bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activity and Kinematics of Two Adjacent Freeze–Thaw-Related Landslides Revealed by Multisource Remote Sensing of Qilian Mountain
Authors: Chen Jie , Zhang Jing , Wu Tonghua , Hao Junming , Wu Xiaodong , Ma Xuyan , Zhu Xiaofan , Lou Peiqing , Zhang Lina
Published: October 2022

The increase in temperatures and changing precipitation patterns resulting from climate change are accelerating the occurrence and development of landslides in cold regions, especially in permafrost environments. Although the boundary regions between permafrost and seasonally frozen ground are very sensitive to climate warming, slope failures and their kinematics remain barely characterized or understood in these regions. Here, we apply multisource remote sensing and field investigation to study the activity and kinematics of two adjacent landslides (hereafter referred to as “twin landslides”) along the Datong River in the Qilian Mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. After failure, there is no obvious change in the area corresponding to the twin landslides. Based on InSAR measurements derived from ALOS PALSAR-1 and -2, we observe significant downslope movements of up to 15 mm/day within the twin landslides and up to 5 mm/day in their surrounding slopes. We show that the downslope movements exhibit distinct seasonality; during the late thaw and early freeze season, a mean velocity of about 4 mm/day is observed, while during the late freeze and early thaw season the downslope velocity is nearly inactive. The pronounced seasonality of downslope movements during both pre- and post-failure stages suggest that the occurrence and development of the twin landslide are strongly influenced by freeze–thaw processes. Based on meteorological data, we infer that the occurrence of twin landslides are related to extensive precipitation and warm winters. Based on risk assessment, InSAR measurements, and field investigation, we infer that new slope failure or collapse may occur in the near future, which will probably block the Datong River and cause catastrophic disasters. Our study provides new insight into the failure mechanisms of slopes at the boundaries of permafrost and seasonally frozen ground.
A Multi-Temporal Network for Improving Semantic Segmentation of Large-Scale Landsat Imagery
Authors: Yang Xuan , Zhang Bing , Chen Zhengchao , Bai Yongqing , Chen Pan
Published: October 2022

With the development of deep learning, semantic segmentation technology has gradually become the mainstream technical method in large-scale multi-temporal landcover classification. Large-scale and multi-temporal are the two significant characteristics of Landsat imagery. However, the mainstream single-temporal semantic segmentation network lacks the constraints and assistance of pre-temporal information, resulting in unstable results, poor generalization ability, and inconsistency with the actual situation in the multi-temporal classification results. In this paper, we propose a multi-temporal network that introduces pre-temporal information as prior constrained auxiliary knowledge. We propose an element-wise weighting block module to improve the fine-grainedness of feature optimization. We propose a chained deduced classification strategy to improve multi-temporal classification’s stability and generalization ability. We label the large-scale multi-temporal Landsat landcover classification dataset with an overall classification accuracy of over 90%. Through extensive experiments, compared with the mainstream semantic segmentation methods, our proposed multi-temporal network achieves state-of-the-art performance with good robustness and generalization ability.
PODD: A Dual-Task Detection for Greenhouse Extraction Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Feng Junning , Wang Dongliang , Yang Fan , Huang Jing , Wang Minghao , Tao Mengfan , Chen Wei
Published: October 2022

The rapid boom of the global population is causing more severe food supply problems. To deal with these problems, the agricultural greenhouse is an effective way to increase agricultural production within a limited space. To better guide agricultural activities and respond to future food crises, it is important to obtain both the agricultural greenhouse area and quantity distribution. In this study, a novel dual-task algorithm called Pixel-based and Object-based Dual-task Detection (PODD) that combines object detection and semantic segmentation is proposed to estimate the quantity and extract the area of agricultural greenhouses based on RGB remote sensing images. This algorithm obtains the quantity of agricultural greenhouses based on the improved You Only Look Once X (YOLOX) network structure, which is embedded with Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) and Adaptive Spatial Feature Fusion (ASFF). The introduction of CBAM can make up for the lack of expression ability of its feature extraction layer to retain more important feature information. Adding the ASFF module can make full use of the features in different scales to increase the precision. This algorithm obtains the area of agricultural greenhouses based on the DeeplabV3+ neural network using ResNet-101 as a feature extraction network, which not only effectively reduces hole and plaque issues but also extracts edge details. Experimental results show that the mAP and F1-score of the improved YOLOX network reach 97.65% and 97.50%, 1.50% and 2.59% higher than the original YOLOX solution. At the same time, the accuracy and mIoU of the DeeplabV3+ network reach 99.2% and 95.8%, 0.5% and 2.5% higher than the UNet solution. All of the metrics in the dual-task algorithm reach 95% and even higher. Proving that the PODD algorithm could be useful for agricultural greenhouse automatic extraction (both quantity and area) in large areas to guide agricultural policymaking.
A Deep Learning Application for Deformation Prediction from Ground-Based InSAR
Authors: Han Jianfeng , Yang Honglei , Liu Youfeng , Lu Zhaowei , Zeng Kai , Jiao Runcheng
Published: October 2022

