bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Horizontal Geolocation Error Evaluation and Correction on Full-Waveform LiDAR Footprints via Waveform Matching
Authors: Xu Yifang , Ding Sheng , Chen Peimin , Tang Hailong , Ren Hongkai , Huang Huabing
Published: January 2023

The geolocation accuracy of spaceborne LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) data is important for quantitative forest inventory. Geolocation errors in Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) footprints are almost unavoidable because of the instability of orbital parameter estimation and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) positioning accuracy. This study calculates the horizontal geolocation error of multiple temporal GEDI footprints using a waveform matching method, which compares original GEDI waveforms with the corresponding simulated waveforms from airborne LiDAR point clouds. The results show that the GEDI footprint geolocation error varies from 3.04 m to 65.03 m. In particular, the footprints from good orbit data perform better than those from weak orbit data, while the nighttime and daytime footprints perform similarly. After removing the system error, the average waveform similarity coefficient of multi-temporal footprints increases obviously in low-waveform-similarity footprints, especially in weak orbit footprints. When the waveform matching effect is measured using the threshold of the waveform similarity coefficient, the waveform matching method can significantly improve up to 32% of the temporal GEDI footprint datasets from a poor matching effect to a good matching effect. In the improvement of the ratio of individual footprint waveform similarity, the mean value of the training set and test set is about two thirds, but the variance in the test set is large. Our study first quantifies the geolocation error of the newest version of GEDI footprints (Version 2). Future research should focus on the improvement of the detail of the waveform matching method and the combination of the terrain matching method with GEDI waveform LiDAR.
Simulation and Performance Evaluation of Laser Heterodyne Spectrometer Based on CO2 Absorption Cell
Authors: Xia Tengteng , Liu Jiqiao , Liu Zheng , Yue Fangxin , Yang Fu , Zhu Xiaopeng , Chen Weibiao
Published: January 2023

The laser heterodyne radiometer (LHR) has the advantages of miniaturization, low cost, and high spectral-resolution as a ground-verification instrument for satellite observation of atmospheric trace-gas concentration. To verify the accuracy of LHR measurements, a new performance evaluation method is presented here, based on an ASE source and a CO2 absorption cell in the laboratory. Preliminary simulation analysis based on the system parameters of LHR is carried out for the performance analysis and data processing of this new combined test system. According to the simulation results, at wavelength deviation of fewer than 30 MHz, the retrieval error, which increases with bandwidth, can obtain an accuracy of 1 ppm within the bandwidth range of the photodetector (1.2 GHz) when this instrument line shape (ILS) is calibrated. Meanwhile, when the filter bandwidth is less than 200 MHz, the maximum error without ILS correction does not exceed 0.07 ppm. Moreover, with an ideal 60 MHz bandpass filter without ILS correction, LHR’s signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) should be greater than 20 to achieve retrieval results of less than 1 ppm. When the SNR is 100, the retrieval error is 0.206 and 0.265 ppm, corresponding to whether the system uncertainties (temperature and pressure) are considered. Considering all the error terms, the retrieval error (geometrically added) is 0.528 ppm at a spectral resolution of 0.004 cm−1, which meets the measurement accuracy requirement of 1 ppm. In the experiment, the retrieval and analysis of the heterodyne signals are performed for different XCO2 with [400 ppm, 420 ppm] in the absorption cell. Experimental results match well with the simulation, and confirm the accuracy of LHR with an error of less than 1 ppm with an SNR of 100. The LHR will be used to measure atmospheric-CO2 column concentrations in the future, and could be effective validation instruments on the ground for spaceborne CO2-sounding sensors.
Visual Behaviours of Expert Padel Athletes When Playing on Court: An In Situ Approach with a Portable Eye Tracker
Authors: Espino Palma Carlos , Luis del Campo Vicente , Muñoz Marín Diego
Published: January 2023

Eye-tracking research has allowed the characterisation of gaze behaviours in some racket sports (e.g., tennis, badminton), both in controlled laboratory settings and in real-world scenarios. However, there are no studies about visual patterns displayed by athletes in padel. Method: The aim of this exploratory case study was to address the visual behaviours of eight young expert padel athletes when playing match games on a padel court. Specifically, their gaze behaviours were examined with an in situ approach while returned trays/smashes, serves, and volleys were performed by their counterparts. Gaze patterns were registered with an SMI Eye Tracking Glasses 2 Wireless. Results: The participants’ gaze was mainly focused on the ball-flight trajectory and on the upper body of the opponents because they were the two visual locations with a larger number of fixations and longer fixation time. No differences were found in these variables for each type of visual location when the three return situations were compared, or independently of them. Conclusions: Padel players displayed a similar gaze behaviour during different representative return situations. This visual pattern was characterised by fixating at the ball and some opponents’ upper kinematics (head, shoulders, trunk, and the region of arm–hand–racket) to perform real interceptive actions while playing against them on a padel court.
Shape Memory Alloys in Textile Platform: Smart Textile-Composite Actuator and Its Application to Soft Grippers
Authors: Shin Jin , Han Ye-Ji , Lee Ju-Hee , Han Min-Woo
Published: January 2023

