bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Fuzzy AHP-MAIRCA Model for Overtourism Assessment: The Case of Malaga Province
Authors: García Mestanza Josefa , Bakhat Rim
Published: June 2021

The unexpected outbreak of COVID-19 has placed the tourism sector in an unfavourable position. It has altered the reality of destinations worldwide, changing the paradigm of tourism and showing an unusual scenario within the tourism sector, the undertourism. This paper confirms how this global pandemic has put the Spanish tourism sector at a halt, making it essential to establish public–private response strategies that reactivate it and, in turn, avoid overtourism in the post-COVID-19 scenario. This is done to emphasise the necessity of embracing an adapted systematic approach that entails a realistic set of factors to quantitatively measure the impact of overtourism on the local community. In this sense, a fuzzy modified hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach is proposed, combining the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) model, the multi-attribute ideal–real comparative analysis (MAIRCA) model, and the sensitivity analysis. The modified F-AHP model is used to identify the criteria importance. For the final ranking of the considered alternative municipalities, the modified F-MAIRCA is applied. To validate the applicability of the proposed approach, we designated the province of Malaga (Costa del Sol) as an empirical study. The findings show that the municipality of Nerja was the most affected by overtourism in the pre-pandemic scenario, and today it is found in undertourism. This calls for transformative decisions of fully engaged tourism policymakers and practitioners to thrive in the post-COVID-19 tourism scenarios in terms of sustainability.
Internet of Things and Long-Range-Based Smart Lampposts for Illuminating Smart Cities
Authors: Gehlot Anita , Alshamrani Sultan S. , Singh Rajesh , Rashid Mamoon , Akram Shaik Vaseem , AlGhamdi Ahmed Saeed , Albogamy Fahad R.
Published: June 2021

Intelligent and resilient infrastructure is necessary for smart cities for contributing flexible and smart amenities to the citizens. Concerning the United Nations (UN) estimation, the global population residing in urban cities will reach 68% by 2050. Additionally, the Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAP) report suggests implementing energy efficiency technologies in smart cities to meet the rising urban population requirement. Internet of Things (IoT) technology empowers to achieve the goal of energy efficiency by integrating sensors, wireless technology, and renewable energy sources in the lighting system. At present, the IoT-based lighting system in urban cities is implemented with streetlamps and lampposts. In this study, we are focusing on lampposts, as it has the flexibility of establishing and implementing a multitude of applications on a single system. Due to technological advancement, the lamppost is embedded with multiple sensors, communication protocols, and energy distribution infrastructure for delivering smart and affordable amenities to the citizens residing in the smart cities. This motivates us to implement a smart lamppost that provides a multitude of applications such as smart light, digital signs, environmental monitoring conditions, electric vehicle (EV) charging port, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) hotspot, etc., on a single lamppost. This study proposed the IoT-assisted fog and edge-based smart lamppost for the smart cities to realize the smart infrastructure. Further, this smart lamppost is integrated with low power and long-range communication, i.e., Long Range (LoRa), enabling the smart lamppost to communicate the sensory data to a long-range. Additionally, LoRa is integrated with a Wi-Fi module for establishing the interconnection between the smart lamppost and IoT server. Generally, the proposed architecture is broad perspective; however, we have developed and implemented the hardware models of three components including lighting system, environmental parameters and image sensing in real time. Lighting system and environmental parameter monitoring are integrated on same hardware model for sensing and logging the real-time values of temperature, humidity, CO and light intensity on the IoT server. The developed image sensing prototype based on ESP 32 controller is also evaluated in real-time scenarios, and the performance of the prototype is efficient. The proposed system delivers reliable performance in terms of sensing and communicating environmental parameters and images to the IoT server. Moreover, in future, we will complete the development of other components of the smart lamppost for enhancing the smarter infrastructure in smart cities.
Sustainable Glass Recycling Culture-Based on Semi-Automatic Glass Bottle Cutter Prototype
Authors: García Guerrero Jovheiry , Rodríguez Reséndiz Juvenal , Rodríguez Reséndiz Hugo , Álvarez-Alvarado José Manuel , Rodríguez Abreo Omar
Published: June 2021

Humanity has developed recycling activities over time due to their benefits, the shortage of raw materials, or the footprint with regard to the environment. The absence of a recycling culture in Mexico has not allowed its development and growth despite the benefits. In 2012, Mexico only recycled less than 10% of urban solid waste. Most recycling activities are focused on plastic, paper, and cardboard products due to their prices in local markets. This article presents a semi-automated prototype focused on recycling glass bottles using the thermal shock phenomenon. It aims to develop a sustainable glass recycling culture by creating a new branch for the integral glass recycling process and a proposal base on Integrated Sustainable Waste Management (ISWM) and the Quintuple Helix Model. It helps to reduce waste and resource recovery from recycling and upcycling glass bottles. The products obtained from upcycling fulfill new uses and acquire new value, while glass leftovers continue the integral recycling process for glass. Additionally, this paper demonstrates the relation between the ISWM and the Quintuple Helix Model and the opportunity to implement the twelfth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
Motivations of Sports Volunteers at the 2023 European Games in Poland
Authors: Rozmiarek Mateusz , Poczta Joanna , Malchrowicz-Mośko Ewa
Published: June 2021

