bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Two-Stage Methodological Approach for Storage Technology Selection: An Engineering–FAHP–WASPAS Approach
Authors: Pavlov Nikola , Đurdjević Dragan , Andrejić Milan
Published: August 2023

Storage technology selection is a very important design decision that greatly affects the future performance of a warehouse; for example, it greatly affects its costs. In making this decision, the designer is faced with a complex issue. It is necessary to select the appropriate option from a wider set of available technologies, taking into account numerous influencing factors. In design practice, solving this problem is primarily based on the experience of designers and the recommendations of manufacturers of these technologies. In the academic literature, this problem has not been properly posed and solved, so there are no papers that comprehensively address this complex design problem. The main goal of this paper is to fill that gap. The presented approach consists of two basic stages. In the first stage, starting from the definition of the project task, potential technologies are generated and critical factors are considered, in order to arrive at a set of acceptable technologies. In the second stage, these technologies are ranked, and a basis for decision making is created. This stage is based on multi-criteria decision making: the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) method is used to determine the weights of the criteria, and the Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) method is used to obtain the rankings. The application of the defined approach is tested on real assignments (distribution warehouse, production warehouse, and holding warehouse) and is proven to be applicable to solving these types of problems. The results obtained for the three tested examples prove the suitability of the application of the proposed approach in terms of the aspects of both the quality of the solution and the speed of obtaining it. Considering the practical application of the suggested and filling the recognized literature gap, evident contributions are achieved.
Attaining Sustainable Development Goals through Financial Inclusion: Exploring Collaborative Approaches to Fintech Adoption in Developing Economies
Authors: Danladi Sagir , Prasad M. S. V. , Modibbo Umar Muhammad , Ahmadi Seyedeh Asra , Ghasemi Peiman
Published: August 2023

This study proposes a multi-stakeholder framework to enhance fintech use in Africa, aiming to improve financial inclusion and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This article analyzes past research and frameworks built to help stakeholders in developing nations adopt fintech, some of which have been tested in African states with limited success. The study recommends prioritizing national ownership, creating an enabling environment for private sector investment, partnering with multilateral development banks and other stakeholders, fostering innovation and digital literacy, and focusing on cost-effective, non-government-guaranteed financing. In accordance with the G20’s High-Level Principles for Digital Financial Inclusion, a country-specific strategy can boost financial technology and digital financial services uptake in Africa. Each government may build a legislative climate that supports innovation and competition, strengthens its digital infrastructure, increases digital literacy and awareness, and collaborates with private sector stakeholders to extend financial inclusion. Partnerships with businesses, international organizations, and other nations can help The Better Than Cash Alliance (TBTCA) promote fintech adoption. Countries can use fintech companies to build and implement national digital payment infrastructure by joining the Alliance. Finally, the mSTAR program advises cooperating with USAID to promote marginalized people, incorporate digital financial services, increase public–private engagement, and educate and train policymakers, practitioners, and technologists. These ideas can help African governments adopt fintech products faster and enhance financial inclusion.
Selective Mechanisms of WO3 Catalyzing CO2 Desorption and Inhibiting NH3 Escape
Authors: Chu Fengming , Liu Xi , Gao Qianhong , Zhong Longchun , Xiao Guozhen , Wang Qianlin
Published: August 2023

The high regeneration energy consumption and ammonia escape in the ammonia regeneration process are regarded as the main barriers for the commercial application of CO2 capture technology based on ammonia solutions. Metal oxides can enhance the CO2 desorption process and inhibit the ammonia escape at the same time, which can reduce the energy consumption of CO2 capture systems. Both ammonium carbamate (NH2COONH4) and ammonium bicarbonate (NH4HCO3) are examined as the rich ammonia solution. The results show that when the concentration of tungsten trioxide (WO3) was 0.1 mol/L, the CO2 desorption efficiency could be promoted by 18.8% and the ammonia escape efficiency could be reduced about 14%. The mechanism by which WO3 increased the CO2 desorption process was clarified by XRD analysis as the production of ammonium tungstate. In addition, the other nine metal oxides exert no catalytic influence on the regeneration process.
Landscape Evolution and Its Driving Forces in the Rapidly Urbanized Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, a Case Study in Zhuhai City, South China
Authors: Liu Miaomiao , Chen Guishan , Li Guanhua , Huang Yingyu , Luo Kaiwei , Zhan Changfa
Published: August 2023

