bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Different Turn Speeds on Whole-Body Coordination in Younger and Older Healthy Adults
Authors: Khobkhun Fuengfa , Hollands Mark , Richards Jim
Published: April 2021

Difficulty in turning is prevalent in older adults and results in postural instability and risk of falling. Despite this, the mechanisms of turning problems have yet to be fully determined, and it is unclear if different speeds directly result in altered posture and turning characteristics. The aim of this study was to identify the effects of turning speeds on whole-body coordination and to explore if these can be used to help inform fall prevention programs in older adults. Forty-two participants (21 healthy older adults and 21 younger adults) completed standing turns on level ground. Inertial Measurement Units (XSENS) were used to measure turning kinematics and stepping characteristics. Participants were randomly tasked to turn 180° at one of three speeds; fast, moderate, or slow to the left and right. Two factors mixed model analysis of variance (MM ANOVA) with post hoc pairwise comparisons were performed to assess the two groups and three turning speeds. Significant interaction effects (p < 0.05) were seen in; reorientation onset latency of head, pelvis, and feet, peak segmental angular separation, and stepping characteristics (step frequency and step size), which all changed with increasing turn speed. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed the main effects of speeds within the older adults group on those variables as well as the younger adults group. Our results suggest that turning speeds result in altered whole-body coordination and stepping behavior in older adults, which use the same temporospatial sequence as younger adults. However, some characteristics differ significantly, e.g., onset latency of segments, peak head velocity, step frequency, and step size. Therefore, the assessment of turning speeds elucidates the exact temporospatial differences between older and younger healthy adults and may help to determine some of the issues that the older population face during turning, and ultimately the altered whole-body coordination, which lead to falls.
A Blockchain-Enabled Framework for mHealth Systems
Authors: Taralunga Dragos Daniel , Florea Bogdan Cristian
Published: April 2021

Presently modern technology makes a significant contribution to the transition from traditional healthcare to smart healthcare systems. Mobile health (mHealth) uses advances in wearable sensors, telecommunications and the Internet of Things (IoT) to propose a new healthcare concept centered on the patient. Patients’ real-time remote continuous health monitoring, remote diagnosis, treatment, and therapy is possible in an mHealth system. However, major limitations include the transparency, security, and privacy of health data. One possible solution to this is the use of blockchain technologies, which have found numerous applications in the healthcare domain mainly due to theirs features such as decentralization (no central authority is needed), immutability, traceability, and transparency. We propose an mHealth system that uses a private blockchain based on the Ethereum platform, where wearable sensors can communicate with a smart device (a smartphone or smart tablet) that uses a peer-to-peer hypermedia protocol, the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), for the distributed storage of health-related data. Smart contracts are used to create data queries, to access patient data by healthcare providers, to record diagnostic, treatment, and therapy, and to send alerts to patients and medical professionals.
A Bio-Inspired Compliance Planning and Implementation Method for Hydraulically Actuated Quadruped Robots with Consideration of Ground Stiffness
Authors: Zhang Xiaoxing , Yi Haoyuan , Liu Junjun , Li Qi , Luo Xin
Published: April 2021

There has been a rising interest in compliant legged locomotion to improve the adaptability and energy efficiency of robots. However, few approaches can be generalized to soft ground due to the lack of consideration of the ground surface. When a robot locomotes on soft ground, the elastic robot legs and compressible ground surface are connected in series. The combined compliance of the leg and surface determines the natural dynamics of the whole system and affects the stability and efficiency of the robot. This paper proposes a bio-inspired leg compliance planning and implementation method with consideration of the ground surface. The ground stiffness is estimated based on analysis of ground reaction forces in the frequency domain, and the leg compliance is actively regulated during locomotion, adapting them to achieve harmonic oscillation. The leg compliance is planned on the condition of resonant movement which agrees with natural dynamics and facilitates rhythmicity and efficiency. The proposed method has been implemented on a hydraulic quadruped robot. The simulations and experimental results verified the effectiveness of our method.
Estimating the Instantaneous Frequency of Linear and Nonlinear Frequency Modulated Radar Signals—A Comparative Study
Authors: Milczarek Hubert , Leśnik Czesław , Djurović Igor , Kawalec Adam
Published: April 2021

Automatic modulation recognition plays a vital role in electronic warfare. Modern electronic intelligence and electronic support measures systems are able to automatically distinguish the modulation type of an intercepted radar signal by means of real-time intra-pulse analysis. This extra information can facilitate deinterleaving process as well as be utilized in early warning systems or give better insight into the performance of hostile radars. Existing modulation recognition algorithms usually extract signal features from one of the rudimentary waveform characteristics, namely instantaneous frequency (IF). Currently, there are a small number of studies concerning IF estimation methods, specifically for radar signals, whereas estimator accuracy may adversely affect the performance of the whole classification process. In this paper, five popular methods of evaluating the IF–law of frequency modulated radar signals are compared. The considered algorithms incorporate the two most prevalent estimation techniques, i.e., phase finite differences and time-frequency representations. The novel approach based on the generalized quasi-maximum likelihood (QML) method is also proposed. The results of simulation experiments show that the proposed QML estimator is significantly more accurate than the other considered techniques. Furthermore, for the first time in the publicly available literature, multipath influence on IF estimates has been investigated.
Ventilation Diagnosis of Angle Grinder Using Thermal Imaging
Authors: Glowacz Adam
Published: April 2021

