bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frequency Analysis of Acoustic Data Using Multiple-Measurement Sparse Bayesian Learning
Authors: Shin Myoungin , Hong Wooyoung , Lee Keunhwa , Choo Youngmin
Published: September 2021

Passive sonar systems are used to detect the acoustic signals that are radiated from marine objects (e.g., surface ships, submarines, etc.), and an accurate estimation of the frequency components is crucial to the target detection. In this paper, we introduce sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) for the frequency analysis after the corresponding linear system is established. Many algorithms, such as fast Fourier transform (FFT), estimate signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques (ESPRIT), and multiple signal classification (RMUSIC) has been proposed for frequency detection. However, these algorithms have limitations of low estimation resolution by insufficient signal length (FFT), required knowledge of the signal frequency component number, and performance degradation at low signal to noise ratio (ESPRIT and RMUSIC). The SBL, which reconstructs a sparse solution from the linear system using the Bayesian framework, has an advantage in frequency detection owing to high resolution from the solution sparsity. Furthermore, in order to improve the robustness of the SBL-based frequency analysis, we exploit multiple measurements over time and space domains that share common frequency components. We compare the estimation results from FFT, ESPRIT, RMUSIC, and SBL using synthetic data, which displays the superior performance of the SBL that has lower estimation errors with a higher recovery ratio. We also apply the SBL to the in-situ data with other schemes and the frequency components from the SBL are revealed as the most effective. In particular, the SBL estimation is remarkably enhanced by the multiple measurements from both space and time domains owing to remaining consistent signal frequency components while diminishing random noise frequency components.
Dual Branch Attention Network for Person Re-Identification
Authors: Fan Denghua , Wang Liejun , Cheng Shuli , Li Yongming
Published: September 2021

As a sub-direction of image retrieval, person re-identification (Re-ID) is usually used to solve the security problem of cross camera tracking and monitoring. A growing number of shopping centers have recently attempted to apply Re-ID technology. One of the development trends of related algorithms is using an attention mechanism to capture global and local features. We notice that these algorithms have apparent limitations. They only focus on the most salient features without considering certain detailed features. People’s clothes, bags and even shoes are of great help to distinguish pedestrians. We notice that global features usually cover these important local features. Therefore, we propose a dual branch network based on a multi-scale attention mechanism. This network can capture apparent global features and inconspicuous local features of pedestrian images. Specifically, we design a dual branch attention network (DBA-Net) for better performance. These two branches can optimize the extracted features of different depths at the same time. We also design an effective block (called channel, position and spatial-wise attention (CPSA)), which can capture key fine-grained information, such as bags and shoes. Furthermore, based on ID loss, we use complementary triplet loss and adaptive weighted rank list loss (WRLL) on each branch during the training process. DBA-Net can not only learn semantic context information of the channel, position, and spatial dimensions but can integrate detailed semantic information by learning the dependency relationships between features. Extensive experiments on three widely used open-source datasets proved that DBA-Net clearly yielded overall state-of-the-art performance. Particularly on the CUHK03 dataset, the mean average precision (mAP) of DBA-Net achieved 83.2%.
New End-to-End Strategy Based on DeepLabv3+ Semantic Segmentation for Human Head Detection
Authors: Chouai Mohamed , Dolezel Petr , Stursa Dominik , Nemec Zdenek
Published: September 2021

In the field of computer vision, object detection consists of automatically finding objects in images by giving their positions. The most common fields of application are safety systems (pedestrian detection, identification of behavior) and control systems. Another important application is head/person detection, which is the primary material for road safety, rescue, surveillance, etc. In this study, we developed a new approach based on two parallel Deeplapv3+ to improve the performance of the person detection system. For the implementation of our semantic segmentation model, a working methodology with two types of ground truths extracted from the bounding boxes given by the original ground truths was established. The approach has been implemented in our two private datasets as well as in a public dataset. To show the performance of the proposed system, a comparative analysis was carried out on two deep learning semantic segmentation state-of-art models: SegNet and U-Net. By achieving 99.14% of global accuracy, the result demonstrated that the developed strategy could be an efficient way to build a deep neural network model for semantic segmentation. This strategy can be used, not only for the detection of the human head but also be applied in several semantic segmentation applications.
Document-Image Related Visual Sensors and Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Kyamakya Kyandoghere , Haj Mosa Ahmad , Machot Fadi Al , Chedjou Jean Chamberlain
Published: September 2021

Document imaging/scanning approaches are essential techniques for digitalizing documents in various real-world contexts, e.g.,  libraries, office communication, managementof workflows, and electronic archiving [...]
Distributed Transmit Power Control for Energy-Efficient Wireless-Powered Secure Communications
Authors: Lee  Kisong
Published: September 2021

