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The airport apron is a high-risk area for aircraft collisions due to its heavy operational load and high aircraft density. Currently, existing quantitative models for apron collision risk provide limited consideration and classification of risk areas. In response, this paper proposes a Petri net-based method for assessing aircraft collision risk. The method predicts the probability of aircraft reaching different areas at different times based on operational data, enabling the calculation of collision risks within the Petri net framework. This approach highlights areas with potential collision risks and provides a classification evaluation. Subsequently, aircraft path re-planning is carried out to reduce collision risks. The model simplifies the complex operations of the apron system, making the calculation process clearer. The results show that, during the mid-phase of aircraft taxiing, there is a significant deviation between the actual and ideal positions of aircraft. Areas with high taxiway occupancy are more prone to collision risks. On peak days, due to relatively high flight volumes, the frequency of collision risks is 14% higher than on regular days, with an average risk increase of 23.3%, and the risks are more concentrated. Therefore, reducing collision risks through path planning becomes more challenging. It is recommended to focus attention on areas with high taxiway occupancy during peak periods and carefully plan routes to ensure apron safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Electric Power Science & Technology is the property of Changsha University of Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In today's corporate environment, sustainability reporting is becoming increasingly important for companies, as it allows them to disclose their environmental, social and governance (ESG) activities to stakeholders. Due to the growing emphasis on existing business practices and corporate governance, the demand for transparent and reliable sustainability reporting has increased significantly. In light of these changes, the role of internal audit in supporting sustainability reporting is important. The internal audit function plays a special role in providing companies with independent assurances and consulting services, ensuring the effectiveness of risk management, internal control and management processes. Since companies incorporate ESG goals into their strategies and activities, internal auditing is explicitly one of the guarantors of preparing reliable and complete sustainability reporting. By developing and/or using risk assessment, control assessment, and appropriate methodologies, internal audits can help companies improve the quality and accuracy of sustainability reporting. The present article outlines the role, importance and support of internal audit in preparing sustainability reporting. It examines the challenges and opportunities associated with the integration of ESG factors into internal audit practice, the evolution of the regulatory environment governing sustainability reporting, and strategies to improve the effectiveness of internal audit in this context. The purpose of this article is, based on a comprehensive review of the literature and analysis of best practices, to provide a vision of how internal audit can improve sustainability reporting and contribute to the continuous and stable development of the company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhejiang， as a crucial coastal province in China， deems the delineation of risk zones in its power system imperative for minimizing losses caused by typhoon disasters. Initially， the paper leverages historical data to comprehensively analyze meteorological features of typhoons in the Zhejiang coastal areas， focusing on aspects such as landing point distribution， path characteristics， temporal patterns， wind speed attributes， and precipitation features. Subsequently， an analysis of typhoon disaster characteristics in the Zhejiang power system is conducted. This entails examining the distribution of fault points in the transmission system， the relationship between the substation system and typhoon landing points， and the distribution of power outage percentages in the distribution system. Finally， utilizing historical data from both Zhejiang’s typhoon meteorology and power system， the paper creates a map outlining the risk zones for typhoon disasters. This includes a detailed delineation of high-risk areas for tower collapses， areas prone to wind deviations， and regions with high geological disaster risks. The analysis results aim to support risk assessment and response measures for typhoon disasters across various levels of the power grid.

The airport apron is a high-risk area for aircraft collisions due to its heavy operational load and high aircraft density. Currently, existing quantitative models for apron collision risk provide limited consideration and classification of risk areas. In response, this paper proposes a Petri net-based method for assessing aircraft collision risk. The method predicts the probability of aircraft reaching different areas at different times based on operational data, enabling the calculation of collision risks within the Petri net framework. This approach highlights areas with potential collision risks and provides a classification evaluation. Subsequently, aircraft path re-planning is carried out to reduce collision risks. The model simplifies the complex operations of the apron system, making the calculation process clearer. The results show that, during the mid-phase of aircraft taxiing, there is a significant deviation between the actual and ideal positions of aircraft. Areas with high taxiway occupancy are more prone to collision risks. On peak days, due to relatively high flight volumes, the frequency of collision risks is 14% higher than on regular days, with an average risk increase of 23.3%, and the risks are more concentrated. Therefore, reducing collision risks through path planning becomes more challenging. It is recommended to focus attention on areas with high taxiway occupancy during peak periods and carefully plan routes to ensure apron safety.

