bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bacteriocin from Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus sp. A5: Isolation, Purification, Characterization, and Antibacterial Evaluation for Sustainable Food Processing
Authors: Ren Shiying , Yuan Xiaoqing , Liu Fei , Fang Fang , Iqbal Hafiz M. N. , Zahran Sara A. , Bilal Muhammad
Published: August 2022

A new Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus strain A5 was isolated from pickle soup and characterized for its probiotic suitability. Strain A5 was Gram-positive, catalase-negative, acid-producing, and exhibited potential antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (inhibition zone 17.3 mm), Bacillus subtilis (inhibition zone 14.5 mm), Salmonella enterica (zone of inhibition 16.1 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (zone of inhibition 14.2 mm) by performing investigations on the disc diffusion. The cell-free supernatant of newly isolated strain A5 retained its inhibition ability of the growth of test bacteria at pH 2.0 to 5.0, temperature 121 °C for 30 min and UV irradiation for 8 h. However, the inhibitory effects of cell-free supernatant disappeared when subjected to papain, trypsin, and pepsin enzymatic treatments. By eliminating the interferences of organic acid and hydrogen peroxide, the cell-free supernatant possessed antibacterial activity against two indicator bacteria (E. coli and B. subtilis) and showed high thermal tolerance. These results indicated that the antibacterial substances produced by strain A5 were proteinaceous in nature, namely bacteriocin. The antibacterial bacteriocins in the supernatant of the strain A5 culture were further purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and gel filtration chromatography. The purified bacteriocins also showed a pronounced inhibitory effect against E. coli and B. subtilis. The approximated molecular weight of bacteriocins was less than 14 kDa after determining by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In conclusion, the newly isolated strain A5 and its bacteriocins could be potentially applied in food preservation to prevent the risk of foodborne illness.
Destination Promotion through Images: Exploring Tourists′ Emotions and Their Impact on Behavioral Intentions
Authors: Di-Clemente Elide , Moreno-Lobato Ana , Sánchez-Vargas Elena , Pasaco-González Bárbara-Sofía
Published: August 2022

Tourists are increasingly looking for more emotion in the promotion of destinations in order to make decisions about their holidays. Traditional promotional tools centred on images have advantages over other sensorial tools due to the consumer′s knowledge of them. Nevertheless, simultaneously, the continued use of images leads to the sophistication of the receiver, making it necessary to analyse their capacity to create emotions and their effects. The main objective of this study is to evaluate consumers′ emotional reactions to visual stimuli through conscious and unconscious responses. With a sample of 38 students, a within-subjects study is carried out to compare emotional reactions and behavioural intentions in a 2 × 3 factorial experimental design, facing two international destinations and three tourist typologies. The results show differences between the emotional values gathered in surveys and sweating data (EDA) and the relationships between these and behavioural intentions. The main contribution of this study is that, despite the emotional evocation capacity of images in young audiences, there are discrepancies in the conditions that provoke greater emotional and behavioural intentions in the different evaluation phases. The main conclusions are that it is necessary to create images that evoke conscious positive emotions to obtain better behavioural intentions results.
Multi-Objective Prediction of the Mechanical Properties and Environmental Impact Appraisals of Self-Healing Concrete for Sustainable Structures
Authors: Onyelowe Kennedy C. , Ebid Ahmed M. , Riofrio Ariel , Baykara Haci , Soleymani Atefeh , Mahdi Hisham A. , Jahangir Hashem , Ibe Kizito
Published: August 2022

As the most commonly used construction material, concrete produces extreme amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) yearly. For this resulting environmental impact on our planet, supplementary materials are being studied daily for their potentials to replace concrete constituents responsible for the environmental damage caused by the use of concrete. Therefore, the production of bio-concrete has been studied by utilizing the environmental and structural benefit of the bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, in concrete. This bio-concrete is known as self-healing concrete (SHC) due to its potential to trigger biochemical processes which heal cracks, reduce porosity, and improve strength of concrete throughout its life span. In this research paper, the life cycle assessment (LCA) based on the environmental impact indices of global warming potential, terrestrial acidification, terrestrial eco-toxicity, freshwater eco-toxicity, marine eco-toxicity, human carcinogenic toxicity, and human non-carcinogenic toxicity of SHC produced with Bacillus subtilis has been evaluated. Secondly, predictive models for the mechanical properties of the concrete, which included compressive (Fc), splitting tensile (Ft), and flexural (Ff) strengths and slump (S), have been studied by using artificial intelligence techniques. The results of the LCA conducted on the multiple data of Bacillus subtilis-based SHC mixes show that the global warming potential of SHC-350 mix (350 kg cement mix) is 18% less pollutant than self-healing geopolymer concrete referred to in the literature study. The more impactful mix in the present study has about 6% more CO2 emissions. In the terrestrial acidification index, the present study shows a 69–75% reduction compared to the literature. The results of the predictive models show that ANN outclassed GEP and EPR in the prediction of Fc, Ft, Ff, and S with minimal error and overall performance.
Public-Private Partnership Transportation Investment and Low-Carbon Economic Development: An Empirical Study Based on Spatial Spillover and Project Characteristics in China
Authors: Guo Xuemeng , Chen Bingyao , Feng Yuting
Published: August 2022

