bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cadastral Land Value Modelling Based on Zoning by Prestige: A Case Study of a Resort Town
Authors: Bykowa Elena , Hełdak Maria , Sishchuk Julia
Published: September 2020

The article discusses cadastral land valuation in Russian resort towns, a procedure flawed by the fact that it does not take into account territorial prestige. Researchers in Russia and other countries state that it is essential to redistribute the land tax burden as the current situation creates tax injustice, which is reflected in the undervaluation of prestigious areas and the overvaluation of non-prestigious ones in resort towns. Competition for the most prestigious areas in such towns mainly stems from the opportunity for landowners to earn higher rental incomes during the high season. In view of this, the study aims to provide a method for cadastral land valuation in resort towns based on zoning by prestige. The application of the proposed method is demonstrated using the town of Anapa (a Russian resort town by the Black Sea) as a case study. The method is based on several research and analysis methods, including the following: the analytical method, which is used for a preliminary analysis of urban areas to identify the most attractive parts of resort towns; a modification of Saaty’s methodology combined with Pareto analysis, which is used to identify criteria for assessing how prestigious and important a part of the town is; cluster analysis, which is used for ranking areas in resort towns; correlation and regression analysis, which is used for land valuation modelling. The article describes the key criteria for ranking areas in resort towns by prestige, gives a definition of prestige applied to resort town districts, and proposes an equation for calculating the integral indicator of prestige and a method for assessing prestige. The validity of the prestige map that was created for the town of Anapa was proved by analyzing the average market prices for land plots located within the identified zones. The cadastral land valuation models describing land plots in Anapa that are intended for private housing construction can be correctly interpreted and are of acceptable quality.
Hysteretic Response of Tilt-Up Concrete Precast Walls with Embedded Steel Plate Connections
Authors: Yun Hyun-Do , Kim Hye-Ran , Choi Won-Chang
Published: September 2020

Many connection systems are available that can transfer tension and shear loads from a precast concrete wall panel to a floor slab. However, due to the insufficient anchor depth in relatively thin precast concrete panels, it is difficult to attain adequate ductility and stiffness to ensure structural integrity. Based on the authors’ previous research results, the supplementary reinforcement of embedded steel plates in precast concrete wall panels can enhance stiffness while maintaining allowable displacement and ductility. In this study, three full-size tilt-up precast concrete panels with embedded steel plates were fabricated. Lateral cyclic loads were applied to full support structures consisting of a precast concrete wall panel and a foundation. The test results were compared with the results predicted using existing code equations found in the American Concrete Institute 318-14 and the Prestressed Concrete Institute Handbooks. The test results confirm that the supplementary reinforcement of thin precast concrete wall panels can provide (i) the required strength based on current code equations, (ii) sufficient ductility, and (iii) the energy dissipation capacity to resist cyclic loading.
Mapping Research on Customer Centricity and Sustainable Organizations
Authors: Pardo-Jaramillo Sergio , Muñoz-Villamizar Andrés , Osuna Ignacio , Roncancio Rolando
Published: September 2020

Firms are increasingly organized around the client. At the same time, there is customer pressure on green and sustainable organizations. The purpose of this paper is to map the current state of the research in the domain of customer-centric organizations from a sustainability perspective. We conducted a bibliometric analysis from published documents between 1990 and 31 July 2020. Key findings indicate that research on customer centricity and sustainability has increased in recent years, finding some trends and that the topic is structured into three clusters: (1) Sustainable Development, Customer-Centric Perspective, and Sales; (2) Sustainability and Commerce; and (3) Customer-Centricity and Sustainability Trends. The implementation of a bibliometric methodology and the focus given to the definition, the relationships, and the evolution of the three main clusters within the topic are the characteristics that differentiate our study from other publications or reviews in the field of research. In addition, all the documents that refer to practical cases were identified, and the main ones were analyzed, to provide highlights to practitioners who aim to deploy the customer centricity approach in their firms from a sustainable perspective and seeking that the corporate purpose is followed.
A Comprehensive Assessment Approach for Water-Soil Environmental Risk during Railway Construction in Ecological Fragile Region Based on AHP and MEA
Authors: Chen Huihua , Li Hujun , Wang Yige , Cheng Baoquan
Published: September 2020

