bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No One Is Leaving This Time: Social Media Fashion Brand Communities
Authors: Diachi Albert Chukwunonso , Tansu Ayşe , Osemeahon Oseyenbhin Sunday
Published: December 2021

In an attempt to enrich existing literature on online fashion brand communities in the digital era, this research aimed at exploring the relationship between peer influence and self-disclosure on sustaining consumer engagement in generating loyalty to social media fashion brand communities (SMFBCs). The survey included a sample of 365 members who follow local Nigerian SMFBCs and was analyzed using SmartPLS v3.2.9. Findings from the study show that peer influence and self-disclosure have a positive impact on sustaining consumer engagement in social media fashion brand communities. Furthermore, the findings show that self-disclosure mediated the relationship between peer influence and sustaining consumer engagement. Finally, consumer engagement fosters loyalty to social media brand communities.
The Enhancement of Sustainable Competitiveness of the CEE Regions at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic Instability
Authors: Dziembała Małgorzata
Published: December 2021

The promotion of competitiveness of regions is a key issue nowadays. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of territorial dimension it caused, the approach towards the concept of regional competitiveness needs to be reformulated in which the sustainability perspective is underlined. Thus, the composition of factors that determine regional competitiveness should be redefined in a way that not only economic but to a greater degree social and concurrently environmental factors need to be considered. The objective of the paper is to discuss the concept of sustainable regional competitiveness and to identify factors that are of utmost importance for this regional competitiveness. The position of particular CEE regions in light of the selected indicators that could determine sustainable competitiveness has been examined. The analysis has allowed us to identify some factors that are crucial for sustainable regional competitiveness in the regions of CEE countries to enable achieving long-term growth in the sustainable manner. This study contributes to the research through proposing some factors that could reflect particular dimensions of sustainable competitiveness in CEE regions, by providing a measure of sustainable competitiveness and through identifying the position of CEE regions in terms of sustainable competitiveness. The support of these key factors may be taken into consideration while planning the interventions within the regional policy.
Evaluating Sustainability of Mass Rapid Transit Stations in Dubai
Authors: Larumbe Jaime
Published: December 2021

A transport business that has reached financial sustainability is one that is providing a service at a price that not only covers its costs but also creates a profit for upcoming contingencies. A focus on rail infrastructure financial sustainability is of paramount importance to guarantee the availability of punctual rail transport to remote potential users. To evaluate the sustainability of mass rapid transit on the relation among hypothetical key aspects of sustainability—perception of property; willingness to pay for maintenance, repair, and operations; confidence in the Roads and Transport Authority; and citizen participation in the rail project—and railway service punctuality, the most important result variable, was studied according to the specialized literature on rail transport sustainability. Leading information was collected by means of personal questionnaires of more than 1000 railway users according to the Krejcie Morgan formula for the calculation of the sample size knowing the population size. Qualitative plus quantitative information was gathered from different ways (technical test of the rail system, discussions with users, focus-group discussions, and interviews with key informers).The outputs by means of the statistical analysis allowed understanding two key perceptions. Firstly, beyond a half decade after construction, during a system intervention, a smaller perception of public property for the railway system was related to better service punctuality. This idea contrasts with the vast majority of the publications, which highlight a regular, direct relationship between perception of property and sustainability of railway systems. Secondly, in spite of three-quarters of users accepting that they would contribute monetarily for maintenance, repair, and operations service, such payments were not imminent because of the lack of confidence in the Roads and Transport Authority. In this situation, more than one-third of the metro stations were identified as non-punctual, beyond a half decade after construction.
Is There Any Difference in the Impact of Digital Transformation on the Quantity and Efficiency of Enterprise Technological Innovation? Taking China’s Agricultural Listed Companies as an Example
Authors: Liu Haihua , Wang Peng , Li Zejun
Published: December 2021

The effect of digital transformation on enterprise technological innovation is reflected in quantity and quality, which may show heterogeneity. In this regard, this paper uses the data of China’s A-share agricultural listed companies from 2015 to 2020 to compare the differential impact of enterprise digital transformation from the perspective of quantity and quality of technological innovation. Firstly, the Tobit model is used to test whether there are differences in the impact of digital transformation on the quantity and quality of technological innovation of agricultural enterprises, and heterogeneity is tested according to the nature of enterprises. Secondly, this paper explores the reasons digital transformation has different effects on the quantity and quality of technological innovation through mechanism analysis. Finally, according to the threshold model, the conditions for digital transformation to promote the quantity and quality of technological innovation of agricultural enterprises are discussed. The empirical results show that, first, the digital transformation of agricultural enterprises only promotes the number of technological innovations, and there is heterogeneity in the nature of enterprises, but the innovation efficiency is not affected. Second, the period expense rate will lead to digital transformation, having different effects on the quantity and efficiency of technological innovation of agricultural enterprises. Third, the impact of digital transformation on the technological innovation efficiency of agricultural enterprises has a significant single threshold effect, and when the period expense rate is less than the threshold, the digital transformation has a significant role in promotion.
A YOLO-Based Target Detection Model for Offshore Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data
Authors: Wang Zhenhua , Zhang Xinyue , Li Jing , Luan Kuifeng
Published: December 2021