Over the past four decades, urban expansions driven by rapid economic development and climate change have exerted profound impacts on land-use dynamics in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. However, our understanding of the interplay of different urban landscape patterns in this rapid urbanization zone remains limited. This study examines remote sensing data from 1999, 2009, and 2019 to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of the urbanization impact on landscape patterns, as well as driving forces, in Zhuhai City, in the western part of the Great Bay. The findings reveal that land-use changes in Zhuhai City are primarily characterized by the conversion of cultivated land and water areas into construction land and forest land, particularly in the western part of the city. These changes may result from rapid urbanization, leading to increased fragmentation and spatial aggregation of landscape patterns. Landscape pattern changes in Zhuhai City were related to both socio-economic development and natural environment change. The urbanization has promoted the agricultural transformation with a loss of cultivated land and water areas. Additionally, this study suggests that the coordination of land use along with the protection and construction of the ecological environment is urgently needed to achieve sustainable development in the region.
Comparative Analysis of Three Near-Surface Air Temperature Reanalysis Datasets in Inner Mongolia Region
Authors: Xu Yanqin , Han Shuai , Shi Chunxiang , Tao Rui , Zhang Jiaojiao , Zhang Yu , Wang Zheng
Published: August 2023

Near-surface air temperature is important for climate change, agriculture, animal husbandry, and ecosystems undergoing climate warming in Inner Mongolia. Land surface reanalysis products feature finer spatial and temporal resolutions, that can provide important data support for the determination of crop growth limits, grassland biomass growth, and desertification research in Inner Mongolia. In this study, 119 in situ observed sites were collected to compare and evaluate the performance of near-surface air temperature in three reanalysis products from 2018 to 2020 in Inner Mongolia. The three reanalysis products included three widely used products derived from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Fifth Generation Land Surface Reanalysis (ERA5-Land), and U.S. Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), as well as the latest reanalysis product from the High-Resolution Land Data Assimilation System reanalysis product by the China Meteorological Administration (HRCLDAS). Results are as follows: (1) The three reanalysis temperature products all reasonably reflect the characteristics of spatial and temporal changes in surface temperature in Inner Mongolia. Compared with ERA5L and GLDAS, HRCLDAS is more consistent with the observed results. (2) For the evaluation period, HRCLDAS has a certain underestimation of temperature, while ERA5-Land and GLDAS have a significant overestimation of temperature. (3) During high-temperature processes, HRCLDAS is more accurate in simulating higher temperatures than ERA5-LNAD and can demonstrate the changes in high-temperature drop zones. The major conclusion of this study is that the HRCLDAS product demonstrates a relatively high reliability, which is of great significance for the study of climate, ecosystem, and sustainable development.
Hydrogen-Based Direct Reduction of Iron Oxides: A Review on the Influence of Impurities
Authors: Zakeri Ali , Coley Kenneth S. , Tafaghodi Leili
Published: August 2023

Greenhouse gas emissions are the primary root cause of anthropogenic climate change. The heterogeneity of industrial operations and the use of carbonaceous fossil fuels as raw materials makes it challenging to find effective solutions for reducing these emissions. The iron and steel industry is responsible for approximately 35% of all industrial CO2 emissions. This value is equivalent to 7–9% of the global CO2 emissions from all sectors. Using hydrogen (H2) as the alternative reducing agent has the potential for a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. Despite decades of research on H2-based reduction reactions, the reaction kinetics are still not well understood. One of the key influencing parameters on reduction kinetics is the effects of impurities in the iron ore, which needs to be unraveled for a better understanding of the reduction mechanisms. The present review paper aims to explore the single and combined effects of common impurities on the reduction behavior as well as the structural evolution of iron oxides.
Reducing CO2 Emissions and Improving Water Resource Circularity by Optimizing Energy Efficiency in Buildings
Authors: Romano Giada , Baiani Serena , Mancini Francesco , Tucci Fabrizio
Published: August 2023

Climate neutrality by 2050 is a priority objective and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increasing energy efficiency, and improving the circularity processes of resources are the imperatives of regulatory and economic instruments. Starting from the central themes of the mitigation of the causes of climate change and the interdependence represented by the water–energy nexus, this research focuses, through the application of the principles of the circular and green economy, on deep energy zero-emission renovation through the improvement of circularity processes of water resources in their integration with energetic ones on the optimization of their management within urban districts, to measure their capacity to contribute towards reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions during water use and distribution in buildings. After defining the key strategies and the replicable intervention solutions for the circularity of water resources, the investigation focuses on the definition of the research and calculation method set up to define, in parallel, the water consumption of an urban district and the energy consumption necessary to satisfy water requirements and CO2 emissions. Starting from the application of the calculation method in an existing urban district in Rome, 10 indicators of quantities have been developed to define water and energy consumption and their related CO2 emissions, focusing on the obtained results to also define some interventions to reduce water and energy consumption and CO2 emissions in territories that suffer a medium-risk impact from contemporary climatic conditions.
Pore Scale Simulation of Rheology Properties on Residence Time of Polymer Hydrogel and Hydraulic Conductivity of Bentonite Polymer Composite Geosynthetic Clay Liners
Authors: Li Hao , Zhang Jinbang , Hou Juan
Published: August 2023

