bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Water-Induced Soil Erosion as a Threat to Natura 2000 Protected Areas in Crete Island, Greece
Authors: Stefanidis Stefanos , Alexandridis Vasileios , Ghosal Kaushik
Published: February 2022

Water erosion is a major threat to biodiversity, according to the European Commission’s Soil Thematic Strategy, as it negatively affects soil structure, soil fertility and water availability for plants. The island of Crete (Southern Greece) has been characterized as a biodiversity hotspot including several Natura 2000 (N2K)-protected areas. The aim of this study was to model the soil loss rate in Crete regarding species richness, habitat types and their conservation status, as well as the MAES (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem and their Services) ecosystem types. To this end, the RUSLE soil erosion prediction model was implemented, using freely available geospatial data and cloud-computing processes. The estimated average soil loss in the study area was 6.15 t ha−1 y−1, while there was no significant difference between the terrestrial N2K (6.06 t ha−1 y−1) and non-N2K (6.19 t ha−1 y−1) areas. Notably, the natural habitats of principal importance for the conservation of biodiversity (referred to as “priority” areas), according to Annex I to Directive 92/43/EEC, are threatened by soil erosion with an estimated mean annual soil loss equal to 8.58 t ha−1 y−1. It is also notable that grasslands, heathland and shrubs and sparsely vegetated areas experienced the highest erosion rates among the identified MAES ecosystem types. The results showed that soil erosion is a serious threat to biodiversity in N2K-protected areas. Therefore, there is a need for systematic spatiotemporal monitoring and the implementation of erosion mitigation measures.
Exploratory Approach to Issues and Strategy Involved in Creating Industrial Revolution Time Environmental Sustainability by Construction Firms on Sites
Authors: Lekan Amusan , Chukwuemeka Okalome , Clinton Aigbavboa
Published: February 2022

Research outcomes all over the world have indicated that the building production sector of the construction industry relates more to the environment than other sectors of the economy and is directly involved with its sustainable activities in terms of waste generation and balancing the outcome has further been enhanced through industrial revolution time. The main aim of the study, therefore, was to carry out research on issues and challenges that revolve around contractors’ attitudes towards maintaining a controlled environment on construction sites. A mixed research design method that involved the quantitative and qualitative analysis was used for the study, while the samples were picked with a random sampling method. The total sample size of respondents is 100 questionnaires which were randomly selected for questionnaire administration to selected construction firms in Lagos state. The questionnaires were administered to professionals from different firms in Lagos State, Nigeria. A total of 100 questionnaires were distributed in this review while 92 questionnaires were duly returned by the respondents, which constitute 92% of the total questionnaires distributed. The categorical regression method was used in the analysis. ANOVA, Chi-square, and factor analysis were used for the analysis. The study discovered among other things that the following components of environmental sustainability are important to sustain on sites: environmental impact assessment, antiquities on-site, erodible surface, soil erosion monitoring, environmental ecosystem, and environmental biomass, rock mass found on-site, soil contamination monitoring and ecosystem services valuation, soil salinity monitoring, and water resources conservation. The study concludes by recommending that the design of an effective way of disposing of waste on-site and continually improving construction methods and procedures to enhance performance in achieving a sustainable environment are vital to sustaining a viable construction environment among other factors.
Impact of Water and Land Resources Matching on Agricultural Sustainable Economic Growth: Empirical Analysis with Spatial Spillover Effects from Yellow River Basin, China
Authors: Zhou Yujiao , Li Weifeng , Li Huihui , Wang Zhen , Zhang Bei , Zhong Kaiyang
Published: February 2022

Water and land resources are related to the security and stability of agricultural production, and the degree of matching in time and space directly affects regional agricultural production capacity and sustainable agricultural development. This paper intends to use the panel data of nine provinces in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2019 and incorporate the static and dynamic spatial Durbin models with spatial effects under the geographical adjacency matrix and the comprehensive weight matrix of economic geography, so as to explore the direct effects and indirect effects, short-term effects and long-term effects of the matching coefficient of agricultural water and land resources on the agricultural economic growth in the Yellow River Basin. The results show the following: (1) The matching situation of agricultural water and land resources in different provinces along the Yellow River Basin are different; some are relatively short of water resources, some are relatively balanced in water and land resources, and some are relatively short of land resources. (2) The static spatial Durbin model shows that the direct effect of the matching coefficient of agricultural water and land resources on the agricultural economic growth of the province is not significant; the indirect effect and the total effect of the spatial spillover is significantly positive. (3) The dynamic spatial Durbin model under the two matrix forms shows that the short-term total effect of the matching coefficient of agricultural water and land resources on agricultural economic growth is significantly positive, while the long-term total effect is significantly negative, and the direction and degree of the short-term and long-term effects are inconsistent. This study provides a comprehensive analysis framework from the perspective of local and neighborhood effect, and short-term and long-term effect, which can provide a reference to reasonably adjust the matching of agricultural water and land resources to promote agricultural sustainable economic growth, especially for developing countries.
Towards Sustainable Innovation in the Bakery Sector—An Example of Fibre-Enriched Bread
Authors: Królak Maria , Górska-Warsewicz Hanna , Mądra-Sawicka Magdalena , Rejman Krystyna , Żakowska-Biemans Sylwia , Szlachciuk Julita , Czeczotko Maksymilian , Kwiatkowski Bartosz , Zaremba Robert , Wojtaszek Michał
Published: February 2022

