bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Effects of Surface Roughness on Sensing Performance of Surface Plasmon Resonance Detection for Refractive Index Sensing Application
Authors: Treebupachatsakul Treesukon , Shinnakerdchoke Siratchakrit , Pechprasarn Suejit
Published: September 2021

This paper provides a theoretical framework to analyze and quantify roughness effects on sensing performance parameters of surface plasmon resonance measurements. Rigorous coupled-wave analysis and the Monte Carlo method were applied to compute plasmonic reflectance spectra for different surface roughness profiles. The rough surfaces were generated using the low pass frequency filtering method. Different coating and surface treatments and their reported root-mean-square roughness in the literature were extracted and investigated in this study to calculate the refractive index sensing performance parameters, including sensitivity, full width at half maximum, plasmonic dip intensity, plasmonic dip position, and figure of merit. Here, we propose a figure-of-merit equation considering optical intensity contrast and signal-to-noise ratio. The proposed figure-of-merit equation could predict a similar refractive index sensing performance compared to experimental results reported in the literature. The surface roughness height strongly affected all the performance parameters, resulting in a degraded figure of merit for surface plasmon resonance measurement.
All-Opto Plasmonic-Controlled Bulk and Surface Sensitivity Analysis of a Paired Nano-Structured Antenna with a Label-Free Detection Approach
Authors: Verma Sneha , Ghosh Souvik , Rahman B.M.A.
Published: September 2021

Gold nanoantennas have been used in a variety of biomedical applications due to their attractive electronic and optical properties, which are shape- and size-dependent. Here, a periodic paired gold nanostructure exploiting surface plasmon resonance is proposed, which shows promising results for Refractive Index (RI) detection due to its high electric field confinement and diffraction limit. Here, single and paired gold nanostructured sensors were designed for real-time RI detection. The Full-Width at Half-Maximum (FWHM) and Figure-Of-Merit (FOM) were also calculated, which relate the sensitivity to the sharpness of the peak. The effect of different possible structural shapes and dimensions were studied to optimise the sensitivity response of nanosensing structures and identify an optimised elliptical nanoantenna with the major axis a, minor axis b, gap between the pair g, and heights h being 100 nm, 10 nm, 10 nm, and 40 nm, respectively. In this work, we investigated the bulk sensitivity, which is the spectral shift per refractive index unit due to the change in the surrounding material, and this value was calculated as 526–530 nm/RIU, while the FWHM was calculated around 110 nm with a FOM of 8.1. On the other hand, the surface sensing was related to the spectral shift due to the refractive index variation of the surface layer near the paired nanoantenna surface, and this value for the same antenna pair was calculated as 250 nm/RIU for a surface layer thickness of 4.5 nm.
Nanostructured Titanium Dioxide Surfaces for Electrochemical Biosensing
Authors: Bertel Linda , Miranda David A. , García-Martín José Miguel
Published: September 2021

TiO2 electrochemical biosensors represent an option for biomolecules recognition associated with diseases, food or environmental contaminants, drug interactions and related topics. The relevance of TiO2 biosensors is due to the high selectivity and sensitivity that can be achieved. The development of electrochemical biosensors based on nanostructured TiO2 surfaces requires knowing the signal extracted from them and its relationship with the properties of the transducer, such as the crystalline phase, the roughness and the morphology of the TiO2 nanostructures. Using relevant literature published in the last decade, an overview of TiO2 based biosensors is here provided. First, the principal fabrication methods of nanostructured TiO2 surfaces are presented and their properties are briefly described. Secondly, the different detection techniques and representative examples of their applications are provided. Finally, the functionalization strategies with biomolecules are discussed. This work could contribute as a reference for the design of electrochemical biosensors based on nanostructured TiO2 surfaces, considering the detection technique and the experimental electrochemical conditions needed for a specific analyte.
Effect of Peak Tracking Methods on FBG Calibration Derived by Factorial Design of Experiment
Authors: Safari Yazd Nazila , Kawakami Jennifer , Izaddoost Alireza , Mégret Patrice
Published: September 2021