Ground-based synthetic aperture radar interferometry (GB-InSAR) has the characteristics of high precision, high temporal resolution, and high spatial resolution, and is widely used in highwall deformation monitoring. The traditional GB-InSAR real-time processing method is to process the whole data set or group in time sequence. This type of method takes up a lot of computer memory, has low efficiency, cannot meet the timeliness of slope monitoring, and cannot perform deformation prediction and disaster warning forecasting. In response to this problem, this paper proposes a GB-InSAR time series processing method based on the LSTM (long short-term memory) model. First, according to the early monitoring data of GBSAR equipment, the time series InSAR method (PS-InSAR, SBAS, etc.) is used to obtain the initial deformation information. According to the deformation calculated in the previous stage and the atmospheric environmental parameters monitored, the LSTM model is used to predict the deformation and atmospheric delay at the next time. The phase is removed from the interference phase, and finally the residual phase is unwrapped using the spatial domain unwrapping algorithm to solve the residual deformation. The predicted deformation and the residual deformation are added to obtain the deformation amount at the current moment. This method only needs to process the difference map at the current moment, which greatly saves time series processing time and can realize the prediction of deformation variables. The reliability of the proposed method is verified by ground-based SAR monitoring data of the Guangyuan landslide in Sichuan Province.
Novel Approaches in Tropical Forests Mapping and Monitoring–Time for Operationalization
Authors: Portillo-Quintero Carlos , Hernández-Stefanoni Jose L. , Reyes-Palomeque Gabriela , Subedi Mukti R.
Published: October 2022

For more than three decades, the remote sensing scientific community has successfully generated predictive models of tropical forest attributes and ecological processes at the leaf, canopy, patch and landscape scale by linking field-measured data to remotely sensed spectral values, as well as other variables derived from remotely sensed data. The main interest of these applications is to help describe ecological and functional patterns occurring at larger geographic scales with sufficient accuracy and precision and enable scientists to better understand ecological processes, such as the relationship between atmospheric fluxes, plant structural and ecophysiological traits, soil attributes, anthropogenic use, species occurrence and animal movement. However, as the earth’s environment suffers from ever-increasing human use and abuse, detecting spatiotemporal changes in these variables has become a necessary decision-making tool in conservation action and natural resources’ management. Moving from modeling into the study of soil, plants, wildlife and socioecological processes using remotely sensed data requires the extrapolation of single time-step models to its application on a time series of data with the same expected accuracy. The challenges in this matter are not trivial, since changes in soil moisture conditions, cloud contamination, canopy and leaf-level geometry and physiology can affect the strength of the proposed models. In this context, the term ‘Operationalization’ refers to migration from single time-step models to time series but also refers to the design and implementation of user-friendly tools to increase the efficacy of communicating spatiotemporal trends to the users. [...]
Prior Knowledge-Based Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Fine Classification of Land Covers in Surface Mining Landscapes
Authors: Qian Mingjie , Li Yifan , Zhao Yunbo , Yu Xuting
Published: October 2022

Land cover classification is critical for urban sustainability applications. Although deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) have been widely utilized, they have rarely been used for land cover classification of complex landscapes. This study proposed the prior knowledge-based pretrained DCNNs (i.e., VGG and Xception) for fine land cover classifications of complex surface mining landscapes. ZiYuan-3 data collected over an area of Wuhan City, China, in 2012 and 2020 were used. The ZiYuan-3 imagery consisted of multispectral imagery with four bands and digital terrain model data. Based on prior knowledge, the inputs of true and false color images were initially used. Then, a combination of the first and second principal components of the four bands and the digital terrain model data (PD) was examined. In addition, the combination of red and near-infrared bands and digital terrain model data (43D) was evaluated (i.e., VGG-43D and Xcep-43D). The results indicate that: (1) the input of 43D performed better than the others; (2) VGG-43D achieved the best overall accuracy values; (3) although the use of PD did not produce the best models, it also provides a strategy for integrating DCNNs and multi-band and multimodal data. These findings are valuable for future applications of DCNNs to determine fine land cover classifications in complex landscapes.
Accounting for Environmental Awareness on Green Purchase Intention and Behaviour: Evidence from the Philippines
Authors: Abeysekera Indra , Manalang Leah , David Raul , Grace Guiao Bethel
Published: October 2022

