bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Chemical Element Composition of Turmeric Grown in Soil–Climate Conditions of Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan
Authors: Jabborova Dilfuza , Choudhary Ravish , Karunakaran Rohini , Ercisli Sezai , Ahlawat Jyoti , Sulaymanov Khurshid , Azimov Abdulahat , Jabbarov Zafarjon
Published: July 2021

A mineral fertiliser has positive effects in improving turmeric nutrients, soil enzymes and soil properties. The aim of this research was to study the effect of mineral fertilisers on the content of mineral elements in turmeric rhizome, soil enzymes activity and soil properties in the Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan. For the first time in Uzbekistan, the turmeric rhizome was cultivated to study the mineral elements present in the rhizome. A microplot experiment was conducted with four treatments including T1 (Control), T2 (N75P50K50 kg/ha), T3 (N125P100K100 kg/ha) and T4 (N100P75K75 + B3Zn6Fe6 kg/ha) and turmeric rhizome, which were collected for observation along with the soil samples. The analyses indicated that the NPK + BZnFe (100:75:75:3:6:6 kg/ha) treatment significantly improved minerals such as K, Ca, P, Mg and Na contents rhizome as compared to the control without fertiliser. Likewise, the maximum quantity of micronutrient content viz., Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr and Si was also recorded in turmeric rhizome treated with NPK + BZnFe (125:100:100:3:6:6 kg/ha). It showed an increase in these micronutrients in the rhizome compared to the control, followed by a low rate of NPK (75:50:50 kg/ha). The highest content in terms of total N, P, K content, humus, active phosphorus, potassium, and enzymes activity was also observed in soil with the treatment of mineral fertiliser viz., NPK + BznFe (100:75:75:3:6:6 kg/ha), which enhanced soil nutrient and enzyme activity. The NPK + BznFe (100:75:75:3:6:6 kg/ha) treatment significantly increased the active N content by 40%, total P content by 38% and total K content by 22% in comparison to the control without mineral fertiliser. Overall, it was found that NPK + BznFe (100:75:75:3:6:6 kg/ha) was significantly valuable for enhancing the total nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels in the soil compared to control, which is useful for improving soil health in terms of soil enzyme and soil nutrients. Additionally, the micronutrients in turmeric rhizome were significantly enhanced when using this combination of fertiliser applications [NPK + BznFe (100:75:75:3:6:6 kg/ha)]. Therefore, this present study revealed that the NPK+BznFe (100:75:75:3:6:6 kg/ha) could produce the most significant yield of high-quality turmeric plants and improve soil properties in Uzbek soil–climate conditions.
Correction: Aung et al. Air Permeability, Shock Absorption Ability, and Flexural Strength of 3D-Printed Perforated ABS Polymer Sheets with 3D-Knitted Fabric Cushioning for Sports Face Guard Applications. Polymers 2021, 13, 1879
Authors: Aung Thet Khaing , Churei Hiroshi , Tanabe Gen , Kinjo Rio , Togawa Kaito , Li Chenyuan , Tsuchida Yumi , Tun Phyu Sin , Hlaing Shwe , Takahashi Hidekazu , Ueno Toshiaki
Published: July 2021

Error in Figures 3 and 6 [...]
Water-Induced Breaking of Interfacial Cohesiveness in a Poly(lactic acid)/Miscanthus Fibers Biocomposite
Authors: Delpouve Nicolas , Faraj Hajar , Demarest Clément , Dontzoff Eric , Garda Marie-Rose , Delbreilh Laurent , Berton Benjamin , Dargent Eric
Published: July 2021

The impact of the immersion in water on the morphology and the thermomechanical properties of a biocomposite made of a matrix of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) modified with an ethylene acrylate toughening agent, and reinforced with miscanthus fibers, has been investigated. Whereas no evidence of hydrolytic degradation has been found, the mechanical properties of the biocomposite have been weakened by the immersion. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) pictures reveal that the water-induced degradation is mainly driven by the cracking of the fiber/matrix interface, suggesting that the cohesiveness is a preponderant factor to consider for the control of the biocomposite decomposition in aqueous environments. Interestingly, it is observed that the loss of mechanical properties is aggravated when the stereoregularity of PLA is the highest, and when increasing the degree of crystallinity. To investigate the influence of the annealing on the matrix behavior, crystallization at various temperatures has been performed on tensile bars of PLA made by additive manufacturing with an incomplete filling to enhance the contact area between water and polymer. While a clear fragilization occurs in the material crystallized at high temperature, PLA crystallized at low temperature better maintains its properties and even shows high elongation at break likely due to the low size of the spherulites in these annealing conditions. These results show that the tailoring of the mesoscale organization in biopolymers and biocomposites can help control their property evolution and possibly their degradation in water.
Improvement for Oxidative Stability and Sensory Properties of Sunflower Oil Flavored by Huai Chrysanthemum × morifolium Ramat. Essential Oil during Accelerated Storage
Authors: Meng Yudong , Yang Haoduo , Wang Dongying , Ma Yuxiang , Wang Xuede , Blasi Francesca
Published: July 2021

