bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Traffic Load Optimization for Multi-Satellite Relay Systems in Space Information Network: A Proportional Fairness Approach
Authors: Zhong Xudong , Ren Baoquan , Gong Xiangwu , Li Hongjun
Published: November 2022

Backbone satellites in a space information network (SIN) can be used as air base stations or data relay satellites (DRSs) to realize cross-system, cross-network and long-distance relay transmission. In this paper, a traffic load optimization problem for multi-satellite relay systems in SIN is considered to achieve highly efficient cooperative transmission and improve resource utility. A model of SIN based on a distributed satellite cluster (DSC) is considered, and the characteristics of the model are analyzed. Based on this, a hybrid resource management architecture combining distributed and central resources control schemes is proposed to realize a centrally controllable and distributed optimization of resources to meet various comprehensive service requirements. Two scenarios of multi-satellite relay systems in SIN are given, and traffic load optimization problems with joint bandwidth and power allocation for these two scenarios are formulated based on proportional fairness (PF) criterion to achieve traffic load balancing with considerable system capacity. The optimization problems in these two scenarios are proved to be a convex optimization problem with mathematical analysis, and the closed-form solutions of two problems in their dual domain are derived by dual transformation. With the closed-form solutions, two iterative algorithms based on the subgradient method are designed under the proposed hybrid resource management architecture to solve the problems in this paper. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes can effectively improve the upper bound of system capacity by resource sharing and cooperative relay, and it can balance the traffic load well with guarantees of a reasonable level system capacity compared with existing methods.
Deep Eutectic Solvents for the Separation of Toluene/1-Hexene via Liquid–Liquid Extraction
Authors: Hadj-Kali Mohamed K. , El Blidi Lahssen , Mulyono Sarwono , Wazeer Irfan , Ali Emad , Rallapalli Jagan
Published: November 2022

The separation of aromatic/olefin mixtures is a difficult task in the petrochemical industry, since the boiling points of these hydrocarbons are very similar. This work aims to use deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for the extraction of toluene from 1-hexene by liquid–liquid extraction. A total of 53 DESs were studied qualitatively and quantitatively using the COSMO-RS approach to separate the binary mixture of toluene and 1-hexene. The selectivity, capacity, and performance index of all DESs were evaluated by calculating the activity coefficient at infinite dilution. The σ-profile and σ-potential of each component were interpreted to evaluate the interactions between the different species. We then selected three DESs for experimental validation, namely benzyltriphenylphosphonium chloride:triethylene glycol BzTPPCl:TEG (1:8), tetrabutylammonium bromide:triethylene glycol TBABr:TEG (1:3), and tetrabutylammonium bromide:ethylene glycol TBABr: EG (1:4). Experimental liquid–liquid equilibrium data were obtained for the ternary mixtures {1-hexene (1) + toluene (2) + DES (3)} at T = 298.15 K and atmospheric pressure. Based on the selectivity data and the solute distribution ratio, the feasibility of different DESs as extractive solvents was tested. Finally, 1H NMR was performed to elucidate the extraction mechanism. No DES was found in the raffinate phase, indicating minimal cross-contamination.
The Effect of Using Reactive Agility Exercises with the FITLIGHT Training System on the Speed of Visual Reaction Time and Dribbling Skill of Basketball Players
Authors: Hassan Ahmed K. , Alhumaid Majed M. , Hamad Badry E.
Published: November 2022

The study aimed to determine the effect of reactive agility with the FITLIGHT training system on the speed of the visual reaction time and dribbling skill of basketball players. Participants were divided into an experimental group (n = 10; age, 14.80 ± 0.79 years; height, 163.80 ± 3.46 cm; weight, 55.90 ± 0.99 kg; training, 4.50 ± 0.53 years) and a control group (n = 10; age, 14.60 ± 0.70 years; height, 163.30 ± 3.47 cm; weight, 56.10 ± 0.74 kg; training, 4.30 ± 0.48 years). Reactive agility was assessed through a modified t-test, visual reaction time was assessed using the Li Lafayette instrument Visual Reaction Time Apparatus 63014 response panel, and dribbling skills were assessed through dribbling testing. The results showed improved agility through the modified agility t-test (11%; p = 0.001), an increased speed of visual reaction time for both the right and left hands (23–31%), and improved dribbling skills (19%; p = 0.001) for the experimental group using the FITLIGHT reactive agility software. The results also showed increased skills of the experimental group when compared to the control group. Differences in variability emerged between 6 and 14.1% in favor of the experimental group. Therefore, the researchers recommended that attention should be paid to activating the role of the FITLIGHT reactive agility training to improve and develop the physical, visual, and skill capabilities of basketball players. The researchers propose that FITLIGHT can be effectively used in the basketball training process.
The Impact of the Digital Economy on Innovation: New Evidence from Panel Threshold Model
Authors: Xu Jianing , Li Weidong
Published: November 2022