We present a calibration procedure for a humidity sensor made of a fiber Bragg grating covered by a polyimide layer. FBGs being intrinsically sensitive to temperature and strain, the calibration should tackle three variables, and, therefore, consists of a three-variable, two-level factorial design tailored to assess the three main sensitivities, as well as the five cross-sensitivities. FBG sensing information is encoded in the reflection spectrum from which the Bragg wavelength should be extracted. We tested six classical peak tracking methods on the results of the factorial design of the experiment applied to a homemade FBG humidity sensor. We used Python programming to compute, from the raw spectral data with six typical peak search algorithms, the temperature, strain and humidity sensitivities, as well as the cross-sensitivities, and showed that results are consistent for all algorithms, provided that the points selected to make the computation are correctly chosen. The best results for this particular sensor are obtained with a 3 dB threshold, whatever the peak search method used, and allow to compute the effective humidity sensitivity taking into account the combined effect of temperature and strain. The calibration procedure presented here is nevertheless generic and can thus be adapted to other sensors.
Accurate Reference Gas Mixtures Containing Tritiated Molecules: Their Production and Raman-Based Analysis
Authors: Niemes Simon , Telle Helmut H. , Bornschein Beate , Fasselt Lucian , Größle Robin , Priester Florian , Schlösser Magnus , Sturm Michael , Welte Stefan , Zeller Genrich
Published: September 2021

Highly accurate, quantitative analyses of mixtures of hydrogen isotopologues—both the stable species, H2, D2, and HD, and the radioactive species, T2, HT, and DT—are of great importance in fields as diverse as deuterium–tritium fusion, neutrino mass measurements using tritium β-decay, or for photonuclear experiments in which hydrogen–deuterium targets are used. In this publication we describe a production, handling, and analysis facility capable of fabricating well-defined gas samples, which may contain any of the stable and radioactive hydrogen isotopologues, with sub-percent accuracy for the relative species concentrations. The production is based on precise manometric gas mixing of H2, D2, and T2. The heteronuclear isotopologues HD, HT, and DT are generated via controlled, in-line catalytic reaction or by β-induced self-equilibration, respectively. The analysis was carried out using an in-line intensity- and wavelength-calibrated Raman spectroscopy system. This allows for continuous monitoring of the composition of the circulating gas during the self-equilibration or catalytic evolution phases. During all procedures, effects, such as exchange reactions with wall materials, were considered with care. Together with measurement statistics, these and other systematic effects were included in the determination of composition uncertainties of the generated reference gas samples. Measurement and calibration accuracy at the level of 1% was achieved.
A Multi-Image Encryption Based on Sinusoidal Coding Frequency Multiplexing and Deep Learning
Authors: Li Qi , Meng Xiangfeng , Yin Yongkai , Wu Huazheng
Published: September 2021

Multi-image encryption technology is a vital branch of optical encryption technology. The traditional encryption method can only encrypt a small number of images, which greatly restricts its application in practice. In this paper, a new multi-image encryption method based on sinusoidal stripe coding frequency multiplexing and deep learning is proposed to realize the encryption of a greater number of images. In the process of encryption, several images are grouped, and each image in each group is first encoded with a random matrix and then modulated with a specific sinusoidal stripe; therefore, the dominant frequency of each group of images can be separated in the Fourier frequency domain. Each group is superimposed and scrambled to generate the final ciphertext. In the process of decryption, deep learning is used to improve the quality of decrypted image and the decryption speed. Specifically, the obtained ciphertext can be sent into the trained neural network and then the plaintext image can be reconstructed directly. Experimental analysis shows that when 32 images are encrypted, the CC of the decrypted result can reach more than 0.99. The efficiency of the proposed encryption method is proved in terms of histogram analysis, adjacent pixels correlation analysis, anti-noise attack analysis and resistance to occlusion attacks analysis. The encryption method has the advantages of large amount of information, good robustness and fast decryption speed.
Cooperative Networked PIR Detection System for Indoor Human Localization
Authors: Wu Chia-Ming , Chen Xuan-Ying , Wen Chih-Yu , Sethares William A.
Published: September 2021

Pyroelectric Infrared (PIR) sensors are low-cost, low-power, and highly reliable sensors that have been widely used in smart environments. Indoor localization systems can be categorized as wearable and non-wearable systems, where the latter are also known as device-free localization systems. Since the binary PIR sensor detects only the presence of a human motion in its field of view (FOV) without any other information about the actual location, utilizing the information of overlapping FOV of multiple sensors can be useful for localization. In this study, a PIR detector and sensing signal processing algorithms were designed based on the characteristics of the PIR sensor. We applied the designed PIR detector as a sensor node to create a non-wearable cooperative indoor human localization system. To improve the system performance, signal processing algorithms and refinement schemes (i.e., the Kalman filter, a Transferable Belief Model, and a TBM-based hybrid approach (TBM + Kalman filter)) were applied and compared. Experimental results indicated system stability and improved positioning accuracy, thus providing an indoor cooperative localization framework for PIR sensor networks.
Early Warning Systems for COVID-19 Infections Based on Low-Cost Indoor Air-Quality Sensors and LPWANs
Authors: Peladarinos Nikolaos , Cheimaras Vasileios , Piromalis Dimitrios , Arvanitis Konstantinos G. , Papageorgas Panagiotis , Monios Nikolaos , Dogas Ioannis , Stojmenovic Milos , Tsaramirsis Georgios
Published: September 2021

