bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Mediating Effect of Emotional Intelligence on the Relationship between Talent Management Practices and Leadership Skills in Malaysian GLCs
Authors: Baharin Nur Lyana , Kelana Beni Widarman Yus , Sanny Lim , Teo Poh-Chuin , Ho Theresa C. F. , Ramliy Mohd Khairuddin
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between talent management practices and leadership skills, as well as the potential mediating role of emotional intelligence. This study accomplished its aim through a conceptual analysis by utilizing the lenses of talent management for leadership outcomes, talent-based theory, social cognitive theory, and extant literature. The study indicated that good talent management practice implementation was not adequate to develop and produce talented leadership skills in Malaysian Government-linked Companies (GLCs). The hypothesized partial mediating models were supported by talent-based theory and social cognitive theory, signifying that talent management practices with emotional intelligence will develop leadership skills. This study enhanced the use of mediatory roles of emotional intelligence to better understand the mechanism of talent management practices within the framework.
Daytime and Overnight Joint Charging Scheduling for Battery Electric Buses Considering Time-Varying Charging Power
Authors: Zheng Feifeng , Wang Zhixin , Wang Zhaojie , Liu Ming
Published: July 2023

This work investigates the joint daytime and overnight charging scheduling problem associated with battery electric buses (BEBs) at a single charging station. The objective is to minimize the total charging costs of all BEBs. Two important factors, i.e., peak–valley price and time-varying charging power, are considered to depict real-world charging situations. We establish a mixed-integer programming model for the considered problem, and then conduct a case study together with sensitivity analysis. Numerical results show that compared with the existing first come, first serve rule-based charging solution, the charging schedule obtained by solving the established model via the CPLEX solver can save 7–8% of BEB charging costs. Hence, our model could be applied to improve the BEB charging schedule in practice.
Innovations and the CO2 Emissions Nexus in the MENA Region: A Spatial Analysis
Authors: Mahmood Haider , Furqan Maham , Saqib Najia , Adow Anass Hamadelneel , Abbas Muzaffar
Published: July 2023

Patents support technological innovations in any economy and would also support a clean environment. We investigate the effects of economic growth, patents, industrialization, and urbanization on CO2 emissions in 17 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) economies by applying spatial econometrics. We substantiate the Environment Kuznets Curve (EKC) in the domestic economies and the whole MENA region as per direct and total estimates. Moreover, urbanization increases CO2 emissions in local economies and reduces neighboring nations’ emissions. The total effect of urbanization is found to be insignificant. Industrial value added increases CO2 emissions in domestic and neighboring countries, as well as in the whole MENA region. Patents increase CO2 emissions in domestic economies. However, patents reduce CO2 emissions in neighboring countries and the MENA region. Thus, patents have a pleasant effect on the environment in the whole MENA region. It is suggested that the MENA economies focus more on patents to reduce CO2 emissions. Moreover, urbanization and the industrial sector should be checked to protect the environment.
Accident Rate Prediction Model for Urban Expressway Underwater Tunnel
Authors: Xing Ruru , Li Zimu , Cai Xiaoyu , Yang Zepeng , Zhang Ningning , Yang Tao
Published: July 2023

Urban tunnels often easily become traffic bottlenecks. Once traffic accidents occur, traffic congestion, environmental pollution, personnel and property damage and other problems restrict the sustainable development of tunnels. In order to reveal the factors affecting the incidence of tunnel traffic accidents, this paper quantitatively analyzes the influence of the single factors of tunnel geometric conditions and control measures on traffic accidents in Jiaozhou Bay underwater tunnel. The study examines the distribution patterns of tunnel traffic accidents under three dual-factor combinations: road gradient and curve radius, road gradient and slope length, and road gradient and the proportion of distance to the bottom of the slope. Based on this, a comprehensive index model is constructed using a negative binomial regression model to calculate the accident occurrence rate in Jiaozhou Bay underwater tunnel under road geometric conditions and control measures. The accident data after the second lining of Jiaozhou Bay underwater tunnel are selected as the validation object. The actual accident occurrence rate is compared with the model’s calculated value to verify the feasibility of the model constructed in this study. The results indicate that high gradient, long slope length, proximity to the bottom of the slope, and straight downhill sections have a significant impact on the occurrence of traffic accidents. Lane change signs can effectively reduce the accident rate by 30–40%. The percentage errors of the left- and right-lane traffic accident prediction models are within (−30%, 30%) and (−20%, 30%), respectively, which can assist in the design and control of underwater tunnels, offering valuable guidance and contributions to the construction of safer, more efficient, and more sustainable urban transportation systems.
Sod Culture with Vicia villosa Alters the Diversity of Fungal Communities in Walnut Orchards for Sustainability Development
Authors: He Wan-Xia , Sun Qiao-Feng , Hashem Abeer , Abd_Allah Elsayed Fathi , Wu Qiang-Sheng , Xu Yong-Jie
Published: July 2023