The paper presents an analysis and classification method to evaluate the working condition of angle grinders by means of infrared (IR) thermography and IR image processing. An innovative method called BCAoMID-F (Binarized Common Areas of Maximum Image Differences—Fusion) is proposed in this paper. This method is used to extract features of thermal images of three angle grinders. The computed features are 1-element or 256-element vectors. Feature vectors are the sum of pixels of matrix V or PCA of matrix V or histogram of matrix V. Three different cases of thermal images were considered: healthy angle grinder, angle grinder with 1 blocked air inlet, angle grinder with 2 blocked air inlets. The classification of feature vectors was carried out using two classifiers: Support Vector Machine and Nearest Neighbor. Total recognition efficiency for 3 classes (TRAG) was in the range of 98.5–100%. The presented technique is efficient for fault diagnosis of electrical devices and electric power tools.
A Lightweight Attention-Based CNN Model for Efficient Gait Recognition with Wearable IMU Sensors
Authors: Huang Haohua , Zhou Pan , Li Ye , Sun Fangmin
Published: April 2021

Wearable sensors-based gait recognition is an effective method to recognize people’s identity by recognizing the unique way they walk. Recently, the adoption of deep learning networks for gait recognition has achieved significant performance improvement and become a new promising trend. However, most of the existing studies mainly focused on improving the gait recognition accuracy while ignored model complexity, which make them unsuitable for wearable devices. In this study, we proposed a lightweight attention-based Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) model for wearable gait recognition. Specifically, a four-layer lightweight CNN was first employed to extract gait features. Then, a novel attention module based on contextual encoding information and depthwise separable convolution was designed and integrated into the lightweight CNN to enhance the extracted gait features and simplify the complexity of the model. Finally, the Softmax classifier was used for classification to realize gait recognition. We conducted comprehensive experiments to evaluate the performance of the proposed model on whuGait and OU-ISIR datasets. The effect of the proposed attention mechanisms, different data segmentation methods, and different attention mechanisms on gait recognition performance were studied and analyzed. The comparison results with the existing similar researches in terms of recognition accuracy and number of model parameters shown that our proposed model not only achieved a higher recognition performance but also reduced the model complexity by 86.5% on average.
Development of Piezoelectric Energy Harvester System through Optimizing Multiple Structural Parameters
Authors: Yang Hailu , Wei Ya , Zhang Weidong , Ai Yibo , Ye Zhoujing , Wang Linbing
Published: April 2021

Road power generation technology is of significance for constructing smart roads. With a high electromechanical conversion rate and high bearing capacity, the stack piezoelectric transducer is one of the most used structures in road energy harvesting to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. To further improve the energy generation efficiency of this type of piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH), this study theoretically and experimentally investigated the influences of connection mode, number of stack layers, ratio of height to cross-sectional area and number of units on the power generation performance. Two types of PEHs were designed and verified using a laboratory accelerated pavement testing system. The findings of this study can guide the structural optimization of PEHs to meet different purposes of sensing or energy harvesting.
Online Adaptive Prediction of Human Motion Intention Based on sEMG
Authors: Ding Zhen , Yang Chifu , Wang Zhipeng , Yin Xunfeng , Jiang Feng
Published: April 2021

Accurate and reliable motion intention perception and prediction are keys to the exoskeleton control system. In this paper, a motion intention prediction algorithm based on sEMG signal is proposed to predict joint angle and heel strike time in advance. To ensure the accuracy and reliability of the prediction algorithm, the proposed method designs the sEMG feature extraction network and the online adaptation network. The feature extraction utilizes the convolution autoencoder network combined with muscle synergy characteristics to get the high-compression sEMG feature to aid motion prediction. The adaptation network ensures the proposed prediction method can still maintain a certain prediction accuracy even the sEMG signals distribution changes by adjusting some parameters of the feature extraction network and the prediction network online. Ten subjects were recruited to collect surface EMG data from nine muscles on the treadmill. The proposed prediction algorithm can predict the knee angle 101.25 ms in advance with 2.36 degrees accuracy. The proposed prediction algorithm also can predict the occurrence time of initial contact 236±9 ms in advance. Meanwhile, the proposed feature extraction method can achieve 90.71±3.42% accuracy of sEMG reconstruction and can guarantee 73.70±5.01% accuracy even when the distribution of sEMG is changed without any adjustment. The online adaptation network enhances the accuracy of sEMG reconstruction of CAE to 87.65±3.83% and decreases the angle prediction error from 4.03∘ to 2.36∘. The proposed method achieves effective motion prediction in advance and alleviates the influence caused by the non-stationary of sEMG.
A Smart Home Energy Management System Using Two-Stage Non-Intrusive Appliance Load Monitoring over Fog-Cloud Analytics Based on Tridium’s Niagara Framework for Residential Demand-Side Management
Authors: Chen Yung-Yao , Chen Ming-Hung , Chang Che-Ming , Chang Fu-Sheng , Lin Yu-Hsiu
Published: April 2021

