bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Two-Step Phenotypic Parameter Measurement Strategy for Overlapped Grapes under Different Light Conditions
Authors: Miao Yubin , Huang Leilei , Zhang Shu
Published: July 2021

Phenotypic characteristics of fruit particles, such as projection area, can reflect the growth status and physiological changes of grapes. However, complex backgrounds and overlaps always constrain accurate grape border recognition and detection of fruit particles. Therefore, this paper proposes a two-step phenotypic parameter measurement to calculate areas of overlapped grape particles. These two steps contain particle edge detection and contour fitting. For particle edge detection, an improved HED network is introduced. It makes full use of outputs of each convolutional layer, introduces Dice coefficients to original weighted cross-entropy loss function, and applies image pyramids to achieve multi-scale image edge detection. For contour fitting, an iterative least squares ellipse fitting and region growth algorithm is proposed to calculate the area of grapes. Experiments showed that in the edge detection step, compared with current prevalent methods including Canny, HED, and DeepEdge, the improved HED was able to extract the edges of detected fruit particles more clearly, accurately, and efficiently. It could also detect overlapping grape contours more completely. In the shape-fitting step, our method achieved an average error of 1.5% in grape area estimation. Therefore, this study provides convenient means and measures for extraction of grape phenotype characteristics and the grape growth law.
A Comparison of Three Neural Network Approaches for Estimating Joint Angles and Moments from Inertial Measurement Units
Authors: Mundt Marion , Johnson William R. , Potthast Wolfgang , Markert Bernd , Mian Ajmal , Alderson Jacqueline
Published: July 2021

The application of artificial intelligence techniques to wearable sensor data may facilitate accurate analysis outside of controlled laboratory settings—the holy grail for gait clinicians and sports scientists looking to bridge the lab to field divide. Using these techniques, parameters that are difficult to directly measure in-the-wild, may be predicted using surrogate lower resolution inputs. One example is the prediction of joint kinematics and kinetics based on inputs from inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors. Despite increased research, there is a paucity of information examining the most suitable artificial neural network (ANN) for predicting gait kinematics and kinetics from IMUs. This paper compares the performance of three commonly employed ANNs used to predict gait kinematics and kinetics: multilayer perceptron (MLP); long short-term memory (LSTM); and convolutional neural networks (CNN). Overall high correlations between ground truth and predicted kinematic and kinetic data were found across all investigated ANNs. However, the optimal ANN should be based on the prediction task and the intended use-case application. For the prediction of joint angles, CNNs appear favourable, however these ANNs do not show an advantage over an MLP network for the prediction of joint moments. If real-time joint angle and joint moment prediction is desirable an LSTM network should be utilised.
Migrant Domestic Workers’ Experiences of Sexual Harassment: A Qualitative Study in Four EU Countries
Authors: Papadakaki Maria , Ratsika Nikoleta , Pelekidou Lina , Halbmayr Brigitte , Kouta Christiana , Lainpelto Katrin , Solinc Miran , Apostolidou Zoe , Christodoulou Josie , Kohont Andrej , Lainpelto Jack , Pithara Christalla , Zobnina Anna , Chliaoutakis Joannes
Published: July 2021

Sexual harassment against female migrant domestic workers is a public health problem, which remains hidden and largely underreported. The current paper presents the results of a qualitative research study on sexually victimized migrant domestic workers in four European countries (Austria, Cyprus, Greece, and Sweden). The study aimed at exploring the profile and experiences of victimised individuals. Data were gathered via 66 semi-structured interviews with victimised female migrant domestic workers. Key findings of the current study indicate that the victims: (a) were usually undocumented and had low local language skills; (b) identified domestic work as the only way into the labour market; (c) suffered primarily psychological, economic, and social consequences; (d) had poor social support networks; (e) were poorly connected to governmental support services. This is the first study to explore this hidden problem via direct contact with victims. Addressing barriers of migrants’ social integration seems important. Better regulation and monitoring of this low-skilled occupation could minimise risks for vulnerable employees.
A Comparison between Ultrasonic Guided Wave Leakage and Half-Cell Potential Methods in Detection of Corrosion in Reinforced Concrete Decks
Authors: Amiri Ahmad Shoaib , Erdogmus Ece , Richter-Egger Dana
Published: July 2021

This article presents the advantages and limitations of a recently developed Ultrasonic Guided Wave Leakage (UGWL) method in comparison to the well-known Half-Cell Potential (HCP) method in their ability to detect corrosion in reinforced concrete (RC) bridge decks. This research also establishes a correlation between UGWL data and chloride content in concrete RC slabs. Concrete slabs submerged in a 10% NaCl solution were monitored using both methods over a period of six months. The chloride content from the three cores (0.84, 0.55, and 0.18%) extracted from the slab after the 6-month long process all exceeded the chloride threshold values suggested in ACI 318, which is 0.05 to 0.1% by weight of concrete. Further, the UGWL method detected changes due to corrosion approximately 21 days earlier than the HCP method.
“With Friends Like These”: Unpacking Panicked Metaphors for Population Ageing
Authors: Chivers Sally
Published: July 2021

