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Mathematical modeling was employed for automatic, real-time interrogation and correction of amperometric electrochemical gas sensors (AES) deployed in instruments for industrial hygiene applications. The interrogation involved two steps which were analyzed using various mathematical modeling techniques to determine the “goodness” of the sensor and to correct its output for small changes due to aging and environmental conditions. The first interrogation was a physical interrogation of the flow path into the sensor by supplying a driving force at the face of the sensor, either by exhaled human breath, or by acoustic sound pressure applied to diffusion barriers protecting the sensor, ensuring that the flow path was sufficiently open for detection of hazardous gases. The second interrogation was an electronic interrogation of the sensor itself, achieved by applying a small potential or current pulse to the working electrode of the sensor and deconvoluting its response to make small corrections to the sensor signal. These two steps provide periodic, real-time, and automatic surveillance and correction of AES, increasing robustness, reliability and accuracy, and user confidence, while decreasing calibration frequency, maintenance, and cost-of-ownership. Validation testing over sensors of various designs indicated a greater than 98% reliability of the sensor/instrument interrogation technique.

The drop in crude oil price during late 2014 has had a significant impact on all nations. While some countries have reaped the benefits of low oil prices, others have suffered greatly. As a result, it is no surprise that many academics have attempted to develop reliable models to forecast crude oil price. In the age of information and social media, the role of Twitter and Facebook has become increasingly more relevant in understanding our environment. Many academics have exploited this wealth of data to extract features including sentiment and word frequency to build reliable forecasting models for financial instruments such as stocks. These methodologies, however, remain unexplored for the prediction of crude oil prices. The purpose of this investigation to develop a novel model that uses sentiment of United States foreign policy and oil companies' to forecast the direction of weekly WTI crude oil prices. The investigation is divided into three parts: 1) a methodology of collecting tweets relevant to US foreign policy and oil companies'; 2) a statistical analysis of the novel features using Granger Causality Test; 3) the development and evaluation of three machine learning classifiers including Naive Bayes, ANNs, and SVM to predict the direction of weekly WTI crude oil. The findings of the statistical analysis showed strong correlation between the novel inputs and WTI crude oil price. The results of the statistical tests were then used in the development of the predictive model. SVM was found to provide best forecasting performance. Furthermore, using these novel features, the predictive accuracy exceeded that of existing models mentioned in literature

In the field of sustainability, scholars, and policy-makers herald the transformative power of participation in knowledge production. However, a discrepancy between these expectations and the limited understanding of the complex interactions constituting participation processes can be observed. With the aim of critically analysing these complex interactions, this paper develops a conceptual perspective on participation as a relational space which is formed in the interplay of structures and processes. This perspective is applied to the analysis of empirical literature in sustainability research, development research, and science and technology studies. The literature review guided by the proposed conceptualisation systematically draws together the rich experience with participation in knowledge production. Elements constituting participation spaces along the dimensions ‘structures’ and ‘actors’ are identified and discussed in relation to ‘processes’ of space-making: (i) (in)coherences with reference system, (ii) resources, (iii) timing, (iv) expectations, (v) mutual trust, and (vi) worldviews and values. Power relations are found to pervade the three dimensions. Enhanced conceptual-analytical clarity of the elements constituting participation spaces provides a differentiated basis for discussing the transformative power of participatory knowledge production. By stimulating reflexivity on the making of participation, this approach contributes to better understanding when spaces of participation have the capacity to become spaces of transformation.

AbstractThe influence of the European Union on national power structures, actors' institutional opportunities, and governance networks is well established in cases of Europeanization processes unfolding in member states or associated countries for which a formal agreement is in place. This article focuses instead on Europeanization processes that are more informal and do not include formal agreements but bottom‐up dynamics. Empirically, we analyze the collaboration network in Swiss energy policy with Exponential Random Graph Models and find that actors with EU contacts and those that consider the international process as important are particularly active in the domestic governance network, whereas actors considering the domestic process as strongly Europeanized and those with pro‐EU beliefs are particularly inactive. This points towards a complex influence of informal Europeanization on domestic governance networks.

