bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Grey Multi-Level Evaluation of Industrial Park Ecology Based on a Coefficient of Variation-Attribute Hierarchy Model
Authors: Qiu Baolin , Luo Dongkun
Published: February 2021

China entered a new era, and the construction of an ecological civilization and green development has been raised to a new strategic height. As the lifeblood of the national economy, industrial parks significantly contribute to economic growth. However, they also generate significant pollution, damaging the ecological environment. It is urgent to ecologically transform traditional industrial parks. This requires identifying methods to correctly and objectively evaluate the ecological level of industrial parks, and provide ecological construction proposals for the government and industrial parks. In this study, the comprehensive evaluation weight was determined by introducing a variation coefficient and an Attribute Hierarchy Model (AHM). The ecological level of four representative eco-industrial parks was then quantitatively evaluated using a grey multi-level evaluation method. The ecological construction level of the four industrial parks was as follows. The Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) was rated at a “very good” level; and the Suzhou industrial park, Dalian economic and technological development zone, and Fushun mining group were rated at a “good” level. Six dimensions were studied. Of these, policy management had the highest weight, and the total weight of policy management and economic development approached 50%. The result shows that industrial parks can attract innovative enterprises and talents through the policy guidance of local government to improve the level of green innovation technology and cleaner production technology. Then, the ecological level of the industrial parks will be improved. This study enriched the theory and practice of ecological evaluation of industrial parks and provided a reference for the ecological construction of traditional industrial parks.
Rural Food and Wine Tourism in Canada’s South Okanagan Valley: Transformations for Food Sovereignty?
Authors: Robinson Danielle
Published: February 2021

This interdisciplinary research analyses the relationships between food sovereignty principles and food and wine tourism in rural contexts by asking how rural tourism stakeholders understand these concepts, mobilize the interrelationships, and to what purpose. Wine and food tourism is one of the fastest-growing rural tourism niches, with effects on the orientation of food systems, the livelihoods of producers, the viability of rural communities, and the biophysical environment. Secondary research and semi-structured interviews provide insights into how qualities of food sovereignty transitions are conceptualized, recognized, developed, supported, and promoted in the case of British Columbia’s South Okanagan Valley. An appreciative approach was used because this research aims to understand rural food and wine tourism’s potential contribution to food sovereignty. Although the term ‘food sovereignty’ did not resonate for most participants, qualities of a transition towards food sovereignty such as reorienting agriculture, food processing and consumption to the local region, supporting rural economies and environmental sustainability were considered integral to rural food tourism. Participants saw future opportunities for rural food and wine tourism to serve broader transformative purposes that would benefit locals, visitors, and the environment. Research results could be used to inspire critical academic, community and policy dialogue about food sovereignty in wine and food tourism destinations.
Species Richness and Carbon Footprints of Vegetable Oils: Can High Yields Outweigh Palm Oil’s Environmental Impact?
Authors: Beyer Robert , Rademacher Tim
Published: February 2021

Palm oil has been widely criticised for its high environmental impacts, leading to calls to replace it with alternative vegetable oils in food and cosmetic products. However, substituting palm oil would be environmentally beneficial only if the environmental footprint per litre oil were lower than those of alternative vegetable oils. Whether this is the case is not obvious, given the high oil yields of oil palm of up to 10 times those of alternative crops. Here, we combine global agricultural and environmental datasets to show that, among the world’s seven major vegetable oil crops (oil palm, soybean, rapeseed, sunflower, groundnut, coconut, olive), oil palm has the lowest average species richness and carbon footprint associated with an annual production of one litre of vegetable oil. For each crop, these yield-adjusted footprints differ substantially between major producer countries, which we find to be largely the result of differences in crop management. Closing agricultural yield gaps of oil crops through improved management practices would significantly reduce the environmental footprints per oil yield. This would minimise the need for further land conversion to oil cropland and indeed could increase production to such an extent that a significant area of oil croplands could be ecologically restored.
Optimized Physical Properties of Electrochromic Smart Windows to Reduce Cooling and Heating Loads of Office Buildings
Authors: Kim Jae-Hyang , Hong Jongin , Han Seung-Hoon
Published: February 2021

The concept of smart windows that can change the properties of windows and doors in response to external stimuli has recently been introduced. Smart windows provide superior energy savings and control of indoor environments. This concept can advance sustainable architecture, and it will make it possible to connect with the fourth industry, which has developed recently. However, unlike the relevant hardware, is advancing rapidly, research on methods of adjusting smart windows is slow. Therefore, in this study, an analysis of energy use over time was conducted on electrochromic windows, one of the main types of smart windows. Through this analysis, the optimal properties of electrochromic smart windows were identified, and an operation schedule was created. In addition, energy saving rates were derived through a comparison with existing architectural windows.
The Effects of Rice Husk Biochar Rate on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Growth of Soursop (Annona muricata L.) Seedlings
Authors: Harun Nur Saidahtul Nadiah , Jaafar Noraini Md. , Sakimin Siti Zaharah
Published: February 2021