Age studies scholars have long noted problems with using a tsunami metaphor to describe population ageing. Age-friendly offers a new way to respond to an increase in older adults. Though critical gerontologists identify the related movement’s limits, “age-friendly” itself is rarely recognized as a metaphor. This paper proposes that, while the metaphor of age-friendly is more benign than that of the tsunami, it still portrays an ageing population as a homogenous problem to be solved through morally obligatory individual actions, thereby participating in a form of age panic. The analysis draws on a humanities-based close reading of the World Health Organization’s 2007 “Global Age-Friendly Cities: A Guide.” The method uncovers attitudes that anchor the metaphor and hamper the movement’s effectiveness, particularly when trying to reach people who have not already been well served all their lives. The emphasis on a narrow version of active ageing feeds a neoliberal imagination that affects how value is assigned to an ageing population. That underlying emphasis needs to shift before new metaphors, policies and practices for population ageing—that allow for the variability and uniqueness of late-life experience—can take hold. How might we reconceptualize the ageing population if we focus on contributions and meaning instead?
The Use of Interpreters in Medical Education: A Narrative Literature Review
Authors: Constantinou Costas S. , Ng Andrew Timothy , Becker Chase Beverley , Zadeh Parmida Enayati , Papageorgiou Alexia
Published: July 2021

This paper presents the results of a narrative literature review on the use of interpreters in medical education. A careful search strategy was based on keywords and inclusion and exclusion criteria, and used the databases PubMed, Medline Ovid, Google Scholar, Scopus, CINAHL, and EBSCO. The search strategy resulted in 20 articles, which reflected the research aim and were reviewed on the basis of an interpretive approach. They were then critically appraised in accordance with the “critical assessment skills programme” guidelines. Results showed that the use of interpreters in medical education as part of the curriculum is scarce, but students have been trained in how to work with interpreters when interviewing patients to fully develop their skills. The study highlights the importance of integrating the use of interpreters in medical curricula, proposes a framework for achieving this, and suggests pertinent research questions for enriching cultural competence.
Factors Affecting Women’s Intention to Lead Family Businesses in Mexico
Authors: Duran-Encalada Jorge , Werner-Masters Katarzyna , Paucar-Caceres Alberto
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study is to establish the prevalence of barriers to women’s leadership in the family business in terms of invisibility, the glass ceiling effect, and sexism. We conduct eight semi-structured interviews with women holding leading managerial roles in family businesses in Mexico to identify the factors that impede/facilitate their involvement. We apply the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in order to determine how these factors support/constrain women in their roles. We find that some factors and circumstances are critical for women to achieve an important leadership role in the family business. These factors entail levels of education and experience, the extent to which women participate in strategic decision making and governance of the firm, as well as the support of the company’s founder and other family members for these women’s efficacy and self-esteem. These results challenge some of the extant findings in the literature, thus enriching the current perspectives on the leadership role of women in family firms. Moreover, this research is the first attempt to analyze impediments to women under the TPB perspective as well as one of the few studies conducted on the topic in Latin America, specifically in Mexico.
Use of Smartphone Cameras and Other Applications While Traveling to Sustain Outdoor Cultural Heritage
Authors: Slavec Ana , Sajinčič Nežka , Starman Vesna
Published: July 2021

Outdoor cultural heritage is exposed to several detrimental factors, so involving people in its care can greatly help in its preservation. We conducted four focus groups with participants recruited through a screening questionnaire to find ways of including travelers in a citizen science project by learning about how they interact with monuments through photography, travel apps, and location-based games, as well as their preferences regarding these apps. Since people can be apprehensive about installing new apps, we also verified the potential of games like Geocaching and Pokémon Go for cultural heritage conservation. We found that monuments appear as a photographic motif if they allow for interaction, are part of a photogenic scene or the visitor is attracted to their story. Some use travel apps to get additional information about the sights and discover hidden sites. Since cultural heritage is frequently part of the Pokémon Go and Geocaching gameplay, there is significant potential to use these apps, not only for tourism, but also for citizen science projects involving cultural heritage. While descriptive in nature, these findings provide useful insight into how to combine ubiquitous devices, smart tourism, consumer behavior, and cultural heritage protection for a more sustainable future.
The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Security in Rural and Urban Settlements in Benin: Do Allotment Gardens Soften the Blow?
Authors: Houessou Mawuna Donald , Cassee Annemijn , Sonneveld Ben G. J. S.
Published: July 2021

