bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of Blockchain Technology in Agricultural Water Rights Trade Management
Authors: Liu Yan , Shang Chao
Published: June 2022

Water is a basic and essential natural resource, and its rational allocation plays a key role in environmental and economic sustainable development. Agriculture consumes a large share of water resources, but the allocation of water rights often deviates from water use in reality. Therefore, an appropriate management method for agricultural water rights trading is needed. In this paper, blockchain technology is applied to address the agricultural water rights trading issue. Firstly, an alliance chain and the practical Byzantine fault tolerance (PBFT) consensus mechanism are adopted to support a smart contract and application. Then, a trading platform based on blockchain for agricultural water rights trading is proposed. Finally, the role and function of a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) in a self-financing irrigation drainage district (SIDD) are clarified. This study provides a secure and stable platform which can reduce the trading confirmation time and support numerous users. The trading process of agricultural water rights is updated to minimize the cost of water rights’ transactions and improve the system’s efficiency.
Impact Assessment of Changing Landcover on Flood Risk in the Indus River Basin Using the Rainfall–Runoff–Inundation (RRI)
Authors: Shahid Hamza , Toyoda Masaya , Kato Shigeru
Published: June 2022

Flooding is frequent in the province of Punjab, Pakistan, because the Indus River is a confluence point of five rivers. Researchers have primarily focused on the northern parts of the Indus basin and they have reported on simulation models that can be applied to the evaluation of flood risk. However, the inundation risks in the southern parts of the basin, including the impact of urbanization in this region, require a further assessment. The severity of flood disasters in the upper and lower reaches of the Indus basin are equally important because flash floods and riverine flooding pose a threat to densely populated areas. In this work, we aim to simulate flooding and the effects of landcover changes on inundation in the upper and lower Indus basin. Inundation was determined using the Rainfall–Runoff–Inundation (RRI) model with rainfall data from the monsoon season (00:00 UTC 1 July 2015–00:00 UTC 1 September 2015) as the input. After validating the model, sensitivity experiments were conducted to analyze the effect of landcover changes on the inundation of the Indus basin. The RRI model results showed that planting in the bare and vegetated areas led to minimum inundation in the Indus basin. Based on these results, planting between the Indus River and Chenab River could prevent flood disasters downstream of the confluence point as the discharge values reduced from 15,695.2 m3/s to 12,078.3 m3/s and 4373.7 m3/s to 2934.6 m3/s in the Indus River and Chenab River, respectively, before the confluence point. In contrast, urbanization in Punjab increased the risk of inundation after the confluence point caused by an increased discharge from 12,078.3 m3/s to 14,190.4 m3/s and 2934.6 m3/s to 4229.5 m3/s in the Indus River and Chenab River, respectively, before the confluence point.
Breed and Season-Specific Methane Conversion Factors Influence Methane Emission Factor for Enteric Methane of Dairy Steers
Authors: Islam Mahfuzul , Kim Seon-Ho , Son A-Rang , Lee Sung-Sill , Lee Sang-Suk
Published: June 2022

This study determined the breed and the season-specific methane (CH4) conversion factor (Ym) and the emission factor (EF) for the enteric CH4 of dairy steers. The Ym values for Holstein and Jersey steers at different seasons were calculated using the IPCC 2006 equations by incorporating the input and/or output value of the chemical composition of feed, methane production, methane yield, dry matter intake, and methane energy emission. EFs were categorized into five types depending on the 2019 refinement to the IPCC 2006 Tier 2 equations used. EFA was calculated from Equation 10.21A (New), while other EFs were estimated from the Equation 10.21 which were designated according to the gross energy intake (GEI) and Ym as EFB (GEIi and Ym), EFC (GEIii and Ym), EFD (GEIii and Ym (6.3)), and EFE (GEIii and Ym (4.0)). The calculated overall Ym for Holstein and Jersey steers were 4.90 and 7.49, while the recorded EF of group EFA were 56.44 and 67.42 kg CH4/head/year for Holstein and Jersey steers, respectively. For Holstein steers, EFD was overestimated (75.91 vs. 48.20~58.15), while in Jersey steers, the EFF underestimated the EF (kg CH4/head/year) compared to others (40.15 vs. 63.24~73.28) (p < 0.05). Mixed analysis revealed that the breed influenced EFs of all the EF groups, while the season, and the breed × the season influenced EFs of group EFC, EFD, and EFF. The overall results recommended using the breed-specific Ym for the estimation of the EF for enteric methane in dairy steers.
Adolescents’ School Travel and Unhealthy Snacking: Associations with School Transport Modes, Neighbourhood Deprivation, and Body Weight
Authors: Situmorang Margaretha L. , Coppell Kirsten J. , Smith Melody , Keall Michael , Mandic Sandra
Published: June 2022