During the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc in many areas of the world, as the infection spreads through person-to-person contact. Transmission and prognosis, once infected, are potentially influenced by many factors, including indoor air pollution. Particulate Matter (PM) is a complex mixture of solid and/or liquid particles suspended in the air that can vary in size, shape, and composition and recent scientific work correlate this index with a considerable risk of COVID-19 infections. Early Warning Systems (EWS) and the Internet of Things (IoT) have given rise to the development of Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) based on sensors, which measure PM levels and monitor In-door Air pollution Quality (IAQ) in real-time. This article proposes an open-source platform architecture and presents the development of a Long Range (LoRa) based sensor network for IAQ and PM measurement. A few air quality sensors were tested, a network platform was implemented after simulating setup topologies, emphasizing feasible low-cost open platform architecture.
Estimation with Uncertainty via Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks
Authors: Lee Minhyeok , Seok Junhee
Published: September 2021

Conventional predictive Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) commonly employ deterministic weight matrices; therefore, their prediction is a point estimate. Such a deterministic nature in ANNs causes the limitations of using ANNs for medical diagnosis, law problems, and portfolio management in which not only discovering the prediction but also the uncertainty of the prediction is essentially required. In order to address such a problem, we propose a predictive probabilistic neural network model, which corresponds to a different manner of using the generator in the conditional Generative Adversarial Network (cGAN) that has been routinely used for conditional sample generation. By reversing the input and output of ordinary cGAN, the model can be successfully used as a predictive model; moreover, the model is robust against noises since adversarial training is employed. In addition, to measure the uncertainty of predictions, we introduce the entropy and relative entropy for regression problems and classification problems, respectively. The proposed framework is applied to stock market data and an image classification task. As a result, the proposed framework shows superior estimation performance, especially on noisy data; moreover, it is demonstrated that the proposed framework can properly estimate the uncertainty of predictions.
An Experimental Multi-Target Tracking of AM Radio-Based Passive Bistatic Radar System via Multi-Static Doppler Shifts
Authors: Zhou Xueqin , Ma Hong , Xu Hang
Published: September 2021

This paper presents a description of recent research and the multi-target tracking in experimental passive bistatic radar (PBR) system taking advantage of numerous non-cooperative AM radio signals via multi-static doppler shifts. However, it raises challenges for use by multiple spatially distributed AM radio illuminators for multi-target tracking in PBR system due to complex data association hypotheses and no directly used tracking algorithm in the practical scenario. To solve these problems, after a series of key array signal processing techniques in the self-developed system, by constructing a nonlinear measurement model, the novel method is proposed to accommodate nonlinear model by using the unscented transformation (UT) in Gaussian mixture (GM) implementation of iterated-corrector cardinality-balanced multi-target multi-Bernoulli (CBMeMBer). Simulation and experimental results analysis verify the feasibility of this approach used in a practical PBR system for moving multi-target tracking.
Development and Characterization of Efficient K-Solubilizing Rhizobacteria and Mesorhizobial Inoculants for Chickpea
Authors: Siddiqui Ali Raza , Shahzad Sher Muhammad , Ashraf Muhammad , Yasmeen Tahira , Kausar Rizwana , Albasher Gadah , Alkahtani Saad , Shakoor Awais
Published: September 2021

The use of mineral fertilizers has long been associated with the improved growth of crop plants as well as increased yield potential per unit area. However, the incessant practice of imbalanced fertilizers application has increased the economic and environmental costs for the agricultural sector. The deficiency of potassium (K) has been identified as a primary crop production challenge in certain semi-arid regions where soil-K reserves are increasingly being depleted. This study aimed to isolate and characterize K-solubilizing bacterial strains from the rhizosphere and root nodules of chickpea. Initially, 50 rhizobacterial strains and 50 rhizobial strains were isolated using Aleksandrov’s medium. Each of these collections was narrowed down to 25 strains, following a rigorous qualitative screening based on different physiological, morphological and biochemical tests. From these, five strains each of rhizosphere and nodule origins were selected based on qualitative as well quantitative determination of various growth promoting traits. In addition to efficient potassium and phosphate solubilization, the selected strains displayed better growth conditions, as evident by glucose substrate use at 25 °C and pH 7. In this study, we found that strains SKB3 (rhizosphere) and JKR7 (rhizobia) were the most efficient K-solubilizers. Additionally, they possessed diverse plant growth promoting traits such as root colonization, the synthesis of siderophores, exopolysaccharides, chitinase activity, indole-acetic acid production and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity. Overall, our results suggest that the application of bacterial K-solubilizers could be employed as a useful K-supplement in K-limited agroecosystems. Moreover, the use of these K-solubilizers may help lead in alleviating the negative environmental impacts associated with chemical fertilizer.
IMO’s Marine Environmental Regulatory Governance and China’s Role: An Empirical Study of China’s Submissions
Authors: Bai Jiayu , Li Xiaoyu
Published: September 2021

