bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy Potential of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) Fiber from Subsequent Cultivation of Volvariella volvacea (Bull.) Singer
Authors: Umor Noor Azrimi , Abdullah Sumaiyah , Mohamad Azhar , Ismail Shahrul Bin , Ismail Siti Izera , Misran Azizah
Published: December 2021

EFB and EFB-based mushroom compost (SMC) from Volvariella volvacea cultivation is a promising energy feedstock because it has adequate nutrient quality. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) and calorific value (CV) of this biomass are investigated. Other analyses such as proximate, compositional, and final analysis; thermogravimetric analysis (TGA); and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) are also performed. The biomass samples consist of two types of EFB, namely fibers (F) and pellets (P) and SMC from the subsequent cultivation of Volvariella volvacea, with samples FS and PS from the first cultivation and FS2 and PS2 from the second cultivation. P produces the highest biological efficiency (BE) of 28% compared to 9.83% for F. Subsequent cultivation with FS and PS then produces only 2.9 and 6.83% of BE. A higher amount of methane is measured in samples P and PS2, while better biodegradability is observed in PS2 and FS2, suggesting that subsequent cultivation is a good pretreatment of the substrate for anaerobic digestion (AD). CV is highest in F (20.57 MJ/kg), followed by P (19.06 MJ/kg), which is comparable to commercial wood pellet. Samples F, FS, and FS2 have higher ash content, which is due to higher mineral content. The cellulose composition is reduced to almost 50% during cultivation due to fungal metabolism, which is also evidenced by FTIR analysis. TGA analysis revealed that EFB-based SMC exhibits higher weight loss during combustion compared to EFB, which reduces its thermal properties. SMC of EFB is a high potential biomethane feedstock, but not recommended as a fuel pellet.
Assessment of the Impact of COVID-19 on Operations of Local Businesses and Level of Enforcement of Public Health Safety Measure within Business Premises: A Quantitative Study of Businesses in Huye-Rwanda
Authors: Twahirwa Evariste , Mtonga Kambombo , Jayavel Kayalvizhi , Kasakula Willie , Bamurigire Peace
Published: December 2021

The impact of COVID-19 has been felt across all sectors, from transportation, education, and public works to the daily operations of businesses like selling, retailing, and so forth. The business sector is among those badly affected, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises. The understanding of ground prevailing conditions is key in driving informed policies that would have meaningful impact on society with regard to overcoming the effects of the virus. Hence, this work is an attempt to report the real ground statistics and necessity of technological support with the goal of submitting a report of recommended policies to the concerned authorities. In this direction, this work presents the outcome of a survey conducted to assess the impact of COVID-19 on operations of micro, small, and medium enterprises and also to find out the interventions put in place around business environments so as to enforce adherence to COVID-19 health safety measures. The survey was part of a study to develop automated IoT-powered technological solutions that would help to enforce proper mask wearing in indoor environments and also observance of social distance requirements within business premises. A customized questionnaire was designed to capture data on various aspects central to the focus of the study. The study was carried out in the month of May 2021, in the Huye district of Rwanda. According to the survey findings, the major challenges faced by businesses due to COVID-19 include failure by clients to settle bills, reduced ability to expand investment, difficulty in accessing inputs domestically, lower domestic sales to consumers, and lower domestic sales to businesses. The results also reveal some positive points that most businesses were found to have: hand washing points, hand sanitizer dispensers, and mechanisms to enforce social distance between customer and customer and also customer and front desk worker. In a nutshell, this work is unique in terms of (1) the customized questionnaire about Rwanda’s needs, (2) field visit-based data collection for accurate data, and (3) including an assessment of the importance of technological intervention for better handling of public safety, especially in the MSME business sector.
Using Social Media Listening in Crisis Communication and Management: New Methods and Practices for Looking into Crises
Authors: Buzoianu Corina , Bîră Monica
Published: December 2021

The paper aims to explore new methods and practices for looking into crises in online environments by using social media listening tools and methods. Based on the case of two privately owned hospitals in Romania facing boycotts due to their response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we study the social media conversations on the topic, the emerging themes, the visibility triggered and the impact on the brand and actors involved. Drawing on a social media listening and crisis communication framework, our research looks to unveil the relationship between stakeholders’ expectations and brand promise, aiming to foresee predictive crisis communication and management models.
Public Works Heritage 3D Model Digitisation, Optimisation and Dissemination with Free and Open-Source Software and Platforms and Low-Cost Tools
Authors: Peinado-Santana Sara , Hernández-Lamas Patricia , Bernabéu-Larena Jorge , Cabau-Anchuelo Beatriz , Martín-Caro José Antonio
Published: December 2021

