bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Opportunities and Challenges for Hurricane Resilience on Agricultural and Forest Land in the U.S. Southeast and Caribbean
Authors: Wiener Sarah S. , Álvarez-Berríos Nora L. , Lindsey Angela B.
Published: February 2020

Three storms in the 2017 hurricane season caused $265 billion in damages in the U.S. Southeast and Caribbean, including billions in losses in the agriculture and forestry sector. Climate change projections indicate that such disastrous hurricane seasons are becoming more normal. Working land management sectors need to prepare for this future. However, few studies evaluate hurricane resilience strategies, or challenges faced by land managers surrounding hurricane events. Boundary organizations are critical to hurricane preparedness and recovery, advising land managers before hurricanes, and often supporting recovery efforts. Here, we rely on public advisors’ experiences to understand how land managers pursue hurricane resilience. Using focus groups and an online survey of three agencies in the Southeast U.S. and U.S. Caribbean (n = 607), we identify challenges faced by land managers before and after hurricanes, and the strategies they implement to minimize damage. We learn that land managers are faced with many diverse and unique challenges related to hurricanes, but that long-term planning for hurricane events is uncommon compared to shorter-term preparedness and recovery activities. Efforts towards hurricane resilience should incorporate local needs, align with other land management goals, and increase overall resilience to climate change and related stressors. The results of this research can guide state/territorial and national-level prioritizations regarding hurricane resilience, as well as identify research needs on hurricane resilience strategies.
Sustainable Orientation of Management Capability and Innovative Performance: The Mediating Effect of Knowledge Management
Authors: Acosta-Prado Julio C. , López-Montoya Oscar H. , Sanchís-Pedregosa Carlos , Vázquez-Martínez Ulpiano J.
Published: February 2020

The literature suggests that innovation allows organizations to reach a desirable level of sustainability. There is evidence to support the role of knowledge management (KM) as well as management capability (MC) in producing a sustainable approach at organizations. Furthermore, organizations commonly achieve sustainable practices through corporate social responsibility (CSR). In particular, the health sector is increasingly implementing CSR strategies, although with a narrow understanding of the factors to success. Hence, trends lead to asymmetric growth between organizations. This study aims to examine the mediating role of KM in the relationship between MC and innovative performance (IP) in 331 Health Provider Institutions (HPIs). The research reflective model was assessed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). According to the results, MC has a positive effect on IP, MC has a positive effect on KM, and KM has a positive effect on IP. Likewise, KM significantly mediates the relationship between MC and IP. Our findings support the importance of KM in addressing MCs in HPIs as it enables innovative practices to address CSR goals to achieve a sustainable impact. Moreover, this study contributes by expanding KM to contexts that are not usually studied, such as health in a South American country.
Climate Change and Vegetation Evolution during the Transition from Marine Isotope Stage 5 to 4 Based on Two Typical Profiles at the Southern Chinese Loess Plateau
Authors: Wu Tieniu , Wu Huaqing , Lin Henry , Yang Tiantian , Wu Xiaoyang , Jie Yi , Tian Pei
Published: February 2020

The geological transitional period from the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 to 4 during the Quaternary period is a multidimensional change involving monsoon and precipitation variation, vegetation dynamics, and environmental evolution. The first loess layer (L1) and the first paleosol layer (S1) in the Chines Loess Plateau provide excellent high-resolution terrestrial sediment record for this transition. In this work, grain size (GS), CaCO3 content, magnetic susceptibility (MS), and pollen composition were measured at intervals of 2-cm in two representative L1/S1 profiles in the southern Chinese Loess Plateau to reconstruct records of climatic and vegetative changes during this transition. Our results showed that, in general, the paleo-vegetation type was forest-steppe, with Pinus being the commonest tree, and Chenopodiaceae and Artemisia being common herbs in the study area. The topography had a significant impact on the distribution of paleo-vegetation. The increase of coarse particles, the decrease of magnetic susceptibility, and the rising percentage of Gramineae, Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae pollen, all indicated that the paleoclimate became cooler and drier over the transitional period. Besides, we identified a cool event at about 76.8 ka B.P. as revealed by grain-size curves, and in response to this event, the vegetation changed significantly but lagged several hundred years behind the grain size record. This study confirmed the cooling and drying tendency during the MIS 5 to 4 transition phase in the southern margin of the Chinese Loess Plateau. These findings shed light on the climatic change on vegetation evolution during the MIS 5 to 4 transition period.
Optimization of Selection of the Machinery Park in Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Cupiał Michał , Kowalczyk Zbigniew
Published: February 2020

