bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Reuse Decisions for Historic Buildings in Relation to Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort—Cairo Citadel, a Case Study from Egypt
Authors: Hegazi Yasmine Sabry , Shalaby Heidi Ahmed , Mohamed Mady A. A.
Published: September 2021

Historic buildings still perform their role today by being utilized either for their original purpose or a new purpose for which they are adapted. These buildings have specific requirements that inhabitants must follow. These requirements and relating uses and maintenance procedures result from adaptive reuse decisions, which may not be the most optimal scenario. The imperative is that historic buildings are used in a manner that, on the one hand, does not endanger their value related to heritage and tradition, and on the other hand, guarantees a degree of utility for their inhabitants, such as acceptable performance with regards to either air cooling or heating. The challenge is how to optimize the use of energy for either air cooling or heating, provided that adaptive reuse decisions are grounded in certain very specific and very rigid principles. The latter render is extremely difficult to meet the twin challenges of ensuring energy efficiency and thermal comfort for inhabitants while at the same time complying with the adaptive reuse principles. To address this challenge and gain an insight into ways of navigating it, a Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) is conducted in Former Soldier’s Residence in the Cairo Citadel, Cairo, Egypt, which is now used as the National Organization for Urban Harmony’s (NOUH) administrative head office, this research can be considered as a single domain from which many other possible multi-domains can be investigated while studying the case of adaptive reuse. Other aspects such as indoor environmental quality, air quality, acoustics and lighting might act as multiple approaches appear to be widely used according to this review study, and in the future, the authors intend to test this research with the current single approach used in this research, which is the thermal comfort. POE includes both objective and subjective assessment, the POE limitation at this research to those assessment while a multi-perceptional and behavioral factors might be used as physical, contextual, personal, and others. The simulation and the survey methods were employed consecutively to assess the case study. By considering the research results, it was determined that the building consumes unnecessary energy by its current use of air conditioning system.
The Utilization of Augmented Reality Technology for Sustainable Skill Development for People with Special Needs: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Cavus Nadire , Al-Dosakee Karwan , Abdi Abdo , Sadiq Siyar
Published: September 2021

New technologies such as Augmented Reality can be used to enhance the possibility of obtaining new experiences to assist people with special needs. However, in the literature, there are not enough studies conducted on the use of Augmented Reality as an assistive technology, especially for people with special needs. The purpose of this study is to highlight the use of Augmented Reality technology on people with special needs for skill development. This systematic literature review includes recent and high-quality articles from chosen prestige databases between the years 2010 and 2020. The selected studies which fitted the eligibility selection criteria have been analyzed and synthesized. The study findings reveal the importance of using AR technology to assist individuals with special needs in their skill development process, to help them become more independent. We hope this study will enlighten researchers and the developers of AR tools. It has been recommended that more studies be done on the sustainable use of AR as an assistive technology, particularly for children with special needs, to make their life easier.
Protecting Infrastructure and Public Buildings against Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge
Authors: Chinowsky Paul , Helman Jacob
Published: September 2021

The national study analyzes sea level rise (SLR) impacts based on 36 different SLR and storm surge scenarios across 5.7 million geographic locations and 3 time periods. Taking an approach based on engineering design guidelines and current cost estimates, the study details projected cost impacts for states and cities. These impacts are presented from multiple perspectives, including total cost for constructing seawalls, costs per capita, and costs per square kilometer. The purpose of the study is to identify specific locations where infrastructure is vulnerable to rising sea levels. The study finds that Sea Level Rise (SLR) and minimal storm surge is a USD 400 billion threat to the coastline of the lower 48 United States by 2040 that includes a need for at least 80,000 km of protective barriers. The research is limited in its scope to protecting coastal infrastructure with seawalls to enable consistency throughout the study. The study is original in that it is an effort across the lower 48 states to identify infrastructure that is vulnerable, as well as the cost associated with protecting this infrastructure.
Digital Destination Matching: Practices, Priorities and Predictions
Authors: Cooper Mary-Ann , Camprubí Raquel , Koc Erdogan , Buckley Ralf
Published: September 2021

Over the past three years, travel agents, enterprises and destinations have switched almost entirely from traditional to digital marketing methods, relying strongly on search engines and social media. They consider these methods as faster, more flexible, financially more efficient, and with wider reach. Most importantly, they provide customer data and feedback, with precise targeting of different messages to different market sectors, with rapid measures of success. This, however, leads to fragmentation of information reaching tourists, which itself affects destination image. This seems unavoidable with continuing competition between platforms; hence, the agents, enterprises and destinations need multichannel marketing. In addition, since most search engines and social media are international, cultural context is a critical component of communications, in style and content as well as language. This may now include multiple sensory detectors and sources, including visual, sound, and haptic. As tourists increasingly garner information independently, travel agents have greater incentives to seek exclusive control over sales of specific products.
Small-Scale Fishing and Sustainability. An Ethnographic Approach to the Case of Self-Employed Fishermen in the South-East of Spain
Authors: López-Martínez Gabriel , Schriewer Klaus , Meseguer-Sánchez Víctor
Published: September 2021

