bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding a Player’s Decision-Making Process in Team Sports: A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidence
Authors: Ashford Michael , Abraham Andrew , Poolton Jamie
Published: May 2021

Three perspectives were taken to explain decision-making within team sports (information processing, recognition primed decision-making, and ecological dynamics perspectives), resulting in conceptual tension and practical confusion. The aim of this paper was to interrogate empirical evidence to (1) understand the process of decision-making within team sports and (2) capture the characteristics of decision-making expertise in a team sport context. Nine electronic databases (SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, PsycTests, PubMed, SAGE journals online, Web of Knowledge, Academic Search Complete, and Web of Science) were searched until the final return in March 2021. Fifty-three articles satisfied the inclusion criteria, were analysed thematically, and synthesised using a narrative approach. Findings indicate that the relative absence or presence of mental representation within the decision-making process depends on factors, including complexity, typicality, time available, and contextual priors available in the game situation. We recommend that future research integrate concepts and methodologies prevalent within each perspective to better understand decision-making within team sports before providing implications for practitioners.
Using Comprehensive Scenarios to Identify Social–Ecological Threats to Salmon in the Kenai River Watershed, Alaska
Authors: Trammell Jamie , Krupa Meagan , Williams Paula , Kliskey Andrew
Published: May 2021

Environmental changes caused by climate change in Alaska pose a serious threat to the food, energy and water systems that support the culturally diverse communities statewide. The fishing industry, watershed managers and other stakeholders struggle with understanding and predicting the rates, magnitude and location of changes occurring in their regions primarily because of the significant range of uncertainty inherent in these changes. With the guidance of stakeholders, we demonstrate a scenario analysis methodology to elucidate the interactions among various components and uncertainties within the food, energy and water systems of the Kenai River Watershed. Alternative scenario analysis provided stakeholders with a venue and process to consider plausible futures in which rates of change in critical uncertainties were modeled to elucidate potential responses. Critical uncertainties ranged from climatic impacts on freshwater systems, to new energy development proposals, to changes in sport and personal use fisheries. Working together, stakeholders developed narratives that reflected different combinations of future uncertainty to guide potential management actions now and in the future. Five scenarios were developed by stakeholders that capture the complex interactions in the Kenai River Watershed as a social–ecological system. This process provides a way for managers and stakeholders to plan for the future in a richer way than extrapolating trends for obvious drivers of change. We present this framework as a platform for integrating climate, landscape and cultural change data into actionable decisions, crafted by stakeholders, to improve future food, energy and water resource management at the watershed scale.
Tourist Route Optimization in the Context of Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Păcurar Cristina Maria , Albu Ruxandra-Gabriela , Păcurar Victor Dan
Published: May 2021

The paper presents an innovative method for tourist route planning inside a destination. The necessity of reorganizing the tourist routes within a destination comes as an immediate response to the Covid-19 crisis. The implementation of the method inside tourist destinations can bring an important advantage in transforming a destination into a safer one in times of Covid-19 and post-Covid-19. The existing trend of shortening the tourist stay length has been accelerated while the epidemic became a pandemic. Moreover, the wariness for future pandemics has brought into spotlight the issue of overcrowded attractions inside a destination at certain moments. The method presented in this paper proposes a backtracking algorithm, more precisely an adaptation of the travelling salesman problem. The method presented is aimed to facilitate the navigation inside a destination and to revive certain less-visited sightseeing spots inside a destination while facilitating conformation with the social distancing measures imposed for Covid-19 control.
Impacts of Olive Waste-Derived Biochar on Hydro-Physical Properties of Sandy Soil
Authors: Alghamdi Abdulaziz G. , Aljohani Bandar H. , Aly Anwar A.
Published: May 2021

In this study, waste olive leaves and branches were pyrolyzed to produced biochar, and their impacts on physical and chemical properties of a sandy soil were evaluated. Pyrolytic temperatures of 300 °C, 400 °C, and 500 °C were used for biochar production. After evaluating the physio-chemical properties, the produced biochars were added to the top 10 cm layer of the soil at rates of 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5% in a column experiment at 25 °C. Biochar was mixed with a sandy soil into the top 10 cm of the columns. For all treatments, cumulative evaporation was reduced; however, treatments with 5% biochar prepared at the highest temperatures showed the highest impact. The available water contents were increased by 153.33% and 151.11% when olive branch-derived biochar and olive leaves-derived biochars produced at 500 °C were applied at 5% rate, respectively. No impact of available water was observed for 1% biochar contribution. Biochar application decreased both cumulative infiltration and infiltration rate. Biochar pyrolyzed at 500 °C most intensely improved hydro-physical properties of a sandy soil. However, its application as a soil supplement in arid environments should be adopted with constraints due to its high pH (9.69 and 9.29 for biochar pyrolyzed at the highest temperatures) and salinity (up to electrical conductivity = 5.07 dS m−1). However, the salinity of biochar prepared from olive branches (5%, pyrolyzed at 500 °C) was low (0.79 dS m−1); therefore, it can be used safely as a supplement in saline and acidic soils, but with restriction in alkaline soils.
Sustainable, Smart, and Sensing Technologies for Cyber-Physical Manufacturing Systems: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Andronie Mihai , Lăzăroiu George , Ștefănescu Roxana , Uță Cristian , Dijmărescu Irina
Published: May 2021