A correct selection of the machinery park is vital for correct functioning of a farm. It is significant in sustainable farming where, except for economic factors, application of a suitable technique and technology in order to lead an effective production is crucial. The paper presents a method of designing a set of machines for a farm. The method was implemented in the computer application. A suitably selected, optimised machinery park enables a sustainable agricultural production and achievement of the desired economic, production and environmental effects. The application was practically verified and is used in teaching and farming practice.
Intelligence in Tourist Destinations Management: Improved Attention-based Gated Recurrent Unit Model for Accurate Tourist Flow Forecasting
Authors: Lu Wenxing , Jin Jieyu , Wang Binyou , Li Keqing , Liang Changyong , Dong Junfeng , Zhao Shuping
Published: February 2020

Accurate tourist flow forecasting is an important issue in tourist destinations management. Given the influence of various factors on varying degrees, tourist flow with strong nonlinear characteristics is difficult to forecast accurately. In this study, a deep learning method, namely, Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) is used for the first time for tourist flow forecasting. GRU captures long-term dependencies efficiently. However, GRU’s ability to pay attention to the characteristics of sub-windows within different related factors is insufficient. Therefore, this study proposes an improved attention mechanism with a horizontal weighting method based on related factors importance. This improved attention mechanism is introduced to the encoding–decoding framework and combined with GRU. A competitive random search is also used to generate the optimal parameter combination at the attention layer. In addition, we validate the application of web search index and climate comfort in prediction. This study utilizes the tourist flow of the famous Huangshan Scenic Area in China as the research subject. Experimental results show that compared with other basic models, the proposed Improved Attention-based Gated Recurrent Unit (IA-GRU) model that includes web search index and climate comfort has better prediction abilities that can provide a more reliable basis for tourist destinations management.
Effects of Strategy Characteristics for Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Sharing Economy Businesses on Creating Shared Value and Performance
Authors: Kang Sungmin , Na Youn Kue
Published: February 2020

This study aimed to identify strategy characteristics for sustainable competitive advantage in businesses utilizing the sharing economy (SE) and to investigate whether such strategy characteristics are related to creating shared value (CSV) and performance. A total of 631 participants who had used goods and services of SE businesses were selected as the unit of analysis in reference to the components of business-to-peer (B2P) and peer-to-peer (P2P) SE business models. Reliability, validity, and goodness-of-fit tests and path analysis were performed using SPSS and AMOS statistical packages. The following results were obtained. First, regarding the relationship between strategy characteristics for sustainable competitive advantage and “social congruence,” which is related to creating shared value, this variable was significantly influenced by “value network” in the B2P model and “strategic innovation” and “strategic resources” in the P2P model. Second, regarding relationship with the aforementioned strategy characteristics and “value of information sharing,” the latter variable was significantly influenced by “moment of truth,” “strategic innovation,” and “value network” in the B2P model, and “moment of truth,” “strategic resources,” and “value network” in the P2P model. Third, regarding the relationship among variables related to CSV and their contribution to performance, “social value congruence” was affected by “value of information sharing,” and these variables had significant effects on “value of participation” in both models. Only “value of participation” made a significant contribution to “performance.”
Sustainable Development of Ethno-Villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina—A Multi Criteria Assessment
Authors: Prevolšek Boris , Maksimović Aleksandar , Puška Adis , Pažek Karmen , Žibert Maja , Rozman Črtomir
Published: February 2020

This paper explores ethno-villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina as an important element of rural and cultural tourism. The attractiveness of natural and cultural heritage is very important for sustainable rural tourism development. In order to improve the process of decision making to enable the sustainable development of ethno-villages, a multi-criteria assessment model has been developed. The methodology is based on qualitative modeling using a multi-criteria analysis via the DEXi software. The model is based on hierarchical relations consisting of three main criteria that are the basis of sustainable tourism development: economic, social, and environmental criteria. The ultimate goal of the model in this study was to evaluate ethno-villages, namely six ethno-villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The results of the study show how ethno-villages contribute to sustainable development.
Psychosocial Support and Emergency Education: An Explorative Study of Perceptions among Adult Stakeholders in Sudan and South Sudan
Authors: Heltne Unni Marie , Dybdahl Ragnhild , Elkhalifa Suleima , Breidlid Anders
Published: February 2020

The link between education and psychosocial wellbeing is important, but complex. This study seeks to explore stakeholder’s views on the role of school education in the psychosocial support and wellbeing of children in the context of Sudan and South Sudan. Qualitative interviews were conducted among teachers, parents, counsellors, and NGO staff who were stakeholders in terms of providing education and psychosocial support for refugee children or children living in another kind of emergency situation. Even though no integrated psychosocial support was reported, teachers and schools were seen as having important roles to play, especially in terms of material and practical help, as well as for emotional needs. There was a clear motivation for providing more systematic help and access to methods and tools to serve this purpose. The development of helping strategies targeted for use in schools by teachers, which build on and strengthens existing ideas and practices, were explored. The potential for integrated psychosocial support is discussed based on these findings.
Role of Comparative Advantage in Biofuel Policy Adoption in Latin America
Authors: Acharya Ram N. , Perez-Pena Rafael
Published: February 2020