A Rapid Food Security Appraisal among 240 rural and urban dwellers in southern Benin was conducted, using univariate and bivariate analyses, to evaluate the effects of the imposed COVID-19 ‘cordon sanitaire’ on food consumption patterns. As this is one of the first empirical studies on the COVID-19 food security nexus, we found that the raging pandemic has affected the food security pillars (availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability) in both rural and urban areas, within and outside the cordon sanitaire. The steepest decline was observed among respondents who live inside the cordon sanitaire, where rural producers and urban inhabitants without access to allotment gardens were hit hard. Increased food prices, disruptions in food logistics, and inability to work due to movement restrictions were most frequently indicated as reasons for the decline. Access to allotment gardens effectively supported households in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food crisis.
Psychoacoustic Evaluation of Hydraulic Pumps
Authors: Pietrzyk Tobias , Georgi Markus , Schlittmeier Sabine , Schmitz Katharina
Published: July 2021

In this study, sound measurements of an axial piston pump and an internal gear pump were performed and subjective pleasantness judgements were collected in listening tests (to analyze the subjective pleasantness), which could be seen as the inverse of the subjective annoyance of hydraulic drives. Pumps are the dominant sound source in hydraulic systems. The noise generation of displacement machines is subject of current research. However, in this research only the sound pressure level (SPL) was considered. Psychoacoustic metrics give new possibilities to analyze the sound of hydraulic drive technology and to improve the sound quality. For this purpose, instrumental measurements of the acoustic and psychoacoustic parameters are evaluated for both pump types. The recorded sounds are played back to the participants in listening tests. Participants evaluate them regarding the subjective pleasantness by means of paired comparison, which is an indirect scaling method. The dependence of the subjective pleasantness on speed and pressure was analyzed for both pump types. Different regression analyses were carried out to predict the subjectively perceived pleasantness or annoyance of the pumps. Results show that a lower speed is the decisive operating parameter for reducing both the SPL and the annoyance of a hydraulic pump.
Environmental, Economical and Technological Analysis of MQL-Assisted Machining of Al-Mg-Zr Alloy Using PCD Tool
Authors: Karim Md. Rezaul , Tariq Juairiya Binte , Morshed Shah Murtoza , Shawon Sabbir Hossain , Hasan Abir , Prakash Chander , Singh Sunpreet , Kumar Raman , Nirsanametla Yadaiah , Pruncu Catalin I.
Published: July 2021

Clean technological machining operations can improve traditional methods’ environmental, economic, and technical viability, resulting in sustainability, compatibility, and human-centered machining. This, this work focuses on sustainable machining of Al-Mg-Zr alloy with minimum quantity lubricant (MQL)-assisted machining using a polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tool. The effect of various process parameters on the surface roughness and cutting temperature were analyzed. The Taguchi L25 orthogonal array-based experimental design has been utilized. Experiments have been carried out in the MQL environment, and pressure was maintained at 8 bar. The multiple responses were optimized using desirability function analysis (DFA). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows that cutting speed and depth of cut are the most prominent factors for surface roughness and cutting temperature. Therefore, the DFA suggested that, to attain reasonable response values, a lower to moderate value of depth of cut, cutting speed and feed rate are appreciable. An artificial neural network (ANN) model with four different learning algorithms was used to predict the surface roughness and temperature. Apart from this, to address the sustainability aspect, life cycle assessment (LCA) of MQL-assisted and dry machining has been carried out. Energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and processing time have been determined for MQL-assisted and dry machining. The results showed that MQL-machining required a very nominal amount of cutting fluid, which produced a smaller carbon footprint. Moreover, very little energy consumption is required in MQL-machining to achieve high material removal and very low tool change.
Engaging the Senses: The Association of Urban Green Space with General Health and Well-Being in Urban Residents
Authors: Kanelli Argyro Anna , Dimitrakopoulos Panayiotis G. , Fyllas Nikolaos M. , Chrousos George P. , Kalantzi Olga-Ioanna
Published: July 2021

This study evaluated the short-term responses of physiological and psychological indices and examined the human senses that are mostly engaged during a green space and urban exposure in residents of Athens, Greece. The forest had beneficial effects for human physiology, anxiety and mood states and was also associated with all five senses and positive reactions, while the opposite was observed in the urban center. The difference of pre- and post-green space exposure salivary cortisol was correlated with the participants’ environmental profile and body mass index. Green spaces can alleviate stress and improve overall mood, while helping individuals experience their surroundings with all five senses.
Key Barriers to the Adoption of Biomass Gasification in Burkina Faso
Authors: Barry Fanta , Sawadogo Marie , Bologo (Traoré) Maïmouna , Ouédraogo Igor W. K. , Dogot Thomas
Published: July 2021