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) plays a significant role in global marine environmental governance, providing a forum of regulatory oversight for member states. Member states are the main actors of the IMO and exert considerable influence on the process of lawmaking. Among these member states, China is unique due to its multiple identities. There are various factors influencing interests behind China’s multiple identities, which fully engage the country in various shipping and maritime trade activities. This article examines China’s role in the IMO marine environmental regulatory governance. It identifies the impact of China on global ocean governance and indicates the development and reforms in the global governance system. China enacted the China Ocean Agenda 21 for its strategy of ocean development. Thus, China is the object of study in this examination of empirical research that collects submissions from 2001 to 2020 related to marine environmental governance. The findings reveal that the extent to which China participates in such governance has considerably increased, and although the contribution of China’s submissions is still in development, its role in the IMO is no longer merely that of a follower, and the efforts of the country have had a positive influence on the IMO’s marine environmental regulatory governance, including its legal instruments.
Three Decades of Behavioural Economics in Agriculture. An Overview of Global Research
Authors: Mesa-Vázquez Ernesto , Velasco-Muñoz Juan F. , Aznar-Sánchez José A. , López-Felices Belén
Published: September 2021

Over the last three decades, behavioural economics has been gaining ground in the research on a wide range of agriculture-related themes. This is due to the diversity of the agents involved in the production systems and the agro-food value chains in which opposing interests must be reconciled. The main objective of this study is to examine the dynamics of the research on the application of behavioural economics in agriculture across the world. To do this, a bibliometric analysis has been carried out through a literature review of the period between 1991 and 2020. The results of the study show that the use of behavioural economics has increased in the research on agriculture, particularly over the last five years. The application of behavioural economics in agriculture has focused on analysing consumers, producers, management, marketing, development, environmental issues, climate change, food and health.
Digital Economic Development and Its Impact on Econimic Growth in China: Research Based on the Prespective of Sustainability
Authors: Jiao Shuaitao , Sun Qiubi
Published: September 2021

At present, there is a consensus that the digital economy provides a new impetus for sustainable economic development. Based on domestic and foreign literature reviews, this paper focuses on representative industry sectors; we present China’s 2011–2018 digital economy development index, for 173 cities, from a three-level perspective—internet development, digital literacy, and industrial efficiency improvement. Various models, such as the instrumental variable method, the double difference method, the intermediary effect model, and the spatial econometric model were used to quantitatively analyze the impact of digital economic development on urban economic growth in China. The study finds that: (1) digital economic development in China has a positive effect on urban economic growth, and a heterogeneity of effects exists between different cities. (2) Urban employment is the “effect mechanism” of digital economic growth on urban economic growth. (3) The direct effect of digital economic development on urban economic growth in China is positive, the spillover effect is positive, the direct effect is greater than the spillover effect, and the total effect is positive. The research results enrich the measurement methods used in urban digital economic development in China, providing new perspectives for studying the influence mechanisms of digital economic development on urban economic growth.
15-Min Station: A Case Study in North Italy City to Evaluate the Livability of an Area
Authors: Borghetti Fabio , Colombo Cristian Giovanni , Longo Michela , Mazzoncini Renato , Cesarini Leonardo , Contestabile Luigi , Somaschini Claudio
Published: September 2021

The goal of this work is to apply the idea of the city in 15 min to railway stations that can become the starting point of the analysis as they represent the “gateway”, where users start their last mile of travel after getting off the train. Within the research, 11 railway stations located in the Lombardy Region in Italy were identified and analyzed. To perform the analysis, an analytical index was implemented and determined for each station: this index summarizes the main features of the station itself in relation to the territory in which it is located. The adopted approach is comparative: it is not important the absolute value of the index of each station, but the comparison between the different indices. In this way it is possible on the one hand to classify the stations and on the other hand to identify and propose possible interventions to improve the role of a railway station in a territory. The proposed model is expandable and replicable: it is possible to add other useful indicators for the calculation of the index of each station and it is also possible to perform the analysis in different territorial contexts. In fact, it is a decision support tool able to provide indications and information for the planning and programming of the railway system and of the city; among the potential users of the proposed model there are railway station managers and administrations.
Fuzzy Logic-Based Identification of Railway Wheelset Conicity Using Multiple Model Approach
Authors: Saba Erum , Kalwar Imtiaz Hussain , Unar Mukhtiar Ali , Memon Abdul Latif , Pirzada Nasrullah
Published: September 2021

