Future Regulations Research Articles

Ozone Pollution in the North China Plain during the 2016 Air Chemistry Research in Asia (ARIAs) Campaign: Observations and a Modeling Study

To study air pollution in the North China Plain (NCP), the Air Chemistry Research in Asia (ARIAs) campaign conducted airborne measurements of air pollutants in spring 2016. High pollutant concentrations, with O3 > 100 ppbv, CO > 500 ppbv, and NO2 > 10 ppbv, were observed. CMAQ simulations with the 2010 EDGAR emissions capture the spatial and temporal variations in ozone and its major precursors such as NO2 and VOCs, with significant underestimation. Differences between CMAQ simulations and satellite observations reflect changes in anthropogenic emissions, decreased NOx emissions in megacities such as Beijing, but slight increases in other cities and rural areas. CMAQ also underestimates HCHO and CO, suggesting adjustments of the 2010 EDGAR emissions are necessary. HCHO/NO2 column ratios derived from OMI measurements and CMAQ simulations show that VOC-sensitive chemistry dominates the ozone photochemical production in eastern China, suggesting the importance of tightening regulations on anthropogenic VOC emissions. After adjusting emissions based on satellite observations, better model performance was achieved. Because of the VOC-sensitive environment in ozone chemistry over the NCP, the underestimation of anthropogenic emissions could be important for CMAQ simulations, while future study and regulations should focus on VOC emissions with continuous controls on NOx emissions in China.

Emission Factors of Tyre Wear Particles Emitted by Light Road Vehicles in Real Driving Conditions: A New Challenge for Clean Road Transport to Improve Urban Air Quality

Non-exhaust road transport emissions in cities contribute to poor air quality and have an impact on human health. This paper presents a new study of particles emitted by tyre wear in real driving conditions and gives their emission factors. The most frequently emitted particles were collected in urban, suburban and road areas. They were identified and analysed physically and chemically. Their level of toxicity is well known. An overall analysis of the measured pollutants was carried out to assess their emission factors in real driving situations. The highest emitting pollutants, considered separately, were found to have high emission factors. The values obtained exceed the Euro standard for vehicles but are below those of vehicles not equipped with particle filters. Significant test analysis confirmed that the inertia of chemical pollutants is homogeneous. Emission factors have also been provided for PM10 and PM2.5. These results should contribute to the emergence of future regulations of non-exhaust emissions and should help to analyse the exposure-impact relationship for particles from tyre wear.

The relationship between freight train length and the risk of derailment.

In recent years, longer and heavier trains have become more common, primarily driven by efficiency and cost-saving measures in the railroad industry. Regulation of train length is currently under consideration in the United States at both the federal and state levels, because of concerns that longer trains may have a higher risk of derailment, but the relationship between train length and risk of derailment is not yet well understood. In this study, we use data on freight train accidents during the 2013-2022 period from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Rail Equipment Accident and Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Accident databases to estimate the relationship between freight train length and the risk of derailment. We determine that longer trains do have a greater risk of derailment. Based on our analysis, running 100-car trains is associated with 1.11 (95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.12) times the derailment odds of running 50-car trains (or a 11% increase), even accounting for the fact that only half as many 100-car trains would need to run. For 200-car trains, the odds increase by 24% (odds ratio 1.24, 95% confidence interval: 1.20-1.28), again accounting for the need for fewer trains. Understanding derailment risk is an important component for evaluating the overall safety of the rail system and for the future development and regulation of freight rail transportation. Given the limitations of the current data on freight train length, this study provides an important step toward such an understanding.

