bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metal-Organic Frameworks in Bioanalysis: Extraction of Small Organic Molecules
Authors: Manousi Natalia , Plastiras Orfeas-Evangelos , Kalogiouri Natasa , Zacharis Constantinos , Zachariadis George
Published: May 2021

The quantitative determination of xenobiotic compounds, as well as biotics in biological matrices, is generally described with the term bioanalysis. Due to the complexity of biofluids, in combination with the low concentration of the small molecules, their determination in biological matrices is a challenging procedure. Apart from the conventional solid-phase extraction, liquid-liquid extraction, protein precipitation, and direct injection approaches, nowadays, a plethora of microextraction and miniaturized extraction techniques have been reported. Furthermore, the development and evaluation of novel extraction adsorbents for sample preparation has become a popular research field. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are novel materials composed of metal ions or clusters in coordination with organic linkers. Unequivocally, MOFs are gaining more and more attention in analytical chemistry due to their superior properties, including high surface area and tunability of pore size and functionality. This review discusses the utilization of MOFs in the sample preparation of biological samples for the green extraction of small organic molecules. Their common preparation and characterization strategies are discussed, while emphasis is given to their applications for green sample preparation.
Married Too Young? The Behavioral Ecology of ‘Child Marriage’
Authors: Schaffnit Susan B. , Lawson David W.
Published: May 2021

For girls and women, marriage under 18 years is commonplace in many low-income nations today and was culturally widespread historically. Global health campaigns refer to marriage below this threshold as ‘child marriage’ and increasingly aim for its universal eradication, citing its apparent negative wellbeing consequences. Here, we outline and evaluate four alternative hypotheses for the persistence of early marriage, despite its associations with poor wellbeing, arising from the theoretical framework of human behavioral ecology. First, early marriage may be adaptive (e.g., it maximizes reproductive success), even if detrimental to wellbeing, when life expectancy is short. Second, parent–offspring conflict may explain early marriage, with parents profiting economically at the expense of their daughter’s best interests. Third, early marriage may be explained by intergenerational conflict, whereby girls marry young to emancipate themselves from continued labor within natal households. Finally, both daughters and parents from relatively disadvantaged backgrounds favor early marriage as a ‘best of a bad job strategy’ when it represents the best option given a lack of feasible alternatives. The explanatory power of each hypothesis is context-dependent, highlighting the complex drivers of life history transitions and reinforcing the need for context-specific policies addressing the vulnerabilities of adolescence worldwide.
Gender Equality and Modernity in Portugal. An Analysis on the Obstacles to Gender Equality in Highly Qualified Professions
Authors: Amâncio Lígia , Santos Maria Helena
Published: May 2021

In this review article, we argue that the transformations related to the modernisation of Portuguese society triggered by the implementation of democracy did not fully accommodate gender equality. In particular, when we consider the areas where the most progress has been made in keeping with a broadly shared urge for modernisation, education and science; whereas women have contributed to boosting the Portuguese population’s level of education, thus inverting the worst legacy of the dictatorship and developing scientific research, gender inequalities are still visible in highly qualified professions. Reviewing the results of studies from different professions, science, medicine and engineering, our analysis illustrates several factors that hinder not only the recognition of women’s competences and merit at work but also their career opportunities. Some of these factors are rooted in the type of gender ideology that was central to the propaganda of the dictatorship, thereby establishing continuity with the previous regime that seems particularly difficult to break in the absence of women’s voices to raise awareness on gender equality.
Racialization and Aporophobia: Intersecting Discriminations in the Experiences of Non-Western Migrants and Spanish Roma
Authors: Hellgren Zenia , Gabrielli Lorenzo
Published: May 2021

In this article, we address a gap in the scholarship on (super)diversity, discrimination and racism by placing the experiences of non-western migrants and Roma people in the same conceptual framework of stigmatization based on racialization and aporophobia. Including a (formally non-recognized) national minority, the Spanish Roma, in such an analysis implies moving from a framework of superdiversity applied to immigrants to a broader one, which also applies the notion of superdiversity to the racialized citizens of a country, shifting the focus from inner-group features to exogenous othering processes by the mainstream society. We aim to also contribute to the literature on the race–class binary with our empirically grounded analysis of how racialization and aporophobia intersect in the negative stereotyping of people who are cast as outsiders based on both their race/ethnicity and (assumed) socio-economic status. Data from several different research projects on migrant and Roma inclusion/exclusion in Spain were used for the analysis, which focuses on the intersections between race and class in the narratives on exclusion and discrimination by 185 migrant and Roma men and women that were interviewed between 2004 and 2021. The analysis shows that our Roma and migrant respondents perceive forms of discrimination based on racialization and aporophobia that are similar in several ways. In turn, the “double stigmatization” experienced by many of our respondents reinforces their actual precariousness, which may be understood both as a cause and consequence of this stigmatization. We found that these experiences were salient in the narratives of both non-western migrant and Roma respondents who find themselves part of a “racialized underclass” and struggle with finding ways to exit the vicious circle of devalued identities and material deprivation.
Weighted Log-Rank Statistics for Accelerated Failure Time Model
Authors: Lee Seung-Hwan
Published: May 2021

