bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monitoring 2011–2020 Traffic Patterns in Wuhan (China) with COSMO-SkyMed SAR, Amidst the 7th CISM Military World Games and COVID-19 Outbreak
Authors: Tanveer Hashir , Balz Timo , Cigna Francesca , Tapete Deodato
Published: May 2020

Vehicle detection from satellite imagery can support different applications, such as security and situational awareness. In the civilian domain, it can provide quantitative evidence to investigate urban mobility and traffic patterns in cities. Satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can help in detecting vehicles in (almost) all weather conditions and during the day and night. In this study, the capability of SAR StripMap imaging mode data to monitor traffic is analyzed using the case study of Wuhan, China. In ordinary times, the bridges crossing the Yangtze river are the key infrastructure allowing for urban mobility in Wuhan. More recently, the city has been the first in the world to be put in lockdown due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19). Using a very long time series of 294 COSMO-SkyMed StripMap HIMAGE mode scenes collected from 2011 to 2020, we detected vehicles on seven bridges, estimated their speed, and analyzed the traffic pattern over time. Vehicles are detected based on their azimuth shift caused by their across-track motion. Our goal is to monitor the variations in traffic instead of single-car detection. The results from 2011 to 2019 show a general increase in the number of vehicles crossing the bridges, as new infrastructure was built over the years. Variations in detected vehicle numbers were especially found during the two events of the 7th International Military Sports Council (CISM) Military World Games in October 2019, and the COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020. These events were therefore used for internal validation of our assessment of traffic patterns. On the other side, TomTom traffic index data were used for external validation. The results and their comparison with TomTom data prove the effectiveness of our method in detecting traffic patterns, but also demonstrate that mostly large vehicles (e.g., trucks or buses) are detected. Future work should be carried out to improve the detection rate of smaller vehicles.
An Iterative ICA-Based Reconstruction Method to Produce Consistent Time-Variable Total Water Storage Fields Using GRACE and Swarm Satellite Data
Authors: Forootan Ehsan , Schumacher Maike , Mehrnegar Nooshin , Bezděk Aleš , Talpe Matthieu J. , Farzaneh Saeed , Zhang Chaoyang , Zhang Yu , Shum C. K.
Published: May 2020

Observing global terrestrial water storage changes (TWSCs) from (inter-)seasonal to (multi-)decade time-scales is very important to understand the Earth as a system under natural and anthropogenic climate change. The primary goal of the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission (2002–2017) and its follow-on mission (GRACE-FO, 2018–onward) is to provide time-variable gravity fields, which can be converted to TWSCs with ∼ 300 km spatial resolution; however, the one year data gap between GRACE and GRACE-FO represents a critical discontinuity, which cannot be replaced by alternative data or model with the same quality. To fill this gap, we applied time-variable gravity fields (2013–onward) from the Swarm Earth explorer mission with low spatial resolution of ∼ 1500 km. A novel iterative reconstruction approach was formulated based on the independent component analysis (ICA) that combines the GRACE and Swarm fields. The reconstructed TWSC fields of 2003–2018 were compared with a commonly applied reconstruction technique and GRACE-FO TWSC fields, whose results indicate a considerable noise reduction and long-term consistency improvement of the iterative ICA reconstruction technique. They were applied to evaluate trends and seasonal mass changes (of 2003–2018) within the world’s 33 largest river basins.
Super-Resolution of Thermal Images Using an Automatic Total Variation Based Method
Authors: Cascarano Pasquale , Corsini Francesco , Gandolfi Stefano , Piccolomini Elena Loli , Mandanici Emanuele , Tavasci Luca , Zama Fabiana
Published: May 2020

The relatively poor spatial resolution of thermal images is a limitation for many thermal remote sensing applications. A possible solution to mitigate this problem is super-resolution, which should preserve the radiometric content of the original data and should be applied to both the cases where a single image or multiple images of the target surface are available. In this perspective, we propose a new super-resolution algorithm, which can handle either single or multiple images. It is based on a total variation regularization approach and implements a fully automated choice of all the parameters, without any training dataset nor a priori information. Through simulations, the accuracy of the generated super-resolution images was assessed, in terms of both global statistical indicators and analysis of temperature errors at hot and cold spots. The algorithm was tested and applied to aerial and terrestrial thermal images. Results and comparisons with state-of-the-art methods confirmed an excellent compromise between the quality of the high-resolution images obtained and the required computational time.
Stability Analysis of the Fluorescent Tracer 1-Methylnaphthalene for IC Engine Applications by Supercontinuum Laser Absorption Spectroscopy
Authors: Fendt Peter , Retzer Ulrich , Ulrich Hannah , Will Stefan , Zigan Lars
Published: May 2020