Target detection in offshore unmanned aerial vehicle data is still a challenge due to the complex characteristics of targets, such as multi-sizes, alterable orientation, and complex backgrounds. Herein, a YOLO-based detection model (YOLO-D) was proposed for target detection in offshore unmanned aerial vehicle data. Based on the YOLOv3 network, the residual module was improved by establishing dense connections and adding a dual-attention mechanism (CBAM) to enhance the use of features and global information. Then, the loss function of the YOLO-D model was added to the weight coefficients to increase detection accuracy for small-size targets. Finally, the feature pyramid network (FPN) was replaced by the secondary recursive feature pyramid network to reduce the impacts of a complicated environment. Taking the car, boat, and deposit near the coastline as the targets, the proposed YOLO-D model was compared against other models, including the faster R-CNN, SSD, YOLOv3, and YOLOv5, to evaluate its detection performance. The results showed that the evaluation metrics of the YOLO-D model, including precision (Pr), recall (Re), average precision (AP), and the mean of average precision (mAP), had the highest values. The mAP of the YOLO-D model increased by 37.95%, 39.44%, 28.46%, and 5.08% compared to the faster R-CNN, SSD, YOLOv3, and YOLOv5, respectively. The AP of the car, boat, and deposit reached 96.24%, 93.70%, and 96.79% respectively. Moreover, the YOLO-D model had a higher detection accuracy than other models, especially in the detection of small-size targets. Collectively, the proposed YOLO-D model is a suitable model for target detection in offshore unmanned aerial vehicle data.
Physicochemical Studies for Risk Identification, Assessment, and Characterization of Artisanal Barite Mining in Nigeria
Authors: Afolayan David Oluwasegun , Eggleston Carrick McAfee , Onwualu Azikiwe Peter , Adetunji Adelana Rasak , Tao Mingjiang , Amankwah Richard Kwasi
Published: December 2021

Over 90% of barite mining activities in Nigeria are carried out by artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs), and up to 75% of these miners operate informally, without mining license and rights. Such mining activities endanger human lives through the uncontrolled release of toxic heavy metals and other pollutants which are major causes and consequences of severe health hazards in children and adults living close to the mining sites. This paper is in two parts. The first section assesses the extent of heavy metal contamination of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ba, and Zn in drinking water by the mine water and tailing effluents. The second section estimates heavy metals’ toxicity and exposure level and analyzes and characterizes other human health risks in tailing effluents selected from three barite mining sites in Nigeria. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) results show that the concentrations of Ba and Pb among other heavy metals are above the allowable limits for drinking water. Index of geo-accumulation (Igeo) and contamination factor (CF) for Ba, Fe, and Pb were classified as moderately to extremely polluted (based on the Igeo) and highly contaminated (based on the CF). The calculated non-carcinogenic risk for Ba is 0.87 and 0.99 for Pb. HQ/HI (health quotient/health index) for Zn, Cu, and Fe is ≤0.005. The results indicate that some precautionary measures should be taken to avert the non-carcinogenic risk of Ba and Pb. It is important that barite mining is carried out in a responsible manner, respecting local and national mining laws and global environmental standards.
Modeling Users’ Empowerment in E-Health Systems
Authors: Anshari Muhammad , Almunawar Mohammad Nabil , Younis Mustafa Z. , Kisa Adnan
Published: December 2021

In conventional e-health initiatives, customers (patients) are mostly perceived as recipients of medical care, where they play little roles in the process of health decision making. Empowerment in e-health enables individuals to access their health data and consult online with medical staff. The proposed concept is intended to improve the existing e-health theory in relation to patient empowerment. The study suggests a model that expands the role of customers (patient) in three dimensions: as an individual health actor, social health agent, and medical partner. This study is theoretically significant because it explores a comprehensive approach of patient empowerment in e-health systems to achieve best practice customer service, establish long-term customer relationships to improve customer satisfaction, and achieve better health literacy of individuals.
Do Green Finance and Environmental Regulation Play a Crucial Role in the Reduction of CO2 Emissions? An Empirical Analysis of 126 Chinese Cities
Authors: Wang Fushuai , Cai Wenxia , Elahi Ehsan
Published: December 2021