This paper improves the sensitivity of the Gρ family of weighted log-rank tests for the accelerated failure time model, accommodating realistic alternatives in survival analysis with censored data, such as heavy censoring and crossing hazards. The procedures are based on a weight function with the censoring proportion incorporated as a component. Extensive simulations show that the weight function enhances the performance of the Gρ family, increasing its sensitivity and flexibility. The weight function method is illustrated with an example concerning vaginal cancer.
Instrumentalization of a Model for the Evaluation of the Level of Satisfaction of Graduates under an E-Learning Methodology: A Case Analysis Oriented to Postgraduate Studies in the Environmental Field
Authors: García Villena Eduardo , Pueyo-Villa Silvia , Delgado Noya Irene , Tutusaus Pifarré Kilian , Ruíz Salces Roberto , Pascual Barrera Alina
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this article was to evaluate the level of satisfaction of a sample of graduates in relation to different online postgraduate programs in the environmental area, as part of the process of continuous improvement in which the educational institution was immersed for the renewal of its accreditation before the corresponding official bodies. Based on the bibliographic review of a series of models and tools, a Likert scale measurement instrument was developed. This instrument, once applied and validated, showed a good level of reliability, with more than three quarters of the participants having a positive evaluation of satisfaction. Likewise, to facilitate the relational study, and after confirming the suitability of performing a factor analysis, four variable grouping factors were determined, which explained a good part of the variability of the instrument’s items. As a result of the analysis, it was found that there were significant values of low satisfaction in graduates from the Eurasian area, mainly in terms of organizational issues and academic expectations. On the other hand, it was observed that the methodological aspects of the “Auditing” and “Biodiversity” programs showed higher levels of dissatisfaction than the rest, with no statistically significant relationships between gender, entry profile or age groups. The methodology followed and the rigor in determining the validity and reliability of the instrument, as well as the subsequent analysis of the results, endorsed by the review of the documented information, suggest that the instrument can be applied to other multidisciplinary programs for decision making with guarantees in the educational field.
Modeling and Application of Controllers for a Photovoltaic Inverter for Operation in a Microgrid
Authors: Ortega Rubén , García Víctor H. , García-García Adrián L. , Rodriguez Jaime J. , Vásquez Virgilio , Sosa-Savedra Julio C.
Published: May 2021

The penetration of renewable energies in the context of distributed generation represents challenges such as maintaining the reliability and stability of the system and considering the random behavior proper of generation and consumption. In this context, microgrids make it possible to manage effectively the generation and consumption of this energy, incorporating, electronic power converters, energy storage systems, and hierarchical control schemes. This paper presents the modeling, design, and application of controllers for a photovoltaic inverter operating in island mode. For this application, the photovoltaic inverter regulates the inverter output voltage via two control configurations implemented to follow the voltage reference imposed by the scheme droop. The first control scheme is configured with a two-degrees-of-freedom controller plus a repetitive controller. In this configuration, the repetitive controller is implemented in the direct loop. The second scheme is configured with an integral proportional controller—proportional controller plus a resonant controller. This configuration is formed by an integral proportional control in the direct loop plus a resonant controller and a proportional controller in the feedback loop. Both control configurations are implemented to improve the inverter disturbance rejection capability when it feeds both linear and non-linear local loads. In addition, these configurations allow the parallel connection of inverters with good performance, using a droop scheme that allows the parallel connection of converters. The tests are carried out by means of simulations using PSIMTM, which shows that, with the implemented controllers, the total harmonic distortion of the inverter output is below 5%, as recommended by the IEEE 519-1992 standard.
Optimum Configuration of a Renewable Energy System Using Multi-Year Parameters and Advanced Battery Storage Modules: A Case Study in Northern Saudi Arabia
Authors: Mas’ud Abdullahi Abubakar , Al-Garni Hassan Zuhair
Published: May 2021