Monoculture frequently causes loss of soil nutrients and the emergence of soil-borne diseases in walnut orchards, whereas it is unknown whether sod culture with Vicia villosa (a popular agroforestry system) in walnut orchards impacts the structural composition and diversity of soil fungal communities. Fungal communities in walnut orchards with the cover plant V. villosa were investigated in this work utilizing high-throughput sequencing of ITS, as well as examination of root arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and hyphal length of soil fungi. The monoculture and interplanted walnut models generated 33,511 and 34,620 effective tags with sequence similarity of 97%, respectively annotating 245 and 236 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Among these, a total of 158 OTUs were found to be shared across monoculture and interplanted orchards. Walnuts grown in monoculture had a total of 245 species, belonging to 245 genera and 36 phyla, while walnuts with V. villosa as cover crops had 236 species, belonging to 236 genera and 19 phyla. The application of V. villosa as a cover plant significantly increased 1-Simpson and Shannon indices of soil fungi, indicating that interplanting V. villosa promoted soil fungal community diversity. Three dominant fungal phyla were detected in the soil, with Glosseromycota being the most dominant phylum. V. villosa as a cover plant significantly reduced the abundance of Funneliformis and Densospora in the soil, while it significantly increased the colonization of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in roots by 94%, along with a 39% significant decrease in mycorrhizal hyphal length, as compared with the monoculture. Overall, V. villosa as a cover plant alters the composition and diversity of the soil fungal community, with reduced Funneliformis (F. geosporum) and Densospora abundance, and increased mycorrhizal colonization rate in roots, contributing to the sustainable and high-quality development of walnuts.
Voltage Zoning Regulation Method of Distribution Network with High Proportion of Photovoltaic Considering Energy Storage Configuration
Authors: Zheng Fangfang , Meng Xiaofang , Xu Tiefeng , Sun Yongchang , Zhang Nannan
Published: July 2023

Photovoltaics have uncertain characteristics. If a high proportion of photovoltaics are connected to the distribution network, the voltage will exceed the limit. In order to solve this problem, a voltage regulation method of a distribution network considering energy storage partition configuration is proposed. Taking the minimum total voltage deviation, the minimum total cost, the minimum total power loss, and the minimum energy storage device installation ratio as the objective function, and considering various conditions, such as voltage deviation constraint and energy storage constraint, a mathematical model of voltage regulation is established. Firstly, a high proportion of photovoltaics are connected to the distribution network, and the voltage deviation curve is obtained. The optimal k value is determined by the elbow rule. The voltage deviation curve of each node is clustered by the k-means algorithm so as to determine the energy storage device partition. The energy storage device is connected to various clustering centers, and then the weighting factor of each objective function is determined by the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. For comparison and analysis, (k + 1) schemes are determined through the partition configuration of (k + 1) energy storage devices. Then, the model is solved by particle swarm optimization, and the unit output result and the minimum objective function value are obtained. Finally, an example of IEEE33 is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model.
Integration of Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage for Fast-Response Storage in a Hybrid Solar PV-Biogas with Pumped-Hydro Energy Storage Power Plant
Authors: Agajie Takele Ferede , Fopah-Lele Armand , Ali Ahmed , Amoussou Isaac , Khan Baseem , Elsisi Mahmoud , Nsanyuy Wirnkar Basil , Mahela Om Prakash , Álvarez Roberto Marcelo , Tanyi Emmanuel
Published: July 2023

Electric distribution systems face many issues, such as power outages, high power losses, voltage sags, and low voltage stability, which are caused by the intermittent nature of renewable power generation and the large changes in load demand. To deal with these issues, a distribution system has been designed using both short- and long-term energy storage systems such as superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) and pumped-hydro energy storage (PHES). The aim of this paper is to propose a metaheuristic-based optimization method to find the optimal size of a hybrid solar PV-biogas generator with SMES-PHES in the distribution system and conduct a financial analysis. This method is based on an efficient algorithm called the “enhanced whale optimization” algorithm (EWOA), along with the proposed objective functions and constraints of the system. The EWOA is employed to reduce the hybrid system’s life cycle cost (LCC) and improve its reliability, both of which serve as performance indicators for the distribution system. The proposed method for sizing a grid-connected hybrid solar PV-biogas generator with SMES-PHES is compared with other metaheuristic optimization techniques, including the African vulture optimization algorithm (AVOA), grey wolf optimization algorithm (GWO), and water cycle algorithm (WCA). The numerical results of the EWOA show that the combination of a hybrid solar PV-biogas generator with SMES-PHES can successfully reduce the LCC and increase reliability, making the distribution system work better.
Motivations, Relationships, Health and Quality of Life of Older Volunteers in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Socci Marco , Principi Andrea , Di Rosa Mirko , Quattrini Sabrina , Lucantoni Davide
Published: July 2023

