bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mountain Tree Species Mapping Using Sentinel-2, PlanetScope, and Airborne HySpex Hyperspectral Imagery
Authors: Kluczek Marcin , Zagajewski Bogdan , Zwijacz-Kozica Tomasz
Published: February 2023

Europe’s mountain forests, which are naturally valuable areas due to their high biodiversity and well-preserved natural characteristics, are experiencing major alterations, so an important component of monitoring is obtaining up-to-date information concerning species composition, extent, and location. An important aspect of mapping tree stands is the selection of remote sensing data that vary in temporal, spectral, and spatial resolution, as well as in open and commercial access. For the Tatra Mountains area, which is a unique alpine ecosystem in central Europe, we classified 13 woody species by iterative machine learning methods using random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms of more than 1000 polygons collected in the field. For this task, we used free Sentinel-2 multitemporal satellite data (10 m pixel size, 12 spectral bands, and 21 acquisition dates), commercial PlanetScope data (3 m pixel size, 8 spectral bands, and 3 acquisitions dates), and airborne HySpex hyperspectral data (2 m pixel size, 430 spectral bands, and a single acquisition) with fusion of the data of topographic derivatives based on Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. The iterative classification method achieved the highest F1-score with HySpex (0.95 RF; 0.92 SVM) imagery, but the multitemporal Sentinel-2 data cube, which consisted of 21 scenes, offered comparable results (0.93 RF; 0.89 SVM). The three images of the high-resolution PlanetScope produced slightly less accurate results (0.89 RF; 0.87 SVM).
A Modified 2-D Notch Filter Based on Image Segmentation for RFI Mitigation in Synthetic Aperture Radar
Authors: Fu Zewen , Zhang Hengrui , Zhao Jianhui , Li Ning , Zheng Fengbin
Published: February 2023

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR), as an active microwave sensor, can inevitably receive radio frequency interference (RFI) generated by various electromagnetic equipment. When the SAR system receives RFI, it will affect SAR imaging and limit the application of SAR images. As a kind of RFI mitigation method, notch filtering method is a classical method with high efficiency and robust performance. However, the notch filtering methods pay no attention to the protection of useful signals. This paper proposed a modified 2-D notch filter based on image segmentation for RFI mitigation with signal-protected capability. (1) The adaptive gamma correction (AGC) approach was utilized to enhance the SAR image with RFI in the range-frequency and azimuth-time domain. (2) The modified selective binary and Gaussian filtering regularized level set (SBGFRLS) model was utilized to further process the image after AGC to accurately extract the contour of the useful signals with interference, which is more conducive to protecting the useful signals without interference. (3) The Generalized Singular Value Thresholding (GSVT) based low-rank sparse decomposition (LRSD) model was utilized to separate the RFI signals and the useful signals. Then, the useful signals were restored to the raw data. The simulation experiments and measured data experiments show that the proposed method can effectively mitigate RFI and protect the useful signals whether there are RFI with single source or multiple sources.
A Survey on SAR and Optical Satellite Image Registration
Authors: Sommervold Oscar , Gazzea Michele , Arghandeh Reza
Published: February 2023

After decades of research, automatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR)-optical registration remains an unsolved problem. SAR and optical satellites utilize different imaging mechanisms, resulting in imagery with dissimilar heterogeneous characteristics. Transforming and translating these characteristics into a shared domain has been the main challenge in SAR-optical matching for many years. Combining the two sensors will improve the quality of existing and future remote sensing applications across multiple industries. Several approaches have emerged as promising candidates in the search for combining SAR and optical imagery. In addition, recent research has indicated that machine learning-based approaches have great potential for filling the information gap posed by utilizing only one sensor type in Earth observation applications. However, several challenges remain, and combining them is a multi-step process where no one-size-fits-all approach is available. This article reviews traditional, state-of-the-art, and recent development trends in SAR-optical co-registration methods.
Mapping Land Use/Land Cover Changes and Forest Disturbances in Vietnam Using a Landsat Temporal Segmentation Algorithm
Authors: Shimizu Katsuto , Murakami Wataru , Furuichi Takahisa , Estoque Ronald C.
Published: February 2023

