bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of Student Teachers’ ESD Implementation Intention and Their Implications for Improving Teacher Education
Authors: Stössel Julia , Baumann Rebecca , Wegner Elisabeth
Published: August 2021

Recently, the German state of Baden-Württemberg included ESD as a guiding perspective for all school curricula. Consequently, teacher education needs to empower and motivate student teachers to implement ESD in schools. In previous ESD research, however, the motivational dimension rarely has been investigated. Psychological theories stress the importance of developing an intention for the actual realization of a behavior. Therefore, we investigated, in an online survey (N = 366), which factors influence student teachers’ ESD implementation intention. Furthermore, we investigated how student teachers understand the guiding perspectives and what influences the actual ESD implementation from the respondents’ point of view. Via structural equation modelling, we found direct effects of subjective task value, expectation of success and ESD knowledge, as well as indirect effects of SD attitudes and ESD implementation beliefs on ESD implementation intention, but no effects for subjective norm and perceived costs. Analyses of open answers revealed complex understandings of ESD, but also misinterpretations mainly in terms of ESD as equivalent to environmental education. Furthermore, student teachers expected barriers (e.g., lack of time) and formulated support needs (e.g., teaching material) for implementing ESD in schools. Our findings stress the importance of advancing ESD implementation in teacher education.
An Empirical Approach to Differences in Flexible Electricity Consumption Behaviour of Urban and Rural Populations—Lessons Learned in Germany
Authors: Roth Lucas , Yildiz Özgür , Lowitzsch Jens
Published: August 2021

This article analyses two major trends of the 21st century. Firstly, the transition from fossil fuel-based energy production to renewable energy sources. Secondly, the inexorable urbanisation which can be witnessed all over the globe. The most promising renewable energy production technologies for the near future, i.e., wind and solar energy, are volatile by nature which makes matching supply and demand essential for a successful transition. Therefore, the aspects that determine the willingness of consumers to flexibilise their demand has gained growing attention. Initial research shows that different settings for (co-)ownership in terms of available prosumption options and used production technologies have a varying impact on demand flexibility. However, existing research has analysed flexibility drivers solely for the general population as an aggregate without any distinction regarding spatial, economic, or social factors. In this article, the authors go one step further and analyse whether those drivers for flexible consumption behaviour differ in rural or urban areas acknowledging differences in day-to-day life in both cases. This study is based on 2074 completed questionnaires from German consumers which were analysed using propensity score matching. The results show that people from rural and urban areas do not significantly differ in their willingness to be demand flexible in general. However, (co-)owners of RE installations from rural areas are generally significantly more demand flexible than (co-)owners of RE installations from urban areas. Further, when looking at different RE technologies, the results show that (co-)owners of solar installations are significantly more demand flexible if they are from rural areas. Lastly, when looking at usage options, people who solely consume produced electricity are more demand flexible if they are from rural areas as well.
Substantial Decreases in U.S. Cities’ Ground-Based NO2 Concentrations during COVID-19 from Reduced Transportation
Authors: Heintzelman Asrah , Filippelli Gabriel , Lulla Vijay
Published: August 2021

A substantial reduction in global transport and industrial processes stemming from the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and subsequent pandemic resulted in sharp declines in emissions, including for NO2. This has implications for human health, given the role that this gas plays in pulmonary disease and the findings that past exposure to air pollutants has been linked to the most adverse outcomes from COVID-19 disease, likely via various co-morbidities. To explore how much COVID-19 shutdown policies impacted urban air quality, we examined ground-based NO2 sensor data from 11 U.S. cities from a two-month window (March–April) during shutdown in 2020, controlling for natural seasonal variability by using average changes in NO2 over the previous five years for these cities. Levels of NO2 and VMT reduction in March and April compared to January 2020 ranged between 11–65% and 11–89%, consistent with a sharp drop in vehicular traffic from shutdown-related travel restrictions. To explore this link closely, we gathered detailed traffic count data in one city—Indianapolis, Indiana—and found a strong correlation (0.90) between traffic counts/classification and vehicle miles travelled, a moderate correlation (0.54) between NO2 and traffic related data, and an average reduction of 1.11 ppb of NO2 linked to vehicular data. This finding indicates that targeted reduction in pollutants like NO2 can be made by manipulating traffic patterns, thus potentially leading to more population-level health resilience in the future.
Factors Affecting the Development of Metabolic Syndrome in Single-Person Households: A Sex-Stratified Analysis
Authors: Kim Jui , Choi Hyoungshim
Published: August 2021