Soursop (Annona muricata L.) is increasingly planted in Malaysia for its agronomical importance as a multipurpose plant with medicinal and health benefits. However, there is limited information on soursop cultivation in Malaysia. Soursop can be inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) as a sustainable approach for successful seedlings growth before transplanting to field. As a beneficial symbiotic soil microorganism, AMF has been known as biofertilizer which can improve soil conditions and plant growth. Following the need to understand the soil management using soil beneficial microorganisms for soursop cultivation, this experiment aimed to determine the effects of AMF and biochar on the growth of soursop seedlings. The polybag experiment was conducted under glasshouse conditions at Farm 15, Faculty of Agriculture, UPM Serdang, Selangor. The study was arranged in Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with eight treatments comprising different rates of rice husk biochar (RHB), with and without AMF and four replications. The treatments were; T1 (Control), T2 (AMF only), T3 (−AMF with 10 t/ha RHB), T4 (+AMF with 10 t/ha RHB), T5 (−AMF with 15 t/ha RHB), T6 (+AMF with 15 t/ha RHB), T7 (−AMF with 20 t/ha RHB) and T8 (+AMF with 20 t/ha RHB). Plant growth measurement were determined upon harvesting after four months of planting. Shoot and root biomass, leaf area meter, root surface area and root length were found significantly highest in soursop seedlings grown in soils amended with 10 t/ha RHB with or without AMF as compared to control. It was concluded that RHB, either individually or when in combination with AMF, had significantly improved the growth performance of soursop seedlings at nursery stage. Therefore, earliest inoculation of soursop seedlings with AMF at nursery stage could ensure successful mycorrhizal establishment and growth performance of soursop seedlings before transplanted under field condition.
Assessment of the Sustainability of Extensive Livestock Farms on the Common Grasslands of the Natural Park Sierra de Grazalema
Authors: Díaz-Gaona Cipriano , Sánchez-Rodríguez Manuel , Rodríguez-Estévez Vicente
Published: February 2021

The communal pastures of the Natural Park Sierra de Grazalema are grazed by a total of 23 extensive herds, of which 75% are certified as organic, although only 39% are subsidized for being organic. In a previous research work, these farms were characterized and classified into four typologies: group 1 (farms of intermediate size and without sheep), group 2 (large and very extensive farms), group 3 (farms with sheep suitable for both meat and milk) and group 4 (farms with dairy goat milk and without cattle). In this article, the sustainability of these farms is evaluated and compared based on their organic orientation (whether they are organic or conventional) and their typology (the four typologies indicated), as a tool for decision-making in the management of this natural protected area. To do so, 49 sustainability indexes have been generated, grouped into five attributes: adaptability, self-management, equity, stability, and productivity. The results indicate that, at the global level, there are no significant differences in sustainability between the organic and conventional farms studied. In contrast, depending on the typologies, the results indicate that group 3 is the most sustainable, followed by groups 1 and 4, with group 2 being the one with the lowest level of sustainability. Taking into account that there are a reduced number of herds grazing in this natural park, it is essential to solve the weaknesses of these farms in order to guarantee that they continue to maintain environmental equilibrium in the grasslands.
RRI and Corporate Stakeholder Engagement: The Aquadvantage Salmon Case
Authors: Callegari Beniamino , Mikhailova Olga
Published: February 2021

Declining public trust in science and innovation triggered the emergence and development of the responsible research and innovation (RRI) concept among policymakers and academics. Engaging stakeholders in the early phases of innovation processes has been identified as a major driver of inclusive, responsible, and sustainable development. Firms however have often adopted practices entirely opposite to those being advocated within the RRI framework, namely, reducing external interaction with stakeholders, focusing on exclusive communication with the scientific community and legal authorities while avoiding the social spotlight. We illustrate these practices, their causes and consequences using the case of the Aquadvantage salmon, the first genetically modified (GM) animal approved to petition for the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for human consumption. We find that such practices heighten the risk of social backlash, being undesirable from the perspective of both the organizations involved and society at large. Stakeholder engagement remains necessary in order to gain the minimum social acceptance required for contentious innovative products to enter the market. However, stakeholder engagement must be selective, focused on pragmatic organizations whose aims and interests are sufficiently broad to potentially align with corporate interests. Strategic stakeholder engagement offers a meeting point between the transformative aspirations of RRI framework proponents and legitimate business interests.
Can Social Innovation Make a Change in European and Mediterranean Marginalized Areas? Social Innovation Impact Assessment in Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, and Rural Development
Authors: Ravazzoli Elisa , Dalla Torre Cristina , Da Re Riccardo , Marini Govigli Valentino , Secco Laura , Górriz-Mifsud Elena , Pisani Elena , Barlagne Carla , Baselice Antonio , Bengoumi Mohammed , Dijskhoorn-Dekker Marijke , Labidi Arbia , Lopolito Antonio , Melnykovych Mariana , Perlik Manfred , Polman Nico , Sarkki Simo , Vassilopoulos Achilleas , Koundouri Phoebe , Miller David , Streifeneder Thomas , Nijnik Maria
Published: February 2021