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate whether renewable energy initiatives recently developed and implemented in Latin American and Caribbean countries are consistent with their national resource endowments, policy goals, and the general postulates of economic theory. Most classical and neoclassical theories suggest that international trade enhances economic efficiency and welfare of both parties involved in the exchange when they focus on producing and distributing products and services in which they have a comparative advantage. To achieve this goal, we analyze ethanol policy drivers using panel data from four major economies—Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. Since there is no universally accepted measure of comparative advantage, three separate models with different indicators—relative feedstock price, comparative export performance, and revealed comparative advantage—along with control variables, including the availability of production resources such as land and farm labor, are estimated. As expected, results show that the comparative advantage in feedstock production was one of the crucial factors in determining biofuel policy development and implementation in the four countries.
How Are Information Technologies Addressing Broiler Welfare? A Systematic Review Based on the Welfare Quality® Assessment
Authors: Vieira Rios Heitor , Waquil Paulo Dabdab , Soster de Carvalho Patrícia , Norton Tomas
Published: February 2020

This systematic review aims to explore how information technologies (ITs) are currently used to monitor the welfare of broiler chickens. The question posed for the review was “which ITs are related to welfare and how do they monitor this for broilers?”. The Welfare Quality® (WQ) protocol for broiler assessment was utilized as a framework to analyse suitable articles. A total of 57 studies were reviewed wherein all principles of broiler welfare were addressed. The “good health” principle was the main criteria found to be addressed by ITs and IT-based studies (45.6% and 46.1%, respectively), whereas the least observed principle was “good feeding” (8.8%). This review also classified ITs and IT-based studies by their utilization (location, production system, variable measured, aspect of production, and experimental/practical use). The results show that the current focus of ITs is on problems with conventional production systems and that less attention has been given to free-range systems, slaughterhouses, and supply chain issues. Given the valuable results evidenced by the exploitation of ITs, their use in broiler production should continue to be encouraged with more attention given to farmer adoption strategies.
The Effects of AfCFTA on Food Security Sustainability: An Analysis of the Cereals Trade in the SADC Region
Authors: Pasara Michael Takudzwa , Diko Nolutho
Published: February 2020

The signing of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has stimulated a lot of trade potential in Africa that could see the continent significantly improving its intra-trade levels, thereby boosting the economic welfare of Africans. In light of food security sustainability in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, this paper employed the World Integrated Trade Solution, Software for Market Analysis and Restrictions on Trade (WITS-SMART) simulation model to assess the potential effects of the AfCFTA on trade in cereals. Cereals have been regarded as the most critical component of food security. The model indicated trading partners for each of the 15 SADC countries, their level of trade creation, trade diversion, consumer surplus, welfare and revenue effects of any regional trade agreement. The results indicated that the AfCFTA will only lead to positive outcomes in four (Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Namibia) of the fifteen SADC countries, with the rest remaining unchanged. In general, previously closed economies, that is, economies which were not part of a free trade agreement (FTA) or a deeper arrangement will stand to gain more than open economies because they are already opened up at the free trade level, which is equivalent to the AfCFTA. Thus, as far as cereals and food security is concerned, the AfCFTA will add minimal value. However, the overall value gains are likely to be greater when all food categories are included in the simulations. In general, the study recommends that African countries should deepen their integration levels to perhaps common markets where production factors, that is, labour and capital, become mobile. This will have multiplier effects in improving continental food security sustainability from a trade perspective.
Five Basic Cornerstones of Sustainability Education in the Arctic
Authors: Määttä Kaarina , Hyvärinen Sanna , Äärelä Tanja , Uusiautti Satu
Published: February 2020

The Arctic region faces many threats but also opportunities due to economic, climate, environmental, cultural, social, professional, educational, and institutional changes, which also necessitate new perspectives on sustainable education. When implementing sustainable education in the Arctic, it is important to increase knowledge and understanding of the special features of Arctic areas—their opportunities and vulnerabilities. In this article, the model of Arctic sustainable education (ASE) has been introduced. It is based on a new kind of lifestyle that illustrates respectful and responsible attitudes toward other people and nature. What are the special features of the teaching and learning of ASE and how to organize it? In this theoretical article, we have discussed the challenges and goals, and possibilities and significance of ASE by leaning on the five cornerstones, concerning learning and teaching of SE in schools and organizations: why, what, how, who, and when. The ASE may provide new ideas to develop sustainable education not just in the Arctic region but also elsewhere as it gets its special opportunities and expectations in a context- and time-bound manner. In conclusion, the role of educational psychology in ASE has been viewed and discussed.
Deep Learning Predictor for Sustainable Precision Agriculture Based on Internet of Things System
Authors: Jin Xue-Bo , Yu Xing-Hong , Wang Xiao-Yi , Bai Yu-Ting , Su Ting-Li , Kong Jian-Lei
Published: February 2020

