bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Hospital-Based and Home-Based Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Severity Measurements with a Single-Lead Electrocardiogram Patch
Authors: Liu Wen-Te , Lin Shang-Yang , Tsai Cheng-Yu , Liu Yi-Shin , Hsu Wen-Hua , Majumdar Arnab , Lin Chia-Mo , Lee Kang-Yun , Wu Dean , Kuan Yi-Chun , Lee Hsin-Chien , Wu Cheng-Jung , Cheng Wun-Hao , Hsu Ying-Shuo
Published: December 2021

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a global health concern, and polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard for assessing OSA severity. However, the sleep parameters of home-based and in-laboratory PSG vary because of environmental factors, and the magnitude of these discrepancies remains unclear. We enrolled 125 Taiwanese patients who underwent PSG while wearing a single-lead electrocardiogram patch (RootiRx). After the PSG, all participants were instructed to continue wearing the RootiRx over three subsequent nights. Scores on OSA indices—namely, the apnoea–hypopnea index, chest effort index (CEI), cyclic variation of heart rate index (CVHRI), and combined CVHRI and CEI (Rx index), were determined. The patients were divided into three groups based on PSG-determined OSA severity. The variables (various severity groups and environmental measurements) were subjected to mean comparisons, and their correlations were examined by Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The hospital-based CVHRI, CEI, and Rx index differed significantly among the severity groups. All three groups exhibited a significantly lower percentage of supine sleep time in the home-based assessment, compared with the hospital-based assessment. The percentage of supine sleep time (∆Supine%) exhibited a significant but weak to moderate positive correlation with each of the OSA indices. A significant but weak-to-moderate correlation between the ∆Supine% and ∆Rx index was still observed among the patients with high sleep efficiency (≥80%), who could reduce the effect of short sleep duration, leading to underestimation of the patients’ OSA severity. The high supine percentage of sleep may cause OSA indices’ overestimation in the hospital-based examination. Sleep recording at home with patch-type wearable devices may aid in accurate OSA diagnosis.
A Novel Active Fault-Tolerant Tracking Control for Robot Manipulators with Finite-Time Stability
Authors: Truong Thanh Nguyen , Vo Anh Tuan , Kang Hee-Jun , Van Mien
Published: December 2021

Many terminal sliding mode controllers (TSMCs) have been suggested to obtain exact tracking control of robotic manipulators in finite time. The ordinary method is based on TSMCs that secure trajectory tracking under the assumptions such as the known robot dynamic model and the determined upper boundary of uncertain components. Despite tracking errors that tend to zero in finite time, the weakness of TSMCs is chattering, slow convergence speed, and the need for the exact robot dynamic model. Few studies are handling the weakness of TSMCs by using the combination between TSMCs and finite-time observers. In this paper, we present a novel finite-time fault tolerance control (FTC) method for robotic manipulators. A finite-time fault detection observer (FTFDO) is proposed to estimate all uncertainties, external disturbances, and faults accurately and on time. From the estimated information of FTFDO, a novel finite-time FTC method is developed based on a new finite-time terminal sliding surface and a new finite-time reaching control law. Thanks to this approach, the proposed FTC method provides a fast convergence speed for both observation error and control error in finite time. The operation of the robot system is guaranteed with expected performance even in case of faults, including high tracking accuracy, small chattering behavior in control input signals, and fast transient response with the variation of disturbances, uncertainties, or faults. The stability and finite-time convergence of the proposed control system are verified that they are strictly guaranteed by Lyapunov theory and finite-time control theory. The simulation performance for a FARA robotic manipulator proves the proposed control theory’s correctness and effectiveness.
Soft and Hard Iron Compensation for the Compasses of an Operational Towed Hydrophone Array without Sensor Motion by a Helmholtz Coil
Authors: Lapucci Tommaso , Troiano Luigi , Carobbi Carlo , Capineri Lorenzo
Published: December 2021

Usually, towed hydrophone arrays are instrumented with a set of compasses. Data from these sensors are utilized while beamforming the acoustic signal for target bearing estimation. However, elements of the hydrophone array mounted in the neighborhood of a compass can affect the Earth’s magnetic field detection. The effects depend upon the materials and magnetic environment present in the vicinity of the platform hosting the compass. If the disturbances are constant in time, they can be compensated for by means of a magnetic calibration procedure. This process is commonly known as soft and hard iron compensation. In this paper, a solution is presented for carrying out the magnetic calibration of a COTS (Commercial Off the Shelf) digital compass without sensor motion. This approach is particularly suited in applications where a physical rotation of the platform that hosts the sensor is unfeasible. In our case, the platform consists in an assembled and operational towed hydrophone array. A standard calibration process relies on physical rotation of the platform and thus on the use of the geomagnetic field as a reference during the compensation. As a variation on this approach, we generate an artificial reference magnetic field to simulate the impractical physical rotation. We obtain this by using a tri-axial Helmholtz coil, which enables programmability of the reference magnetic field and assures the required field uniformity. In our work, the simulated geomagnetic field is characterized in terms of its uncertainty. The analysis indicates that our method and experimental set-up represent a suitably accurate approach for the soft and hard iron compensation of the compasses equipped in the hydrophone array under test.
Studies on Three-Dimensional (3D) Accuracy Optimization and Repeatability of UAV in Complex Pit-Rim Landforms As Assisted by Oblique Imaging and RTK Positioning
Authors: Bi Rui , Gan Shu , Yuan Xiping , Li Raobo , Gao Sha , Luo Weidong , Hu Lin
Published: December 2021

