bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of Size- and Shape-Controlled Platinum Cones by Ion-Track Etching and Electrodeposition Techniques for Electrocatalytic Applications
Authors: Sato Yuma , Koshikawa Hiroshi , Yamamoto Shunya , Sugimoto Masaki , Sawada Shin-ichi , Yamaki Tetsuya
Published: July 2021

The micro/nanocone structures of noble metals play a critical role as heterogeneous electrocatalysts that provide excellent activity. We successfully fabricated platinum cones by electrodeposition using non-penetrated porous membranes as templates. This method involved the preparation of template membranes by the swift-heavy-ion irradiation of commercially available polycarbonate films and subsequent chemical etching in an aqueous NaOH solution. The surface diameter, depth, aspect ratio and cone angle of the resulting conical pores were controlled in the ranges of approximately 70–1500 nm, 0.7–11 μm, 4–12 and 5–13°, respectively, by varying the etching conditions, which finally produced size- and shape-controlled platinum cones with nanotips. In order to demonstrate the electrocatalytic activity, electrochemical measurements were performed for the ethanol oxidation reaction. The oxidation activity was found to be up to 3.2 times higher for the platinum cone arrays than for the platinum plate. Ion-track etching combined with electrodeposition has the potential to be an effective method for the fabrication of micro/nanocones with high electrocatalytic performance.
Heidegger and Leonard Cohen: “You Want It Darker”
Authors: Babich Babette
Published: July 2021

This article seeks to ask the question of Leonard Cohen as a poet in terms of what Heidegger calls destitute or desperate times (dürftigerZeit) in his WozuDichter (“What Are Poets For”)? This question requires reflection on voice and attunement, including music and eros along with nothing less Heideggerian than the thought of death, reading Leonard Cohen on what appears to be a relation to the religious—for us? for him? for the Christ? ”forsaken, almost human”—but also painfully reflexive: ”we kill the flame”; a poet in dark times as we face them, together and alone.
Gandhi’s View on Judaism and Zionism in Light of an Interreligious Theology
Authors: Meir Ephraim
Published: July 2021

This article describes Gandhi’s view on Judaism and Zionism and places it in the framework of an interreligious theology. In such a theology, the notion of “trans-difference” appreciates the differences between cultures and religions with the aim of building bridges between them. It is argued that Gandhi’s understanding of Judaism was limited, mainly because he looked at Judaism through Christian lenses. He reduced Judaism to a religion without considering its peoplehood dimension. This reduction, together with his political endeavors in favor of the Hindu–Muslim unity and with his advice of satyagraha to the Jews in the 1930s determined his view on Zionism. Notwithstanding Gandhi’s problematic views on Judaism and Zionism, his satyagraha opens a wide-open window to possibilities and challenges in the Near East. In the spirit of an interreligious theology, bridges are built between Gandhi’s satyagraha and Jewish transformational dialogical thinking.
Establishing Lineage Legitimacy and Building Labrang Monastery as “the Source of Dharma”: Jikmed Wangpo (1728–1791) Taking the Helm
Authors: Dorje Rinchen
Published: July 2021

The eighteenth century witnessed the continuity of Geluk growth in Amdo from the preceding century. Geluk inspiration and legacy from Central Tibet and the accompanying political patronage emanating from the Manchus, Mongols, and local Tibetans figured prominently as the engine behind the Geluk influence that swept Amdo. The Geluk rise in the region resulted from contributions made by native Geluk Buddhists. Amdo native monks are, however, rarely treated with as much attention as they deserve for cultivating extensive networks of intellectual transmission, reorienting and shaping the school’s future. I therefore propose that we approach Geluk hegemony and their broad initiatives in the region with respect to the school’s intellectual and cultural order and native Amdo Buddhist monks’ role in shaping Geluk history in Amdo and beyond in Tibet. Such a focus highlights their impact in shaping the trajectory of Geluk history in Tibet and Amdo in particular. The historical and biographical literature dealing with the life of Jikmed Wangpo affords us a rare window into the pivotal time when every effort was made to cultivate a vast network of institutions and masters across Tibet. This further spurred an institutional growth of Buddhist transmission, constructing authenticity and authority thereof, as they were closely tied to reincarnation lineage, intellectual traditions, and monastic institutions. In doing so, we also have a good grasp of the creation processes of Geluk luminaries such as Jikmed Wangpo, an exemplar scholar and visionary who faced great opposition from issues with his lineage legitimation at Labrang and among the larger Geluk community.
Adaptive Beamforming for Passive Synthetic Aperture with Uncertain Curvilinear Trajectory
Authors: Chen Peng , Zuo Long , Wang Wei
Published: July 2021