Based on the collected weather data from the agricultural Internet of Things (IoT) system, changes in the weather can be obtained in advance, which is an effective way to plan and control sustainable agricultural production. However, it is not easy to accurately predict the future trend because the data always contain complex nonlinear relationship with multiple components. To increase the prediction performance of the weather data in the precision agriculture IoT system, this study used a deep learning predictor with sequential two-level decomposition structure, in which the weather data were decomposed into four components serially, then the gated recurrent unit (GRU) networks were trained as the sub-predictors for each component. Finally, the results from GRUs were combined to obtain the medium- and long-term prediction result. The experiments were verified for the proposed model based on weather data from the IoT system in Ningxia, China, for wolfberry planting, in which the prediction results showed that the proposed predictor can obtain the accurate prediction of temperature and humidity and meet the needs of precision agricultural production.
Consumers’ Perception and Willingness to Pay for Eco-Labeled Seafood in Italian Hypermarkets
Authors: Vitale Sergio , Biondo Federica , Giosuè Cristina , Bono Gioacchino , Okpala Charles Odilichukwu R. , Piazza Ignazio , Sprovieri Mario , Pipitone Vito
Published: February 2020

The aim of this paper is to discuss eco-labels for fish products, which are a useful tool to improve both seafood markets and strategies for sustainability management. In this study, 560 consumer-surveys were conducted in selected towns in northern and southern Italy. Both probit and linear regression modeling were used to measure consumers’ perception and willingness to pay for anchovy eco-labels. Italian hypermarket consumers demonstrated attention to environmental features as well as to eco-products, at times, independent of income. The results of this study show that willingness to pay relates to gender, family situation, mass communication, environmental features, angler community, and store, along with information from eco-labels. Specifically, females appeared highly responsive to seafood eco-labels, and their preferences were informed by environmental aspects along with a strong intrinsic motivation to protect marine habitats. According to our analysis, seafood eco-labels could increase the consumers’ willingness to pay between 16%–24% more for the product. Given that consumers’ willingness to pay can reveal a new form of an “ecosystem approach to fishery management”, there is a high chance that premium prices could become a tool for sustainable resource management.
Sustainability Calculator: A Tool to Assess Sustainability in Cosmetic Products
Authors: Bom Sara , Ribeiro Helena Margarida , Marto Joana
Published: February 2020

Assessing sustainability is extremely necessary and appears as an industrial need and requirement in order to facilitate decision making and to evaluate the impacts of existing strategies, products and technologies. Thus, the main goal of this research was to develop a sustainability calculator based on the opinion of experts that work in the different branches of the cosmetic industry, in order to cover the entire life cycle of a cosmetic product. A detailed survey in which all the steps of a cosmetic product life cycle were addressed, was designed and applied to cosmetic professionals. The data obtained with the survey was statistically analysed for the positive and negative impacts of each parameter on sustainability. The analysed data allowed the creation of a Microsoft Excel tool that mirrors the experts’ opinion. A proof of concept was also designed in order to prove the usefulness of the tool. The results show that there are no raw materials and/or packaging materials and practices, that can be considered 100% sustainable. However, with the appropriate strategies, it is possible to drastically decrease the impacts of any type of cosmetic product on sustainability. This is a promising tool that includes the three dimensions of sustainability in a simple, fast, objective and interactive way for the user. Its application will facilitate the work of the formulators and reduce the time of analysis and decision.
Carbon Tariff vs. Emission Cap of North–South Countries in Response to Manufacturer’s Production
Authors: Dai Rui , Zhang Jianxiong , Liu Guowei
Published: February 2020

Economy prosperity has concurrently caused severe emission damages worldwide, which calls for strong abatement efforts from both nations and manufacturers. In this paper, we establish a two-stage game to investigate the policy selections of a foreign developed country (North) and a domestic developing country (South), and the response of a Southern manufacturer. The welfare-maximizing governments in the two countries participate in an announcement game of environmental policies where the South decides on whether or not to enforce an emission cap and the North chooses either a carbon tariff or no policy, after which the profit-seeking manufacturer reacts to make production strategies and distribute differentiated products to the two countries. Our analysis shows that under an emission cap, the manufacturer shrinks product quantities in both markets, cuts emissions, and suffers profit losses. A carbon tariff has similar impacts on the manufacturer except for unaffected domestic sales. In addition, equilibrium policy selections for the two governments depend on the degree of emission damage in the South: A moderate level of damage generates an equilibrium in the scenario of the unilateral tariff policy where the Northern welfare peaks and the Southern well-being is not the worst; a severe damage leads to a prisoner’s dilemma, since the two governments would arrive at an equilibrium in the bilateral-policy scenario, but it is dominated by a no-policy scheme. What is more, we find that a negotiation between the two governments is able to help them out of the dilemma and achieve a Pareto-improving outcome.
A Multidimensional Evaluation of Renewable and Nuclear Energy among Higher Education Students
Authors: Berényi László , Birkner Zoltán , Deutsch Nikolett
Published: February 2020