Small-scale fishermen, in contrast to industrial fishing boats, develop a sustainable relationship with their activity from three perspectives: social, economic, and environmental. From this hypothesis, we analyze the ethnographic material obtained in extensive fieldwork (in-depth interviews and participant observation) developed in the four main ports of the region of Murcia (Spain). From this field work the existence of two other types of fishermen (life-modes) besides small-scale fishermen is derived: small entrepreneurs and wage-earners. In different proportions, all three share the consequences of the various reforms to the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Despite the similarities, this paper shows different strategies, in each of the cases, that justify their permanence in their activity, taking into account the labor modality, as well as their relationship with the idea of sustainability. Conclusions show that because small-scale self-employed fishermen are involved much more than the two other life-modes in the totality of tasks related to their profession in that they own both the means and relations of production (simple commodity production), they are best placed to achieve social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
The Willingness to Pay for Residential PV Plants in Italy: A Discrete Choice Experiment
Authors: Bragolusi Paolo , D’Alpaos Chiara
Published: September 2021

PV energy generates economic and environmental benefits (e.g., energy cost-saving, GHG emissions reduction, etc.), which can be capitalized into market prices. There is, therefore, growing interest in assessing the value that PV systems add to solar homes (i.e., homes equipped with PV production plants) market prices. Although the number of solar homes has experienced rapid growth in Europe and Italy, literature investigating the impact of PV power plants on home values is still very limited. This paper aims to fill this gap. We implement a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) approach to estimate individuals’ WTP for different typologies of domestic PV plants, which vary in technical characteristics. Our findings show that homebuyers are willing to pay a price premium for solar homes, ranging from some 3% to some 15%, depending on PV panels’ characteristics. These results can provide a wealth of recommendations to different interested parties such as homeowners, homebuyers, realtors, and governments, seeking knowledge on the capitalization effect of residential PV plants on the housing market to implement cost-effective investment strategies or design optimal policy incentives.
Evaluating the Efficiency of Water Distribution Network Sectors Using the DEA-Weight Russell Directional Distance Model: The Case of the City of Valencia (Spain)
Authors: Palomero-González José Antonio , Almenar-Llongo Vicent , Fuentes-Pascual Ramón
Published: September 2021

In many cities, sectorization projects of the drinking water distribution network have been implemented. This study provides a methodology to evaluate the efficiency of the sectors of a water distribution network by applying a data envelopment analysis weighted Russell directional distance (DEA-WRDD) model. This non-radial DEA model gives the overall efficiency of each unit of analysis, as well as each input, output, and undesirable output considered in the evaluation. The variables used in the analysis provide a multidisciplinary view: economic factors (covering costs), water quality parameters, and technical aspects. The empirical analysis was performed for the sectors of the water distribution network of the city of Valencia (Spain) for the year 2016. In this particular case, the results showed that approximately half of the sectors were efficient. The efficiency values of each variable indicate that the main challenges (faced by the water distribution company) were the optimization of maintenance costs and the reduction of leaks, both of which have an impact on the quality of the distributed water. So, the purpose of this article is to highlight the usefulness of efficiency analysis to help the decision making of managers of sectorized water distribution networks so that they can optimize the management.
Positive Energy Districts: Identifying Challenges and Interdependencies
Authors: Krangsås Savis Gohari , Steemers Koen , Konstantinou Thaleia , Soutullo Silvia , Liu Mingming , Giancola Emanuela , Prebreza Bahri , Ashrafian Touraj , Murauskaitė Lina , Maas Nienke
Published: September 2021

Positive Energy Districts (PED) are areas within cities that generate more renewable energy than they consume, contributing to cities’ energy system transformation toward carbon neutrality. Since PED is a novel concept, the implementation is very challenging. Within the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action, which offers an open space for collaboration among scientists across Europe (and beyond), this paper asks what the needs for supporting the implementation of PEDs are. To answer this, it draws on Delphi process (expert reviews) as the main method alongside the literature review and also uses surveys as supplementary methods to identify the main challenges for developing PEDs. Initial findings reveal seven interacting topics that later were ranked as highest to the lowest as the following: governance, incentive, social, process, market, technology and context. These are interrelated and interdependent, implying that none can be considered in isolation of the others and cannot be left out in order to ensure the successful development of PEDs. The resources that are needed to address these challenges are a common need for systematic understanding of the processes behind them, as well as cross-disciplinary models and protocols to manage the complexity of developing PEDs. The results can be the basis for devising the conceptual framework on the development of new PED guides and tools.
Prediction Models for Evaluating the Uptake of Heavy Metals by the Invasive Grass Vossia cuspidata (Roxb.) Griff. in the River Nile, Egypt: A Biomonitoring Approach
Authors: Farahat Emad A. , Mahmoud Waleed F. , Awad Hossam E. A. , Farrag Hussein F. , Arshad Muhammad , Eid Ebrahem M. , Fahmy Gamal M.
Published: September 2021

