bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ceramic-Chromium Hall Sensors for Environments with High Temperatures and Neutron Radiation
Authors: Entler Slavomir , Soban Zbynek , Duran Ivan , Kovarik Karel , Vyborny Karel , Sebek Josef , Tazlaru Stana , Strelecek Jan , Sladek Petr
Published: January 2021

Ceramic-chromium Hall sensors represent a temperature and radiation resistant alternative to Hall sensors based on semiconductors. Demand for these sensors is presently motivated by the ITER and DEMO nuclear fusion projects. The developed ceramic-chromium Hall sensors were tested up to a temperature of 550 °C and a magnetic field of 14 T. The magnitude of the sensitivity of the tested sensor was 6.2 mV/A/T at 20 °C and 4.6 mV/A/T at 500 °C. The sensitivity was observed to be weakly dependent on a temperature above 240 °C with an average temperature coefficient of 0.014%/°C and independent of the magnetic field with a relative average deviation below the measurement accuracy of 0.086%. A simulation of a neutron-induced transmutation was performed to assess changes in the composition of the chromium. After 5.2 operational years of the DEMO fusion reactor, the transmuted fraction of the chromium sensitive layer was found to be 0.27% at the most exposed sensor location behind the divertor cassette with a neutron fluence of 6.08 × 1025 n/m2. The ceramic-chromium Hall sensors show the potential to be suitable magnetic sensors for environments with high temperatures and strong neutron radiation.
From Small Molecules toward Whole Cells Detection: Application of Electrochemical Aptasensors in Modern Medical Diagnostics
Authors: Ziółkowski Robert , Jarczewska Marta , Górski Łukasz , Malinowska Elżbieta
Published: January 2021

This paper focuses on the current state of art as well as on future trends in electrochemical aptasensors application in medical diagnostics. The origin of aptamers is presented along with the description of the process known as SELEX. This is followed by the description of the broad spectrum of aptamer-based sensors for the electrochemical detection of various diagnostically relevant analytes, including metal cations, abused drugs, neurotransmitters, cancer, cardiac and coagulation biomarkers, circulating tumor cells, and viruses. We described also possible future perspectives of aptasensors development. This concerns (i) the approaches to lowering the detection limit and improvement of the electrochemical aptasensors selectivity by application of the hybrid aptamer–antibody receptor layers and/or nanomaterials; and (ii) electrochemical aptasensors integration with more advanced microfluidic devices as user-friendly medical instruments for medical diagnostic of the future.
Development and Validation of a Rapid Analytical Method for the Simultaneous Quantification of Metabolic Syndrome Drugs by HPLC-DAD Chromatography
Authors: Cruz-Angeles Jorge , Martínez Luz María , Videa Marcelo , Rodríguez-Rodríguez José , Martínez-Jiménez Cecilia
Published: January 2021

Worldwide, 25% of the population suffers from metabolic syndrome (MetS). The treatment of patients with MetS regularly includes drugs prescribed simultaneously to treat several disorders that manifest at the same time, such as hypercholesterolemia, arterial hypertension, and diabetes. To the authors’ best knowledge, there is no previous published analytical method for the simultaneous quantification of drugs used in the treatment of these diseases. In the present study, a rapid high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector HPLC-DAD methodology was developed for simultaneous quantification of carvedilol (CVD), telmisartan (TEL), bezafibrate (BZT), gliclazide (GZD), and glimepiride (GMP) in bulk and pharmaceutical form. The chromatographic separation of the five pharmaceuticals was achieved on a Hypersil GOLD C18 Selectivity (5 µm, 150 × 4.60 mm2) using a mobile phase of acetonitrile (50%) and 0.02 M KH2PO4, pH 3 (50%) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min and at 25 °C. The total separation time was 9 min. The analytical method was validated following the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. A reproducible method was obtained with acceptable limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for CVD (0.012 and 0.035 μg mL−1), TEL (0.103 and 0.313 μg mL−1), BZT (0.025 and 0.076 μg mL−1), GZD (0.039 and 0.117 μg mL−1), and GMP (0.064 and 0.127 μg mL−1). The validated method allowed the determination of these drugs in commercial pharmaceutical products both individually and simultaneously. The present method was found to be suitable for simultaneous quantification of the five drugs that are most commonly used in the simultaneous treatment of the metabolic syndrome.
Decolonising Terrorism Journals
Authors: Mohammed Ilyas
Published: January 2021