Renewable and nuclear power technologies are considered alternatives to fossil-based power. However, which of the two is superior remains a matter of contention. Besides technological development, local access to resources, and energy policies, social acceptance is a key issue; informing future decisions on energy sources thus requires a complex approach. Personal attitudes to energy technologies may differ from professional opinions and national policies. The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes and opinions regarding renewable and nuclear power generation technologies by pairwise comparison. This evaluation includes the return on the investment, the availability of said technologies, environmental impact, knowledge/need of use, and expectations for future of energy production. The research sample consists of 250 randomly selected Hungarian higher education students as representatives of future corporate decision-makers. The results show that the respondents demonstrate an appreciation of renewable energy technologies. Solar energy is appreciated, but confidence in nuclear power is low, except for its future role. These opinions are not consistent with the national energy policies or professional evaluations. These differences will allow us to refine communication and education in the field.
The Identification of Values in Business Models of Tourism Enterprises in the Context of the Phenomenon of Overtourism
Authors: Kruczek Zygmunt , Szromek Adam R.
Published: February 2020

This article presents considerations on business models, overtourism, and sustainable development on an example of the most important Polish tourist destination, which is Krakow. The purpose of the article is to identify the values generated and captured by tourist enterprises in the context of the occurrence of a specific level of overtourism. The authors have attempted to identify the values of sustainable tourism declared by entrepreneurs, referring to the companies providing services as well as tourists and the local community. The research, conducted on a sample of 518 respondents including 371 residents and 147 entrepreneurs, not only allowed us to determine the attitudes of Krakow inhabitants toward the phenomenon of overtourism related to the Doxey model of irritation, but also to assess the impact of having/using a business model based on the acceptance of principles in sustainable tourism development. A comparison of the results obtained between enterprises declaring having and not having a business model indicates a great similarity in terms of declared value propositions.
Purification Effect of the Aquaculture Wastewater and Sediment by Microbial Nanospheres with Different Material Ratios and Dosing Methods
Authors: Shao Yalu , Zhong Hua , Wang Liangkai , Elbashier Mohammed M.A.
Published: February 2020

Nanospheres were prepared by different materials of nano-bamboo charcoal powder, zeolite powder, and aquaculture pond sediment in different ratios. It was then fermented with effective microorganisms (EM) active calcium liquid to synthesize the bioactive microbial nanospheres. These nanospheres were used to compare the purification effect of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) pollutants in aquaculture wastewater. The indoor simulation experiment was also conducted to compare the different dosage methods (one-time dosing without aeration, multiple dosing without aeration, and multiple dosing with aeration) of microbial nanospheres on the removal of organic matter (OM) and effect of the biodegradability (G value) in aquaculture sediment. The results obtained indicated that the purification effect was most remarkable when the mass ratio of nano-bamboo charcoal powder: zeolite powder: pond sediment was 10%: 15%: 75%, in which the maximum removal rate of NH4+-N, TN, and TP reached up to 84.86%, 52.15%, and 50.35%, respectively. Under the same microbial nanospheres amount, the effect of one-time addition on the removing of OM in sediment was not as effective as that of multiple dosing. After the 20th day, the removal rate of OM reached 25.99% in multiple dosing treatment and it was 35.58% higher than one-time dosing treatment. The OM content in sediment was reduced by 32.38% under the multiple dosing with aeration treatment. Multiple dosing of microbial nanospheres with aeration increased the G value of sediment about 337.0%. In situ experiment further indicated that the microbial nanospheres dosage with aeration had a good sediment bio-remediation effect, which is applicable to solve the problem of endogenous pollution in aquaculture ponds.
Morphological Intervention in Promoting Higher-Order Reading Abilities among College-Level Second Language Learners
Authors: Zhang Haomin , Zou Weicheng
Published: February 2020