The industrial sector in Burkina Faso faces two significant energy challenges access to efficient energy sources that are also renewable. Pyrolysis and gasification are emerging as conversion pathways that exploit available agricultural and industrial biomass. Pyrolysis has been adopted successfully, whereas gasification failed without getting beyond the experimental stage. This article assesses potential barriers to the adoption of gasification based on interviews with the stakeholders of the energy sector (users, NGOs, policy makers). We use pyrolysis as a benchmark to point out the barriers to adoption. The hierarchical analysis process (AHP) method was applied to identify the most significant barriers to the adoption of gasification. Twenty-seven barriers were identified and prioritized in two dimensions and five categories “technical”, “economic and financial”, “socio-cultural and organizational”, “political, governmental and institutional”, and “ecological and geographical” barriers. The category of socio-cultural and organizational barriers emerged as the most critical in the adoption of gasification. This category deserves special consideration to go past the pilot installation stage and adopting this technology.
Cultural Dynamism and Business Vitality in Medium-Sized Cities—Evidence and Proposals for Sustainable Development
Authors: Escalona-Orcao Ana Isabel , Sánchez-Valverde García Belén , Navarro-Pérez Mª Cruz , Pinillos-García Mariola , Conejos-Sevillano Alberto
Published: July 2021

This work uses tools recently designed to conduct analyses and proposals around the cultural development of medium-sized cities. The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor model, or CCCM, is first applied to the 81 cities in Spain with between 50,000 and 100,000 inhabitants. We also refer to the UNESCO Culture/2030 Indicators, specifically indicator 8 (Cultural companies), to investigate whether cultural dynamism is related to business vitality in those cities. Our observation of the 29 CCCM indicators and the C3 index, which synthesizes cultural performance, is explained, and these data are complemented with cultural business data (on assets, benefits, and jobs) from a sample of 13,204 firms. The C3 index values reveal significant differences in the cultural and creative performance of the selected cities according to their location (metropolitan or non-metropolitan) and their administrative rank. Moreover, when comparing the C3 index with the indicators on business activity, evidence indicates a clear positive relationship between cultural dynamism and firm vitality. These results support the contribution of culture to the sustainable development of medium-sized Spanish cities and further establish the suitability of the tools used to assist cities in designing appropriate cultural policies.
The Role Personal Responsibility Norms Play in Sustainable Development for University Students: The Impact of Service-Learning Projects
Authors: Lucas Mangas Susana , Marbán José María , Unanue Cuesta María Concepción , Manso Argüelles María Ángeles , Romay Martínez José
Published: July 2021

Sustainable development is a desirable, global challenge that is as complex as it is necessary. While individual actions are positive, effective progress must start from a collective commitment. In line with this, recent research points to an urgent need for an increased effort to make sustainability education a key element in the basic literacy of all people. This study takes on this challenge of environmental education and changing attitudes in order to reach sustainable community development while relying on the principles of the value-belief-norm model (VBN). A quasi-experimental research design was used to analyze the impact of learning service projects on the activation of personal norms of university students. The results show that although no statistically significant differences appear between pre-test and post-test measurements, there is a clear trend towards improvement of personal norms about sustainable development, which encourages further research in this area.
Applying Responsible Ownership to Advance SDGs and the ESG Framework, Resulting in the Issuance of Green Bonds
Authors: Jonsdottir Gudrun Erla , Sigurjonsson Throstur Olaf , Alavi Ahmad Rahnema , Mitchell Jordan
Published: July 2021

This study aimed to contribute to the strand of literature encompassing governance, sustainability, and stakeholder theory by addressing an inchoate element of responsible ownership: collective action by different stakeholders. Our study’s originality rests on the introduction of an ownership strategy as a governance mechanism for collective action and responsible ownership in order to implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework. Using a twofold empirical methodology—studying of archival data and qualitative case work—we provide empirical evidence from a case study of a Nordic energy company showing that applying an ownership strategy helped to strengthen the approach to SDGs and ESG while leading to positive benefits: in this case, the issuance of green bonds. Our theoretical contribution is the addressing of a gap in the literature exploring how an ownership strategy can be a uniting point for collective action, based on the hypothesis that an ownership strategy provides an important reinforcement of a “virtuous cycle”. Policymakers who are interested in promoting long-term commitment of different stakeholders with a focus on sustainability and improved agency should encourage the formulation of an ownership strategy that explains the owners’ commitment to the environment, social causes, and/or governance guidelines. Therein lies the practical contribution of this work. In this study, we found that an ownership strategy with these elements helped to strengthen the firm’s commitment to SDGs and ESG.
The Relationship between Decision and Payment Habits and Its Relation with Wasting—Evidence from Hungary
Authors: Pintér Zsófia , Tóth Katalin , Bareith Tibor , Varga József
Published: July 2021