As the most widely used investment mode of transportation infrastructure in China, PPP has been regarded as an effective institutional tool by the Chinese government for the construction of efficient and sustainable transportation infrastructure, promoting high-quality economic development. In order to evaluate the economic sustainability of PPP, this paper innovatively takes the low-carbon economy as the research perspective and uses 276 cities of China from 2006 to 2018 as samples to comprehensively investigate the impact of transportation PPP investment on the low-carbon economy from the diversified dimensions of the overall effect, spatial effect, mediating effect, heterogeneous effect, lagged effect, and PPP project-level characteristics. The results show that: (1) transportation PPP investment markedly promotes low-carbon economic development in China, which is manifested as the dual improvement effects of benefits and efficiency; (2) transportation PPP investment has a positive spatial spillover effect that can promote the low-carbon economic development of neighboring cities; (3) transportation PPP investment can promote low-carbon economic development by promoting the upgrading of industrial structures, and furthermore has a spatial transmission mechanism; (4) impacts of transportation PPP investment in different subsectors are significantly heterogeneous; (5) transportation PPP investment has a continuous and stable impact on promoting the low-carbon economy in China; (6) the participation of state-owned enterprises and listed companies in PPP projects has a significant positive impact, and state-owned capital is more effective in projects with relatively large scale. All these provide reliable evidence for the far-reaching significance and practical value of transportation PPP investment on sustainable low-carbon economic development.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Perception of Globalization and Consumer Behavior
Authors: Fandrejewska Alicja , Chmielarz Witold , Zborowski Marek
Published: August 2022

The main purpose of this article was to identify the impacts of globalization and information and communication technologies on the consumer behavior of a young population aged 18–34 before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was conducted using the CAWI (computer-assisted web interview) method using convenient sampling involving students of the University of Warsaw. The survey was carried out in three stages: in March 2020, December 2020 and November 2021. The last cycle of research enabled the authors to examine the changes in consumer behavior trends nearly two years after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland and compare them with the tendencies that could be observed in March 2020 and December 2020. The findings from all survey questionnaires indicate that the behavior of respondents is generally consistent with consumer trends established and described in several reports concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s perception of globalization and consumer behavior. The main observation in terms of online purchases was that the growth itself was not very significant, but the frequency of purchases over the Internet increased. A similar trend could be observed in the case of using social media. Research of this scope was carried out in Poland for the first time, which proves the originality and value of this paper.
Automated Surveillance of Lepidopteran Pests with Smart Optoelectronic Sensor Traps
Authors: Welsh Taylor J. , Bentall Daniel , Kwon Connor , Mas Flore
Published: August 2022

Several lepidopterans are pests in horticulture and pose biosecurity risks to trading countries worldwide. Efficient species-specific semiochemical lures are available for some of these pests, facilitating the implementation of surveillance programmes via trapping networks. These networks have a long history of success in detecting incursions of invasive species; however, their reliance on manual trap inspections makes these surveillance programmes expensive to run. Novel smart traps integrating sensor technology are being developed to detect insects automatically but are so far limited to expensive camera-based sensors or optoelectronic sensors for fast-moving insects. Here, we present the development of an optoelectronic sensor adapted to a delta-type trap to record the low wing-beat frequencies of Lepidoptera, and remotely send real-time digital detection via wireless communication. These new smart traps, combined with machine-learning algorithms, can further facilitate diagnostics via species identification through biometrics. Our laboratory and field trials have shown that moths flying in/out of the trap can be detected automatically before visual trap catch, thus improving early detection. The deployment of smart sensor traps for biosecurity will significantly reduce the cost of labour by directing trap visits to the locations of insect detection, thereby supporting a sustainable and low-carbon surveillance system.
Response of Wheat Cultivars to Organic and Inorganic Nutrition: Effect on the Yield and Soil Biological Properties
Authors: Chandra Priyanka , Gill Subhash Chander , Prajapat Kailash , Barman Arijit , Chhokar Rajender Singh , Tripathi Subhash Chandra , Singh Geeta , Kumar Raj , Rai Arvind Kumar , Khobra Rinki , Jasrotia Poonam , Singh Gyanendra P.
Published: August 2022

