bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Athlete Activists, Sports Diplomats and Human Rights: Action versus Agency
Authors: Murray Stuart , Price Gavin
Published: January 2023

A glance at the international sporting landscape suggests that more athletes are representing human rights causes and engaging in off-the-field activism. The 21st century athlete, apparently, does much more than “shutting up and just playing”. This article examines how, where, and why athletes represent, communicate and negotiate complex human rights issues. It finds, and argues, that both the theory and practice of athlete activism—as a means to achieving measurable, sustainable diplomatic and human rights outcomes—needs to be reviewed, re-imagined and re-branded, particularly in international relations. Currently, the practice is only open to the privileged few, occurs almost exclusively within Western societies, and its track record of affecting lasting policy change amongst those it targets is dubious. This paper prefers, and introduces, a new label for sportspeople wishing to affect change in human rights, politics, and diplomacy: the sports diplomat. This paper reviews the concept of the athlete activist and suggests how they differ from the sports diplomat. In terms of sportspeople using diplomacy to solve human rights issues, it asks is there a best practice model that can be identified? Furthermore, assuming the practice of sports diplomats representing human rights issues is good, how might scholars and practitioners better understand and promote the practice?
Inclusive Active Methodologies in Spanish Higher Education during the Pandemic
Authors: Lara-Lara Fernando , Santos-Villalba María Jesús , Berral-Ortiz Blanca , Martínez-Domingo José Antonio
Published: January 2023

The period of pandemic caused by the arrival of COVID-19 had a series of repercussions at the personal, social, cultural and educational levels. The confinement declared by government agencies caused a shift from face-to-face to virtual learning, which led to certain adaptations and the use of digital tools in order to carry out the teaching-learning process. This technological proliferation became a challenge for the educational community and for the development of pedagogical and inclusive models that could ensure pedagogical continuity. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to analyse the scientific production on active and innovative methodologies that were used during the COVID-19 pandemic period and their effect on the personal, academic and social performance of Higher Education students in the Spanish context. A systematic review of the scientific literature was carried out in accordance with the criteria established in the PRISMA declaration. Among the results obtained, flipped learning stands out as the most used methodology, which increases motivation among other aspects. In terms of knowledge areas, Social Sciences prevails. Finally, it should be noted that the use of active and innovative methodologies improves performance at academic, personal and social levels.
The Growing Visibility of Intersex Demands at the United Nations: A Review of the Treaty Bodies’ Concluding Observations
Authors: Zelayandia-Gonzalez Ernesto
Published: January 2023

In recent years, there has been an increasing visibility of intersex people’s issues and experiences of human rights violations amongst international human rights institutions and monitoring bodies. At the United Nations, to date, there are more than 500 treaty bodies’ concluding observations taking notice of human rights abuses against intersex persons and calling member states to fulfil their human rights obligations. This paper follows the inclusion and visibility of intersex issues in the text of the United Nations treaty bodies’ concluding observations. I looked for explicit mentions of the word “intersex” in treaty bodies’ report documents and reviewed how the concluding observations and recommendations of these bodies resonate with demands coming from intersex activist groups. I found that the main issues included in the treaty bodies’ reports concern intersex genital surgeries (IGS), autonomy claims, and demands for redress and support mechanisms, and while these issues have gained visibility, there are also a number of demands by intersex activists that remain less visible, if not invisible altogether. This paper aims at providing evidence of the increasing visibility and awareness of human rights monitoring bodies have over intersex people’s rights.
Controlling Behavior, Sex Bias and Coaching Success in Japanese Track and Field
Authors: Tsukahara Yuka , Kamada Hiroshi , Torii Suguru , Yamasawa Fumihiro , Macznik Aleksandra Katarzyna
Published: January 2023

Coaching athletes is a complex and lengthy process. Recently, attention has been given to coaches over-controlling behavior toward the athletes’ personal lives and possible sex bias, but the impact of these behaviors on coaching success is unclear. An anonymous survey was answered by 412 track and field coaches (male: 369; female: 43), comprising questions regarding controlling behaviors, sex bias, and personal background. A Chi-square test and logistic regression were performed to determine the factors related to the coach’s characteristics and their success in coaching athletes (to national vs. non-national level). The results showed that controlling behaviors and sex-bias-related beliefs were present. The coaches who coached national-level athletes were more likely to be older, more experienced, and were national level athletes themselves. More national-level coaches reported controlling behaviors but fewer held sex bias beliefs than the non-national level coaches. However, the strength of these beliefs (scores for controlling behavior and sex bias) was not related to the coaching success.
Research on the Regional Transport Development Index and Its Application in Decision Making and Sustainable Development of Transport Services: A Case Study in Yunnan Province, China
Authors: Yang Wanyu , Ouyang Xuebing , Li Tiezhu
Published: January 2023