This paper describes an innovative, accessible, and sustainable method for enhancing cultural heritage. Documenting and disseminating the public works heritage have now come of age, digitally speaking, with the adoption of new technologies both to further research on and heighten the esteem attributed to the public works heritage. Nonetheless, academic discourse rarely describes procedures for the 3D digitisation of heritage works comprehensible to non-expert readers with limited resources. Taking that premise as a starting point, with special attention to the determinants of the public works heritage, this article aims to define the general, open-source methodology covering 3D model data capture, information processing and optimisation. The article also discusses model dissemination strategies using free platforms and low-cost tools. The general discussion is illustrated with the case study of Ariza Bridge in Spain. This Renaissance-style structure dates from the second half of the sixteenth century. Despite its listing as a cultural heritage asset, the monument was flooded by the Giribaile reservoir waters in 1998 and is now only wholly visible during droughts. The application, developed with open-source software and implemented with free platforms and low-cost tools, features geo-referencing and is designed to be accessible to non-expert users. The methodology proposed is intended as a suitable instrument for the sustainable study, valorisation and dissemination of the built heritage.
The Interplay among Organisational Learning Culture, Agility, Growth, and Big Data Capabilities
Authors: Cetindamar Dilek , Katic Mile , Burdon Steve , Gunsel Ayse
Published: December 2021

This paper examines how an organisational learning culture impacts organisational agility by developing a model based on dynamic capabilities. The model treats agility as a dynamic capability and explains how an organisational learning culture (OLC) triggers a chain reaction through its influence on organisational agility (OA) that ultimately results in company growth. This paper also investigates the role of big data capabilities in transferring learning outcomes into dynamic capabilities. The model is tested through data collected from a survey of 138 Australian companies. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is adopted to empirically demonstrate how agility fully mediates the impact of the learning culture on growth. In addition, this paper further sheds light on the moderating role of big data competencies on the effects of OLC on OA. After presenting the results with implications to theory and practice, the paper ends with suggestions for future studies.
Demand Forecasting of E-Commerce Enterprises Based on Horizontal Federated Learning from the Perspective of Sustainable Development
Authors: Li Juntao , Cui Tianxu , Yang Kaiwen , Yuan Ruiping , He Liyan , Li Mengtao
Published: December 2021

Public health emergencies have brought great challenges to the stability of the e-commerce supply chain. Demand forecasting is a key driver for the sound development of e-commerce enterprises. To prevent the potential privacy leakage of e-commerce enterprises in the process of demand forecasting using multi-party data, and to improve the accuracy of demand forecasting models, we propose an e-commerce enterprise demand forecasting method based on Horizontal Federated Learning and ConvLSTM, from the perspective of sustainable development. First, in view of the shortcomings of traditional RNN and LSTM demand forecasting models, which cannot handle multi-dimensional time-series problems, we propose a demand forecasting model based on ConvLSTM. Secondly, to address the problem that data cannot be directly shared and exchanged between e-commerce enterprises of the same type, the goal of demand information sharing modeling is realized indirectly through Horizontal Federated Learning. Experimental results on a large number of real data sets show that, compared with benchmark experiments, our proposed method can improve the accuracy of e-commerce enterprise demand forecasting models while avoiding privacy data leakage, and the bullwhip effect value is closer to 1. Therefore, we effectively alleviate the bullwhip effect of the entire supply chain system in demand forecasting, and promote the sustainable development of e-commerce companies.
Local Productive Systems’ Transitions to Industry 4.0+
Authors: Bellandi Marco , De Propris Lisa
Published: December 2021

The paper is positioned in the emerging debate on the technological change brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, often referred to as Industry 4.0. Our analysis is at the local, sub-national level. The aim is to explore what drivers and barriers local productive systems might face when seeking to embark on transitions that reconcile smart, equitable, and sustainable priorities, under enhanced models called Industry 4.0+. The novelty of the paper is to develop such models by designing a conceptual framework that juxtaposes the drivers and the barriers of sustainability transitions with local productive systems. This novel framework suggests possible pathways that local productive systems can initiate to achieve more equitable and green outcomes for their economy and society by directing the development of digital-related solutions.
Integrated Optimization of Line Planning, Timetabling and Rolling Stock Allocation for Urban Railway Lines
Authors: Zhou Wenliang , Oldache Mehdi
Published: December 2021