With China’s government facilitating railway projects, more railway lines inevitably pass through ecological fragile regions (EFRs). Railway construction activities in EFRs might cause detrimental impacts on the local water-soil environment (WSE), which is the basis of the local ecological system that if destroyed can induce secondary disasters. Studies on the WSE risk (WSER) during railway construction in EFRs are limited. As such, this study aims to offer preliminary insight into the WSER assessment of railway construction in EFRs. WSERs were identified firstly based on the literature review and field surveys, and thus a risk index framework for WSER assessment including 5 categories of WSERs and 16 second-order risks was established. Then a comprehensive quantitative assessment method was developed by integrating analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and matter-element analysis (MEA) to assess the overall WSERs of railway construction in EFRs. A case (i.e., the Mingan subproject of Hefei-Fuzhou railway) was selected to demonstrate and validate the developed approach. Results show that the proposed assessment approach can be applied to evaluate the WSERs during railway construction. In addition, the case study demonstrates that the risk of construction methods should be the key focus. Findings from this study enrich the knowledge body of sustainable railways and guide the project managers to conduct practical WSER assessment of railway construction.
Sustainable Management Activities: A Study on the Relations between Technology Commercialization Capabilities, Sustainable Competitive Advantage, and Business Performance
Authors: Kim Joon-ho , Seok Bong-ihn , Choi Hyun-ju , Jung Seung-hye , Yu Jong-pil
Published: September 2020

This study investigates the effects of sustainable management activities (knowledge management activities, quality management activities, and competitive intelligence activities) on technology commercialization capabilities, sustainable competitive advantage, and business performance. In addition, it examines the effects of technology commercialization capabilities on sustainable competitive advantage and business performance as well as the effects of sustainable competitive advantage on business performance. We surveyed 409 global firms for 30 days from 1 October 2018 to 30 October 2018 and performed a structural equation model analysis on the data collected. We limited the scope of the survey to employees working at the level of team leader or above in the R&D department. The results showed that quality management activities and competitive intelligence activities have a statistically significant positive effect on technology commercialization capabilities and quality management activities, competitive intelligence activities, and technology commercialization capabilities have a statistically significant positive effect on sustainable competitive advantage. Additionally, sustainable competitive advantage has a statistically significant positive effect on business performance.
Construction Cost Estimation Using a Case-Based Reasoning Hybrid Genetic Algorithm Based on Local Search Method
Authors: Jung Sangsun , Pyeon Jae-Ho , Lee Hyun-Soo , Park Moonseo , Yoon Inseok , Rho Juhee
Published: September 2020

Estimates of project costs in the early stages of a construction project have a significant impact on the operator’s decision-making in essential matters, such as the site’s decision or the construction period. However, it is not easy to carry out the initial stage with confidence, because information such as design books and specifications is not available. In previous studies, case-based reasoning (CBR) is used to estimate initial construction costs, and genetic algorithms are used to calculate the weight of the retrieve phase in CBR’s process. However, it is difficult to draw a better solution than the current one, because existing genetic algorithms use random numbers. To overcome these limitations, we reflect correlation numbers in the genetic algorithms by using the method of local search. Then, we determine the weights using a hybrid genetic algorithm that combines local search and genetic algorithms. A case-based reasoning model was developed using a hybrid genetic algorithm. Then, the model was verified with construction cost data that were not used for the development of the model. As a result, it was found that the hybrid genetic algorithm and case-based reasoning applied with the local search performed better than the existing solution. The detail mean error value was found to be 3.52%, 6.15%, and 0.33% higher for each case than the previous one.
Life-Cycle Assessment of Strengthening Pre-Stressed Normal-Strength Concrete Beams with Different Steel-Fibered Concrete Layers
Authors: Pushkar Svetlana , Ribakov Yuri
Published: September 2020

This study aimed to determine the difference between two alternatives for pre-stressed normal-strength concrete beams according to life-cycle assessments (LCAs): strengthening the PNSC (pre-stressed normal-strength concrete) beam on one side with a 70 mm width, steel-fibered, high-strength concrete layer (Case 1) and strengthening the PNSC beams by jacketing on three sides with 30 mm width, ultra-high-performance, fiber-reinforced concrete layers (Case 2). We conducted LCAs of these cases using the ReCiPe2016 midpoint and endpoint-single-score methods. The differences among the beams’ endpoint-single-score results were evaluated using a two-stage nested analysis of variance. The ReCiPe2016 midpoint results showed that compared to Case 2, Case 1 reduced the global warming potential, terrestrial ecotoxicity, water consumption, and fossil-resource-scarcity impacts by 73–80%. The ReCiPe2016 endpoint-single-score results showed that the environmental damage from Case 1 was significantly lower (p = 0.0003) than that from Case 2. These findings could be promising and useful for studying sustainability in construction.
Sustainable Development of the Arctic Indigenous Communities: The Approach to Projects Optimization of Mining Company
Authors: Novoselov Andrey , Potravny Ivan , Novoselova Irina , Gassiy Violetta
Published: September 2020