Decolonisation of knowledge over the past few years has gained much traction among scholars and students in many countries. This situation has led to calls for the decolonisation of knowledge, academia, the university, and university curricula. That said, the knowledge production side of the terrorism industry, which sits inside academia, so far has escaped calls to decolonise. This situation is somewhat surprising because the terrorism industry has had a tremendous impact on many countries, especially Muslim majority ones. The 9/11 terrorist attacks have resulted in a tremendous amount of knowledge being produced and published on terrorism and counterterrorism. However, little is known about “who is publishing on terrorism and where they are based”. To this end, this paper adopts a decolonial approach and addresses the questions of “who is publishing on terrorism and where they are based” by analysing seven terrorism journals. It argues that most of the publications and knowledge on terrorism in the seven terrorism journals are produced by scholars with Western heritage and are based at Western institutions, which is connected to the coloniality of knowledge.
Fusing Nature with Computational Science for Optimal Signal Extraction
Authors: Hassani Hossein , Yeganegi Mohammad Reza , Huang Xu
Published: January 2021

Fusing nature with computational science has been proved paramount importance and researchers have also shown growing enthusiasm on inventing and developing nature inspired algorithms for solving complex problems across subjects. Inevitably, these advancements have rapidly promoted the development of data science, where nature inspired algorithms are changing the traditional way of data processing. This paper proposes the hybrid approach, namely SSA-GA, which incorporates the optimization merits of genetic algorithm (GA) for the advancements of Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA). This approach further boosts the performance of SSA forecasting via better and more efficient grouping. Given the performances of SSA-GA on 100 real time series data across various subjects, this newly proposed SSA-GA approach is proved to be computationally efficient and robust with improved forecasting performance.
Water Pollution and Its Causes in the Tuojiang River Basin, China: An Artificial Neural Network Analysis
Authors: Zeng Zheng , Luo Wei-Ge , Wang Zhe , Yi Fa-Cheng
Published: January 2021

This work aimed to assess the water quality of the Tuojiang River Basin in recent years to provide a better understanding of its current pollution situation, and the potential pollution risks and causes. Water quality parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonia–nitrogen (NH3-N), total phosphorus (TP), the permanganate index (CODMn), five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), pH, and concentrations of various heavy metals were measured in the Tuojiang River, according to the national standards of the People’s Republic of China. Samples were collected between 2012 to 2018 at 11 national monitoring sites in the Tuojiang River Basin. The overall water pollution situation was evaluated with back propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) analysis. The pollution causes were analyzed considering both industrial wastewater discharge in the upper reaches and the current pollution situation. We found potential risks of excessive NH3-N, TP, Cd, Hg, and Pb concentrations in the Tuojiang River Basin. Moreover, corresponding water pollution control suggestions were given.
Green Synthesis and Characterization of CuO Nanoparticles Derived from Papaya Peel Extract for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)
Authors: Phang You-Kang , Aminuzzaman Mohammod , Akhtaruzzaman Md. , Muhammad Ghulam , Ogawa Sayaka , Watanabe Akira , Tey Lai-Hock
Published: January 2021

In recent years, the green chemistry based-approach for the synthesis of nanoparticles has shown tremendous promise as an alternative to the costly and environmentally unfriendly chemically synthesized nanoparticles. In this study, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were synthesized through a green approach using the water extract of papaya (Carica papaya L.) peel biowaste as reducing as well as stabilizing agents, and copper (II) nitrate trihydrate salt as a precursor. The structural properties, crystallinity, purity, morphology, and the chemical composition of as-synthesized CuO NPs were analyzed using different analytical methods. The analytical results revealed that the synthesized CuO was observed as spherical-like in particles with measured sizes ranging from 85–140 nm and has monoclinic crystalline phase with good purity. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic results confirmed the formation of the Cu-O bond through the involvement of the potential functional groups of biomolecules in papaya peel extract. Regarding photocatalytic activity, the green-synthesized CuO NPs were employed as a photocatalyst for the degradation of palm oil mill effluent (POME) beneath the ultraviolet (UV) light and results showed 66% degradation of the POME was achieved after 3 h exposure to UV irradiation. The phytotoxicity experiment using mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) seed also showed a reduction of toxicity after photodegradation.
Adaptive Design of Formworks for Building Renovation Considering the Sustainability of Construction in BIM Environment—Case Study
Authors: Mésároš Peter , Spišáková Marcela , Mandičák Tomáš , Čabala Jozef , Oravec Milan M.
Published: January 2021

Progressive technologies and practices are shifting the possibilities of building design and improving work efficiency. Constantly changing site conditions require different procedures and designs that take into account these changing conditions, whether it is a design solution, a change in environmental conditions, or just sustainability factors. Adaptive building design offers opportunities to cope with changing factors to achieve the ähighest possible level of building quality. This case study deals with the topic of adaptive formwork design for building renovation, taking into account sustainability. The aim of the article is an investigation and demonstration of the building information modeling (BIM) environment used for the adaptive design of formwork elements for the building renovation in the context of sustainability. The object of the case study is a building in the center of Kosice, Slovakia. The BIM environment allows prompt and correct adaptation of the formwork design to changing lighting conditions, ventilation, heating and temperature during the design of the building.
Applying the UTAUT2 Model to a Non-Technological Service: The Case of Spa Tourism
Authors: Araújo Vila Noelia , Fraiz Brea Jose Antonio , Pelegrín Borondo Jorge
Published: January 2021