In order to improve train operation planning from the two perspectives of enterprise operating costs and passengers’ travel time, this paper proposes an integrated optimization model of three sub-problems, namely line planning, timetabling and rolling stock allocation for urban railway transit lines based on passengers’ travelling demands and the constraints of the urban rail line. The model features dwelling time at stations, turnaround operations at terminal stations, entering/exiting depot operations and an assignment for passengers’ travelling flow. We propose a solution method based on a metaheuristic method that simulates annealing to generate an optimal solution for the overall problem using MATLAB. Finally, we use the example of Xi’an metro line one to demonstrate the performance of the model.
Typology, Structural Characterization and Sustainability of Integrated Broiler Farming System in Epirus, Greece
Authors: Dotas Vassilios , Gourdouvelis Dimitrios , Hatzizisis Lampros , Kaimakamis Ioannis , Mitsopoulos Ioannis , Symeon George
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study was the detailed characterization of the existing zootechnical and financial management applied in broiler poultry farms in the Region of Epirus, Greece. The current situation was captured through the formation of a typology on the structural characterization of broiler farming system. The variables were recorded based on data from a stratified random sample according to Neyman’s methodology of 110 poultry farms. In the typology, hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to identify differences between farms and to support most of this differentiation. Chebyshev distance was used to maximize the effect of the cluster elements distance, as well as Ward’s clustering method, which aims to achieve greater homogeneity within the clusters. Bonferroni multiple comparison tests were used to evaluate the differences. Four clusters of different farm types were identified from the hierarchical cluster analysis. In conclusion, the production system of broiler farms in Epirus is intensive, especially in large farms that have made significant investments in fixed capital and implement successful management. However, the poultry sector in Epirus has further margin for improvement in both its productivity and profitability.
Enclave-Reinforced Inequality during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from University Campus Lockdowns in Wuhan, China
Authors: Sun Cheng , Xiong Yaxuan , Wu Zhiqin , Li Jie
Published: December 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted urban life and created spatial and social inequalities in cities. The impacts of lifting full lockdown restrictions once fast-spreading and community-acquired infection waves were under control are still not fully understood. This study aims to explore spatial inequality reinforced in the intervals between the waves of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enclave-reinforced inequality resulting from enclave-based lockdown policies in Chinese cities was investigated through an analysis of the impacts of university campus enclave closures on the accessibility and crowdedness of urban green spaces. Using a modified two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) and inversed 2SFCA (i2SFCA) method, accessibility and crowdedness were calculated and compared under two different scenarios. Additionally, the Lorenz curve, Gini coefficient, and Theil index were used to measure and compare intra-city global and local inequalities under each scenario. The results indicate that the lockdown of university campus enclaves decreased the supply of urban green spaces. Campus closures not only exacerbated the unequal distribution of urban green space, but also reduced the inequality of crowdedness in urban parks due to increased crowdedness in parks near the closed enclaves. Moreover, both accessibility and crowdedness worsened when the calculations were weighted for population size and the total supply of green space. Enclave-based lockdown in cities reinforced spatial inequality, and it is highly complex and has multidimensional impacts on urban inequalities and environmental injustice which should be considered by urban planners and decision-makers hoping to create healthy, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities in the “new normal” of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Networked Compact City Policy Status and Issues—Hierarchy and Human Mobility in Tokyo, Japan
Authors: Murooka Taichi , Shimizu Hiroki , Taniguchi Mamoru
Published: December 2021

As a policy to promote compact cities, Japan formulated the Location Normalization Plan (LNP) in 2014. By this plan, each municipality is promoting the establishment of Urban Function Induction-encouraged Areas (UFIA) in which life service facilities are to be provided. The role of the UFIA in the region might differ depending on the city scale and the UFIA hierarchy. For this study, using the Tokyo Person Trip survey, we specifically examined the mobility of people and clarified differences in the hierarchical nature of UFIA to ascertain the current status and issues of UFIA. Consequently, we obtained the following information for the realization of compactness. (1) The actual conditions of traffic characteristics and facilities differ depending on the UFIA hierarchy. Moreover, considering these hierarchies during the study of UFIA is important. (2) Sub-core UFIA in cities with a large population have a narrow usage area and a high ratio of traffic-sharing between walking and bicycling, which might engender the construction of compact living areas. (3) However, sub-core UFIA in cities with a small population have a high ratio of traffic-sharing of automobiles and a wide usage area, which presents challenges for compact city realization.
The Influence of Passengers’ Perceived Social Responsibility Efforts on Their Satisfaction in Public-Private-Partnership Urban Rail Transit Projects
Authors: Cui Caiyun , Liu Meng , Liu Yong , Xia Bo , Skitmore Martin , Han Guobo
Published: December 2021