Flavored oils, as one of the most important condiments in cuisine, are widely used in vegetable oils all over the world. The oxidative stability and sensory qualities of sunflower oil, flavored by essential oil obtained from Chrysanthemum × morifolium Ramat. (HCEO) extraction, were studied. After the accelerated storage at 65 °C for 30 days, HCEO (1600 mg/kg) was able to markedly inhibit the increase in some important indicators of lipid alteration, among which acidity, peroxide, ρ-anisidine and total oxidation values, together with other parameters (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, conjugated dienes and trienes). Finally, it was observed that the sunflower oil flavored by HCEO (1600 mg/kg) restrain the modifications of fatty acid compositions and showed improved sensory properties in respect to non-added oil. Consequently, HCEO can be considered a valid additive for flavored vegetable oils with antioxidant effects.
Towards Full Utilization of Biomass Resources: A Case Study on Industrial Hemp Residue and Spent Mushroom Substrate
Authors: Dessie Wubliker , Luo Xiaofang , Tang Jiachen , Tang Wufei , Wang Meifeng , Qin Zuodong , Tan Yimin
Published: July 2021

This was early-stage, proof-of-concept research on the full utilization of biomass resources. The current study considered industrial hemp residue (IHR) and spent mushroom substrate (SMS) to demonstrate the initial upstream steps towards the total valorization of biomass. Accordingly, different pretreatment methods such as autohydrolysis, thermal hydrolysis, and thermochemical hydrolysis methods were employed against individual and various mix ratios of IHR and SMS. To this end, raw materials, hydrolysates, and residual solids were analyzed to gain some insights, identify gaps, and suggest future research directions in this area. Implementation of the full utilization of biomass resources is, in fact, not only a matter of transforming the resources into valuable products, but it is also a plausible waste management strategy in the quest towards the development of a circular bioeconomy and sustainable future.
Author-Suggested, Weighted Citation Index: A Novel Approach for Determining the Contribution of Individual Researchers
Authors: Konar Tanmoy
Published: July 2021

A novel scientometric index, named ‘author-suggested, weighted citation index’ (Aw-index) is proposed to indicate the scientific contribution of any individual researcher. For calculation of the Aw-index, it is suggested that during the submission of a scholarly article, the corresponding author would provide a statement, agreed upon by all the authors, containing weightage factors against each author of the article. The author who contributed more to the article would secure a higher weightage factor. The summation of the weightage factors of all the authors of an article should be unity. The citation points a researcher receives from a scholarly publication is the product of his/her weightage factor for that article and the total number of citations of the article. The Aw-index of any individual researcher is the summation of the citation points he/she receives for all his/her publications as an author. The Aw-index provides the opportunity to the group of authors of a multi-authored article to determine the quantum of partial citations to be attributed to each of them. Through an illustrative example, a comparison of the proposed index with the major scientometric indexes is presented to highlight the advantages of the Aw-index.
Tracking the Fate of Aluminium in the EU Using the MaTrace Model
Authors: Jarrín Jácome Gabriela , Godoy León María Fernanda , Alvarenga Rodrigo A. F. , Dewulf Jo
Published: July 2021

Aluminium is a metal of high economic importance for the European Union (EU), presenting unique properties (e.g., light weight and high corrosion resistance) and with applications in important sectors (e.g., transportation, construction and packaging). It is also known for its high recyclability potential, but relevant losses occur in its life cycle, compromising the amount of aluminium available for secondary production. A novel methodology that allows the identification of these losses and their impact on the aluminium flows in society is the MaTrace model. The objective of this article is to perform a dMFA of the secondary production of aluminium in the EU technosphere using the modified version of MaTrace, in order to estimate flows of the metal embedded in 12 product categories. Twelve scenarios were built in order to assess the impact of changes in policies, demand and technology. The flows were forecasted for a period of 25 years, starting in 2018. The results of the baseline scenario show that after 25 years, 24% of the initial material remains in use, 4% is hoarded by users, 10% has been exported and 61% has been physically lost. The main contributor to the losses is the non-selective collection of end-of-life products. The results of the different scenarios show that by increasing the collection-to-recycling rates of the 12 product categories, the aluminium that stays in use increase up to 32.8%, reaffirming that one way to keep the material in use is to improve the collection-to-recycling schemes in the EU.
Combining Multiple Geospatial Data for Estimating Aboveground Biomass in North Carolina Forests
Authors: Hashemi-Beni Leila , Kurkalova Lyubov A. , Mulrooney Timothy J. , Azubike Chinazor S.
Published: July 2021