Transport and macroeconomic development are closely linked. Under the comprehensive management system for China’s rail, road, water, and air transport, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive, timely, and accurate index that reflects the relationship between transport and the macroeconomy, to help the government analyze the current situation of transport, judge the macroeconomic and sustainable transport trends, and make scientific decisions, so as to achieve the carbon emission peak and carbon neutrality goals. This paper innovatively proposed the Transport Development Index (TDI), a new evaluation system with 38 indicators, covering the infrastructure, development scale, efficiency, sustainability, and safety and profitability of the four modes of transport: road, rail, water, and air. The analytic hierarchy process and the entropy weight method were used to determine the weights for the indicators. Yunnan was selected as a case study to calculate the TDI values for 2016 to 2021 and analyze the transport service performance for each year. The study results show that the TDI can be used for analyzing the regional transport services and economic operation status, proving the positive effect of transport development on the macroeconomy or warning of possible risks, and facilitating scientific decision making for sustainable transport development.
Vertical Greenery System (VGS) Renovation for Sustainable Arcade-Housing: Building Energy Efficiency Analysis Based on Digital Twin
Authors: Tang Yutong , Gao Fengyu , Wang Chen , Huang Merit M. , Wu Mabao , Li Heng , Li Zhuo
Published: January 2023

The Urban Heat Island (UHI) caused by building densification greatly impacts the sustainability of urban residents and the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize the envelope space of buildings for green retrofitting so that they can contribute to mitigating the UHI effect. In particular, green retrofitting of existing and historic buildings has become an effective means to improve the resilience of cities in the modernization process. In this study, Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS) were proposed for traditional commercial and residential buildings in Guangzhou, China. Digital Twin (DT) technology was applied to simulate the VGS construction method and irrigation to visualize the process of VGS construction for old commercial and residential buildings. In addition, the building heat and cooling consumption of the three-dimensional greening of the storage room on the ground floor of the arcade-housing and the living room on the top floor were analyzed according to the thermal parameters of different vertical greening types and different material facades. Finally, the modification of the west and south walls as a greening system was identified as the best energy-saving solution, and this finding provided reasonable theoretical support for the energy-saving design of the three-dimensional greening building of the arched house on South Street, a historic building with a combination of commercial and residential buildings.
Exploring the Effect of Different Waste Fillers in Manufactured Sustainable Plastic Aggregates Matrix on the Structural Lightweight Green Concrete
Authors: Alqahtani Fahad K. , Zafar Idrees
Published: January 2023

The infrastructure demands for mega cities, urbanization and environmental concerns are pushing for smart and sustainable solutions. Structural lightweight concrete is gaining popularity in the concrete industry because of its intrinsic properties of resisting the load and being lighter in weight. Therefore, in this study, a green structural lightweight concrete was targeted by fabricating a plastic-based aggregate incorporating different industrial by-products to reduce the carbon tracks along with an alternate lightweight structural material. Thus, the compatibility of the different industrially by-products (dune dust, fly ash, and quarry dust) with plastic to produce a sustainable structural lightweight aggregate was evaluated in this study. The major physical characteristics of manufactured aggregates along with fresh, hardened, and durability properties of concretes were studied. Results revealed that altering the filler type had altered the texture and size of the developed aggregate. The aggregates developed with dune dust showed the largest particle size, bulk specific gravity, and strength while the ones with fly ash had the smallest size and water absorption. The decrease in the strength was found to be 24.7, 43.6, and 29% for dune dust, fly ash, and quarry dust respectively, once the filler percentage was increased from 50 to 70%. Additionally, all the concretes incorporating developed aggregates have evidently demonstrated their likely usage in structural lightweight applications by complying with ASTM C330/C330M-14 for compressive, flexural, and splitting tensile strength values, in addition to the improved durability behavior.
Development of a Structural Model for Sustainable Environment Training and Knowledge Transfer
Authors: Mohamad Nur Izzaty , Mokhtar Aminudin , Rahman Ishak Abd , Othman Abdullah Sanusi
Published: January 2023