The article discusses the issues of sustainable development of indigenous communities in the Arctic based on the optimization of projects of mining companies. The purpose of the article is to develop tools for decision-making to optimize the mining projects based on economic and mathematical models. The authors suppose that, by comparing and selecting different options for resource extraction, the use of various technologies and the impact of projects, the conditions of the traditional life of indigenous peoples, the preservation of health, it is possible to find a compromise solution for stakeholders. The case-study of Alrosa—a diamond giant mining in Yakutia is researched in the paper. To ensure sustainable development of traditional lands, it is proposed to optimize mining projects, in order to carry out a project maneuver during Arctic development. The project maneuver of the mining company makes it possible to choose the optimal solution from the existing alternatives for the extraction of minerals. The authors propose criteria and procedures for the selection of alternative options for the implementation of extractive projects. The alternative projects selected in this way make it possible to compensate to indigenous communities for the negative impact during industrial development of the Arctic.
Effective Social Marketing to Improve Parental Intentions Giving More Fruits and Vegetables to Children
Authors: Giménez García-Conde Miguel , Marín Longinos , Ruiz De Maya Salvador
Published: September 2020

There is a need to monitor the growing prevalence of childhood weight issues and obesity worldwide. Parents can establish a set of family rules regarding child behaviors, but parents’ favorable attitudes toward healthy nutrition are also necessary. Despite the importance of this issue, there has been very little research on the most efficient means of communication to improve parental intentions to give fruits and vegetables to their children. Social marketing plays a key role in formulating effective communication campaigns targeting parents. We focus on two elements of the communication process, the message endorser and the message framing, and run an experiment with a sample of parents. Results demonstrate that parental intention to provide fruits and vegetables to children will be higher when the related message is backed by an expert endorser (vs. a celebrity endorser), the message is positively framed (vs. negatively framed) and when the message is emotionally framed (vs. rationally framed). Moreover, there is an interaction effect between the influence of the expertise/celebrity characteristic of the endorser and the message framing on parental intention to provide fruits and vegetables, and the effect is higher when the rational message framing is endorsed by an expert.
Climate Change Impacts on a Tropical Fishery Ecosystem: Implications and Societal Responses
Authors: Islam Mohammad Mahmudul , Islam Naimul , Habib Ahasan , Mozumder Mohammad Mojibul Hoque
Published: September 2020

The present study aimed to map out the current threats and anticipated impacts of climate change on the most important hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) fishery and the associated fishing communities based on fieldwork in six coastal fishing communities. To collect empirical data, individual interviews, focus group discussions, oral history, and key informant interviews were conducted. To supplement the empirical findings, time-series data of cyclones and sea-borne depressions in the Bay of Bengal were also analyzed. Analysis of secondary data regarding climate change-induced events and regional studies suggested that the biophysical conditions of the Bay of Bengal are likely to be aggravated in the future, potentially causing more frequent extreme events and affecting the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities in Bangladesh. The fisher respondents revealed that the main target hilsa shad fishery is particularly vulnerable to climate change in terms of alterations to migration patterns and breeding and growth performance. The fishers reported constant climate-related risks because they live in seafront locations, exposed to extreme events, and their occupation entails risky sea fishing. Fishers claimed that they often need return to the coast due to unsuitable weather conditions related to cyclones and frequent tropical depressions, which can cause financial losses or even causalities. Such events negatively affect fishers’ livelihoods, and wellbeing. To cope with the impacts of climate change the fishers have adopted various strategies at both sea fishing and household levels. However, these strategies only support the fishers in terms of immediate survival; they are not enough for long-term resilience. To improve the resilience of the hilsa fishers, the study argues for the implementation the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines (SSF Guidelines), which call for longer-term development goals, including in the immediate relief phase, and rehabilitation, reconstruction, and recovery to reduce vulnerabilities to climate and anthropogenic risks.
Urban Heat Island Mitigation Strategies: Experimental and Numerical Analysis of a University Campus in Rome (Italy)
Authors: Battista Gabriele , Evangelisti Luca , Guattari Claudia , De Lieto Vollaro Emanuele , De Lieto Vollaro Roberto , Asdrubali Francesco
Published: September 2020

The urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon is strictly related to climate changes and urban development. During summer, in urban areas, the lack of green zones and water sources causes local overheating, with discomfort and negative effects on buildings’ energy performance. Starting from this, an experimental and numerical investigating of the climatic conditions in a university area in Rome was achieved, also assessing the occurrence of the UHI phenomenon. The analyzed area was recently renewed, with solutions in contrast to each other: on one side, an old building was re-designed aiming at high performance; on the other hand, the neighboring areas were also refurbished leading to large paved surfaces, characterized by high temperatures during summer. A calibrated numerical model was generated through ENVI-met software and eight different scenarios were compared, to mitigate the overheating of this area and to analyze the influences of the proposed solutions in terms of air temperature reduction. The analysis of this case study provides information on potential mitigation solutions in the urban environment, showing that goals and priorities in the design phase should concern not only buildings but also external areas, also considering university areas.
Evolution of Clustering Quantified by a Stochastic Method—Case Studies on Natural and Human Social Structures
Authors: Sargentis G.-Fivos , Iliopoulou Theano , Sigourou Stavroula , Dimitriadis Panayiotis , Koutsoyiannis Demetris
Published: September 2020