This study aimed to examine the drivers and types of sustainable product innovations undertaken in bakeries with a particular focus on fibre-enriched bread. This type of bread contributes to a healthy diet due to its increased content of dietary fibre, which is an essential but deficient component of the diet, especially in modern consumption patterns in affluent countries. The study was carried out using the Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) method on a sample of 402 companies operating in the Polish baking industry. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) using Burt tables was used to analyse the results. Four groups of companies were identified according to the number of new products introduced to the market: non-innovative, poorly innovative, moderately innovative, and sustainable innovative companies. The results show that the development of a “new formula” was the most frequently mentioned type of innovation in all groups of companies. Other types of product innovation were also identified among the highly innovative companies: a new product for the company, a new product for the consumer, and new packaging. The basic motivation for launching innovative products on the market was to follow new trends and meet consumer expectations. Therefore, the results indicate that a consumer approach to innovation prevailed. The surveyed bakeries perceived fibre-enriched bread as a product with high nutritional value and environmental benefits. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the drivers of sustainable innovation in the food industry and have some practical implications for bakery companies seeking competitive drivers based on sustainable innovation. The study showed that capturing the voice of the customer is important in developing product innovations in bakeries. A consumer-oriented strategy is a win-win strategy, as it will result in an increased range of products suitable for a healthy sustainable diet and environmental benefits using fibre waste from food processing.
Accessing the Impact of Floating Houses on Water Quality in Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia
Authors: Wai May Phue , Chem Vibol , Eang Khy Eam , Chhin Rattana , Siev Sokly , Heu Rina
Published: February 2022

The floating houses in Tonle Sap Lake might be one of the main factors for degradation of water quality since the people in floating houses discharge sewage and waste from their households into the lake. Therefore, the government of Cambodia has decided to move the floating houses in Chhnok Tru to the upland regions, and more than 90% of the floating houses in Chhnok Tru have already been moved in accordance with the government’s plan. However, the scientific information on water quality before and after moving the floating houses in Tonle Sap Lake is limited. Thus, this paper aimed to evaluate differences in basic water quality such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), conductivity (Cond), and nitrate (NO3−) before and after the floating houses were moved and to reveal the relationships between the floating houses and basic water quality. The water quality parameters were measured at 18 sampling sites in Chhnok Tru using an EXO sensor and NO3− was analyzed by ion chromatography (IC). Statistical analyses such as t-tests, correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used. The results show that the water quality was better after moving the floating houses; however, some parts of the study area were still polluted. In addition, the percentage of floating house distribution was significantly correlated with the temperature and ORP in the study area during dry and wet seasons. The obtained results are useful for making management decisions to sustainably manage the water quality in the area.
Green Housing Subsidy Strategies Considering Consumers’ Green Preference
Authors: Ma Weimin , Ren Zitong , Ke Hua
Published: February 2022

In order to address the environmental impact of building carbon emissions, some developed countries have established certification standards for green housing. However, in many other countries, the green housing and the traditional housing may coexist in the market, and consumers’ willingness to buy the green housing can be different. This paper constructs a duopoly game model that includes a green developer and a traditional developer considering the heterogeneity of consumers’ green preferences and studies how mandatory green standards and subsidies affect the green developer’s pricing decision, profits and the carbon emission reductions of the green housing. The results show that when the marginal cost of green technology is high, raising green standards will hurt the green developer’s profits. Therefore, fiscal subsidies should be considered. The green developer obtains higher profits when subsidizing green consumers. The effectiveness of increasing carbon emission reduction is better when subsidizing the green developer and how to subsidize depends on the cost structure of the green housing. In addition, subsidizing green consumers and the incremental cost of green housing can improve the policy effect of green housing standards. Therefore, a mixed policy of subsidies and green standards can also have a good effect.
Automated Estimation of Construction Equipment Emission Using Inertial Sensors and Machine Learning Models
Authors: Shahnavaz Farid , Akhavian Reza
Published: February 2022