Oral tobacco-free nicotine products: Quality and safety during storage

Oral non-tobacco nicotine products have gained enormous popularity in recent years. The countries of the Eurasian Economic Union also produce and sell this type of innovative but poorly studied goods. As a result, the safety profile and quality of such products as nicotine poaches require urgent comprehensive research. This study featured the changes in quality of nicotine poaches during storage, i.e. nicotine content, water activity, and microbiological index. The research featured nicotine poaches of several popular brands. The authors used standard research methods; the experiments were performed in the laboratory for chemistry and quality control, Institute of Tobacco, Makhorka, and Tobacco Products, Krasnodar, and at the Department of Bioorganic Chemistry and Technical Microbiology, Kuban State Technological University, Krasnodar. The water activity was 0.8911–0.9502 Aw at the initial stage and remained stable in most samples even after six months of storage. Velo Freeze was the only brand to show significant variations in water activity. The nicotine content was 10.115–12.950 mg/g at the initial stage. Only four samples maintained the initial values after six months of storage. The fluctuations of nicotine content were also mentioned by the manufacturer. The microbiological profile remained stable during the six months of storage and met the requirements for similar products, i.e., chewing gum and unglazed caramel. The project needs further research because the qualitative characteristics of nicotine poaches provided rather unambiguous results. Our study will help develop state standards for oral nicotine products. The results obtained will be used to formulate proposals to the organizations responsible for the future Technical Regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union for nicotine products.

MariData – Digital Twin for Optimal Vessel Operations Impacting Ship Design

Energy efficiency is a key element for reduced shipping emission to meet future environmental regulations. Both design and operation play an important role to meet this goal and the perfection of the interplay between these aspects promises quick improvements to meet the requirements of short term emission standards. The MariData project [https://maridata.org] developed a forward-looking energy management and decision support system (DSS) for ship operation based on rational methods and data created during ship design and sets out to bridge the gap between design and optimized operation. The “digital performance twin” of a vessel, which is based on design data, is enhanced with lifecycle data covering the entire operational envelope and provides valuable feedback into design processes.

Development of a Flavor Ingredient Wheel Linking E-Liquid Additives to the Labeled Flavor of Vaping Products

E-liquids contain combinations of chemicals, with many enhancing the sensory attractiveness of the product. Studies are needed to understand and characterize e-liquid ingredients, particularly flavorings, to inform future research and regulations of these products. We identified common flavor ingredients in a convenience sample of commercial e-liquids using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. E-liquid flavors were categorized by flavor descriptors provided on the product packaging. A Flavor Ingredient Wheel was developed to link e-liquid flavor ingredients with flavor categories. An analysis of 109 samples identified 48 flavor ingredients. Consistency between the labeled flavor and ingredients used to produce such flavor was found. Our novel Flavor Ingredient Wheel organizes e-liquids by flavor and ingredients, enabling efficient analysis of the link between ingredients and their flavor profiles and allowing for quick assessment of an e-liquid ingredient’s flavor profile. Investigating ingredient profiles and identifying and classifying commonly used chemicals in e-liquids may assist with future studies and improve the ability to regulate these products.

Enhanced Detection of Artisanal Small-Scale Mining with Spectral and Textural Segmentation of Landsat Time Series

Artisanal small-scale mines (ASMs) in the Amazon Rainforest are an important cause of deforestation, forest degradation, biodiversity loss, sedimentation in rivers, and mercury emissions. Satellite image data are widely used in environmental decision-making to monitor changes in the land surface, but ASMs are difficult to map from space. ASMs are small, irregularly shaped, unevenly distributed, and confused (spectrally) with other land clearance types. To address this issue, we developed a reliable and efficient ASM detection method for the Tapajós River Basin of Brazil—an important gold mining region of the Amazon Rainforest. We enhanced detection in three key ways. First, we used the time-series segmentation (LandTrendr) Google Earth Engine (GEE) Application Programming Interface to map the pixel-wise trajectory of natural vegetation disturbance and recovery on an annual basis with a 2000 to 2019 Landsat image time series. Second, we segmented 26 textural features in addition to 5 spectral features to account for the high spatial heterogeneity in ASM pixels. Third, we trained and tested a Random Forest model to detect ASMs after eliminating irrelevant and redundant features with the Variable Selection Using Random Forests “ensemble of ensembles” technique. The out-of-bag error and overall accuracy of the final Random Forest was 3.73 and 92.6%, which are comparable to studies mapping large industrial mines with the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and LandTrendr. The most important feature in our study was NDVI, followed by textural features in the near and shortwave infrared. Our work paves the way for future ASM regulation through large area monitoring from space with free and open-source GEE and operational satellites. Studies with sufficient computational resources can improve ASM monitoring with advanced sensors consisting of spectral narrow bands (Sentinel-2, Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program, PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa) and deep learning.

