bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Response of Fish Community to Building Block Methodology Mimicking Natural Flow Regime Patterns in Nakdong River in South Korea
Authors: Kim Soohong , Jung Kichul , Kang Hyeongsik
Published: March 2022

Water regulation and flood control of rivers are changing due to streamflow depletion following industrialization and urbanization, significantly impacting aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, restoration of the ecological environment is necessary to maintain a healthy river ecosystem. For ecosystem restoration, the amount of discharge from dams must be controlled and the appropriate environmental flow must be calculated according to the fish species. The change in the flow through the dam due to hydropeaking directly impacts the fish. This study aimed to construct a building block methodology (BBM) using dam inflows in the Gudam Bridge basin upstream of the Nakdong River, build a River2D model of this area, and calculate the natural flow regime and the weighted usable area (WUA). The analysis of the scenarios for the whole period (2006–2020) and by flow regime showed that WUA decreased in some periods, but improved overall in the scenario reflecting the BBM. For Zacco platypus, a dominant fish species of the Gudam Bridge, WUA decreased by ~11% in some periods (in September) but the habitat improvement effect measured up to 79%. Changing the dam discharge pattern by considering the flow regime seemed more effective in improving the habitat of fish living downstream.
Modelling the Relationships among the Key Factors Affecting the Performance of Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plants: Implications for Achieving Clean Energy
Authors: Sivageerthi T. , Sankaranarayanan Bathrinath , Ali Syed Mithun , Karuppiah Koppiahraj
Published: March 2022

Most countries depend on coal-fired thermal power plants (CTPPs) to meet energy demands. However, the adverse environmental impacts of CTPPs also remain a major concern. As the energy generations from renewable energy resources are still in the developing stage, reliance on CTPPs is inevitable. Hence, the efficiency of CTPPs has to be improved, while decreasing carbon emissions. This study aims to identify and evaluate the key factors that need to be addressed in improving the performance and minimizing the carbon emission of CTPPs. With the literature review and industrial interaction, twenty-four key factors are identified. Next, an integrated approach of the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and fuzzy decision-making and trial laboratory (FDEMATEL) is used to evaluate the key factors. FAHP prioritizes the key factors and FDEMATEL reveals the relationship among the key factors. Results indicate air preheater leakage, plugging by ash, high levels of air ingress, air preheater secondary fire, and high levels of corrosion as the top five key factors affecting CTPP performance. Based on the outcome, the study offers some implications that may assist the industrial management in taking timely actions in improving the performance of CTPPs.
Impact of Near-Fault Ground Motions on Longitudinal Seismic Response of CHRF Bridges
Authors: Zheng Yongrui , Wang Jin , Xu Weibing , Li Nana , Zhang Wenxue , Chen Yanjiang
Published: March 2022

Curved high-pier rigid frame bridges (CHRF bridges) are unavoidably affected by near-fault ground motions (NFGMs), and seismic pounding between adjacent components of CHRF bridge has a significant effect on the seismic performance of CHRF bridges. The seismic response and seismic pounding laws of CHRF bridges under NFGMs need further investigation. In this study, the influence of NFGMs with impulse and directional effects on the dynamic response of CHRF bridges was studied. Subsequently, the pounding responses between adjacent components of CHRF bridge were systematically analyzed. The results showed that the impulse and directional effects of NFGMs have a significant impact on the seismic response of CHRF bridges. The seismic response of CHRF bridges under near-fault impulse-like ground motions (IPGMs) is greater than that under near-fault non-pulse-like ground motions (NPGMs). CHRF bridges have the lowest seismic response under far-fault ground motions (FFGMs). The seismic response of CHRF bridges is significant under backward region ground motions (BRGMs) and the lowest under forward region ground motions (FRGMs). The IPGMs induce larger pounding force (PF) and a smaller number of poundings (PN) compared with FFGMs. The PF and the PN increase from the FRGMs to the BRGMs. Because of the pounding, the impulse and directional effects of NFGMs cause the shear force of the main pier and the auxiliary pier of CHRF bridges to increase significantly and the relative bending moment decreases. Moreover, the shear force and bending moment of the tie beam increases significantly owing to pounding.
Effects of Using Green Concrete Materials on the CO2 Emissions of the Residential Building Sector in Egypt
Authors: Marey Heba , Kozma Gábor , Szabó György
Published: March 2022