In this study, we consider energy-efficient wireless-powered secure communications, in which N sets of transmitter, receiver, and energy harvesting (EH) nodes exist; each EH node is allowed only to harvest energy from the transmitted signals but is not to permitted to decode information. To maximize the sum secrecy energy efficiency (SEE) of the node sets while ensuring minimum EH requirement for each EH node, we propose a distributed transmit power control algorithm using a dual method, where each transmitter adjusts its transmit power iteratively until convergence without sharing information with the other node sets. Through simulations under various environments, we show that the proposed scheme surpasses conventional schemes in terms of the sum SEE and has significantly reduced computation time compared with the optimal scheme, which suggests the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed distributed method.
Optical Fiber Based Mach-Zehnder Interferometer for APES Detection
Authors: Deng Huitong , Chen Xiaoman , Huang Zhenlin , Kang Shiqi , Zhang Weijia , Li Hongliang , Shu Fangzhou , Lang Tingting , Zhao Chunliu , Shen Changyu
Published: September 2021

A 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APES) fiber-optic sensor based on a Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) was demonstrated. The MZI was constructed with a core-offset fusion single mode fiber (SMF) structure with a length of 3.0 cm. As APES gradually attaches to the MZI, the external environment of the MZI changes, which in turn causes change in the MZI’s interference. That is the reason why we can obtain the relationships between the APES amount and resonance dip wavelength by measuring the transmission variations of the resonant dip wavelength of the MZI. The optimized amount of 1% APES for 3.0 cm MZI biosensors was 3 mL, whereas the optimized amount of 2% APES was 1.5 mL.
A Wearable IMU System for Flexible Teleoperation of a Collaborative Industrial Robot
Authors: Škulj Gašper , Vrabič Rok , Podržaj Primož
Published: September 2021

Increasing the accessibility of collaborative robotics requires interfaces that support intuitive teleoperation. One possibility for an intuitive interface is offered by wearable systems that measure the operator’s movement and use the information for robot control. Such wearable systems should preserve the operator’s movement capabilities and, thus, their ability to flexibly operate in the workspace. This paper presents a novel wireless wearable system that uses only inertial measurement units (IMUs) to determine the orientation of the operator’s upper body parts. An algorithm was developed to transform the measured orientations to movement commands for an industrial collaborative robot. The algorithm includes a calibration procedure, which aligns the coordinate systems of all IMUs, the operator, and the robot, and the transformation of the operator’s relative hand motions to the movement of the robot’s end effector, which takes into account the operator’s orientation relative to the robot. The developed system is demonstrated with an example of an industrial application in which a workpiece needs to be inserted into a fixture. The robot’s motion is compared between the developed system and a standard robot controller. The results confirm that the developed system is intuitive, allows for flexible control, and is robust enough for use in industrial collaborative robotic applications.
Direct Comb Vernier Spectroscopy for Fractional Isotopic Ratio Determinations
Authors: Siciliani de Cumis Mario , Eramo Roberto , Jiang Jie , Fermann Martin E. , Cancio Pastor Pablo
Published: September 2021

Accurate isotopic composition analysis of the greenhouse-gasses emitted in the atmosphere is an important step to mitigate global climate warnings. Optical frequency comb–based spectroscopic techniques have shown ideal performance to accomplish the simultaneous monitoring of the different isotope substituted species of such gases. The capabilities of one such technique, namely, direct comb Vernier spectroscopy, to determine the fractional isotopic ratio composition are discussed. This technique combines interferometric filtering of the comb source in a Fabry–Perot that contains the sample gas, with a high resolution dispersion spectrometer to resolve the spectral content of each interacting frequency inside of the Fabry–Perot. Following this methodology, simultaneous spectra of ro-vibrational transitions of 12C16O2 and 13C16O2 molecules are recorded and analyzed with an accurate fitting procedure. Fractional isotopic ratio 13C/12C at 3% of precision is measured for a sample of CO2 gas, showing the potentialities of the technique for all isotopic-related applications of this important pollutant.
Visual Perception and Understanding of Variable Message Signs: The Influence of the Drivers’ Age and Message Layout
Authors: Fancello Gianfranco , Serra Patrizia , Pinna Claudia
Published: September 2021