Green finance and environmental regulation can reduce CO2 emissions and promote the sustainability of economic development. Based on panel data of 126 resource-based prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2017, the current study used a dynamic panel data model to empirically determine the CO2 emission reduction effects of different green finance instruments under different environmental regulatory intensities. The results showed that green finance tools had significant negative effects on the intensity of CO2 emissions, and green finance can adapt to environmental regulations of different intensities, which cooperated to promote carbon emission reduction. Moreover, in comparison, the debt-based green finance instrument had a stronger effect than the equity-based green finance instrument, and they did not show a coupling relationship. An administrative adjustment in green finance and environmental regulation is required to reduce environmental emissions and to improve sustainable development.
“Young and Green” a Study of Consumers’ Perceptions and Reported Purchasing Behaviour towards Organic Food in Poland and the United Kingdom
Authors: Kowalska Aleksandra , Ratajczyk Monika , Manning Louise , Bieniek Milena , Mącik Radosław
Published: December 2021

Globally, the organic food market is the most successful green market. Young consumers, the decision-makers of the future, are perceived as being more environmentally concerned than older cohorts. The aim of this study was to consider young consumers’ attitudes and behaviours concerning organic food, where the organic food market in the UK is more mature than in Poland. Empirical research was conducted using a web-based survey questionnaire (CAWI) with consumers (n = 973) in both countries. The associations between four constructs (general pro-social attitudes, green consumption values, receptivity to green communication, and buying behaviour) were considered using CB-SEM. We extended the model with two new constructs to explain young consumers’ purchases of organic food. UK respondents are significantly more conscious green consumers with higher environmental attitude intensity than Polish residents. Intensity of pro-environmental attitude components influences directly and indirectly the choice of organic food. People with a higher intensity of pro-environmental attitudes are significantly more likely to choose organic food. Perception of organic food influences purchases only in Poland. The components of pro-environmental attitudes and perception of organic food alone do not explain the variability in behaviour, despite a good fit of the model. This suggests that other independent variables may be of influence.
Projectability and Heritage Management of Design Knowledge: A Grass-Roots Artefact Perspective of a Longitudinal Research Project for Knowledge Management System Innovation
Authors: Schmitt Ulrich
Published: December 2021

This article expands on design science-research (DSR) publications which—based on current knowledge management systems (KM/KMS) and practices—are conceptualizing and prototyping a novel more generative and knowledge-worker-centric approach just presented as a desirable sustainable KMS vision. The perspective taken follows up on recent systematic literature reviews and content analysis studies reporting on the poor knowledge accumulation and evolution in the design, information science, and KM disciplines. Proposed remedies and initiatives are pitched against the novel KMS development case with its longitudinal stream of research output. As the design and creation of complex innovative artefacts facing ‘wicked’ challenges are seldom complemented by concurrent research papers, rare insights are offered of how similar longitudinal DSR or KMS projects may be structured and of how the related domain’s heritage knowledge base and its fitness-for-use-and-evolution may be strengthened. Due to the cycles and progression of its prior publications, this case study is particularly suited to contribute to cumulative research synthesis and, hence, further focusses on the recently proposed notions of projecting and projectability for evaluating distances between actual real-world environments and future possible-world application-ecosystems—a perspective which may become essential acceptance criteria for publishing in DSR-related conferences and journal publishing outlets.
Social Entrepreneurs as Role Models for Innovative Professional Career Developments
Authors: Alvarez de Mon Ignacio , Merladet Jorge , Núñez-Canal Margarita
Published: December 2021

Through qualitative analysis, this paper examines the role of social entrepreneurs as an example of innovative and alternative professional career development. We review the dominant literature about social entrepreneurs’ distinct intentions, attitudes, abilities, and behaviors. We also directly connect social entrepreneurs’ biographies and discourses with the actual nature of their social enterprises. We have found some fundamental common factors as critical determinants of the final social entrepreneurial decision and result: (i) motivations such as emotional connection, moral judgment, personal dissatisfaction, purpose achievement and change, and social needs; (ii) personal internal resources such as connection skills, conviction, creativity, efficiency skills, and learning orientation; (iii) facilitating external factors such as financial and social support, higher and social education, relevant past events, and previous professional experience. Putting together all these factors, we develop a theoretical framework that can explain social entrepreneurship as an alternative career option and connect it with a dominant social entrepreneur’s narrative and profile.
Motivation and Perceived Motivational Climate by Adolescents in Face-to-Face Physical Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Mata Carlos , Onofre Marcos , Costa João , Ramos Madalena , Marques Adilson , Martins João
Published: December 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted adolescents’ lives, leading to unprecedented changes in their routines, especially in education. Face-to-face physical education (PE) classes during COVID-19 were affected in organization, possibly conditioning students’ participation, motivation and learning. Based on the achievement goal and self-determination theories, the aim of this study was to analyze and compare the motivational indicators of adolescents in face-to-face PE classes during COVID-19, according to gender, educational level and physical activity (PA). A total of 1369 students participated in the study (621 boys and 748 girls; mean age: 14.4 years; SD: 1.74). Data were collected via an online questionnaire and analyzed using MANCOVAs adjusted for age, pre- and post-COVID-19 PA, socioeconomic status and BMI (Z-score). Differences in achievement goals, motivational climate and motivational regulation levels were found in different groups by gender, PA and educational level, favoring older and more active participants. A more positive motivational profile was found for girls in general and, specifically, for active boys, regarding more self-determined motivations and mastery goal orientations. Overall, this study’s findings suggest that the restrictions related to face-to-face PE classes during the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on students’ motivation.
Analysis of Time Use Surveys Using CO-STATIS: A Multiway Data Analysis of Gender Inequalities in Time Use in Colombia
Authors: Medina-Hernández Edith Johana , Fernández-Gómez María José , Barrera-Mellado Inmaculada
Published: December 2021