Increasing the rate of construction material consumption has caused significant environmental problems in recent decades, especially the production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC), which has been associated with 8% of the world’s human CO2 emissions and is considered the leading binder of concrete. This study aims to investigate the effects of substituting conventional concrete (CC) material with green concrete (GC) in the non-structural concrete works of a residential building in New Borg El-Arab City, Egypt. It attempts to establish what the effects are of using GC on cement, natural aggregates, and CO2 emissions in the design phase. By using a design-based solution (DBS), we began with redesign, reduce, reselect, reuse, and recycle strategies to find an optimal solution for applying recycle aggregate concrete (RAC) as a replacement material in selected building parts, such as the internal floor, external sidewalk, entrance steps, and wall boundary. AutoCAD software and 3Dmax were used to modify the original design and obtain two design references with four different scenarios. Comparative analyses were applied to investigate the effects of different concrete materials. The results show a reduction of about 19.4% in cement consumption in terms of the total concrete of the building and a 44.5% reduction in CO2 emissions due to the reduction of cement in specific building parts. In addition, this solution decreased natural coarse aggregate (NCA) consumption by 23.7% in the final concrete. This study recommends that GC materials close the loop of cementitious material consumption to reduce environmental impacts and achieve sustainability in the Egyptian building sector.
Experimental Study of Ship Motion Effect on Pressurization and Holding Time of Tank Containers during Marine Transportation
Authors: Yu Peng , Yin Yuanchao , Yue Qianjin , Wu Shanghua
Published: March 2022

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is the cleanest fossil fuel available, producing less carbon emissions and fewer pollutants than other fossil fuels. Marine transportation is a key process in the LNG supply chain. The use of tank containers, which are portable equipment, can effectively facilitate multi-mode transportation. LNG evaporation causes pressurization, which is a safety concern during transportation. Ship motion and environmental temperature are the main factors affecting pressure variations. In this study, the effect of ship motion on pressurization and holding time was investigated through three types of experiments, namely, prototype, field, and self-pressurization experiments. The results showed that while increased boil-off gas was generated due to ship motion, this evaporation remained stable in dynamic cases. Higher evaporation rates were obtained under more severe dynamic conditions, and the holding time was shortened. The two different effects of ship motion on pressure development discussed here are the facilitation of pressurization due to the enhancement of heat transfer and the prevention of pressurization due to gas condensation at the vapor–liquid interface. These two effects show varied levels of predominance over the pressure variations depending on different stages of transportation. The holding time in the experiments was able to reach 87 days under the most severe condition, which is long enough for long-term shipping; the safety of transporting LNG in tank containers is further discussed based on the experimental results herein.
Essential Oils of Three Aromatic Plant Species as Natural Herbicides for Environmentally Friendly Agriculture
Authors: Bellache Manel , Torres-Pagan Natalia , Verdeguer Mercedes , Benfekih Leila Allal , Vicente Oscar , Sestras Radu E. , Sestras Adriana F. , Boscaiu Monica
Published: March 2022

Natural herbicides based on essential oils (EOs) extracted from aromatic plants are gaining relevance in contemporary agriculture. Due to their allelopathic properties, they have an inhibitory effect on the germination and growth of different species, having, in general, the advantage of high specificity. For this reason, the analysis of the effects of these natural compounds on noxious weeds is continuously increasing. In the present study, three commercial EOs extracted from Mentha piperita L., Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. and Santolina chamaecyparissus L. were tested on two invasive weeds with an increasing presence in southern Europe, Erigeron bonariensis L. and Araujia sericifera Brot. Five concentrations (0.125, 0.25, 0.50, 1 and 2 µL mL–1) were tested in a randomized manner for each essential oil and five replicates with 20 seeds each for E. bonariensis and 10 replicates with 10 seeds each for A. sericifera. Two higher concentrations of 4 and 8 μL mL–1 of the three EOs were applied with irrigation on the plants of the two species at the vegetative growth stage. The number of replicas for each treatment and species was 7. The results obtained confirmed the significant inhibitory effects on seed germination and early seedling development, especially in E. bonariensis; of the three EOs, peppermint had the strongest effect, completely preventing germination in both species. Multivariate analysis, performed on several morphological traits scored after one month of treatment in young plants, showed a different pattern: the highest inhibition was recorded in A. sericifera and the greatest reduction in growth in the treatment with the highest dose of Santolina EO. The results obtained revealed the efficacy of these natural compounds and the specificity of their toxicity according to the species and stage of development.
Power Electronics for Modern Sustainable Power Systems: Distributed Generation, Microgrids and Smart Grids—A Review
Authors: Souza Junior Marcus Evandro Teixeira , Freitas Luiz Carlos Gomes
Published: March 2022

This work presents and discusses the application of power electronics for the integration of several distributed generation sources, as well as those related to it, the microgrids and the smart grids, to the power sector. Trends and challenges are addressed for the area of study and an embracing overview of the main technologies and techniques is presented for future investigation. As there are many power electronics devices available for employment, in each one of these crucial, modern, sustainable electrical systems, it is important for students, researchers and professionals to understand and compare the state of the art of them all, for the right choice in their respective uses. These apparatuses not only allow grid matching, but also provide new functions that enhance these artifacts’ operations, and of the entire power system. Thus, in this paper, the relationship between power electronics and distributed generation is detailed, with the role and classification of each static converter for the improved operation of wind power, photovoltaic systems, fuel cells, small hydro and microturbines exposed. While the first two are more widely covered in the literature, the last three are rarely discussed and differentiated, in terms of their power electronics interfaces. Then, the same is made for microgrids and smart grids, also scarcely approached in other works, with regard to the characteristics of the power converters applied, confirming their superior performances with the use of power electronics. Finally, conclusions are given.
Constructing an Online Sustainable Educational Model in COVID-19 Pandemic Environments
Authors: Yu Zhonggen , Xu Wei , Yu Liheng
Published: March 2022