The public sector is usually viewed as a formal and hierarchical organization. However, they need to improve the quality of their work to solve community matters satisfactorily. This study examines the mediating role of the motivation to learn in the relationship between sustainable environment training and knowledge transfer. This study is a cross-sectional study, using survey questionnaires to collect data from public servants at different divisions/departments in public organizations. SmartPLS was utilized to evaluate the quality of the study instrument and subsequently test the study hypotheses. The structural equation modeling test indicated that sustainable environment training affects knowledge transfer. Hence, the motivation to learn mediates the effect of sustainable environment training on knowledge transfer. Practitioners can utilize these findings to comprehend the diversity of perspectives on motivation to learn and to design a training program master plan that can increase employee motivation to succeed and maintain organizational strategies and goals in the global competition and organizational sustainability era.
Italian Universities for Territorial Sustainable Development and Responsible Communities—The Case Study of the University of Trieste
Authors: Marchigiani Elena , Garofolo Ilaria
Published: January 2023

Today, the active promotion of sustainability is acknowledged as a pivotal task for universities. Under the flagship of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the demand is to help cities and territories tackle complex challenges by providing innovative solutions and local actions. The call is for deep change in the ways universities address their fundamental missions and organisation, and the relationships with their internal and external stakeholders. From this perspective, a key issue to be investigated further is how new approaches and measures can concretely foster universities’ social responsibility towards SDGs. Taking a research-based approach, the article addresses this question through the critical analysis of actions and tools delivered by the Italian Universities Network for Sustainable Development (RUS), and the University of Trieste (UniTS). From sustainability and social reporting to civil engagement practices, the focus is on the nexus between the upgrading of universities’ overall performance, and the ways they can act as living labs, capacity builders, and hubs of knowledge transfer. Discussion and conclusions highlight some fields and key factors that can drive universities towards a more effective integration of sustainability measures involving their spatial assets, governance, and stable collaboration with their hosting cities, territories, and communities.
Gamit! Icing on the Cake for Mathematics Gamification
Authors: Rincon-Flores Elvira G. , Santos-Guevara Brenda N. , Martinez-Cardiel Lizette , Rodriguez-Rodriguez Nadia K. , Quintana-Cruz Hernan A. , Matsuura-Sonoda Alberto
Published: January 2023

Gamification has permeated education as a strategy to improve the teaching-learning process. Research shows that gamified reward systems based on badges, leaderboards, and avatars modifies the learning environment and student attitudes. This research aimed primarily to assess the change in attitude towards mathematics in high school students through a gamified methodology involving a reward system managed through a web platform called Gamit! This platform was developed by professors from two Latin American universities to manage gamification in a way that ensured that the anonymity of the class rankings was maintained. A mixed (QUAN-Qual) and quasi-experimental methodological approach was used for this study; two questionnaires were applied to 454 high school students and a focus group was performed with a group of seven professors. The quantitative analysis was processed with SPSS and consisted of ANOVAS and post hoc tests for more than two samples, while the focus group analysis was performed through inductive analysis. Results show benefits for professors and learners. Students improved their attitudes toward mathematics, reducing anxiety and improving willingness, while professors found a dynamic and optimal way to manage gamification on Gamit!
Innovation Performance Prediction of University Student Teams Based on Bayesian Networks
Authors: Zhang Xueliang , Liu Jiawei , Zhang Chi , Shao Dongyan , Cai Zhiqiang
Published: January 2023

Many studies have been conducted on the impact of dualistic learning, knowledge sharing, member heterogeneity, and their influencing factors on team performance in enterprises. However, research on the substantial differences between university student teams and enterprise teams is scarce. To address this void, this empirical study explores how the mechanism of dualistic learning affects university student teams’ learning performance facing rapid changes in higher education. Using the questionnaire, two modules of dualistic learning were identified through reliability and validity tests, and the research data set was formed. After preprocessing the data set, two team innovation performance prediction models were established based on the Bayesian network (BN). According to the characteristics of BN, the probability reasoning of the model was calculated and the posterior probability table was obtained under different dualistic learning levels. The results show that dualistic learning has significant impacts on innovation performance, and the improvement of dualistic learning can stimulate team innovation performance. This research can provide important theoretical guidance for teams to improve their ability, gain competitive advantages, and stimulate the creative enthusiasm of college students. Hopefully, this research will enrich the existing theoretical connotation to a certain extent and promote the development of relevant empirical research.
The Motivation Mechanism and Evolutionary Logic of Tourism Promoting Rural Revitalisation: Empirical Evidence from China
Authors: Wang Huizhan , Bai Kai , Pei Lulu , Lu Xinru , Mohanto Polish
Published: January 2023