This study examines the green purchase awareness of Philippine youth consumers and its influence on green purchase intention and, ultimately, their green purchase behaviour. The study used the theory of planned behaviour as a conceptual framework. The research used an online five-point Likert scale questionnaire and gathered data from accounting and business students in the Philippines; data were collected from 923 usable respondents and then validated and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings suggest that respondents’ awareness of environmental degradation’s consequences influences green purchase intention and positively mediates green purchase behaviour. The attitudes, norms, and respondents’ perceived behavioural control represent the environmental awareness beliefs; they positively and significantly contributed to green purchase intention, which contributed to green purchase behaviour. The study is original in that it examines the applicability of the theory of planned behaviour in the context of the Philippines, which has legislative backing for environmental awareness among the citizens. It also investigates the extent to which subjective norms can influence personal behavioural control and mediate towards green purchase intention. The findings contribute to the Philippine setting; however, it is extensible with further research on emerging nations that share societal cultures. The data obtained sufficiently explain the phenomenon using the theory of planned behaviour; combining it with Hofstede’s model of societal culture can increase explanatory power for societal-based studies on purchase intention and behaviour. In a high-power distance and collective societal-cultural setting, findings support the argument that environmental awareness contributes to green purchase intention and buyer behaviour. The proactive stance of making the population aware of the environmental effects is noticeable. However, they provide a low-level explanation of their intention to purchase green products and a medium-level explanation of translating purchase intention to purchase behaviour. Hence, we recommend the government review their approach to making people environmentally aware, which measurably translates into green purchasing intention and purchasing behaviour.
Two-Way Risk Spillover of Financial and Real Sectors in the Presence of Major Public Emergencies
Authors: Li Yong , Zhang Ziyi , Niu Tong
Published: October 2022

In order to study the two-way risk spillovers between financial and real industries under major public emergencies in the Chinese market from 2007 to 2020, the sample period of major emergencies was determined based on the value at risk (VaR) time series, and it was found that the impact of major emergencies would lead to the rise of systemic risks in the financial industry. Secondly, the real sectors are taken as the main research object to measure the value of systemic risk spillover by using DCC-GARCH, and it shows that the industry with significantly systemic vulnerability from the overall financial risk spillover is the real estate industry, material industry, and energy industry. The results of subdividing financial sectors show that the banking sector has the most significant contribution to financial risk spillover in the real sectors. At the same time, identify the systemically important industries with high spillover risk to the financial industry, namely, utilities, consumer discretionary and industrials. Among the financial sub-industries, the risk spillover to the securities industry from the real sectors is the most significant. Finally, it was found that the system vulnerability and importance characteristics of the real entity industry depend on the nature of events and have certain rules.
RedNavi: Building a 3D Scene of the Current Sea from AIS Data
Authors: Liu Hongze , Wakabayashi Nobukazu
Published: October 2022

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a kind of navigation equipment that exchanges a wealth of essential information among vessels and between ships to shore through Very High Frequency. Currently, identification and other navigational information can be obtained in real time with AIS data integrated into other shipborne systems, such as the Electronic Chart Display and Information System and radar. However, at present, AIS information is represented in a two-dimensional (2D) way, which is not the same as the three-dimensional (3D) world people perceive visually. In this paper, we introduce RedNavi, a sustainable computer 3D scene building system that visualizes the current sea, specifically the environment and traffic conditions around the ownship, using received AIS data. RedNavi has a wide range of application scenarios. Applying to the maritime education and training field, it can serve as a bridge between the 2D and 3D worlds, helping less experienced trainees build up their capabilities. Applying to actual navigation, it can provide the deck officer with another visual aid to their lookout in addition to existing 2D information systems. In addition, given the microservices architecture RedNavi adopts, the development, deployment, and maintenance processes become relatively lighter, faster, and easier, and therefore more sustainable than traditional monolithic systems.
Predictors of Green Cosmetics Purchase Intentions among Young Female Consumers in Vietnam
Authors: Limbu Yam B. , Pham Long , Nguyen Thuy Thi Thu
Published: October 2022

Using the Information–Motivation–Behavioral Skills (IMB) model as a theoretical framework, we examine the direct effects of knowledge, attitude, and subjective norms on young women’s intention toward purchasing green cosmetics, and whether self-efficacy mediates these effects. Data were collected from 433 young female consumers and analyzed using the PROCESS macro for SPSS. Green-cosmetics-related knowledge and motivation (attitude and subjective norms) were positively related to green cosmetics purchase intention. Self-efficacy partially mediated the effects of knowledge, attitude, and subjective norms on purchase intention. The IMB model offers a useful framework for understanding the factors affecting young Vietnamese women’s intention toward purchasing green cosmetics. Marketers promoting green cosmetics should aim to increase consumers’ confidence in comprehending their products.
Determination of Physico-Chemical and Functional Properties of Plum Seed Cakes for Estimation of Their Further Industrial Applications
Authors: Savic Ivan M. , Savic Gajic Ivana M.
Published: October 2022