The aim of the study is to explore the relationship between overspending and the method of payment, to highlight its causes. The non-representative survey was conducted between 2020 and 2021 in Hungary (n = 499) using the snowball sampling of data collection. They examined the relationship between age, education, place of residence, and payment methods, and analyzed the impact of internal and external factors on cash consumption and sustainability. The results showed that the use of cash as a method of payment is characteristic with advancing age, and higher education has a higher willingness to pay electronically according to the examined sample, and the existence of electronic access is not related to the size of the settlement. It can be stated that the majority of respondents have no choice when choosing a payment method. The answers reflect confidence in electronic payment solutions (a value of 2.21 on a six-point scale). Each group believes that they can consciously plan their budget (alternative budget). With proper communication and awareness of these influencing factors, financial awareness can be strengthened.
Please, Do Not Interrupt Me: Work–Family Balance and Segmentation Behavior as Mediators of Boundary Violations and Teleworkers’ Burnout and Flourishing
Authors: Carvalho Vânia Sofia , Santos Alda , Ribeiro Maria Teresa , Chambel Maria José
Published: July 2021

The lockdown, in the COVID-19 pandemic, is considered an external crisis that evokes innumerous changes in individuals lives. One of the changes is the work and family dynamics. Based on boundary theory we examine the mediated role of work and family balance and boundary segmentation behavior in the relationship between boundary violations and teleworkers’ stress and well-being. However, because women and men live their work and family differently, gender may condition the way teleworkers lead with boundary violations and boundary segmentation. Hypotheses were tested through moderated mediation modeling using data collected of 456 teleworkers during lockdown. In line with our expectations, teleworkers who have suffered most boundary violations were those with least boundary segmentation behaviors and with least work-family balance which, in turn was related to higher burnout and lower flourishing. Furthermore, gender was found to moderate the relationship between boundary violations from work-to-family and segmentation behavior in the same direction and this relationship was stronger for females than for males. We discuss implications for future research and for managing teleworkers, creating sustainability, both during a crise and stable days.
Investigation of the Electrochemical Breakdown Response in Sensitised AA5083 Aluminium Alloy
Authors: Liew YanHan , Wijesinghe Sudesh , Blackwood Daniel J.
Published: July 2021

The light-weight aluminium alloys play an important role in reducing emissions from the transport industry. However, to take full advantage of these, the corrosion mechanisms that govern their failure need to be properly understood. Hence, the electrochemical response, especially after passive film breakdown, of the aluminium alloy AA5083 was analysed via potentiodynamic polarisation. By starting the scans at the relatively negative potential of −1.4 V (vs. SCE), the reduction of water in the electrolyte causes a localised increase in pH, leading to a preferential attack on the susceptible regions in the (sensitised) microstructure; that is, the deleterious β-Al3Mg2 along the grain boundaries. Subsequently, in the later stages of the potentiodynamic scan, these regions that have been degraded by the dissolution of β-Al3Mg2 undergo imperfect repassivation, leading them to be vulnerable to localised breakdowns. These conditions allowed for the discovery of a discernible trend after breakdown, in which AA5083 microstructures with a more extensive β-Al3Mg2 region (both in size and in amount) recorded a more rapid increase in the measured current density. In particular, the potential at which the anodic current density reached 1 × 10−4 A cm−2 was correlated with the extent of β-Al3Mg2 formed during isothermal heat-treatments. This work provides a possible pathway towards the development of an electrochemical quantification technique for the extent of β-Al3Mg2 growth, degree of sensitisation, and, ultimately, the intergranular corrosion (IGC) susceptibility of the microstructure of AA5083 components used in industrial applications.
The Way towards an Energy Efficient Transportation by Implementation of Fuel Economy Standards: Fuel Savings and Emissions Mitigation
Authors: Muzakir Ahmad Zuhairi , Yap Eng Hwa , Mahlia Teuku Meurah Indra
Published: July 2021

Final energy use in Malaysia by the transport sector accounts for a consistent share of around 40% and even more in some years within the past two decades. Amongst all modes of transport, land transport dominates and within land transport, private travels are thought to be the biggest contributor. Personal mobility is dominated by the use of conventional internal-combustion-engine-powered vehicles (ICE), with the ownership trend of private cars has not shown any signs of tapering-off. Fuel consumption by private cars is currently not governed by a national policy on fuel economy standards. This is in contrast against not only the many developed economies, but even amongst some of the ASEAN neighbouring countries. The lack of fuel economy standards has resulted in the loss of potentially tremendous savings in fuel consumption and emission mitigation. This study analysed the increase in private vehicle stock to date, the natural fuel economy improvements brought by technology in a business as usual (BAU) situation, and the additional potential energy savings as well as emissions reduction in the ideal case of mandatory fuel economy standards for motor vehicles, specifically cars in Malaysia. The model uses the latest available data, relevant and most current parameters for the simulation and projection of the future scenario. It is found that the application of the fuel economy standards policy for cars in Malaysia is long overdue and that the country could benefit from the immediate implementation of fuel economy standards.
Two-Stage Continuous Process for the Extraction of Silica from Rice Husk Using Attrition Ball Milling and Alkaline Leaching Methods
Authors: Park Ji Yeon , Gu Yang Mo , Park Seon Young , Hwang Ee Taek , Sang Byoung-In , Chun Jinyoung , Lee Jin Hyung
Published: July 2021