Consistency of The Arrangements Granting Extensions of The Term of Building use Rights for Houses to Provide Legal Certainty

There is ambiguity in the regulation for granting HGB term extensions. Article 35 of the UUPA do not recognize the granting of an extension "all at once", whereas in Article 145 of Law Act No. 6 / 2023 provides provisions for granting extensions “all at once”. There are two problems focuses. First, how are the current regulations regarding granting term extensions? Second, what will be the future regulations regarding granting an extension of the term of building use rights for flats that will provide more legal certainty? The main purpose in this research is to analyses inconsistency about the regulation on HGB. Using normative legal research, with statute approach and conceptual approach. The result in this research, current regulations for granting HGB periods, it turns out that there is a lack of clarity in the regulations. Moreover, what is regulated in Article 145 Law Act No. 6 / 2023 is not in line with Article 33 paragraph (3) UUD NRI 1945. Therefore, future regulations must be developed with linear consistency with the regulatory direction of Article 33 paragraph (3) of the UUD NRI 1945, UUPA, and even the Constitutional Court jurisprudence to provide legal certainty.

Stochastic processes shape microbial community assembly in biofilters: Hidden role of rare taxa

Stochastic and deterministic processes are the major themes governing microbial community assembly; however, their roles in bioreactors are poorly understood. Herein, the mechanisms underlying microbial assembly and the effect of rare taxa were studied in biofilters. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed differences in microbial communities at various stages. Null model analysis showed that stochastic processes shaped the community assembly, and deterministic processes emerged only in the inoculated activated sludge after domestication. This finding indicates the dominant role of stochastic factors (biofilm formation, accumulation, and aging). The Sloan neutral model corroborated the advantages of stochastic processes and mainly attributed these advantages to rare taxa. Cooccurrence networks revealed the importance of rare taxa, which accounted for more than 85% of the keystones. Overall, these results provide good foundations for understanding community assembly, especially the role of rare taxa, and offer theoretical support for future community design and reactor regulation.

The effects of damming and dam regulation on a river–lake-aquifer system: 3D groundwater flow modeling of Poyang Lake (China)

Large numbers of dams are planned or constructed for hydroelectric power production, water supply, and flood control in many rivers around the world. While the social and environmental impacts of dams are now well-understood, there is little knowledge about the effects of dams on groundwater-surface water interactions in a complex lake–river-aquifer system. This study adopts a three-dimensional groundwater numerical model to quantify the potential impacts of dam construction, on regional groundwater flow system, exemplified by the proposed Poyang Lake Hydraulic Dam (PLHD) in China. Once implemented, the PLHD will regulate lake levels, artificially controlling the lake inundation area during the recession season (September-October) and the dry season (November-December). Modeling results indicated that the increase in lake infiltration induced by PLHD regulation would alter the regional water exchange pattern. The PLHD regulation will likely enhance the groundwater storage by 20.44 % in the general dry year (i.e., 2018), alleviating 78.1 % of the groundwater deficit in the extreme dry year (i.e., 2019). Additionally, the response of groundwater dynamics to the PLHD regulation exhibits significant spatial differences between the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, primarily depending on topographical changes. Overall, the PLHD regulation is most likely to impact groundwater levels across an area of approximately 5,700 km2, and the associated groundwater storage is anticipated to reach a stable state, under future long-term regulation. Our findings may guide policy-makers wishing to develop more suitable PLHD scheduling plans and floodplain protection strategies by providing reliable information regarding groundwater storage change and ecosystem succession.