It is difficult to ensure the sustainability of the practice of tourism promoting rural revitalisation, whether it is driven by a top-down exogenous power or a bottom-up endogenous power. Therefore, it is of great theoretical and practical significance to clarify the motivation mechanism and evolutionary logic of tourism promoting rural revitalisation. This paper first adopts a system theory research method to construct a model of the driving mechanism of tourism promoting rural revitalisation; then, it uses the Boston matrix model to construct an analysis matrix of the motivation mechanism of the promotion of rural revitalisation and uses this analysis matrix to explore the motivation mechanism and evolutionary logic of tourism promoting rural revitalisation under different development models. On this basis, the paper takes Yuanjia village (which lies in Liquan County, Shaanxi Province), a model village of tourism promoting rural revitalisation in China, as a typical case, and through the analysis of the practical process of tourism promoting rural revitalisation in this and the surrounding villages, it is verified that the logic and path of the evolution of the motivation mechanism from “exogenous power” to “endogenous power” is more suitable for the actual situation of tourism promoting rural revitalisation in China. The paper perhaps provides theoretical insights into and practical references for the practice of tourism promoting rural revitalisation in China and other developing countries in the world.
What Does It Mean to Have a Dirty and Informal Job? The Case of Waste Pickers in the Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Authors: Coletto Diego , Carbonai Davide
Published: January 2023

The literature on dirty workers analysed material and symbolic aspects of work, highlighting how dirty workers deal with the stigma associated with their occupations. This approach put less attention on dirty workers who operate in the informal economy, which is a relevant category especially in some sectors, such as the urban-waste management and recycling. Drawing on a 2019–2022 qualitative study of waste pickers (WPs) in the Rio Grande do Sul state (Brazil), this article aims to understand whether and how the informal conditions interact with the symbolic and material aspects of the dirty job. First, it shows various attempts to redefine the meanings of waste pickers’ work, in a positive sense. The more articulated attempts mainly concern the more structured WPs organisations and, in some cases, go far beyond the strategies described by the traditional literature on dirty workers. Second, it emphasizes the importance of the relations between WPs organisations and public administrations in defining the effectiveness of the actions aimed at reducing the stigma associated with the WPs’ work. Together, these contributions highlight the utility of exploring the dynamics and the differences of informal dirty work in order to enrich the dirty-work approach.
Research on the Damage Diagnosis Model Algorithm of Cable-Stayed Bridges Based on Data Mining
Authors: Liu Jie , Cheng Han , Liu Qingkuan , Wang Hailong , Bu Jianqing
Published: January 2023

To obtain an effective data mining method for cable-stayed bridge damage diagnosis, the algorithm of the cable-stayed bridge damage diagnosis model based on data mining was studied, and a data mining method is proposed. This method is oriented to the damage diagnosis of cable-stayed bridges. After algorithm comparison, the support vector machine (SVM) and limit gradient-boosting (XGBoost) algorithms, with advantages in damage location and quantification, are combined and optimized to obtain the damage diagnosis model for cable-stayed bridges. First, a refined benchmark finite element model is established by Abaqus, and postprocessing data such as vibration frequency and modal curvature are used as a data mining dataset. Second, feature se-lection is conducted, and the damage-sensitive modal curvature change rate index is selected as the feature of data mining. Next, the SVM and XGBoost algorithms are optimized by grid and random search, and the optimized SVM and XGBoost algorithms are used to locate and quantify the damage. Finally, the damage diagnosis model for cable-stayed bridges is obtained. Taking a cable-stayed bridge as an example, the proposed method is applied and analyzed, and the results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Factors That Influence the Type of Road Traffic Accidents: A Case Study in a District of Portugal
Authors: Infante Paulo , Jacinto Gonçalo , Afonso Anabela , Rego Leonor , Nogueira Pedro , Silva Marcelo , Nogueira Vitor , Saias José , Quaresma Paulo , Santos Daniel , Góis Patrícia , Manuel Paulo Rebelo
Published: January 2023

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a problem with repercussions in several dimensions: social, economic, health, justice, and security. Data science plays an important role in its explanation and prediction. One of the main objectives of RTA data analysis is to identify the main factors associated with a RTA. The present study aims to contribute to the identification of the determinants for the type of RTA: collision, crash, or pedestrian running-over. These factors are essential for identifying specific countermeasures because there is a relevant relationship between the type of RTA and its severity. Daily RTA data from 2016 to 2019 in a district of Portugal were analyzed. A statistical multinomial logit model was fitted. The identified determinants for the type of RTA were geographical (municipality, location, and parking areas), meteorological (air temperature and weather), time of the day (hour, day of the week, and month), driver’s characteristics (gender and age), vehicle’s features (type and age) and road characteristics (road layout and type). The multinomial model results were compared with several machine learning algorithms, since the original data of the type of RTA are severely imbalanced. All models showed poor performance. However, when combining these models with ROSE for class balancing, their performance improved considerably, with the random forest algorithm showing the best performance.
LEED-CI v4 Projects in Terms of Life Cycle Assessment in Manhattan, New York City: A Case Study
Authors: Pushkar Svetlana
Published: January 2023