Clustering structures appearing from small to large scales are ubiquitous in the physical world. Interestingly, clustering structures are omnipresent in human history too, ranging from the mere organization of life in societies (e.g., urbanization) to the development of large-scale infrastructure and policies for meeting organizational needs. Indeed, in its struggle for survival and progress, mankind has perpetually sought the benefits of unions. At the same time, it is acknowledged that as the scale of the projects grows, the cost of the delivered products is reduced while their quantities are maximized. Thus, large-scale infrastructures and policies are considered advantageous and are constantly being pursued at even great scales. This work develops a general method to quantify the temporal evolution of clustering, using a stochastic computational tool called 2D-C, which is applicable for the study of both natural and human social spatial structures. As case studies, the evolution of the structure of the universe, of ecosystems and of human clustering structures such as urbanization, are investigated using novel sources of spatial information. Results suggest the clear existence both of periods of clustering and declustering in the natural world and in the human social structures; yet clustering is the general trend. In view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, societal challenges arising from large-scale clustering structures are discussed.
Sustainability of the Motivation Policy Model for Employees in State Administration
Authors: Kovačević Milan , Blagojević Srđan , Kuzmanović Bojan
Published: September 2020

An important condition for the performance sustainability of organizations, in the public and state sector, is the maintenance and improvement of the employee motivation policy model. Motivation for work has a significant impact on the success of modern organizations; the impact is multidimensional and complex, and it has been confirmed empirically. Motivation is influenced by numerous factors, of different influence and hierarchy, which depend on socio-economic conditions and cultural determinants, but also on the characteristics of employees, and it is necessary to constantly monitor them. The paper presents a sustainable model of employee motivation in public administration and the results of research on the hierarchy and the impact of motivation factors on employees of different demographic characteristics. The research was conducted by an anonymous survey of 2128 respondents (1576 employees in the state administration and 552 persons employed in the Republic of Serbia outside the state administration), in the period March–June 2020. The questionnaire developed for this research has 16 questions on motivating factors with a scale with a high level of internal consistency. Using one-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA), tests of subsequent comparisons, and t-test, statistically significant differences are determined for the influence of motivational factors on respondents of different levels of education, age, role in organization, gender, and family status—also, the magnitude of influence ranges from small to large. The influence of motivational factors is greater for older people, for people with a higher level of education, for managers in relation to workers, for women in relation to men, as well as for persons in marriage in relation to persons out of wedlock. By applying multi-criteria analysis, the factors are ranked: the amount of salary and good interpersonal relations are at the top, while criticism and information about work are in the last positions. As a factor that negatively affects motivation, low wages stands out. The difference in the motivation of state administration members was determined by comparing the results of motivational factors’ influence with the appropriate sample of employees outside the state administration. Differences were registered for 15 out of 16 factors (only for the factor high wages, there is no difference), and the magnitude of the impact is medium and small.
Precautionary Demand for Cash and Perceived Risk of Electronic Payments
Authors: Pietrucha Jacek , Maciejewski Grzegorz
Published: September 2020

We have recently seen two conflicting trends in the use of cash. The share of e-payments in retail transactions is steadily increasing, but the same upward trend is true for the share of cash in circulation or at least the cash share remained unchanged. This paper shows the significance of perceived risk for consumers’ precautionary demand for cash after they make a decision to use e-payments. We use data from a study involving Polish consumers. The main conclusions are as follows: surveyed consumers perceive a level of risk associated with card and mobile payments and continue to carry cash for precautionary reasons. Factors such as the consumer’s mental state, lack of trust in e-payments, and attitude to risk influence the decision to maintain cash reserves, while the consumer’s income and age may be considered the main determinants of the value of the cash reserve. Consequently, the decision to use e-payments does not necessarily mean that the demand for cash drops to zero. A degree of difficult-to-reduce, autonomous demand for cash may exist independent of the traditionally studied determinants, in particular, those related to the transaction demand.
Forecasting the Utility Value of Hucul Horses by Means of Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Topczewska Jadwiga , Kwater Tadeusz
Published: September 2020