Electricity is a vital resource for various human activities, supporting customers’ lifestyles in today’s modern technologically driven society. Effective demand-side management (DSM) can alleviate ever-increasing electricity demands that arise from customers in downstream sectors of a smart grid. Compared with the traditional means of energy management systems, non-intrusive appliance load monitoring (NIALM) monitors relevant electrical appliances in a non-intrusive manner. Fog (edge) computing addresses the need to capture, process and analyze data generated and gathered by Internet of Things (IoT) end devices, and is an advanced IoT paradigm for applications in which resources, such as computing capability, of a central data center acted as cloud computing are placed at the edge of the network. The literature leaves NIALM developed over fog-cloud computing and conducted as part of a home energy management system (HEMS). In this study, a Smart HEMS prototype based on Tridium’s Niagara Framework® has been established over fog (edge)-cloud computing, where NIALM as an IoT application in energy management has also been investigated in the framework. The SHEMS prototype established over fog-cloud computing in this study utilizes an artificial neural network-based NIALM approach to non-intrusively monitor relevant electrical appliances without an intrusive deployment of plug-load power meters (smart plugs), where a two-stage NIALM approach is completed. The core entity of the SHEMS prototype is based on a compact, cognitive, embedded IoT controller that connects IoT end devices, such as sensors and meters, and serves as a gateway in a smart house/smart building for residential DSM. As demonstrated and reported in this study, the established SHEMS prototype using the investigated two-stage NIALM approach is feasible and usable.
Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Scapular-Focused Exercise Protocol for Patients with Shoulder Dysfunctions—A Prospective Cohort
Authors: dos Santos Cristina , Jones Mark A. , Matias Ricardo
Published: April 2021

Current clinical practice lacks consistent evidence in the management of scapular dyskinesis. This study aims to determine the short- and long-term effects of a scapular-focused exercise protocol facilitated by real-time electromyographic biofeedback (EMGBF) on pain and function, in individuals with rotator cuff related pain syndrome (RCS) and anterior shoulder instability (ASI). One-hundred and eighty-three patients were divided into two groups (n = 117 RCS and n = 66 ASI) and guided through a structured exercise protocol, focusing on scapular dynamic control. Values of pain and function (shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) questionnaire, complemented by the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) and disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) questionnaire) were assessed at the initial, 4-week, and 2-year follow-up and compared within and between. There were significant differences in pain and function improvement between the initial and 4-week assessments. There were no differences in the values of DASH 1st part and SPADI between the 4-week and 2-year follow-up. There were no differences between groups at the baseline and long-term, except for DASH 1st part and SPADI (p < 0.05). Only 29 patients (15.8%) had a recurrence episode at follow-up. These results provide valuable information on the positive results of the protocol in the short- and long-term.
The Need to Act: Incest as a Crime Given Low Priority—A View with India as an Example
Authors: Choate Peter , Sharan Radha
Published: April 2021

Background: Incest is a form of sexual activity that occurs within family or kinship systems. It is prohibited by religion and law in most countries as well as by social mores or taboos. Data from various parts of the world indicate, however, that it appears to be a relatively common event, although there is reason to believe that the actual frequency is unknown. Most available data focus upon children as victims, although we note that incest also occurs between adult family members. Methods: A systematic review was performed using PRISMA guidelines. With a focus upon India, the search tools of Academic Search Complete, Google Scholar and PUBMED were used to identify articles that legally defined incest; frequency; barriers to disclosure; the dynamics of incest and social norms. Results: The available data were very limited, making a systematic review unachievable within the narrow confines of incest. Conclusions: The literature is sparse. This led to a discussion of definitional issues; barriers to disclosure; and challenges with measuring the problem of incest and the impact of social norms. Questions of law and efforts at reform were also considered. The article considers what steps might be appropriate.
Risk Factors, Diagnosis and Management of Bone Stress Injuries in Adolescent Athletes: A Narrative Review
Authors: Beck Belinda , Drysdale Louise
Published: April 2021