A two-stage continuous process was developed for improved silica extraction from rice husk. The two-stage continuous process consists of attrition ball milling and alkaline leaching methods. To find the optimum conditions for the continuous process, the effects of alkaline leaching parameters, such as the alkaline solution type and reaction conditions, on the silica extraction yield were investigated in a batch process. The use of NaOH showed a slightly higher silica yield than KOH. The optimum reaction conditions were found to be 0.2 M, 80 °C, 3 h, and 6% (w/v) for the reaction concentration, temperature, duration time, and solid content, respectively. Attrition ball milling was used to make micron-sized rice husk particles and to improve the fluidity of the rice husk slurry. The two-stage continuous process was performed using optimum conditions as determined based on the results of the batch experiment. The two-stage continuous extraction was stably operated for 80 h with an 89% silica yield. During the operation, the solid content remained consistent at 6% (w/v). The obtained silica was characterized using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method.
Communities on a Threshold: Climate Action and Wellbeing Potentialities in Scotland
Authors: Meyerricks Svenja , White Rehema M.
Published: July 2021

Community projects provide opportunities for their participants to collectively undertake climate action and simultaneously experience alternative concepts of wellbeing. However, we argue that community projects do so in ‘liminal’ ways—on the threshold of (unactualised) social change. We employed an ethnographic approach involving participant observation and qualitative interviews to investigate two community climate action projects in Scotland supported by the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF). We identify some of the outcomes and barriers of these projects in relation to promoting wellbeing through work, transport, participation and green spaces for food production, biodiversity and recreation. Projects’ achievements are contextualised in light of the urgent imperative to tackle climate change and against a background of social inequality. Liminal community projects are structurally constrained in their potential to create wider systemic changes. However, the projects’ potential to promote wellbeing among their participants can intersect with climate change mitigation when systemic and wide-ranging changes are adopted. These changes must involve a meaningful shift towards an economy that centres wellbeing, framed through principles of environmental justice and promoting social equity.
Pollutant-Removing Biofilter Strains Associated with High Ammonia and Hydrogen Sulfide Removal Rate in a Livestock Wastewater Treatment Facility
Authors: Kim Dong-Hyun , Yun Hyun-Sik , Kim Young-Saeng , Kim Jong-Guk
Published: July 2021

This study analyzed the microbial community metagenomically to determine the cause of the functionality of a livestock wastewater treatment facility that can effectively remove pollutants, such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used in analyzing the composition and structure of the microbial community, and the 16S rRNA gene was used. Through Illumina MiSeq sequencing, information such as diversity indicators as well as the composition and structure of microbial communities present in the livestock wastewater treatment facility were obtained, and differences between microbial communities present in the investigated samples were compared. The number of reads, operational taxonomic units, and species richness were lower in influent sample (NLF), where the wastewater enters, than in effluent sample (NL), in which treated wastewater is found. This difference was greater in June 2019 than in January 2020, and the removal rates of ammonia (86.93%) and hydrogen sulfide (99.72%) were also higher in June 2019. In both areas, the community composition was similar in January 2020, whereas the influent sample (NLF) and effluent sample (NL) areas in June 2019 were dominated by Proteobacteria (76.23%) and Firmicutes (67.13%), respectively. Oleiphilaceae (40.89%) and Thioalkalibacteraceae (12.91%), which are related to ammonia and hydrogen sulfide removal, respectively, were identified in influent sample (NLF) in June 2019. They were more abundant in June 2019 than in January 2020. Therefore, the functionality of the livestock wastewater treatment facility was affected by characteristics, including the composition of the microbial community. Compared to Illumina MiSeq sequencing, fewer species were isolated and identified in both areas using culture-based methods, suggesting Illumina MiSeq sequencing as a powerful tool to determine the relevance of microbial communities for pollutant removal.
Attitudes and Approaches of Finnish Retrofit Industry Stakeholders toward Achieving Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings
Authors: Alam Sadaf , Airaksinen Miimu , Lahdelma Risto
Published: July 2021