In recent years, many researchers have aimed to construct robotic soft grippers that can handle fragile or unusually shaped objects without causing damage. This study proposes a smart textile-composite actuator and its application to a soft robotic gripper. An active fiber and an inactive fiber are combined together using knitting techniques to manufacture a textile actuator. The active fiber is a shape memory alloy (SMA) that is wire-wrapped with conventional fibers, and the inactive fiber is a knitting yarn. A knitted textile structure is flexible, with an excellent structure retention ability and high compliance, which is suitable for developing soft grippers. A driving source of the actuator is the SMA wire, which deforms under heating due to the shape memory effect. Through experiments, the course-to-wale ratio, the number of bundling SMA wires, and the driving current value needed to achieve the maximum deformation of the actuator were investigated. Three actuators were stitched together to make up each finger of the gripper, and layer placement research was completed to find the fingers’ suitable bending angle for object grasping. Finally, the gripping performance was evaluated through a test of grasping various object shapes, which demonstrated that the gripper could successfully lift flat/spherical/uniquely shaped objects.
Socioconnectomics: Connectomics Should Be Extended to Societies to Better Understand Evolutionary Processes
Authors: Sueur Cédric
Published: January 2023

Connectomics, which is the network study of connectomes or maps of the nervous system of an organism, should be applied and expanded to human and animal societies, resulting in the birth of the domain of socioconnectomics compared to neuroconnectomics. This new network study framework would open up new perspectives in evolutionary biology and add new elements to theories, such as the social and cultural brain hypotheses. Answering questions about network topology, specialization, and their connections with functionality at one level (i.e., neural or societal) may help in understanding the evolutionary trajectories of these patterns at the other level. Expanding connectomics to societies should be done in comparison and combination with multilevel network studies and the possibility of multiorganization selection processes. The study of neuroconnectomes and socioconnectomes in animals, from simpler to more advanced ones, could lead to a better understanding of social network evolution and the feedback between social complexity and brain complexity.
Development and Validation of a Bioanalytical Method for the Quantification of Nitrated Fatty Acids in Plasma Using LC-MS/MS: Application to Cardiovascular Patients
Authors: Herz Magy , Gad Mohamed , Hanafi Rasha
Published: January 2023

Nitrated fatty acids (NO2-FAs) are a newly discovered class of biologically active compounds with distinct biochemical features that induce physiologically beneficial alterations in transcriptional regulatory protein function, leading to a variety of modulatory and protective actions. The most common NO2-FAs identified in vivo so far are nitro oleic acid (NO2-OA), nitro linoleic acid (NO2-LA) and its structural isomer nitro-conjugated linoleic acid (NO2-cLA). Analytical limitations that compromise accurate quantitation of these endogenous compounds are their low concentrations, compromised stability and different distribution profiles in tissues and biofluids. As a result, reliable analytical methods for the quantitative determination of their endogenous levels are rare. Only NO2-OA was quantified by GC-MS while LC-MS methods are still scarce. In this work, an LC-MS/MS bioanalytical method was developed and validated for the quantification of NO2-OA and NO2-LA in human plasma via a standard addition protocol after protein precipitation, liquid extraction and LC-MS/MS analysis in the negative ion mode. Quantification was performed via multiple reaction monitoring of the transitions m/z 326 > 46 and m/z 324 > 46 for NO2-OA and NO2-LA, respectively, and m/z 269 > 250 for the internal standard heptadecanoic acid. Linear responses were observed for both analytes over the studied range (R2 = 0.9805 and 0.9644 for NO2-OA and NO2-LA, respectively). Sufficient accuracy and precision were also achieved at low, medium and high levels within the linearity range. The limits of quantification of our method (2 nM for both NO2-FAs) were below basal endogenous levels, thereby providing a good tool to accurately measure these NO2-FAs in plasma. We applied the validated method to compare NO2-OA and NO2-LA levels in the plasma of 28 ischemic heart disease (IHD) patients and 18 healthy controls. The levels of NO2-OA were found to be significantly higher in the plasma of patients (21.7 ± 9.8 nM) versus healthy controls (12.6 ± 6 nM) (p-value < 0.01). Whereas the levels of NO2-LA were comparable in both groups (3 ± 1 nM in patients, 3.2 ± 1.7 nM in controls, p-value = 0.87288). The early elevation of NO2-OA in plasma samples, which were collected 2–3 h post myocardial injury, implies the potential use of NO2-OA levels as a biomarker for IHD after further investigation with a larger number of IHD patients. To our knowledge, this is the first comparative study on the levels of NO2-FAs in humans with and without IHD.
Volatile and Non-Volatile Content Determination and Biological Activity Evaluation of Fresh Humulus lupulus L. (cv. Chinook) Leaves and Inflorescences
Authors: Vitalini Sara , Di Martile Marta , Cicaloni Vittoria , Iannone Matteo , Salvini Laura , Del Bufalo Donatella , Iriti Marcello , Garzoli Stefania
Published: January 2023