Physical activity is known to be beneficial for bone; however, some athletes who train intensely are at risk of bone stress injury (BSI). Incidence in adolescent athlete populations is between 3.9 and 19% with recurrence rates as high as 21%. Participation in physical training can be highly skeletally demanding, particularly during periods of rapid growth in adolescence, and when competition and training demands are heaviest. Sports involving running and jumping are associated with a higher incidence of BSI and some athletes appear to be more susceptible than others. Maintaining a very lean physique in aesthetic sports (gymnastics, figure skating and ballet) or a prolonged negative energy balance in extreme endurance events (long distance running and triathlon) may compound the risk of BSI with repetitive mechanical loading of bone, due to the additional negative effects of hormonal disturbances. The following review presents a summary of the epidemiology of BSI in the adolescent athlete, risk factors for BSI (physical and behavioural characteristics, energy balance and hormone disruption, growth velocity, sport-specific risk, training load, etc.), prevention and management strategies.
Predict and Simulate Sustainable Urban Growth by Using GIS and MCE Based CA. Case of Famagusta in Northern Cyprus
Authors: Kara Can , Doratlı Naciye
Published: April 2021

The research study utilizes Multi Criteria Evaluation (MCE) method in geographic information systems (GIS) environment and uses MCE suitability maps with Cellular Automata (CA) for predicting and simulating sustainable urban development scenarios in Famagusta City. It represents first scenario-based simulations of the future growth of Famagusta as “do-nothing” and “sustainable”. Under the do-nothing scenario, Markov Chain probability analysis with CA models is used with temporal land-use/cover datasets based on the images from 2002 and 2011. It shows that, Famagusta City is moving away from sustainable development. Future expansion of both medium-density and low-density urban zones are always located around existing built-up urban area along transportation lines. A similar model is employed by applying sustainable urban development policies by the policy driven scenario. As a main goal, sustainable urban development includes three main criteria, compactness, environmental protection, and social equity. Additionally, brownfield development, distance from center, soil characteristics, soil productivity, vegetation, environmental protection areas (EPA), distance from local services, distance from open space are used as criteria with Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Having such a simulation with the combination of MCE, GIS, and CA has several advantages. Prediction of urban growth presents possible alternative development in the future; visualization of decision making easier for town planners and supports the spatial planning process; and creates more realistic results of our choices related to urban growth.
Recharge Sources and Genetic Model of Geothermal Water in Tangquan, Nanjing, China
Authors: Xu Chenghua , Yu Dandan , Luo Zujiang
Published: April 2021

This paper introduces a method to study the origin of geothermal water by analysis of hydrochemistry and isotopes. In addition, the genetic mechanism of geothermal water (GTW) is revealed. The study of the origin of geothermal water is useful for the sustainability of geothermal use. As an example, Tangquan is abundant in GTW resources. Elucidating the recharge sources and formation mechanism of the GTW in this area is vitally important for its scientific development. In this study, the GTW in Tangquan was systematically investigated using hydrochemical and isotopic geochemical analysis methods. The results show the following. The GTW and shallow cold water in the study area differ significantly in their hydrochemical compositions. The geothermal reservoir has a temperature ranging from 63 to 75 °C. The GTW circulates at depths of 1.8–2.3 km. The GTW is recharged by the infiltration of meteoric water at elevations of 321–539 m and has a circulation period of approximately 2046–6474 years. The GTW becomes mixed with the shallow cold karst water at a ratio of approximately 4–26% (cold water) during the upwelling process. In terms of the cause of its formation, the geothermal system in the study area is, according to analysis, of the low-medium-temperature convective type. This geothermal system is predominantly recharged by precipitation that falls in the outcropping carbonate area within the Laoshan complex anticline and is heated by the terrestrial heat flow in the area. The geothermal reservoir is composed primarily of Upper Sinian dolomite formations, and its caprock is made up of Cambrian, Cretaceous, and Quaternary formations. Through deep circulation, the GTW migrates upward along channels formed from the convergence of northeast–east- and north–west-trending faults and is mixed with the shallow cold water, leading to geothermal anomalies in the area.
Postharvest Losses in Quantity and Quality of Table Grape (cv. Crimson Seedless) along the Supply Chain and Associated Economic, Environmental and Resource Impacts
Authors: Blanckenberg Anelle , Opara Umezuruike Linus , Fawole Olaniyi Amos
Published: April 2021