1-methylnaphthalene (1-MN) is a widely used laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) tracer for planar imaging of mixture formation and temperature distributions in internal combustion (IC) engines. As the LIF measurement results can be biased by partial tracer oxidation, the conversion of 1-MN and the base fuel isooctane is analyzed in a calibration cell. First, measurements using supercontinuum laser absorption spectroscopy (SCLAS) are presented in order to quantify the conversion by detection of the produced H2O mole fraction. A single mode fiber (SMF) coupled setup is presented, with the fiber core acting as entrance slit of a Czerny-Turner spectrometer. Dependencies on residence time and global air-fuel ratio are presented at pressures up to 1.5 MPa and temperatures up to 900 K, at which distinct tracer and fuel consumption is observed. Signal loss due to intense beam steering was partially compensated using a self-stabilizing double-pass setup with a retroreflector.
MBS Vehicle–Crossing Model for Crossing Structural Health Monitoring
Authors: Liu Xiangming , Markine Valéri L.
Published: May 2020

This paper presents the development of a multi-body system (MBS) vehicle–crossing model and its application in the structural health monitoring (SHM) of railway crossings. The vehicle and track configurations in the model were adjusted to best match the real-life situation. By using the measurement results obtained from an instrumented crossing and the simulation results from a finite element (FE) model, the MBS model was validated and verified. The results showed that the main outputs of the MBS model correlated reasonably well with those from both the measurements and the FE model. The MBS and FE models formed the basis of an integrated analysis tool, which can be applied to thoroughly study the performance of railway crossings. As part of the SHM system for railway crossings developed at Delft University of Technology, the MBS model was applied to identify the condition stage of a monitored railway crossing. The numerical results confirmed the highly degraded crossing condition. By using the measured degradation as the input in the MBS model, the primary damage sources were further verified. Through identifying the crossing condition stage and verifying the damage source, necessary and timely maintenance can be planned. These actions will help to avoid crossing failure and unexpected traffic interruptions, which will ultimately lead to sustainable railway infrastructure.
Analysis of the Position Recognition of the Bucket Tip According to the Motion Measurement Method of Excavator Boom, Stick and Bucket
Authors: Sun Dongik , Ji Changuk , Jang Sunghoon , Lee Sangkeun , No Joonkyu , Han Changsoo , Han Jeakweon , Kang Minsung
Published: May 2020

On modern construction sites, guidance and automation systems are increasingly applied to excavators. Recently, studies have been actively conducted to compare the estimation results of the bucket tip with the motion measurement method of the boom, stick, and bucket and the sensor selection. This study selected the method of measuring the cylinder length of boom, stick, and bucket, and the method of directly measuring the boom, arm, and bucket, which are commonly used in guidance and automation systems. A low-cost sensor that can be attached and detached to the excavator in modular form was selected to apply the above methods to commercial excavator. After the sensor selection, hardware and excavator simulation models for sensor measurements were constructed. Finally, the trajectory of the bucket tip was compared and analyzed through graphs and simulation results when the boom, stick, and bucket were independently rotated one by one, or together. The results gives a guideline on what kinds of sensors would be better in machine guidance or controlling an excavator according to given external environments.
StressFoot: Uncovering the Potential of the Foot for Acute Stress Sensing in Sitting Posture
Authors: Elvitigala Don Samitha , Matthies Denys J. C. , Nanayakkara Suranga
Published: May 2020

Stress is a naturally occurring psychological response and identifiable by several body signs. We propose a novel way to discriminate acute stress and relaxation, using movement and posture characteristics of the foot. Based on data collected from 23 participants performing tasks that induced stress and relaxation, we developed several machine learning models to construct the validity of our method. We tested our models in another study with 11 additional participants. The results demonstrated replicability with an overall accuracy of 87%. To also demonstrate external validity, we conducted a field study with 10 participants, performing their usual everyday office tasks over a working day. The results showed substantial robustness. We describe ten significant features in detail to enable an easy replication of our models.
Energy Efficient Determinism in WSN through Reverse Packet Elimination
Authors: Kvist Fredrik , Urke Andreas Ramstad , Øvsthus Knut
Published: May 2020

Recently, the industrial wireless sensor network (WSN) has gained attention as a complement to wired networks due to its flexibility and lower installation cost. We present a novel Reverse Packet Elimination (RPE) algorithm implementation at the IPv6 over the TSCH mode of IEEE 802.15.4e (6TiSCH) stack that increases reliability without significantly increasing energy consumption. RPE increases the reliability while conserving energy by transmitting a cancellation packet from the sink towards the sender to reduce unnecessary packets. The evaluation utilized mainly the 6TiSCH Simulator, with additional analytical assessments. We present several evaluation scenarios and compare WSN with and without RPE. In a WSN where each link had a packet reception rate of 70%, RPE increased the reliability with 11.8%. Furthermore, the average latency decreased with 39.1%. The average energy consumption increased with 19.8% when utilizing RPE. However, the network lifetime, i.e., the time before the first node experiences battery depletion increases slightly, which is a significant improvement compared to alternative replication mechanisms.
YOLO-Based Simultaneous Target Detection and Classification in Automotive FMCW Radar Systems
Authors: Kim Woosuk , Cho Hyunwoong , Kim Jongseok , Kim Byungkwan , Lee Seongwook
Published: May 2020