Mapping and quantifying forest inventories are critical for the management and development of forests for natural resource conservation and for the evaluation of the aboveground forest biomass (AGFB) technically available for bioenergy production. The AGFB estimation procedures that rely on traditional, spatially sparse field inventory samples constitute a problem for geographically diverse regions such as the state of North Carolina in the southeastern U.S. We propose an alternative AGFB estimation procedure that combines multiple geospatial data. The procedure uses land cover maps to allocate forested land areas to alternative forest types; uses the light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data to evaluate tree heights; calculates the area-total AGFB using region- and tree-type-specific functions that relate the tree heights to the AGFB. We demonstrate the procedure for a selected North Carolina region, a 2.3 km2 area randomly chosen in Duplin County. The tree diameter functions are statistically estimated based on the Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) data, and two publicly available, open source land cover maps, Crop Data Layer (CDL) and National Land Cover Database (NLCD), are compared and contrasted as a source of information on the location and typology of forests in the study area. The assessment of the consistency of forestland mapping derived from the CDL and the NLCD data lets us estimate how the disagreement between the two alternative, widely used maps affects the AGFB estimation. The methodology and the results we present are expected to complement and inform large-scale assessments of woody biomass in the region.
Cold Wave-Induced Reductions in NDII and ChlRE for North-Western Pacific Mangroves Varies with Latitude and Climate History
Authors: Peereman Jonathan , Hogan J. Aaron , Lin Teng-Chiu
Published: July 2021

Mangrove forests growing at the poleward edges of their geographic distribution are occasionally subject to freezing (<0 °C) and cold wave (>0 °C) events. Cold wave effects on mangrove trees are well documented and adaptation to cold stress has been reported for local mangrove populations in the North Atlantic. However, there is less understanding of effects of cold waves on mangroves in the northern Pacific, especially at the regional scale. Moreover, it is unclear if cold tolerant mangrove species of North Asia display variation in resistance to cold temperatures across their geographic distribution. Using a cold wave event that occurred in January 2021, we evaluated the effects of low temperatures on vegetation index (VI) change (relative to a recent five-year baseline) for mangrove forests dominated by Kandelia obovata (Rhizophoraceae) and Avicennia marina (Acanthaceaee) at the northern edge of their geographical range. We used two VIs derived from Sentinel-2 imagery as indicators for canopy health: the normalized difference infrared index (NDII) and the chlorophyll red-edge index (ChlRE), which reflect forest canopy water content and chlorophyll concentration, respectively. We isolated the cold wave effects on the forest canopy from phenology (i.e., cold wave induced deviation from a five-year baseline) and used multiple linear regression to identify significant climatic predictors for the response of mangrove forest canopy VI change to low temperatures. For areas where the cold wave resulted in temperatures <10 °C, immediate decreases in both VIs were observed, and the VI difference relative to the baseline was generally greater at 30-days after the cold wave than when temperatures initially recovered to baseline values, showing a slight delay in VI response to cold wave-induced canopy damage. Furthermore, the two VIs did not respond consistently suggesting that cold-temperature induced changes in mangrove canopy chlorophyll and water content are affected independently or subject to differing physiological controls. Our results confirm that local baseline (i.e., recent past) climate predicts canopy resistance to cold wave damage across K. obovata stands in the northern Pacific, and in congruence with findings from New World mangroves, they imply geographic variation in mangrove leaf physiological resistance to cold for Northern Pacific mangroves.
An Open Source Approach for Near-Real Time Mapping of Oil Spills along the Mediterranean Coast of Egypt
Authors: El-Magd Islam Abou , Zakzouk Mohamed , Ali Elham M. , Abdulaziz Abdulaziz M.
Published: July 2021

Oil pollution is one of the major critical risks to the Egypt’s marine environment due to the heavy traffic caused by shipping in the Suez Canal and the exploration and production of crude oil. Indeed, such frequent oil pollution cases harm to the marine ecosystem and creates pressure on the socio-economic activities within the coastal economic zone of Egypt. Limited data availability creates obstacles to the precise monitoring of oil pollution and the ability to alert the environment agency to take any necessary actions. This research explored the potentiality of developing an open-source model with the use of open-access Sentinel 1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from the European Space Agency to operationally monitor oil pollution at near-real time. As such, early detection and quantification of the volume of pollution creates an early warning system that supports decision makers in clean-up operations and the prosecution of the polluter. The developed model uses an open-source GIS system and Sentinel-1 SAR data to robustly detect and map oil spills and create an a report to alert the appropriate agency of the spill. The model examined a large amount of data, nearly 2000 scenes from the Sentinel 1 SAR sensor, that cover the area of study from 2014 to 2020. The model detected approximately 218 oil pollution cases within this time frame, with about 35% occurring in 2017 alone. The statistical analysis and frequency of oil pollution is mapped near the entrance of Suez Canal and the city of Port Said. This area is known as the anchoring area for the maritime ships that travel via the Suez Canal, and there are also oil and gas production nearby. It was found that the drift direction of the oil spills near Port Said move southwards, which creates a hazard for local fishing activities, Port Said touristic beaches, and marine ports. This model is the scientific and practical solution for the city council and the environmental agency to continuously monitor and receive alerts regarding any oil pollution cases in order to protect the coastal and marine socio-economic ecosystem and maintain sustainability.
Multilayered Composites with Modulus Gradient for Enhanced Pressure—Temperature Sensing Performance
Authors: Jeong Changyoon , Hwang Sang-Ha , Kim Byeong-Joo , Chae Han Gi , Park Young-Bin
Published: July 2021