Flow in an idealized bentonite polymer composite geosynthetic clay liner (BPC-GCL) containing bentonite comprising two idealized circular granules was simulated using a COMSOL hydrodynamic model. The effect of the polymer rheology properties, including viscosity, surface tension, and contact angle, on the hydraulic conductivity of BPC-GCLs was investigated. The results showed that the hydraulic conductivity of BPC-GCLs significantly decreased by 2–4 orders of magnitude with polymer loadings of 3.3%, 6.5%, and 9.8% compared to conventional geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs). The polymer rheology properties are critical to the residence time and the hydraulic conductivity of BPC-GCLs. The residence time increases with the viscosity, surface tension, and contact angle of polymer hydrogel. In the overall study, the hydraulic conductivities increased significantly from 2.80 × 10−9 m/s to 1.40 × 10−7 m/s when the residence time was insufficient. When the viscosity of the polymer hydrogel is 5000 Pa∙s, 1 × 104 Pa∙s, and 1 × 105 Pa∙s, the residence time of the polymer hydrogel in the domain of BPC-GCLs is 14 min, 23 min, and 169 min, respectively. When the surface tension of the polymer hydrogel is 0 N/m, 0.01 N/m, and 0.02 N/m, the residence time of the polymer hydrogel in the domain of BPC-GCLs is 9 min, 17 min, and 23 min, respectively. When the contact angle between the polymer hydrogel and the NaB granules is 30° to 60°, the residence time of the polymer hydrogel in the domain of BPC-GCLs is 9 min and 33 min. These few minutes can approximate the actual passage of several days in physical time. When the viscosity, the surface tension, and the contact angle are higher than 1 × 106 Pa∙s, 0.03 N/m, and 60°, the residence time of the polymer hydrogel in the domain of BPC-GCLs tends to be very long, which means that a very low hydraulic conductivity of BPC-GCLs can be maintained in the very long term. This research unveils a nuanced and profound correlation between the rheological properties of the polymer hydrogel and the resulting hydraulic conductivity. This discovery enhances the understanding of the potential to tailor hydrogel characteristics for BPC-GCLs. The advanced model developed in this study also lays the groundwork for constructing a more realistic model that considers irregular geometries, interconnected pores, and diverse polymer distributions within the pore spaces.
Digital Economy, Industrial Structure, and Regional Trade Dependence: Mechanism Analysis Based on Chinese City Data
Authors: Luo Qi , Zhang Dantong , Wang Hao
Published: August 2023

This paper aims to study the intricate interplay among the digital economy, industrial structure, and the degree of dependence on foreign trade. We utilize panel data from 284 prefecture-level cities in China spanning from 2011 to 2019 to comprehensively evaluate the level of digital economy development and investigate its influence on regional trade dependence. Additionally, we explore the role played by the industrial structure in the mechanism analysis. Our findings reveal that the digital economy significantly reduces regional trade dependence, while industrial structure upgrading notably enhances regional trade dependence. Moreover, the industrial structure upgrading weakens the influence of the digital economy on regional trade dependence, but such impact varies across regions as the impact of digital economy on foreign trade dependence is more pronounced in inland areas. This paper also facilitates the exploration of how the digital economy empowers domestic economic growth.
The Impact of Knowledge Hiding on Entrepreneurial Orientation: The Mediating Role of Factual Autonomy
Authors: Bratianu Constantin , Mocanu Rares , Stanescu Dan Florin , Bejinaru Ruxandra
Published: August 2023

Knowledge plays a pivotal role as a strategic asset for organizations that aim to improve and sustain competitive advantage. Despite the implementation of knowledge management systems to promote knowledge sharing, many employees exhibit knowledge-hiding behavior, deliberately withholding crucial information in the workplace. In this context, the current study aims to investigate the impact of knowledge-hiding behavior on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) within organizations. Specifically, we seek to explore how knowledge hiding influences employees’ inclination towards entrepreneurial behaviors such as innovation, risk-taking, and proactiveness. By examining the potential negative effects of knowledge hiding on entrepreneurial behaviors, we aim to identify barriers to innovation and risk taking in organizations. Furthermore, we examine the mediating role of factual autonomy in the relationship between knowledge hiding and entrepreneurial orientation. Understanding the mediating role of factual autonomy can provide valuable insights into the mechanisms through which knowledge hiding impacts entrepreneurial behavior. Additionally, we aimed to investigate the impact of knowledge hiding on organizational-level outcomes, specifically entrepreneurial orientation, and job autonomy. To investigate this phenomenon, we conducted a cross-sectional multilevel study involving 214 employees from 16 different companies in the Romanian business sector, including telecom, banking, retail, services, and IT&C. Our findings reveal that knowledge hiding has a significant impact on job autonomy and entrepreneurial orientation. The proposed model accounted for 45.9% of the variance in entrepreneurial orientation and 37.7% of the variance in job autonomy. These results have important implications for both theory and practice, highlighting the need for further exploration into how knowledge hiding impacts different aspects of organizational work design. The present examination serves as a valuable research platform for understanding the multidimensional irregularities within organizations and highlights the importance of addressing knowledge hiding behavior to foster a culture of innovation and risk-taking in organizations.
How Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Promotes Part-Time Entrepreneurial Behavior: The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Resources
Authors: Sun Jun , Zhao Ying , Wu Suchun , Zhou Yang
Published: August 2023

