bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Flight Path to Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Continuous Learning between Burnout and Work Performance in Aviation Professionals
Authors: Gemmano Cataldo Giuliano , Giancaspro Maria Luisa , Galiotto Sara , Manuti Amelia
Published: September 2024

The profession of airline pilots is characterized by high levels of stress and a significant risk of burnout. The health emergency period has exacerbated these challenges to health and well-being, with long COVID adding further strain to aviation professionals even in the post-pandemic scenario. In this context, it is essential to promote positive organizational behaviors to reconcile individual well-being with work performance. This study aimed to explore the mechanisms linking burnout to work performance behaviors (i.e., proficiency, adaptivity, and proactivity) among pilots, hypothesizing the mediating role of continuous learning behaviors. Based on the Conservation of Resources theory, we posited that burnout depletes pilots’ resources, thereby hindering continuous learning and reducing performance behaviors. Moreover, this study examined the work-related stress factors that could affect burnout and the consequences of performance behaviors on actual performance measured by a flight simulator. Data were collected from 123 pilots through an online survey and analyzed using path analysis. The results revealed that continuous learning mediated the relationship between burnout and work performance behaviors. Furthermore, work-related stress factors were significantly related to burnout, and work performance behaviors were linked to flight simulator performance. Our findings underscored the critical role of continuous learning in explaining the adverse effects of burnout on performance. These insights could inform targeted interventions to promote continuous learning and stress management among aviation professionals, ensuring sustained performance and well-being in the long term.
Silence vs. Catering: Carbon Information Disclosure Strategies and High-Quality Corporate Development
Authors: Tian Guoshuang , Huang Xingjian , Zou Yuyou
Published: September 2024

A corporate carbon information disclosure strategy is essentially an environmental responsibility manifestation of “inconsistency between words and deeds”. It has two forms:, green “silence” and green “catering”, both of which restrict the externalization of green productivity and affect the high-quality development of enterprises. This study shows that ① there is a U-shaped relationship between carbon information disclosure strategies and the high-quality development of enterprises. Green “silence” positively affects the high-quality development of enterprises, and the impact of green “catering” on the high-quality development of enterprises changes from negative to positive. ② Green “silence” affects the high-quality development of enterprises by increasing R&D investment, reducing tax burdens, and intensifying financing constraints, while green “catering” affects the high-quality development of enterprises by decreasing R&D investment, increasing the tax burden, and easing financing constraints. ③ If the competition in the industry is fierce, the green “silence” strategy should be adopted. When there is monopoly in the industry, the green “catering” strategy is dominant. The findings of this study not only provide management suggestions for enterprises on how to correctly treat the carbon information disclosure strategies that have been implemented or planned to promote their own high-quality development, but also provide policy inspiration for relevant regulatory authorities to complete the transition from voluntary disclosure to mandatory disclosure.
Have Climate Factor Changes Jeopardized the Value of Qinghai Grassland Ecosystem Services within the Grass–Animal Balance?
Authors: Zhang Jize , Chen Pengwei
Published: September 2024

Internal and external environmental changes have led to changes in the service value of plateau ecosystems. Plateau ecosystems are facing a risk of falling into “recession”. Meanwhile, climate change has become an important factor affecting the service value of plateau grassland ecosystems. In this paper, from the perspective of how changes in climate factors inhibit the value of ecosystem services of plateau grasslands, we adopt the equivalent factor method to measure the value of grassland ecosystem services in eight municipal levels in Qinghai Province from 2000 to 2021. We also construct a fixed utility model to test how changes in climate factors affect the value of ecosystem services and use the grass–animal balance as a mediating effect model for the test. The results of the study showed that (1) the increase in temperature and precipitation among the changes in climate factors significantly suppresses the ecosystem service value of grassland in the plateau. (2) The mediation test shows that the grass–livestock balance helped suppress the effects of climate factor changes on the ecological service value of plateau grassland. (3) The heterogeneity test shows that the area containing the Three-River-Source National Park is more resistant to climate factor changes. Climate factor changes have a greater impact on the ecosystem service value of plateau grassland in high altitude areas and have a significant positive effect on sustained low grassland carrying pressure index status. Therefore, in the protection of plateau grassland ecosystems, we should pay attention to the inputs in the ecosystems as well as appropriate grazing. At the same time, this study can provide a reference value for the decision-making with respect to ecological natural resources protection or restoration in plateau grassland under the effects of climate factors.
Modelling Behavioural Factors Affecting Consumers’ Intention to Adopt Electric Aircraft: A Multi-Method Investigation
Authors: Bakır Mahmut , Itani Nadine
Published: September 2024