Volunteering is fundamental in the organization of sporting events of any rank, and there is no doubt that without volunteers, the realization of such events would not be possible. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between selected socio-demographic factors (gender, age, place of residence, professional activity, and—rarely researched—previous experience in sports volunteering) and the motivation of people who have signed up to be volunteers at the 2023 European Games in Poland. In total, 535 respondents completed the Olympic Volunteer Motivation Scale (OVMS) designed to assess the motivation of volunteers at multi-sport events in the Olympic tradition. A questionnaire survey was conducted among a group of students of the University of Physical Education in Krakow, who had signed up as volunteers via an online form. The respondents were required to provide data on their gender, age, place of residence, professional activities, and sports volunteering experience. The volunteers’ motivations did not differ with regard to gender, place of residence, and professional activity; however, significant differences were found with regard to sports volunteering experiences. The scores by respondents with previous experience in sports volunteering were the highest for the Olympic related, egoistic, and purposive scales of the OVMS. The research findings can be used by sports event organizers to improve the effectiveness of volunteer recruitment and management strategies. Understanding the factors that encourage potential candidates to volunteer may also facilitate collaboration with them during future events.
Change in Classroom Dialogicity to Promote Cultural Literacy across Educational Levels
Authors: Garcia-Mila Merce , Miralda-Banda Andrea , Luna Jose , Remesal Ana , Castells Núria , Gilabert Sandra
Published: June 2021

In a highly diverse world, cultural literacy is an essential tool for living together in harmony, and dialogic teaching may be a way to promote and develop it among children and adolescents. We define cultural literacy as a set of attitudes (inclusion, tolerance, and empathy) and skills (dialogic argumentation) needed to understand others in our everyday lives. This paper focuses on the effect of a professional development programme to promote dialogue and argumentation to help children and adolescents overcome pre-existing stereotypes and prejudices and foster students’ participation in discussions that contrast divergent viewpoints. This was done through debates on social responsibility issues, living together, and belonging as presented in books and short films addressing the following topics: citizenship, the celebration of diversity, democracy, globalisation, human rights, cooperation, sustainable development, and climate change. After the professional development programme was implemented, we video-recorded two of the 15 student–teacher interaction sessions during the project’s implementation (session #3 and session #8). We analysed the data using a validated coding scheme across three educational levels (three preschool, four primary school, and four secondary school classrooms). We observed moderate gains in secondary education and preschool, but statistically significant gains in primary education.
Investment Portfolio, Democratic Accountability, Poverty and Income Inequality Nexus in Pakistan: A Way to Social Sustainability
Authors: Hassan Muhammad Shahid , Mahmood Haider , Saeed Muhammad Ibrahim , Alkhateeb Tarek Tawfik Yousef , Arshed Noman , Mahmoud Doaa H. I.
Published: June 2021

Institutions help to streamline the economic activity-related procedures, where government intervention might be involved. Institutions also play a significant role in social sustainability. The findings using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag approach to cointegration for the period from 1984–2019 reveal that investment portfolio and democratic accountability reduce poverty in Pakistan both in the long and short run. Moreover, democratic accountability helps to reduce income inequality, but the investment portfolio’s role is not significant. The literacy rate helps to reduce income inequality, and inflation increases poverty and income inequality. The remittances increase income inequality, and urbanization increases poverty. To eradicate poverty and income inequality, the governments should be accountable for their actions to the general public while they remain in power. If they do not deliver as per their manifestoes, they will not be reelected in the next election. Moreover, there is a dire need to redefine the role of an investment portfolio to reduce the risk of investment. So, investments would increase economic activities and could reduce poverty and income inequality. This study contributes to the literature by inquiring about the role of the investment portfolio and democratic accountability in social sustainability by reducing poverty and income inequality. This study only considers Pakistan’s economy due to limitations of poverty data availability in other countries. The scope could further be broadened by accessing data for a wider Asia region to test the role of the investment portfolio and democratic accountability to reduce poverty and income inequality.
Securing Operational Capability for Exceptional Circumstances: How Do Professional First Responders Respond to the Unexpected?
Authors: Heino Ossi , Kalalahti Joanna
Published: June 2021