The deterioration of railway wheel tread causes unexpected breakdowns with increasing risk of operational failure leading to higher maintenance costs. The timely detection of wheel faults, such as wheel flats and false flanges, leading to varying conicity levels, helps network operators schedule maintenance before a fault occurs in reality. This study proposes a multiple model-based novel technique for the detection of railway wheelset conicity. The proposed idea is based on an indirect method to identify the actual conicity condition by analyzing the lateral acceleration of the wheelset. It in fact incorporates a combination of multiple Kalman filters, tuned on a particular conicity level, and a fuzzy logic identification system. The difference between the actual conicity and its estimated version from the filters is calculated, which provides the foundation for further processing. After preprocessing the residuals, a fuzzy inference system is used that identifies the actual conicity of the wheelset by assessing the normalized rms values from the residuals of each filter. The proposed idea was validated by simulation studies to endorse its efficacy.
Car Use of the Carless in Sweden: Everyday Life Conditions for Reducing Car Dependence
Authors: Lagrell Ellen , Gil Solá Ana
Published: September 2021

For the sake of reducing car dependence, much can be learned from non-car owners about how everyday life can, and cannot, be organized without private car ownership. This study aims to explore carless mobility, including the role of the car, in relation to specific everyday projects and life situations. We do so through a descriptive analysis of data from the Swedish National Travel Survey 2011–2016, comparing carless mobility with that of car owners. Theoretically, our analysis builds on a constraints perspective with respect to mobility, which is rooted in time geography. We find that the constraints associated with activities and life situations seem to matter for how mobility is performed and for the feasibility of living a carless life. Managing the material flows of the household (for example, buying food and disposing of waste) is a project handled differently by non-car owners, through using nearby services and with a low degree of car use. On the other hand, our data suggest that maintaining social relations is car dependent and can potentially be more problematic for the carless. Moreover, an individual’s social network itself seems to be an important source of occasional car access. Results also indicate that the life situations of individuals may affect the mobility implications of carlessness, and the largest effect on trip frequency is found among carless retirees. From a planning perspective, and with the ambition to reduce private car use, this study identifies significant value in considering the different contexts of everyday life in which car use may or may not occur.
Basic Training of Teachers and Public Health Nurses for Communication with Residents for Smooth Shelter Management: A Pilot Study
Authors: Kawasaki Hiromi , Kawasaki Masahiro , Rahman Md Moshiur , Yamasaki Satoko , Murata Yoshihiro
Published: September 2021

In Japan, schools are commonly used as disaster evacuation centers. Teachers have evacuation center management roles; however, there is no established training for teachers to balance their management roles and teaching activities. We evaluated the effectiveness of simulation training that we designed to help teachers fulfill their roles in disaster situations while minimizing educational interruptions. A total of 42 teachers completed pre- and post-simulation questionnaires. Qualitative data were collected based on their free-response evaluations. The average scores showed significant increases in the cognitive (p < 0.001), affective, (p = 0.001), and psychomotor (p < 0.001) domains. The participants expressed acceptance of the others, confirmation of evacuation center rules, and a capacity to handle personal information. The study displayed what had happened at the shelters, and highlighted consensus building and job conflicts among the evacuees. Participating teachers learned a clear idea of what would happen in the workplace if it became a shelter after a disaster. They were accepting evacuating residents to their workplace and understood that cooperation was essential to ensure the education and safety of their school children.
Protecting Traditional Knowledge through Biocultural Community Protocols in Madagascar: Do Not Forget the “B” in BCP
Authors: Rakotondrabe Manohisoa , Girard Fabien
Published: September 2021