Electric aircraft are seen as a key option for reducing the environmental footprint of the aviation industry. This research aims to identify the factors that influence Turkish air travellers’ intentions to adopt electric aircraft by building upon the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). A structured online survey was developed to gather cross-sectional data from 217 air travellers using convenience sampling. The data were analysed through a multi-method approach, including structural equation modelling (SEM) for sufficiency analysis and necessary condition analysis (NCA) for necessity analysis. The findings reveal that attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, personal moral norms, and green trust positively correlate with the intention to adopt electric aircraft, whereas perceived risk has a negative correlation. Moreover, the NCA indicates that attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, personal moral norms, environmental knowledge, and green trust are necessary conditions for the intention to adopt electric aircraft, reinforcing these results. This study is the first empirical attempt to investigate the formation of the intention to adopt electric aircraft, built on both sufficiency and necessity logics.
Research Trends and Hotspots in Food Bank: A Visualization Analysis Using CiteSpace
Authors: Xu Guangye , Tang Yan
Published: September 2024

Using CiteSpace software and various statistical methods, this study analyzed 1000 pieces of literature from the Web of Science database spanning from 2012 to 2022. Through a visual econometric analysis of the existing research results, this study aimed to discern the research hotspots and development trends related to food banks. A visual map was constructed to highlight aspects, such as geographical distribution, author distribution, research fields, emerging words, and keyword clustering. The findings indicate that “food bank” is a burgeoning research direction within the realm of food loss and waste. Since 2012, there has been a consistent annual increase in the research output. Notably, there exists a collaborative dynamic among the authors, leading to the formation of a distinct core group. However, these collaborations tend to be localized, resulting in an overall low degree of cooperation. The prevailing research trends in this domain revolve around the challenges and synergies between food scarcity and food safety in food banks, strategies to ensure sustainable development of food banks, and methodologies to effectively evaluate their operational performance.
Impact of ENVI-met-Based Road Greening Design on Thermal Comfort and PM2.5 Concentration in Hot–Humid Areas
Authors: Du Meng , Zhao Yang , Yang Jiahao , Wang Wanying , Luo Xinyi , Zhong Ziyu , Huang Bixue
Published: September 2024

Road greening markedly impacts road thermal comfort and air quality. However, previous studies have primarily focused on thermal comfort or PM2.5 individually, with relatively few addressing both aspects comprehensively, particularly in humid regions. This study combined field measurements and simulations. It employed physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and quantified the horizontal distribution of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5). The research examines the effects of planting spacing, tree species, and tree–shrub combinations on pedestrian walkways in humid climates during both summer and winter. Using measured tree data and road PM2.5, a plant model was established and pollution emission parameters were set to validate the effectiveness of the ENVI-met through fitting simulations under various scenarios. The results indicated that (1) plant spacing for trees influenced both the road thermal environment and PM2.5 levels. Smaller spacing improved thermal conditions but increased PM2.5. (2) trees with large canopies and high leaf area indices (LAIs) notably enhanced thermal comfort, while those with smaller canopies and dense understories facilitated PM2.5 dispersion. The 3 m spacing resulted in a maximum absolute PM2.5 concentration difference (C) of 5.05 μg/m3 in summer and a maximum mean absolute PM2.5 concentration difference (M) in the downwind region of 2.13 μg/m3 in winter. (3) Combining trees with shrubs moderately improved pedestrian thermal comfort. However, taller shrubs elevated PM2.5 concentrations on walkways; heights ranging from 1.5 m to 2 m in summer showed higher C values of 5.38 μg/m3 and 5.37 μg/m3. This study provides references and new perspectives for the optimization of roadway greening design in humid areas in China.
Contribution of the ‘Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion’ Concept to Design Education: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Rossi Emilio , Brischetto Alessia
Published: September 2024

The rise of awareness and attention around the concept of EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) within the scientific and professional communities working in design studies is apparent. However, ensuring high-quality education for all—Sustainable Development Goal 4—while educating future generations of designers in acting responsibly by preventing biased actions requires the higher education (HE) sector to appropriately interpret this multi-concept. A systematization of available knowledge is required to clearly depict main trends and developments made in the field in the last years. A systematic literature review of a sample of 56 works, selected from an original sample of 191 studies, both empirical and theoretical, performed in the field of design education allowed to identify trends, research themes, and disciplinary evolutions of the EDI concept into teaching and learning (T&L) environments. The extracted data show clear interweaves between EDI and design education through three research themes: (i) educational contexts, (ii) design disciplines, and (iii) emerging topics. Future research trajectories for advancing the field of design education are proposed from qualitative interpretation of findings. Synergies among interdisciplinary aspects provide rooms for critical reflection about the opportunities to progress the knowledge in the field within unexplored cultural domains.
Three-Dimensional Coupled Temporal Geomechanical Model for Fault-Reactivation and Surface-Deformation Evaluation during Reservoir Depletion and CO2 Sequestration, Securing Long-Term Reservoir Sustainability
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Sirous , Abdollahi Reza , Salimzadeh Saeed , Haghighi Manouchehr
Published: September 2024