The construction industry is one of the main producers of greenhouse gasses (GHG). With the looming consequences of climate change, sustainability measures including quantifying the amount of air pollution during a construction project have become an important project objective in the construction industry. A major contributor to air pollution during construction projects is the use of heavy equipment. Therefore, efficient operation and management can substantially reduce a project’s carbon footprint and other environmental harms. Using unintrusive and indirect methods to predict on-road vehicle emissions has been a widely researched topic. Nevertheless, the same is not true in the case of construction equipment. This paper describes the development and deployment of a framework that uses machine learning (ML) methods to predict the level of emissions from heavy construction equipment. Data is collected via an Internet of Things (IoT) approach with accelerometer and gyroscope sensors as data collection nodes. The developed framework was validated using an excavator performing real-world construction work. A portable emission measurement system (PEMS) was used along with the inertial sensors to record the amount of CO, NOX, CO2, SO2, and CH4 pollution emitted by the equipment. Different ML algorithms were developed and compared to identify the best model to predict emission levels from inertial sensors data. The results show that Random Forest with the coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.94, 0.91, and 0.94, and normalized root-mean-square error (NRMSE) of 4.25, 6.42, and 5.17 for CO, NOX, and CO2, respectively, was the best algorithm among different models evaluated in this study.
The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and Accounting Comparability on Earnings Persistence
Authors: Khuong Nguyen Vinh , Rahman Abdul Aziz Abdul , Meero Abdelrhman , Anh Le Huu Tuan , Liem Nguyen Thanh , Thuy Cao Thi Mien , Ly Huynh Thi Ngoc
Published: February 2022

The study aims to provide empirical evidence on the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and accounting comparability (AC) on earnings persistence (EP) in listed firms on the Vietnamese stock market. Data were collected from 76 companies that have disclosure financial statements, annual reports, and CSR of companies and listed firms on the Vietnamese stock market in the period from 2014 to 2017. The study used the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) regression method to evaluate the correlation. We believe that CSR and AC have a positive impact on EP. The study helps to contribute to a review of previous studies on the relationship between CSR disclosure, AC and EP in developing countries. The study points out some policy implications for regulators and firms on transparency in an information disclosure to increase AC and CSR on the basis of maintaining EP.
Homebuilder Activities and Knowledge of Tree Preservation during Construction: Comparison of Practitioners in Rural and Urban Locations
Authors: O’Herrin Keith , Hauer Richard , Pike Kaitlyn , Vogt Jess
Published: February 2022

Preservation of existing trees is one of the few tools available to communities seeking to maintain or increase tree canopy coverage. This study compared the knowledge and activities of builders in an urban locale with a strict tree preservation ordinance and rigorous enforcement against a rural locale with no tree preservation ordinance. Overall, there were more similarities than differences between the two groups though some of those differences are very important. Urban builders and rural builders scored a very similar average of correct responses on questions testing their knowledge: 63% and 65%, respectively. The major difference between urban and rural appears to be in activities as dictated by ordinance. Urban builders were more likely to consult tree preservation experts and use tree fence to create tree protection zones. The successful tree preservation outcomes in the urban community are likely a direct result of ordinance requirements and enforcement by the City Forester, not builders’ knowledge or their conscious decisions.
Sustainable Social Care: The Potential of Mainstream “Smart” Technologies
Authors: Hamblin Kate
Published: February 2022

Recent proposals for reform in England have presented widely available “smart” mainstream digital devices as a means to address some of the challenges facing adult social care and as alternatives to unsustainable analogue “telecare” systems. Drawing on 40 interviews with experts from local authorities, the care and technology sectors, and people with lived experience of social care services, we explored how mainstream technologies are being used in practice in England and critically examined their potential to contribute to policy priorities of wellbeing and sustainability. Across all expert groups interviewed, examples were cited in which the use of mainstream devices supported the economic sustainability of adult social care and/or enhanced aspects of wellbeing, moving the role of technology in care beyond monitoring and managing risks. However, when viewed through a three-dimensional conceptual lens that includes material, relational and subjective wellbeing, the use of smart devices in practice also created tensions and trade-offs between the dimensions, with implications for sustainability. The various ways mainstream devices are being used in adult social care also raised complexities related to risks, responsibilities, and inequalities and required “wraparound services”, tempering their ability to deliver cost savings. To address these issues, we suggest a person-centred approach to technology across local authorities, with investment in wraparound services and to mediate inequalities associated with the “digital divide”.
Research on the Influence of Wheelsets on the Visual Imagery of City Bicycles
Authors: Wu Fan , Lu Peng , Lin Yang-Cheng
Published: February 2022