The digital economy has aroused widespread concern. This paper studies the impact of the digital economy on innovation using a panel threshold model. Taking 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China as the research object, the time span is from 2013 to 2019. The data are from the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBSC), China National Intellectual Property Administration (CAIPA), the China Stock Market and Accounting Research (CSMAR), and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)of China. Data analysis is performed with ArcGIS 10.2 and STATA 16 software. The influence mechanism of digital economy on innovation is innovatively analyzed from the aspects of innovation elements, innovation tools, innovation subjects, and innovation environment. A digital economy development level index system is constructed using the entropy method, and the development level of China’s digital economy in time and space is analyzed. On this basis, the nonlinear impact of digital economy on innovation, i.e., the threshold effect, is innovatively studied using the panel threshold model. It is found that China’s digital economy develops rapidly, but there is a serious spatial imbalance, and there are great differences in the different dimensions of the digital economy. At the same time, the impact of digital economy on innovation has a double threshold effect with industrial structure as the threshold variable and a single threshold effect with urbanization level as the threshold variable. Specifically, the promoting effect of digital economy on innovation increases with the optimization of industrial structure or the improvement of urbanization level. This study enriches the theoretical research on the impact of digital economy on innovation, and it has important support and reference value for China’s development of digital economy and improvement of innovation capacity.
Social Media Use and Business Performance in SMEs: The Mediating Roles of Relational Social Commerce Capability and Competitive Advantage
Authors: Marolt Marjeta , Zimmermann Hans-Dieter , Pucihar Andreja
Published: November 2022

Social media (SM) enables micro, small, and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to improve brand awareness and to engage their audience, which can lead to referrals, repeat business, and increased sales. However, the existing literature offers limited insights into how the ability to leverage SM for commercial activities that are beyond transactions (relational social commerce capability) can affect performance outcomes for SMEs. Drawing on the existing literature and insights from in-depth interviews with six SME managers/owners, we developed a conceptual research model and examined it empirically by using a dataset collected from Slovenian SMEs. This study identifies relational social commerce capability and competitive advantage as important mediators when exploring the impact of SM use on business performance. More specifically, the findings reveal the mediating role of relational social commerce capability between SM use and competitive advantage, while SM use was not found to have a direct impact on competitive advantage. Furthermore, the findings illustrate business performance as a result of the competitive advantage derived from relational s-commerce capability.
Harnessing Ecosystem Services from Invasive Alien Grass and Rush Species to Suppress their Aggressive Expansion in South Africa
Authors: Ramarumo Luambo Jeffrey
Published: November 2022

Invasive alien species are regarded as one of the major driving forces of species extinction worldwide. To counteract the invasion’s spread and minimize species extinction risk, countries like South Africa are devoted to halting human-induced invasion using various means. The failed efforts to halt the invasion spread have forced South African scientists to start considering social controlling mechanisms, including utilization of these species without propagation as one of the alternatives. It is within this context that this review was aimed at making an inventory of invasive grass species that provide ecosystem services in South Africa. The required data were gathered through rigorous literature surveys and analysis. A total of 19 invasive alien grass and rush species, from 15 genera and two families that are associated with provision of ecosystems services, were documented. The reported species are associated with the provision of nine ecosystem services. The current study argued that although these species are associated with some ecosystem services, they can also threaten the ecological integrity of the ecosystems if not properly managed. Insights about ecosystem services associated with invasive alien grass and rush species are significant in balancing the complex environmental issues and livelihood requirements in rural South Africa.
Techno-Economic-Environmental Energy Management of a Micro-Grid: A Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Approach
Authors: Mirbarati Seyed Hasan , Heidari Najme , Nikoofard Amirhossein , Danish Mir Sayed Shah , Khosravy Mahdi
Published: November 2022

In recent years, owing to the effect of fossil fuels on global warming, the exhaustion of oil fields, and the lucrative impacts of renewable energy resources (RESs), the penetration of RESs has been increasing significantly in power systems. An effective way to benefit from all RESs advantages is by applying them in microgrid systems (MGS). Furthermore, MGS can ease the way for utilizing a large amount of RESs, if its economic-environmental-technical aspects of it are taken into account. In this regard, this paper proposes an optimal solution for the energy management of a microgrid by considering a comprehensive study. In the proposed methodology, different distributed energy resources such as wind turbines generator (WTG), energy storage (ES), combined heat and power (CHP), rubbish burning agent (RBA), and diesel generators (DG) are modeled. In addition, electric vehicles (EVs) are considered a load with uncertainty. The objective function of the proposed method is to minimize the microgrid’s total cost by considering the microgrid’s emission cost and technical constraints. In this study, the microgrid’s technical, environmental, and economic aspects are investigated. In addition, the optimization problem is converted into a mixed-integer linear programming method by using the proper linearization method. In this paper, the increasing effect of wind energy penetration rate on the total price also has been studied. The simulation results show that by increasing the wind energy penetration rate by up to 30% of total power, the total cost will decrease by up to 30.9%.
Coupling Study of Deformation Field Evolution and Acoustic Emission Response Characteristics in Rock Failure and Instability Process
Authors: Yu Zhengxing , Zhu Quanjie , Zhang Erhui , Zhang Yihai , Gu Lei , Sui Longkun , Yin Yongming
Published: November 2022