With the convergence of China’s “entrepreneurial society” and the “digital age,” part-time entrepreneurial behavior (PEB) has received widespread attention as a new form of labor relations and entrepreneurial paths. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) is an important indicator of entrepreneurs’ confidence in their skills and in coping with uncertain entrepreneurial challenges. However, studies on how ESE affects different types of PEB have not been thoroughly carried out. To fill the existing research gap, the primary objective of this paper is to thoroughly investigate the individual impact of three key factors, namely organizational management self-efficacy (OMSE), opportunity development self-efficacy (ODSE), and risk-taking self-efficacy (RTSE), on economic profit-driven part-time entrepreneurial behavior (EPEB) and self-value-driven part-time entrepreneurial behavior (SPEB), respectively. Based on the “cognition-environment-behavior” logic of triadic reciprocal determinism, this study also aims to examine the moderating effect of entrepreneurial resources (ERs) and attempt to understand how external factors regulate internal factors (OMSE, ODSE, and RTSE) to form the results of EPEB and SPEB. This study adopted a quantitative research approach with a questionnaire survey, taking 457 part-time entrepreneurs in 11 major cities as subjects. The main results show that (1) OMSE and ODSE have a positive effect on EPEB, while RTSE has an inverted U-shaped effect on it; (2) ODSE and RTSE have a positive effect on SPEB, and OMSE has an inverted U-shaped effect on it; and (3) ERs play a positive moderating role in the above processes. The results can not only effectively guide part-time entrepreneurs in PEB but also provide a reference for the government to improve part-time entrepreneurship policies.
Enterprise Digital Management Efficiency under Cloud Computing and Big Data
Authors: Tang Wei , Yang Shuili
Published: August 2023

In recent years, with the rapid development and popularization of information technology, digital management has become an indispensable part of enterprises. Digital management can improve enterprise efficiency, reduce cost, and optimize service, which is an important means for enterprises to realize transformation and upgrading and improve economic benefits. However, there are still many challenges and bottlenecks in the process of digital transformation. The emergence of cloud computing and big data technology also provides new ideas and methods for digital management. For this reason, this paper used cloud computing and big data to optimize the digital management efficiency of enterprises. It used a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model for analysis. The research results show that under the same other conditions, 140 people agreed and 160 people disagreed with the efficiency of enterprise digital management before optimization. There was no difference between the two. A total of 270 people agreed with the optimized digital management efficiency of the enterprise, while only 30 people disagreed. The significant increase in the number of people who agreed indicated that employees had a very high level of recognition for the efficiency of optimized digital management of the enterprise. These technologies have improved the efficiency of enterprise digital management and provided more practical, operable, and sustainable digital transformation solutions for enterprises.
Global Research Landscape of Climate Change, Vulnerability, and Islands
Authors: Zulhaimi Nurul Ain , Pereira Joy Jacqueline , Muhamad Nurfashareena
Published: August 2023

Climate change has increased the vulnerability of many communities and ecosystems, including those on islands. This study evaluates the patterns of scientific publication and visualises network connections between countries and keywords by presenting four sets of bibliometric analyses of publications related to “climate change and vulnerability”, “climate change and island”, “vulnerability and island”, and “vulnerability, climate change, and island”, as obtained from the Scopus database. Based on the combinations of keywords in the article, the study retrieved 1768 documents for “climate change and vulnerability”, 501 documents for “climate change and island”, 270 documents for “vulnerability and island”, and 37 documents for “vulnerability, climate change, and island” for further analysis using various tools. Microsoft Excel was used to conduct the frequency analysis, and Harzing’s Publish or Perish and VOSviewer were used for the citation metrics analysis and data visualisation, respectively. The results are reported using standard bibliometric indicators, such as the annual growth of publications, publications by subject, prolific authors, most active institutions, active journals, highly cited articles, co-authorship by countries, and co-occurrence keyword analysis. The findings revealed that there has been continuous growth in the number of publications on all four research topics since the first publication, and the main subject found on Scopus for all topics in Environmental Science. For “climate change and vulnerability”, the most productive author is James D. Ford, and the most active journal is Climatic Change. The most-cited document has received 3243 citations. Meanwhile, for “climate change and islands”, the most productive author and most active journals are Patrick D. Nunn and Regional Environmental Change, respectively, while the most cited document has received 285 citations. Subsequently, the most productive authors for “vulnerability and island” and “climate change, vulnerability, and island” received 627 citations and 154 citations, respectively. The country with the most links and highest total link strength was the United States of America, according to co-occurrence analysis between countries. Current themes are discussed, and future possible research is suggested based on the clustering of the keywords. Among the clusters that emerged from the network visualisations are those focused on the ecosystem, adaptation, water resources, human and health risk assessments, coastal vulnerability and management, and agricultural and resource management. This study will benefit policymakers, researchers, environmental practitioners, and the public because it provides a comprehensive overview of existing research, potential research directions, and the current state of knowledge on the topic, allowing a better understanding of the research landscape.
Factors Affecting Landowners’ Willingness to Sustain Hiring Foreign Farmworkers: The Case of Banana Producers in Mersin Province, Turkey
Authors: Bulut Osman Doğan , Karaman Süleyman , Çelik Kaysim Zeynep , Karadağ Gürsoy Ayşe
Published: August 2023