Various sociodemographic and behavioral health factors have been reported to influence the development of metabolic syndrome (Mets). In addition, the effects of various sociodemographic and health related characteristics on single-person households appear to be influenced by sex. Considering the surge in the number of single-person households globally, we conducted a sex-stratified analysis of the factors that affect the development of Mets among single-person Korean households. We used secondary data from the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) for this study. A total of 1830 participants (aged ≥19 years) without any missing data were analyzed in this study. The chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were used to analyze the study data. The results of the multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the significant risk factors for Mets in men were age, body mass index (BMI), subjective health status, subjective recognition of body shape, household income, and sleep hours, whereas age, BMI, subjective health status, exercise, and sleep hours were the significant risk factors for Mets in women. Specialized sex-specific health policies and programs are needed to reduce the prevalence of Mets in single-person households.
Self-Healing Construction Materials: The Geomimetic Approach
Authors: Lesovik Valery , Fediuk Roman , Amran Mugahed , Vatin Nikolai , Timokhin Roman
Published: August 2021

A person spends most of his life in rooms built from various building materials; therefore, the optimization of the human environment is an important and complex task that requires interdisciplinary approaches. Within the framework of the new theory of geomimetics in the building science of materials, the concepts of technogenic metasomatism, the affinity of microstructures, and the possibilities of creating composites that respond to operational loads and can self-heal defects have been created. The article aims to introduce the basic principles of the science of geomimetics in terms of the design and synthesis of building materials. The study’s novelty lies in the concept of technogenic metasomatism and the affinity of microstructures developed by the authors. Novel technologies have been proposed to produce a wide range of composite binders (including waterproof and frost-resistant gypsum binders) using novel forms of source materials with high free internal energy. The affinity microstructures for anisotropic materials have been formulated, which involves the design of multilayered composites and the repair of compounds at three levels (nano-, micro-, macro-). The proposed theory of technogenic metasomatism in the building science of materials represents an evolutionary stage for composites that are categorized by their adaptation to evolving circumstances in the operation of buildings and structures. Materials for three-dimensional additive technologies in construction are proposed, and examples of these can be found in nature. Different ways of applying our concept for the design of building materials in future works are proposed.
Homeowners’ Participation in Energy Efficient Renovation Projects in China’s Northern Heating Region
Authors: Ma Jiefang , Qian Queena Kun , Visscher Henk , Song Kun
Published: August 2021

In China’s government-led energy efficient renovation of residential buildings, homeowners’ participation refers to their involvement and engagement throughout the process. Lacking homeowners’ participation has brought difficulties in the execution and financing of the projects. This paper explores the current situation of homeowners’ participation and provides suggestions for optimization from three perspectives: the steps and procedures of the participation process, the composition of the working group responsible for contacting the homeowners, and the contents to be discussed during the process. The semi-structured interview and questionnaire results show that homeowners’ participation is not adequate, and the current arrangement deviates from their expectations. Although most homeowners are positive towards government-led renovation and are enthusiastic about being involved, the process setup is not well-designed to let them fully participate. Moreover, their expectations and preferences are related to several factors. It can be concluded that relevant laws and regulations should be introduced to provide a basis for solving problems at the executive level, and homeowner associations should be established to serve as a channel of communication between homeowners and the working group. Designing targeted renovation and participation strategy is a necessity to minimize the communication efforts.
Climate Change Impact on the Hydrologic Regimes and Sediment Yield of Pulangi River Basin (PRB) for Watershed Sustainability
Authors: Panondi Warda , Izumi Norihiro
Published: August 2021

The impacts of climate change are increasingly threatening the sustainability of ecosystems around the world. The Pulangi River Basin (PRB) in the Philippines is experiencing sedimentation beyond the tolerable amount (11.2 tons/ha/yr) due to land conversion and the effects of climate change. Changes in precipitation and temperature due to climate change are likely to further affect the annual runoff and sediment yield of PRB. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was employed to simulate various scenarios of twelve downscaled climate projections from three Global Circulation Models (GCM) of CMIP5 under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 4.5 and 6.0) for 2040–2069 and 2070–2099 timeframes, and the results were compared to a baseline period (1975–2005). This study revealed that the maximum mean annual precipitation is expected to increase by 39.10%, and the minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to increase by 3.04 °C and 3.83 °C, respectively. These observed changes correspond to an increase in runoff (44.58–76.80%) and sediment yield (1.33–26.28%) within the sub-basins. These findings suggest a general increase in the threat of severe flooding and excessive soil loss, leading to severe erosion and reservoir sedimentation throughout the PRB.
Biodiversity and Stage of the Art of Three Pollinators Taxa in Mexico: An Overview
Authors: Urbán-Duarte David , De La Torre-Sánchez José Fernando , Kainoh Yooichi , Watanabe Kazuo
Published: August 2021