In this work, the fresh leaves and inflorescences of Humulus lupulus L. cv. Chinook hops were investigated in order to describe their chemical composition and evaluate their biological activities. The analyses were carried out first on fresh untreated samples and then on pulverized ones using the SPME-GC-MS technique. In total, forty-two molecules belonging to different chemical classes were identified, and among these, twenty-three were terpene compounds. In order to carry out the activity assays, the powders were subjected to extraction with two different solvents (methanol and distilled water) by stirring and subsequent sonication at room temperature. To chemically characterize the extracts, the methanolic ones were analyzed by direct injection into the GC-MS apparatus, while the aqueous ones were analyzed by DI-SPME-GC-MS. In addition, with the aim to obtain information on the non-volatile content of the methanolic extracts, they were also subjected to derivatization, and the silylated derivatives were analyzed by GC-MS. The antioxidant activity was then evaluated by means of DPPH and ABTS assays after the determination of the total content of polyphenols and flavonoids. The greatest effects were observed on the methanolic extracts rather than on the aqueous ones. Furthermore, a preliminary study on the cytotoxic power of the methanolic extracts was also conducted on three different human cancer cell lines, such as non-small cell lung cancer (H1299), melanoma (A375) and breast cancer (MCF7). The obtained results showed that the two extracts induced a marginal effect on reducing breast tumor, melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer cell proliferation.
Analysis of Location and Spatial Distribution of Elderly Women Victims of Gender Violence
Authors: Ferrás Carlos , Ginzo Villamayor María José , García Yolanda
Published: January 2023

Little is known about abuse and violence against elderly women, as well as prevention and intervention strategies. We present the results of an investigation that has as its objective the elaboration of the Location Map of elderly women victims of gender violence, analyzing their territorial distribution in the specific case of the Autonomous Community of Galicia, Spain, and its relationship with environmental, social, and territorial variables. The results of our research on the location and distribution of the rates of elderly women victims of gender violence show its direct relationship with low demographic density, aging, and dependency, which is associated with disabled people. The mapping resulting can facilitate the territorial planning of social and health services aimed at elderly women in rural areas. The interquartile classification makes it possible to delimit areas of intervention at a spatial level, differentiating those municipalities with the highest and lowest prevalence.
Oat Straw Mulching Reduces Interril Erosion and Nutrient Losses Caused by Runoff in a Newly Planted Peach Orchard
Authors: Suzuki Luis Eduardo Akiyoshi Sanches , Amaral Rodrigo de Lima do , Almeida William Roger da Silva , Ramos Mariana Fernandes , Nunes Márcio Renato
Published: January 2023

Soil erosion is one of the major problems in the agricultural areas in the world, and straw mulching is a conservation practice that may reduce soil runoff. How much straw mulching is necessary to reduce soil runoff? The objectives of this study were to quantify and characterize the runoff under different levels of oat straw mulching, as well as to analyze the cost of soil erosion. An experiment was performed in a site with the soil recently tilled for peach orchard implementation. In the ridges in the row of the peach orchard, plots were placed in order to quantify soil and nutrient losses by surface runoff due to interril erosion on the dates 23 August 2015 and 13 March 2016, considering the treatments were composed of different amounts of oat straw mulching (0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 Mg ha−1). The results showed that the use of oat straw mulching decreased soil runoff, especially the doses ≥2 Mg ha−1, and the cost to replace the available nutrients P, K, Ca and Mg via mineral fertilizer varies from US$ 75.4 (no mulching) to US$ 2.70 per hectare (8 Mg ha−1 oat straw mulching).
Building Information Modelling Strategies in Sustainable Housing Construction Projects in Malaysia
Authors: Rahim Nur Syafika Artika , Ismail Syuhaida , Subramaniam Chitdrakantan , Abdullah Habib Siti Nora Haryati , Durdyev Serdar
Published: January 2023

