Energy-Efficient Computation Offloading for UAV-Assisted MEC: A Two-Stage Optimization Scheme

In addition to the stationary mobile edge computing (MEC) servers, a few MEC surrogates that possess a certain mobility and computation capacity, e.g., flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and private vehicles, have risen as powerful counterparts for service provision. In this article, we design a two-stage online scheduling scheme, targeting computation offloading in a UAV-assisted MEC system. On our stage-one formulation, an online scheduling framework is proposed for dynamic adjustment of mobile users' CPU frequency and their transmission power, aiming at producing a socially beneficial solution to users. But the major impediment during our investigation lies in that users might not unconditionally follow the scheduling decision released by servers as a result of their individual rationality. In this regard, we formulate each step of online scheduling on stage one into a non-cooperative game with potential competition over the limited radio resource. As a solution, a centralized online scheduling algorithm, called ONCCO, is proposed, which significantly promotes social benefit on the basis of the users' individual rationality. On our stage-two formulation, we are working towards the optimization of UAV computation resource provision, aiming at minimizing the energy consumption of UAVs during such a process, and correspondingly, another algorithm, called WS-UAV, is given as a solution. Finally, extensive experiments via numerical simulation are conducted for an evaluation purpose, by which we show that our proposed algorithms achieve satisfying performance enhancement in terms of energy conservation and sustainable service provision.

Communicating the Values and Benefits of Home Solar Prosumerism

Clearly and accurately communicating the economic, environmental, and social benefits of solar PV prosumerism poses significant challenges. Previous research shows that government policies and public engagement campaigns can positively impact solar prosumerism; however, little is known about the quality and accuracy of information exchanged between rooftop solar installers and potential prosumers. This study addresses part of this gap with a mixed methods approach. First, a multimodal discourse analysis of installation proposals from seven home solar installers in Madrid shows accurate and reasonable financial benefits alongside incongruent social and environmental benefits. Second, the calculated efficiency of the seven proposed solar installations is compared with the efficiency of four different PVSC solar arrays using actual load and generation profiles. The results show that (i) the high variability of actual household demand on the minute-by- minute level significantly decreases self-consumption rate and profitability in comparison with the rates estimated using hourly or monthly, and (ii) the grouping of households into solar communities should significantly increase self-consumption and profitability. Therefore, using minute by minute time series in home solar estimations would reveal an added value and social benefit that is commonly overlooked. We conclude with recommendations for future research and multimodal communication campaigns that balance benefits of individual prosumerism and community solar.

The Measurement of Sustainable Regional Manufacturing Industry: The Case of China

Since the introduction of Made in China 2025 and its focus on sustainable development and manufacturing industry transformation, appropriate evaluation methods to accurately assess the development of China’s manufacturing industry have become essential. Therefore, this research constructed an innovative evaluation index system for manufacturing development based on seven dimensions: innovation, structural optimization, economic benefits, efficiency enhancements, green development, international competition, and social benefits. An objective combination weighted-gray correlation-TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution) evaluation model was applied to the Sichuan Province manufacturing industry data from 2009 to 2018 to create a representative sample, in which the overall development level from 2009 to 2016 took on an inverted U-shaped curve that reached its maximum in 2013, fell to its lowest point in 2016, and then began a steady upward trend marked by innovation and efficiency improvements; however, sustainability fell. Based on these results, this research provides a scientific reference for policy-makers with recommendations for innovation-driven development strategies, green development promotion, and social benefit improvements with the aim of promoting more sustainable development of China's manufacturing industry.

Asymmetric Evolutionary Game Analysis of Building Information Modeling (BIM) Technology Diffusion

Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology plays a pivotal role in the process of building process informatization. In the context of extensive promotion by all parties, how to effectively evaluate the promotion value of countries and enterprises is particularly important. In order to better analyze the promotion trend of the BIM technology diffusion system in China, a noncooperative evolutionary game model of BIM technology diffusion between the government and enterprises is constructed, and Vensim PLE software is used for simulation analysis in this paper. The model includes government subsidy cost and penalty, social benefit and loss, and income payment matrix of BIM technology input income and cost. The results show that enterprises need not only direct cost subsidy from the government but also indirect cost subsidy in the process of BIM technology diffusion. Appropriate government penalties can effectively promote the initiative of enterprises to adopt BIM technology; BIM has a great impact on the input income and cost of enterprises. In view of this, it is suggested that the first task for enterprises to promote the diffusion of BIM technology is to clarify the definition of BIM's high investment cost and do a good financial impact analysis.

