bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global Trends in Preschool Literacy (PL) Based on Bibliometric Analysis: Progress and Prospects
Authors: Xiao Mengyun , Amzah Fadzilah , Khalid Noor Azlina Mohamed , Rong Weihan
Published: June 2023

Preschool literacy (PL) is a critical period in the development of children’s literacy skills, which has a significant impact on their reading ability and academic achievement. In this context, there is a fragmentation of knowledge as PL involves different disciplines such as education, psychology, and linguistics. This is despite the existence of a large body of literature on PL. However, many studies focus on specific topics, which makes it difficult for researchers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current status, research hotspots, and trends in PL research, leaving a knowledge gap. Therefore, this study adopts a quantitative research approach for the literature data between 1992 and 2022 for a period of thirty years. This study used arithmetic in Microsoft Excel and bibliometric visualization tools, including VOSviewer and Biblioshiny. The aim was to analyze the current situation, trends, and future development of literacy at the preschool level, providing a scientific basis for preschool practice and policy development. An analysis was performed on 1208 screened documents from the Scopus database in Excel, resulting in the identification of annual publication trends, the 20 most cited documents, the 15 most productive authors, the top 10 institutions, and the 20 countries with the highest number of publications. Visual collaborative networks and co-occurrence analysis maps via VOSviewer and Bibliometrix were also conducted. The study found that the number of research papers published on PL has shown a steadily increasing trend, that the United States is a pioneer in the field of preschool literacy and is increasingly collaborating and researching with other countries, and that international connections are growing between publications and authors. Furthermore, preschool institutions, teachers, and families have positive attitudes towards preschool literacy, as reflected in theoretical research, teaching practice, and sustainable knowledge construction. Meanwhile, the findings of this study also revealed that new PL research has been extended to emerging literacy skills, family-based literacy models, and literacy intervention models. Future researchers can benefit from this study by increasing collaborative research that can sustainably add to the body of knowledge and improving the sustainability of PL.
Wetland Loss in Coastal Louisiana Drives Significant Resident Population Declines
Authors: Bastien-Olvera Bernardo A. , Batker David , Soares Jared , Day John , Boutwell Luke , Briceno Tania
Published: June 2023

Despite increased hurricane intensity, the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast has experienced dramatic coastal population increase of 24.5% from 2000 to 2016. However, in areas of coastal Louisiana with dramatic wetland loss, parishes have experienced population declines and lower rates of population growth. Therefore, understanding the magnitude of the effect of wetland loss as a main driver of population loss in coastal Louisiana is critical. Using regression analysis, this study finds that wetland loss has a significant and persistent negative effect on population growth in coastal Louisiana. This effect resulted in a reduction in the population growth rate in coastal parishes over time. A counterfactual simulation was conducted to estimate the potential population size in the absence of wetland loss from 1990 to 2021. On average, the effect of 1 hectare of wetland lost causes a reduction of approximately 1000 persons. This indicates that for the year 2021, the population was approximately 18% lower than the population that would have existed in the absence of wetland loss. This research underscores the role of wetlands in providing direct and indirect benefits to people in coastal Louisiana that are ultimately reflected in its population levels.
Social Distance with Tourists in U.S. Counties with the Highest Historical Numbers of Reported COVID-19 Cases
Authors: Woosnam Kyle Maurice , Erul Emrullah , Russell Zachary A. , Rahman Sabrina , Perren Chase , Lefavi Michael , Bennett Camille
Published: June 2023

With destinations steadily ‘opening back up for business’ (while COVID-19 cases are still high in many areas), there is an increasing need to consider residents. Integrating the cognitive appraisal theory and the affect theory of exchange, this work tests a structural model examining the degree to which residents’ perceptions of COVID-19 precautionary measures explain emotions directed toward visitors, and ultimately their willingness to engage in shared behaviors with tourists. Data were collected from 530 residents in 25 U.S. counties with the highest percentages of historical COVID-19 cases per population. A total of 10 of the 12 tested hypotheses were significant, contributing to 60% and 85% of the variance explained in contending and accommodating emotions, and 53% and 50% of the variance explained in engaging in less intimate–distal and more intimate–proximal behaviors with tourists. The implications highlight the complementary use of the two frameworks in explaining residents’ preference for engagement in less intimate–distal interactions with tourists.
Spatiotemporal Changes in the Supply and Demand of Ecosystem Services in the Kaidu-Kongque River Basin, China
Authors: Yan Yujiang , Li Jiangui , Li Junli , Jiang Teng
Published: June 2023