Variable message signs (VMS) are used to display messages providing up-to-date traffic-relevant information so that drivers can safely adapt their behavior in real time. The information reported in a VMS should be brief but comprehensive to minimize perception time. The latter can be influenced by the way the message is displayed. This study investigates how the different ways of displaying the same message can influence reading time and the information perception process at different driving speeds. Specifically, the following message characteristics are investigated: (i) use of uppercase and lowercase letters; (ii) use of familiar pictograms; and (iii) use of less familiar pictograms. Furthermore, as perception time typically changes with ageing, drivers belonging to three different age classes are tested. The experimentation was performed by simulating a vehicle passing along a straight road upon which a VMS displaying different messages was placed. Experimentation results are analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test, Friedman rank-sum test and Welch one-way ANOVA, showing that: (i) the use of uppercase or lowercase does not seem to significantly affect reading times; (ii) the use of pictograms that are not very familiar to habitual road-users can be counterproductive for the perception process; (iii) elderly drivers always have greater difficulty in perceiving the message than young or middle-aged drivers. The findings of this study can be of help for traffic authorities to design the most suitable structure for a VMS so that its information can be unequivocally and immediately conveyed to drivers.
A Simple Microextraction Method for Toxic Industrial Dyes Using a Fatty-Acid Solvent Mixture
Authors: Arcon Danielle , Franco Francisco
Published: September 2021

A mixture of dodecanoic and hexanoic fatty acids was used to perform a simple and efficient microextraction method for industrial dyes such as methylene blue (MB), methyl violet (MV), and malachite green (MG) in aqueous solution. The fatty-acid microextractants were simply mixed and heated until the mixture became homogeneous before adding it to the dye solutions. The fatty-acid solvent and its components were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) measurements, while the dye concentrations were measured using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The performance of the extracting mixture was observed to vary across different dye contaminants, dosages of the extractant, concentrations of the dyes, and contact times. High extraction efficiencies of up to ~99% were obtained for MG as well as MV, and ~73% efficiency was achieved for MB. The study shows how a mixture of fatty acids can be used as a simple, efficient, green, and sustainable low-volume method for the removal of toxic industrial dyes in aqueous solutions.
Intrusion Detection in Critical Infrastructures: A Literature Review
Authors: Panagiotis Fountas , Taxiarxchis Kouskouras , Georgios Kranas , Maglaras Leandros , Ferrag Mohamed Amine
Published: September 2021

Over the years, the digitization of all aspects of life in modern societies is considered an acquired advantage. However, like the terrestrial world, the digital world is not perfect and many dangers and threats are present. In the present work, we conduct a systematic review on the methods of network detection and cyber attacks that can take place in a critical infrastructure. As is shown, the implementation of a system that learns from the system behavior (machine learning), on multiple levels and spots any diversity, is one of the most effective solutions.
Tourism and Livelihood Sovereignty: A Theoretical Introduction and Research Agenda for Arctic Contexts
Authors: Naylor Ryan S. , Hunt Carter A.
Published: September 2021

The need to understand how Arctic coastal communities can remain resilient in the wake of rapid anthropogenic change that is disproportionately affecting the region—including, but not limited to, climate instability and the increasing reach of the tourism sector—is more urgent than ever. With sovereignty discourse at the forefront of Arctic sustainability research, integrating existing sovereignty scholarship into the tourism literature yields new theory-building opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to conceptually analyze the implications of (1) applying both theoretical and social movement ideas about sovereignty to tourism research in Arctic coastal communities, (2) the extent to which these ideas revolve around livelihood sovereignty in particular, (3) the influence of existing tourism development on shifting livelihood sovereignty dynamics, and, ultimately, (4) the opportunities for further research that enables more sovereign sustainable tourism development across the Arctic region. Given the northward march of the tourism frontier across Arctic regions, an exploration of tourism’s influence on sovereignty presents a timely opportunity to advance theory and promote policy incentives for forms of tourism development that are more likely to yield sustainable and resilient outcomes for Arctic communities.
Turn Fast and Win: The Importance of Acyclic Phases in Top-Elite Female Swimmers
Authors: Born Dennis-Peter , Kuger Joris , Polach Marek , Romann Michael
Published: September 2021

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of start and turn performances on race times in top-elite female swimmers and provide benchmarks for all performance levels, all swimming strokes, and all race distances of the European Short-Course Championships (EC). The individual races (n = 798) of all female competitors (age: 20.6 ± 3.9 years, FINA points: 792 ± 78) were video-monitored for subsequent analysis of start and turn performances. Benchmarks were established across all competitors of each event based on the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles. Start and turn performances contributed up to 27.43% and 56.37% to total race time, respectively. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the fastest swimmers had the lowest contribution of the acyclic phases to race time. Therefore, relative to their faster race times, these swimmers were even faster during starts and turns. Multiple linear regression analysis showed large effects of turn performance on 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 m race times (β = 0.616, 0.813, 0.988, 1.004, and 1.011, respectively), while the effect of start performance continuously decreased the longer the race distance. As turn performance may be the distinguishing factor in modern short-course races, benchmarks should be used to set goals and establish training guidelines depending on the targeted race time.
Validity and Effects of Placement of Velocity-Based Training Devices
Authors: Fritschi Raphael , Seiler Jan , Gross Micah
Published: September 2021