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are a novel technology for landform investigations, monitoring, as well as evolution analyses of long−term repeated observation. However, impacted by the sophisticated topographic environment, fluctuating terrain and incomplete field observations, significant differences have been found between 3D measurement accuracy and the Digital Surface Model (DSM). In this study, the DJI Phantom 4 RTK UAV was adopted to capture images of complex pit-rim landforms with significant elevation undulations. A repeated observation data acquisition scheme was proposed for a small amount of oblique-view imaging, while an ortho-view observation was conducted. Subsequently, the 3D scenes and DSMs were formed by employing Structure from Motion (SfM) and Multi-View Stereo (MVS) algorithms. Moreover, a comparison and 3D measurement accuracy analysis were conducted based on the internal and external precision by exploiting checkpoint and DSM of Difference (DoD) error analysis methods. As indicated by the results, the 3D scene plane for two imaging types could reach an accuracy of centimeters, whereas the elevation accuracy of the orthophoto dataset alone could only reach the decimeters (0.3049 m). However, only 6.30% of the total image number of oblique images was required to improve the elevation accuracy by one order of magnitude (0.0942 m). (2) An insignificant variation in internal accuracy was reported in oblique imaging-assisted datasets. In particular, SfM-MVS technology exhibited high reproducibility for repeated observations. By changing the number and position of oblique images, the external precision was able to increase effectively, the elevation error distribution was improved to become more concentrated and stable. Accordingly, a repeated observation method only including a few oblique images has been proposed and demonstrated in this study, which could optimize the elevation and improve the accuracy. The research results could provide practical and effective technology reference strategies for geomorphological surveys and repeated observation analyses in sophisticated mountain environments.
Study on Electromagnetic Radiation Interference Caused by Rocket Fuel
Authors: Cui Yuanbo , Jiang Jian , Kong Deren , Gao Shang , Wang Shuai
Published: December 2021

During the launch and return of a spacecraft, the intense combustion of propellants generates strong electromagnetic radiation, which interferes with the operation of electronic equipment in the spacecraft. To improve the electromagnetic compatibility of electronic equipment in spacecraft, it is necessary to study the electromagnetic radiation characteristics of rocket fuel. An electromagnetic radiation measurement system based on antennas is designed to measure the electromagnetic radiation generated by rocket fuel, and the electromagnetic radiation characteristics are obtained through data analysis. The mechanism of the electromagnetic radiation generated by rocket fuel is comprehensively analysed through the spatial, time-domain, frequency-domain, and energy-domain characteristics. A characterization model is established to provide a reliable scheme for evaluating the influence of rocket fuel electromagnetic radiation on electronic equipment in spacecraft.
The Maximum Flywheel Load: A Novel Index to Monitor Loading Intensity of Flywheel Devices
Authors: Muñoz-López Alejandro , Floría Pablo , Sañudo Borja , Pecci Javier , Carmona Pérez Jorge , Pozzo Marco
Published: December 2021

Background: The main aim of this study was (1) to find an index to monitor the loading intensity of flywheel resistance training, and (2) to study the differences in the relative intensity workload spectrum between the FW-load and ISO-load. Methods: twenty-one males participated in the study. Subjects executed an incremental loading test in the squat exercise using a Smith machine (ISO-load) or a flywheel device (FW-load). We studied different association models between speed, power, acceleration, and force, and each moment of inertia was used to find an index for FW-load. In addition, we tested the differences between relative workloads among load conditions using a two-way repeated-measures test. Results: the highest r2 was observed using a logarithmic fitting model between the mean angular acceleration and moment of inertia. The intersection with the x-axis resulted in an index (maximum flywheel load, MFL) that represents a theoretical individual maximal load that can be used. The ISO-load showed greater speed, acceleration, and power outcomes at any relative workload (%MFL vs. % maximum repetition). However, from 45% of the relative workload, FW-load showed higher vertical forces. Conclusions: MFL can be easily computed using a logarithmic model between the mean angular acceleration and moment of inertia to characterize the maximum theoretical loading intensity in the flywheel squat.
Editorial Introduction to Technological Approaches for the Treatment of Mental Health in Youth
Authors: Bunge Eduardo L. , Pineda Blanca S. , Topooco Naira , Stephens Taylor N.
Published: December 2021

