bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on the Dynamic Response of a Continuous Steel Box Girder Bridge Based on the ANSYS Platform
Authors: Wang Baitian , Jia Yudong , Zhao Hongjuan , Wang Simeng , Jin Zhengchuang , Yang Jinfeng
Published: August 2022

Under the action of various dynamic loads, bridges will experience large deflections and stress. When the situation is difficult, it will affect the regular use of the bridge and even cause it to collapse suddenly. This article generated a sample of road surface irregularities based on the Chinese national standard. An ANSYS model was used to create the vehicle–bridge coupling model. In order to meet the actual engineering calculations, an essential but valuable analytical approach is presented here. The node coupling method established the time-varying vehicle axle coupling system. The moving tire force was applied to the axle coupling system. The ANSYS parametric design language was adopted to realize the process of the vehicle approach and exit of the bridge. Combined with the actual data of dynamic and static load experiments, the model’s accuracy was verified. The influence of different vehicle driving speeds, road irregularities, vehicle driving position, and vehicle driving state are analyzed in this paper. The vehicle speed had no significant influence on the displacement time-history and the force of the middle wheel of the vehicle at a specific driving position. The pavement grade significantly influenced the bridge’s displacement time-history and acceleration spectrum.
Performance Evaluation of Green Furniture Brands in the Marketing 4.0 Period: An Integrated MCDM Approach
Authors: Yeğin Tuğba , Ikram Muhammad
Published: August 2022

This study aims to develop a framework that enables green marketing practices to regulate the performance evaluation criteria (GFBPC) of consumers and green furniture brands in the Marketing 4.0 period and to prioritize green furniture brands. The first stage was the literature review and decision-making group; it included GFBPC and the selection of three green furniture brands with the highest market value in Turkey. We then applied AHP to determine and prioritize benchmark weights, and TOPSIS to rank the performances of selected brands by GFBPC. We performed SA to test the accuracy of the findings. The results revealed that the Co-creation of Value and Pricing criteria have the highest value, and “Brand Y” is the best. Among the evaluation contributions of the study are a new understanding of green furniture performance criteria, and an integrated framework for new application methods for green marketing. With the Marketing 4.0 period, it is among the first of its kind to offer sustainable solutions to evaluate green marketing practices and increase the performance of green furniture brands in this regard. The results can help furniture industry stakeholders understand ways to compete in the green market and sustainable development.
Strategies to Reduce Ride-Hailing Fuel Consumption Caused by Pick-Up Trips: A Mathematical Model under Uncertainty
Authors: Megantara Tubagus Robbi , Supian Sudradjat , Chaerani Diah
Published: August 2022

Uber, Gojek, and Grab are companies providing new massive job opportunities for driver partners. Ride-hailing provides convenient services because passengers can determine the position of the vehicle picking the, up in real time. Ride-hailing also provides security because passengers can quickly determine the driver’s identity. However, the rapid development of ride-hailing has led to increased congestion and emissions. This study proposes pick-up strategies to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, formulated as an assignment model. The assignment problem is abstracted into a linear programming model by considering the uncertainty of the parameters represented by fuzzy numbers. The proposed assignment model can handle the uncertainty of travel delays caused by unpredictable traffic conditions. The assignment aims to minimize fuel consumption, travel delays, and unserviced requests. The assignment model is designed to work for platforms that allow passengers to walk according to their readiness and the maximum walking distance. The numerical simulation results show that allowing passengers to walk to the vehicle can maintain optimality and significantly reduce fuel consumption. The proposed model’s implementation is expected to enable sustainable transport and significantly mitigate emissions caused by vehicle mobility in picking up passengers.
Blockchain-Based Land Management for Sustainable Development
Authors: Racetin Ivana , Kilić Pamuković Jelena , Zrinjski Mladen , Peko Marina
Published: August 2022

In recent years, many papers have been published on the topics of the blockchain (BC) and blockchain technology (BCT). Some papers put BCT in the context of land registries (LRs), land cadastres (LCs), land registration, land administration (LA) and land management (LM) and its implementation benefits. Some eight years later, from its beginnings in 2014, the question of the future of the proposed concept and whether it has one, has been raised. The Scopus database was analysed using bibliometric analysis methodology and Rstudio software with the Bibliometrix R-package and the Shiny package environment. Based on this research, significant interest and growth in the topic was found in both technical and land-governance directions. Different approaches to the topic have been established in the global north and global south. From today’s perspective, the future of BCT in both worlds is guaranteed.
Understanding Food Waste Produced by University Students: A Social Practice Approach
Authors: Ozanne Lucie K. , Ballantine Paul W. , McMaster Aimee
Published: August 2022