With the rapid development of public-private-partnership (PPP) urban rail transit (URT) projects in China, their social responsibility (SR) is considered to provide a useful way of guaranteeing passengers’ rights and to help urban sustainable development. However, what remains largely unknown is how passengers’ perceptions of the SR effort of such projects’ influences their satisfaction. To bridge this knowledge gap, the current study first proposes a conceptual model based on social responsibility and satisfaction theories. Hypotheses are then tested through bootstrapping analysis based on data drawn from a questionnaire survey of 436 residents from three typical PPP URT projects. The results show that the relationship between the passengers’ perceived SR effort and their satisfaction with PPP URT projects is sequentially and doubly mediated by perceived quality and perceived value. The findings contribute to the current body of knowledge in social responsibility and user satisfaction by introducing passenger-perceived SR effort as an antecedent factor, and offer valuable practical and managerial implications for the projects’ operation management to help promote urban sustainability.
(Re)layout as a Strategy for Implementing Cleaner Production: Proposal for a Furniture Industry Company
Authors: Lins Patrícia Soares , Kiperstok Asher , Cunha Rita Dione Araujo , Rapôso Áurea Luiza Quixabeira Rosa e Silva , Merino Eugenio Andrés Díaz , César Sandro Fábio
Published: December 2021

This article includes the proposal of a (re)layout project as a strategy to implement Cleaner Production (CP) practices, with a furniture manufacturing company in the Brazilian municipality of Palhoça (Santa Catarina, Brazil) as a case study. This work is characterized as applied research, using a multi-methodological approach, being subdivided into two different steps: literature review and case study. The (re)layout project led to an increase of the administrative area by 25.18%, having had a positive impact on the management areas, aiming towards the integration of Environmental Management, ecodesign, Production Planning and Control sectors. The project led to a decrease of the total stock area of raw materials/storage by 70.01 m2, representing a reduction of 25.59% when compared to the previous area. The project resulted in an increase of the plant production capacity, increasing the production area by 33.33%, thus optimizing areas and sectors, combining those which are inter-related. The byproducts also stood out in the layout mapping, with the areas allocated to byproducts being reduced by 51.69%. Therefore, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were fulfilled. The removal of physical waste and production losses can be achieved from a (re)layout project integrated with CP by optimizing, areas, sectors, flows and processes.
Satellite-Based Water and Energy Balance Model for the Arid Region to Determine Evapotranspiration: Development and Application
Authors: Ali Ahsan , Al-Mulla Yaseen A. , Charabi Yassine , Al-Rawas Ghazi , Al-Wardy Malik
Published: December 2021

Actual evapotranspiration (ETa) plays an important role in irrigation planning and supervision. Traditionally, the estimation of ETa was approximated using different in situ techniques, having high initial and maintenance costs with low spatial resolution. In this context, satellite imagery models play an effective role in water management practices by estimating ETa in small and large-scale areas. All existing models have been widely used for the estimation of ETa around the globe, but there is no definite conclusion on which approach is best for the hot and hyper-arid region of Oman. Our study introduces an innovative approach that uses in situ, meteorological, and satellite imagery (Landsat-OLI/TIRS) datasets to estimate ETa. The satellite-based water and energy balance model for the arid region to determine evapotranspiration (SMARET) was developed under the hot and hyper-arid region conditions of Oman by incorporating soil temperature in the sensible heat flux. The performance of SMARET ran through accuracy assessment against in situ measurements via sap flow sensors and lysimeters. The SMARET was also evaluated against three existing models, including the surface energy balance algorithm for land (SEBAL), mapping evapotranspiration at high-resolution with internalized calibration (METRIC), and the Penman–Monteith (PM) model. The study resulted in a significant correlation between SMARET (R2 = 0.73), as well as the PM model (R2 = 0.72), and the ETa values calculated from Lysimeter. The SMARET model also showed a significant correlation (R2 = 0.66) with the ETa values recorded using the sap flow meter. The strong relationship between SMARET, sap flow measurement, and lysimeter observation suggests that SMARET has application capability in hot and hyper-arid regions.
Legacy Systems Modernisation for Citizen-Centric Digital Government: A Conceptual Model
Authors: Abu Bakar Humairath , Razali Rozilawati , Jambari Dian Indrayani
Published: December 2021

