other constitutive equations, it is found that the constitutive equation established in this paper considering the effect of freezing pressure can better describe the stress–strain relationship of the pressurised frozen sand. Full article