Reading success in a second language (L2) is vital to sustainable language and academic development because reading serves as a tool to absorb and learn new knowledge. Particularly in the context of college English as a foreign language (EFL), students constantly face the challenge to read English material to develop content knowledge. The current study investigated the effect of explicit morphological instruction on L2 students’ higher-order inferencing and comprehension abilities. Sixty-two Chinese collegiate EFL students who were taking an intensive reading course (31 in the treatment class and 31 in the control class) participated in this study. The morphological intervention in the treatment class focused on identifying, decomposing, analyzing, associating, applying word parts in context. The control class received no explicit instruction in morphological awareness. After one semester of instruction, a series of morphology, inferencing and comprehension measures were administered to the participating students. The results showed that the didactic intervention of morphological awareness contributed to morphological knowledge and word-meaning inferencing ability, whereas there was no significant relationship between morphological intervention and text-based inference and comprehension abilities. The findings suggest that the intervention has a direct impact on word learning ability; however, higher-order processing skills may not directly benefit from it in a short period of time. Given that reading comprehension requires fine-tuned understandings of both local meanings and global contextual information, morphological awareness may not have an immediate effect on comprehension. Applied implications are also discussed in relation to effective morphological instruction and reading development in L2 contexts.
Could Smart Tourists Be Sustainable and Responsible as Well? The Contribution of Social Networking Sites to Improving Their Sustainable and Responsible Behavior
Authors: Shen Shiwei , Sotiriadis Marios , Zhou Qing
Published: February 2020

A key strategic aim of tourism destinations within the smart tourism paradigm is to achieve efficient, responsible and sustainable use of tourism resources. This aim can be achieved by promoting the appropriate practices and making tourists co-managers, co-designers and co-creators of tourism experiences. This paper argues that smart tourism destinations should manage their resources in a sustainable way and that smart technologies can make their contribution. Could a smart technology such as social media/social networking sites make a contribution to sustainable tourism within the smart tourism paradigm? To address this research question, a project was carried out to explore the perceptions and attitudes of Chinese tourist consumers about the contribution of social networking sites to adopting a sustainable and responsible behavior within the context of a smart tourism framework. First a research framework encompassing three hypotheses related to the influence of social networking sites at the three main stages of the travel cycle/tourist journey was designed. An exploratory quantitative research was then carried out using the online survey technique. The study’s findings indicate that the use of social networking sites influences the smart tourists at all three stages on adoption of sustainable and responsible behavior, the most significant influence is at the first two stages. The article is completed by discussing the related conclusions and management implications in the smart tourism management framework.
Assessment of Genotypes and Management Strategies to Improve Resilience of Winter Wheat Production
Authors: Wang Chunlei , Feng Liping , Wu Lu , Cheng Chen , Li Yizhuo , Yan Jintao , Gao Jiachen , Chen Fu
Published: February 2020

Climate is a main factor that influences the winter wheat production. Changing the crop cultivars and adjusting the sowing dates are used as strategies to adapt to climate change. First, we evaluated the simulation ability of the Decision Support System for Agro-technology Transfer (DSSAT) CERES wheat model based on the experimental data with varied sowing dates and cultivars. Second, we designed optimal cultivars in three different environmental conditions with the highest grain yield in the North China Plain (NCP) based on model sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, we optimized the sowing dates for three sites with the above-derived cultivar parameters. The results showed that the DSSAT–CERES wheat model was suitable for winter wheat simulation after calibration and validation with a Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) between 0.9% and 9.5% for phenology, 6.8% and 17.8% for above ground biomass, and 4.6% and 9.7% for grain yield. The optimal cultivars significantly prolonged the wheat growth duration by 14.1, 27.5, and 24.4 days at the Shangzhuang (SZ), Xingtai (XT), and Zhumadian (ZMD) sites compared with current cultivars, respectively. The vegetative growth duration (from sowing to anthesis) was prolonged 18.4 and 12.2 days at the XT and ZMD sites significantly, while shortened 0.81 days at the SZ site. The grain yield could be potentially improved by 29.5%, 86.8%, and 34.6% at the SZ, XT, and ZMD sites using the optimal cultivars, respectively. Similarly, the improvement of aboveground biomass at three sites was 5.5%, 47.1%, and 12.7%, respectively. Based on the guaranteed rate and analysis of variance, we recommended a later sowing date (from 15 September to 20 October) at the SZ and ZMD sites, and 15 September to 15 October at the XT site. In addition, the methodology of this study could be expanded to other regions and possibly to other crops.
Uncovering Spatio-temporal Travel Patterns Using a Tensor-based Model from Metro Smart Card Data in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Tang Jinjun , Wang Xiaolu , Zong Fang , Hu Zheng
Published: February 2020

Individual mobility patterns are an important factor in urban traffic planning and traffic flow forecasting. How to understand the spatio-temporal distribution of passengers deeply and accurately, so as to provide theoretical support for the planning and operation of the metro network, is an urgent issue of wide concern. In this paper, we applied NCP decomposition to uncover the characteristics of travel patterns from temporal and spatial dimensions in the metro network of Shenzhen City. Utilizing matrix factorization and correlation analysis, we extracted several stable components from the collective mobility and find that the departure and arrival mobility patterns have different characteristics in both the temporal and spatial dimension. According to the point of interest (POI) data in the Shenzhen City, the function attributes of the station are identified and then we found that the spatial distribution characteristics of different patterns are different. We explored the distribution of travel time classified according to the spatio-temporal characteristics of stable patterns. The proposed method can decompose stable travel patterns from the collective mobility and the results in this study can help us to better understand different mobility patterns in both spatial and temporal dimensions.
Automated Reconditioning of Thin Wall Structures Using Robot-Based Laser Powder Coating
Authors: Sheikhi Shahram , Mayer Eduard , Maaß Jochen , Wagner Florian
Published: February 2020