The paper suggests the application of artificial neural networks (ANN) for the analysis of variables that significantly impact on the results of Hucul horses that participate at the National Breeding and Utility Championships for Hucul horses. The study exploits the results obtained during 2009–2015. The research material collected enabled the creation of a set of input data (for the artificial neural network), out of which independent learning and testing sets were isolated. The neural classification system in form of a multi-layered artificial neural network suggested in this paper was implemented in the programming environment Matlab, the 8.1.0.604 version. Each horse was described using features in three models. Experimental simulations were carried out separately for each model, conducting the learning and testing simulation process 10 times. In accepting the division of the evaluated group of horses into 10 classes for the analysis of the issue both the expert and network designated the classes, not without reservations due to imprecision of demarcations. The increase in class numbers would result in increased accuracy of selection (allocation to varied classes) of individuals. The average for 10 network responses which was 77% suggest an identical or a very similar horse class when compared with the expert’s value. Preliminary results of the application of artificial neural networks in predicting the utility value of Hucul horses, relying on a specific set of features seem promising.
Comparative Analysis on Environmental Adaptability of Two Types of Bank Stabilization Structures along the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River
Authors: Fan Yujie , Yang Zhonghua , Li Ming , Zhang Zhiyong , Li Da
Published: September 2020

With the aim to prevent channel incision and migration and provide protection at the riverbank, a series of ecological bank stabilization projects have been carried out in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. In this study, nine ecological bank stabilization areas using two different techniques, Steel mesh gabion (Type 1) and Chain-type bricks (Type 2), were compared in terms of environmental adaptability on the basis of the survey data of vegetation and substrate. There were no significant differences between the two types of dominant species before and after the flood season. Annual or biennial herbaceous plants had clear spatial competitive advantages while perennial herbs had clear temporal competitive advantages. While Type 1 was better than Type 2 in overall vegetation restoration and growth, Type 2 was more sensitive to periodic flood disturbance. Redundancy Analysis was used to determine the main environmental impact factors that caused differences on biotic indices of the two types. The clay content in the substrate was an important factor affecting vegetation cover and diversity for Type 1 while the substrate nutrient composition was important for Type 2. Generally, Type 1 presented stronger environmental adaptability in channel regulation projects.
Reduced-Complexity Model Predictive Control with Online Parameter Assessment for a Grid-Connected Single-Phase Multilevel Inverter
Authors: Harbi Ibrahim , Abdelrahem Mohamed , Ahmed Mostafa , Kennel Ralph
Published: September 2020

This paper proposes a finite control set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) with a reduced computational burden for a single-phase grid-connected modified packed U-cell multilevel inverter (MPUC-MLI) with two control objectives: reference current tracking and switching frequency minimization. The considered competitive topology consists of two units with six active switches and two DC sources in each unit, allowing the generation of 49 levels in the output voltage, which is considered a significant reduction in the active and passive components compared to the conventional and recently developed topologies of multilevel inverters (MLIs). This topology has 49 different switching states, which means that 49 predictions of the future current and 49 calculations of the cost function are required for each evaluation of the conventional FCS-MPC. Accordingly, the computational load is heavy. Thus, this paper presents two reduced-complexity FCS-MPC methods to reduce the calculation burden. The first technique reduces the computational load almost to half by computing the reference voltage and dividing the states of the MLI into two sets. Based on the reference voltage polarity, one set is defined and evaluated to specify the optimal state, which has a minimal cost function. However, in the second proposed method, only three states of the 49 states are evaluated each iteration, achieving a significant reduction in the execution time and superior control performance compared to the conventional FCS-MPC. A mathematical analysis is conducted based on the reference voltage value to locate the three vectors under evaluation. In the second part of the paper, the sensitivity to parameter variations for the proposed simplified FCS-MPC is investigated and tackled by employing an extended Kalman filter (EKF). In addition, noise related to variable measurement is filtered in the proposed system with the EKF. The simulation investigation was performed using MATLAB/Simulink to validate the system under different operating conditions.
Delivering UN Sustainable Development Goals’ Impact on Infrastructure Projects: An Empirical Study of Senior Executives in the UK Construction Sector
Authors: Mansell Paul , Philbin Simon P. , Konstantinou Efrosyni
Published: September 2020