Within the active ageing framework, this study was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic on older volunteers, in order to explore the possible relation between, on the one hand, changes in their health, social relationships and quality of life due to the pandemic and, on the other hand, volunteers’ motivations and (direct or indirect) experience of the COVID-19 contagion. Although various active-ageing-related issues have been studied during the pandemic, the studies did not cover the topic of the present study. Therefore, the results of this study advance the knowledge on the matter. A sample of 240 older volunteers was surveyed in Italy in July–August 2021. Bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression models were performed. The results highlighted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, for older people, volunteering in order to avoid thinking about personal problems was related to worsened health, while volunteering for social reasons was inversely related to a worsening quality of life. Having indirectly (by acquaintances) experienced the COVID-19 contagion was protective against the worsening physical health of older volunteers. The discussion includes the policy implications of the results.
Sustainability, Natural Gas Consumption, and Environmental Pollution in the Period of Industry 4.0 in Turkey: MS-Granger Causality and Fourier Granger Causality Analysis
Authors: Bildirici Melike , Genç Sema , Boztuna Salih
Published: July 2023

The effects of environmental pollution and Industry 4.0 on a sustainable environment are the main topic of this study, which may be regarded as a complement to the literature on energy and the environment. The paper aims to investigate the relation between Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and environmental sustainability, which is very important for policymakers, practitioners, and company executives in the period of Industry 4.0 in Turkey. To this end, natural gas consumption and technology patents as control variables of Industry 4.0, in addition to the variables of environmental pollution and economic growth, were selected during the period of 1988 to 2022 using Markov switching VAR (MS-VAR), Markov switching Granger causality (MS-GC), Fourier VAR (FVAR), and Granger causality (FGC) techniques. The reason for covering the period starting in 1988 is its recognition as the beginning of the Industry 4.0 era with AutoIDLab in 1988. According to the causality results, there was unidirectional causality running from technology patents to environmental pollution in the results of both MS-GC and FGC. However, the directions of causality between natural gas consumption and environmental pollution, and between economic growth and environmental pollution differed between regimes in the MS-GC model. Bidirectional causality was determined between economic growth and environmental pollution in the first MS-GC regime. However, in the second regime, unidirectional causality from economic growth to environmental pollution was determined. The causality direction determined by Fourier causality gave the same result with the second regime. A similar finding was observed in the direction of causality between natural gas consumption and CO2 emissions. While MS-GC determined unidirectional causality from natural gas consumption to environmental pollution in the first regime, a bidirectional causality result between GC and environmental pollution was determined in the second regime. The FGC result was similar to the second regime result. And lastly, the MS-GC and FGC methods determined unidirectional causality from Industry 4.0 to environmental pollution.
Stochastic Coordinated Management of Electrical–Gas–Thermal Networks in Flexible Energy Hubs Considering Day-Ahead Energy and Ancillary Markets
Authors: Parhoudeh Sina , Eguía López Pablo , Kavousi Fard Abdollah
Published: July 2023

This paper presents an optimal operation framework for electrical, gas, and thermal networks in the presence of energy hubs (EHs), so that EHs can benefit from day-ahead ancillary and energy markets. Therefore, to consider the goals of network operators (optimal operation of networks) and EHs (optimal operation in markets), the proposed model is developed in the form of a bi-level optimization. Its upper-level formulation minimizes the expected energy loss in the proposed networks based on the optimal power flow constraints and technical limits. At the lower-level problem, maximizing the expected profit of EHs in day-ahead energy and ancillary markets (including reactive and reserve regulation) is formulated based on the operational model of resources, storage devices, and responsive load in the EH framework, and the flexible constraints of EHs. This scheme includes the uncertainties of load, market price, renewable energy resources, and mobile storage energy demand, which uses the point estimation method to model them. Karush–Kuhn–Tucker is then used to extract the single-level model. Finally, by implementing the proposed scheme on a standard system, the obtained numerical results confirm the capability of the proposed model in improving the network’s operation and economic status of EHs. As a result, the proposed scheme is able to decrease operation indices such as energy losses, voltage drop, and temperature drop by approximately 28.5%, 39%, and 27.8%, respectively, compared to load flow analysis. This scheme can improve the flexibility of EHs, including non-controllable sources such as renewable resources, by nearly 100% and it obtains considerable profits for hubs.
A Fuzzy–Rough MCDM Approach for Selecting Green Suppliers in the Furniture Manufacturing Industry: A Case Study of Eco-Friendly Material Production
Authors: Chen Xuemei , Zhou Bin , Štilić Anđelka , Stević Željko , Puška Adis
Published: July 2023