The deterioration of soil biological health is the most important aspect associated with the sustainability of cereal-based food production systems. The application of organic nutrient sources is widely accepted and recommended for sustaining crop productivity and preserving soil fertility. Therefore, a study was carried out to assess the effects of different levels of farmyard manure (FYM10: 10 t ha−1, FYM20: 20 t ha−1, FYM30: 30 t ha−1), including inorganic fertilizer (NPK) on the soil and the biological properties of five high-yielding wheat cultivars (HD 2967, DPW 621-50, PBW 550, and WH 1105) over a three-year period (2014–2015 to 2016–2017). The results showed that the application of NPK produced significantly higher yields compared to different levels of FYM and the control during all the study years. The continuous addition of a higher rate of FYM at 30 t ha−1 was found to be beneficial in terms of enhancing crop yield gain, thereby bridging the yield gap to only 7.2% in the third year; the gap was 69.1% in the first year with NPK application. The microbial population and microbial biomass carbon were significantly higher in the FYM treatments compared to the NPK treatment. The activities of different soil enzymes were observed to be significantly maximum in the FYM30 treatment. Similarly, the addition of FYM significantly improved the soil respiration and microbial activity over the NPK and control treatments. Based on the principal component analysis, fluorescein diacetate, bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes were observed as sensitive biological parameters for the assessing of soil biological health. The soil biological index (SBI) determined with the sensitive parameters was in the decreasing order of FYM30 (0.70), FYM20 (0.61), FYM10 (0.55), NPK (0.18), and control (0.15). Considering both the SBI and the sustainability yield index together, the performance of WH 1105 was found to be better compared to the rest of the wheat cultivars. Our results conclude that the application of FYM in the long run increases the crop yield (24.3 to 38.9%) and improves the soil biological process, leading to the improved biological index of the soil.
Eco-Innovation and Firm Performance: Evidence from South America
Authors: Barriga Medina Holger Raúl , Guevara Ruben , Campoverde Ronald Enrique , Paredes-Aguirre Milton Ismael
Published: August 2022

Eco-innovation has received a great deal of attention in academia and the business sector because it promotes a firm’s sustainable development and seeks to improve its performance. The prime objective of this study was to analyze the effect of the process, organization, and product eco-innovation on the company’s financial and environmental performance. Using a structural equation model estimated by maximum likelihood and a sample from 214 South American manufacturing companies in Colombia, Ecuador, and Perú, we found that organizational eco-innovation (OE) and process eco-innovation (PCE) are positively and significantly associated with the firm’s environmental and financial performance. In contrast, product eco-innovation (PDE) is not significantly associated with the two types of performance described. Likewise, OE has a significant and positive indirect influence on PDE, environmental performance, and financial performance. These findings suggest that OE and PCE positively affect the firm’s performance. On the contrary, PDE does not have this effect, extending the discussion that eco-innovation is specific to the context of the study.
Virtual Reality as an Immersive Teaching Aid to Enhance the Connection between Education and Practice
Authors: Krajčovič Martin , Gabajová Gabriela , Matys Marián , Furmannová Beáta , Dulina Ľuboslav
Published: August 2022

Maximizing knowledge transfer is one of the main factors of modern education. It is important to raise the probability that students can successfully apply acquired knowledge into practice. This article deals with virtual reality (VR) as an alternative method to provide students with a more immersive approach to semester assignments and their completion. In addition to information on paper, they are provided with an immersive virtual environment that interactively visualizes problems. To test this approach, a case study took place at the Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Žilina. Students were given a standard assignment for workplace analysis and optimization. However, in addition to papers containing all the necessary information about the workplace and its processes (a drilling workplace), the students could also put on a VR headset and walk through a virtual copy of the assigned workplace. Instead of relying on a 2D layout and a few photos, the students observed every detail of the workplace from any angle. Moreover, the immersive virtual workplace was interactive, and the students could interact with machine tools and replicate the real manufacturing process. With this new addition, the students completed the assignment and then filled out a short questionnaire questioning their satisfaction with the chosen approach. With positive feedback, the implementation of VR into the teaching process could further motivate students and make the transfer of knowledge into their future jobs easier.
Insight into Membrane Stability and Physiological Responses of Selected Salt-Tolerant and Salt-Sensitive Cell Lines of Troyer Citrange (Citrus sinensis [L.] x Citrus trifoliata [L.] Raf.) under Salt Stress
Authors: ElYacoubi Houda , Mouhssine Fatine , Imtara Hamada , Ouallal Imane , Ech-cheddadi Sara , Koutoua Ayolié , Lagzouli Mohamed , Alotaibi Badriyah S. , Al kamaly Omkulthom , Parvez Mohammad Khalid , Rochdi Atmane
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the membrane integrity and some physiological responses of rootstock citrus calli under exposure to different concentrations of NaCl. Selected salt-tolerant cell lines were compared with salt-sensitive calli of Troyer’s citrange (Citrus sinensis [L.] x Citrus trifoliata [L.] Raf.) (TC) with respect to growth, water content, Na+, K+ and Cl− ion content as well as cell membrane stability under exposure to different NaCl concentrations. The results show that the stressed sensitive lines have a consistently high ion efflux. The values recorded for these sensitive calli are 3 to 6 times higher than those of the tolerant calli. Thus, only selected halotolerant calli were able to maintain the integrity of their membranes under salt stress conditions. In the sensitive calli, NaCl always induces a slowing down of growth even from 4 g L−1, and the reduction in the relative growth rate is higher than 50% and reaches more than 90% for the three culture durations at 8 g L−1 NaCl. For the salt-tolerant selected lines, the relative growth rate seems to be slightly slowed down until the second month of culture but becomes equal to that of the control at the third month, whether at 4 or 8 g L−1 NaCl. At the end of the third month, the relative growth rate of the selected calli is 100% at 8 g L−1 NaCl. The water content is twice as high in the selected tolerant calli as in the sensitive ones after three months of salt treatment at 8 g L−1 NaCl. After long-term culture, the halotolerant calli absorbed similar or even higher amounts of Na+ and Cl− than the salt-sensitive lines. However, by the 3rd month, the recorded accumulation rate dropped in the unselected but continued to increase in the tolerant calli (4-fold higher at 12 g L−1 NaCl than the control). Furthermore, exposure of both types of calli (salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant) to equal concentrations of NaCl resulted in greater loss of K+ by the NaCl-sensitive lines. However, for tolerant lines, K+ uptake is not affected at 4 g L−1 NaCl and the decrease in tissue content is less than 25% at 8 g L−1 NaCl. From this observation, it can be concluded that growth and the ability to retain high levels of internal K+ are correlated.
Characterization of Piezoelectric Energy Production from Asphalt Pavements Using a Numerical-Experimental Framework
Authors: Mota Bruno C. , Neto Bruno Albuquerque , Barroso Suelly H. A. , Aragão Francisco T. S. , Ferreira Adelino J. L. , Soares Jorge B. , Brito Lélio A. T.
Published: August 2022