Recently, numerous reconstruction-based adaptive beamformers have been proposed, which can improve the quality of imaging or localization in the application of passive synthetic aperture (PSA) sensing. However, when the trajectory is curvilinear, existing beamformers may not be robust enough to suppress interferences efficiently. To overcome the model mismatch of unknown curvilinear trajectory, this paper presents an adaptive beamforming algorithm by reconstructing the interference-plus-noise covariance matrix (INCM). Using the idea of signal subspace fitting, we construct a joint optimization problem, where the unknown directions of arrival (DOAs) and array shape parameters are coupled together. To tackle this problem, we develop a hybrid optimization method by combining the genetic algorithm and difference-based quasi-Newton method. Then, a set of non-orthogonal bases for signal subspace is estimated with an acceptable computational complexity. Instead of reconstructing the covariance matrix by integrating the spatial spectrum over interference angular sector, we extract the desired signal covariance matrix (DSCM) directly from signal subspace, and then the INCM is reconstructed by eliminating DSCM from the sample covariance matrix (SCM). Numerical simulations demonstrate the robustness of the proposed beamformer in the case of signal direction error, local scattering and random curvilinear trajectory.
Detection of Ionospheric Scintillation Based on XGBoost Model Improved by SMOTE-ENN Technique
Authors: Lin Mengying , Zhu Xuefen , Hua Teng , Tang Xinhua , Tu Gangyi , Chen Xiyuan
Published: July 2021

Ionospheric scintillation frequently occurs in equatorial, auroral and polar regions, posing a threat to the performance of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Thus, the detection of ionospheric scintillation is of great significance in regard to improving GNSS performance, especially when severe ionospheric scintillation occurs. Normal algorithms exhibit insensitivity in strong scintillation detection in that the natural phenomenon of strong scintillation appears only occasionally, and such samples account for a small proportion of the data in datasets relative to those for weak/moderate scintillation events. Aiming at improving the detection accuracy, we proposed a strategy combining an improved eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm by using the synthetic minority, oversampling technique and edited nearest neighbor (SMOTE-ENN) resampling technique for detecting events imbalanced with respect to weak, medium and strong ionospheric scintillation. It outperformed the decision tree and random forest by 12% when using imbalanced training and validation data, for tree depths ranging from 1 to 30. For different degrees of imbalance in the training datasets, the testing accuracy of the improved XGBoost was about 4% to 5% higher than that of the decision tree and random forest. Meanwhile, the testing results for the improved method showed significant increases in evaluation indicators, while the recall value for strong scintillation events was relatively stable, above 90%, and the corresponding F1 scores were over 92%. When testing on datasets with different degrees of imbalance, there was a distinct increase of about 10% to 20% in the recall value and 6% to 11% in the F1 score for strong scintillation events, with the testing accuracy ranging from 90.42% to 96.04%.
A New Model of Quasigeoid for the Baltic Sea Area
Authors: Lyszkowicz Adam , Nastula Jolanta , Zielinski Janusz B. , Birylo Monika
Published: July 2021

The Space Research Centre in Warsaw is participating in the ESA project “Geodetic SAR for Height System Unification and Sea Level Research”. To observe the absolute sea level and enable the unification of the height systems, the physical heights of the tide gauge stations referring to a common equipotential surface (quasigeoid/geoid) are needed. This paper describes the new quasigeoid model for the area of the Baltic sea. The quasigeoid calculation was carried out according to the Helmert method, in which the topography is condensed on a layer lying on the geoid. Airborne gravity anomalies from the Baltic area and terrestrial anomalies from Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland were used. The necessary terrain corrections have been computed from a digital terrain model based on the SRTM30 model. To compute the long-wavelength part of the quasigeoid, the geopotential models GOCE-DIR6, GOCO06s, and EIGEN-6C4 were used; therefore, the three solutions have been obtained. All calculations were done in a zero-tide system. The new quasigeoid model is obtained on a regular 1.5’ × 3.0’ grid in the GRS80 reference system, covering the Baltic Sea and the surrounding area 52° < ϕ < 68° and 11° < λ < 30°. These gravimetric quasigeoids were compared to quasigeoid undulations derived at 29 GNSS/leveling points of the ASG-EUPOS permanent network, located in the study area. Our calculations show that the accuracy of the calculated quasigeoids is almost the same in all three cases and is about ±0.04 meters. Finally, quasigeoid anomalies were interpolated at the Polish tide gauge stations. The new gravimetric quasigeoid solution could be very important for height system unification, for geophysical purposes as well as for engineering purposes.
An Adaptive Decomposition Approach with Dipole Aggregation Model for Polarimetric SAR Data
Authors: Wang Zezhong , Zeng Qiming , Jiao Jian
Published: July 2021

Polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) has attracted lots of attention from remote sensing scientists because of its various advantages, e.g., all-weather, all-time, penetrating capability, and multi-polarimetry. The three-component scattering model proposed by Freeman and Durden (FDD) has bridged the data and observed target with physical scattering model, whose simplicity and practicality have advanced remote sensing applications. However, the three-component scattering model also has some disadvantages, such as negative powers and a scattering model unfitted to observed target, which can be improved by adaptive methods. In this paper, we propose a novel adaptive decomposition approach in which we established a dipole aggregation model to fit every pixel in PolSAR image to an independent volume scattering mechanism, resulting in a reduction of negative powers and an improved adaptive capability of decomposition models. Compared with existing adaptive methods, the proposed approach is fast because it does not utilize any time-consuming algorithm of iterative optimization, is simple because it does not complicate the original three-component scattering model, and is clear for each model being fitted to explicit physical meaning, i.e., the determined adaptive parameter responds to the scattering mechanism of observed target. The simulation results indicated that this novel approach reduced the possibility of the occurrence of negative powers. The experiments on ALOS-2 and RADARSAT-2 PolSAR images showed that the increasing of adaptive parameter reflected more effective scatterers aggregating at the 45° direction corresponding to high cross-polarized property, which always appeared in the 45° oriented buildings. Moreover, the random volume scattering model used in the FDD could be expressed by the novel dipole aggregation model with an adaptive parameter equal to one that always appeared in the forest area.
Ultrasound for Gaze Estimation—A Modeling and Empirical Study
Authors: Golard Andre , Talathi Sachin S.
Published: July 2021

Most eye tracking methods are light-based. As such, they can suffer from ambient light changes when used outdoors, especially for use cases where eye trackers are embedded in Augmented Reality glasses. It has been recently suggested that ultrasound could provide a low power, fast, light-insensitive alternative to camera-based sensors for eye tracking. Here, we report on our work on modeling ultrasound sensor integration into a glasses form factor AR device to evaluate the feasibility of estimating eye-gaze in various configurations. Next, we designed a benchtop experimental setup to collect empirical data on time of flight and amplitude signals for reflected ultrasound waves for a range of gaze angles of a model eye. We used this data as input for a low-complexity gradient-boosted tree machine learning regression model and demonstrate that we can effectively estimate gaze (gaze RMSE error of 0.965 ± 0.178 degrees with an adjusted R2 score of 90.2 ± 4.6).
Considering COVID-19 through the Lens of Hazard and Disaster Research
Authors: Ritchie Liesel , Gill Duane
Published: July 2021

Decades of social science research have taught us much about how individuals, groups, and communities respond to disasters. The findings of this research have helped inform emergency management practices, including disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us—researchers or not—have attempted or are attempting to make sense of what is going on around us. In this article, we assert that we need not examine the pandemic in a vacuum; rather, we can draw upon scholarly and practical sources to inform our thinking about this 21st century catastrophe. The pandemic has provided an “unfortunate opportunity” to revisit what we know about disaster phenomena, including catastrophes, and to reconsider the findings of research from over the years. Drawing upon academic research, media sources, and our own observations, we focus on the U.S. and employ disaster characteristics framework of (1) etiology or origins; (2) physical damage characteristics; (3) disaster phases or cycles; (4) vulnerability; (5) community impacts; and (6) individual impacts to examine perspectives about the ways in which the ongoing pandemic is both similar and dissimilar to conceptualizations about the social dimensions of hazards and disasters. We find that the COVID-19 pandemic is not merely a disaster; rather, it is a catastrophe.
Lost in Transition to Adulthood? Illegalized Male Migrants Navigating Temporal Dispossession
Authors: Vuilleumier Louis
Published: July 2021

The so-called ‘refugee crisis’ has been portrayed as an invasion that threatens Europe and calls its sovereignty into question, prompting exceptional emergency responses. These (re)bordering processes highlight Europe’s uneven, discriminatory, and racialized filtering system. European nation-states sort desired and undesired migrants through sets of precarious administrative statuses that translate into limited access to resources, most notably the formal labor market. European border regimes impose specific spatialities and temporalities on migrants through long-term physical and social deceleration: territorial assignation, enduring unemployment, forced idleness, and protracted periods of waiting. These temporal ruptures interrupt individual biographies and hinder the hopes of a young population seeking a better future. However, some find ways to navigate the socio-spatial deceleration they face. In this paper, I explore how European border regimes affect the trajectory of Sub-Saharan male migrants and how they appropriate such temporal dispossession. I use biographical analysis and participant observations of a squatting organization in a Swiss city to scrutinize the everyday practices and aspirations of a population made illegal and, as a result, denied access to social markers of maturity. I investigate how time intersects with physical, social, and existential im/mobility. I argue that, in navigating spaces of asymmetrical power relationships, impoverished migrants find autonomy in illegality. Neither victimizing nor romanticizing illegalized migrants’ trajectories, this paper offers an ethnographic analysis of the capacities of an impoverished population to challenge European border regimes.
Design of a Data Management Reference Architecture for Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Giray Görkem , Catal Cagatay
Published: July 2021