We use social practice theory to explore food waste produced by university students living in shared apartments. We use qualitative techniques including observation, fridge ethnography, garbology and interviews. The most important factors that led to food waste among university students were a lack of organisation related to the practices of meal planning and shopping, where students did not make lists, plan meals or conduct a food inventory before shopping. Observation of meal preparation revealed that students were unlikely to correctly sort food waste from other sorts of waste, as they did not always have appropriate bins to enable food waste separation. Thus, food waste was not properly disposed of (e.g., composted). Fridge ethnography revealed that both fresh food and leftovers were left or lost in the fridge until no longer edible. Finally, garbology analysis confirmed that a considerable amount of avoidable foods, such as fresh foods and leftovers, were wasted by students and not properly disposed of in curbside composting bins.
Plant Diversity and Aboveground Biomass Interact with Abiotic Factors to Drive Soil Organic Carbon in Beijing Mountainous Areas
Authors: Zhou Piao , Zhang Lin , Qi Shi
Published: August 2022

We analyzed and compared the effects of biotic factors (species diversity, structural diversity, and aboveground biomass) and abiotic factors (topography and soil properties) on soil organic carbon in selected mountainous areas of Beijing China. An overall goal is to provide a preliminary scientific basis for biodiversity protection and coordinated development of forest ecosystems and the subsequent carbon balance in this region. Our study ecosystems were coniferous forests, mixed coniferous and broadleaved forests, and broadleaved forests in the western mountainous area of Beijing. We determined both direct and indirect effects of abiotic and biotic factors on soil organic carbon using multiple linear regression and a structural equation model. Results showed that the biotic factors aboveground biomass and structural diversity were the main driving forces of organic carbon accumulation in the soil surface layer (0–10 cm), but species diversity had no significant effect (p > 0.05). Abiotic factors (altitude, total nitrogen, and total potassium) had some influence on soil surface organic carbon but were subordinate to the biotic factors. The biotic factors had no significant effect on soil organic carbon in the subsurface layers (10–20 cm) and (20–30 cm) (p > 0.05), whereas the abiotic factors altitude and total nitrogen played a dominant role in subsurface soil organic carbon accumulation of both layers (p < 0.01). The influences were both direct and indirect influences, but the direct influences played a major role. Our results form an initial reference for afforestation management (Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm-source Control Project) from the perspective of biodiversity protection and carbon storage enhancement.
Flexible-Clustering Based on Application Priority to Improve IoMT Efficiency and Dependability
Authors: Rahmani Amir Masoud , Hosseini Mirmahaleh Seyedeh Yasaman
Published: August 2022

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has overcome the privacy challenges of E-healthcare-based Internet of Things (IoT) systems to protect the joined people’s private records to IoMT infrastructures and support their information security in different layers. By deploying various medical applications, security and privacy are challenging for the IoMT via rising communications between its layers and nodes. Some case studies aimed to solve the issues and provided various methods and protocols to identify the malicious data and information, which had almost overlooked application and service priority to targeting the research and satisfying security. We addressed the dependability and privacy problems of IoMT-based applications by presenting an intelligent algorithm for node mapping and flexible clustering (NFC) via defining a graph and employing a neural network (NN). This work proposes a flexible clustering method to categorize the healthcare service providers for timely detecting faults and identifying the proper servers to join the cluster by considering service and application priority. We improve the application dependability and privacy by about 77.3–83.2% via pruning the defective nodes and employing the neighbor components to support faulty devices’ role. By removing the failed or faulty nodes, the study reduces communication delay and energy consumption, approximately 19.3–21.7% and 10.3–11.8%, respectively.
Parameters Affecting the Efficiency of Solar Stills—Recent Review
Authors: Essa Fadl A. , Abdullah AbdelKader , Majdi Hasan Sh. , Basem Ali , Dhahad Hayder A. , Omara Zakaria M. , Mohammed Suha A. , Alawee Wissam H. , Ezzi Amged Al , Yusaf Talal
Published: August 2022