This study aimed to develop new prediction models that include sediment properties (pH, organic matter, and silt and clay concentrations) for estimating the potential uptake of heavy metals (HMs) by the invasive grass Vossia cuspidata. Plant and sediment samples were collected from the microsites that represent the natural distribution of the species in two Nile islands in Cairo, Egypt. The results show that the root was the main accumulating organ for the analyzed HMs (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Pb). The mean concentrations of Fe and Mn and the maximum concentrations of Cu, Ni, and Pb were phytotoxic. The values of the bioconcentration factor were >1, while the translocation factor was >1 for Zn and Cu in rhizome and stem, Mn in leaf, and Ni and Pb in stem and leaf. There were no significant differences between the measured and the predicted HM concentrations in all organs of the species. This indicates the excellent robustness of the developed regression models. Sixteen equations (out of 24) had high R2 values. Thus, V. cuspidata could be considered a biomonitor for HM pollution, and the developed equations will benefit the prediction of HM uptake by the species in the River Nile ecosystem.
Optimization of Warehouse Location and Supplies Allocation for Emergency Rescue under Joint Government–Enterprise Cooperation Considering Disaster Victims’ Distress Perception
Authors: Geng Jiaxin , Hou Hanping , Geng Shaoqing
Published: September 2021

The location and allocation of emergency supplies are an important part of emergency rescue work. The existing emergency location and allocation process is inefficient, costly, and neglects the psychology of victims. To improve the emergency relief work and solve the current problems, this paper introduces the victims’ pain perception cost into the model, takes the lowest cost of the whole emergency rescue system as the goal, constructs a government–enterprise joint emergency material location–allocation model, and uses the simulated annealing algorithm to solve the model. This paper takes the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan Province as the background and verifies the validity and rationality of the model through a comparative analysis of case simulations. The results show that the model and algorithm can effectively solve the emergency supplies location–allocation problem considering the victims’ pain perception, reflecting the idea of human-centered sustainable development and providing support for building a sustainable emergency relief system.
Adequate Housing and COVID-19: Assessing the Potential for Value Creation through the Project
Authors: Quaglio Caterina , Todella Elena , Lami Isabella M.
Published: September 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the relationship between people’s behaviors and residential spaces, bringing to public and academic attention, on the one hand, the exacerbation of pre-existing problems and, on the other, the potential of spaces, such as communal gardens and apartment-block terraces, to become important resources of sociability or privacy. Overall, this raises the question of how to assess the responsiveness of the existing residential stock to needs that transcend the traditional concept of housing adequacy—e.g., the need for adaptable, open, and livable spaces. This research moves from the assumption that underused spaces in residential neighborhoods represent a crucial asset for creating new economic and social values through architectural and urban projects. Consequently, moving from an in-depth observation of a selection of public housing buildings in Turin as a paradigmatic case study, the aim is to explore the potential for the adaptive reuse of residential spaces at different scales—from the apartment to the neighborhoods—highlighting the implications for design. In doing so, the paper puts forward a methodological approach, which widens the way housing adequacy is normally assessed, by focusing on the possibility of transformation of often neglected spatial resources.
Climate Change and Lithuania’s Livestock Farms: Awareness and Reactions, an Explorative Study
Authors: Calciolari Francesco , Novikova Anastasija , Rocchi Lucia
Published: September 2021

Climate change is a global issue widely recognized by the European population. Researchers generally acknowledge that the agricultural sector contributes significantly to climate change. The livestock sector produces about two thirds of the total Greenhouse gasses emissions (GHG) generated from all farm production processes. On the other hand, climate change affects agriculture and zootechny in multiple ways. There is abundant literature on the measures that could be adopted by the farmers to mitigate the climate change effects and adapt their activity to the changes. Nonetheless, these studies focus predominantly on Africa and Asia, and fewer studies involve Europe and Nordic areas. This study aims at analyzing livestock holders’ perception of climate change, verifying whether and why they adopt mitigation and/or adaptation techniques, and identifying the limitations that delay the spread of these measures. For this purpose, a survey was conducted among a livestock holdings sample in Lithuania. The findings have suggested that the holders with a small number of animals, situated in the regions where livestock production is not very economically advanced, have difficulties in adopting the climate-change-related measures because they do not have sufficient funds to implement them and are not aware of the possibilities for such measures.
Insights into Solar Disinfection Enhancements for Drinking Water Treatment Applications
Authors: Azamzam Abdassalam A. , Rafatullah Mohd , Yahya Esam Bashir , Ahmad Mardiana Idayu , Lalung Japareng , Alharthi Sarah , Alosaimi Abeer Mohammad , Hussein Mahmoud A.
Published: September 2021