Social innovation (SI) impacts are long-term changes that affect different dimensions of territorial capital (i.e., economy, society, environment, governance) for the territory in which SI occurs. Yet, systematic empirical evidence and theoretically sound assessments of the impacts of SI are scarce. This paper aims to fill the gap and assess the different aspects of SI’s impacts in European and Mediterranean areas that are characterized by marginalization processes. To assess the impacts of SI in marginalized areas, we use the evaluation framework developed within the Social Innovation in Marginalized Rural Areas (SIMRA) Horizon 2020 project and apply it to nine SI initiatives related to the fields of agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and rural development. Our findings show that SI produces cross-sectoral (societal, economic, environmental, and governmental) and multi-level impacts (on individuals, community, and society), which have improved the societal well-being, and contributed to the reduction of certain forms of marginality, mainly inside the territory in which SI occurred.
Optimal Electric Bus Scheduling Based on the Combination of All-Stop and Short-Turning Strategies
Authors: Bie Yiming , Hao Mingjie , Guo Mengzhu
Published: February 2021

The emission of greenhouse gases from public transportation has aroused extensive public attention in recent years. Electric buses have the advantage of zero emission, which could prevent the further deterioration of environmental problems. Since 2018, the number of electric buses has exceeded that of traditional buses. Thus, it is an inevitable trend for the sustainable development of the automobile industry to replace traditional fuel buses, and developing electric buses is an important measure to relieve traffic congestion. Furthermore, the bus scheduling has a significant impact on passenger travel times and operating costs. It is common that passenger demand at different stops is uneven in a public transportation system. Since applying all-stop scheduling only cannot match the passenger demand of some stops with bus resources, this paper proposes an integrated all-stop and short-turning service for electric buses, reducing the influence of uneven ridership on load factor to enhance transit attractiveness. Simultaneously, considering the time-of-use pricing strategy used by the power sector, the combinational charging strategy of daytime and overnight is proposed to reduce electricity costs. Finally, the branch-and-price algorithm is adopted to solve this problem. Compared with all-stop scheduling, the results demonstrate a reduction of 13.5% in total time cost under the combinational scheduling.
Technical Efficiency in the European Dairy Industry: Can We Observe Systematic Failures in the Efficiency of Input Use?
Authors: Čechura Lukáš , Žáková Kroupová Zdeňka
Published: February 2021

The paper provides findings on the technical efficiency of the European dairy processing industry, which is one of the most important subsectors of the food processing industry in the European Union (EU). The ability to efficiently use inputs in the production of outputs is a prerequisite for the sustainability and competitiveness of the agri-food sector as well as for food security. Thus, the aim of this paper is to provide a robust estimate of technical efficiency by employing new advances in productivity and efficiency analysis, and to investigate the efficiency of input use in 10 selected European countries. The analysis is based on two-stage stochastic frontier modelling incorporating country-specific input distance function (IDF) estimates and a meta-frontier input distance function estimate, both in specification of the four-component model, which currently represents the most advanced approach to technical efficiency analysis. To provide a robust estimate of these models, the paper employs methods that control for the potential endogeneity of netputs in the multi-step estimation procedure. The results, based on the Amadeus dataset, reveal that companies manufacturing dairy products greatly exploited their production possibilities in 2006–2018. The dairy processing industry in the analysed countries cannot generally be characterized by a considerable waste of resources. The potential cost reduction is estimated at 4–8%, evaluated on the country samples mean. The overall technical inefficiency (OTE) is mainly a result of short-term shocks and unsystematic failures. However, the meta-frontier estimates also reveal a certain degree of systematic failure, e.g., permanent managerial failures and structural problems in European dairy processing industry.
Smart Community Service Brand Functional Value and Sustainable Brand Relationship—The Mediating Role of Customer Emotional Cognition
Authors: Zhang Yingli , Zhao Hong , Hu Yimei , Yao Ge
Published: February 2021