This paper proposes a method to simultaneously detect and classify objects by using a deep learning model, specifically you only look once (YOLO), with pre-processed automotive radar signals. In conventional methods, the detection and classification in automotive radar systems are conducted in two successive stages; however, in the proposed method, the two stages are combined into one. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, we applied it to the actual radar data measured using our automotive radar sensor. According to the results, our proposed method can simultaneously detect targets and classify them with over 90% accuracy. In addition, it shows better performance in terms of detection and classification, compared with conventional methods such as density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise or the support vector machine. Moreover, the proposed method especially exhibits better performance when detecting and classifying a vehicle with a long body.
Process Controls of the Live Root Zone and Carbon Sequestration Capacity of the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest, Bangladesh
Authors: Bomer Edwin J. , Wilson Carol A. , Elsey-Quirk Tracy
Published: May 2020

The conservation of coastal wetland ecosystems, like mangrove forests and salt marshes, represents a critical strategy for mitigating atmospheric emissions and climate change in the 21st century. Yet the existence of these environments is threatened by human-induced disturbances, namely deforestation and accelerated sea-level rise. Coastal systems maintain surface elevation in response to sea-level rise through a combination of physical and biological processes both above and below the ground surface. The quantification and relative contribution of belowground process controls (e.g., seasonal water content, organic matter decomposition) on surface elevation change is largely unexplored but crucial for informing coastal ecosystem sustainability. To address this knowledge deficit, we integrated measurements of surface elevation change of the live root zone (0.5 to 1 m depth) with geotechnical data from co-located sediment cores in the Sundarbans mangrove forest (SMF) of southwest Bangladesh. Core data reveal that the primary belowground controls on surface elevation change include seasonal fluctuations in pore-water content and the relative abundance of fine-grained sediments capable of volumetric expansion and contraction. In contrast to many mangrove environments, the soils of the SMF contain little organic matter and are dominantly composed (>90%) of inorganic clastic sediments. The mineral-rich soil texture likely leads to less compaction-induced subsidence as compared to organic-rich substrates and facilitates surface equilibrium in response to sea level rise. Despite a relatively high soil bulk density, soil carbon (C) density of the SMF is very low owing to the dearth of preserved organic content. However, rates of C accumulation are balanced out by locally high accretion rates, rendering the SMF a greater sink of terrestrial C than the worldwide mangrove average. The findings of this study demonstrate that C accumulation in the SMF, and possibly other alluvial mangrove forests, is highly dependent on the continued delivery of sediment to the mangrove platform and associated settings.
Elsa as Horse Whisperer in Disney’s Frozen 2: Opportunity “Nokk”s to Quash Gender Stereotypes
Authors: Dundes Lauren
Published: May 2020

Frozen 2 (2019) provided Disney with the opportunity to move past discomfort about the confluence of women’s sexuality and power in Queen Elsa portrayed in Frozen (2013). Yet in Frozen 2, Elsa remains romantically unattached, despite audience interest in her love life in the six years following the release of Frozen. In Frozen 2, Elsa forms a bond with a mythological male horse, a Nokk, whom she first battles, and then tames, showcasing her horse-whispering talents while building intimacy with the equine. The symbolism of Elsa’s domestication of the willful Nokk relates to the gynocentric horse and pony genre that explores girls’ desire for intimacy within a fictional world. In Frozen 2, however, substituting a male horse for a relationship with a human allows Disney to sidestep two potential controversies: (1) a queer love interest for Elsa, and (2) the portrayal of Elsa as wielding more power than a non-magically endowed male partner. In addition, Elsa’s taming of the horse in Frozen 2 places her in the realm of equestrianism, a woman-dominated sport where femininity is nevertheless devalued. As a result, her skills as a horse whisperer do not threaten men’s ascendancy, reflecting real-life gender dynamics in equestrian sport. These themes show how Disney balked at modernizing Elsa, retreating to outdated conceptions of gender roles rather than depicting progressive gender dynamics and sexuality in Disney royalty.
Effect of Gamma Irradiation on Structural Features and Dissolution of Nuclear Waste Na–Al–P Glasses in Water
Authors: Luzhetsky Alexey V. , Petrov Vladislav A. , Yudintsev Sergey V. , Malkovsky Viktor I. , Ojovan Michael I. , Nickolsky Maximilian S. , Shiryaev Andrey A. , Danilov Sergey S. , Ostashkina Elizaveta E.
Published: May 2020