The aim of this article was to study 23 time use activities measured in the two latest Colombian National Time Use Surveys, taken in 2013 (with 119,899 participants over the age of 10) and in 2017 (with a sample of 122,620 participants), to identify similarities and differences between the years of the survey by gender, age group, and socioeconomic level. The study’s results were obtained using the CO-STATIS multiway multivariate data analysis technique, which is comprised of two X-STATIS analyses and co-inertia analysis. The results confirm the existence of gender issues related to time use in Colombia, which are associated with gender stereotypes that link women to unpaid work and home care, especially in low socioeconomic levels, where women face limitations in terms of the time available to earn their own income. Additionally, differences were found by socioeconomic level, where Colombians of high socioeconomic status in all age groups are able to devote more time to leisure and recreational activities.
Exploring Barriers to Agroforestry Adoption by Cocoa Farmers in South-Western Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Kouassi Jean-Luc , Kouassi Allegra , Bene Yeboi , Konan Dieudonné , Tondoh Ebagnerin J. , Kouame Christophe
Published: December 2021

Agroforestry is part of the package of good agricultural practices (GAPs) referred to as a reference to basic environmental and operational conditions necessary for the safe, healthy, and sustainable production of cocoa. Furthermore, cocoa agroforestry is one of the most effective nature-based solutions to address global change including land degradation, nutrient depletion, climate change, biodiversity loss, food and nutrition insecurity, and rural poverty and current cocoa supply chain issues. This study was carried out in South-Western Côte d’Ivoire through a household survey to assess the willingness of cocoa farmers to adopt cocoa agroforestry, a key step towards achieving sustainability in the cocoa supply chain markedly threatened by all types of biophysical and socio-economic challenges. In total, 910 cocoa households were randomly selected and individually interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Findings revealed that from the overwhelming proportion of farmers practicing full-sun cocoa farming with little or no companion trees associated, 50.2 to 82.1% were willing to plant and to keep fewer than 20 trees per ha in their farms for more than 20 years after planting. The most preferred trees provide a range of ecosystem services, including timber and food production, as well as shade regulation. More than half of the interviewed households considered keeping in their trees in their plantations for more than 20 years subject to the existence of a formal contract to protect their rights and tree ownership. This opinion is significantly affected by age, gender, access to seedlings of companion trees and financial resources. A bold step forward towards transitioning to cocoa agroforestry and thereby agroecological intensification lies in (i) solving the issue of land tenure and tree ownership by raising awareness about the new forest code and, particularly, the understanding of cocoa agroforestry, (ii) highlighting the added value of trees in cocoa lands, and (iii) facilitating access to improved cocoa companion tree materials and incentives. Trends emerged from this six-year-old study about potential obstacles likely to impede the adoption of agroforestry by cocoa farmers meet the conclusions of several studies recently rolled out in the same region for a sustainable cocoa sector, thereby confirming that not only the relevance of this work but also its contribution to paving the way for the promotion of agroecological transition in cocoa farming.
Energy Profiling of a High-Altitude Kyrgyz Community: Challenges and Motivations to Preserve Floodplain Ecosystems Based on Household Survey
Authors: Mehta Kedar , Ehrenwirth Mathias , Missall Siegmund , Degembaeva Nadira , Akmatov Kuban , Zörner Wilfried
Published: December 2021