Understanding the impact of global warming and the availability of renewable sources has motivated many countries to utilize solar and wind as an alternative to conventional energy sources. One county at the forefront in the development of these technologies is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In KSA, investing in wind and solar energy is important because the country’s load demand is rapidly increasing, coupled with the over-reliance on fossil fuels. By fully utilizing the multi-year and the advanced battery storage modules in HOMER, in this paper, the techno-economic viability of utilizing a PV/wind/diesel/battery system for a remote location of Al-Jouf in the KSA has been investigated. The novelty of the work presented in this paper is that for the first time a PV/wind/diesel/battery system has been designed for the KSA, taking into account the impact of multi-year and advanced battery storage parameters such as the increase in fuel price, PV degradation, increase in the consumer load and battery degradation. Besides, due to the high temperatures experienced at Al-Jouf during the summer season, this paper investigates the sensitivity of ambient temperature on the system’s performance. The result shows that the multi-year input and battery degradation parameters have a significant impact on the system output over the 25 year lifetime of the project. PV production has dropped by 11.3%, while diesel production rose to 38% thereby increasing fuel consumption and CO2 emission. The system’s LCOE and NPC are 0.204 and USD206,919 respectively. According to the sensitivity analysis, ambient temperature has a significant impact on battery performance and PV power generation.
Exploring the Inclusion of Sustainability into Strategy and Management Control Systems in Peruvian Manufacturing Enterprises
Authors: Córdova-Aguirre Luis Jesús , Ramón-Jerónimo Juan Manuel
Published: May 2021

The aim of this work is to explore the incorporation of sustainability into strategy and management control systems (MCSs) in Peruvian manufacturing enterprises in the plastics sector. The study focuses on identifying and analyzing the current way they incorporate and manage sustainability to determine the shortcomings that must be corrected in the future to design an effective performance management system (PMS) that includes sustainability to help companies achieve sustainable growth. The method of multiple case study analysis was used. Data was obtained from four Peruvian manufacturing firms in the plastics sector through seven semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest that sustainability is partially incorporated into the company’s strategy, and that especially in medium-sized enterprises, managers do not know how to implement sustainable management accurately. Concerning MCSs used, in medium-sized companies, short-term planning is carried out and they are limited to the control of the economic operational perspective and lack concrete measures regarding social and environmental aspects. Finally, we conclude that this study allowed us to know how sustainability is really managed in Peruvian manufacturing enterprises in the plastics industry and that it is necessary for these companies not only to incorporate sustainability into their strategy but also to implement a holistic PMS to be used as a broad-scope MCS to achieve sustainable growth.
Cause-Related Marketing in the Telecom Sector: Understanding the Dynamics among Environmental Values, Cause-Brand Fit, and Product Type
Authors: Shih Tsungjen , Wang Shaojung Sharon
Published: May 2021

Due to heightened ecological awareness and concern in recent years, many businesses have started to employ cause-related marketing (CRM) strategies aiming at communicating sustainability-based value to their potential targets. Building on the growing body of research on cause-brand fit and product types, the present study incorporates environmental values to explore the effectiveness of CRM messages in the telecom industry. A 4 × 2 online experiment was conducted in which a total of 1175 adults in Taiwan participated. The results demonstrated that CRM campaigns were effective for increasing perceived corporate image and purchase intentions. However, corporate image and purchase intentions did not vary with different levels of cause-brand fit. The results also showed that corporate image mediated the relationship between CRM campaigns and purchase intentions. Furthermore, this indirect relationship was moderated by environmental values, especially for necessary products. Theoretical and practical implications on corporate social responsibility to promote environmental sustainability are discussed.
Standardizing Melanopic Effects of Ocular Light for Ecological Lighting Design of Nonresidential Buildings—An Overview of Current Legislation and Accompanying Scientific Studies
Authors: Neberich Marcel , Opferkuch Frank
Published: May 2021

DIN SPEC 5031-100 and CIE S 026:2018 are regulatory frameworks that are intended to establish health-preserving indoor lighting in Europe. Therefore, they are crucial for the visual environment and its sustainability. The standards are largely congruent. Inconsistencies should now be harmonized with the newly published draft standard DIN/TS 5031-100, for which the objection period ended on 3 June 2020; thus, it can be expected that the standard will soon be put into operation. This publication provides the reader with a detailed technical as well as medical overview of the scope and background information on how the standard came about. Applicable laws, ordinances and standards were compiled across countries, and related studies were reviewed. It is demonstrated that the focus of this new standard, as with previous versions, is on the melanopic sensitivity of ganglion cells. The authors base this on a literature search for projects about ecological lighting design over the past 20 years. However, in practice, the publication of the standard does not yet completely counteract the health effects of inappropriate indoor lighting.
Inclusive Settlement of Young Asylum Seekers in a Rural Region: The Role of Informal Support and Mentoring
Authors: Alarcón Xavier , Casademont Xavier , Lendzhova Vladislava , Erdoğan Emre
Published: May 2021