Structural properties and water dissolution of six sodium–aluminum–phosphate (NAP) glasses have been investigated before and after irradiation by a gamma-ray source based on 60Co. Two of these samples were of simple composition, and four samples had a complex composition with radionuclide simulants representing actinides, fission, and activated corrosion products. Samples of the simple composition are fully vitreous, whereas samples of the complex composition contained up to 10 vol.% of aluminum–phosphate, AlPO4, and traces of ruthenium dioxide, RuO2. Based on the study of pristine and irradiated glasses, it was established that the radiation dose of 62 million Gray had practically no effect on the phase composition and structure of samples. At the same time, the rate of leaching of elements from the irradiated samples by water was decreased by about two times.
The Role of Public Support for Innovativeness in SMEs Across European Countries and Sectors of Economic Activity
Authors: Grabowski Wojciech , Staszewska-Bystrova Anna
Published: May 2020

The paper investigates the impact of public support for innovation activities on adoption of different innovation strategies and propensities to introduce product, process, organizational and marketing innovations in European small and medium enterprises. In estimating these effects, country and sectoral heterogeneities are taken into account. Effectiveness of alternative policy mixes is also evaluated. The analysis is based on a multivariate, multi-stage econometric model and data from the Community Innovation Survey 2014. It is found that innovation support is utilized differently by newer and older members of the European Union, with the former investing mainly in acquisition of machinery, equipment, software, buildings, knowledge and trainings and the latter directing aid, to a larger extent, to research and development and introduction of innovations. The results also indicate various effectiveness of support from alternative institutional sources. Aid from the EU is more beneficial for manufacturing, while national and local support is more effective in older EU countries than newer members of the European Union and services sector. Using various but not all types of policy mixes is estimated to increase the chances of innovating. It is concluded that innovation support might not be optimally used in newer members of the EU and that better coordination of aid from the EU and national institutions could lead to improved economic results.
Flood Risk Assessment for the Long-Term Strategic Planning Considering the Placement of Industrial Parks in Slovakia
Authors: Grežo Henrich , Močko Matej , Izsóff Martin , Vrbičanová Gréta , Petrovič František , Straňák Jozef , Muchová Zlatica , Slámová Martina , Olah Branislav , Machar Ivo
Published: May 2020

The intention of the article is to demonstrate how data from historical maps might be applied in the process of flood risk assessment in peri-urban zones located in floodplains and be complementary datasets to the national flood maps. The research took place in two industrial parks near the rivers Žitava and Nitra in the town of Vráble (the oldest industrial park in Slovakia) and the city of Nitra (one of the largest industrial parks in Slovakia, which is still under construction concerning the Jaguar Land Rover facility). The historical maps from the latter half of the 18th and 19th centuries and from the 1950s of the 20th century, as well as the field data on floods gained with the GNSSS receiver in 2010 and the Q100 flood line of the national flood maps (2017), were superposed in geographic information systems. The flood map consists of water flow simulation by a mathematical hydrodynamic model which is valid only for the current watercourse. The comparison of historical datasets with current data indicated various transformations and shifts of the riverbanks over the last 250 years. The results proved that the industrial parks were built up on traditionally and extensively used meadows and pastures through which branched rivers flowed in the past. Recent industrial constructions intensified the use of both territories and led to the modifications of riverbeds and shortening of the watercourse length. Consequently, the river flow energy increased, and floods occurred during torrential events in 2010. If historical maps were respected in the creation of the flood maps, the planned construction of industrial parks in floodplains could be limited or forbidden in the spatial planning documentation. This study confirmed that the flood modelling using the Q100 flood lines does not provide sufficient arguments for investment development groups, and flood maps might be supplied with the data derived from historical maps. The proposed methodology represents a simple, low cost, and effective way of identifying possible flood-prone areas and preventing economic losses and other damages.
Perceptions about the Use of Educational Robotics in the Initial Training of Future Teachers: A Study on STEAM Sustainability among Female Teachers
Authors: Román-Graván Pedro , Hervás-Gómez Carlos , Martín-Padilla Antonio Hilario , Fernández-Márquez Esther
Published: May 2020

In these moments of future uncertainty and change, teachers must be trained to respond to the challenges posed by today’s society, and the challenges that are closely related to the economy. We are going through the first steps of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and changes are already taking place in our daily lives, in our way of learning, working, and interacting with each other. According to the data of the World Economic Forum (WEF), the future of teacher professional development is disfigured—most technological profiles play a strong role, and this affects the skills and abilities of teachers, especially in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). The goal is to achieve the Millennium Goal number three proposed by the United Nations: All countries must promote gender equality and the empowerment of women. This objective aims to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, and the promotion of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) to improve the competences of women and vulnerable groups to ensure that no one is left behind. These are priority areas to consider regarding SDG4 (Sustainable Development Goal 4) and Education 2030.
Spatial-Temporal Differences and Influencing Factors of Tourism Eco-Efficiency in China’s Three Major Urban Agglomerations Based on the Super-EBM Model
Authors: Sun Yiyang , Hou Guolin , Huang Zhenfang , Zhong Yi
Published: May 2020