City bicycles have become popular worldwide because they play an essential role in releasing urban traffic congestion and are environmentally friendly. Since wheelsets are the most prominent shape element in a bicycle, this research explores the influence of various wheel types on the visual image of a city bicycle. First, 10 wheelsets with a high market share in China were selected as the research samples. Meanwhile, vocabularies suitable for describing wheelsets were chosen from many vocabularies. Then, all vocabularies were summarized into six adjectives using factor analysis, and consumers were invited to evaluate all samples using the grouped adjectives. Finally, triangular fuzzy numbers were used to obtain the evaluation scores of 10 wheelsets on six adjectives, and the 10 wheelsets were divided into four groups based on the evaluation scores. The results show that the visual imagery evaluation of the 10 wheelsets had a significant difference in the “trimmed and stable”, “superior and presentable”, and “holistic and balanced” groups, but a slight difference in “novel and individualized”, “rhythmic and metrical”, and “mechanical and ordered.” The research results could serve as a reference for city bicycle operators and help improve product development efficiency, thereby promoting the sustainable development of city bicycles.
Validation and Factorial Invariance of the Life Skills Ability Scale in Mexican Higher Education Students
Authors: Vergara-Torres Argenis P. , Ortiz-Rodríguez Verónica , Reyes-Hernández Orlando , López-Walle Jeanette M. , Morquecho-Sánchez Raquel , Tristán José
Published: February 2022

The objective of this study was to validate the Life Skills Ability Scale through internal consistency and construct validity in the context of higher education in Mexico. In study 1, the reliability and factor structure of the scale were evaluated with a sample of 525 higher education students (Mage = 19.94 years, SD = 3.85). In study 2, the factor invariance of the instrument was analyzed based on sample gender, which consisted of 707 higher education students (Mage = 20.03 years, SD = 4.19). The results showed adequate reliability and construct validity with a second order model and an eight-factor structure (teamwork, goal-setting, time management, emotional skills, communication, social skills, leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making). Likewise, there was measure equivalence between men and women. In conclusion, the Spanish version of the Life Skills Ability Scale in a Mexican context is a reliable and valid instrument that allows the assessment of life skills in higher education students.
Mathematical Modeling of the Dynamic Temperature Profile in Geothermal-Energy-Heated Natural Gas Hydrate Reservoirs
Authors: Guo Boyun , Zhang He
Published: February 2022

An analytical model was developed in this study for predicting the dynamic temperature profile in natural gas hydrate (NGH) reservoirs that receive heat energy from a geothermal layer for accelerating gas production. The analytical model was validated by a comparison of its result to the result given by a numerical model. The expression of the analytical model shows that, for a given system, the heat transfer is proportional to the mass flow rate and the temperature drop along the heat dissipator wellbore. Applying the analytical model to the NGH reservoir in the Shenhu area, Northern South China Sea, allowed for predicting the dynamic temperature profile in the NGH reservoir. The model result reveals that the NGH reservoir temperature should increase quickly at any heat-affected point, but it should propagate slowly in the radial direction. It should take more than two years to dissociate NGH within 20 m of the heat dissipator wellbore due to only thermal stimulation. Therefore, the geo-thermal stimulation method should be used as a technique for accelerating gas production with a depressurization scheme. The formation of gas phase due to the NGH dissociation should reduce the thermal conductivity of the NGH reservoir, while the water phase that dropped out from the dissociation should increase the thermal conductivity. The resultant effect should be investigated in the future in laboratories and/or numerical simulation of the dynamic water-gas two-phase flow coupled with a heat–transfer mechanism.
Smooth and Resilient Human–Machine Teamwork as an Industry 5.0 Design Challenge
Authors: Kaasinen Eija , Anttila Anu-Hanna , Heikkilä Päivi , Laarni Jari , Koskinen Hanna , Väätänen Antti
Published: February 2022

Smart machine companions such as artificial intelligence (AI) assistants and collaborative robots are rapidly populating the factory floor. Future factory floor workers will work in teams that include both human co-workers and smart machine actors. The visions of Industry 5.0 describe sustainable, resilient, and human-centered future factories that will require smart and resilient capabilities both from next-generation manufacturing systems and human operators. What kinds of approaches can help design these kinds of resilient human–machine teams and collaborations within them? In this paper, we analyze this design challenge, and we propose basing the design on the joint cognitive systems approach. The established joint cognitive systems approach can be complemented with approaches that support human centricity in the early phases of design, as well as in the development of continuously co-evolving human–machine teams. We propose approaches to observing and analyzing the collaboration in human–machine teams, developing the concept of operations with relevant stakeholders, and including ethical aspects in the design and development. We base our work on the joint cognitive systems approach and propose complementary approaches and methods, namely: actor–network theory, the concept of operations and ethically aware design. We identify their possibilities and challenges in designing and developing smooth human–machine teams for Industry 5.0 manufacturing systems.
Sustainability Learning in Education for Sustainable Development for 2030: An Observational Study Regarding Environmental Psychology and Responsible Behavior through Rural Community Travel
Authors: Chen Fang-Hua , Tsai Chang-Ching , Chung Pei-Yin , Lo Wei-Shuo
Published: February 2022