The recent increase in demand for electric energy and different ways of harvesting and generating it has been a key research stream in transportation infrastructure in Brazil. Since pavement structures are subjected to the mechanical load of millions of vehicles, the application of piezoelectric sensors is adequate, transforming deformations and vibrations on its layers into electric power. The general objective of this study was to investigate the use of piezoelectricity as a source of renewable energy applied to roadways using computational simulations and laboratory tests. The results indicate that factors such as frequency, load, the number of piezo cells, and spacing all affect the amount of power harvested. Regarding power generation in the simulation and laboratory characterization, the highest values obtained were 648.8 mW and 226.9 mW, respectively. The analysis indicates there is a correlation between the laboratory tests and the computational simulations, enabling the prototype application to capture up to 76.56 MWh of energy per month. Usage of piezoelectricity has been demonstrated to be a promising alternative to complement the Brazilian energy matrix and reduce the environmental impact.
Spatiotemporal Variation and Influencing Factors of Vegetation Growth in Mining Areas: A Case Study in a Colliery in Northern China
Authors: Yang Zhi , Li Wenping , Li Liangning , Lei Shaogang , Tian Jiawei , Wang Gang , Sang Xuejia
Published: August 2022

Based on MODIS EVI data of August collected from 2010 to 2021, and taking the Yingpanhao coal mine as an example, the spatiotemporal variation features of vegetation are analyzed using time series analysis, trend analysis and correlation analysis methods in the eco-geo-environment of the phreatic water desert shallows oasis. A significant increase trend is found for vegetation variation, and its development has improved generally in most areas. There is an obvious positive correlation between precipitation and vegetation growth, and a negative correlation between coal mining intensity and vegetation growth, but the influence of atmospheric precipitation on vegetation growth is stronger than that of coal mining intensity in the eco-geo-environment. The research results effectively reflect that atmospheric precipitation is the primary factor advancing the vegetation growth status in the coal mining regions. Vegetation development response to coal mining would be degraded first, then improved, and finally restored in areas with a deeply buried phreatic water level; that would promote the transformation of vegetation species from hydrophilous plants to xerophyte plants in areas with a shallowly buried phreatic water level. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out reasonable mine field planning according to the phreatic water level and the vegetation type distribution and to adopt different coal mining methods or corresponding engineering and technical measures to realize water conservation to avoid damaging the original hydrogeological conditions as far as possible. This information is helpful for promoting the eco-geo-environmental protection and further establishing the need for the dynamic monitoring of the eco-environment in the coal mining regions in the arid and semi-arid ecologically vulnerable areas of Northern China, which play a significant role in the long-term protection and rehabilitation of the eco-geo-environment and in the promotion of sustainable development.
Comprehensive Literature Review on the Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Public Road Transportation System: Challenges and Solutions
Authors: Olayode Isaac Oyeyemi , Severino Alessandro Gaetano , Campisi Tiziana , Tartibu Lagouge Kwanda
Published: August 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic is a significant public health problem and the leading cause of reduction in the demand and supply of public transit in the last three years. It has caused an unprecedented reduction in the demand for public road transportation, and it has changed passengers’ perceptions from positive to negative when it comes to using public transportation amenities. There is an increasing concern that the public road transportation systems are witnessing a new horizon, especially now that developed and developing countries are trying to resume their daily activities post COVID-19 pandemic. In this research, we focused on the overview of literature reviews of research within the past three years that focused on the challenges and solutions of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public road transportation systems, especially when it comes to the enforcement of physical distancing in public transportation, usage of face masks and government interventions. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were used in reviewing the articles used for this literature review, and an original 140 articles were reduced to 100 articles that were used in this literature review. This research aims to create an overview literature review that highlights the impact of the pandemic on public transportation and identifies strategic ways in which urban planners and public road transportation researchers can develop constructive and efficient public road transportation planning to ensure the sustainability of public transportation systems in the post-COVID-19 era. This literature review extends our knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic in public road transportation. It also provides additional evidence concerning the effectiveness of physical distancing and the use of face masks to prevent the COVID-19 virus in public road transportation networks.
The Landscape Pattern Evolution of Typical Open-Pit Coal Mines Based on Land Use in Inner Mongolia of China during 20 Years
Authors: Zhang Lijia , Zhai Zihan , Zhou Yan , Liu Shihan , Wang Liwei
Published: August 2022