GPT-4 in Education: Evaluating Aptness, Reliability, and Loss of Coherence in Solving Calculus Problems and Grading Submissions

AbstractIn this paper, we initially investigate the capabilities of GPT-3 5 and GPT-4 in solving college-level calculus problems, an essential segment of mathematics that remains under-explored so far. Although improving upon earlier versions, GPT-4 attains approximately 65% accuracy for standard problems and decreases to 20% for competition-like scenarios. Overall, the models prove to be unreliable due to common arithmetic errors.Our primary contribution lies then in examining the use of ChatGPT for grading solutions to calculus exercises. Our objectives are to probe an in-context learning task with less emphasis over direct calculations; recognize positive applications of ChatGPT in educational contexts; highlight a potentially emerging facet of AI that could necessitate oversight; and introduce unconventional AI benchmarks, for which models like GPT are untrained. Pertaining to the latter, we uncover a tendency for loss of coherence in extended contexts. Our findings suggest that while the current ChatGPT exhibits comprehension of the grading task and often provides relevant outputs, the consistency of grading is marred by occasional loss of coherence and hallucinations. Intriguingly, GPT-4's overall scores, delivered in mere moments, align closely with human graders, although its detailed accuracy remains suboptimal.This work suggests that, when appropriately orchestrated, collaboration between human graders and LLMs like GPT-4 might combine their unique strengths while mitigating their respective shortcomings In this direction, it is imperative to consider implementing transparency, fairness, and appropriate regulations in the near future.

Risks associated with wastewater reuse in agriculture: investigating the effects of contaminants in soil, plants, and insects

Rapid urbanization has heightened the urgency of the necessity for sustainable water management in agriculture. This review focuses on the impacts of using reused wastewater in agricultural practices, specifically highlighting the nutrient benefits and consequences of pollutants on important environmental elements. It investigates the impact of contaminants on agricultural ecosystems by assessing the soil composition and nutrient equilibrium. This research also examines the impact of pollution exposure on plants and insects, elucidating the behavioural adaptations and their broader ecological consequences in agricultural environments. Eventually, a comprehensive analysis was conducted to consolidate these findings, emphasizing the challenges and significance of implementing sustainable practices. This study highlights the necessity of addressing the health and environmental concerns associated with the agricultural reuse of wastewater, while also giving valuable information to guide future regulations.

The moderating effects of Airbnb between urban conservation and housing rental market: A case study of Shanghai

The advent of peer-to-peer (P2P) home-sharing platforms such as Airbnb has noticeably impacted the housing rental market, as they have caused an increase in short-term rentals (STRs). Despite a growing body of research showing a positive correlation between Airbnb and housing rentals, the role of urban conservation efforts has received limited attention. In this study, we examine the moderating effects of Airbnb on the relationship between officially designated conservation zones and the housing rental market using data from township-level observations in Shanghai. The empirical evidence demonstrates that both the presence of historic conservation areas and the number of Airbnb listings have a considerable positive impact on property rental pricing. Furthermore, there is a direct correlation between the presence of more extensive conservation areas and an increase in house rental prices. Heterogeneity effects are evident in several townships in Shanghai with different levels of Airbnb activity, as the moderating effects are significant in townships with a large number of Airbnb listings. These results suggest that rising housing rents cannot be attributed entirely to the proliferation of STR services facilitated by home-sharing platforms. Future regulations for the housing rental market should address the impacts of home-sharing accommodations and the preservation and revitalization of designated conservation zones.

Face the (unamplified) music: Key findings for musicians.

Music is complex. There are risks to hearing health associated with playing due to excessive sound exposure. Face the Music is an on-going cross-sectional project to assess the risks to unamplified classical musicians. Key findings over the first fifteen years are presented based on the research undertaken with a leading conservatoire on more than 5000 classical music students. The work covers hearing health surveillance, education and awareness, sound exposure, and new technology. The future of the research programme is discussed along with opportunities in objective hearing health assessment and new acoustic solutions. A lot has changed in fifteen years, but the research was driven by a change in United Kingdom legislation. It is hoped that the research results can inform future regulation.