Assessing reservoir subsidence due to depletion involves understanding the geological and geophysical processes that lead to ground subsidence as a result of reservoir fluid extraction. Subsidence is a gradual sinking or settling of the Earth’s surface, and it can occur when hydrocarbons are extracted from underground reservoirs. In this study, a time-integrated 3D coupled geomechanical modeling incorporating the fourth dimension—time—into traditional 3D geomechanical models has been constructed utilizing seismic inversion volumes and a one-dimensional mechanical Earth model (1D MEM). The 3D geomechanical model was calibrated to the 1D MEM results. Geomechanical rock properties were derived from the density and sonic log data that was distributed with conditioning to the seismic inversion volumes obtained from running pre-stack inversion. The standard elastic parameter equations were used to generate estimates of the elastic moduli. These properties are dynamic but have been converted to static values using additional equations used in the 1D MEM study. This included estimating the Unconfined Compressive Strength. In situ stresses were matched using different minimum horizontal principal stress gradients and horizontal principal stress ratios. The match is good except where the weak carbonate faults are close to the wells, where the Shmin magnitudes tend to decrease. The SHmax orientations were assessed from image log data and indicated to be 110° in the reservoir section. A time-integrated 3D coupled simulation was created using the finite-element method (FEM). The effective stresses increase while there is depletion in all directions, especially in the Z direction. The predicted compaction in the reservoir and overburden was 350 mm. Most of the compaction occurs at the reservoir level and dissipates towards the surface (seabed). Furthermore, the case displayed no shear failure that might cause or fault reactivation in the reservoir interval (Kangan–Dalan Formations) located in the simulated area. In this study, we applied an integrated and comprehensive geomechanical approach to evaluate subsidence, fault reactivation and stress alteration, while reservoir depletion was assessed using seismic inversion, well logs, and experiment data. The deformation monitoring of geological reservoirs, whether for gas storage or hazardous gas disposal, is essential due to the economic value of the stored assets and the hazardous nature of the disposed materials. This monitoring is vital for ensuring the sustainability of the reservoir by maintaining operational success and detecting integrity issues.
Alternative Fuels in Sustainable Logistics—Applications, Challenges, and Solutions
Authors: Al-Mohannadi Abdulla Ahmed , Ertogral Kadir , Erkoc Murat
Published: September 2024

Logistics is becoming more cost competitive while customers and regulatory bodies pressure businesses to disclose their carbon footprints, creating interest in alternative fuels as a decarbonization strategy. This paper provides a thematic review of the role of alternative fuels in sustainable air, land, and sea logistics, their challenges, and potential mitigations. Through an extensive literature survey, we determined that biofuels, synthetic kerosene, natural gas, ammonia, alcohols, hydrogen, and electricity are the primary alternative fuels of interest in terms of environmental sustainability and techno-economic feasibility. In air logistics, synthetic kerosene from hydrogenated esters and fatty acids is the most promising route due to its high technical maturity, although it is limited by biomass sourcing. Electrical vehicles are favorable in road logistics due to cheaper green power and efficient vehicle designs, although they are constrained by recharging infrastructure deployment. In sea logistics, liquified natural gas is advantageous owing to its supply chain maturity, but it is limited by methane slip control and storage requirements. Overall, our examination indicates that alternative fuels will play a pivotal role in the logistics networks of the future.
Waste Management, Waste Indicators and the Relationship with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Ram Meetha , Bracci Enrico
Published: September 2024

Waste management plays an important role in sustainable development. The innovative management of waste results in minimizing the adverse effects of climate change, and social and economic sustainability. The creation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations in 2015 was an important step toward environmental sustainability, whereby the 17 goals focus on strengthening the means of implementing and revitalizing the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. This research paper applies a systematic literature review using the PRISMA methodology to analyze different published research papers and research reports mainly focused on waste management and its relationship with the SDGs. This paper extensively discusses the context of waste management, SDGs, waste indicators in SDGs, and the relationship between SDGs and waste management. This paper also widely discusses the aspects of waste management regarding SDGs. The results are further divided into two sub-categories, including descriptive results, which elaborate the different approaches that are used to review the literature for this paper, and thematic results, which include the key results and discussions of different aspects of this paper. The analysis of different published research papers and research reports mainly focuses on waste management and its relationship with the SDGs. This study presents a discussion of (1) the detailed context of waste management about SDGs, (2) the waste indicators in SDGs and (3) the relationship between waste management and SDGs. This study suggests future possible areas of research by extending the regional boundaries, increasing the number of papers, focusing on more specific SDG goals and targets and studying case studies based on the specific targets and indicators.
Forest Restoration through Village Common Forests in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh: The Role of NGO Interventions
Authors: Bari Md. Shafiqul , Ali Md. Manik , Alam Mohammad Jahangir , Bashir Mahmuod Abubakar , Sarkar Oliver Tirtho , Mukul Sharif A.
Published: September 2024