Highly sensitive and flexible composite sensors with pressure and temperature sensing abilities are of great importance in human motion monitoring, robotic skins, and automobile seats when checking the boarding status. Several studies have been conducted to improve the temperature-pressure sensitivity; however, they require a complex fabrication process for micro-nanostructures, which are material-dependent. Therefore, there is a need to develop the structural designs to improve the sensing abilities. Herein, we demonstrate a flexible composite with an enhanced pressure and temperature sensing performance. Its structural design consists of a multilayered composite construction with an elastic modulus gradient. Controlled stress concentration and distribution induced by a micropatterned structure between the layers improves its pressure and temperature sensing performance. The proposed composite sensor can monitor a wide range of pressure and temperature stimuli and also has potential applications as an automotive seat sensor for simultaneous human temperature detection and occupant weight sensing.
Fully Integrated 3D-Printed Electronic Device for the On-Field Determination of Antipsychotic Drug Quetiapine
Authors: Ragazou Katerina , Lougkovois Rallis , Katseli Vassiliki , Kokkinos Christos
Published: July 2021

In this work, we developed a novel all-3D-printed device for the simple determination of quetiapine fumarate (QF) via voltammetric mode. The device was printed through a one-step process by a dual-extruder 3D printer and it features three thermoplastic electrodes (printed from a carbon black-loaded polylactic acid (PLA)) and an electrode holder printed from a non-conductive PLA filament. The integrated 3D-printed device can be printed on-field and it qualifies as a ready-to-use sensor, since it does not require any post-treatment (i.e., modification or activation) before use. The electrochemical parameters, which affect the performance of the sensor in QF determination, were optimized and, under the selected conditions, the quantification of QF was carried out in the concentration range of 5 × 10−7–80 × 10−7 mol × L−1. The limit of detection was 2 × 10−9 mol × L−1, which is lower than that of existing electrochemical QF sensors. The within-device and between-device reproducibility was 4.3% and 6.2% (at 50 × 10−7 mol × L−1 QF level), respectively, demonstrating the satisfactory operational and fabrication reproducibility of the device. Finally, the device was successfully applied for the determination of QF in pharmaceutical tablets and in human urine, justifying its suitability for routine and on-site analysis.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): Analysis, Trends, and Usage in Critical Infrastructures
Authors: González-Granadillo Gustavo , González-Zarzosa Susana , Diaz Rodrigo
Published: July 2021

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems have been widely deployed as a powerful tool to prevent, detect, and react against cyber-attacks. SIEM solutions have evolved to become comprehensive systems that provide a wide visibility to identify areas of high risks and proactively focus on mitigation strategies aiming at reducing costs and time for incident response. Currently, SIEM systems and related solutions are slowly converging with big data analytics tools. We survey the most widely used SIEMs regarding their critical functionality and provide an analysis of external factors affecting the SIEM landscape in mid and long-term. A list of potential enhancements for the next generation of SIEMs is provided as part of the review of existing solutions as well as an analysis on their benefits and usage in critical infrastructures.
Uplink Sparse Channel Estimation for Hybrid Millimeter Wave Massive MIMO Systems by UTAMP-SBL
Authors: Hou Shuai , Wang Yafeng , Li Chao
Published: July 2021

The compressive sensing (CS)-based sparse channel estimator is recognized as the most effective solution to the excessive pilot overhead in massive MIMO systems. However, due to the complex signal processing in the wireless communication systems, the measurement matrix in the CS-based channel estimation is sometimes “unfriendly” to the channel recovery. To overcome this problem, in this paper, the state-of-the-art sparse Bayesian learning using approximate message passing with unitary transformation (UTAMP-SBL), which is robust to various measurement matrices, is leveraged to address the multi-user uplink channel estimation for hybrid architecture millimeter wave massive MIMO systems. Specifically, the sparsity of channels in the angular domain is exploited to reduce the pilot overhead. Simulation results demonstrate that the UTAMP-SBL is able to achieve effective performance improvement than other competitors with low pilot overhead.
A Qualitative Approach to Help Adjust the Design of Management Subjects in ICT Engineering Undergraduate Programs through User Experience in a Smart Classroom Context
Authors: Petchamé Josep , Iriondo Ignasi , Villegas Eva , Fonseca David , Romero Yesa Susana , Aláez Marian
Published: July 2021

Qualitative research activities, including first-day of class surveys and user experience interviews on completion of a subject were carried out to obtain students’ feedback in order to improve the design of the subject ‘Information Systems’ as a part of a general initiative to enhance ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) engineering programs. Due to the COVID-19 (corona virus disease 2019) pandemic, La Salle URL adopted an Emergency Remote Teaching tactical solution in the second semester of the 2019–2020 academic year, just before implementing a strategic learning approach based on a new Smart Classroom (SC) system deployed in the campus facilities. The latter solution was developed to ensure that both on-campus and off-campus students could effectively follow the course syllabus through the use of new technological devices introduced in classrooms and laboratories, reducing the inherent difficulties of online learning. The results of our findings show: (1) No major concerns about the subject were identified by students; (2) Interaction and class dynamics were the main issues identified by students, while saving time on commuting when learning from home and access to recorded class sessions were the aspects that students considered the most advantageous about the SC.
Affective Colormap Design for Accurate Visual Comprehension in Industrial Tomography
Authors: Zhang Yuchong , Fjeld Morten , Fratarcangeli Marco , Said Alan , Zhao Shengdong
Published: July 2021