Copyright of Zhejiang Electric Power is the property of Zhejiang Electric Power Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The dual control of geological hazard hidden points and risk zones is one of the important tasks for geological hazard prevention during China’s 14th Five-Year Plan period. Pilot provinces and regions are actively exploring effective approaches to implement the “dual control of point and zone”，leading to the establishment of management systems, responsibility frameworks, and technical methods for this purpose. Drawing on the geological environmental conditions and the outcomes of hazard prevention and reduction efforts in Xide County, Sichuan Province, this paper summarizes the practices and experiences of “dual control” for geological hazards in the region. Integrating with the existing four geological hazard systems, a comprehensive “dual control of point and zone” framework comprising five components is proposed, including: (1) The “investigation, evaluation and dynamic adjustment” component aims to enhance the pertinence, timeliness, operability, and adaptability of the “dual control of point and zone”. (2) The “monitoring, early warning and response processing” component focus on improving the monitoring coverage, warning accuracy, and response efficiency of the “dual control of point and zone”. (3) The “normal management and defense” component seeks to elevate the regular defense capability and management level of the “dual control of point and zone”, promoting the transformation of defense and management towards digitalization and intelligence. (4) The “science popularization, training and drills” component aims to enhance the national cognition level and hazard avoidance capability regarding the “dual control of point and zone”. (5) The “system construction” component seeks to improve the responsibility system, and establish the “dual control” mechanism. The above achievements have realized the dynamic monitoring of risks and hidden dangers and regular defense in Xide County, enhancing the geological hazards prevention and control capabilities in the area, which can serve as a scientific reference for other regions.

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Geological Hazard & Control is the property of China Institute of Geological Environmental Monitoring (CIGEM) Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Grasshoppers are important elements for supporting ecosystem services which make it important to understand their spatial distribution characteristics to reduce outbreaks, implement effective control while minimizing non-target impacts. The spatial software package Geographical Detector (GD) was used to rank the interaction and effects of 19 environmental factors on the distribution of grasshopper species were quantified in four types of steppes in Northwestern, China. Results showed that the distribution of the insect was mainly influenced by elevation (q = 0.44). Among the factor interactions, elevation ∩ average annual precipitation (q = 0.795) was the strongest, followed by elevation ∩ soil available nitrogen (q = 0.722). Temperate meadow steppe and temperate steppe were identified as the areas at greatest risk for grasshopper’s occurrence. This research shows that the Geographical Detector could be provided a useful tool to identify the driving forces for grasshopper distribution. Our research also offers a new method to more broadly understand the interactions between different drivers to explain the distribution of other insects.

Shallow lakes are prone to water quality deterioration and are difficult to manage. Turbidity is a physical parameter commonly used to estimate water quality. Revealing the spatiotemporal variations in turbidity can help determine the risk areas of water turbidity to achieve efficient protection and management of water resources. Here, we conducted continuous field observations and monitoring of turbidity in Baoan Lake (114°39′–114°46′E, 30°12′–30°18′N), a shallow lake (average depth: 2.27 m) in southeastern Hubei Province, China, from July 2019 to May 2022, to perform gradient analysis and determine risk levels of water turbidity. Results showed that the average turbidity of the Baoan Lake varied within the range of 9.0–48.8 NTU. Water turbidity fluctuated, reaching peaks in summer or autumn, and troughs in winter. The overall variation of water turbidity in spring and summer ranged within 15 NTU, while in autumn and winter it was over 29 NTU. The turbidity of Zhuti and Qiaodun Lakes (ZL and QL, respectively) was often higher than that of Xiaosihai and Biandantang Lakes (XL and BL, respectively), showing a turbidity decrease from southeast to northwest, especially in winter. A gradient function describing the spatial variation in turbidity was summarized. The parameters of the function had implicit meanings for spatial variations in turbidity. Parameter a influenced the form of the fitting curve. Parameters b and c reflected the range of turbidity values. The two points of the second derivative of the function were considered to indicate the radius of the risk area in a concentric manner. The methodology proposed to identify the risk levels of water turbidity entails the calculation of the risk values for different seasons. Thus, this study provides a new tool for quantifying spatial gradient variation of water turbidity and a new method for determining high-risk areas and risk levels of water turbidity.