The outbreak of COVID-19 forced billions of learners to stay at home in order to receive online education. The aim of the study is to construct an online sustainable educational model to facilitate this learning approach. This study included 53 peer-reviewed articles for the review study following the selection process of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocol (PRISMA-P) and the clustering techniques of VOSviewer. It is concluded that the model consists of online educational platforms, online assessment systems, social media, and digital literacy. With these features, online education could be sustained. However, challenges should also be addressed to sustain online education during the pandemic. Designers, scientists, and teachers should make every effort to increase learning engagement, enhance learning supervision, formulate adequate emergency programs, minimize educational inequalities, solve technical issues, and formulate systematic learning management and organization. The sustainable online educational model may be updated and perfected by including more practical features in the future.
Analysis of How Energy Companies Pledge and Attempt to Reduce Their Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Line with National Targets on Climate Change: A Case Study of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT)
Authors: Sperone Edoardo , Dargusch Paul , Hill Genia
Published: March 2022

While climate change is increasingly more present in political agendas, companies are called to restructure their businesses to meet national targets by reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Thus, carbon management practices are nowadays critical for most firms, especially those working in the energy sector. PTT represents a peculiar case in this field because it is a state-owned company that in the last few years accounted for 157.83 MtCO2e per year, though it has not yet taken significant action to reduce its emissions. As Thailand pledged to abate 20% of its GHG emissions within 2030, PTT set out its Climate Change Management plan, yet this still does not contain specific measures or projects that the company intends to undertake to meet the target. This paper thus provides estimations regarding the alternatives available to PTT by applying current academic literature and knowledge on PTT’s reduction plan, and by integrating it and verifying it with data retrieved from PTT’s competitors’ reduction plans. It was found that PTT could cover 6–10 MtCO2e per year at the cost of USD 5–10 per tCO2e by continuing to fund REDD+ projects. Moreover, investing in renewable energy leads to a reduction of 21.7 MtCO2e per year at the cost of USD 2.85 billion. Lastly, it was shown that PTT could obtain a reduction of 3 MtCO2e per year by implementing CCUS technologies, potentially at a lower cost compared with the current USD 20–25 per tCO2e abated. This paper also discusses the long-term market implications of each of these alternatives.
CSR, CSA, or CPA? Examining Corporate Climate Change Communication Strategies, Motives, and Effects on Consumer Outcomes
Authors: Vasquez Rosalynn
Published: March 2022

In response to the current social–political landscape, consumers’ expectations are changing. There is an increased need for companies to communicate about social issues such as climate change. This study is among the first to examine the differentiated and mediated effects of three messaging strategies: corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate social advocacy (CSA), and corporate political activism (CPA), in the context of corporations communicating about climate change, which currently lacks scholarly attention. An online-survey experiment (N = 1048) compared the messaging strategies’ effects on three consumer responses: perceived credibility, perceived reputation, and positive word-of-mouth intention. Results from a structural equation model indicate that the type of corporate climate change communication (CCCC) has a differential effect on consumer responses. The differences are magnified by the mediation of consumers’ attribution of corporate climate motives in the relationship between the climate change message and consumer responses. This study advances scholarship on CSR, CSA, and CPA, and provides theoretical and practical implications for how a corporation communicates about climate change using different communication and engagement strategies.
Optimization of ESS Scheduling for Cost Reduction in Commercial and Industry Customers in Korea
Authors: Jang Moonjong , Choi Ho-Jin , Lim Chae-Gyun , An Byoungwoong , Sim Jungsub
Published: March 2022

Various attempts have been made to reduce carbon emissions in the energy sector as part of global net zero emissions trends. Among them, interest in the use of energy storage systems (ESSs) for energy efficiency is growing. Utilities intend to improve the efficiency of investment and operating costs by reducing the maximum peak and leveling the load. Many ESS-scheduling optimization techniques have been studied to reduce the peak demand, balance the load, or reduce the cost corresponding to these two purposes from the customer’s point of view. In this paper, a method for cost minimization that simultaneously considers both the peak demand and load balancing is proposed, and the results and analysis of a case study in Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), Korea are presented. Through these results, we show that there is a priority among the objective functions of the ESS schedule, that demand charge is more important than energy charge, and that the ESS schedule problem for customers to reduce costs is also beneficial to power system operation by the utility’s rate policy.
Barriers to Blockchain Adoption in the Circular Economy: A Fuzzy Delphi and Best-Worst Approach
Authors: Rejeb Abderahman , Rejeb Karim , Keogh John G. , Zailani Suhaiza
Published: March 2022