The extraction of bioactive compounds from the waste material in the food industry is an important approach because, in that way, the plant raw material can be utilized before its landfill disposal or combustion. The interest of scientists is great for the development of innovative procedures for the further application of these materials. Plum kernels obtained after plum processing can be used for the isolation of oil enriched with unsaturated fatty acids and cakes remaining after oil isolation from plant material. This study aimed to consider the possibilities of the further utilization of cakes obtained after oil isolation from plum seeds using organic solvents in the Soxhlet extractor. The physical–chemical and functional properties of the obtained cakes were determined. The results indicated that the plum seed cakes are rich in proteins (36.95–61.90%) and crude fiber (6.36–9.85%). The HPLC analysis showed that the highest content of phenolic compounds had coumaric acid in the concentration range of 11.31–12.98 mg/100 g of dry weight. The amygdalin content (0.005–0.139 mg/g of dry weight) was in the allowed concentration range so that the cakes can be considered safe for human use. The antioxidant potential of the cakes (IC50 0.40–0.65 mg/mL) indicated that antioxidants are also present in this waste material so that the cakes can be used as a raw material for the development of sustainable products in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.
Bicycle Logistics as a Sustainability Strategy: Lessons from Brazil and Germany
Authors: Fontes Fernando , Andrade Victor
Published: October 2022

The last mile presents the logistics chain’s lowest efficiency and highest cost. Thus, the bicycle emerges as a promising alternative in the rising efforts to advance urban logistics sustainability. This research aims to identify factors for successful last-mile cycle logistics implementation in a comparative study of two cities from the Global South and North. Berlin and Sao Paulo cases were analyzed to outline the cycle logistics ecosystem and to derive learnings. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders of each city to gather their perceptions of cycle logistics challenges, social acceptance, green premium, good practices, and main agents, enabling the analysis of each city’s ecosystem and a comparative analysis between them. The systematization of challenges, good practices, and stakeholders’ maps highlighted four aspects for successful cycle logistics implementation: clear identification of demands and challenges; acknowledgment and communication of learnings; advancement of practices addressing local challenges; cooperation between diverse key stakeholders. Ultimately, two relevant takeaways are that cycle logistics has a specific application scope and it is an alternative among many options that, together with the comprehension of local context, is crucial for the cycle logistics development. Still, experiences and exchanges with other cities may leverage implementation success.
Multifunctional Urban Green Infrastructure Development in a Sub-Saharan Country: The Case of Friendship Square Park, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Guadie Demsachew , Getahun Tsegaye , Asnake Kalkidan , Demissew Sebsebe
Published: October 2022

The global expansion of urbanization is posing associated environmental and socioeconomic challenges. The capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, is also facing similar threats. The development of urban green infrastructures (UGIs) are the forefront mechanisms in mitigating these global challenges. Nevertheless, UGIs in Addis Ababa are degrading and inaccessible to the city residents. Hence, a 56 km long Addis River Side Green Development Project is under development with a total investment of USD 1.253 billion funded by Chinese government aid. In phase one of this grand project, Friendship Square Park (FSP), was established in 2019 with a total cost of about USD 50 million. This paper was initiated to describe the establishment process of FSP and assess its social, economic, and environmental contributions to the city. The establishment process was described in close collaboration with the FSP contractor, China Communications Construction Company, Ltd. (CCCC). The land use changes of FSP’s development were determined by satellite images, while its environmental benefits were assessed through plant selection, planting design, and seedling survival rate. Open and/or close ended questionnaires were designed to assess the socioeconomic values of the park. The green space of the area has highly changed from 2002 (8.6%) to 2019 (56.1%) when the park was completed. More than 74,288 seedlings in 133 species of seedlings were planted in the park. The average survival rate of these seedlings was 93%. On average about 500 people visit the park per day, and 400,000 USD is generated, just from the entrance fee, per annum. Overall, 100% of the visitors were strongly satisfied with the current status of the park and recommended some additional features to be included in it. In general, the park is contributing to the environmental and socioeconomic values of the city residents, and this kind of park should be developed in other sub-cities of the city as well as regional cities of Ethiopia to increase the aesthetic, environmental and socioeconomic values of the country, at large.
Ecological Innovation: Sustainable Development in Slovakia
Authors: Loučanová Erika , Olšiaková Miriam , Štofková Jana
Published: October 2022