As in many other countries in the south, the traditional knowledge (TK) of local communities in Madagascar is facing extinction. Biocultural community protocols (BCP), introduced in Madagascar following the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol (2010) and defined by the Mo’otz Kuxtal Voluntary Guidelines as “a wide range of expressions, articulations, rules and practices produced by communities to indicate how they wish to engage in negotiations with stakeholders”, holds out hopes for TK protection. By analysing two pilot BCPs in Madagascar, one established around the Motrobe (Cinnamosma fragrans) with a view to strengthening the existing value chain (BCP in Mariarano and Betsako) and the second initially established around plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (BCP of the farmers in Analavory), this study aims to assess the place and value ascribed to TK in the overall BCP development process and to analyse whether or not the process has helped to strengthen and revitalise TK at the community level. The ethnographic studies show commonalities in both BCP, in particular their main focus on access and benefit-sharing mechanisms, this against the backdrop of an economic model which stresses the importance of financial and institutional incentives; and conversely, a relative disregard for what relates to the biocultural dimension of TK. Local taboos (fady) as well as traditional dina (social conventions), which have long allowed for the regulation of access to common resources/TK, are scarcely mentioned. Based on these findings, we conclude that in order to revitalise TK, the process of developing BCPs should recognise and give special importance to TK, considering it as a biocultural whole, bound together with the territory, local customs, and biological resources; or else, TK is likely to remain a commodity to be valued economically, or a component like any other.
Bad Smells of Gang of Four Design Patterns: A Decade Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Almadi Sara H. S. , Hooshyar Danial , Ahmad Rodina Binti
Published: September 2021

Gang of Four (GoF) design patterns are widely approved solutions for recurring software design problems, and their benefits to software quality are extensively studied. However, the occurrence of bad smells in design patterns increases the crisis of degenerating design patterns’ structure and behavior. Their occurrences are detrimental to the benefits of design patterns and they influence software sustainability by increasing maintenance costs and energy consumption. Despite the destructive roles of bad smells in such designs, there are an absence of studies systematically reviewing bad smells of GoF design patterns. This study systematically reviews a 10-year state of the art sample, identifying 16 studies investigating this phenomenon. Following a thorough evaluation of the full contents, we observed that the occurrence of bad smells have been investigated in proportion to four granularity levels of analysis: Design level, category level, pattern level, and role level. We identified 28 bad smells, categorized under code smells and grime symptoms, and emphasized their relationship with GoF pattern types and categories. The utilization of design pattern bad smell detection approaches and datasets were also discussed. Consequently, we observed that the research phenomenon is growing intensively, with a prominent focus of studies analyzing code smell occurrences rather than grime occurrences, at various granularity levels. Finally, we uncovered research gaps and areas with significant potentials for future research.
Breaking Down the Barriers: Exploring the Role of Collaboration in the Forestry Sector of South East England
Authors: Greenslade Caroline , Murphy Richard J. , Morse Stephen , Griffiths Geoffrey H.
Published: September 2021

The forestry supply chain in the southeast of England is characterized by a diverse set of independent businesses and a sector strongly driven by personal connections and trust. Yet, the opportunity exists to increase the amount of wood product through bringing currently unmanaged woodlands to the market, a result that should have environmental as well as economic benefits. Previous research has indicated that agents play a key linking role between woodland owners and contractors, offering services ranging from consultancy support, grant aid access, and the writing of management plans to the scheduling and delivery of thinning and felling activity, with a unique and important position in the sector in terms of facilitating change. This study, through interviews with 18 woodland agents, was designed to explore collaboration across the sector. The results suggest that current levels of collaboration are low and use predominantly horizontal mechanisms, focusing on information sharing rather than joint operation. This is despite a positive market opportunity and a growth aspiration, as well as an enthusiasm for increased collaboration that is particularly prevalent in smaller businesses. Four main features of the sector are limiting the amount of collaboration: a traditional handshake culture strongly embedded within rural life; the construct, mechanisms, and frameworks of the sector; the value set of those operating at this critical juncture of supply and demand; and the lack of positive examples of collaboration. Higher levels of collaboration were seen by woodland agents to be positive for increasing the sustainable and productive management of woodlands but achieving this will be challenging to established practice.
Leadership Roles for Sustainable Development: The Case of a Malaysian Green Hotel
Authors: Ahmed Minhaz Farid , Mokhtar Mazlin Bin , Lim Chen Kim , Hooi Anthony Wong Kim , Lee Khai Ern
Published: September 2021

The leadership roles of green hotels are essential for sustainable development because of their contribution to reducing carbon emission, supplying safe food, and managing water resources. However, sustainability education has not adequately integrated entrepreneurial skills to promote green hotel practices towards sustainable development. Therefore, this study explored the leadership roles of the Frangipani Hotel in Langkawi, Malaysia, because it adopted a circular economy in line with the zero-waste concept to develop the environmental and socio-economic condition of the locality. Extensive literature reviews were conducted to explore the transformational leadership roles of the Frangipani hotel for green practices. Interviews with the managing director, general manager, and the head of 10 operating branches of Frangipani also provided information about the green hotel practices to support its leadership roles. Similarly, interviews with the public, private, business, and community stakeholders also supported the transformational leadership roles of Frangipani to integrated green hotel practices with effective multi-stakeholder collaboration for quality control and quality assurance of its green practices. The patience of Frangipani and its roles as a liaison among government, non-government, business, and private and community sectors have been very effective in promoting green practices in the hospitability industry via training and knowledge-sharing. However, the monitoring and evaluation of these green practices are essential, and they can be completed via developing a special key performance index for the effective promotion of green hotels.
Analysis of Characteristics and Driving Factors of Land-Use Changes in the Tarim River Basin from 1990 to 2018
Authors: Wang Yang , Xia Tingting , Shataer Remina , Zhang Shuai , Li Zhi
Published: September 2021