Key stakeholders in industry are highly responsible for achieving energy performance targets. Particularly, this paper assesses the attitudes, approaches, and experiences of Finnish construction professionals regarding energy-efficient buildings, or nZEBs. A three-tier investigation was conducted including surveys and expert interviews with several stakeholders. The structure of this approach was informed by preliminary data and information available on the Finnish construction sector. The questionnaire showed that the stakeholders ranked energy efficiency and embodied energy/carbon as very important. The survey highlighted that the importance of the embodied carbon CO2 in the materials is less important than the energy efficiency from many of the stakeholders’ points of view. “Energy efficiency” is very important for ESCOs, contractors, and facility managers followed by architects, HVAC engineers, and construction design engineers. Nevertheless, the opinions of architects ranked “embodied energy CO2” as the most important regarding nZEB. When it comes to the importance of “running time emissions” toward nZEB, contractors and ESCO companies ranked it as 1 for importance followed by property owners (78%) and tenants (75%). It is very fascinating to see from the survey that “running time carbon emissions” has been ranked 1 (very important) by all stakeholders. This study will enable construction industry stakeholders to make provisions for overcoming the barriers, gaps, and challenges identified in the practices of the nZEB projects. It will also inform the formulation of policies that drive retrofit uptake.
Social Innovation for Sustainable Urban Developmental Transitions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Leveraging Economic Ecosystems and the Entrepreneurial State
Authors: Peter Camaren
Published: July 2021

This study theorizes social innovation-based transitions to sustainable urban development from the perspective of the African urban condition, highlighting that large infrastructure and service provision deficits, poverty, inequality, heavy import dependence and the prevalence of dual formal–informal sector systems are key factors to account for in a just, sustainable urban African developmental transition. It identifies an opportunity space that can be leveraged for urban and broader transitions to sustainability on the continent by leveraging “economic ecosystems” for local scale social innovation-based development interventions. It theorizes that multi-level transitions to sustainability can be engendered by adopting an entrepreneurial state led approach at local scales by using economic ecosystems as the framework to (1) stimulate social innovation-based entrepreneurship that meets local and local–regional demands through decentralized, low cost, small-scale infrastructures, technologies and services, (2) leverage social innovation-based economic ecosystems for catalyzing multi-scalar transitions to sustainability, (3) recast the role of the entrepreneurial state, specifically in relation to social innovation and sustainable urban development (SUD) in Africa and (4) bridge formal–informal sector dualism. This framing prioritizes local economic development over centralized, state-led interventions that involve grand-scale masterplans, wholly new satellite cities and bulk infrastructure deployments in conceptualizing sustainable urban development transitions in Africa.
Economies of Scale and Perceived Corruption in Natural Resource Management: A Comparative Study between Ukraine, Romania, and Iceland
Authors: Gisladottir Johanna , Sigurgeirsdottir Sigurbjörg , Ragnarsdóttir Kristín Vala , Stjernquist Ingrid
Published: July 2021

The aim of this paper is to enhance understanding of factors that undermine sustainable management of renewable resources by identifying and analyzing the main drivers and dynamics involved, with a focus on the role of corruption perceptions and its implications. To shed light on the research question, we chose to perform a comparative study of three different resource sectors in European countries that are ranked differently on the Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International, namely fisheries in Iceland, forestry in Romania, and arable soils in Ukraine. We conducted 40 in-depth semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders to explore assumptions on individual actions and behavior in the sectors. The interviews were analyzed using a qualitative coding procedure based on causal loop diagrams, a method from system dynamics. The results indicate that even though the cases are different, they share a similar outcome, in that privatization of the resource and consolidation of companies took place, along with perceived risk of both unsustainable resource management practices and corruption. Our findings suggest that the underlying similarities of the cases are that privatization occurred around the same time in early 1990s, when neoliberal economic ideology influentially held up the idea that private ownership meant better management. What followed was a transition to economies of scale that ultimately resulted in dominance of large vertically integrated companies in the sectors. The resulting inequalities between large and small actors in the renewable resource management systems serve to increase the risk for unsustainable management decisions as well as increase perceptions of corruption risks, especially amongst smaller actors in the sectors.
Distrust, Identification and Collaboration Effectiveness in Multiparty Systems
Authors: Schruijer Sandra G. L. , Curșeu Petru Lucian
Published: July 2021

Multiparty collaborative systems are created to tackle important societal challenges, yet studies that investigate the relational dynamics of such systems remain scant. Our study explores the role of distrust within and between parties, as well as identification with one’s own party, in the collaborative effectiveness of such multiparty systems (MPS). We use a behavioral simulation context in which distrust, identification, and collaboration effectiveness are assessed at three moments in time: namely, at the onset of the MPS (expectations related to within and between group interactions), during the interactions, and at the end of the simulation. The simulation was played 11 times with different groups, as part of an organization development program for a large organization. We show that high initial expectations of distrust between parties decrease collaboration effectiveness over time, while identification with one’s party has a positive influence on collaboration effectiveness. Moreover, our results show that distrust between parties interacts with distrust within parties in such a way that the highest level of collaboration effectiveness is reported by parties with low within-group distrust and low between-party distrust. The lowest collaboration effectiveness is reported by parties with low within-group distrust and high levels of between-party distrust.
Water Transparency Prediction of Plain Urban River Network: A Case Study of Yangtze River Delta in China
Authors: Liao Yipeng , Li Yun , Shu Jingxiang , Wan Zhiyong , Jia Benyou , Fan Ziwu
Published: July 2021