The assessment of ecosystem service (ES) supply and demand is crucial for the sustainable development of dryland drainage basins. The natural ecosystems in the Kaidu-Kongque River Basin have experienced severe ecological degradation in recent years, and the ES supply and demand were contradicted due to water scarcity and excessive water utilization. In this paper, the supply–demand of five key ecosystem services were evaluated, and their spatial matching was also analyzed to provide total insights. The services assessed were food supply, water yield, carbon sequestration, habitat quality, and windbreak and sand fixation. We utilized various models, including InVEST, RWEQ, and GeoDa, to quantify and analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of ecosystem service supply and demand between 1990 and 2020. Our findings indicate that the supply and demand for all ecosystem services in the basin have increased over the last 30 years. However, the spatial distribution of supply and demand for each ecosystem service is not completely consistent. Except for windbreak and sand fixation, where supply exceeds demand, there is a spatial mismatch between supply and demand for each service. Furthermore, we observed a positive and synergistic correlation between the supply and demand of each ecosystem service, with water yield services being the dominant and limiting factor. The spatial correlation between the supply and demand of ecosystem services was dominated by “low supply—low demand”, “high supply—high demand” spatial matching, and “low supply—high demand” mismatch, which could explain the variation in water yield from upstream to downstream. Based on our findings, we recommend policies and recommendations for ecological conservation and sustainable development in the Kaidu-Kongque River Basin. The ES supply and demand will become more reliable by increasing water supplies in the middle and lower reaches of the basin. Our results provide illumination for the maintenance and sustainability of ecosystem services in arid regions.
Multi-Criteria-Based Optimization Model for Sustainable Mobility and Transport
Authors: Malinovsky Vit , Subrt Tomas
Published: June 2023

This paper deals with problems of freight transport sustainability from the perspective of four key factors: greenhouse gas production, fossil fuel dependence, congestion, and accident rates. It is based on the results of the FreightVision project, in which the author participated as a researcher and member of the design team. The aim was to develop a set of 35 recommendations to serve as a tool for European Union decision-making in transport policy matters at the highest level. The developed measures were prioritized, and a list of individual recommendations was drawn up according to their potentials. Then, the set of measures was processed using multi-criteria analysis tools, and these results were compared with the original list using comparative analysis to identify differences between the two approaches. The contribution of this work is the development of a methodology for evaluating the traffic measures according to their priorities and, at the same time, the verification of the empirical results thus obtained with the results that were the output of the mathematical processing. This work fills a research gap in a similar problem area by working with specific measures systematically developed for the purposes of analysis; these results are used to formulate recommendations for the European Commission whose policy decisions should lead to an increased level of freight transport sustainability.
Impact of Tillage Intensity on the Development of Faba Bean Cultivation
Authors: Kimbirauskienė Rasa , Sinkevičienė Aušra , Jonaitis Rokas , Romaneckas Kęstutis
Published: June 2023

At the time of tillage, the properties of the soil change, thereby changing the conditions of crop development and, ultimately, their productivity and quality. The effect of non-inversion tillage or no-till on faba bean development is still not widely understood. For this reason, on the basis of a long-term experiment (since 1988), investigations of tillage systems using deep and shallow ploughing, chiselling, disking and no-till were undertaken at Vytautas Magnus University, Agriculture Academy, Lithuania, in 2016–2019. The aim of this study was to highlight the interaction between tillage methods and crop vegetative conditions, and its effect on faba bean development parameters. Soil chiselling generally led to better faba bean canopy development rates than other treatments. Faba bean roots developed somewhat better in non-tilled plots. Different tillage methods had less impact on faba bean development than vegetative conditions during the growing seasons. This shows that, due to rapid climate change, the conditions of each vegetative season are unique, which may lead to significant changes in crop development parameters. In addition, in this case, agrotechnologies must be precisely used, such as the use of varieties resistant to abiotic stresses, as well as technical and technological approaches. The complex effects of these agrotechnological elements should be investigated in more detail.
Optimization of Power System Stabilizers Using Proportional-Integral-Derivative Controller-Based Antlion Algorithm: Experimental Validation via Electronics Environment
Authors: Ibrahim Nader M. A. , Talaat Hossam E. A. , Shaheen Abdullah M. , Hemade Bassam A.
Published: June 2023