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 10–20% of adolescents (10–19 years old) worldwide suffer from mental health conditions, with 50% starting at the age of 14 (World Health Organization 2020) [...]
Sexual Assault Myths Acceptance in University Campus: Construction and Validation of a Scale
Authors: Recalde-Esnoz Irantzu , Castillo Héctor Del , Montalvo Gemma
Published: December 2021

The study related to the myths of rape has been carried out since the 1980s at different scales. However, the interaction between the acceptance of these rape myths (myths related to sexual abuse) and the nightlife scene—where alcohol consumption becomes the epicenter of this particular context—has not been specifically evaluated. In this work, a questionnaire has been developed considering different scales. It has been tested online in a population of 367 first-year undergraduate students at the University of Alcalá (Spain). The results of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, as well as the reliability ones, indicate the adequacy of the scale construction and validation process for the university student population. In addition, the results obtained, in line with the specialized literature, indicate that the consumption of alcohol and other drugs appear as justifying elements of sexual violence, exonerating the aggressors and perpetrating the victim.
Gamifying Online News in a Senior Online Community: Insights from Designing and Assessing the Readers’ Experience
Authors: Regalado Francisco , Vale Costa Liliana , Martins Fernanda , Veloso Ana Isabel
Published: December 2021

Aging audiences and the shift of news consumption to an online paradigm have led to the need of finding strategies to engage aging readers with online news by assessing their news consumption habits and identifying the potential for digital platforms to assist the reader’s journey, i.e., the activities performed from access to the information to the relatedness and shareability of the news content. It is well established that the use of game elements and game thinking within the context of a community can capture the user’s attention and lead to behavioral engagement toward repetitive tasks. However, information about the design implications of socially gamified news to the aging reader’s experience is still lacking. Using a development research approach, we implemented a prototype that socially gamifies news to support the aging reader experience based on a pre-assessment survey with 248 participants about their news consumption habits and motivations. We then validated the prototype with six market-oriented representatives of Portuguese newspapers and eleven adults aged 50 and over. A model for onboarding a reader’s 6-step journey (read, react, discuss, share, relate and experience) within the context of a Senior Online Community using gamification is proposed. The game elements used can inform the design of a much more personalized experience of consuming news and news behavioral engagement.
Proposal for a Safety Qualification Program for Vehicle-Integrated PV Modules
Authors: Markert Jochen , Kutter Christoph , Newman Bonna , Gebhardt Paul , Heinrich Martin
Published: December 2021

We propose a safety qualification program for vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) modules, which could serve as a simplification, thereby accelerating the homologation process of new vehicle designs. The basis is the current photovoltaic (PV) module safety qualification, as defined in IEC 61730:2016, which is compared to automotive norms and regulations because additional safety requirements have to be considered for PV modules used in this application. Therefore, testing based on regulations that concern electrical and electronic equipment in vehicles (ISO 16750), rupture safety of glass and laminated glass in vehicles (ECE R43), and pedestrian safety (ECE R127) are assessed and compared in terms of severity. Additionally, optional testing concerning the long-term stability of VIPV modules is recommended, as a guideline for vehicle manufacturers. If assessed to be necessary, the qualification program of IEC 61730 is complemented by the respective tests to finally present a conclusive safety qualification program for VIPV modules in new vehicle designs.
Teachers’ Professional Action Competence in Education for Sustainable Development: A Systematic Review from the Perspective of Physical Education
Authors: Lohmann Julia , Breithecker Jennifer , Ohl Ulrike , Gieß-Stüber Petra , Brandl-Bredenbeck Hans
Published: December 2021

In order to implement education for sustainable development (ESD), teachers from all subjects need to be equipped with ESD-specific professional action competence, including physical education (PE) teachers. However, the current state of research on approaches to defining ESD-specific teacher competence is complex and there is little debate on what competences PE teachers in particular need in order to implement ESD. The purpose of this study is to make a theoretical contribution to clarifying the central concepts of ESD-specific teacher competences and to link this discussion to the subject of PE. We conducted a systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines with a focus on normative and theoretical work about ESD-specific teacher competences. Twenty-two articles from 2008 onwards met the inclusion criteria. Subsequently, we applied a qualitative content analysis based on theoretically derived main categories. The literature review revealed a more nuanced examination of the categories of ESD-specific professional knowledge and beliefs. The categories of motivational orientation and self-regulation were found to have received less attention in the analyzed papers. PE-specific aspects were not reflected in the reviewed literature. A refined model of ESD-specific professional action competence is suggested and it is demonstrated how this model might be applied to subject-specific discourses from the perspective of PE.
Driving Factors of the Health and Wellness Tourism Industry: A Sharing Economy Perspective Evidence from KPK Pakistan
Authors: Ullah Nadeem , Zada Shagufta , Siddique Muhammad Amir , Hu Yike , Han Heesup , Vega-Muñoz Alejandro , Salazar-Sepúlveda Guido
Published: December 2021