Active transport to and/or from school (ATS), alone or combined with motorised transport, provides an opportunity to increase adolescents’ physical activity levels to prevent obesity. However, travel through and exposure to an unhealthy food environment en route to school may have unintended consequences, specifically unhealthy snacking. This study examined the association between adolescents’ unhealthy snack food/soft drink purchases/consumption during the journey to and from school and their school transport modes, neighbourhood deprivation, and body weight. Adolescents (n = 660, age: 15.3 ± 1.3 years, 51.7% female) from 11 schools in the Otago region, New Zealand, completed an online survey and anthropometry. Data were analysed using χ2 test and logistic regression. Overall, 36.7% of adolescents purchased/consumed unhealthy snack foods and 25.9% purchased/consumed soft drinks at least once during their weekly school trips. ATS and mixed transport users reported more frequent unhealthy snack food/soft drinks purchases/consumption on the way to school than motorised transport users. Neighbourhood deprivation, but not body weight, was positively associated with unhealthy snack food/soft drink purchases/consumption during the school journey. Our findings highlight the importance of considering not only travel mode shift but also the obesogenic environment and unhealthy food/drinks purchases/consumption during adolescents’ school journeys, particularly in lower socio-economic areas, to prevent obesity.
Three-Dimensional Modeling and Performance Study of High Temperature Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell with Metal Foam
Authors: Zhao Jianguo , Lin Zihan , Zhou Mingjue
Published: June 2022

Optimizing the flow field of solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) has a significant effect on improving performance. In this study, the effect of metal foam in high temperature SOEC electrolysis steam is investigated by a three-dimensional model. The simulation results show that the SOEC performance is improved by using metal foam as a gas flow field. The steam conversion rate of the SOEC increases from 72.21% to 76.18% and the diffusion flux of steam increases from 2.3 × 10−4 kg/(m2∙s) to 2.5 × 10−4 kg/(m2∙s) at 10,000 A/m2. In addition, the permeability, temperature, steam mole fraction, and gas utilization are investigated to understand the effect of the improved performance of the SOEC with metal foam. The results of this study provide a baseline for the optimal design of SOECs with metal foam.
Related Party Transactions and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from Korea
Authors: Kim Hyun Ah , Jung Nam Chul
Published: June 2022

This study investigates whether related party transactions (RPTs) are associated with corporate social responsibility (CSR). Analyzing Korean public companies, we find that firms with more RPTs show poor CSR performance, especially in terms of soundness and fairness. The results are only maintained in firms with low ownership of controlling shareholders, supporting the conflict-of-interest view related to RPTs. Furthermore, we find that RPTs of firms held low by controlling shareholders do not contribute to firm value. Our results indicate that the expropriation of profits or resources through RPTs negatively affects the CSR decision of affiliations, which acts as a deterrence to long-term growth. In emerging markets where RPTs within a business group are prevalent, a government needs to restrict RPTs which are beneficial only for controlling shareholders and to encourage CSR activities of affiliations with low controlling ownership.
MasterSu: The Sustainable Development of Su Embroidery Based on Digital Technology
Authors: Zhang Lekai , Li Ming , Zhang Lingyan , Liu Xiaojian , Tang Zhichuan , Wang Yingfan
Published: June 2022

Su embroidery, as an intangible cultural heritage of China, is a treasure accumulated by human civilization, but it has been gradually fading from people’s view in recent years. To handle the problems of slow creative output, high learning difficulty, and low production efficiency, and to promote the sustainable development of Su embroidery, this study builds an automatic generation system of Su embroidery called MasterSu, based on the CorelDraw platform. The system can automate the generation of embroidery sketches through area texture filling and color recognition, which allows users to participate in the design process. Finally, the performance and usefulness of the system are verified through user experiments, and it is confirmed that the system can facilitate novice users to understand the embroidery culture, learn the embroidery techniques, and create their embroidery works through the system.
Energy Return on Investment of Major Energy Carriers: Review and Harmonization
Authors: Murphy David J. , Raugei Marco , Carbajales-Dale Michael , Rubio Estrada Brenda
Published: June 2022

Net energy, that is, the energy remaining after accounting for the energy “cost” of extraction and processing, is the “profit” energy used to support modern society. Energy Return on Investment (EROI) is a popular metric to assess the profitability of energy extraction processes, with EROI > 1 indicating that more energy is delivered to society than is used in the extraction process. Over the past decade, EROI analysis in particular has grown in popularity, resulting in an increase in publications in recent years. The lack of methodological consistency, however, among these papers has led to a situation where inappropriate comparisons are being made across technologies. In this paper we provide both a literature review and harmonization of EROI values to provide accurate comparisons of EROIs across both thermal fuels and electricity producing technologies. Most importantly, the authors advocate for the use of point-of-use EROIs rather than point-of-extraction EROIs as the energy “cost” of the processes to get most thermal fuels from extraction to point of use drastically lowers their EROI. The main results indicate that PV, wind and hydropower have EROIs at or above ten while the EROIs for thermal fuels vary significantly, with that for petroleum oil notably below ten.
Relationship between Psychological Distress, Basic Psychological Needs, Anxiety, Mental Pressure, and Athletic Burnout of Chinese College Football Athletes during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Liu Minhang , Zhao Xiuhan , Liu Zongyu
Published: June 2022