The floodplain areas along the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan are essential as they hold the riparian (local) ecosystems because they provide firewood, pastureland, and areas for recreation and protection against erosion. Due to limited access to adequate, reliable, and sustainable energy services, the rural population usually derived their energy needs from multiple natural energy resources (i.e., firewood, charcoal, agricultural residues, animal dung, and wood branches). This is considered a common and predominant practice in rural Kyrgyzstan. This situation leads to a negative impact on local ecosystem services. In addition to that, the reliance on solid fuels contributes to indoor and outdoor air pollution, which is partially threatening the local ecosystem services. By contrast, the employment of renewable-based energy supply systems would substantially reduce the burden on the environment, which is mainly untapped. To integrate renewable energies, it is important to understand the energy behavior of floodplain communities. In that response, the presented article is the first attempt to capture the energy identity of the floodplain community of Kyrgyzstan based on a quantitative energy-based (on-site) household survey. Furthermore, the present research article synthesizes the driving factors that have a (direct or indirect) impact on the energy and local ecosystem services. In addition, the present article proposes a brief pathway for the sustainable energy transition. The article records the recommendation to integrate renewable energies to preserve the local ecosystems of Kyrgyzstan.
Research on Truck Traffic Volume Conditions of Auxiliary Lanes on Two-Lane Highways
Authors: Cheng Guozhu , Mu Changru , Xu Liang , Kang Xuejian
Published: December 2021

The larger the proportion of truck traffic volume, the greater the impact on traffic efficiency, and overtaking behavior will also have an impact. Therefore, in order to clarify the truck traffic volume of the freight two-lane highway due to the difficulty of overtaking, an actual vehicle test is carried out. This involves selecting the appropriate two-lane test section, recording each moment and speed in the driver’s overtaking behavior, performing multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between the overtaking conflict time and design speed and traffic volume, determining a reasonable evaluation series of two-lane road overtaking risk and the corresponding overtaking conflict time threshold by the Fisher optimal segmentation method, and giving an overtaking behavior risk evaluation method based on conflict time. Finally, according to the overtaking conflict time model, different truck traffic conditions are obtained. The research results show that overtaking conflict time is negatively correlated with the traffic volume and design speed of the lane. Through the risk assessment of the corresponding overtaking behavior, the three levels of serious conflict, general conflict and non-conflict are determined, and the freight traffic volume corresponding to different conflict levels at different speeds is calculated, which provides a reference for setting auxiliary lanes for the two-lane freight highway.
Presence and Characterization of Microplastics in Coastal Fish around the Eastern Coast of Thailand
Authors: Phaksopa Jitraporn , Sukhsangchan Roochira , Keawsang Rangsiwut , Tanapivattanakul Kittipod , Thamrongnawasawat Thon , Worachananant Suchai , Sreesamran Patinya
Published: December 2021

Marine microplastic has been in the limelight recently. This study aimed to describe microplastic types ingested by 274 fish from Thailand’s eastern coast in 2020 and to compare the microplastic content among different feeding traits. The microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts and gills were extracted, analyzed, and identified using FT-IR spectroscopy. Approximately 13.14% of the total specimen ingested microplastics, with an average of 0.14 items per individual. The detection frequency of microplastics was relatively high compared with other regions in Thailand but relatively low compared to global standards. Of the microplastic contaminated specimens, 56.41% had at least one piece of microplastic in their gastrointestinal tract. Pelagic (14.47%) species were found to have ingested more microplastics than the demersal (12.63%) group. Dominant aspects found included PET (as in polymers), fiber (as in shape), and black (as in color). However, microplastic numbers fluctuated with the size, weight, and feeding behavior of fish. This result suggested that the pelagic has a higher exposure risk and microplastic ingestion in relatively small quantities in a range of fish species. Our results indicated that the occurrence of microplastics in fish is not influenced by organism habitat or trophic level, although the characteristics of pelagic fish might significantly increase the chance of exposure to microplastics in pelagic species.
The Challenges of the Green Economy in Romania. Scientific Literature Review
Authors: Mihai Florin , Aleca Ofelia Ema , Gogu Emilia , Dobrin Cosmin , Gheorghe Mirela
Published: December 2021

The goal of this paper is to conduct an analysis of the scientific literature on the green economy in Romania and to capture the main challenges in making the transition towards it. Despite the barriers and incomplete legislation, Romania has sufficient resources and the potential to increase the percentage of the green economy, especially as the UE offers incentives for aligning to European standards. An analysis of the scientific literature was conducted via exploratory research in the Scopus database, based on key topics within the thematic range of the green economy. The study focused on the one hand the depth of the research regarding these topics in Romania during the 2007–2021 period and on the other hand, an analysis of the existence of possible links between these topics. The connections between the topics were analyzed through nine hypotheses. The results obtained reveal the researchers’ concerns for the way the principles of the green economy are applied in Romania and the existing correlations between these analyzed topics and how they are reflected in the economic reality. These results can represent a starting point as regards the diversification of policies and measures aimed at improving the implementation of the principles of the green economy in Romania.
Do National Policies Translate into Local Actions? Analyzing Coherence between Climate Change Adaptation Policies and Implications for Local Adaptation in Nepal
Authors: Darjee Kumar , Sunam Ramesh , Köhl Michael , Neupane Prem
Published: December 2021