Accurately mapping land use/land cover changes (LULCC) and forest disturbances provides valuable information for understanding the influence of anthropogenic activities on the environment at regional and global scales. Many approaches using satellite remote sensing data have been proposed for characterizing these long-term changes. However, a spatially and temporally consistent mapping of both LULCC and forest disturbances at medium spatial resolution is still limited despite their critical contributions to the carbon cycle. In this study, we examined the applicability of Landsat time series temporal segmentation and random forest classifiers to mapping LULCC and forest disturbances in Vietnam. We used the LandTrendr temporal segmentation algorithm to derive key features of land use/land cover transitions and forest disturbances from annual Landsat time series data. We developed separate random forest models for classifying land use/land cover and detecting forest disturbances at each segment and then derived LULCC and forest disturbances that coincided with each other during the period of 1988–2019. The results showed that both LULCC classification and forest disturbance detection achieved low accuracy in several classes (e.g., producer’s and user’s accuracies of 23.7% and 78.8%, respectively, for forest disturbance class); however, the level of accuracy was comparable to that of existing datasets using the same reference samples in the study area. We found relatively high confusion between several land use/land cover classes (e.g., grass/shrub, forest, and cropland) that can explain the lower overall accuracies of 67.6% and 68.4% in 1988 and 2019, respectively. The mapping of forest disturbances and LULCC suggested that most forest disturbances were followed by forest recovery, not by transitions to other land use/land cover classes. The landscape complexity and ephemeral forest disturbances contributed to the lower classification and detection accuracies in this study area. Nevertheless, temporal segmentation and derived features from LandTrendr were useful for the consistent mapping of LULCC and forest disturbances. We recommend that future studies focus on improving the accuracy of forest disturbance detection, especially in areas with subtle landscape changes, as well as land use/land cover classification in ambiguous and complex landscapes. Using more training samples and effective variables would potentially improve the classification and detection accuracies.
Time-Dependent Systematic Biases in Inferring Ice Cloud Properties from Geostationary Satellite Observations
Authors: Li Dongchen , Saito Masanori , Yang Ping
Published: February 2023

Geostationary satellite-based remote sensing is a powerful tool to observe and understand the spatiotemporal variation of cloud optical-microphysical properties and their climatologies. Solar reflectances measured from the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instruments aboard Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites 16 and 17 correspond to different spatial pixel resolutions, from 0.5 km in a visible band, up to 2 km in infrared bands. For multi-band retrievals of cloud properties, reflectances with finer spatial resolution need to be resampled (averaged or sub-sampled) to match the coarsest resolution. Averaging all small pixels within a larger pixel footprint is more accurate but computationally demanding when the data volume is large. Thus, NOAA operational cloud products incorporate sub-sampling (selecting one high-resolution pixel) to resample the reflectance data, which could cause potential retrieval biases. In this study, we examine various error sources of retrieval biases of cloud optical thickness (COT) and cloud effective radius (CER) caused by sub-sampling, including the solar zenith angle, viewing zenith angle, pixel resolutions, and cloud types. CER retrievals from ice clouds based on sub-sampling have larger biases and uncertainties than COT retrievals. The relative error compared to pixel averaging is positive for clouds that have small COT or CER, and negative for clouds that have large COT or CER. The relative error of COT decreases as the pixel resolution becomes coarser. The COT retrieval biases are attributed mainly to cirrus and cirrostratus clouds, while the largest biases of CER retrievals are associated with cirrus clouds.
Analysis of Temperature Semi-Annual Oscillations (SAO) in the Middle Atmosphere
Authors: Shangguan Ming , Wang Wuke
Published: February 2023

The middle atmosphere plays an important role in the research of various dynamical and energy processes. Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), reanalyses and model simulations with NCAR’s Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) data in the range between 100 and 0.1 hPa from 2005 to 2020 have been analyzed with a focus on the temperature semi-annual oscillations (SAO). Significant SAO of temperature is prominent in the tropical region (20°S–20°N) around 1–3 hPa, which is consistent with previous studies. We also found significant SAO in the northern hemisphere (NH) high latitudes between 8 and 0.3 hPa and southern hemisphere (SH) high latitudes between 0.5 and 0.1 hPa, which has been of less concern in previous studies. The thermal budget based on MERRA2 and simulations is used to explain the mechanism of SAO in the middle atmosphere. In the tropics, the two temperature peaks are mainly determined by radiative processes. In the NH high latitudes of the stratosphere, the temperature peak in January is mainly related to dynamical processes, while the temperature peak in July is determined by a combination of dynamical and radiative processes. In the NH high latitudes of the lower mesosphere, the first peak in June is primarily associated with dynamical and radiative processes, while the second peak in December is primarily associated with the dynamical processes. In the SH high latitudes of the lower mesosphere, the first temperature peak in July is mainly due to dynamical processes while the second temperature peak in December is mainly due to radiative processes. Various features are present in the SH and NH high latitude SAO in the lower mesosphere. Furthermore, we performed model simulations with and without SAO in sea surface temperatures (SST-SAO) to study the connection between SST and temperature SAO. WACCM6 results indicate that the SAO in the middle atmosphere is partially affected by the existence of an SST-SAO. By removing SAO in SST, the PSD magnitude of the SAO decreases in the tropical region and increases in the polar region. The amplitudes of total heating rates are also modified. The WACCM experiment confirms the relationship between SST-SAO and temperature SAO in the middle atmosphere.
Drought Vulnerability Curves Based on Remote Sensing and Historical Disaster Dataset
Authors: Jia Huicong , Chen Fang , Du Enyu , Wang Lei
Published: February 2023