During rock failure and instability, cracks usually appear as microcracks in local areas and then expand into significant macroscopic cracks. In this study, the whole process of rock deformation and instability under uniaxial loading is investigated with standard rock specimens, and acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC) technology are introduced to explore the process of rock failure and instability. AE technology is used to identify the location of crack propagation caused by microcracks and large cracks, and DIC is used to measure the crack propagation at different locations. Results show that the evolution of accumulated energy is closely related to the change in stress. When the specimen approaches failure, a “y” shaped localization zone is formed, and the evolution path is consistent with the through-through path of the crack, which better reflects the propagation law of the crack in the rock. The spatial distribution of the AE location event and energy density is consistent with the evolution path of the localization zone. The deformation value of the deformation field is closely related to the initiation and evolution of the deformation localization zone. On the basis of density-based spatial clustering of applications with a noise-clustering algorithm, AE positioning events are further processed and projected into the digital image of the deformation field, and the results of clustering projection are in good agreement with the deformation localization zone. Results show that AE and DIC coupling localization techniques can effectively identify the fracture process zone and fracture mechanism of rock, providing a new technical means for further studying the mechanical properties of rock materials.
Impact of Urban Mining on Energy Efficiency: Evidence from China
Authors: Shen Hongcheng , Yang Zihao , Bao Yuxin , Xia Xiaonuan , Wang Dan
Published: November 2022

Achievement of carbon neutrality requires lowering energy consumption in China. However, only a few studies have focused on the impact of urban mining on the reduction in energy consumption, and the impact of urban mining on reducing energy consumption remains unclear. This study explored the impact of urban mining on energy efficiency by adopting the panel data of 281 prefecture-level cities in China between 2003 and 2016 using the difference-in-difference method, and tested the setting up of urban mining pilot bases on reducing urban energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) and channel mechanisms. The empirical findings show that urban mining pilot bases have significantly reduced energy consumption per unit of GDP by 3.67%. The instrumental variable method was used to overcome endogenous problems of the empirical results and related robustness tests. The verification results of the impact mechanism show that urban mining reduces the energy consumption per unit of GDP through three channels: by improving the degree of urban marketization, enhancing the harmony between the government and the market, and increasing the abundance of factor markets. The heterogeneity analysis shows that urban mining has a significant reduction effect on energy consumption per unit of GDP in all four regions of China; however, the energy-saving effect in the northeast is higher than that in the other regions. This study provides an empirical test and policy insights for the contribution of urban mining pilot bases in promoting China’s development of green industry and circular economy. It also offers a new path for cities in developing countries to promote energy conservation and achieve urban sustainability via urban mining.
Here Comes the Sun—Methylene Blue in Combination with Sunlight Sanitises Surgical Masks Contaminated with a Coronavirus and a Tenacious Small Non-Enveloped Virus
Authors: Fries Allyson , Dams Lorène , Wielick Constance , Heyne Belinda , Haubruge Eric , Thiry Etienne , Ludwig-Begall Louisa F.
Published: November 2022

In the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the reuse of personal protective equipment, specifically face coverings, has been recommended. Reuse of such items necessitates procedures to inactivate contaminating human respiratory and gastrointestinal pathogens. We previously demonstrated decontamination of face coverings contaminated with either infectious SARS-CoV-2 and animal coronaviruses or a highly resistant, non-enveloped norovirus via a novel photochemical treatment. Contaminated materials were coated with photosensitive methylene blue dye and were subsequently exposed to a visible bright light source (LED-equipped light boxes) to trigger the generation of virucidal singlet oxygen. A possible factor restricting the widespread use of such photochemical decontamination is its reliance on the availability of electricity to power light sources. Here, we show that natural sunlight can be used in lieu of artificial light. We demonstrate efficient inactivation of a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate, porcine respiratory coronavirus, via 10 µM dye coating in conjunction with short outdoor exposures of 5–30 min (blue sky to cloudy day; mean 46,578 lx). A tenacious human norovirus surrogate, murine norovirus, is inactivated via methylene blue solar decontamination involving 100 µM dye concentrations and 30 min of high-illuminance sunlight (blue sky; mean 93,445 lx) or 2 h of mid- to low-illuminance (cloudy day; mean 28,558 lx). The protocol developed here thus solidifies the position of methylene blue solar decontamination as an important equitable tool in the package of practical pandemic preparedness.
Research Regarding the Coupling and Coordination Relationship between New Urbanization and Ecosystem Services in Nanchang
Authors: Hu Yangcheng , Liu Yi , Yan Zhongyue
Published: November 2022

