bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Noise in ICUs: Review and Detailed Analysis of Long-Term SPL Monitoring in ICUs in Northern Spain
Authors: Althahab Awwab Qasim Jumaah , Vuksanovic Branislav , Al-Mosawi Mohamed , Machimbarrena Maria , Arias Roi
Published: November 2022

Intensive care units (ICUs) are busy and noisy areas where patients and professional staff can be exposed to acoustic noise for long periods of time. In many cases, noise levels significantly exceed the levels recommended by the official health organisations. This situation can affect not only patient recovery but also professional staff, making ICUs unhealthy work and treatment environments. To introduce the measures and reduce the acoustic noise in the ICU, acoustic noise levels should first be measured and then appropriately analysed. However, in most studies dealing with this problem, measurements have been performed manually over short periods, leading to limited data being collected. They are usually followed by insufficient analysis, which in turn results in inadequate measures and noise reduction. This paper reviews recent works dealing with the problem of excessively high noise levels in ICUs and proposes a more thorough analysis of measured data both in the time and frequency domains. Applied frequency domain analysis identifies the cyclic behaviour of the measured sound pressure levels (SPLs) and detects the dominant frequency components in the SPL time series. Moreover, statistical analyses are produced to depict the patterns and SPLs to which patients in ICUs are typically exposed during their stay in the ICU. It has been shown that the acoustic environment is very similar every night, while it can vary significantly during the day or evening periods. However, during most of the observed time, recorded SPLs were significantly above the prescribed values, indicating an urgent need for their control and reduction. To effectively tackle this problem, more detailed information about the nature of noise during each of the analysed periods of the day is needed. This issue will be addressed in the continuation of this project.
An Ultra-Precision Absolute-Type Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Grating Encoder
Authors: Wang Shengtong , Luo Linbin , Zhu Junhao , Shi Ningning , Li Xinghui
Published: November 2022

An absolute-type four-degree-of-freedom (four-DOF) grating encoder that can simultaneously measure the three-axis pose (θx, θy, θz) and one-axis out-of-plane position (Z) of an object with high accuracy is demonstrated for the first time in this research. This grating encoder is composed of a stationary reading head and a movable grating reflector. A light beam from the reading head is projected onto the grating, and three diffracted beams (0th-, +1st-, and −1st-order) are generated, collimated, and received by three separate quadrant photodetectors (QPDs). The information of θx, θy, θz, and Z is coded into spot positions of these three diffracted beams on the QPDs. Thus, the modeling and decoupling algorithms were investigated, and an independent calculation of these four-DOF absolute positions was theoretically guaranteed. A prototype was then designed, constructed, and evaluated. Experimental results verified that the proposed grating encoder could achieve the absolute measurement of four-DOF θx, θy, θz, and Z with an accuracy of sub-arcseconds and sub-micrometers. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed encoder in this research is the first one to achieve absolute simultaneous measurements of four-DOF position and pose with a large measurement range. The success of this new grating encoder can benefit various multi-DOF positioning applications, especially for large-scale synthetic aperture optics (SAO), including stitching off-axis parabolic mirrors and pulse compression grating.
Sand-Dust Image Enhancement Using Chromatic Variance Consistency and Gamma Correction-Based Dehazing
Authors: Jeon Jong-Ju , Park Tae-Hee , Eom Il-Kyu
Published: November 2022

In sand-dust environments, the low quality of images captured outdoors adversely affects many remote-based image processing and computer vision systems, because of severe color casts, low contrast, and poor visibility of sand-dust images. In such cases, conventional color correction methods do not guarantee appropriate performance in outdoor computer vision applications. In this paper, we present a novel color correction and dehazing algorithm for sand-dust image enhancement. First, we propose an effective color correction method that preserves the consistency of the chromatic variances and maintains the coincidence of the chromatic means. Next, a transmission map for image dehazing is estimated using the gamma correction for the enhancement of color-corrected sand-dust images. Finally, a cross-correlation-based chromatic histogram shift algorithm is proposed to reduce the reddish artifacts in the enhanced images. We performed extensive experiments for various sand-dust images and compared the performance of the proposed method to that of several existing state-of-the-art enhancement methods. The simulation results indicated that the proposed enhancement scheme outperforms the existing approaches in terms of both subjective and objective qualities.
Implementing Performance Accommodation Mechanisms in Online BCI for Stroke Rehabilitation: A Study on Perceived Control and Frustration
Authors: Jochumsen Mads , Hougaard Bastian Ilsø , Kristensen Mathias Sand , Knoche Hendrik
Published: November 2022

Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) are successfully used for stroke rehabilitation, but the training is repetitive and patients can lose the motivation to train. Moreover, controlling the BCI may be difficult, which causes frustration and leads to even worse control. Patients might not adhere to the regimen due to frustration and lack of motivation/engagement. The aim of this study was to implement three performance accommodation mechanisms (PAMs) in an online motor imagery-based BCI to aid people and evaluate their perceived control and frustration. Nineteen healthy participants controlled a fishing game with a BCI in four conditions: (1) no help, (2) augmented success (augmented successful BCI-attempt), (3) mitigated failure (turn unsuccessful BCI-attempt into neutral output), and (4) override input (turn unsuccessful BCI-attempt into successful output). Each condition was followed-up and assessed with Likert-scale questionnaires and a post-experiment interview. Perceived control and frustration were best predicted by the amount of positive feedback the participant received. PAM-help increased perceived control for poor BCI-users but decreased it for good BCI-users. The input override PAM frustrated the users the most, and they differed in how they wanted to be helped. By using PAMs, developers have more freedom to create engaging stroke rehabilitation games.
A Big Coal Block Alarm Detection Method for Scraper Conveyor Based on YOLO-BS
Authors: Wang Yuan , Guo Wei , Zhao Shuanfeng , Xue Buqing , Zhang Wugang , Xing Zhizhong
Published: November 2022

With the aim of solving the problem of coal congestion caused by big coal blocks in underground mine scraper conveyors, in this paper we proposed the use of a YOLO-BS (YOLO-Big Size) algorithm to detect the abnormal phenomenon of coal blocks on scraper conveyors. Given the scale of the big coal block targets, the YOLO-BS algorithm replaces the last layer of the YOLOv4 algorithm feature extraction backbone network with the transform module. The YOLO-BS algorithm also deletes the redundant branch which detects small targets in the PAnet module, which reduces the overall number of parameters in the YOLO-BS algorithm. As the up-sampling and down-sampling operations in the PAnet module of the YOLO algorithm can easily cause feature loss, YOLO-BS improves the problem of feature loss and enhances the convergence performance of the model by adding the SimAM space and channel attention mechanism. In addition, to solve the problem of sample imbalance in big coal block data, in this paper, it was shown that the YOLO-BS algorithm selects focal loss as the loss function. In view of the problem that the same lump coal in different locations on the scraper conveyor led to different congestion rates, we conducted research and proposed a formula to calculate the congestion rate. Finally, we collected 12,000 image datasets of coal blocks on the underground scraper conveyor in Daliuta Coal Mine, China, and verified the performance of the method proposed in this paper. The results show that the processing speed of the proposed method can reach 80 fps, and the correct alarm rate can reach 93%. This method meets the real-time and accuracy requirements for the detection of abnormal phenomena in scraper conveyors.
Assistive Technology (AT), for What?
Authors: Austin Victoria , Holloway Catherine
Published: November 2022

Amartya Sen’s seminal Tanner lecture: Equality of What? began a contestation on social justice and human wellbeing that saw a new human development paradigm emerge—the capability approach (CA)—which has been influential ever since. Following interviews with leading global assistive technology (AT) stakeholders, and users, this paper takes inspiration from Sen’s core question and posits, AT for what? arguing that AT should be understood as a mechanism to achieve the things that AT users’ value. Significantly, our research found no commonly agreed operational global framework for (disability) justice within which leading AT stakeholders were operating. Instead, actors were loosely aligned through funding priorities and the CRPD. We suggest that this raises the possibility for (welcome and needed) incoming actors to diverge from efficiently designed collective action, due to perverse incentives enabled by unanchored interventions. The Global Report on Assistive Technology (GReAT) helps, greatly! However, we find there are still vital gaps in coordination; as technology advances, and AT proliferates, no longer can the device-plus-service approach suffice. Rather, those of us interested in human flourishing might explore locating AT access within an operational global framework for disability justice, which recognizes AT as a mechanism to achieve broader aims, linked to people’s capabilities to choose what they can do and be.
The Possibilities and Limitations of Using Google Books Ngram Viewer in Research on Management Fashions
Authors: Madsen Dag Øivind , Slåtten Kåre
Published: November 2022

Google Books Ngram Viewer (GNV) is an analytical tool that uses quantitative methods to analyze digitized text. This paper looks at the possibilities and limitations of using GNV in management fashion research, an area of management research that examines the lifecycle and evolution of management concepts and ideas. GNV provides a historical big picture of the lifecycle and popularity of specific terms and phrases in books. It is argued that this tool could have a natural application in the study of management fashions, since books are a medium through which popular management concepts and ideas have traditionally been diffused. The paper provides several illustrative examples of how GNV can be applied to study management fashions and identifies the tool’s main possibilities and limitations. Although GNV has obvious advantages such as accessibility and user-friendliness, researchers should exercise caution, as it only provides a partial picture of the impact of management fashions.
Gender Differences in Determinants of Students’ Interest in STEM Education
Authors: Chauke Thulani Andrew
Published: November 2022