The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 poses a significant threat to mental health, which may lead to psychological stress in a number of individuals. Athlete burnout is a common psychological phenomenon that has a negative influence on their sports career. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between psychological distress and athletic burnout among Chinese college football athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mediating role of basic psychological needs, anxiety and mental pressure. In an online cross-sectional survey conducted in February 2022, the team coaches sent an electronic questionnaire to college football athletes. Participants completed questionnaires on relevant variables. Pearson correlation analysis and mediation effect analysis were carried out by using SPSS software and its plug-in process V3.3. The study included 672 participants and the results showed that: (1) psychological distress, basic psychological needs, anxiety, mental pressure and athletic burnout were significantly pairwise correlated, (2) mental pressure, anxiety and basic psychological needs play a mediating role between psychological distress and athletic burnout respectively, and (3) basic psychological needs and anxiety, basic psychological needs and mental pressure, anxiety and mental pressure, as well as mental pressure, anxiety and basic psychological needs respectively play a chain mediating role between psychological distress and athletic burnout. In conclusion, psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important factor leading to athletic burnout among Chinese college football athletes and may further affect the level of athletic burnout through basic psychological needs, anxiety and mental pressure. The government and schools should strengthen the recognition of these factors in order to improve the situation of athletic burnout among Chinese college football athletes.
Evaluating the Effect of Redundant Resources on Corporate Entrepreneurial Performance
Authors: Yun Lexin , Yao Xiaolin , Zhu Wenlong , Zhang Zishan
Published: June 2022

Redundant resources are indispensable resources in corporate entrepreneurship. Nowadays, establishing how to evaluate the impact of redundant resources on corporate entrepreneurial performance has become a critical issue considered by managers. However, few studies have addressed this issue. Based on the perspective of resource bricolage and corporate resource interaction, this work constructs a theoretical model to analyze the influence of redundant resources on corporate entrepreneurial performance. Data were collected in Chinese enterprises. A structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was used. We obtained four valuable conclusions. First, redundant resources have a significant positive effect on corporate entrepreneurial performance. Second, redundant resources exert a significant positive influence on resource bricolage. Third, resource bricolage has a significant positive influence on corporate entrepreneurial performance. Fourth, resource bricolage plays a partial mediation effect between redundant resources and corporate entrepreneurial performance. The insights can provide theoretical and practical guidance for enterprises that intend to use redundant resources to carry out entrepreneurial activities.
A Comparative Photographic Review on Higher Plants and Macro-Fungi: A Soil Restoration for Sustainable Production of Food and Energy
Authors: El-Ramady Hassan , Törős Gréta , Badgar Khandsuren , Llanaj Xhensila , Hajdú Peter , El-Mahrouk Mohammed E. , Abdalla Neama , Prokisch József
Published: June 2022

The Kingdom of Plantae is considered the main source of human food, and includes several edible and medicinal plants, whereas mushrooms belong to the Kingdom of fungi. There are a lot of similar characteristics between mushrooms and higher plants, but there are also many differences among them, especially from the human health point of view. The absences of both chlorophyll content and the ability to form their own food are the main differences between mushrooms and higher plants. The main similar attributes found in both mushrooms and higher plants are represented in their nutritional and medicinal activities. The findings of this review have a number of practical implications. A lot of applications in different fields could be found also for both mushrooms and higher plants, especially in the bioenergy, biorefinery, soil restoration, and pharmaceutical fields, but this study is the first report on a comparative photographic review between them. An implication of the most important findings in this review is that both mushrooms and plants should be taken into account when integrated food and energy are needed. These findings will be of broad use to the scientific and biomedical communities. Further investigation and experimentation into the integration and production of food crops and mushrooms are strongly recommended under different environmental conditions, particularly climate change.
Identification and Optimization Strategy of Urban Park Service Areas Based on Accessibility by Public Transport: Beijing as a Case Study
Authors: Dang Yi , Wang Chengjin , Chen Peiran
Published: June 2022

Parks are an important place for residents to relax. An equitable distribution of parks can promote social equity and enhance the residents’ welfare. The service areas of parks are affected by the mode of transport. As public transport is a green and economic travel mode with a wide range of applications, we identified the service area of parks based on the accessibility of public transport. On this basis, the problem of park layout was analyzed. The results show that: (1) the coverage rate for the park service areas decreased from the center of Beijing to the periphery. The subdistricts around employment districts have a high coverage of park services, whereas some suburban subdistricts lack services. (2) The spatial form of PSAs can be affected by factors such as railways, water courses, and the topography, so there are service gaps for some 48 parks, which are mainly located outside the Fourth Ring Road area. (3) A poor allocation of public transport resources has aggravated the uneven distribution of the park services. Areas with few parks also have poor public transportation conditions.
An Analysis of the Price Determinants of Multiplex Houses through Spatial Regression Analysis
Authors: Kim Jae-Jong , Cho Mi-Jeong , Lee Myeong-Hun
Published: June 2022