Over the last decade, it has been clearly shown that the same achievements in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects can lead to different life cycle assessments (LCAs). However, the problem of contradictory achievements in LEED and LCA has not yet been resolved. This study aimed to identify and evaluate different strategies for LEED projects using LCAs. Thirty-nine LEED projects with the same characteristics—location and transportation, rating system, rating version, certification level, and space type—were collected and sorted by their energy and atmosphere (EA) category, “optimize energy performance” credit (EAc6) achievement into three equal groups (EALow, EAMedium, and EAHigh, where each group includes 13 LEED projects) to minimize the influence of uncontrolled factors on the LEED project strategy. The author focused on two extreme groups with very different EAc6 credit scores: EALow (13 projects) and EAHigh (13 projects). The groups were compared across LEED categories and credits. Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney and Cliff’s δ test results showed that the EALow and EAHigh groups are associated with high/low achievements in materials-related credits such as “interiors life cycle impact reduction”, “building product disclosure and optimization—material ingredients”, and “low-emitting materials”. As a result, the EALow and EAHigh groups were reclassified into EnergyLow–MaterialsHigh and Energyhigh–MaterialsLow certification strategy groups. In this context, LCAs were used to assess the differences between the two strategies. The results showed that if natural gas was used for operational energy (OE), the EnergyHigh–MaterialsLow strategy showed lower environmental damage compared to the EnergyLow–MaterialsHigh strategy (p = 0.0635); meanwhile, if photovoltaic energy was used for OE, the EnergyLow–MaterialsHigh strategy showed lower environmental damage compared to the EnergyHigh–MaterialsLow strategy (p = 0.0036). The author recommends using the LEED protocol and the LCA method in parallel to better reflect the environmental impact of different certification strategies.
Transportation Justice in Vermont Communities of High Environmental Risk
Authors: Panikkar Bindu , Ren Qing , Bechthold Fosca
Published: January 2023

Transportation justice studies have largely focused on metropolitan areas, and the transportation disparities in rural areas and their most disadvantaged population are not well understood. Our study explored transportation injustices in high environmental risk communities in Vermont. We found that low-income communities and people of color disproportionately face inequitable access to transportation services: they are more likely to be concerned about lack of transportation, more likely to not own or lease a personal vehicle and rely more heavily on public transportation. Our study also found that those without a personal vehicle and those largely dependent on public transportation have less access to healthy food, are likely to go hungry, have greater reports of asthma, and have less access to primary care physicians and jobs. The transportation policies in the state are also procedurally unjust. These disadvantages, combined with higher exposures to environmental risks, also pose implications for public health and well-being. A combined transition toward sustainable mobility and transportation justice should prioritize greater equity in the distribution of transportation investment in infrastructure and services; recognition of historical patterns that inform current uneven and unequal mobilities; procedural and democratic engagement of the marginalized in transportation design, planning and policy-making; a capabilities approach to plan transportation systems that improve opportunities, wellness, and quality of life for the most disadvantaged population. Consideration should also be given to designing a sustainable transportation transition that prioritizes attention for all modes of transport accessibility and mobility, including non-motorized and public transit modes, in planning and policies so that streets are not dominated by a single mode of transportation, such as cars.
A Framework for Resilient City Governance in Response to Sudden Weather Disasters: A Perspective Based on Accident Causation Theories
Authors: Xie Zhenyu , Peng Benhong
Published: January 2023

With climate change, urban resilience is becoming a critical concept for helping cities withstand disasters and accidents. However, current research often focuses on concept identification, leaving a gap between concept and implementation. This study aims to investigate the lack of urban resilience in the face of sudden weather disasters, with a focus on the inadequate capacity of urban systems to effectively govern such events. The Zhengzhou subway flooding accident on 20 July 2021, serves as a case study for this research, and the accident causation theories, such as the Swiss cheese model, Surry’s accident model, and trajectory intersection theory are used to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the accident’s causes. Through this analysis, the paper identifies vulnerabilities in the natural, technical, and man-made systems of the urban system, and reveals deficiencies in four aspects of urban resilience: natural, technological, institutional, and organizational. Based on this analysis, the study proposes a resilient city governance framework that integrates the “Natural-Technical-Man-made” systems, offers relevant recommendations for urban resilience governance, and discusses potential challenges to urban resilience implementation.
Properties of Soil-Based Flowable Fill under Drying–Wetting and Freeze–Thaw Actions
Authors: Huang Zheng , Tong Teng , Liu Hao , Qi Wen
Published: January 2023