Well-being tourism is a $639 billion market. Spa tourism is considered the most important segment within this market. The present study uses the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model to analyse tourists’ purchase intentions regarding a thermal suite. The model was originally designed to analyse users’ acceptance of new technologies. The original contribution of this paper is to apply it to a non-technological service. Specifically, data were collected through a questionnaire administered to a sample of 810 potential Spanish spa-goers. A consistent partial least squares (PLSc) SEM technique was used. The proposed model explains 53.3% of the variance in Purchase Intentions regarding the thermal suite. Performance expectancy is the variable that plays the greatest role in tourists’ purchase intentions, followed by hedonic motivation.
Sustainable Entrepreneurship at the Bottom of the Pyramid: An Identity-Based Perspective
Authors: Musona Jackson , Puumalainen Kaisu , Sjögrén Helena , Vuorio Anna
Published: January 2021

Entrepreneurial behavior research has widened its scope to focus on founders who engage in creating enterprises for both their economic self-interest and their concern for others. Yet, there is a lack of an empirically grounded understanding of the sustainable enterprise creation behavior of entrepreneurs at the bottom of the pyramid. This study contributes to sustainable entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial behavior literature streams by applying founder identity theoretical perspectives to explore and understand bottom of the pyramid entrepreneurs’ self-perceived identities in the creation of sustainable enterprises. The study applies a multiple case study design with qualitative data collected through field observations and in-depth interviews with enterprise founders and stakeholders. The data were complemented with secondary materials such as websites, founder blogs, online videos, news articles, and other media coverage. The data were analyzed in stages through thematic analysis. Findings show that sustainable entrepreneurs at the bottom of the pyramid possess multiple frames of reference, basic social motivations and adopt either single or multiple role identities, which influence their behavior during the process of creating their enterprises. Moreover, the analysis reveals that Fauchart and Gruber’s social identity typologies and the role identities of Cardon et al. can be applied to entrepreneurs at the bottom of the pyramid to understand their identity profiles and illuminate on how these identities result in observed behavioral differences during the process of creating their enterprises.
Coordination Mechanism of Dual-Channel Supply Chains Considering Retailer Innovation Inputs
Authors: Yang Wensheng , Si Yinyuan , Zhang Jinxing , Liu Sen , Appolloni Andrea
Published: January 2021

In response to the online channels established by manufacturers, physical retailers are starting to offer innovative services, which will intensify conflicts between manufacturers and retailers. Considering that the conflict will affect the operation efficiency and sustainable development of the supply chain, the coordination mechanism of a dual-channel supply chain has been established. In this study, we construct the Stackelberg game model based on consumer utility theory to analyze the complex mechanism of retailers’ innovation input level affecting supply chain operation and design the double coordination mechanism. The results show that: (1) an optimal combination of wholesale prices, retail prices and innovation input levels can optimize the operational efficiency of the supply chain, (2) Noncooperation among channel members affects the retailer’s product pricing, decreases the market share of the physical channel and increases the market demand of manufacturers, (3) The dual coordination mechanism can alleviate channel conflicts, which can improve the operational efficiency of the supply chain. This study provides several insights on the theory of organizational coordination and sustainable development in conflicts of dual-channel supply chains.
E-Agricultural Supply Chain Management Coupled with Blockchain Effect and Cooperative Strategies
Authors: Alkahtani Mohammed , Khalid Qazi Salman , Jalees Muhammad , Omair Muhammad , Hussain Ghulam , Pruncu Catalin Iulian
Published: January 2021

The agricultural industry is highly underdeveloped and requires transformation in technology for food safety and reliability. A digital world is relying on blockchain technology for the successful implementation of sustainable e-agricultural supply chain management (e-Agri-SCM). In current advancements of blockchain in digital marketing, product website design (web design) is essential to streamline the requirements of the customer and the expectations of supply chain partners. The current research has incorporated the blockchain effect by web design elements into the agricultural supply chain management (Agri-SCM) study. In addition, partners in the digital marketing supply chain (DM-SCM) are also facing issues to identify significant web design elements-based blockchain technology to gain maximum profit. Therefore, a cooperative (Co-op) sustainable e-agricultural SCM model is developed in this study by considering the web design index and variable demand to decide shipments, selling price, cycle time, and advertisement cost for agriculture products. The uncertainties in the model due to intangible web design elements and basic costs are dealt with by the application of the fuzzy system whereas carbon emission is also considered for providing cleaner production. A real-time application of the proposed model is done by undertaking five different cases based on mutual share, demand curve, and advertisement budget among participants. The sensitivity analysis is also performed to identify important factors of the total profit. Findings of this work include significant web design elements (WDEs) i.e., web graphics, search engine optimization, cyber-security, fast loading, and navigation, as essentials for digital marketing to convince customers towards the product in a global SCM. The numerical results and managerial insights are advantageous for managers to get maximum profit by cooperative and digital marketing strategies to attain e-Agri-SCM.
Spatiotemporal Changes of Soil Salinization in the Yellow River Delta of China from 2015 to 2019
Authors: Bian Lingling , Wang Juanle , Liu Jing , Han Baomin
Published: January 2021