Achievement of the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is of paramount importance for both business and society. Across the construction sector, despite evidence that suggests 88% of those surveyed want to measure the SDG impact at both the business and project levels, there continues to be major challenge in achieving this objective. This paper shares the results of a qualitative research study of 40 interviews with executives from the United Kingdom (UK) construction industry. It was supported by a text-based content analysis to strengthen the findings. The results indicate that SDG measurement practices are embraced in principle but are problematic in practice and that rarely does action match rhetoric. While the research was completed in the UK, the findings have broader applicability to other countries since most construction firms have extensive global business footprints. Researchers can use the findings to extend the current understanding of measuring outcomes and impact at project level, and, for practitioners, the study provides insights into the contextual preconditions necessary to achieve the intended outcomes of adopting a mechanism for the measurement of SDGs. The international relevance of this research is inherently linked to the global nature of the SDGs and therefore the results could be used outside of UK.
An Analysis of the Tax Incidence of VAT to Milk in Malawi
Authors: Revoredo-Giha Cesar , Toma Luiza , Akaichi Faical
Published: September 2020

Dairy is a key investment sector for the Government of Malawi. On 1 October 2016, the Malawi Revenue Authority announced that milk, which until then had been exempted from value added tax (VAT), was going to be taxed at the standard rate of 16.5 percent. The measure has been met with strong opposition and thus, was short lived (eliminated in May 2017). The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of the effect that such a tax would have on its incidence, on the different stages of the supply chain, and ultimately on its economic and social sustainability. The paper investigates these implications by developing a multimarket model applied to the Malawian dairy supply chain. The results indicate that 24.3 percent of the VAT revenues would be borne by consumers and the remaining 75.7 percent would be borne by the domestic dairy industry (i.e., processors and smallholder farmers). This was due mainly to the value of the price elasticity of consumers’ demand for pasteurised milk. The results highlight the vulnerability of inclusive value chains to economic policies that may affect consumers’ demand.
Sustainable Development at Saudi Arabian Universities: An Overview of Institutional Frameworks
Authors: Abubakar Ismaila Rimi , Aina Yusuf A. , Alshuwaikhat Habib M.
Published: September 2020

For the past three decades, sustainable development (SD) at higher education institutions (HEIs) has been receiving increasing global attention based on the recognition of their vital roles in fostering sustainability teaching and practices on their campuses and influencing the larger society to embrace sustainable behaviors. As one of its key dimensions, an institutional framework is a fundamental step and indicator of commitment to advancing SD at universities. However, some universities, especially in the countries of the Global South, are either missing this dimension or have inefficient institutional frameworks due to the lack of standard practice or guidance. This study assesses the extent of establishing an institutional framework for SD in Saudi Arabian universities (n = 44). Data were from a desk study and a survey of university websites and analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The study found that 72.7% of the universities have shown a commitment to campus sustainability by having sustainability visions; 52.3% have established a dedicated office for SD governance, 68.2% are involved in community outreach and 63.6% collaborate with external agencies in SD efforts. Although there is no evidence of specific campus sustainability plans in the universities, 45.5% of them have SD coverage in their campus development plans or strategic plans. Sustainability assessment and reporting are generally lacking. The findings can improve our understanding of the extent of the commitment of the universities to SD and how they communicate their SD efforts through their websites, which can foster engagement in campus sustainability. The study concludes that a sound institutional framework is vital to implementing SD at universities.
Coupling between Carbon Efficiency and Technology Absorptive Capacity—A Case Study of the Yangtze River Economic Belt
Authors: Jiang Xiaoming , Zheng Chuiyong , Liu Chao , Zhang Wenjian
Published: September 2020

Regional carbon efficiency (CE) improvement is critical to China’s “taking concerted efforts to achieve ecological protection” strategy in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) and their program to build a leading demonstration belt for ecological civilization. This study applied the super efficiency slacks-based measure to calculate the regional differences and evolution characteristics of the YREB’s CE from the year of 2006 to 2017. It also constructed a coupling evaluation model to empirically analyze the interactions between CE and technology absorptive capacity (TAC). The results showed that (1) the CE for all YREB provinces followed a “U-shaped” trend. TAC generally increased and incrementally decreased in the sequence of the upper stream, middle stream, and downstream. The gap among the downstream, upper stream, and middle stream increased; (2) coupling between the CE and TAC for the YREB provinces can be characterized as a relatively stable medium to low coupling degree and medium-to-high coordination degree. To improve coupling and achieve balanced, sustainable development in the YREB, this study proposes several measures, including promoting balanced, high-quality economic development, building the YREB talent pool, appropriately guiding foreign capital flows, implementing the strategy of driving economic development through innovation, and launching the network for coordinated technological innovation in YREB.
Active Learning in an Environment of Innovative Training and Sustainability. Mapping of the Conceptual Structure of Research Fronts through a Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Rodríguez-Sabiote Clemente , Úbeda-Sánchez Álvaro Manuel , Álvarez-Rodríguez José , Álvarez-Ferrándiz Daniel
Published: September 2020