Complexity and uncertainty are framing the modern world, whilst also affecting issues on security and sustainability. There is a need to prepare for known threats and identified risks, but also to improve the ability to cope in situations that are difficult to recognize or describe beforehand. What is at stake—both at the organizational and individual level—is the ability to make sense of uncertain and ambiguous situations. Analyzing two empirical cases, this study aims to shed light on the abilities of experts, who have acted in very challenging situations, in which deviating from established procedures and abandoning politeness have been necessary to respond effectively. The first case deals with a threat of serious violence faced by a police officer. The second case focuses on the actions of an executive fire officer during a rescue operation after an explosion at a shopping mall. This paper concludes by arguing that pre-established procedures require experts to reflect on their usability in exceptional situations as relying on them could also have detrimental effects.
Research on Closed-Loop Supply Chain Decision-Making in Different Cooperation Modes with Government’s Reward-Penalty Mechanism
Authors: Li Quanxi , Zhang Haowei , Liu Kailing
Published: June 2021

In closed-loop supply chains (CLSC), manufacturers, retailers, and recyclers perform their duties. Due to the asymmetry of information among enterprises, it is difficult for them to maximize efficiency and profits. To maximize the efficiency and profit of the CLSC, this study establishes five cooperation models of CLSC under the government‘s reward–penalty mechanism. We make decisions on wholesale prices, retail prices, transfer payment prices, and recovery rates relying on the Stackelberg game method and compare the optimal decisions. This paper analyzes the impact of the government reward-penalty mechanism on optimal decisions and how members in CLSC choose partners. We find that the government’s reward-penalty mechanism can effectively increase the recycling rate of used products and the total profit of the closed-loop supply chain. According to the calculation results of the models, under the government’s reward-penalty mechanism, the cooperation can improve the CLSC’s used products recycling capacity and profitability. In a supply chain, the more members participate in the cooperation, the higher profit the CLSC obtain. However, the cooperation mode of all members may lead to monopoly, which is not approved by government and customers.
Strength and Durability of Cement-Treated Lateritic Soil
Authors: Wahab Norshakila Abdul , Roshan Mohammad Jawed , Rashid Ahmad Safuan A. , Hezmi Muhammad Azril , Jusoh Siti Norafida , Nik Norsyahariati Nik Daud , Tamassoki Sakina
Published: June 2021

The transportation infrastructure, including low-volume roads in some regions, needs to be constructed on weak ground, implying the necessity of soil stabilization. Untreated and cement-treated lateritic soil for low-volume road suitability were studied based on Malaysian standards. A series of unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests was performed for four cement doses (3%, 6%, 9%, 12%) for different curing times. According to Malaysian standards, the study suggested 6% cement and 7 days curing time as the optimum cement dosage and curing time, respectively, based on their 0.8 MPa UCS values. The durability test indicated that the specimens treated with 3% cement collapsed directly upon soaking in water. Although the UCS of 6% cement-treated specimens decreased against wetting–drying (WD) cycles, the minimum threshold based on Malaysian standards was still maintained against 15 WD cycles. On the contrary, the durability of specimens treated with 9% and 12% cement represented a UCS increase against WD cycles. FESEM results indicated the formation of calcium aluminate hydrate (CAH), calcium silicate hydrate (CSH), and calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (CASH) as well as shrinking of pore size when untreated soil was mixed with cement. The formation of gels (CAH, CSH, CASH) and decreasing pore size could be clarified by EDX results in which the increase in cement content increased calcium.
How Does Education Quality Affect Economic Growth?
Authors: Goczek Łukasz , Witkowska Ewa , Witkowski Bartosz
Published: June 2021

In a seminal article, Hanushek and Woessmann explained economic growth as a function of the quality of education. While they did not find evidence of the importance of years of schooling, they argued for the relevance of cognitive skills and a basic literacy ratio for economic growth. However, this result was based on cross-country data limited to 23 observations. In this study, we extended and modified their approach based on the results of PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) tests to explain the GDP changes over the last 50 years. Using panel data, we considered the possible lag that characterizes this relationship, used statistical methods to address the risk of reversed causality of economic performance affecting the quality of education, and extended the model by the inclusion of other potential growth factors. The results, which also included several robustness checks, confirmed the relevance of earlier education quality as a significant growth factor. Our results suggest the significance of educational skills for GDP growth, which might be treated as a confirmation of the importance of quality primary and secondary education for economic development. We showed that our results are robust to changes in the order of lags and confirmed the validity of the conclusion with the use of specification-robust Bayesian model averaging.
Urbanization, Touristification and Verticality in the Andes: A Profile of Huaraz, Peru
Authors: Branca Domenico , Haller Andreas
Published: June 2021