More and more companies are developing customer service by building Smart Community Service Brand Platforms (SCSBP). However, the impact of digital platform functions on sustainable brand relationships, and the mediating mechanism of customer’s emotional cognition are still unclear. The functional value of digital services in the property service industry focuses on three dimensions, including service efficiency, personalization, and social interaction. Regarding consumers’ emotional cognition aspect, we investigate value consistency and brand image. The empirical analysis findings suggest: (1) the functional value of smart community service has a significant positive impact on consumers’ emotional cognition and is positively related to the construction of sustainable brand relationships; (2) consumers’ emotional cognition of smart community service is positively related to the sustainable brand relationship; (3) consumers’ emotional cognition plays a complete mediating role between service efficiency and sustainable brand relationship, demonstrating a partial mediating role between personalization and social interaction aspects of functional value and sustainable brand relationship. This study contributes to the customer-based sustainable brand relationship theory in the digital service environment and provides a reference for companies to continuously improve the SCSBP and customer-based brand construction.
Promoting Online Transparency to Help Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: An Empirical Study of Local Governments in Latin America
Authors: Guerrero-Gómez Tamara , Navarro-Galera Andrés , Ortiz-Rodríguez David
Published: February 2021

Although transparency on the sustainability of public services is an issue of urgent interest to both governments and academics, previous research in this area has mainly focused on developed European countries, and has paid insufficient attention to areas that are still developing, such as many Latin American countries. The aim of this study is to identify factors that promote transparency on sustainability by local governments in Latin America, in the view that greater transparency will help them meet the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Therefore, using content analysis and following the GRI guidelines, we analyze the economic, social and environmental information published on the websites of 200 large local governments in 18 Latin American countries. In addition, using linear regression and calculating the corresponding Spearman coefficients, we analyze the influence of idiosyncratic and systemic variables on the volume of information disclosed. Our findings show that certain factors—population size, education level, unemployment, the quality of legislation and political corruption—affect transparency on sustainability. The conclusions drawn from this analysis enable us to identify useful measures for enhancing transparency on sustainability, including the reform of transparency laws and the analysis and disclosure of citizens’ information demands.
Understanding and Predicting Students’ Entrepreneurial Intention through Business Simulation Games: A Perspective of COVID-19
Authors: Zulfiqar Salman , Al-reshidi Hamad A. , Al Moteri Moteeb A. , Feroz Hafiz Muhammad Basit , Yahya Noraffandy , Al-Rahmi Waleed Mugahed
Published: February 2021

COVID-19 has disrupted educational institutes across the world. Teachers and students are now forced to teach and study online for an unidentified period, which severely hampers the learning capacity as well the student’s intention toward entrepreneurship. This study compared the impact of traditional teaching and teaching through online management simulation games on student learning performance and further leads to entrepreneurial intention. To further understand the desirability of business simulation games, we used the technology acceptance model (TAM) and extended it by employing knowledge sharing, knowledge application, learnability, perceived pleasure, and self-efficacy as exogenous variables. For this purpose, time-lagged data were collected from 277 students enrolled in entrepreneurship courses in public sector universities. To deal with homogeneity and generalizability issues, students from different collaborative universities were asked to participate in the study. Structural equation modeling was employed for analysis, where the results depict that the students learning performance was enhanced after using simulation games compared to regular theoretical online lectures, which further encouraged them to be entrepreneurs. We also concluded that simulation games are novel and effective online teaching methodology for students during a time of crisis. The study concludes with its theoretical, practical implications, and directions for future researchers.
The Role of Technical Efficiency Achieving Sustainable Development: A Dynamic Analysis of Norwegian Dairy Farms
Authors: Alem Habtamu
Published: February 2021

Growing environmental concerns have prompted governments to make sustainable choices in agricultural resource use. Evaluating the sustainability of agricultural systems is a key issue for the implementation of policies and practices aimed at revealing sustainability. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of Norwegian dairy farms, accounting for marginal effects of environmental (exogenous) variables. We adopted the dynamic parametric approach within the input distance function framework to estimate the performance of Norwegian dairy farms, focusing on the technical efficiency and determinates. For comparison, we also estimated the static parametric model, which was used by previous studies. We used unbalanced farm-level panel data for the period 2000–2018. The result shows a mean technical efficiency score of 0.92 for the dynamic model and 0.87 for the static models. The empirical result shows that the previous studies that focused on the static model reported a biased result on the performance of dairy farms. The dynamic efficiency score suggests that Norwegian dairy farms can reduce the input requirement of producing the average output by 8% if the operation becomes technically efficient. The environmental variables have a different effect on the performance of the farmers; thus, policymakers need to place special focus on these variables for the sustainable development of the dairy sector.
Modernisation of Regional Roads Evaluated Using Ex-Post CBA
Authors: Halámek Petr , Matuszková Radka , Radimský Michal
Published: February 2021