Spatial information is essential for planning and operating a landfill; however, like quarry mapping, mapping in a landfill is a high-risk operation. Recently, the UAV photogrammetry technique has gained popularity due to its time and cost-saving potential, as well as improved safety for surveyors; however, the accuracy of UAV photogrammetric mapping depends on an appropriate number and placement pattern of ground control points (GCPs). Therefore, this study aims to constrain the optimum number and placement pattern of GCPs in risk areas using a case study of two landfills with different characteristics. The accuracy of this mapping was computed in terms of pixels (root mean square error/ground sampling distance: RMSE/GSD) and classified under the ASPRS 2014 standard. The optimum number of GCPs was found to be '0, with a GCP density of roughly 143-166 GCPs per km². The optimum GCP placement pattern has 70-80% of the GCPs at the boundary and 20-30% in the center of the area, which greatly reduces the risk of placing GCPs, especially in the center of the survey area. The horizontal accuracy (RMSEX/GSD, RMSEY/GSD) of this configuration was less than one pixel; thus, this orthoimage could be used in high-accuracy work. The vertical accuracy (RMSEZ/GSD) of the 3D model qualifies for the 10-cm vertical accuracy class. Therefore, these GCP placement guidelines can be applied to other mapping activities in risk areas, such as flood-prone areas, slope mapping, and geohazard studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitic broomrape of the genus Orobanche poses a formidable threat to producing many crops in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Orobanche cumana and Phelipanche aegyptiaca are two of China's most destructive root parasitic plants, causing extreme sunflower, tomato, melon, and tobacco damage. However, the potentially suitable areas of O. cumana and P. aegyptiaca in China have not been predicted, and little is known about the important environmental factors that affect their extension. Due to their invasiveness and economic importance, studying how climate change and host plants may affect broomrapes' distribution is necessary. In the study, we first predicted the potentially suitable areas of the invasive weeds (O. cumana and P. aegyptiaca) and their susceptible host plants (Helianthus annuus and Solanum lycopersicon) using MaxEnt. Then, the risk zones and distribution shifts of two broomrapes under different climate conditions were identified by incorporating the distribution of their susceptible host plants. The results highlighted that the potential middle‐ and high‐risk zones for O. cumana and P. aegyptiaca amounted to 197.88 × 104 km2 and 12.90 × 104 km2, respectively. Notably, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia were the highest‐risk areas within the distribution and establishment of O. cumana and P. aegyptiaca. Elevation and topsoil pH were the decisive factors for shaping O. cumana distribution; precipitation seasonality and annual precipitation were the dominant bioclimatic variables limiting the spread of P. aegyptiaca. The potentially suitable areas and risk zones of O. cumana would decrease significantly, and those of P. aegyptiaca would fluctuate slightly under future climate change scenarios. Overall, our study suggested that the two broomrapes' risk zones will significantly northward to higher latitudes. The results will provide suggestions for preventing O. cumana and P. aegyptiaca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the tendencies and awareness of the house owners in the Mecidiye, Aziziye, Gaziler and Veyisefendi neighborhoods of Yakutiye district, which was declared a risky area in Erzurum in 2013, were investigated. With the decision of the Council of Ministers, an area of 97 hectares in the above-mentioned 4 neighborhoods in Erzurum was declared as a risky area in the Official Gazette dated 20 January 2013 and numbered 28534. In this area, data were obtained by face-to-face survey method by interviewing 25 and a total of 100 homeowners in each neighborhood in September-October-November 2013. Since the data were in classification (categorical) scale, Chi-Square independence test was used in comparisons. Detailed analyzes of the question set are explained in the findings section. As a result of the study, it has been determined that the citizens want an urban transformation at the rate of 78% in the district/neighborhood they live in. Again, a rate of 91% has been determined by the authority’s related to urban transformation that there is no information meeting about urban transformation in these neighborhoods. It has been observed that the rate of citizens asking for state support in the urban transformation process is 95%. It has been noted that 42% of the house owners do not know that their houses are in the risky area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Americas, wild yellow fever (WYF) is an infectious disease that is highly lethal for some non-human primate species and non-vaccinated people. Specifically, in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Haemagogus leucocelaenus and Haemagogus janthinomys mosquitoes act as the major vectors. Despite transmission risk being related to vector densities, little is known about how landscape structure affects vector abundance and movement. To fill these gaps, we used vector abundance data and a model-selection approach to assess how landscape structure affects vector abundance, aiming to identify connecting elements for virus dispersion in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Our findings show that Hg. leucocelaenus and Hg. janthinomys abundances, in highly degraded and fragmented landscapes, are mainly affected by increases in forest cover at scales of 2.0 and 2.5 km, respectively. Fragmented landscapes provide ecological corridors for vector dispersion, which, along with high vector abundance, promotes the creation of risk areas for WYF virus spread, especially along the border with Minas Gerais state, the upper edges of the Serra do Mar, in the Serra da Cantareira, and in areas of the metropolitan regions of São Paulo and Campinas.