On the background of climate change, studying tourism eco-efficiency of cities is of great significance to promote the green development of tourism. Based on the panel data of the three major urban agglomerations in China’s Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region from 2008 to 2017, this paper constructed an evaluation index system and measured the tourism eco-efficiency of 63 cities by using a hybrid distance model called Super-EBM (epsilon-based measure). We compared the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of tourism eco-efficiency in the three urban agglomerations. Furthermore, the internal factors influencing tourism eco-efficiency were explored through input–output redundancy, and the external factors were analyzed by a panel regression model. The results indicate that the tourism eco-efficiency of the three urban agglomerations in China generally shows a decreasing-rising-declining trend. Among them, the Yangtze River Delta has the highest eco-efficiency, followed by the Pearl River Delta, and the lowest in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. Moreover, there is a certain gap within each urban agglomeration. The redundancy input of labor and capital is the main internal cause of low eco-efficiency. Among the external factors, the status of the tourism industry and the level of urbanization have a positive effect on eco-efficiency, while the level of tourism development, technological innovation and investment have a negative impact on it. In the future, we must attach great importance to the development quality and overall benefit value of the tourism industry so as to achieve green and balanced development of the three major urban agglomerations in eastern China. Based on the above conclusions, this paper puts forward targeted policy implications to improve the tourism eco-efficiency of cities.
Scoring Nonfinancial Information Reporting in Italian Listed Companies: A Comparison of before and after the Legislative Decree 254/2016
Authors: Tarquinio Lara , Posadas Stefanía C. , Pedicone Deborah
Published: May 2020

Directive 2014/95/EU requires EU Member States to mandate nonfinancial disclosures for large public interest entities. The adoption of the Legislative Decree 254/2016, transposing into Italian law the EU Directive, has opened up new perspectives for research on the effects produced by regulatory requirements on nonfinancial information (NFI) in the Italian context. This paper aims to examine how the new regulation is influencing the quantity of NFI disclosed by Italian companies concerning sustainability matters required by the Directive. Content analysis is used to verify the sustainability indicators disclosed by Italian companies before and after the implementation of the Decree. A composite indicator of disclosure performance is then constructed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results highlight a generalized reduction of indicators disclosed by companies belonging to the sample. Over the three years analysed, most companies have improved their disclosure ranking. Nevertheless, a comparison among companies having the same ranking showed a decrease in the disclosure index for the majority of them. Despite the growing attention paid by academics to Directive 95/2014/EU and its implementation in Italy, this is one of the few studies that has evaluated the effects of the Decree over three years, considering what happened after the first year of its implementation.
Port-Related Emissions, Environmental Impacts and Their Implication on Green Traffic Policy in Shanghai
Authors: Zhou Yuyan , Zhang Yan , Ma Dong , Lu Jun , Luo Wenbin , Fu Yu , Li Shanshan , Feng Junlan , Huang Cheng , Ge Wangqi , Zhu Hong
Published: May 2020

The port of Shanghai, as the world’s largest container port, has been experiencing rapid development in recent years, with increasing cargo throughput capacity. The combustion of diesel fuels used by internal and external port-related container trucks and in-port machineries can release various pollutants, causing air pollution. The terminals are close to the residential area, and the emissions are concentrated, which is worth paying attention to. This study aims to synthetically assess the port-related emissions and their environmental impacts. We firstly constructed an emission inventory of air pollutants in the port of Shanghai and then used the WRF-CMAQ model to estimate the influence of port-related source emissions on air quality. The results show that the annual emissions of SO2, NOX, CO, VOCS, PM, PM10, PM2.5, CO2, BC and OC caused by cargo-handling equipment were 21.88 t, 1811.22 t, 1741.72 t, 222.76 t, 61.52 t, 61.42 t, 58.41 t, 141,805.40 t, 26.80 t and 10.07 t in 2015. The emissions of NOX, CO, VOCS, PM10 and PM2.5 caused by external port-related container trucks were 18,002.92 t, 5308.0 t, 1134.57 t, 711.12 t and 640.58 t. The exhaust of external port-related container trucks was much larger than that of cargo-handling equipment, so the impact on air quality was also higher than that of the machinery. The peak annual average concentrations of PM2.5 and NOX contributed by the port-related sources were 1.75 μg/m3 and 49.21 μg/m3, respectively, which accounted for 3.08% and 36.7%, respectively, of the simulated ambient concentrations by all the anthropogenic emissions in Shanghai. Our results imply that the emission control policy to reduce the combined port-related emissions, especially for the cargo-delivery transportation phase from port to city, is key for large coastal port cities such as Shanghai.
Analysis of the Air Quality of the Basque Autonomous Community Using Spatial Interpolation
Authors: Alberdi Elisabete , Alvarez Irantzu , Hernández Heber , Oyarbide-Zubillaga Aitor , Goti Aitor
Published: May 2020