Turkey is a country with a migration route throughout history and has provided protection to more refugees than any other country. But, the secure deportation of refugees is stated by government officials. This research aims to determine the socio-economic characteristics of landowners who hire foreign farmworkers and the factors affecting their willingness to employ foreign farmworkers. In order to meet the objective, a survey study based on face-to-face interviews was conducted with 200 landowners producing bananas and employing foreign farmworkers in Mersin. The level of willingness to hire foreign farmworkers was calculated, and the ordinal logistic regression (OLR) model was executed to determine affective factors. According to the results, the landowners’ average age was 40.5 years, and their agricultural experience was 11.07 years, with 47% of them having a primary school degree. A total of 50% of the landowner farmers had a high willingness level, 29.5% had a medium willingness level, and 20.5% had a low willingness level. As for OLR, the factors of land size, continuity status of farmworkers, and the reasons to hire foreign farmworkers were significant (p < 0.05). Contrary to the general opinion, which is that the reason for the willingness to hire foreign farmworkers is to use them as a cheap labor force, this research found that the reason with the greatest impact is that landowner farmers have difficulty in finding local farmworkers. The shortage of agricultural labor has been filled with foreign farmworkers in Mersin province. Every foreign farmworker may be registered with one or more agricultural holdings so that the deportation of refugees does not cause a labor supply problem in agriculture; also, citizens seeking employment from other regions of Turkey may be supported to be farmworkers in regions with labor shortages. In order to avoid supply security problems in agricultural production, policymakers should urgently develop policies based on field data.
Drivers of Scale and Sustainability of Food Safety Interventions in Informal Markets: Lessons from the Tanzanian Dairy Sector
Authors: Kinyua Charity , Thebe Vusilizwe
Published: August 2023

Food safety is critical but poorly addressed in African countries. A food safety training and certification intervention piloted in Kenya, India, Tanzania, and Nigeria was scaled and sustained in India but not the African countries. There is limited knowledge about how contextual factors facilitated or limited the scale and sustainability of the intervention in African countries. This research analysed the reach and contextual drivers of scale and sustainability of the intervention in Tanzania’s informal dairy sector four years post-implementation to draw lessons around the scale and sustainability of such interventions in African contexts. We utilized a convergence mixed method study design. We compiled data using document review, surveys with dairy traders, and key informant interviews with key dairy stakeholders. The intervention reach was limited. Critical incentives for traders and intervention implementers to engage with the intervention were lacking due to the absence of government commitment to support the intervention through policy. The traders and intervention implementers also lacked adequate capacities, compromising intervention delivery. For the intervention to achieve scale and sustainability in Tanzania and similar contexts, governments must be committed to food safety and provide enabling policy environments. The interventions must also consider the capacities of the beneficiaries and implementers.
A Comparative Study of China’s Carbon Neutrality Policy and International Research Keywords under the Background of Decarbonization Plans in China
Authors: Gao Jie , Zhang Wu , Yang Chunbaixue , Wang Qun , Yuan Rui , Wang Rui , Zhang Limiao , Li Zhijian , Luo Xiaoli
Published: August 2023