Under the impact of various uncertainties, the potential operation risk of the distribution network is gradually gaining more and more attention in both security and economy. To comprehensively determine the risk level, an operational risk assessment method considering multiple risk factors is proposed. Firstly, probabilistic models are established including temporal distributions of electric vehicles and uncertainties of renewable energy. Secondly, a time-sequential security risk assessment method with several security indicators including overvoltage risk, undervoltage risk, line-overload risk and load-loss risk is established using probabilistic load flow and dynamical sensitivity weight analysis method. Thirdly, conditional value at risk model is presented for time-varying economic risk considering line-loss risk and operational profit or loss risk of distributed generations. Finally, a risk early warning standard is proposed to realise the visualisation of risk warning by defining the risk level and risk area. Simulations of different scenarios are conducted on the modified IEEE 34-bus radial test system and the results reveal that the proposed strategy is effective and practical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work aim is to identify the risk areas by exposure to Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in the Metropolitan Zone of Toluca Valley (MZTV) using the mosses Fabriona cilaris and Leskea angustata as a biomonitors, geostatistical interpolation and multi-criteria evaluation by analytical hierarchy process. The results from the estimation of the enrichment factors (EF) showed that Pb is the heavy metal with the highest values, followed by the Zn, Cu and Cr. The EF obtained for all heavy metals show that there is a moderate to high anthropogenic enrichment. The above indicates that in the MZTV there are emission sources that contribute (significantly) in the amount of Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn accumulated in the biomonitor. Combustion processes, vehicle emissions, biomass burning, brick kiln emissions, agricultural and livestock activities, manufacturing industry and re-deposition by the action of the wind, were identified as the main heavy metals sources in the MZTV. Risk maps showed the high and medium risk areas are located in sites with poor urban vegetation coverage and close to highways and industrial parks. Low risk areas are located in sites with high urban vegetation coverage. The method used for identifying risk areas is a rapid and low-cost evaluation tool can allow local government environmental agencies to define public policies on air pollution control. Image 106 • EF results for all the heavy metals show a moderate to high anthropogenic enrichment. • Spatial distribution of heavy metals depends on the land uses and emission sources. • Vehicle emissions, biomass burning, brick kiln emissions are identified as sources of heavy metals. • Geostatistical analysis allows to identify the main sources of heavy metals in the MZVT. • High and medium risk areas are characterized by poor urban vegetation coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early warning of a potential rockburst risk and its area of occurrence helps to take effective and targeted measures to mitigate rockburst hazards. This study investigates the microseismic (MS) spatial-temporal precursory characteristic parameters in a typical steeply inclined and extremely thick coal seam (SIETCS) with high rockburst risk and proposes three spatial/temporal quantification parameters and a spatial-temporal early warning method. Analysis results of temporal parameters show that the sharp-rise-sharp-drop variation in total daily energy and event count can be regarded as a precursor for high energy tremor. The appearance of peak values of both energy deviation (≥20) and event count deviation (≥1) can be regarded as precursors that indicate imminent rockburst danger. A laboratory acoustic emission (AE) experiment reveals that precursor characteristics obtained from the study can be feasibly used to warn the rockburst risk. The spatial evolution laws of spatial parameters show that the high energy density index of MS (EDIM), velocity, velocity anomaly regions correlate well with stress concentration and rockburst risk areas. The field application verifies that the temporal-spatial early warning method can identify the potential rockburst risk in a temporal sequence and rockburst risk areas during the temporal early warning period.