Velocity-based training (VBT) is a resistance training method by which training variables are manipulated based on kinematic outcomes, e.g., barbell velocity. The better precision for monitoring and manipulating training variables ascribed to VBT assumes that velocity is measured and communicated correctly. This study assessed the validity of several mobile and one stationary VBT device for measuring mean and peak concentric barbell velocity over a range of velocities and exercises, including low- and high-velocity, ballistic and non-ballistic, and plyometric and non-plyometric movements, and to quantify the isolated effect of device attachment point on measurement validity. GymAware (r = 0.90–1, standard error of the estimate, SEE = 0.01–0.08 m/s) and Quantum (r = 0.88–1, SEE = 0.01–0.18 m/s) were most valid for mean and peak velocity, with Vmaxpro (r = 0.92–0.99, SEE = 0.02–0.13 m/s) close behind. Push (r = 0.69–0.96, SEE = 0.03–0.17 m/s) and Flex (r = 0.60–0.94, SEE = 0.02–0.19 m/s) showed poorer validity (especially for higher-velocity exercises), although typical errors for mean velocity in exercises other than hang power snatch were acceptable. Effects of device placement were detectable, yet likely small enough (SEE < 0.1 m/s) to be negligible in training settings.
Learning Time Acceleration in Support Vector Regression: A Case Study in Educational Data Mining
Authors: Pimentel Jonatha Sousa , Ospina Raydonal , Ara Anderson
Published: September 2021

The development of a country involves directly investing in the education of its citizens. Learning analytics/educational data mining (LA/EDM) allows access to big observational structured/unstructured data captured from educational settings and relies mostly on machine learning algorithms to extract useful information. Support vector regression (SVR) is a supervised statistical learning approach that allows modelling and predicts the performance tendency of students to direct strategic plans for the development of high-quality education. In Brazil, performance can be evaluated at the national level using the average grades of a student on their National High School Exams (ENEMs) based on their socioeconomic information and school records. In this paper, we focus on increasing the computational efficiency of SVR applied to ENEM for online requisitions. The results are based on an analysis of a massive data set composed of more than five million observations, and they also indicate computational learning time savings of more than 90%, as well as providing a prediction of performance that is compatible with traditional modeling.
Can We Return to Our Normal Life When the Pandemic Is under Control? A Preliminary Study on the Influence of COVID-19 on the Tourism Characteristics of Taiwan
Authors: Kuo Chung-Wei
Published: September 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented destructive impacts and challenges to global industry and has had a wide impact on people’s lives. The threat of the virus has also caused a change in tourist travel consumption behavior. This study preliminarily examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism consumption characteristics of Taiwanese people. The consumption characteristic changes of 393 people regarding their plans for domestic and outbound tourism during the different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as after the pandemic ends were surveyed and collected. This study also examined and attempted to understand the relationship between people’s satisfaction with the government’s revitalization plan, the pandemic prevention policy, and their domestic tourism frequency during the pandemic period, and the results showed that during the pandemic, people’s tourism characteristics have changed and tend to be conservative. Since the pandemic is over, while there were no significant differences between people’s planned travel expenditures in Taiwan and those before the outbreak, their intended travel time was shortened. Regarding the choice of travel equipment, people had reduced the use of public transportation. Regarding outbound tourism, after the pandemic, as people’s planned travel days will be reduced, it is expected that travel expenditures will be significantly higher than before the pandemic, which shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on people’s outbound tourism consumption characteristics. During the pandemic, compared with the subsidies for tourism, how to make people feel at ease in the process of tourism is of great importance. Therefore, it is suggested that in the short-term, border control and social pandemic prevention policies should be adopted to enhance people’s confidence in government pandemic prevention, and the general public should be supplemented with travel subsidies in order to promote people’s enthusiasm for tourism. The results of this study provide useful suggestions for government units, tour operators, and related research during the pandemic and offer preliminary insights for the recovery of the tourism industry after the pandemic.
BIM and DfMA: A Paradigm of New Opportunities
Authors: Abrishami Sepehr , Martín-Durán Rocío
Published: September 2021

