bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MA-RTI: Design and Evaluation of a Real-World Multipath-Assisted Device-Free Localization System
Authors: Cimdins Marco , Schmidt Sven Ole , John Fabian , Constapel Manfred , Hellbrück Horst
Published: February 2023

Device-free localization (DFL) systems exploit changes in the radio frequency channel by measuring, for example, the channel impulse response (CIR), to detect and localize obstacles within a target area. However, due to a lack of well-defined interfaces, missing modularization, as well as complex system configuration, it is difficult to deploy DFL systems outside of laboratory setups. This paper focused on the system view and the challenges that come with setting up a DFL system in an indoor environment. We propose MA-RTI, a modular DFL system that is easy to set up, and which utilizes a multipath-assisted (MA) radio-tomographic imaging (RTI) algorithm. To achieve a modular DFL system, we proposed and implemented an architectural model for DFL systems. For minimizing the configuration overhead, we applied a 3D spatial model, that helps in placing the sensors and calculating the required calibration parameters. Therefore, we configured the system solely with idle measurements and a 3D spatial model. We deployed such a DFL system and evaluated it in a real-world office environment with four sensor nodes. The radio technology was ultra-wideband (UWB) and the corresponding signal measurements were CIRs. The DFL system operated with CIRs that provided a sub-nanosecond time-domain resolution. After pre-processing, the update rate was approximately 46 Hz and it provided a localization accuracy of 1.0 m in 50% of all cases and 1.8 m in 80% of all cases. MA fingerprinting approaches lead to higher localization accuracy, but require a labor-intensive training phase.
Adversarial Auxiliary Weighted Subdomain Adaptation for Open-Set Deep Transfer Bridge Damage Diagnosis
Authors: Xiao Haitao , Dong Limeng , Wang Wenjie , Ogai Harutoshi
Published: February 2023

Deep learning models have been widely used in data-driven bridge structural damage diagnosis methods in recent years. However, these methods require training and test datasets to satisfy the same distribution, which is difficult to satisfy in practice. Domain adaptation transfer learning is an efficient method to solve this problem. Most of the current domain adaptation methods focus on close-set scenarios with the same classes in the source and target domains. However, in practical applications, new damage caused by long-term degradation often makes the target and source domains dissimilar in the class space. For such challenging open-set scenarios, existing domain adaptation methods will be powerless. To effectively solve the above problems, an adversarial auxiliary weighted subdomain adaptation algorithm is proposed for open-set scenarios. Adversarial learning is introduced to proposed an adversarial auxiliary weighting scheme to reflect the similarity of target samples with source classes. It effectively distinguishes unknown damage from known states. This paper further proposes a multi-channel multi-kernel weighted local maximum mean discrepancy metric (MCMK-WLMMD) to capture the fine-grained transferable information for conditional distribution alignment (sub-domain alignment). Extensive experiments on transfer tasks between three bridges verify the effectiveness of the algorithm in open-set scenarios.
Marine Sensors: Recent Advances and Challenges
Authors: Gonçalves Luís , Martins Marcos Silva , Lima Rui A. , Minas Graça
Published: February 2023

The ocean has a huge impact on our way of life; therefore, there is a need to monitor and protect its biodiversity [...]
A Systematic Review of Advanced Sensor Technologies for Non-Destructive Testing and Structural Health Monitoring
Authors: Hassani Sahar , Dackermann Ulrike
Published: February 2023

This paper reviews recent advances in sensor technologies for non-destructive testing (NDT) and structural health monitoring (SHM) of civil structures. The article is motivated by the rapid developments in sensor technologies and data analytics leading to ever-advancing systems for assessing and monitoring structures. Conventional and advanced sensor technologies are systematically reviewed and evaluated in the context of providing input parameters for NDT and SHM systems and for their suitability to determine the health state of structures. The presented sensing technologies and monitoring systems are selected based on their capabilities, reliability, maturity, affordability, popularity, ease of use, resilience, and innovation. A significant focus is placed on evaluating the selected technologies and associated data analytics, highlighting limitations, advantages, and disadvantages. The paper presents sensing techniques such as fiber optics, laser vibrometry, acoustic emission, ultrasonics, thermography, drones, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), magnetostrictive sensors, and next-generation technologies.
Strain Monitoring and Crack Detection in Masonry Walls under In-Plane Shear Loading Using Smart Bricks: First Results from Experimental Tests and Numerical Simulations
Authors: Meoni Andrea , D’Alessandro Antonella , Saviano Felice , Lignola Gian Piero , Parisi Fulvio , Ubertini Filippo
Published: February 2023