In the last ten years, the settlement and integration of refugee families and asylum seekers have represented some of the main challenges faced by European territories. People in need of international protection can face challenges in being settled and integrated into rural areas where it is often difficult to find co-ethnic support networks. This case study provides relevant data on how the settlement of young asylum seekers is carried out in the main town of a rural area in Catalunya. It explores the impact of a mentoring programme which consists of providing informal support to newcomers in language acquisition (Catalan), as well as inclusion in the job market and social capital. We interviewed almost all participants of that programme in this rural area, gathering in-depth interviews with mentees (with eight young asylum seekers) and two discussion groups with their mentors (living in the main town of the region). Our findings showed that whereas the main objectives of the programme are providing linguistic support, social capital and inclusion to the job market, mentoring is more focused on providing emotional support and cultivating a sense of belonging. Various outcomes will be discussed which consider the types of support that were present in mentoring relationships and how bonding and bridging social capital were fostered, namely the elements that can promote a more inclusive and welcoming rural community.
How to Sustain Sustainability Monitoring in Cities: Lessons from 49 Community Indicator Initiatives across 10 Latin American Countries
Authors: Niemann Ludger , Hoppe Thomas
Published: May 2021

Since the 1990s, many countries have witnessed the emergence of organizations publishing environmental, social, and quality-of-life indicators at a city level in order to promote public awareness, democratic participation, and sustainability policies. Many such initiatives are short-lived, however, and reasons for their success and failure under-researched. Using interviews, surveys, and documental data, we explored the survival rates, obstacles, and achievements of 49 initiatives in 10 Latin American countries. Contrary to those in other world regions, most initiatives have civil society stakeholders (notably universities, media, and businesses), excluding governments. Implementing citizen perception surveys proved effective to gain public attention. Several initiatives obtained name recognition and policy influence, which are significant achievements in megacities such as Bogotá, São Paulo, and Lima, where numerous NGOs vie for attention. Frequent obstacles include a lack of finances. After a seven-year period (2014–2021), 55% of the sampled initiatives remained active, ranging from 90% in Colombia to none in other countries. Organizational continuity appeared to be associated with network membership and discontinuity with diverging obstacles, including political pressures in some countries (e.g., Mexico), data scarcity in poorer ones (e.g., Bolivia), and a lack of sustained interest in relatively richer ones (e.g., Chile). Recent increases in socio-economic inequalities are strengthening the potential of community indicators.
Development of an Early Warning and Incident Response System for the Protection of Visitors from Natural Hazards in Important Outdoor Sites in Greece
Authors: Psaroudakis Chrysostomos , Xanthopoulos Gavriil , Stavrakoudis Dimitris , Barnias Antonios , Varela Vassiliki , Gkotsis Ilias , Karvouniari Anna , Agorgianitis Spyridon , Chasiotis Ioannis , Vlachogiannis Diamando , Sfetsos Athanasios , Kaoukis Konstantinos , Christopoulou Aikaterini , Antakis Petros , Gitas Ioannis Z.
Published: May 2021

Safety in touristic destinations is of utmost importance since tourists’ preferences change frequently in response to emerging threats. Natural hazards are a significant risk and, as such, they need to be considered in the effort for safe tourism. Services and systems monitoring and predicting extreme natural phenomena and disasters in sites of special tourist and cultural interest can lead to more effective risk management and incident response. This paper presents Xenios, a system under development in Greece that provides early warning and risk communication services via web-based and mobile phone applications. We present the user requirements analysis contacted, which led to the design of a modular system architecture through a formal Business Process Model procedure. Currently, early warning systems for wildfire, floods, and extreme weather events are offered, based on a fusion of information from satellite imagery, meteorological forecasts, and risk estimation models. Moreover, visitors’ dispersion monitoring via unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Wi-Fi connection signals is also offered, along with emergency response planning and ticketing system’s interfacing. The system is built around a modular architecture that permits the easy integration of new subsystems or other danger forecasting modules, depending on the site’s actual needs and limitations. Xenios also provides a mobile app for site visitors, which establishes a communication link for sending alarms, but also serves them with useful tourist information, so that they are encouraged to download and use the app. Finally, the opportunities for supporting a viable business model are also discussed. The results of this study could prove useful in designing other natural risk management systems for sites of cultural and natural interest.
A Practical Vision of Heritage Tourism in Low-Population-Density Areas. The Spanish Mediterranean as a Case Study
Authors: Altaba Pablo , García-Esparza Juan A.
Published: May 2021

Heritage tourism bases its definition on searching for different, authentic, and somewhat unexplored places. Recent literature speaks of the growth of new forms of tourism based on the tradition that seeks to surprise visitors with popular culture, traditional activities, or actions that bring traditional culture closer to tourists. However, the reality is that the influx of tourists to small mountain villages is marked by the most “monumental” historical and architectural values, leaving aside some other minor attributes. This article uses the historical centres of rural villages to place inhabitants’ knowledge at the centre of tourism initiatives. The aim of the study was to develop cohesive and inclusive tourism activities in historic centres by analysing the built environment’s attributes and values. A participatory methodology marks the cultural change to enhance collaboration through transparent and ethical foundations and respect these places’ distinctive character. The study of values helped to conduct an in-depth analysis of local realities to document and map historical centres’ tangible attributes through crafts, traditional culture, and local heritage forms.
Parque Augusta (São Paulo/Brazil): From the Struggles of a Social Movement to Its Appropriation in the Real Estate Market and the Right to Nature in the City
Authors: Baumgartner Wendel Henrique
Published: May 2021