As the province most abundant in mineral resources in China, Inner Mongolia has more than 200 open-pit coal mines. The coal mining activities seriously hinder the sustainable use of regional land and the improvement of residents’ wellbeing. Taking 13 typical open-pit coal mines of Inner Mongolia as the study area, combining remote sensing images and the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, the trend features of spatial and temporal evolution of land use and landscape patterns from 2001 to 2020 were analyzed by transfer matrix and landscape pattern index methods. According to the mining plan and reclamation measures of the “Land Reclamation Plan”, the impacts of ecological restoration projects on land-use structure and landscape patterns were evaluated. The results showed that the following: (1) The landscape types of typical open-pit coal mining areas were mainly grassland, cropland, and industrial landscapes. The change trend of landscape pattern was obvious over the past 20 years, and the changes in grassland and mining land were relatively large, which decreased by 56.51 km2 and increased by 60.42 km2, respectively. (2) Land reclamation and ecological restoration projects had positive impacts on landscape pattern changes. With the transformation from mining activities to land reclamation activities beginning in 2007, nearly 70% of the study area showed a decreasing trend in landscape fragmentation, indicating a better landscape pattern of mining area. (3) Positive policy orientation of mine ecological restoration promoted more reasonable landscape patterns.
Optimal Speed Model of Urban Underwater Tunnel Based on CO2 Emissions Factor
Authors: Chen Ying , Du Zhigang , Jiao Fangtong , Zhang Shuyang
Published: August 2022

This study aims to reduce air pollution caused by vehicle emissions in confined spaces and realize low-carbon travel in urban underwater tunnels. Based on the MEET (Methodologies for Estimating Air Pollutant Emissions from Transport) and COPERT (Computer Programme to Calculate Emissions from Road Transport) models, combined with real vehicle test data, an urban underwater tunnel speed–CO2 emissions factor model was constructed. Results show that: Different working conditions have a great impact on the MEET model; load and slope factors expand the actual CO2 emissions factor, which is different from the actual situation. The CO2 emissions factor in the COPERT model is negatively correlated with the speed, and there are fewer variables in the model, so the parameters are more controllable and more in line with the actual situation. According to the vehicle gasoline consumption and taking CO2, i > GC as the judgment index, the optimal limit speed of the ramp is calculated to be 40 km/h, while the main line maintains the existing state of 60 km/h. The model is simple and easy to operate, can be applied to estimate vehicle CO2 emissions factor at underwater tunnels in other cities, providing a basis for traffic management and effectively realizing low-carbon travel.
Coping Decisions of Production Enterprises under Low-Carbon Economy
Authors: Yuan Yanhong , Zhang Yaru , Wang Lei , Wang Li
Published: August 2022

It aims to study the production and emission reduction decisions of production enterprises under carbon constraints. In the case of carbon constraints in production, manufacturers have four strategic choices: production within the carbon quota, adopting emission reduction technologies, purchasing carbon emission rights, and using emission reduction technologies and purchasing carbon emission rights. Based on the income model of production enterprises under four different strategies, first, under the condition of maximizing the interests of production enterprises, the optimal profit, optimal production, optimal total carbon emission, and optimal emission reduction rate under different carbon constraints are determined, and summarize its laws. Afterward, in order to further optimize corporate profits, the impact of changes in the carbon reduction scale cost and consumers’ low-carbon preference was studied. Several important conclusions are shown as follows. First, the stricter the carbon constraint policy, the greater the optimal emission reduction rate of enterprises. Second, the adoption of emission reduction technology can effectively reduce the impact of carbon constraint on output. Third, the optimal strategy is to both reduce emissions and purchase carbon emission rights, which can realize environmental economic dividends. Fourth, the lower the cost factor of the carbon reduction scale and the higher the low-carbon preference of consumers, the easier it is for firms to achieve carbon sufficiency in their production.
The Temporal Evolution of Physical Water Consumption and Virtual Water Flow in Beijing, China
Authors: Huang Hongwei , Jiang Shan , Gao Xuerui , Zhao Yong , Lin Lixing , Wang Jichao , Han Xinxueqi
Published: August 2022