The present study seeks to map and visualize up-to-date perspectives of the topic of active learning by analyzing and interpreting the different elements that make up learning ecosystems within the European Higher Education Area. With this aim, scientometric methods were employed to analyze a sample of 474 articles recovered from Web of Science (WoS) during the three-year period between 2018 and 2020. All articles examined the topic of active learning. Keywords (authors’ keywords and ‘keywords plus’) from the manuscripts were examined through co-occurrence analysis in order to establish the conceptual structure of active learning. Among the different trends and emerging topics identified, there is an important presence of topics related to technology applied to the field of education, where digital contexts acquire a preponderant role in current education. These innovative changes focused on the digital updating and exploitation of technology represent a methodological challenge that requires an involvement and commitment to this new space for educational practice by teachers and students.
Exploring the Effects of Industrial Structure, Technology, and Energy Efficiency on China’s Carbon Intensity and Their Contributions to Carbon Intensity Target
Authors: Wang Feng , Wu Min , Hong Jiachen
Published: September 2020

To achieve the national carbon intensity (NCI) target, China should adopt effective mitigation measures. This paper aims to examine the effects of key mitigation measures on NCI. Using the input-output table in 2017, this paper establishes the elasticity model of NCI to investigate the effects of industrial development, intermediate input coefficients, energy efficiency, and residential energy saving on NCI, and further evaluates the contributions of key measures on achieving NCI target. The results are shown as follows. First, the development of seven sectors will promote the increase of NCI while that of 21 sectors will reduce NCI. Second, NCI will decrease significantly with the descending of intermediate input coefficients of sectors, especially electricity production and supply. Third, improving energy efficiency and residential energy saving degree could reduce NCI, but the latter has limited contribution. Fourth, the development of all sectors will reduce NCI by 10.11% in 2017–2022 if sectors could continue the historical development trends. Fifth, assuming that sectors with rising intermediate input coefficients would keep their coefficients unchanged in the predicting period and sectors with descending coefficients would continue the historical descending trend, the improvement of technology and management of all sectors will reduce NCI by 14.02% in 2017–2022.
The Perception of Ecosystem Services of Mountain Farming and of a Local Cheese: An Analysis for the Touristic Valorization of an Inner Alpine Area
Authors: Montrasio Rebecca , Mattiello Silvana , Zucaro Martina , Genovese Dino , Battaglini Luca
Published: September 2020

Mountain husbandry systems and their related products may directly or indirectly provide either ecosystem services (ESs) or disservices to humanity. The present study aims to evaluate the perception that a local mountain community has towards animal husbandry in the Lanzo Valleys (Piedmont, Italy) and towards the typical local dairy product, Toma di Lanzo, as well as to investigate the consumers’ habits and preferences, to detect possible positive impacts on mountain tourism. A questionnaire was delivered to 233 respondents. The perception of the impact was scored using a five-point Likert scale. The results show a very positive perception of the product Toma di Lanzo because of its origin and type of processing, with different perceptions of the local society depending on age (p < 0.01), residence (p < 0.01), and education level (p < 0.05). The respondents had a very positive awareness of the impact of mountain livestock farming in the Lanzo Valleys. The most important perceived ESs are cultural identity and maintenance of local breeds. Women, non-residents, and respondents with an intermediate education level generally had a more positive perception of ESs. There was a very low perception of disservices derived from mountain animal farming. The main perceived obstacles to the spread of benefits derived from these farming systems were the scarce presence of specific supporting politics and the low income generated by mountain farming activities. The coexistence of touristic activities and extensive livestock farming systems has to be associated with a better promotion of mountain products like Toma di Lanzo to improve the sustainability of mountain regions.
Problems of Access to Services at Railway Stations in Freight Transport in the Slovak Republic
Authors: Brumercikova Eva , Sperka Adrian
Published: September 2020

The article deals with the issue of access of freight carriers to services in railway stations. With the liberalization of the rail freight market, the number of carriers is gradually increasing. In this situation, infrastructure capacity is often insufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to set the order of access to services in railway stations. The article will use the process of analytical hierarchy as one of many methods of multicriteria analysis. Four important indicators will be selected for carriers: railway stations where the service of stabling tracks can be used, railway stations where rail scales are located, railway stations where it is possible to use the services of a shunting movement from the infrastructure manager, railway stations where the carrier can be using the services of a mobile workshop. At the end of the article, the order of access to these services will be compiled according to the order of importance for railway undertakings. A significant factor will also be an approximate quantification of the performance of individual carriers passing through the selected station.
Originalities of Willow of Salix atrocinerea Brot. in Mediterranean Europe
Authors: Raposo Mauro , Quinto-Canas Ricardo , Cano-Ortiz Ana , Spampinato Giovanni , Pinto Gomes Carlos
Published: September 2020