Green supplier selection is always one of the most important challenges in all of supply chain management, especially for production companies. The purpose is to have reliable suppliers which can fulfill all requests and be flexible in any supply chain stage. The aim of this paper is to create an adequate and strong MCDM (multicriteria decision making) model for the evaluation and selection of suppliers in a real environment. The main contribution of this study is proposing a novel fuzzy–rough MCDM model containing extension stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) and additive ratio assessment (ARAS) methods with fuzzy–rough numbers (FRN). The integrated FRN SWARA–FRN ARAS model was implemented in a case study of eco-friendly material production. The FRN SWARA method was used to calculate the weights of 10 green criteria, while using FRN ARAS, 6 suppliers were evaluated. The results of the applied model show that supplier S3 received the highest ranking, followed by supplier S2, while supplier S5 performed the poorest. In order to verify the strengths of the developed fuzzy–rough approach, we created a comparative analysis, sensitivity analysis, and dynamic matrix, which confirm the robustness of our model.
Lessons Learned during COVID-19 and Future Perspectives for Emerging Technology
Authors: Guzzo Tiziana , Ferri Fernando , Grifoni Patrizia
Published: July 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to the education sector, forcing schools at a worldwide level to quickly adapt their activities to remote learning. Despite the obstacles and challenges, the pandemic also represented an opportunity for reflection and innovation in education. A survey with 558 teachers from primary and middle schools in several regions of Italy was carried out to analyse challenges and lessons learned by Italian schools, aiming to improve the quality of digital education. The lessons learned highlighted the importance of developing strategies to address challenges such as the necessary infrastructure, digital skills, student engagement, collaboration, and personalised online learning. On the one hand, government-initiated interventions, like the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, aim to bridge the digital divide and improve education quality. On the other hand, the potentialities of immersive technologies like the Metaverse can provide exciting opportunities for interactive and engaging learning experiences, encouraging interaction and collaboration among students.
Effects of Eco-Organic Feed on Growth Performance, Biometric Indices, and Nutrient Retention of Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata)
Authors: Tefal Eslam , Tomás-Vidal Ana , Martínez-Llorens Silvia , Jauralde Ignacio , Sánchez-Peñaranda David , Jover-Cerdá Miguel
Published: July 2023

This study examined how eco-organic feed affects the growth performance, nutrient efficiency, feed utilisation, and body composition of gilthead seabream. Six different diets were tested, including a control diet (CONT) without organic ingredients and four diets with 100% organic ingredients: trout (TRO), seabass (SBS), poultry (POU), and mix (MIX), along with a control organic diet (ORG) containing organic ingredients and 30% fishmeal. The experiment lasted 70 days, and the fish were fed twice a day, starting with an initial weight of 60.5 g. The results showed that the highest growth rates were observed in fish fed the ORG and CONT diets containing fishmeal. Conversely, the POU diet resulted in the lowest growth rate, survival rate, and highest value for feed conversion ratio (FCR). Almost all essential amino acid efficiency values were high in fish fed the ORG and CONT diets. Still, significant differences were noted in the retention efficiency of fatty acids across all diets. The retention efficiency was higher in the CONT diet, followed by the ORG diet. However, the economic conversion rate was lower for CONT, SBS, TRO, and MIX. Overall, using organic diets of animal origin impacted the growth performance of gilthead seabream, but it is still a promising approach.
Soft-NMS-Enabled YOLOv5 with SIOU for Small Water Surface Floater Detection in UAV-Captured Images
Authors: Chen Fuxun , Zhang Lanxin , Kang Siyu , Chen Lutong , Dong Honghong , Li Dan , Wu Xiaozhu
Published: July 2023

In recent years, the protection and management of water environments have garnered heightened attention due to their critical importance. Detection of small objects in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images remains a persistent challenge due to the limited pixel values and interference from background noise. To address this challenge, this paper proposes an integrated object detection approach that utilizes an improved YOLOv5 model for real-time detection of small water surface floaters. The proposed improved YOLOv5 model effectively detects small objects by better integrating shallow and deep features and addressing the issue of missed detections and, therefore, aligns with the characteristics of the water surface floater dataset. Our proposed model has demonstrated significant improvements in detecting small water surface floaters when compared to previous studies. Specifically, the average precision (AP), recall (R), and frames per second (FPS) of our model achieved 86.3%, 79.4%, and 92%, respectively. Furthermore, when compared to the original YOLOv5 model, our model exhibits a notable increase in both AP and R, with improvements of 5% and 6.1%, respectively. As such, the proposed improved YOLOv5 model is well-suited for the real-time detection of small objects on the water’s surface. Therefore, this method will be essential for large-scale, high-precision, and intelligent water surface floater monitoring.
What Is the Impact of a Dockless Bike-Sharing System on Urban Public Transit Ridership: A View from Travel Distances
Authors: Lang Hong , Zhang Shiwen , Fang Kexin , Xing Yingying , Xue Qingwen
Published: July 2023