Although water is the second most important fluid, after air, found on the Earth, there is a vital problem in the availability of water for many organisms, and this problem faces the whole world. As a result, scientists have developed many methods of purifying the saline/brackish water to be suitable for different uses in addition to the purpose of drinking. Fortunately, solar distillation is very rewarding in terms of operating costs and costs for a liter of freshwater distillated with using clean and environmentally friendly energy. Solar distiller is one of the solar distillation systems devices, which is simple in construction, cheap, and easy to use but it has the drawback of low productivity. This article aims to provide a summary of the different ideas and works on solar stills through different variables that affect the performance of distillers. In contrast to the review papers dealing with this topic, this paper contains comprehensive and complete details and careful reviews of all the variables that affect the performance of distillers. Therefore, it is like a ladder in front of the authors until they reach the recent of what has been studied on the distillers in a simplified way to save time and effort, which will help them to come up with different ideas that were not easily studied. Thus, this paper introduces an overview on the detailed parameters affecting the performance of solar stills. These parameters are climatic, design, and operating factors. Climatic factors consist of solar radiation, ambient temperature, air speed, and dusty and cloudy weather. While the design factors include the evaporative and exposure surface areas, glazing cover material, inclination, and thickness, distiller material, and of insulating material and thickness. Whist, the operating parameters consist of the water temperature, feed water temperature, applying vacuum, temperature difference between water and glass cover, and hybrid systems. From the extensive literature, it is concluded that the climatic, design, and operating factors significantly affect the performance of the solar still. Finally, some points are proposed for further investigation.
A Comprehensive Evaluation Framework to Assess the Sustainable Development of Schools within a University: Application to a Chinese University
Authors: Li Hong , Chen Zilin
Published: August 2022

Higher education institutions have long played a critical role in society. The sustainable development of universities—wherein they consistently maintain a high level of performance in teaching, research, innovation, and stewardship of talent—is increasingly viewed as critical to driving social change and building a sustainable future. Every year, many organizations publish rankings to assess and compare the performance of universities across a nation or the world. However, few of these rankings focus on the differences in performance between individual schools within a particular university, which is crucial to improving the quality of the institution as a whole. This study attempts to fill this knowledge gap by proposing a comprehensive evaluation framework to allow for systematic and standardized analysis of performance at the school/college level according to any combination of relevant indicators. The framework builds upon existing work related to the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) methods and proposes an improved model that mitigates defects in previous models while enhancing interpretability and stability. An applied example in which this framework is used to evaluate schools of humanities and social sciences disciplines at Wuhan University in China is provided. The results of the applied example show that the framework enables an in-depth analysis of performance levels through multiple perspectives, thereby providing valuable insights for formulating targeted strategies to improve school performance and enhance the sustainable development of higher education institutions.
Receding-Horizon Prediction of Vehicle Velocity Profile Using Deterministic and Stochastic Deep Neural Network Models
Authors: Topić Jakov , Škugor Branimir , Deur Joško
Published: August 2022

The paper firstly proposes a deterministic deep feedforward neural network model aimed at predicting the city bus velocity profile over receding time horizon based on the following inputs: actual vehicle position, actual velocity or short-term history of vehicle velocities, time of day and day of week. A systematic analysis of the influence of different input subsets, history interval length and prediction horizon length is carried out to find an optimal configuration of NN model inputs and hyperparameters. Secondly, a stochastic version of neural network prediction model is proposed, which predicts expectations and standard deviations of velocity patterns over the receding time horizon. The stochastic model prediction accuracy is verified against the recorded test dataset features, as well as by comparing the predicted velocity expectation with the deterministic model prediction and correlating the predicted velocity standard deviation with deterministic model prediction uncertainty metrics. The verification results indicate that: (i) the deterministic model velocity prediction accuracy is characterized by the R2 score greater than 0.8 for the prediction horizon length of 10 s and remains to be solid (greater than 0.6) for the horizon lengths up to 25 s; (ii) the actual vehicle position and the velocity history are the most significant input features, where the optimal value of history interval length lies in the range from 30 to 50 s; (iii) the stochastic model have only slightly lower accuracy of predicting the velocity expectation along the receding horizon when compared to the deterministic model (the root mean square error is higher by 2.2%), and it outputs consistent standard deviation prediction.
The International City Image of Beijing: A Quantitative Analysis Based on Twitter Texts from 2017–2021
Authors: Zhang Zhishuo , Luo Manting , Luo Ziyu , Niu Huayong
Published: August 2022

With the advent of the Internet era, users from numerous countries can express their opinions on social media platforms represented by Twitter. Unearthing people’s image perceptions of cities from tweets helps relevant organizations understand the image that cities present on mainstream social media and take targeted measures to shape a good international image, which can enhance international tourists’ willingness to travel and strengthen city’s tourism competitiveness. This paper collects nearly 130,000 tweets related to “Beijing” (“Peking”) from 2017–2021 through web-crawler technology, and uses Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) keywords statistics, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic mining, and Valence Aware Dictionary and sEntiment Reasoner (VADER) sentiment analysis to further summarize the characteristics of Beijing’s international image and propose strategies to communicate its international image. This research aims to tap into the international image of Beijing presented on Twitter, and provide data support for the relevant Chinese and Beijing authorities to develop communication strategies, as well as providing a reference for other cities aiming to manage their international image.
Assessment of Historic Cities within the Context of Sustainable Development and Revitalization: The Case of the Walled City North Nicosia
Authors: Eyyamoğlu Mustafa , Akçay Ayten Özsavaş
Published: August 2022