The new urbanization (NU) will lead to changed land use types, affecting the ecological environment and ecosystem service value (ESV). The NU is affected by the ecological environment because of resource scarcity when the ecological environment is damaged. NU levels and ESV were used to evaluate the degree of urbanization development and value provided by ecosystem services (ES), respectively, and to analyze their coupling and coordination relationships. This study shows that (1) the Nanchang city NU increases annually, at an accelerated rate, while the city scale continuously expands. Among the various NU subsystems, economy and spatial urbanization are primary, and the remaining subsystems are secondary. (2) In terms of the area of each land use in Nanchang, arable land is the most widely distributed, followed by forest land, and water. The land type with the greatest change was development land, followed by arable land. (3) ESV declined during the study period, with water and forest land being the main ESV components. Hydrological regulation had the greatest contribution among the individual services, while maintaining the nutrient cycle had the minimal contribution. The high-value areas of Nanchang ecology were mainly located in the northeast corner and the water location in the southeast, while the low-value areas were mainly located in the central Nanchang county area. (4) The coupling degree (CD) of Nanchang’s NU and ES showed an inverted U-shaped development trend, first increasing and then decreasing. The coupling coordination degree also showed the same trend and exhibited fluctuation in the evolution process.
Analyzing the Perception of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) from a Survey of New Townhouse Residents in Dubai
Authors: Arar Mohammad , Jung Chuloh
Published: November 2022

According to UAE Health Ministry and Dubai Healthcare City reports, 15% of Dubai residents have a chronic respiratory disease such as asthma. Moreover, 90% of the 150,000 patients at Al Ain Hospital suffered from upper respiratory tract respiratory diseases, bronchitis, or asthma. Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) has emerged as a social problem in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Dubai Municipality regulates Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) with strict stipulations before moving in, but they are relatively passive about regulations related to healthy living. This paper aims to explore the actual state of perception of the IAQ from townhouse residents in Dubai, UAE. The characteristics of the resident’s perceptions of the IAQ are identified, and the influential factors affecting residents’ perceptions of IAQ are extracted. As a methodology, the survey was conducted on four townhouse projects in Dubai from December 2021 to January 2022. A total of 114 copies were distributed, and 98 documents were used. Analysis of the survey data was processed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0. The results showed a statistically significant correlation between the cognitive and anxiety levels of SBS with the presence or absence of experience. It was statistically confirmed that the most influential factors were the age of the children and the occupancy time of housewives and children. This is because of the perception that wives who spend a relatively long time in the house and their young children are exposed to indoor air pollution for a long period of time and are easily affected by this influence on the concerns about young children about SBS. Ninety-five percent of the respondents answered that they knew more than average about SBS, indicating a very high level of awareness. As for the degree of anxiety, 87.0% of the respondents felt higher levels of anxiety than usual. However, most of them did not know or were indifferent to the understanding of the air quality improvement methods. The awareness of actual contents was lower than that of residents who assessed that they knew about SBS.
Smart Tourism Ecosystem: A New Dimension toward Sustainable Value Co-Creation
Authors: Bhuiyan Kamrul Hasan , Jahan Israt , Zayed Nurul Mohammad , Islam Khan Mohammad Anwarul , Suyaiya Sayma , Tkachenko Olena , Nitsenko Vitalii
Published: November 2022

Changes in information technology have a great influence on people’s preferences and lifestyles. Smart devices and technologies have taken the conventional way of traveling into a smart tourism system. The aim of this paper is to examine smart tourism, the integration of different activities of different tourism service providers, and their interactions with tourists. It also finds out the smart tourism tools, how they are being used by different actors, how the tourist and the network perceived and interact with them for making up a smart tourism ecosystem, and finally how they create the sustainable value co-created services. This paper is qualitative in nature and used a holistic approach. The data were collected through interviews of 24 service providers and 50 service receivers, mainly tourists from the study area, Bangladesh. Study shows that there are three phases by which actors are communicating with each other comprising pre-service delivery, during-service delivery, and post-service delivery. Smart tourism tools are being used throughout the phases which eventually create value in co-created services with three pillars of sustainability (economic, socio-cultural and environmental). This study will contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the field of smart tourism, value co-creation, and sustainability.
An Empirical Study on the Mechanism of Dynamic Capacity Formation in the Supply Chain
Authors: Zhu Chun-Yan , Zhang Dong-Liang
Published: November 2022