The design of colormaps can help tomography operators obtain accurate visual comprehension, thereby assisting safety-critical decisions. The research presented here is about deploying colormaps that promote the best affective responses for industrial microwave tomography (MWT). To answer the two research questions related to our study, we firstly conducted a quantitative analysis of 11 frequently-used colormaps on a segmentation task. Secondly, we presented the same colormaps within a crowdsourced study comprising two parts to verify the quantitative outcomes. The first part encoded affective responses from participants into a prevailing four-quadrant valence–arousal grid; the second part recorded participant ratings towards the accuracy of each colormap on MWT segmentation. We concluded that three colormaps are the best suited in the context of MWT tasks. We also found that the colormaps triggering emotions in the positive–exciting quadrant can facilitate more accurate visual comprehension than other affect-related quadrants. A synthetic colormap design guideline was consequently proposed.
Inertial Measurement Unit Sensors in Assistive Technologies for Visually Impaired People, a Review
Authors: Reyes Leiva Karla Miriam , Jaén-Vargas Milagros , Codina Benito , Serrano Olmedo José Javier
Published: July 2021

A diverse array of assistive technologies have been developed to help Visually Impaired People (VIP) face many basic daily autonomy challenges. Inertial measurement unit sensors, on the other hand, have been used for navigation, guidance, and localization but especially for full body motion tracking due to their low cost and miniaturization, which have allowed the estimation of kinematic parameters and biomechanical analysis for different field of applications. The aim of this work was to present a comprehensive approach of assistive technologies for VIP that include inertial sensors as input, producing results on the comprehension of technical characteristics of the inertial sensors, the methodologies applied, and their specific role in each developed system. The results show that there are just a few inertial sensor-based systems. However, these sensors provide essential information when combined with optical sensors and radio signals for navigation and special application fields. The discussion includes new avenues of research, missing elements, and usability analysis, since a limitation evidenced in the selected articles is the lack of user-centered designs. Finally, regarding application fields, it has been highlighted that a gap exists in the literature regarding aids for rehabilitation and biomechanical analysis of VIP. Most of the findings are focused on navigation and obstacle detection, and this should be considered for future applications.
A Soft-Error-Tolerant SAR ADC with Dual-Capacitor Sample-and-Hold Control for Sensor Systems
Authors: Ro Duckhoon , Um Minseong , Lee Hyung-Min
Published: July 2021

For a reliable and stable sensor system, it is essential to precisely measure various sensor signals, such as electromagnetic field, pressure, and temperature. The measured analog signal is converted into digital bits through the sensor readout system. However, in extreme radiation environments, such as in space, during flights, and in nuclear fusion reactors, the performance of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) constituting the sensor readout system can be degraded due to soft errors caused by radiation effects, leading to system malfunction. This paper proposes a soft-error-tolerant successive-approximation-register (SAR) ADC using dual-capacitor sample-and-hold (S/H) control, which has robust characteristics against total ionizing dose (TID) and single event effects (SEE). The proposed ADC was fabricated using 65-nm CMOS process, and its soft-error-tolerant performance was measured in radiation environments. Additionally, the proposed circuit techniques were verified by utilizing a radiation simulator CAD tool.
Robustness and Sensitivity Tuning of the Kalman Filter for Speech Enhancement
Authors: Roy Sujan Kumar , Paliwal Kuldip K.
Published: July 2021

Inaccurate estimates of the linear prediction coefficient (LPC) and noise variance introduce bias in Kalman filter (KF) gain and degrade speech enhancement performance. The existing methods propose a tuning of the biased Kalman gain, particularly in stationary noise conditions. This paper introduces a tuning of the KF gain for speech enhancement in real-life noise conditions. First, we estimate noise from each noisy speech frame using a speech presence probability (SPP) method to compute the noise variance. Then, we construct a whitening filter (with its coefficients computed from the estimated noise) to pre-whiten each noisy speech frame prior to computing the speech LPC parameters. We then construct the KF with the estimated parameters, where the robustness metric offsets the bias in KF gain during speech absence of noisy speech to that of the sensitivity metric during speech presence to achieve better noise reduction. The noise variance and the speech model parameters are adopted as a speech activity detector. The reduced-biased Kalman gain enables the KF to minimize the noise effect significantly, yielding the enhanced speech. Objective and subjective scores on the NOIZEUS corpus demonstrate that the enhanced speech produced by the proposed method exhibits higher quality and intelligibility than some benchmark methods.
Tourism Dependency and Perceived Local Tourism Governance: Perspective of Residents of Highly-Visited and Less-Visited Tourist Destinations
Authors: Đurkin Badurina Jelena , Soldić Frleta Daniela
Published: July 2021