A diffuse and continuous monitoring of the in-service structural response of buildings can allow for the early identification of the formation of cracks and collapse mechanisms before the occurrence of severe consequences. In the case of existing masonry constructions, the implementation of tailored Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems appears quite significant, given their well-known susceptibility to brittle failures. Recently, a new sensing technology based on smart bricks, i.e., piezoresistive brick-like sensors, was proposed in the literature for the SHM of masonry constructions. Smart bricks can be integrated within masonry to monitor strain and detect cracks. At present, the effectiveness of smart bricks has been proven in different structural settings. This paper contributes to the research by investigating the strain-sensitivity of smart bricks of standard dimensions when inserted in masonry walls subjected to in-plane shear loading. Real-scale masonry walls instrumented with smart bricks and displacement sensors were tested under diagonal compression, and numerical simulations were conducted to interpret the experimental results. At peak condition, numerical models provided comparable strain values to those of smart bricks, i.e., approximately equal to 10−4, with similar trends. Overall, the effectiveness of smart bricks in strain monitoring and crack detection is demonstrated.
Reliability Improvement of Magnetic Corrosion Monitor for Long-Term Applications
Authors: Wasif Rukhshinda , Tokhi Mohammad Osman , Rudlin John , Shirkoohi Gholamhossein , Duan Fang
Published: February 2023

Electromagnetic techniques are widely employed for corrosion detection, and their performance for inspection of corrosion is well established. However, limited work is carried out on the development and reliability of smart corrosion monitoring devices for tracking internal or buried thickness loss due to corrosion remotely. A novel smart magnetic corrosion transducer is developed for long-term monitoring of thickness loss due to corrosion at critical locations. The reliability of the transducer is enhanced by using a dissimilar active redundancy approach. The improved corrosion monitor has been tested in the ambient environment for seven months to evaluate the stability against environmental factors and degradation. The monitor is found to show great sensitivity to detect defects due to corrosion. Detection of anomalous patterns in the time series data received from the monitors is accomplished by using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The critical component of the monitor is identified at the end of the test. Research findings reveal that, compared to the existing corrosion monitoring techniques in the industry, the detection and isolation of faulty sensor features introduced in this study can contribute to reliable monitoring of thickness loss due to corrosion in ferromagnetic structures over an extended period of time.
APT Attack Detection Scheme Based on CK Sketch and DNS Traffic
Authors: Xue Defan , Chi Yaping , Wu Bing , Zhao Lun
Published: February 2023

In recent years, Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks against sensors have emerged as a prominent security concern. Due to the low level of protection provided by sensors, APT attack organizations are able to develop intrusion schemes that allow them to infiltrate, attack, lurk, spread, and steal information from the target over an extended period of time. Through extensive research on the APT attack process and current defense mechanisms, it has been found that analyzing Domain Name Server (DNS) traffic in the communication control phase is an effective way of detecting APT attacks. However, analyzing APT attacks based on traffic usually involves the detection of a vast amount of DNS traffic, and current data preprocessing methods do not scale down data effectively, leading to low detection efficiency. In previous work, most efforts have been focused on calculating the features of request messages or corresponding messages without considering the association between request messages and corresponding messages. To address these issues, we propose a sketch-based APT attack traffic detection scheme. The scheme leverages the sketch structure to count and compress network traffic, improving the efficiency of APT detection. Our work also analyzes the limitations of traditional sketches in network traffic and proposes an improved sketch scheme. In addition, we propose several effective features for detecting APT attacks. We validate and evaluate our solution using 1,088,280 DNS traffic from a lab network and APT suspicious traffic from netresec and contagio, using eight machine learning models. The experimental results show that for the ExtraTrees model, our solution has a processing time of 0.0638 s and an accuracy of 0.97920, reducing the processing time by approximately 50 times and improving detection accuracy by a small margin compared to a dataset without sketch processing.
Influence of Photoplethysmogram Signal Quality on Pulse Arrival Time during Polysomnography
Authors: Rinkevičius Mantas , Charlton Peter H. , Bailón Raquel , Marozas Vaidotas
Published: February 2023

Intervals of low-quality photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals might lead to significant inaccuracies in estimation of pulse arrival time (PAT) during polysomnography (PSG) studies. While PSG is considered to be a “gold standard” test for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it also enables tracking apnea-related nocturnal blood pressure fluctuations correlated with PAT. Since the electrocardiogram (ECG) is recorded synchronously with the PPG during PSG, it makes sense to use the ECG signal for PPG signal-quality assessment. (1) Objective: to develop a PPG signal-quality assessment algorithm for robust PAT estimation, and investigate the influence of signal quality on PAT during various sleep stages and events such as OSA. (2) Approach: the proposed algorithm uses R and T waves from the ECG to determine approximate locations of PPG pulse onsets. The MESA database of 2055 PSG recordings was used for this study. (3) Results: the proportions of high-quality PPG were significantly lower in apnea-related oxygen desaturation (matched-pairs rc = 0.88 and rc = 0.97, compared to OSA and hypopnea, respectively, when p < 0.001) and arousal (rc = 0.93 and rc = 0.98, when p < 0.001) than in apnea events. The significantly large effect size of interquartile ranges of PAT distributions was between low- and high-quality PPG (p < 0.001, rc = 0.98), and regular and irregular pulse waves (p < 0.001, rc = 0.74), whereas a lower quality of the PPG signal was found to be associated with a higher interquartile range of PAT across all subjects. Suggested PPG signal quality-based PAT evaluation reduced deviations (e.g., rc = 0.97, rc = 0.97, rc = 0.99 in hypopnea, oxygen desaturation, and arousal stages, respectively, when p < 0.001) and allowed obtaining statistically larger differences between different sleep stages and events. (4) Significance: the implemented algorithm has the potential to increase the robustness of PAT estimation in PSG studies related to nocturnal blood pressure monitoring.
New Hemodynamic Parameters in Peri-Operative and Critical Care—Challenges in Translation
Authors: Bogatu Laura , Turco Simona , Mischi Massimo , Schmitt Lars , Woerlee Pierre , Bezemer Rick , Bouwman Arthur R. , Korsten Erik H. H. M. , Muehlsteff Jens
Published: February 2023