Recently, the rapid development of the bike-sharing system (BSS) has dramatically influenced passengers’ travel modes. However, whether the relationship between the BSS and public transit is competitive or complementary remains unclear. In this paper, a difference-in-differences (DID) model is proposed to figure out the impact of the dockless BSS (DBSS) on bus ridership. The data was collected from Shanghai, China, which includes data from automatic fare collection (AFC) systems, automatic vehicle location (AVL) systems, DBSS transaction data, and point-of-interest (POI) data. The research is based on the route-level, and the results indicate that shared bikes have a substitution impact on bus ridership. Regarding all the travel distance, each shared bike along the route leads to a 0.39 decrease in daily bus ridership on the weekdays, and a 0.17 decrease in daily bus ridership on the weekends, respectively, indicating that dockless shared bikes lead to a stronger decrease in bus ridership on weekends compared to weekdays. Additionally, the substitution effects of shared bikes on bus ridership gradually decays from 0.104 to 0.016 in daily bus ridership on weekends, respectively, with the increase in the travel distance within 0–3 km. This paper reveals that the travel distance of passengers greatly influences the relationship between the DBSS and public transit on the route level.
Barriers and Drivers Underpinning Newcomers in Agriculture: Evidence from Italian Census Data
Authors: Fanelli Rosa Maria
Published: July 2023

The present study addresses, for the first time, the difference between older and younger farmers (those aged over and under 40 years) and proposes a methodology to identify factors that affect generational renewal in the Italian agricultural sector in positive and negative ways. The study is carried out using data collected by the General Census of Agriculture of 2020. Firstly, a T-test is used to test the hypothesis of differences between farmers aged under 40 and those over 40. Secondly, linear regression models are constructed to address the factors that affect generational renewal in the Italian agricultural sector. The findings highlight some important initiatives that decision-makers can consider for further action in the Italian agricultural sector at a regional level. Large-scale farming is very likely to attract newcomers to Italian agriculture and has a strong impact on generational turnover. In contrast, sustainable agricultural practices are less attractive, as they require specific responsibilities, knowledge, and technical and organisational solutions that young people may not yet have. Similarly, educational attainment increases the probability that young farmers will move from rural to urban areas. Finally, older farmers, with respect to newcomers, have more capital for innovative investments in the agricultural sector and information technology for business management and have more experience with waste management.
A Review of Modern Wind Power Generation Forecasting Technologies
Authors: Tsai Wen-Chang , Hong Chih-Ming , Tu Chia-Sheng , Lin Whei-Min , Chen Chiung-Hsing
Published: July 2023

The prediction of wind power output is part of the basic work of power grid dispatching and energy distribution. At present, the output power prediction is mainly obtained by fitting and regressing the historical data. The medium- and long-term power prediction results exhibit large deviations due to the uncertainty of wind power generation. In order to meet the demand for accessing large-scale wind power into the electricity grid and to further improve the accuracy of short-term wind power prediction, it is necessary to develop models for accurate and precise short-term wind power prediction based on advanced algorithms for studying the output power of a wind power generation system. This paper summarizes the contribution of the current advanced wind power forecasting technology and delineates the key advantages and disadvantages of various wind power forecasting models. These models have different forecasting capabilities, update the weights of each model in real time, improve the comprehensive forecasting capability of the model, and have good application prospects in wind power generation forecasting. Furthermore, the case studies and examples in the literature for accurately predicting ultra-short-term and short-term wind power generation with uncertainty and randomness are reviewed and analyzed. Finally, we present prospects for future studies that can serve as useful directions for other researchers planning to conduct similar experiments and investigations.
Using DEMATEL and ISM for Designing Green Public Policies Based on the System of Systems Approach
Authors: Teymourifar Aydin , Trindade Maria A. M.
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we propose a novel approach to the development of green public policies. We emphasize the significance of the system of systems (SoSs) methodology, which concentrates on understanding and managing complex systems by contemplating their interdependencies and interactions as a single integrated system. Based on this perspective, we consider green public policy as a system interacting with the energy, health, pollutants, and economic systems of the SoSs. As a method of systematic structural analysis, we use both decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and interpretive structural modeling (ISM) techniques to understand the relationships between the systems listed above. We provide a literature review on the application of these soft operation research (SOR) techniques. We note that SOR methods are suitable for the formulation of effective public policies. Using an example, we demonstrate the primary advantage of DEMATEL and ISM, which is the establishment of easily comprehendible causal relationships between the systems in the SoSs.
Authorization or Outsourcing: Considering the Contrast/Assimilation Effect and Network Externality of Remanufactured Products under Government Subsidy
Authors: Hu Yuqing , Meng Lijun , Xue Jingya , Xia Hongying
Published: July 2023

This paper examines the impact of the contrast/assimilation effect and network externality of remanufactured products on remanufacturing mode selection for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) under government subsidy. We develop a two-period Stackelberg game model in a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) composed of an OEM and a third-party remanufacturer (TPR) considering two remanufacturing modes: authorization remanufacturing mode and outsourcing remanufacturing mode. The results show the following: (1) The OEM prefers to select authorization when the contrast/assimilation effect and government subsidy level are both relatively low; otherwise, the OEM prefers outsourcing. The TPR always prefers the outsourcing mode. Therefore, a win–win situation between the OEM and the TPR could be achieved through OEM outsourcing remanufacturing when the government raises subsidy levels or the contrast/assimilation effect is relatively obvious. (2) The outsourcing mode is more beneficial in promoting the sales of remanufactured products and is more environmentally friendly, while the authorization mode is better in regards to consumer surplus and social welfare. (3) OEM, TPR and CLSC could benefit from network externality increasing. The stronger contrast effect (assimilation effect) is profitable to the OEM and CLSC (TPR), but hurts the TPR (OEM and CLSC). (4) Government subsidy can significantly reduce consumer spending on remanufactured products. CLSC members encroach government subsidies which are offered to consumers through pricing adjustments. The findings provide managerial implications for OEMs’ remanufacturing mode strategy in the context of the contrast/assimilation effect and network externality of remanufactured products under government subsidy.
Sustainable Mitigation Strategies for Urban Heat Island Effects in Urban Areas
Authors: Irfeey Abdul Munaf Mohamed , Chau Hing-Wah , Sumaiya Mohamed Mahusoon Fathima , Wai Cheuk Yin , Muttil Nitin , Jamei Elmira
Published: July 2023