Poor access to drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene has always been a major concern and a main challenge facing humanity even in the current century. A third of the global population lacks access to microbiologically safe drinking water, especially in rural and poor areas that lack proper treatment facilities. Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is widely proven by the World Health Organization as an accepted method for inactivating waterborne pathogens. A significant number of studies have recently been conducted regarding its effectiveness and how to overcome its limitations, by using water pretreatment steps either by physical, chemical, and biological factors or the integration of photocatalysis in SODIS processes. This review covers the role of solar disinfection in water treatment applications, going through different water treatment approaches including physical, chemical, and biological, and discusses the inactivation mechanisms of water pathogens including bacteria, viruses, and even protozoa and fungi. The review also addresses the latest advances in different pre-treatment modifications to enhance the treatment performance of the SODIS process in addition to the main limitations and challenges.
Supply Chain Resilience: Unleashing the Power of Collaboration in Disaster Management
Authors: Umar Muhammad , Wilson Mark
Published: September 2021

This study builds on the extant literature of supply chain collaboration, specifically, vertical and horizontal collaboration, and examines how these capabilities influence the resilience of supply chains that experience regular natural disasters in rural communities, as their economic wellbeing relies heavily on the continuation of these supply chains. A multiple case study approach has been adopted to investigate the role of collaboration within food supply chains of two different South Asian regions. This context was selected because these regions are prone to regular natural disruptions, and these food supply chains also play a crucial role in the disaster relief process. The data revealed that effective communication, mutual dependence, information sharing, informal financial support, and trust are some of the components of supply chain collaboration that enhance the overall resilience of supply chains in natural disasters.
Sustainable Alternative Routes versus Linear Economy and Resources Degradation in Eastern Romania
Authors: Mihai Florin-Constantin , Minea Ionut
Published: September 2021

This paper reveals the linear economy contribution to resource degradation and environmental pollution in eastern Romania that could further feed environmental crimes and conflicts, such as in the Pungesti shale gas case. Preservation of material and water resources in the region is required through various circular mechanisms under a cross-sectoral approach including solid waste as a material resource for industry and agriculture; wastewater treatment and water reuse; composting and organic agriculture; and using renewables. Six non-conflictual sustainable alternative routes related to circular economy mechanisms, water preservation, and to the clean energy transition are proposed in this paper, which are further examined through key statistics and indicators, current best practices, and local development pathways in both urban and rural communities.
Hiring Disable People to Avoid Staff Turnover and Enhance Sustainability of Production
Authors: Chajduga Tomasz , Ingaldi Manuela
Published: September 2021

Companies struggle with maintaining staff turnover at a low and sustainable level. Hiring a new employee means costs for the company, such as recruitment, medical examinations, and training, etc. In addition, new employees must learn to perform their tasks properly and quickly, which can take up to several months. Disabled employees change jobs less frequently due to the fact that it is difficult for them to find a new one. For employers, such an employee, if they have the same skills as a fully functional employee, can therefore be very valuable, for example, in relation to the reduction of costs associated with frequent employment of new employees. In addition, employing people with disabilities also brings social benefits related to counteracting social exclusion and the possibility of independent living by such people. The human factor is an element that greatly influences sustainable production. The objective of the research was to verify the potential of hiring disabled employees in order to reduce staff turnover. In other words, the analysis has been designed to understand if hiring disabled staff, making expenditures to prepare the workplace and training for them could be potentially efficient in terms of obtaining a higher level of sustainability of the employment in the company. The research has the form of direct (in-depth) interviews in the case of representatives of the companies involved, and a paper questionnaire for the disabled subjects (employees). It took place from September to December 2020 and was the basis for the statistical hypothesis testing. The conducted research was based on a statistical U Mann–Whitney test and fi Yule index calculation. The results showed that people with disabilities remain employed by the same employer longer in comparison to “able-bodied” employees, meaning it may be worthwhile to make extra expenditures to hire disabled persons who could become loyal employees for years. Moreover, it has been statistically proven that the key factor influencing the attractiveness of a given job for a disabled person depends on the type of disability they have.
Recommended System for Cluster Head Selection in a Remote Sensor Cloud Environment Using the Fuzzy-Based Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Technique
Authors: Mukherjee Proshikshya , Pattnaik Prasant Kumar , Al-Absi Ahmed Abdulhakim , Kang Dae-Ki
Published: September 2021