National climate change policy and strategies set out a framework for planning and undertaking climate change adaptation as well as mitigation activities at the national and local levels. In this article, we examine the coherence and contradictions between national policies and plans, and its impacts on the implementation of adaptation measures at the local level. We undertook a content review of key climate change policy documents (n = 4) of Nepal. In addition, we conducted a field study in the Rajdevi Community Forest User Group (CFUG) located in the mid-hills of Nepal, which has developed and implemented a community level adaptation plan of action (CAPA). The field study involved household interviews, focus group discussions, and an in-depth analysis of CAPA implementation. The paper found that while policies are coherent for targeting highly affected areas and communities, they deviate from discerning an appropriate planning and implanting unit. The local adaptation plan of action (LAPA) considers the local government as an implementing unit, while the national adaptation program of action (NAPA) puts an emphasis on the local community groups. It suggests that the existing LAPA implementation breaches the provision of community-level institutions for the implementation conceived in the central framework. Despite little attention to promoting food security in climate change policy, through the CAPA, local communities have planned and implemented adaptation measures envisioned in the thematic areas identified in the climate change policy of Nepal: agriculture and food security; forests and biodiversity; water resources and energy; climate-induced disasters; public health; and urban settlements and infrastructure. Nevertheless, the CAPA is not institutionalized under government policies and the institutional framework as a local level implementing unit. So, the consensus for a local implementing unit in the policies has remained a key issue. We suggest identifying a suitable and acceptable unit for implementing climate change adaptation at the community level. Only if an appropriate implementing unit is identified can the policies be successful with a broader acceptance and desirable outcomes enshrined in the climate change policy.
Trends and Perspectives in Education for Sustainable Development in the Teaching of Geography in Spain
Authors: Crespo Castellanos José Manuel , Rodríguez de Castro Ayar , Mateo Girona María Rosa
Published: December 2021

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be known and assumed by the community of geography teachers in all levels of education as a key part of their educational work. In order for well-grounded SDGs-related geographic didactic proposals to be presented, and for researchers in didactics to find a way to incorporate and promote SDG-related contents in daily teaching, a thorough knowledge of the relevant geographical literature is mandatory. The aim of this work is to present the results of a review comprising 1183 papers submitted to the 22 congresses on the didactics of Geography organised by the Spanish Association of Geography working group in didactics from 1988 to 2019, as well as 186 works published in the only Spanish journal on the Didactics of Geography, Didáctica Geográfica. This analysis focuses on the contents addressed in these studies, as well as on the skills and didactic strategies related to the teaching of SDGs. It was found that most SDGs-related contributions in Spain deal with landscape and the environment. Regarding skills, it was concluded that much remains to be done concerning Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Finally, the current and future role of ESD in geographical teaching in Spain is assessed.
Well-Designed Teaching Examples Influence the Outcome of Technology Acceptance: The Example of Next-Generation Art Process Learning
Authors: Sun Hung , Chen Chìn-Chun
Published: December 2021

With the upgrade of hardware and the consumer experience, the application of high-standard digital art technology to produce finished products is the current trend of digital entertainment visual development, through the application of next-generation art technology, which has become the basis for the application of the 3D digital media art industry. Based on the technology acceptance model, this study measured student acceptance of next-generation art production software by surveying students in two school districts who took a next-generation art course that used blended learning and worked examples. Intention to use was also assessed using variables such as the type of graduation project and the number of credits in the student’s major course. A total of 104 valid questionnaires were obtained from four classes in the fourth year of college. Specifically, students’ perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitudes toward using next-generation art software were determined, and correlations between students’ acceptance of next-generation art use and their willingness to use next-generation art methods were explored. The worked examples increased the acceptance and willingness of students with poor 3D technical skills to use next-generation art, but also allowed them to overestimate their technical skills.
The Financial Sustainability of Cultural Heritage Reuse Projects: An Integrated Approach for the Historical Rural Landscape
Authors: Rossitti Marco , Oppio Alessandra , Torrieri Francesca
Published: December 2021

In the last decades, the growing concern about land consumption, together with the awareness about cultural heritage’s key role for sustainable development, has led to greater attention to cultural property reuse as a conscious process of new values production. However, decisions about heritage bring a high degree of complexity, related to the need to preserve properties’ values and fulfill protection legislation, thus bringing high cost, which discourages public and private investments for reuse interventions. In this context, it becomes urgent to support reuse decisions through proper evaluation methodologies that, dealing with the complexity of interests at stake, allow individuals to assess the financial sustainability of conscious cultural heritage reuse projects. For these reasons, the paper proposes a methodological framework that, grounded on the recognition of cultural properties’ values and their possible integration in the local economic system, assesses reuse projects’ financial sustainability. This methodology’s application is discussed through a case study, represented by a project for a historical rural landscape in Pantelleria island. The application to the case study allows us to discuss the role of the proposed evaluation framework in supporting and promoting cultural heritage reuse and its possible room for improvement.
A Comprehensive Performance Characterization of a Nanofluid-Powered Dual-Fluid PV/T System under Outdoor Steady State Conditions
Authors: Hussain Muhammad Imtiaz , Lee Gwi-Hyun , Kim Jun-Tae
Published: December 2021