The aim of this evaluation is to verify the telling value of the Cost and Benefits Analysis (CBA) of regional roads modernisation based on an ex-post evaluation of the investments and their impacts on the incidence of traffic accidents. A set of 144 projects were the subject of evaluation. The analysis of the actual investment costs confirmed the assumption that the majority of projects were planned with a sufficient provision. When compared with the costs foreseen for the entire set of projects, the total reduction of actual costs spent was over 11%. The investigation of project impacts on traffic accidents was based on an analysis done prior to and after construction by using the Czech Police database. The measurement results show only minimum changes in the incidence of traffic accidents in the scenario prior to and after project completion. This however strongly contradicts the project goals declared, because the projects were anticipating almost zero accidents with a fatality and a 50% reduction of accidents with health consequences. However, a slight increase in road fatalities and in light and serious injuries was measured. These facts have a significant impact on the Net Present Value (NPV) and the weighted profitability index for the entire set of projects dropped from 16.7% to −2.8%. The key recommendation is to eliminate the impact on traffic accidents in the case of project evaluations processed ex-ante for projects focused only on a reconstruction or modernisation of existing roads.
Relating Reactive and Proactive Aggression to Trait Driving Anger in Young and Adult Males: A Pilot Study Using Explicit and Implicit Measures
Authors: Ross Veerle , Reinolsmann Nora , Lobbestael Jill , Timmermans Chantal , Brijs Tom , Alhajyaseen Wael , Brijs Kris
Published: February 2021

Driving anger and aggressive driving are main contributors to crashes, especially among young males. Trait driving anger is context-specific and unique from other forms of anger. It is necessary to understand the mechanisms of trait driving anger to develop targeted interventions. Although literature conceptually distinguished reactive and proactive aggression, this distinction is uncommon in driving research. Similar, cognitive biases related to driving anger, measured by a combination of explicit and implicit measures, received little attention. This pilot study related explicit and implicit measures associated with reactive and proactive aggression to trait driving anger, while considering age. The sample consisted of 42 male drivers. The implicit measures included a self-aggression association (i.e., Single-Target Implicit Association Test) and an attentional aggression bias (i.e., Emotional Stroop Task). Reactive aggression related positively with trait driving anger. Moreover, a self-aggression association negatively related to trait driving anger. Finally, an interaction effect for age suggested that only in young male drivers, higher proactive aggression related to lower trait driving anger. These preliminary results motivate further attention to the combination of explicit and implicit measures related to reactive and proactive aggression in trait driving anger research.
Domestic Wastewater Treatment: A Comparison between an Integrated Hybrid UASB-IFAS System and a Conventional UASB-AS System
Authors: Dohdoh Ayman M. , Hendy Ibrahim , Zelenakova Martina , Abdo Ahmed
Published: February 2021

The current study presents a detailed evaluation and comparison between two integrated anaerobic–aerobic systems for biological wastewater treatment under equal conditions in all aspects (wastewater characteristics, climatic conditions, reactor sizing, and even the measurement methods). The two examined systems are (i) a hybrid upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (hybrid UASB) coupled with integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) and (ii) a conventional UASB coupled with activated sludge (AS). The present comparative study aims to evaluate and assess the effect of adding carrier-filling media on the performance of the classical integrated UASB-AS. The two parallel pilot-scale systems, hybrid UASB-IFAS and UASB-AS, were installed and operated at a wastewater treatment plant. Three sets of experiments were conducted to examine the influence of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the consequent organic and hydraulic loads, temperature, and recirculation rate of the proposed systems. The main results showed that the two investigated systems had a comparably high efficiency for the removal of organic matters and ammonia. Moreover, a paired sample t-test indicated there was a statistically significant effect of the filling media, and the performance of the hybrid UASB-IFAS increased significantly compared with that of the UASB-AS system. An additional benefit of the filling media on the hybrid system was its high stability when changing the organic and hydraulic loads. The optimum HRT was 6 h, with a total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) percentage removal of approximately 95% in both examined systems. Treatment of sewage under high and low temperatures indicated that increasing the temperature improved the efficiency of the overall process for both systems significantly.
For Sustainable Application of Mobile Learning: An Extended UTAUT Model to Examine the Effect of Technical Factors on the Usage of Mobile Devices as a Learning Tool
Authors: Alghazi Saud S. , Kamsin Amirrudin , Almaiah Mohammed Amin , Wong Seng Yue , Shuib Liyana
Published: February 2021