As drought vulnerability assessment is fundamental to risk management, it is urgent to develop scientific and reasonable assessment models to determine such vulnerability. A vulnerability curve is the key to risk assessment of various disasters, connecting analysis of hazard and risk. To date, the research on vulnerability curves of earthquakes, floods and typhoons is relatively mature. However, there are few studies on the drought vulnerability curve, and its application value needs to be further confirmed and popularized. In this study, on the basis of collecting historical disaster data from 52 drought events in China from 2009 to 2013, three drought remote sensing indexes were selected as disaster-causing factors; the affected population was selected to reflect the overall disaster situation, and five typical regional drought vulnerability curves were constructed. The results showed that (1) in general, according to the statistics of probability distribution, most of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the temperature vegetation drought index (TVDI) variance ratios were concentrated between 0 and ~0.15, and most of the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) variance ratios were concentrated between 0.15 and ~0.6. From a regional perspective, the NDVI and EVI variance ratio values of the northwest inland perennial arid area (NW), the southwest mountainous area with successive years of drought (SW), and the Hunan Hubei Jiangxi area with sudden change from drought to waterlogging (HJ) regions were close and significantly higher than the TVDI variance ratio values. (2) Most of the losses (drought at-risk populations, DRP) were concentrated in 0~0.3, with a cumulative proportion of about 90.19%. At the significance level, DRP obeys the Weibull distribution through hypothesis testing, and the parameters are optimal. (3) The drought vulnerability curve conformed to the distribution rule of the logistic curve, and the line shape was the growth of the loss rate from 0 to 1. It was found that the arid and ecologically fragile area in the farming pastoral ecotone (AP) region was always a high-risk area with high vulnerability, which should be the focus of drought risk prevention and reduction. The study reduces the difficulty of developing the vulnerability curve, indicating that the method can be widely used to other regions in the future. Furthermore, the research results are of great significance to the accurate drought risk early warning or whether to implement the national drought disaster emergency rescue response.
Optimization of a New Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction Method of Caffeic Acid from the Aerial Parts of Coriandrum sativum by Using Experimental Design and Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Messaoudene Lynda , Palma Miguel , Carrera Ceferino A. , Setyaningsih Widiastuti , Hazzit Mohamed , Djebbar Réda
Published: February 2023

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is among the most widely used medicinal and aromatic plants. It is well known for its multiple health benefits, most of which are correlated with its phenolic composition. Four phenolic compounds were identified in the extracts of aerial parts of coriander extracts, including caffeic acid, isoquercitrin, quercetin-3-O-glucuronide, and rutin. Caffeic acid was the major compound in the extracts. A Box–Behnken Design (BBD) was employed in conjunction with the response surface methodology (RSM) to develop an ultrasound-assisted extraction method for the determination of phenolic compounds in the aerial parts of coriander using the level of caffeic acid as the target response. The following working variables were evaluated: methanol level in the extraction solvent, temperature, sonication time, and liquid-to-solvent ratio. It was found that the methanol concentration is the most significant factor that influences the recovery of caffeic acid. The optimal extraction conditions were: 10 min as the extraction time, 70 °C as the temperature, 50% for methanol in water as the solvent, and 6.51 mL of solvent per gram of sample. The repeatability and reproducibility were calculated and RSD values below 6% were obtained in both cases. The new method was employed for the extraction of real coriander samples and it is suggested that this method could potentially be applied for quality control analyses.
Proceedings of APCE-CECE-ITP-IUPAC 2022
Authors: Foret František , Chung Doo , Lavická Jana , Přikryl Jan , Lee Haengdo , Drobníková Iveta
Published: February 2023

In a demonstration of modern analytical chemistry at its best, the International Interdisciplinary Conference of Chemical Analysis, APCE-CECE-ITP-IUPAC 2022 was held after two years of COVID-19-related delays in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The quadruple meeting included: 18th Asia Pacific International Symposium on Microscale Separations and Analyses, 17th International Interdisciplinary Meeting on Bioanalysis, 28th International Symposium on Electro- and Liquid Phase-Separation Techniques, and IUPAC Special Symposia by Division of Chemistry and the Environment. While, under normal circumstances, these conferences would take place in different countries, we have decided to bring together analytical chemists from all over the world for a conference covering all aspects of modern analytical chemistry. Our goal remained the same: “bring together scientists from different disciplines who may not meet at other meetings”. With plenary and invited lectures delivered by distinguished scientists, this in-person meeting allowed to broaden our knowledge, meet new friends, and start new collaborations. The organizers want to thank all speakers, sponsors, and participants for their support. Please, check the conference web for more information about the history, programs, photos, and videos.
A Newly Acidophilic Bacterium Acidomyces acidothermus Was Isolated to Efficiently Bioleach Copper from Waste Printed Circuit Boards (WPCBs)
Authors: Yin Xiafei , Shan Xuan , Liang Guobin , Zhou Quanfa , Lin Wei
Published: February 2023

An acidophilic metal-resistant bacterial strain, Acidomyces acidothermus (A. acidothermus), was isolated and identified by morphology, physiology, biochemistry, and 16S rDNA. A. acidothermus culture conditions were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Results showed that with a temperature of 40 °C, a pH of 3 in a 9k medium, and a rotation speed of 140 r/min, the copper leaching rate reached the highest value of 39.8%. Furthermore, SEM images and a heatmap of differential metabolites indicated that A. acidothermus adsorbed on the surface of WPCBs and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), mainly D-glucuronic acid, were secreted, suggesting the highly efficient mechanism of copper recovery from WPCBs.
Design and Modeling of Modified Interleaved Phase-Shifted Semi-Bridgeless Boost Converter for EV Battery Charging Applications
Authors: Kadirvel Kanchana , Kannadasan Raju , Alsharif Mohammed H. , Geem Zong Woo
Published: February 2023

Electric vehicles (EVs) are set to become one of the domestic transportation systems that are highly preferred over conventional vehicles. Due to the huge demand for and cost of fuel, many people are switching over to EVs. Companies such as Tesla, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes have started marketing EVs. These EVs need charging stations to charge the batteries. The challenges for EV batteries require the implementation of features such as fast charging, long-run utilization, reduced heat emission, a light weight, and a small size. However, fast charging using conventional converters generates an imbalance in current injection due to the passive component selection. In this study, a converter is proposed that uses an interleaved network that provides a balanced current injection; i.e., an improved interleaved phase-shifted semi-bridgeless boost converter (IIPSSBBC) is designed for EV battery charging applications. The suggested approach is mathematically designed using MATLAB/Simulink (2021) software. The result shows that the battery charging current achieves about 16.5 A, which is relatively more than conventional systems. Moreover, the charging time of the proposed converter is about 6 hrs for a 50 Ah battery with a discharge load capacity of 5000 W, which is relatively less than the conventional method. In a nutshell, compared with conventional converters, the IIPSSBBC performs better, and, notably, the charging speed and current injection are increased by two times the amount. Further, a prototype hardware model is developed to assess the performance of the proposed converter.
Analysis of the Influencing Factors of Social Participation Awareness on Urban Heritage Conservation: The Example of Suzhou, China
Authors: Zhou Tiancheng , Zang Tongguang , Jiang Jun , Yang Xiaoqi , Ikebe Konomi
Published: February 2023

Social participation is an important tool in heritage conservation, but levels remain low in developing countries. To increase social-participation awareness of urban-heritage conservation, this study aimed to find an effective method to determine the factors that affect participation awareness, with a focus on the magnitude of each influence. Through literature analysis we developed hypotheses about the factors affecting participation awareness, and then developed a linear regression model. In order to test the reliability of the model, we selected Suzhou as the research object and obtained the following conclusions: (1) Suzhou’s social-participation awareness was positively correlated with place identity, urban memory, subjective cognition, objective knowledge, and place identity. (2) The factor that had the strongest impact on Suzhou’s place identity was public space, with residence time and community sentiment also influencing place identity. (3) The factors that influenced the urban memory of Suzhou were residence time, urban transformation, and urban events with the most influential factor being lifestyle transformation. (4) Urban-heritage conservation social-participation awareness was higher among Suzhou people living in the old city than in the new city.
Measuring Organizational Culture in Hotels, Restaurants and Travel Agencies in Montenegro
Authors: Simovic Olivera , Lesjak Miha , Perović Đurđica , Podovšovnik Eva
Published: February 2023

Organizational culture has a strong influence on the management of the organization because cultural patterns are at the core of all human behavior and actions. The aim of this paper is to determine the character of the dominant models of organizational culture in the tourism and hospitality sector of Montenegro. In this study, a field survey questionnaire was used, among employees of hotels, restaurants and travel agencies in Montenegro. In this study, we examined specifically how the characteristics of the company affect the perception of its organizational culture. Furthermore, in this study we also examined how the characteristics of respondents affect the perception of organizational culture. Research hypotheses were tested with CHAID analysis, using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. Results show that the largest number of hotel and catering companies in Montenegro have an organizational culture of the clan and the second most represented culture is the culture of hierarchy. The main finding from the conducted research is the fact that the perception of the dominant type of organizational structure is significantly influenced by the type of tourist company and geographic distribution. The obtained results show that in hotels in the southern part of Montenegro, hierarchy culture is predominant, while in restaurants and travel agencies in central and northern regions it is the clan culture that dominates. The practical contribution implication of the study is in creating knowledge that can be used by managers of tourism companies in Montenegro to create a corporate strategy, recognizing that organizational culture has become an important aspect for senior management, i.e., managing the company and its development.
In Search of Sustainability and Financial Returns: The Case of ESG Energy Funds
Authors: Kuzmina Jekaterina , Atstaja Dzintra , Purvins Maris , Baakashvili Guram , Chkareuli Vakhtang
Published: February 2023

The world is facing several challenges, and the problem of sustainable development is one of the most important. It is worth considering that European countries are playing a significant role as pioneers in building a sustainable world, such as those promises made by signing the Paris Agreement and European Taxonomy. To achieve ambitious targets within sustainable development, a huge amount of capital is necessary, while financial and capital market participants are expected to demonstrate a high level of engagement in the domain of sustainability. Facing growing interest and demand, a relatively new product—the ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investment fund—was introduced. Scientific literature is providing some controversial views regarding the overall evaluation of this product. Therefore, additional research providing different angles would contribute to a better understanding. This study examines European ESG funds in the energy sector, from the perspective of news flows and investors. It is worth noting that the authors use the word “European” to refer to members of the European Union (EU). The paper consists of the following parts. In the introduction, the current state of this issue is discussed. The following section offers a literature review and a news flow analysis that contributes to a deeper understanding of these issues. A description of the methodology applied for the data analysis follows this, and the final section presents the research results and conclusions. The authors apply statistical analysis and the Carhart model to determine the differences in the performance of the ESG and conventional funds and use their own tool for text analysis to examine the relevance of the topic of ESG to attract client interest. The authors claim that the performance of the European ESG equity funds do not show a statistically significant difference from the non-ESG equity funds in the majority of the periods examined. The application of the adjusted Carhart model demonstrates that the factor of sustainability has a non-significant and negative effect on the fund performance. Finally, the authors highlight the urgent necessity for the unified usage of keywords and terminology, such as “ESG”, “sustainability”, etc., to ensure comparison and attribution possibilities.
Adoption of the Green Economy through Branchless Rural Credit Banks during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia
Authors: Marhaeni A. A. I. N. , Jermsittiparsert Kittisak , Sudarmo  , Indrawati Lucia Rita , Prasetyo Andjar , Fuada Noviati , Rachmadhani Arnis , Raharjo Tri Weda , Wahyudianto Heri , Harwijayanti Bekti Putri , Sitorus Jonni , Fahlevi Mochammad , Aljuaid Mohammed
Published: February 2023

A green economy has an impact on improving welfare, but it takes continuous efforts to achieve it from various fields. Contribution in the context of banking on a small scale is one of the initiatives that can show participation in achieving a green economy. This study aims to explore people’s behavior in financial transactions and analyze the practice of rural credit banks in encouraging the achievement of a green economy through the National Financial Inclusive Strategy (NFIS) program despite the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used quantitative approaches; observations were conducted at a certain time by collecting data taken directly as a complement to this study, as well as taking questionnaire data involving 363 samples and analyzing them using the structural equation model (SEM). The result is that green economic support is found in using paper for fewer savings transactions compared to branchless banking with conventional savings transactions. The high number of residents exposed to COVID-19 does not affect branchless banking. In addition, the use of branchless banking can show the penetration of financial literacy in the community. The results of the path analysis explain that perceived ease of use (7.468) and perceived usefulness (2.152) have an influence on attitude; intention is greatly influenced by attitude (15.357); and actual usage is influenced by intention (11.682). This research has specific implications for the Magelang City Rural Bank (MCRB), which needs to conduct market research to find out the potential of branchless banking that is specifically needed by the people of Magelang. Branchless banking innovation needs to be strengthened by presenting easy-to-understand and easy-to-use applications to improve the attitude of the Magelang people in adopting branchless banking applications and using them sustainably.
Characterizing Informal Settlement Dynamics Using Google Earth Engine and Intensity Analysis in Durban Metropolitan Area, South Africa: Linking Pattern to Process
Authors: Matarira Dadirai , Mutanga Onisimo , Naidu Maheshvari , Mushore Terence Darlington , Vizzari Marco
Published: February 2023

The growing population in informal settlements expedites alterations in land use and land cover (LULC) over time. Understanding the patterns and processes of landscape transitions associated with informal settlement dynamics in rapidly urbanizing cities is critical for better understanding of consequences, especially in environmentally vulnerable areas. The study sought to map and systematically analyze informal settlement growth patterns, dynamics and processes, as well as associated LULC transitions in Durban Metropolitan area, from 2015 to 2021. The study applied an object-based image classification on PlanetScope imagery within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. Further, intensity analysis approach was utilized to quantitatively investigate inter-category transitions at category and transition levels. Thus far, no study of land conversion to and from informal settlement areas in South Africa has exploited both GEE and intensity analysis approaches. The results suggest spatial growth of informal settlements with a total net gain of 3%. Intensity analysis results at category level revealed that informal settlements were actively losing and gaining land area within the period, with yearly gain and loss intensity of 72% and 54%, correspondingly, compared to the uniform intensity of 26%. While the growth of informal settlements avoided water bodies over the studied period, there was an observed systematic process of transition between informal settlements and other urban land. Government policy initiatives toward upgrading informal housing could be attributed to the transitions between informal and other urban settlements. This study illustrates the efficacy of intensity analysis in enhancing comprehension of the patterns and processes in land changes, which aids decision making for suitable urban land upgrading plans in the Durban Metropolitan area.
Ecological Indicative Stressors of Native vs. Non-Native Fish in an Ultra-Oligotrophic Region of the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Mutlu Erhan , Meo Ilaria de , Miglietta Claudia , Deval Mehmet Cengiz
Published: February 2023