A robust, optimized power system stabilizer (PSS) is crucial for oscillation damping, and thus improving electrical network stability. Additionally, real-time testing methods are required to significantly reduce the likelihood of software failure in a real-world setting at the user location. This paper presents an Antlion-based proportional integral derivative (PID) PSS to improve power system stability during real-time constraints. The Antlion optimization (ALO) is developed with real-time testing methodology, using hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) that can communicate multiple digital control schemes with real-time signals. The dynamic power system model runs on the dSPACE DS1104, and the proposed PSS runs on the field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) (NI SbRIO-9636 board). The optimized PSS performance was compared with a modified particle swarm optimization (MPSO)-based PID-PSS, through different performance indices. The test cases include other step load perturbations and several short circuit faults at various locations. Twelve different test cases have been applied, through real-time constraints, to prove the robustness of the proposed PSS. These include 5 and 10% step changes through 3 different operating conditions and single, double, and triple lines to ground short circuits through 3 different operating conditions, and at various locations of the system transmission lines. The analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of ALO and MPSO in regaining the system’s stability under the three loading conditions. The integral square of the error (ISE), integral absolute of the error (IAE), integral time square of the error (ITSE), and integral time absolute of the error (ITAE) are used as performance indices in the analysis stage. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed PSS, based on the ALO algorithm. It provides a robust performance, compared to the traditional PSS. Regarding the applied indices, the proposed PSS, based on the ALO algorithm, obtains significant improvement percentages in ISE, IAE, ITSE, and ITAE with 30.919%, 23.295%, 51.073%, and 53.624%, respectively.
Artificial Intelligence and Urban Green Space Facilities Optimization Using the LSTM Model: Evidence from China
Authors: Yu Shuhui , Guan Xin , Zhu Junfan , Wang Zeyu , Jian Youting , Wang Weijia , Yang Ya
Published: June 2023

Urban road green belts, an essential component of Urban Green Space (UGS) planning, are vital in improving the urban environment and protecting public health. This work chooses Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) to optimize UGS planning and design methods in urban road green belts. Consequently, sensitivity-based self-organizing LSTM shows a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 1.75, 1.12, and 6.06, respectively. These values are superior to those of LSTM, XGBoost, and SVR. Furthermore, we configure three typical plant community models using the improved LSTM model and found that different plant community configurations have distinct effects on reducing PM 2.5 concentrations. The experimental results show that other plant community configuration models have specific effects on reducing PM 2.5 concentrations, and the multi-layered green space with high canopy density in the community has a better impact on PM 2.5 reduction than the single-layer green space model with low canopy density. We also assess the reduction function of green road spaces on PM 2.5, which revealed that under zero pollution or slight pollution (PM 2.5 < 100 μg.m−3), the green space significantly reduces PM 2.5. In UGS planning, the proposed model can help reveal UGS spatial morphology indicators that significantly impact PM 2.5 reduction, thereby facilitating the formulation of appropriate green space planning strategies. The finding will provide primary data for selecting urban road green space plant configuration.
Effects of Ultrasound Treatment on the Physical and Chemical Properties of Ice Cream with a Strawberry Seed Oil Oleogel
Authors: Nazarewicz Sybilla , Kozłowicz Katarzyna , Gładyszewska Bożena , Rząd Klaudia , Matwijczuk Arkadiusz , Kobus Zbigniew , Ivanišová Eva , Harangozo Lubos , Skrzypek Tomasz
Published: June 2023

This study presents the impact of an ultrasonic treatment (UT) as an alternative to traditional, standard pasteurization (PT) on selected properties of ice cream. Additionally, an oleogel from strawberry seed oil was included in the ice cream recipe as a fat component in the shares of 5%, 6%, and 7%. To evaluate the ultrasound’s effect on the ice cream’s properties, an analysis of the ice cream’s chemical composition was conducted, including the total content of polyphenols and macro- and microelements, as well as of its physical properties. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used for a more precise molecular-level analysis of the changes. The ice cream containing the oleogel from strawberry seed oil and subjected to ultrasonic treatment was characterized by a significantly higher dry matter (37.43%) and carbohydrate (56.82 g·(100 g)−1) contents and a significantly lower fat content (9.93 g·(100 g)−1) compared to the ice cream subjected to traditional pasteurization. In addition, the values of freezing point temperature and the amount of frozen water for these ice cream samples were significantly higher. Therefore, this study shows that ultrasonic treatment can be a beneficial alternative to traditional pasteurization in ice cream production.
Effects of the Structure and Operating Parameters on the Performance of an Electric Scooter
Authors: Hieu Le Trong , Lim Ock Taeck
Published: June 2023