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are widely recognized for their support of biodiversity conservation and forest restoration in tropical developing countries. In the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) of Bangladesh, ethnic forest-dependent communities have long maintained the Village Common Forest (VCF), an ancestral forest managed for community well-being. In recent years, some VCFs in the CHT have received support from local and international NGOs due to their perceived role in supporting biodiversity, ecosystem services, and improving local livelihoods. Although such support remains limited, its impacts on forest restoration and vegetation are not yet fully investigated. In the present study, we used remote sensing techniques and field surveys to measure vegetation cover changes and tree diversity in selected VCFs in the area. Our findings indicate that vegetation condition and tree diversity were better in NGO-supported VCFs compared with those without NGO intervention. Based on our study, we recommend increasing NGO involvement in VCF management with a more holistic and ecosystem-based approach, fostering institutional cooperation addressing land ownership issues, developing a market for forest ecosystem services, and improving local capacity for science-based forest management and ecosystem restoration in the CHT.
Development Path of Macao Tourism Symbiosis Integration from the Configuration Perspective
Authors: Li Xianke , Lam Johnny Fat Iam , Lin Zhicong , Li Chongyan
Published: September 2024

The concept of symbiotic and integrated development represents the adaptive response of Macao tourism to the necessity of diversified development. It is the inevitable path for Macao tourism to achieve high-quality sustainable development. In accordance with the principles of the symbiosis theory, this paper presents an analytical framework and employs Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to examine the intricate causal processes that simultaneously influence the symbiosis integration development of Macao tourism. The results of the empirical test demonstrate that: (1) The development of Macao tourism symbiosis and integration is influenced by five factors: external policy (EP), regional integration (RI), new digital technology (DT), gaming industry (GI), and cultural element (CE); (2) There are three configuration paths for Macao’s tourism symbiosis, integration, and high-quality development, including an industrial synergy mode, innovation-leading mode, and value-sharing mode; (3) There are two configuration paths formed by the non-high-quality symbiotic integration of Macao tourism, namely, the government absence type and the market failure type; (4) RI and GI are the core conditions for the symbiotic and integrated development of Macao tourism, and there is a certain substitution relationship between EP, DT, and CE. This study advances the academic understanding of the asymmetric causal relationship between various factors and the symbiotic integration of tourism. It enhances the application of the symbiotic theory in the practise of tourism and reveals differences in the path of Macao tourism development under the combination of multiple factors. The findings provide a theoretical basis for the Macao government to optimise the tourism spatial layout and enhance tourism sustainability, build a multi-level “tourism+” symbiotic industrial structure, and establish a modern tourism governance system.
Recent Advances and Implications for Aviation Emission Inventory Compilation Methods
Authors: Wang Jing , Zu Lei , Zhang Shihai , Jiang Han , Ni Hong , Wang Yanjun , Zhang Hefeng , Ding Yan
Published: September 2024

With the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization in China, civil aviation plays an increasingly important role in the transportation industry. However, pollutants and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from civil aviation are becoming an increasingly concerning environmental problem. In order to mitigate the resulting environmental pollution, such as air quality deterioration, regional and global climate warming, and declining human health, more and more efforts have been devoted to reducing both pollutants and GHG emissions. Among these efforts, emissions inventories from civil aviation provide a basis for quantifying pollutants and GHG emissions, establishing evaluation standards of environmental impact, and formulating management policies for both air quality improvement and climate change mitigation. In this paper, we reviewed both compilation approaches and data collection methods for civil aviation emissions inventories, introduced several typical calculation methods for aviation emissions inventories, and analyzed specific cases of actual application based on typical methods of inventory compilation. We also described in detail the activity level and emission index calculation methods of several pollutants and greenhouse gases. Furthermore, based on the above research methods, four typical application cases were investigated, including a specific airport, the landing and takeoff (LTO) cycle of a nation, the entire period with the LTO cycle and the climb–cruise–descent (CCD) phase of a country, and global emissions inventories from civil aviation. The results suggest that, in addition to quantifying the emissions of both pollutants and GHG produced by civil aviation, the selection of inventory compilation methods is likely to be important for improving aviation emission inventory accuracy and for further reducing the environmental, economic, and health impacts resulting from aviation emissions. Moreover, this paper can also provide a reference and theoretical basis for the development of aviation emission inventory compilation methods in the future.
Charting a Path to Sustainable Workforce: Exploring Influential Factors behind Employee Turnover Intentions in the Energy Industry
Authors: Živković Ana , Pap Vorkapić Ana , Franjković Jelena
Published: September 2024