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) confirmed that pollinators have declined in abundance and diversity; additionally, there is insufficient data for Latin America. Thus, we performed a review on scientific studies and databases to determine the state of the art of the diversity of three pollinator animals (bees, hummingbirds, and bats) in Mexico as well as an analysis of relevant public policies to conserve these species. We found 2063 bee species reported to be present in Mexico. The biodiversity of hummingbirds (58 species) and pollinator bats (12 species) is well known. We identified 57 scientific studies published in the last 20 years related to the biodiversity of bees (30 studies), hummingbirds (16 studies), and pollinator bats (11 studies). Relatively few, or no current studies on hummingbirds and pollinators bats at risk as well as for more than 1000 bee species is available. Great efforts have been made about policies and programs to improve the knowledge and conservation of pollinators in Mexico the last years such as the Species at Risk Conservation Program (PROCER), the Species Conservation Action Program (PACE), and the Natural Protected Ares System (CONANP). However, information of the status of many species and regions is still scarce. Thus, more studies about biodiversity, density, and trends as well as studies of the impact of policies and programs on pollinator species in Mexico are needed.
Regional Transport Plans: From Direction Role Denied to Common Rules Identified
Authors: Russo Francesco , Rindone Corrado
Published: August 2021

This paper concerns transportation planning with a specific focus on the regional level. In the context of spatial and transport integrated planning, the paper proposes a structured and systematic identification of the plans. At the European level, specific indications, prescriptive communications, and finalized funds are given to the national infrastructures by means of the TEN-T plan and program, while a Communication and specific guidelines for the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan have been published as a useful tool to uniform and compare urban transport planning. However, there are no indications for the planning of transport at the regional scale. This paper focuses on regional transport plans, analyzing the general contents and deepening and comparing the contents related to public transport. A case study of Italy is presented. Reference is made to the national guidelines and therefore to the transport plans approved in Italy by the regions. The Italian experience, and the results evidenced, could be a valid reference for all European or extra-European regions or, in any case, for intermediate territorial planning between the national and local ones.
Demand Forecasting for Liquified Natural Gas Bunkering by Country and Region Using Meta-Analysis and Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Chae Gi-Young , An Seung-Hyun , Lee Chul-Yong
Published: August 2021

Ship exhaust emission is the main cause of coastal air pollution, leading to premature death from cardiovascular cancer and lung cancer. In light of public health and climate change concerns, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and several governments are reinforcing policies to use clean ship fuels. In January 2020, the IMO reduced the acceptable sulfur content in ship fuel to 0.5% m/m (mass/mass) for sustainability. The use of liquified natural gas (LNG) as a ship fuel is currently the most likely measure to meet this regulation, and LNG bunkering infrastructure investment and network planning are underway worldwide. Therefore, the aim of this study is to predict the LNG bunkering demand for investment and planning. So far, however, there has been little quantitative analysis of LNG bunkering demand prediction. In this study, first, the global LNG bunkering demand was predicted using meta-regression analysis. Global demand for LNG bunkering is forecast to increase from 16.6 million tons in 2025 to 53.2 million tons in 2040. Second, LNG bunkering prediction by country and region was performed through analogy and artificial intelligence methods. The information and insights gained from this study may facilitate policy implementation and investments.
Sustainable Supply Chains: Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturers
Authors: Leu Jun-Der , Lee Larry Jung-Hsing , Huang Yi-Wei , Huang Chia-Chi
Published: August 2021

As a result of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, numerous countries have become highly interested in sustainability. Manufacturers have been triggered to develop sustainable supply chain strategies in consideration of their value-added processes and stakeholders. This study was conducted, in the context of small- and medium-sized enterprises in the Taiwanese manufacturing industry, in order to examine the relationship between sustainability and business performance from the perspective of the supply chain aspects of business cooperation, operation integration, and enterprise commitment. A total of 290 companies were surveyed and structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the figures from the samples. The results reveal that the implementation of sustainable practices in the context of enterprise commitments, supply chain cooperation, and operation integration has a positive impact on sustainability and business performance. Furthermore, in high-value manufacturing, supply chain cooperation significantly affects sustainable business performance through internal operation integration. These results may serve as a reference for the realization of supply chain sustainability in small- and medium-sized enterprises.
The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT): A Contribution to Italian Validation with Teachers’
Authors: Angelini Giacomo , Buonomo Ilaria , Benevene Paula , Consiglio Piermarco , Romano Luciano , Fiorilli Caterina
Published: August 2021