Information technology and communication (ICT) plays an important role as a catalyst for organisational development and innovation. However, old information systems that are known as legacy systems often expose organisations to the risk of business failure. These systems are not only impeding the advancement in technology strategy but also hindering the organisations’ business competitiveness. Nevertheless, legacy systems are essential in supporting critical functions in organisations including the public sector and could not be scrapped easily. These systems need to be given a new strength through modernisation to continue providing the best service in line with global trends. Modernisation is a complex task that involves several related aspects. In the context of the public sector, legacy systems involve a complicated information relationship, environment, and culture, while ensuring the citizens are of high priority. The implementation of a digital government represents the transformation of the public service delivery to the citizens that emphasises a citizen-centric design. This study, therefore, aims to address this concern by reviewing the factors involved and suggesting a guideline in the form of a conceptual model to assist in the modernisation of legacy systems for a citizen-centric digital government. Data from the theoretical study were analysed using content analysis. The results show that the legacy systems’ modernisation comprised four main aspects, namely human, process, product, and organisation aspects, with related factors and elements. This model contributes as a reference for the public sector and provides overall guidance in performing legacy systems modernisation.
Principles of Sustainable Economic Growth and Development: A Call to Action in a Post-COVID-19 World
Authors: Espinosa Victor I. , Alonso Neira Miguel A. , Huerta de Soto Jesús
Published: December 2021

The analysis of sustainable economic growth and development often focuses on how to control the market process through coercive state intervention. While state interventionism may play a significant role in countries’ progress, entrepreneurship is the driving force behind sustainable growth and development. Entrepreneurship is the people’s judgment on ideas, plans, and projects, which promises profit in uncertain times. Its effects are the creation and transmission of information and social coordination as a dynamic process of identifying and solving human problems. Sustainable development is the widening range of entrepreneurial alternatives open to people, and sustainable growth is a phase of sustainable development that depends on genuine savings to finance increasingly capital-intensive production structures. The degree to which people are entrepreneurs and the direction genuine savings take depend on institutional arrangements. Some institutions are more conducive to sustainable growth and development than others. After reviewing principles of growth and development sustainability, how coercive state intervention influences economic performance is discussed, proposing novel policy conclusions and research avenues to cultivate entrepreneurship and genuine savings in a post-COVID-19 world.
Toward an Organizational Theory of Resilience: An Interim Struggle
Authors: Kantabutra Sooksan , Ketprapakorn Nuttasorn
Published: December 2021

While organizational resilience is widely considered as critical to sustainability, gaps in both the scholarly and professional literature exist. First, stronger conceptualization of the term is needed. Second, little is known about how organizational resilience can be continuously accomplished via daily practices and processes. Finally, the ongoing organization theory development does not sufficiently address these gaps. Contributing to the literature by filling in these fundamental gaps, the present study integrates the disconnectedly growing literature into an organizational theory of resilience. Based on the General Systems Theory, the resulting theory comprises inputs of human resources, socio-cultural values, institutional settings, and social and environmental issues, enabling organizational structure, value and belief subsystem, resilience mindset, sustainability practices, adaptive and buffering capacities, and sustainability performance as the output. Their dynamic relationships are discussed and expressed via a model and propositions, followed by implications for researchers and practitioners.
Long-Term Power Outage and Preparedness of the Population of a Region in the Czech Republic—A Case Study
Authors: Kavan Štěpán , Dvořáčková Olga , Pokorný Jiří , Brumarová Lenka
Published: December 2021

The power outages that have occurred in recent years around the world point to widespread problems with consequences for the lives and health of the population, but also material damage. This is a case study that focuses on the evaluation of the preparedness of the population of a selected region in the Czech Republic for a long-term power outage. This article deals with a case study that focuses on the evaluation of the preparedness of the population of the Karlovy Vary region in the field of emergency survival. Part of the study is the evaluation of the respondents’ answers, which provides an overview of the actual state of preparedness for power outages on a sample group of respondents in the Karlovy Vary region. The research method used was a survey using questionnaires. The obtained information was subsequently statistically evaluated by nonparametric correlation using Kendall’s taub. From the presented results of the survey, it is clear that the inhabitants of smaller municipalities are better prepared for a power outage and can create basic conditions for emergency survival.
Assessment of the Greek National Plan of Energy and Climate Change—Critical Remarks
Authors: Zervas Efthimios , Vatikiotis Leonidas , Gareiou Zoe , Manika Stella , Herrero-Martin Ruth
Published: December 2021

The Greek National Energy and Climate Plan was validated by the Greek Governmental Committee of Economic Policy on 23 December 2019. The decisions included in this plan will have a significant impact on the Greek energy mix as the production of electricity from lignite combustion ceases in 2028, when lignite will be replaced by natural gas (NG) and renewable energy sources (RES). This work presents an assessment of the Greek National Energy and Climate Plan by analyzing its pros and cons. The main critiques made are focused on the absence of risk analysis and alternative scenarios, the proposed energy mix, the absence of other alternatives on the energy mix and energy storage, the low attention given to energy savings (transport, buildings), the future energy prices, and the economic and social impacts. This analysis shows that delaying this transition for some years, to better prepare it by taking into consideration the most sustainable paths for that transition, such as using more alternatives, is the best available option today.
Effects of Experimental Warming and Canada Goldenrod Invasion on the Diversity and Function of the Soil Nematode Community
Authors: Li Guanlin , Wang Jingquan , Zhang Jiaqi , Li Yingnan , Liu Enxi , Yu Yuechen , Iqbal Babar , Dai Zhicong , Jia Hui , Li Jian , Du Daolin
Published: December 2021