Soil salinization poses a significant challenge for achieving sustainable utilization of land resources, especially in coastal, arid, and semi-arid areas. Timely monitoring of soil salt content and its spatial distribution is conducive to secure efficient agricultural development in these regions. In this study, to address the persistent problem of soil salinization in the Yellow River Delta in China, the feature space method was used to construct multiple feature spaces of surface albedo (Albedo)–modified soil-adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI), salinity index (SI)–Albedo, and SI–normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and an optimal inversion model of soil salinity was developed. Based on Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) image data and simultaneous field-measured sampling data, an optimal model from 2015 to 2019 was used to obtain the soil salt content in the region at a 30 m resolution. The results show that the proportion of soil salinization in 2015 and 2019 was approximately 76% and 70%, respectively, and overall soil salinization showed a downward trend. The salinization-mitigated areas are primarily distributed in the southwest of the Yellow River Delta, and the aggravated areas are distributed in the northeast and southeast. In general, the spatial variation characteristics show an increasing trend from the southwest to the eastern coastal areas, corresponding to the formation mechanism of salt accumulation in the region. Further, corresponding sustainable development countermeasures and suggestions were proposed for different salinity levels. Meanwhile, this study revealed that the SI–Albedo feature space model is the most suitable for inversion of salinization in coastal areas.
Spatio-Temporal Changes of Land-Use/Land Cover Change and the Effects on Ecosystem Service Values in Derong County, China, from 1992–2018
Authors: Wang Yanru , Zhang Xiaojuan , Peng Peihao
Published: January 2021

Monitoring the spatio-temporal variation of the land-use/land cover change (LULC) and ecosystem service value (ESV) changes will help achieve regional sustainable development and management. Derong County is a part of the Hengduan Mountains area, the most crucial ecological functional area in China, and LULC has changed tremendously in the past 30 years. However, the effects of LULC changes on ecosystem services is not well understood. Based on 1992, 1995, 2005, 2013, and 2018 remote sensing images, we used visual interpretation to obtain LULC data and used global value coefficients and modified local value coefficients to assess the spatial-temporal changes of ESV and LULC from 1992 to 2018. The results showed that: (1) From 1992 to 2018, shrubland and grassland decreased, while built-up land, snow, forestland, water body, and cropland area increased. (2) The ESV with an overall decrease of 0.25 × 108 yuan, ecological projects have played a positive role in improving ESV. In contrast, the main decrease factor of ESV was the increase in agricultural economic development and urban expansion from 1992 to 2018. (3) The ESV spatial distribution indicated the value density of ESV was on the decline, and with the greatest deterioration in Dianyagong. The highest density of ESV area is distributed in Waka, and the lowest density of ESV area is distributed in Bari. This research points out the important role of Derong County in the regional life support system and provides a scientific reference for the sustainable management of dry-hot valley regions’ land resources and ecosystem services.
Farmers Profile and Characterization of Sheep and Goat Dairy Chain in Northwestern Greece
Authors: Pappa Eleni C. , Kondyli Efthymia , Sotirakoglou Kyriaki , Bosnea Loulouda , Mataragas Marios , Allouche Lynda , Tsiplakou Eleni , Pappas Athanasios C.
Published: January 2021

The aim of the present study, conducted under the ERA-NET ARIMNet2 Project (Agricultural Research in the Mediterranean Network), was to analyze the sheep and goat dairy sector and assess the quality and safety of milk at various stages of the dairy supply chain. The study took place in the north-west part of Greece; 52 farms, one milk collection center, and eight dairy processing companies participated. The results revealed that all farms had access to water and electricity, the majority of them had a license to operate, used non-organic milk, and employed family members. The price of milk was fairly unstable throughout the year. Two major dairy companies produced all year round while others seasonally. Products were sold in retail, wholesale, company-owned stores, and even by door-to-door delivery service. The analyzed milk samples were of good quality and safety. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis revealed the farmers’ determination to continue working in the sector despite milk prices and problems due to the shortage of cash. Local sheep and goat breeds may further be used due to the fact of their good adaptation to the environmental conditions. The future of the Greek dairy chain is promising despite high competition within and outside of the European Union.
The Effect of Untreated and Acidified Biochar on NH3-N Emissions from Slurry Digestate
Authors: Covali Pavel , Raave Henn , Escuer-Gatius Jordi , Kaasik Allan , Tõnutare Tõnu , Astover Alar
Published: January 2021