High incidence of postharvest losses is a major challenge to global food security. Addressing postharvest losses is a better strategy to increase business efficiency and improve food security rather than simply investing more resources to increase production. Global estimates show that fruit and vegetables are the highest contributors to postharvest losses and food waste, with 45% of production lost. This represents 38% of total global food losses and waste. However, the lack of primary data on postharvest losses at critical steps in the fruit value chain and the unknown economic, environmental and resource impacts of these losses makes it difficult to formulate mitigation strategies. This paper quantifies postharvest losses and quality attributes of ‘Crimson Seedless’ table grapes at farm and simulated retail levels. Table grapes were sampled from four farms in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, the largest deciduous fruit production and export region in Southern Africa. Mean on-farm losses immediately after harvest was 13.9% in 2017 and 5.97% in 2018, ranging from 5.51% to 23.3% for individual farms. The main reason for on-farm losses was mechanical damage (7.1%). After 14 days in cold storage (−0.3 ± 0.7 °C, 81.3 ± 4.1% RH), mean grape losses were 3.05% in 2017 and 2.41% in 2018, which increased to 7.41% in 2017 and 2.99% in 2018, after 28 days. After 10 days of further storage under simulated market conditions (5.4 ± 0.6 °C, 83.7 ± 2.9% RH), fruit losses were 3.65% during retail marketing and 4.36% during export. Storing grapes under ambient conditions (25.1 ± 1.3 °C and 46.6 ± 6.0% RH) resulted in a higher incidence of losses, increasing from 7.03 to 9.59 and 14.29% after 3, 7 and 10 days, respectively. The socioeconomic impacts of these postharvest losses amounted to financial losses of over ZAR 279 million (USD 17 million according to the conversion rate of 20 October 2020) annually, and this was associated with the loss of 177.43 million MJ of fossil energy, 4.8 million m3 of fresh water and contributed to the emission of approximately 52,263 tons of CO2 equivalent.
The Role of Flexibility in the Realization of Inclusive Education
Authors: Lübke Laura , Pinquart Martin , Schwinger Malte
Published: April 2021

This study focused on associations between teachers’ flexibility and their use of evidence-based strategies in inclusive education in a sample of N = 119 teachers. Flexibility showed direct effects on teachers’ attitudes towards the achievement of mainstream students and students with learning difficulties, attitudes towards social benefits of inclusion for students with emotional and behavioral disturbances, and on teachers’ self-efficacy regarding the support of students’ social skills. Furthermore, indirect effects of flexibility on intentions and behavior regarding the support of social skills were found. The findings emphasize the importance of teachers’ flexibility in the realization of inclusive education.
Electroplating and PVD Finishing Technologies in the Fashion Industry: Perspectives and Scenarios
Authors: Bandinelli Romeo , Fani Virginia , Bindi Bianca
Published: April 2021

This work deals with a comparison between electroplating and Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) finishing technologies applied in the fashion industry, with a special focus on their environmental impacts. The goal of this work is to present and validate a Decision Support System (DSS) allowing companies to identify, through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis, which of the two types of finishing processes is more suitable in comparison with specific KPIs. After an investigation on the literature and an industrial background regarding the two technologies, the model and, in particular, the sequence of activities that were conducted, are presented. Since LCA is an articulated process, requiring specific and adequate skills that are often unavailable within companies operating in this specific sector, a tool that facilitates LCA execution is a requisite. This tool, though potential publicity will facilitate the adoption of these approaches and sustainability as a driver in the selection of different production process strategies.
Help-Seeking in an Academic Context: A Systematic Review
Authors: Martín-Arbós Sergi , Castarlenas Elena , Dueñas Jorge-Manuel
Published: April 2021

Academic help-seeking as a learning strategy can influence academic achievement. Indeed, seeking help when needed is considered a self-regulated learning strategy that should be taken into account from the educational perspective. In this study, we review twenty-five articles published over the last 10 years that have analysed academic help-seeking in adolescents or university students. The aims of this review are to describe the relationship between academic help-seeking and other sociodemographic, educational, and psychosocial variables, and to evaluate the instruments that are used to assess academic help-seeking. Our results show that there is a lack of consensus on the structure of help-seeking as a construct. Moreover, the role of sex and age is unclear, and there is little replication in the correlational models. Further research is needed to better define the construct and compare the variables that influence academic help-seeking at different stages of education.
Differences in Local Rice Price Volatility, Climate, and Macroeconomic Determinants in the Indonesian Market
Authors: Putra Agie Wandala , Supriatna Jatna , Koestoer Raldi Hendro , Soesilo Tri Edhi Budhi
Published: April 2021

Rice is a staple food in most Asian countries, and food security is often viewed as having a rice supply to avoid a food crisis. The large number of people who have low incomes means there is a risk of household economic conditions being threatened when food prices are not controlled. We present a different approach by measuring rice price volatility at the local market level with climate and macroeconomic variables. The model succeeds in representing the variables that affect rice prices by an average of 75% nationally. The influence of macroeconomic variables and climate dynamics was found to have a non-uniform pattern from one region to another. The factors that dominate the volatility of rice prices in each province were different. To help address these problems, it is suggested to model and integrate climate data and macroeconomic variables. The output can be used to determine national policies for controllable factors and anticipate climate dynamics to reduce the risk that communities will have difficulty accessing food.
Living Longer with Disability: Economic Implications for Healthcare Sustainability
Authors: Danovi Alessandro , Olgiati Stefano , D’Amico Alessandro
Published: April 2021