[Display omitted] • The Geodetector Method can be used to understand the insect distribution and interactions. • Confirmed the relations between grasshopper distribution and environmental factors. • The main driving factor of grasshopper distribution in steppe ecosystem is elevation. • The high-risk regions were concentrated in the meadow steppe. Grasshoppers are important elements for supporting ecosystem services which make it important to understand their spatial distribution characteristics to reduce outbreaks, implement effective control while minimizing non-target impacts. The spatial software package Geographical Detector (GD) was used to rank the interaction and effects of 19 environmental factors on the distribution of grasshopper species were quantified in four types of steppes in Northwestern, China. Results showed that the distribution of the insect was mainly influenced by elevation (q = 0.44). Among the factor interactions, elevation ∩ average annual precipitation (q = 0.795) was the strongest, followed by elevation ∩ soil available nitrogen (q = 0.722). Temperate meadow steppe and temperate steppe were identified as the areas at greatest risk for grasshopper's occurrence. This research shows that the Geographical Detector could be provided a useful tool to identify the driving forces for grasshopper distribution. Our research also offers a new method to more broadly understand the interactions between different drivers to explain the distribution of other insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric corrosion is one of the main factors leading to performance deterioration of reinforced concrete buildings; and, hence, periodic structural condition monitoring is required to assess and repair the adverse effects of corrosion. However, this can become a cumbersome and expensive task to undertake for large populations of buildings, scattered in large urban areas. To optimize the use of available resources, appropriate tools are required for the assessment of corrosion risk of reinforced concrete construction. This paper proposes a framework for the production of digital corrosion risk maps for urban areas; Cyprus was used as a case study. This framework explored multi-temporal satellite remote sensing data from the Landsat sensors as well as corrosion risk factors derived from the results of a recently completed research project, entitled “STEELCOR”. This framework was used to develop two corrosion risk scenarios within Geographical Information Systems, and to produce corrosion risk maps for three coastal cities of Cyprus. The thematic maps indicated that, for slight corrosion damage, the distance of reinforced concrete buildings from the coast was more influential than the building age. While, for significant corrosion damage, the maps indicated that the age of RC buildings was more influential than the distance from the coast.

Natural disasters associated with land mass movements in Brazil have become more frequent in recent years, with significant human loss and material damage. An alternative to reduce such natural disasters will occur when landslides-susceptible areas are mapped, with restrictions or conditions for the occupation of areas with natural fragility to landslide occurrences. Current analysis determines the slopes´ potential degree for the occurrence of landslide susceptibility in the Caeté catchment, municipality of Alfredo Wagner, in the highlands of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The Shallow Stability model (SHALSTAB) identified the slopes´ instability index by hydrological factors, hillside stability and soil. Results revealed areas with high degree of hillside instability and the need for preventive and relieving actions. In fact, areas with very high potential fragility susceptible to the occurrence of mass movement in the Caeté catchment are more than 30% of the basin´s total area.

Copyright of Selcuk University Journal of Engineering, Science & Technology / Selçuk Üniversitesi Mühendislik, Bilim ve Teknoloji Dergisi is the property of Selcuk University, Engineering & Architecture Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Developing a model to map tuberculosis (TB) cases in Malaysia for boosting early detection is vital. A knowledge-driven geographical information system (GIS) modelling is an alternative approach developed for assessing potential risk areas of TB at Section 17, Shah Alam, Selangor. It is a weight-rating score model and spatial multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) method for producing a ranked map based on the index values and risk indicators with a five-score scale. Results showed 34.85% of the study areas are potential TB high risk zones, ranging from medium to very high risk. This is consistent with the findings obtained from overlay comparison with the current cases in 2015.The TB risk map and validation indicated a reasonable match with areas considered as potential TB risk areas, particularly in urban and crowded environments. Thus, a GIS-based MCDM technique can be applied in the national TB screening and monitoring programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]