The development of new options to reduce ammonia (NH3) emissions during slurry manure storage is still required due to the shortcomings of the current technologies. This study aimed to identify to what extent untreated and acid-treated biochar (BC) and pure acids could reduce ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) volatilization and increase nitrogen retention in slurry digestate. The NH3-N emissions were effectively reduced by H2SO4 and H3PO4 acids, untreated BC when applied mixed into the digestate and acidified BC treatments applied on the surface of the digestate. Acidification increased the specific surface area and number of O-containing surface functional groups of the BC and decreased the pH, alkalinity and the hydrophobic property. Compared to untreated BC, the ability of BC to reduce NH3-N emissions was greater when it was acidified with H2SO4 and applied to the digestate surface. The effect on digestate pH of acidified BC when applied mixed into the digestate was not different, except for H2O2, from that of the addition of the respective pure acid to digestate. The total N concentration in digestate was not significantly correlated with NH3-N emissions. These findings indicate that acidified BC could be an effective conditioner to reduce NH3-N emissions from slurry digestate storage.
Water Erosion Risk Assessment in the Kenya Great Rift Valley Region
Authors: Watene George , Yu Lijun , Nie Yueping , Zhu Jianfeng , Ngigi Thomas , Nambajimana Jean de Dieu , Kenduiywo Benson
Published: January 2021

The Kenya Great Rift Valley (KGRV) region unique landscape comprises of mountainous terrain, large valley-floor lakes, and agricultural lands bordered by extensive Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs). The East Africa (EA) region has received high amounts of rainfall in the recent past as evidenced by the rising lake levels in the GRV lakes. In Kenya, few studies have quantified soil loss at national scales and erosion rates information on these GRV lakes’ regional basins within the ASALs is lacking. This study used the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model to estimate soil erosion rates between 1990 and 2015 in the Great Rift Valley region of Kenya which is approximately 84.5% ASAL. The mean erosion rates for both periods was estimated to be tolerable (6.26 t ha−1 yr−1 and 7.14 t ha−1 yr−1 in 1990 and 2015 respectively) resulting in total soil loss of 116 Mt yr−1 and 132 Mt yr−1 in 1990 and 2015 respectively. Approximately 83% and 81% of the erosive lands in KGRV fell under the low risk category (<10 t ha−1 yr−1) in 1990 and 2015 respectively while about 10% were classified under the top three conservation priority levels in 2015. Lake Nakuru basin had the highest erosion rate net change (4.19 t ha−1 yr−1) among the GRV lake basins with Lake Bogoria-Baringo recording annual soil loss rates >10 t ha−1 yr−1 in both years. The mountainous central parts of the KGRV with Andosol/Nitisols soils and high rainfall experienced a large change of land uses to croplands thus had highest soil loss net change (4.34 t ha−1 yr−1). In both years, forests recorded the lowest annual soil loss rates (<3.0 t ha−1 yr−1) while most of the ASAL districts presented erosion rates (<8 t ha−1 yr−1). Only 34% of all the protected areas were found to have erosion rates <10 t ha−1 yr−1 highlighting the need for effective anti-erosive measures.
Quantification of Doughnut Economy with the Sustainability Window Method: Analysis of Development in Thailand
Authors: Luukkanen Jyrki , Vehmas Jarmo , Kaivo-oja Jari
Published: January 2021

The doughnut economy is a new approach for the inclusion of planetary boundaries and social foundation in the development of societies. The Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (UN) determine another view for development targets. The developed sustainability window approach provides a means for operationalization and quantification of the doughnut economy. The developed method calculates minimum economic development to guarantee sustainable social development and maximum economic development not to exceed environmental sustainability. The developed method, advanced suitability analysis (ASA) doughnut, is illustrated with case data from Thailand. The sustainability doughnut for Thailand has been calculated for both weak and strong sustainability criteria. It seems that strong sustainability is a too strict requirement regarding several environmental dimensions of development while the weak sustainability criteria are fulfilled. The developed method and tool are flexible and can be used for comparative analysis of different countries or regions, for dynamic analysis of sustainability development, for gap analysis of the required improvement of environmental or social efficiency, and analysis of degrowth possibilities. The selection of indicators for the analyses and their reliability is crucial for the validity of the results and usefulness in policy planning.
Mapping a Sustainable and Responsible Tourism Paradigm: A Bibliometric and Citation Network Analysis
Authors: Mihalic Tanja , Mohamadi Sahar , Abbasi Abbas , Dávid Lóránt Dénes
Published: January 2021

Sustainable tourism as a concept, and responsible tourism as its successful implementation, represent two major challenges for researchers in different academic fields and for tourism stakeholders in destinations responsible for sustainable tourism planning, policies, actions, and outcomes. This paper provides a bibliometric inventory of research published in the field of sustainable and responsible tourism (SRT). The results identify the publications on SRT; author cooperation between countries and their nodes; the disciplinary areas of SRT and the influential works, journals, and authors; and the bibliometric clusters. The aim of the study was to determine whether SRT has merged into a single “responsustainable” tourism discourse that could shift the mainstream paradigm of sustainable tourism towards the full content of SRT. The analysis was unable to confirm this shift towards an expanded paradigm of SRT but the results do indicate that SRT will remain an important area of tourism research for the foreseeable future.
The Taihang Mountain Region of North China is Experiencing A Significant Warming Trend
Authors: Fu Tonggang , Liang Hongzhu , Gao Hui , Liu Jintong
Published: January 2021