With the rapid development of the socio-economic system and the close connection of inter-regional trade, the physical water consumption in production and the virtual water flow associated with inter-regional trade are both have a significant impact on local water systems, especially in megacities. Beijing is the political, economic and cultural center of China, which is a megacity that has severe water scarcity. To evaluate the status-quo of local water consumption and propose the countermeasures, this study quantitatively analyzed the evolution trend of physical water consumption and the virtual water flow in Beijing. The results show that the total physical water consumption in Beijing decreased from 2.43 billion m3 (2002) to 1.98 billion m3 (2017), while the net virtual water input increased from 1.76 billion m3 (2002) to 3.09 billion m3 (2017), which was mainly embedded in agricultural and industrial products. This study also reveals the equal importance of physical water and virtual water in ensuring the regional water security and sustainable economic development. In view of poor water resource endowment, Beijing should conduct the coupled management of physical water and virtual water to alleviate the local water shortage, i.e., to receive more virtual water embedded in agricultural and industrial products, and allocate the limited local water resources to domestic use and high-benefit sectors.
Application of Sequential Combination of Electro-Coagulation/Electro-Oxidation and Adsorption for the Treatment of Hemodialysis Wastewater for Possible Reuse
Authors: Jallouli Sameh , Chouchene Khawla , Ben Hmida Mohamed , Ksibi Mohamed
Published: August 2022

Reusing hemodialysis wastewater (HWW) is more difficult due to its higher conductivity (salinity) and the need for an iterative RO or adsorption process. It can therefore be challenging and technologically laborious. In this context, this study aimed to investigate the possibility of treating HWW by combining electro-coagulation (EC) and electro-oxidation (EO) processes and adsorption as the best technologies to achieve efficient removal of dissolved micropollutants. In this work, the application of electro-coagulation/electro-oxidation processes using, respectively, aluminum and platinum electrodes combined with adsorption onto active carbon to treat HWW was studied. In the EC process, high removal of phosphate ions and chemical oxygen demand (COD) was observed. In the EO process, the COD removal performance, total nitrogen, and Mg were significant and reached 100, 83, and 89%, respectively, after 100 min of treatment. The estimated energies required to treat HWW by EC and/or EO were approximately 0.7 kWh/m3 and 0.05 kWh/m3, respectively. While the EO and EC processes used for COD removal from HWW showed almost similar performances, the EO process seems to consume less energy. Therefore, electrochemical removal of HWW can be successfully performed using the EO process and activated carbon (AC) for the complete removal of COD and the mineralization of pharmaceutical residues. The experimental results showed that the coupling of the three processes (EC–EO–AC) provides treated water that can be reused in agriculture due to its less sodium absorption ratio (SAR) value and might be an alternative method of wastewater treatment responding to the concept of green dialysis.
The Misalignment of the FT50 with the Achievement of the UN’s SDGs: A Call for Responsible Research Assessment by Business Schools
Authors: Rodenburg Kathleen , Rowan Michael , Nixon Andrew , Christensen Hughes Julia
Published: August 2022

Publication in the list of 50 journals endorsed by the Financial Times (i.e., the FT50) has become ‘institutionalized’ as a primary measure of research quality and prestige by business schools and faculty. This study investigated the extent to which this closed publication system is (mis)aligned with societal imperatives, in particular the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Research methods included both inductive and deductive analysis. Undergraduate and graduate student research assistants, enrolled in business-related programs, read all 4522 articles published by FT50 journals in 2019 and assessed their relevance to explicit and implicit concepts in the SDG framework. Additionally, potential biases that might stifle research innovation in support of the SDGs were explored. Findings included that 90% of articles were found to have no ‘explicit’ relationship to the SDGs, while only 17% were interpreted as having an implicit relationship. SDG-related articles were disproportionately from one journal-the Journal of Business Ethics (48.1%). There was also an over-representation of observed white male primary authors, who used North American (NA) data sets from NA institutions. A logistic regression model determined that the predicted probability of an SDG-related article increased with observed female primary authors, who used non-NA data sets and institutions. The next steps include comparing this methodological approach with machine learning techniques to find a more efficient and robust method for analyzing an article’s SDG content. Business Schools with sustainability as a core value are encouraged to move beyond FT50 publications for assessing research quality, including for tenure and promotion purposes, and place more focus on assessing research relevance and impact.
Study on Stope Stability in Continuous Mining of Long-Dip, Thin Orebody by Room–Pillar Method
Authors: Guo Yanhui , Miao Yichen
Published: August 2022