With growing evidence of the operational performance of cyber-physical manufacturing systems, there is a pivotal need for comprehending sustainable, smart, and sensing technologies underpinning data-driven decision-making processes. In this research, previous findings were cumulated showing that cyber-physical production networks operate automatically and smoothly with artificial intelligence-based decision-making algorithms in a sustainable manner and contribute to the literature by indicating that sustainable Internet of Things-based manufacturing systems function in an automated, robust, and flexible manner. Throughout October 2020 and April 2021, a quantitative literature review of the Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest databases was performed, with search terms including “Internet of Things-based real-time production logistics”, “sustainable smart manufacturing”, “cyber-physical production system”, “industrial big data”, “sustainable organizational performance”, “cyber-physical smart manufacturing system”, and “sustainable Internet of Things-based manufacturing system”. As research published between 2018 and 2021 was inspected, and only 426 articles satisfied the eligibility criteria. By taking out controversial or ambiguous findings (insufficient/irrelevant data), outcomes unsubstantiated by replication, too general material, or studies with nearly identical titles, we selected 174 mainly empirical sources. Further developments should entail how cyber-physical production networks and Internet of Things-based real-time production logistics, by use of cognitive decision-making algorithms, enable the advancement of data-driven sustainable smart manufacturing.
Material Selection in Green Design: A Method Combining DEA and TOPSIS
Authors: Peng Cheng , Feng Dianzhuang , Guo Sidai
Published: May 2021

In order to rationalize material selection in green design, this study presents an attempt to combine the methods of generalized Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). By establishing a green material index system, the G-CCR model of generalized DEA was first used to select effective materials from the candidate samples, and TOPSIS was then used to sort the effective suppliers. The combined DEA/TOPSIS model helps to rank the materials by quality, and then integrate both the merits ofG-CCR model and the key characteristics of TOPSIS. The results of this study showed that the combined DEA/TOPSIS model can screen and exclude materials with poor performance when selecting wood for the furniture industry. Therefore, the combined model that is presented in this study provides a more rational and evidentiary basis for material selection in green design.
Decision Tree and AHP Methods Application for Projects Assessment: A Case Study
Authors: Maceika Augustinas , Bugajev Andrej , Šostak Olga Regina , Vilutienė Tatjana
Published: May 2021

This research is dedicated to the modelling of decision process occurring during the implementation of construction projects. Recent studies generally do not assess the robustness of the decisions regarding the possible changes during the construction project implementation. However, such an assessment might increase the reliability of the decision-making process. We addressed this gap through a new model that combines the decision-making process modelling with the AHP method and includes the analysis of model stability concerning stakeholders’ behaviour. We used the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Decision tree methods to model the decision-making process. The proposed model was validated on a case study of multiple construction projects. The assessment was performed from individual investor’s and independent expert’s perspectives. The criteria for the assessment were selected according to the principles of sustainability. We performed the sensitivity analysis, making it possible to assess the possible changes of the decisions depending on the potential patterns of the decision-makers’ behaviour. The results of the study show that, sometimes, small fluctuations in the project factors affect the project selection indicating the possible lack of the robustness of the project decisions.
Derailment or Turning Point? The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sustainability-Related Thinking
Authors: Lakner Zoltán , Plasek Brigitta , Kiss Anna , Soós Sándor , Temesi Ágoston
Published: May 2021

A pandemic has always been a milestone, forcing intellectuals to reassess the directions of development at their time. This fact has generated vivid debates about the possible reactions to the new situation, highlighting the vulnerability of current socio-economic structures as well as the need to reconsider the current way of development. The new challenge has created an unprecedented increase in academic publications. The aim of the current paper is to analyze the socio-economic aspects of the growing interest in the sustainability-related facets of the pandemic. Based on English language journal articles (n = 1326), collected on the Web of Science website, the authors analyze the different aspects of COVID-related discussions connected to sustainability. Applying the triangulation approach, the publications have been classified on the basis of their intellectual roots, co-occurrence of different words and strategic diagramming. Results highlight that, notwithstanding the remarkable number of papers, there is a strong need for the in-depth analysis of the long-term consequences in the fields of (1) health logistics and policy; (2) the future of education and work, based on experience and evidence; (3) the re-thinking of the resilience of large-scale supply systems; (4) global governance of world affairs, (5) the role of distant teaching, telecommunication, telework, telehealth, teleservices.
GFPMX: A Cobweb Model of the Global Forest Sector, with an Application to the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Buongiorno Joseph
Published: May 2021