Background: Systematic management of innovation in the context of sustainable development based on ecological innovation is an essential part of the global market. Therefore, it will be guided by ecological innovations, which represent a means of sustainable development. The traditional approach to the evaluation of innovations focused mainly on economic results and failed to capture the ecological dimensions of sustainability from the theme of view of their consumers’ application. Therefore, the paper has the aim of evaluating the sustainability of ecological innovations from the perspective of customers in Slovakia, focusing on the elementary characteristics of sustainability through ecological innovations from the point of view of consumers. In the research, we focus on the parameters of ecological innovations connected with the sustainability of buildings and their operation—energy, health, comfort, materials, living processes and the quality of the place and equipment from the point of view of mobility. Methods: The primary study method is the Kano model. Conclusions: The results point to the fact that Slovak respondents are largely unaffected by ecological innovations, but they perceive the use of cars with an internal combustion engine as a mandatory requirement; innovations in thermal insulation, the use of natural and renewable materials and mass transport are attractive requirements for the respondents. Heating and use of recyclable materials are one-dimensional requirements.
Using Modified Delphi Study to Develop Instrument for ESG Implementation: A Case Study at an Indonesian Higher Education Institution
Authors: Huang PoTsang B. , Yang Ching-Chow , Inderawati Maria Magdalena Wahyuni , Sukwadi Ronald
Published: October 2022

Most research states that implementing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) has positive impacts. However, fewer studies have discussed ESG implementation in higher education. This study aimed to develop instruments to assess the ESG atmosphere in higher education institutions. A modified Delphi approach was employed. Experts were invited from a private higher education institution in Indonesia. A deductive study, discussion, and two stages of getting consensus from panelists were conducted. The instrument was distinguished into four types for four groups of higher education stakeholders: Students, Staff, Faculty Members, and Community Members. The I-CVIs ranged from 0.80–1.00, while the minimum values of S-CVI/Ave and S-CVI/UA were 0.98 and 0.91, respectively, meaning the content validity was excellent. The final version instrument has been tested and declared valid, reliable, and ready to be used for empirical research for universities to assess their contribution to the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). There are also opportunities to conduct further research on the existence of recursive and non-recursive models between factors.
Causal Strands for Social Bonds—A Case Study on the Credibility of Claims from Impact Reporting
Authors: Teubler Jens , Schuster Sebastian
Published: October 2022

The study investigates if causal claims based on a theory-of-change approach for impact reporting are credible. The authors use their most recent impact report for a Social Bond to show how theory-based logic models can be used to map the sustainability claims of issuers to quantifiable indicators. A single project family (homeownership loans) is then used as a case study to test the underlying hypotheses of the sustainability claims. By applying Bayes Theorem, evidence for and against the claims is weighted to calculate the degree to which the belief in the claims is warranted. The authors found that only one out of three claims describe a probable cause–effect chain for social benefits from the loans. The other two claims either require more primary data to be corroborated or should be re-defined to link the intervention more closely and robustly with the overarching societal goals. However, all previous reported indicators are below the thresholds of the most conservative estimates for fractions of beneficiaries in the paper at hand. We conclude that the combination of a Theory-of-Change with a Bayesian Analysis is an effective way to test the plausibility of sustainability claims and to mitigate biases. Nevertheless, the method is—in the presented form—also too elaborate and time-consuming for impact reporting in the sustainable finance market.
How the Marketization of Land Transfer Affects High-Quality Economic Development: Empirical Evidence from 284 Prefecture-Level Cities in China
Authors: Zhong Wen , Zheng Minggui
Published: October 2022

The allocation of urban land from planned to market-oriented is an important part of China’s economic market-oriented reform, but its impact on high-quality economic development still lacks direct testing. Based on the data of prefecture-level city panels from 1999 to 2019, this paper analyzes the impact mechanism and effect of land transfer marketization on the high-quality development of urban economy by constructing multiple land transfer marketization indicators. The study found that the marketization of land transfer has a significant role in promoting high-quality economic development in the long run. The specific mechanism is that the marketization of land transfer affects the high-quality development of the economy through the financing effect and the resource allocation effect. The degree of marketization of land transfer can be increased, which can not only promote the expansion of production scale by increasing the degree of land capitalization and increasing the scale of urban financing, but also improve the efficiency of resource allocation by giving more effective play to the land price signal and guiding the combination of production factors to match more effectively. However, this paper also finds that the effect of land financing has a very complex impact on resource allocation, and the impact of financing in the primary and secondary land markets on the efficiency of resource allocation is generally completely different. The research results of this paper have rich policy implications and have practical reference value for evaluating and improving the current urban land transfer system. In the future, we should continue to improve the land transfer system in the direction of marketization, reduce the improper administrative interference of local governments in land transfer, improve the level of marketization of the primary land market, and further develop the secondary land market.
A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment: Polystyrene or Polypropylene Packaging Crates to Reduce Citrus Loss and Waste in Transportation?
Authors: Alzubi Emad , Kassem Ahmed , Noche Bernd
Published: October 2022