This study established a model for price determinants with the combination of the GIS technique and spatial regression model based on the parcel prices of multiplex houses in an effort to integrate and utilize spatial data and choose a suitable model. This study established a spatial weights matrix to apply interrelation with adjacent areas and performed row standardization to specify the effect of adjacent areas. Moran’s I was used for measuring the spatial autocorrelation of the parcel prices of multiplex houses. Through this, the parcel price of multiplex houses was analyzed to have a strong spatial autocorrelation and be related to the jeonse price of an apartment. A lot of multiplex houses are supplied to Seoul. In previous studies, multiplex houses studies were analyzed through simple regression analysis excluding spatial effects, however, in this study, a suitable model was derived through spatial regression analysis. Moreover, the jeonse price of an apartment, which is a representative housing type, was firstly analyzed as a variable added and found whether the jeonse price of apartments would have an effect on the other housing types in the neighborhood. This study also found if the jeonse price of apartments would have an effect on the other housing types in the neighborhood. For creating a sustainable residential environment when redeveloping an aging residential area, there is a need to find various ways for coexistence by identifying the interrelation with the neighboring residential areas rather than simply focusing on the supply amount. In addition to this, it suggests that policies addressing the rise of housing prices should not be limited to a specific area or a specific dwelling and should not overlook the spatial interaction relationship.
Assessment of Soil Salinization Risk by Remote Sensing-Based Ecological Index (RSEI) in the Bosten Lake Watershed, Xinjiang in Northwest China
Authors: Hou Jiawen , Rusuli Yusufujiang
Published: June 2022

Accurate real-time information about the spatial and temporal dynamics of soil salinization is crucial for preventing the aggravation of salinization and achieving sustainable development of the ecological environment. With the Bosten Lake watershed as the study area, in this study, the regional risk factors of soil salinization were identified, the salinization information was extracted, and the remote sensing-based ecological index (RSEI) of soil salinization was assessed through the combined use of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) techniques and measurements of soils samples collected from various field sites. The results revealed that (1) a four period (1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020) RS dataset on soil salinization allowed for the accurate classification of the land use/land cover types, with an overall classification accuracy of greater than 90% and kappa values of >0.90, and the salt index (SI), an RS-derived risk factor of soil salinization, was significantly correlated with the actual measured salt content of the surface soils. (2) The RS-derived elevation and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were significantly correlated with the SI-T. (3) An integrated risk assessment model was constructed for the soil salinization risk in the Bosten Lake watershed, which calculated the integrated risk index values and classified them into four risk levels: low risk, medium risk, high risk, and extremely high risk. (4) Due to the combined effect of the surface water area and terrain, the soil salinization risk gradually decreased from the lake to the surrounding areas, while the corresponding spatial range increased in order of decreasing risk. The areas with different levels of soil salinization risk in the study area during the last 30 years were ranked in decreasing order of medium risk > high risk > extremely high risk > low risk. These findings provide theoretical support for preventing and controlling soil salinization and promoting agricultural production in the study area.
Resources Management for a Resilient World: A Literature Review of Eastern European Countries with Focus on Household Behaviour and Trends Related to Food Waste
Authors: Moldovan Maria-Georgeta , Dabija Dan-Cristian , Pocol Cristina Bianca
Published: June 2022

Increasing concern about food waste and the consequences of human lifestyle on the environment have intensified attention on this topic. While waste and loss of food occur in all stages of the food chain, more than 50% of the blame relies on the consumers’ shoulders, regardless of their geographical location, age, culture, or historical roots. Ideally, wasted food (from agricultural production to storage and transportation stages, down to final consumers) should return to the habitat it came from (circular economy concept), but man-made materials do not naturally decompose quickly, or they decompose in several hundreds of years, destroying untouched resources. Simply presented, reducing lost or wasted food means more food for us all in the future, more visible economic growth (especially in low-income countries), and less pressure on the environment. While these concepts are largely being investigated in Western economies, Eastern Europe lacks a proper understanding, especially in the best relevant practices. Therefore, this systematic review highlights the need for further research on Eastern European households’ attitudes and the importance of identifying long-term trends in changing behaviour causing wastage. This can only be done properly if past experiences, societal culture, traditions, and food habits are mirrored in future predictions by considering the inherent factors influencing the decision-making process.
Soybean Cultivars Identification Using Remotely Sensed Image and Machine Learning Models
Authors: Gava Ricardo , Santana Dthenifer Cordeiro , Cotrim Mayara Favero , Rossi Fernando Saragosa , Teodoro Larissa Pereira Ribeiro , da Silva Junior Carlos Antonio , Teodoro Paulo Eduardo
Published: June 2022