In light of the challenges of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, the topic of overtourism has been temporarily pushed into the background, but unsustainable tourism practices, which often include ignoring residents, one of the key stakeholders in tourist destinations, remain an important issue for sustainable tourism development in the future. This is a particularly important task for local tourism governances in terms of developing mechanisms for involving residents in planning and decision making. This research focuses on gaining insights into the relationship between the tourism dependency of residents and their perception of local tourism governance in terms of satisfaction with the organization of local public and private tourism stakeholders, as well as with the involvement of residents in tourism planning and decision making. The added value of the research lies in comparing the attitudes of residents in a highly-visited destination and a destination in the early stage of development. Both selected destinations are seaside destinations. with prevailing private accommodation and residential type of tourism. Responses were analyzed using ANOVA and the t-test, and the obtained results indicate that residents with no connection to tourism are the most dissatisfied with the local tourism governance dimensions. Also, residents who live in highly-visited destination had lower mean values of perceived local tourism governance than those living in less-visited destination.
Relative Age Effects in Basketball: Exploring the Selection into and Successful Transition Out of a National Talent Pathway
Authors: Kelly Adam L. , Jiménez Sáiz Sergio Lorenzo , Lorenzo Calvo Alberto , de la Rubia Alfonso , Jackson Daniel T. , Jeffreys Mark A. , Ford Charlie , Owen Dave , Santos Sara Diana Leal dos
Published: July 2021

Relative age effects (RAEs) appear consistently prevalent throughout the youth basketball literature. However, the selection into and successful transition out of a national talent pathway in basketball is yet to be explored. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to explore the influence of relative age, gender, and playing time based on the selection into the Regional Talent Hubs and Basketball England youth teams (U16, U18, and U20) and the successful transition into the England National Senior Teams. Participants who were selected into the male (n = 450) and female (n = 314) Basketball England Talent Pathway were allocated into one of three cohorts: (a) Regional Talent Hubs (U12 to U15; n = 183), (b) England National Youth Teams (U16, U18, and U20; n = 537), and (c) England National Senior Teams (n = 44). A chi-square test was used to compare the birth quarter (BQ) distributions of each cohort against the expected distributions, with a Cramer’s V (Vc) used to interpret effect sizes. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were also calculated to compare the likelihood of each BQ being represented. Males revealed significant RAEs across both the Regional Talent Hubs (p < 0.001, Vc > 0.29, OR = 10) and England National Youth Teams (p < 0.001, Vc > 0.17, OR = 3.1). In comparison, females only had significant RAEs in the Regional Talent Hubs (p < 0.001, Vc > 0.29, OR = 2.3). Despite RAEs being prevalent throughout youth levels, there were no significant differences in the BQ distribution based on playing time and those who made the successful transition to the England National Senior Teams. These findings demonstrate the potential mechanisms of RAEs in basketball, as well as the impetus to explore more equitable competition structures within the England Basketball Talent Pathway.
Management of Externalities in the Context of Sustainable Development of the Russian Arctic Zone
Authors: Samarina Vera P. , Skufina Tatiana P. , Savon Diana Yu. , Shinkevich Alexey I.
Published: July 2021

The territory of the Arctic is of interest from the point of view of the strategic development of the economy. However, the industrialization of the Arctic zone is accompanied by both a positive and a negative influence on the country’s socio-economic development. An analytical review of the research which has been published previously allows us to discuss the issue of sustainable development in the Arctic through the prism of the theory of externalities. Considering this, the paper examines some relevant issues from the standpoints of the concept of sustainable development and scientific and technological progress. Against the background of the identified problems, the purpose of the research is to clarify management decisions in the field of internalization of the externalities of economic development of the Russian Arctic zone. As research methods, the authors have applied comparative analysis, dynamic analysis, the coefficient method, correlational analysis and cluster analysis. An analytical review of scientific works, research tooling and a statistical database concerning the development of the Russian Arctic zone provided the following scientific results: the category of “externalities” in the context of industrialization of the Arctic zone’s territories and their systematization in a number of areas (environmental, innovation, investment, infrastructure, social, etc.) has been clarified; some trends in the degree of neutralization of negative environmental externalities in terms of environmental problems (pollution capture, waste disposal, recycling and wastewater treatment) have been identified; the dynamics of investment per unit of environmental pollution in the context of environmental approaches have been elucidated; the efficiency of investments in environmental preservation measures in the territories of the Russian Arctic zone have been evaluated; positive innovative externality from the investment of own funds in the fixed capital of enterprises have been revealed; the typology of the subjects of the Russian Federation that form part of the Arctic zone, according to the criteria of the intensity of costs for neutralization of negative externalities (territories with high, moderate and low intensity of costs) have been suggested; and a package of measures in order to manage the external effects of economic development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation in the context of sustainable development has been proposed. The practical significance of the results obtained lies in the possibility of taking all of them into account in the implementation of the state program “Socio-economic development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation”, contributing to the qualitative development of the territories of the Russian Arctic and improving the well-being of the population of the corresponding constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
A More Sustainable Management of Domestic Tourists in Protected Natural Parks: A New Trend in Sport Tourism after the Covid-19 Pandemic?
Authors: Lebrun Anne-Marie , Su Che-Jen , Bouchet Patrick
Published: July 2021