Blockchain can help to fundamentally alter aspects of circular economy (CE) activities and overcome pressing sustainability issues. Nevertheless, limited studies have investigated the barriers to blockchain adoption in the CE. This study aims to close the knowledge gap by providing a comprehensive review of the barriers hampering the adoption and integration of blockchain technology in the CE. An integrated approach based on fuzzy Delphi and best-worst methods has been applied to analyze and rank the barriers. Sixteen barriers to blockchain adoption in the CE were identified from the academic literature and validated by a panel of experts. The findings from the fuzzy Delphi technique identified ten significant barriers for further analysis. Then, using the best-worst method, the optimal weights were determined based on the experts’ judgment to recognize the importance of each barrier. The findings from this method showed that a lack of knowledge and management support, reluctance to change and technological immaturity are the most significant barriers. In contrast, the least significant barriers are investment costs, security risks, and scalability issues. Theoretically, this study is the first to apply an integrated approach combining fuzzy Delphi and best-worst techniques to prioritze the barriers to blockchain adoption in the CE. It also provides valuable insights for managers and decision-makers that can be used to optimize blockchain implementations in the CE.
An Assessment on the Safety of Drinking Water Resources in Yasouj, Iran
Authors: Farzin Mohsen , Asadi Azar , Pukanska Katarina , Zelenakova Martina
Published: March 2022

The health of drinking water is an important criterion for developed countries and around half of the world’s population is deprived of sanitary and safe drinking water. By identifying the time of pollution occurrence and the places that are most sensitive to pollution the management of the quality of drinking water can be planned. Since the landfill for Yasouj, a city in Iran, was located in a higher place than the drinking water wells, which were drilled in a karst aquifer, the safety of the drinking water resources (including eight wells) of Yasouj were investigated in the present study. For this purpose, different parameters, comprising the concentration of eight heavy metals and eight ions, alkalinity, total harness, pH, biological oxygen demand (BOD5) and total coliform, were measured over 12 months and the obtained data were compared with the WHO’s and Iran’s drinking water standards. To assess the measured data statistically, SPSS software was applied. From the reported results, the water characterizations of the wells complied with the mentioned standards; however, four of the wells were more prone to supply higher quality water. It is noted that Hg, Cd, and the total coliform of wells were close to the permissible values reported by both the aforementioned standards. Therefore, the water obtained from wells should be disinfected before using and Hg and Cd concentrations need to be monitored regularly to prevent poisoning. Due to the rapid movement of pollutants in karst areas, it is very important to detect their presence in the water resources over time. Consequently, continuous monitoring and sampling is one of the most important protection dealings for karst aquifers.
Protoporphyrin Extracted from Biomass Waste as Sustainable Corrosion Inhibitors of T22 Carbon Steel in Acidic Environments
Authors: Munawaroh Heli Siti Halimatul , Sunarya Yayan , Anwar Budiman , Priatna Enjang , Risa Handi , Koyande Apurav Krishna , Show Pau-Loke
Published: March 2022

Carbon steel is one of the most employed materials in many industrial sectors due to its unique physical and mechanical properties. However, within a certain period of time, carbon steel-based materials are susceptible to corrosion under operating conditions and corrosion inhibitors are important to extending the limit of use of carbon steel. In this study, the influence of protoporphyrin from animal blood hemin as an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for T22 carbon steel in an acidic environment (0.5 M HCl) was conducted. The hemin isolated from animal blood extracts was modified to obtain the protoporphyrin. The dosage of protoporphyrin was varied between 40 and 200 ppm and the temperature influence were studied in the range of 298–318 K. The inhibition efficiency of protoporphyrin in 0.5 M hydrochloric acid reached up to 46.2% at a dose of 160 ppm at a temperature of 298 K. The inhibition efficiency (IE) value further decreases with increasing temperature, thereby showing the process exothermic in nature and the weakening of the inhibitor molecules to adsorb on the surface of the T22 carbon steel. The potentiodynamic polarization measurements indicate that protoporphyrin acts as a mixed-type inhibitor. The adsorption of protoporphyrin on the surface of T22 carbon steel obeys the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The thermodynamic parameter of adsorption allows us to suggest the adsorption process was dominated by physical adsorption. Thus, these current results present a case study using protoporphyrin as a promising green inhibitor for carbon steel T22 in hydrochloric acid prepared from livestock waste.
“Local Production”: What Do Consumers Think?
Authors: Merlino Valentina Maria , Sciullo Alessandro , Pettenati Giacomo , Sottile Francesco , Peano Cristiana , Massaglia Stefano
Published: March 2022