The GFPMX projects forest area and stock, consumption, production, imports, exports, and prices of industrial roundwood, fuelwood, sawnwood, wood-based panels, wood pulp, and paper and paperboard in 180 countries, and currently from 2018 to 2070. The core principle of the model is the cobweb theorem, according to which markets are not necessarily in equilibrium, but take some time to adjust to shocks—such as demand shifts—leading to oscillatory dynamics of prices and quantities. This paper presents the model’s structure and the estimation of its parameters from international statistics on production, trade, forest area, and forest stock. This is followed by an application of the GFPMX to the impact on the global forest sector of the economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emergency Capacity of Small Towns to Endure Sudden Environmental Pollution Accidents: Construction and Application of an Evaluation Model
Authors: Wang Delu , Wang Yadong
Published: May 2021

Sudden environmental pollution accidents (SEPAs) in small towns are characterized by high uncertainty, complex evolution, and fast spread speed, and they cause serious harm to a wide geographic range. Thus, SEPAs greatly challenge the emergency management systems of enterprises and governments. Therefore, improving the emergency capacity of small towns (ECST) to withstand SEPAs deserves more attention. In this study, the evolution mechanism of SEPAs is systematically analyzed, revealing the interactions among various situational elements in the SEPA occurrence process. Then, an evaluation index system of the ECST response to SEPAs is constructed based on four dimensions: monitoring and early warning capacity, preparedness and mitigation capacity, response, and recovery capacity. The system includes 68 indicators and covers the key stages of the SEPA life cycle. Finally, an evaluation model of the ECST to SEPAs is proposed based on the analytic network process method, and the small town of Jiangyin City is selected as a case study for empirical evaluation. The proposed evaluation model considers the interactions and interdependent feedback between indexes, effectively improving the accuracy and scientific nature of the evaluation results. Thus, this model provides a solid decision-making reference for governments and a quantitative theoretical basis for the formulation of measures targeted at SEPAs.
Agricultural Waste Recycling Optimization of Family Farms Based on Environmental Management Accounting in Rural China
Authors: Yang Lulu , Xiao Xu , Gu Ke
Published: May 2021

In the process of production and operation of family farms, a large amount of agricultural waste, such as livestock and poultry manure, has not been effectively treated in time, causing serious pollution to the environment. Moreover, livestock and poultry manure are the kind of resources that can be recycled to fertilize crops, which can benefit family farms both economically and environmentally. Adoption of manure biogas digesters by family farms can improve sustainability by not only decreasing input use and resource losses, but also reducing environmental pollution. Additionally, Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) is considered to be the most representative environmental management accounting tool. MFCA can be expanded to account for and calculate environmental damages, so as to better reflect the economic and environmental sustainability of agricultural systems. According to the basic principles of material flow cost accounting and characteristics of family farms, we propose an agricultural-waste-recycling model for Chinese family farms that is based on the extended MFCA in this paper. We first investigate Chinese family farms in Hunan Province, and then optimize an agricultural-waste-recycling model by extended MFCA. Finally, based on our proposed model, we make a two-dimensional analysis on the internal resource cost and external environment damages for agricultural-waste recycling. Our analysis shows that visualization of monetization of resource losses can optimize manure recycling through better decision-making, which can increase the sustainability of family farms.
Mineral Detection Using Sharpened VNIR and SWIR Bands of Worldview-3 Satellite Imagery
Authors: Park Honglyun , Choi Jaewan
Published: May 2021

Worldview-3 satellite imagery provides panchromatic images with a high spatial resolution and visible near infrared (VNIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands with a low spatial resolution. These images can be used for various applications such as environmental analysis, urban monitoring and surveying for sustainability. In this study, mineral detection was performed using Worldview-3 satellite imagery. A pansharpening technique was applied to the spatial resolution of the panchromatic image to effectively utilize the VNIR and SWIR bands of Worldview-3 satellite imagery. The following representative similarity analysis techniques were implemented for the mineral detection: the spectral angle mapper (SAM), spectral information divergence (SID) and the normalized spectral similarity score (NS3). In addition, pixels that could be estimated to indicate minerals were calculated by applying an empirical threshold to each similarity analysis result. A majority voting technique was applied to the results of each similarity analysis and pixels estimated to indicate minerals were finally selected. The results of each similarity analysis were compared to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed methods. From that comparison, it could be confirmed that false negative and false positive rates decreased when the methods proposed in the present study were applied.
Assessment of the Governance Dimension in the Frame of the 2030 Agenda: Evidence from 100 Spanish Cities
Authors: García-Peña Carmen , González-Medina Moneyba , Diaz-Sarachaga Jose Manuel
Published: May 2021