Through a dialectical approach, building a thesis, an antithesis and a synthesis, our goal in this article is to discuss the implementation of the Parque Augusta, in the center of São Paulo, Brazil. For years, an organized social movement struggled with the municipality and real estate developers for the protection of the park and its green area. The demanded and desired park, collectively designed and managed, physically structured on the principles of the nature-based solutions (NBS), should represent a victory. However, in a capitalist urban space, the future park has already been appropriated in the real estate market to enhance development values and to increase the density of its environs with the construction of new skyscrapers. In a city tagging its climate actions using NBS concepts, the project in implementation by the municipality has fewer NBS elements than the co-designed with citizens participation. Here we present the narratives of the park creation and some indicators about its appropriation, based on land use and real estate market prices. The theoretical critical perspective was fundamental to reveal the contradictions within the park construction, called attention to the consideration of the surrounding area in greening projects and promoted a synthesis towards the universalization of the right to nature in the city.
Public-Private Partnership as a Tool of Sustainable Development in the Oil-Refining Sector: Russian Case
Authors: Filatova Irina , Nikolaichuk Liubov , Zakaev Dokka , Ilin Igor
Published: May 2021

Dramatic changes in the global energy market due to COVID-19 pandemic, the OPEC+ agreement, and increasing rates of green energy share in the world community have brought negative effects on the oil sector. In the long term, oil will reduce its importance as an energy resource, but for many years, it will continue to play a significant role in the world of energy. The oil industry has huge potential in terms of technical expertise, management, and financial resources to reduce its greenhouse emissions and ensuring an affordable availability of predictable energy. However, nowadays this sector has lost investing attractiveness. It is an interdisciplinary problem with a solution at the intersection of different stakeholders’ interests. The article is a review one and devoted to the issue of the implementation a public-private partnership (PPP) as a key tool that allows the use of the state and the business’ available resources to achieve the sector’s sustainable development and investment attractiveness. Research and analysis of PPP were based on foreign and domestic literature, using classification and generalization methods, retrospective and critical analysis. This paper contains identified groups of drivers, constraints, and recommendations for further successful PPP implementation in the Russian case.
Effectiveness of Public Aid for Inland Aquaculture in Poland—The Relevance of Traditional Performance Ratios
Authors: Raftowicz Magdalena , le Gallic Bertrand , Kalisiak-Mędelska Magdalena , Rutkiewicz Krzysztof , Konopska-Struś Emilia
Published: May 2021

Public financial aid is approached as one of the most important tools allowing, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises, to implement many of their investment intentions, thus improving their competitive position in the market. It is granted to enterprises regardless of whether they are of profit-oriented or a non-profit nature. The main goal of this article is to assess the effectiveness of public aid in the aquaculture sector. Authors reviewed the aid measures allocated to three carp farms located in the Barycz Valley, the biggest center for carp breeding in Europe. These three farms accounted for half of the aid beneficiaries over the period of analysis, and are considered to be representative according to the typical farms approach. They also account for 85% of the total grants allocated to the sector. After identifying differences in investment strategies, the authors investigated whether these differences could be reflected in the financial situation of the selected enterprises. The analysis covered the value of the financial liquidity factors, profitability, the level of debt and the increase in assets during the years 2012–2016. The research suggests that part of the benefits expected from public aid are not fully captured in the traditional performance ratios, especially when ecosystem-enhancing measures are involved.
The Impact of Social Norms on Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Systematic Literature Review of The Role of Culture and Self-Construal
Authors: Saracevic Selma , Schlegelmilch Bodo B.
Published: May 2021

This paper documents state-of-the-art research on the impact of social norms on pro-environmental consumer behavior. Our aim was to identify possible research gaps, in particular in terms of the moderating role of culture and self-construal, and to suggest potentially fruitful research avenues. To achieve these objectives, we conducted a systematic review of the literature on the impact of social norms on sustainability over the past 20 years, placing emphasis on the role of culture and self-construal. Altogether, we collected over 16,000 papers via Web of Science and subsequently used NVivo 12 for a fine-grained qualitative analysis. Our findings provide several new insights. First, we identified the most popular research areas, top journals and leading authors in the field of social norms and pro-environmental sustainability. Second, we pinpointed the most popular research topics in the context of the norm–sustainability relationship. Third, we revealed how culture and self-construal have been addressed when researching the connection between social norms and pro-environmental behavior, identified managerial implications, and offered future research directions on the moderating effects of culture and self-construal.
Computer-Assisted Concept Analysis of Customer Centricity: A Review of the Literature on Employee Engagement, Culture, Leadership, and Identity Co-Creation
Authors: Colleoni Elanor , Bonaiuto Flavia , Illia Laura , Bonaiuto Marino
Published: May 2021