Land-use and cover change is an important indicator for exploring global change trends, with in-depth research on land use and its driving factors being of particular significance in forging ecologically sustainable development. The present work used the Tarim River Basin as the study area, while the land-use transfer matrix, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), regional center-of-gravity model, and night-time-light remote-sensing mutual correction method were employed to explore temporal and spatial characteristics of land-use change and its driving factors. The results show the following. (1) From 1990 to 2018, land-use types in the study area significantly changed, with the cultivated land increasing by 73.9% and grassland area decreasing at a rate of 6.38 × 104 hm2 per year. (2) Areas with a natural vegetation NDVI above 0.2 appeared to follow a growth trend, with an area growth of 259.12 × 104 hm2 at a rate of 14.39 × 104 hm2/a. Average annual temperature and precipitation showed a fluctuating upward trend. (3) The center of gravity of land-use type area moved significantly. The center of gravity of cultivated land was moving in the same direction as the GDP and population center of gravity, migrating to the northeast. The migration distance of the center of gravity of cultivated land area was 212.59 km, the center of gravity migration rate of GDP was 14.44 km/a, and the population center of gravity was 812.21 km. (4) During the study period, the brightness of night lights in the study area was distributed in a circular shape, with more in the northwest and less in the southeast. Brightness gradually increased and showed an expansion trend, increasing from 0.3% to 6.3%. Among the influencing factors of spatial change of land-use change, natural factors such as climate change were related to the process of land-use/-cover change in the Tarim River Basin. Overall, human activities had the most obvious impact on land-use change.
Empirical Analysis of the Influence of Digital Marketing Elements on Service Quality Variables in the Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises Sector in the Republic of Serbia
Authors: Brzakovic Aleksandar , Brzakovic Tomislav , Karabasevic Darjan , Popovic Gabrijela
Published: September 2021

Understanding users’ needs, the continuous growth of the quality of a rendered service, and the differentiation of services is imperative in order to attract new users and retain the existing ones. Numerous authors have conducted different empirical research studies to this day, and those studies have mainly dealt with the influence of the quality of services on user satisfaction and loyalty. This paper has made a step forward by including in the research an analysis of the influence of certain elements of digital marketing activities on service quality variables. The research study is aimed at determining how digital marketing elements influence service quality variables in the small- and medium-sized enterprises sector (SMEs) in the Republic of Serbia. This research study should help perceive the interdependence and the degree of the influence between the said elements, which may be helpful to managers of SMEs for preparing the plans, strategies and good practices that increase user satisfaction and loyalty.
Exploring Indigenous Undergraduate Students’ Experiences within Urban and Institutional Food Environments
Authors: Wilson Hannah , Neufeld Hannah Tait , Anderson Kim , Wehkamp Cara , El Khoury Dalia
Published: September 2021

Indigenous Peoples within Canada experience higher rates of food insecurity, as do undergraduate students attending post-secondary institutions. Few studies have investigated the determinants of food practices and preferences for Indigenous students living away from their households and local environments. An exploratory study was designed to investigate Indigenous students’ experiences accessing local food environments. Research objectives included exploring Indigenous students’ experiences within institutional and community food settings; and examining campus- and community-based supports addressing their unique needs. Semi-structured interviews took place with eight self-identified Indigenous students. Four service providers participated in a focus group that included stakeholders from the post-secondary institution and the local community. Thematic analysis was used to categorize results into individual, interpersonal, organizational and community levels, according to the socio-ecological model. Themes based on the students’ responses included food and nutrition knowledge, financial capacity, convenience, social influences, campus food environment, cultural connections, and institutional support. Those participating in the focus group discussed the importance of social supports and connections to improve Indigenous students’ food environments beyond institutional parameters. Results suggest that Indigenous students are more aware of individual and interpersonal peer environments, with limited awareness of community services and cultural connections beyond campus. Indigenous students and community members require increased organizational and community awareness to support urban Indigenous food environments and sustainably address the range of socio-ecological conditions impacting food security.
A Cost-Effective and Efficient Electronic Design for Photovoltaic Systems for Solar Hot Water Production
Authors: Cámara-Díaz Luis , Ramírez-Faz José , López-Luque Rafael , Casares Francisco José
Published: September 2021