The City of Nicosia contains cultural heritage from different periods of history. Over time, due to user damage, illegal constructions, and abandonment, Nicosia has faced the danger of deterioration in its morphology and the loss of its original identity. With the recent strategic planning, the city of Nicosia has started to be revived. Within the scope of revitalization works, original or re-functional use projects are carried out on existing structures. Revitalization projects in historical cities should be implemented within the framework of sustainable development. In this study, the Arabahmet and Karamanzade regions of Nicosia were selected as the focus of the research. The research aims to assess revitalization works in selected zones within the framework of sustainable development. Three methodologies were followed in the research process: Theoretical, analytical, and practical approaches. As the first step in the theoretical approach, sustainable development was emphasized in historical cities and Nicosia City. Through an analytical approach, a current analysis of Nicosia city was made. In addition, in the practical approach, data highlighting the physical condition and architectural heritage of the regions were collected. In the practical assessment stage, data obtained within the scope of sustainable development and the revitalization works that can be applied in historical cities have been evaluated for the city of Nicosia. Analysis was made according to the data for the regions selected in line with the social, cultural, environmental, and economic criteria, which are the four pillars of sustainable development. In the last stage, the findings and discussion section, the direction of the revitalization works in the regions was assessed. Research reveals that the revitalization works carried out in the region are not fully addressed within the scope of sustainable development. The study reveals that it is essential for the sustainability of the conservation process of the local community.
Land Use Changes in Peri-Urban Open Spaces of Small Towns in Eastern Hungary
Authors: Csorba Péter , Bánóczki Krisztina , Túri Zoltán
Published: August 2022

Changes in land use were studied in 2 km wide peri-urban open spaces of seven small Hungarian towns as part of a RENATUR Interreg Europe (2019–2023) project. The aim of the project is to present best practices related to the sustainable and wise use of the peri-urban open spaces of small European towns. The rate and tendencies of conversion from one land use type to another were evaluated on the basis of a comparison of Corine Land Cover and Land Cover Change databases from 1990, 2000 and 2018. Land use changes in the study areas in different time periods were studied for which the Corine categories were aggregated. Subsequently, there were field verification surveys carried out between March and June of 2021. Most significant changes—due to the significant increase of built-up areas—were found in the case of the towns that were developed to form the suburbs of Debrecen, the core settlement of their region with a population of 200,000. In the case of settlements further away from the major city, the population is either stagnating or decreasing, and the size of built-up areas hardly increases. In the case of cities that are surrounded by high-quality chernozem soils with profitable agriculture, large-scale arable lands have become dominant in the border zones of the settlements, as the spatial extent of gardens, orchards and grasslands has decreased. Highly diverse and mosaic land use (dominated by small plots) is not characteristic anywhere.
Exploring Olive Genetic Diversity in the Maltese Islands
Authors: Valeri Maria Cristina , Mifsud David , Sammut Clayton , Pandolfi Saverio , Lilli Emanuele , Bufacchi Marina , Stanzione Vitale , Passeri Valentina , Baldoni Luciana , Mariotti Roberto , Mousavi Soraya
Published: August 2022

A comprehensive effort was devoted to exploring, collecting and characterizing the local Maltese olive germplasm, often represented by ancient, monumental trees and by plants of uncertain origin. SSR and cp-SSR analysis of all samples enabled the identification of 46 genotypes and establishment of the correspondence between ancient trees, main local varieties and other Mediterranean cultivars. The application of plastid markers enabled identification of two lineages among Maltese genotypes, with more than 50% represented by lineage E2. Twenty-nine cases of grafting were identified among the various genotypes and lineages. In most cases, E1 canopies were grafted on E2 rootstocks, but reverse cases were also observed. The phylogenetic study of Maltese genotypes, together with hundreds of cultivars from the Mediterranean Basin and beyond, highlights the richness of Maltese olive diversity and drawing attention to the genetic similarity of some Maltese olive genotypes with neighboring Italian and Algerian varieties. These results underline the long-lasting presence of the olive in the country, contributing to the reconstruction of its phylogeny and demonstrating a possible autochthonous origin of many samples. Some still-living ancient trees are at serious risk of extinction due to abandonment, urban expansion and environmental threats. This study supports the preservation of the Maltese olive germplasm and highlights its importance as a rich genetic source to face new agronomical challenges and future climatic constraints.
Forecasting Biocapacity and Ecological Footprint at a Worldwide Level to 2030 Using Neural Networks
Authors: Moros-Ochoa María Andreína , Castro-Nieto Gilmer Yovani , Quintero-Español Anderson , Llorente-Portillo Carolina
Published: August 2022