This paper discusses the effectiveness of simultaneous use of CuO nanofluid and air as a dual-fluid coolant for the thermal management of a photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system. Outdoor experimental studies were performed to calculate the discrepancies between indoor and outdoor test findings. The thermal efficiency and the electrical characteristics of the dual-fluid PV/T system were investigated under steady-state test conditions following ISO standards. It was found that the divergence in electrical efficiency between indoor and outdoor-based PVT testing was significantly higher, while the difference in thermal efficiencies was marginal. It was observed that nanofluid/air, even at the lowest flow rates, outclassed the water/air coolant at higher flow rates in terms of PV/T energy output, which also ultimately helps in reducing the energy requirement for pumping. Unlike conventional solar air heaters, the proposed dual-fluid PV/T system produces a high air temperature when operated with only air at stagnant nanofluid. The maximum PV/T efficiency of approximately 85% was recorded when the nanofluid and air flows were kept at 0.02 kg/s and 0.04 kg/s, respectively. It is concluded that outdoor steady state testing provides comprehensive performance characterization of the nanofluid powered dual-fluid coolant for the PV/T system.
Motivations and Barriers for the Sustainable Internationalization of the Portuguese Textile Sector
Authors: Galvão Anderson Rei , Marques Carla Susana , Mascarenhas Carla , Braga Vitor , Pereira Rita
Published: December 2021

This study aims to analyse the importance of internationalization for the sustainability of companies in the textile sector, as well as to identify the main motivations and barriers to internationalization. For the development of the study, a qualitative methodology was used through interviews with six Portuguese companies in the textile sector. The collected information was submitted to a content analysis, through data coding with NVIVO 11.0 software. The results obtained show the main motivations for internationalization, the criteria used for choosing the countries to internationalize, the advantages of internationalization and the external and internal barriers. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of internationalization, the barriers that companies in the textile sector face and what solutions they find to overcome some of these same barriers. In addition, the results will help policy makers define policies to support internationalization.
An Empirical Investigation on the Transition Process toward a Green Economy
Authors: Batrancea Larissa , Pop Marcel Ciprian , Rathnaswamy Malar Maran , Batrancea Ioan , Rus Mircea-Iosif
Published: December 2021

The study investigates the transition process and core principles of a green economy. At a global level, green growth represents the essence of a green economy. In this context, the process of restructuring the market economy and transitioning toward a green economy implies continuous efforts and interdependence since it cannot be achieved in isolation. The model of restructuring economic activities to the specificity of a green economy addresses the interdependent pillars of sustainable development: environmental concerns; renewable energy; low carbon levels. Nevertheless, the green economy model that is applied to advanced economies cannot be implemented to low-income economies because of development gaps. Moreover, emerging economies also have other goals and priorities that demand changes into the green economy model of advanced economies.
Signal Control Method for Through and Left-Turn Shared Lane by Setting Left-Turn Waiting Area at Signalized Intersections
Authors: Jiang Xiancai , Yao Li , Jin Yao , Wu Runting
Published: December 2021

This paper proposes a signal control method for the through and left-turn shared lanes at signalized intersections to solve traffic conflicts between left-turn vehicles and opposing through vehicles by setting left-turn waiting area (LWA). Delays and stops are weighted to form an integrated performance index (PI) in a vehicle-to-infrastructure cooperation system. The PI models pertaining to all vehicles are established based on the LWA intersection. In addition, an optimized method of signal timing parameters is constructed by minimizing the average PI. VISSIM simulation shows that the average PI decreases by 6.51% compared with the original layout and signal timing plan of the intersection, since the increased delay of the side-road left-turn vehicles is insufficient to offset the reduced delay of the side-road through vehicles after the improvement. The sensitivity analysis shows that the greater the traffic volume of the phase including the through and left-turn shared lanes, the higher the operation efficiency of the LWA intersection compared with the typical permitted phase intersection. When the left-turn vehicles of the shared lanes in each cycle are less than the stop spaces, the LWA intersection can effectively reduce the average PI of the shared lanes. Furthermore, the more the stop spaces in the LWA, the lower the average PI in the same traffic conditions.
Parametric Definition of Slow Tourism Itineraries for Experiencing Seasonal Landscapes. Application of Sentinel-2 Imagery to the Rural Paddy-Rice Landscape in Northern Italy
Authors: Scandiffio Alessandro
Published: December 2021