One of the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis has been the development of proximity tourism in outdoor spaces being less conducive to the spread of the virus. From a study preceding this pandemic, this article seeks to better understand the experiences lived by domestic tourists from when they visited two typical protected natural parks as specific experiential contexts (extraordinary versus ordinary) providing different experiences. Each experiential context enables the distinction of actual visitors’ experiences inside each park—education, esthetics, entertainment, escapism, physical activity—differentiated, on one hand by the visitors’ participation axis and, on the other hand, by the absorption-immersion axis influencing the visitors’ arousal and memory. A structural equation model tested the data collected (n = 1000) in both experiential contexts and shows their moderator effect. The results underline the link between the experiential context and the actual experiences and highlight the interest of a new global framework including the visitors’ participation and a bodily axis relative to the specific context. This research could help managers of protected natural parks adjust their domestic tourists’ experience offer during pandemic crises by implementing specific sustainable and sanitary strategies.
Planning and Scheduling for Industrial Demand-Side Management: State of the Art, Opportunities and Challenges under Integration of Energy Internet and Industrial Internet
Authors: Chen Songsong , Gong Feixiang , Zhang Mingqiang , Yuan Jindou , Liao Siyang , Chen Hongyin , Li Dezhi , Tian Shiming , Hu Xiaojian
Published: July 2021

Industrial power has a large load base and considerable adjustment potential. Enterprises with a high degree of automation and adjustable potential can automatically adjust the production status according to the peak load, frequency of the power grid and the demand of new energy consumption, so as to realize automatic demand response. This paper analyzes the opportunities and challenges of industrial demand response under the integration of Industrial Internet and Energy Internet. At the same time, the development direction of industrial demand response under the new situation, such as comprehensive demand response, adjustable load resources and other technical and policy aspects are prospected.
Contribution of Climate-Smart Agriculture Technologies to Food Self-Sufficiency of Smallholder Households in Mali
Authors: Traore Bouba , Birhanu Birhanu Zemadim , Sangaré Seydou , Gumma Murali Krishna , Tabo Ramadjita , Whitbread Anthony Michael
Published: July 2021

Climate change has resulted in food insecurity for the majority of farming communities in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Mali. In this paper, we present a methodology for scaling climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies such as Contour Bunding (CB), Microdosing (MD), Intercropping (IC), Zaï pits, and Adapted crop Variety (AV) treatments, and evaluated their contribution to smallholder households’ food self-sufficiency. We used the participatory technology selection method and on-farm demonstration in order to tackle farm-related constraints. The study found that there has been a major shift in the spatial distribution of land use/land cover (LULC) classes between 2016 and 2020. About 25% of the areas changed from other land use/land cover to cropland. Crop yields obtained from CSA-treated fields were significantly higher than yields from farmers’ practice (FP). The application of CSA technologies resulted in millet yield increases by 51%, 35%, and 23% with contour bunding (CB), microdosing (MD) and intercropping (IC), respectively. With Zaï pits and adapted variety (AV) treatments, the yield increases were 69% and 27%, respectively. Further, the use of IC and MD technologies reduced the food-insecure household status to 13%, which corresponds to a food insecurity reduction of 60%. The application of Zaï technology reversed the negative status of food-insecurity to +4%, corresponding to a reduction in food insecurity of more than 100%. In the case of food-secure households, the application of CSA technologies led to increased food production. However, notwithstanding this, prospects for CSA in the Sahel hinge on the capacities of farming households and local extension agents to understand the environmental, economic and social challenges in the context of climate change, and consequently to self-mobilize in order to select and implement responsive technologies.
Analysis of the Impact of Soil Compaction on the Environment and Agricultural Economic Losses in Lithuania and Ukraine
Authors: Zabrodskyi Andrii , Šarauskis Egidijus , Kukharets Savelii , Juostas Antanas , Vasiliauskas Gediminas , Andriušis Albinas
Published: July 2021