Building Information Modelling (BIM) plays a very significant role in the construction industry, especially in project management decision-making and data integration efforts during the preliminary planning and design stage. This is aligned with the National Construction Policy (NCP 2030) by the Ministry of Work Malaysia, highlighting that it is timely for the construction industry players to move towards sustainability. BIM must be implemented to ensure the smooth delivery of sustainable housing construction projects in Malaysia due to its critical role in assisting in construction cost optimisation, green building implementation, minimising environmental impact, and waste reduction. However, the BIM implementation rate in Malaysia is still minimal due to the challenges in its execution. Therefore, this paper is aimed to propose BIM’s critical strategies in the development of Malaysian sustainable housing construction projects as envisaged in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). A thorough systematic literature review and questionnaire survey of fifty (50) BIM players in housing construction projects in Malaysia shows that from sixteen (16) BIM strategies, three (3) items are identified as critically important strategies, whereas another five (5) items are identified as important strategies. The outcome of the study shall benefit the construction industry players who are involved in the sustainable housing construction project and mainly drives the Public Work Department (PWD) BIM Strategic Plan 2021–2025, thus supporting the earlier mentioned NCP 2030 agenda by the Ministry of Work Malaysia.
Composting of Municipal Solid Waste Using Earthworms and Ligno-Cellulolytic Microbial Consortia for Reclamation of the Degraded Sodic Soils and Harnessing Their Productivity Potential
Authors: Singh Yash Pal , Arora Sanjay , Mishra Vinay K. , Singh Arjun
Published: January 2023

The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) and the reclamation of degraded sodic soils are two serious environmental and socio-economic problems experienced by the developing nations. To overcome these problems, a technology has been developed for the composting of MSW using earthworm and ligno-cellulolytic microbial consortia and its utilization for the sustainable reclamation of degraded sodic soils, as well as for harnessing their productivity potential. To standardize on-farm composting under aerobic conditions, the field experiment consisted of seven treatment combinations, replicated thrice with municipal solid waste (MSW) sole and in combination with agricultural wastes (AW) treated with earthworms (Eisenia foetida) and consortia of lingo-cellulolytic microbes such as Aspergillus spp., Trichoderma spp. and Bacillus spp. It was conducted at ICAR-CSSRI, Research farm, Shivri, Lucknow, India. The results revealed that the thermophilic phase was achieved at 60 days of composting and thereafter the temperature decreased. Marked changes in pH and EC were found and they changed from acidic to neutral. The reduction in total C, from initial to maturity, varied from 4.45 to 14.14% and the increase in total P and total K from 4.88 to 88.10% and 12.00 to 35.71%, respectively. The nutrient-rich quality compost based on the lowest C: N ratio, highest nutrient contents, microbial population (bacteria and fungi) and enzymatic activities was obtained from a mix of MSW and AW, enriched with earthworms and consortia of lingo-cellulolytic microbes. The efficacy of this enriched compost was evaluated for the reclamation of sodic soils and their potential for sustaining productivity of the rice-wheat cropping system was harnessed through combined application with a reduced dose of gypsum. The results indicated that the application of on-farm compost @10 t ha−1 in conjunction with a reduced quantity of gypsum (25% GR) significantly (p < 0.05) improved the physico-chemical and microbial soil properties, and enhanced productivity of the rice-wheat cropping system over the use of only gypsum. This study proved that on-farm compost of MSW and its utilization for the reclamation of degraded sodic soils can be an alternate solution for useful disposal and management of MSW, thereby improving the health and productivity of sodic soils.
Sustainable Trade Promotions in Case of Negative Demand Disruption in E-Commerce
Authors: Bigdellou Saeide , Aslani Shirin , Modarres Mohammad
Published: January 2023

In this research, we examine the impact of a negative demand disruption on trade promotions strategy, where suppliers offer discounted prices to online supply chain retailers. To analyze the various factors that affect trade promotion strategies, we develop a Stackelberg game model to determine the optimal pricing for both manufacturers and retailers, as well as the optimal order quantity of the retailers. Our findings indicate that through an appropriate sustainable trade promotion policy, the profit of the supply chain’s members can be increased in different scenarios, including various product disposal costs and the time of product delivery. In addition to the trade promotion policies, we consider a new strategy where the manufacturer assists the retailer by paying some part of the delivery cost. Then, we compare these strategies to determine which approach leads to the highest profit for the manufacturer, retailer, and integrated supply chain under the different intensities of negative demand disruption.
The Role of Business Environment and Digital Government in Mitigating Supply Chain Vulnerability—Evidence from the COVID-19 Shock
Authors: Liu Huimin , Shi Yupeng , Yang Xuze , Zhang Wentao
Published: January 2023

In recent years, the continuous spread of the COVID-19 epidemic has impacted the supply chain of enterprises. Mitigating the supply chain’s vulnerability has great significance for the survival and development of enterprises. Optimizing the business environment and building a digital government will help improve the external environment for enterprise development. However, its impact on the vulnerability of the enterprise supply chain has yet to be studied. Taking the impact of COVID-19 as an example, this paper uses the survey data of nearly 40,000 enterprises of the National Federation of Industry and Commerce in 2020 and “10,000 private enterprises evaluating the business environment”, to conduct systematic empirical research and fill the research gap in this area. The study indicates that the business environment and digital government can significantly mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the supply chain. This conclusion is still valid after a series of robustness tests. Mechanism analysis demonstrates that the business environment and digital government can prompt the government to introduce effective mitigation measures promptly, better guarantee production factors and logistics, and thus improve the vulnerability of the enterprise supply chain. This study deepens our understanding of the economic outcome of the business environment and digital government and also sheds new light on supply chain management.
The Urban Sustainability of the Egyptian Capital
Authors: Nasr Ahmed Mohammed , Bayoumi Bakr Hashem , Yousef Wael Mohammed
Published: January 2023