This study aims to validate the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) adapted to the Italian education sector. Teacher burnout is physical and emotional pain, due to prolonged exposure to school-related stress factors. Previous research has abundantly proven that preventive assessment of teachers’ risk level for burnout may reduce adverse outcomes. In this regard, new assessment tools, able to bring together evidence from fifty years of research on this topic, were mainly used to monitor burnout-risk levels in the school context. For the present work, 846 Italian teachers (Female, 91.1%; M age = 47.52; SD = 9.94) were involved in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a four-factor structure for the core dimensions (BAT-C; exhaustion, mental distance, emotional impairment, cognitive impairment), and a two-factor structure for the secondary dimensions (BAT-S; psychological distress, psychosomatic complaints). The Italian version of the BAT-C and BAT-S has shown good internal consistency (respectively, α = 0.900 and ω = 0.913; α = 0.845 and ω = 0.857) and validity (all correlations between variables showed a p value < 0.01). Our findings support the Italian adaptation of the original version of the BAT as a valid instrument for measuring teachers’ burnout through principal and secondary symptoms.
Model Supporting Development Decisions by Considering Qualitative–Environmental Aspects
Authors: Siwiec Dominika , Pacana Andrzej
Published: August 2021

Dynamic changes in customers’ expectations and unfavorable climate changes have generated the need to consider such aspects in the process of creating new products and the modernization of existing products. Simultaneously including customers’ expectations and environmental impact is a key element of the sustainable development of products. Enterprises attempt, within their awareness and possibilities, to apply the idea of sustainability; they do this more or less methodically. As such, an instrument to support decision-making in the area of product development is still needed because it would both be desirable for customers and have less of a negative effect on the natural environment. The purpose of this study was to develop a model that supports decision-making in the development of products while considering sustainability. The model determines the key criteria of the product, criteria states (current and future), and their positive correlations (e.g., achieving high levels of product quality and no (or a reduction in) destructive impact on the environment). To reduce the fuzzy decision-making environment, multiplicative decision methods with the fuzzy Saaty scale were implemented. These methods were the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and the fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS). The model is able to support qualitative–environment decisions in the development of any product.
Characterizing the Theory of Spreading Electric Vehicles in Luxembourg
Authors: Arababadi Ali , Leyer Stephan , Hansen Joachim , Arababadi Reza
Published: August 2021

The development of electric vehicles (EVs) is happening around the world with different goals. Many researchers have worked on various aspects of EVs from technological and supporting policy issues to the development of required infrastructures. However, arguing the proper time to realize the spreading of EVs in each region is neglected. For this purpose, the performance of two contextual factors in each region on the growth of EVs is investigated. Low carbon electricity generation and greenhouse gases emissions are the selected parameters, which are explored in the context of nine European countries, besides Luxembourg, to find their impacts on the issue. These countries have the highest shares of EVs in their energy systems. The achieved results are applied to the Luxembourg case to evaluate how different contextual factors may have hindered the growth of EVs here. In the next step, an analogy between the spreading EVs in Luxembourg and leapfrogging different technologies in the world is made to build a theory of the development of EVs. The theory defines the spreading EVs in Luxembourg as a leapfrogging energy technology to adopt new technology. It is concluded that the development of EVs has a normal priority in Luxembourg.
Intelligent Designing and Increasing the Variability of Healthy Residential Buildings by Customizing Recycled Polyvinyl Butyral
Authors: Behúnová Annamária , Knapčíková Lucia , Behún Marcel , Mandičák Tomáš , Mésároš Peter
Published: August 2021

Healthy residential buildings represent the future of construction concerned with the environment, which is increasingly emphasized. This is directly related to the research and development of environmentally friendly building materials, which on the one hand meet the specific requirements of the builder, and on the other hand do not harm the environment. The research is based on the possibility of achieving increased variability in healthy residential buildings via the customization of recycled polyvinyl butyral using smart technologies for sustainable design. This study has two sub-goals; the first and foremost is the development and adaptation of recycled polyvinyl butyral to increase the elevation of the healthy residential buildings. The second objective is to design a methodology, and create databases and intelligent designs, via knowledge and building information modeling (BIM) technologies. In future research, data on environmental materials (such as the abovementioned recycled polyvinyl butyral) should be implemented in the knowledge databases that will be methodically described in our second sub-target.
Haze Pollution Levels, Spatial Spillover Influence, and Impacts of the Digital Economy: Empirical Evidence from China
Authors: Zhou Jie , Lan Hanlin , Zhao Cheng , Zhou Jianping
Published: August 2021

With the development of digital technologies such as the Internet and digital industries such as e-commerce, the digital economy has become a new form of economic and social development, which has brought forth a new perspective for environmental governance, energy conservation, and emission reduction. Based on data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2018, this study applies the space and threshold models to empirically examine the digital economy’s influence on haze pollution and its spatial spillover. Furthermore, it investigates the spatial diffusion effect of regional digital economic development and haze pollution by constructing a spatial weight matrix. Subsequently, an instrumental variable robustness test is performed. Results indicate the following: (1) Haze pollution has spatial spillover effects and high emission aggregation characteristics, with haze pollution in neighbouring provinces significantly aggravating pollution levels in the focal province. (2) China’s digital economy has positively impacted haze pollution, with digital economic development having a significant effect (i.e., most prominent in eastern China) on reducing haze pollution. (3) Changing the energy structure and supporting innovation can restrain haze pollution, and the digital economy can reduce the path mechanism of haze pollution through the mediating effect of an advanced industrial structure. It shows a non-linear characteristic that the influence of haze reduction continues to weaken. Thus, policymakers should include the digital economy as a mechanism for ecologically sustainable development in haze pollution control.
A Patent Analysis to Identify Emergent Topics and Convergence Fields: A Case Study of Chitosan
Authors: Klongthong Worasak , Muangsin Veera , Gowanit Chupun , Muangsin Nongnuj
Published: August 2021