Willow communities (genus Salix) occurring in Mediterranean Europe are presented, showing, through statistical treatment with multivariate cluster analysis, the separation of the different plant communities and their sintaxonomic affiliation. Six willow communities have been identified, whose formations include a set of plants with high heritage value. We highlight plants with legal protection status (Annex IV and II of the Habitats Directive-92/43/EEC), endemic, rare, and endangered species such as Salix salviifolia subsp. australis, Cheirolophus uliginosus, Euphorbia uliginosa and Leuzea longifolia. Therefore, two new willow communities are proposed for the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The first dominated by Salix atrocinerea, Frangulo baticae-Salicetum atrocinereae ass. nova of ribatagan distribution, under acid substrates, thermomediterranean to lower mesomediterranean, dry to sub-humid. The second, dominated by the endemic Salix salviifolia subsp. australis, Clematis flammulae-Salicetum australis distributed in the Algarve, developing on neutral-basic substrates, exclusively thermomediterranous, dry to sub-humid. In both cases, there are presented on their own floristic serial, ecology, and substitution steps. A new hygrophytic meadows was also identified dominated by Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinaceae, Cheirolopho uliginosii-Molinietum arundinaceae ass. new hoc loco, which lives on substrates rich in organic matter, exclusive to the Ribatagano Sector. Through the deepening of knowledge about the composition and dynamics of riparian vegetation, it is possible to adapt management methods to sustain and protect these important edafo-hygrophilic systems in the Mediterranean.
Research on Evolution Pattern and Spatial Correlation between Economic Development and Environmental Pollution Centers of Gravity
Authors: Du Binbin , Zheng Qiaoya , Bai Xue , Shi Longyu , Shen Xian
Published: September 2020

The coordinated development of environment and economy is an important way to achieve sustainable development. As the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has been included in the national agenda, Guangdong province faces a turning point in its economic, social, and environmental development. Taking Guangdong province as an example, this paper analyzes the spatial evolution and correlation of economic development and environmental pollution by means of center of gravity (COG) and geo-information system (GIS). The results show the shift of economic development COGs are smaller than that of environmental pollution. Environmental pollution COGs are negatively correlated with economic scale and quality COGs, whereas it is positively correlated with economic growth COG, which depends on the industrial structure and local policies. The continuous transformation of the industrial structure of the Pearl River Delta Region (PRD) is conducive to improving its environment and promoting economic development of Non-Pearl River Delta Region in Guangdong province (Non-PRD) through bilateral causality. As the receiving place of industrial transfer, eastern Guangdong has obvious effects of environmental pollution transfer from the secondary industries. In this study, the logical spatial evolution path of the economic development and environmental pollution COGs is established. It provides theoretical and practical references for the study of interrelationship between economy and environment.
Teaching Theory of Probability and Statistics during the Covid-19 Emergency
Authors: Jahodova Berkova Andrea , Nemec Radek
Published: September 2020

The state of emergency caused by the covid-19 pandemic has shown that teaching at this time is not easy. Teachers have to make more use of distance education and students have to adapt to that. Classic face-to-face study is not possible but asymmetric communication between the teacher and his students may be replaced by greater student independence and greater student effort. Within the subject theory of probability and statistics, a questionnaire was created to find how students manage distance education. It has been found out that they use the prepared tutorial videos and online assignments (in WeBWork platform) the most. They expressed that distance education prepared by the teacher can replace face-to-face study, but this form of learning is much more demanding and therefore they prefer classic face-to-face study.
Interactions of Aβ1-42 Peptide and Its Three Fragments (Aβ8-12, Aβ8-13, and Aβ5-16) with Selected Nonsteroidal Drugs and Compounds of Natural Origin
Authors: Żamojć Krzysztof , Streńska Karolina , Wyrzykowski Dariusz , Chmurzyński Lech , Makowska Joanna
Published: September 2020

In the following paper, we present the results of our studies on the interactions of the Aβ1-42 peptide and its three short fragments, namely Aβ5-16 (RHDSGYEVHHQK; HZ1), Aβ8-13 (SGYEVH; HZ2), and Aβ8-12 (SGYEV; HZ3) with selected painkillers (ibuprofen and aspirin) and compounds of natural origin (anabasine and epinephrine). Steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy was used to study the binding properties of the selected systems. Additionally, based on molecular dynamics (MD) calculations supported by NMR-derived restrains, we have proposed the most likely area of the interactions of Aβ1-42 and Aβ5-16 peptides with the investigated compounds. The influence of symmetrically oriented side chains of amino acid residues present in the first part of the Aβ1-42 sequence on the stability of the resulting complexes has been discussed. Finally, the changes in the peptide structures on account of complex formation were analyzed.