Both global warming and alien plant invasion can affect the biotic communities in the soil. Most studies are focused on the soil microbial community, but little is known about how global warming, along with alien plant invasion, affects the diversity and function of the soil nematode community. In this study, the individual and interactive effects of experimental warming and Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.) invasion on soil nematode communities were measured. Experimental air warming, in combination with different levels of S. canadensis invasion, were applied. The results showed that S. canadensis invasion significantly increased chao1, maturity, and structure indexes of the nematode community by 31.44%, 25.57%, and 329.3%, respectively, and decreased the basal index by 48.70% (all p < 0.05). Only the Simpson index was affected by the interaction between warming and S. canadensis invasion. Warming enhanced the S. canadensis invasion effect on the soil nematode community. The changes in nematode community were correlated with shifts in nutrient availability and resource stoichiometry, as well as microbes in the soil. These findings demonstrated that global warming and S. canadensis invasion may, directly and indirectly, alter the soil nematode community, which may considerably affect the functioning of underground food webs.
What Drives Rural Consumers to Change E-Commerce Attitude and Adopt E-Commerce through the Moderating Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in an Emerging Market? An Empirical Investigation in the Chinese Context
Authors: Wang Mengmeng , Yang Wenjie
Published: December 2021

The present study aims to introduce a comprehensive framework that may help to better understand how to make rural consumers hold a favorable attitude and enhance their willingness to adopt e-commerce. To empirically assess the hypotheses posited in this paper, we started by conducting a qualitative interview-based study of 104 rural consumers. This analysis elucidates new problems or challenges faced by rural consumers in impoverished areas after several years of experience in e-commerce. To further understand the service quality and cultural context effects, we conducted a quantitative study in 434 rural consumers in relatively underdeveloped areas of China. Using a partial least squares of structural equation modeling (SEM) approach through smart PLS, this study empirically tested the hypotheses posited in the paper. The SEM results demonstrate a positive relationship between logistics and training service quality, subjective norms, self-efficiency sense, and rural consumers’ attitudes toward e-commerce platforms, which in turn positively contributes to their willingness to engage in word-of-mouth e-commerce promotion. In addition, it is shown empirically that corporate social responsibility positively moderates the effects of logistics and training services, subjective norms, and attitudes toward the use of e-commerce platforms. The findings from these two studies contribute to a better understanding of, and have major implications for, successful e-commerce entrepreneurial practices in areas undergoing the process of transition to an important emerging e-commerce marketplace.
Places of Phygital Shopping Experiences? The New Supply Frontier of Business Improvement Districts in the Digital Age
Authors: Silva Diogo , Cachinho Herculano
Published: December 2021

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) have flourished as local governance structures to foster the vitality and viability of traditional shopping districts that have struggled to adapt to retail changes. This paper examines the evolution of placemaking activities that former UK government-funded pilot BIDs have delivered over the last 15 years. Drawing on an exploratory sequential research design that combines a qualitative and quantitative thematic analysis of 72 BIDs’ business plans, the findings suggest that UK BIDs have described a non-hierarchical operational framework as services providers considering that: (i) elementary placemaking services, such as ‘clean, green and safe’, have regained thematic relevance due to recent environmental sustainability concerns; (ii) higher-tier lobbying and advocacy services have been an operational priority since BIDs’ inception; (iii) while consumer and place marketing/branding services have seen continual thematic reductions, digital presence and marketing services have emerged as a new category of operational activities. These results extend place management and BID-related literature by discussing the growing role that digital marketing services may perform in the management of town centers and high streets and are relevant to practitioners as it discusses how place management organizations should reposition their operational strategies towards the creation of places of phygital shopping experiences.
User Behavioral Intentions toward a Scooter-Sharing Service: An Empirical Study
Authors: Huang Fei-Hui
Published: December 2021