Water transparency is commonly used to indicate the combined effect of hydrodynamics and the aquatic environment on water quality throughout a river network. However, how water transparency responds to these indicators still needs to be explored, especially their complicated nonlinear relationship; thus, this study represents an analysis of the Suzhou civil river network. Using an artificial neural network (ANN) hydrological model and a multiple linear model (MLR) with in-situ data between 2013–2019, we investigated the Suzhou River’s sensitivity to the six factors and water transparency, which including flow velocity and data from five categories of water-quality monitoring data: total suspended matter (TSS), water temperature (TE), dissolved oxygen (DO), chlorophyll (Chl) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The results suggest that the ANN model can achieve better performance than the MLR model. Furthermore, results also show a well-established correlation between enhanced hydrodynamics and improved water transparency when the flow velocity ranged from 0.22 to 0.45 m/s. Overall, COD is a vital factor for the SD prediction because including the COD can see a notable improvement in the ANN model (with a correlation coefficient of 0.918). This study demonstrates that the ANN model with hydrodynamic and water quality parameters can achieve a better prediction of water transparency than other discussed models for a coastal plain urban river network.
Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs) Acceptance: The Role of Task-Technology Fit (TTF) for Higher Education Sustainability
Authors: Alyoussef Ibrahim Youssef
Published: July 2021

The aim of the present study was to narrow the gap in the literature on the adoption of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and the role of task-technology fit (TTF), which influences student satisfaction, academic performance, and the long-term viability (sustainability) of MOOCs in higher education. While researchers have examined MOOC acceptance in a variety of contexts, the role of TTF as a mediating variable in evaluating education sustainability has not been explored using the technology acceptance model (TAM). As a result, the aim of this study was to create a new paradigm by combining two theories: TTF and TAM. Therefore, this study surveyed 277 university students from public universities using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to learn about their perceptions toward MOOCs as a method of achieving higher education sustainability. According to the findings, perceived ease of use had a positive impact on perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, and social influence, which in turn had a positive impact on task-technology fit and MOOCs use as a method of sustainability in higher education. Task-technology fit also had a positive impact on MOOC use as a method of sustainability. Finally, the role of task-technology fit and MOOCs in educational sustainability had a positive effect on students satisfaction and academic performance. As a result, the use of MOOCs in learning processes should be encouraged in higher education institutions to ensure their long-term viability (sustainability).
Using the Draw-a-Story Drawing Test to Predict Perceived Stress, Military Life Adjustment, and Resilience
Authors: Jue Juliet , Ha Jung-Hee
Published: July 2021

In this study, we investigated how effectively a Draw-a-Story drawing test can predict the perceived stress, military life adjustment, and resilience of soldiers. A total of 276 conscripted male soldiers participated in the study. The research tools included the Perceived Stress Scale, the Military Life Adjustment Scale, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (Korean version), and the Draw-a-Story drawing test. The results of the correlation and regression analyses were as follows. First, perceived stress, military life adjustment, resilience, and DAS emotional content were all mutually correlated. The DAS self-image was positively correlated only with resilience. Second, emotional content predicted soldiers’ perceived stress, military life adjustment, and resilience at significant levels. Meanwhile, our regression analysis showed that self-image did not have significant predictive power. In this paper, we discuss the implications for predictive power of our findings regarding the two measures of DAS; we also propose that DAS could serve as a tool to predict the mental states of soldiers.
Does Car-Sharing Reduce Car Ownership? Empirical Evidence from Germany
Authors: Kolleck Aaron
Published: July 2021

The sharing economy is making its way into our everyday lives. One of its business models, car-sharing, has become highly popular. Can it help us increase our sustainability? Besides emissions and vehicle miles traveled, one key aspect in the assessment regards the effect of car-sharing on car ownership. Previous studies investigating this effect have relied almost exclusively on surveys and come to very heterogeneous results, partly suggesting spectacular substitution rates between shared and private cars. This study empirically explores the impact of car-sharing on noncorporate car ownership and car markets in 35 large German cities. The analysis draws on publicly available data for the years 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017, including, among others, the number of shared cars per operating mode (free-floating and station-based) and the number of cars owned and registered by private individuals (i.e., excluding company cars). We find that one additional station-based car is associated with a reduction of about nine private cars. We do not find a statistically significant relation between car ownership and free-floating car-sharing. Neither type of car-sharing appears to impact the markets for used and new cars significantly. Given the measurable impacts on car ownership levels, this result is surprising and invites future research to study car-sharing’s impact on the dynamics of car markets.