Effective and efficient data management is crucial for smart farming and precision agriculture. To realize operational efficiency, full automation, and high productivity in agricultural systems, different kinds of data are collected from operational systems using different sensors, stored in different systems, and processed using advanced techniques, such as machine learning and deep learning. Due to the complexity of data management operations, a data management reference architecture is required. While there are different initiatives to design data management reference architectures, a data management reference architecture for sustainable agriculture is missing. In this study, we follow domain scoping, domain modeling, and reference architecture design stages to design the reference architecture for sustainable agriculture. Four case studies were performed to demonstrate the applicability of the reference architecture. This study shows that the proposed data management reference architecture is practical and effective for sustainable agriculture.
Does Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) Meet the Citizens’ Mobility Needs? Evaluating Performance for the Case of Multan, Pakistan
Authors: Nadeem Muhammad , Azam Muhammad , Asim Muhammad , Al-Rashid Muhammad Ahmad , Puan Othman Che , Campisi Tiziana
Published: July 2021

Bus rapid transit (BRT) has emerged as an efficient and cost-effective transport system for urban mobility that offers safe and high-quality transport services for city dwellers. Recent research has widely discussed BRT systems’ performance evaluation, but such assessments have remained limited in the South Asian context, where users’ needs might be distinct. The present study addresses this research gap and evaluates the performance of the BRT system in Multan, Pakistan, based on the passengers’ perceptions and the BRT standard scorecard. The data were collected at 21 BRT stations, and a face-to-face questionnaire survey was carried out with 420 users. The BRT standard scorecard method was also applied by conducting an observation survey and semi-structured interviews based on the aspects as specified by the Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software package was mainly utilised for data analysis. This research concluded that around 54% of passengers are highly satisfied and opted for BRT due to comfort. Cronbach’s Alpha reliability analysis concluded that most of the BRT stations possess the acceptable value (0.8 > α ≥ 0.7), with only six out of 21 stations categorised as unacceptable (α < 0.5). Multan BRT achieved overall 79 scores and classified as Silver-Standard BRT. The study suggests critical insights to improve the citizens’ mobility with the existing BRT system, serving as a benchmark for policymakers and transport planners.
Economic Impact Analysis of Farmers’ Markets in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area: Evidence of a Circular Economy
Authors: Zendehdel Kamran , Sloboda Brian W. , Horner Eric Chad
Published: July 2021

Consumer interest in farmers’ markets (FMs) has dramatically increased during the past decade. The number of FMs in the United States has grown from 1755 in 1994 to 8140 in 2019 (USDA, 2019). To evaluate the economic impacts (EIs) of FMs in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, we collected FMs’ consumer data and used IMPLAN-based social accounting matrices to evaluate the direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts of FMs. The empirical results from IMPLAN provide the direct gross sales, income figures, and an estimate of the number of jobs in the study region. The results show the average total output of USD 36,181,059, total employment of 663 people, total value-added creation of USD 19,019,226, and total labor income created of USD 8,653,350 in the region. The FM average income multiplier is 1.51, which indicates that a USD 1 increase in personal income (PI) for an FM translates into USD 1.51 in PI across the economy of the region. We also highlight the impact of FMs as an important component of the circular economy (CE). To this end, we present a qualitative approach examining the potential of a CE as applied to the farmers’ markets in the Washington, DC metropolitan area using qualitative data from focus groups. The goal of the circular economy is to provide more sustainability in the local economy.
Assessment of the Annual Transmission Heat Loss Reduction of a Refurbished Existing Building with an Advanced Solar Selective Thermal Insulation System
Authors: Steininger Peter , Gaderer Matthias , Dawoud Belal
Published: July 2021

A numerical parameter sensitivity analysis of the design parameters of the recently published solar selective thermal insulation system (SATIS) has been carried out to enhance its thermal and optical properties. It turned out that the insulation properties of SATIS can be effectively improved by reducing the length of the glass closure element. Increasing the area share of the light conducting elements (LCEs) and decreasing their length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio were identified as key parameters in order to increase the solar gain. Two SATIS variants were compared with the same wall insulation without SATIS in a yearly energetic performance assessment. The SATIS variant with 10 mm length of the closure element, 44.2% area share of LCE, as well as front and rear diameters of 12 mm/9 mm shows an 11.8% lower transmission heat loss over the heating period than the wall insulation without SATIS. A new methodology was developed to enable the implementation of the computed solar gains of SATIS in 1D simulation tools. The result is a radiant heat flow map for integration as a heat source in 1D simulation models. A comparison between the 1D and 3D models of the inside wall heat fluxes showed an integral yearly agreement of 98%.
A Methodology for the Identification and Assessment of the Conditions for the Practice of Outdoor and Sport Tourism-Related Activities: The Case of Northern Portugal
Authors: Silva Goretti , Correia Alexandra , Rachão Susana , Nunes Alcina , Vieira Elvira , Santos Sónia , Soares Luís , Fonseca Manuel , Ferreira Fernanda A. , Veloso Cláudia Miranda , Carrança Paulo , Fernandes Paula Odete
Published: July 2021