This paper proposes an innovative shared scooter service whereby scooter owners can authorize the rental of their scooters to others through a mobile service platform. It constitutes a public short-distance mobility service for travelers and increases the efficient utilization of each private scooter. The study examines the adoption of scooter-sharing services by travelers and adapts the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, attitude, and user experience (UX) to investigate the factors that may influence traveler acceptance of scooter-sharing services. The data were collected from Taiwanese travelers who used the shared scooters provided in this study and completed pre- and post-use subjective ratings of the scooter-sharing service (n = 99), analyzed using a hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The results indicate that the model constructs of habit, social influence, and environmental protections may positively affect users’ behavioral intentions toward shared scooters, while performance expectancy and effort expectancy may negatively affect intention to use. Attitudes and UX had no direct effect on intention to use. In light of the findings, recommendations for improving the design of scooter-sharing services, implications for service providers, and a reference basis for the development of future shared micro-mobility services are provided.
Static Load Test and Numerical Analysis of Influencing Factors of the Ultimate Bearing Capacity of PHC Pipe Piles in Multilayer Soil
Authors: Li Xusen , Zhang Jiaqiang , Xu Hao , Shi Zhenwu , Gao Qingfei
Published: December 2021

Prestressed high-strength concrete (PHC) pipe piles have been widely used in engineering fields in recent years; however, the influencing factors of their ultimate bearing capacity (UBC) in multilayer soil need to be further studied. In this paper, a static load test (SLT) and numerical analysis are performed to obtain the load transfer and key UBC factors of pipe piles. The results show that the UBC of the test pile is mainly provided by the pile shaft resistance (PSR), but the pile tip resistance (PTR) cannot be ignored. Many factors can change the UBC of pipe piles, but their effects are different. The UBC of the pipe pile is linearly related to the friction coefficient and the outer-to-inner diameter ratio. Changes in the pile length make the UBC increase sharply. Low temperatures can produce freezing stress at the pile–soil interface. The effect of changing the Young modulus of pile tip soil is relatively small.
Human Wildlife Conflict and Impacts on Livelihood: A Study in Community Forestry System in Mid-Hills of Nepal
Authors: Baral Kedar , Sharma Hari Prasad , Kunwar Ripu , Morley Craig , Aryal Achyut , Rimal Bhagawat , Ji Weihong
Published: December 2021

Human wildlife conflict (HWC) impacts the livelihood of many rural communities worldwide. This study investigated the impact of HWC on people living near community forests (CF) in Nepal. Using databases provided by the Division of Forest Offices and data obtained from surveys between October 2019–March 2020, we quantified the financial loss of HWC to the local people. Between 2015 and 2019, 3315, or 27%, of the livestock owned by the survey respondents were killed by wild predators in the Kaski and Tanahun Districts. Chicken (Gallus spp.) was the most common prey taken (80%), followed by sheep (Ovis spp.) and goats (Capra spp.) (15%), cows (Bos spp.) (2%), pigs (Sus spp.) (2%), and buffalo (Bubalus spp.) (1%). Leopards (Panthera pardus) were the primary predators, followed by golden jackals (Canis aureus), jungle cats (Felis chaus), yellow-throated martens (Martes flavigula), and Himalayan black bears (Ursus thibetanus). The financial loss of livestock during this period was USD $115,656.00, equivalent to USD $142.61 per household. Crops were also damaged and eaten by wildlife, and 2165 crop-raiding events were recorded between 2015 and 2019. Rice (Oryza sativa), followed by maize (Zea mays), millet (Panicum miliaceum), and potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) were the main crops lost. Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were the most common crop raiders, causing 74% of the damage, followed by Indian field mice (Mus booduga) (12%). From 2015 to 2019, crop losses equated to USD $83,424.00. Forest regeneration on abandoned agricultural land expanded wildlife habitats, enabling wild animals to come within reach of human settlements, which increased the likelihood of HWC events. Although the success of the community forest restoration program resulted in increased forest-cover, marginally increasing biodiversity, the reduced distance between human settlements and wildlife habitat, compounded by a lack of natural prey, may have unwittingly exacerbated HWC in this region. We recommend surveying predator and prey populations in the forest habitat, and implementing a habitat management program to improve prey populations within the community forests. Meantime, we propose establishing a financial relief and insurance program for crop and livestock losses at the local community level to alleviate any financial difficulties to the local communities caused by HWC.
Current Readiness Status of Electric Vehicles in Indonesia: Multistakeholder Perceptions
Authors: Maghfiroh Meilinda Fitriani Nur , Pandyaswargo Andante Hadi , Onoda Hiroshi
Published: December 2021