Flowable fills are a type of fill material with many construction applications, including transportation engineering, building engineering, water conservancy constructions, etc. Flowable fills usually consist of cementing agents, water, and aggregates such as soils or other waste or cheap materials. Flowable fills have the characteristics of high flowability, self-leveling, self-compacting, high and adjustable strength, and the ability to adopt waste and cheap materials. In this study, a waste soil-based flowable fill was investigated under drying–wetting and freeze–thaw actions. Under six drying–wetting cycles, flowable fill specimens underwent a continuous reduction in strength, accompanying the mass losses and the changes in micro-structures. The level of strength reduction increased with decreased addition of Portland cement and increased addition of water. After six drying–wetting cycles, the specimens showed a 27–51% strength reduction as compared to their counterparts with no drying–wetting actions. Under freeze–thaw cycles, the specimens also showed noticeable but insignificant degradation. After six freeze–thaw cycles, the level of strength reduction ranged from 9–20%. Most of the strength reduction occurred during the first three cycles. Based on the test data, an empirical model was proposed to predict the strength reduction under drying–wetting cycles. The results proved that flowable fills may undergo a relatively large reduction in their engineering performance under adverse environments, especially drying–wetting actions. The implications of the results for construction are also discussed in the paper.
Seismic Responses of Aqueducts Using a New Type of Self-Centering Seismic Isolation Bearing
Authors: Peng Tianbo , Dong Yang
Published: January 2023

An aqueduct is a bridge-like structure that supports a canal passing over a river or low ground, and it is an important part of a water conveyance system. Aqueduct piers are extremely vulnerable to damage during strong earthquakes that can result in structural collapse. Further, excessive seismic displacement will also fracture an aqueduct’s rubber water-stop and interrupt the normal service of an aqueduct after an earthquake. Therefore, improving the seismic capacity and post-earthquake resilience of aqueducts is of great importance. In this paper, a new type of self-centering seismic isolation bearing, the inclined plane guide bearing (IPGB), is proposed for the seismic design of aqueducts, and it is studied both experimentally and numerically. Firstly, a typical aqueduct project and the setting of the IPGBs are introduced. Then, the test design, test cases, and test results of shaking table tests for two different pier-height aqueducts are presented. The seismic responses of the two models are studied, and the results show that the aqueduct that used IPGBs has a smaller bearing displacement and better post-earthquake resilience. Finally, a numerical simulation method applicable to aqueducts using IPGBs is proposed, and its accuracy is verified by comparing the results of the numerical simulation and the shaking table test.
The Degree of Implementation of Total Quality Management in Universities and Its Relationship to the Level of Community Service from the Perspectives of Faculty Members
Authors: Al-Zoubi Zohair , Qablan Ahmad , Issa Hytham Bany , Bataineh Omar , Al Kaabi Ahmed Mohammed
Published: January 2023

The research aimed to identify the degree of implementation of TQM in Jordanian universities and its relationship to the level of community service from faculty members’ perspectives and to find out whether there were statistically significant differences related to participants’ gender, college, academic rank, experience, type of university, and country of graduation. The study sample consisted of 415 faculty members, and the data were collected in the second semester of 2021–2022. The results indicated that the degree of implementation of TQM in Jordanian universities and the level of community service were both high. There were no statistically significant distinctions in the degree of implementation of TQM related to faculty members’ gender, years of experience, and academic rank; however, significant differences were found related to the college and country of graduation variables. The findings also revealed the absence of statistically significant differences in gender, years of experience, academic rank, college, or country of graduation related to the level of community service. Finally, the study concluded that there was a positive correlation between total quality management in Jordanian universities and the level of community service from the faculty members’ perspectives.
Achieving Sustainability and Cost-Effectiveness in Power Generation: Multi-Objective Dispatch of Solar, Wind, and Hydro Units
Authors: Lotfi Akbarabadi Mohammad , Sirjani Reza
Published: January 2023