A significant percentage of energy consumption in buildings is to produce hot water. Photovoltaic solar heating can be considered a clean and renewable energy option—easy to install, silent, and without maintenance—to replace the consumption of fossil fuels used in this process. This paper presents a study that simulates the heating process using thermal electrical resistors powered by photovoltaic solar energy. For this purpose, a solar hot water installation has been set up. This installation consists of a water tank with an electric resistance connected to photovoltaic modules by means of a low-cost experimental electronic conversion system. This electronic system has been developed to avoid the need for inverters or batteries, typical of traditional photovoltaic solar installations. It is an isolated system since it is not connected to the power grid. The photovoltaic solar modules, the tank, and its heating resistance correspond to commercial models. This electronic system has a 95.06% yield, and it operates across the whole irradiance’s daily curve, having verified its operation over several months. Even though this is an experimental electronic device, it is financially viable as the cost of its components is below EUR 60 per kW peak capacity. The results obtained in a proper functioning system are promising, demonstrating the technical feasibility and economic advantages of using this type of isolated photovoltaic system to power heating processes.
Investing in Real Estate in the Czech Republic and Analyzing the Dependence of Profitability and Technical and Socio-Economic Factors
Authors: Hromada Eduard , Krulický Tomáš
Published: September 2021

This article deals with the study of the dependence between selected technical and socioeconomic factors in the real estate market that affects the return on investment. These factors include the average annual rental yield, sale/rental price for an apartment, the number of ads related to the sale/rental of apartments per 1000 inhabitants, the number of new apartment ads per 1000 inhabitants, and the share of persons facing distraint. Data from the EVAL software were used for calculation. EVAL software was developed by one of the authors of this article and allows the collecting of advertisements promoting real estate for sale and rental in the Czech Republic. This article uses data for individual districts in the Czech Republic. The article uses the methods of descriptive and mathematical statistics. The dependencies between technical and economic parameters are investigated using regression analysis. Significant dependencies were identified between the following parameters: Between selling price of an apartment and the average annual rental yield; Between the average annual rental yield and the average number of months needed to pay for the apartment; Between the average annual rental yield and the share of individuals facing distraint, and between the selling price of an apartment and the price of an apartment for rent.
The Influence of Instructional Delivery Modality on Sustainability Literacy
Authors: Ling Simon , Landon Adam , Tarrant Michael , Rubin Donald
Published: September 2021

As human environmental impacts have increased, so has the desirability of sustainable practices in multiple dimensions and at multiple scales. In this context, sustainability literacy has become a desirable outcome of higher education, driving the advance of sustainability as a core component of higher education institutions’ missions at local, regional, and global scales. However, little is known about the efficacy of different instructional delivery modalities of higher education courses in delivering desired outcomes of sustainability education. This study employed a quasi-experimental design to explore the relative influence of a limited range of instructional delivery modalities and sustainability content (study abroad/home campus and sustainability/non-sustainability) on growth of sustainability literacy among university students. Within each modality (study abroad or home campus), studying sustainability was associated with higher sustainability literacy scores than studying non-sustainability. However, studying non-sustainability courses abroad showed comparable growth in students’ sustainability literacy scores compared to studying sustainability on home campuses. These results support not only the idea that sustainability can be taught but also that study abroad, regardless of course content, may be at least as effective at increasing sustainability literacy as home campus sustainability-related courses.
Scenarios for the Development of Polish Passenger Transport Services in Pandemic Conditions
Authors: Cieśla Maria , Kuśnierz Sandra , Modrzik Oliwia , Niedośpiał Sonia , Sosna Patrycja
Published: September 2021

The article presents a prediction regarding the development of passenger transport services, considering random factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, based on scenario methods. The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic has significantly affected the way passenger transport services are provided, mainly due to sanitary restrictions imposed by epidemiological services. At the same time, the communication behaviour of travellers has also changed, which in turn has influenced the demand for these services. The following study investigates transport service future development issues from multiple perspectives, including demand analysis, the selection of major factors influencing the development of passenger transport for individual Polish passengers using an online questionnaire, and scenario designs. The main purpose of this article is to build various scenarios for the development of passenger transport, considering changes in the demand for these services and factors related to their perception by the users of the means of transport. The main factors influencing the future development of passenger transport and the possible scenarios can support public transport service providers in planning their services in the post-shutdown phase as well as in their respective modelling development requirements. This can support the planning process with decision-making based on future behavioural trends.