Hemodynamic monitoring technologies are evolving continuously—a large number of bedside monitoring options are becoming available in the clinic. Methods such as echocardiography, electrical bioimpedance, and calibrated/uncalibrated analysis of pulse contours are becoming increasingly common. This is leading to a decline in the use of highly invasive monitoring and allowing for safer, more accurate, and continuous measurements. The new devices mainly aim to monitor the well-known hemodynamic variables (e.g., novel pulse contour, bioreactance methods are aimed at measuring widely-used variables such as blood pressure, cardiac output). Even though hemodynamic monitoring is now safer and more accurate, a number of issues remain due to the limited amount of information available for diagnosis and treatment. Extensive work is being carried out in order to allow for more hemodynamic parameters to be measured in the clinic. In this review, we identify and discuss the main sensing strategies aimed at obtaining a more complete picture of the hemodynamic status of a patient, namely: (i) measurement of the circulatory system response to a defined stimulus; (ii) measurement of the microcirculation; (iii) technologies for assessing dynamic vascular mechanisms; and (iv) machine learning methods. By analyzing these four main research strategies, we aim to convey the key aspects, challenges, and clinical value of measuring novel hemodynamic parameters in critical care.
Human Rights from an Islamic Perspective: A Critical Review of Arabic Peer-Reviewed Articles
Authors: Almahfali Mohammed , Avery Helen
Published: February 2023

The relationship between human rights and Islam is important in countries of the Arab world where religion plays a significant role in public debates and daily life. The topic is particularly relevant at a time of sharpening conflicts and polarization, when forms of government in the region, the current world order, and the legitimacy of international organizations are increasingly contested. Much of the scholarly work published in English on this topic draws on sources available in English. This review, therefore, aims to make a contribution to the field through analysis and discussion of academic papers published in Arabic. A search was made in Google Scholar in April 2022 which yielded 12 publications published in 2020 and 2021, after inclusion and exclusion criteria had been applied. These publications were analyzed drawing on the four framing categories. A summary is also given of the definitions, sources, and premises on which the arguments of the publications draw. The reviewed papers contrast the universal and divine foundation of Islamic human rights with the limitations of modern conceptualizations based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The latter is described as emanating from Western hegemonistic aspirations and as detached from moral and spiritual values. The papers consequently argue that human rights would be guaranteed globally by generalizing a system of governance based on Shari’a law and the ideal of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Little attention is given to human rights abuses observed in Muslim societies, diverse interpretations of Islamic source texts, or concrete measures to improve human rights protections in practice. Importantly, the arguments presented in these papers tend to reinforce a contemporary discourse that frames conflicting visions on human rights as a ‘clash of civilisations’ between ‘Islam’ and ‘the West’.
Analyst’s Target Price Revision and Dealer’s Trading Behavior Analysis: Evidence from Taiwanese Stock Market
Authors: Hsieh Tsung-Yu , Lin Tsai-Yin , Li Fangjhy , Huang Yi-Ting
Published: February 2023

This work utilizes the Taiwanese data primarily focused on retailing investor behavior to examine whether Taiwanese brokerage analysts issue target price revisions, whether implicit information connotation exists and whether their own brokerages use the market reaction brought about by target price revisions to conduct conflict of interest operations. The event study is used to verify whether the above results exist. The empirical results show that analysts may publish information that includes investment recommendations, earnings forecasts, or price target forecasts. Whether investors with immediate and post-event media coverage revise their relevant investment strategies and avoid serious losses caused by this news is established. The research results show that the target price revision has implicit information content no matter the target price being revised. In addition, a conflict of interest between dealers’ trading behavior and analysts’ target price revisions exists. The major contribution of this work is to fill the research gaps concerning which retail investors are easily influenced by social media and herding behavior, as well as target price forecasting. The most efficient use of resources relates to the satisfaction of everyone’s interests on a fair basis, and thus greater contribution. The governance mechanism and check and balance function can help maximize the value of the company, not only by enhancing the competitiveness of the enterprise, but also by increasing the value of shareholders’ rights and interests and better fulfilling corporate social responsibility.
How Managers’ Green Transformational Leadership Affects a Firm’s Environmental Strategy, Green Innovation, and Performance: The Moderating Impact of Differentiation Strategy
Authors: Özgül Burcu , Zehir Cemal
Published: February 2023