Mobile devices have become an important tool in higher education. Although mobile devices have several benefits for students, the use of these devices is still very limited among students. This low percentage of usage could be attributed to several reasons, both technical and non-technical. Therefore, there is a need to conduct more research in order to understand the necessary factors that would lead to enhanced student usage, thus achieving sustainable mobile learning. In order to achieve that, our study proposes a model by employing the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to investigate the necessary factors that influence intention to use mobile learning among university students. To evaluate the proposed model, structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to analyze data collected from 612 students. The results indicated that factors, such as device connectivity, device compatibility, device memory, device performance, network coverage, and network speed have a significant and positive influence on students’ intention to use mobile learning. This research provides important recommendations for university decision makers and developers on understanding the necessary factors for adopting mobile learning and reflect the students’ requirements.
Teacher Digital Literacy: The Indisputable Challenge after COVID-19
Authors: Sánchez-Cruzado Cristina , Santiago Campión Raúl , Sánchez-Compaña Mª Teresa
Published: February 2021

The COVID-19 outbreak opened a new scenario where teachers must have adequate digital literacy to teach online and to implement a current and innovative educational model. This paper provides the most relevant results obtained from a quantitative study in which 4883 Spanish teachers of all education levels participated to measure their digital skills, during the last school years. It also proposes a digital skills teacher training plan, taking the joint framework of digital skills of INTEF (Spanish acronym for National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training) as its reference point. The tool ACDC (Analysis of Common Digital Competences) was used for data collection. The results of descriptive analysis show, overall, the low self-perception that teachers have of their digital skills. In addition, this paper studies the relationship existing between the characteristics that define the population and the teachers’ digital skills level. This relationship is obtained through a multiple linear regression model. The study reveals that digital literacy is not a reality that has favored the teaching–learning process and that a training program is urgently required for teachers to reach optimal levels of digital skills, so as to undergo a true paradigm shift, ultimately combining methodology and educational strategies.
Methodology for Model Architecting and Failure Simulation Supported by Bond-Graphs—Application to Helicopter Axial Piston Pump
Authors: Mkadara Geneviève , Maré Jean-Charles , Paulmann Gregor
Published: February 2021

This paper reports work performed to support the development of condition monitoring strategies through extensive use of simulation. The aim is to define and implement a methodology that makes the development of lumped-parameter models more efficient and straightforward. This is achieved by considering the model architecting and the approach adopted for fault injection early in the process. Various options are proposed and compared for both these activities. The Bond-Graph formalism is extensively used for its ability to focus on the model structure and interfaces, the nature of the phenomena considered, and potential causality issues. The interest of the proposed methodology is illustrated with the example of a pressure-compensated axial piston pump that supplies the flight control actuators in helicopters. The pump model architecting and the fault injection are presented, with special attention to jamming and erosion of the pump compensator valve. From these examples, it is shown that the proposed methodologies provide an efficient model-based means of identifying fault signatures and implementing low-cost condition monitoring features in an industrial context.
The High-Performance Dissipating Frame (HPDF) System for the Seismic Strengthening of RC Existing Buildings
Authors: Manfredi Vincenzo , Santarsiero Giuseppe , Masi Angelo , Ventura Giuseppe
Published: February 2021

In Italy as well as in other earthquake-prone countries, the large number of existing buildings requiring seismic retrofitting calls for sustainable solutions able to reduce both costs and downtime. To this purpose, in this paper, the High-Performance Dissipating Frame system (HPDF), a new strengthening solution for the seismic rehabilitation of existing buildings, is presented. HPDF is based on external precast reinforced concrete (RC) frames rigidly connected to the existing structures and equipped with shear damper devices in order to provide high dissipation capacity. The proposed solution permits: (i) to increase sustainability through works made up from the outside without removing/demolishing infills/other non-structural components, (ii) rapid execution by adopting precast resisting members mutually restrained with steel connections, and (iii) effectiveness due to shear damper devices able to dissipate a large amount of shaking energy. In the paper, a displacement-based design procedure is proposed and applied to a numerical example.
Agricultural Innovations to Reduce the Health Impacts of Dams
Authors: Lund Andrea J. , Lopez-Carr David , Sokolow Susanne H. , Rohr Jason R. , De Leo Giulio A.
Published: February 2021

Dams enable the production of food and renewable energy, making them a crucial tool for both economic development and climate change adaptation in low- and middle-income countries. However, dams may also disrupt traditional livelihood systems and increase the transmission of vector- and water-borne pathogens. These livelihood and health impacts diminish the benefits of dams to rural populations dependent on rivers, as hydrological and ecological alterations change flood regimes, reduce nutrient transport and lead to the loss of biodiversity. We propose four agricultural innovations for promoting equity, health, sustainable development, and climate resilience in dammed watersheds: (1) restoring migratory aquatic species, (2) removing submerged vegetation and transforming it into an agricultural resource, (3) restoring environmental flows and (4) integrating agriculture and aquaculture. As investment in dams accelerates in low- and middle-income countries, appropriately addressing their livelihood and health impacts can improve the sustainability of modern agriculture and economic development in a changing climate.
Preventive Maintenance Model for National School Buildings in Indonesia Using a Constraint Programming Approach
Authors: Liu Shu-Shun , Faizal Ardhiansyah Arifin Muhammad
Published: February 2021