Equity has become a major concern in efforts to conserve nature. However, in the Global South, inequitable social impacts of conservation usually prevail. We investigate barriers to equitable governance of four protected areas through an innovative approach linking the tri-dimensional framing of environmental justice with the notion of telecoupling. We conceptualize the creation, support, and implementation of protected areas as telecoupling processes that involve flows, actors, and action situations, and assess them based on a set of indicators of procedural justice, distributive justice, and recognition. We perform the analysis for parallel or competing telecoupling processes that affect the areas and we then investigate the scope and reach of resistance actions to attain more equitable outcomes. Identified barriers include dependence of the PAs on transnational financial flows, presence of competing extractive demands, negative narratives on local practices, wilderness and Malthusian framings, authoritarian rule, narrow development options, and socio-cultural discrimination. These combined barriers create multiple forms of exclusion. Resistance actions are likely to succeed when actors can mobilize alliances and resources across distance. We conclude that justice framings can make power relationships in telecouplings more visible, and that considering distant interactions can elucidate causes of (in)equity in conservation.

Les promesses et les engagements des gouvernements des pays riches ont été pris lors du sommet de la COP26 à Glasgow, ravivant ainsi l'espoir des nations de relever le défi du changement climatique. Ainsi, l'étude examine la complémentarité du développement financier et des émissions de carbone, tout en tenant compte de l'influence conditionnelle de la bonne gouvernance sous trois indicateurs désagrégés – la gouvernance économique, institutionnelle et politique pour les économies des BRICS, de la MONNAIE et du G7. Tout d'abord, l'étude révèle que le développement financier en fonction de l'indicateur adopté a des effets mitigés sur les niveaux de pollution de l'environnement. Plus précisément, le développement financier déclenche l'effet de pollution le plus élevé via le crédit national au secteur privé par rapport aux investissements directs étrangers, tandis que l'indice de développement financier réduit la pollution environnementale. Deuxièmement, la gouvernance économique favorise la qualité de l'environnement en réduisant la pollution de l'environnement grâce à une réglementation de la qualité. Troisièmement, la gouvernance institutionnelle par le biais d'un État de droit plus faible induit la pollution, tandis que le contrôle de la corruption s'oppose aux niveaux de pollution. En outre, seule la voix de la responsabilité soutient l'effet d'atténuation de la pollution de la gouvernance politique. Sur une analyse comparative bloc à bloc, l'efficacité de la gouvernance favorise la pollution environnementale dans les trois blocs économiques, mais à des amplitudes différentes, tandis que la voix de la responsabilité n'exerce un impact souhaitable significatif sur la pollution que dans les pays du G7. Enfin, les énergies renouvelables et la libéralisation du commerce exercent respectivement une influence négative et positive sur la dégradation de l'environnement. En la cumbre de Glasgow COP26 se hicieron promesas y compromisos de los gobiernos de las naciones ricas, lo que rejuvenece la esperanza entre las naciones para enfrentar el desafío del cambio climático. Por lo tanto, el estudio examina la complementariedad del desarrollo financiero y las emisiones de carbono, al tiempo que tiene en cuenta la influencia condicional de la buena gobernanza bajo tres indicadores desagregados: gobernanza económica, institucional y política para las economías BRICS, MINT y G7. En primer lugar, el estudio revela que el desarrollo financiero en función del indicador adoptado tiene efectos mixtos en los niveles de contaminación ambiental. Específicamente, el desarrollo financiero desencadena el mayor efecto de contaminación a través del crédito interno al sector privado en comparación con las inversiones extranjeras directas, mientras que el índice de desarrollo financiero reduce la contaminación ambiental. En segundo lugar, la gobernanza económica promueve la calidad ambiental al reducir la contaminación ambiental a través de la regulación de la calidad. En tercer lugar, la gobernanza institucional a través de un estado de derecho más débil induce a la contaminación, mientras que el control de la corrupción antagoniza los niveles de contaminación. Además, solo la voz de la rendición de cuentas respalda el efecto mitigador de la contaminación de la gobernanza política. En un análisis comparativo de bloque a bloque, la efectividad de la gobernanza promueve la contaminación ambiental en los tres bloques económicos, aunque en diferentes magnitudes, mientras que la voz de la rendición de cuentas ejerce un impacto significativo deseable sobre la contaminación solo en los países del G7. Por último, la energía renovable y la liberalización del comercio ejercen una influencia negativa y positiva en la degradación ambiental, respectivamente. Pledges and commitments from governments of wealthy nations were made at the COP26 Glasgow summit, thereby rejuvenating hope among nations to confront the climate change challenge. Thus, the study examines the complementarity of financial development and carbon emissions, while accounting for the conditional influence of good governance under three disaggregated indicators – economic, institutional, and political governance for the BRICS, MINT, and the G7 economies. First, the study reveals that financial development depending on the adopted indicator has mixed effects on environmental pollution levels. Specifically, financial development triggers the highest pollution effect via domestic credit to the private sector compared to foreign direct investments, while financial development index reduces environmental pollution. Secondly, economic governance promotes environmental quality by reducing environmental pollution through quality regulation. Third, institutional governance through weaker rule of laws induces pollution, while the control of corruption antagonizes pollution levels. Furthermore, only the voice of accountability supports the pollution-mitigating effect of political governance. On a bloc-to-bloc comparative analysis, governance effectiveness promotes environmental pollution in all the three economic blocs albeit at different magnitudes while the voice of accountability exerts a significant desirable impact on pollution only in the G7 countries. Lastly, renewable energy and trade liberalization exerts a negative and positive influence on environmental degradation respectively. تم تقديم تعهدات والتزامات من حكومات الدول الغنية في قمة غلاسكو COP26، مما جدد الأمل بين الدول في مواجهة تحدي تغير المناخ. وبالتالي، تبحث الدراسة في التكامل بين التنمية المالية وانبعاثات الكربون، مع مراعاة التأثير المشروط للحوكمة الرشيدة في إطار ثلاثة مؤشرات مصنفة – الحوكمة الاقتصادية والمؤسسية والسياسية لاقتصادات بريكس ومينت ومجموعة السبع. أولاً، تكشف الدراسة أن التنمية المالية التي تعتمد على المؤشر المعتمد لها تأثيرات متباينة على مستويات التلوث البيئي. على وجه التحديد، تؤدي التنمية المالية إلى أعلى تأثير للتلوث عن طريق الائتمان المحلي للقطاع الخاص مقارنة بالاستثمارات الأجنبية المباشرة، في حين يقلل مؤشر التنمية المالية من التلوث البيئي. ثانياً، تعزز الحوكمة الاقتصادية الجودة البيئية من خلال الحد من التلوث البيئي من خلال تنظيم الجودة. ثالثًا، تؤدي الحوكمة المؤسسية من خلال ضعف سيادة القوانين إلى التلوث، في حين أن السيطرة على الفساد تستعدي مستويات التلوث. علاوة على ذلك، فإن صوت المساءلة وحده يدعم التأثير المخفف للتلوث للحكم السياسي. عند إجراء تحليل مقارن بين الكتلة والكتلة، تعزز فعالية الحوكمة التلوث البيئي في جميع الكتل الاقتصادية الثلاث وإن كان ذلك بأحجام مختلفة في حين أن صوت المساءلة له تأثير مرغوب كبير على التلوث فقط في بلدان مجموعة السبع. وأخيراً، تؤثر الطاقة المتجددة وتحرير التجارة تأثيراً سلبياً وإيجابياً على التدهور البيئي على التوالي.