No prior literature has investigated the effect of managers’ green transformational leadership (GTL) on financial performance (FP). The current study introduces an original research framework with the aim of filling in this gap. This study introduces a completer analytical framework by considering the direct impacts of managers’ GTL on FP and the indirect impacts of managers’ GTL under the joint action of corporate environmental strategy (CES), green product innovation (GPT), and green process innovation (GPI). Furthermore, based on the question of how enterprises can earn profit from GPT, analyzing the moderator impact of differentiation strategy on the relationship between GPT and FP is also within the context of the present study. The data collected from 315 firms with the ISO 14001 certificate in the First and Second 500 Industrial Enterprises List of Turkey in 2018 were tested in the SmartPLS 3 analysis program. The empirical evidence shows that managers’ GTL affects FP both directly and indirectly through CES and GPI. However, it is concluded that GPT does not have a direct positive impact on FP. Considering GPT and differentiation strategy jointly, it is observed that its relationship with FP is positive and significant.
Research on Sustainable Furniture Design Based on Waste Textiles Recycling
Authors: Wang Yaolin , Liu Chenyang , Zhang Xi , Zeng Shaoting
Published: February 2023

As people’s living standards rise, textile waste becomes more significant, and the number of waste textiles grows swiftly, wreaking havoc on the earth’s ecosystem. Simultaneously, the creation of furniture consumes a significant amount of wood. The paint and adhesive used to manufacture it are also unsustainable and harmful to human beings. Therefore, one of the most urgent environmental challenges that needs to be paid attention to at present is the recycling of waste textiles and the sustainable recycling of furniture. Given this situation, this study proposes a solution combining sustainable design with composite material manufacturing. Guided by this solution, this study obtained a waste textile-starch composite material combining waste textiles, starch, and other components using microwave expansion technology. The material is biodegradable, environmentally friendly, and non-polluting. It can be customized to meet different design needs. Then, this research applies the material to sustainable furniture design and obtains a set of design works with sustainable characteristics. This kind of sustainable design scheme can eliminate the pollution and waste of waste textiles. At the same time, waste textile-starch composites can also serve as an economical and environmentally friendly alternative to many synthetic and natural materials used in furniture design and manufacturing. This reform scheme has a tremendous sustainable development promise and can simultaneously handle the problems of waste textile pollution and furniture resources.
The Potential of Small Wooden-Frame Building in Aging Japan
Authors: Sano Satoshi , Saito Naoki , Boontharm Davisi
Published: February 2023

Wooden-frame structures, with the capacity for continuous renewal, are key resources for urban regeneration and so comprise one of the most sustainable construction methods. This was true in the past for Japan, but following World War II, wooden-frame structures were demolished and replaced at a rapid pace. However, today, with Japan’s aging and dwindling population, the growing number of abandoned houses has become a socio-economic issue. In response to this crisis, local initiatives have been established to address this problem. Some novel design and management practices have arisen to restore the value of excess wooden-framed buildings. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the current design and renovation practices of vacant wooden-frame buildings in Japan, as well as to evaluate these practices in light of a sustainable future, by approaching this issue from the perspective of architects and designers and investigating their roles in these processes. The paper starts with the evolution of this building type from the past to the present. Data from in-depth interviews with specialists in wooden-frame construction as well as architects who are involved in the renovation of postwar timber dwellings are gathered and discussed. The emphasis here is on the expertise these specialists and architects have in successful cases of design and space management, as well as the incorporation of those buildings into the local community. Our case studies are located in different urban contexts; a regional city, a peripheral area of Tokyo, and central Tokyo. The findings highlight the crucial role of architects who mediate between benefits and drawbacks of current rehabilitation efforts, which are nevertheless still outnumbered by abandoned houses. Nonetheless, these experiences are crucial and valuable for the long-term viability of this building type in Japan.
New Business Models in the Energy Sector in the Context of Revolutionary Transformations
Authors: Gitelman Lazar , Kozhevnikov Mikhail
Published: February 2023