Identifying emerging technology trends from patents helps to understand the status of the technology commercialization or utilization. It could provide research insights leading to advanced technological innovations that stimulate socially responsible research to address human dietary and medical needs. However, few studies have investigated emerging chitosan applications using patents. In this study, we report the application of a patent bibliometric predictive intelligence (PBPI) model to identify emergent topics and technology convergence related to chitosan applications from patents in the International Patent Classification system. Text mining was used to extract patterns from 5001 patents and each term was assigned an emergent score, following which we traced growth patterns, examined relationships between IPCs, emergent topics, and patents using correlation analysis and principal component analysis, and conducted matrix and cluster mapping analysis to understand industrial applications and explore patterns of technological convergence. Five major terms emerged in association with ascending and newly emergent topics over the last 13 years: “shelf life,” “antibacterial,” “good safety,” “absorbing water,” and “auxiliary materials.” These topics were closely linked with research in the biomedical and food production and preservation industries. A network analysis indicated that “antibacterial” terms exhibited the highest degree of convergence, followed by “shelf life.” These findings can inform strategies to determine new directions for chitosan research.
The Local Labor Market Impacts of US Megafires
Authors: Jones Benjamin A. , McDermott Shana
Published: August 2021

As we learn to sustainably coexist with wildfire, there is an urgent need to improve our understanding of its multidimensional impacts on society. To this end, we undertake a nationwide study to estimate how megafires (wildfires > 100,000 acres in size) affect US labor market outcomes in communities located within the flame zone. Both year-of-fire and over-time dynamic impacts are studied between 2010−2017. We find that counties located within a megafire flame zone experience significantly lower per capita wage earnings across multiple sources of earnings data for up to two years after megafire event occurrence. We find preliminary evidence that impacts are nonlinear over megafire size. These results highlight a new dimension of megafire impacts and expand the scope of the potential costs of megafires that should be considered in benefit-cost analyses of wildfire control and suppression decisions, especially along sustainability dimensions.
SuPerPave® Mix Design Method of Recycled Asphalt Concrete Applied in the European Standards Context
Authors: Olita Saverio , Ciampa Donato
Published: August 2021

The recycling of road and airport asphalt pavements requires greater reliability of mix design in order to ensure proper rehabilitation and effective reuse of recycled asphalt concrete. Currently, internationally, the most effective mix design procedures for recycled asphalt concrete with RAP (Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement) refer to guidelines developed by SuPerPave® Mixtures Expert Task Group. In this paper, according to the requirements of the European standard EN 13108, the authors investigated the reliability of the above mix design procedure. In particular, the SuPerPave® mix design guidelines were applied for dosing components of wearing course layer recycled asphalt mixture and for the determination of PG (Performance Grade) and critical temperatures of binder contained in RAP (RAP binder) and of binder added ex-novo (virgin binder). The experimental research program started from RAM (Reclaimed Aggregate Material) grading characterization and RAP binder content determination. Afterwards, rheological characterization of the RAP binder and selected virgin binder was carried out using the DSR (Dynamic Shear Rheometer) and BBR (Bending Beam Rheometer) devices. This step allowed us to identify the right virgin binder percentages to be added to RAP binder. Then, in compliance with European standards, the mix design study of recycled mixtures was carried out, identifying the necessary granulometric integrations and the virgin-binder-appropriate percentages to be added. In this phase, three different RAP percentages were used: 30%, 40%, and 50%. Finally, the experimental plan was completed with a preliminary mechanical characterization of the studied recycled asphalt mixtures. The results showed that the implemented rational mix design guarantees performance levels of wearing course layer recycled mixtures that are fully in compliance with European standards.
A Qualitative Analysis of Students’ Reflections on the Current Use of Digital Media in Foreign Language Classes
Authors: Klimova Blanka , Pikhart Marcel , Cierniak-Emerych Anna , Dziuba Szymon
Published: August 2021