Constant environmental deterioration is a problem widely addressed by multiple international organizations. However, given the current economic and technological limitations, alternatives that immediately and significantly impact environmental degradation negatively affect contemporary development and lifestyle. Because of this, rather than limiting population consumption patterns or developing sophisticated and highly expensive technologies, the solution to environmental degradation lies more in the progressive transformation of production and consumption patterns. Thus, to support this change, the objective of this article is to forecast the behavior of consumption and regeneration of biologically productive land until the year 2030, using a deep neural network adjusted to Global Footprint Network data for prediction, and to provide information that favors the development of local economic strategies based on the territorial strengths and weaknesses of each continent. The most relevant findings about biocapacity and ecological footprint data are: fishing grounds have the great renewable potential in the global consumption of products and focused on the Asian region being approximately 55% of the world’s ecological footprint; grazinglands indicate an exponential growth in terms of ecological footprint, however South America and Africa have almost 55% of the distribution in the world biocapacity, being great powers in the generation of agricultural products; forest lands show a decrease in biocapacity, there is a progressive and exponential deterioration of forest resources, the highest deficit in the world is generated in Asia; cropland presents an environmental balance between biocapacity and ecological footprint; and builtland generates great impacts on development and regeneration in other lands, indicating the exponential crisis that could eventually be established by needing more and more resources from large built metropolises to replace the natural life provided by other lands.
Factors That Influence Sustainable Selection and Reselection Intentions Regarding Soluble/Instant Coffee—The Case of Serbian Consumers
Authors: Gajić Tamara , Raljić Jovanka Popov , Blešić Ivana , Aleksić Milica , Petrović Marko D. , Radovanović Milan M. , Vuković Darko B. , Sikimić Višnja , Pivac Tatjana , Kostić Marija , Sekulić Dejan , Vukolić Dragan , Penić Mirjana , Munitlak Ivanović Olja
Published: August 2022

Soluble or instant espresso coffee in capsules with added values is a product that is increasingly recognized as a healthy lifestyle habit, which often goes together with the expansion of spa centers and spa hotels. In addition to the theoretical and empirical examination of sustainable drinking habits regarding different types of instant espresso coffee in Serbia, the aim was to define, by applying the theory of planned behavior, the relationship between certain factors that influence instant espresso coffee beverage reselection. The research model was developed using a sample of 1385 soluble/instant espresso coffee consumers. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the conceptual model and research hypotheses. The results indicate a statistically significant influence of certain predictors on the intention of consumers to rechoose soluble/instant coffee. One exception is perceived behavioral control, where statistical significance exceeds the allowed values, which indicate that the offer of functional soluble/instant espresso solutions should be extended outside high-quality service hotels and spa centers to be available to all consumers with healthy lifestyle habits. Defining the factors that influence instant espresso coffee reselection can help to understand influences on certain consumer behaviors and improve sustainability on the market.
Exploring the Impact Mechanism of Interface Management Performance of Sustainable Prefabricated Construction: The Perspective of Stakeholder Engagement
Authors: Luan Haiying , Li Long , Zhang Shengxi
Published: August 2022

Prefabricated construction (PC) activities are geographically fragmented, temporally disrupted, resulting in numerous and complex interfaces. It is stakeholder collaboration by integrating diverse resources within the PC industry to potentially address the factors that impact interface management performance. Previous studies have explored the impact factors of interface management performance without deeply considering the stakeholder and their linkages with the impact factors of interface management. Therefore, this study used a two-mode social network to investigate the impact of the interface management performance of sustainable PC from a stakeholder perspective. Firstly, 24 factors impact interface management of sustainable PC, as well as 12 stakeholders with power to address the factors, were identified based on a literature review and interviews with experts. Subsequently, Stakeholder-factors relationships were judged by a designed questionnaire. Then, the centrality and core-periphery structure analysis methods were adopted to study the network. The findings revealed that developers, general contractors, subcontractors, designers, and suppliers are the core stakeholders, with improved collaboration between these five stakeholders (42%) able to address 18 core factors (75%). The factors that have the most significant impact on the interface management performance of prefabricated construction include understanding and trust, communication and learning, and cooperative attitudes among participants, the effectiveness and timeliness of information communication, formal interface management processes, technical innovation, and the perfection of standards and specifications. By prioritizing these factors, the complexity of the network can be successfully decreased and interface management performance can be improved. This study not only contributes to identifying the impact mechanism of stakeholders on the factors of interface management performance, but also contributes to promoting stakeholder cooperation to improve the sustainability of prefabricated construction.
IT Strategy in the Hotel Industry in the Digital Era
Authors: Wynn Martin , Jones Peter
Published: August 2022