Since the mid-1990s, there has been a growing interest among consumers and producers in downscaling to a local level the length of the agri-food chains as a solution for fairer and more sustainable food production systems. From the point of view of consumption, the attribute “local” is assuming an important role in defining food purchasing preferences, both in terms of expectations of product quality and in terms of its perceived relevance in determining the supply chain sustainability. This research aims to define how individuals’ perception of local production influences the definition of “local” among consumers based on a survey submitted to a sample of 500 consumers in North-Western Italy. The paper provides: (i) a semantic map built on keywords adopted by the respondents to describe local production; (ii) a categorization of food consumers divided in clusters on the basis of their eating styles; and (iii) a characterization of consumers clusters according to the preferences and knowledge expressed towards local production. The results show that consumers’ awareness and attitudes towards the concept of the “local” are influenced by the joint effect of their socio-demographic profile and their food consumption style, with some unexpected evidences that would deserve to be deepen with further research. However, given this uncertainty, three main traits seem to characterize the consumers attitude towards the “local”: a positive relation among the dimensions of environment, local development and product quality and the strength of the link between local production and the reduction of the length of the supply chain. Ultimately, territoriality is perceived as an index of higher product quality (seasonal, therefore fresh and genuine).
Fostering Work Meaningfulness for Sustainable Human Resources: A Study of Generation Z
Authors: Popaitoon Patchara
Published: March 2022

This study is drawn from the psychology of sustainability exploring meaningful job characteristics for Generation Z and their influence on employee retention. We hypothesised that intrinsic qualities of job characteristics foster experienced meaningfulness which, in turn, enhances employees’ intention to stay. An online survey targeted to Generation Z was adopted for the study. We received 746 usable responses for the analysis. Nested model comparisons with a structural equation approach and chi-square difference tests were used to assess the mediating role of work meaningfulness in the hypothesised relationships. The best-fit model to data was then used for hypotheses testing. We found that skill variety, autonomy and task significance engender experienced meaningfulness for Generation Z. Work meaningfulness was the mechanism underpinning the relationships between these job characteristics and intention to stay. Task feedback was not significant for either meaningfulness or intention to stay, whereas task identity affected only intention to stay but not meaningfulness. This research contributes to the literature on work meaningfulness and generations by examining the work behaviours of Generation Z. Because experienced meaningfulness can enhance Generation Z’s willingness to stay and support organisational sustainability, an organisation can retain its generational cohort by providing selective work design strategies to fit the generation’s characteristics.
Collaborative Optimization of Vehicle and Crew Scheduling for a Mixed Fleet with Electric and Conventional Buses
Authors: Wang Jing , Wang Heqi , Chang Ande , Song Chen
Published: March 2022

Replacing conventional buses with electric buses is in line with the concept of sustainable development. However, electric buses have the disadvantages of short driving range and high purchase price. Many cities must implement a semi-electrification strategy for bus routes. In this paper, a bi-level, multi-objective programming model is established for the collaborative scheduling problem of vehicles and drivers on a bus route served by the mixed bus fleet. The upper-layer model minimizes the operation cost and economic cost of carbon emission to optimize the vehicle and charging scheme; while the lower-layer model tries to optimize the crew-scheduling scheme with the objective of minimizing driver wages and maximizing the degree of bus-driver specificity, considering the impact of drivers’ labor restrictions. Then, the improved multi-objective particle swarm algorithm based on an ε-constraint processing mechanism is used to solve the problem. Finally, an actual bus route is taken as an example to verify the effectiveness of the model. The results show that the established model can reduce the impact of unbalanced vehicle scheduling in mixed fleets on crew scheduling, ensure the degree of driver–bus specificity to standardize operation, and save the operation cost and driver wage.
The Nexus among Energy Consumption, Economic Growth and Trade Openness: Evidence from West Africa
Authors: Qi Ming , Xu Jing , Amuji Nnenna Bridget , Wang Shumingrui , Xu Fengqian , Zhou Huan
Published: March 2022

The West African region has experienced high economic development. With the increasing energy consumption and emissions, how to coordinate the relationship among energy consumption, trade opening, and economic growth, and how to develop a low-carbon development pattern are becoming the most important issues in West Africa. This paper uses the tri-variable Toda-Yamamoto model to investigate the dynamic interactions among energy consumption, economic growth, and trade in West Africa. The findings indicate that, first, the positive impact of energy consumption on economic growth in West Africa has shown a significant lag effect, and energy consumption has a strong trade-dependent relationship to economic promotion. Trade opening and economic growth in West Africa are mutually reinforcing in the long run. Next, the role of foreign trade in boosting economic growth is more significant in countries with lower levels of economic development. Finally, when replacing the energy consumption indicator with CO2 emissions, the results remain robust. Considering the regional development differences, grouping countries by GDP per capita reveals that there exists a bilateral causal relationship between energy consumption and trade openness in the higher economic development group. The impact of trade openness on economic growth is more remarkable in countries with lower levels of economic development in West Africa. The findings have important implications for policymakers in understanding the economic development pattern of West Africa. It is necessary for West African countries to develop an integrated energy and trade policy in order to maintain long-term sustainable economic growth.
Sustainable Development: Smart Co-Operative Management Framework
Authors: Chawviang Anassaya , Kiattisin Supaporn
Published: March 2022