Implementing digitalization in the field of production represents a major hurdle for some small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to the ensuing demands on employees and, in some cases, the significant financial investment required. The RobReLas research project has developed a system whose purpose is to enable an economical solution to this dilemma for SMEs in the field of automated, robot-based reconditioning of components. A laser scanner was integrated in the robot’s control. The data generated by the scanner are used to mathematically describe the virtual area of the surface to be laser-treated. The scanner recognizes the relevant area within the robot’s predefined work space by defining the maximum length and width of the relevant component. The system then automatically applies predefined and qualified repair strategies in the virtual area. Tests on nickel-based blades demonstrated the system’s economic potential, showing a reduction in reconditioning time of about 70% compared to the conventional reconditioning method. The main advantage of the system is the fact that a basic knowledge of operating robots is sufficient for the attainment of repeatable results. Further, no additional CAD/CAM workstations are required for implementation.
Evaluating the EKC Hypothesis for the BCIM-EC Member Countries under the Belt and Road Initiative
Authors: Rahman Arifur , Murad S. M. Woahid , Ahmad Fayyaz , Wang Xiaowen
Published: February 2020

This paper attempts to examine the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for the BCIM-EC (Bangladesh–China–India–Myanmar economic corridor) member countries under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China. Both time series and panel data are covered, with respect to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, GDP per capita, energy use, and trade openness. For panel data analysis, GDP per capita and energy consumption have positive effects on CO2, while the effect of the quadratic term of GDP per capita is negative in the short-run. However, the short-run effects do not remain valid in the long-run, except for energy use. Therefore, the EKC hypothesis is only a short-run phenomenon in the case of the panel data framework. However, based on the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach with and without structural breaks, the EKC hypothesis exists in India and China, while the EKC hypothesis holds in Bangladesh and Myanmar with regard to disregarding breaks within the short-run. The long-run estimates support the EKC hypothesis of considering and disregarding structural breaks for Bangladesh, China, and India. The findings of the Dumitrescu and Hurlin panel noncausality tests show that there is a unidirectional causality that runs from GDP per capita to carbon emission, squared GDP to carbon emission, and carbon emission to trade openness. Therefore, the BCIM-EC under the BRI should not only focus on connectivity and massive infrastructural development for securing consecutive economic growth among themselves, but also undertake a long-range policy to cope with environmental degradation and to ensure sustainable green infrastructure.
Assessment of Fraction and Mobility of Arsenic in Soil Near the Mine Waste Dam
Authors: Kim Min-Suk , Lee Sang-Hwan , Kim Jeong-Gyu
Published: February 2020

Arsenic (As) contamination in abandoned mining areas has been of concern in Korea; hence, the reclamation and restoration of these areas must be conducted. Since large contaminated areas have not been restored yet, post management of restoration sites would be insufficient. The aim of this study was to monitor the pollution of environments near the waste dam in mining areas and to assess the fraction and mobility of As. Chemical assessment was conducted using sequential extraction and single extraction methods [Mehlich-3, 1N HCl, the simple bioavailability extraction test (SBET), and the synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP)], whereas biological assessment was conducted with a bok choy (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Jusl.) cultivation experiment. The results showed that the waste rock soil, forest soil, and sediments near the dam were contaminated with As. As a result of sequential extraction, most of the As in the soil of the upper part of the dam were observed to be tightly adsorbed (well-crystallized hydrous metal oxides and residual phases), whereas As in the forest soil of the lower part of the dam were observed to be relatively weakly bound (amorphous and poorly-crystallized hydrous metal oxides). These results show that As could be re-dissolved from secondary contaminated forest soil and spread to nearby environments. For the sustainable management of soil environment, an assessment of the fraction and mobility of As coupled with continuous monitoring are required.
Comparing Machine Learning Approaches for Predicting Spatially Explicit Life Cycle Global Warming and Eutrophication Impacts from Corn Production
Authors: Romeiko Xiaobo Xue , Guo Zhijian , Pang Yulei , Lee Eun Kyung , Zhang Xuesong
Published: February 2020