Packaging plays a key role in preserving food products during transportation. Therefore, selecting proper packaging crates to transport fruits from farms to the market can dramatically reduce loss and waste. This study aims to evaluate the environmental impact of two packaging alternatives when transporting citrus products in Jordan using the loss ratio, as an indicator to select the best packaging, based on the traveled distances. The research team tracked transportation trucks from several farms to the market. In addition, data were collected from the department of statistics in Jordan to build the model using OpenLCA Software with defined system boundaries. However, the results revealed that polypropylene crates performed better than polystyrene crates. Citrus loss during transportation was cut by at least 60% when using polypropylene crates. The use of polypropylene crates reduced product damages by handling better the vibration and load stress, especially with increased transport distances to the “Central Market of fruits and vegetables”. Different impact categories were evaluated. We selected 3 categories based on the hotspot analysis performed: climate change, resource depletion, and water resource depletion. Farm waste has the highest impact with ranges of 58–69%, 77–85%, and 77–81%, respectively. Other impactful waste is waste from packaging and inedible parts; they influence the impact categories up to 23%, 11%, and 17%, in the same order. In terms of environmental impact, the polypropylene crates have fewer impacts since they are reusable and recyclable at the end of the product life cycle. Therefore, we recommend adopting polypropylene crates when transporting citrus products to the market. As a future research direction, the study suggests performing a similar analysis to evaluate the effect of packaging crates on other agricultural products in Jordan.
Hainan Sport Tourism Development—A SWOT Analysis
Authors: Dong Erwei , Fu Bing , Li Yuntan , Jin Jianing , Hu Hengyu , Ma Yajing , Zhang Zecheng , Xu Qianwen , Cheng Zhu
Published: October 2022

Hainan, as a popular tourism destination, is well-promoted by the Chinese central government. In particular, both central and local governments encourage Hainan’s sport tourism-related professionals to develop sport tourism as one of the most important tourist activities in Hainan. However, previous research has not reported on Hainan’s sport tourism strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as a tourism destination or a sports event host. This study uses SWOT analysis to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the context of Hainan’s sport tourism development. A total of 12 dimensions, including branding, culture, finance, infrastructure, location, market, nature, policy, product, specialty, sustainability, and tourist were generated from our data analysis. In addition, a total of five future directions, including emphasizing event-oriented sport tourism, prioritizing sport motivation, identifying major sport tourism markets, making the rational use of sport tourism resources, and nurturing sport culture, are recommended as a result of this study.
Improvement in Bending Performance of Reinforced Concrete Beams Produced with Waste Lathe Scraps
Authors: Karalar Memduh , Özkılıç Yasin Onuralp , Deifalla Ahmed Farouk , Aksoylu Ceyhun , Arslan Musa Hakan , Ahmad Mahmood , Sabri Mohanad Muayad Sabri
Published: October 2022

In this study, the impacts of different proportions of tension reinforcement and waste lathe scraps on the failure and bending behavior of reinforced concrete beams (RCBs) are clearly detected considering empirical tests. Firstly, material strength and consistency test and then ½ scaled beam test have been carried out. For this purpose, a total of 12 specimens were produced in the laboratory and then tested to examine the failure mechanism under flexure. Two variables have been selected in creating text matrix. These are the longitudinal tension reinforcement ratio in beams (three different level) and volumetric ratio of waste lathe scraps (four different level: 0%, 1%, 2% and 3%). The produced simply supported beams were subjected to a two-point bending test. To prevent shear failure, sufficient stirrups have been used. Thus, a change in the bending behavior was observed during each test. With the addition of 1%, 2% and 3% waste lathe scraps, compressive strength escalated by 11.2%, 21.7% and 32.5%, respectively, compared to concrete without waste. According to slump test results, as the waste lathe scraps proportion in the concrete mixture is increased, the concrete consistency diminishes. Apart from the material tests, the following results were obtained from the tests performed on the beams. It is detected that with the addition of lathe waste, the mechanical features of beams improved. It is observed that different proportions of tension reinforcement and waste lathe scraps had different failure and bending impacts on the RCBs. While there was no significant change in stiffness and strength, ductility increased considerably with the addition of lathe waste.
Diet Optimization for Sustainability: INDIGOO, an Innovative Multilevel Model Combining Individual and Population Objectives
Authors: Rocabois Audrey , Tompa Orsolya , Vieux Florent , Maillot Matthieu , Gazan Rozenn
Published: October 2022