The globe is at a crossroads in terms of the urban heat island effect, with rising surface temperatures due to urbanization and an expanding built environment. This cause-and-effect connection may be linked to weather-related dangers, natural disasters, and disease outbreaks. Urbanization and industrialization will not lead to a secure and sustainable future. Finding solutions to problems such as the heat island effect is at the forefront of scientific research and policy development. Sustainable ways to decrease urban heat island impacts are a core principle for urban planners. This literature study examines the benefits of adding green infrastructure and sustainable materials in built-up areas to reduce the urban heat island effect. Materials such as reflective street pavements, coating materials including light-colored paint, phase-change materials, color-changing paint, fluorescence paint, and energy-efficient appliances are considered sustainable materials, whereas green infrastructure like green roofs, green walls, green parking and pavements, and shaded streets are considered to mitigate the urban heat island effect. The hurdles to the widespread adoption of such practices include a lack of governmental legislation, insufficient technological development, an erroneous estimation of economic gains, and unwillingness on the part of impacted parties.
How Does the COVID-19 Pandemic Impact Internal Trade? Evidence from China’s Provincial-Level Data
Authors: Che Zhilu , Kong Mei , Wang Sen , Zhuang Jiakun
Published: July 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened the goals of sustainable development through its impact on global public health and economic systems. This paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on interprovincial trade in China. First, we estimate interprovincial trade flows in China for 2018–2022 using information from different sources and use it to infer interprovincial trade costs. Second, we estimate the impact of COVID-19 on interprovincial trade flows and interprovincial trade costs based on a trade gravity model. Finally, we construct a multiregional, multisector quantitative spatial model and introduce changes in interprovincial trade barriers in 2019–2020 to the model to analyze economic losses due to the early COVID-19 pandemic. We find a significant negative effect from the COVID-19 pandemic on interprovincial trade flows in China, but we do not obtain robust results demonstrating that the intensification of the pandemic significantly affected bilateral trade costs. The results of the quantitative analysis suggest that changes in interprovincial trade barriers reduced China’s overall GDP in 2019–2020 by 0.11%. The results are not the same at the regional and sectoral levels, but the impact is not significant on average.
Sustainable Green Energy Management: Optimizing Scheduling of Multi-Energy Systems Considered Energy Cost and Emission Using Attractive Repulsive Shuffled Frog-Leaping
Authors: Kadirgama Kumaran , Awad Omar I. , Mohammed M. N. , Tao Hai , Bash Ali A. H. Karah
Published: July 2023

As energy systems become increasingly complex, there is a growing need for sustainable and efficient energy management strategies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper, multi-energy systems (MES) have emerged as a promising solution that integrates various energy sources and enables energy sharing between different sectors. The proposed model is based on using an Attractive Repulsive Shuffled Frog-Leaping (ARSFL) algorithm that optimizes the scheduling of energy resources, taking into account constraints such as capacity limitations and environmental regulations. The model considers different energy sources, including renewable energy and a power-to-gas (P2G) network with power grid, and incorporates a demand–response mechanism that allows consumers to adjust their energy consumption patterns in response to price signals and other incentives. The ARSFL algorithm demonstrates superior performance in managing and minimizing energy purchase uncertainty compared to the particle swarm optimization (PSO) and genetic algorithm (GA). It also exhibits significantly reduced execution time, saving approximately 1.59% compared to PSO and 2.7% compared to GA.
Properties and Maximum Likelihood Estimation of the Novel Mixture of Fréchet Distribution
Authors: Phaphan Wikanda , Abdullahi Ibrahim , Puttamat Wirawan
Published: July 2023

In recent decades, there have been numerous endeavors to develop a novel category of survival distributions possessing enhanced flexibility through the extension of existing distributions. This article constructs and validates the statistical properties of a novel survival distribution in order to obtain an alternative distribution that is suitable for analyzing survival data by presenting the novel mixture of the Fréchet distribution along with statistical properties such as the probability density function (PDF), cumulative distribution function (CDF), rth ordinary moment, skewness, kurtosis, moment-generating function, mean, variance, mode, survival function, hazard function, and asymptotic behavior, as well as constructing the estimators of the unknown parameter by employing the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm, and simulated annealing. Additionally, the performance of the proposed estimators was compared with bias, mean squared errors (MSE), and simulated variances, and given an illustrative example of the proposed distribution to the survival data set in order to show that the proposed distribution is appropriate for the right-skewed data. This will be extremely advantageous in survival analysis.
Cosine Similarity Measures of (m, n)-Rung Orthopair Fuzzy Sets and Their Applications in Plant Leaf Disease Classification
Authors: Rajput Arpan Singh , Shukla Shailja , Thakur Samajh Singh
Published: July 2023