In the recent years, the health and wellness tourism industry has become one of the new emerging industries in Pakistan. In terms of the sharing economy, the driving mechanism of the health and wellness tourism industry has undergone significant changes. Based on a combination of theoretical and practical research, the paper explores the dynamic system and mechanism of innovation development of health and wellness in the tourism industry in Pakistan. Firstly, it theoretically constructs the driving factors in four aspects, which include market demand, industrial supply, infrastructure, and external environment. Secondly, taking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (KPK) as an example, it uses the entropy method and Grey relational analysis to test the driving factors system. The empirical results show that four aspects jointly influence the innovation of the health and wellness tourism industry in Pakistan. Finally, this study discusses several practical implications for the development of the health and wellness tourism industry of KPK for academics, policymakers, business owners, and scholars, with recommendations for future research.
Exploring Hong Kong Youth Culture via a Virtual Reality Tour
Authors: Cheung Alice Hiu Yan , Wang Lixun
Published: December 2021

The advantages of employing virtual reality tours in teaching are attributed to the virtual reality experience it provides to the students. In the case of teaching popular culture, benefits from the potential of VR tour are amplified by the empirical significance that would lead to the students’ imagination and reflection. In addition, an online VR tour suggests a flexibility that allows students to learn anyplace anytime, satisfying the need for blended learning and distance learning, which is a very critical mode of teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article discusses the advantages and challenges of blending “virtual reality” into the teaching of popular culture, and, furthermore, the implications of VR in tertiary education are discussed by examining the research that is conducted through the application of a VR tour in the course: Hong Kong Popular Culture. Sixty-eight students participated in the course. After implementing the VR tour, a questionnaire survey and interviews were conducted. In addition, students wrote essays to reflect on the youth culture of contemporary Hong Kong after the explanation of the tour, and these were also examined. We observed the positive responses from the students and the way in which the VR tour could enhance the learning qualities in the course on cultural studies.
Tropical Forests Classification Based on Weighted Separation Index from Multi-Temporal Sentinel-2 Images in Hainan Island
Authors: Zhu Qi , Guo Huadong , Zhang Lu , Liang Dong , Liu Xvting , Wan Xiangxing , Liu Jinlong
Published: December 2021

Tropical forests play a vital role in biodiversity conservation and the maintenance of sustainability. Although different time-series spatial resolution satellite images have provided opportunities for tropical forests classification, the complexity and diversity of vegetation types still pose challenges, especially for distinguishing different vegetation types. In this paper, we proposed a Spectro-Temporal Feature Selection (STFS) method based on the Weighted Separation Index (WSI) using multi-temporal Sentinel-2 data for mapping tropical forests in Jianfengling area, Hainan Province. The results showed that the tropical forests were classified with an overall accuracy of 93% and an F1 measure of 0.92 with multi-temporal Sentinel-2 data. As our results also revealed, the WSI based STFS method could be efficient in tropical forests classification by using a fewer feature subset compared with Variable Selection Using Random Forest (14 features and all 40 features, respectively) to achieve the same accuracy. The analysis also showed it was not advisable to only pursue a higher WSI value while ignoring the heterogeneity and diversity of features. This study demonstrated that the WSI can provide a new feature selection method for multi-temporal remote sensing image classification.
Decolonising Literacy Practices for an Inclusive and Sustainable Model of Literacy Education
Authors: López Gándara Yiyi , Navarro-Pablo Macarena , García-Jiménez Eduardo
Published: December 2021

Despite efforts on the part of institutions, professionals and social agents, the Roma population in Europe still lacks equal access to education. Difficulties in literacy development are at the root of this: Roma learners present lower literacy rates than non-Roma learners and learners in non-segregated schools, preventing them from transitioning to secondary education. This article presents the results of ethnographic research with a group of Roma primary learners in Southern Spain. The aim was to analyse the contexts, interactional spaces, contents and practices of learners’ engagement with literacy in and outside the classroom. Data analysis was carried out using an adaptation of the continua model of biliteracy, useful for analysing literacy practices in contexts with different literacy cultures. Results show that communicative practices that challenged skills-based literacy models helped activate learners’ literacy reservoirs, enhancing their literacy engagement and allowing them to renegotiate their position as Roma learners in a non-Roma institution and as text creators in the classroom. Conclusions point to the need to decolonise classroom practice by identifying learners’ literacy reservoirs and ways to activate these, contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable model of literacy education consistent with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal for quality education.
A Two-Stage Cooperative Dispatch Model for Power Systems Considering Security and Source-Load Interaction
Authors: Han Haiteng , Wu Chen , Wei Zhinong , Zang Haixiang , Sun Guoqiang , Sun Kang , Wei Tiantian
Published: December 2021