Clustering is an energy-efficient routing algorithm in a sensor cloud environment (SCE). The clustering sensor nodes communicate with the base station via a cluster head (CH), which can be selected based on the remaining energy, the base station distance, or the distance from the neighboring nodes. If the CH is selected based on the remaining energy and the base station is far away from the cluster head, then it is not an energy-efficient selection technique. The same applies to other criteria. For CH selection, a single criterion is not sufficient. Moreover, the traditional clustering algorithm head nodes keep changing in every round. Therefore, the traditional algorithm energy consumption is less, and nodes die faster. In this paper, the fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (F-MCDM) technique is used for CH selection and a threshold value is fixed for the CH selection. The fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the fuzzy analytical network process (ANP) are used for CH selection. The performance evaluation results exhibit a 5% improvement compared to the fuzzy AHP clustering method and 10% improvement compared to the traditional method in terms of stability, energy consumption, throughput, and control overhead.
The Contribution of Mobile Apps to the Improvement of Walking/Cycling Behavior Considering the Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Paydar Mohammad , Kamani Fard Asal
Published: September 2021

More than one hundred and fifty cities around the world have expanded their emergency cycling and walking infrastructures to increase their resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the role of mobile apps is prominent in respect to developing a smart city during this pandemic, which raises the questions of how mobile apps contribute to the improvement of walking/cycling behavior and how such a relationship is influenced by the situation imposed by COVID-19. The role of mobile apps in the three relevant fields of physical activity, transport, and urban planning are reviewed. Next, the associations between walking/cycling behaviors and their contributing factors and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on these relationships are reviewed. Studies on physical activity have emphasized the role of motivational social factors in improving the function of mobile apps. In regard to transport, mobile apps have the potential to facilitate data collection in macroscale environments. In addition, mobile apps may facilitate people’s recognition of positive/negative environmental aspects, and this may in turn lead to greater pedestrian/cyclists’ awareness and better organization of their walking/cycling behavior. Moreover, based on a participatory approach, the classification of current mobile apps and certain suggestions on the development of future mobile apps are presented. Finally, complementary suggestions are provided for maintaining and improving the use of mobile apps to improve the level of walking/cycling.
Research Insights and Challenges of Secondary School Energy Education: A Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Case Study
Authors: Chien Sen-I , Su Chaochin , Chou Chin-Cheng , Wang Hsiou-Hsuan
Published: September 2021

The research achievements of a university chemistry lab regarding dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were transformed into a high school hands-on course by simplifying the experimental steps and equipment. Our research methodology was action research. We verified the DSSC course step by step. First, 10 members of a high school science study club helped to revise the course over a school semester. A questionnaire survey revealed that all students agreed that the course increased their understanding of DSSCs and solar cells. Second, 35 students were enrolled in a 10th-grade elective energy course to study the revised DSSC topics for 3 weeks. A five-point Likert scale was used to collect students’ feedback, and students reported looking forward to making their own high-performance DSSC modules (4.60) and stated that being able to make their own solar cell was a great accomplishment (4.49). Third, the course was implemented at a junior high school science camp, and the 37 participating students were all able to complete the hands-on experiment. In the questionnaire survey, the students expressed that they enjoyed learning about scientific principles through a hands-on approach (4.59). Fourth, most of the 12 schoolteachers who voluntarily participated in the DSSC workshop agreed that integrating DSSC activity into school courses would be conducive to multidisciplinary learning. This course could facilitate participants’ self-evaluations in science knowledge, experimental skills, learning motivations, and positive attitudes toward sustainability.
Decision-Making within Smart City: Waste Sorting
Authors: Popova Yelena , Sproge Ilze
Published: September 2021

The concept of the Smart City is the answer for the majority of the challenges of an increased rate of urbanization. However, the implementation of the ideas of the Smart City faces some difficulties. It is a necessity to correspond to the sustainability pillars and the decisive role of the population in all processes, and correspondently the necessity to comprehend what factors influence the decision-making process. The research goal of this paper is to analyze the factors determining the decision of the population of multi- and one-family houses to sort waste. The data were collected via population survey of the Vidusdaugavas region of Latvia and semi-structured interviews of municipal councils’ representatives. Both parties—population and authorities—have mentioned the existence of more negative factors of waste sorting in their life than positive ones. For authorities, the most important externalities of waste sorting have an economic nature, while, for citizens, the factors of convenience are not less important than costs. The problem was considered from the position of municipal authorities and the local population, and the identification of problems and misunderstanding is a possibility to start effective communication between the two parties. Moreover, the analysis of the literature has shown that Scandinavian countries and west European countries, which started their way towards implementing smart sustainable cities significantly earlier than Latvia, had the same stages. The most important factor for constructing a smart sustainable city is the changing the way of thinking of population.
Integrating Political Science into Climate Modeling: An Example of Internalizing the Costs of Climate-Induced Violence in the Optimal Management of the Climate
Authors: Shen Shiran Victoria
Published: September 2021