This work presents the results obtained from a spatial modeling and analysis process on pollutants measured in the air through forty-three monitoring stations located in the three provinces of the Basque Autonomous Community (Spain). The pollutants measured correspond to the set of nitrogen oxides (nitric oxide, NO; nitrogen dioxide, NO 2 ; and nitrogen oxides, NO x ) and atmospheric particulate matter with a diameter less than or equal to 10 micrometers (PM 10 ). The objective of this work was to generate a map of the pollutants that exhaustively covers the entire area of the Basque Autonomous Community using geostatistical techniques, in such a way that it serves as a basis for short and midterm environmental studies.
Key Determinants of Airline Loyalty Modeling in Thailand
Authors: Chonsalasin Dissakoon , Jomnonkwao Sajjakaj , Ratanavaraha Vatanavongs
Published: May 2020

The airline industry in Thailand has grown enormously over the past decade. Competition among airline companies to reach market share and profit has been intense, requiring strong strategic abilities. To increase the service quality of such companies, identifying factors related to the context of airlines is important for policymakers. Thus, this study aims to present empirical data on structural factors related to the loyalty of domestic airline passengers. Structural equation modeling was used to confirm the proposed model. The questionnaire was used to survey and collect data from 1600 airline passengers. The results indicate that satisfaction, trust, perceived quality, relationship, and image of airlines positively influenced loyalty with a statistical significance of α = 0.05. Moreover, the study found that expectation and perceived quality indirectly influenced loyalty. The findings provide a reference for airline operators to clearly understand the factors that motivate passenger loyalty, which can be used to develop the sustainability of marketing strategies and support competitiveness.
Natural Light Influence on Intellectual Performance. A Case Study on University Students
Authors: Porras Álvarez Santiago
Published: May 2020

Natural light in interior spaces has many advantages: the most obvious is energy savings, but also many long term physical and mental health benefits. Published research demonstrates the positive effects of natural light, especially in spaces used in long term periods, such as offices, houses, hospital rooms, etc. However, how would the deprivation of natural light affect users in spaces of more occasional use, such as lecture theatres, surgery rooms, courtrooms…? The present research consists in a case study that adds some data on that question. The experiment processed the data on the performance of 278 university students in one theoretical course, consisting in three-hour weekly lectures. This course was taught six times, in six consecutive years (2013–2018), three in exclusively artificially lit basement classrooms, and the other three in classrooms with windows, mixing natural and artificial light. The data of the exam and attendance scores were compared statistically for both populations (basement vs. windows classrooms). The research found strong evidence of the classrooms with windows having better exam scores than those in the basement, with mean differences between 13.17% and 7.73%. Mann–Whitney U tests supported this result, with p-values ranging between p << 0.001 and p = 0.007. Attendance differences were not significant.
Exploring the Impact of Gamification on Users’ Engagement for Sustainable Development: A Case Study in Brand Applications
Authors: Lu Hsi-Peng , Ho Hui-Chen
Published: May 2020

Game elements and mechanics have been widely applied as marketing strategies for sustainable development. Seldom have studies explored the relationships between the components of the game and consumer continuous usage with gamification. This study analyzed how game mechanics impact users’ gaming behavior and awaken positive feelings so as to increase the stickiness of the brand. This research model empirically surveyed 411 Nike Run Club (NRC) app users, based on the Mechanics–Dynamics–Aesthetics (MDA) framework. The results show that the self-challenge is a pre-factor that affects self-benefit, fun, and social interaction, while self-benefit and social interaction affect fun. The results also show that fun is of primary importance among all others, as it is a factor that affects brand attitude and sustained use. The results provide valuable insights into sustainable strategies for industries related to the operation of an app-based brand.
Economic Inefficiency Levels of Urban Solid Waste Management Services in Portugal
Authors: Cunha Ferreira Diogo , Cunha Marques Rui , Pedro Maria Isabel , Amaral Carolina
Published: May 2020

Key performance indicators (KPI) are widely used tools to evaluate the economic (in)efficiency of services, including the ones devoted to urban solid waste management. Regulatory exercises are, then, mostly based on the outputs from KPIs, raising some questions about their validity. In theory, other more appropriate tools could be used to estimate those efficiency levels. This study evaluates the economic inefficiency level of urban solid waste management services in Portugal (2010–2017) through the adoption of partial frontier benchmarking models (order-m) coupled with weight restrictions. That way, the constructed model can evaluate the performance of those services under some regulatory and sustainability requirements. Then, estimated efficiency levels and some common KPIs are compared in order to understand if the latter are sufficient to explain the economic efficiency. The novelty of this research lies in two main aspects: (a) the utilization of a robust order-α model coupled with weight restrictions linked to regulatory and sustainability impositions to estimate efficiency, and (b) the comparison of economic efficiency and some commonly used KPIs, including waste fractions and recycling rate. Results point towards efficiency distributions that follow Weibull functions, with the average close to 50%; thus, nearly half of the resources have been well spent in municipal solid waste management services since 2010 onwards. Nonetheless, in an efficient system, that average would be close to 100%. Additionally, the considered management related KPIs do not exhibit any relationship with economic efficiency, which means that their interpretation and usefulness for regulatory issues are both limited and should be used carefully. In other words, those KPIs are not good performance drivers and carry no capacity to explain economic (in)efficiency in urban solid waste management services.
Circular Economy Practices and Strategies in Public Sector Organizations: An Integrative Review
Authors: Klein Natacha , Ramos Tomás , Deutz Pauline
Published: May 2020