Mountain cities specializing in tourism increasingly aim at valorizing cultural and natural heritage to compete for global attention. In this context, the postmodern urbanization of mountains plays a decisive role: driven by touristification processes, it alters the sociospatial and economic configuration of mountain cities and their hinterlands, which are becoming vertically arranged “operational landscapes”, and profoundly changes city–mountain interactions. To foster sustainable development in urbanizing mountain destinations, it is crucial to understand these settlements’ embeddedness in both (1) nature and culture and (2) space and time. The Andean city of Huaraz is a case in point: an intermediate center in highland Peru, it is characterized by a strategic location in the Callejón de Huaylas (Santa Valley), influenced by Hispanic and Quechua culture and dominated by the glaciers of the Cordillera Blanca. Combining (1) a theoretical framework that considers planetary urbanization, touristification and vertical complementarity and (2) a case study technique inspired by urban environmental profiles, we trace the development of the city–mountain relation in Huaraz, focusing on the way in which the material and non-material dimensions of the surrounding mountains influence urban development. We conclude with a call for overcoming a set of three persisting dichotomies that continue to impair sustainable development.
Pedestrians’ Injury Severity in Traffic Accidents in Spain: A Pedestrian Actions Approach
Authors: Febres Juan Diego , Mariscal Miguel Ángel , Herrera Sixto , García-Herrero Susana
Published: June 2021

Road traffic accidents are currently between the seventh and tenth leading cause of death in the world, with approximately 1.35 million people killed per year. Despite extensive efforts by governments, according to the World Health Organization, road accidents still cause far too many deaths, especially among pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheel motor vehicle riders, who together account for almost 50% of road traffic fatalities. In particular, Spain had 410,974 traffic accidents between 2016 and 2019, involving 722,516 vehicles and 61,177 pedestrians with varying degrees of injury. This study uses the Bayesian network method to understand how the pedestrians’ responsibility and actions at the time of the traffic accident affect the injury suffered by said pedestrian, also considering the variables of the road infrastructure and vehicles at the accident site. The results confirm that the variables linked to the unsafe behavior of pedestrians, and their responsibility in traffic accidents, increase the risk of suffering serious or fatal injuries during an accident; for example, if a pedestrian is distracted this increases his/her probability of suffering a severe injury (27.86%) with respect to not being distracted (20.73%). Conditions related to traffic in high-speed areas, areas with no or poor lighting, and areas lacking sidewalks, also record increases in pedestrian injury, as is the case in the age group of pedestrians over 60 years of age.
Elderly Suitability of Park Recreational Space Layout Based on Visual Landscape Evaluation
Authors: Yu Weiyi , Hu Hong , Sun Bindong
Published: June 2021

Urban parks are critical for sustainable urban development. They are of theoretical and practical significance for analyzing the visual landscape of recreational spaces from the perspective of the elderly. This analysis can be used for exploring new methods for optimizing recreational space layouts to improve the physical and mental health of the elderly in parks, thus realizing the sustainable development of urban society. Taking Ziyang Park in Shangrao Central District of Jiangxi Province, China, as an example, starting from the visual characteristics of the elderly, this study quantitatively calculated the landscape viewability, total view ratio, and water view ratio for the elderly in each recreational space using Python Scripting for ArcGIS. We briefly express the elderly suitability of the visual landscape for each recreational space through a weighted synthesis of the calculation results. Our findings show that, in Ziyang Park, the elderly suitability of the visual landscape for recreational spaces is not only low overall, but also gradually decreases from the interior to the exterior of this park. Moreover, this spatial distribution may be caused by the location of zoning, surface elevation, and road slopes, as well as the individual characteristics of each recreational space. Finally, we discuss the requirements of the elderly for some geographical factors, along with the feasibility of using ArcGIS 3-D analysis to optimize the layout of the park recreational space, with the aim of providing a new research perspective and an effective reference method for designing layouts of such spaces that are favorable for the elderly to better guarantee the sustainable development of urban society.
Effects of Digitalisation on Higher Education in a Sustainable Development Framework—Online Learning Challenges during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Toader Tudorel , Safta Marieta , Titirișcă Cristina , Firtescu Bogdan
Published: June 2021

Throughout the planet, the medical challenges posed by the pandemic caused by the SARS-Cov-2/COVID-19 coronavirus have overlapped, inter alia, with the necessity to continue the academic process on every level. Romania was no exception. With the new vaccines against COVID-19, the hope of resuming face-to-face activity, considered as ‘normal’ before 2020, has emerged. In these circumstances, not at all far-fetched, certain questions have arisen, such as: should and must the online university education be completely removed? Should this form of education be continued? If so, to what extent? We have used econometric methods related to ARDL (auto regressive distributed lag models) such as pooled mean group (PMG) and mean group (MG) and used different tests for unit roots for the stationarity check of the series implied. The results show the positive effect of digitalisation on tertiary education and also the positive impact of the latter on sustainable development, as a base for future stimulation in public policies. The present study also aims to harness the university experience of these times, from some of the main Romanian university centres; the method used was a quantitative and qualitative research based on a questionnaire, which was answered by a number of 258 university teachers and 1569 students from prestigious public and private universities. The results of this analysis allowed us to conclude that most of the participants in the university educational process have adapted to the online activity, and the latter ‘saved’ the academic years 2019–2020 and, respectively, 2020–2021. The present study is useful for tertiary education institution and policymakers in terms of formulating strategies and policy recommendations to support teachers and students during any future pandemics.
Fresh Food Dual-Channel Supply Chain Considering Consumers’ Low-Carbon and Freshness Preferences
Authors: Xie Jingci , Liu Jianjian , Huo Xin , Meng Qingchun , Chu Mengyu
Published: June 2021