The 2030 Agenda highlights the importance of governance to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). However, we observe that there is an underestimation of the governance dimension in the SDG indices. The reasons are twofold. Firstly, indices assign a lower weight to governance compared to the other dimensions of sustainability. Secondly, most governance indicators do not measure the relational dynamics that underlie sustainable development policies. The aim of this study is thus to provide alternative methods for a more accurate assessment of the governance dimension in the frame of the 2030 Agenda. With this purpose, we examine the performance of 100 Spanish cities on the SDGs included in the first report elaborated by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Spain in 2018. Using this data, we first develop a methodology to rebalance the current underestimation of the governance dimension, comparing its impact on the SDG performance of these cities. Secondly, we build a new indicator of ‘Strategic Culture’ to get a more accurate measure of governance in urban contexts. As a result, the study validates the proposed methods and provides evidence that better performance on sustainable development is favored by the implementation of strategic planning processes.
The Transport of Oversized Cargoes from the Perspective of Sustainable Transport Infrastructure in Cities
Authors: Petru Jan , Krivda Vladislav
Published: May 2021

The article deals with the transport of oversized cargoes from the perspective of parameters of road network in city environments. In recent years, there has been an increase in the transport of products with dimensions and weight considered above standard. It is very difficult to transport these products not only within Europe but also worldwide. This is also pointed out in the European directive, which recommends that all EU member states build a pan-European network of corridors for the transport of oversized cargoes. The article analyses the issue of transport within the transport infrastructure in cities from the perspective of sustainability of road networks for ensuring the passage of oversized cargoes. The article describes the results of research that was performed for the determination of parameters to ensure the passage of oversized cargoes on roads. The article also deals with the analysis of implemented transports, the results of video analysis of monitored transports, measurement of swept paths of vehicles using GPS apparatus and drones, modelling of oversized vehicles in programs for verification of the swept paths of vehicles, simulation of passage of oversized cargo, the determination of values of radii of corners, widths and heights for the transport of cargoes and the distance from solid obstacles. The precondition for the above-mentioned outputs is the practical use of results in planning the transport infrastructure on the entire communication network and the possibility of its application for designing activities associated with the construction or reconstruction of intersections on routes of frequent transport of excessive and oversized cargoes and verification of critical points on the route. The outputs of the work serve as a basis for the processing of technical conditions, which include procedures and technical recommendations within the design practice in the Czech Republic but also abroad. Emphasis is placed on sustainable, safe and economic transport infrastructure.
Stakeholder Expectations of Future Policy Implementation Compared to Formal Policy Trajectories: Scenarios for Agricultural Food Systems in the Mekong Delta
Authors: Hutton Craig , Hensengerth Oliver , Berchoux Tristan , Tri Van , Tong Thi , Hung Nghia , Voepel Hal , Darby Stephen , Bui Duong , Bui Thi , Huy Nguyen , Parsons Daniel
Published: May 2021

The development of a coherent and coordinated policy for the management of large socio-agricultural systems, such as the Mekong delta in southern Vietnam, is reliant on aligning the development, delivery, and implementation of policy on national to local scales. Effective decision making is linked to a coherent, broadly-shared vision of the strategic management of socio-agricultural systems. However, when policies are ambiguous, and at worst contradictory, long-term management and planning can consequently suffer. These potential adverse impacts may be compounded if stakeholders have divergent visions of the current and future states of socio-agricultural systems. Herein we used a transferable, scenario-based methodology which uses a standard quadrant matrix in order to explore both anticipated and idealized future states. Our case study was the Mekong delta. The scenario matrix was based upon two key strategic choices (axis) for the delta, derived from analysis of policy documents, literature, stakeholder engagement, and land use models. These are: (i) who will run agriculture in the future, agri-business or the established commune system; and (ii) to what degree sustainability will be incorporated into production. During a workshop meeting, stakeholders identified that agri-business will dominate future agricultural production in the delta but showed a clear concern that sustainability might consequently be undermined despite policy claims of the contrary. As such, our study highlights an important gap between national expectations and regional perspectives. Our results suggest that the new development plans for the Mekong delta (which comprise a new Master Plan and a new 5-year socio-economic development plan), which emphasize agro-business development, should adopt approaches that address concerns of sustainability as well as a more streamlined policy formulation and implementation that accounts for stakeholder concerns at both provincial and national levels.
Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?
Authors: Llácer-Iglesias Rosa M. , López-Jiménez P. Amparo , Pérez-Sánchez Modesto
Published: May 2021