Behavior change has been identified as an important determinant to curb energy consumption. In this context, information and communication technology (ICT) and especially feedback instruments can provide a significant contribution by motivating behavior change on a large scale. Yet, related smart meter pilot projects often fail to produce the hoped-for energy saving effects--mostly as they fall short in motivating an initial adaption and recurrent usage of the technology. In order to overcome this problem, we describe and empirically test a scalable and cost efficient solution that uses elements from behavioral sciences to motivate people to initially adapt and continuously use the technology provided. The approach draws on social normative feedback and externally emitted incentives. In the energy informatics domain, there is a big gap in the understanding of the effects of these elements, which is crucial to improve the overall effectiveness of programs. Therefore, we empirically investigate how these mechanisms motivate initial participation in an ICT based program to reduce in-home energy consumption. We conducted our study in a real world setting with a sample of 17,500 customers of a Swiss utility. Our findings show that participation heavily depends on the motivational mechanisms used. Therewith, targeted messages could enhance program participation rates by up to 45 % and dramatically increase the overall impact with no additional costs.

The valuation of multiple ecosystem services requires the design of valuation processes able to integrate different dimensions of value and to cope with complexity. Following the “value-articulating institution” framework, we note that three core problems arise: the cognitive, normative and composition problems. Combining valuation methods, such as contingent valuation and multicriteria analysis, with participatory and deliberative techniques is increasingly promoted as a means to address those fundamental problems. However, the quality and legitimacy of the valuation process then becomes dependent on how participation is framed. We note that numerous issues need to be taken into account, such as the roles assumed by participants, the differences in contribution among participants, the level of participatory impact and the level of democratization of the decision-making process. This paper proposes a detailed qualitative analysis of four case studies, each of them having implemented a specific valuation method in a participatory process. We analyze how those cases were handled in each of the dimensions considered and offer our conclusions about the added values and remaining challenges related to participatory environmental valuation.