The main goal of this study is to explore the adoption of a design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) and building information management (BIM) approach during the whole lifecycle of assets. This approach aims to tackle issues inherent in the design of traditional construction methods, such as low productivity and quality, poor predictability and building performance, and energy use, through the implementation of a BIM library of off-site components. In recent years, a renewed interest has been directed to the attempt to provide solutions to these urgent problems through the adoption of new advancements in technologies. However, while there are studies focussing on a BIM-DfMA approach, there is a lack of research regarding how this approach should be adopted during the whole lifecycle of the assets. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, defining an efficient way of developing a component-based BIM object library has not yet been included in any of the available studies. A mixed methodology approach has been used in this research. A conceptual framework was developed as the result of an extensive literature review to investigate new advancements in the AEC sector. Following the literature review, the framework was tested and validated through a case study based on the production and adoption of a BIM library of off-site components at the design stage of an asset. The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry has recognised the necessity of a new approach that helps to resolve the well-known issues presented in traditional methods of construction. The conceptual framework and case study proposed presents a valuable new method of construction that support the implementation of a BIM and DfMA approach, highlighting their benefits. This framework has been created using many valuable and reliable sources of information. The result of this research supports the idea of a novel new construction method that focuses on a manufacturing-digital-driven industry, with the use of DfMA in a BIM-integrated approach. This novel method will add significance and be beneficial for a wide range of aspects in the construction sector, contributing to the theoretical and practical domain.
Remote Sensing for Short-Term Economic Forecasts
Authors: Juergens Carsten , Meyer-Heß Fabian M. , Goebel Marcus , Schmidt Torsten
Published: September 2021

Economic forecasts are an important instrument to judge the nation-wide economic situation. Such forecasts are mainly based on data from statistical offices. However, there is a time lag between the end of the reporting period and the release of the statistical data that arises for instance from the time needed to collect and process the data. To improve the forecasts by reducing the delay, it is of interest to find alternative data sources that provide information on economic activity without significant delays. Among others, satellite images are thought to assist here. This paper addresses the potential of earth observation imagery for short-term economic forecasts. The study is focused on the estimation of investments in the construction sector based on high resolution (HR) (10–20 m) and very high resolution (VHR) (0.3–0.5 m) images as well as on the estimation of investments in agricultural machinery based on orthophotos (0.1 m) simulating VHR satellite imagery. By applying machine learning it is possible to extract the objects of interest to a certain extent. For the detection of construction areas, VHR satellite images are much better suited than HR satellite images. VHR satellite images with a ground resolution of 30–50 cm are able to identify agricultural machinery. These results are promising and provide new and unconventional input for economic forecasting models.
Rhizobacteria Inoculation and Caffeic Acid Alleviated Drought Stress in Lentil Plants
Authors: Zafar-ul-Hye Muhammad , Akbar Muhammad Naeem , Iftikhar Yasir , Abbas Mazhar , Zahid Atiqa , Fahad Shah , Datta Rahul , Ali Muqarrab , Elgorban Abdallah M. , Ansari Mohammad Javed , Danish Subhan
Published: September 2021

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) is an important component of the human diet due to its high mineral and protein contents. Abiotic stresses, i.e., drought, decreases plant growth and yield. Drought causes the synthesis of reactive oxygen species, which decrease a plant’s starch contents and growth. However, ACC-deaminase (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase) producing rhizobacteria can alleviate drought stress by decreasing ethylene levels. On the other hand, caffeic acid (CA) can also positively affect cell expansion and turgor pressure maintenance under drought stress. Therefore, the current study was planned with an aim to assess the effect of CA (0, 20, 50 and 100 ppm) and ACC-deaminase rhizobacteria (Lysinibacillus fusiform, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) on lentils under drought stress. The combined application of CA and ACC-deaminase containing rhizobacteria significantly improved plant height (55%), number of pods per plant (51%), 1000-grain weight (45%), nitrogen concentration (56%), phosphorus concentration (19%), potassium concentration (21%), chlorophyll (54%), relative water contents RWC (60%) and protein contents (55%). A significant decrease in electrolyte leakage (30%), proline contents (44%), and hydrogen peroxide contents (54%), along with an improvement in cell membrane stability (34% over control) validated the combined use of CA and rhizobacteria. In conclusion, co-application of CA (20 ppm) and ACC-deaminase producing rhizobacteria can significantly improve plant growth and yield for farmers under drought stress. More investigations are suggested at the field level to select the best rhizobacteria and CA level for lentils under drought.
A Systematic Review of the Most Recent Concepts in Smart Windows Technologies with a Focus on Electrochromics
Authors: Brzezicki Marcin
Published: September 2021

In the context of sustainability and in the face of ambitious goals towards the reduction of CO2 emission, the modification of transparency in architecture becomes an important tool of energy flow management into the building. Windows that dim to stop the energy transfer reduce the cooling load in the building. Recently, however, the latest achievements in the development of electrochromic materials allowed us to integrate some additional—previously unknown—functionalities into EC devices. The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of recent technological innovations in the field of smart windows and present the possibilities of recently established functionalities. This review article outlines recent general progress in electrochromic but concentrates on multicolour and neutral black electrochromism, spectrally selective systems, electrochromic energy storage windows, hybrid EC/TC systems, OLED lighting integrated with the EC device, and EC devices powered by solar cells. The review was based on the most recent publication from the years 2015–2020 recorded in the databases WoS and Scopus.
Mitigation of Suspendable Road Dust in a Subpolar, Oceanic Climate
Authors: Barr Brian Charles , Andradóttir Hrund Ólöf , Thorsteinsson Throstur , Erlingsson Sigurður
Published: September 2021