The hotel industry has historically suffered from a misalignment of IT and business strategies, and yet has embraced digital technologies in many aspects of its operations in recent years. This article explores and assesses the options and dilemmas facing the hotel industry in selecting and implementing information systems and digital technologies as part of an evolving IT strategy. The methodology centres on a narrative synthesis of pertinent academic literature and industry source material available on the internet. Earl’s model of IT strategy development is also used as a frame of reference to assess the options facing the industry in the digital era. The article finds that some of the digital technologies have been widely deployed in the hotel sector, and an increasing number of software packages are also now available, some of which provide the requisite functionality to allow a one-stop purchase ensuring systems integration. Other packages rely more on the use of third-party software products to provide integration of different packages and digital technology applications. Findings suggest that three perspectives need to be pursued together in a balanced fashion to develop an effective overall IT strategy—top-down technology integration, bottom-up evaluation of required functionality and digital technology options—along with the inside-out matching of these needs with what is available in the marketplace. The article provides new perspectives on developing and applying IT strategy in the hotel sector in the digital era and suggests that proven approaches to IT strategy development are still of value in the planning and management of digital transformation initiatives.
A Novel Safety Assessment Framework for Pavement Friction Evolution Due to Traffic on Horizontal Curves
Authors: Xu Guilong , Xu Jinliang , Gao Chao , Sun Rishuang , Shan Huagang , Ma Yongji , Ran Jinsong
Published: August 2022

The friction coefficient is one of the dominant parameters affecting vehicle driving stability on horizontal curves. However, there is no comprehensive framework to assess the traffic safety on the horizontal curve with the evolution of the friction coefficient caused by the traffic flow. In light of this, this paper developed an integrated risk-assessment framework to evaluate the safety on the horizontal curve with the friction coefficient evolving under different traffic characteristics. The speed distribution on the horizontal curve of the freeway is obtained through field experiments that serve as the basic parameters of the model. A new multi-vehicle risk index (MRI) is introduced to assess the traffic safety risk for the horizontal curve by coupling the reliability theory and negative binomial. Three traffic characteristics are considered in the analysis: cumulative traffic volume (CTV), annual average daily traffic (AADT), and average daily traffic of heavy goods vehicles (AADTHGV). The results show that the AADT and AADTHGV have a considerable impact on the road risk level. When the truck traffic volume is less than 1000 veh/d, the risk of horizontal curves changes less as road operational time goes. The research results can provide a reference for the road maintenance department to determine the timing of road maintenance.
Smart Android Based Home Automation System Using Internet of Things (IoT)
Authors: Khan Muhammad Abbas , Ahmad Ijaz , Nordin Anis Nurashikin , Ahmed A. El-Sayed , Mewada Hiren , Daradkeh Yousef Ibrahim , Rasheed Saim , Eldin Elsayed Tag , Shafiq Muhammad
Published: August 2022

Recently, home automation system has getting significant attention because of the fast and advanced technology, making daily living more convenient. Almost everything has been digitalized and automated. The development of home automation will become easier and more popular because of the use of the Internet of Things (IoT). This paper described various interconnection systems of actuators, sensors to enable multiple home automation implementations. The system is known as HAS (Home automation system). It operates by connecting the robust Application Programming Interface (API), which is the key to a universal communication method. The HAS used devices, often implemented the actuators or sensors that have an upwards communication network followed by HAS (API). Most of the devices of the HAS (home automation system) used Raspberry Pi boards and ESP8285 chips. A smartphone application has been developed that allows users to control a wide range of home appliances and sensors from their smartphones. The application is user-friendly, adaptable, and beneficial for consumers and disabled people. It has the potential to be further extended via the use of various devices. The main objectives of this work are to make our home automation system, more secure and intelligent. HAS is a highly effective and efficient computational system that may be enhanced with a variety of devices and add-ons.
The Heritage Jewel of Saudi Arabia: A Descriptive Analysis of the Heritage Management and Development Activities in the At-Turaif District in Ad-Dir’iyah, a World Heritage Site (WHS)
Authors: Bay Mohammed Abdulfattah , Alnaim Mohammed Mashary , Albaqawy Ghazy Abdullah , Noaime Emad
Published: August 2022