Agriculture ranks as one of the top contributors to global warming and nutrient pollution. Quantifying life cycle environmental impacts from agricultural production serves as a scientific foundation for forming effective remediation strategies. However, methods capable of accurately and efficiently calculating spatially explicit life cycle global warming (GW) and eutrophication (EU) impacts at the county scale over a geographic region are lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the most efficient and accurate model for estimating spatially explicit life cycle GW and EU impacts at the county scale, with corn production in the U.S.’s Midwest region as a case study. This study compared the predictive accuracies and efficiencies of five distinct supervised machine learning (ML) algorithms, testing various sample sizes and feature selections. The results indicated that the gradient boosting regression tree model built with approximately 4000 records of monthly weather features yielded the highest predictive accuracy with cross-validation (CV) values of 0.8 for the life cycle GW impacts. The gradient boosting regression tree model built with nearly 6000 records of monthly weather features showed the highest predictive accuracy with CV values of 0.87 for the life cycle EU impacts based on all modeling scenarios. Moreover, predictive accuracy was improved at the cost of simulation time. The gradient boosting regression tree model required the longest training time. ML algorithms demonstrated to be one million times faster than the traditional process-based model with high predictive accuracy. This indicates that ML can serve as an alternative surrogate of process-based models to estimate life-cycle environmental impacts, capturing large geographic areas and timeframes.
Study of Antibacterial Properties of Ziziphus mauritiana based Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles against Various Bacterial Strains
Authors: Asimuddin M. , Shaik Mohammed Rafi , Fathima Neeshat , Afreen M. Shaistha , Adil Syed Farooq , Rafiq H. Siddiqui Mohammed , Jamil Kaiser , Khan Mujeeb
Published: February 2020

Due to their low cost and environmentally friendly nature, plant extracts based methods have gained significant popularity among researchers for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. Herein, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles was performed using the aqueous solution of Ziziphus mauritiana leaves extract (ZM-LE) as a bio-reducing agent. The as-obtained silver nanoparticles were characterized by using UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD (X-ray diffraction), TEM (transmission electron microscopy), and FT-IR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy). In addition, the effects of the concentrations of the leaves extract, silver nitrate, and the temperature on the preparation of nanoparticles were also investigated. In order to determine the nature of secondary metabolites present in leaves extract, a preliminary investigation of phytoconstituents was carried out using different methods including Folin-Ciocalteu and AlCl3 methods. The results have indicated the presence of a considerable amount of phenolic and flavonoid contents in the leaves extract, which are believed to be responsible for the reduction of silver ions and stabilization of resulting nanoparticles. Indeed, the FT-IR spectrum of silver nanoparticles also confirmed the presence of residual phytomolecules of leaves extract as stabilizing ligands on the surface of nanoparticles. The antibacterial properties of as-obtained silver nanoparticles were tested against various bacterial strains including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus subtilis. The nanoparticles strongly inhibited the growth of S. aureus with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2.5 μg/ml and moderately inhibited the growth of E. coli with a MIC of 5 μg/ml.
Active Methodologies in the Training of Future Health Professionals: Academic Goals and Autonomous Learning Strategies
Authors: Roque Herrera Yosbanys , Zalagaz Sánchez María Luisa , Valdivia-Moral Pedro , Marín-Marín José-Antonio , Alonso García Santiago
Published: February 2020

The learning of future health professionals is fundamental to the training of competent professionals. In this work, it was proposed to determine the correlation between academic goals and learning strategies in students enrolled from the first to the sixth semester in seven specialties of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the National University of Chimborazo. A correlational design was used in which the questionnaires for evaluation of academic achievement and strategies for autonomous learning strategies were applied. The resulting data were analyzed and interpreted using descriptive and non-parametric inferential statistical methods. The results suggested that the types of academic goals and autonomous learning strategies had a homogeneous pattern in most of the seven specialties studied. According to the Likert scale, category 3, which sometimes corresponds to the range of quantitative categories, was the predominant one. Finally, the correlation between autonomous work strategies and the types of academic achievement of the students in the sample was mostly weak or non-existent and direct.
A Combination Forecasting Strategy for Precipitation, Temperature and Wind Speed in the Southeastern Margin of the Tengger Desert
Authors: Fu Tonglin , Li Xinrong
Published: February 2020

Global warming is inevitably the cause of local climate change, which will have a profound impact on regional ecology, especially in the desertified steppe and steppefied desert transition zones with fragile ecological environments. In order to investigate the change trends of precipitation, temperature and wind speed for effectively realizing the restoration and protection of desert ecosystems, a combination forecasting strategy including the data pre-processing technique, sub-models selection and parameter optimization was proposed and three numerical simulation experiments based on the combination model with the weights optimized by the particle swarm optimization algorithm were designed to forecast the precipitation, temperature and wind speed in the southeastern margin of the Tengger Desert in China. Numerical results showed that the proposed combination prediction method has higher forecasting accuracy and better robustness than single neural network models and hybrid models. The proposed method is beneficial to analyze climate change in arid regions.