Tourists’ demand for outdoor sport-related activities has been growing in the last decade, leading to the recognition of the outdoor tourism potential of the development of rural and urban areas where the activities could take place. While the literature has recognized this potential, its features and the existing conditions for its practice are often not fully comprehended, mainly due to the lack of measurement systems and performance indicators. This study addresses this gap by proposing a wide-ranging assessment matrix of nine outdoor-related activities, employing northern Portugal as a study area. Based on an exploratory qualitative analysis employing semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders (public, private and third sector), the main contribution of this study lies in the development of the outdoor tourism assessment matrix (OTAM) to collect data. The OTAM matrix aims to identify and assess the conditions, namely the infrastructure and resources, for the practice of outdoor and sport tourism-related activities within the sustainable development pillars. The nine matrices comprising the OTAM allow the identification of the places where the outdoor activities can be practiced, and the conditions under which they can contribute to the definition of the development strategies of outdoor tourism.
The Combined Effect of Alcohols and Calophyllum inophyllum Biodiesel Using Response Surface Methodology Optimization
Authors: Aneeque Mohammed , Alshahrani Saad , Kareemullah Mohammed , Afzal Asif , Saleel C. Ahamed , Soudagar Manzoore Elahi M. , Hossain Nazia , Subbiah Ram , Ahmed Mohamed H.
Published: July 2021

In this experimental study, the performance of the diesel engine was analyzed for biodiesel derived from Calophyllum inophyllum. The impact of the addition of additives such as N-octanol and N-butanol with Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel has been assessed. Impact of the application of hybrid N-octanol and N-butanol with biodiesel on emission profile used for the engine performance has also been demonstrated. Response surface analysis of alcohol additives-biodiesel blend was performed separately in this study for the engine efficiency and emission profile. A combination of N-octanol and N-butanol presented the highest brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and lowest carbon monoxide (CO) emission among the ternary blends of octanol. N-butanol-biodiesel blend presented the lowest hydrocarbon (HC) emission among the blends of N-butanol. N-octanol with 5 and 10% addition with biodiesel showed the lowest HC emissions among the blends of octanol. The response surface methodology (RSM) optimization revealed that the optimized thermal efficiency and emission were obtained at full load and minimum load, respectively. The addition of N-octanol hindered the emission at all loads, while N-butanol reduced it at higher loads. A strong correlation between the load and alcohol additives on the engine performance and emission profile has been obtained using the RSM optimization approach. The R-squared value obtained from the RSM was 0.92 and emission profile has been characterized.
A News Big Data Analysis of Issues in Higher Education in Korea amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ko Jangwan , Paek Seungsu , Park Seoyoon , Park Jiwoo
Published: July 2021

This paper examines the main issues regarding higher education in Korea—where college education experienced minimal interruptions—during the COVID-19 pandemic through a big data analysis of news articles. By analyzing policy responses from the government and colleges and examining prominent discourses on higher education, it provides a context for discussing the implications of COVID-19 on education policy and what the post-pandemic era would bring. To this end, we utilized BIgKinds, a big data research solution for news articles offered by the Korea Press Foundation, to select a total of 2636 media reports and conducted Topic Modelling based on LDA algorithms using NetMiner. The analyses are split into three distinct periods of COVID-19 spread in the country. Some notable topics from the first phase are remote class, tuition refund, returning Chinese international students, and normalization of college education. Preparations for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), contact and contactless classes, preparations for early admissions, and supporting job market candidates are extracted for the second phase. For the third phase, the extracted topics include CSAT and college-specific exams, quarantine on campus, social relations on campus, and support for job market candidates. The results confirmed widespread public attention to the relevant issues but also showed empirically that the measures taken by the government and college administrations to combat COVID-19 had limited visibility among media reports. It is important to note that timely and appropriate responses from the government and colleges have enabled continuation of higher education in some capacity during the pandemic. In addition to the media’s role in reporting issues of public interest, there is also a need for continued research and discussion on higher education amid COVID-19 to help effect actual results from various policy efforts.
Sustainable Construction Logistics in Urban Areas: A Framework for Assessing the Suitability of the Implementation of Construction Consolidation Centres
Authors: Muerza Victoria , Guerlain Cindy
Published: July 2021