The challenges of employee retention in the energy industry are more significant than in other industries where absenteeism is also common. The goal of this paper is to understand the variables influencing turnover intention while determining whether absenteeism in the energy sector can be a predictor of turnover intention. The turnover intention model was set up with the following predictor variables: Absenteeism, Affective Organizational Commitment, Organizational Justice, and Alternative Job Opportunities. The structured questionnaire was created by combining previously established scales. A primary survey was conducted on a sample of 156 employees, and a predictor analysis was conducted using regression analysis and SEM. The research results showed that alternative job opportunities have a direct and positive influence on turnover intention (β = 0.186), while organizational justice (β = −0.127) and affective organizational commitment (β = −0.317) have a negative direct influence on turnover intention. Absenteeism (β = 0.098) was found to have no significant influence on turnover intention. Apart from the obtained results indicating that absenteeism in the energy industry cannot be a predictor of turnover intention, the scientific contribution of the paper is also manifested in the analysis and critical review of previous research on turnover and absenteeism in the energy industry. The study’s conclusion is that affective organizational commitment is a key variable for employee retention, i.e., workforce sustainability.
Promoting Sustainable Well-Being: Burnout and Engagement in South African Learners
Authors: Bekker Christiaan I. , Rothmann Sebastiaan , Kloppers Magda M. , Chen Sufen
Published: September 2024

This study aimed to analyze the latent profiles of burnout and engagement of learners and to investigate differences between these profiles regarding demographic and contextual variables and academic boredom. The findings have practical implications for educators and professionals in the fields of education and psychology. Grade 9 and 10 South African learners (N = 544) studying English and Mathematics as school subjects participated in the study. Five learner burnout and engagement profiles were identified: healthy engaged (10.66%), moderately balanced (27.57%), slightly disengaged (30.7%), moderately burned-out (20.4%), and burned-out (10.66%). Academic boredom in Mathematics and English was linked to burnout-engagement profiles. The healthy engaged and moderately balanced profiles exhibited significantly lower academic boredom levels in both subjects than the other profiles. Positive relationships with teachers and interest in the subject were crucial across all profiles to diminish academic boredom and enhance engagement, especially in English. Various demographic and contextual variables were associated with burnout-engagement profiles. Home study environments, nurturing positive teacher-learner relationships, and fostering intrinsic interest in subjects can enhance engagement and mitigate burnout in secondary school learners. Sustainable interventions could be created by teachers or researchers, implemented by schools, and taken up in important policies within South Africa, showcasing how the SGDs of improved health and well-being and delivering quality education could be achieved.
The Impact of Green Infrastructure on the Quality of Stormwater and Environmental Risk
Authors: Godyń Izabela , Grela Agnieszka , Muszyński Krzysztof , Pamuła Justyna
Published: September 2024

Increasing urbanization and the associated sealing of areas and the use of storm sewer systems for drainage not only increase the risk of flooding but also reduce water quality in streams into which stormwater is discharged. Green infrastructure (GI) measures are applied with the aim of managing this stormwater sustainably and reducing the associated risks. To this end, a quantitative–qualitative approach was developed to simulate GI—namely, rain gardens, bioretention cells, and vegetative bioswales—at the urban catchment scale. The findings highlight the potential of applying GI measures to managing stormwater more effectively in urban environments and mitigating its negative pollution-related impacts. For the housing estate analyzed, a simulated implementation of GI resulted in a reduction in pollution, measured as total nitrogen (N; 9–52%), nitrate-N (5–30%), total phosphorus (11–59%), chemical oxygen demand (8–46%), total suspended solids (13–73%), copper (12–64%), zinc (Zn; 16–87%), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (16–91%), and the hydrocarbon oil index (HOI; 15–85%). Reducing the concentrations of pollutants minimizes the risk to human health determined via the HOI from a low-risk level to zero risk and reduces the ecological risk in terms of Zn pollution from a significant risk to a low risk of adverse effects. The modeling conducted clearly shows that the GI solutions implemented facilitated a quantitative reduction and a qualitative improvement in stormwater, which is crucial from an environmental perspective and ensures a sustainable approach to stormwater management. Lowering the levels of stormwater pollution through the implementation of GI will consequently lower the environmental burden of pollutants in urban areas.
Balancing Environmental Sustainability and Economic Viability in Luxembourgish Farms: An Agent-Based Model with Multi-Objective Optimization
Authors: Bayram Alper , Marvuglia Antonino , Navarrete Gutiérrez Tomás , Soyeurt Hélène
Published: September 2024