Using remote sensing combined with machine learning (ML) techniques is a promising approach to classify soybean cultivars. Therefore, the objectives of this study are (i) to verify which input dataset configuration (using only spectral bands, only vegetation indices, or both) is more accurate in the identification of soybean cultivars, and (ii) to verify which ML technique is more accurate in the identification of soybean cultivars. Information was extracted from five central irrigation pivots in the same region and with the same sowing date in the 2015/2016 crop year, in which each pivot was cultivated with a different cultivar, in which the cultivars used were: CV1—P98y12 RR, CV2—Desafio RR, CV3—M6410 IPRO, CV4—M7110 IPRO, and CV5—NA5909 RR. A cloud-free orbital image of the site was acquired from the Google Earth Engine platform. In addition to the spectral bands alone, a total of 13 vegetation indices were calculated. The models tested were: artificial neural networks (ANN), radial basis function network (RBF), decision tree algorithms J48 (DT) and reduced error pruning tree (REP), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM). The five soybean cultivars were classified by the six-machine learning (ML) models in stratified randomized cross-validation with k-fold = 10 and 10 repetitions (100 runs for each model). After obtaining the r and MAE statistics, analysis of variance was performed considering a 6 × 3 factorial scheme (models versus inputs) with 10 repetitions (folds). The means were grouped by the Scott–Knott test at 5% probability. The spectral bands were the most accurate among the tested inputs in the identification of soybean cultivars. ANN was the most accurate model in identifying soybean cultivars.
Land-Use Optimization Based on Ecosystem Service Value: A Case Study of Urban Agglomeration around Poyang Lake, China
Authors: Gu Moli , Ye Changsheng , Li Xin , Hu Haiping
Published: June 2022

The optimal allocation of land use is a promising approach to achieving the sustainable use of land resources, to weigh ecological protection and economic development. The urban agglomeration around Poyang Lake is a crucial plate for implementing the spatial planning policy of the national urban agglomeration and supporting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Based on the ecosystem service value (ESV), we utilize the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR), the gray multi-objective planning (GMOP) and the future land-use simulation (FLUS) model to optimize the quantitative structure and spatial pattern of the land use in 2030. The present study designs four scenarios of baseline development (BD), ecological conservation (EC), economic priority (EP) and coordinated development (CD) to discuss how to optimize land-use allocation while considering ecological security and economic development. The result suggests that the land-use structure and spatial layout in the CD_scenario are relatively reasonable, and the overall eco-economic benefits and landscape pattern levels are better than those of the other three scenarios. Additionally, the ecological security and landscape pattern indices are optimized, landscape fragmentation decreases and aggregation degree increases. This study is instructive to promote the sustainable development of urban agglomeration and land spatial planning.
Differential Game Model of Information Sharing among Supply Chain Finance Based on Blockchain Technology
Authors: Xu Minyi , Ma Shujian , Wang Gang
Published: June 2022

In the development of traditional supply-chain finance, the information asymmetry of all parties in the supply chain has become the primary problem hindering its development. Blockchain technology is an effective method to solve the problem of information silos. Based on differential game theory, this paper constructs a game model of supply-chain financial information-sharing behavior based on blockchain technology. Three scenarios of independent decision, the cost-subsidy mechanism of financial institutions, and dealers and collaborative decisions are studied, and the theoretical model is verified through a simulation algorithm. The results show that information sharing in supply-chain finance based on blockchain technology is much higher than that of traditional supply-chain finance, and the use of blockchain technology can promote more sustainable development of supply chains. Blockchain technology can effectively solve the information-silo effect, and the information sharing cost-subsidy mechanism can effectively relieve the cost pressure of information sharing and optimize the supply-chain structure. In addition, the amount of information and benefits shared among the three parties of supply-chain finance based on blockchain technology and the overall benefits show an increasing and stabilized trend over time. This study provides a reference for supply-chain finance members to reasonably choose the optimal strategic behavior.
Evaluation of the Durability of Bridge Tension Cables Based on Combination Weighting Method-Unascertained Measure Theory
Authors: Li Qingfu , Zhang Tianjing , Yu Yingqiao
Published: June 2022

Constant use over a period damages the bridge pulling cable structure of pulling sling bridges and reduces their durability. Therefore, a comprehensive and accurate durability evaluation of in-service bridge cable-stayed structures is critical to the safe operation and routine maintenance and repair of pulling sling bridges. In this paper, we first establish a three-layered pulling sling durability evaluation index system and then use the combined IAHP and CRITIC methods to assign weights to these evaluation indexes. The UM theory is applied to calculate a comprehensive multi-index evaluation vector for the durability of the pulling sling, which is evaluated according to the confidence criterion. Taking the Jiahui Bridge tension sling as an example, a durability evaluation was carried out, and the final evaluation result showed the bridge to be at level III, which is in line with the actual situation of the project. Finally, by comparing and analyzing using the SPA and MEE methods, we prove that the durability evaluation results of bridge tension cables using this method are more accurate.
Co-Combustion of Food Solid Wastes and Pulverized Coal for Blast Furnace Injection: Characteristics, Kinetics, and Superiority
Authors: Yang Jian , Li Zhenying , Wei Rufei , Zhou Di , Long Hongming , Li Jiaxin , Xu Chunbao (Charles)
Published: June 2022