Soil compaction (SC) is one of the most damaging degradation processes. The effects of compaction are closely related to crop losses and GHG emissions due to additional fuel use. It is therefore important not only to correctly monitor the condition of the soil and the restoration of damaged soil but also to understand the costs of excessive exploitation of soil and individual risks in different countries and continents. A model of equations has been developed to assess the effects of compaction that can be used on a national or even single farm scale. However, for its further application, more data should be collected. Based on the data available in the public domain, the damage caused by compaction was compared between Ukrainian (UA) and Lithuanian (LT) scenarios as these countries have a similar situation but different levels of soil resource management. Soil characteristics, such as soil types and predisposition to compaction, depending on its type, were assessed in both countries. The main parameters used to estimate the damage due to SC were: yield loss; additional fuel consumption; losses of N, P, K fertilizers, water pollution, and flooding; erosion; and GHG emissions. The results reveal potential annual losses due to compaction of around EUR 27 million for Lithuania and around EUR 1.6 billion for Ukraine. Expected potential average losses per hectare of arable land are about EUR 49 ha−1 y−1 for Ukraine (33.9 million ha or 56.76% of the total area) and about EUR 13 ha−1 y−1 for Lithuania (2.11 million ha or 33.77%). Potential crop losses are one of the costliest consequences of compaction. They could cost about EUR 1 billion annually for Ukraine and about EUR 10.7 million for Lithuania. Moreover, the additional use of fuel and the associated GHG emissions can probably take away EUR 180 million (UA) and about EUR 4 million (LT) each year.
Determinants of the Sustainable Entrepreneurial Engagement of Youth in Developing Country—An Empirical Evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Tunio Muhammad Nawaz , Chaudhry Iffat Sabir , Shaikh Sadia , Jariko Mushtaque Ali , Brahmi Mohsen
Published: July 2021

The article identifies the motivating factors behind the career preferences of university graduates who chose to engage in sustainable entrepreneurship. In this research, multi-methods—theoretical investigations and qualitative interviews—have been utilized to determine the factors responsible for promoting sustainable entrepreneurship in a developing region. The sample consisted of university graduates who chose to pursue their careers in entrepreneurial activities in Hyderabad, the sixth largest city of Pakistan located in Sindh Province. While determining why young academics choose entrepreneurship as a career choice, entrepreneurial careers are explored as an ongoing process of biographical sequences in which new ways of thinking and communication, new forms of economic and occupational challenges, and necessities as well as ways of success and failure are permanently claimed or raised. Due to these challenges, the youth are confronted with complex social and economic situation to deal with. The study findings provide guidelines on how sustainable entrepreneurship can be developed, engaged, and sustained in the future in developing and under-developed regions.
Technical Efficiency Analysis of Coastal Small-Scale Fisheries in Liberia
Authors: Jueseah Alvin Slewion , Tómasson Tumi , Knutsson Ogmundur , Kristofersson Dadi Mar
Published: July 2021

The coastal fisheries in Liberia comprise small-scale Kru and Fanti low technology canoes and open boats, as well as industrial trawlers. At the end of the war in 2003, foreign industrial trawlers dominated the coastal fisheries in Liberia. After the war, the industrial fleet declined rapidly from 60 in 2004 to 15 in 2010. Over the same period the local Kru canoes grew from <400 to over 2400 and the motorized Fanti boats increased from <200 to about 800. Since 2010, when the government established a six nautical mile inshore exclusion zone, the industrial fleet has continued to decline, the Fantis have remained fairly constant, but the Kru fleet has continued to expand, reaching 3800 canoes by 2019. This paper analyzes the technical efficiency and productivity of the SSF fleets in Liberia. Data were collected from 46 randomly chosen Kru and 86 Fanti boats. There is a considerable difference between the Kru and the Fanti boats in terms of quantities of inputs used and output produced. Mean efficiency of the Kru canoes was 0.53, while for the Fanti boats it was 0.70, indicating considerable inefficiencies and scope for technical improvement. Vessel length and skipper’s age are the two main factors significantly influencing technical efficiency of the Kru and Fanti boats. The younger Kru operators (≤40 years) using newer and smaller dugout canoes (≤6.1 m) were more efficient than the older fishers in older and larger canoes, while the opposite was true for the Fantis. There were efficient boats and inefficient vessels among the Kru and Fanti but on average they were profitable. However, the design of these vessels offers limited scope to introduce improved fishing technology. To address the current technological regress and increase productivity in the fisheries, it is recommended that the Liberian government explore new harvesting technologies such as fiberglass reinforced plastic in the coastal fisheries.
Experts’ Perception of the Key Drivers of Land-Use/Land-Cover Changes in Serbia from 1990 to 2012
Authors: Dabović Tijana , Pjanović Bojana , Tošković Oliver , Djordjević Dejan , Lukić Bogdan
Published: July 2021

Negative trends in land use and land cover changes (LULCCs) are embodied in environmental, economic and social problems, keeping entire societies away from sustainable development goals (SDGs). This recognition incites a need for securing comprehensive and transdiciplinary knowledge on the complex interplay between LULCCs and their drivers. It should inform land use policy makers and produce adequate sustainable social responses. However, fragmentation in both academic and governmental arenas is an important impediment to the needed application of sustainability to land use policy. With this regard, the study offers a transdisciplinary, bottom-up and reproducible framework for understanding key drivers of LULCCs at the national/regional level where sustainable land use policies should be defined. Its main component is the repeated measure ANOVA of the experts’ survey data. The analysis allows aggregation of experts’ different disciplinary, professional and experiential perceptions and produces comparable results. It is tested in Serbia in three sub-periods during post-socialism. Main results confirm that LULCCs and drivers are complexly intertwined and need to be analysed within a comprehensive and transdisciplinary framework. Furthermore, the study should enable the transdisciplinary discussion, learning and knowledge coproduction that are required to inform land use policy makers about the needed trans-sectoral coproduction of policy responses towards SDGs.