To curb the impacts arising from the agricultural sector, the actions undertaken by policymakers, and ultimately by the farmers, are of paramount importance. However, finding the best strategy to reduce impacts, and especially assessing the effects of the interactions and mutual influence among farmers, is very difficult. To this aim, this paper shows an application of an agent-based model (ABM) coupled with life cycle assessment (LCA), which also includes multi-objective optimization of farming activities (including both crop cultivation and livestock breeding) from an economic and environmental perspective. The environmental impacts are assessed using the impact assessment scores calculated with the Environmental Footprint 3.0 life cycle impact assessment method and the study is conducted “from cradle to farm gate”. The model is applied to all the farms in Luxembourg, whose network is built utilizing neighborhood interactions, through which a parameter known as farmer’s green consciousness is updated at each time step. The optimization module is instantiated at the end of each time step, and decision variables (the number of livestock units and land allocation) are assigned based on profitability and specified environmental impact categories. If only profit optimization is considered (i.e., when farmers’ green consciousness is de-activated), the results show a 9% reduction in the aggregated environmental impacts (obtained as the Environmental Footprint single score) and a 5.5% increase in overall profitability. At the farm level, simulations display a clear trade-off between environmental sustainability and financial stability, with a 25% reduction in overall emissions possible if farming activities are carried out using the single score impact in the objective function, though this results in an 8% reduction in profitability over 10 years.
Technological Evolution in the Swiss Bus Fleet from 1940 to 2022: An Inventory and Database for Research Applications
Authors: Remy Viviane Fiona Mathilde , Vernez David , Guseva Canu Irina
Published: September 2024

(1) Background: A strategic approach to managing and evolving the bus fleet is essential for optimizing public transportation, improving service efficiency, meeting future demands, and incorporating environmentally friendly technologies. However, country-specific data on fleet composition and evolution are often lacking despite their importance in evaluating technological impacts on the environment, passenger comfort, and driver working conditions. This report describes the creation of the inventory of the Swiss bus fleet and analyzes technological developments in bus vehicles from 1940 to 2022. (2) Methods: We collected the data through a comprehensive mapping study and validated it with Swiss bus companies and experts from the Federal Office of Transport. Vehicle approval forms were used to extract technical data. Buses were sorted by brand and model. For each bus model, 58 technical characteristics were documented in a database. A latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to classify the buses according to their technological characteristics. (3) Results: The inventory comprises 891 bus models, classified into four groups representing different generations. The predominance of thermal buses and the emergence of hybrid and electric buses since 2010 were noticed. (4) Conclusion: This inventory tracks bus technology evolution and highlights potential implications for driver occupational exposure and environmental impact assessment.
Public City as Network of Networks: A Toolkit for Healthy Neighbourhoods
Authors: Ricci Laura , Mariano Carmela , Marino Marsia
Published: September 2024

The distinction between the current urban crisis and that which emerged in the latter half of the last century lies in the rise of environmental concerns linked to the climate crisis, which compound the existing socioeconomic issues. The “new urban question”, in its intersectional sense, necessitates high levels of integration, interdisciplinarity, interscalarity, and iterativity to recompose the physical and socioeconomic components of change. In this regard, the proposed contribution aims to develop a transferable methodology to guide urban regeneration actions that are sustainable from a socio-economic and environmental perspective, capable of leading to the creation of “Healthy Neighbourhoods”. This objective is pursued by the authors through the definition of a toolkit of design parameters to assess the improvement of an urban area before and after the regeneration intervention. Indeed, each proposed parameter affects one or more of the ten indicators used to evaluate the health of a neighbourhood. The proposed methodology will later be tested, in subsequent phases of the research, on the case study of Pietralata (Rome, Italy).
Urban Transformations for Universal Accessibility: Socio-Educational Dialogue
Authors: Gómez-Redondo Susana , Plaza Gómez Nicolás , Obregón Lilian Johanna , Coca Juan R. , Paramá Díaz Anabel
Published: September 2024

This paper offers a systematic review of the papers in the present century that have addressed the intersection between urbanism, universal accessibility, and the socio-educational sphere. The paper explores, describes, and interprets the published literature found in academic sources included in Scopus and Web of Science (WOS) from the year 2000 to the present about the intersection of these three topics. We start from the dialogue between the social and the educational spheres as a basic premise. Thus, the main objectives of this review are (1) to identify how many articles explicitly address the social dimension in relation to education and universal accessibility; (2) to determine if there is an upward or downward trend in socio-educational perspectives, inclusion, and new urbanism; and (3) to find out if the research provides frameworks for universal accessibility, urban planning, and socio-educational inclusion from this holistic perspective. After removing all exclusion criteria, the study was restricted to 29 papers. The small number of research found is noteworthy. We understand that this shortage is due to the inclusion of the social dimension as a required area. Although there seems to have been a slight increase in recent years, the sample found does not allow us to determine whether or not there is a greater interest in studying the social sphere in relation to inclusive education. We do conclude, however, that this gap highlights the need to make the socio-educational dimension more present.
SROR: A Secure and Reliable Opportunistic Routing for VANETs
Authors: Xu Huibin , Wang Ying
Published: September 2024

In Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs), high mobility of vehicles issues a huge challenge to the reliability and security of transmitting packets. Therefore, a Secure and Reliable Opportunistic Routing (SROR) is proposed in this paper. During construction of Candidate Forwarding Nodes (CFNs) set, the relative velocity, connectivity probability, and packet forwarding ratio are taken into consideration. The aim of SROR is to maximally improve the packet delivery ratio as well as reduce the end-to-end delay. The selection of a relay node from CFNs is formalized as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) optimization. The SROR algorithm extracts useful knowledge from historical behavior of nodes by interacting with the environment. This useful knowledge are utilized to select the relay node as well as to prevent the malicious nodes from forwarding packets. In addition, the influence of different learning rate and exploratory factor policy on rewards of agents are analyzed. The experimental results show that the performance of SROR outperforms the benchmarks in terms of the packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, and attack success ratio. As vehicle density ranges from 10 to 50 and percentage of malicious vehicles is fixed at 10%, the average of packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, and attack success ratio are 0.82, 0.26s, and 0.37, respectively, outperforming benchmark protocols.
Fault Classification in Diesel Engines Based on Time-Domain Responses through Signal Processing and Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Freire Moraes Gabriel Hasmann , Ribeiro Junior Ronny Francis , Gomes Guilherme Ferreira
Published: September 2024

In today’s interconnected industrial landscape, the ability to predict and monitor the operational status of equipment is crucial for maintaining efficiency and safety. Diesel engines, which are integral to numerous industrial applications, require reliable fault detection mechanisms to reduce operational costs, prevent unplanned downtime, and extend equipment lifespan. Traditional anomaly detection methods, such as thermometry, wear indicators, and radiography, often necessitate significant expertise, involve costly equipment shutdowns, and are limited by high usage costs and accessibility. Addressing these challenges, this study introduces a novel approach for fault detection in diesel engines by analyzing torsional vibration data in the time domain. The proposed method leverages short-term Fourier transform (STFT) and continuous wavelet transform (CWT) techniques, integrated with a convolutional neural network (CNN) to identify hidden patterns and diagnose engine conditions accurately. The method achieved a detection accuracy of 96.5% with STFT and 92.2% with CWT. To ensure robustness, the model was tested under various noise conditions, maintaining accuracies above 70% for noise levels up to 40%. This research provides a practical and efficient solution for real-time fault detection in diesel engines, offering a significant improvement over traditional methods in terms of cost, accessibility, and ease of implementation.
Use of Machine Learning and Indexing Techniques for Identifying Industrial Pollutant Sources: A Case Study of the Lower Kelani River Basin, Sri Lanka
Authors: Wijayaweera Nalintha , Gunawardhana Luminda , Bamunawala Janaka , Sirisena Jeewanthi , Rajapakse Lalith , Patabendige Chaminda Samarasuriya , Karunaweera Himali
Published: September 2024

With the recent acceleration in urbanisation and industrialisation, industrial pollution has severely impacted inland water bodies and ecosystem services globally, causing significant restrains to freshwater availability and myriad damages to benthic species. The Kelani River Basin in Sri Lanka, covering only ~3.6% of the land but hosting over a quarter of its population and many industrial zones, is identified as the most polluted watershed in the country. This study used unsupervised learning (UL) and an indexing approach to identify potential industrial pollutant sources along the Kelani River. The UL results were compared with those obtained from a novel Industrial Pollution Index (IPI). Three latent variables related to industrial pollution were identified via Factor Analysis of monthly water quality data from 17 monitoring stations from 2016 to 2020. The developed IPI was validated using a Long Short-Term Memory Artificial Neural Network model (NSE = 0.98, RMSE = 0.81), identifying Cd, Zn, and Fe as the primary parameters influencing river pollution status. The UL method identified five stations with elevated concentrations for the developed latent variables, and the IPI confirmed four of them. Based on the findings from both methods, the industrial zones along the Kelani River have emerged as a likely source of pollution in the river’s water. The results suggest that the proposed method effectively identifies industrial pollution sources, offering a scalable methodology for other river basins to ensure sustainable water resource management.
Research on Strategies for Controlling Cross-Border Water Pollution under Different Management Scenarios
Authors: Chen Liuxin , Ren Jingjing
Published: September 2024