The research objective is to approach the dynamic and consumed electrical energy of an electric scooter by varying the key input parameters, including rider mass, electric scooter mass, wind speed, wheel radius, and slope grade. A simulation model of an electric scooter was applied in a MATLAB-Simulink environment to investigate the scooter velocity, required power, battery voltage, and propulsion torque of the e-scooter. It was established by employing mathematical equations during the of electric scooters. The study found that the scooter velocity and electricity consumption were optimized by 3.9% and 0.08%, respectively, when the scooter weight decreased from 26 to 10 kg. The scooter velocity, electricity consumption, and required power decreased by 23.2%, 0.55%, and 8.56%, respectively, when the slope grade decreased from 1.15% to 0%. Following a wind speed reduction from 4 to 0 m/s, the consumed electricity and required power were optimized by 0.2% and 5.5%, respectively. The consumed electricity increased by 0.2% and the scooter velocity and required power significantly increased by 36.5% and 34.3% when the wheel radius increased from 0.105 to 0.185 m. Furthermore, the e-scooter could achieve an effective performance with a weight of 10 kg, wheel radius of 0.185 m, wind speed of 0 km/h, slope grade of 0%, and minimal rider weight. The simulation results showed that the scooter’s effective performance range and consumed electrical energy could be optimized by suitably adjusting the key structures and operating parameters. To support this research, a concurrent experiment investigated the dynamic characteristics and electricity consumption of the electric scooter during operation. The experimental and simulated results had the same patterns in similar initial conditions.
Climate-Related Sea Level Rise and Coastal Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure Futures: Landscape Planning Scenarios for Negotiating Risks and Opportunities in Australian Urban Areas
Authors: Zhou Kaihang , Hawken Scott
Published: June 2023

Around the world, human populations and their supporting infrastructures are concentrated in coastal areas. With rising sea levels, these settlements and urban infrastructures are at risk of service interruptions, lasting damage and frequent climate-related hazards. Wastewater systems are especially vulnerable due to their proximity to coastlines. Despite the seriousness of sea-level-rise-induced challenges, a clear understanding of the risks and potential adaptations of coastal wastewater treatment systems and their associated landscapes in Australia has been overlooked. Further, there is a lack of urgency and awareness concerning this issue. In this study, we consider how scenario-based landscape design approaches might enhance current debates and approaches related to coastal change with particular reference to wastewater treatment systems and associated environmental landscapes. Adelaide is used as a case study, and a range of landscape planning exploratory scenarios are developed and evaluated to assess the possible consequences of different courses of action in uncertain contexts. We find that whilst wastewater treatment plants are threatened by climate-related hazards, there is an opportunity for landscape-scale environmental planning to manage risks and opportunities and improve ecological and economic outcomes. We also find that for wicked multidimensional problems, such as sea level rise, landscape scenario design testing can assist in identifying a number of creative adaptation approaches that are not immediately apparent. We find that approaches such as retreat, defense and accommodation are not mutually exclusive but can each share elements and strategies. The strategic potential of a more creative, scenario-based approach can therefore form a productive part of the sea level rise adaptation of coastal infrastructure landscapes in Australia and elsewhere.
The Impact of Sustainable Exercise and the Number of Pregnancies on Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, and Assertiveness Levels in Pregnant Women
Authors: Uluoz Eren , Toros Turhan , Ogras Emre Bulent , Temel Cenk , Korkmaz Cihat , Keskin Muzaffer Toprak , Etiler Ibrahim Efe
Published: June 2023

This study examined the variations in self-efficacy, self-esteem, and assertiveness levels among pregnant women engaging in sustainable exercise compared to those performing no physical activity. The study also explored the connection between these changes and the number of pregnancies. The sample included 220 pregnant women engaging in sustainable exercise and 210 pregnant women performing no physical activity. Sustainable exercisers were chosen from those engaged in physical activity for at least 30 min, twice a week. The participants were in the fourth to seventh month of their pregnancy. A simple random sampling technique was used to choose participants and a total of 430 pregnant women volunteered to participate in the study. The mean age of the participants was 31.45 ± 12.11 years. Data collection tools were the Self-Efficacy Scale (SES), the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI), and the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS). In data analysis, the impact of independent variables on self-efficacy, self-esteem, and assertiveness was evaluated by one-way ANOVA in groups of more than two, t-test in paired groups, the relationship between some independent variables and scales was evaluated by correlation, and descriptive features were shown as percentages. In cases where variance analyses were significant at 0.05 (p < 0.05), Tukey’s test was used as a post hoc test. The study’s results indicated a significant disparity between the mean self-efficacy and self-esteem scores of women engaged in sustainable exercise compared to those who were not. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of assertiveness levels. The mean scores of self-efficacy, self-esteem, and assertiveness differed significantly in respect to the number of pregnancies in exercising women. However, there were no significant differences in mean scores of self-efficacy, self-esteem, and assertiveness scores in terms of the number of pregnancies in women who did not exercise.
A Semi-Automated Two-Step Building Stock Monitoring Methodology for Supporting Immediate Solutions in Urban Issues
Authors: Isiler Mehmet , Yanalak Mustafa , Atik Muhammed Enes , Atik Saziye Ozge , Duran Zaide
Published: June 2023