The Indonesian government needs to maintain around 231,000 school buildings in active use. Such a portfolio of buildings given the diversity of locations, limited maintenance budget, and deterioration rates varied by different building conditions presents many challenges to effective maintenance planning. Many of those schools had been reported to be aging and in a degenerated condition. However, contemporary practice for the planning method of Indonesia’s building maintenance program applies reactive maintenance strategies with a single linear deterioration rate. Such methodology cannot properly guarantee the sustainability of those school buildings. Therefore, this study attempts to examine a different approach to Indonesia’s building maintenance planning by adopting a preventive maintenance strategy using the deterioration rate model proved by historical data from a previous study. This study develops an optimization model with varied deterioration rates and considers the budget limitation, by utilizing a Constraint Programming (CP) approach. The proposed model achieves the minimum maintenance cost for a real case of 41 school buildings under different deterioration rates to ensure adequate building conditions and maintain expected levels of service. Finally, research analysis also proves that this new preventive maintenance model has potential to deliver superior capability for assisting building maintenance decisions in Indonesia’s government.
Energy and Eco-Impact Evaluation of Fused Deposition Modeling and Injection Molding of Polylactic Acid
Authors: Enemuoh Emmanuel Ugo , Menta Venkata Gireesh , Abutunis Abdulaziz , O’Brien Sean , Kaya Labiba Imtiaz , Rapinac John
Published: February 2021

There is limited knowledge about energy and carbon emission performance comparison between additive fused deposition modeling (FDM) and consolidation plastic injection molding (PIM) forming techniques, despite their recent high industrial applications such as tools and fixtures. In this study, developed empirical models focus on the production phase of the polylactic acid (PLA) thermoplastic polyester life cycle while using FDM and PIM processes to produce American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D638 Type IV dog bone samples to compare their energy consumption and eco-impact. It was established that energy consumption by the FDM layer creation phase dominated the filament extrusion and PLA pellet production phases, with, overwhelmingly, 99% of the total energy consumption in the three production phases combined. During FDM PLA production, about 95.5% of energy consumption was seen during actual FDM part building. This means that the FDM process parameters such as infill percentage, layer thickness, and printing speed can be optimized to significantly improve the energy consumption of the FDM process. Furthermore, plastic injection molding consumed about 38.2% less energy and produced less carbon emissions per one kilogram of PLA formed parts compared to the FDM process. The developed functional unit measurement models can be employed in setting sustainable manufacturing goals for PLA production.
Provincial CO2 Emission Measurement and Analysis of the Construction Industry under China’s Carbon Neutrality Target
Authors: Chi Yuanying , Liu Zerun , Wang Xu , Zhang Yangyi , Wei Fang
Published: February 2021

The construction industry plays a crucial role in China’s fulfillment of the goal of achieving “carbon neutrality” in 2060. Based on the data of energy and building materials consumption of the construction industry in China and 30 provinces from 2008 to 2018, this paper constructs a model for measuring provincial CO2 emissions of China’s construction industry and establishes a Kuznets curve and elastic decoupling model of the industry’s CO2 emissions. The analysis based on the models shows that: (1) the CO2 emissions of China’s construction industry show a trend of increasing first and then decreasing; (2) in terms of the decoupling effects, most provinces are in a weak decoupling status of CO2 emissions; and (3) the Kuznets curve of the provincial construction industry shows an inverted “U” shape in recent years, and it is predicted that the CO2 emissions of the construction industry will reach the peak in 2034. It is possible for the construction industry to achieve “carbon neutrality”, but long-term efforts must be made for strategic planning, policies and regulations, industry standards, etc.
A Path Model of the Intention to Adopt Variable Rate Irrigation in Northeast Italy
Authors: Canavari Maurizio , Medici Marco , Wongprawmas Rungsaran , Xhakollari Vilma , Russo Silvia
Published: February 2021