In the last decade, the urban management of the Egyptian capital adopted a comprehensive vision for its urban development sectors. Sustainability indicator results issued by a number of international institutions showed that the Egyptian capital’s ranking dropped after applying this vision. This proves that the capital has deviated from the path for which the vision was created. This research aims to build a general framework that supports achieving urban sustainability in the Egyptian capital, periodically assessing its urban policy, and assisting urban decision makers in correcting the course of their policies if necessary. This framework can be built by reviewing the legacy of urban development policies of the Egyptian capital and determine the urban issues the capital is still facing. This framework is also built by studying international practices of cities whose development plans were likewise based on setting a framework that enabled them to assess the success rate of the urban strategies adopted in achieving urban sustainability. From this, we can form the elements of a general framework for achieving urban sustainability of the Egyptian capital. This research identifies these elements as a group of issues, indicators, criteria, principles, and pillars. These elements observe the local context of the Egyptian capital. The selected issues are fitting to the Egyptian capital and its observance of its international responsibilities. These issues are determined by identifying a group of indicators and principles adopted by international institutions and authorities in assessing cities’ progress towards achieving urban sustainability. The results of this research demonstrate how cities work on building their developmental plans, with an approach based on the exchange of knowledge pertaining to the results of different practices, as well as the principles and indicators endorsed by international institutions and authorities, ensures the achievement of urban sustainability.
Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health
Authors: Khangura Ravjit , Ferris David , Wagg Cameron , Bowyer Jamie
Published: January 2023

Conventional farming practices can lead to soil degradation and a decline in productivity. Regenerative agriculture (RA) is purported by advocates as a solution to these issues that focuses on soil health and carbon sequestration. The fundamental principles of RA are to keep the soil covered, minimise soil disturbance, preserve living roots in the soil year round, increase species diversity, integrate livestock, and limit or eliminate the use of synthetic compounds (such as herbicides and fertilisers). The overall objectives are to rejuvenate the soil and land and provide environmental, economic, and social benefits to the wider community. Despite the purported benefits of RA, a vast majority of growers are reluctant to adopt these practices due to a lack of empirical evidence on the claimed benefits and profitability. We examined the reported benefits and mechanisms associated with RA against available scientific data. The literature suggests that agricultural practices such as minimum tillage, residue retention, and cover cropping can improve soil carbon, crop yield, and soil health in certain climatic zones and soil types. Excessive use of synthetic chemicals can lead to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Combining livestock with cropping and agroforestry in the same landscape can increase soil carbon and provide several co-benefits. However, the benefits of RA practices can vary among different agroecosystems and may not necessarily be applicable across multiple agroecological regions. Our recommendation is to implement rigorous long-term farming system trials to compare conventional and RA practices in order to build knowledge on the benefits and mechanisms associated with RA on regional scales. This will provide growers and policy-makers with an evidence base from which to make informed decisions about adopting RA practices to realise their social and economic benefits and achieve resilience against climate change.
Does Government Purchasing Science and Technology Public Service Promote Regional S&T Innovation Ability? Evidence from China
Authors: Zhu Dongdan , Zhang Yuting , Lu Zhengnan
Published: January 2023

During the development of scientific and technological innovation, the importance of Government Purchasing Public Services (GPPS) in the field of science and technology (S&T) has become increasingly prominent. To investigate the relationship between Government Purchasing Science and Technology Public Services (GPSTPS) and regional S&T innovation ability, this paper first constructs a PMC index model to estimate GPSTPS objectively. Then, the spatial econometric model is adopted to explore the impact of GPSTPS policy on the regional S&T innovation ability based on the provincial panel data from 2008 to 2017 in China. Results show that: (1) Regional S&T innovation ability has a significant spatial positive correlation in geographical space from 2008 to 2017. (2) From the overall perspective, the GPSTPS policy does not play a role in improving the regional S&T innovation ability. (3) From the perspective of subregions, there are differences in the impact of GPSTPS on the regional S&T innovation ability between the eastern, central and western regions of China. (4) From the perspective of spatial spillover effect, the policy of GPSTPS has a positive spatial spillover effect on the improvement of regional S&T innovation ability in the eastern region, while the effect is not obvious in central and western regions.
Research on the Role of Minority Shareholders in State-Owned Enterprises Based on Big Data
Authors: Guo Chuanzi , Gao Minghua , Li Junyi
Published: January 2023