The combustion characteristics and kinetics of food solid wastes (FSW), pulverized coal (PC), and their mixtures were studied by a non-isothermal thermogravimetric method. In the co-combustion of FSW and PC, with the increase in FSW content in the mixture, the initial decomposition temperature, burnout temperature, and ignition temperature of the mixture decreased, and the flammability index and comprehensive combustion characteristic index gradually increased. The co-combustion of FSW and PC showed an inhibitory effect in the devolatilization stage but exhibited a combustion-promoting effect in the fixed carbon combustion stage. The interaction between FSW and PC while co-combusting them appeared to be dominated by thermal effects. On one hand, FSW combusted first and released heat that was partially absorbed by the PC, which hence suppressed the devolatilization stage of the co-combustion process. On the other hand, the PC absorbed the heat released by the combustion of the FSW, which increased the combustion rate of the PC in the fixed carbon combustion stage of the co-combustion process. The activation energy of the devolatilization stage and the fixed carbon combustion stage of the co-combustion process was calculated to be 34.16–74.52 kJ/mol and 15.04–36.15 kJ/mol, respectively. In general, the combustion performance of FSW is better than that of PC. The mixed injection of FSW and PC can improve the overall combustion efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions in the iron-making process.
Rural Sanitation: Scenarios and Public Policies for the Brazilian Semi-Arid Region
Authors: Rodrigues Elyfas Allyjackson Morais , Coutinho Artur Paiva , de Souza Júlia Daniele Silva , Costa Ialy Rayane de Aguiar , Neto Severino Martins dos Santos , Antonino Antonio Celso Dantas
Published: June 2022

Brazil’s primary sanitation sector has been neglected, especially concerning rural sanitation. Population dispersion and the difficulty of access in many rural communities bring more significant challenges to the universalization of the service and, consequently, vulnerabilities for the population. The present work builds a theoretical framework about the context of rural sanitation in Brazil, with history, weaknesses in the sector, the impact of COVID-19 and new technologies, and central public policies in the State of Pernambuco. It is known that COVID-19 has caused considerable challenges that, added to the obstacles to national sanitation, result in greater vulnerability to the population, especially for indigenous peoples, quilombolas, and diffuse rural communities. In the State of Pernambuco, certain policies, such as the One Million Rural Cisterns Program (P1MC), One Land and Two Waters Program (P1 + 2), Água Doce Program and Operação Pipa Program, significantly improved the quality of life of the rural population. However, these measures are not enough to remedy the sector’s shortcomings. Although alternative sanitation technologies bring hope to the sector, there is a long way to go towards the universalization of sanitation.
Food, Energy and Water Nexus: An Urban Living Laboratory Development for Sustainable Systems Transition
Authors: Soares Dal Poz Maria Ester , de Arruda Ignácio Paulo Sergio , Azevedo Aníbal , Francisco Erika Cristina , Piolli Alessandro Luis , Gheorghiu da Silva Gabriel , Pereira Ribeiro Thaís
Published: June 2022

From a climate change perspective, the governance of natural common-pool resources—the commons—is a key point in the challenge of transitioning to sustainability. This paper presents the main strategic advances of the São Paulo Urban Living Laboratory (ULL) regarding Food, Energy and Water (FEW Nexus) analysis and modelling at the border of a high biodiverse forest in a peri-urban region in southeast Brazil. It is a replicable and scalable method concerning FEW governance. The FEW Nexus is an analytical guide to actions that will enable a colossal set of innovative processes that the transition to sustainability presupposes. Sustainable governance of the FEW dimensions, seen as an innovation-based process, is approached by a decision making tool to understand the past and future dynamics of the system. The governance framework is based on a multi-criteria and multi-attribute set of sustainability-relevant factors used as indicators to model complex system dynamics (SD) and the stakeholders’ future expectations through a Delphi approach. Based on the three main dimensions of the Ecosystem Services Approach—Physical and Material Conditions, Attributes of Communities, and Rules-in-Use—the tool comprises thirteen specific sustainability indicators such as water and carbon footprints, land use social development, payment for ecosystem services, and land use gain indices. Its development was designed to generate a long-term network of socioenvironmental stakeholders’ decision making processes and collective learning about a higher level of sustainable systems. System Dynamics modelling demonstrates the associations between sustainability indicators and the impacts of payment for ecosystem services on the land use social development index, or on the trophic state index. The Delphi foresight approach, using the Promethee-Gaia method, allows us to understand the positions of multiple agents regarding the transition process. In this context, decision making tools can be very useful and effective in answering the “how to” questions of ULLs and paving the way for transition, providing collective planning and decision support frameworks for sustainability transition management.
The Effect of Environmentally Sustainable Practices on Customer Citizenship Behavior in Eco-Friendly Hotels: Does the Green Perceived Value Matter?
Authors: Abdou Ahmed Hassan , Shehata Hossam Said , Mahmoud Hassan Marzok Elsayed , Albakhit Azzam Ibrahem , Almakhayitah Muhanna Yousef
Published: June 2022