In upcoming years, water demand is expected to boost worldwide, and with that, wastewater generation and the required energy for treatment. Provided that efficiency measures should be implemented at first instance, developments of renewable energy technologies are needed to improve sustainability at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Based on theoretical analyses of literature data, this article presents a novel perspective of the role that hydropower could play in that energy framework. This research applied a new approach compared to previous studies, considering the introduction of sustainability aspects in the decision-making process, other than economic feasibility. With that aim, a broad search of real case studies was conducted, and suitable Key Performance Indicators based on the energy self-sufficiency concept were selected and applied to the identified cases. The findings suggest that there is not a rule of thumb to determine feasibility for hydropower installation and this technology might deserve more attention. This new perspective can help to raise awareness among policy makers, decision managers, or plant operators, of the possibilities hydropower could offer to the wastewater industry in the pathway towards more sustainable systems.
Investor Sentiment and Price Discrepancies between Common and Preferred Stocks in Korea
Authors: Yang Heejin , Ryu Doowon
Published: May 2021

We examine whether investor sentiment affects price discrepancies between preferred and common stocks, based on a sample of Korean firms that issue preferred stocks. While most research has focused on corporate finance features such as voting rights, we examine price discrepancies as a behavioral finance feature from a new perspective. Based on the investor sentiment index, as investor sentiment increases, price discrepancies between preferred and common stocks widen in the KOSPI market. These findings confirm that investor sentiment—not merely voting premiums, cash flow rights, and liquidity—is a significant factor in explaining price discrepancies between preferred and common stocks in Korea.
The Social Economy as a Factor of Economic Development and Resilience of Population in Rural Areas. A Study of Mediating Effects in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain)
Authors: Carchano Marcos , Carrasco Inmaculada , Castillo Sebastián , García-Cortijo M. Carmen
Published: May 2021

Depopulation is a serious problem facing developed countries, among them Spain. It is especially severe in rural areas, where some vicious circles emerge, nourished by reduced infrastructures and services, deteriorated quality of life, the low inflow of new inhabitants, low local development and an aged population. In this context, social economy institutions may be a key factor in the fight against population decline, having a leading role in reactivating economic dynamism through the creation of stable, high-quality jobs, promoting the local endogenous development of rural areas, helping enhance income in those spaces, encouraging the arrival of people and impacting positively on social cohesion, and enabling sustainable growth. This paper focuses on Castilla-La Mancha, an eminently rural region, which is among the areas most severely impacted by the loss of population in Spain. The aim is to analyze the factors that affect the settlement of population, and to demonstrate that social economy institutions may be a resilience factor of rural population. A partial least squares model, composed of 8 constructs related to 21 variables extracted from data for 2017 and 2018 on the 613 municipalities, allows us to demonstrate that the existence of social economy entities helps to anchor population and increase the resilience of this territory.
Self-Organizing Deep Learning (SO-UNet)—A Novel Framework to Classify Urban and Peri-Urban Forests
Authors: Awad Mohamad M. , Lauteri Marco
Published: May 2021

Forest-type classification is a very complex and difficult subject. The complexity increases with urban and peri-urban forests because of the variety of features that exist in remote sensing images. The success of forest management that includes forest preservation depends strongly on the accuracy of forest-type classification. Several classification methods are used to map urban and peri-urban forests and to identify healthy and non-healthy ones. Some of these methods have shown success in the classification of forests where others failed. The successful methods used specific remote sensing data technology, such as hyper-spectral and very high spatial resolution (VHR) images. However, both VHR and hyper-spectral sensors are very expensive, and hyper-spectral sensors are not widely available on satellite platforms, unlike multi-spectral sensors. Moreover, aerial images are limited in use, very expensive, and hard to arrange and manage. To solve the aforementioned problems, an advanced method, self-organizing–deep learning (SO-UNet), was created to classify forests in the urban and peri-urban environment using multi-spectral, multi-temporal, and medium spatial resolution Sentinel-2 images. SO-UNet is a combination of two different machine learning technologies: artificial neural network unsupervised self-organizing maps and deep learning UNet. Many experiments have been conducted, and the results showed that SO-UNet overwhelms UNet significantly. The experiments encompassed different settings for the parameters that control the algorithms.
Experimental Study on Flexural Performance of Regulated Reinforced Glulam Beam after Long-Term Loading
Authors: Guo Nan , Yang Chao , Li Ling , Li Guodong , Zhao Yan
Published: May 2021