A smart co-operative refers to a co-operative that aims to apply ICT to provide better services and increase management efficiency to meet organizations’ goals through the combinations of ICT technology and business. In this paper, we propose the sustainable development smart co-operative framework, which specifically applies to all types of co-operatives which use information technology in their organization, enabling transformation to improve their services, management, and governance. In addition, we discuss ICT channel creation for improving knowledge, awareness, democracy, and the participation of members, a process in which IT contributes to the accessibility of members and communication between the co-operative, members, and stakeholders. The element design of this proposed framework has considered three key principles, which are (1) smart members, (2) the smart economy, and (3) smart governance. A smart co-operative is a term used to extend the concept of a smart city into co-operative organization to promote a sustainable development approach in the co-operative sector. Therefore, the smart co-operative combines ICT, smart concepts, co-operative business aspects, business models, and innovation. The findings suggest that the smart and sustainable development co-operative framework is suitable for co-operatives, providing a comprehensive framework for value creation through the smart co-operative concept.
Assessment of the Similarity of the Situation in the EU Labour Markets and Their Changes in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Bieszk-Stolorz Beata , Dmytrów Krzysztof
Published: March 2022

The aim of the study is to assess the similarity of the situation in the EU labour markets and their evolution using selected indicators in the period before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The benchmark are the countries that most closely meet the Sustainable Development Goals related to the labour market. We use quarterly data from Eurostat presenting the basic indicators of the labour market: unemployment, employment, and activity rates. We analyse all indicators for the total population, young people, and people aged 55+. We assess the similarity of the situation using the TOPSIS method and similarity of changes by means of the Dynamic Time Warping. We obtain homogeneous groups of countries due to similarity of time series using hierarchical clustering. We conduct the analysis in two periods: the years 2018 and 2019 (pre-pandemic period) and from the beginning of 2020 to the present (pandemic period). The composition of the clusters in the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods is different. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the situation in the labour market can be noted. This is a result of different degree of development of labour markets, which had an impact on coping with the effects of the crisis caused by the pandemic.
Simulation of Leakage Characteristics of Combined Seal Structure under Rotational Conditions
Authors: Zhang Bin , Li Jin , Fu Xiaoli , Yan Shenglin
Published: March 2022

In order to reduce fluid leakage and improve the working efficiency of rotational machinery, a three-dimensional (3D) model of combined seal structure (CSS) was established to study the influence of pressure ratio (π, the ratio of the leakage port pressure to the outlet pressure) and rotational speed (n) on the leakage characteristics of CSS with a traditional labyrinth seal structure (LSS) and pocket damping seal structure (PDS) under rotational conditions. Two turbulence models, the standard k-ε model and the SST k-ω model, were used for turbulence closure and the results of the standard k-ε model were found to be more accurate based on comparison with experimental results. The results revealed that under rotational condition, the leakage rates of LSS, CSS and PDS all decreased with the increase in π and n. Under the same axial length of seal structure and π of 0.5 and n of 6000 r/min, the leakage rate of CSS is approximately 8.56% less than LSS, and approximately 0.51% more than PDS. There is a critical value for the influence of n on the leakage rate. The critical n of CSS is close to that of LSS, about 1000 r/min, which is greater than the critical n of 500 r/min for PDS. Finally, the sealing mechanism of CSS was studied using a two-dimensional (2D) model, and was found that the jet structure has a greater influence on the sealing characteristics. Among them, when the ΔP (internal resistance of the device) is the same, the shape of the jet structure, the position of the guide tube and the nozzle radius have a greater impact on the leakage rate, and the shape and length of the extended section have a small effect on the leakage rate.
Multi-Objective Water Planning in a Poor Water Data Region: Aragvi River Basin
Authors: Sandoval-Solis Samuel , Ortiz Partida Jose Pablo , Floyd Lindsay
Published: March 2022

Water resources planning in regions with sufficient data continuity and quality is complex, but in regions with poor water data, the task is further complicated. In this paper, we share our experience developing a multi-objective technical assessment of water resources in a region with scarce water data. This research is an example of collaborative modeling in which stakeholders were involved during the modeling process to create a model using the Shared Vision collaborative strategy for water planning in the Aragvi River Basin in the country of Georgia. We developed a regional water planning model suitable for evaluating water supply and water demand interaction as well as current and alternative water management strategies. Remarks from scenario development enlightened the need for water efficiency and conservation activities as currently the system is not entirely reliable, and its reliability is expected to decline with population growth and increased hydropower demands. This research is a strong foundation for future water-related projects in the region.
Political and Socioeconomic Factors That Determine the Financial Outcome of Successful Green Innovation
Authors: Riehl Kevin , Kiesel Florian , Schiereck Dirk
Published: March 2022