The issue of water pollution in river basins poses a serious threat to the economic development of upstream and downstream regions. We have compared the water pollution control inputs and benefits of upstream and downstream governments under different management scenarios: non-cooperation, cooperation, and basin agency-led cooperation. The results show that the basin agency-led cooperation has achieved remarkable results, significantly reducing water pollution emissions, increasing input in treatment, and thereby maximizing the overall benefits of the basin. As the cost of water pollution damage rises, while the initial increase in water pollution control investment may temporarily compress the total basin income, the improvement in water quality eventually leads to a rebound in total benefit, highlighting the critical role of collaborative governance and basin-level management. The study emphasizes that establishing a collaborative governance system for river basins is crucial. It can facilitate close cooperation and resource sharing between upstream and downstream regions, optimizing water pollution control efforts and promoting sustainable economic development within the basin.
Identification of Groundwater–Surface Water Interaction Using Combined Hydraulic and Hydrogeochemical Methods
Authors: Li Zihan , Fang Yongjun , Meng Bo , Guo Hui , Du Xinqiang
Published: September 2024

Understanding groundwater–surface water interaction is essential for water resource management and watershed ecological protection. However, the existing studies often emphasize the tracer role of hydrogeochemical methods (including hydrochemistry and isotopes) while underestimating the importance of analyzing watershed hydraulic characteristics, thus neglecting the indications of the driving mechanisms (hydraulic head difference) for the water exchange. Taking the Songhua River in the Sanjiang Plain as an example, this study combines hydraulic, hydrochemical, and isotopic methods to clarify the groundwater–surface water interactions from both a driving mechanism perspective and a hydrogeochemical characterization perspective within the water cycle. The results indicate that human exploitation has caused river water to infiltrate into groundwater, converting the section into a losing river, where surface water consistently exhibits a hydraulic tendency to recharge the aquifer. The influence zone of the river extends up to 3.5 km from the riverbank, with an average recharge rate from the river reaching 78.04% within this area. This recharge mixes and dilutes the adjacent groundwater, impacting its hydrogeochemical characteristics. This study enhances the understanding of combined methods for groundwater–surface water interaction and provides a scientific basis for water resource management and pollution control strategies in the local agricultural regions.
Major Ion Chemistry of Surface Water and Its Controlling Factors in Ebinur Lake Basin
Authors: Zhou Jiaxin , Gao Fuyuan , Yang Ruiqi , Zhao Chuancheng , Li Qingfeng
Published: September 2024

The sustainable development of arid regions is significantly constrained by the availability of water resources, which play a crucial role in this context. It is necessary to deeply investigate and analyze the hydrochemical characteristics and major ion sources. This study, which was based on data from 183 water samples collected from the Jinghe River Basin, provided a comprehensive analysis of the river water hydrochemistry. The results show that the average TDSs (total dissolved solids) was measured at 49.8 mg·L−1. HCO3− (82.4%) and Ca2+ (77.1%) were the ions present in the highest abundances. The river water was classified as the HCO3−-Ca2+ hydrochemical type. The Gibbs diagrams indicated that the ion composition was primarily influenced by rock weathering. Additionally, the Na-normalized molar ratio diagrams suggested that the chemical composition was primarily governed by the weathering and dissolution of silicate rocks, while the carbonate rock dissolution played a lesser role. This study demonstrates a critical aspect of water resources quality evaluation, which is of great significance for the sustainable development, utilization and environmental protection of regional water resources.
Artificial Intelligence-Based Electric Vehicle Smart Charging System in Malaysia
Authors: Shern Siow Jat , Sarker Md Tanjil , Ramasamy Gobbi , Thiagarajah Siva Priya , Al Farid Fahmid , Suganthi S. T.
Published: September 2024

The worldwide transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is gaining momentum, propelled by the imperative to reduce carbon emissions and foster sustainable transportation. In Malaysia, the government is facilitating this transformation through targeted initiatives aimed at promoting the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and developing the required infrastructure. This paper investigates the crucial role of artificial intelligence (AI) in developing intelligent electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, specifically focusing on the context of Malaysia. The paper examines the current electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Malaysia, highlights advancements led by artificial intelligence (AI), and references both local and international case studies. Fluctuations in the Total Industry Volume (TIV) and Total Industry Production (TIP) reflect changes in market demand and production capabilities, with notable peaks in March 2023 and March 2024. The research reveals that AI technologies, such as machine learning and predictive analytics, can enhance charging efficiency, improve user experience, and support grid stability. A mathematical model for an AI-based smart charging system was developed, and the implemented system achieved 30% energy savings and a 20.38% reduction in costs compared to traditional methods. These findings underscore the system’s energy and cost efficiency. In addition, we outline the potential advantages and challenges associated with incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into Malaysia’s electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Furthermore, we offer recommendations for researchers, industry stakeholders, and regulators. Malaysia can enhance the uptake of electric vehicles and make a positive impact on the environment by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its electric vehicle charging system (EVCS).