The concept of the Circular Economy (CE) is an increasingly attractive approach to tackling current sustainability challenges and facilitating a shift away from the linear “take-make-use-dispose” model of production and consumption. The public sector is a major contributor to the CE transition not only as a policy-maker but also as a significant purchaser, consumer, and user of goods and services. The circularization of the public sector itself, however, has received very little attention in CE research. In order to explore the current state of knowledge on the implementation of CE practices and strategies within Public Sector Organizations (PSOs), this research aims to develop an overview of the existing literature. The literature review was designed combining a systematic search with a complementary purposive sampling. Using organizational sustainability as a theoretical perspective, the main results showed a scattered landscape, indicating that the limited research on CE practices and strategies in PSOs has focused so far on the areas of public procurement, internal operations and processes, and public service delivery. As a result of this literature review, an organizational CE framework of a PSO is proposed providing a holistic view of a PSO as a system with organizational dimensions that are relevant for the examination and analysis of the integration process of CE practices and strategies. This innovative framework aims to help further CE research and practice to move beyond current sustainability efforts, highlighting that public procurement, strategy and management, internal processes and operations, assessment and communication, public service delivery, human resources dimensions, collaboration with other organizations, and various external contexts are important public sector areas where the implementation of CE has the potential to bring sustainability benefits.
New Agricultural Model of Economic Sustainability for Wheat Seed Production in Romania
Authors: Ionescu Romeo Victor , Zlati Monica Laura , Antohi Valentin Marian , Stanciu Silvius , Virlanuta Florina Oana , (Băcanu) Serban Cristina
Published: May 2020

In the conditions of a digitalized and sustainable economy, a smart decision is focused on all demand aspects regarding: the product demand, the quality demand, and the elements of national and international bodies able to ensure the criteria of economic integrity on the European Markets. These aspects represent a set of challenges and indicate the smart component of the management decision assisted by reliable economic models. The present work aims to develop such a model applied to the wheat seed production starting from the study of the specialized literature and using empirical methods. The analysis covers 2016–2020. The main objective of the study is the combination of the information from the observational study to obtain the smart decision model. The study results in the smart model of managerial decision, which represents a real necessity for managers, considering the challenges to which they are subjected. The proposed model in the paper can be used for all types of seeds across the EU and not only. The implementation of the present study by the authors validates the proposed model.
Talent and Creativity of Taekwondoists Winners of the 2016 Summer Olympics
Authors: Menescardi Cristina , Falco Coral , Hernández-Mendo Antonio , Morales-Sánchez Verónica
Published: May 2020

Athletic talent and creativity are important for winning bouts in combat sports. The aim of the current study is to analyze technical–tactical actions performed by athletes of the 2016 Summer Olympics according to the outcome (winners and losers) of a given bout. A total of 2374 actions were analyzed. In this mixed-methods study, we used a nomothetic follow-up and multidimensional design. The results showed that winners scored one point through direct attacks to the chest. After scoring, athletes kicked with the back leg. In addition, they performed direct attacks prior to score one point, while cuts occurred after scoring. Three points were scored by spinning techniques and actions to the head, after which they kicked with the front leg. Cuts occurred prior to scoring three points, while direct attacks occurred after scoring. The creativity to score points emerged as a necessary characteristic of taekwondo athletes to win a bout. These results showed technical–tactical implications derived from the last modifications of the regulations of this sport, as well as the necessary adaptation of the athletes’ trainings in preparation for the next Olympic Games. It is suggested that coaches and psychologists train athletes in better decision-making and creative strategic planning in accordance with the successful patterns extracted in this study.
Neoanthropocene Raising and Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage: A Case Study in Southern Italy
Authors: Carta Maurizio , Ronsivalle Daniele
Published: May 2020