Teaching and learning have radically changed in the COVID-19 era and highlighted many novel aspects of online teaching and learning. Based on a qualitative content analysis of central European university students’ responses, the aim of this study is to discuss their reflections on the use of digital media in foreign language classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The key method of this qualitative study includes focus group interviews. The results reveal both advantages and disadvantages of online foreign language teaching and their impact on students’ second language (L2) acquisition. The positive aspects involve satisfaction with being able to study a foreign language from the comfort from their homes, avoidance of commuting to school, ample opportunities to review the learning material, or improvement of listening skills. On the contrary, the negative aspects included a striking lack of social contact in the form of face-to-face classes, absence of collaboration between the teacher and students and between the students themselves in order to share and build on their knowledge and experience, health issues associated with a frequent exposure to technologies, or a lack of possibility to develop speaking skills. In conclusion, the authors of this study provide several implications for teaching practice, technology experts, and other stakeholders, which must be considered very seriously, as they represent the opinion of the users of online learning.
Determinants of Sustainable Open Innovations—A Firm-Level Capacity Analysis
Authors: Gyamfi Solomon , Sein Yee Yee
Published: August 2021

Institutional constraints impede firms’ open innovation. They have been a challenge, obstructing growth and sustainable development. Research on open innovation has shown that the quality of institutions essentially affects innovation in firms. Hence, prior research has made efforts to incorporate the quality of institutions into open innovation analysis. We can use a series of analyses to examine the impact of corruption, the tax system, and other indicators on firm innovation performance. However, developing economies, such as countries in sub-Saharan Africa, represent a specific group of countries that have long been perceived as those mostly deficient in the rule of law, with poor regulatory quality and a great deal of corruption. In these countries, it is also possible to see a lower number of studies, as the inability to obtain quality data to perform empirical analyses can often limit researchers. Nevertheless, employing data from the World Bank’s 2019 Enterprise Survey, this research aimed at exploring the determinants of sustainable open innovation as well as the effect of institutional quality on firms’ capacity utilization and process innovation through a PLS structural equation model analysis. Our research showed interesting findings, such as the fact that the quality of institutions significantly affects firms’ use of OI instruments and capacity utilization. This research also provides for the novelty of the analysis of capacity utilization in an open innovation analysis. The results support the hypotheses that low institutional quality negatively affects firms’ implementation of inbound open innovation instruments, and that there is a strong and positive effect of low institutional quality on firms’ capacity utilization. In addition, we confirm the premise that firms’ implementation of inbound open innovation instruments has a positive and significant influence on firms’ process innovation.
Mobility Support 5G Architecture with Real-Time Routing for Sustainable Smart Cities
Authors: Rehman Amjad , Haseeb Khalid , Saba Tanzila , Lloret Jaime , Ahmed Zara
Published: August 2021

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging technology and provides connectivity among physical objects with the support of 5G communication. In recent decades, there have been a lot of applications based on IoT technology for the sustainability of smart cities, such as farming, e-healthcare, education, smart homes, weather monitoring, etc. These applications communicate in a collaborative manner between embedded IoT devices and systematize daily routine tasks. In the literature, many solutions facilitate remote users to gather the observed data by accessing the stored information on the cloud network and lead to smart systems. However, most of the solutions raise significant research challenges regarding information sharing in mobile IoT networks and must be able to stabilize the performance of smart operations in terms of security and intelligence. Many solutions are based on 5G communication to support high user mobility and increase the connectivity among a huge number of IoT devices. However, such approaches lack user and data privacy against anonymous threats and incur resource costs. In this paper, we present a mobility support 5G architecture with real-time routing for sustainable smart cities that aims to decrease the loss of data against network disconnectivity and increase the reliability for 5G-based public healthcare networks. The proposed architecture firstly establishes a mutual relationship among the nodes and mobile sink with shared secret information and lightweight processing. Secondly, multi-secured levels are proposed to protect the interaction with smart transmission systems by increasing the trust threshold over the insecure channels. The conducted experiments are analyzed, and it is concluded that their performance significantly increases the information sustainability for mobile networks in terms of security and routing.
Carbon Footprint in Vegeburger Production Technology Using a Prototype Forming and Breading Device
Authors: Wróbel-Jędrzejewska Magdalena , Markowska Joanna , Bieńczak Agata , Woźniak Paweł , Ignasiak Łukasz , Polak Elżbieta , Kozłowicz Katarzyna , Różyło Renata
Published: August 2021