Issues of adaptation of medical simulation training specialists

TThe article discusses issues of adaptation of medical simulation training specialists. When forming an adaptation system, one of the main tasks is the development of personnel adaptation regulations. For future regulation of the process of adaptation of the center’s specialists, types of adaptation in content, methods and activities, used in the Federal Accreditation Center of E. A. Wagner Perm State Medical University, a survey of specialists from simulation centers is planned. In the course of analyzing the responses received and previously identified methods and activities, a document will be prepared regulating the process of adaptation of medical simulation training specialists, which will further speed up the adaptation process and make it more effective for each party in the labor relationship.

Factors Affecting Bitcoin Investment of Individual Investors

Purpose: This article clarifies the factors influencing individual investors' Bitcoin investments in the Vietnamese stock market. Design/methodology/approach: We employed the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), a comprehensive survey with 300 responses, and quantitative analysis using SmartPLS from December 2022 to March 2023. Findings: The findings reveal that the perceived usefulness of the Bitcoin market, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and herd behavior positively impact the Bitcoin investment decisions of individual investors in Vietnam. Research, Practical & Social Implications: This study provides regulators and relevant agencies with more practical evidence regarding the Bitcoin market, facilitating the formulation of appropriate management policies in an emerging economy. Originality/value: There is a shortage of research on the Bitcoin cryptocurrency investment market from the perspective of individual investors in emerging countries like Vietnam. Therefore, this study tries to shed light on individual investors with a comprehensive and objective overview to consider before making investment decisions. Additionally, the results can offer managers and relevant agencies empirical evidence to promulgate future regulations on the Bitcoin market.

Do investors care about biodiversity?

Abstract This article introduces a new measure of a firm’s negative impact on biodiversity, the corporate biodiversity footprint (CBF), and studies whether it is priced in an international sample of stocks. On average, the CBF does not explain the cross-section of returns between 2019 and 2022. However, a biodiversity footprint premium (higher returns for firms with larger footprints) began emerging in October 2021 after the Kunming Declaration, which capped the first part of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15). Consistent with this finding, stocks with large footprints lost value in the days after the Kunming Declaration. The launch of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) in June 2021 had a similar effect. These results indicate that investors have started to require a risk premium upon the prospect of, and uncertainty about, future regulation or litigation to preserve biodiversity.

Mapping Early Brain-Body Interactions: Associations of Fetal Heart Rate Variation with Newborn Brainstem, Hypothalamic, and Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex Functional Connectivity.

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates the body's physiology, including cardiovascular function. As the ANS develops during the second to third trimester, fetal heart rate variability (HRV) increases while fetal heart rate (HR) decreases. In this way, fetal HR and HRV provide an index of fetal ANS development and future neurobehavioral regulation. Fetal HR and HRV have been associated with child language ability and psychomotor development behavior in toddlerhood. However, their associations with postbirth autonomic brain systems, such as the brainstem, hypothalamus, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), have yet to be investigated even though brain pathways involved in autonomic regulation are well established in older individuals. We assessed whether fetal HR and HRV were associated with the brainstem, hypothalamic, and dACC functional connectivity in newborns. Data were obtained from 60 pregnant individuals (ages 14-42) at 24-27 and 34-37 weeks of gestation using a fetal actocardiograph to generate fetal HR and HRV. During natural sleep, their infants (38 males and 22 females) underwent a fMRI scan between 40 and 46 weeks of postmenstrual age. Our findings relate fetal heart indices to brainstem, hypothalamic, and dACC connectivity and reveal connections with widespread brain regions that may support behavioral and emotional regulation. We demonstrated the basic physiologic association between fetal HR indices and lower- and higher-order brain regions involved in regulatory processes. This work provides the foundation for future behavioral or physiological regulation research in fetuses and infants.