Despite the government’s call for students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), the gender gap in STEM education is still of significant concern in South Africa. This study aimed to describe different push-pull factors that influenced male and female students when choosing STEM education at the TVET college level. This study used qualitative research methods and focus-group interviews with a sample of 20 students studying at a TVET college in a rural part of the Limpopo province. In addition, a thematic analysis was used to analyse the data collected. The study revealed that the following factors: lucrative salary, graduate unemployment rate, aptitude for mathematics and science, parental education and autonomy and independence, and rejecting stereotypical feminine identities were push-pull factors that influenced both male and female TVET college students to choose STEM education. The policy implication of this study is that an Afrocentric approach should be infused into the teaching and learning of STEM at TVET colleges.
Gender-Related Violence in Young People’s Lives: UK Practitioners’ Concerns and Planned Interventions
Authors: Cooper-Levitan Mika Neil , Alldred Pam
Published: November 2022

Youth workers are on the front line for supporting children and young people with the violence some of them face. However, education and training for this part of the role seemed lacking in our experience as a Youth and Community Worker and a Youth and Community Work Lecturer in the UK. An international project that sought to address this educational gap for ‘youth practitioners’ had a UK arm, which is the context for this article. This project created a three-day training course that sought to improve responses to gender-related violence (GRV) by increasing awareness, improving knowledge about providing support and making referrals, and also sought to prevent or reduce gender-related violence by challenging the inequalities on which it rests. The UK ‘youth practitioners’ who attended the training wrote almost 500 ‘action plans’—plans to act on the basis of the training, and analysis of these offers an indication of their concerns and priorities. Here, we present the concerns that UK-based teachers and youth workers had for the children and young people they worked with, and the forms of violence they were aware of when they began this training course. We then describe the interventions with young people or changes to their practice that these attendees said they would make in response to the training once they were back at work. This provides an agenda for action in youth, education and social services to address gender-related violence in the lives of children and young people in the UK. By the end of the training, the interventions they had committed to making included changes to their own practice, showing their reflexivity and their understanding that key tools for tackling gender-related violence included their own behaviour and reflexive practice in their service or team. They highlighted the need for culture change at an organisational level, and identified the problems of sexism and homophobia, even in their own workplaces. Their views about the value of the term gender-related violence (GRV) were mixed, with some practitioners finding it unnecessarily theoretical and others finding it a helpful link between areas of discrimination and of violence that they tended to tackle separately, such as between homophobia and violence against women and girls.
Effects of Age and Playing Tactics on the Individual Tactical Behavior in U10 and U12 Elite Spanish Soccer Players
Authors: González-Rodenas Joaquín , Pedrera Gonzalo , Dorado Víctor , Aranda-Malavés Rodrigo , Tudela-Desantes Andrés , De Matías-Cid Pedro
Published: November 2022

The aim of this paper was to explore the effects of age and playing tactics on the individual tactical behavior and performance in young soccer players. A total of 1247 individual possessions during 16 knockout matches from LaLiga Promises U12 tournament (n = 621) and LaLiga U10 Iscar Cup (n = 626) were analyzed by observational methodology. Multilevel and multivariate logistic regression models were created to explain the interdependent effects of age category and playing tactics on the individual tactical behavior and performance. Youth players performed most of their actions against defensive pressure (72.5%), during offensive support (91.3%) and receiving the ball facing forward (62.6%). The most frequent action was to receive and pass the ball (69.6%) and the level of offensive success was 56.9%. The multilevel mixed models revealed that U10 players presented higher odds of running with the ball vs. passing the ball (OR = 1.823; 95% CI: 1.333–2.493; p < 0.001) and lower odds of achieving offensive success (OR = 0.698; 95% CI: 0.525–0.928; p < 0.05) than U12 players. Regarding playing tactics, technical-tactical dimensions such as the players’ body shape when receiving the ball, offensive support, defensive pressure, collective type of attack and type of technical action presented a significant and combined effect on the offensive success regardless of age category, playing position and match status. This study found tactical differences between U10 and U12 age categories and revealed important interactive effects of multiple tactical dimensions on the individual offensive behavior and performance in youth soccer players.
Characteristics of Fitness-Related Injuries in The Netherlands: A Descriptive Epidemiological Study
Authors: Kemler Ellen , Noteboom Lisa , van Beijsterveldt Anne-Marie
Published: November 2022