Diet optimization is a powerful approach for identifying more sustainable diets that simultaneously consider nutritional, economic, cultural, and environmental dimensions. This study aimed to develop an innovative multilevel approach called Individual Diet Including Global Objectives Optimization (INDIGOO) for designing diets that fulfill nutritional requirements and minimize dietary habit shifts at the individual level while attaining environmental impact reduction targets at the population level. For each individual in a representative sample from the French adult population (INCA2 survey 2006–2007; n = 1918), isocaloric and nutritionally adequate optimized diets with minimal shifts from the observed diet were designed. Environmental targets (including a 30% greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) reduction) were applied either similarly for each individual (original approach) or at the population level (INDIGOO). Compared with the original approach, INDIGOO enabled smaller dietary changes while distributing the contribution to the overall 30% GHGEs reduction more fairly among individuals (contributions ranging from −69.5% to +64%). For 6.4% of individuals, INDIGOO allowed an increase in GHGEs (+11% on average). Conversely, individuals with the greatest decrease in GHGEs (−45% on average) were characterized by high energy intake and high animal-based products, water, and other beverage consumption. INDIGOO is a promising multilevel approach to support food policy development.
Entrepreneur Mindset, Social Capital and Adaptive Capacity for Tourism SME Resilience and Transformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Pongtanalert Kritinee , Assarut Nuttapol
Published: October 2022

Although many studies have explored business resilience during crisis, most subjects are large companies with abundant resources. Hardly any research has explored how small and medium companies with limited resources overcome crisis. This study aims to fill this void by investigating the process of resilience and transformation of small firms during and post-COVID-19. The multiple case study method was applied under the framework of entrepreneur mindset, adaptive capacity and social capital. Small hostels in Thailand and their reaction towards COVID-19 are explored as they were hugely impacted by the pandemic. Four hostels were selected as representative cases of business resilience during September 2020–2021. The results show that these hostels managed to utilize bonding social capital to reshape the business in the short term. In response to the prolonging of the COVID-19 pandemic, bridging social capital was employed to develop a new business model and business sustainability. The entrepreneur mindset is essential for succeeding in the proposed business and helping the owner to be aware of and engage with specific social capital. The entrepreneur mindset also helped to create trust between owner and staff, which enhances adaptive capacity in the firm for resilience and transformation of the business. The findings can guide SMEs to become aware of having a good entrepreneur mindset as well as to utilize their social capital and create business innovation and sustainability to survive the crisis.
The Regulation of Ion Homeostasis, Growth, and Biomass Allocation in Date Palm Ex Vitro Plants Depends on the Level of Water Salinity
Authors: Hammami Sofiene B. M. , Chaari Sami , Baazaoui Narjes , Drira Riadh , Drira Noureddine , Aounallah Karim , Maazoun Asma , Antar Zied , Jorrín Novo Jesús V. , Bettaieb Taoufik , Rapoport Hava F. , Sghaier-Hammami Besma
Published: October 2022

The date palm, a central plant in the fragile oasis ecosystem, is considered one of the fruit species most tolerant to salt stress. However, the tolerance mechanisms involved are yet to be addressed and their evaluation until now was mainly based on heterogenous plant material such as seedlings or limited to in vitro experiment conditions. For these reasons, we propose to deepen our knowledge of the morphological and physiological responses to salt stress using acclimated ex vitro plants resulting from the propagation of a single genotype. The plants were irrigated with 0, 150, 300, or 450 mM NaCl solutions for four months. Our results showed that the influence of water salinity on growth and ion-homeostasis regulation was very dependent on stress levels. The 150 mM NaCl concentration was found to improve dry biomass by about 35%, but at higher salt concentrations (300 and 450 mM) it decreased by 40–65%. The shoot:root dry mass ratio decreased significantly at the 150 mM NaCl water concentration and then increased with increasing water salt concentration. The leaf:root ratio for Na+ and Cl− decreased significantly with increasing water salinity up to a concentration of 300 mM NaCl, and then stabilized with similar values for 300 mM and 450 mM NaCl. In contrast to Na+ and Cl−, leaf K+ content was significantly higher in the leaf than in the root for all salt treatments. Unlike Na+ and K+, Cl− was expelled to the surface of leaves in response to increased water salinity. Overall, date palm plants appear to be more capable of excluding Cl− than Na+ and of changing biomass allocation according to salt-stress level, and their leaves and roots both appear to play an important role in this tolerance strategy.
A Study on Factors Affecting the Value Co-Creation Behavior of Customers in Sharing Economy: Take Airbnb Malaysia as an Example
Authors: Zou Jikai , Shao Ying
Published: October 2022

Starting with corporate and customer factors, this paper establishes a research model of the influencing factors that affect the customers’ value co-creation behavior in a sharing economy. Guided by this model, this study conducted a questionnaire survey on 587 Malaysian Airbnb customers, and analyzed the valid data with software such as SPSS26 and AMOS24. The results show that although the operators of sharing economy platforms do not directly provide products and services, their ethical management, corporate authenticity and corporate image still positively influence customer value co-creation behavior, and that sharing economy customers, whether they are suppliers or demanders, have their own characteristics that influence value co-creation behavior. Based on these results, this study suggests that sharing economy corporations should pay attention to their business operations and customer behavior as well as their APS (Application product services), so as to achieve sustainable and virtuous development.
Intentions to Charge Electric Vehicles Using Vehicle-to-Grid Technology among People with Different Motivations to Save Energy
Authors: Bohdanowicz Zbigniew , Kowalski Jarosław , Biele Cezary
Published: October 2022