This work focuses on the economic implications of the relationship between life expectancy, the number of years lost to disability and per-capita total health expenditure. The primary goal of the paper is to identify and plot the correlation between healthcare expenditure and the global increase in life expectancy, in order to assess if, and how, the way longer average lifespans are achieved affects healthcare sustainability. Datasets regarding the United States, the European Union and the five largest emerging healthcare systems (i.e., Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa) were obtained from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the WHO Health Expenditure Statistics Repository. All analysis was performed on 2017 data. The results of the analysis showed the number of years lost to disability to be a linear function of life expectancy at birth (male R2 = 0.61; female R2 = 0.47), and per-capita total health expenditure to be an exponential function of the number of years lost to disability (male R2 = 0.60; female R2 = 0.65). This implies that improving life expectancy via social policies bears negative consequences in terms of healthcare sustainability, unless the number of years lost to disability is reduced too. Further studies should narrow the sample of countries and causes of years lost due to disability, to better inform future policy efforts.
Perceived Stress and Cyberloafing among College Students: The Mediating Roles of Fatigue and Negative Coping Styles
Authors: Chen Yan , Chen Hong , Andrasik Frank , Gu Chuanhua
Published: April 2021

Cyberloafing has increasingly attracted the attention of scholars because of the widespread use of digital devices in educational environments. This research was conducted to investigate the roles of fatigue and negative coping styles in mediating the relationship between perceived stress and cyberloafing. A total of 730 undergraduates (reduced to 716 due to incomplete data) completed self-report questionnaires measuring perceived stress, fatigue, negative coping styles, and cyberloafing. Perceived stress was shown to be a significant predictor of cyberloafing. Furthermore, negative coping styles played a unique mediating role and fatigue and negative coping styles exerted a sequential mediating effect on the association between perceived stress and cyberloafing. We envision the findings as being helpful in guiding educators develop interventions for minimizing cyberloafing by college students and its disrupting effects.
Can Market Reforms Curb the Expansion of Industrial Land?—Based on the Panel Data Analysis of Five National-Level Urban Agglomerations
Authors: Pu Wenfang , Zhang Anlu
Published: April 2021

As China entered marketization in the late 1980s, it soon established a market economy system and implemented tax-sharing reforms. Driven by the marketization, local governments have rapidly developed the economy under the pressure of fiscal competition caused by the reform of the tax-sharing system. Industrial land is an important factor of local economic development, and it enables local governments to invest heavily in the industrial sector to promote economic development, leading to urban expansion. In order to shed light on the relationship between the market reforms implemented by the Chinese government and the expansion of urban industrial land, this paper used the data of 77 prefecture-level cities in China’s five national-level urban agglomerations as research samples from 2007 to 2018. We first constructed the marketization rate of industrial land (MIL) and used the panel data model to examine whether China′s market reform will curb the expansion of industrial land. The results showed that: (1) land market reform can restrain the scale of industrial land expansion, and the impact is different in different urban agglomerations; (2) under the effect of marketization, foreign direct investment (FDI) has restrained the expansion of industrial land to a certain extent. The amount of industrial investment (AII), the ratio of secondary industry to GDP structure (RSG), and the number of industrial enterprises (NIE) will aggravate the expansion of industrial land. We suggest that the Chinese government should deepen the reform of land marketization and develop a differentiated land market mechanism. It is also necessary for local governments to develop stock land, improve the efficiency of industrial land use, increase the investment in advanced technology, and improve the intensive utilization of industrial land. The research provides a reference for other countries in the world that are developing in a transitional period to restrain unlimited land expansion and save land resources in the process of economic development.
Is It Possible to Estimate the Composition of a Cow’s Diet Based on the Parameters of Its Milk?
Authors: Villar Ana , Salcedo Gregorio , Vázquez-González Ibán , Suárez Elena , Busqué Juan
Published: April 2021