The era of big data has changed the traditional data science based on mathematical statistics, and promoted the innovation of data analysis methods. This paper takes China state-holding holding enterprises as the research object, uses game theory as the method, uses top management team (TMT) knowledge hiding degree as the background to construct a minority shareholder governance information database, and discusses the feasibility of using minority shareholders’ active governance to break through and increase earnings management costs. The findings indicate, firstly, by optimizing enterprise information disclosure and reducing TMT knowledge hiding, the cost of minority shareholders’ participation in governance can be reduced and the enthusiasm of minority shareholders’ participation in governance can be promoted. Secondly, the presence of minority shareholders actively engaged in corporate governance can discourage two kinds of earnings management practices of managers in China state-holding enterprises. Finally, for the companies with weak state-holding and unannounced dividend policy, the active governance of minority shareholders has a more prominent restraining effect on the two types of earnings management. With an eye on strengthening the corporate micro-governance mechanism, this paper provides guidance for minority shareholders to strengthen their participation in the governance of China’s state-holding enterprises.
Relationship between Personal Traits and Sustainable Competence Development among Librarians in Relation to Value-Added Library Services in a Networked World: A Systematic Literature Review from 2002 to 2022
Authors: Shahzad Khurram , Khan Shakeel Ahmad , Latif Mujahid , Iqbal Abid
Published: January 2023

The objectives of the study were to identify the relationship between the personal traits and sustainable competence development of library professionals, explore trending practices for the development of the personal and professional competencies of librarians, and find out the challenges affecting the development of modern skills in librarians. The authors applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines as a research methodology. Thirty-five peer-reviewed articles were selected to conduct the systematic literature review. The results revealed that there is a strong positive correlation between personal traits and the professional development of librarians. The trending practices for the development of personal and professional skills included expert use of IT, continuous training sessions, teamwork, usage of social media forums, and a customer-oriented approach. The results also showed that old curricula, leadership problems, economic issues, and lack of personal interest were barriers to the development of modern skills in librarians relating to the implementation of value-added services in the networked world. The study contributes theoretically by adding valuable knowledge to the existing literature. It outlines practical implications to help devise strategies for capacity building among librarians related to the implementation of user-centered services in libraries.
Digital Finance and Corporate Cash-Holding Strategy: Organizational Heterogeneity and Strategic Transmission Channels
Authors: Qu Xiaojie , Zhu Bao
Published: January 2023

This study examined the impact of digital finance on corporate cash holdings and the influence of organizational structure and corporate strategy, using the example of A-share-listed companies in China from 2011 to 2018. The results showed that digital finance significantly reduced the level of cash holdings of listed companies; compared with Group Holding Company Limited, the impact of digital finance on the cash holdings of independent enterprises was more pronounced; and digital finance reduced the degree of strategic radicalization of listed companies, then reduced the level of cash holdings of listed companies. The reliability of the empirical results was validated using the dynamic panel model, instrumental variable analysis, and other sensitivity tests. The findings of the study have implications for the guidance of digital finance development and dynamic adjustment of corporate cash holdings.
Sustainable Environment to Prevent Burnout and Attrition in Project Management
Authors: Govindaras Baskaran , Wern Tuan Sau , Kaur Sharangeet , Haslin Idris Akmal , Ramasamy R Kanesaraj
Published: January 2023

Project teams often fight to find a balance between the triple restrictions of money, scope, and schedule to deliver excellent products or services. The dual goal of realising benefits and satisfying the needs of stakeholders drives this conflict. It is possible that the climate and pace of the project will not be able to keep up with the increased demand for the deliverables, which will lead to burnout among project members and possibly attrition for the team. In this work, we analyse the factors that lead to project settings that are not sustainable and provide solutions to address the problem. The reading of 28 pieces of literature relating to project management in the information technology (IT), construction, energy, and health sectors is required to accomplish this goal. The results of the review are tabulated and mapped to the process groups and knowledge areas outlined in the 6th edition of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). This is done based on the Project Management Institute (PMI). According to the findings, increasing focus on the Project Resource Management knowledge area, which interacts with the Planning and Executing process groups, is necessary for the development of an environment that is environmentally sustainable. Plan resource management, develop teams, and manage teams are three processes that are included in these categories and fall under the category of being particularly significant. The next most important area of expertise is project communication management, which is followed by project schedule management.
Obstacle Avoidance Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with Motor Loss-of-Effectiveness Fault Based on Improved Artificial Potential Field
Authors: Zhao Yibo , Hao Li-Ying , Wu Zhi-Jie
Published: January 2023