Tire and road wear particles (TRWP) are a significant source of atmospheric particulate matter and microplastic loading to waterways. Road wear is exacerbated in cold climate by the widespread use of studded tires. The goal of this research was to assess the anthropogenic levers for suspendable road dust generation and climatic conditions governing the environmental fate of non-exhaust particles in a wet maritime winter climate. Sensitivity analyses were performed using the NORTRIP model for the Capital region of Reykjavík, Iceland (64.1° N). Precipitation frequency (secondarily atmospheric relative humidity) governed the partitioning between atmospheric and waterborne PM10 particles (55% and 45%, respectively). Precipitation intensity, however, increased proportionally most the drainage to waterways via stormwater collection systems, albeit it only represented 5% of the total mass of dust generated in winter. A drastic reduction in the use of studded tires, from 46% to 15% during peak season, would be required to alleviate the number of ambient air quality exceedances. In order to achieve multifaceted goals of a climate resilient, resource efficient city, the most important mitigation action is to reduce overall traffic volume. Reducing traffic speed may help speed environmental outcomes.
The Role of Ethical Leadership in Managing Occupational Stress to Promote Innovative Work Behaviour: A Cross-Cultural Management Perspective
Authors: Haque Adnan ul , Yamoah Fred A.
Published: September 2021

This study examines the role of ethical leadership in managing occupational stress to engender innovative work behaviour (IWB) in cargo logistic SMEs in a contrasting cross-cultural management context of Canada and Pakistan. We draw on Trait Activation Theory to develop the conceptual and theoretical framework of the study. Using connections and a networking approach, a proportionate equal sample of nine SMEs were selected for the study. Analysis of the data from the semi-structured Skype and face-to-face interviews with 38 supervisors and 97 employees showed that ethical leadership plays a vital role in reducing occupational stress and increasing employees’ IWB in both countries. Employees in both countries perceiving ethical leadership exhibit more creative-constructive behaviour. The results further demonstrate that males relative to females in both countries have a higher tendency of exhibiting risk-taking behaviour and IWB, resulting from leaders’ support. Similarly, males have higher tendency of challenging the prevailing “status quo” within the organisations than females. Generally, the Pakistani workforce scored higher in contrast to the Canadian workforce in demonstrating IWB due to ethical leadership support, despite higher perception of occupational stress. Cross-cultural management implications are duly outlined.
Promoting Urban Agriculture and Its Opportunities and Challenges—A Global Review
Authors: Wadumestrige Dona Chethika Gunasiri , Mohan Geetha , Fukushi Kensuke
Published: September 2021

Multifunctionality of urban agriculture can support the resolve of many urban challenges. Therefore, it is vital to understand the contribution of academic studies on urban agriculture practices as scientific information. The present study followed a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA method. Finally, 54 identified articles were analyzed. The review study mainly examined the contribution of academic literature on urban agriculture under four dimensions: the socio-economic context of the country, type of agriculture model, opportunities, and challenges. The results revealed the focus of academic literature on urban agriculture to show favoritism toward developed countries’ community gardens. Moreover, the leading academic focus on this discipline identifies multifunctionality. People’s motivations in developed countries tend to favor social, health-related, and educational benefits of urban agriculture; however, in developing countries, urban agriculture is more related to economic and ecological needs. Challenges for urban agriculture are also different among developed and developing countries. Nevertheless, existing academic studies have given comparatively less attention to identifying challenges, benefit groups of urban agriculture, and government support. Since urban agriculture is highly reliant on local factors, studying more about opportunities and challenges for urban agriculture under different socio-economic contexts and different agriculture models could be more beneficial to connect farming practices in cities with urban planning. Therefore, to make an adequate academic contribution to urban sustainability, future urban agriculture studies need to be more holistic.
The Importance of Endogenous Resources for Internationalization: Competitive Advantages in the Olive Groves of Southern Spain
Authors: Martos-Martínez Clara , Muñoz-Guarasa Marta
Published: September 2021