Evaluation of Residential Parking Spots Sharing Effects Based on Practical Experience

Making residential parking spots available to the public has become popularized in recent years. The sharing of residential parking spots can promote the further use of parking space and enhance the utility of parking resources in urban metropolitan areas. However, little is known about the relationship between spots’ physical or temporal factors and rental effects from practical experience. This study aims to evaluate the effects of residential parking spot sharing from both individual and social benefit perspectives. One-year real behavioral records concerning parking spots’ owners and borrowers were obtained, and the field survey of various parking spots’ physical characteristics was conducted. Two Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) models emphasizing the individual and societal points of view were adopted. Results revealed that the spots’ physical factors, including spot type, visibility, ease of parking, and distances to major surrounding buildings, along with owners’ sharing willingness and preferences, tend to pose significant influences on the rental effects from both individual and social benefit perspectives. Some differences were also discovered between the two models. For the individual model, owners’ sharing willingness was the dominant factor affecting the parking spots’ sharing effects, while for the social model, parking spots’ physical characteristics appear to be more important in determining the sharing effects. Based on these findings, suggestions were discussed to promote residential parking spot sharing and increase the benefits of sharing to individuals and society.

Understanding future increases in precipitation extremes in global land monsoon regions

This study investigates future changes in daily precipitation extremes and the involved physics over the global land monsoon (GM) region using climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). The daily precipitation extreme is identified by the cutoff scale, measuring the extreme tail of the precipitation distribution. Compared to the historical period, multi-model results reveal a continuous increase in precipitation extremes under four scenarios, with a progressively higher fraction of precipitation exceeding the historical cutoff scale when moving into the future. The rise of the cutoff-scale by the end of the century is reduced by 57.8% in the moderate emission scenario relative to the highest scenario, underscoring the social benefit in reducing emissions. The cutoff scale sensitivity, defined by the increasing rates of the cutoff scale over the GM region to the global mean surface temperature increase, is nearly independent of the projected periods and emission scenarios, roughly 8.0% K−1 by averaging all periods and scenarios. To understand the cause of the changes, we applied a physical scaling diagnostic to decompose them into thermodynamic and dynamic contributions. We find that thermodynamics and dynamics have comparable contributions to the intensified precipitation extremes in the GM region. Changes in thermodynamic scaling contribute to a spatially uniform increase pattern, while changes in dynamic scaling dominate the regional differences in the increased precipitation extremes. Furthermore, the large inter-model spread of the projection is primarily attributed to variations of dynamic scaling among models.

A Geospatial Approach to Measure Social Benefits in Urban Land Use Optimization Problem

Different conflicting objectives are used in urban land use optimization problems. The maximization of social benefit is one of the important objectives in urban land use optimization problems. Many researchers have used different methods to measure social benefits in land use optimization. Studies show that there is no established method to measure social benefit in the urban land use allocation game. Against this background, this study aims to (a) identify the appropriate indicators as a measure of social benefit, and (b) propose a composite index to measure social benefit in urban land use optimization problems. Based on the literature review and expert opinion, this study identifies four indicators as a measure of social benefit. These are spatial compactness, land use compatibility, land use mix, and evenness of population distribution. Using the weighted sum approach, this study proposes a composite social benefit index (SBI) to measure social benefit in urban land use allocation/optimization problems and planning. The study suggests that spatial compactness is the most influential indicator to the SBI, but the most critical indicator is compatibility, whose 11.60% value reduction from 0.5 alters the decision of choice. Finally, the proposed method was applied in Rajshahi city in Bangladesh. The result suggests the potential of using SBI in the land use allocation problem. It is expected that the proposed social benefit index (SBI) will help the land use optimization and planning and will be helpful for decision makers.

Comprehensive Socio-Ecologo-Economic Assessment of Agricultural Efficiency in China

Modern agriculture aims to coordinate the contradiction between the development and utilization of agricultural resources and environmental protection by using scientific and technological achievements and management methods, so as to obtain good ecological benefit, social benefit and economic benefit. In this paper, 12 indexes are selected to build an evaluation system of comprehensive agricultural benefit. The agricultural data from 2013 to 2019 are analyzed, and the evaluation results are obtained: China’s comprehensive agricultural benefit kept growing, social benefit and economic benefit continued to grow, and ecological benefit began to grow rapidly in 2018 after experiencing a small decline. According to the evaluation results, the problems existing in China’s agricultural development are found, and the corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward.