bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CCA: Cost-Capacity-Aware Caching for In-Memory Data Analytics Frameworks
Authors: Park Seongsoo , Jeong Minseop , Han Hwansoo
Published: March 2021

To process data from IoTs and wearable devices, analysis tasks are often offloaded to the cloud. As the amount of sensing data ever increases, optimizing the data analytics frameworks is critical to the performance of processing sensed data. A key approach to speed up the performance of data analytics frameworks in the cloud is caching intermediate data, which is used repeatedly in iterative computations. Existing analytics engines implement caching with various approaches. Some use run-time mechanisms with dynamic profiling and others rely on programmers to decide data to cache. Even though caching discipline has been investigated long enough in computer system research, recent data analytics frameworks still leave a room to optimize. As sophisticated caching should consider complex execution contexts such as cache capacity, size of data to cache, victims to evict, etc., no general solution often exists for data analytics frameworks. In this paper, we propose an application-specific cost-capacity-aware caching scheme for in-memory data analytics frameworks. We use a cost model, built from multiple representative inputs, and an execution flow analysis, extracted from DAG schedule, to select primary candidates to cache among intermediate data. After the caching candidate is determined, the optimal caching is automatically selected during execution even if the programmers no longer manually determine the caching for the intermediate data. We implemented our scheme in Apache Spark and experimentally evaluated our scheme on HiBench benchmarks. Compared to the caching decisions in the original benchmarks, our scheme increases the performance by 27% on sufficient cache memory and by 11% on insufficient cache memory, respectively.
Guidance Point Generation-Based Cooperative UGV Teleoperation in Unstructured Environment
Authors: Zhu Sen , Xiong Guangming , Chen Huiyan , Gong Jianwei
Published: March 2021

Teleoperation is widely used for unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) navigation in military and civilian fields. However, the human operator has to limit speed to ensure the handling stability because of the low resolution of video, limited field of view and time delay in the control loop. In this paper, we propose a novel guidance point generation method that is well suited for human–machine cooperative UGV teleoperation in unstructured environments without a predefined goal position. The key novelty of this method is that the guidance points used for navigation can be generated with only the local perception information of the UGV. Firstly, the locally occupied grid map (OGM) was generated utilizing a probabilistic grid state description method, and converted into binary image to constructed the convex hull of obstacle area. Secondly, we proposed an improved thinning algorithm to extract skeletons of navigable regions from binary images, and find out the target skeleton related to the position of the UGV utilizing the k-nearest neighbor (kNN) algorithm. The target skeleton was reconstructed at the midline position of the navigable region using the decreasing gradient algorithm in order to obtain the appropriate skeleton end points for use as candidate guidance points. For visually presenting the driving trend of the UGV and convenient touch screen operation, we transformed guidance point selection into trajectory selection by generating the predicted trajectory correlative to candidate guidance points based on the differential equation of motion. Experimental results show that the proposed method significantly increases the speed of teleoperated UGV.
Perchlorate Levels in Polish Water Samples of Various Origin
Authors: Niziński Przemysław , Wiśniewska Patrycja , Kończyk Joanna , Michalski Rajmund
Published: March 2021

Perchlorate ion (ClO4−) is known as a potent endocrine disruptor and exposure to this compound can result in serious health issues. It has been found in drinking water, swimming pools, and surface water in many countries, however, its occurrence in the environment is still poorly understood. The information on perchlorate contamination of Polish waters is very limited. The primary objective of this study was to assess ClO4− content in bottled, tap, river, and swimming pool water samples from different regions of Poland and provide some data on the presence of perchlorate. We have examined samples of bottled, river, municipal, and swimming pool water using the IC–CD (ion chromatography–conductivity detection) method. Limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.43 µg/L and 1.42 µg/L, respectively, and they were both above the current health advisory levels in drinking water. The concentration of perchlorate were found to be 3.12 µg/L in one river water sample and from 6.38 to 8.14 µg/L in swimming pool water samples. Importantly, the level of perchlorate was below the limit of detection (LOD) in all bottled water samples. The results have shown that the determined perchlorate contamination in Polish drinking waters seems to be small, nevertheless, further studies are required on surface and river samples. The inexpensive, fast, and sensitive IC–CD method used in this study allowed for a reliable determination of perchlorate in the analyzed samples. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other studies seeking to assess the perchlorate content in Polish waters.
The Role of Ionic Liquid Interaction in the Separation of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters—Polyunsaturated Geometric Isomers in GC–MS
Authors: Mező Emerencia , Bufa Anita , Páger Csilla , Poór Viktória , Marosvölgyi Tamás , Kilár Ferenc , Makszin Lilla
Published: March 2021

Knowledge of the type and level of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in food and clinical matrices is of practical importance, but the wide variety of fatty acids makes analyses very complex. The discrimination of the geometric isomers of fatty acid needs proper and effective separation conditions. The efficiency of three different stationary phases was evaluated by GC–MS methods in the separation of fatty acids in their methyl ester forms. Significant differences were observed in the efficiencies of polysiloxane-based (non-polar HP-5MS and medium/high polarity DB-225MS) and ionic liquid-based (SLB-IL111) columns. Baseline separation of the geometric isomers of linoleic acid methyl ester was obtained by the extremely polar SLB-IL111 column, showing a preference over the other two columns. The optimization of the experimental conditions (response linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, system suitability, intraday and interday repeatability and accuracy) showed the separation power of the ionic liquid interaction in the analyses by using short (25–30 m long) columns. By deducting the general principles of the interaction, predictions can be made for the separation of other isomers. The results facilitate the precise identification of various types of fatty acids in real samples for nutritional information.
Potentiality of Azolla pinnata R. Br. for Phytoremediation of Polluted Freshwater with Crude Petroleum Oil
Authors: Mostafa Aya A. , Hegazy Ahmad K. , Mohamed Nermen H. , Hafez Rehab M. , Azab Ehab , Gobouri Adil A. , Saad Hosam A. , Fattah Azza M. Abd-El , Mustafa Yasser M.
Published: March 2021

The pollution of freshwater resources with crude petroleum oil is a major environmental issue in oil-producing countries. As a result, the remediation of polluted aquatic ecosystems using eco-friendly and cost-effective technology is receiving increased global attention. In this study, the ability of Azolla pinnata R. Br. to remediate petroleum-polluted freshwater was assessed. The remediation potentiality was determined by evaluating the total petroleum hydrocarbon degradation percentage (TPH%) and changes in the molecular type composition of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions. TPH% was estimated gravimetrically, and changes in the molecular type composition of saturated and aromatic fractions were measured using gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. The results reveal that A. pinnata has the potential to phytoremediate freshwater polluted with low levels (up to 0.5 g/L) of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs). After seven days of phytoremediation, the degradation rate of total PHs was 92% in the planted treatment compared with 38% in the unplanted positive control. The highest breakdown of PHs for the normal paraffinic saturated hydrocarbon fraction occurred in the presence of A. pinnata combined with Anabena azollaea (A-A), which showed a moderate degradation capacity toward total aromatic hydrocarbons (TAHs) and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results indicate that A. pinnata effectively removed C18, a saturated PH, and acenaphthene (Ace), an aromatic PH. Therefore, this study suggests that A. pinnata is a useful tool for the remediation of freshwaters contaminated with low pollution levels of crude oil.
Assessing the Impact of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on Economic Profitability of Arable, Forestry, and Silvoarable Systems
Authors: Kaske Kristina J. , García de Jalón Silvestre , Williams Adrian G. , Graves Anil R.
Published: March 2021

This study assesses the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sequestration of a silvoarable system with poplar trees and a crop rotation of wheat, barley, and oilseed rape and compares this with a rotation of the same arable crops and a poplar plantation. The Farm-SAFE model, a financial model of arable, forestry, and silvoarable systems, was modified to account for life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from tree and crop management were determined from life-cycle inventories and carbon storage benefits from the Yield-SAFE model, which predicts crop and tree yields in arable, forestry, and silvoarable systems. An experimental site in Silsoe in southern England served as a case study. The results showed that the arable system was the most financially profitable system, followed by the silvoarable and then the forestry systems, with equivalent annual values of EUR 560, 450 and 140 ha−1, respectively. When the positive and negative externalities of GHG sequestration and emissions were converted into carbon equivalents and given an economic value, the profitability of the arable systems was altered relative to the forestry and silvoarable systems, although in the analysis, the exact impact depended on the value given to GHG emissions. Market values for carbon resulted in the arable system remaining the most profitable system, albeit at a reduced level. Time series values for carbon proposed by the UK government resulted in forestry being the most profitable system. Hence, the relative benefit of the three systems was highly sensitive to the value that carbon was given in the analysis. This in turn is dependent on the perspective that is given to the analysis.
Strategic Investment Decisions for Emerging Technology Fields in the Health Care Sector Based on M&A Analysis
Authors: Choi Jinho , Shin Nina , Chang Yong Sik
Published: March 2021

The existing approaches to identification of emerging technologies create a prominent opportunity for technology convergence and market growth potential. However, existing approaches either suffer from the time lag issue or have yet to explorethe assessment’s uncertainty and ambiguity. Based on a total of 14 years of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity data in the Health Care sector, the complex patterns between growth velocity and accelerating of M&A activities are analyzed with two quantitative indicators (Promising Index and Promising Index Sharpe Ratio) to identify emerging technological opportunities. The proposed integrative approach offers a mean to resolve the time lag issue, deal with market trend irregularity, and manage expectations of investors for emerging technology and industry. Specifically, this study aims to (i) provide a decision support system integrating M&A activity information for strategic investment planning and (ii) identify promising technologies in the Healthcare sector to manage the irregularities of market trend and investment outcome. This study is one of the first research that employs a prior data-based approach to delineate emerging technologies by analyzing the growth momentum properties of specific industry areas based on the M&A activity data.
Machine Learning Improvement of Streamflow Simulation by Utilizing Remote Sensing Data and Potential Application in Guiding Reservoir Operation
Authors: He Shaokun , Gu Lei , Tian Jing , Deng Lele , Yin Jiabo , Liao Zhen , Zeng Ziyue , Shen Youjiang , Hui Yu
Published: March 2021

Hydro-meteorological datasets are key components for understanding physical hydrological processes, but the scarcity of observational data hinders their potential application in poorly gauged regions. Satellite-retrieved and atmospheric reanalysis products exhibit considerable advantages in filling the spatial gaps in in-situ gauging networks and are thus forced to drive the physically lumped hydrological models for long-term streamflow simulation in data-sparse regions. As machine learning (ML)-based techniques can capture the relationship between different elements, they may have potential in further exploring meteorological predictors and hydrological responses. To examine the application prospects of a physically constrained ML algorithm using earth observation data, we used a short-series hydrological observation of the Hanjiang River basin in China as a case study. In this study, the prevalent modèle du Génie Rural à 9 paramètres Journalier (GR4J-9) hydrological model was used to initially simulate streamflow, and then, the simulated series and remote sensing data were used to train the long short-term memory (LSTM) method. The results demonstrated that the advanced GR4J9–LSTM model chain effectively improves the performance of the streamflow simulation by using more remote sensing data related to the hydrological response variables. Additionally, we derived a reservoir operation model by feeding the LSTM-based simulation outputs, which further revealed the potential application of our proposed technique.
Accessibility and Connectivity Criteria for Assessing Walkability: An Application in Qazvin, Iran
Authors: Jabbari Mona , Fonseca Fernando , Ramos Rui
Published: March 2021

Distance is a recognized key determinant of walking. Pedestrians tend to choose the shortest route between two points. Shortest routes can be spatially described in terms of distances between two points or topologically described as the number of turns/directional changes between these points. This paper presents a methodology to evaluate the conditions provided by a street network to pedestrians, by using two space syntax measures. Accessibility was calculated through Angular Segment Analysis by Metric Distance (ASAMeD), a measure of street integration and choice strongly correlated with pedestrian movement pattern. Street Connectivity was calculated by using the space syntax measure of connectivity, which shows the direct connection of street nodes to each individual nodes. The streets criterion values of both approaches were normalized by using fuzzy logic linear functions. The method was applied in the city center of Qazvin, Iran. Results showed that the urban structure of Qazvin has a strong impact on the performance of the network. The old neighborhood centers widespread in the city center presented a high topological accessibility, while the most connected street are those streets crossing and surrounding the neighborhood areas. The method can be used to evaluate and improve pedestrian networks, as it can distinguish the most and least attractive streets according to the criteria used. These findings can be used to guide policies towards improving walkability and to create more walkable and sustainable cities.
Risk Perception and Adaptation of Climate Change: An Assessment of Community Resilience in Rural Taiwan
Authors: Lai Chun-Hsien , Liao Pi-Ching , Chen Szu-Hung , Wang Yung-Chieh , Cheng Chingwen , Wu Chen-Fa
Published: March 2021

Over the last five decades, there has been a decline of rural communities in Taiwan due to urbanization expansion. In the past 10 years, the central government has implemented the Rural Regeneration Project (RRP) aimed at revitalization and sustainable development in rural Taiwan. During the project’s implementation, communities have faced several disasters as a result of climate change-induced extreme rainfall events. Perceptions and adaptation practices of climate change-induced extreme events are critical to community sustainability and resilience. The gap between perceived and actual risks that communities experience creates challenges for policy-makers in achieving sustainability goals. This study aims to evaluate the perceived climate change-induced flooding hazard perceptions compared to the scientific projection and actual hazard events in 287 rural communities implementing the RRP. This study revealed consistency in risk perception, in that communities facing high potential exposure to extreme rainfall showed higher awareness of various impacts of climate change. However, when comparing climate actions, communities exposed to low-potential hazard areas had a relatively higher degree of recognition of the benefits of adaptation to climate change. Moreover, 59 rural communities with low awareness and exposed to high potentials of extreme events were widely distributed among hills of western, southern, and northern Taiwan, where compound disasters such as mudslides can occur. This research suggests that there is a need to integrate climate change planning and work with communities to bridge the gap between perceived and actual climate risks. In particular, capacity training, counseling services, and implementation of adaptation practices should be integrated into institutional planning and management for providing assistance in disaster prevention, relief, and post-event restoration; also, encouraging climate actions can directly improve community resilience toward climate change. While investing in the sustainable development of rural communities is largely based on revitalizing economic development, this study revealed the link to ensure resilience and social-ecological sustainability in rural communities under climate change impacts.
Knowledge Sharing in Business Education
Authors: Castaneda Delio I. , Cuellar Sergio
Published: March 2021

The paper aims to investigate the evolution of the theme of knowledge sharing in business education in academic literature. Based on an extensive search, it can be stated that this is the first systematic review of this topic. The method employed in this study was a systematic review that covered publications from 1997, when the first paper relating the theme was published in the selected databases, to 2020. The analysis was based on 306 articles. Four periods were identified: embryonic, emergent, growth young and growth highest. One of the findings is that knowledge sharing in business education is growing in virtual environments, especially in the last year, where the COVID 19 pandemic restricted the option of face-to-face education in classrooms. It is recommended that business schools decrease the percentage of time they spend in lectures and increase the time and strategies in which students share knowledge, discuss problems and make decisions based on collective reflection.
Values-Led Design Cards: Building Ethically Engaged Archaeology and Heritage Experiences
Authors: Dolcetti Francesca , Boardman Claire , Opitz Rachel , Perry Sara
Published: March 2021

The agenda for an engaged and impactful archaeology has been set out emphatically in a variety of recent reports, positioning archaeology and heritage as important sources of public value and social benefit. While many ascribe to these aims, how to put them into practice in concrete terms remains a real challenge. Tools, methods and methodologies developed for the wider research community as it engages with the “impact agenda” at large have been adapted and applied in archaeological and heritage practice with variable success. In this paper, we discuss the creation of a values-led, card-based design toolkit and the considerations involved in customising it for use by archaeology and heritage sector practitioners. We evaluate reflexive feedback from participants in a toolkit testing workshop, together with our own reflections on the workshop experience. Building on these, we assess the potential and limitations of the toolkit and its underpinning values-led design theory to generate critically engaged archaeological and heritage experiences.
Total Investment in Fixed Assets and the Later Stage of Urbanization: A Case Study of Shanghai
Authors: Luo Yulong , Wang Can , Chen Chen , Ding Kangle , Zeng Weiliang
Published: March 2021

After more than 40 years’ opening-up and reform, China’s urbanization has entered a new type of urbanization. In order to reveal the rule of different infrastructure investments and urbanization relationships, this paper uses Shanghai as a case by applying econometric methods to study the detailed relationship between different indicators from 1990 to 2019. Firstly, we quantify that each variable has a long-term co-integration relationship with urbanization by co-integration test. And we found that the real estate is a main driving force of urbanization while the construction project investment plays an important role in promoting the urbanization rate in the studied period. Secondly, according to the Granger test, our study illustrates that each variable has a bilateral Granger relationship with urbanization while the urbanization rate has more Granger causality impact on the studied variables. Thirdly, based on impulse response test and variance decomposition analysis, we found that urbanization rate with other variables accounts for the majority of the percentage of impacts while the total investment in fixed assets and its three categories contribute a small amount to the urbanization rate. Finally, we propose policy suggestions to strengthen healthy urbanization development in Shanghai.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Plant in Tower Configuration with and without Thermal Energy Storage (TES)
Authors: Gasa Gemma , Lopez-Roman Anton , Prieto Cristina , Cabeza Luisa F.
Published: March 2021

Despite the big deployment of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants, their environmental evaluation is still a pending issue. In this paper, a detailed life cycle assessment (LCA) of a CSP tower plant with molten salts storage in a baseload configuration is carried out and compared with a reference CSP plant without storage. Results show that the plant with storage has a lower environmental impact due to the lower operational impact. The dependence on grid electricity in a CSP tower plant without storage increases its operation stage impact. The impact of the manufacturing and disposal stage is similar in both plants. When analyzed in detail, the solar field system and the thermal energy storage (TES) and heat transfer fluid (HTF) systems are the ones with higher impact. Within the storage system, the molten salts are those with higher impact. Therefore, in this study the impact of the origin of the salts is evaluated, showing that when the salts come from mines their impact is lower than when they are synthetized. Results show that storage is a key element for CSP plants not only to ensure dispatchability but also to reduce their environmental impact.
Distributing Responsibilities for Climate Adaptation: Examples from the Water Domain
Authors: Doorn Neelke , Brackel Lieke , Vermeulen Sara
Published: March 2021

It is often assumed that climate adaptation policy asks for new responsibility arrangements between central government and citizens, with citizens getting a more prominent role. This prompts the question under which conditions these new responsibility arrangements can be justified as they may raise serious ethical concerns. Without paying due attention to these ethical concerns, climate adaptation policy may be unsuccessful and even be considered illegitimate. This paper aims to address this topic by exploring some examples of climate adaptation responses and their associated ethical challenges. The examples from the water domain differ in terms of their primary beneficiaries and the extent to which they are prone to collective action problems. Discussion of the examples shows that any shift of responsibilities towards citizens should be accompanied by a governmental responsibility to make sure that citizens are indeed able to assume these responsibilities and a responsibility to see to it that the greater involvement of responsibilities does not create disproportional inequalities.
A Model of the Environmental Burden of RFID Technology in the Slovak Republic
Authors: Bukova Bibiana , Tengler Jiri , Brumercikova Eva
Published: March 2021

The paper focuses on the environmental burden created by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags in the Slovak Republic (SR). In order to determine the burden there, a model example was created to calculate electronic waste produced by households in the SR by placing RFID tags into municipal waste. The paper presents a legislative regulatory approach towards the environmental impacts from using RFID tags in the SR, as well as an analysis of the environmental burden of using RFID tags throughout the world. The core of the paper is focused on the research conducted in order to calculate the environmental burden of a model household in the SR, where the number of used RFID tags per year was observed; then, the volume of e-waste produced by households of the Slovak Republic per year was determined. In the conclusion, we provide the results of the research presented and discuss including our own proposal for solving the problems connected with the environmental burden of RFID technology.
Macroeconomic Factors and Stock Price Crash Risk: Do Managers Withhold Bad News in the Crisis-Ridden Iran Market?
Authors: Moradi Mahdi , Appolloni Andrea , Zimon Grzegorz , Tarighi Hossein , Kamali Maede
Published: March 2021

The present study aims to investigate the effects of macroeconomic variables on stock price crash risk in the economically uncertain conditions of Iran’s market. This study also seeks to examine whether there is a significant relationship between some firm characteristics and falling stock prices. The sample of the study includes 152 Iranian companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) between 2014 and 2019. Furthermore, the research model has been estimated using a fixed effect pattern, and the DUVOL (down-to-up volatility) measure is defined as a proxy for stock price crash risk. Consistent with our expectations, the results show that there is a positive association between the inflation and unemployment rates and stock price crash risk, whereas the GDP and exchange rates are correlated negatively with crash risk. In fact, with rising inflation and unemployment, on the one hand, the amount of savings and the purchasing power of the people have decreased, and on the other hand, it has reduced the sales of companies due to the increase in the pricing of manufactured products. In Iran’s economically uncertain situation due to sanctions, managers are trying to overstate financial performance and conceal bad news to have better access to financing; so, when the total amount of bad news accumulated over time reaches a tipping point, it leads to a stock crash. It also appears that when the exchange rate rises, Iranian investors prefer to buy companies’ shares to maintain the purchasing power of their money. Outcomes also confirm that larger firms and those with higher Return on Assets (ROA) are more sensitive to crash risk.
Risk Analysis for Short-Term Operation of the Power Generation in Cascade Reservoirs Considering Multivariate Reservoir Inflow Forecast Errors
Authors: Wu Yueqiu , Wang Liping , Wang Yi , Zhang Yanke , Wu Jiajie , Ma Qiumei , Liang Xiaoqing , He Bin
Published: March 2021

In the short-term operation of the power generation of cascade reservoirs, uncertainty factors such as inflow forecast errors could cause various types of risks. The inflow to a downstream reservoir is not only affected by inflow forecast errors from upstream reservoirs but also the forecast errors associated with inflow to the stream segment between the reservoirs, such as from a tributary. The inflow forecast errors of different forecast periods may also be correlated. To address this multivariate problem, the inflow forecast error variables were jointly fitted in this study using the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and a t-Copula function based on the analysis of the error distribution characteristics in different forecast periods. Therefore, a stochastic model that coupled with the GMM and t-Copula to calculate inflow forecast errors in multiple forecast periods was established. Furthermore, according to the simulation results of the stochastic model and the predicted runoff series, a set of simulated runoff processes were obtained. Then they were combined with the existing power generation plan to carry out the risk analysis for short-term operation of the power generation in a cascade reservoir. The approach was evaluated using the Jinguan cascade hydropower system within the Yalong River basin as a case study. For this case study, the risk analysis for short-term operation of the power generation was analyzed based on stochastic simulation of the inflow forecast errors; the results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Modeling & Simulation-Based Problem Solving Process in Sustainable Living Lab
Authors: Choi Changbeom , Yang Seungho , Choi Seon Han , Jang Sooyoung
Published: March 2021

Modern society consists of various groups according to their respective interests. The importance of the citizen participation decision-making process in which such various groups get involved in the numerous decision-making of the society has been emerging. The living lab (LL) can be a sustainable approach in such a modern society because all stakeholders can participate in the problem-solving process. In LL, every group communicates, defines their problems, and discusses with experts to find the best solution. For this process to work effectively, the discussions should be based on clear scientific evidence instead of vague words. This study introduces the modeling and simulation (M&S) process to establish a theoretical basis to help the participants in LL identify problematic situations and analyze the solutions. This process involves discrete event system formalism with a set-theoretical modular form among various modeling and simulation theories and the execution environments. Based on them, participants can reuse or extend the existing simulation model to accelerate the problem-solving process of LL. The case study for multi-modal transit station analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of M&S in LL.
When and How Does Sustainable HRM Improve Customer Orientation of Frontline Employees? Satisfaction, Empowerment, and Communication
Authors: Cho Youngsam , Choi Yongduk
Published: March 2021

This study investigated the relationship between sustainable human resource management (HRM) practices, employee satisfaction, and customer orientation of frontline employees (FLEs) in the hotel industry from the perspective of internal marketing. Specifically, the study focused on three facets of sustainable HRM practices (i.e., training, reward, and benefit) as well as organizational empowerment and communication as FLE-supportive contexts. Although some studies have examined the relationship between HRM practices and customer orientation, they overlooked the importance of service context in facilitating FLE customer orientation. Thus, this study developed a comprehensive framework based on social exchange theory and self-determination theory. The results show that all three facets of the sustainable HRM practices were positively related to FLEs’ satisfaction. FLEs’ satisfaction was also positively related to their customer orientation. Furthermore, both organizational empowerment and communication moderated the relationship between FLEs’ satisfaction and customer orientation, which showed a positive relationship only when FLEs perceived high organizational empowerment or communication. The research findings provide beneficial theoretical and practical implications.
Impact of Zn Nanoparticles Synthesized via Green and Chemical Approach on Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) Growth under Salt Stress
Authors: Zafar Sara , Hasnain Zuhair , Aslam Nazia , Mumtaz Saqib , Jaafar Hawa ZE , Wahab Puteri Edaroyati Megat , Qayum Mughal , Ormenisan Alexe Nicolae
Published: March 2021

The study investigated the green and chemical approaches for the preparation of Zn nanoparticles and their effect on the growth of okra plants under saline conditions. The leaf extract of Sorghum bicolor L. was used for the green synthesis of zinc nanoparticles (Zn-GNPs). Zinc nanoparticles (Zn-NPs) were also produced by the co-precipitation method (Zn-CNPs). The synthesized NPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and were applied foliarly in the range of 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3% on okra plants. A marked increase in the shoot and root fresh and dry weight (g) and chlorophyll contents were observed under normal and saline conditions. An increase in antioxidant activity was observed under saline conditions. However, the foliar application of 0.3% Zn-GNPs was helpful in the regulation of the antioxidant defense system under a saline environment. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the use of Zn-GNPs is the most promising eco-friendly approach in mitigating salinity stress.
Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Fiber Cement Mortar under Different Loading Speeds
Authors: Chen Hui , Huang Xin , He Rui , Zhou Zhenheng , Fu Chuanqing , Wang Jiandong
Published: March 2021

In this work, the relationships between the mechanical properties (i.e., compressive strength and flexural strength) and loading speed of polypropylene fiber (PPF)-incorporated cement mortar at different ages (before 28 days) were studied. A total of 162 cubic samples for compressive strength tests and 162 cuboid samples for flexural strength tests were casted and tested. Analytical relationships between the sample properties (i.e., sample age, PPF content, and loading speed) and compressive and flexural strength were proposed based on the experimental data, respectively. Of the predicted compressive and flexural strength results, 70.4% and 75.9% showed less than 15% relative error compared with the experimental results, respectively.
Application of Oxalic Acid and 1-Methylcyclopropane (1-Mcp) with Low and High-Density Polyethylene on Post-Harvest Storage of Litchi Fruit
Authors: Hossain Md. Saddam , Ramachandraiah Karna , Hasan Rashidul , Chowdhury Rabiul Islam , Kanan Kawser Alam , Ahmed Shakil , Ali Md. Aslam , Islam Md. Tariqul , Ahmed Maruf
Published: March 2021

The present study investigates the effects of oxalic acid and 1-methylcyclopropane (1-MCP) treatments in combination with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) on the post-harvest storage of litchi fruits. The physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activities, and dismutase enzyme activity (SOD) of treated and untreated litchi fruits were examined during 30 days of storage at 4 ℃. The most effective combination was 1-MCP and HDPE packaging, which lowered the weight loss and preserved the red pericarp. Fruits treated with 1-MCP and HDPE also exhibited higher content of ascorbic acid (74.73–34.95 mg/100 g), total phenol (55.70–28.83 mg/100 g), and total flavonoid content (82.46–48.54 mg/100 g), whereas anthocyanin content (0.24–0.39 mg/100 g) was lowered during the entire storage period. In addition, higher levels of DPPH activity, reducing power, and SOD activity were observed in 1-MCP and HDPE-treated fruits. While antioxidants, SOD activities, and acidity were positively associated with total phenol and flavonoid content, these were negatively associated with anthocyanin content. Thus, the combined treatment of 1-MCP and HDPE are proposed as a sustainable strategy to preserve red pericarp, improve quality, and increase fruit shelf life of litchi.
Precision Agriculture Digital Technologies for Sustainable Fungal Disease Management of Ornamental Plants
Authors: Traversari Silvia , Cacini Sonia , Galieni Angelica , Nesi Beatrice , Nicastro Nicola , Pane Catello
Published: March 2021