In modern power systems with more renewable energy sources connected, the consideration of both security and economy becomes the key to research on power system optimal dispatch, especially when more participants from the source and load sides join in the interaction response activities. In this paper, we propose a two-stage dispatch model that contains a day-ahead multi-objective optimization scheduling sub-model that combines a hyper-box and hyper-ellipse space theory-based system security index in the first stage, and an intraday adjustment scheduling sub-model that considers active demand response (DR) behavior in the second stage. This model is able to quantitatively analyze the relationship between the security and economy of the system dispatch process, as well as the impacts of the interaction response behavior on the wind power consumption and the system’s daily operating cost. The model can be applied to the evaluation of the response mechanism design for interactive resources in regional power systems.
Peak of SO2 Emissions Embodied in International Trade: Patterns, Drivers and Implications
Authors: Wang Bin , Huang Dechun , Fan Chuanhao , Xing Zhencheng
Published: December 2021

International trade links countries consuming goods and services to those where products and related SO2 pollution are produced, thereby affecting national mitigation responsibilities. This study combined accounting and decomposition techniques to investigate the patterns and drivers of SO2 emissions embodied in international trade from 1995 to 2015 and quantified the contribution of each country or region on the production and consumption sides. The global embodied emissions increased at an accelerated rate before the global financial crisis and peaked at 51.3 Mt in 2008, followed by a fluctuating decline from 2008 to 2015. Spatially, the transfers of SO2 emissions tended to flow from developed countries to less developed ones, but the trend has weakened after the financial crisis. Our decomposition analysis suggests that the energy and production system transitions and the slowdown in international trade jointly accounted for the peak and decline in emissions. Our contribution analysis indicates that developing economies have contributed to decreased emissions due to their recent efforts in production technology upgrading, energy efficiency improvement and energy structure optimization. The influence of developed economies on emissions decreased due to their reduced dependency on imports. Targeted policy methods are provided from the production and consumption perspectives for developing and developed economies, respectively.
Measurement of Composites Index on Low Carbon Development Supporting Food Security
Authors: Adetama Dwi Sartika , Fauzi Akhmad , Juanda Bambang , Hakim Dedi Budiman
Published: December 2021

Since the concept of low carbon development (LCD) was adopted at the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, Indonesia has been committed to implementing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020, the country issued Presidential Regulation No. 18, which made LCD one of the national priority programs to maintain economic and social through low emission activities and reduce the overexploitation of natural resources. The LCD is a way for the country to overcome the tradeoff between economic growth and environmental degradation. Nevertheless, LCD is a new initiative for Indonesia, so it needs strategic indicators that influence the achievement of development. This paper attempts to integrate macro-regional development indicators that combine each region’s gross domestic product, human development index, and unemployment rate with LCD indicators, including the environmental quality index and g reenhouse gas emissions. The combined indicators were constructed by composite index through the Shannon entropy method, geometric and arithmetic means using the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method. The results show significant differences among provinces concerning to macro-regional indicators once the LCD indicators were incorporated. The results of this analysis could be used by policymakers to evaluate the green development of regions.
Compensation for Marine Ecological Damage: From ‘Tasman Sea’ to ‘Sanchi’
Authors: Wang Ying , Zou Keyuan
Published: December 2021

The research on marine ecological compensation is aimed to protect the marine environment and sustainably utilize marine ecosystem services, and is an important institutional instrument for coordination of the relationships among environmental, economic and other social interests. The legal mechanism of marine ecological compensation should be an important way to effectively deal with the contradictions (for examples: the value loss of marine ecosystem services, destruction of marine biodiversity, etc.) in marine eco-environmental protection. This paper firstly introduces the case of the “Sanchi” ship accident, which is regarded as the first collision case of a tanker carrying gas condensate in world shipping history, and also provides a detailed analysis of the “Tasman Sea” ship case which is regarded as the first compensation claim for marine ecological damage in China, and makes some related discussions on marine ecological compensation concerning the two cases. Then, the paper probes into the research theme from four aspects: China’s legislative deployment, the legal connotation of marine ecological damage (including the current legal status of compensation claims, subjects of compensation claims, the compensation scope and the evaluation system.), major challenges in legal practice, and remediation of marine ecological damage in China. Finally, the paper provides some suggestions on marine ecological damage compensation for the final settlement in the “Sanchi” case, and tries to explore the future trend of the research theme based on the China’s marine strategy.
Profitability of Crop Cultivation in Small Arable Fields When Taking Economic Values of Ecosystem Services into Account
Authors: Nilsson Daniel , Rosenqvist Håkan
Published: December 2021