Due to wood creep characteristics, the failure mode, bearing capacity, stiffness, and deformation of its components are doomed to be impacted by long-term loading. This paper conducted a comparative test on creep beams, regulated beams, and short-term beams based on the former long-term loading research. The results demonstrated that the glulam beam experienced tensile failure of the beam-bottom, while the horizontal joint failure and the local compressive failure of the beam-end happened in the reinforced glulam beam and the prestressed glulam beam. The bearing capacity of the creep beams decreased compared with that of the short-term beams; the decline in the bearing capacity of the ordinary glulam beams, the reinforced glulam beams, and the prestressed glulam beams ranged from 3.2% to 9.8%, from 1.6% to 13.2%, and from 2.9% to 9.2%, respectively. However, the bearing capacity of the regulated beam with the deformation restored to the initial value of the load increased by 4.6–14.1%. The prestressed regulation changed the distribution of the stress on the beam and thus enhanced its bearing capacity. The findings of this work could be used as a frame of reference for similar components in engineering applications.
Sovereign Wealth Funds as Sustainability Instruments? Disclosure of Sustainability Criteria in Worldwide Comparison
Authors: Wurster Stefan , Schlosser Steffen
Published: May 2021

Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) are state-owned investment vehicles intended to pursue national objectives. Their nature as long-term investors combined with their political mandate could make SWFs an instrument suited to promote sustainability. As an essential precondition, it is important for SWFs to commit to sustainability criteria as part of an overarching strategy. In the article, we present the sustainability disclosure index (SDI), an original new dataset for a selection of over 50 SWFs to investigate whether SWFs disclose sustainability criteria covering environmental, social, economic, and governance aspects into their mandate. In addition to an empirical measurement of the disclosure rate, we conduct multiple regressions to analyze what factors help to explain the variance between SWFs. We see that a majority of SWFs disclose at least some of the sustainability criteria. However, until today, only a small minority address a broad selection as a possible basis for a comprehensive sustainability strategy. While a high-state capacity and a young population in a country as well as a commitment to the international Santiago Principles are positively associated with a higher disclosure rate, we find no evidence for strong effects of the economic development level, the resource abundance, and the degree of democratization of a country or of the specific size and structure of a fund. Identifying favorable conditions for a higher commitment of SWFs could help to initiate pathways to become functional sustainability instruments.
Busyness, Tenure, Meeting Frequency of the CEOs, and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure
Authors: Ratri Melinda Cahyaning , Harymawan Iman , Kamarudin Khairul Anuar
Published: May 2021

This study aimed to analyze the relationship between busyness, tenure, and the frequency of CEO meetings and corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure. This study used 624 observations from 78 companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) database for the 2010–2018 period. This study indicated that companies with busy CEOs or CEOs with long tenure produce fewer CSR disclosures. On the other hand, companies with CEOs who frequently attend board meetings generate more CSR disclosures because they can absorb a lot of useful information to address the changing social and environmental issues. Companies can limit the activities and tenure of the CEO and increase the awareness of the CEO to attend board meetings to encourage the firm’s sustainability. Companies with busy CEOs and long tenure result in less CSR disclosure. Furthermore, the frequency of CEO meetings can enhance CSR disclosure.
Lifetime Climate Impacts of Diet Transitions: A Novel Climate Change Accounting Perspective
Authors: Barnsley Jonathan E. , Chandrakumar Chanjief , Gonzalez-Fischer Carlos , Eme Paul E. , Bourke Bridget E. P. , Smith Nick W. , Dave Lakshmi A. , McNabb Warren C. , Clark Harry , Frame David J. , Lynch John , Roche John R.
Published: May 2021

Dietary transitions, such as eliminating meat consumption, have been proposed as one way to reduce the climate impact of the global and regional food systems. However, it should be ensured that replacement diets are, indeed, nutritious and that climate benefits are accurately accounted for. This study uses New Zealand food consumption as a case study for exploring the cumulative climate impact of adopting the national dietary guidelines and the substitution of meat from hypothetical diets. The new GWP* metric is used as it was designed to better reflect the climate impacts of the release of methane than the de facto standard 100-year Global Warming Potential metric (GWP100). A transition at age 25 to the hypothetical dietary guideline diet reduces cumulative warming associated with diet by 7 to 9% at the 100th year compared with consuming the average New Zealand diet. The reduction in diet-related cumulative warming from the transition to a hypothetical meat-substituted diet varied between 12% and 15%. This is equivalent to reducing an average individual’s lifetime warming contribution by 2 to 4%. General improvements are achieved for nutrient intakes by adopting the dietary guidelines compared with the average New Zealand diet; however, the substitution of meat items results in characteristic nutrient differences, and these differences must be considered alongside changes in emission profiles.
Mechanical Properties of Silica Fume Modified High-Volume Fly Ash Rubberized Self-Compacting Concrete
Authors: Alaloul Wesam Salah , Musarat Muhammad Ali , Haruna Sani , Law Kevin , Tayeh Bassam A. , Rafiq Waqas , Ayub Saba
Published: May 2021