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have addressed environmental and social issues in cities, such as insecure land tenure, climate change, and vulnerability to natural disasters. SDGs have motivated authorities to adopt urban land policies that support the quality and safety of urban life. Reliable, accurate, and up-to-date building information should be provided to develop effective land policies to solve the challenges of urbanization. Creating comprehensive and effective systems for land management in urban areas requires a significant long-term effort. However, some procedures should be undertaken immediately to mitigate the potential negative impacts of urban problems on human life. In developing countries, public records may not reflect the current status of buildings. Thus, implementing an automated and rapid building monitoring system using the potential of high-spatial-resolution satellite images and street views may be ideal for urban areas. This study proposed a two-step automated building stock monitoring mechanism. Our proposed method can identify critical building features, such as the building footprint and the number of floors. In the first step, buildings were automatically detected by using the object-based image analysis (OBIA) method on high-resolution spatial satellite images. In the second step, vertical images of the buildings were collected. Then, the number of the building floors was determined automatically using Google Street View Images (GSVI) via the YOLOv5 algorithm and the kernel density estimation method. The first step of the experiment was applied to the high-resolution images of the Pleiades satellite, which covers three different urban areas in Istanbul. The average accuracy metrics of the OBIA experiment for Area 1, Area 2, and Area 3 were 92.74%, 92.23%, and 92.92%, respectively. The second step of the experiment was applied to the image dataset containing the GSVIs of several buildings in different Istanbul streets. The perspective effect, the presence of more than one building in the photograph, some obstacles around the buildings, and different window sizes caused errors in the floor estimations. For this reason, the operator’s manual interpretation when obtaining SVIs increases the floor estimation accuracy. The proposed algorithm estimates the number of floors at a rate of 79.2% accuracy for the SVIs collected by operator interpretation. Consequently, our methodology can easily be used to monitor and document the critical features of the existing buildings. This approach can support an immediate emergency action plan to reduce the possible losses caused by urban problems. In addition, this method can be utilized to analyze the previous conditions after damage or losses occur.
Effects of Evidence-Based Intervention on Teachers’ Mental Health Literacy: Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis
Authors: Liao Yuanyuan , Ameyaw Moses Agyemang , Liang Chen , Li Weijian , Ji Yilong , An Zhenni
Published: June 2023

The development of mental health among students has become a crucial objective and focus in numerous countries, with teachers serving as the primary guardians of their mental well-being. As such, enhancing teachers’ mental health literacy has emerged as a key strategy and priority in this endeavor. The purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the experimental effects associated with improving teachers’ mental health literacy. The study seeks to provide substantiated evidence and innovative strategies for enhancing teachers’ mental health literacy. A systematic search was conducted using five English databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, Springer Link, ProQuest) and three Chinese databases (WanFang, CNKI, and VIP) to identify controlled trials evaluating the immediate effect and tracking effect of the intervention experiment on enhancing teachers’ mental health knowledge, anti-stigma, willingness, or behavior to seek help. Relevant peer-reviewed articles (n = 20) were selected for further analysis through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-P), with a total of 7446 subjects. The findings revealed that the immediate effect of the intervention on teachers’ mental health literacy, knowledge, stigma, and assistance-seeking had significant moderate to substantial effects. The tracking effect value for knowledge was only moderately significant, and the others were not significant. The analysis of subgroup moderating variables revealed that differences in national economic development level and cultural type did not have a significant impact on the intervention of teachers’ mental health literacy. The results of this review revealed that intervention experiments can effectively improve teachers’ mental health literacy. Hence, it is prudent to pay more attention to the intervention of teachers’ mental health literacy and strengthen the scientific design of experiments to improve the effectiveness of the intervention.
Evolution of the Payback Period for Energy-Efficient Residential Buildings in Romania in the Last Decade
Authors: Karda Szilárd , Nagy-György Tamás , Boros Iosif
Published: June 2023

The European Union set ambitious targets to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and one of the measures taken towards this goal was the implementation of nearly Zero-Energy Buildings. Despite the commitments of the EU member states, many householders and investors had a disposition to incredulity regarding the energy efficiency of the buildings due to the higher cost of the investment and the relatively long payback time. However, at the end of 2021, the energy crisis significantly rewrote the circumstances, and energy prices and the costs of construction materials began to rise. In this situation, it was necessary to reconsider the importance of energy efficiency for buildings due to the maintenance costs. This article aims to assess changes in payback periods over the past 13 years and conduct life cycle cost evaluations by comparing energy-efficient residential buildings with traditional houses. The analysis considers variations in construction materials and labor costs in Romania, as well as energy price changes during the building’s operational phase. Through these methodologies, it has been demonstrated that the implementation of energy-efficient buildings offers a cost-effective solution already in the medium term, providing incentives for investors and future houseowners to reduce their dependence on energy and pursue long-term decarbonization.
Correction: Gómez-Prado et al. Product Innovation, Market Intelligence and Pricing Capability as a Competitive Advantage in the International Performance of Startups: Case of Peru. Sustainability 2022, 14, 10703
Authors: Gómez-Prado Romina , Alvarez-Risco Aldo , Cuya-Velásquez Berdy Briggitte , Arias-Meza Marián , Campos-Dávalos Nilda , Juarez-Rojas Luis , Anderson-Seminario Maria de las Mercedes , Del-Aguila-Arcentales Shyla , Yáñez Jaime A.
Published: June 2023