Slow tourism is a growing phenomenon in Italy; it is assuming a key role in the definition of new strategies for sustainable tourism for the enhancement of landscape and cultural heritage, but also as a driver for the revitalization of marginalized and inner areas of the country. In this framework, the aesthetical phenomena related to seasonal landscape changes (e.g., autumn coloring foliage, spring blooming, controlled paddy-rice fields flooding) that occur in specific environments are emerging as new tourist destinations and are of major interest for the experiential tourism sector. This research shows a GIS-based method to draw up parametric slow tourism itineraries, which are defined according to seasonal landscape changes, by exploiting the high frequency of Sentinel-2 data acquisition. The algorithm defines parametric itineraries within the network of existing local roads by detecting the current landscape conditions through NDVI. The algorithm has been tested in the study area, within the historical agricultural landscape of paddy-rice fields in between Turin and Milan, where high scenic conditions related to the flooding occur over the spring season. This tool can support a range of end users’ decisions for the creation of a widespread tourist destination offer year-round, with the aim to promote more sustainable and balanced use of the places and reduce overpressures in the most frequented places.
Socially Disadvantaged Youth: Forms of Expression and Communication in Social Networks as a Vehicle of Inclusion
Authors: Vasco-González Margarita , Goig-Martínez Rosa M. , Martínez-Sánchez Isabel , Álvarez-Rodríguez José
Published: December 2021

Socially disadvantaged youth are a group to which prejudices are attached which question the appropriateness of their participation, communication and language in the digital setting. From this perspective, the aim of the present research proposes to identify the forms and expressions of communication used by socially disadvantaged young people from the city of Madrid in social networks. This will be examined as a tool for the development of interpersonal and social relatedness processes, which will enable inclusion and socialisation in contemporary society. To this end, a qualitative approach was proposed which enabled a set of core memos, codes, networks and categories to be established, through which study data were interpreted. WhatsApp images and interviews conducted with 78 informants were analysed using Atlas.ti 9 software. All participants belonged to a social group characterised by circumstances of social vulnerability. Of the main findings, it should be indicated that these young people exhibit a social network use that is not limited to engagement in digital leisure but, instead, is based on the exchange of communication. For this reason, these individuals have developed their own language, a fact that highlights specific traits of the digital culture to which they belong and contributes to disproving the idea that these young people use the digital setting inappropriately.
The ‘Perfect’ Conversion: Dramatic Increase in CO2 Efflux from Shellfish Ponds and Mangrove Conversion in China
Authors: Ouyang Xiaoguang , Lee Shingyip , Wang Wenqing
Published: December 2021

Aquaculture, particularly shellfish ponds, has expanded dramatically and become a major cause of mangrove deforestation and “blue carbon” loss in China. We present the first study to examine CO2 efflux from marine aquaculture/shellfish ponds and in relation to land-use change from mangrove forests in China. Light and dark sediment CO2 efflux from shellfish ponds averaged at 0.61 ± 0.07 and 0.90 ± 0.12 kg CO2 m−2 yr−1 (= 37.67 ± 4.89 and 56.0 ± 6.13 mmol m−2 d−1), respectively. The corresponding rates (−4.21 ± 4.54 and 41.01 ± 4.15 mmol m−2 d−1) from the adjacent mangrove forests that were devoid of aquaculture wastewater were lower, while those from the adjacent mangrove forests (3.48 ± 7.83 and 73.02 ± 5.76 mmol m−2 d−1)) receiving aquaculture wastewater markedly increased. These effluxes are significantly higher than those reported for mangrove forests to date, which is attributable to the high nutrient levels and the physical disturbance of the substrate associated with the aquaculture operation. A rise of 1 °C in the sediment temperature resulted in a 6.56% rise in CO2 released from the shellfish ponds. Combined with pond area data, the total CO2 released from shellfish ponds in 2019 was estimated to be ~12 times that in 1983. The total annual CO2 emission from shellfish ponds associated with mangrove conversion reached 2–5 Tg, offsetting the C storage by mangrove forests in China. These are significant environmental consequences rather than just a simple shift of land use. Around 30% higher CO2 emissions are expected from aquaculture ponds (including shellfish ponds) compared to shellfish ponds alone. Total annual CO2 emission from shellfish ponds will likely decrease to the level reported in early 1980 under the pond area-shrinking scenario, but it will be more than doubled under the business-as-usual scenario projected for 2050. This study highlights the necessity of curbing the expansion of aquaculture ponds in valuable coastal wetlands and increasing mangrove restoration to abandoned ponds.