The existing form of self-compacting concrete (SCC) comprises of a large amount of powdered and fine materials. In this study, a part of the cementitious material was replaced with constant high-volume fly ash, and a portion of fine aggregates was substituted by crumb rubber (CR). Besides that, silica fume (SF) was added, with the hope that by implementing a new type of nanomaterial, the loss in mechanical strength due to previous modifications such as rubberization and replacement will be prevented. Two variables were found to influence the constituent/component in the mix design: SF and CR. The proportion of SF varies from 0% to 10%, while that of CR from 0% to 30% by volume of the total river sand, where 55% of cement was replaced by the fly ash. A total of 13 rubberized SCC samples with CR and SF as controlling variables were made, and their design mix was produced by a Design of Experiment (DOE) under the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The results reveal a slight increase in the mechanical properties with the addition of SF. The theoretical mathematical models and equation for each different mechanical strength were also developed after incorporating the experimental results into the software.
The Climate Change Dilemma: How Cooperation Beliefs Influence Energy Conservation Behavior
Authors: Lübke Christiane
Published: May 2021

Despite widespread belief in anthropogenic climate change and high levels of concern about its consequences, behavioral changes necessary to adequately address climate change appear difficult to achieve. This concern–behavior gap is often explained by the public goods character of climate change mitigation, which is associated with a high individual incentive to take a free ride when possible. This paper examines cooperation beliefs and their impact on individuals’ energy conservation behavior. Analyzing data from the European Social Survey, it appears that cooperation beliefs are rather low in Europe and that most people do not expect others to limit their energy use to help mitigate climate change. This low trust contrasts with individuals’ reported level of energy conservation behavior and the general high level of energy conservation in most European countries. This trust gap has important implications for pro-environmental behavior as high trust in others’ pro-environmental behavior fosters individuals’ attempts to save energy.
Application of the Taguchi Method for Optimizing the Process Parameters of Producing Controlled Low-Strength Materials by Using Dimension Stone Sludge and Lightweight Aggregates
Authors: Chen How-Ji , Lin Hsuan-Chung , Tang Chao-Wei
Published: May 2021

In view of the increasing concerns over non-renewable resource depletion and waste management, this paper studied the development of low-density controlled low-strength material (CLSM) by using stone sludge and lightweight aggregates. First, the investigation was performed at a laboratory scale to assess the effects of the composition on the properties of the resulting low-density CLSM. The Taguchi method with an L9(34) orthogonal array and four controllable three-level factors (i.e., the stone sludge dosage, water to binder ratio, accelerator dosage and lightweight aggregate dosage) was adopted. Then, to optimize the selected parameters, the analysis of variance method was used to explore the effects of the experimental factors on the performance (fresh and hardened properties) of the produced low-density CLSM. The test results show that when the percentage of stone sludge usage was increased from 30% to 60%, the initial setting time approximately doubled on average. Moreover, at the age of 28 days, the compressive strength of most specimens did not exceed the upper limit of 8.83 MPa stipulated by Taiwan’s Public Construction Commission. Further, the material cost per cubic meter of the produced CLSM was about NT$ 720.9 lower than that of the ordinary CLSM, which could reduce the cost by 40.6%. These results indicate that the use of stone sludge as a raw material to produce CLSM could achieve environmental sustainability. In other words, the use of stone sludge and lightweight aggregates to produce low-density CLSM was extremely feasible.
Investigating the Effectiveness of Using a Technological Approach on Students’ Achievement in Mathematics–Case Study of a High School in a Caribbean Country
Authors: Liburd Kendale Kashiem Dario , Jen Hen-Yi
Published: May 2021

It has always been a challenge for teachers to engage and motivate students to learn mathematics, due to the abstractness of some topics and the need for visual representation and technological resources. This study explores the effectiveness of using a technological approach on student achievement in mathematics, in general. A pre/post-test design was followed with a control and experimental group both learning the same topic over a 3-week period. A sample size of 35 (Experimental group = 18 and Control group = 17) high school students of 4th form level (Grade 10/Senior High) was taken with experimental group students taught using an interactive technological approach—GeoGebra software, in particular; while the control group learned the same material using the traditional approach without technology. GeoGebra is free software which can be used to teach different topics in mathematics education. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) is applied in the study, and the findings shows that technology is an effective tool in teaching the topic of Coordinate Geometry concepts. It can be concluded that the student who was taught with the use of technology showed a higher level of conceptual understanding compared to the students who learned using the traditional method.
Sustainability Goals and Firm Behaviours: A Multi-Criteria Approach on Italian Agro-Food Sector
Authors: Briamonte Lucia , Pergamo Raffaella , Arru Brunella , Furesi Roberto , Pulina Pietro , Madau Fabio A.
Published: May 2021