The Earth’s climate has warmed by approximately 0.6 °C over the last century, but temperature change in the Taihang Mountain region—an important transition zone in North China which functions as an ecological barrier for Beijing, Tianjin, and other big cities—is still unknown. In this study, we analyze the spatial and temporal trends in the average annual and seasonal surface air temperature in the Taihang Mountain region from 1968 to 2017. The effect of elevation, longitude, latitude, percent forestland, percent farmland, and gross domestic product (GDP) on temperature was also determined. Our results show that the Taihang Mountain has warmed by 0.3 °C/decade over the past five decades. Partitioned seasonally, average warming was 0.38, 0.14, 0.21, and 0.47 °C/decade in spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively. Elevation and latitude were significantly negatively correlated with temperature but had no correlation with the temporal warming trend (i.e., the Z value from a Mann–Kendall test). The Z value was significantly negatively correlated with percent forestland and positively correlated with GDP, indicating that economic development has induced warming, but afforestation may reduce the rate of warming increase. Together, our results provide important insights into the rates and drivers of climate change within mountainous regions.
Insights from Circular Economy Literature: A Review of Extant Definitions and Unravelling Paths to Future Research
Authors: Alhawari Omar , Awan Usama , Bhutta M. Khurrum S. , Ülkü M. Ali
Published: January 2021

The circular economy (CE) has become one of the prominent topics in both natural science and management literature over the last few decades. CE is a dual-loop regenerative system that focuses on the effective and efficient utilization of resources in the ecosystem, which is beneficial to environmental and economic performance optimization. Dual CE initiatives allow firms to increased resource eco-efficiency, as well as resource effectiveness. CE has profound consequences for economic and operational advantage. This reinforces the need for reflection on the definition that may provide guidelines to assess and advance the depth and diversity of the field. We aim to provide a definitional analysis of the CE and suggest future research streams to advance the existing literature. For this purpose, we employed a systematic literature review to collect related publications in the CE. As a result of this, a total of 91 papers were selected, studied, and analyzed. We proposed a sound definition of a circular economy that includes the main identified elements, organizational planning processes, customers and society, utilization of the ecosystem, and economic resource flows. Moreover, future direction agenda, in CE research, is suggested considering three research streams: (1) circular design as value creation and capture, (2) antecedents of key activities, and (3) consequences of key processes. There is limited empirical research conducted on CE, and much of the existing research focuses on theoretical, conceptual, and normative. A few empirical research studies are mainly cross-sectional in their focus and are confined to developing and emerging economies. We hope this study’s findings will extend the field of CE, in which some of the most influential information regarding CE literature is provided. This study suggests that the development of CE initiatives plays an important role in the growing digital transformation in the value chain. There have been limited research studies in the interface of circular economy and Industry 4.0. Future research studies may investigate the extent to which digital transformation can increase the implementation of CE, and their influence on digital performance management.
Competitive Advantages of the Relationship between Entrepreneurial Competencies and Economic Sustainability Performance
Authors: Aidara Samsidine , Mamun Abdullah Al , Nasir Noorul Azwin Md , Mohiuddin Muhammad , Nawi Noorshella Che , Zainol Noor Raihani
Published: January 2021

This study investigated the mediating and moderating effects of competitive advantage and access to working capital, respectively, on the relationship between entrepreneurial competencies and informal microenterprise economic performance in Senegal from the lens of resource-based view theory (RBV). Data were randomly gathered using the cross-sectional research design from 356 informal micro-entrepreneurs operating in the informal sector. The study outcomes revealed that entrepreneurial competencies and competitive advantage emerged as significant predictors of economic performance for informal microenterprises in Senegal. On the contrary, access to working capital displayed an adverse moderating effect, while competitive advantage exhibited a partial and positive mediating effect on the relationship between entrepreneurial competencies and economic performance of informal microenterprises. The Important and Performance Matrix Analysis (IPMA) results signify that the most significant considerations for the economic performance of informal microenterprises in Senegal were competitive advantage, access to working capital, commitment competency, and relationship competency. Simultaneously, this study expanded the reach of RBV by enhancing our understanding pertaining to the mediating and moderating roles in the relationships among entrepreneurial competencies, competitive advantage, and access to working capital towards improving the economic performance of informal microenterprises across developing countries. Since many have lost their jobs due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Government of Senegal and its policymakers should place more emphasis on the importance of informal entrepreneurship, such as provision of low-interest credit facilities for their working capital, as well as thorough training in the strategic advantage and competencies domains. This is because informal entrepreneurs have the ability, via jobs creation and income generating activities, to contribute to the economic growth of the country.
The Energy Consumption of Terraces in the Barcelona Public Space: Heating the Street
Authors: Alonso-Montolio Carlos , Serra-Coch Gloria , Isalgue Antonio , Coch Helena
Published: January 2021