Irrigated agriculture determines large blue water withdrawals, and it is considered a key intervention area to reach sustainable development objectives. Precision agriculture technologies have the potential to mitigate water resource depletion that often characterises conventional agricultural approaches. This study investigates the factors influencing farmers’ intentions to adopt variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology. The Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM-3) was employed as a theoretical framework to design a survey to identify the factors influencing farmers’ decision-making process when adopting VRI. Data were gathered through quantitative face-to-face interviews with a sample of 138 fruit and grapevine producers from the Northeast of Italy (Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia). Data were analysed using partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM). The results highlight that personal attitudes, such as perceived usefulness and subjective norm, positively influence the intention to adopt VRI. Additionally, the perceived ease of use positively affects intention, but it is moderated by subject experience.
Flexibility Transformation Decision-Making Evaluation of Coal-Fired Thermal Power Units Deep Peak Shaving in China
Authors: Wang Jianjun , Huo Jikun , Zhang Shuo , Teng Yun , Li Li , Han Taoya
Published: February 2021

According to China’s economic green ecological sustainability development requirement, the energy reform of China is mainly increasing the proportion of renewable energy, and reducing the proportion of fossil energy. It will continue to force China’s thermal power units, especially coal-fired thermal power units, to carry out the flexibility transformation and upgrading of deep peak shaving ability. Due to the different characteristics of coal-fired thermal power units, it is necessary to make flexible transformation decisions by a scientific and reasonable decision-making evaluation method, so as to provide references for the one machine-one policy flexibility transformation of thermal power units. In this paper, a decision-making evaluation index system for the flexibility transformation of coal-fired thermal power units under the demand of deep peak shaving is established. The index system considers the impact of deep peak shaving on the boilers, steam turbines, and auxiliary equipment of coal-fired thermal power units, as well as the effects of the peak shaving. A hybrid evaluation method combined set-valued iteration and GRA-TOPSIS is employed to obtain the weight of the indexes. Finally, an empirical research was conducted based on the index system and the hybrid evaluation method and targeted “one machine, one policy” recommendations were put forward for the flexibility transformation of the coal-fired thermal power units.
Environmental, Social, and Governance Incidents and Bank Loan Contracts
Authors: He Ruoyu , Chen Xueli , Chen Cheng , Zhai Jianqiao , Cui Lixin
Published: February 2021

We investigated how a borrower’s adverse environmental, social, and governance incidents affect bank loan contracts. Using a sample of 2001 publicly traded US firms during the period from 2007 to 2016, we found that loans initiated after the occurrence of a firm’s environmental, social, or governance-related incident have a significantly higher spread and a lower loan size. Our sample contained firms covered by RepRisk, as RepRisk began tracking firms’ environmental, social, and governance-related incidents in January 2007. Further analysis showed that the influence on loan contracts is more pronounced in younger firms, which verifies that environmental, social, and governance-related incidents have significant influence and higher information asymmetry. In addition, a test of the timing of the environmental, social, and governance-related incidents in a year further strengthened our conclusions. Moreover, the impact of environmental, social, and governance-related incidents on loan contracts was also reflected in other non-monetary items, such as the duration of a loan contract, requests for collateral, and the frequency of covenants, as well as the lender structure. This paper adds to the discussion on the economic effects of environmental, social, and governance-related incidents on bank contracts. More broadly, our results contribute to the public policy discussion on the role banks should play in the transition to a low-carbon and sustainable economy.
Dynamic Characteristics of a Segmented Supercritical Driveline with Flexible Couplings and Dry Friction Dampers
Authors: Huang Zhonghe , Tan Jianping , Liu Chuliang , Lu Xiong
Published: February 2021

Helicopter tail rotors adopt a segmented driveline connected by flexible couplings, and dry friction dampers to suppress resonance. Modeling for this system can provide a basic foundation for parameter analysis. In this work, the lateral-torsional vibration equation of the shaft with continuous internal damping is established. The static and dynamic effects caused by flexible diaphragm couplings subject to parallel and angular misalignment is derived. A novel dual rub-impact model between the shaft and dry friction damper with multiple stages is proposed. Finally, a model of a helicopter tail rotor driveline incorporating all the above elements is formulated. Numerical simulations are carried out by an improved Adams–Bashforth method following the design flowchart. The dynamics of multiple vibration suppression, and the static and dynamic misalignment are analyzed to illustrate the accuracy and characteristics of the model. The coeffect of the rub impact and the misalignment on shafts and dampers are presented through the results of simulation and experiment. It provides an accurate and comprehensive mathematical model for the helicopter driveline. Response characteristics of multiple damping stages, static and dynamic misalignment, and their interaction are revealed.
Chains of Interacting Solitons
Authors: Shnir Yakov M.
Published: February 2021

We present an overview of multisoliton chains arising in various non-integrable field theories and discuss different mechanisms which may lead to the occurrence of such axially-symmetric classical solutions. We explain the pattern of interactions between different solitons, in particular Q-balls, Skyrmions, and monopoles, and show how chains of interacting non-BPS solitons may form in a dynamic equilibrium between repulsive and attractive forces.