Today, the transition to a more sustainable model of the agro-food system is increasingly impellent, requiring all actors’ commitment. In particular, small and medium agro-food business (SMABs) play a decisive and central role in the food and economies of national and underdeveloped areas. Our study aims to identify, through desk research, the level of commitment and communication to the sustainability of SMABs operating in southern Italy. In this study, we followed the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) approach to implementing such a transition, using their principles as a diagnostic tool to interpret business operations. The data were analysed using two approaches: a regime analysis to assess which FAO principles are commonly followed to make the above transition possible, and an extension of the Abraham and Pingali (2020) framework to describe the commitment of SMABs to the Agenda 2030 goals with respect to the behaviour of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). We found that the SMABs’ behaviours are more oriented towards some FAO principles: those that explain their commitment to improving natural resources and livelihoods, fostering inclusive economic growth, and achieving sustainable development goal 7 of Agenda 2030 than towards others. The contribution of our study lies in providing detailed insights into sustainable actions taken by SMABs while testing the FAO’s principles as a new model to evaluate business operations.
Development and Validation of a Digital Learning Competence Scale: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Yang Junfeng , Tlili Ahmed , Huang Ronghuai , Zhuang Rongxia , Bhagat Kaushal Kumar
Published: May 2021

Digital learning competence (DLC) can help students learn effectively in digital learning environments. However, most of the studies in the literature focused on digital competencies in general without paying specific attention to learning. Therefore, this paper developed a DLC framework based on a comprehensive literature review, which consists of six dimensions, namely technology use, cognitive processing, digital reading skill, time-management, peer management and will management. This study then developed a scale to assess these competencies where 3473 middle school students participated in the scale validation process. Specifically, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and item discrimination were used to validate this scale. The six dimensions accounted for 58.66% of the total variance of the scale. The overall internal consistency coefficient was 0.94 for the scale. The results showed that the developed DLC scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing middle school students’ digital learning competence. The findings of this study can help teachers and specialists to improve the competencies of their learners by providing a new validated scale that could be used to assess learners and identify their DLC weakness, hence provide the needed trainings accordingly.
Rural Cooling Needs Assessment towards Designing Community Cooling Hubs: Case Studies from Maharashtra, India
Authors: Debnath Kumar Biswajit , Wang Xinfang , Peters Toby , Menon Sanskriti , Awate Satish , Patwardhan Gaurang , Wadkar Navneet , Patankar Mahesh , Shendage Priyanka
Published: May 2021

In a rapidly warming world, sustainable cooling is directly related to the protection of fresh and nutritious food, medicines, and the population from extreme heat for work conditions, the economic productivity of the working population, and income generation. This study aimed to understand how rural communities are meeting their nutrition, livelihood, health, living space, and mobility requirements regarding the role of cooling. We selected three villages as case studies in Maharashtra, India and conducted household surveys, in-depth interviews of key informants, focus group discussions (FGDs), and social mapping building typology study. The objective was to assess the rural community cooling to propose a community cooling hub (CCH) framework that could be economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable for the three villages. Our study showed that agriculture, dairy, buildings (domestic and commercial), and healthcare require cooling intervention in the studied communities. Based on the needs assessment for cooling, we proposed a CCH framework to provide cooling solutions in an integrated system for rural contexts.
Forest and Society’s Welfare: Impact Assessment in Lithuania
Authors: Mizaras Stasys , Lukmine Diana
Published: May 2021

Effective formation and implementation of forest policy can only be achieved with orientation to the most important goal—increasing society’s welfare. The global problem is, at present, that the impact of forests on society welfare indexes have not been identified. The aim of the study is to design an assessment model and assess the impact of Lithuanian forests on the society welfare index. The impact of forests was determined by multiplying the country’s welfare of society index by the forest contribution coefficient. In this study, to assess the index of the welfare of Lithuanian society, a five-dimensional model with 16 indicators was applied. The study is based on the Eurostat database and on Lithuanian forestry statistics. The Lithuanian welfare of society index calculated according to the model was 51.4% and the contribution of forests in this index was 3.9%. It represented 7.6% of the index of the welfare of society. Forests have the greatest impact in the environmental dimension, according to the assessment results.