The relevance of the problem of improving business models in the energy industry has become especially acute in recent years due to the energy transition, the emergence of new energy production and consumption technologies, and the increase in environmental requirements for energy companies’ performance. The purpose of the study is to form recommendations for creating business models in energy companies that meet modern realities and ensure the sustainable development of the energy business in an environment that is characterized by increased uncertainty and aggressive competition. Based on the analysis of scientific publications and the systematization of industry cases, it is proved that business models in the energy sector are likely to transform in the following three aspects: implementation of green technologies as a response to the public demand for clean energy; spatial organization of production based on platforms and digital tools; and active implementation of customized knowledge-intensive services. This article discusses the development of the social investment concept, the key factors affecting its implementation in the energy sector and related industries, and its risks and limitations in the times of energy crises. It is justified that new business models require changes in energy market infrastructure and strategic management principles. In this regard, the authors developed recommendations for the adaptation of the wholesale and retail electricity and power market to the structural, technological, and economic transformations in the energy production and consumption areas. The main advantages, barriers, and ideas for the effective implementation of innovative business models in energy companies are verified through an expert survey.
A Study and Implementation of Inductive Power Transfer System Using Hybrid Control Strategy for CC-CV Battery Charging
Authors: He Liangxi , Wang Xiaoqiang , Lee Chi-Kwan
Published: February 2023

In this paper, a hybrid control strategy is studied and implemented on an Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) system to simultaneously realize zero-voltage switching (ZVS) and constant current (CC) and constant voltage (CV) battery charging. A steady-state analysis of pulse frequency modulation was conducted, based on the characteristic of voltage gain versus switching frequency, and CC and CV charging modes were promised. The ZVS of the inverter was obtained by satisfying the minimum requirement of full discharge of the junction capacitor on the MOSFETs using a commutation current during the dead-time interval. Two control degrees of freedom are needed to realize the two control targets. This hybrid control strategy adopts a self-oscillating (SO) control to achieve ZVS and phase shift (PS) control and a constant output for the series–series (SS)-compensated IPT system. To validate the hybrid control strategy, a 1.6 kW prototype with 360–440 V input voltage and 250–400 V output voltage was built and the experimental results show that the peak efficiency can reach 96.1%. Compared with the conventional variable frequency (VF) control, the hybrid control method proves that an additional control variable can fulfill the control target in a more flexible manner, which makes the switching frequency close to the resonant frequency during the charging process, minimizing the reactive current in the resonant tank and improving system efficiency.
Augmenting Sustainable Fashion on Instagram
Authors: Marcella-Hood Madeleine
Published: February 2023

Media discourse surrounding fashion and sustainability tends to be negative, emphasising the problems that exist across the various stages of the lifecycle of a garment. Although consumers are increasingly aware of at least some of the issues surrounding fashion and the environment, research suggests that the scale and complexity of the problem causes them to feel detached and uncertain about how to adapt their own behaviour in response. This research positions Instagram as a digital media platform through which sustainable fashion is communicated and experienced through augmented fashion content. Instagram is recognised for its significant impact on visual culture, particularly within aesthetic sectors such as fashion. Recent research reveals that users have begun engaging in more serious subjects and debates on Instagram, including political, social, and environmental issues. This has brought about opportunities for new voices who are championing sustainable fashion in its variety of manifestations. An open qualitative analysis was carried out using the hashtag #SustainableFashion to uncover themes relating to the types of content, stakeholders, and mechanisms that are being used to augment sustainable fashion on Instagram. The findings reveal a positive community of content creators—including vintage enthusiasts, designers, makers and brands—who are using the hashtag regularly to share proactive content in the form of specific, targeted messages around sustainable fashion solutions. The aim was to uncover the discussions that are taking place right now and provide grounding for future work in this area.
Computational Investigation of Combustion, Performance, and Emissions of a Diesel-Hydrogen Dual-Fuel Engine
Authors: Zhang Bo , Wang Huaiyu , Wang Shuofeng
Published: February 2023

This paper aims to expose the effect of hydrogen on the combustion, performance, and emissions of a high-speed diesel engine. For this purpose, a three-dimensional dynamic simulation model was developed using a reasonable turbulence model, and a simplified reaction kinetic mechanism was chosen based on experimental data. The results show that in the hydrogen enrichment conditions, hydrogen causes complete combustion of diesel fuel and results in a 17.7% increase in work capacity. However, the increase in combustion temperature resulted in higher NOx emissions. In the hydrogen substitution condition, the combustion phases are significantly earlier with the increased hydrogen substitution ratio (HSR), which is not conducive to power output. However, when the HSR is 30%, the CO, soot, and THC reach near-zero emissions. The effect of the injection timing is also studied at an HSR of 90%. When delayed by 10°, IMEP improves by 3.4% compared with diesel mode and 2.4% compared with dual-fuel mode. The NOx is reduced by 53% compared with the original dual-fuel mode. This study provides theoretical guidance for the application of hydrogen in rail transportation.
Human Mobility, Sociolinguistic Diversity, and Social Sustainability in Rural Areas: Insights from Indonesian Transmigrant Communities
Authors: Yusra Kamaludin , Lestari Yuni Budi
Published: February 2023