Although general information is available, specifically detailed information on gym-based fitness-related injuries in the general recreational fitness population is lacking. The aim of our study was to obtain more insight into injuries occurring as a result of gym-based fitness activities. A descriptive online epidemiological study was conducted in November 2020. The survey was distributed by a market research agency to members of their research panel. A total of 494 Dutch fitness participants aged ≥ 18 years (mean 38.9; 59% male) who had sustained a fitness-related injury in the preceding 12 months were included in the study. Most injuries occurred during strength training, individual cardio exercise, yoga/Pilates, cardio exercise in group lessons, and CrossFit. The shoulder, leg, and knee were the most common injured body parts; 73.1% of the injuries occurred during unsupervised gym-based fitness activities, and 46.2% of the injuries occurred during one specific exercise or when using a specific fitness device: running (e.g., on the treadmill) (22.8%); bench press (11.8%); or squats (9.6%). Overuse or overload (n = 119), missteps and sprains (n = 48), or an incorrect posture or movement (n = 43) were most often mentioned as causes of injury. Conclusions: Most self-reported gym-based fitness-related injuries occur during strength training and individual cardio exercise. Special attention should be given to the shoulder during strength training and to the lower extremities during cardio exercise. Injury prevention interventions should be able to be carried out without supervision.
Development, Critical Evaluation, and Proposed Framework: End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling in India
Authors: Harun Zambri , Molla Altaf Hossain , Mansor Mohd Radzi Abu , Ismail Rozmi
Published: November 2022

Over the last couple of decades, the automobile sector in India has seen dramatic growth, following the phenomenal booming of engenders rapid proliferation of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). Therefore, efficient and sustainable handling of ELVs is paramount. India has been striving to establish a practical regulatory framework to handle ELVs sustainably. This study explores India’s current ELV recycling system to promote sustainable development. Subsequently, this article evaluates the present ELV recycling system to determine the existing issues in ELV recycling to prevent failure and enhance and standardize the processes involved in ELV recycling to achieve the optimum standard for product and process quality. This paper proposes pragmatic frameworks and offers recommendations for setting up an efficient ELV recycling system to resolve current issues and expedite sustainable development. This study has been performed through a mixed-method approach; a literature and policy review accompanied by detailed structured interviews with major stakeholders and industrial visits. This investigation reveals that India’s ELV recycling system is at the embryonic stage and struggling against numerous inherent impediments. However, the proposed frameworks, together with practical recommendations, provide a paradigm for expediting materials recycling from ELVs and resolving perennial issues. This research may assist the government of India in implementing any upcoming regulatory and legal framework.
Predicting Factors Affecting the Intention to Prepare for Mitigation of Man-Made Fire Disasters in Chonburi Province, Thailand: An Integration of Structural Equation Modeling and Artificial Neural Network Hybrid Approach
Authors: Kusonwattana Poonyawat , Ong Ardvin Kester S. , Prasetyo Yogi Tri , Mariñas Klint Allen , Yuduang Nattakit , Chuenyindee Thanatorn , Thana Kriengkrai , Persada Satria Fadil , Nadlifatin Reny , Robas Kirstien Paola E.
Published: November 2022

News regarding different man-made fire disasters has been increasing for the past few years, especially in Thailand. Despite the prominent fire in Chonburi Province, Thailand, the intention to prepare has been widely underexplored. This study aimed to predict factors affecting the intention to prepare for the mitigation of man-made fire disasters in Chonburi Province, Thailand. A total of 366 valid responses through convenience sampling were utilized in this study that produced 20,496 datasets. With the 20,496 datasets, structural equation modeling and artificial neural network hybrid were utilized to analyze several factors under the extended and integrated protection motivation theory and the theory of planned behavior. Factors such as geographic perspective, fire perspective, government response, perceived severity, response cost, perceived vulnerability, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, and attitude were evaluated simultaneously to measure the intention to prepare for a fire disaster. The results showed that geographic perspective, subjective norm, and fire experience were the most important factors affecting the intention to prepare. Other factors were significant with perceived behavioral control as the least important. In addition, the results showed how the region is prone to man-made fire disasters and that the government should consider mitigation plans to highlight the safety of the people in Chonburi Province, Thailand. This study is considered the first complete study that analyzed behavioral intention to prepare for the mitigation of man-made fire disasters in the Chonburi Province region of Thailand. The results of this study could be utilized by the government as a foundation to create mitigation plans for the citizens of Thailand. Finally, the findings of this study may be applied and extended to measure the intention to prepare for other man-made fire disasters worldwide.
Evolutionary Game Analysis of the Regulatory Strategy of Third-Party Environmental Pollution Management
Authors: Wei Guolong , Li Guoliang , Sun Xue
Published: November 2022