Understanding the composition of a cow’s diet through the analysis of its milk is very useful in the linking of the product consumed with the systems involved in its production. The aim of this study is to show the diet–milk composition relationship using correspondence analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. This study analyzed 174 tank milk samples taken from 89 commercial farms located in “Green Spain”. Sampling was performed in two different periods: autumn 2016 and spring 2017. The correspondence analysis allowed for study into the general relationships between diet components and their relationship with the composition of milk (chemical composition, fatty acid profile (FA), and fat-soluble antioxidants (FSA)). The model used to estimate the percentage of fresh grass (FG) in the diet had a high predictive power (Raj2 > 0.7), and the explanatory variables included in the model were linolenic acid (C18:3-n3), vaccenic acid (trans11-C18:1), and cis12-C18:1. The regression equation was applied to the 174 tank milk samples individually. To evaluate the equation’s predictive capacity, different thresholds for the dry matter percentage of fresh grass in the ration were marked (15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%), above which milk could be considered “grass-fed milk”, and below which, “not grass-fed milk”. The equation is considered valid when it correctly classifies the sample. The highest percentage of success (89.7%) was obtained by marking a threshold of 25% FG. When analyzing the misclassified milk samples, that is, where the equation did not classify the milk sample well according to its fresh grass composition, it was observed that the majority of cases corresponded to milk samples that came from herds fed with fresh grass above the marked threshold (>25%) but with a high content of concentrate in the ration. The conclusion is that the percentage of concentrate in the diet has a very important influence on the fatty acid profile of milk, particularly with respect to fresh grass. This is in such a way that anywhere above a concentrate content of >30%, the equation’s capacity to estimate the percentage of fresh grass decreases.
A Review on Management Strategies of the Terraced Agricultural Systems and Conservation Actions to Maintain Cultural Landscapes around the Mediterranean Area
Authors: Cicinelli Emanuela , Caneva Giulia , Savo Valentina
Published: April 2021

Coupled human–environment systems and traditional agricultural landscapes can be a key element in the conservation of biodiversity, ecological functionality, and cultural heritage. Terraced landscapes are a relevant example of traditional landscapes within the Mediterranean area, but they are now threatened due to the abandonment of agricultural activities. In order to identify factors that can affect the conservation strategies needed to maintain terraced landscapes in the Mediterranean area, we performed a literature review on studies about terraces and their management, soil erosion and vegetation dynamics after abandonment, etc. We collated a total of 285 scientific papers reporting 293 case studies in 19 countries. The majority of these studies analyze dry stone terraces and their influence on soil erosion and water runoff, either in cultivated or abandoned terrace systems. Only a minority of papers suggest maintenance or conservation strategies or involve farmers, exploring their decision-making. The conservation of terraced landscapes is in the hands of local farmers, and thus they should be actively involved in decision-making to find the most suitable strategies for assuring the continuity in farming and preserve cultural landscapes in the Mediterranean area.
Wetland Biodiversity Disturbance Evaluation Induced by a Water Conservancy Project in the Flooded Plain of the Huolin River Lower Reaches
Authors: Zhai Yujuan , Hao Libo , Zhang Yanhong , Li Ye , Liu Zhaoli
Published: April 2021

The Huolin River is an important water supply source for the wetland located in western Jilin province, especially the river flooding in the lower reaches of the basin. In recent years, the degree of aridity and salinization of the wetlands has increased. To prevent the further deterioration of the ecological system, water conservancy projects and irrigation systems were constructed to ensure water safety. What effects on the ecological system and biological diversity were induced by all the measures and constructions is not clear. The “emergency project” of the water recession of the Huolin River is taken as example. In the analysis, the project is divided into two stages, five indicators for criteria tier were selected, and for index tier, 21 indicators during the implementation stage and 15 indicators during the operation stage were selected for constructing the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model. By using expert scoring to determine the weight of each indicator, the impact index and degree of water conservancy of projects on biodiversity are calculated. The results show that at the level of the impact categories, ecological landscape is identified as a key influence factor. At the index level, the occupied area of the landscape type, the changes in patch number, the water conservation function, and the water purification quality are identified as corresponding key impact indicators. The biodiversity overall impact index is −23.45, which means the negative impact and the degree is medium to low. Meanwhile, for the implementation stage, the index is −51.58, which indicates a medium to low negative impact, while for the operation stage, the index is 33.66, which indicates a medium to low positive impact. These results are analyzed and scientifically evaluated and corresponding protection suggestions for the local area are proposed.
Moving Consumers along the Innovation Adoption Curve: A New Approach to Accelerate the Shift toward a More Sustainable Diet
Authors: Gonera Antje , Svanes Erik , Bugge Annechen Bahr , Hatlebakk Malin Myrset , Prexl Katja-Maria , Ueland Øydis
Published: April 2021

Unsustainable food production and consumption contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. Adopting a more plant-based diet has been identified as a necessary change toward a more sustainable food system. In response to the call for transdisciplinary research on the sustainability of food consumption, this exploratory study combined consumer science, nutrition and health, sustainability research, and innovation to develop a new approach that can accelerate the shift toward a more sustainable diet. Quantitative data on the eating habits and attitudes of 1785 consumers was combined with data on environmental impacts via a life cycle assessment for different consumer segments. We studied the sustainable dietary shift using the diffusion of innovation theory, as well as qualitative and quantitative approaches. We identified and characterized seven consumer segments and related habits and attitudes toward an increase in plant-based foods and meat reduction. The nutritional quality and the environmental footprint of the segments’ dinners showed large differences. The results indicate that moving consumers along the innovation adoption curve with targeted interventions can reduce the environmental footprint of people’s diets and improve dietary health. We also discussed the value of user-centric innovation tools for the translation of insights into interventions by working with personas.
Managing the Historical Agricultural Landscape in the Sicilian Anthropocene Context. The Landscape of the Valley of the Temples as a Time Capsule
Authors: Badami Angela Alessandra
Published: April 2021