Green innovation and technology diffusion must be financially and commercially attractive to convince corporate decision makers. This paper focuses on the factors that determine the financial outcome of successful green innovation activities conducted by large, listed companies. We employ a cross-industry dataset including more than 97,954 reports on corporate environmentalism from 286 international listed companies. Our results indicate that economic, political, cultural, firm-specific, investor-related, and governance factors significantly determine the financial performance of green innovation, measured by abnormal returns. Moreover, we can show that factors that reduce the competition in green innovation markets benefit the financial success of firms operating via them. Finally, we find an opposing influence for several factors that benefit earlier stages of innovation (e.g., research output) while harming the later stages (e.g., market introduction and financial performance). These findings imply that a spatial separation strategy for different stages of innovation supports corporate environmentalism activities. Moreover, physical property rights, the governments’ willingness to support green technologies, and economic framework conditions such as oil price, GDP, or public R&D budget need to be balanced by policymakers to address and stimulate green innovation.
Geometrical Structure in a Perfect Fluid Spacetime with Conformal Ricci–Yamabe Soliton
Authors: Zhang Pengfei , Li Yanlin , Roy Soumendu , Dey Santu , Bhattacharyya Arindam
Published: March 2022

The present paper aims to deliberate the geometric composition of a perfect fluid spacetime with torse-forming vector field ξ in connection with conformal Ricci–Yamabe metric and conformal η-Ricci–Yamabe metric. We delineate the conditions for conformal Ricci–Yamabe soliton to be expanding, steady or shrinking. We also discuss conformal Ricci–Yamabe soliton on some special types of perfect fluid spacetime such as dust fluid, dark fluid and radiation era. Furthermore, we design conformal η-Ricci–Yamabe soliton to find its characteristics in a perfect fluid spacetime and lastly acquired Laplace equation from conformal η-Ricci–Yamabe soliton equation when the potential vector field ξ of the soliton is of gradient type. Overall, the main novelty of the paper is to study the geometrical phenomena and characteristics of our newly introduced conformal Ricci–Yamabe and conformal η-Ricci–Yamabe solitons to apply their existence in a perfect fluid spacetime.
Asymmetry Index Evaluation of Cerebral Volume and Cerebral Blood Flow in Neonatal Hypoxic–Ischemic Encephalopathy
Authors: Banura Natsuo , Ohki Akiko , Saito Shigeyoshi
Published: March 2022

The aim of the present study was to longitudinally evaluate the differences in cerebral volume and cerebral blood flow (CBF) on the right and left sides in rats with neonatal hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) using magnetic resonance imaging and the Rice–Vannucci model. Unilateral ligation of the left common carotid artery was performed on 8-day-old rats, followed by mild (1 h, n = 6) or severe (2 h, n = 7) hypoxic exposure. T2-weighted (T2W) and CBF images were obtained at 1 h and 1, 3, and 7 days following the HI insult. The cerebral volume (Vlesion and Vcontrol), CBF in both hemispheres (lesion and control sides), and asymmetry indices of the cerebral volume (AIvolume) and CBF (AICBF) were calculated for each group. Slight hyperintensities were noted in the lesion-side hemispheres on T2W images at 1 h and 1 day in both groups, as were pronounced hyperintensities at days 3 and 7 in the severe group. AIvolume was positive (Vlesion > Vcontrol) in the mild and severe groups until days 1 and 3, respectively, and changed to negative on days 3 and 7 in the mild and severe groups. These results suggest that the prolonged positive AIvolume prior to day 3 in the severe group was caused by long-term cell swelling following severe HI insult.
Lie Symmetries, Closed-Form Solutions, and Various Dynamical Profiles of Solitons for the Variable Coefficient (2+1)-Dimensional KP Equations
Authors: Kumar Sachin , Dhiman Shubham K. , Baleanu Dumitru , Osman Mohamed S. , Wazwaz Abdul-Majid
Published: March 2022

This investigation focuses on two novel Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) equations with time-dependent variable coefficients that describe the nonlinear wave propagation of small-amplitude surface waves in narrow channels or large straits with slowly varying width and depth and non-vanishing vorticity. These two variable coefficients, Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (VCKP) equations in (2+1)-dimensions, are the main extensions of the KP equation. Applying the Lie symmetry technique, we carry out infinitesimal generators, potential vector fields, and various similarity reductions of the considered VCKP equations. These VCKP equations are converted into nonlinear ODEs via two similarity reductions. The closed-form analytic solutions are achieved, including in the shape of distinct complex wave structures of solitons, dark and bright soliton shapes, double W-shaped soliton shapes, multi-peakon shapes, curved-shaped multi-wave solitons, and novel solitary wave solitons. All the obtained solutions are verified and validated by using back substitution to the original equation through Wolfram Mathematica. We analyze the dynamical behaviors of these obtained solutions with some three-dimensional graphics via numerical simulation. The obtained variable coefficient solutions are more relevant and useful for understanding the dynamical structures of nonlinear KP equations and shallow water wave models.
Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components Analysis to Detect Clusters of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Subtype H5N6 Epidemic across South Korean Poultry Farms
Authors: Koh Kye-Young , Ahmad Saleem , Lee Jae-il , Suh Guk-Hyun , Lee Chang-Min
Published: March 2022