The “multiple-interaction” model of third-party management for environmental pollution has gradually replaced the traditional “command-and-control” model and become a new trend in governance. This new governance system is accompanied by a lack of regulatory capacity, a single reward and punishment mechanism, and frequent rent-seeking behavior, and other governance problems are becoming increasingly prominent. Based on the premise of limited rationality, considering the possible rent-seeking behavior of pollution control enterprises and professional environmental testing institutions, this paper constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model with pollution control enterprises, professional environmental testing institutions, and government regulatory departments as the main bodies. The evolutionary stabilization strategy of the three-party game is analyzed according to Lyapunov’s theory, and the system is optimized through a computational experimental simulation in MATLAB. The research results show that the government can effectively regulate the behavior of pollution control enterprises and professional environmental testing institutions by appropriately increasing the rewards and punishments, but excessive rewards are not conducive to increasing the government regulators’ own performance; the existing static reward and punishment mechanism of the government regulators fails to reward and punish the behavior of governance subjects in real time, and the linear dynamic punishment mechanism greatly increases the probability of rent-seeking behavior, neither of which is a stable control strategy for the system. The non-linear dynamic reward and punishment mechanism takes into account both dynamic incentives and dynamic constraints to make the system achieve the desired evolutionary stability strategy, i.e., pollution control enterprises follow regulations, professional environmental testing agencies refuse to seek rent, and the government actively regulates the system as the final evolutionary direction. The research findings and management implications provide countermeasures and suggestions for government regulators to improve the regulatory mechanism for the third-party management of environmental pollution.
Analytical Design of Synchrophasor Communication Networks with Resiliency Analysis Framework for Smart Grid
Authors: Jha Amitkumar V. , Appasani Bhargav , Gupta Deepak Kumar , Ustun Taha Selim
Published: November 2022

The advent of synchrophasor technology has completely revolutionized the modern smart grid, enabling futuristic wide-area monitoring protection and control. The Synchrophasor Communication Network (SCN) is a backbone that supports communication of synchrophasor data among Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) and Phasor Data Concentrators (PDCs). The operator at the control center can visualize the health of the smart grid using synchrophasor data aggregated at PDCs from several PMUs. Since the core of the SCN is the existing IP network as an underlying communication infrastructure, the synchrophasor data is subjected to attacks that can compromise its security. The attacks, such as denial-of-service (DoS), can result in degradation of performance and even can disrupt the entire operation of the smart grid, if not controlled. Thus, a resilient SCN is a pertinent requirement in which the system continues to operate with accepted levels of performance even in response to the DoS. This article endeavors to propose a comprehensive resiliency framework for the SCN with enhanced resiliency metrics based on hardware reliability and data reliability. The proposed framework is deployed for a SCN pertaining to a practical power grid in India for its resiliency analysis. The proposed work can be regarded as a significant contribution to smart grid technology, as it provides a framework for resiliency analysis covering different aspects such as hardware reliability, data reliability, and parameters validation using the QualNet network simulator. Nevertheless, an analytical design of the hybrid SCN proposed in this work can even be extended to other topological designs of SCN.
Influence of Perceived Value on Repurchase Intention of Green Agricultural Products: From the Perspective of Multi-Group Analysis
Authors: Xu Anxin , Wei Chenwen , Zheng Manhua , Sun Lili , Tang Decong
Published: November 2022

Consumers, in their daily lives, tend to select and repurchase agricultural products through experience or trust. With the improvement of consumers’ quality of life, green agricultural products are now favored, and consumers have begun to pay more attention to the perceived value of green agricultural products. Based on the ABC model of attitude, this study analyzed the mechanism of consumer perceptions (safety value, functional value, and green value) of green food rice and green food apple on their behavioral intentions (repurchase intention of green agricultural products) through structural equation modeling. Based on signaling theory and cue utilization theory, the mechanism of the role of green trust in mitigating information asymmetry in the green agricultural products market was analyzed through mediating effects. To verify the applicability of the findings to specific sample groups and the impact of different sample differences on the findings, multiple-group analyses were conducted for apples and rice and high and low education. Data were collected using a questionnaire method through a cell phone random push questionnaire service on the Credamo platform, and the respondents were consumers of green food rice and green food apples distributed in all provinces of the country. The results showed that the perceived value significantly and positively influences the repurchase intention of green agricultural products. In terms of the degree of influence, the functional value is greater than the safety value, while the green value has no influence. Green trust mediates the relationship between perceived value and repurchase intention of green agricultural products, with a fully mediating role in the path from green value to repurchase intention. There is a significant difference between green value and repetitive purchase intention by the type of green products (necessities and non-essentials). In addition, education levels (low and high education) also show differences in the effects of green value on repurchase intention, the functional value on green trust, and green value on green trust. This study not only enriches the research related to perceived value theory and repurchase intention but also enriches the research related to green trust to provide some references for enhancing the external effects of trust theory.
Utilizing a Domestic Water Tank to Make the Air Conditioning System in Residential Buildings More Sustainable in Hot Regions
Authors: Almasri Radwan A. , Abu-Hamdeh Nidal H. , Alajlan Abdullah , Alresheedi Yazeed
Published: November 2022