In the green marketing literature, environmentally sustainable practices (ESPs), green perceived value (GPV), as well as customer citizenship behavior (CCB) have not received significant attention, particularly in the hotel industry context. The current study aims to examine the effect of ESPs on CCB in a sample of five-star eco-friendly hotels in Egypt. Furthermore, it attempts to identify the potential mediating role of GPV in the relationship between ESPs and CCB and to examine the extent to which GPV directly affects CCB. To achieve the study aim, a self-administrated questionnaire was developed and directed to a convenience sample of five-star eco-friendly hotel guests. A structural equation model (SEM) was applied to 374 forms from guests of the surveyed hotels. The findings of the study reveal that ESPs significantly and positively affect GPV and CCB. The GPV has a positive and significant effect on CCB. The GPV partially mediates the relationship between ESPs and CCB. These findings emphasized that environmentally sustainable hotel properties are rewarded by customers in the form of CCBs (i.e., feedback, helping others, advocacy, and tolerance) directly and indirectly (through GPV). Upon this, some practical implications have been suggested to improve managers’ understanding in order to enable them to better manage their ESPs and to achieve positive and optimum outcomes.
The Role of MSC Marine Certification in Fisheries Governance in Finland
Authors: Pappila Minna , Tynkkynen Minni
Published: June 2022

Finnish fisheries are regulated first and foremost by the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and quotas determined by the EU. Certain fisheries have also been certified according to the international Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard. The aim of this article is to study the added value that the MSC brings to the governance of the ecological sustainability of Finnish marine fisheries. This is achieved by scrutinizing how the MSC addresses the ecosystem approach and how different experts and stakeholders see the role of the MSC in contributing to sustainable fisheries. We endeavor to unravel the sustainability benefits that non-state regulations can offer for a fishery in the Baltic Sea that is heavily regulated and controlled by the EU. We found that the MSC has led to some minor positive changes in fishing and that the indirect support the MSC provides when following scientific advice is even more important.
The Impact of the Digital Economy on Low-Carbon, Inclusive Growth: Promoting or Restraining
Authors: Xiang Xianhong , Yang Guoge , Sun Hui
Published: June 2022

Based on panel data from 30 provinces in China, this paper uses a two-way fixed effect model to empirically test the influence of regional digital economy development on the level of low-carbon, inclusive growth. The empirical study shows that: (1) The digital economy has a significant inverted U-shaped impact on China’s regional low-carbon, inclusive growth. It shows that regional digital economic development has a significant inverted U-shaped impact on low-carbon, inclusive growth (the inflection point is 0.3081), and it was found that most of the observations fall on the left side of the inverted U shape. (2) The inverted U-shaped influence has significant heterogeneity in the regional location, information degree, and factor productivity level. (3) The digital economy promotes low-carbon, inclusive growth mainly by improving the overall efficiency of source allocation, but low-carbon, inclusive growth may be curbed by distorting the allocation of capital elements. (4) Via dimensionality reduction analysis, we found that the inverted U-shaped impact of digital applications and digital finance on regional low-carbon, inclusive growth is more obvious. In addition, we also found that the inverted U-shaped impact of regional digital economic development on low-carbon ecology and social inclusiveness is more obvious. This study provides an important reference value for relevant departments to formulate low-carbon, inclusive development policies from the perspective of regional digital economic development.
A Personal Growth System Supporting the Sustainable Development of Students Based on Intelligent Graph Element Technology
Authors: Li Fengying , Yu Ge , Mu Congjing , Xue Qingshui , Tseng Shih-Pang , Wang Tongchao
Published: June 2022