Transport in construction is responsible for up to 30% of freight movement in cities, with a subsequent impact in terms of pollutant emissions. Different solutions have been provided to alleviate the negative impact of freight transport related to construction activity, although no guidance has been provided for replicability in cities. One solution whose potential benefits are being studied with the support of policy makers is Construction Consolidation Centres (CCC). This paper proposes a method based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and provides an index based on 45 indicators to evaluate the suitability of the implementation of a CCC in terms of the pillars of sustainability in combination with a technical pillar. Three real construction projects were assessed in Luxembourg City, Paris, and Valencia. Two critical attributes were identified: the estimated operational costs of the construction company and the potential demand level in the area. The results of the analysis allow for: (i) the extraction of knowledge related to the sustainability of the construction project, and (ii) logistics to be integrated into the planning and design stages of the construction activity. Furthermore, a general structure is also proposed for integrating other construction solutions where CCC is not suitable.
On the Creation and Destruction of National Wealth: Are Financial Collapses Endogenous?
Authors: Shmelev Stanislav E. , Ayres Robert U.
Published: July 2021

This paper traces US national wealth from 1914 through 2015 and constructs a multivariate econometric model that combines elements of short-term and long-term dynamics. We find that US wealth depends on a range of macroeconomic variables, including the wealth itself observed in the previous period, change in market capitalization, change in US house price index and inflation. Less impactful, statistically significant factors included unemployment, changes in oil price, and change in debt-to-GDP ratio. Another significant result is that the Glass–Steagall Act, which prohibited commercial banks from speculative activity in the stock market after 1933, had a statistically significant positive impact on wealth in the US. We test the model by asking whether it could have anticipated the actual collapse in 2008, given prior data up to 2000, 2005 and 2010. All three tests forecasted a sharp wealth decline starting in 2008, followed by a recovery. These results suggest the possibility of forecasting future financial collapses. We have found our model to be slightly more accurate in the short run than in the long run.
E-Business Strategy in Developing Countries: A Framework and Checklist for the Small Business Sector
Authors: Wynn Martin , Olayinka Olakunle
Published: July 2021

Since the turn of the century, there has been a growth in the use of e-business by both large and small companies worldwide, a trend that has been given further impetus by the move to online trading in the COVID-19 pandemic era. For small companies, there are the potential benefits of increased efficiencies and market share gain, associated with the re-engineering of selling and marketing processes; but in developing countries, such as Nigeria, research into how small businesses are using e-business systems and technologies is limited. This article builds upon earlier case study research in the Nigerian small business sector to develop a framework for e-business strategy development, implementation and review. Using an inductive approach, data was collected from six small businesses, using interviews and questionnaires, to profile the e-business operations of these companies. This study found that e-business strategy was generally lacking in these companies, but interview material was used to support the development and validation of the strategy framework, which provides a process and a checklist for small businesses pursuing e-business initiatives in developing world environments.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure: Machine Learning Approach to Conflict Prediction in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Musumba Mark , Fatema Naureen , Kibriya Shahriar
Published: July 2021

This article offers policymakers and researchers pragmatic and sustainable approaches to identify and mitigate conflict threats by looking beyond p-values and plausible instruments. We argue that predicting conflict successfully depends on the choice of algorithms, which, if chosen accurately, can reduce economic and social instabilities caused by post-conflict reconstruction. After collating data with variables linked to conflict, we used a grid level dataset of 5928 observations spanning 48 countries across sub-Saharan Africa to predict civil conflict. The goals of the study were to assess the performance of supervised classification machine learning (ML) algorithms in comparison with logistic model, assess the implication of selecting a specific performance metric on policy initiatives, and evaluate the value of interpretability of the selected model. After comparing class imbalance resampling methods, the synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) was employed to improve out-of-sample prediction for the trained model. The results indicate that if our selected performance metric is recall, gradient tree boosting is the best algorithm; however, if precision or F1 score is the selected metric, then the multilayer perceptron algorithm produces the best model.
Bamboo as a Sustainable Building Material—Culm Characteristics and Properties
Authors: Chaowana Kitti , Wisadsatorn Supanit , Chaowana Pannipa
Published: July 2021

Bamboo culm is a renewable and lightweight material with high strength, particularly tensile strength. It is well accepted that bamboo culms have played a significant role in architecture because of their sustainable contribution. The culm characteristics and properties of three-year-old bamboo from five species (Dendrocalamus asper, Dendrocalamus sericeus, Dendrocalamus membranaceus, Thyrsostachys oliveri, and Phyllostachys makinoi) were investigated. The results show that each bamboo species has different culm characteristics along with culm length. Culm size, particularly the outer culm diameter and culm wall thickness, affects the ultimate load. These results confirm that a bigger culm with a thicker wall could receive more load. D. asper received the highest ultimate load, while T. oliveri received the lowest ultimate load. However, when calculating the test results for stress (load per cross-section area), P. Makinoi showed excellent mechanical properties, while D. asper showed the worst mechanical properties. This research promotes bamboo’s appropriate use for building applications and as a more sustainable material for architecture.
Factors Influencing Collaborative Innovation Project Performance: The Case of China
Authors: Liu Hong , Liu Zhihua , Lai Yongzeng , Li Lin
Published: July 2021

