bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tennis Specialization and Consequence of Injury/Illness Following Retirement
Authors: Vasenina Ecaterina , Stout Jeffrey R. , Fukuda David H.
Published: May 2023

(1) Background: There is a lack of literature that examines the impact of early vs. late sport specialization on quality of life after retirement from tennis. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between early specialization in the sport of tennis and health outcomes after retirement from collegiate/professional sport; (2) Methods: Participants were recruited through social media posts, newsletters, and contacts with tennis organizations. Basic demographic and injury information was collected from 157 former tennis players, along with the age of tennis specialization and two questionnaires: the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems (OSTRC), and the CDC HRQOL-14 “Healthy Days Measure” Questionnaire (HRQOL); (3) Results: Significant differences (F1,117 = 5.160, p < 0.025) in the specialization age between the low (11.9 ± 4.5 y) and high (9.8 ± 4.1 y) OSTRC groups were found after covarying for the current age. No difference (F1,72 = 0.676, p < 0.414) was shown among the high (10.9 ± 4.4 y) and low (11.28 ± 4.6 y) HRQOL groups for the specialization age after covarying for the current age. A weak negative correlation was identified between the OSTRC score and specialization age (r = −0.233, p = 0.008), while no significant changes were shown between the specialization age and HRQOL score (r = −0.021, p = 0.857), or between the OSTRC and HRQOL scores (r = 0.146, p = 0.208); (4) Conclusions: Retired tennis players with low injury/illness severity scores specialized in tennis later than those with high injury/illness severity scores, while no differences in the specialization age were noted when the sample was separated into HRQOL groups.
The Sorption Behaviors of Barium during Reinjection of Gas Field Produced Water into Sandstone Reservoir: An Experimental Water-Rock Interaction Study
Authors: Yang Shugang , Liu Shuangxing , Zhang Kunfeng , Cai Mingyu , Chen Changzhao , Zhao Xinglei
Published: May 2023

Identifying the fate of contaminants (such as barium) during gas field produced water reinjection could be a feasible method to evaluate the environmental risks of the reinjection project and thus improve its sustainability. To assess the barium sorption behaviors during gas field produced water reinjected into sandstone reservoirs, a series of water–rock interactions experiments were conducted to systematically investigate the effects of brine/rock ratio (5:1~500:1), pH (3~10), temperature (20, 50 and 80 °C), brine salinity (NaCl solution, 0~100 g/L), competitive cations (Sr and Mg, 0.5 g/L), and organic compound (methanol, 0~5 g/L) on the sorption of barium in sandstone. The rock samples were collected from the Triassic formation of the Yanchang Group in the northern Ordos Basin, China. The results indicated that the sorption of barium in sandstone strongly depends on the brine/rock ratio. Under the same brine/rock ratio, the severity of the impact on the barium sorption from high to low was competitive cation, salinity, pH, temperature, and methanol concentration. The sorption process of barium onto the sandstone could be well fitted by a pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The presence of competitive cations would restrain the sorption of barium, while the existence of methanol hardly affects the barium sorption. The chloro-complexation reaction and the reduction of rock surface electrical potential are mainly responsible for the inhibition effects of NaCl salinity on barium sorption, and the corresponding relationship can be characterized by an exponential function. Barium sorption in sandstone decreases with increasing temperature, while it is positively correlated to the initial pH of the solution. The water-rock system is weakly alkaline with a value of 7.7–8.5 when the barium sorption reaches an equilibrium state, regardless of the initial pH of the reactive solution. The results are meaningful in understanding and predicting the fate of barium after the gas field produced water was reinjected into the underground.
Long-Range Wireless Communication for In-Line Inspection Robot: 2.4 km On-Site Test
Authors: Yavasoglu Huseyin Ayhan , Unal Ilhami , Koksoy Ahmet , Gokce Kursad , Tetik Yusuf Engin
Published: May 2023