This study explores how rural community travel can be an eco-innovation approach to enhance education for sustainable development (ESD) for 2030. The goal of ESD is to enable all-age learners to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4); therefore, effective education related to sustainability with respect to the local cultural context has become an urgent issue. Sustainability is not a specific problem, but concerns all living stakeholders, what they think, and how they work for sustainable community development. However, the intrinsic mechanism regarding the psychological process of outside responsible behavior change is still ignored. Therefore, we conducted a case study, wherein we selected a local cocoa cultural industry festival in southern Taiwan to understand the role of sustainability learning to explain this mechanism. The findings revealed that, in general, sustainability learning is a complex and reflexive process interlinked with different learners (stakeholders); it combines individual psychology and behavior, e.g., in positive psychology, learners care about the low-carbon services provided to tourists, and in negative psychology, they care more about finances. Notably, positive psychology affects responsible behavior, thus, promoting the preservation of the living environment. Additionally, we deduced that ESD can be enhanced by involving human senses and positive psychology.
Coping Strategies and Life Satisfaction among Romanian Emerging Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ștefenel Delia , Gonzalez Jose-Michael , Rogobete Silviu , Sassu Raluca
Published: February 2022

The aim of the present study was to understand coping mechanisms among Romanian youth in their response to institutional COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Data were collected from emerging adults (N = 214), aged 18–29, enrolled in various fields of study throughout a public university in Romania. Adopted versions of the Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences Scale (Brief-COPE, Carver, 1997) and Satisfaction with Life Scales (SLWS, Diener et al., 1985) were administered to explore the impact of the specific social distancing and isolation enforced pandemic restrictions. Findings elucidate the response styles, impact of coping skills, and strategies employed by students toward their well-being during stay-at-home courses. Results indicated that Romanian emerging-adults tend to use diverse strategies, but they use more disengagement, problem-focused coping, humor, socially supportive coping or religion, rather than denial, avoidant-focused coping or substance use, when faced with unprecedented situations during the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss these findings framed in resilience as it relates to the positive youth psychology framework.
Attention Pedestrians Ahead: Evaluating User Acceptance and Perceptions of a Cooperative Intelligent Transportation System-Warning System for Pedestrians
Authors: Zhang Yanghanzi , Li Shuo , Blythe Philip , Edwards Simon , Guo Weihong , Ji Yanjie , Xing Jin , Goodman Paul , Hill Graeme
Published: February 2022

Warning system for pedestrians (WSP), one of cooperative intelligent transport system (C-ITS) applications, is designed to increase safety for pedestrians but also for drivers and other road users. The evaluation of end-user acceptance and perceptions of this technology is crucial before deploying it in transportation systems. Five WSP human–machine interfaces (HMIs) were designed and simulated using a driver’s first-view video footage of driving through a pedestrian crossing in Newcastle upon Tyne. The five WSP designs were evaluated with 24 younger end users (35 years old and younger). This study first evaluated the usefulness of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) in modelling end-user acceptance in terms of behavioural intentions to use WSP. The results suggest that the UTAUT can be applied to investigate the end-user acceptance of WSP, with performance expectancy and effort expectancy influencing the behavioural intentions to use WSP. Furthermore, we investigated end-user attitudes towards various WSP human–machine interface (HMI) designs. Participants showed more positive attitudes towards visual-only interfaces than towards audio-only and multi-modal (combinations of visual and audio) interfaces. Above all, the findings of this research increase our understanding of public acceptance and perceptions of this C-ITS application.
Energy-Saving Oriented Manufacturing Workshop Facility Layout: A Solution Approach Using Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Zhang Zhongwei , Wu Lihui , Wu Zhaoyun , Zhang Wenqiang , Jia Shun , Peng Tao
Published: February 2022

Low-carbon sustainable development has become the consensus of manufacturing enterprises to fulfill their social responsibilities. Facility layout is an essential part of manufacturing system planning. Current research has demonstrated the advantages of energy saving on the manufacturing system level where operational methods (e.g., energy-efficient production scheduling and path planning) can be utilized and do not require massive investment in the existing legacy system. However, these efforts are mostly based on the existing fixed facility layout. Meanwhile, although facility layout problems have been extensively studied so far, the related work seldom involves the optimization of energy consumption (EC) or other EC-related environmental impact indicators, and does not clearly reveal if EC can be an independent optimization objective in facility layout. Accordingly, whether the energy-saving potential of a manufacturing system can be further tapped through rational facility layout is the gap of the current study. To address this, an investigation into energy-saving oriented manufacturing workshop facility layout is conducted. Correspondingly, an energy-efficient facility layout (EFL) model for the multi-objective optimization problem that minimizes total load transport distance and EC is formulated, and a multi-objective particle swarm optimization-based method is proposed as the solution. Furthermore, experimental studies verify the effectiveness of the presented model and its solution, indicating that EC can be regarded as an independent optimization objective during facility layout, and EFL is a feasible energy-saving approach for a manufacturing system.
Impact of Smart Economy on Smart Areas and Mediation Effect of National Economy
Authors: Popova Yelena , Popovs Sergejs
Published: February 2022