Ornamental plant production constitutes an important sector of the horticultural industry worldwide and fungal infections, that dramatically affect the aesthetic quality of plants, can cause serious economic and crop losses. The need to reduce the use of pesticides for controlling fungal outbreaks requires the development of new sustainable strategies for pathogen control. In particular, early and accurate large-scale detection of occurring symptoms is critical to face the ambitious challenge of an effective, energy-saving, and precise disease management. Here, the new trends in digital-based detection and available tools to treat fungal infections are presented in comparison with conventional practices. Recent advances in molecular biology tools, spectroscopic and imaging technologies and fungal risk models based on microclimate trends are examined. The revised spectroscopic and imaging technologies were tested through a case study on rose plants showing important fungal diseases (i.e., spot spectroscopy, hyperspectral, multispectral, and thermal imaging, fluorescence sensors). The final aim was the examination of conventional practices and current e-tools to gain the early detection of plant diseases, the identification of timing and spacing for their proper management, reduction in crop losses through environmentally friendly and sustainable production systems. Moreover, future perspectives for enhancing the integration of all these approaches are discussed.
A Study on Radiation Cooling Effect on Asphalt Concrete Pavement Using Basic Oxygen Furnace Slag to Replace Partial Aggregates
Authors: Li Yeou-Fong , Yang Po-An , Wu Chia-Ho , Cheng Ta-Wui , Huang Chih-Hong
Published: March 2021

In this study, aggregates in asphalt concrete were partially replaced by basic oxygen furnace slag (BOFS) in proportions of 45 wt.%, 55 wt.%, and 75 wt.%. The thermal performances of the specimens are discussed based on the thermal conductivity, emissivity, and the indoor and outdoor temperature measurements. Consequently, 75 wt.% of the specimen’s aggregates were replaced by BOFS, which had a high emissivity of 0.86 across the sky window. In the indoor and outdoor tests, the temperature change was recorded to estimate the thermal performance of specimens. According to the quantitative calculation, when the substitution of BOFS was higher than 55 wt.%, the specimens had a better radiation cooling ability. Among these specimens, the specimen with the BOFS substitution of 75 wt.% absorbed the most heat inside the body, contributing to less heat remaining in the environment. Furthermore, because Newton’s cooling energy accounted for about 90% of the stored energy within 7 h, the heat dissipation after the seventh hour was primarily radiation cooling, corresponding to the emission across the urban boundary layer. As for the mechanical properties, the stability value, indirect tensile strength, and British pendulum number (BPN) were in line with the specifications under the proper BOFS substitution. In conclusion, BOFS has great applicability in pavements due to its thermal performance and mechanical properties. It not only achieves the goal of urban heat island mitigation by radiation cooling, but also reflects the concept of resource sustainability.
Collapse of a Coastal Revetment Due to the Combined Effect of Anthropogenic and Natural Disturbances
Authors: Do Jong Dae , Jin Jae-Youll , Jeong Weon Mu , Lee Byunggil , Choi Jin Yong , Chang Yeon S.
Published: March 2021

Coastal structures, such as revetments, are built to protect specific areas and facilities from the attack of extreme waves. However, unexpected environmental damage could be induced from these structures when inappropriately applied. Here, we present the results of measurements carried out using a video monitoring system, indicating the rapid collapse of a coastal revetment due to the attack of storm waves. The destruction occurred in sequence; that is, it was initiated by human activities, followed by a natural disaster. First, the beach in front of the revetment was eroded, even under moderate wave conditions, because sediments transported into this area were blocked by a rip-rap jetty. After the beach width was severely reduced due to the erosion, the revetment collapsed when storm waves attacked the area. The destruction seems accidental and inevitable because it was directly caused by the storm. However, it could have been avoided by predicting and preventing the erosion due to the jetty. This study provides insights into sequential processes that lead to the failure of coastal revetments, which could be applied for prevention of similar anthropogenic disasters.
Building Relationships between Museums and Schools: Reggio Emilia as a Bridge to Educate Children about Heritage
Authors: Feliu-Torruella Maria , Fernández-Santín Mercè , Atenas Javiera
Published: March 2021