As a net oil importer since 2004, Indonesia’s success in developing fuel economy and infrastructure for electric vehicles would be vital to ensuring energy security and decarbonization from the transport sector. Following the Presidential Regulation on the Acceleration Program for battery-based EV for Road Transportation in 2019, the Indonesian government provides incentives for the domestic production of EVs. However, as EV technology is relatively new for the domestic automotive industry in Indonesia, it needs to go through stages of development to achieve full readiness in society. This study analyses the key stakeholders’ perceptions of EV industries using the Japanese technology readiness assessment (J-TRA) to better understand the current readiness level of EVs in Indonesia. Primary data are collected through interviews with an EV start-up company, experts in the EV field, government officials in charge of the national EV projects, and EV end-users. Extensive literature related to success stories of EV adoption in other countries was conducted as the basis for this study. The results showed that key stakeholders agree that EV technology has reached a high readiness level in technology development. Most of the stakeholders voted that the readiness bottleneck is commercialization, safety, and integration parameters. Furthermore, an elaborate policy recommendation gathered from both literature reviews and interviews with related stakeholders is presented.
Older Male Construction Workers and Sustainability: Work-Related Risk Factors and Health Problems
Authors: Park Hyun-Jin , Jeong Byung-Yong
Published: December 2021

This study aims to analyze the characteristics of working conditions, exposure to risk factors, and health-related problems of older male construction workers. In this study, 1519 male construction workers were the subjects of study, and the working conditions, exposure to occupational risk factors, and physical health-related problems were compared among workers under 50 years, in their 50s, and 60 or over. Older male construction workers have lower educational backgrounds and lower average salaries. The degree of exposure to risk factors was higher in workers aged 60 or over than other age groups, such as high temperature, awkward posture, manual material handling, standing posture, repetitive motion, fumes/dust, vapor, skin contact, and tobacco smoke. In addition, the complaint rate of hearing problems, overall fatigue, backache, upper limb pain, or lower limb pain was higher in older workers. In particular, the complaint rate of musculoskeletal pain was 56.6%, overall fatigue was 40.3%, and the rate of depression symptoms was 41.9%. This study shows a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, overall fatigue, and depression symptoms of male elderly construction workers, suggesting that comprehensive support is needed to improve not only the working conditions of workers but also psychological health problems.
Mapping the Energy Flows and GHG Emissions of a Medium-Size City: The Case of Valladolid (Spain)
Authors: Manzanera-Benito Gaspar , Capellán-Pérez Iñigo
Published: December 2021

Valladolid (Spain) is a medium-size city (~300,000 inhabitants) that established a greenhouse (GHG) emissions reduction target in 2011 of 20% from 2010–2020. However, tracking the evolution of GHG in medium-size cities is challenging due to the general lack of compulsory data collection at this scale and issues with boundaries when attempting alternative estimates. Here, we propose and apply a novel method to estimate the evolution of GHG emissions due to energy consumption for the period of 2010–2019 in Valladolid, combining top-down and bottom-up data following a physical energy flows approach. The energy consumption of the city is estimated by main sectors and types of energies. The results show that, throughout the past decade, both total energy consumption and its sector end-use share did not significantly change: final energy consumption remained at around 24 MWh (86.5 GJ) per capita and was still highly dependent on fossil fuels, especially natural gas and oil products (over 70% of total energy supply). The GHG reduction by 2019 was ~11% with relation to 2010 and, thus, had not reached the set objective; in per capita terms, the GHG reduction was lower (~6%) due to population loss during the period. The trend, however, has not been monotone and has instead followed a U-shape strongly correlated with the economic crisis and subsequent recovery, suggesting that transition policies have had, at most, a modest effect on the overall results. The analysis shows, first of all, the limitations of statistical sources at a local level, both for energy and mobility, which do not allow more accurate results in identifying the main energy consumers to be reached; and, secondly, the need for strong decarbonization measures which have to be set urgently at all the relevant institutional levels. Reaching GHG neutrality in the city by 2050 requires reducing the GHG emissions by ~13%/year, which is ~20 times faster than for the 2010–2019 average of 0.6%/year.
Increases in Household Food Waste in Canada as a Result of COVID-19: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Music Janet , Charlebois Sylvain , Spiteri Louise , Farrell Shannon , Griffin Alysha
Published: December 2021

The era of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a variety of individual lifestyle and behavioural changes, and could, therefore, potentially involve a shift towards more sustainable food systems. This research was conducted through an online survey of cross-sectional design. We surveyed 8272 Canadians in August of 2020. Participants answered questions about socio-demographic food waste amounts in kilograms, and food-waste-management behaviours. In this exploratory study, we assessed the relationships between socio-demographic variables, and self-reported food-waste behaviours through two-tailed significance testing. Results indicated that Canadian households self-reported an insignificant decrease in food waste during the pandemic. Respondents reported allowing food to expire, not utilizing leftovers, and not finishing meals. Understanding food-waste behaviour changes is key to designing effective mitigation strategies to reduce household food waste and to minimize the environmental consequences with which food waste is associated.