The aim of the research was to develop a laboratory test stand for forming vegeburgers and to determine the carbon footprint of vegeburger production technology with the addition of frozen vegetable outgrades. This vegetable material is waste from frozen food production. During the research, unique recipes for vegeburgers fabricated of vegetable outgrades, potatoes, fiber, potato flour, salt and spices were also developed. The physicochemical properties, texture and color of vegeburgers were determined. The CO2 to kWh conversion factor, with a value of 0.765 kg CO2∙kWh−1 was used to calculate the carbon footprint. Vegeburgers obtained during the study were characterized by protein content ranging from 2.05 to 2.29 g 100 g−1, carbohydrate content from 7.27 to 10.36 g 100 g−1, fiber content ranging from 3.97 to 4.92 g 100 g−1 and fat content was at the level of 0.20–0.24 g 100 g−1. The amount of sodium did not exceed 1 g 100 g−1. The amount of disqualifying nutrients (fat, trans fat, saturated fat and cholesterol) was significantly lower compared to similar products on the market. The conducted analyses showed that the highest CO2 emission occurred during the blanching process. The proportion of this process for small productions (2.0 kg) ranged from 62% to 68%. The process of vegeburger formation had the second largest percentage in emissions and accounts for 22% to 24% for small productions (2.0 kg). The total carbon footprint was 1.09–1.13 kg CO2/kg of product, respectively, i.e., about 0.10–0.12 kg CO2 per one vegeburger. The research demonstrated that the process of producing vegeburgers from vegetable outgrades is a low-emission process compared with other agri-food technologies. Considering the above, this study allows for improvement of the management of waste from frozen food production, and is also the basis for the development of low-emission agri-food technologies.
Seeking Circularity: Circular Urban Metabolism in the Context of Industrial Symbiosis
Authors: Feiferytė-Skirienė Akvilė , Stasiškienė Žaneta
Published: August 2021

Cities are leading in the implementation of circular economy (CE) principles and sustainable development due to the concentration of knowledge, resources and technology while remaining the highest consumers and producers of resources. CE, urban metabolism (UM) and industrial symbiosis (IS) offer a new more holistic approach based on material and energy flow analysis and materials recovery from waste by creating IS networks to support a new circular urban system (CUM) which contrast to the traditional linear extract-produce-use-dispose model of economic systems. In this paper, we present the concepts of CE, IS and CUM and how the new framework could improve cities transition to sustainability and CE, with detailed CE and IS indicators analysis. We introduce the relations between IS, CE and UM concepts, how they can be used and monitored in the CUM framework. CUM can help unite urban planners, the city’s governance and the business sector to promote collaboration across the city to improve future sustainability and circularity by closing loops.
Specific Emitter Identification Based on Multi-Domain Feature Fusion and Integrated Learning
Authors: Qu Ling-Zhi , Liu Hui , Huang Ke-Ju , Yang Jun-An
Published: August 2021

Specific Emitter Identification (SEI) is a key research problem in the field of information countermeasures. It is one of the key technologies required to be solved urgently in the target reconnaissance system. It has the ability to distinguish between different individual radiation sources according to the varying individual characteristics of the emitter hardware within the transmitted signals. In response to the lack of scarcity among labeled samples in specific emitter identification, this paper proposes a method combining multi-domain feature fusion and integrated learning (MDFFIL). First, the received signal is preprocessed to obtain segmented time domain signal samples. Then, the signal is converted to time–frequency distribution using wavelet transform. Afterwards, an integrated learning two-stage recognition classification method is designed to extract data features of 1D time domain signals and 2D time–frequency distribution signals using the symmetry network structures of CVResNet and ResNet. Finally, fused features are fed into the complex-valued residual network classifier to obtain the final classification results. We demonstrate through the analysis results of the measured data that the proposed method has a higher accuracy as compared with the classical feature extraction method, and that this can improve the identification of communication radiation sources with fewer labeled samples.
Web User Trust Evaluation: A Novel Approach Using Fuzzy Petri Net and Behavior Analysis
Authors: Wu Zenan , Tian Liqin , Zhang Yi , Wang Zhigang
Published: August 2021

With the development of society and information technology, people’s dependence on the Internet has gradually increased, including online shopping, downloading files, reading books, and online banking. However, how to ensure the safety and legitimacy of these network user behaviors has become the focus of attention. As we all know, cybersecurity and system resilience originate from symmetry. Due to the diversity and unpredictability of cyber-attacks, absolute cybersecurity is difficult to achieve; system resilience indicates that protecting system security should shift from resisting attacks to ensuring system continuity. The trust evaluation of network users is a research hotspot in improving network system security. Aiming at the defects of incomplete evaluation processes and inaccurate evaluation results in current online user behavior trust evaluation methods, this paper combines the basic principles of online user trust evaluation and proposes a trust evaluation model that combines fuzzy Petri nets with user behavior analysis. First, for “unfamiliar” users, we used fuzzy Petri nets to calculate the user’s recommended trust value as the system’s indirect trust value; next, we used the user’s behavior record as evidence to conduct direct trust evaluation on the user to obtain the system’s direct trust in the user’s value; finally, the two calculation results were combined to obtain the user’s comprehensive trust value. In terms of experimental verification, the experimental data came from a self-developed e-book management system. Through theoretical analysis and simulation results, it was shown that the model met the optimization conditions of subjective and objective relative balance, the evaluation process was more complete, and the trust evaluation values of network users could be obtained more accurately. This evaluation method provides solid theory and research ideas for user credibility judgment of key network basic application platforms such as online shopping malls, online transactions, and online banking.
Dynamic Priority Real-Time Scheduling on Power Asymmetric Multicore Processors
Authors: Mahmood Basharat , Ahmad Naveed , Khan Majid Iqbal , Akhunzada Adnan
Published: August 2021