Customer centricity requires having customers at the core of the corporate organizational process. Yet, relationship marketing scholarships have not developed a clear understanding of how corporate culture, leadership, and identity may allow the establishment of customer centricity within the organization. To this aim, we have developed a computer-assisted concept analysis of the term customer centricity in two disciplines that are at the core of relationship marketing: business and psychology. Specifically, we have conducted our review of a sample of abstracts in the over 1200 peer-reviewed journals of Business Source Premier Database and 2500 publications at the Psychology Info database that use the term “customer centricity” together with the terms “organizational identity”, “organizational leadership”, “organizational culture”, and “employee engagement”. Our computer-assisted analysis allowed us to identify four main open debates scholars and practitioners are working on that contribute to advance literature on relationship marketing: employee training and balanced centricity; industries that are either best or worst practices; reinvention of marketing practices; social aspects of consumer centricity. These areas are presented considering how they might inspire future studies on customer centricity in the customer relationship marketing field.
Social Life Cycle Assessment Used in Indigenous Contexts: A Critical Analysis
Authors: Sehlin MacNeil Kristina , Daniels-Mayes Sheelagh , Akbar Skye , Marsh Jillian , Wik-Karlsson Jenny , Össbo Åsa
Published: May 2021

This paper evaluates the method Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) from the perspectives of Indigenous methodologies and Indigenous standpoint, in order to identify some strengths and limitations of using S-LCA in Indigenous contexts. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used to measure environmental impacts connected with all stages of the life cycle of a commercial product, process, or service. S-LCA is a methodology designed to include the social aspects of sustainability in the LCA methodology. S-LCA emphasizes stakeholder involvement and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) S-LCA guidelines (2020) lists Indigenous communities as possible stakeholders. With a focus on Indigenous communities in the Arctic region we also include comparative aspects from Australia to generate new conceptualizations and understandings. The paper concludes that S-LCA has the potential to facilitate opposing worldviews and with some further developments can be a valuable methodology for Indigenous contexts.
Sustainability Concepts in Nordic Business Research: A Critical Perspective
Authors: Kjøde Svein , van der Velden Maja , Motevallian Mahsa
Published: May 2021

Current sustainability challenges force companies to radically rethink their operations to account for their business models’ long-term ecological and social impact. Scholarly works on the topic reveal no solid consensus in defining sustainability for businesses, echoing the sustainability discourse in general. Such lack of clarity might in turn detrimentally impact the business logic that can arrive from such sustainability concepts. The few existing typological reviews of sustainable business literature are lacking in their investigation of underlying theoretical frameworks of sustainability and, more importantly, the implications of their application are largely missing. This study describes and analyses the main sustainability concepts identified in a body of 69 scientific articles from the field of sustainable business literature. Secondly, it proposes a basic sustainability taxonomy to support a critical discussion, and implications of the sustainability concepts, in both discourse and practical application. The findings suggest a predominance of concepts that only partly encompass the key aspects of sustainability, such as social and ecological issues, and long-term perspectives, and they lack the systemic understanding present in fields such as the Earth Sciences.
Influence of Non-Lignocellulosic Elements on the Combustion of Treated Wood and Wooden Panel
Authors: Tomeleri João Otávio Poletto , Varanda Luciano Donizeti , Pitombo Leonardo Machado , Yamaji Fabio Minoru , Pádua Franciane Andrade de
Published: May 2021

Brazil stands out internationally in the production and commercialization of wood products. Although the external and internal demand for these products is met by the Brazilian forestry sector, challenges related to the internal management of lignocellulosic waste are evident, as the country has structural difficulties in the sector of solid waste management. Therefore, the objective was to comparatively analyze the performance of the most abundant lignocellulosic materials in the Brazilian market, regarding energy recovery at the end of their life cycles. Pine wood treated with chromed copper arsenate (CCA), untreated pine wood, eucalypt wood treated with CCA, untreated eucalypt wood, uncoated medium density fiberboard panel (MDF), and MDF panel with melamine coating were sampled. The characterization included thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXA), and elementary analysis (EA). The presence of the CCA salts and the melamine coating reduced the energy potential of the biomass, altering the burning behavior and significantly increasing the amount of generated ashes. They also caused an increase in the concentrations of copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), and cadmium (Cd) in the wood ashes as well as lead (Pb) and chromium in the panel ashes.
Understanding the Spread of COVID-19 in China: Spatial–Temporal Characteristics, Risk Analysis and the Impact of the Quarantine of Hubei Province on the Railway Transportation Network
Authors: Wang Fang , Niu Fangqu
Published: May 2021