In recent years, the sustainable development of education has become an increasing concern, and new technology characterized by intelligence has played an important role in promoting it. However, facing the endless stream of teaching platforms, learning platforms, student management platforms and learning APPs, teachers and students are tired of coping. Meanwhile, there has been a serious lack of real information about student growth, especially in the fields of electronic graphics, and audio and video materials. At present, there is no continuous student growth system that can be used over the course of their life, which is very unfavorable to their individual development. Graphic code is a technology with the potential to solve these problems; however, the existing graphic code technology suffers from clear deficiencies in the realization of a personalized student growth system that incorporates intelligence, security and sustainability. In response to this, this paper proposes a new generation of graphic code technology, namely intelligent graph element technology (IGET). Further, a new sustainable personalized student growth system model is designed based on artificial intelligence, big data analysis and intelligent graph element technologies, and the architecture and implementation of this system platform are completed. Finally, a student growth system based on intelligent code is verified through by an analysis of the results of a questionnaire survey. The research results show that, compared with the traditional student management system, the student growth system based on an intelligent graph element code has obvious advantages in convenience, intelligence, precision, security, and sustainability.
Urban Resource Assessment, Management, and Planning Tools for Land, Ecosystems, Urban Climate, Water, and Materials—A Review
Authors: Volk Rebekka , Rambhia Mihir , Naber Elias , Schultmann Frank
Published: June 2022

Increasing awareness of global and local climate change and the limited resources of land, surface, water, raw materials, urban green spaces, and biodiversity alter the exigencies of urban development. Already perceivable local climate changes such as heavy rains, droughts, and urban heat islands urge planners to take action. Particularly in densely populated areas, conflicting interests are pre-programmed, and decision making has to include multiple impacts, mutual competition, and interaction with respect to investments into provisioning services. Urban planners and municipal enterprises increasingly work with digital tools for urban planning and management to improve the processes of identifying social or urbanistic problems and redevelopment strategies. For this, they use 2D/3D city models, land survey registers, land use and re-/development plans or other official data. Moreover, they increasingly request data-based planning tools to identify and face said challenges and to assess potential interventions holistically. Thus, this contribution provides a review of 51 current tools. Simple informational tools, such as visualizations or GIS viewers, are widely available. However, databases and tools for explicit and data-based urban resource management are sparse. Only a few focus on integrated assessment, decision, and planning support with respect to impact and cost assessments, real-time dashboards, forecasts, scenario analyses, and comparisons of alternative options.
Post-Graduate Geographical Education in China: Can Talents Meet the Need of Sustainable Development?
Authors: Ma Renfeng , Cheng Yuxian , Liu Lidong , Xiao Ruolan , Su Xinyi , Wang Weiqin , Sheng Yuting , Huang Zicheng , Li Jiaming
Published: June 2022

As widely acknowledged and targeted in Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, talents education and training is an important measure to systematically solve the problem of economically, societally, resource, and environmentally sustainable development, and so as the post-graduate geographical talents education and training. Whether post-graduate geographical talents education and training can meet the need of sustainable development is an increasingly significant issue in geography science. Therefore, from the perspective of population scale, education quality, and education input, taking Chinese post-graduate geographical education as an example, the paper empirically investigated the spatial differentiation and talents production mechanism. With the support of spatial analysis tools by ArcGIS and GeoDa software, the strong inter-regional differentiation and imbalance characteristics of post-graduate geographical talents education were detected, outlining a general east-west geographical pattern in China. Moreover, the spatial production mechanism of post-graduate geographical talents has its own global and national scale, regional comprehensive and province-related characteristics, and production of the talents education and training in human geography, physical geography, and cartography. GIS also has its own focuses and demands.
State Effectiveness and Crises in East and Southeast Asia: The Case of COVID-19
Authors: Turner Mark , Kwon Seung-Ho , O’Donnell Michael
Published: June 2022

East and Southeast Asian countries have recorded significant success in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. They have employed more effective crisis management strategies than countries in many other parts of the world. This article examines in detail the experiences of two of Asia’s pandemic success stories—South Korea and Vietnam—to identify the ways in which they responded to COVID-19 and how they related to state effectiveness. The lessons learned from the analysis of South Korean and Vietnamese crisis management include: the importance of preparedness and decisive action; the need for flexibility to cope with changing circumstances; that there are alternative crisis management strategies to reach the same desired outcomes; and that crisis management is best served by securing unity of purpose among government, citizens, civil society and the private sector. State effectiveness is a foundation for such features of successful crisis management.
Star Chromatic Index of 1-Planar Graphs
Authors: Wang Yiqiao , Liu Juan , Shi Yongtang , Wang Weifan
Published: June 2022

Many symmetric properties are well-explored in graph theory, especially in graph coloring, such as symmetric graphs defined by the automorphism groups, symmetric drawing of planar graphs, and symmetric functions which are used to count the number of specific colorings of a graph. This paper is devoted to studying the star edge coloring of 1-planar graphs. The star chromatic index χst′(G) of a graph G is defined as the smallest k for which the edges of G can be colored by using k colors so that no two adjacent edges get the same color and no bichromatic paths or cycles of length four are produced. A graph G is called 1-planar if it can be drawn in the plane such that each edge crosses at most one other edge. In this paper, we prove that every 1-planar graph G satisfies χst′(G)≤7.75Δ+166; and moreover χst′(G)≤⌊1.5Δ⌋+500 if G contains no 4-cycles, and χst′(G)≤2.75Δ+116 if G is 3-connected, or optimal, or NIC-planar.