In the power system, economic power dispatch is a popular and fundamental optimization problem. In its classical form, this problem only considers thermal generators and does not take into account network security constraints. However, other forms of the problem, such as economic emission dispatch (EED), are becoming increasingly important due to the emphasis on minimizing emissions for environmental purposes. The integration of renewable sources, such as solar, wind, and hydro units, is an important aspect of EED, but it can be challenging due to the stochastic nature of these sources. In this study, a multi-objective algorithm is developed to address the problem of economic emission power dispatch with the inclusion of these renewable sources. To account for the intermittent behavior of solar, wind, and hydro power, the algorithm uses Lognormal, Weibull, and Gumbel distributions, respectively. The algorithm also considers voltage limitations, transmission line capacities, prohibited areas of operation for thermal generator plants, and system restrictions. The multi-objective real coded non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (R-NSGA-II) is applied to the problem and includes a procedure for handling system restrictions to meet system limitations. Results are extracted using fuzzy decision-making and are analyzed and discussed. The proposed method is compared to other newer techniques from another study to demonstrate its robustness. The results show that the proposed method despite being older is cost-significant while maintaining the same or lower emissions. These results were observed consistently and did not happen by chance, detailed explanation of why and how is discussed.
Burnout and Resilience in Foreign Service Spouses during the Pandemic, and the Role of Organizational Support
Authors: Gudmundsdottir Svala , Larsen Karen , Woods Nelson Melissa , Devine Mildorf Jarka , Molek-Winiarska Dorota
Published: January 2023

Little is known about foreign service spouses’ resilience and experience with stress, or which organizational supports are most effective for them in a crisis. The aims of this study were therefore to (1) measure resilience and personal burnout among foreign service spouses during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) test whether resilience was associated with personal burnout; and (3) investigate which organizational supports from Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFAs), if any, were associated with resilience or personal burnout. A total of 421 foreign service spouses (316 women and 105 men, 89% from European MFAs) completed an online survey; data were analyzed using multiple regression analyses. Nearly a third of respondents (31%) had moderate personal burnout and 4.5% had high or severe personal burnout. Higher resilience was significantly correlated with lower personal burnout scores. While knowledge that they would be evacuated if necessary was significantly correlated with greater resilience, only 27.3% of respondents knew of this support. A designated contact person at the MFA, and knowledge of a policy abroad to reduce Covid-related risks were associated with lower personal burnout scores. This study provides a baseline for resilience and personal burnout in this population, and suggests which organizational supports may be most effective during a crisis.
Occupant Behavior Impact on Building Sustainability Performance: A Literature Review
Authors: Ebuy Habtamu Tkubet , Bril El Haouzi Hind , Benelmir Riad , Pannequin Remi
Published: January 2023

Occupant behavior controls a building’s energy system to adapt the indoor environment, significantly increasing building energy consumption. Occupant behavior, which refers to the occupancy inside a building and their interaction with building systems (windows, blinds, thermostats, lighting and appliances, etc.), has been largely overlooked in building energy performance analysis. These factors make it essential to design sustainable buildings. It is widely acknowledged in the literature that there is an alarming performance gap between the estimated and actual energy consumption in buildings. This paper proposes a systematic literature review on energy-related occupant behaviors and their implications for energy performance. It aims to better understand occupant behavior, existing behavior modeling approaches and their limitations, and key influential parameters on building energy performance. It is based on a survey of ScienceDirect, Web of science and Scopus scientific databases, using their bibliometric analysis tools together with the VOSviewer software. Finally, this study identifies the following significant research gaps for future development: limitations of the generic and robust occupant behavior model; lack of actual data for validation; lack of research on different types of buildings (institutions, university buildings); limitations of considering all factors which influence occupant behavior; missing the detailed realistic situations of occupant behavior; integrating building information modeling (BIM) into building energy modeling.
Applicability of the WASP Model in an Assessment of the Impact of Anthropogenic Pollution on Water Quality—Dunajec River Case Study
Authors: Żelazny Mateusz , Bryła Monika , Ozga-Zielinski Bogdan , Walczykiewicz Tomasz
Published: January 2023

This article covers the analysis of the impact of agricultural and municipal pollution on surface waters in a selected pilot section of the Dunajec River in Poland. The analysis was performed using the dynamic Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) model. The operational use of the WASP allows the assessment of current and future changes in water quality and the planning of measures to reduce adverse impacts on surface waters. Based on the acquired and processed data, the model simulated the impact of the pollutant supply on the water quality in the selected section. The simulations were carried out in three developed scenarios. The results of the simulations of the spread of pollutants in the riverbed show that the adopted scenarios, including an increased supply of pollutants and unfavorable hydrological conditions, will not adversely affect the operation and efficiency of the water intake. Thus in the considered cases, the risk will not reach an unacceptable level. However, a serious threat may be caused by the failure of the sewage treatment plant located in the vicinity of a water intake. The conducted analyses indicate that the WASP may have significant application potential in the risk assessment for surface water intakes.
Sport Tourism as Driving Force for Destinations’ Sustainability
Authors: Morfoulaki Maria , Myrovali Glykeria , Kotoula Kornilia-Maria , Karagiorgos Thomas , Alexandris Kostas
Published: January 2023