In the present study, we investigated the different ecological characteristics of native and non-native demersal fish collected in 2014–2015 on the shelf of the Antalya Gulf in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Lessepsian migrants originating from the Indo-Pacific Ocean were classified as non-indigenous species (NIS) and the other species, which were mostly Atlanto-Mediterranean, were classified as indigenous species (IS). The results showed that the faunistic characteristics of IS and NIS differed significantly in space but only partly over time. The density and species diversity of the IS increased with the seafloor depth, while the opposite pattern was observed for the NIS, which were found mostly in shallow waters. Proximity to rivers and Posidonia oceanica meadows and the presence of a marine protected area (MPA) were also important factors determining the differences in the ecological characteristics of IS and NIS. The ecological ordination of the fish assemblages in the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) space was V-shaped for the IS and =-shaped for the NIS, and it was mainly determined by bottom depth. Altogether, the ordination took the shape of a double strikethrough (V) due to the NIS filling an available niche. Hierarchically, the NIS (“occupiers”) and IS (“resisters”) shared the shallowest waters, while the middle-shelf waters were occupied by NIS (“gapers”) and IS (“escapers”) separately. The upper shelf was occupied only by IS (“homekeepers”) and “minorities” of NIS. Finally, we identified eight factors as ecological indicators of NIS and IS: bottom depth, bottom vegetation status, fish hierarchy, key species, water productivity, fish trophic level, life strategy and morphometry.
Selenium Application Improves Drought Tolerance during Reproductive Phase of Rice
Authors: Patnaik Girija Prasad , Monisha V. , Thavaprakaash N. , Djanaguiraman M. , Sachin S. , Vikram Kannamreddy , Girwani Thaimadam , Jeeva M. , Monicaa M. , Patnaik Likhit , Behera Biswaranjan , Mrunalini Kancheti , Srinivasan G. , Naik Mude Ashok , Varshini S. V. , Sapthagiri S.
Published: February 2023

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) grain yield is reduced by drought stress during reproductive stages. In this work, the effects of foliar selenium (Se) spray on the reduction of drought stress are measured and the most critical stage of rice is identified. Three field experiments were carried out. In experiments I and II, the sensitive stage was determined by imposing drought stress at the panicle initiation and flowering stages by withholding irrigation for 10, 15, 20, and 25 days. In experiment III, drought stress was induced by depriving plants of moisture for 20 or 25 days. Se spray was then applied at rates of 0, 10, and 20 mg L−1 to alleviate the drought, and its effects were evaluated. Overall, it was reported that the panicle initiation stage was more vulnerable to drought stress than the flowering stage, as evidenced by a larger reduction in grain yield. Employing Se as a foliar spray at a rate of 20 mg L−1 under drought stress enhanced the number of filled grains m−2, the total number of grains m−2, and grain yield ha−1 by 22.0, 4.3, and 11.0%, respectively, over water spray. This shows a positive interaction or synergistic interaction between drought tolerance and selenium application. These results demonstrate that foliage supplementation of Se at a dosage of 20 mg L−1 alleviate the adverse effects of drought stress at the panicle initiation stage in rice cultivation. Se mitigated the negative effects of drought by improving the membrane stability index, relative water content, and proline content.
Determinants of Digital Transformation in the Hospitality Industry: Technological, Organizational, and Environmental Drivers
Authors: Nikopoulou Maria , Kourouthanassis Panos , Chasapi Giota , Pateli Adamantia , Mylonas Naoum
Published: February 2023

The current study aims to investigate the factors that affect a hotels’ decision to adopt digital technologies. Our theoretical grounding builds on the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) research framework. Our research model was validated through a survey of 502 hoteliers and managers using the Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) statistical method. The results indicated that micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) hotels affected by the COVID-19 outbreak are more likely to adopt digital technologies. The intention to adopt digital technology is positively and significantly influenced by the digital maturity of organizations, financial resource availability and government regulations. The current study investigates rather less explored factors, such as the organizational digital maturity, which consists of a multi-dimensional latent variable. Our findings may be employed to guide the formulation of digital strategies by hospitality industry organizations.
The Role of Participatory Leadership and Employee Innovative Behavior on SMEs’ Endurance
Authors: Alarifi Ghadah , Adam Nawal Abdalla
Published: February 2023