This paper presents an obstacle avoidance control strategy for an underactuated quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle with motor loss-of-effectiveness fault and disturbance. The control system is divided into two parts: the obstacle avoidance loop and the tracking loop. By introducing the height factor in the artificial potential field function, an improved obstacle avoidance strategy is designed in the obstacle avoidance loop. Compared with the existing literature, the proposed obstacle avoidance strategy can avoid falling into the trap of the local optimum when a UAV encounters obstacles. At the same time, considering the sudden motor loss-of-effectiveness fault of UAV, adaptive technology is used to estimate the fault parameters online to restrain the effects of motor loss-of-effectiveness fault in the tracking loop. The stability of the closed-loop UAV system is guaranteed by stabilizing each of the subsystems through backstepping technology. Simulations are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the designed obstacle avoidance control strategy.
Using a Modified DANP-mV Model to Explore the Improvement Strategy for Sustainable Development of Rural Tourism
Authors: Huang Jin-Chun , Wang Jian , Nong Qiang , Xu Jin-Fei
Published: January 2023

Over the span of three decades, the development of rural tourism has substantially improved rural economies and the lives of rural residents; however, it has also negatively affected societies, cultures, and environments, which is not conducive to sustainable development. Motivated by the aim of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, the balanced development of economic, social, cultural, and environmental factors in rural tourism can only be achieved by analyzing the current problems of rural tourism on the basis of an overall system. Therefore, this study developed an overall evaluation system for analyzing the sustainable development of rural tourism. This system contains an indicator framework for sustainable development of rural tourism and an analytical mechanism for an improvement strategy constructed using a modified DANP-mV model. In this study, the evaluation system was applied to the empirical case study of Yudong Village in China. The empirical case study results show that social sustainable development (D2) is not the first priority for improvement, although it exhibits the largest gap. Instead, environmental sustainable development (D4), which exhibits a smaller gap, should receive higher priority for improvement because it is the root cause of social sustainable development (D2). The overall improvement strategy for Yudong Village should follow this path: environmental sustainable development (D4) → social sustainable development (D2) → economic sustainable development (D1) → cultural sustainable development (D3). In addition to demonstrating the effectiveness of the rural tourism sustainable development evaluation system, the empirical case study also demonstrated that the system is capable of identifying the root causes of rural-tourism-related sustainability problems and contributing to the formulation of improvement strategies.
Use of Machine Learning Techniques in Soil Classification
Authors: Aydın Yaren , Işıkdağ Ümit , Bekdaş Gebrail , Nigdeli Sinan Melih , Geem Zong Woo
Published: January 2023

In the design of reliable structures, the soil classification process is the first step, which involves costly and time-consuming work including laboratory tests. Machine learning (ML), which has wide use in many scientific fields, can be utilized for facilitating soil classification. This study aims to provide a concrete example of the use of ML for soil classification. The dataset of the study comprises 805 soil samples based on the soil drillings of the new Gayrettepe–Istanbul Airport metro line construction. The dataset has both missing data and class imbalance. In the data preprocessing stage, first, data imputation techniques were applied to deal with the missing data. Two different imputation techniques were tested, and finally, the data were imputed with the KNN imputer. Later, a balance was achieved with the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE). After the preprocessing, a series of ML algorithms were tested with 10-fold cross-validation. Unlike the studies conducted in previous research, new gradient-boosting methods such as XGBoost, LightGBM, and CatBoost were tested, high classification accuracy rates of up to +90% were observed, and a significant improvement in the accuracy of prediction (when compared with previous research) was achieved.
Energy Consumption and Environmental Quality in Africa: Does Energy Efficiency Make Any Difference?
Authors: Jinapor John A. , Suleman Shafic , Cromwell Richard Stephens
Published: January 2023

In line with the quest by policymakers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions towards Agenda 2050 and environmental sustainability, this study examines whether in the remit of Sustainable Development Goal 7, energy efficiency plays a significant role in mitigating environmental concerns associated with energy consumption. We do this by drawing macro-data on 20 sub−Saharan African countries for the period 2000–2020. Evidence based on the dynamic Generalize Method of Moments estimator shows that although overall, energy consumption triggers remarkable environmental setbacks, renewable energy consumption shows a favourable environmental effect. The results further show that energy efficiency is both directly and indirectly effective for reducing environmental pollution. Notably, the study finds that energy efficiency interacts with energy consumption to yield marked greenhouse gas emission reductions measured against carbon and nitrous emissions. In particular, we find that while renewable energy is significant for propelling Africa towards environmental sustainability, non-renewable energy shows a harmful effect. We provide policy recommendations based on the finding that investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy provide solutions to maintaining environmental sustainability. African countries should strive to include renewable energy in their energy mix and improve investments in line with SDG7 and Aspiration 1.7 of Africa’s Agenda 2063.
The Strategic Environmental Assessment as a “Front-Line” Tool to Mediate Regional Sustainable Development Strategies into Spatial Planning: A Practice-Based Analysis
Authors: Frigione Barbara Maria , Pezzagno Michele
Published: January 2023