Supply chain dynamic capability is becoming an indispensable core competency for organizations. However, it is still unknown how dynamic capability functions during actual use. Based on this reason, this study compiles research on supply chain dynamic capability, proposes the formation mechanism of supply chain dynamic capability, and validates it using data from Chinese companies. The results of structural equation modeling based on a sample of 162 Chinese companies show that environmental turbulence profoundly affects supply chain dynamic capabilities through direct and indirect effects. The dimensions of supply chain synergy have an important mediating effect on the dynamic capability of supply chains. Supply chain flexibility and agility, as the external manifestation of supply chain dynamic capability, are not only influenced by environmental turbulence and supply chain synergy, but also, the supply chain flexibility affects the supply chain agility. Based on these results, the formation mechanism of supply chain dynamic capability was further proposed.
A System Dynamic Analysis of Urban Development Paths under Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Targets: A Case Study of Shanghai
Authors: Gao Junwei , Pan Lingying
Published: November 2022

In 2021, under the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets of China, Shanghai declared that it would peak carbon emissions by 2025. This would require the formulation of specific and effective implementation paths of low-carbon development. This paper conducts a dynamic study on Shanghai’s carbon dioxide emissions by establishing a system dynamic model of Shanghai’s economy-energy-carbon emission. It studies the implementation path of Shanghai’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets by scenario analysis. The results show that under the Baseline Scenario, Shanghai’s carbon emissions will peak by 2035, which is later than what the government promised. However, the Carbon-Peak and Deep-Low-Carbon Scenarios suggest that Shanghai can achieve the carbon peaking target in 2025, and the CO2 emission intensity will drop by 89.2% and 92.4%, respectively, by 2060. Improving the industrial energy utilization efficiency and the proportion of clean electricity is crucial for Shanghai to reduce carbon emissions. The transportation sector will become the main sector of urban energy consumption in the late stage of carbon neutralization. Without considering carbon sinks, the costs of achieving carbon neutrality for the three scenarios are approximately 5.68 billion, 2.79 billion and 1.96 billion USD, respectively. Finally, this paper puts forward relevant suggestions on promoting the transformation of energy structure, and strengthening specific emission reduction measures of various departments, to provide references for Shanghai’s policy formulation.
Active Collection of Data in the Real Estate Cadastre in Systems with a Different Pedigree and a Different Way of Building Development: Learning from Poland and Slovakia
Authors: Buśko Małgorzata , Zyga Jacek , Hudecová Ľubica , Kyseľ Peter , Balawejder Monika , Apollo Michal
Published: November 2022

A cadastre is a system of major importance for the economy and for management strategies in support of sustainable development. Thus, its modernisation process (especially in the case of buildings) is extremely important. This study compared the results from the cadastre modernisation process of Poland and Slovakia, that is, countries with a different way of building development and different historical cadastral traditions. It was certain that in countries with dispersed development—such as Poland—the modernisation process could significantly change the cadastre’s picture. However, the analysis of the number of buildings in the cadastre after modernisation revealed a change of 3.048% for scattered development and only 6% for compact development. Thus, the urgent need to perform retrofits in countries with a scattered pattern of development was demonstrated. In addition, a comparative analysis proved that excessively frequent changes in the law cause the cadastre base to lose its validity. The Polish building cadastre has become a victim of such frequent changes in the law. It happened that just after the cadastre had been modernised at a high financial cost, the data on buildings collected in the cadastre became outdated as a result of a change in the law. Research highlighted that frequent changes and inconsistencies in the law result in a state of affairs in which activities that should be systemic and technical instead become activities that depend on political aspects.
Identifying a Country’s Freight Transport-Intensive Economic Sectors and Their Logistics Emissions—Method Development and Exemplary Evaluation with Austria
Authors: Miklautsch Philipp , König Alexander , Woschank Manuel
Published: November 2022

It is unequivocal that global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced drastically. One opportunity to quickly achieve deep emission reductions is by investigating the largest emitters first. This can be based on countries but also on the underlying sectors of local economies. Focusing on the latter, the transport and industry sectors stand out, as well as their overlap, which is reflected in the emissions from freight transport. To enable legislators and researchers to focus on the major emitters in freight transport and to develop tailored sectoral measures, we present a method to identify the transport-intensive sectors of a country. A two-part approach thereby makes it possible to identify these sectors and their value chains and to analyze the different emission structures of companies between the sectors. This suggests the relevance of decarbonizing transport from a company’s perspective and helps to understand the entrenched situation. Finally, the methodology is applied to the Austrian transport industry as an example to demonstrate its applicability. As applied research in this area has lagged somewhat, our results can provide managers in transport-intensive economic sectors with new motivation to decarbonize logistics, as well as guide policymakers and researchers on which sectors to focus first.
Systematic Mapping of the Production Chain of “Bacuri” (Platonia insignis Mart.) in Brazil
Authors: Rodrigues Lima Simone Kelly , Pereira Eder Johnson de Area Leão , Machado Gabriela de Oliveira , Silva Robson Alves da , Lucarini Massimo , Durazzo Alessandra , Diele-Viegas Luisa Maria , Arcanjo Daniel Dias Rufino
Published: November 2022