Due to growing concerns for environmental problems and food quality, consumers pay more attention to the carbon emission and freshness of fresh food. The booming e-commerce also accelerates the development of the dual-channel supply chain. In the dual-channel supply chain of fresh food, the carbon emission and freshness of fresh food are becoming important factors affecting consumers’ purchase demand. This paper focuses on the optimal decision of carbon emission reduction and pricing, which is investigated by a Stackelberg game-theoretic approach in three dual-channel supply chain sales models (retailer dual channel, producer dual channel, and mixed dual channel). A two-stage fresh food supply chain system composed of a producer and a retailer is explored. The sensitivity analysis and the comparison of three dual-channel models are carried out. The results show the following: (1) the sales price, carbon emission reduction, market demand, producer’s profit, retailer’s profit, and supply chain’s profit of fresh food under the three dual-channel supply chains show the same change on different levels of consumers’ low-carbon preference coefficient and freshness level, respectively; (2) the optimal decision of carbon emission reduction and pricing, demand, and profit of the three dual-channel models need to be determined according to the value of consumers’ purchasing preferences for the retailer’s offline channel. The paper gives some enlightenment to the decision-making members in the fresh dual-channel supply chain.
E-Learning Acceptance: The Role of Task–Technology Fit as Sustainability in Higher Education
Authors: Alyoussef Ibrahim Youssef
Published: June 2021

The aim of this study was to fill the gap in the literature on e-learning acceptance and its role in the sustainability of learning and the role of task-technology fit (TTF), which influences student satisfaction and academic performance. While researchers have examined e-learning acceptance in a variety of contexts, the role of TTF as a mediating variable in measuring education sustainability has not been explored using the technology acceptance model (TAM). As a result, the goal of this study was to develop a new paradigm by combining two theories: TFF and the TAM. In total, 432 students and researchers from public universities participated in this study. We surveyed students using the structural equation modelling (SEM) approach to learn about their expectations with regard to e-learning adoption. According to the findings, perceived ease of use has a positive impact on perceived enjoyment and usefulness, which in turn has a positive impact on task–technology fit and e-learning use in higher education, resulting in a positive impact on student satisfaction and academic performance as well as sustainability. Finally, the role of task-technology fit and e-learning usage in education sustainability had a positive effect on student satisfaction and learning performance. As a result, the use of e-learning in learning processes should be encouraged as a long-term strategy in higher education institutions.
Buen Vivir: A Path to Reimagining Corporate Social Responsibility in Mexico after COVID-19
Authors: Husted Bryan W.
Published: June 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the unsustainable relations between business, society, and the natural environment in Mexico and around the world. Given these unsustainable relations, this essay asks the question: How can Mexican and multinational corporations enable human flourishing both at work and in the communities where they operate? It answers the question by examining how the Indigenous concept of Buen Vivir (living well) can serve as a basis for reimagining corporate social responsibility (CSR). Methodologically, it draws on ancient and contemporary Nahua poets as sources of ancestral Indigenous knowledge. Using these poets, the paper first establishes the applicability of Buen Vivir for Mexico. Relevant concepts include the quality of life, the relationship of humans to nature, the goal of economic growth, and the value of Indigenous knowledge. Using Buen Vivir as a framework for rethinking CSR, the paper integrates business within nature and dialogues with ancestral knowledge. It also focuses on localism and particularism, on quality in addition to quantity, on alternatives to economic growth, and on community. It ends by examining the implications of Buen Vivir for CSR theory and practice by incorporating Indigenous practices of communal work and conceptualizing the firm as a member of the community.
How Does Transportation Infrastructure Improve Corporate Social Responsibility? Evidence from High-Speed Railway Openings in China
Authors: Zheng Lei , Guo Xuemeng , Zhao Libin
Published: June 2021

The socioeconomic impacts of infrastructure investment are worth examining in both academic and practical areas. Regarding Chinese high-speed railway construction, the existing literature mainly focuses on the macro-economic level consequences of high-speed railway openings, leaving the micro-economic level impacts commonly untested. Using archival data of Chinese listed companies from 2009 to 2018 and the difference-in-difference (DID) approach, this paper examines the influential effect of Chinese high-speed railway openings on corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. Empirical results show that high-speed railway openings can significantly improve Chinese listed companies’ CSR performance, and this positive effect is more salient when companies are experiencing lower information transparency. Mediating effect tests illustrate that the increased investor site visits caused by high-speed railway openings are one internal mechanism behind the main connection. Overall, from a micro-level perspective, this article provides additional evidence on the socioeconomic impact of transportation infrastructure investments.
Corporate Sustainability and Stock Value in Asian–Pacific Emerging Markets: Synergies or Tradeoffs among ESG Factors?
Authors: Budsaratragoon Pornanong , Jitmaneeroj Boonlert
Published: June 2021