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have struggled to survive during the COVID-19 crisis. The factors that contributed to their survival during the period deserve to be investigated. Drawing on social-exchange theory, this study aims to explore the mediating effect of participative leadership on the relationship between employee work innovative behavior (EWIB) and the survival of SMEs after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 390 managers randomly selected from 114 medium-sized enterprises in Saudi Arabia. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the hypothesized relationships between the research variables. The results of the study indicate a significant and positive association between EWIB and participatory leadership. There is a positive and important effect of both participatory leadership and EWIB on the endurance of SMEs. Participatory leadership had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between EWIB and the SMEs’ endurance during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The study sheds light on the importance of the innovative behavior of the workers and the participatory leadership for the survival and continuity of SMEs in times of crisis similar to COVID-19. The study’s findings provide suggestions for SMEs’ managers regarding adopting a participatory leadership style to develop employees’ innovative behavior and ensure the enterprise’s endurance.
Analysis of Sub-Optimization Impact on Partner Selection in VMI
Authors: Sha Jin , Zheng Sisi
Published: February 2023

Different combinations of elements will lead to different system functions, so a supply chain composed of enterprises with different characteristics will lead to differences in the system performance. In this study, a vendor-managed inventory (VMI) model is built; the model takes into consideration the factors of demand amplification, order and inventory cost change. Then, the change in the revenue of the supply chain and its members—due to VMI—are represented, and the influence of the different production parameters on this change is analyzed. On the basis of proving the distinctive feature of the Kaldor–Hicks improvement possessed by VMI, the profit fluctuations of enterprises in a supply chain that is composed of members with different characteristics using VMI are calculated by a numerical experiment. The conclusions of this paper indicate why enterprises prefer to choose VMI partners, and the results confirm the sub-optimal characteristic of this tendency. In addition, the results also reveal the inherent contradiction of VMI between supply chain efficiency improvement and coordination among the supply chain’s members. If an enterprise chooses VMI partners solely to maximize its own interests, the possibility of Pareto improvement in the supply chain will be maximized. However, at this time, a more effective supply chain system cannot be organized.
Prediction of the Tropospheric NO2 Column Concentration and Distribution Using the Time Sequence-Based versus Influencing Factor-Based Random Forest Regression Model
Authors: Geng Tunyang , Ju Tianzhen , Li Bingnan , An Bin , Su Haohai
Published: February 2023

The prediction of air pollutants has always been an issue of great concern to the whole of society. In recent years, the prediction and simulation of air pollutants via machine learning have been widely used. In this study, we collected meteorological data and tropospheric NO2 column concentration data in Beijing, China, between 2012 and 2020, and compared the two methods of time sequence-based and influencing factor-based random forest regression in predicting the tropospheric NO2 column concentration. The results showed that prediction of the tropospheric NO2 column concentration using random forest regression was affected by the changes of human activities, especially emergency events and policy variations. The advantage of time sequence analysis lies in its ability to calculate the distribution of air pollutants with a long-time scale of prediction, but it may produce large errors in numerical value. The advantage of influencing factor prediction lies in its high precision and that it can identify the specific impact of each influencing factor on the NO2 column concentration, but it needs more data and work quantities before it can make a prediction about the future.
Effect of Loading Rate on the Mechanical Properties of Weakly Cemented Sandstone
Authors: Sun Lihui , Long Yaxin , Li Xing , Jiang Zhixin , Fan Yu , Wang Zongze , Han Xiangang
Published: February 2023

Weakly cemented rocks are characterized by low strength, loose structure, and easy disintegration. High-intensity mining activities can damage and rupture such rock bodies and induce damage, such as flaking and roofing on roadways. To reveal the mining intensity influence on the weakly cemented rocks’ deformation and damage, a numerical particle flow model of weakly cemented sandstone was established based on particle flow theory. Uniaxial compression simulation tests were conducted at four loading rates of 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, and 1 mm/min to study the weakly cemented sandstone’s stress–strain relationship, damage rupture, acoustic emission, and energy evolution. The results show that, with an increased loading rate, the uniaxial compressive strength of weakly cemented sandstone increases exponentially, and the rupture mode transforms from brittle damage to ductile damage; the greater the loading rate, the greater the degree of damage and crushing range of the rock. Further, with an increased loading rate, the peak hysteresis of rock acoustic emission events decreases, and the number of events increases; the energy accumulated in the rock increases, thus intensifying the degree of rock damage. Therefore, the possibility of engineering disasters should be considered when conducting high-speed underground mining activities.
Comparative Assessment of Environmental/Energy Performance under Conventional Labor and Collaborative Robot Scenarios in Greek Viticulture
Authors: Tziolas Emmanouil , Karapatzak Eleftherios , Kalathas Ioannis , Lytridis Chris , Mamalis Spyridon , Koundouras Stefanos , Pachidis Theodore , Kaburlasos Vassilis G.
Published: February 2023