The debate over whether we are entering the Anthropocene Epoch focuses on the unequal consumption of the Earth system’s resources at the expense of nature’s regenerative abilities. To find a new point of balance with nature, it is useful to look back in time to understand how the so-called “Great Acceleration”—the surge in the consumption of the planet’s resources—hastened the arrival of the Anthropocene. Some particular places—for various reasons—survived the Great Acceleration and, as time capsules, have preserved more or less intact some landscape features that have disappeared elsewhere. How can we enhance these living archives that have come down to us? Through the analysis of the case study of the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento (Sicily, Italy), the article presents several initiatives that have tried to answer this question. For example, the pre-Anthropocene landscape of the Valley of the Temples has preserved rare specimens of some plant species from which living gene banks have been built for the propagation of species, such as the Living Museum of the Almond Tree. In addition, the Kolymbethra, an ancient example of a Mediterranean garden, has been brought back to life revealing finds related to Greek and Arab cultivation and irrigation systems. The research perspectives opened by the “disappeared landscapes” show that the knowledge of the historical landscape, in particular the mechanisms behind its resilience, is indispensable for countering the unsustainable voracity of the Anthropocene and rediscover a renewed synergy between humankind and nature.
Are Large Carnivores the Real Issue? Solutions for Improving Conflict Management through Stakeholder Participation
Authors: Salvatori Valeria , Balian Estelle , Blanco Juan Carlos , Carbonell Xavier , Ciucci Paolo , Demeter László , Marino Agnese , Panzavolta Andrea , Sólyom Andrea , von Korff Yorck , Young Juliette Claire
Published: April 2021

Social conflicts around large carnivores are increasing in Europe, often associated to the species expansion into human-modified and agricultural landscapes. Large carnivores can be seen as an added value by some but as a source of difficulties by others, depending on different values, attitudes, livelihoods, and everyday activities. Therefore, the effective involvement of the different interest groups is important to identify and shape tailored solutions that can potentially be implemented, complementing top-down approaches that might, on their own, result in lack of implementation and buy-in. To improve dialogue in conflictual situations, as part of a European project promoted by the European Parliament, we assessed the practical implementation of participatory processes in three sample areas in Europe where wolves and bears have recently been increasingly impacting human activities. Our results demonstrate that collaboration among different and generally contrasting groups is possible. Even in situations where large-carnivore impacts were seen as unsatisfactorily managed for many years, people were still willing and eager to be involved in alternative discussion processes hoping this would lead to concrete solutions. An important and common highlight among the three study areas was that all the management interventions agreed upon shared the general scope of improving the conditions of the groups most impacted by large carnivores. The process showed the importance of building trust and supporting dialogue for knowledge co-production and mitigation of conflicts between stakeholders and that controversial environmental issues have the potential to trigger a meaningful dialogue about broader societal issues. The direct involvement and support of competent authorities, as well as the upscaling of this process at larger administrative and social scales, remain important challenges.
Cocoyam [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott]: Exploring the Production, Health and Trade Potentials in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Otekunrin Olutosin A. , Sawicka Barbara , Adeyonu Abigail G. , Otekunrin Oluwaseun A. , Rachoń Leszek
Published: April 2021

Cocoyam [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] also known as taro is regarded as an important staple crop in the Pacific Islands, Asia and Africa. But, Africa has been unpopular in the taro international market though it accounted for the highest share of the global taro production level in the last two decades. Therefore, this study explores the global taro production outlook in two decades (2000–2019) with a special focus on African countries noting their challenges and limitations. Also, industrial, nutritional and health benefits of taro were discussed to showcase other viable potentials of the crop beyond its usefulness as a food security crop on the African continent.
Intention to Purchase Active and Intelligent Packaging to Reduce Household Food Waste: Evidence from Italian Consumers
Authors: Cammarelle Antonella , Viscecchia Rosaria , Bimbo Francesco
Published: April 2021

Innovations in food packaging, such as active and intelligent ones, improve food safety and lower household food waste by extending product shelf life and providing information about food quality, respectively. The consumer adoption of such innovations could contribute to reaching one of the Sustainable Development Goals which calls for halving the per capita global food waste by 2030. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the consumers’ willingness to purchase active and intelligent packaging to reduce household food waste using a sample of 260 Italian consumers and a modified Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model. Using a structural equation model, findings show that respondents are more willing to purchase intelligent packaging rather than active packaging to reduce their wastes at home. Finally, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, awareness, and planning routines are the most important drivers of the intention to reduce household food waste.