The general objective of this paper was to determine how companies in the olive sector could convert the comparative advantages of olive-growing regions (e.g., culture, tradition, raw materials, knowledge, infrastructure, networks, technological centers, etc.) into competitive advantages, to internationalize, in an accelerated way, and become born global firms, contributing to economic, social, and sustainable development of regions. Thus, we analyzed four cases of exporting companies in this sector (two born global and two non-born global) in southern Spain (Jaén). We chose this province because it is the world’s leading producer of olive oil and, yet it is only the fourth largest exporter compared to the rest of Spain. For the case study, we conducted (and recorded) personal, semi-structured interviews with the founders/managers or individuals in charge of internationalization. To obtain our results, we used a data sheet that included an action protocol, we analyzed each case individually, and we employed sensemaking and pattern-matching techniques to add validity and reliability to the research. Finally, we proposed the “keys” for these companies to go international in an accelerated way, as it would increase their competitiveness, foster the creation of employment, develop networks between companies, boost investment in innovation, etc. The results indicate that it is necessary to follow market orientation, networking, and international entrepreneurship strategies, and that intellectual capital (human, organizational, relational, and technological) of companies (and, therefore, of regions) will be the means through which competitive capabilities are achieved.
A Systematic Literature Review of the Solar Photovoltaic Value Chain for a Circular Economy
Authors: Franco Maria A. , Groesser Stefan N.
Published: September 2021

As the solar photovoltaic market booms, so will the volume of photovoltaic (PV) systems entering the waste stream. The same is forecast for lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles, which at the end of their automotive life can be given a second life by serving as stationary energy storage units for renewable energy sources, including solar PV. The main objective of this paper is to systematically review the “state-of-the-art” research on the solar PV value chain (i.e., from product design to product end-of-life), including its main stages, processes, and stakeholder relationships, in order to identify areas along the value chain where circular strategies could be implemented, thereby advancing the transition of the PV industry towards circularity. To achieve this goal, we conducted a systematic literature review of 148 peer-reviewed articles, published in English between 2000 and 2020. Results show the PV value chain has been studied from a forward flow supply chain perspective and mostly from a technological point of view, with little regard for circular design, circular business models, and PV reuse. This article thus takes an integrated value chain perspective, introduces some of the barriers to circularity that industry players face, and argues that these barriers represent future opportunities for incumbent and new entrants to innovate within a circular PV industry.
From Buildings’ End of Life to Aggregate Recycling under a Circular Economic Perspective: A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Case Study
Authors: Lachat Ambroise , Mantalovas Konstantinos , Desbois Tiffany , Yazoghli-Marzouk Oumaya , Colas Anne-Sophie , Di Mino Gaetano , Feraille Adélaïde
Published: September 2021

The demolition of buildings, apart from being energy intensive and disruptive, inevitably produces construction and demolition waste (C&Dw). Unfortunately, even today, the majority of this waste ends up underexploited and not considered as valuable resources to be re-circulated into a closed/open loop process under the umbrella of circular economy (CE). Considering the amount of virgin aggregates needed in civil engineering applications, C&Dw can act as sustainable catalyst towards the preservation of natural resources and the shift towards a CE. This study completes current research by presenting a life cycle inventory compilation and life cycle assessment case study of two buildings in France. The quantification of the end-of-life environmental impacts of the two buildings and subsequently the environmental impacts of recycled aggregates production from C&Dw was realized using the framework of life cycle assessment (LCA). The results indicate that the transport of waste, its treatment, and especially asbestos’ treatment are the most impactful phases. For example, in the case study of the first building, transport and treatment of waste reached 35% of the total impact for global warming. Careful, proactive, and strategic treatment, geolocation, and transport planning is recommended for the involved stakeholders and decision makers in order to ensure minimal sustainability implications during the implementation of CE approaches for C&Dw.
The Losses in the Rice Harvest Process: A Review
Authors: Qu Xue , Kojima Daizo , Wu Laping , Ando Mitsuyoshi
Published: September 2021

We review existing studies on rice harvest loss from the aspects of estimation methods, magnitudes, causes, effects, and interventions. The harvest losses examined occurred from the field reaping to storage processes, including threshing, winnowing, and field transportation. We find that existing studies on rice harvest losses have focused on quantitative losses in Asia and Africa. Lack of knowledge, inadequate harvesting techniques, poor infrastructure, and inefficient harvest management practices are considered critical contributors to the losses. The magnitudes and causes of rice harvest losses are now better understood than interventions, which have simply been presented but lack an assessment of the effects and a cost–benefit analysis. Interestingly, reduction in harvest losses may threaten some farmers’ profits, such as rural women who make their living from post-production manual operations. Considering the current status of the literature, future researchers should examine how to balance social and individual welfare since farmers are key stakeholders in intervention implementation. A good understanding of the existing researches can help clarify future efforts for loss reduction, thereby reducing the burden of increasing agricultural production and promoting sustainable development of resources and the environment.
Science Mapping of the Global Knowledge Base on Management, Leadership, and Administration Related to COVID-19 for Promoting the Sustainability of Scientific Research
Authors: Karakose Turgut , Yirci Ramazan , Papadakis Stamatios , Ozdemir Tuncay Yavuz , Demirkol Murat , Polat Hakan
Published: September 2021