The authors would like to make the following corrections to the published paper [...]
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Financial Condition and Mortality in Polish Regions
Authors: Brzozowska Krystyna , Gorzałczyńska-Koczkodaj Małgorzata , Ociepa-Kicińska Elżbieta , Pluskota Przemysław
Published: June 2023

The study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial condition and mortality in Polish voivodeships. To achieve this objective, the relationship between the number of deaths before and during the pandemic and the financial condition of the provinces in Poland was studied. The study covered the years 2017–2020, for which a one-way ANOVA was used to verify whether there was a relationship between the level of a province’s financial condition and the number of deaths. The results of the study are surprising and show that before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a higher number of deaths in provinces that were better off financially, but the relationship was not statistically significant. In contrast, during the pandemic, a statistically significant strong negative correlation between these values was proven, which, in practice, shows that regions with better financial conditions had a higher number of deaths during COVID-19.
Characteristics of the Water Consumption Components of Winter Wheat Fields and Their Effects on the Loess Plateau under Climate Change: An Example at Xifeng Station, Gansu, China
Authors: Jia Jianying , Zhao Junfang , Wang Heling , Fang Feng , Han Lanying , Zhao Funian
Published: June 2023

Understanding the components of water consumption plays a critical role in agricultural management in arid regions. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of the components of the water consumption of winter wheat on the Loess Plateau in China to investigate their effects on yield and water use efficiency (WUE). Winter wheat observation data were collected from 1981 to 2020 at the Xifeng Agrometeorological Station on the Loess Plateau. The results show that over the past 40 years, the average water consumption of the winter wheat fields was 315 mm, but there were large differences between years. The soil water was first converted from precipitation (P) during the growing season, accounting for 69.4%, and then consumed via soil water storage (ΔW) in the fallow period, accounting for 30.6%. The yield of winter wheat varied from 1057 to 6914 kg·ha−1. The correlation between winter wheat yield and P during the growth period was stronger than the correlation between winter wheat yield and ΔW. The average WUE was 11.0 kg·ha−1·mm−1 from 1981 to 2020, with the highest value of 13.7 kg·ha−1·mm−1 occurring in the 2010s and the lowest value of 9.6 kg·ha−1·mm−1 occurring in the 2000s. The WUE was positively correlated with P (p < 0.01) during the growth period and negatively correlated with ΔW (p < 0.05). Therefore, P can increase yield and WUE more effectively than ΔW. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the efficient utilization of water resources on the Loess Plateau and the sustainable development of dry farming.
The Evaluation Method of the Marine Spatial Suitability for Islands from the Perspective of Sustainable Development: A Case Study of the Pingtan Islands
Authors: Gao Jinzhu , An Taitian , Zhang Hongfen , Zhang Kuncheng , Shen Jiawen , He Guangshun , Yang Xiao , Zhao Rui , Tian Shizheng
Published: June 2023

Due to the special geographical location and unique ecosystem of islands, appropriate development and protection of islands is important for promoting the sustainable development of islands. By using the Pingtan Islands as an example, this study constructed a system of suitability evaluation indexes for marine ecological space, marine agricultural production space and marine construction space under the principle of land–sea coordination. To evaluate the spatial suitability of the sea area around islands, a GIS spatial analysis method and a hierarchical analysis method (AHP) were used, which provided useful references for the integration of land and sea and for developing islands sustainably. The research results showed that the suitability area of ecological space in the Pingtan Islands accounted for around 64.3%, the construction space accounted for around 2.1% and the agricultural production space accounted for 33.5%.
Smallholder Farmers’ Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in the Ethiopian Rift Valley: The Case of Home Garden Agroforestry Systems in the Gedeo Zone
Authors: Darge Aberham , Haji Jema , Beyene Fekadu , Ketema Mengistu
Published: June 2023