The smart city presupposes the integration of different parts—Smart Economy, Smart Environment, Smart People, Smart Living, Smart Mobility, and Smart Governance. The integration assumes the certain relations between them. There are researches considering the impact of separate economic indicators on specific smart area or solutions. Nevertheless, the authors have not come across any studies considering the mutual impact of these areas. The goal of the research is to determine the direct effects of smart economy on other smart components and the indirect (mediation) impact of general indicators of national economy on smart domains. The model was estimated using the PLS-SEM technique tested in SmartPLS-3.3.7. software. The sample included statistical data on the indicators, received from Eurostat Database and Latvian Statistical Office. Data referred to Latvia for years 2009–2019. As a result, the hypotheses that Smart Economy has direct impact on smart people, smart living, smart mobility, smart environment, and smart society were supported. The mediation effect of general indicators of national economy was confirmed only for the smart society domain; other hypotheses were rejected. The obtained results can be practically applied by the authorities responsible for sustainable development of smart areas. The results of mediation effect can be especially interesting for countries that do not present a very high level of economic development but are developing smart, sustainable cities.
Relationship between the Degree of Internationalization and Greenwashing of Environmental Responsibilities in China-Based on the Legitimacy Perspective
Authors: Zhang Kesen , Pan Zhen , Janardhanan Mukund
Published: February 2022

Based on the legitimacy theory, A-share-listed companies in the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2007 to 2018 are taken as the research sample. This paper explores the internal mechanism of how internationalization degree affects the greenwashing behavior of Chinese multinational enterprises, and tests the moderating mechanism of legitimacy pressures from the home country. The findings are as follows: First, under the background of internationalization, enterprises are more inclined to greenwash, and this tendency is more obvious with the increase in internationalization degree. Second, in the full sample analysis, the moderating effects of environmental regulation, public pressure, and industry pressure are not statistically significant. Third, the moderating effect of legitimacy pressures varies due to the heterogeneity of regions and property rights of the enterprises. The statistical significance of the moderating effect is affected by the diversity of environmental regulation measures, but it can be roughly concluded that the eastern and western regions show a negative moderating effect, and the central region shows a positive moderating effect. The current moderating effect of public pressure is much stronger than the lagging moderating effect, and it shows obvious regional and property rights differences. The moderating effect of industry pressure also shows obvious regional and property rights differences.
Configurational Paths of Leadership Competency Shortages and 4.0 Leadership Effectiveness: An fs/QCA Study
Authors: Kwiotkowska Anna , Wolniak Radosław , Gajdzik Bożena , Gębczyńska Magdalena
Published: February 2022

This study examines various leadership competency shortages, such as shortages in strategic perspective; critical analysis and self-vision; managing resources, communication, and achieving results; empowering and developing teams; self-awareness and intuitiveness; and sensitivity—all of which influence problems with 4.0 leadership effectiveness. The effectiveness of 4.0 leadership was assessed in the article in relation to the effectiveness of the leadership style and its relevance to Industry 4.0. The data sample considered 86 small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in Poland. The analysis used a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA) methodology, which allows for identifying a configuration of causes that lead to the analysed outcome. The innovativeness of the research carried out lies in the fact that the authors examined the relations of deficiencies (gaps) of certain features attributed to leaders which are dependent on each other and which determine the effectiveness of the leader. The results support the argument that different configurations of leadership competency shortages lead to low 4.0 leadership effectiveness. Almost all configurations had a low leadership competence related to strategic perspective. The position we present regarding the configurations of competency shortages and leadership effectiveness is important for considering the development of the profile of leaders in organizations. The research presented complements the characteristics of leaders in the context of building an Industry 4.0 organization.
Sex Differences in the Expression of c-fos in a Rat Brain after Exposure to Environmental Noise
Authors: Fernández-Quezada David , Luquín Sonia , Ruvalcaba-Delgadillo Yaveth , García-Estrada Joaquin , Jauregui-Huerta Fernando
Published: February 2022