The impacts of climate change have become a series of important issues in global public health and environmental governance. As a major developing country with carbon emissions, China has actively participated in global climate and public health governance. The international academic research by Chinese scholars on carbon neutrality has gradually shifted from focusing on technological development to focusing on sustainability, green development, a decarbonization plan, public health and environmental governance. This study uses bibliometrics, scientometrics, and policy documents quantification to carry out a comparative study, comparing the keywords of China’s national “carbon neutrality” policies from 2006 to 2021 with the keywords of international research by Chinese scholars, and analyzes the evolution of the academic and political concerns and development measures of China’s carbon neutrality. It is found that in the stages of preliminary development and steady growth, China’s carbon neutrality research and policy portfolio grew in an orderly manner, and the influence of policy and the promotion of academic research gradually strengthened. After 2020, with the outbreak of the COVID-19, national policies and carbon neutrality research began to focus on green development and public health issues, and the intersections of policy keywords and academic keywords increased. Overall, the focus of Chinese scholars on carbon neutrality research and policy is gradually approaching and integrating, and the degree of interaction and integration between academia and politics is increasing. Under the complex situation of China’s decarbonization plans, climate changes, COVID-19, and international political and economic changes, China’s policy design and development model are conducive to public health, green development, and innovation transformation, and building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Discrete Choice Experiment Consideration: A Framework for Mining Community Consultation with Case Studies
Authors: Que Sisi , Huang Yu , Awuah-Offei Kwame , Wang Liang , Liu Songlin
Published: August 2023

Local community acceptance, a key indicator of the socio-political risk of a project, is addressed through good stakeholder (community) engagement. Discrete choice modeling (DCM) enhances stakeholder analysis and has been widely applied to encourage community engagement in energy projects. However, very little detail is provided on how researchers design discrete choice experiments (DCEs). DCE design is the key step for effective and efficient data collection. Without this, the discrete choice model may not be meaningful and may be misleading in the local community engagement effort. This paper presents a framework for mining community engagement DCE design in an attempt to determine (1) how to identify the optimum number of factors and (2) how to design and validate the DCE design. Case studies for designing discrete choice experiments for community acceptance of mining projects are applied to accommodate these two objectives. The results indicate that the four-factor design, which seeks to reduce cognitive burden and costs, is the optimal choice. A survey was used to examine the difficulty of the survey questions and the clarity of the instructions for the designs. It has, therefore, been proven that the DCM design is of reasonable cognitive burden. The results of this study will contribute to a better design of choice experiments (surveys) for discrete choice modeling, leading to better policies for sustainable energy resource development.
Positive Experience Design Strategies for IoT Products to Improve User Sustainable Well-Being
Authors: Xu Huayuan , Wei Wei , Wu Chunmao , Pan Younghwan
Published: August 2023

Although the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology has benefited the progress of social life, the relentless pursuit of technological advancement cannot definitely lead to a sustainable increase in customer pleasure and happiness. During the design phase, happiness is often overlooked. Therefore, the objectives of this study are as follows: (1) to provide a comprehensive overview of the importance of sustainable happiness for the IoT product design and to propose 15 positive experience design strategies that can improve user happiness; and (2) to apply the 15 design strategies to the IoT product design practice and validate whether they can effectively guide the designers’ work. The research procedure consisted of four steps. First, qualitative data for developing the design strategies was collected through bibliometrics and expert interviews. Second, the propositions of the design strategies were reviewed, analyzed, and constructed using the qualitative research software program NVivo 20. Third, two researchers categorized the 15 strategy concepts into the four directions of positive experience design approaches for the IoT products. Fourth, we conducted a two-week design workshop to validate the feasibility of the design strategies. The results indicate that the 15 design strategies can effectively guide designers to create ideas that prioritize user well-being and allow for creative exploration in various directions. This paper enriches the IoT product design methodology, which can enhance the users’ sustainable pleasure, future goal achievement fulfillment, and social relationship well-being in the IoT era.
The Effects of Spill Pressure on the Migration and Remediation of Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids in Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Aquifers
Authors: Cheng Zhou , Lu Guoping , Wu Ming , Hao Yanru , Mo Cehui , Li Qusheng , Wu Jianfeng , Wu Jichun , Hu Bill X.
Published: August 2023

The spill pressure of the contaminant source is an important factor affecting the amount, location, form, and behavior of the dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) that plume in a contaminated subsurface environment. In this study, perchloroethylene (PCE) infiltration, distribution and, remediation via a surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation (SEAR) technique for a PCE spill event are simulated to evaluate the effects of the spill pressure of the contaminant source on the DNAPLs’ behavior in two-dimensional homogeneous and heterogeneous aquifers. Five scenarios with different spill pressures of contamination sources are considered to perform the simulations. The results indicate that the spill pressure of the contaminant source has an obvious influence on the distribution of DNAPLs and the associated efficiency of remediation in homogeneous and heterogeneous aquifers. As the spill pressure increases, more and more contaminants come into the aquifer and the spread range of contamination becomes wider and wider. Simultaneously, the remediation efficiency of contamination also decreases from 93.49% to 65.90% as the spill pressure increases from 33.0 kPa to 41.0 kPa for a heterogeneous aquifer with 200 realizations. The simulation results in both homogeneous and heterogeneous aquifers show the same influence of the spill pressure of the contaminant source on PCE behaviors in the two-dimensional model. This study indicates that the consideration of the spill pressure of the contaminant sources (such as underground petrol tanks, underground oil storage, underground pipeline, and landfill leakage) is essential for the disposal of contaminant leakage in the subsurface environment. Otherwise, it is impossible to accurately predict the migration and distribution of DNAPLs and determine the efficient scheme for the removal of contaminant spills in groundwater systems.
When the Sugar Runs Out: Transitioning Agricultural Systems and Their Effect on Dietary Diversity in Yaguajay, Central Cuba
Authors: Ramenzoni Victoria Constanza , Vázquez Sánchez Vanessa , Valdés Massó Diana , Rangel Rivero Armando , Borroto Escuela Daily Yanetsy , Hoffman Daniel J.
Published: August 2023