We use structural equation modelling to examine whether multi-dimensional corporate sustainability (CS)—measured by environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors—affects stock value. We find that investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings that the highly rated ESG company generates. Moreover, the positive synergistic effect among the ESG factors implies that companies that focus on any single dimension or the equally weighted aggregation of ESG factors understate the value relevance of CS. In other words, successful sustainability practices should comprise all of the dimensions of CS in order to gain benefit from their synergistic effect with stock value. However, the synergistic effect among ESG factors does not imply that the individual components of CS should be weighted equally in sustainability practices. Our findings show that social engagement emerges as the main driver of CS and should be weighted more heavily than the other factors in sustainability practices. Interestingly, when we account for corporate economic performance, we find that investors put more (less) value on CS when corporate economic performance is weak (strong). This implies that economic performance and ESG performance contain similar information, and that their effects on stock value subsume each other.
Factors Influencing Young Drivers’ Willingness to Engage in Risky Driving Behavior: Continuous Lane-Changing
Authors: Wang Xiaoxiao , Xu Liangjie
Published: June 2021

Young adults have a tendency to drive unsafely and put themselves at a high level of risk. Continuous lane-changing is one such kind of risky behavior. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence young drivers based on an integrated model of the prototype willingness model (PWM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The validity of the model was evaluated by data collected from 481 young drivers through an online questionnaire. The structural equation model was used to test the proposed model, and the findings indicated that young drivers’ willingness to engage in continuous lane-changing was influenced by attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived risk, prototype similarity, and prototype favorability. The integrated model of PWM-TPB accounted for 58.3% of the variance in young drivers’ willingness, and the findings possess implications for designing effective interventions.
Preparation of Cellulose/Chitin Blend Materials and Influence of Their Properties on Sorption of Heavy Metals
Authors: Zhou Dao , Wang Hongyu , Guo Shenglian
Published: June 2021

A series of biodegradable cellulose/chitin materials (beads and membranes) were successfully prepared by mixing cellulose with chitin in an NaOH/thiourea–water system and coagulation in a H2SO4 solution. The effects of chitin content on the materials’ mechanical properties, morphology, structure, and sorption ability for heavy metal ions (Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+) were studied by tensile tests, scanning electron micrographs, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results revealed that the cellulose/chitin blends exhibited relatively good mechanical properties, a homogeneous, microporous mesh structure, and the existence of strong hydrogen bonds between molecules of cellulose and chitin when the chitin content was less than 30 wt%, which indicated a good compatibility of the cellulose/chitin materials. Furthermore, in the same chitin content range, Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+ can be adsorbed efficiently onto the cellulose/chitin beads at pH0 = 5, and the sorption capacity of the beads is more than that of chitin flakes. This shows that the hydrophilicity and microporous mesh structure of the blends are favorable for the kinetics of sorption. Preparation of environmentally friendly cellulose/chitin blend materials provides a simple and economical way to remove and recover heavy metals, showing a potential application of chitin as a functional material.
Parametric CFD Thermal Performance Analysis of Full, Medium, Half and Short Length Dimple Solar Air Tube
Authors: Alam Mir Waqas , Souayeh Basma
Published: June 2021

In the present decade, research regarding solar thermal air heaters (SAHs) has noticed a continuous progression in thermo-hydraulic performance augmentation approaches. There now exists a wide variety of thermo-hydraulic performance augmentation approaches and researchers have designated various structures. Nevertheless, there seems to be no generalization to any of the approaches employed. The present numerical investigation reports on the thermo-hydraulic characteristics and thermal performance for flow through a varied length (full, medium, half, and short length) dimple solar air heater (SAH) tube. The study highlights recent developments on enhanced tubes to augment heat transfer in SAH. The influence of different length ratio, dimple height ratio (H), and pitch ratio (s) on thermo-hydraulic characteristics have been investigated in the Reynolds number (Re) range from 5000 to 25,000. Air is used as the working fluid. The commercial software ANSYS Fluent is used for simulation. The shear stress transport (SST) model is used as the turbulence model. Thermal energy transport coefficient is increased in the full-length dimple tube (FLDT), compared to the medium-length dimple tube (MLDT), half-length dimple tube (HLDT) and short-length dimple tube (SLDT). Similarly, the pitch ratio (s) has more influence on Nusselt number (Nu) compared to the dimple height ratio (H). The friction factor decreases with an increase in pitch ratio. Nu increases and f decreases with increasing Re for all combinations of H and s. Low s and higher H yields high enhancement of HT and PD. Integration of artificial roughness on the tube increases the values of Nu and f by 5.12 times and 77.23 times for H = 0.07, s = 1.0 at Re value of 5000 and 25,000, respectively, in regard to the plain tube. For all the tested cases, the thermo-hydraulic performances (η) are greater than unity.
Holomorphic Extensions Associated with Fourier–Legendre Series and the Inverse Scattering Problem
Authors: De Micheli Enrico
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we consider the inverse scattering problem and, in particular, the problem of reconstructing the spectral density associated with the Yukawian potentials from the sequence of the partial-waves fℓ of the Fourier–Legendre expansion of the scattering amplitude. We prove that if the partial-waves fℓ satisfy a suitable Hausdorff-type condition, then they can be uniquely interpolated by a function f˜(λ)∈C, analytic in a half-plane. Assuming also the Martin condition to hold, we can prove that the Fourier–Legendre expansion of the scattering amplitude converges uniformly to a function f(θ)∈C (θ being the complexified scattering angle), which is analytic in a strip contained in the θ-plane. This result is obtained mainly through geometrical methods by replacing the analysis on the complex cosθ-plane with the analysis on a suitable complex hyperboloid. The double analytic symmetry of the scattering amplitude is therefore made manifest by its analyticity properties in the λ- and θ-planes. The function f(θ) is shown to have a holomorphic extension to a cut-domain, and from the discontinuity across the cuts we can iteratively reconstruct the spectral density σ(μ) associated with the class of Yukawian potentials. A reconstruction algorithm which makes use of Pollaczeck and Laguerre polynomials is finally given.
Low Temperature Dynamic Chromatography for the Separation of the Interconverting Conformational Enantiomers of the Benzodiazepines Clonazolam, Flubromazolam, Diclazepam and Flurazepam
Authors: Franzini Roberta , Rosetti Alessia , Villani Claudio
Published: June 2021