Analyzing the human history on the planet, a conflictual relation was raised when humankind had started destroying the natural ecosystem and biota, and consequently, a capacity to induce environmental change has increased throughout human history in the so-called Anthropocene age. A ‘noosphere’-centered civilization could produce a non-disruptive new kind of anthropocentrism. This is becoming a new context to define Neoanthropocene based on a renewed homeostatic relationship between Earth and mankind. The potential application of this theoretical approach has been tested in drafting steps of Plan of Lucania Apennines, Valdagri, and Lagonegrese National Park, in southern Italy. Drafting the plan, the authors have applied a strategic approach based on environmental and cultural evidence and have drafted an interpretation plan for local growth, consistent with local resources. The result is a plan, shared with local stakeholders, in which the authors have proposed a multisectoral development plan based on a ‘cluster approach’ for regeneration: The main wild areas are reached through a visitor center or similar introducing facilities, and they are connected with historical centers, archaeological parks, ski areas, accommodation facilities, and other local services. The expected effect is the growth in number of chances to develop business in accordance with environment protection duty.
Quality Control of the Thermal Properties of Superstructures in Accommodation Spaces in Naval Constructions
Authors: Bienvenido-Huertas David , Moyano Juan , Rodríguez-Jiménez Carlos E. , Muñoz-Rubio Aurelio , Bermúdez Rodríguez Francisco Javier
Published: May 2020

The application of passive design strategies in ships, such as the use of superstructures with high thermal insulation, allows the energy demand of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to be reduced. There is a knowledge gap in the scientific literature on the possibilities to thermally characterize superstructures. Knowing such possibilities would make a methodology available for the quality control of naval constructions and for the inspection of the appropriate state of insulations in existing ships. For this purpose, a total of three different typologies of ship superstructures were monitored, and the data obtained were analyzed by using various existing approaches for the thermal characterization of façades: the heat flow meter method and temperature measurement methods. The results showed that the heat flow meter method constitutes a valid methodology to obtain representative results. In addition, guaranteeing a thermal gradient dependent of the wall typology and placing probes in zones not influenced by thermal bridges ensure that representative results are achieved.
COVID-19: A Relook at Healthcare Systems and Aged Populations
Authors: Giang Thanh-Long , Vo Dinh-Tri , Vuong Quan-Hoang
Published: May 2020

Using data from the WHO’s Situation Report on the COVID-19 pandemic from 21 January 2020 to 30 March 2020 along with other health, demographic, and macroeconomic indicators from the WHO’s Application Programming Interface and the World Bank’s Development Indicators, this paper explores the death rates of infected persons and their possible associated factors. Through the panel analysis, we found consistent results that healthcare system conditions, particularly the number of hospital beds and medical staff, have played extremely important roles in reducing death rates of COVID-19 infected persons. In addition, both the mortality rates due to different non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and rate of people aged 65 and over were significantly related to the death rates. We also found that controlling international and domestic travelling by air along with increasingly popular anti-COVID-19 actions (i.e., quarantine and social distancing) would help reduce the death rates in all countries. We conducted tests for robustness and found that the Driscoll and Kraay (1998) method was the most suitable estimator with a finite sample, which helped confirm the robustness of our estimations. Based on the findings, we suggest that preparedness of healthcare systems for aged populations need more attentions from the public and politicians, regardless of income level, when facing COVID-19-like pandemics.
New Fixed Point Theorems in Orthogonal

F

-Metric Spaces with Application to Fractional Differential Equation
Authors: Kanwal Tanzeela , Hussain Azhar , Baghani Hamid , de la Sen Manuel
Published: May 2020

We present the notion of orthogonal F -metric spaces and prove some fixed and periodic point theorems for orthogonal ⊥ Ω -contraction. We give a nontrivial example to prove the validity of our result. Finally, as application, we prove the existence and uniqueness of the solution of a nonlinear fractional differential equation.
CryptoDL: Predicting Dyslexia Biomarkers from Encrypted Neuroimaging Dataset Using Energy-Efficient Residue Number System and Deep Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Usman Opeyemi Lateef , Muniyandi Ravie Chandren
Published: May 2020

The increasing availability of medical images generated via different imaging techniques necessitates the need for their remote analysis and diagnosis, especially when such datasets involve brain morphological biomarkers, an important biological symmetry concept. This development has made the privacy and confidentiality of patients’ medical records extremely important. In this study, an approach for a secure dyslexia biomarkers classification is proposed using a deep learning model and the concept of residue number system (RNS). A special moduli set of RNS was used to develop a pixel-bitstream encoder that encrypts the 7-bit binary value of each pixel present in the training and testing brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) dataset (neuroimaging dataset) prior to classification using cascaded deep convolutional neural network (CNN). Theoretical analysis of our encoder design shows that the proposed pixel-bitstream encoder is a combinational circuit that requires fewer fast adders, with area complexity of 4n AFA and time delay of (3n + 3) DFA for n ≥ 3. FPGA implementation of the proposed encoder shows 23.5% critical path delay improvement and saves up to 42.4% power. Our proposed cascaded deep CNN also shows promising classification outcomes, with the highest performance accuracy of 73.2% on the encrypted data. Specifically, this study has attempted to explore the potencies of CNN to discriminate cases of dyslexia from control subjects using encrypted dyslexia biomarkers neuroimaging dataset. This kind of research becomes expedient owing to the educational and medical importance of dyslexia.