This study explores the change over time in the World Heritage Site (WHS) of Diriyah over three critical periods, focusing on three aspects: physical, social, and economic. Using a mixed-method approach, the site’s heritage management practices and development impact are investigated, and the impact of WHS inscription on the field of heritage in Saudi Arabia is demonstrated. A methodological approach is used in this study, which includes temporal analysis, analysis of historical images and photographs, non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews with key informants, site fieldwork, analysis of archival research, the content of official documents, related media, and promotional materials. The study concludes with a three-aspect matrix demonstrating Historic Diriyah’s various development and change over time. Historic Diriyah is a WHS, and it can still project a successful massive makeover development if a sustainable development approach is used, and visual integrity and site authenticity are preserved. The site of Historic Diriyah and its surroundings were critical in promoting the site as a national identity, an international destination, and presenting a new development agenda for the entire kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It has a significant impact on policymakers who are interested in how heritage sites can be integrated into a larger vision.
Variations and Factors Characterizing Ecological Niches of Understory Herbaceous Species in Plantation Forests
Authors: Sun Cheng , Li Long , Dong Xiaoyu , Qin Fucang , Yang Zhenqi
Published: August 2022

Plant ecological niche characteristics are powerful representations of plant survival status. Understory herbaceous species in plantation forests are sensitive to local ecological environment changes; patterns of ecological niche changes of herbaceous plants under plantation forests are of great significance for maintaining the stability and sustainable development of plantation forest ecosystems. This study aims to explore the ecological niche characteristics of understory herbaceous species in plantation forests and their influencing factors. Six different site types of Pinus tabulaeformis plantations were selected from a stable plantation community in the feldspathic sandstone area of the Loess Plateau (China). The relative importance value and niche breadth were used as comprehensive quantitative indices to characterize the status, role, and degree of dominance of understory herbaceous species in plantation forests. We found few dominant species of understory herbaceous species in plantation forests, mostly companion species. The niche characteristics of understory herbaceous species in plantation forests varied significantly. For understory herbaceous species, the niche width was positively correlated with slopes and the niche overlap of the sunny slopes was positively relevant with slopes, while that of the shady slopes was negatively correlated. A canonical correspondence analysis indicated that several major factors influencing the niche breadth and niche overlap of understory herbaceous species in plantation forests were different. The canopy density and slope of plantation played a major role in the niche breadth and niche overlap of understory herbaceous species in plantation forests. In summary, the species distribution of understory herbaceous species in plantation forests was determined by site type. The canopy density and geographical slope were the dominant environmental factors for different ecological niche characteristics of understory herbaceous species. The ecological niche variation of different herbaceous species was the consequence of the integrated effects of the plantation and geographical environment.
Temporal and Spatial Evolution of the Science and Technology Innovative Efficiency of Regional Industrial Enterprises: A Data-Driven Perspective
Authors: Yang Yaliu , Wang Yuan , Wang Cui , Zhang Yingyan , Zhang Cuixia
Published: August 2022

This study develops a data-driven, comprehensive evaluation method to improve the science and technology innovative efficiency of industrial enterprises above designated size (hereinafter “industrial enterprises”). Based on an innovation value chain perspective, a two-stage evaluation index system is constructed. Thereafter, the Pearson correlation coefficient method was used to analyze correlations in the constructed index system. A two-stage network data envelopment analysis model with additional intermediate input was constructed to measure and evaluate industrial enterprises’ science and technology innovative efficiency from three aspects—research and development (R&D), commercialization, and comprehensive efficiencies—to reveal the temporal and spatial evolution. The feasibility and effectiveness of the method was verified using the statistical data of industrial enterprises in 16 cities in Anhui Province, China, from 2011 to 2020. The results show that the comprehensive efficiency of the scientific and technological innovation of industrial enterprises in these cities is at a medium level, and the efficiency development of the two stages is uncoordinated; the two-stage efficiency distribution tends to be “high R&D–high commercialization” and “low R&D–low commercialization”, and targeted countermeasures and suggestions are proffered. This study provides a reference for the sustainable development of industrial enterprises in relevant regions.
Calculation and Assessment of CO2e Emissions in Road Freight Transportation: A Greek Case Study
Authors: Gialos Anastasios , Zeimpekis Vasileios , Madas Michael , Papageorgiou Konstantinos
Published: August 2022