Noise is an inarticulate stimulus that threatens health and well-being. It compromises audition and induces a strong stress response that activates the brain at several levels. In the present study, we expose male and female rats to environmental noise in order to investigate if acute or chronic stimulation produces differential brain activation patterns. The animals were exposed to a rat’s audiogram-fitted adaptation of a noisy environment and later sacrificed to quantify the expression of the brain activity marker c-fos. Additionally, the serum corticosterone (CORT) levels were measured to elucidate possible the stress-related effects of noise. It was found that environmental noise differentially increased the serum CORT levels in male and female rats. We identified 17 brain regions outside the classical auditory circuits with a high expression of c-fos, including the hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex, habenular complex, septum, cingulate cortex, nucleus accumbens, insular cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. Overall, we evidenced that females exhibit less intense c-fos expression in most of the examined areas. We concluded that females might be less affected by the changes produced by environmental noise.
Valorization of Hazardous Organic Solid Wastes towards Fuels and Chemicals via Fast (Catalytic) Pyrolysis
Authors: Rekos Kyriazis C. , Charisteidis Ioannis D. , Tzamos Evangelos , Palantzas Georgios , Zouboulis Anastasios I. , Triantafyllidis Konstantinos S.
Published: February 2022

The management of municipal and industrial organic solid wastes has become one of the most critical environmental problems in modern societies. Nowadays, commonly used management techniques are incineration, composting, and landfilling, with the former one being the most common for hazardous organic wastes. An alternative eco-friendly method that offers a sustainable and economically viable solution for hazardous wastes management is fast pyrolysis, being one of the most important thermochemical processes in the petrochemical and biomass valorization industry. The objective of this work was to study the application of fast pyrolysis for the valorization of three types of wastes, i.e., petroleum-based sludges and sediments, residual paints left on used/scrap metal packaging, and creosote-treated wood waste, towards high-added-value fuels, chemicals, and (bio)char. Fast pyrolysis experiments were performed on a lab-scale fixed-bed reactor for the determination of product yields, i.e., pyrolysis (bio)oil, gases, and solids (char). In addition, the composition of (bio)oil was also determined by Py/GC-MS tests. The thermal pyrolysis oil from the petroleum sludge was only 15.8 wt.% due to the remarkably high content of ash (74 wt.%) of this type of waste, in contrast to the treated wood and the residual paints (also containing 30 wt.% inorganics), which provided 46.9 wt.% and 35 wt.% pyrolysis oil, respectively. The gaseous products ranged from ~7.9 wt.% (sludge) to 14.7 (wood) and 19.2 wt.% (paints), while the respective solids (ash, char, reaction coke) values were 75.1, 35, and 36.9 wt.%. The thermal (non-catalytic) pyrolysis of residual paint contained relatively high concentrations of short acrylic aliphatic ester (i.e., n-butyl methacrylate), being valuable monomers in the polymer industry. The use of an acidic zeolitic catalyst (ZSM-5) for the in situ upgrading of the pyrolysis vapors induced changes on the product yields (decreased oil due to cracking reactions and increased gases and char/coke), but mostly on the pyrolysis oil composition. The main effect of the ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst was that, for all three organic wastes, the catalytic pyrolysis oils were enriched in the value-added mono-aromatics (BTX), especially in the case of the treated wood waste and residual paints. The non-condensable gases were mostly consisting of CO, CO2, and different amounts of C1–C4 hydrocarbons, depending on initial feed and use or not of the catalyst that increased the production of ethylene and propylene.
Symmetries in Dynamic Models of Biological Systems: Mathematical Foundations and Implications
Authors: Villaverde Alejandro F.
Published: February 2022

Symmetries are ubiquitous in nature. Almost all organisms have some kind of “symmetry”, meaning that their shape does not change under some geometric transformation. This geometrical concept of symmetry is intuitive and easy to recognize. On the other hand, the behavior of many biological systems over time can be described with ordinary differential equations. These dynamic models may also possess “symmetries”, meaning that the time courses of some variables remain invariant under certain transformations. Unlike the previously mentioned symmetries, the ones present in dynamic models are not geometric, but infinitesimal transformations. These mathematical symmetries can be related to certain features of the system’s dynamic behavior, such as robustness or adaptation capabilities. However, they can also arise from questionable modeling choices, which may lead to non-identifiability and non-observability. This paper provides an overview of the types of symmetries that appear in dynamic models, the mathematical tools available for their analyses, the ways in which they are related to system properties, and the implications for biological modeling.
Some New Estimates on Coordinates of Left and Right Convex Interval-Valued Functions Based on Pseudo Order Relation
Authors: Khan Muhammad Bilal , Srivastava Hari Mohan , Mohammed Pshtiwan Othman , Nonlaopon Kamsing , Hamed Yasser S.
Published: February 2022