Sport tourism is a fast-growing segment of tourism offering new perspectives and supporting travelers’ behavior shift towards active living that is a boost for sustainable destinations. These interrelations between active living, active travelling, and sport tourism have a powerful environmental, economic, and social impact. Based on the recognized contribution of sport tourism in sustaining destinations, the current paper aims to (a) explore the state of sport tourism in the Adriatic–Ionian Region by identifying existing sport tourism initiatives, (b) analyze the current and future potentials of sport tourism in the area’s sustainable growth, and (c) draw policy recommendations for sport tourism development in the region with a view to support the wider vision of sustainability. The review of existing sport tourism cases, revealing an existing investment towards this tourism form, was followed by a qualitative survey of the area’s tourism stakeholders (Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia). Results reveal that sport tourism is estimated to help in building a unique identity closely linked to sustainability goals—the area represents a great natural and cultural beauty that can be emphasized by sport initiatives, while, once such efforts are incorporated in wider sustainability plans, the destinations’ profiles can be significantly upgraded.
Link Virtual Community Interaction and Citizenship Behavior of Fitness Club Customers: The Role of Psychological Empowerment and Sense of Community
Authors: Liao Fangwei , Wei Qingyi , Li Anya , Yang Jin
Published: January 2023

Through social exchange theory, this study explores the relationship of virtual social interaction on customer citizenship behavior. By using a sample of 363 fitness enthusiasts from China, this study found that the three dimensions of virtual community interaction have a positive impact on customer citizenship behavior. Moreover, this study found that psychological empowerment partially mediated the relationship between the three dimensions of virtual community interaction and customer citizenship behavior. Secondly, this study also found that the effect of virtual community interaction on psychological empowerment was conditional on a sense of community. The results of this study suggested that managers should pay attention to the important role of user interaction in a virtual community and guide users to form high-quality interactions. Furthermore, managers should also pay attention to the importance of customer citizenship behavior to make users as employees participate in the interaction in a virtual community to enrich the integrity of the interaction. Lastly, managers need to pay attention to users’ sense of belonging and identity regarding the virtual community and encourage users to obtain incentives through the combination of online and offline activities to create the most benefits for the virtual community of fitness clubs.
Decision Making Model for Identifying the Cyber Technology Implementation Benefits for Sustainable Residential Building: A Mathematical PLS-SEM Approach
Authors: Kineber Ahmed Farouk , Oke Ayodeji , Hamed Mohammed Magdy , Alyanbaawi Ashraf , Elmansoury Ali , Daoud Ahmed Osama
Published: January 2023

Sustainability principles should be implemented during all the phases of the decision-making process of constructing residential buildings to achieve maximum gains without compromising the function of such projects. This study identified and examined the benefits of implementing cyber technology in residential building projects, with a view to promoting the sustainability of such projects. The benefits of cyber technology were identified from previous studies, which were then contextually explored via survey questionnaires within the Nigerian building industry. The results from the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) technique showed that the cyber technology benefits could be categorized into five constructs, namely, planning, transparency, efficiency, productivity, and quality. In addition, partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to develop the benefits model. The results showed that transparency related benefits were crucial benefits for implementing cyber technology. The study’s results will serve as a reference for decision-makers looking to decrease costs and increase sustainability by using cyber technology in the Nigerian construction sector.
Evolution of Electrochemical Impedance Spectra Characteristics of Cementitious Materials after Capturing Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Liu Qiong , Tang Huilin , Chi Lin , Chen Kailun , Zhang Lei , Lu Chaoxiong
Published: January 2023

The electrochemical parameters of cement-based materials with different water–cement ratios in carbon curing and water curing were measured with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The optimized circuit model and corresponding electrical parameters were obtained to illustrate the variation of the microstructure of cementitious materials after carbon capturing. The results show that, to a large extent, the semicircle diameter in the high frequency area gradually increased along with carbon curing and water curing. However, carbon curing showed a difference that the semicircle diameter in the high frequency appeared at the minimal value at 3 days, which was higher than that at 1 day and 7 days. This should be the result of the joint influence of water content and porosity in the cement matrix. It was also found that the mass increase rates of carbonation with water–cement ratios of 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6 were basically stable at 3.4%, 5.0%, and 5.5%, respectively. The electrochemical parameters ρct2 of cement mortar corresponding to carbon curing were around three times that of water curing specimens, mainly due to the reduction of soluble materials and refinement of connecting pores in the microstructure of cementitious materials. A quadratic function correlation between the mass increase rate and ρct2 in the carbonation process of cement mortar was built, which proved that EIS analysis could be applied to monitor the carbon capturing of cement-based materials, either for newly mixed concrete or for recycled concrete aggregates.