The viticultural sector is facing a significant maturation phase, dealing with environmental challenges to reduce agrochemical application and energy consumption, while labor shortages are increasing throughout Europe and beyond. Autonomous collaborative robots are an emerging technology and an alternative to the scarcity of human labor in agriculture. Additionally, collaborative robots could provide sustainable solutions to the growing energy demand of the sector due to their skillful precision and continuous labor. This study presents an impact assessment regarding energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of collaborative robots in four Greek vineyards implementing a life cycle assessment approach. Eight scenarios were developed in order to assess the annual production of four Vitis vinifera L. cultivars, namely, Asyrtiko, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Tempranillo, integrating data from two wineries for 3 consecutive years. For each conventional cultivation scenario, an alternative was developed, substituting conventional viticultural practices with collaborative robots. The results showed that collaborative robots’ scenarios could achieve a positive environmental and energy impact compared with conventional strategies. The major reason for lower impacts is fossil fuel consumption and the efficiency of the selected robots, though there are limitations regarding their functionality, lifetime, and production. The alternative scenarios have varying energy demand and environmental impact, potentially impacting agrochemical usage and requiring new policy adjustments, leading to increased complexity and potential controversy in farm management. In this context, this study shows the benefits of collaborative robots intended to replace conventional practices in a number of viticultural operations in order to cope with climate change impacts and excessive energy consumption.
Progress in Sustainable Tourism Research: An Analysis of the Comprehensive Literature and Future Research Directions
Authors: Yang Yuetao , Wani Gowhar Ahmad , Nagaraj V. , Haseeb Mohammad , Sultan Sameer , Hossain Md. Emran , Kamal Mustafa , Shah Syed Mehmood Raza
Published: February 2023

Sustainable tourism must maintain a high level of customer satisfaction, raise awareness of sustainability concerns, and spread sustainable tourism practices among them. Several earlier studies have measured sustainable tourism in various regions of the world, but a thorough review of it is rare. Thus, the study is founded on a comprehensive literature review to evaluate the current research level and to provide guidelines for future research on sustainable tourism. The paper’s first section clarifies and analyzes a broad overview of existing studies. While a tabulated presentation of studies, which consists of the author, significant objectives, methods, and critical results, is broadly given in the second part. The third part of the study highlights the critical analysis of the existing literature on sustainable tourism and research gaps. This study makes a significant positive contribution to sustainable tourism research. It is beneficial for aspiring researchers conducting subsequent research studies since it offers a research pathway to advance the field’s literature. The broad domains of sustainability, issues related to sustainable infrastructure and services, livelihood, and management of tourism destinations are the critical areas that scientific research studies could further explore. The results of this study show that most studies lack depth in proper analysis, methodology, geographical variances, empirical analysis, and real-world application.
A Review of Blood Delivery for Sustainable Supply Chain Management (BSCM)
Authors: Alghamdi Saleh Y.
Published: February 2023

The management and supply of blood are critical yet considered a challenging exercise within the healthcare industry. The inventory managers within the sector concerned with blood storage and transportation always focus on their consumers’ effective and timely responses. A lack of blood during emergencies significantly impacts patients’ lives needing a blood transfusion. On the other hand, blood transfusion to needy patients must be effective and timely, requiring adequate transportation and supply chain policies. A weak transportation system could lead to blood shortages, delivery inefficiencies, and even contamination during the process. There are few blood donors globally; therefore, any wastage due to a poor delivery solution is ineffective. The current review aims to offer a comparative study of blood delivery within crowded cities, specifically using cars and motorcycles as the leading delivery solutions. Based on the systematic literature review, the most effective and responsive blood delivery system in a congested city may be identified considering SC costs, time availability, and emergency severity. The present research provides a comparative analysis of the available blood delivery systems in a congested city. It also helps the stakeholders to take quick and responsive decisions quickly.
Local Power Distribution—A Review of Nanogrid Architectures, Control Strategies, and Converters
Authors: Santoro Danilo , Delmonte Nicola , Simonazzi Marco , Toscani Andrea , Rocchi Nicholas , Sozzi Giovanna , Cova Paolo , Menozzi Roberto
Published: February 2023

Environmental issues and the global need to extend sustainable access to electricity have fostered a huge amount of research in distributed generation by renewables. The challenges posed by the widespread deployment of distributed generation by renewables, such as intermittent power generation, low inertia, the need for energy storage, etc., call for the development of smart grids serving specific local areas or buildings, referred to as microgrids and nanogrids, respectively. This has led in the last decades to the proposal and actual implementation of a wide variety of system architectures and solutions, and along with that the issue of the power converters needed for interfacing the AC grid with DC micro- or nanogrids, and for DC regulation within the latter. This work offers an overview of the state of the art of research and application of nanogrid architectures, control strategies, and power converter topologies.