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are an important class of psychoactive drugs with hypnotic-sedative, myorelaxant, anxiolytic and anticonvulsant properties due to interaction with the GABAa receptor in the central nervous system of mammals. BZDs are interesting both in clinical and forensic toxicology for their pharmacological characteristics and potential of abuse. The presence of a non-planar diazepine ring generates chiral conformational stereoisomers, even in the absence of stereogenic centers. A conformational enrichment of BZD at the binding sites has been reported in the literature, thus making interesting a stereodynamic screening of a wide range of BZDs. Herein, we report the investigation of three stereolabile 1,4-benzodiazepine included in the class of “designer benzodiazepines” (e.g., diclazepam, a chloro-derivative of diazepam, and two triazolo-benzodiazepines, flubromazolam and clonazolam) and a commercially available BZD known as flurazepam, in order to study the kinetic of the “ring-flip” process that allows two conformational enantiomers to interconvert at high rate at room temperature. A combination of low temperature enantioselective dynamic chromatography on chiral stationary phase and computer simulations of the experimental chromatograms allowed us to measure activation energies of enantiomerization (ΔG‡) lower than 18.5 kcal/mol. The differences between compounds have been correlated to the pattern of substitutions on the 1,4-benzodiazepinic core.
Projective Collineations of Decomposable Spacetimes Generated by the Lie Point Symmetries of Geodesic Equations
Authors: Paliathanasis Andronikos
Published: June 2021

We investigate the relation of the Lie point symmetries for the geodesic equations with the collineations of decomposable spacetimes. We review previous results in the literature on the Lie point symmetries of the geodesic equations and we follow a previous proposed geometric construction approach for the symmetries of differential equations. In this study, we prove that the projective collineations of a n+1-dimensional decomposable Riemannian space are the Lie point symmetries for geodesic equations of the n-dimensional subspace. We demonstrate the application of our results with the presentation of applications.
Mathematical Models for Some Aspects of Blood Microcirculation
Authors: Farina Angiolo , Fasano Antonio , Rosso Fabio
Published: June 2021

Blood rheology is a challenging subject owing to the fact that blood is a mixture of a fluid (plasma) and of cells, among which red blood cells make about 50% of the total volume. It is precisely this circumstance that originates the peculiar behavior of blood flow in small vessels (i.e., roughly speaking, vessel with a diameter less than half a millimeter). In this class we find arterioles, venules, and capillaries. The phenomena taking place in microcirculation are very important in supporting life. Everybody knows the importance of blood filtration in kidneys, but other phenomena, of not less importance, are known only to a small class of physicians. Overviewing such subjects reveals the fascinating complexity of microcirculation.
Relativistic Corrections to Phase Shift Calculation in the GNXAS Package
Authors: Hara Nodoka , Di Cicco Andrea , Tchoudinov Georghii , Hatada Keisuke , Natoli Calogero Renzo
Published: June 2021