The Amazon contains the most significant number of known species on the planet, where fruits with peculiar characteristics can be found. The bacuri (Platonia insignis) is a native fruit of this region and has gained prominence over the years. A data survey was conducted to understand the bacuri production chain system and its economic potential. The results show that the popularity of the fruit has led to an increase in consumer demand and its price over the years. In addition, the mapping shows that this production chain needs a well-defined structure. Its current organization consists of the activities of associations and cooperatives that, over time, have assumed the integration between producers, industry, and the consumer market. This study also identified a gap in the official censuses and a need for studies to quantify production within the scope of small producers, aiming for more effective monitoring that allows the development and direction of policies that can support producers to strengthen this important production chain.
Experimental Study on the Effect of Gas Adsorption and Desorption on Ultrasonic Velocity and Elastic Mechanical Parameters of Coal
Authors: Xu Gang , Liu Jiawei , Wang Yunlong , Jin Hongwei , Wang Chaofeng
Published: November 2022

The rapid and accurate identification of the physical characteristics of coal by means of ultrasonic detection is of great significance to ensure safe mining of coal and efficient development of coal seam methane. In this paper, the ultrasonic velocity testing experiments of coal during gas adsorption and desorption were carried out, utilizing a low frequency petrophysical measurement device with primary and fractured coal as the research objects. The variations in the elastic mechanical parameters and ultrasonic velocity of coal samples were analyzed to elucidate the influence mechanism that gas adsorption and desorption have on them. During gas adsorption and desorption, the longitudinal wave velocity of the primary structure coal varies from 1990 m/s to 2200 m/s, and the transverse wave velocity varies from 1075 m/s to 1160 m/s, while the longitudinal wave velocity of the fractured structure coal varies from 1540 m/s to 1950 m/s, and the transverse wave velocity varies from 800 m/s to 1000 m/s. The elastic modulus and wave velocities, in both directions of the primary structural coal, were higher than those of the fractured structural coal. In comparison to the fractured structural coal, the main structural coal had a lower Poisson’s ratio. In addition, the spread of the elastic mechanical parameters and wave velocities, in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, was more pronounced in the fracture−structured coal than in the primary−structured coal. During gas adsorption and desorption, the speed of the coal’s longitudinal waves increased, and then decreased, due to the combined effect of gas adsorption expansion and pore gas pressure compression matrix effect. For this experiment, the maximum longitudinal wave velocity of the coal occurred at a gas pressure of 1.5 MPa. Primary structural coal has a longitudinal wave speed of 2103 m/s, whereas fragmented structural coal has a speed of 1925 m/s. The variation in the shear wave velocity of the coal is controlled only by the gas adsorption expansion effects. The shear wave velocity increases during gas adsorption and decreases during gas desorption. With the change of gas pressure, the longitudinal wave velocity can increase by 23.34%, and the shear wave velocity can increase by 17.97%. Coal undergoes changes to both its Poisson’s ratio and elastic modulus as a result of gas adsorption and desorption; these modifications are analogous to the velocity of longitudinal and shear waves, respectively.
Cerium Compounds Coating as a Single Self-Healing Layer for Corrosion Inhibition on Aluminum 3003
Authors: Cabello Mendez José Antonio , Pérez Bueno José de Jesús , Meas Vong Yunny , Portales Martínez Benjamín
Published: November 2022

The formation of cerium hydroxide was studied, and its capacity as a corrosion inhibitor on aluminum substrates was evaluated. These particles were deposited by immersing the substrate in a bath with cerium nitrate and hydrogen peroxide. Four different immersion times were used to determine the differences in behavior from low concentrations to an excess of particles on the surface. The coatings were analyzed morphologically by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical microscope, and chemically by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Electrochemical corrosion analysis was studied using cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electrochemical noise (EN). The results show that for 2 and 5 min of immersion, there was corrosion inhibition caused by the presence of cerium Ce3+ in the coating, but with excess cerium hydroxide particles, corrosion was favored. The presence of cerium particles favors corrosion at 30 s of immersion. This is the same case at 60 min, where corrosion was favored by the excess of Ce4+ particles on the surface.
Biodiversity Agenda Congruent with ‘One Health’: Focusing on CBD, FAO, and WHO
Authors: Park Hyemin , Seo Seung Beom , Park Chan , Yoo Jonghyun
Published: November 2022