Extant modeling of the climate has largely left out political science; that needs to change. This paper provides an example of how a critical political concept—human security—can be accounted for in climate modeling. Scientific evidence points to an active link between climate change and the incidence of interpersonal and inter-group violence. This paper puts forth a new method to internalize the costs of climate-induced violence in the optimal management of the climate. Using the established MERGE integrated assessment model, this paper finds that based on the median estimates of the climate–violence relationship, such internalization can roughly double the optimal carbon price—the carbon price at which the net social benefit of carbon emissions would be maximized—consistently over time in most sensitivity scenarios. Sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to be the biggest beneficiary of such internalization in terms of avoided damages related to climate-induced violence as a percentage of the regional GDP, avoiding up to a 27 percent loss of GDP by 2200 under high-end estimates. That is significant for many African countries that have been suffering from underdevelopment and violence. The approach of this paper is a first for the climate modeling community, indicating directions for future modeling that could further integrate relevant political science considerations. This paper takes empirical findings that climate change mitigation can reduce violence-related damages to the next step toward understanding required to reach optimal policy decisions.
Does Car Sharing Contribute to Urban Sustainability from User-Motivation Perspectives?
Authors: Mavlutova Inese , Kuzmina Jekaterina , Uvarova Inga , Atstaja Dzintra , Lesinskis Kristaps , Mikelsone Elina , Brizga Janis
Published: September 2021

Mobility, its current state and development perspectives in the future creates challenges with respect to sustainability, the first of which is the uncontrolled increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the last few decades, while road transport is one of the “sinners” creating long-term negative impact. The second is the dominance of car travel and car usage in the passenger transportation segment before the latest COVID-19 pandemic accelerated environmental problems. Although recent trends show new, greener patterns in consumption, there is still a relatively low share of consumers acknowledging the importance of sustainable and green preferences. This research study aims to investigate car sharing from users’ perspectives and to determine the most significant factors influencing their choice of sharing services to ensure upscaling of car sharing and, thus, contribute to urban sustainability. This research study contributes to the overall scientific discussion on car sharing and its role within urban sustainability, particularly with the following: (1) deeper investigation of car sharing and its users motivation perspectives in Latvia; (2) analyses of the most significant motivational factors for car-sharing users and aspects of sustainability; and (3) the insight into the generational differences triggering a number of car-sharing users. The existing and potential users of car sharing were surveyed in order to determine the motivational factors for its usage and attitudes towards it. Socio-demographic variables in statistical analysis were used to identify economic and environmental factors that meaningfully influence the choice of car-sharing services. The results of this study can support further development in new car-sharing business models and the value proposition for consumers in Latvia, as well as preparing policy recommendations on the promotion of sustainable transport. These findings are also useful to academics for the investigation of recent trends in car sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research on the Scale of Agricultural Land Moderate Management and Countermeasures Based on Farm Household Analysis
Authors: Yan Xin , Wang Yuejian , Yang Guang , Liao Na , Li Fadong
Published: September 2021

The scale of agricultural land management was scientifically measured to provide a theoretical reference for improving the efficiency of agricultural land utilization, optimizing the industrial structure, and effectively solving the “three rural problems”. Based on 368 microfarmers’ agricultural land management questionnaire responses, the Cobb–Douglas production function was used to measure the average household size in different zones of Shawan City, Xinjiang, and then to calculate the total scale of moderate management in the region, and to divide the supplementary and reduced zones of arable land. The proposed countermeasures and suggestions for achieving the scale of moderate management from the perspectives of both people and land are presented. The results show the following: (1) the average suitable operating scales of households in the hilly area, the agricultural area in the oasis plain, and the oasis–desert interlace area were 5.15, 9.28, and 7.74 ha, respectively. (2) The moderate total scales of operation in the low hilly area, the middle oasis plain agricultural area, and the lower oasis–desert ecotone were 60,380, 112,510, and 115,500 ha, respectively. (3) Two areas, the low mountainous and hilly areas and the oasis plain farming areas, are supplementary areas of arable land, which should be supplemented by improving the management capacity of farmers, cultivating two new agricultural business entities, increasing land transfers, developing modern agriculture, and reducing the degree of fragmentation of arable land. The oasis–desert staggered area is the area where the scale of arable land is reduced. We should vigorously implement the work of retreating land and reducing water, and guide farmers to engage in secondary and tertiary industries so as to reduce the scale of arable land.
Counteracting Overtourism Using Demarketing Tools: A Logit Analysis Based on Existing Literature
Authors: Gülşen Umut , Yolcu Hüseyin , Ataker Pelin , Erçakar İlke , Acar Sevil
Published: September 2021