A substantial number of studies have been completed with respect to human mobility, linguistic diversity, and social sustainability in the Global North, but very few have been undertaken in relation to the Global South. Mobility, diversity, and sustainability are not recent phenomena, but little, if anything, is understood as regards how human mobility leads to linguistic diversity and social sustainability. This article fills this gap by explaining how the transmigrants of Javanese, Balinese, and Sasak ethnic backgrounds, along with the Bima and Dompu host communities, have established the ethnically and linguistically multi-diverse transmigrant communities of Manggelewa on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa. Data were collected from the participant ethnographic observations of the communities. The main strategies for data collection included taking notes, collecting documents, distributing questionnaires concerning human mobility, sociolinguistic diversity, and social sustainability, interviewing key informants, and recording conversations. Employing qualitative, quantitative, and ethnographic analyses, the study exhibits the community’s dynamic mobility, sociolinguistic diversity, and social sustainability. The study displays how human mobility leads to sociolinguistic diversity and how the diversity is used as a resource for sustaining a better interethnic relationship. The dimensions of mobility, sociolinguistic diversity, and social sustainability are discussed, and the factors that are essential for symbolic social sustainability are statistically attested.
The Effect of Green Purchasing Practices on Financial Performance under the Mediating Role of Environmental Performance: Evidence from Türkiye
Authors: Balin Ali Ibrahim , Sari Kazim
Published: February 2023

This study aims to examine the impact of green purchasing practices (GPP) on the financial performance (FP) of companies and the mediating role of environmental performance (EP) in the context of Türkiye, a developing country. GPP are represented by their all-related activities, such as green supplier selection (GSS), green supplier development (GSD), green supplier collaboration (GSC), and green supplier evaluation (GSE). Although much attention has been paid to GPP and their impact on FP in recent years, empirical evidence is still needed, particularly for companies in developing countries. For this purpose, this study explores the effect of GPP on FP and the mediating role of EP with survey data obtained from 455 companies in Türkiye. The findings reveal that GPP, in general, make a positive contribution to both the EP and FP of companies in Türkiye. However, the two GPP sub activities, GSD and GSE, do not have a significant effect on EP, contrary to our expectation. In addition, it is found that EP causes a significant increase in FP and plays a partial mediating role in the effect of GPP on FP. The insight gained from this study is that the increase in FP brought directly by GPP and indirectly through the increase in EP may offset the additional cost posed by GPP. In fact, this is an important finding in terms of overcoming the obstacles encountered in the transition to GPP in developing countries.
Attitudinal and Behavioural Differences towards Farm Animal Welfare among Consumers in the BRIC Countries and the USA
Authors: Mata Fernando , Dos-Santos Maria , Cocksedge Jack
Published: February 2023

This study explores cross-cultural differences in consumers’ attitudes toward farm animal welfare (FAW) in BRIC countries. Questionnaires administered in each country contained the following questions: (i) “It is important to me that animals used for food are well cared for”, (ii) “The typical nationality thinks it is important that animals used for food are well cared for”, (iii) “Low meat prices are more important than the well-being of animals used for food”, and (iv) “The typical nationality thinks that low meat prices are more important than the well-being of animals used for food”. Answers were given on a Likert scale (from total disagreement to total agreement). Data fit multinomial logistic models using “Country” and “Gender” as factors and “Age” as a covariate. The results showed that women had stronger pro-animal attitudes. Statements on the perception of FAW importance had an agreement tendency that increased with age, while the opposite was true for meat prices. Brazil showed the highest levels of individual pro-FAW attitudes, and the same trend in relation to meat prices. Russia showed a slightly lower pro-FAW attitude, but the perception of the compatriots’ attitudes towards FAW showed the opposite. Russians in general disagree with low meat prices in exchange for the detriment of FAW. Indians were the least supportive of FAW and, together with the Chinese, were the least supportive of an increase in meat prices to improve FAW. The Chinese showed prominent levels of neutrality towards FAW. These results may contribute to the definition of food and trade policies and help to adjust the supply chain to consumers’ socio-cultural and economic differences.
Initial Insight into the Environmental Awareness of Employees in the Catering Sector in the City of Rybnik, Silesia
Authors: Góralska-Walczak Rita , Rembiałkowska Ewa , Kopczyńska Klaudia , Średnicka-Tober Dominika , Dobrowolski Hubert , Kazimierczak Renata
Published: February 2023

Sustainable food systems have the potential to protect humans and planet health. Green public procurement (GPP) is a tool for the sustainable transformation. In Poland, the share of GPP is extremely low. As part of the StratKIT project, a survey-based research study was carried out in the city of Rybnik (Silesia Region). The aim of this paper is to diagnose the level of awareness in the field of sustainable development of the project stakeholders, and to propose further sustainable actions related to GPP in Poland. The survey was conducted in social care homes and two primary schools. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 24 software. The results show that the level of education has an impact on the assessment of the environment, and that the place of residency interferes with the level of environmental, organic and nutritional knowledge. Correlational analysis showed no statistically significant relationships between age, level of education, place of residence and willingness to introduce action connected to GPP (e.g., organic food). In conclusion, there is a need for an appropriate educational program for the public procurement and catering services (PPCS) sector, teaching about advantages of GPP for the food systems in connection to sustainable agriculture, consumption and climate actions.
Structural Performance of Foamed Asphalt Base in a Full Depth Reclaimed and Sustainable Pavement
Authors: Gkyrtis Konstantinos , Plati Christina , Loizos Andreas
Published: February 2023