The past years have shown the widespread vulnerability of agro-food systems and rural diets to external perturbations such as wars, climate events, and pandemics. Experiencing numerous obstacles, Cuba constitutes an example of success in the transition to agroecological sustainability models. This article characterizes how processes of agricultural change, local development, and industrial degrowth have impacted food availability and dietary diversity among rural livelihoods in the municipality of Yaguajay, Sancti Spíritus, for the past forty years (1980s–2020s). It integrates findings from focus groups, repeated nutritional surveys, and interviews carried out between 2016 and 2022 among residents of the towns of Yaguajay and La Picadora. The goal is to identify effects and response strategies within agro-food systems of rural populations. Distinguishing between periods of abundance and shortage, our findings show two counterpoints: intensive sugar monocrop cultivation, which resulted in high dietary variety; and economic crises in the 1990s and during the last period of the pandemic, which have led to significant dietary adjustments. The article concludes by underscoring the importance of comprehensive assessments of dietary strategies to elicit what agroecological transitions mean for local realities and of the value of food consumption and small-holder production experiences to understand the limits to sustainable transformations.
Sustainable Water Management: Understanding the Socioeconomic and Cultural Dimensions
Authors: Santos Eleonora , Carvalho Milena , Martins Susana
Published: August 2023

With the pressing challenges of water scarcity and pollution, achieving sustainable water management is imperative for promoting long-term development. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the socio-economic and cultural factors that shape the sustainability of water management strategies in Brazil and Portugal. This study highlights various factors that influence water management, including robust legal frameworks, socio-economic disparities, cultural practices, agricultural water usage, knowledge sharing, public participation, climate change resilience, water scarcity risks, industrial water consumption, and urbanization. By conducting a SWOT analysis of water management strategies, this research synthesizes information through an extensive literature review, encompassing the legal frameworks, policies, and implemented strategies in both countries. Additionally, it investigates comparative studies among Brazil, Portugal, and other European nations to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences in water management practices. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with water management strategies in Brazil and Portugal, thereby guiding the development of tailored policies and strategies that foster sustainability in water resource management. Additionally, the research highlights the role of digital transformation in optimizing water management practices. By integrating socio-economic, cultural, and digital factors, this study contributes to effective and sustainable water management in Brazil and Portugal, ensuring responsible utilization and preservation of water resources.
A Study on Ecological Emergy and Carbon-Emissions-Coupling Sustainability of Building Systems
Authors: Wang Hechi , Yan Zerong , Zhang Junxue , Wang Hongying , Yan Zhaoyi , Chen Xinxin , He Xinyi , Ge Jianwei , Zhou Qi
Published: August 2023

In the face of the increasingly deteriorating global environment, the sustainability of building systems has become a major research topic. This paper presents sustainability research on large-scale building cases from the perspectives of ecological emergy value and carbon emissions. Specifically, by calculating the emergy value and carbon emissions throughout the entire life cycle of the building system, a quantitative analysis of sustainability based on the LCA–emergy–carbon-emissions framework is completed. The results indicate that from the perspectives of both emergy value (over 80%) and carbon emissions (over 90%), the operational stage and the building-material-production stage are the controlling factors. Retrofit design strategies help enhance the sustainability performance of the building system, but different types of design strategies have different effects. The landscape-transformation-design strategy (strategy A) significantly improves the ecological sustainability of the building system, the equipment-improvement strategy (strategy B) helps reduce the carbon emissions of the building system, while the infrastructure-renewal strategy not only has a weaker impact on sustainability improvement but also generates the highest carbon emissions. Additionally, with the aim of controlling carbon emissions, the integration of solar clean energy sources contributes to the overall sustainability of the building system, providing references for architects and building managers.
Assessment of Sustainable Supply Capability of Chinese Tin Resources Based on the Entropy Weight-TOPSIS Model
Authors: Fan Xiaolei , Li Hao , Yu Qinfei , Xu Jianming , Li Meng
Published: August 2023