Over the past few decades, demarketing has come up as an unorthodox but potentially strong approach that can be used to counter the negative effects of oversaturation in tourism destinations. This study investigates the difference that demarketing strategies can make on mitigation efforts towards overtourism in destinations across the globe by conducting a meta-analysis of the previous literature examining various case studies on the topic. This study approaches demarketing efforts against overtourism through the lens of the 4Ps of marketing: price, place, product, and promotion. The results of the logit model designate price as the only significant predictor in the mitigation of overtourism through demarketing, with the other three falling short. The findings are enhanced through various other predictors from the literature as well as government effectiveness in the destinations. Moreover, the driving forces such as environmental concerns and community satisfaction have proven to be significant factors as well.
Perceived Benefits and Costs of Owning a Pet in a Megapolis: An Ecosystem Services Perspective
Authors: Konstantinova Anastasia , Matasov Victor , Filyushkina Anna , Vasenev Viacheslav
Published: September 2021

Ongoing urbanization has led to a significant increase in the number of pets and has altered the relationships between pets and owners from primarily utilitarian to cultural (e.g., entertainment and health improvement). Existing classifications of ecosystem services (ES) (e.g., CICES) and nature’s contributions to people (NCP) explicitly consider only the ES provided by livestock and wild animals. This study attempted to translate perceived benefits and costs from owning pets (dogs or cats) in a megapolis into ES and disservices frameworks. The data were collected via an online questionnaire distributed through social media among residents of Moscow (Russia). The study showed that pets contribute to the well-being of city dwellers, for which owners are willing to put up with some potential risks and also bear monetary costs. Reasons for owning a pet have been translated into ES and NCPs ranging from regulating (4%) to provisioning (1%). However, cultural services linked to mental (26%) and physical (32%) health, spiritual, symbolic interaction (19%), and educational values (16%) have been the most prominent group. Considering an increase in pet owners, the interests and needs of this distinct stakeholder group need to be taken into account in urban planning and management. Pets’ integration into classifications and thus assessments of the urban ES can be a crucial step towards achieving this goal.
Optimal Internet of Things Technology Adoption Decisions and Pricing Strategies for High-Traceability Logistics Services
Authors: Zhang Yu , Liu Nan
Published: September 2021

The Internet of Things (IoT) technology-based tracking system can reduce freight loss/damage during delivery, thereby avoiding wasting social resources. In this study, we address the issue of whether an E-retailer with a logistics arm should provide high-traceability logistics value-added service (based on IoT technology) in two customer segments and analyze their pricing decision. We found that companies always adopt IoT when equipment operation cost is low and not when the cost is high. Otherwise, the optimal IoT adoption strategy for a company depends on multiple factors, for example, the internal operation efficiency of a company. Providing high-traceability service as one kind of public service does not necessarily optimize social welfare even if the overall delivery failure is reduced. The customers’ preference for traceability significantly affects the company’s decision. Hence, we suggest that the company should implement a comprehensive investigation before launching a specific strategy.
A Method for Constructing Geographical Knowledge Graph from Multisource Data
Authors: Guo Xuan , Qian Haizhong , Wu Fang , Liu Junnan
Published: September 2021

Global problems all occur at a particular location on or near the Earth’s surface. Sitting at the junction of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, knowledge graphs (KGs) organize, interlink, and create semantic knowledge, thus attracting much attention worldwide. Although the existing KGs are constructed from internet encyclopedias and contain abundant knowledge, they lack exact coordinates and geographical relationships. In light of this, a geographical knowledge graph (GeoKG) construction method based on multisource data is proposed, consisting of a modeling schema layer and a filling data layer. This method has two advantages: (1) the knowledge can be extracted from geographic datasets; (2) the knowledge on multisource data can be represented and integrated. Firstly, the schema layer is designed to represent geographical knowledge. Then, the methods of extraction and integration from multisource data are designed to fill the data layer, and a storage method is developed to associate semantics with geospatial knowledge. Finally, the GeoKG is verified through linkage rate, semantic relationship rate, and application cases. The experiments indicate that the method could automatically extract and integrate knowledge from multisource data. Additionally, our GeoKG has a higher success rate of linking web pages with geographic datasets, and its exact coordinates have increased to 100%. This paper could bridge the distance between a Geographic Information System and a KG, thus facilitating more geospatial applications.
Interactions between the Built Environment and the Energy-Related Behaviors of Occupants in Government Office Buildings
Authors: Zhu Xiaoyue , Gao Bo , Yang Xudong , Yuan Yanping , Ni Ji
Published: September 2021