The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus has resulted in inevitable radical changes across almost all areas of daily life, with the pandemic having revealed perhaps the greatest crisis humanity has faced in modern history. This study aims to provide thematic and methodological recommendations for future sustainable research programs through a bibliometric analysis of publications focused on management, leadership, and administration related to COVID-19. The data for the study were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) bibliographic database and then analyzed according to thematic content analysis and bibliometric methodology. The study’s units of analysis include countries, journals, keywords, research models, sample/study group, and time to publication. VOSviewer software and visualization maps were used to report the findings obtained from the analyzed data. When the study’s results are evaluated regarding the number of related publications and total citations, it can be revealed that Anglo-American-, Chinese-, and European-centered dominance continues in COVID-19-related studies. The vast majority of publications on this subject area are concentrated in the field of health. In addition, the study’s findings revealed that the examined articles were generally published in journals considered as prestigious, have high impact factors, are published in the English language, and with articles published in a short time after a much-reduced editorial/review and publishing process. Unlike previous bibliometric reviews, this research comprehensively analyzed the management-, leadership-, and administration-oriented publications related to COVID-19 with a holistic approach, providing essential findings and recommendations for future sustainable thematic research opportunities.
Construction Risk Evaluation of Poor Geological Channels Based on Cloud Model-Improved AHP–Matter–Element Theory
Authors: Li Qingfu , Wang Zhipeng , Lu Linfang , Ma Qiang
Published: September 2021

In the process of economic development, the exploitation and utilization of resources has played an important role, but the subsequent post-mining collapse and the shortage of land resources have affected future reconstruction to a certain extent. Currently, there is a firm belief in sustainable development and its goals to be achieved in the future. Based on the concept of sustainable development, this paper examines the feasibility of rebuilding channels under adverse geological conditions, and studies whether there are risks and the degree of risk. According to the characteristics of the experts’ judgment language and the ambiguity and randomness between various factors, it is proposed that a cloud model is used to improve the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) risk assessment method. At the same time, the traditional matter–element theory is improved through the cloud model, so that the impact of uncertainty and randomness can be comprehensively considered in the evaluation; finally, forming the risk assessment system of the cloud-based AHP and cloud-based matter–elements. The application of examples shows that, compared with the methods in the relevant literature, the evaluation results of this article are more objective, more accurate, have better applicability, and play an important guiding role in channel construction under adverse geological conditions.
Hybrid Platform for Assessing Air Pollutants Released from Animal Husbandry Activities for Sustainable Livestock Agriculture
Authors: Popa Razvan Alexandru , Popa Dana Catalina , Mărginean Gheorghe Emil , Suciu George , Bălănescu Mihaela , Paștea Denisa , Vulpe Alexandru , Vochin Marius , Drăgulinescu Ana Maria
Published: September 2021

Farming livestock—cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens—contributes to the air pollution of the atmosphere. Agricultural air pollution comes mainly in the form of ammonia, which enters the air as a gas from heavily fertilized fields and livestock waste. A reduction in air pollutants from the livestock sector can be achieved by reducing production and consumption, lowering the emission intensity of production, or combining the two. This work proposes an approach for assessing the air pollutant emissions derived from intensive cattle farming. For doing this, the animal feed, the animal behavior, and characteristics and the stable environment data are monitored and collected by a cloud platform. Specifically, Internet of Things (IoT) devices are installed in the farm and key air pollutant parameters from the stable environment (such as CO, NH3, PM1, PM2.5, PM10) are monitored. In this scope, a study about monitoring air pollutants is conducted, showing the most relevant platforms used in this domain. Additionally, the paper presents a comparison between the estimated and monitored air pollutants (AP), showing the fluctuation of the measured parameters. The key takeaway of the study is that ammonia concentration has a higher level during the night, being influenced by the ventilation system of the farm.
Preservation and Restoration of Roadside Tree Alleys in Line with Sustainable Development Principles—Mission (Im)possible?
Authors: Źróbek-Sokolnik Anna , Dynowski Piotr , Źróbek Sabina
Published: September 2021

The main challenge in the efforts to protect roadside tree alleys is to achieve a balance between the local development and the conservation of biodiversity. The problem of aging and disappearing roadside tree alleys was analyzed based on a critical review of the literature, various types of reports related to this topic and the provisions of international and Polish acts of law on biodiversity conservation and landscape protection. The following research hypotheses were formulated: 1. The preservation and restoration of roadside tree alleys promotes biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, and it constitutes an important social and scientific problem, and 2. detailed guidelines are needed to formulate effective programs for the protection of roadside tree alleys. The results of the study were used to formulate the universal guidelines for designing programs for the protection of roadside tree alleys. The potential barriers and obstacles that can occur in each stage of the proposed algorithm were identified and discussed on the example of Poland. In the summary, the answer to the question used as the title of the article should be affirmative. However, many actions must be taken. Most of them are included in the proposed guidelines and some of them are given as recommendations.