Smallholder farmers who rely on home garden agroforestry are experiencing significant impacts from climate change. To mitigate these effects, it is crucial for farmers to have access to various adaptation strategies. This study collected data from 384 randomly selected respondents in 18 kebeles over three districts, using descriptive statistics and a multivariate probit model to evaluate the factors influencing smallholder farmers’ decisions on their adaptation strategies against climate change. In Ethiopia’s Gedeo zone, this study found that smallholder farmers employ a range of adaptation methods, including expanding their agroforestry system, implementing modern agriculture techniques, conserving soil and water, diversifying their livelihoods, and employing various coping mechanisms. By analyzing data using the multivariate probit model, this study found several factors that had a significant impact on smallholder farmers’ choice of adaptation options. These factors include social network, age, education level, farming experience, household size, cultivated land size, annual income, and livestock holding. In addition, factors such as perception of climate change, previous experience of crop failure, recurrent drought, and access to information about climate change, occurrence of frost, agricultural extension contacts, access to farmer-to-farmer extension services, and perception of land infertility also influence their decision-making process. Our findings highlight the importance of improving institutional services in rural areas, promoting education on climate change, and strengthening social networks to enhance the ability of smallholder farmers to cope with the effects of climate change.
Study of the Possibility of Using the Bottom Organomineral Accumulations of the Lakes of the North Kazakhstan Region to Obtain Innovative Fertilizers for the Development of Organic Farming and Agrotourism
Authors: Dmitriyev Pavel , Fomin Ivan , Ismagulova Saltanat , Berdenov Zharas , Zuban Ivan , Ostrovnoy Kirill , Golodova Irina
Published: June 2023

This publication presents the results of studies of the bottom sediments (sapropels) of lakes in the North Kazakhstan region. The purpose of this study is to identify the possibility of using sapropels from the lakes of the region in obtaining innovative fertilizers for organic farming. For this purpose, geoinformation technologies, field research, statistics, and chemical and chemical-analytical methods were used (automated spectrometric methods of segmented flow analysis, photocolorimetry, flame photometry, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry). During the first stage of this study, the bottom sediments of three lakes in the region, which were at different stages of eutrophication, were selected to study the chemical composition of the raw materials. The sapropel of Lake Penkovskoye had optimal indicators. Further, an analysis of the territory of the region for the development of agrotourism was carried out. The aim of this study is to substantiate the prospects for the use of sapropel in the production of innovative fertilizers. The natural origin of sapropels allows them to be used in the production of environmentally friendly and safe products. Reducing the use of artificially synthesized mineral fertilizers will make agriculture and the environment safe and sustainable. This will further contribute to the development of agrotourism in the region.
Intrusion Detection Framework for Industrial Internet of Things Using Software Defined Network
Authors: Alshahrani Hani , Khan Attiya , Rizwan Muhammad , Reshan Mana Saleh Al , Sulaiman Adel , Shaikh Asadullah
Published: June 2023

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) refers to the employment of the Internet of Things in industrial management, where a substantial number of machines and devices are linked and synchronized with the help of software programs and third platforms to improve the overall productivity. The acquisition of the industrial IoT provides benefits that range from automation and optimization to eliminating manual processes and improving overall efficiencies, but security remains to be forethought. The absence of reliable security mechanisms and the magnitude of security features are significant obstacles to enhancing IIoT security. Over the last few years, alarming attacks have been witnessed utilizing the vulnerabilities of the IIoT network devices. Moreover, the attackers can also sink deep into the network by using the relationships amidst the vulnerabilities. Such network security threats cause industries and businesses to suffer financial losses, reputational damage, and theft of important information. This paper proposes an SDN-based framework using machine learning techniques for intrusion detection in an industrial IoT environment. SDN is an approach that enables the network to be centrally and intelligently controlled through software applications. In our framework, the SDN controller employs a machine-learning algorithm to monitor the behavior of industrial IoT devices and networks by analyzing traffic flow data and ultimately determining the flow rules for SDN switches. We use SVM and Decision Tree classification models to analyze our framework’s network intrusion and attack detection performance. The results indicate that the proposed framework can detect attacks in industrial IoT networks and devices with an accuracy of 99.7%.
Prediction and Application of the Height of Water-Conducting Fracture Zone in the Composite Roof: A Case Study of Jinxinda Coal Mine
Authors: Zhang Guohua , Xing Wenyan , Duan Yanwei , Qin Tao , Hou Xiangang
Published: June 2023