Air conditioning (AC) is considered an important requirement for hot environments, but it is facing one of the most demanding obstacles as concerns the use of electrical energy resources. In 2019, electricity consumption in the residential sector in Gulf Cooperation Council states reached approximately 43% of the total national consumption, and about two-thirds of the electrical energy consumed in residential buildings (RBs) was used for AC. Therefore, as these indicators show, there is a need to focus on studying AC. One of the most important reasons for the high consumption of electrical energy in RBs is the big difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures. In this paper, a heat exchanger was designed and tested experimentally to reduce this temperature difference by using a domestic ground water tank (GWT) as a sink/source (water-cooled condensers instead of air-cooling). The results have shown that the water tank made the surrounding temperature around the external coil of the AC more suitable for cooling/heating. The proposed system resulted in a reduction in energy consumption by 28% of the electrical energy needed in the conventional system and an increase in COP by 39%. This means that this system is more efficient and therefore more sustainable.
Impact of Landscape Factors on Automobile Road Deformation Patterns—A Case Study of the Almaty Mountain Road
Authors: Kairanbayeva Ainur , Nurpeissova Gulnara , Zhantayev Zhumabek , Shults Roman , Panyukova Dina , Kiyalbay Saniya , Panyukov Kerey
Published: November 2022

The geography of Kazakhstan is characterized by a diverse landscape and a small population. Therefore, certain automobile roads pass through unpopulated mountain regions, where physical road diagnostics are rare or almost absent, while landscape factors continue to affect the road. However, modern geo-information approaches and remote sensing could effectively provide the road diagnostics necessary to make timely control decisions regarding a road’s design, construction, and maintenance. To justify this assumption, we researched the deformation of a mountain road near Almaty city. Open access satellite images of and meteorological archival data for the region were processed. The resulting data were compared to validate the road’s deformation triggers. Extreme weather conditions’ impacts could be identified via road destruction (nearly 40 m longitudinal cracks, 15 m short transversal cracks, and two crack networks along a 50 m road section). The remotely sensed parameters (vertical displacement velocity, slope exposure, dissections, topographic wetness index, aspect, solar radiation, SAVI, and snow melting) show the complexity of triggers of extensive road deformations. The article focuses only on open access data from remote sensing images and meteorological archives. All the resulting data are available and open for all interested parties to use.
Emotional Sustainability in Human Services Organizations: Cultural and Communicative Paths to Dealing with Emotional Work
Authors: Kim Minkyung , Williams Elizabeth A.
Published: November 2022

Emotional sustainability in the human services sector is crucial for both the organizations and the constituents they serve. However, human services professionals consistently struggle with emotional work as they care for the vulnerable. Despite such challenges, individuals in the human services sector choose to work in emotionally demanding careers and are motivated to serve others. However, such career pathways may not be consistent in other cultures and can further impact the way individuals cope with emotional work. This study explores South Korean social workers and how they experience and sustain themselves through emotional work. Findings show that emotional work led to burnout yet also resulted in fulfillment. Social workers also were mostly led to work in the human services sector by their education system that reflects the unique culture of South Korea. At the same time, these systems were foundational to building sustainability as they bolstered communication networks based on selective ties specific to school.
Evaluating Pedestrian Environment Using DeepLab Models Based on Street Walkability in Small and Medium-Sized Cities: Case Study in Gaoping, China
Authors: Zhang Yibang , Zou Yukun , Zhu Zhenjun , Guo Xiucheng , Feng Xin
Published: November 2022

In small and medium-sized cities of China, walking plays an important role as a green and healthy way to travel. However, the intensification of motorized travel and poor planning of pedestrian transportation systems have resulted in poor travel experiences for residents. To encourage residents to change their mode of travel from motorized transport to greener modes, it is necessary to consider the characteristics of walking travel, design good walking street environments, and increase the advantages of walking in the downtown areas of small and medium-sized cities. In this study, a spatial environment model of a pedestrian street was constructed based on the walking score. Visual perception elements, street function elements, and walking scale elements were acquired by semantic segmentation of Baidu street view images obtained with the DeepLab model. Points of interest (POI) were obtained based on surveys, measurements, and the space syntax. Considering walking distances for small and medium-sized cities, the attenuation coefficient of a reasonable facility distance was adopted to modify the walking score. Based on the comprehensive score obtained, walking paths were divided into four categories: functionally preferred, visually preferred, scale preferred, and environmentally balanced. This categorization provides theoretical support for the design of pedestrian street space environments. Taking the pedestrian street in the city center of Gaoping in Shanxi Province, China as an example, the feasibility of the method and model was verified.
Field Test on Soybean-Urease Induced Calcite Precipitation (SICP) for Desert Sand Stabilization against the Wind-Induced Erosion
Authors: Gao Yaqing , Hua Chen , Ke Tong
Published: November 2022