Terraces, as outdoor extensions of food and beverage businesses located in the public realm, have very high potential to activate the streetscape, bring people together and improving urban experiences. Among the consequences of the current COVID-19 pandemic are the recommendations of maximizing outdoor environments when conducting human interactions. Therefore, outdoor eating has dramatically increased throughout the world, with terraces becoming a radical urban change in many streetscapes. The urgency of the situation, and rapid implementation of these changes, has revealed some aspects of this phenomenon that should be considered when adapting the regulations to this new reality. However, the research on their functioning and impact is limited. Additionally, although energy consumption in the architectural and urban field is considered fundamental, research has rarely addressed small business outdoor spaces, placing the focus instead on residential heating or public lighting. This study focuses on the intersection of these two gaps by analyzing a set of terraces in Barcelona and estimating the power installed in their outdoor heating devices. The goal is to determine the potential energy consumed, contrast it with other values more commonly used when researching architectural energy consumption and point out the lack of sustainability of these approaches to providing comfort. The calculations show that the installed power in Barcelona terraces is significant and, when estimating potential consumption, it presents values higher that the average heating consumption of residential units in Spain. These results support two main conclusions: first, the relevance of addressing the means of providing comfort in outdoor urban spaces due to the high magnitude of their potential energy consumption; second, the importance of adapting those systems to outdoor conditions, understanding the needs of the occupants and the limitations of the environment in order to develop sustainable solutions that provide comfort without attempting to heat the air of the street.
Canopy-scale Built-environment Characteristics and Urban Heat Island Effect in a Tropical Medium-sized City
Authors: Huang Jou-Man , Chang Heui-Yung , Chen Liang-Chun , Wang Yu-Su
Published: January 2021

Previous studies have found that built-environment characteristics in large cities produce important effects of the urban heat island (UHI) and know the horizontal space affected by the urban canopy microclimate ranges from about 30–200 m, but there are few studies in medium-sized cities. Therefore, this study investigates canopy-scale built-environment characteristics and their correlation with urban heat island (UHI) effects in Chiayi city, a tropical, medium-sized city. Under a 100 m buffer size, 2D and 3D built-environment factors such as the green coverage ratio (GCR), building coverage ratio (BCR), floor area ratio (FAR), and sky view factor (SVF) were first analyzed and then correlated with the UHI effect. The analyses were repeated on 200 and 1000 m scales and compared to previous studies. It was found that the built-environment factors were more strongly correlated with UHI under the 200 m buffer. Moreover, 2D factors such as the GCR and BCR had a higher correlation with UHI, especially in developing medium-sized cities. Regarding the GCR, BCR, and FAR, as expected, the correlation coefficients with UHI increased to 0.4 at 13:00 during the day and changed from 0.2 to 0.4 at 00:30 at night, whereas the correlation between the SVF and UHI was greatly different from the study area or calculation methods. The scale effect and SVF calculation methods are recommended for further study.
Formation of Farming Community Resilience Models for Sustainable Agricultural Development at the Mining Neighborhood in Southeast Sulawesi Indonesia
Authors: Zainuddin Rela Iskandar , Firihu Muhammad , Awang Abd , Iswandi Marsuki , Malek Jalaluddin , Nikoyan Anas , Nalefo La , Batoa Hartina , Salahuddin Salahuddin
Published: January 2021

Although the exploration of mineral resources and industry can promote economic development, it can also threaten the resilience and well-being of the environment, health, ecosystems, and the comfort of surrounding communities. Therefore, business entities, through corporate social responsibility (CSR) or other activities, can function to balance negative impacts and strengthen sustainable development that can increase the resilience and welfare of the surrounding community. This study aims to develop a resilience model of the local farming community resilience (FCR), which supports the sustainability of agricultural development. The research will be carried out in a community in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. This study measures the resilience of the farmers’ community. To obtain models and instruments that are valid and reliable, the instrument is tested on 295 respondents in 10 villages adjacent to the nickel mining industry using the Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Out of the 17 items, five dimensions (e.g., economic, social capital, environmental, community competence, and information and communication) are proposed to measure the FCR. Thus, this work presents a complete scale development and can provide policies for governments, particularly in Indonesia. Moreover, the FCR scale might be utilized by different entities (e.g., NGOs, open experts and social group media) to determine the view of genuine clients regarding the association’s CSR execution.
Sustainable Government Enterprise Architecture Framework
Authors: Thirasakthana Montree , Kiattisin Supaporn
Published: January 2021