Small arable fields are beneficial with regard to ecosystem services, e.g., concerning biodiversity. By selecting appropriate crops and cultivation practices, arable fields can also be used as carbon sinks. The objectives of this study were to investigate what impact field conditions (e.g., field size and shape) and payments (subsidies) for environmental benefits have on profitability. A dynamic simulation model was used to simulate machine operations in fields of two different shapes and five different sizes (from 0.75 to 12.00 ha). A wide range of crops cultivated in Sweden were investigated (fallow land and plantation of Norway spruce were also included). A perimeter-based subsidy was suggested in order to conserve and promote biodiversity, and an area- and crop-based subsidy was suggested in order to promote sequestration of soil organic carbon (SOC). The results showed that, without financial support and from a purely economic point of view, most field types investigated should be planted with Norway spruce. With currently available subsidies, e.g., EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) direct payments, hybrid aspen, poplar, fallow, and extensive ley cultivation are the most profitable crops. Perimeter-based subsidies favoured the net gain for small fields. As expected, a subsidy for sequestration of SOC favoured cultivation of specific SOC-sequestering crops such as ley, willow, and poplar. Our recommendation for future studies is to investigate a well-balanced combination of perimeter-based support and SOC sequestration support that benefits biodiversity and climate under different cultivation conditions.
Detailed Analysis of Spatial–Temporal Variability of Rainfall Erosivity and Erosivity Density in the Central and Southern Pannonian Basin
Authors: Micić Ponjiger Tanja , Lukić Tin , Basarin Biljana , Jokić Maja , Wilby Robert L. , Pavić Dragoslav , Mesaroš Minučer , Valjarević Aleksandar , Milanović Miško M. , Morar Cezar
Published: December 2021

Estimation of rainfall erosivity (RE) and erosivity density (ED) is essential for understanding the complex relationships between hydrological and soil erosion processes. The main objective of this study is to assess the spatial–temporal trends and variability of the RE and ED in the central and southern Pannonian Basin by using station observations and gridded datasets. To assess RE and ED, precipitation data for 14 meteorological stations, 225 grid points. and an erosion model consisting of daily, monthly, seasonal, and annual rainfall for the period of 1961–2014 were used. Annual RE and ED based on station data match spatially variable patterns of precipitation, with higher values in the southwest (2100 MJ·mm·ha−1·h−1) and southeast (1650 MJ·mm·ha−1·h−1) of the study area, but minimal values in the northern part (700 MJ·mm·ha−1·h−1). On the other hand, gridded datasets display more detailed RE and ED spatial–temporal variability, with the values ranging from 250 to 2800 MJ·mm·ha−1·h−1. The identified trends are showing increasing values of RE (ranging between 0.20 and 21.17 MJ·mm·ha−1·h−1) and ED (ranging between 0.01 and 0.03 MJ·ha−1·h−1) at the annual level. This tendency is also observed for autumn RE (from 5.55 to 0.37 MJ·mm·ha−1·h−1) and ED (from 0.05 to 0.01 MJ·ha−1·h−1), as for spring RE (from 1.00 to 0.01 MJ·mm·ha−1·h−1) and ED (from 0.04 to 0.01 MJ·ha−1·h−1), due to the influence of the large-scale processes of climate variability, with North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) being the most prominent. These increases may cause a transition to a higher erosive class in the future, thus raising concerns about this type of hydro-meteorological hazard in this part of the Pannonian Basin. The present analysis identifies seasons and places of greatest erosion risk, which is the starting point for implementing suitable mitigation measures at local to regional scales.
Capturing Twitter Negativity Pre- vs. Mid-COVID-19 Pandemic: An LDA Application on London Public Transport System
Authors: Politis Ioannis , Georgiadis Georgios , Kopsacheilis Aristomenis , Nikolaidou Anastasia , Papaioannou Panagiotis
Published: December 2021