Soybean-urease induced calcite precipitation (SICP) is an effective method for the improvement of sand, which forms a biocemented layer on the desert sand surface to resist erosion induced by the wind. Under this study, field tests were carried out to determine how the SICP approach may enhance the resistance of the desert to wind-induced erosion and the durability of SICP treatment in southeastern margin of Tengger Desert, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. The experimental results demonstrated that the erosion resistance of desert sand was significantly enhanced due to the SICP treatment, and the improvement effect was enhanced with the increase of the biocement solution concentration and dosage and the number of treatment cycles. Furthermore, it was also found that the resistance of SICP-treated sand to erosion induced by the wind reduced as the development of time reduced. Based on the test results in this paper, larger biocement solution concentration and dosage and multiple treatment cycles are proposed in the areas where severe wind-induced erosion takes place in order to improve the ductility of SICP treatment.
Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction in Fast Food Restaurant “Jollibee” during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ong Ardvin Kester S. , Prasetyo Yogi Tri , Mariñas Klint Allen , Perez Jehorom Px Alegre , Persada Satria Fadil , Nadlifatin Reny , Chuenyindee Thanatorn , Buaphiban Thapanat
Published: November 2022

Jollibee is one of the most widely known fast food in Filipino-based restaurants in the world. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted restaurants across the world. The decrease in profit and dividend, and even closure of branches were evident. This study aimed to determine the relationships between Jollibee’s price, food quality, culture/social influence, and service quality through the SERVQUAL dimensions on customer satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. A total of 303 respondents were recruited using a purposive sampling approach to answer an online survey through social media platforms. This study found that among the factors mentioned, responsiveness, reliability, and assurance dimensions yielded to be statistically insignificant to the service quality. Due to the normal attributes the staff and restaurant have, the different factors were deemed insignificant. At the same time, the service quality was observed to have the largest significant direct relationship with customer satisfaction, followed by the cultural influence, food quality, COVID-19 protocols, and pricing. It was also seen that cleanliness and appearance, empathetic staff, food quality, price, and proper implementation of COVID-19 protocol prevention would lead to high levels of satisfaction among customers in Jollibee fast-food restaurant. Moreover, cultural/social influence has played a big role seeing that the indicators represent the feeling of belongingness since childhood. This study is the first study that analyzed the factors affecting the customer satisfaction of Jollibee. Finally, this study could be used as a basis for fast-food companies and service-related industries to increase its performance by enhancing customer satisfaction worldwide.
How Public Policies Are Implemented: A Comparison of Urban Domestic Waste Classification Policy Implementation Models
Authors: Jiang Minghua
Published: November 2022

(1) Background: Domestic waste classification has become a focal point of urban governance. Existing studies lack inter-case comparisons and ignore the precise path of waste separation policy implementation. (2) Methods: I examined the process of implementing domestic waste separation policies in Shanghai, Tokyo, and Taipei using the Policy Implementation Process Model as an analytical tool. Then, I compared the implementation paths of waste classification policies across cities. (3) Results: I discovered that Shanghai typically uses a mandatory strategy, Tokyo uses a benefit-driven strategy, and Taipei uses an administrative-intervention approach. The government’s mandatory strategy for waste classification policies is heavily reliant on grassroots government mobilization. This mobilization technique, however, does not significantly motivate residents. The benefit-driven strategy encourages pluralistic participation and improves the interaction of various social groups. This strategy, however, must achieve equal cooperation among all participants. The timely exit of the intervention is critical to the effectiveness of the administrative intervention strategy. (4) Conclusions: In analyzing the characteristics of policy implementation, I find that literature is primarily grouped into two perspectives: administrative mobilization and pluralistic participation. This approach appears to imply that these two cannot be harmonized in terms of methodology. I divide the policy implementation process into stages, each of which can be distinguished by administrative mobilization or pluralistic participation. When I consider the entire process, I can see that a given policy implementation process can be characterized by both administrative mobilization and pluralistic participation. My approach allows for the methodological integration of these two key features.
Environmental Impact Assessment of an Organic Wine Production in Central Italy: Case Study from Lazio
Authors: Vinci Giuliana , Prencipe Sabrina Antonia , Abbafati Ada , Filippi Matteo
Published: November 2022