Модель будущего регулирования ломбардного рынка

статья посвящена изучению актуальных вопросов, связанных с контролем и надзором за деятельностью учреждений, которые работают на ломбардном рынке. Отдельное внимание в статье уделено особенностям лицензирования, проверке деловой репутации директоров и основателей, регулированию размера процентной ставки и дополнительных комиссий. Отмечено, что возможности применения упрощенного регулирования деятельности ломбардов, в связи с тем, что они не привлекают средства физических лиц, соответственно их деятельность не представляет значительного риска для стабильности финансовой системы страны. Определено, что финансовые услуги, предоставляемые ломбардом на рынке, аналогичны банковским, однако не требуют банковской лицензии, однако поскольку ломбарды выступают в качестве альтернативы банкам и предоставляют финансовые решения неорганизованной части общества, их деятельность должна быть лицензирована и соответствующие процедуры проверки должны быть пройдены, прежде чем учреждение выйдет на рынок. Предложена авторская модель регуляторного контура, которая включает в себя два отдельных блока: непосредственно процесс регулирования создания и вхождения на рынок новых участников, а также надзор за уже работающими ломбардами. Сделан вывод о том, что перспективная модель регулирования должна быть сосредоточена на следующих ключевых областях: контроль финансовой устойчивости ломбардов, защита прав клиентов, в том числе соблюдение стандартов предоставления услуг, обеспечение прозрачности и раскрытия информации, обеспечение безупречной деловой репутации руководителей и основателей, противодействие антиконкурентной деятельности, противодействие злоупотреблениям и противоправной деятельности. the article is devoted to the study of current issues related to control and supervision of the activities of institutions that operate in the pawnshop market. The article pays special attention to the specifics of licensing, checking the business reputation of directors and founders, regulating the interest rate and additional commissions. It is noted that the possibility of applying simplified regulation of the activities of pawnshops, due to the fact that they do not attract funds from individuals, and therefore their activities do not pose a significant risk to the stability of the country’s financial system. It has been determined that the financial services provided by a pawnshop on the market are similar to banking, but do not require a banking license, however, since pawnshops act as an alternative to banks and provide financial solutions to the unorganized part of society, their activities must be licensed and appropriate verification procedures must be completed before than the institution will enter the market. The author's model of the regulatory circuit is proposed, which includes two separate blocks: the direct process of regulating the creation and entry of new participants into the market, as well as supervision of already operating pawnshops. It is concluded that a promising regulatory model should focus on the following key areas: control of the financial stability of pawnshops, protection of customer rights, including compliance with service standards, ensuring transparency and disclosure of information, ensuring an impeccable business reputation of managers and founders, countering anti-competitive activities, combating abuse and illegal activities.

Proteomic analysis reveals that the co-ordination of cytosolic and mitochondrial pathways is beneficial for sabinene biosynthesis in engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Reconstruction and optimization of biosynthetic pathways can help to overproduce target chemicals in microbial cell factories based on genetic engineering. However, the perturbation of biosynthetic pathways on cellular metabolism is not well investigated and profiling the engineered microbes remains challenging. The rapid development of omics tools has the potential to characterize the engineered microbial cell factory. Here, we performed label-free quantitative proteomic analysis and metabolomic analysis of engineered sabinene overproducing Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. Combined metabolic analysis andproteomic analysis of targeted mevalonate (MVA) pathway showed that co-ordination of cytosolic and mitochondrial pathways had balanced metabolism, and genome integration of biosynthetic genes had higher sabinene production with less MVA enzymes. Furthermore, comparative proteomic analysis showed that compartmentalized mitochondria pathway had perturbation on central cellular metabolism. This study provided an omics analysis example for characterizing engineered cell factory, which can guide future regulation of the cellular metabolism and maintaining optimal protein expression levels for the synthesis of target products.