The use of real-time systems is growing at an increasing rate. This raises the power efficiency as the main challenge for system designers. Power asymmetric multicore processors provide a power-efficient platform for building complex real-time systems. The utilization of this efficient platform can be further enhanced by adopting proficient scheduling policies. Unfortunately, the research on real-time scheduling of power asymmetric multicore processors is in its infancy. In this research, we have addressed this problem and added new results. We have proposed a dynamic-priority semi-partitioned algorithm named: Earliest-Deadline First with C=D Task Splitting (EDFwC=D-TS) for scheduling real-time applications on power asymmetric multicore processors. EDFwC=D-TS outclasses its counterparts in terms of system utilization. The simulation results show that EDFwC=D-TS schedules up to 67% more tasks with heavy workloads. Furthermore, it improves the processor utilization up to 11% and on average uses 14% less cores to schedule the given workload.
Positive Solutions of a Fractional Boundary Value Problem with Sequential Derivatives
Authors: Tudorache Alexandru , Luca Rodica
Published: August 2021

We investigate the existence of positive solutions of a Riemann-Liouville fractional differential equation with sequential derivatives, a positive parameter and a nonnegative singular nonlinearity, supplemented with integral-multipoint boundary conditions which contain fractional derivatives of various orders and Riemann-Stieltjes integrals. Our general boundary conditions cover some symmetry cases for the unknown function. In the proof of our main existence result, we use an application of the Krein-Rutman theorem and two theorems from the fixed point index theory.
In Vivo Models and In Vitro Assays for the Assessment of Pertussis Toxin Activity
Authors: Hoonakker Marieke Esther
Published: August 2021

One of the main virulence factors produced by Bordetella pertussis is pertussis toxin (PTx) which, in its inactivated form, is the major component of all marketed acellular pertussis vaccines. PTx ADP ribosylates Gαi proteins, thereby affecting the inhibition of adenylate cyclases and resulting in the accumulation of cAMP. Apart from this classical model, PTx also activates some receptors and can affect various ADP ribosylation- and adenylate cyclase-independent signalling pathways. Due to its potent ADP-ribosylation properties, PTx has been used in many research areas. Initially the research primarily focussed on the in vivo effects of the toxin, including histamine sensitization, insulin secretion and leukocytosis. Nowadays, PTx is also used in toxicology research, cell signalling, research involving the blood–brain barrier, and testing of neutralizing antibodies. However, the most important area of use is testing of acellular pertussis vaccines for the presence of residual PTx. In vivo models and in vitro assays for PTx often reflect one of the toxin’s properties or details of its mechanism. Here, the established and novel in vivo and in vitro methods used to evaluate PTx are reviewed, their mechanisms, characteristics and limitations are described, and their application for regulatory and research purposes are considered.
Humoral Immune Response Evaluation in Horses Vaccinated with Recombinant Clostridium perfringens Toxoids Alpha and Beta for 12 Months
Authors: Freitas Nayra F. Q. R. , Otaka Denis Y. , Galvão Cleideanny C. , de Almeida Dayane M. , Ferreira Marcos R. A. , Moreira Júnior Clóvis , Hidalgo Marina M. M. H. , Conceição Fabricio R. , Salvarani Felipe M.
Published: August 2021

In horses, Clostridium perfringens is associated with acute and fatal enterocolitis, which is caused by a beta toxin (CPB), and myonecrosis, which is caused by an alpha toxin (CPA). Although the most effective way to prevent these diseases is through vaccination, specific clostridial vaccines for horses against C. perfringens are not widely available. The aim of this study was to pioneer the immunization of horses with three different concentrations (100, 200 and 400 µg) of C. perfringens recombinant alpha (rCPA) and beta (rCPB) proteins, as well as to evaluate the humoral immune response over 360 days. Recombinant toxoids were developed and applied to 50 horses on days 0 and 30. Those vaccines attempted to stimulate the production of alpha antitoxin (anti-CPA) and beta antitoxin (anti-CPB), in addition to becoming innocuous, stable and sterile. There was a reduction in the level of neutralizing anti-CPA and anti-CPB antibodies following the 60th day; therefore, the concentrations of 200 and 400 µg capable of inducing a detectable humoral immune response were not determined until day 180. In practical terms, 200 µg is possibly the ideal concentration for use in the veterinary industry’s production of vaccines against the action of C. perfringens in equine species.