Schools and museums represent essential spaces for the development of learning and understanding of the world surrounding us through the arts and heritage. One of the things learned in the COVID crisis is that it is key to build bridges between schools and museums to support their educational activities, regardless of the possibility to access these spaces in person. School teachers and museum educators have the opportunity to develop a critical and creative citizenry by collaborating in the design of learning activities that can bring the museums to schools and schools to the museum by adopting the Reggio Emilia approach. The results of the study arise from a triangulation of data, as we contrasted the literature about the Reggio Emilia approach with the practices of museums that use such a philosophy and with the analysis of a series of interviews with experts in early childhood education and Reggio Emilia in order to identify a series of good practices, which we used to delineate recommendations to foster the adoption of this model and establish relationships between schools and museums, enhancing the opportunities to develop critical and creative thinking throughout activities and to understand the heritage and the arts, thus fostering citizenship from an early childhood.
CSR Statements in International and Czech Luxury Fashion Industry at the Onset and during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Slowing Down the Fast Fashion Business?
Authors: Pelikánová Radka MacGregor , Němečková Tereza , MacGregor Robert K.
Published: March 2021

COVID-19 leads to a reinforced need to address sustainability at the economic, environmental, and social pillars, and the six categories of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of businesses, that is, their self-commitment to integrate sustainability in their policies and strategies and to become more effective and efficient. Luxury fashion businesses refer heavily but not identically, to their CSR, by formally issuing CSR reports and Codes of Ethics, and informally voicing their pro-CSR statements. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and brought important changes. This burning issue translates into three objectives in this paper—assessing the CSR statements of International and Czech Luxury Fashion Industry businesses (i) at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, (ii) during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (iii) identifying new trends. To address them, a holistic and interdisciplinary case study exploration was performed entailing 10 International Luxury Fashion businesses and 10 Czech Luxury Fashion businesses. The resulting data were explored via Meta-Analysis and content analysis, teleological interpretations, etc. The critical and comparative review revealed six interesting trends indicating a shift in perception of sustainability and CSR caused by COVID-19. The review offers propositions for how the COVID-19 threats could become an opportunity for rebuilding this industry.
Learning Ethics in AI—Teaching Non-Engineering Undergraduates through Situated Learning
Authors: Shih Po-Kang , Lin Chun-Hung , Wu Leon Yufeng , Yu Chih-Chang
Published: March 2021

Learning about artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the most discussed topics in the field of education. However, it has become an equally important learning approach in contemporary education to propose a “general education” agenda that conveys instructional messages about AI basics and ethics, especially for those students without an engineering background. The current study proposes a situated learning design for education on this topic. Through a three-week lesson session and accompanying learning activities, the participants undertook hands-on tasks relating to AI. They were also afforded the opportunity to learn about the current attributes of AI and how these may apply to understanding AI-related ethical issues or problems in daily life. A pre- and post-test design was used to compare the learning effects with respect to different aspects of AI (e.g., AI understanding, cross-domain teamwork, AI attitudes, and AI ethics) among the participants. The study found a positive correlation among all the factors, as well as a strong link between AI understanding and attitudes on the one hand and AI ethics on the other. The implications of these findings are discussed, and suggestions are made for possible future revisions to current instructional design and for future research.
The Levels, Sources, and Spatial Distribution of Heavy Metals in Soils from the Drinking Water Sources of Beijing, China
Authors: Wei Jing , Zheng Xiaogang , Liu Jintong , Zhang Guowei , Zhang Yanxi , Wang Cailing , Liu Yuanchen
Published: March 2021

Our study area is the upstream watershed of the Guanting and Miyun Reservoirs; together, these two reservoirs comprise the main drinking water source of Beijing, China. In order to prevent crop contamination and preserve the quality of the water and soil, it is important to investigate the spatial distribution and the sources of the heavy metals in farmland soils on the watershed scale. For this study, we collected 23,851 farmland surface soil samples. Based on our analysis of the concentrations of eight heavy metals in these samples, we found that the overall soil quality in our study area is excellent, but that the Cd, Cu, Zn, and Cr contamination risks are relatively high. Moreover, a percentage of samples exceeded the Cd (1.54%,), Cu (0.28%), Zn (0.25%), Cr (0.13%), Pb (0.09%), As (0.05%), Ni (0.04%), and Hg (0.02%) risk screening values for soil contamination in agricultural land. In addition to determining the spatial distribution characteristics of the heavy metal concentrations of the soil samples, we also conducted a factor analysis and an R cluster analysis (CA) whcih can gathered the similar variables to track the sources of the heavy metals. We found that the Cd, Pb, and Zn are likely sourced from a quartz syenite porphyry body and from coal-fired enterprises, while the Cr, Cu, and Ni contaminations are mainly caused by runoff from iron ore smelting. Additionally, agricultural production contributes to the local accumulation of Cu, and industrial (smelting) discharge is partially responsible for the As contamination. As a result of the atmospheric deposition of pollutants, areas with high Hg concentrations are generally centered on large- and medium-sized cities. Due to these high natural heavy metal background values, the existing and future heavy metal contamination in the watershed poses a serious ecological risk to both the soil and the surface water.