The decrease in biodiversity occurs across national borders and has mutual influences on food and health. In this study, we analyzed the links and relationships between the decisions made by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)—the highest decision-making bodies in each field—from 1994 to 2018. We aimed to determine how each regime related to the decisions of others and identify the critical agendas that mediate the three regimes. Consequently, critical agendas, including agricultural biodiversity, taxonomy, traditional knowledge, access and benefit sharing, antimicrobial resistance, and marine biodiversity, were observed. In the order of degree centrality, the top six agendas were discussed in terms of the cooperation history of ‘One Health’ and its implications.
Carbon Reduction Technology Based on Imperfect Production System for Deteriorating Items with Warranty Periods and Greenness Dependent Demand
Authors: Alharbi Majed G.
Published: November 2022

In the current situation, environmental pollution is one of the vital issues affecting every country. In this research paper, we have developed a production inventory model based on carbon emissions, level of greenness, and the warranty of a product. However, very little research has reported on the topics mentioned above. To set up a sustainable imperfect production inventory model, the following suppositions are made: (a) that carbon is released during the production process and that it can be mitigated by imposing technology preventing carbon release directly into the environment; (b) that manufacturers provide a price discount on the selling price of the product to attract customers; and (c) that manufacturers also give attention to the warranty on the goods. This paper assesses the effects of the greenness, warranty of an item, and technology preventing carbon release into the environment on overall profit to help decision-makers make more effective decisions about pricing and replenishment. Three decision variables will need to have their optimal values determined using an algorithm. To justify the proposed model, one numerical example is solved. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to determine how various factors affect total profit.
Examining Factors Influencing the Use of Shared Electric Scooters
Authors: Hermawan Karina , Le Diem-Trinh
Published: November 2022

Shared e-scooters have the potential to increase access, complement transit, and replace automobiles, all while reducing emissions and congestion. However, there are concerns worldwide over the mode’s safety issues and risks. In this paper, we explore both the motivations and barriers to using e-scooters. Data are collected from a stated preference survey, using a sample consisting of mostly university staff and students in Singapore. Three logit models with varying specifications of e-scooters’ speed and lane use and one’s prior experience of conflict with a personal mobility device (PMD) are estimated. Overall, the three models have a very comparable fit (adjusted R2 of about 0.55) and consistent results. The results indicate preferences for e-scooters if they are faster and off the sidewalk. However, a bad or unsafe experience with a PMD would negatively affect use to a greater degree, although it varies across individuals. Our study suggests diverting scooters off the sidewalk and increasing the speed may not always be effective in encouraging behavioral shifts toward this alternative mode. Other solutions such as improving the services and enhancing traffic safety should be explored and considered instead.
Effects of Fire on Diversity and Aboveground Biomass of Understory Communities in Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Western Thailand
Authors: Phumsathan Sangsan , Daonurai Kunanon , Kraichak Ekaphan , Sungkaew Sarawood , Teerawatananon Atchara , Pongpattananurak Nantachai
Published: November 2022

Fire is a necessary disturbance in tropical deciduous forests, as it helps clear the understory community and allows regeneration of grasses and forbs for local wildlife. Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary (HKK) and Huai Thab Salao-Huai Rabum Non-Hunting Area (HTS) are parts of a few places in Southeast Asia with deciduous forests. However, this area was heavily logged up until 1989, followed by a long period of fire suppression. The consequences of these changes on understory communities have not been investigated. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the understory communities and their aboveground biomass before and after the annual prescribed burns in HKK and HTS. Understory plant composition and biomass were surveyed in November 2018 (before the fire) and May 2019 (three months after the fire) in 128 temporary plots, covering of deciduous dipterocarp forest, mixed deciduous forest, mixed deciduous forest with bamboo, and open area. We identified a total of 480 understory species, including 37 grass species, 214 forb species, 73 shrub species, 153 tree seedling species and three species of bamboo in the study plots. Grasses in the DDF plots were at 72.79 ± 22.41 kg ha−1, accounting for only ten percent of the understory plants in the plots. The understory community in the DDF plots was dominated by shrubs and tree seedlings of competing species, especially after the fire. The results suggested that past logging activities and long-term fire suppression had reduced the number of mature key dipterocarp forests and hindered the regeneration of grasses and forbs. Maintaining the structure of dipterocarp forests and sufficient food sources for the local wildlife species will require more active habitat management of the study areas.
Impact of Water Retention Practices in Forests on the Biodiversity of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)
Authors: Ludwiczak Emilia , Nietupski Mariusz , Kosewska Agnieszka
Published: November 2022