The coronavirus pandemic has affected everyday life to a significant degree. The transport sector is no exception, with mobility restrictions and social distancing affecting the operation of transport systems. This research attempts to examine the effect of the pandemic on the users of the public transport system of London through analyzing tweets before (2019) and during (2020) the outbreak. For the needs of the research, we initially assess the sentiment expressed by users using the SentiStrength tool. In total, almost 250,000 tweets were collected and analyzed, equally distributed between the two years. Afterward, by examining the word clouds of the tweets expressing negative sentiment and by applying the latent Dirichlet allocation method, we investigate the most prevalent topics in both analysis periods. Results indicate an increase in negative sentiment on dates when stricter restrictions against the pandemic were imposed. Furthermore, topic analysis results highlight that although users focused on the operational conditions of the public transport network during the pre-pandemic period, they tend to refer more to the effect of the pandemic on public transport during the outbreak. Additionally, according to correlations between ridership data and the frequency of pandemic-related terms, we found that during 2020, public transport demand was decreased while tweets with negative sentiment were being increased at the same time.
Opportunities and Challenges of Companies from the Romanian E-Commerce Market for Sustainable Competitiveness
Authors: Hategan Camelia-Daniela , Pitorac Ruxandra-Ioana , Hategan Vasile-Petru , Imbrescu Carmen Mihaela
Published: December 2021

Consumer behavior differs from country to country, which may implicitly influence the financial performance of e-commerce companies. The paper’s objective is to study the characteristics of the companies from the Romanian e-commerce market for sustainable competitiveness. The empirical analysis was a quantitative and qualitative one. For the qualitative analysis of the studied sample, variables that represent the specific characteristics of companies were taken into account, the most relevant of which will be included as control variables in econometric models. Research results highlight that the recognized companies registered lower values of financial performance, they influence each other and for the company to improve the customer relationship, they have to invest in brand consolidation. The practical implications can be for managers to focus on companies’ branding, improving customer relations, disclosing more information about the company, the products they sell online, and sustainability actions to have sustainable competitiveness.
Barrier Longevity of NaCl-Laden Soil against Subterranean Termites in an Earth Embankment
Authors: Li Ying , Pan Dong-Zi
Published: December 2021

Subterranean termite-induced damage to earth embankments in agricultural systems occurs globally. NaCl-laden soil barriers (NLSBs) are an environmentally sustainable termite control method, and have exhibited good potential in preventing termite-related tunneling damage in Zhejiang Province, China. The persistence of the NaCl concentration in NLSBs is a key characteristic for the long-term prevention of subterranean termite infestations. This study is a scientific attempt to estimate the field efficacy and barrier longevity of NLSBs in reservoir embankments based on the Richards equation and the convection–dispersion equation using HYDRUS (2D/3D). The observed and simulated NaCl concentrations at the end of a 1915-day simulation were compared. The results indicated that the proposed model performed well and can effectively characterize the water flow and salt transport in NLSBs. The salt desalination rate of the NLSB in the upstream slope was higher than that in the downstream slope, both of which were significantly higher than that at the embankment axis. Regardless of the type of embankment (homogeneous or core-wall), the barrier longevity of NaCl-laden soil against subterranean termites can reach 50 years with an optimized NaCl/soil ratio in different parts of the embankment.
Research Production and International Visibility in Higher Education: The Evolution of Romanian Universities from 2011 to 2019
Authors: Kifor Claudiu Vasile , Teodorescu Daniel , Andrei Tudorel , Săvescu Roxana
Published: December 2021

The international visibility of Romanian universities is relatively weak, even when compared with neighboring countries. This is explained by the historical heritage of the former communist regime and the lack of a clear vision for a post-communist strategic policy that could guide the research enterprise. This study examined whether the higher education reforms launched in 2011 had an effect on the research output, impact and international visibility of Romanian universities. The researchers used bibliometric data and university ranking data from ARWU, THE and QS Rankings. Trends in aggregate bibliometric indicators were analyzed for 38 universities as a whole, and by type of institution. Additionally, the Theil index was utilized to measure the degree of concentration of the research output across three institutional types. The findings reveal that there was significant growth in research output during the first years following the 2011 Education Law. However, this growth could not be sustained beyond 2014, except for Teaching & Research Universities and medical universities. This suggests that the reforms are producing the expected results at institutions that implemented and enforced new evaluation systems heavily oriented toward research.
Developing a Construction Safety Standard System to Enhance Safety Supervision Efficiency in China: A Theoretical Simulation of the Evolutionary Game Process
Authors: Su Wenxin , Gao Xin , Jiang Yukun , Li Jinrong
Published: December 2021