Modern XAFS (X-ray Absorption Fine Structure) data-analysis is based on accurate multiple-scattering (MS) calculations of the X-ray absorption cross-section. In this paper, we present the inclusion and test of relativistic corrections for the multiple-scattering calculations within the GnXAS suite of programs, which is relevant to the treatment of the XAFS signals when atoms with high atomic number are contained into the system. We present a suitable strategy for introducing relativistic corrections without altering the basic structure of the programs. In particular, this is realized by modifying only the Phagen program calculating the atomic absorption cross sections and scattering t-matrices for the selected cluster. The modification incorporates a pseudo-Schrödinger Equation (SE) replacing the Dirac relativistic form. The phase-shift calculations have been put to a test in two known molecular and crystalline cases: molecular bromine Br2 and crystalline Pb. Calculations in an extended energy range have been shown to be very close to the non-relativistic case for Br2 (Br K-edge) while corrections have been found to exceed 25% for amplitude and phases of the XAFS multiple-scattering signals (Pb L3-edge). Benefits in the structural refinement using relativistic corrections are discussed for crystalline Pb at room temperature.
Anti-Cancer Effect of Moroccan Cobra Naja haje Venom and Its Fractions against Hepatocellular Carcinoma in 3D Cell Culture
Authors: Lafnoune Ayoub , Lee Su-Yeon , Heo Jin-Yeong , Gourja Imane , Darkaoui Bouchra , Abdelkafi-Koubaa Zaineb , Chgoury Fatima , Daoudi Khadija , Chakir Salma , Cadi Rachida , Mounaji Khadija , Srairi-Abid Najet , Marrakchi Naziha , Shum David , Seo Haeng-Ran , Oukkache Naoual
Published: June 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer in adults, the fifth most common malignancy worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer related death. An alternative to the surgical treatments and drugs, such as sorafenib, commonly used in medicine is necessary to overcome this public health problem. In this study, we determine the anticancer effect on HCC of Moroccan cobra Naja haje venom and its fraction obtained by gel filtration chromatography against Huh7.5 cancer cell line. Cells were grown together with WI38 human fibroblast cells, LX2 human hepatic stellate cell line, and human endothelial cells (HUVEC) in MCTS (multi-cellular tumor spheroids) models. The hepatotoxicity of venom and its fractions were also evaluated using the normal hepatocytes cell line (Fa2N-4 cells). Our results showed that an anti HCC activity of Moroccan cobra Naja haje venom and, more specifically, the F7 fraction of gel filtration chromatography exhibited the greatest anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effect by decreasing the size of MCTS. This effect is associated with a low toxicity against normal hepatocytes. These results strongly suggest that the F7 fraction of Moroccan cobra Naja haje venom obtained by gel filtration chromatography possesses the ability to inhibit cancer cells proliferation. More research is needed to identify the specific molecule(s) responsible for the anticancer effect and investigate their mechanism of action.
Optimal Perturbation Technique within the Asymptotic Iteration Method for Heavy-Light Meson Mass Splittings
Authors: Alrebdi Haifa I. , Barakat Thabit
Published: June 2021

For further insight into the perturbation technique within the framework of the asymptotic iteration method (PAIM), we suggest this method to be used as an alternative method to the traditional well-known perturbation techniques. We show by means of very simple algebraic manipulations that PAIM can be directly applied to obtain the symbolic expectation value of any perturbed potential piece without using the eigenfunction of the unperturbed problem. One of the fundamental advantages of PAIM is its ability to extract a reference unperturbed potential piece or pieces from the total Hamiltonian which can be solved exactly within AIM. After all, one can easily compute the symbolic expectation values of the remaining potential pieces. As an example, the present scheme is applied to the semi-relativistic wave equation with the harmonic-oscillator potential implemented with the Fermi–Breit potential terms. In particular, the non-trivial symbolic expectation values of the Dirac delta function, and the momentum-dependent orbit–orbit coupling terms are successfully calculated. Results are then used, as an illustration, to compute the semi-relativistic s-wave heavy-light meson masses. We obtain good agreement with experimental data for the meson mass splittings cu¯, cd¯, cs¯, bu¯, bd¯, bs¯.
Introducing Quantum and Statistical Physics in the Footsteps of Einstein: A Proposal
Authors: Di Mauro Marco , Esposito Salvatore , Naddeo Adele
Published: June 2021

Introducing some fundamental concepts of quantum physics to high school students, and to their teachers, is a timely challenge. In this paper we describe ongoing research, in which a teaching–learning sequence for teaching quantum physics, whose inspiration comes from some of the fundamental papers about the quantum theory of radiation by Albert Einstein, is being developed. The reason for this choice goes back essentially to the fact that the roots of many subtle physical concepts, namely quanta, wave–particle duality and probability, were introduced for the first time in one of these papers, hence their study may represent a useful intermediate step towards tackling the final incarnation of these concepts in the full theory of quantum mechanics. An extended discussion of some elementary tools of statistical physics, mainly Boltzmann’s formula for entropy and statistical distributions, which are necessary but may be unfamiliar to the students, is included. This discussion can also be used independently to introduce some rudiments of statistical physics. In this case, part of the inspiration came from some of Einstein’s papers. We present preliminary, qualitative results obtained with both teachers and selected pupils from various high schools in southern Italy, in the course of several outreach activities. Although the proposal was only tested in this limited context for now, the preliminary results are very promising and they indicate that this proposal can be fruitfully employed for the task.