This study conducted a comprehensive and systematic investigation of the influencing factors for collaborative innovation project (CIP) performance. First, a theoretical framework model was constructed, and then a structural equation model (SEM) was used for an empirical analysis of 199 CIPs. Furthermore, we divided the factors into tangible and intangible categories and considered the impact mechanism of nine typical factors on project performance. The results are as follows: (1) All nine factors had a significant positive impact on the performance of collaborative innovation projects, among which benefit distribution and collaborative innovation capability were the most important. (2) Benefit distribution, resource dependence, organizational climate, and collaborative innovation affected project performance, both directly and indirectly. (3) Effective communication, leadership support, knowledge sharing, and collaborative innovation ability only had a direct influence, while the incentive mechanism played only an indirect role. Finally, three suggestions were put forward on the idea of high-quality, sustainable development.
Attributional & Consequential Life Cycle Assessment: Definitions, Conceptual Characteristics and Modelling Restrictions
Authors: Schaubroeck Thomas , Schaubroeck Simon , Heijungs Reinout , Zamagni Alessandra , Brandão Miguel , Benetto Enrico
Published: July 2021

To assess the potential environmental impact of human/industrial systems, life cycle assessment (LCA) is a very common method. There are two prominent types of LCA, namely attributional (ALCA) and consequential (CLCA). A lot of literature covers these approaches, but a general consensus on what they represent and an overview of all their differences seems lacking, nor has every prominent feature been fully explored. The two main objectives of this article are: (1) to argue for and select definitions for each concept and (2) specify all conceptual characteristics (including translation into modelling restrictions), re-evaluating and going beyond findings in the state of the art. For the first objective, mainly because the validity of interpretation of a term is also a matter of consensus, we argue the selection of definitions present in the 2011 UNEP-SETAC report. ALCA attributes a share of the potential environmental impact of the world to a product life cycle, while CLCA assesses the environmental consequences of a decision (e.g., increase of product demand). Regarding the second objective, the product system in ALCA constitutes all processes that are linked by physical, energy flows or services. Because of the requirement of additivity for ALCA, a double-counting check needs to be executed, modelling is restricted (e.g., guaranteed through linearity) and partitioning of multifunctional processes is systematically needed (for evaluation per single product). The latter matters also hold in a similar manner for the impact assessment, which is commonly overlooked. CLCA, is completely consequential and there is no limitation regarding what a modelling framework should entail, with the coverage of co-products through substitution being just one approach and not the only one (e.g., additional consumption is possible). Both ALCA and CLCA can be considered over any time span (past, present & future) and either using a reference environment or different scenarios. Furthermore, both ALCA and CLCA could be specific for average or marginal (small) products or decisions, and further datasets. These findings also hold for life cycle sustainability assessment.
Assessment Environmental Sustainability and Gender Equality through Crops Livestock Investment Worldwide
Authors: Cosculluela-Martínez Carolina , Menéndez-Blanco Juan Manuel
Published: July 2021

Resilient crop-livestock production systems become crucial to face environmental challenges such as climate mitigation. Progress in the SDG 2.4.1 indicator (proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture) requires robustness, adaptability, and transformation. Most literature considers gender equality and crops livestock investment as drivers to environmental sustainability. In Cosculluela-Martínez (2020), the productivity and the employing capacity of the investment in agricultural capital stock has been analyzed. However, nobody has examined the long and short-run effects on climate change and the gender gap of investing in the crop-livestock production system’s assets. In this paper, the investment’s empowerment is assessed by estimating the impact of an investment in capital stock on climate, gender gap drop-down, and production through a Vector Error Correction Model. To reduce the gender gap in the agricultural sector in 8 of the 11 countries. Policy and implications of different weights in the distribution of the investment of European Funds are discussed.
Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries in the Midst of Adaptation and Diversification: Insights from Southern Italy
Authors: Nicolosi Agata , Di Gregorio Donatella , Arena Giuseppe , Laganà Valentina Rosa , Privitera Donatella
Published: July 2021

The study looks at the problems facing coastal fishing communities. It highlights the impacts that, in the complex framework of the EU reforms, have manifested themselves on economic activities and on society. The aim of the paper is twofold: to examine small-scale artisanal fishing in an area of Southern Italy in order to develop resilience and diversification and at the same time to outline the profiles of local bluefish buyers to highlight development strategies for the sector. The research carried out through a direct survey by administering a questionnaire to fishermen operating in areas of Southern Italy and the data cross-referenced with the opinions of local consumers. A conjoint experiment, followed by a multiple correspondence analysis and cluster identification, was used to outline the profiles of local bluefish buyers. The results of the analysis reveal that the fish market and the restaurant sector are the main distribution channels preferred by fishermen. Furthermore, fishermen are very sensitive to environmental issues and are willing to collaborate and actively participate in the environmental protection of the sea. Consumers recognise the quality of local bluefish, and they implicitly perceive the sustainability of the method of capture. The results show the need to undertake synergistic actions for the fishing industry, capable of activating marketing strategies adequately to support, promote and develop the sector. The results of the study provide helpful information for food companies in order to better segment their market and target their consumers, as well as to effectively promote their product using brands, certifications and traceability.
The Axial Anomaly in Lorentz Violating Theories: Towards the Electromagnetic Response of Weakly Tilted Weyl Semimetals
Authors: Gómez Andrés , Urrutia Luis
Published: July 2021