This article presents the results of a quantitative survey conducted on 4000 electric energy consumers in Spain, France, Italy, and Denmark. The results demonstrate differences in the effects of additional remuneration for using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) stations, depending on users’ reasons for saving electricity. Individuals with extrinsic financial motivations are sensitive to such incentives; the higher the remuneration is, the more willingness they demonstrate to use V2G. Although individuals with intrinsic (the desire to control spending) and ecological (caring for the environment) motivations are also interested in using V2G, no relationship can be observed between the sizes of the rewards and individuals’ desire to use the technology. Users are similarly encouraged by low (an extra 2.5% of energy for free) and high (an extra 20%) rewards. In contrast, individuals who display intrinsic general modesty (willingness to not waste things) motivations may even be discouraged: the higher the reward, the less interest they demonstrate in V2G. The article illustrates how different types of motivation can affect users’ interest in the innovative V2G concept, as well as underlining the importance of constructing intrinsic and altruistic motivations in the process of education.
Reuse of Barley Straw for Handmade Paper Production
Authors: Román-Gutiérrez Alma Delia , Duana-Ávila Danae , Hernández-Ávila Juan , Cerecedo-Saenz Eduardo , Salinas-Rodríguez Eleazar , Rojas-León Adriana , López Perea Patricia
Published: October 2022

The main objective of this work is supporting the use of sustainable solutions for the management and reuse of agricultural waste from the cereal harvest, such as oats, barley, and triticale, making sheets of artisan paper, innovating the process with the use of different proportions of cellulose obtained from straw residues. The physical and mechanical properties of the obtained sheets showed that basis weight (66–96 g/m2), thickness (19–300 μm), burst strength (68.9–103.4 kPa), burst index (0.81–1.35 kPam2/g) and bulk (2.52–3.12 cm3/g), were adequate. Based on what can be observed in the SEM images, it is possible to infer that straw has the function of supporting the sheets using combinations of barley straw and recycled paper. The result of the IR analysis indicated that the sheet with an increase in hydroxyl groups was that obtained with barley straw. Therefore, the treatment was efficient. These results were corroborated by X-ray diffraction analysis, in which the percentage of crystallinity of the barley straw paper was 37.1%. Finally, the results obtained indicated that the crystallinity is better in the sheets containing large amounts of barley straw. The sheet with the highest percentage of crystallinity was that which was made using 100% of barley straw, showing a 37.1 percentage of crystallinity, followed by the sheet made of 100% recycled paper, having a value of 34.4%.
Understanding the Street Layout of Melbourne’s Chinatown as an Urban Heritage Precinct in a Grid System Using Space Syntax Methods and Field Observation
Authors: Geng Shiran , Chau Hing-Wah , Jamei Elmira , Vrcelj Zora
Published: October 2022

Melbourne’s Chinatown is the oldest in Australia. A large amount of research on this unique ethnic enclave has been conducted to elucidate its formation history, heritage significance, cultural influence and architectural features. However, the discussion of the precinct’s spatial characteristics remains mostly marginalised. As a heritage precinct in the centre of an urban grid form, the precinct offers a unique spatial experience to its visitors. To better fathom the street layout of the area, three objectives are addressed in this study, including understanding: (1) the precinct’s street network in the grid system, (2) the visibility relationship within the precinct and (3) the relationship between buildings and streets. A joint methodology framework is established to fulfil the research objectives by incorporating space syntax methods and field observation. The findings facilitate policymakers and planners in understanding the precinct’s unique street layout and making relevant preservation decisions. Further studies are encouraged to scrutinise other spatial and urban characteristics of the precinct and test the proposed methodology.
Case Study: Assessing The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Potential for a More Climate-Friendly Work-Related Mobility
Authors: Wilke Dennis , Rau Henriette , Härtling Joachim W.
Published: October 2022

The switch from working in-office to working from home in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on people’s mobility behavior. In view of the need for action arising from the ongoing challenge of climate change, these changes should be seen as an opportunity to reduce emissions in the traffic sector. The aim of this study was to analyze changes in work-related mobility that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic using the case of a multinational medium-sized retail chain situated in semi-rural Germany. The case study allowed us to examine those changes in connection with individual attitudes and perspectives of the company and its employees. Thus, we quantitatively recorded the mobility behavior of the company’s employees, followed by an expert interview to ascertain the company’s perspective. We found a reduction in the frequency of commuting and business trips made by employees, which seemed to continue beyond the COVID-19 crisis. However, according to our findings these changes were not based on individual motivation to act in a climate-aware manner but are subject to the framework conditions created by employers for the adoption of climate-friendly behavior. The results of this work could be used by companies and policymakers to create such favorable framework conditions.