Road freight transportation is already contributing significantly to global warming, and its emissions are predicted to grow dramatically in the following years. Carbon footprint calculation can be used to assess CO2e emissions to understand how an organization’s activities impact global sustainability. To this end, the main objective of this paper is initially to assess the impact of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions stemming from road freight transportation. Subsequently, we adopt the EN 16258 standard to calculate the carbon footprint of a truck fleet of a freight transport operator in Greece. Based on the obtained results, we assess the performance of the company’s fleet by adopting relevant sustainability indicators. We also evaluate the use of CNG as an alternative fuel and its impact on CO2e emissions and operational costs. The paper concludes with a list of additional measures toward further reduction and offsetting of CO2e emissions.
Relational Approaches Related to Digital Supply Chain Management Consolidation
Authors: Minculete Gheorghe , Stan Sebastian Emanuel , Ispas Lucian , Virca Ioan , Stanciu Leontin , Milandru Marius , Mănescu Gabriel , Bădilă Mădălina-Ioana
Published: August 2022

This study provides a specific theoretical–applicative approach, of economic content, containing information and reference data in a logical and relational structure centered on aspects deemed suitable for enhancing the digital performance of the current supply chain management. The objective of the study is to correlate as closely as possible the theoretical scientific content with the practical side, with an emphasis on modernity. This objective led to the scientific interpretation, from a methodological perspective, of a relevant approach that proposes the analysis of several mathematical relationships and a case study that justifies the significance of the essential characteristics in ensuring the viability and resilience of the digitally consolidated Supply Chain Management. The work is particularly of interest and utility to entrepreneurs and managers involved in the construction and effective administration of (already digital) supply chain management, which is undergoing continual digital transformation and consolidation. In addition, this research will enhance the number of specialized sources that may be used for future research in this topic’s area of interest.
What about the Factor Time in Sustainable Employability Research? An Overview of Theory-Based Organizational Research
Authors: De Lange Annet H. , Kooij Dorien T. A. M. , Furunes Trude
Published: August 2022

To facilitate new knowledge development about temporal perspectives on the topic of sustainable employability from an organizational perspective, in this Special Issue, we present new meaningful results of eight different empirical papers. Of these accepted papers, three studies were based on longitudinal survey data (2-wave panel data, whereas one study included cross-sectional survey data. Two studies included interview data (semi-structured interviews versus life-span retrospective interviews). The other two accepted papers included secondary data analyses (secondary fiscal data versus content bibliographical data). The accepted research included a variety of indicators of sustainable employability, such as subjective competency-based measures of internal employability versus objective sustained employment and included data from different occupational contexts in Europe (three studies included Dutch data), Egypt, China and Korea. In this editorial, we discussed the lessons learned from these papers in greater detail and presented a research agenda for future research on temporal perspectives on the concept of sustainable employability.
A Deep Transformative Dimension of ESD in Japanese University: From Experiential to Emancipatory Learning in Online and Offline Environments
Authors: Maruyama Hideki
Published: August 2022

(1) Japanese universities have an important role in the sustainability of the students who are “oppressed” by social norms, while some of the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) practices take a conventional approach. The purpose of this study is to take an educational programme as a case study on sustainability of oneself, others, and nature at a university in Tokyo, to compare the programme before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to illustrate what elaboration is required for the future programme. (2) This study used literature on the ESD framework for deeper learning and the Japanese youth as well as descriptive data such as observation and reflection of the participants in the ESD practice. (3) The relationships are confirmed among experiential, social, and transformative learnings in the formal and informal settings. The dynamics in the education about, in, and for sustainability is shown with education theory. The study shows a deeper dimension of self-transformation of the students in the online and offline learning environments. (4) The study suggests that the ESD programme with participatory and transformative approaches as socialisation and subjectification can lead the emancipation from “business as usual” for the Japanese university students when they accept new perspectives through the process of self-discovery and dialogues with others.
Technology-Based Pedagogy for Mathematics Education in South Africa: Sustainable Development of Mathematics Education Post COVID-19
Authors: Naidoo Jayaluxmi
Published: August 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed life globally. So too, teaching and learning in higher education have transformed to include technology-based pedagogy and online learning to curb the spread of the contagious Coronavirus. In the era of the 21st century, technology-based pedagogy is important for supporting teaching and learning. In mathematics higher education contexts, coupled with embracing abstract concepts in mathematics, there are different notions of what it means to include technology-based pedagogy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study explored 38 postgraduate students’ experiences and perceptions of using technology-based pedagogy during the COVID-19 pandemic. These participants were mathematics education students and practicing mathematics teachers at schools in South Africa. The theory of virtual communities of practice framed this study. Participants were invited to two interactive virtual workshops using various technology-based pedagogy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, these participants were invited to participate in online interviews focusing on their experiences and perceptions of technology-based pedagogy for learning mathematics education. This study reveals the challenges and strengths of using technology-based pedagogy for learning mathematics education during COVID-19. These results are relevant when considering perceptions, experiences, and implications of technology-based pedagogy for sustainable mathematics education during and post-COVID-19.