Environmental awareness and budgetary constraints in road construction and rehabilitation require innovative and at the same time environmentally friendly solutions in favor of resource conservation, in any type of pavement intervention. In the meantime, surface interventions in severely deteriorated pavements are insufficient, increasing as such the recycling potential of existing materials in Full Depth Reclamation (FDR). This study addresses the efficiency of an FDR process in which the recycled base course of an existing semi-rigid pavement is stabilized with Foamed Asphalt (FA). The adverse effects of FA curing, which have a significant impact on pavement evaluation, particularly in the early stages of a pavement’s life cycle, prompted the conduct of a comprehensive testing campaign at two different periods, shortly after pavement rehabilitation and five years thereafter. The campaign included nondestructive testing at the aforementioned periods using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and the Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD), which facilitate the structural evaluation of the FA base. Using the collected nondestructive testing data, the principles of Multi-Layer Elastic Theory (MLET) and Genetic Algorithms (GA) are used to investigate the performance of the FA base. Both analysis tools captured the FA strength increase in the second period, but an increased variance of the FA modulus was observed mainly in the first test period, probably due to the curing effect. In addition, GA showed an advantage over other, more conventional tools for back-analysis of pavement stiffness, resulting in an interesting correlation potential of FA modulus to a deflection-based parameter reflecting the condition of the FA layer. Overall, the study contributes to the development of a practical methodology suitable for the evaluation of non-conventional and sustainable pavement structures.
Biobjective Optimization Model Considering Risk and Profit for the Multienterprise Layout Design in Village-Level Industrial Parks in China
Authors: Liu Xuemin , Huang Guozhong , Ou Shengnan , Xiao Xingyu , Gao Xuehong , Meng Zhangzhou , Pan Youqiang , Hezam Ibrahim M.
Published: February 2023

With the advent and development of Industry 4.0 and 5.0, manufacturing modes have changed and numerous newly complicated and integrated village-level industrial parks have emerged in the Southeast of China, where several enterprises are gathered in the same multistory building. The number of floors and surrounding enterprises can have an impact on accident risk. To reduce the overall risk level of industrial parks, the layout of enterprises with different risks needs to be well designed and optimized. However, to date, limited studies have been conducted to emphatically consider safety and optimize the enterprise layout at an industrial area level, and most studies focus on the cost of the layout. Therefore, this study proposed three biobjective mathematical optimization models to obtain the trade-off between minimizing risk and maximizing rental profit. Risk factors include the enterprise location and the association risk; the enterprise inherent safety risks are not considered. To solve this problem, a specific linearization strategy was proposed and an epsilon-constraint method was applied to obtain Pareto-optimal solutions. Subsequently, an industrial park in Shunde, China, was considered as a case study to verify the performance of the proposed models and methods. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of critical parameters was conducted. The critical factors influencing the objective functions were also analyzed to provide valuable managerial insights.
A BIM–LCA Approach for the Whole Design Process of Green Buildings in the Chinese Context
Authors: Li Qiyuan , Yang Wei , Kohler Niklaus , Yang Lu , Li Jie , Sun Zhen , Yu Hanze , Liu Lu , Ren Jun
Published: February 2023

The integrated description of the building geometry and the element attributes of the building information model (BIM) can reduce the effort needed to acquire data for life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) at each design stage while supporting their potential for analyzing life cycle performances and feeding back to the design process. To support this, several methods and tools have been proposed that aim to obtain the life cycle performances of buildings following the level of model fidelity with the life cycle inventory (LCI) database at different scales. However, inconsistencies in decision-making caused by regional differences in LCA/LCC data sources, benchmarks, and building standards cannot be ignored. In this study, a scalable LCA/LCC method integrated with the BIM platform is proposed for the whole green building design process in the Chinese context, and it is implemented with a developed tool based on Revit. A national-/regional-specified database of building elements and materials is established. Referring to China’s carbon-neutral target and relevant standards for green buildings, the baseline values are deduced, and a reference building is defined accordingly to facilitate the evaluation and improvement of the design scheme. According to the Assessment Standard for Green Building (GB50378-2019) and the survey of architectural design practices in China, the key parameters at different design stages are defined. The method and tool are demonstrated using the case study of a school building, analyzing its life cycle carbon emissions and life cycle costs throughout the design process. The results show that the proposed method can facilitate the improvement of the scheme at different design stages and that it can cope with different data accuracies and different LODs in the building information model in the Chinese green building design process. Lastly, the uncertainties raised by the data quality and time-associated factors are discussed.
Impact of Government Subsidies, Competition, and Blockchain on Green Supply Chain Decisions
Authors: Song Jinxuan , Yan Xu
Published: February 2023