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations calls upon all signatory countries to localize its goals through National and Regional Sustainable Development Strategies (SDS). As in Italy the SDS constitute the framework of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of Plans and Programmes (P/P), the question arises as to whether the SEA can represent a fundamental tool for SDS. Although the mutual relationship between 2030 Agenda goals and SEA is recognized in the literature, there is a lack of focus on SDS and SEA. The SEA monitoring system is an essential instrument to redirect P/P trajectories, although it represents a constant weakness of the SEA process. Opening a discussion about the relationship between SDS and SEA, the present contribution aims at assessing SEA monitoring potential in mediating the 2030 Agenda SDS’s objectives into P/P. To this end, the study delves into the SEA monitoring structure through a qualitative and comparative approach, the feasibility of which is illustrated by an application to a set of spatial plans. Results show both good potential and the criticalities of the SEA monitoring system, which allow us to outline practical inputs to update SEA monitoring guidelines and new paths to foster the mutual relationship between the SDS and SEA.
Corporate Environmental Compliance in China: From Social Responsibility to Soft Law
Authors: Chen Rongxin , He Xiaobin , Shirani Bidabadi Farnaz
Published: January 2023

The environmental compliance of Chinese corporations is promoted in two main dimensions. On the one hand, based on external pressure from the legal system surrounding national environmental protection, corporations need to adjust their production and operations to comply with environmental law requirements. On the other hand, environmental compliance is based on the consensus of the whole society in regards to environmental protection. The members of corporations, due to their awakening to the idea of environmental protection, independently achieve the goal of environmental protection through ecological operation. The latter is mainly developed from the perspective of corporate social responsibility. However, environmental protection compliance based on corporate social responsibility faces problems, such as conflicts between multiple values, the misalignment of compliance subjects, and the lack of binding force. In fact, the perception, participation, and implementation of environmental protections by employees, communities, and other stakeholders has a significant impact on corporate environmental compliance. Soft law can bring together corporate employees and other stakeholders for the ethical consensus on environmental protection and achieve the purpose of environmental compliance.
Development and Characterization of Eco-Efficient Ultra-High Durability Concrete
Authors: Robalo Keila , Costa Hugo , Carmo Ricardo , Júlio Eduardo
Published: January 2023

Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) is characterized by having an ultra-compact matrix resulting in ultra-high mechanical properties, low permeability to water and gases, and improved ductility provided by the addition of fibers. The production of structures with this type of concrete is advantageous in some situations, especially in aggressive environments since it significantly increases durability. However, high dosages of Portland cement and silica fume are commonly adopted, increasing not only the cost but also the environmental impact, jeopardizing its use, mainly in the present context where the sustainability of the construction sector is a global priority. In this sense, improving the eco-efficiency of this type of concrete is mandatory. The objective of this work is to develop eco-ultra-high-durability concrete (eco-UHDC). The UHDC matrix was optimized, focusing mainly on durability and looking for the lowest environmental impact, where several parameters were varied: cement replacement ratio, additions in binder matrix and its relative proportions, water/binder ratio, type of fibers, and its proportion. The developed eco-UHDC was characterized both in fresh and hardened states, in terms of mechanical properties, time-dependent properties, and durability. This last topic includes the characterization of durability parameters under laboratory conditions and in a real environment, namely, in the tidal zone of the coast of Cape Verde. The results of resistance to carbonation and chloride penetration were used to predict the service life of structures produced with these eco-UHDC. The optimization of the UHDC matrix allowed the development of mixtures with only 60% of cement in relation to the total amount of powder of the matrix, maintaining good workability and the desired mechanical characteristics (compressive strength higher than 100 MPa and flexural strength higher than 12 MPa). The results also showed that considering only the requirements related to durability, the cover of structures produced with these optimized mixtures can be lower than the values recommended by Eurocode 2, with differences that can reach 55%, mainly when pozzolan of Cape Verde is used as partial replacement of Portland cement.
Digital Financial Inclusion: COVID-19 Impacts and Opportunities
Authors: Dluhopolskyi Oleksandr , Pakhnenko Olena , Lyeonov Serhiy , Semenog Andrii , Artyukhova Nadiia , Cholewa-Wiktor Marta , Jastrzębski Winczysław
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the acceleration of digitization and the consideration of digital financial inclusion as a means to minimize negative economic consequences and increase the resilience of households and SMEs. The purpose of this article was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital financial inclusion by constructing and calculating an integral index of digital financial inclusion (DFI) based on Global Findex Database indicators. The approach to calculating the DFI index and two sub-indices that characterized passive participation in financial relations and active use of digital technologies was based on a linear mathematical model of the integrated indicator and on the use of the Fishburn formula to calculate the weight coefficients. The obtained results proved the acceleration of digital financial inclusion in 2021 and revealed significant differences in DFI between countries and groups of countries according to income level as well as problems of financial exclusion of the most vulnerable groups of population, especially in developing countries. The obtained results regarding the level of DFI are discussed from the point of view of COVID-19 impacts: both directly by influencing consumer behavior and decisions regarding digital financial services and from a broader perspective by influencing business entities, financial service providers, and regulation.