The relevance of convex and non-convex functions in optimization research is well known. Due to the behavior of its definition, the idea of convexity also plays a major role in the subject of inequalities. The main concern of this paper is to establish new integral inequalities for newly defined left and right convex interval-valued function on coordinates through pseudo order relation and double integral. Some of the Hermite–Hadamard type inequalities for the product of two left and right convex interval-valued functions on coordinates are also obtained. Moreover, Hermite–Hadamard–Fejér type inequalities are also derived for left and right convex interval-valued functions on coordinates. Some useful examples are also presented to prove the validity of this study. The proved results of this paper are generalizations of many known results, which are proved by Dragomir, Latif et al. and Zhao, and can be vied as applications of this study.
Physical Significance of Noether Symmetries
Authors: Qadir Asghar , Camci Ugur
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we will trace the development of the use of symmetry in discussing the theory of motion initiated by Emmy Noether in 1918. Though it started with its use in classical mechanics, and has been heavily used in engineering applications of mechanics, it came into its own in relativity, and quantum theory and their applications in particle physics and field theory. It will be beyond the scope of this article to explain the quantum field theory applications in any detail, but the base for understanding it will be provided here. We will also go on to discuss an insight from some more mathematical developments related to Noether symmetry.
Numerical Simulation and Experimental Analysis of Thermal Cycles and Phase Transformation Behavior of Laser-Welded Advanced Multiphase Steel
Authors: Morawiec Mateusz , Kik Tomasz , Stano Sebastian , Różański Maciej , Grajcar Adam
Published: February 2022

This work presents the results of the comparison between simulations and experiments of the laser welding of advanced multiphase steel. The numerical simulations of welding with different parameters were carried out using the Sysweld software. The geometry of the weld and structural constituents as well as stress distributions were analyzed. The simulated thermal cycles were incorporated in the JMatPro software to determine the phase transformation kinetics during cooling. The experimental tests were performed to compare the simulations with the real results. According to them, the shape of the weld and its width were symmetrical according to the weld axis. The simulated values were higher compared to the real one at heat inputs higher than 0.048 kJ/mm. The microstructure investigations conducted with scanning electron microscopy showed a good agreement in the fusion zone. Some differences in the microstructure of heat-affected zone and transition zone were identified. According to the phase transformation simulations, the weld should be composed of only martensite. The real microstructure was composed of martensite and some fraction of bainite in the heat affected zone. The more complex microstructure consisting of ferrite, bainite and retained austenite was present in the transition zone. The results of measured and simulated hardness indicated the good agreement with the difference of 17 HV0.1.
Constraints on Cosmic Ray Acceleration Capabilities of Black Holes in X-ray Binaries and Active Galactic Nuclei
Authors: Tursunov Arman , Kološ Martin , Stuchlík Zdeněk
Published: February 2022

Rotating black holes (BHs) are likely the largest energy reservoirs in the Universe as predicted by BH thermodynamics, while cosmic rays (CRs) are the most energetic among particles detected on Earth. Magnetic fields surrounding BHs combined with strong gravity effects, thanks to the spacetime symmetries, turn the BHs into powerful accelerators of charged particles. At the same time, in the age of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger astronomy, BHs and their environments have not yet been probed with CR messengers, despite being observed across most of the electromagnetic spectrum, and neutrino and gravitational waves. In this paper, we probe the acceleration capabilities of BHs in 8 galactic X-ray binaries and 25 local active galactic nuclei (AGNs) within 100 Mpc, based on the ultra-efficient regime of the magnetic Penrose process of a BH energy extraction combined with observational data. We find that the maximum energy of the galactic BHs can reach only up to the knee of the CR spectrum, including supermassive BH Sgr A* at the Galactic Center. On the other hand, for supermassive BHs in AGNs, we find that the mean energy of primary CRs is of the order of 1019 eV. It is therefore likely that local supermassive BHs give sufficient contribution to the ankle—a sharp change in the slope of the cosmic ray spectrum around 1018.6 eV energy. We also discuss the energy losses of primary CRs close to the acceleration zones. In the galactic BH cases, it is likely dominated by synchrotron radiation losses.
Cascaded Multilevel Inverter-Based Asymmetric Static Synchronous Compensator of Reactive Power
Authors: Šapurov Martynas , Baskys Algirdas , Pomarnacki Raimondas , Serackis Artūras , Jankauskas Mindaugas , Huynh Van Khang , Bleizgys Vytautas , Dervinis Aldas , Bielskis Edvardas , Paulikas Sarunas , Paulauskas Nerijus , Guršnys Darius
Published: February 2022

The topology of the static synchronous compensator of reactive power for a low-voltage three-phase utility grid capable of asymmetric reactive power compensation in grid phases has been proposed and analysed. It is implemented using separate, independent cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverters for each phase. Every inverter includes two H-bridge cascades. The first cascade operating at grid frequency is implemented using thyristors, and the second one—operating at high frequency is based on the high-speed MOSFET transistors. The investigation shows that the proposed compensator is able to compensate the reactive power in a low-voltage three-phase grid when phases are loaded by highly asymmetrical reactive loads and provides up to three times lower power losses in the compensator as compared with the situation when the compensator is based on the conventional three-level inverters implemented using IGBT transistors.