Human behaviors that greatly influence building energy consumption are stimulated by the indoor environment. However, the relative importance of different environmental factors remains unclear. Previous literature mostly focused on single behavior. Holistic study of multiple energy-related behaviors is scarce. To fill the gap, this study investigated 22 government office buildings in Sichuan using questionnaires and field measurement. Environmental factors were ranked based on the two dimensions of “importance level’level” and “satisfaction level”. The key energy-related behaviors were identified by the comparative study between low- and high-energy-consuming buildings. Lastly, interactions between the building energy consumption, indoor environment quality, occupants’ satisfaction, and human behaviors were analyzed. Questionnaires reveal that most occupants consider indoor air quality as the prior “pain point” while feeling satisfied enough with the thermal environment. Although people attach less importance to the acoustic environment, they manifest evident discontent, suggesting that noise control is an urgent imperative. In contrast, occupants are relatively unconcerned with illuminance, which implies the feasibility of saving energy by reasonably reducing lighting requirements of some non-critical areas. The comparative study indicates that increased energy consumption was attributable to extra personal appliances, wasteful air conditioning habits, and the lack of ventilation in summer. The objective environment of high-energy-consuming buildings is slightly better. However, the difference in perceived satisfaction was not obvious. The findings of this study contribute to determining the most noteworthy environmental factor and the key energy-related behaviors and provide reference information for optimizing energy-saving strategies.
Economic Feasibility of Iodine Agronomic Biofortification: A Projective Analysis with Ugandan Vegetable Farmers
Authors: Olum Solomon , Gellynck Xavier , Wesana Joshua , Odongo Walter , Aparo Nathaline Onek , Aloka Bonny , Ongeng Duncan , De Steur Hans
Published: September 2021

Cost–benefit analysis of (iodine) biofortification at farm level is limited in the literature. This study aimed to analyze the economic feasibility of applying iodine-rich fertilizers (agronomic biofortification) to cabbage and cowpea in Northern Uganda. Data on costs and revenues were obtained from a survey of 100 farmers, and benefits that would accrue from using iodine fertilizers were elicited using consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the iodine-biofortified vegetables. The cost–benefit analysis demonstrated iodine agronomic biofortification as a highly profitable effort, generating average benefit–cost ratios (BCRs) of 3.13 and 5.69 for cabbage and cowpea production, respectively, higher than the conventional production practice. However, the projective analysis showed substantive variations of economic gains from iodine biofortification among farmers, possibly due to differences in farming practices and managerial capabilities. For instance, only 74% of cabbage farmers would produce at a BCR above 1 if they were to apply iodine fertilizer. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis to estimate the effect of subsidizing the cost of iodine fertilizer showed that a higher proportion of farmers would benefit from iodine biofortification. Therefore, as biofortification is considered a health policy intervention targeting the poor and vulnerable, farmers could be supported through fertilizer subsidies to lower the production cost of iodine-biofortified foods and to avoid passing on the price burden to vulnerable consumers.
Optimized Economic Load Dispatch with Multiple Fuels and Valve-Point Effects Using Hybrid Genetic–Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm
Authors: Kabir Abdulrashid Muhammad , Kamal Mohsin , Ahmad Fiaz , Ullah Zahid , Albogamy Fahad R. , Hafeez Ghulam , Mehmood Faizan
Published: September 2021

Economic Load Dispatch (ELD) plays a pivotal role in sustainable operation planning in a smart power system by reducing the fuel cost and by fulfilling the load demand in an efficient manner. In this work, the ELD problem is solved by using hybridized robust techniques that combine the Genetic Algorithm and Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm, termed the Hybrid Genetic–Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm (HGAFSA). The objective of this paper is threefold. First, the multi-objective ELD problem incorporating the effects of multiple fuels and valve-point loading and involving higher-order cost functions is optimally solved by HGAFSA. Secondly, the efficacy of HGAFSA is demonstrated using five standard generating unit test systems (13, 40, 110, 140, and 160). Finally, an extra-large system is formed by combining the five test systems, which result in a 463 generating unit system. The performance of the developed HGAFSA-based ELD algorithm is then tested on the six systems including the 463-unit system. Annual savings in fuel costs of $3.254 m, $0.38235 m, $2135.7, $9.5563 m, and $1.1588 m are achieved for the 13, 40, 110, 140, and 160 standard generating units, respectively, compared to costs mentioned in the available literature. The HGAFSA-based ELD optimization curves obtained during the optimization process are also presented.