At present, environmental and competitive pressures urge enterprises to engage in research and development (R&D) of green products, and a green supply chain has become the main trend in the sustainable development of enterprises. This study analyzes the optimal operation decisions of a green supply chain for two manufacturers under different competitive and cooperative relationships, considering factors such as government subsidies, consumer green preferences, and the impact of the green information trust. The results show that government subsidies can lead to higher social welfare when manufacturers have a cooperative relationship, but the optimal choice of subsidies (for R&D costs or product production costs) depends on the level of competition and the difficulty of R&D. For the manufacturers, the optimal choice of R&D strategy (individual or joint) and the use of blockchain technology also depends on the level of difficulty of R&D and the type of government subsidies. Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering various factors when making decisions in a green supply chain to achieve the best outcomes for all parties involved.
Role of Absorptive Capacity, Digital Capability, Agility, and Resilience in Supply Chain Innovation Performance
Authors: Abourokbah Safinaz H. , Mashat Reem M. , Salam Mohammad Asif
Published: February 2023

Digitalization is essential for supply chain (SC) systems to thrive in the extremely dynamic and competitive business environment of the present day. The purpose of this study is to examine the role and the importance of absorptive capacity (ACAP) on supply chain innovation performance (SCIP), mediated by digital capability (DCAP), supply chain resilience (SCR), supply chain agility (SCA), and digital innovation (DI). The study has been designed to empirically investigate the hypothesized relationships on a sample of 116 firms across industries in Saudi Arabia, using a partial least-squares-based structural equation model (PLS-SEM). Based on the findings, all the hypothesized paths are supported, justifying that ACAP positively and significantly impacts DCAP, SCA, and SCR. Moreover, SCA and SCR partially mediated the relationship between ACAP and SCIP. This study contributes to the resource-based view (RBV) and a dynamic capability (DC) theories by examining how the innovation of digital technologies affects SCIP, providing empirical support to the ACAP and SCIP interaction through numerous mediators to develop SCIP, from which also many practical implications emerged. For instance, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses must improve their SC performance by building and integrating their ACAP to make the most of their digital-platform-based dynamic capabilities.
Experimental Evaluation of Conjugate Flaws on Rock Dynamic Fracturing
Authors: Li Ziyun , Xie Song , Song Qianghui , Wang Peiyong , Liu Dongyan , Xue Kaixi
Published: February 2023

The fracture behaviors of rocks under dynamic loading are significantly affected by flaws. Understanding regarding this fundamental mechanism of flaw-induced dynamic fracturing could aid in reducing dynamic geohazards in deep rock engineering. In this study, a series of dynamic loading experiments are conducted on conjugate flawed white sandstone specimens to study the effect of the geometric configuration of flaws on dynamic fracturing. The results show that the geometry configuration of flaws and the loading conditions both strongly affect cracking and failure behaviors. Two types of shear cracks and three types of tensile cracks are observed, four coalescence patterns are identified, and the global failure modes of rock are usually coupled with two or more coalescence patterns. The inhibiting and enhancing mechanism of flaws in regards to potential shear fracture are obtained. These two failure mechanisms depend on the angular relationship between the flaws and the potential shear strain field. The “guiding effect” of the flaws results in the deviation and deformation of shear cracks. Moreover, it is found that the loading condition dominates the fracture tendency of rock macroscopically, while the geometric setting of flaws significantly affects the fracture behavior and failure mode locally.
Real-Time Power Control of Doubly Fed Induction Generator Using Dspace Hardware
Authors: Bouderbala Manale , Aroussi Hala Alami , Bossoufi Badre , Karim Mohammed
Published: February 2023

Numerous studies have been undertaken to evaluate wind energy systems’ active and reactive power control, the energy produced, and their its link to distribution networks. This research makes a novel contribution to the discipline in this setting. The novelty of this work aims to design a new wind emulator and design a power control approach for a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)-based wind system. A description of the system was provided first. Secondly, the control strategy was described in detail. Then, it was applied to both converters (machine and grid sides). Three stages were used to evaluate the control solution: (1) a MATLAB/Simulink simulation to validate the reference’s persistence (for both real and step wind speeds) and the system’s robustness, (2) implementation in real-time on a dSPACE-DS1104 board linked to an experimental laboratory bench, and (3) overlapped comparison experimental and simulated data to conduct a thorough quantitative and qualitative analysis using the root-mean-square error measures. The simulation and experimental findings demonstrate that the suggested model is valid and presents an excellent correlation between experimental and simulated results regarding wind speed variation.