Labor safety is one of the most fundamental indicators to improve contractors’ sustainability. Safety supervision plays a crucial role in affecting the safety performance of infrastructure projects. However, studies of standards development to enhance safety supervision efficiency are far from complete. Safety standards define safe behaviors for construction workers and hazard control processes in the workplace, and they are usually considered as an important part of safety control. In addition, the systematic reform of construction safety standards in China provides an innovative perspective to enhance safety supervision efficiency by linking standards to supervision. For this purpose, this paper proposes the concept and framework of the “Construction Safety Standard System (CSSS)” through expert interviews. CSSS hierarchically classifies safety standards and integrates similar standards. Its implementation will significantly influence the behavioral decisions of safety supervision stakeholders. Evolutionary game (EG) theory is applied to demonstrate the decision-making procedure in CSSS establishment and application. Furthermore, system dynamics (SD) is utilized to model and analyze equilibrium states under different supervision strategies. Meanwhile, case studies are implemented to assess the CSSS’s effectiveness in reality. The numerical results indicate that through CSSS implementation, the strategy choice fluctuation of supervisors and contractors is suppressed and a more desirable stable equilibrium is reached. The government tends to supervise and contractors tend to obey safety standards consciously. The findings reveal that CSSS can enhance safety supervision efficiency and have meaningful implications for theoretical study on safety supervision and construction safety management practice.
Carbon Dioxide Separation by Polyethylene Glycol and Glutamic Acid/Polyvinyl Alcohol Composite Membrane
Authors: Shiue Angus , Yin Ming-Jie , Tsai Min-Hsuan , Chang Shu-Mei , Leggett Graham
Published: December 2021

In this study, Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) blended with Polyethylene glycol (PEG), Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and Glutamic acid (GA) was cast on a reverse osmosis membrane to form a composite membrane. It is expected that the ether group can increase the CO2 affinity of the membrane. Sodium tetraborate (Borax) as a crosslinker can increase membrane basicity and glutamic acid (salt) can provide an enhanced transport mechanism, thereby improving the permeability and selectivity of carbon dioxide. FTIR spectra show that the thickness of coating is sufficiently low, while SEM results show that PVA-PEG series have a dense surface, and particles are observed on the surface of MSG/GA series. The gas permeance and separation performance of the composite membrane was tested using a single gas. Results showed that CO2 had higher permeance (GPU) at lower pressure differential. PEG with an ether group had the greatest effect on improving CO2 permeance and selectivity. However, MSG and GA with amine groups could not effectively improve CO2 selectivity due to solubility. The best coating solution was provided by PVA-PEG-1.2. The CO2 selectivity of the composite membrane was 10.05 with a pressure differential of 1.00 bar in a humid environment and no obvious deterioration was observed over a 10-day period. Borax can improve selectivity, water absorption, and thermal stability while avoiding the need for high temperature and long crosslinking time of aldehydes, which makes it possible to be used in a PVA carbon dioxide separation membrane.
Application of Entrepreneurial Intention Model in Comparative International Entrepreneurship Research: A Cross-Cultural Study of India and Saudi Arabia
Authors: Hoda Najmul , Ahmad Naim , Gupta Shankar Lal , Alam Mohammad Mahtab , Ahmad Irfan
Published: December 2021

The development of entrepreneurial activities helps in realization of multiple goals of sustainable development. This study aims to inspect the applicability of the entrepreneurial intention model (EIM) to explain entrepreneurial intention in different cultural contexts. A survey was conducted using the Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire. Based on 535 valid responses received from business students in India (N = 285) and Saudi Arabia (N = 250), the model was analyzed using the partial least square regression method. The results show that the EIM is validated for the combined sample (R2combined = 0.522) as well as for the individual samples (R2India = 0.644; R2Saudi = 0.412). Demographic variables and human capital variables were found to impact the entrepreneurial intention differently in the combined sample and the individual samples of the two countries. Multigroup analysis was performed to test if the country variable influences the hypothesized paths in the model. The results of the multigroup analysis show that many of the hypothesized relationships (gender-personal attitude; gender-subjective norm; gender-perceived behavioral control, role model-subjective norm, role model-perceived behavioral control, subjective norm-personal attitude, and subjective norm-entrepreneurial intention) are significantly different in the two countries. This study addresses the gap in comparative international entrepreneurship (CIE) research by testing the applicability of EIM in two different cultures. The findings are also significant for policymakers at both national and international levels for facilitating entrepreneurship.
Working Conditions and Their Importance for Eliminating Errors in the Order Picking Process, Using an E-Commerce Commercial Enterprise as an Example
Authors: Cierniak-Emerych Anna , Golej Robert , Różycka Hanna
Published: December 2021

The research presented herein aims to pinpoint the factors that cause errors in the order picking process in an e-commerce enterprise and to confirm or deny the assumption that these factors largely concern employees and their working conditions. Research method: A case study strategy, observation (non-compliance cards and identification of working conditions), and Lorenz–Pareto and Ishikawa were the methods used. Results: The research results indicate that working conditions are a key factor influencing the number of errors in the picking process. The usefulness of the research: The results show that paying particular attention to working conditions is not only good in the context of caring for the well-being of employees, but also as a means to reduce the number of errors and improve the pace of work. Limitations: Due to the methods used, which in turn result from the large variety of e-commerce entities, the research results are not universal and are limited to a specific situational context.