Several outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry have already been documented across the world, causing major economic losses. Research on diverse perspectives for future HPAI outbreaks’ prevention is desperately needed. It is critical to determine high-risk areas for HPAI outbreaks in order to develop high-level biosecurity in all such areas. The aim of this study is to identify high-risk areas as hotspots for high rates of birds’ infection and mortality and culling. We used “hierarchical clustering on principal components” (HCPC) to classify infected poultry farms in South Korea based on the point prevalence rate, infections, and deaths in susceptible birds. The linear combination of the original predictors was determined using “principal component analysis (PCA)”. Based on PCA, we applied the hierarchical clustering algorithm, which divided the data into four clusters based on the dissimilarity matrix. These four groups of poultry farms were identified on the basis of five variables. According to the findings based on the HCPC method, poultry farms in “cluster 4” had significantly higher average bird infections with high mortality when compared to other clusters. Similarly, the poultry farms in “cluster 2” had robust average bird culling in place to limit bird infectivity and mortality due to a high number of susceptible birds. The poultry farms belonging to “cluster 3” had a significantly higher average point prevalence rate of HPAI H5N6 cases than the rest of the clusters. Based on this study, it is recommended that poultry farms with a high number of infections and mortality in susceptible birds should implement proper biosecurity management to control HPAI infections while avoiding the culling of a large number of birds.
A Generalization of Quaternions and Their Applications
Authors: Lin Hong-Yang , Cahay Marc , Vellambi Badri N. , Morris Dennis
Published: March 2022

There are a total of 64 possible multiplication rules that can be defined starting with the generalized imaginary units first introduced by Hamilton. Of these sixty-four choices, only eight lead to non-commutative division algebras: two are associated to the left- and right-chirality quaternions, and the other six are generalizations of the split-quaternion concept first introduced by Cockle. We show that the 4×4 matrix representations of both the left- and right-chirality versions of the generalized split-quaternions are algebraically isomorphic and can be related to each other by 4×4 permutation matrices of the C2×C2 group. As examples of applications of the generalized quaternion concept, we first show that the left- and right-chirality quaternions can be used to describe Lorentz transformations with a constant velocity in an arbitrary spatial direction. Then, it is shown how each of the generalized split-quaternion algebras can be used to solve the problem of quantum-mechanical tunneling through an arbitrary one-dimensional (1D) conduction band energy profile. This demonstrates that six different spinors (4×4 matrices) can be used to represent the amplitudes of the left and right propagating waves in a 1D device.
An Enhanced Key Schedule Algorithm of PRESENT-128 Block Cipher for Random and Non-Random Secret Keys
Authors: Imdad Maria , Ramli Sofia Najwa , Mahdin Hairulnizam
Published: March 2022

The key schedule algorithm (KSA) is a crucial element of symmetric block ciphers with a direct security impact. Despite its undeniable significance, the KSA is still a less focused area in the design of an encryption algorithm. PRESENT is a symmetric lightweight block cipher that provides the optimal balance between security, performance, and minimal cost in IoT. However, the linear functions in KSA lead to a slow and predictable bit transition, indicating the relationship between round keys. A robust KSA should produce random and independent round keys irrespective of the secret key. Therefore, this research aims to improve the KSA PRESENT-128 block cipher with enhanced randomness, round key bit difference, and the avalanche effect. The experiments on round keys and ciphertext with random, low density and high-density secret key datasets endorse the expected improvements. Moreover, the results show that the improved KSA produces random round keys that successfully pass the NIST randomness test. The bit transition from one round key to another is increased from 20% to 40%, where a greater inclination of the avalanche effect has an increased effect with 50% bit change. On the other hand, the improved KSA PRESENT requires an additional 0.001871 s to generate round keys, as a security cost trade-off.
Behavior of Vortex-Like Inhomogeneities Originating in Magnetic Films with Modulated Uniaxial Anisotropy in a Planar Magnetic Field
Authors: Vakhitov Robert M. , Solonetsky Rostislav V. , Akhmetova Aygul A. , Filippov Mikhail A.
Published: March 2022

This paper investigates the processes of magnetization reversal of a uniaxial ferromagnetic disk containing a columnar defect of the potential well type in perpendicular and planar magnetic fields. The characteristic stages of magnetization reversal of the domain structure of the disk and vortex-like inhomogeneities forming on the defect are determined. The critical fields of their existence are found and an explanation is given for the presence of a significant difference in their values for the perpendicular and planar fields of the defect magnetization reversal. The role of chirality in the behavior of a Bloch-type magnetic skyrmion during the magnetization reversal of a defect in a planar field is shown.