Using the path integral formulation in Euclidean space, we extended the calculation of the abelian chiral anomalies in the case of Lorentz violating theories by considering a new fermionic correction term provided by the standard model extension, which arises in the continuous Hamiltonian of a weakly tilted Weyl semimetal, and whose cones have opposite tilting. We found that this anomaly is insensitive to the tilting parameter, retaining its well-known covariant form. This independence on the Lorentz violating parameters is consistent with other findings reported in the literature. The initially imposed gauge invariant regularization was consistently recovered at the end of the calculation by the appearance of highly non-trivial combinations of the covariant derivatives, which ultimately managed to give only terms containing the electromagnetic tensor. We emphasize that the value of the anomaly with an arbitrary parameter is not automatically related to the effective action describing the electromagnetic response of such materials.
Simulated Annealing Hyper-Heuristic for a Shelf Space Allocation on Symmetrical Planograms Problem
Authors: Czerniachowska Kateryna , Hernes Marcin
Published: July 2021

The allocation of products on shelves is an important issue from the point of view of effective decision making by retailers. In this paper, we investigate a practical shelf space allocation model which takes into account the number of facings, capping, and nesting of a product. We divide the shelf into the segments of variable size in which the products of the specific types could be placed. The interconnections between products are modelled with the help of categorizing the products into specific types as well as grouping some of them into clusters. This results in four groups of constraints—shelf constraints, shelf type constraints, product constraints, position allocation constraints—that are used in the model for aesthetic symmetry of a planogram. We propose a simulated annealing algorithm with improvement and reallocation procedures to solve the planogram profit maximization problem. Experiments are based on artificial data sets that have been generated according to real-world conditions. The efficiency of the designed algorithm has been estimated using the CPLEX solver. The computational tests demonstrate that the proposed algorithm gives valuable results in an acceptable time.
Antimatter Free-Fall Experiments and Charge Asymmetry
Authors: Jentschura Ulrich David
Published: July 2021

We propose a method by which one could use modified antimatter gravity experiments in order to perform a high-precision test of antimatter charge neutrality. The proposal is based on the application of a strong, external, vertically oriented electric field during an antimatter free-fall gravity experiment in the gravitational field of the Earth. The proposed experimental setup has the potential to drastically improve the limits on the charge-asymmetry parameter ϵ¯q of antimatter. On the theoretical side, we analyze possibilities to describe a putative charge-asymmetry of matter and antimatter, proportional to the parameters ϵq and ϵ¯q, by Lagrangian methods. We found that such an asymmetry could be described by four-dimensional Lorentz-invariant operators that break CPT without destroying the locality of the field theory. The mechanism involves an interaction Lagrangian with field operators decomposed into particle or antiparticle field contributions. Our Lagrangian is otherwise Lorentz, as well as PT invariant. Constraints to be derived on the parameter ϵ¯q do not depend on the assumed theoretical model.
A Review of Dietary Intake of Acrylamide in Humans
Authors: Timmermann Clara , Mølck Signe , Kadawathagedara Manik , Bjerregaard Anne , Törnqvist Margareta , Brantsæter Anne , Pedersen Marie
Published: July 2021

The dietary intake of acrylamide (AA) is a health concern, and food is being monitored worldwide, but the extent of AA exposure from the diet is uncertain. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of estimated dietary intake. We performed a PubMed search identifying studies that used dietary questionnaires and recalls to estimate total dietary AA intake. A total of 101 studies were included, corresponding to 68 original study populations from 26 countries. Questionnaires were used in 57 studies, dietary recalls were used in 33 studies, and 11 studies used both methods. The estimated median AA intake ranged from 0.02 to 1.53 μg/kg body weight/day between studies. Children were represented in 25 studies, and the body-weight-adjusted estimated AA intake was up to three times higher for children than adults. The majority of studies were from Europe (n = 65), Asia (n = 17), and the USA (n = 12). Studies from Asia generally estimated lower intakes than studies from Europe and the USA. Differences in methods undermine direct comparison across studies. The assessment of AA intake through dietary questionnaires and recalls has limitations. The integration of these methods with the analysis of validated biomarkers of exposure/internal dose would improve the accuracy of dietary AA intake exposure estimation. This overview shows that AA exposure is widespread and the large variation across and within populations shows a potential for reduced intake among those with the highest exposure.