In order to analyze the stability of the stope under continuous mining with the room–pillar method for a kind of orebody with a long inclination, but not deep mining, this paper takes the room–pillar method for the continuous mining of a long-inclination orebody in the Mengnuo Lead–Zinc Mine, Yunnan Province as the research background. On the basis of the analysis of the stope mechanical model of a long, inclined, thin orebody with room-and-pillar mining, based on numerical simulation, the nature of the change in stress, displacement and the plasticity zone of the roof and pillar during continuous mining along the inclination are systematically analyzed. The results show that as the mining depth increases, the roof subsidence of the stope in the middle of the current operation increases. With the continuous mining of the lower middle section, the roof displacement of the stope will continue to increase with the subsequent mining of the middle section until the end of all stope operations, and the roof displacement of the stope has an obvious cumulative effect. The stress on the roofs and pillars increases with the gradual downward movement of the mining in each level, and the distribution of the plastic zone also expands. It shows that the stope structural parameters that are set according to shallow mining cannot fully meet the requirements of stability and safety in mining a deeper orebody. Therefore, for the mining of a non-deep orebody with a greater tendency to extend, the structural parameters of a shallow stope should not simply be used in the mining of a deeper orebody, but the pillar size should be appropriately increased or the spacing between the room and pillar should be reduced to ensure the stability and safety of the continuous stope.
Load Balanced Data Transmission Strategy Based on Cloud–Edge–End Collaboration in the Internet of Things
Authors: Li Jirui , Li Xiaoyong , Yuan Jie , Li Guozhi
Published: August 2022

To improve the response speed and quality of Internet of Things (IoT) services and reduce system operating costs, this paper refines the edge layer according to the different data transmission capabilities of different edge devices, constructs a four-layer heterogeneous IoT framework under cloud–edge–end (CEE) collaboration, and gives the corresponding data hierarchical transmission strategy, so as to effectively process sensitive data such as real-time, near-real-time, and non-real-time data. Meanwhile, the link based high-performance adaptive load balancing scheme is developed to achieve the dynamic optimal allocation of system resources. Simulation results demonstrate that the data hierarchical transmission strategy based on a CEE collaboration framework can not only make full use of resources and improve the successful delivery rate of packets but can also greatly reduce the end-to-end transmission delay of data. Especially, compared with the cloud-mist framework without refining the edge layer, the data transmission rate based on CEE collaboration architecture is increased by about 27.3%, 12.7%, and 8%, respectively, in three network environments of light-weight, medium, and heavy load.
Socially Responsible Activity of Micro-, Small-, and Medium-Sized Enterprises—Benefits for the Enterprise
Authors: Bielawska Aurelia
Published: August 2022

As a research hypothesis, it was assumed that micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprise SMEs undertake Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mainly guided by the benefits obtainable from this activity. The aim of the study was to identify the achievable and achieved benefits of undertaking CSR by SME enterprises. SMEs are not obliged to report this activity. The exploration included literature studies and empirical research, according to the expert method, in three stages: (1) selection of experts, (2) collection of information using the CAWI and CATI method, (3) development and interpretation of research results. Research has indicated that CSR is becoming closer to SMEs. The research has shown that experts are implementing CSR and gaining benefits from it. It has also shown that experts’ knowledge of CSR is insufficient, which results in many opportunities resulting from the implementation of this activity being overlooked. The European Commission (EC) guidelines introduced an obligation of reporting CSR only for listed companies; indirectly, this obligation will also affect other companies. Voluntary reporting will increase the knowledge of CSR and bring many benefits to SMEs, provided that a legal framework is created to facilitate the implementation of CSR and its reporting.
The ‘Rippling’ Waves of Wellbeing: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of a Surf-Therapy Intervention on Patients with Acquired Brain Injury
Authors: Wilkie Lowri , Fisher Zoe , Kemp Andrew H.
Published: August 2022