A fuzzy set is a powerful tool to handle uncertainty and ambiguity, and generally, the notions of symmetry and similarity are also exhibited in the fuzzy set theory. The class of (m, n)-rung orthopair fuzzy sets through two universes are more flexible and efficient than the q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets when discussing the symmetry and similarity between multiple objects. This research article comprehensively investigates ten similarity measures that employ cosine and cotangent functions for comparing (m, n)-rung orthopair fuzzy sets, which are a superclass of q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets. Moreover, the proposed weighted similarity measures are applied to real-world problems in building material analysis. A comparative analysis is conducted between the proposed measures and the existing cosine and cotangent measures of q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets, showing that the proposed measures are more efficient than existing ones. Additionally, a numerical example demonstrates the practical and scientific applications of these similarity measures in classifying plant leaf diseases. The sensitivity analysis shows that the existing measures cannot be applied to (m, n)-fuzzy data for distinct values of m and n. The results are supported by graphical interpretations, further illustrating the efficacy of the proposed measures.
Convex Families of q-Derivative Meromorphic Functions Involving the Polylogarithm Function
Authors: Alhindi Khadeejah Rasheed
Published: July 2023

The aim of this research study is to establish a novel subclass of meromorphic functions in the mean of q-derivatives in combination with the well-known polylogarithm function. Two additional subfamilies for this class are also defined. Furthermore, the coefficient inequality and distortion bounds are highlighted. Finally, the convex families and related set structures are thoroughly investigated.
Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Evolution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of the Water Footprint in Xinjiang from 2000 to 2020
Authors: Wang Shijie , Lai Xiaoying , Gu Xinchen
Published: July 2023

Xinjiang is home to one of the most serious resource-based water shortages, and at the same time, it is an important main production area of grain, cotton, and high-quality fruits and vegetables in China, placing a heavy burden on water resources. Based on this, this paper determines the basic condition of water resources in regions of Xinjiang using the water footprint method. It then identifies the drivers of water footprint changes using the population scale effect, policy support effect, investment–output effect, economic structure effect, water use efficiency effect, and water use structure effect via the LMDI decomposition model. Finally, this paper illustrates the trajectory of the regional water footprint through individual stochastic convergence. This study found the following: (1) The water footprint of Xinjiang showed a fluctuating upward trend, and the total water footprint varied significantly between regions. From a compositional standpoint, most regions were dominated by the agricultural water footprint, while spatially, the regional water footprint had a high distribution trend in the south and a low distribution in the north. (2) The driving effects of the water footprint, policy support, population scale, and water use structure were incremental, while the effects of water use efficiency, economic structure, and investment output were decremental. (3) Most regions in Xinjiang showed individual stochastic convergence trends, indicating that regions converged to their respective compensating difference equilibrium levels. In this regard, it is necessary to strengthen R&D and the promotion of water use technology, further optimize the industrial structure, and leverage the positive effect of government investment to alleviate the regional water constraint dilemma and promote high-quality regional economic development.
Features of Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition Selective Area Epitaxy of AlzGa1−zAs (0 ≤ z ≤ 0.3) Layers in Arrays of Ultrawide Windows
Authors: Shamakhov Viktor , Slipchenko Sergey , Nikolaev Dmitriy , Soshnikov Ilya , Smirnov Alexander , Eliseyev Ilya , Grishin Artyom , Kondratov Matvei , Rizaev Artem , Pikhtin Nikita , Kop’ev Peter
Published: July 2023

AlzGa1−zAs layers of various compositions were grown using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on a GaAs substrate with a pattern of alternating SiO2 mask/window stripes, each 100 µm wide. Microphotoluminescence maps and thickness profiles of AlzGa1−zAs layers that demonstrated the distribution of the growth rate and z in the window were experimentally studied. It was shown that the layer growth rate and the AlAs mole fraction increased continuously from the center to the edge of the window. It was experimentally shown that for a fixed growth time of 10 min, as z increased from 0 to 0.3, the layer thickness difference between the center of the window and the edge increased from 700 Å to 1100 Å, and the maximum change in z between the center of the window and the edge reached Δz 0.016, respectively. Within the framework of the vapor -phase diffusion model, simulations of the spatial distribution of the layer thickness and z across the window were carried out. It was shown that the simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental results for the effective diffusion length D/k: Ga—85 µm, Al—50 µm.
Characterization of Triplet State of Cyanine Dyes with Two Chromophores Effect of Molecule Structure
Authors: Borissevitch Iouri E. , Gonçalves Pablo J. , Ferreira Lucimara P. , Kostyukov Alexey A. , Kuzmin Vladimir A.
Published: July 2023