This study was carried out in an area covered by the “Increasing retention capacity and prevention of floods and droughts in forest ecosystems in lowland areas” land drainage development project. The aim was to evaluate the impact of transformations in a habitat following the project’s implementation on the structure of assemblages of epigeic ground beetles, in the context of the overall trend of decreasing biodiversity. The entomological observations were commenced before launching the planned hydro-technical development at the study area and were repeated 11 years later. During the two years of observations (2008 and 2019), 3311 specimens of ground beetles, representing 89 species, were captured. Water regulation affected the composition of ground beetle assemblages. After the small water retention program had been completed, a quantitative and qualitative decrease in ground beetles was observed. The groundwork for the development caused some disturbances in the habitat, leading to, amongst other things, higher soil moisture, which was conducive to the establishment of ground beetle assemblages other than those observed before the water retention project. After the hydro-technical objects had been constructed, the share of large and small zoophages with higher moisture preferences (hygrophilous species) increased, while the contribution of xerophilous hemizoophages decreased.
A General Equilibrium Analysis of Achieving the Goal of Stable Growth by China’s Market Expectations in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Fan Jin , Wang Hongshu , Zhang Xiaolan
Published: November 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a weakening of expectations of market players and local governments. It is necessary to explore some effective paths to stabilize China’s market expectations. This paper draws on computable general equilibrium (CGE) model elasticity indicators and marginal utility indicators to simulate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on market agents and the impact of shocks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic on various industry sectors. Our results first show that the Keynesian closure is still valid, with the impact values of the COVID-19 pandemic on GDP, urban consumption, rural consumption, investment, imports, and exports being 2.35%, 7.96%, 9.79%, 4.10%, −3.13%, and 6.15%, respectively, with the COVID-19 pandemic shock having a particularly strong impact on rural consumption. Second, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on different industries is comprehensive and non-equilibrium. In consumption, urban and rural residents have the largest changes in consumption demand in the tertiary and primary industries, and the overall change in consumption of rural residents is larger than that of urban residents. In investment, the tertiary industry investment changes most significantly, while the primary industry has a gentle change. The impact of weaker import and export expectations on industry imports and exports is concentrated in the secondary and primary industries. Third, the weakening expectation induces a decline in the multiplier effect, making it difficult for economic growth to return to pre-pandemic levels, which needs to be accompanied by fiscal policies such as reducing taxes, lowering fees, and raising fiscal spending to achieve growth targets. In addition, while fiscal policy significantly boosts import and export trade, it has a significantly greater impact on exports than imports.
New Trends in Consumption in Poland as Shown by the Example of a Freeshop Concept
Authors: Poszewiecki Andrzej , Czerepko Joanna
Published: November 2022

Current socioeconomic and environmental problems require radical solutions, including applying the circular economy and a zero-waste concept to customer behavior. One such solution is the concept of freeshops. A freeshop is a place where one can leave things one does not need and take useful items. The main purpose of this concept is to reuse things and thus prevent overproduction. The article is based on a survey carried out among students of the University of Gdańsk (n = 381). An affinity analysis was used to evaluate the data. The main aim of the paper is to discover a major set of factors that influence consumers choosing freeshops’ offer. In general, there were two groups of factors: economic (i.e., saving money) and connected with environmental protection (e.g., recycling). The primary result is that economic factors are more important for surveyed students than those related to environmental protection.
Gender Differences in Perceived Barriers and Benefitsof Whole-Body Electromyostimulation Users: A Pilot Study
Authors: Rodrigues-Santana Luiz , Denche-Zamorano Ángel , Galán-Arroyo Carmen , Adsuar José Carmelo , Contreras-Barraza Nicolás , Vera-Ruiz Sandra , Louro Hugo
Published: November 2022

The importance of physical activity (PA) in people’s health is well known. Today, sedentary lifestyles constitute a serious risk to global health. The likelihood that an individual will engage in PA depends largely on the perceived benefits and barriers to being physically active. The industry continues to create mechanisms to improve PA practice by minimizing the barriers. Thus, whole-body electrostimulation training (WB-EMS) emerged. Objective: To identify the main barriers and perceived benefits for WB-EMS users and to determine if there are differences between genders. Design: Cross-sectional study with 270 WB-EMS users from five countries. Results: There were no significant differences in barriers and perceived benefits between genders. Perceived benefits: enjoyment (70.3%), increased physical fitness (55.1%), personal accomplishment (53%), improve overall body (51.9%) and increase muscle strength (51.9%); Barriers: Take too much time from family (73.7%), take too much time from responsibilities (71.5%) and physical exercise (PE) takes a lot of time (67.4%). Conclusions: There were no significant differences between genders. The most prominent perceived benefits of using WB-EMS are enjoyment and increased physical health, and the main barriers are related to lack of time.