The rapid spread of COVID-19 and its global growth constitutes an international public-health emergency, posing a serious threat to global health, safety, and social economy. In this paper, we systematically studied the temporal and spatial characteristics of COVID-19, infectivity, and the impact of Hubei province’s quarantine on the national railway system on the basis of epidemic and national train data. This study found the following: (1) The overall growth of the epidemic was exponential, and the outbreak of Hubei had a strong spread in the eastern and southern directions. The epidemic was generally more serious in the capital or developed cities in each province, and the epidemic outside Hubei was under control after the imported growth ended. (2) On the basis of analyzing the disturbance of the spread of the epidemic by traffic control, the average incubation period of COVID-19 was approximately 4 days. The ratio of the number of cured people to the number of deaths gradually increased, indicating that, given sufficient medical service, the cure rate can be greatly improved. (3) The quarantine of Hubei had greater impact on cities with higher centrality, especially in the Yangtze River Delta region, and smaller impact on the overall connectivity of the national railway network. For local people, quarantine had great impact on the outflow of local people to neighboring provinces.
How Urban Planning Impacts Latino Vendor Markets
Authors: Ledesma Edna
Published: May 2021

Flea markets and swap meets, classified here as Latino vendor markets (LVM), operate as social support systems for their communities. LVM are hubs of economic opportunity for business owners, yet they currently lack support from the field of urban planning. This paper explores four LVM case studies in California and Texas. A mixed-methods approach was used which included site observations, geospatial analysis and surveys with over 200 vendors, customers, and market managers to explore the urban linkages of LVM. Key findings include that LVM are at risk of potential redevelopment; they lack accessibility and perpetuate car dependence; yet there are opportunities to support LVM through planning tools such as improvement districts. They present lessons for exploring the links between the public and private sectors in reinforcing the social, economic and political benefit of marketplaces in the city.
A Systematic Framework for State of Charge, State of Health and State of Power Co-Estimation of Lithium-Ion Battery in Electric Vehicles
Authors: Zhang Tao , Guo Ningyuan , Sun Xiaoxia , Fan Jie , Yang Naifeng , Song Junjie , Zou Yuan
Published: May 2021

Due to its advantages of high voltage level, high specific energy, low self-discharging rate and relatively longer cycling life, the lithium-ion battery has been widely used in electric vehicles. To ensure safety and reduce degradation during the lithium-ion battery’s service life, precise estimation of its states like state of charge (SOC), capacity and peak power is indispensable. This paper proposes a systematic co-estimation framework for the lithium-ion battery in electric vehicle applications. First, a linearized equivalent circuit-based battery model, together with an affine projection algorithm is used to estimate the model parameters. Then the state of health (SOH) estimator is triggered weekly or semi-monthly offline to update capacity based on the three-dimensional response surface open circuit voltage model and particle swarm optimization algorithm for accurate online SOC and state of power (SOP) estimation. At last, the Unscented Kalman Filter utilizes the estimated model parameters and updated capacity to estimate SOC online and the SOP estimator provides the power limitations considering SOC, current and voltage constraints, taking advantage of the information from both SOH and SOC estimators. Experiments show that the relative error of the SOH estimator is under 1% in all aging states whatever the loading profile is. The mean absolute SOC estimation error is under 1.6% even when the battery undergoes 744 aging cycles. The SOP estimator is validated by means of the calibrated battery model based on the HPPC test and its performance is ideal.
A Comparison of Carbon Dioxide Emissions between Battery Electric Buses and Conventional Diesel Buses
Authors: Mao Feng , Li Zhiheng , Zhang Kai
Published: May 2021

To prove the important role of battery electric buses (BEBs) in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, we propose a framework to compare CO2 emissions between BEBs and conventional diesel buses (CDBs) based on low sampling frequency BEBs data at the city scale in Shenzhen. We applied the VT-Micro model to improve the estimation of CDBs’ CO2 emissions. A modal-activity-based method was implemented to reconstruct the second-by-second trajectories from the dataset as the input of the VT-Micro model. We updated the data of the Guangdong power generation mix to improve the estimation of BEBs’ CO2 emissions. The experiments showed that BEBs could reduce CO2 emissions by 18.0–23.9% in comparison with CDBs when the frequency of air-conditioning usage was low. In addition, BEBs tended to achieve more CO2 emission reduction benefits when the transit buses traveled at a low speed. Improving the traffic efficiency of road networks and promoting inter-provincial electricity trading are important to promote the adoption of BEBs.
The Brand Sustainability Obstacle: Viewpoint Incompatibility and Consumer Boycott
Authors: Wang Chih-Chien , Chang Shu-Chen , Chen Pei-Ying
Published: May 2021