The water inrush from the roof of the coal mine is closely related to the movement failure of overburdened rock and the height of the water-conducting fracture zone. In this work, based on the research background of water disaster prevention and control of the No. 2 coal seam roofs in Jinxinda Coal Mine, the stability characteristics of overlying rock in the working face are analyzed through combining theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. According to the theory of key strata, the fracture conditions of hard rock and soft rock are analyzed, and the maximum height of the water-conducting fracture zone in the 201 working face is calculated to be 35.72 m. The crack evolution law of composite roofs was simulated and analyzed using discrete element software. It was found that the basic roof (4.50 m thick) and the fine sandstone (7.64 m thick) are the two inferior key strata, and the maximum development height of the water-conducting crack is 36 m, which is basically consistent with the field measured results. Transient electromagnetic exploration technology was used to detect the working face, and nine abnormal areas were found. In order to prevent the influence of water disasters in abnormal areas during mining, drilling verification is carried out in abnormal areas. According to the analysis of drilling verification, there are no water disasters in the geophysical anomaly area, but the management of the roof after mining should be strengthened during mining. The expected research results not only enrich the rock formation control theory and roof water inrush mechanism; they also have important practical significance in guiding the safety production of a coal mine.
Can Domestic Food Production Provide Future Urban Populations with Food and Nutrition Security?—Insights from Bangladesh, Kenya and Uganda
Authors: Soma Katrine , Hennen Wil , van Berkum Siemen
Published: June 2023

Population growth and urbanization increasingly put pressure on our planet’s availability of areas needed for food production. The dependencies on domestically produced food are increasingly judged favourable, following the consequences of the Ukrainian war, with escalating fuel and grain prices and less accessibilities to low-income groups. It is, however, unclear whether land is domestically available. Applying a food system approach, the main aim of this article is to investigate spatial foodsheds and theoretical self-sufficiency for food production needed to supply increasing future populations in a selection of cities, including estimates for Dhaka in Bangladesh, Nairobi in Kenya and Kampala in Uganda. The projected foodshed scenario areas for the years 2020 and 2050 are estimated for the production of three core products currently extensively produced and consumed in the three countries. They show that it is not possible to feed an ever-increasing urban population based on domestic production alone. International trade, new technological developments and new consumer demands for less area-intensive food production systems may give solutions to the immense challenge of feeding the world’s population with nutritious food in 2050. However, to ensure fair and inclusive transition pathways for low-income groups: (1) affordability and accessibility of trade opportunities, technologies and products, (2) a common vision aiming for the SDGs, including SDG2: Zero hunger and SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities as well as (3) best practices in co-creation and cooperation with the most vulnerable urban and rural populations, are highly needed.
Energy–Environment–Economy (3E) Analysis of the Performance of Introducing Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Systems into Residential Buildings: A Case Study in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Li Yingyue , Li Hongjun , Miao Rui , Qi He , Zhang Yi
Published: June 2023

As the building industry increasingly adopts various photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage systems (ESSs) to save energy and reduce carbon emissions, it is important to evaluate the comprehensive effectiveness of these technologies to ensure their smooth implementation. In this study, a building project in Shenzhen was taken as a case study and energy–environment–economy (3E) analysis was performed to evaluate four strategies for employing PVs and ESSs. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to further compare the effect of the capacity of each strategy. Although the integration of PV and battery systems leads to the highest reduction in energy consumption and life cycle carbon emissions (reaching up to 44%), it has a long payback period (of up to 6.8 years) and a high carbon cost ratio. The integration of PV and ice storage systems is economically viable, with promising energy and environmental performance, indicating a potential reduction of 30 ± 5% in life cycle carbon emissions. As far as electric vehicles (EV) go, adopting two-way charging between the building and the EV can offset the additional power load that the EV requires. The comprehensive evaluation of low-carbon strategies in this study is crucial for sustainable building design and policy-making.
Social Work Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Challenges and Future Developments to Enhance Students’ Wellbeing
Authors: Apostol Alexandru-Cosmin , Irimescu Gabriela , Radoi Mihaela
Published: June 2023

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, educational systems were forced to adapt to the new reality of online learning, causing practical academic specializations, such as social work (SW), to be severely affected. To highlight the perspectives of SW students during the pandemic, we used a mixed sociological approach that combined exploratory qualitative research (using the focus-group technique) with cross-sectional quantitative research. Participants who had both on-site and online SW studies before and after the COVID-19 outbreak were included in the study. The study was conducted during a period when almost all educational activities were held online. We aimed to investigate students’ perceptions of the educational process during the pandemic, how their wellbeing was affected, and their perspectives on educational and professional development. Students identified advantages of online learning, such as discovering online learning tools, and disadvantages, mainly marked by concerns about their career path once practical activities were heavily limited by institutional measures and policies. Our conclusions suggest that in a post-pandemic context, universities should provide continuous feedback, integrate students’ opinions into policies, offer material and technical support, facilitate access to high-quality resources, enrich the SW curricula with resilience programs, and organize peer-to-peer mentoring activities.