The suitable utility of driving the enterprise architecture exercise is to utilize the enterprise architecture framework as the fundamental guidance. But there are some challenges of applying those frameworks for government and their agencies because most of the frameworks have concentrated focus for the private sector which some fundamentally requirement of government would be specifically different. This paper aims to propose that the sustainable government enterprise architecture framework specifically applies for the national strategic planning in the optimum exercise process and clarity guidance for the information technology organization being able to transform and improve their services for an achievable adaptation efficiency, simplification, cost management, collaboration, shareability, and standardization which accommodate the rapidly changing service usability on digitalization known as “e-Government.” The fundamental design idea of this proposed framework has identified five keys principles, which are (1) legislation support, (2) top-down target architecture, (3) architecture governance, (4) shared services, and (5) cross-organization collaboration that would be considered as the key critical success factors for achieving the exercise. The overall response of the specific expert survey of this proposed framework has demonstrated the consensus responded at 90 percentage agreeable, which would strongly consider this framework applicable for groups of developing countries as the baseline framework for their digitalized transformation.
Residents’ Attitude toward Tourism—Do the Benefits Outweigh the Downsides? The Case of Constanta, Romania
Authors: Moraru Andreea-Daniela , Duhnea Cristina , Barbulescu Alina , Juganaru Mariana , Juganaru Ion-Danut
Published: January 2021

While the positive economic impact of tourism cannot be denied, it has also a number of negative side effects. The article focuses on the residents’ perception regarding the tourist activity and on identifying the factors influencing their acceptance for the tourist activity, in Constanta (Romania). A questionnaire based quantitative research was employed, creating several indexes, subsequently included in econometric models in order to reveal the factors which determine residents’ acceptance and support for tourism. The results reveal that residents are highly in favour of tourism activity and support tourism expansion and further development. Most respondents considered that tourism contributed to the improvement of the city image and identified a fairly positive economic impact, while tourism was accountable for the increase in several negative phenomena. The impact of tourist activity on the sustainable development of the city was perceived as medium positive, while most respondents considered that the number of tourists should increase. The residents’ acceptability toward tourism was revealed to depend on several variables and computed indexes: city development index, impact on residents’ quality of life index, sustainable development index, and perceived intensity of contact with tourists.
A Novel and Efficient Metal Oxide Fluoride Absorbent for Drinking Water Safety and Sustainable Development
Authors: Dong Changjuan , Wu Xiaomei , Gao Zhanyi , Yang Peiling , Khan Mohd Yawar Ali
Published: January 2021

Inefficient and non-environmentally friendly absorbent production can lead to much resource waste and go against low carbon and sustainable development. A novel and efficient Mg-Fe-Ce (MFC) complex metal oxide absorbent of fluoride ion (F−) removal was proposed for safe, environmentally friendly, and sustainable drinking water management. A series of optimization and preparation processes for the adsorbent and batch experiments (e.g., effects of solution pH, adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms, effects of coexisting anions, as well as surface properties tests) were carried out to analyze the characteristics of the adsorbent. The results indicated that optimum removal of F− occurred in a pH range of 4–5.5, and higher adsorption performances also happened under neutral pH conditions. The kinetic data under 10 and 50 mg·g−1 were found to be suitable for the pseudo-second-order adsorption rate model, and the two-site Langmuir model was ideal for adsorption isotherm data as compared to the one-site Langmuir model. According to the two-site Langmuir model, the maximum adsorption capacity calculated at pH 7.0 ± 0.2 was 204 mg·g−1. The adsorption of F− was not affected by the presence of sulfate (SO42−), nitrate (NO3−), and chloride (Cl−), which was suitable for practical applications in drinking water with high F− concentration. The MFC adsorbent has an amorphous structure, and there was an exchange reaction between OH− and F−. The novel MFC adsorbent was proven to have higher efficiency, better economy, and environmental sustainability, and be more environmentally friendly.
Improving Student Learning of Energy Systems through Computational Tool Development Process in Engineering Courses
Authors: Zhang Jian , Cho Heejin , Mago Pedro J.
Published: January 2021

Advancements in computer and mobile technologies have driven transformations of classroom activities in engineering education. This evolution provides instructors more opportunities to introduce computational tools that can be effectively used and promoted in engineering education to advance students’ learning process when the tools are appropriately utilized in the classroom activities. This paper presents a methodology to improve student learning of energy systems through a class assignment implementing a self-developed computational tool using Microsoft Excel and utilizing the tool to enhance their learning experience. The proposed method, a student-centered learning approach, was applied in a technical elective course called “Power Generation Systems” within a mechanical engineering curriculum. In the course, students were guided to develop a computational tool by themselves based on their learning of the fundamental principles and governing equations of a thermodynamics cycle. The self-developed computational tool allows the students to focus on more design-oriented problems, instead of the calculation process. Using the self-developed tool, students can have an enhanced understanding of the energy system performance in varying design and operational conditions and can perform the parametric analysis and visualization of essential parameters. Feedback from the students and class instructors proves that the self-development and use of the tool can significantly improve the students’ learning experience in the implemented course, make the course more dynamic, and motivate the students to learn the material more iteratively. In addition, students feel confident using computational tools to perform analysis, and are willing to develop more tools for other energy-related engineering applications.