Brand equity is critical for brand sustainability. Companies participate in social issues to maintain brand equity by making the brand easily recognizable, superior in quality, and favored and affirmed by consumers. However, the ideological incompatibility between a brand and consumers may induce the consumers to adopt boycott action, which is an obstacle to brand sustainability. Before adopting boycott action, consumers consider the opinions of themselves and those of others. The opinion incompatibility between consumers is an influential factor for the consumers’ boycott intention, while individuals’ Attention to Social Comparison Information (ATSCI) is a moderate factor. This article conducted three studies that explored the influence of ideological incompatibility and ATSCI on boycott intention. Study 1 and Study 2 conducted an online and an offline experimental design to investigate the consumers’ boycott intention when a brand holds a different view from consumers on a debatable issue—same-sex marriage. Study 3 focused on the influence of ideological incompatibility between consumers and their relatives and friends regarding boycott intention. Individuals’ ATSCI is considered as a moderate factor. Based on these three empirical studies, we conclude that when a brand takes a stand on a debatable issue, it may be taking risks for brand sustainability since some consumers might boycott it because of ideological incompatibility. High ATSCI individuals may choose to follow the opinions of others and change their boycott intention.
Effects of Fire on the Organic and Chemical Properties of Soil in a Pinus halepensis Mill. Forest in Rocallaura, NE Spain
Authors: Xifré-Salvadó Miquel Àngel , Prat-Guitart Núria , Francos Marcos , Úbeda Xavier , Castellnou Marc
Published: May 2021

The present study was conducted following a fire that took place in Rocallaura (NE Iberian Peninsula) in 23 June 2016 with the aim of analyzing the chemical properties of soil in burnt and unburnt areas in order to determine the short-term effects of fire on an ecosystem dominated by Pinus halepensis Mill. Transects were laid out in a control area and an adjacent burnt area. Laboratory analyses were performed to determine the chemical properties of the organic and mineral soil layers at 5 cm and 10 cm (total carbon, total nitrogen, organic and inorganic carbon, carbonates, pH, electrical conductivity, and major cations). The results show partial combustion of the organic substrate, with a significant increase in TC, OC, TN, EC and K+, and a slight decrease in pH in the post-fire area compared to the control area, demonstrating that the fire was of low intensity and did not generate significant short-term negative impacts on the soil. Soils of this type, with high organic matter content, tend to maintain their structure after a low-intensity fire and retain the nutrients necessary for ecosystem recovery and resilience.
Enabling Factors for Better Multiplier Effects of the LEADER Programme: Lessons from Romania
Authors: Olar Alexandru , Jitea Mugurel I.
Published: May 2021

LEADER is an EU development method that aims to stimulate local actors to cooperate and co-produce ideas and projects that otherwise would not be possible. Therefore, the Local Action Groups (LAGs) should not only focus on implementing the Local Development Strategies but also to actively contribute to the development of their territory. The aim of the present paper is to underline the most important tangible indirect multiplier effects produced by the LAGs in Romania in the 2014–2020 Programming Period and to identify the enabling characteristics and conditions for maximizing such effects in future LEADER actions. The study was conducted using the structured interview as a primary method for collecting data. The results were analyzed using the Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis. The most important multiplier effects were the amount of non-LEADER grants that LAGs managed to attract and the innovation level of the projects supported from LEADER funding. The results show that the performance of LAGs is linked to the size of their team, their experience, and the involvement of their partners. However, not all LAGs managed to generate significant multiplier effects, suggesting that they still lack the experience necessary to successfully implement the method in their territories.
Examining the Impact of E-Commerce Growth on the Spatial Distribution of Fashion and Beauty Stores in Seoul
Authors: Park Sohyun , Lee Keumsook
Published: May 2021

E-commerce has dramatically expanded its sales, with people being increasingly customed to online shopping. This study aimed to examine changes in the distribution of retail stores that provide fashion and beauty products and services in terms of the number of online shopping transactions and their spatial characteristics in Seoul. For this purpose, we analyzed location data concerning relevant newly opened and closed offline stores from four subgroups between 2015 and 2019. Though more offline stores were newly opened than closed in that period, the number of stores had overall significantly decreased apart from stores providing beauty services, with significant differences in subgroup spatial distribution patterns. We identified local geographic factors affecting retail stores by applying spatial regression models, and we found that the growth of e-commerce was associated with the related to the survival and closure of fashion and beauty stores. While retail store locations are not immediately responsive to changes due to COVID-19, we expect the prolonged COVID-19 outbreak will further facilitate the spatial transformation that has been stimulated by rise of online retailing. Our findings provide important basic data for establishing location plans and management strategies for future fashion and beauty stores, as well as timely evidence-based data to help direct subsequent academic research.