Dominant psychological models of wellbeing neglect the role that nature connection and other key factors, such as positive health behaviours and behaviour change, play in determining wellbeing. The present mixed-methods evaluation explores the impact of ”Surf-Ability”, an adapted surf therapy intervention delivered in collaboration with a UK neurorehabilitation service, on individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) as part of an effort to design interventions based on advances in wellbeing science. Following five surf-therapy sessions, within-subjects analysis (n= 15) revealed significant improvements on the Warwick–Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale (t (15) = −2.164, p = 0.048), as well as in anxiety and happiness as measured via a brief visual analogue. No significant changes occurred in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) or resting heart rate variability (HRV). A ripple effects mapping (REM) session at 6–10 months follow-up (n = 6) revealed that the physical and psychological experience of a nature-based challenge initiated a mindset shift in participants, which ultimately led to them adopting wellbeing-promoting long-term behaviour changes. These changes occurred at the scale of (1) individual wellbeing—increased mindfulness and physical activity; (2) collective wellbeing—improved relationships, community participation and contribution to organisations; and (3) planetary wellbeing—connection to nature. These findings align with the GENIAL theoretical framework, which defines wellbeing from a biopsychosocial ecological perspective across multiple levels of scale. The findings support the need for healthcare providers—including neurorehabilitation services—to enhance interventions for patients by incorporating novel factors that improve wellbeing, such as nature-connection.
Skill Needs for Sustainable Agri-Food and Forestry Sectors (I): Assessment through European and National Focus Groups
Authors: Mayor Luis , Lindner Line F. , Knöbl Christoph F. , Ramalho Ana , Berruto Remigio , Sanna Francesca , Rossi Daniele , Tomao Camilla , Goodburn Billy , Avila Concha , Leijdens Marg , Stollewerk Katharina , Bregler Michael , Koidis Christos , Morin Alexandre , Miličić Vesna , Fadini Giulia , Lazaro-Mojica Jonas , Busato Patrizia
Published: August 2022

The agri-food and forestry sectors are under increasing pressure to adapt to climate change, consumer concern, technological and economic change, and complex global value chains. In turn, such challenges require that the necessary skills and competences are identified at various levels and within specific areas of the sectors. For that purpose, eleven focus groups in nine different EU-countries and two at EU-level were organized within the ERASMUS+ project “FIELDS” with the participation of farmers, cooperatives, agri-food companies, foresters, forest industries, advisors, and education providers to identify the skills needed in the agri-food and forestry sectors. The focus group participants identified business and strategic management skills, communication skills, and other skills related to sustainability, entrepreneurship, digital and soft skills to be most important for the agri-food and forestry sectors as a whole.
Elicitation Promoability with Gamma Irradiation, Chitosan and Yeast to Perform Sustainable and Inclusive Development for Marjoram under Organic Agriculture
Authors: Sayed Tarek E. , Ahmed El-Sayed S.
Published: August 2022

Sweet marjoram (Majorana hortensis) is an important aromatic herbal plant that has long been used and well managed in the traditional and general medical, pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and perfume industries. Thus, the increase in its productivity appears to be of great value since there is a large number of bioactive secondary metabolites as well as an increase in the demand in domestic or foreign markets. The purpose of this study is the possibility of promoting the sustainable development of marjoram in the framework of organic farming through gamma irradiation, chitosan and yeast. Field experiments were conducted in a factorial split-plot design with three iterations over two consecutive seasons (2019 and 2020). The main plot is an abiotic elicitor (15 Gy gamma irradiation), two biotic elicitors 500 ppm chitosan, 0.5% yeast, and a non-elicitor (as control), while in the sub-main plot, there were two organic fertilizers, water extract of moringa 20 g/m2 dry leaves, 20 g/m2 fulvic acid, and 20 g/m2 (NPK); the latter is a traditional agrochemical. Statistical analysis of all characteristics of production and quality of biomass and biologically active secondary metabolites revealed that the use of organic fertilizers helped in increasing the yield of marjoram, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and significantly outperformed the chemical fertilizer. The experiment enhances the comprehensive and integrated development of marjoram under organic cultivation and achieves a promising alternative to traditional cultivation without the use of microbicides and/or agrochemical pesticides.
Pre-Existing Interventions as NBS Candidates to Address Societal Challenges
Authors: Wójcik-Madej Julia , Sowińska-Świerkosz Barbara
Published: August 2022

The nature-based solutions (NBS) concept is an umbrella term that connects and organizes previous concepts from the ’green-concept family’. Therefore, interventions similar to NBS were used for a long time before this term was first introduced. Such pre-existing actions, to be considered as NBS, must meet the Global Standards formulated by the Union for Conservation of Nature Global Standards. One of these standards refers to the challenge-orientation of NBS. The aim of this study was to propose objective criteria that enable the assessment of the challenge-orientation of such interventions. To this end, a set of criteria referring to the seven societal challenges was presented. A Lublin city (Poland) case study was applied in relation to 24 types of interventions. The results showed that all of the analysed pre-existing actions met at least two of the challenges. The actions with the greatest challenge-orientation potential continuity for ecological networks are: protecting surface wetlands, public parks, allotment gardens, restoring waterbodies and maintaining floodplains, and the lowest potential are: creating nesting boxes for bats and insect hotels, installing apiaries and below-ground rainwater collection systems. The analysed interventions responded, to a greater extent, to challenges such as to human health, climate change adaptation and mitigation and ecosystem degradation/biodiversity loss, and, to the least extent, to food security and socioeconomic development Moreover, the study revealed that the scale of the pre-existing intervention type is too general to draw conclusions regarding its challenge-orientation: each piece of the intervention should be assessed separately in relation to the conditions in the local context.