This study focuses on the issue of supply security in Chinese tin resources, conducting a comprehensive analysis encompassing supply security, demand conditions, market risk, and geopolitical stability. The study employs the AHP-Entropy Weight method to calculate the comprehensive weights of various indicators, revealing the sustainable supply capability of the resources and the challenges they confront. The research unveils that the domestic supply potential and the international commercial extraction environment are pivotal influences on the sustainable supply capability of tin resources. Firstly, since 2010, China has started to import net tin ores and concentrates, leading to a substantial increase in external dependency. However, China’s tin resource reserves have gradually decreased, posing challenges to the stability of the tin resource supply. Secondly, the stability of supply countries and the security of import channels critically affect the stability of the tin resource supply chain. A comprehensive analysis of the outcomes indicates a consistent decline in China’s sustainable tin resource supply capability since 2010, primarily due to the deterioration of resource supply conditions, growth in demand, and the escalation of geopolitical risks. Thus, the evolving foreign extraction environment, domestic resource supply potential, and the alteration in the global tin resource extraction landscape require significant attention.
Multidisciplinary Evaluation of Vulnerabilities: Communities in Northern Mexico
Authors: Valderrey Francisco , Carreño Lina , Lucatello Simone , Giorgi Emanuele
Published: August 2023

This article takes a holistic view of vulnerabilities within several communities in northern Mexico. The authors use a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection methods to capture different dimensions of vulnerability. Using the multidimensional vulnerability framework (MVI), they analyze socioeconomic indicators, including poverty rates, income inequality, access to essential services, and economic well-being in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Environmental factors such as water scarcity, pollution levels, and natural resource degradation are also included to understand the ecological challenges those communities face, and political factors, including governance structures and policies, determine their influence on vulnerability and resilience. The result indicates that the community prioritizes ecological indicators over social ones. However, in each community this is heterogeneous. In both cases, the ecological and social indicators selected allow for a multidisciplinary approach to vulnerability. By identifying and understanding these issues, policy makers, researchers, and community leaders can work collaboratively to design strategies to mitigate the impacts of these vulnerabilities. In addition, architects and urban planners can offer specific interventions to benefit these communities. This research contributes to the broader field of vulnerability studies by demonstrating the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and addressing the complex web of vulnerability faced by communities in northern Mexico and territories that share similar characteristics.
MAT-WGCN: Traffic Speed Prediction Using Multi-Head Attention Mechanism and Weighted Adjacency Matrix
Authors: Tian Xiaoping , Du Lei , Zhang Xiaoyan , Wu Song
Published: August 2023

Traffic prediction is important in applications such as traffic management, route planning, and traffic flow optimization. Traffic speed prediction is an important part of traffic forecasting, which has always been a challenging problem due to the complexity and dynamics of traffic systems. In order to predict traffic speed more accurately, we propose a traffic speed prediction model based on a multi-head attention mechanism and weighted adjacency matrix: MAT-WGCN. MAT-WGCN first uses GCN to extract the road spatial features in the weighted adjacency matrix, and it uses GRU to extract the correlation between speed and time from the original features. Then, the spatial features extracted by GCN and the temporal features extracted by GRU are fused, and a multi-head attention mechanism is introduced to integrate spatiotemporal features, collect and summarize spatiotemporal road information, and realize traffic speed prediction. In this study, the prediction performance of MAT-WGCN was tested on two real datasets, EXPY-TKY and METR-LA, and compared with the performance of traditional methods such as HA and SVR that do not combine spatial features, as well as T-GCN, A3T-GCN, and newer methods such as GCN and NA-DGRU that combine spatial features. The experimental results demonstrate that MAT-WGCN can capture the temporal and spatial characteristics of road conditions, thus enabling accurate traffic speed predictions. Furthermore, the incorporation of a multi-head attention mechanism significantly enhances the robustness of our model.
The Impact of Air Pollution on Labor Supply in China
Authors: Fan Mingxuan , Grainger Corbett
Published: August 2023

A growing body of literature demonstrates that air pollution has negative impacts on human health, cognitive ability, and labor productivity, but little is known about the effect of chronic air pollution on labor supply decisions. We use restricted-access individual-level panel data from the China Family Panel Survey (CFPS), paired with sub-district level remote-sensing estimates of air pollution, to evaluate the impact of chronic exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on an individual’s hours worked. We exploit within-individual changes in air pollution, and fixed effects estimates indicate that an increase of 1 μg/m3 in PM2.5 reduces an individual’s average hours worked by about 14 min per week. We then leverage the city-level roll-out of air pollution monitoring and information provision to test hypotheses about the underlying mechanisms. We show that individuals with poor health respond to changes in PM2.5 the most. For individuals who are environmentally unaware, this effect is mostly through an impact of pollution on health, while individuals who are environmentally aware engage in avoidance behavior. Finally, the roll-out of monitoring and information provision at the city level plays an important role in raising awareness and individuals’ responsiveness to pollution.