Growing awareness of environmental sustainability in the agri-food sector has enhanced the gradual shift toward less-impactful food and organic production systems. In 2021, nearly three million hectolitres of organic wine were produced which accounted for 6% of the whole wine production in Italy (50.2 million hectolitres); thus, registering an increase of almost 60% in the last three years. The economic and cultural importance attributed to Italian wine production worldwide represents a key factor to assess and reduce the environmental burdens associated with the activities of this industry. Furthermore, literature studies have highlighted consumer sensitivity for sustainable winemaking processed, and there is even a trend towards eco-friendly wines. In particular, the bottling stage has been identified as an impactful stage for the environmental performance of the wine life cycle. This study examined the environmental impact assessment of organic wine production in the Lazio region, by performing a “cradle-to-gate” approach according to the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. High-quality inventory data for one year of operation was obtained directly from the farming company, “Tenute Filippi” (Cori, Lazio, Italy), and the wine process considered the input from grape cultivation to the winery phases. In these regards, the study also provided an impact assessment for the primary packaging of a 0.75 L wine bottle, with contributions from the different life cycle stages. The results showed a total amount of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) of 1.1 kg CO2 eq, that are responsible for climate change. Referring to the individual production input, the primary packaging phase accounted for 55% of the total GHGs, with 0.86 kg CO2 eq per bottle, followed by agricultural fuel use for grape production and harvesting activities, with 0.30 kg CO2 eq. Building on these results, the study provides recommendations on the selection of the most significant and relevant indicators for the environmental life cycle impact assessment, thus, identifying possible hotspots in the wine sector.
Revealing the Place: Sacred Architecture along the Portuguese Coastline
Authors: Barreiros Proença Sérgio , Dal Cin Francesca , Valente Monteiro Cristiana , Freitas Gordinho Beatriz
Published: November 2022

Revealing the place addresses the referential role of sacred architecture elements that dot the Portuguese Atlantic coastline in contemporary architectural pedagogy and in the practice of architecture. The long Portuguese coastline, the case study of the research, is dotted with sacred architectural elements—sanctuaries, churches, chapels and crosses—oriented according to both compositional and canonical cosmological principles. The character of the space of articulation between the land and the sea is made evident by the tension between the sacred elements and the landscape. This paper addresses this relation, resorting to decomposition interpretative drawings and arguments that uncover the formal relationships between sacred architecture and the landscape, proposing an interpretative reading of the built elements that combines type and place. Furthermore, it discusses the transposition of composition principles from sacred to secular architecture, building an analogy for the typological transfer process, considering the transference of existing qualities in sacred architecture for contemporary architectural projects. The hypothesis discussed is that the decoding of the architectural composition of sacred elements in the landscape remains useful both in the pedagogy and practice of architecture. Finally, it is evidenced that this exercise allows us to transfer formal relations established between sacred buildings and the landscape for contemporary architectural practice, revealing type and topos.
Optimization of Performance and Emission Characteristics of the CI Engine Fueled with Preheated Palm Oil in Blends with Diesel Fuel
Authors: Mohamed Iqbal Shajahan , Venkatesan Elumalai Perumal , Parthasarathy Murugesan , Medapati Sreenivasa Reddy , Abbas Mohamed , Cuce Erdem , Shaik Saboor
Published: November 2022

In this analytical investigation, preheated palm oil was used in the direct injection diesel engine with various optimization methods. The main purpose of the optimization was to get better results than the conventional engine. Raw palm oil was heated using the heat exchange process to reduce the density and viscosity. The relationship between the output process and factors response was evaluated in the design of experiment methods. The Taguchi method is an important method for optimization of the output response performance and emission characteristics of a diesel engine. Two important factors—output and input—were calculated. The input factors considered were preheated palm biodiesel blend, torque, injection pressure, compression ratio, and injection timing. The output factors calculated were smoke opacity, carbon monoxide emission, and brake-specific fuel consumption by using the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and analysis of variance. Carbon monoxide was most impacted by torque conditions through injection timing and injecting pressure, and opacity of smoke emission. Among them, injection timing had a higher impact. Different biodiesel blends were prepared: B10 (90% diesel + 10% oil), B20 (80% diesel + 20% oil), B30 (70% diesel + 30% oil) and B40 (60% diesel + 40% oil). Silver nanoparticles (50 ppm) were constantly mixed with the various biodiesel blends. The smoke opacity emission for the biodiesel blend B30 + 50 ppm silver nanoparticle showed the lowest S/N ratio and achieved better optimum results compared with the other blends. The blend B30 + 50 ppm silver nanoparticle showed the lowest S/N ratio value of 9.7 compared with the other blends. The smoke opacity, carbon monoxide emission, and brake-specific fuel consumption of all the response optimal factors were found to be 46.77 ppm, 0.32%, and 0.288 kg/kW·h, respectively.