Quantum yields (φT) and energies (ET) of the first triplet state T1 for four molecules of cyanine dyes with two chromophores (BCDs), promising photoactive compounds for various applications, for example, as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT) and fluorescence diagnostics (FD), were studied in 1-propanol solutions by steady-state and time-resolved optical absorption techniques. BCDs differ by the structure of the central heterocycle, connecting the chromophores. The heterocycle structure is responsible for electron tunneling between chromophores, for which efficiency can be characterized by splitting of the BCD triplet energy levels. It was shown that the increase in the tunneling efficiency reduces ET values and increases φT values. This aspect is very promising for the synthesis of new effective photosensitizers based on cyanine dyes with two interacting chromophores for various applications, including photodynamic therapy.
Screening of Toxic Effects of Neonicotinoid Insecticides with a Focus on Acetamiprid: A Review
Authors: Zuščíková Lucia , Bažány Denis , Greifová Hana , Knížatová Nikola , Kováčik Anton , Lukáč Norbert , Jambor Tomáš
Published: July 2023

Recently, neonicotinoids have become the fastest-growing class of insecticides in conventional crop protection, with extensive usage against a wide range of sucking and chewing pests. Neonicotinoids are widely used due to their high toxicity to invertebrates, simplicity, flexibility with which they may be applied, and lengthy persistence, and their systemic nature ensures that they spread to all sections of the target crop. However, these properties raise the risk of environmental contaminations and potential toxicity to non-target organisms. Acetamiprid is a new generation insecticide, which is a safer alternative for controlling insect pests because of its low toxicity to honeybees. Acetamiprid is intended to target nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in insects, but its widespread usage has resulted in negative impacts on non-target animals such as mammals. This review summarizes in vivo and in vitro animal studies that investigated the toxicity of specific neonicotinoids. With summarized data, it can be presumed that certain concentrations of neonicotinoids in the reproductive system cause oxidative stress in the testis; spermatogenesis disruption; spermatozoa degradation; interruptions to endocrine function and Sertoli and Leydig cell function. In the female reproductive system, acetamiprid evokes pathomorphological alterations in follicles, along with metabolic changes in the ovaries.
Comparative Study of Ochratoxin A Exposure through the Intake of Cereal Products in Two Climatic Moroccan Regions
Authors: Tabarani Ahmed , Zinedine Abdellah , Rocha João Miguel , Sanaa Moez , Abdennebi El Hassane
Published: July 2023

The present study aims to compare ochratoxin A (OTA) exposure through the intake of three cereal derivative products (bread, pasta and semolina) in two different Moroccan climatic regions (littoral and continental). OTA weekly intakes from cereal products were calculated using a deterministic approach for each region. Results showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) of OTA exposure between the two regions. Indeed, the median OTA exposure was estimated at 48.97 ng/kg b.w./week in the littoral region, while it was estimated at 6.36 ng/kg b.w./week in the continental region. The probabilistic approach showed that, due to uncertainties, the 95th percentile of weekly OTA exposure associated with the three cereal products ranged from 66.18 to 137.79 (95% CI) with a median of 97.44 ng/kg body weight (b.w.)/week. Compared to the threshold of 100 ng/kg b.w./week, 95% of the cumulative distributions predicted an exceedance frequency between 0.42 and 17.30% (95% CI), with an exceedance frequency median of 4.43%. Results showed that cereal derivatives constitute an important vector of OTA exposure and cause a significant exceedance of toxicological reference value among large consumers in the littoral region, which suggests the urgency of reconsidering the maximum regulatory limit (MRL) set for OTA (3 µg/kg) in cereal derivatives by Moroccan authorities.
One Health Approach to Leptospirosis: Human–Dog Seroprevalence Associated to Socioeconomic and Environmental Risk Factors in Brazil over a 20-Year Period (2001–2020)
Authors: Sohn-Hausner Natacha , Kmetiuk Louise Bach , Biondo Alexander Welker
Published: July 2023

Despite being considered a neglected, re-emerging and the most widespread zoonotic disease worldwide, human-dog leptospirosis has not been subjected to One Health approach, and neither were its socioeconomic and environmental risk factors, as well as concomitant spatial analysis over time. Accordingly, notified human leptospirosis cases, incidence rate and urban hotspot areas, in addition to a systematic review of dog leptospirosis cases, were performed nationwide from 2001 to 2020 in Brazil. Data on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), flooding and study areas were also assessed and tabulated. Human–dog leptospirosis cases were simultaneously mapped with overlapping flooding areas, along with the main circulant serovars. Comparative outcome has shown that dogs may be exposed similarly to humans, becoming important sentinels and/or reservoirs for human leptospirosis in larger geographic areas. Moreover, the study herein can help in the decision and implementation of public policies in Brazil and may serve as a model for other tropical countries worldwide.