This paper presents a study of the feasibility of using in-line inspection (ILI) techniques with long-range communication-capable robotic systems deployed with advanced inspection sensors in natural gas distribution pipelines, which are rare in the literature. The study involved selecting appropriate antennas and determining the appropriate communication frequency for an ILI robot operating on Istanbul 12″ and 16″ steel pipelines. The paper identifies the frequency windows with low losses, presents received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) information for various scenarios, and evaluates the impact of T-junctions, which are known to be the worst components in terms of communication. To utilize the pipeline as a waveguide, low-attenuation-frequency windows were determined, which improved communication by a factor of 500 compared to aerial communication. The results of laboratory tests on a 50 m pipeline and real-world tests on a 2.4 km pipeline indicate that long-distance communication and video transmission are possible at frequencies of around 917 MHz with low-gain antennas. The study also assessed the impact of the early diagnosis of anomalies without incidents on the environment, achievable with ILI robots using long-range wireless communication.
Online Luxury Resale Platforms and Customer Experiences: A Text Mining Analysis of Online Reviews
Authors: Liu Chuanlan , Xia Sibei , Lang Chunmin
Published: May 2023

There are long-standing arguments that challenge the resale business as a circular fashion model. Considering the whole fashion industry and market, luxury resale is still quite small. To scale the industry, it is critical to attract more consumers to embrace fashion resale and circular fashion. However, many of the customers most likely to embrace resale might have already opted into the market, indicating that online or in-store resale businesses are competing for a limited pool of customers. As a result, it is challenging for the industry to scale. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how consumers engage with luxury resale platforms, what value they are looking for, and to what degree resale customers’ desires for fashion clothing and sustainability can be met in a reconciling manner. Such understanding will facilitate luxury resale platforms to grow their customer base and scale up the industry. This exploratory study focuses on understanding online luxury platform customers and their consumption experience to determine what key attributes affect customer value and engagement. The research explores customer experience using a text-mining approach to provide answers to identified research questions: (1) How do online luxury resale platforms provide customer value to buyers and sellers? What are the driving values for consumers to buy or sell pre-owned products? (2) Are there any issues regarding buying and selling pre-owned products using online luxury resale platforms? (3) Does sustainability play a role in individuals’ consumption using online luxury resale platforms? The article discusses the implications of the study, its limitations, and future research directions.
Differential Impacts of Cropland Expansion on Soil Biological Indicators in Two Ecological Zones
Authors: Neina Dora , Agyarko-Mintah Eunice
Published: May 2023

Agricultural expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by different farm ages in smallholder communities. This study investigated changes in microbial indices broadly (i) at the reconnaissance survey level in four agro-ecological zones and (ii) in different farms at the forest (Dompem) and forest–savanna transition (Adansam) zones, as influenced by the duration of cultivation. Soils from one-year (first cultivation of cleared forest/fallow), three-year, five-year, and ten-year farms were analyzed for basic soil properties, active or labile carbon (POXC), basal respiration (BR), microbial biomass (Cmic) using permanganate oxidizable C, alkali trap, and chloroform fumigation incubation. In both study levels, POXC content was <1% of soil organic carbon (SOC) in all zones, higher in the wet agro-ecological zones, and positively correlated with SOC (r = 0.70, 0.81; p < 0.01, p < 0.001). Dompem SOC and BR declined by 1–23% and 6–25% (p < 0.001), respectively, in the first three years; Cmic (p = 0.002) and %Cmic/SOC (p = 0.610) decreased from three-year farms onwards. Conversely, the Adansam SOC, BR, Cmic, and %Cmic/SOC rather had irregular trends. The microbial indices were influenced by exchangeable acidity, the sum of exchangeable bases, and effective cation exchangeable capacity negatively or positively, followed by SOC, pedogenic compounds, particularly dithionite-citrate iron (Fed), oxalate iron (Feox), and lastly, soil pH. Therefore, understanding the degree, direction, and changing aspects of these drivers of soil ecosystem services is necessary for sustainable soil management practices in different agro-ecological zones.
How and When Ethics Lead to Organizational Performance: Evidence from South Asian Firms
Authors: Ahmed Rizwan Raheem , Pahi Munwar Hussain , Nadeem Shahid , Soomro Riaz Hussain , Parmar Vishnu , Nasir Fouzia , Ahmed Faiz
Published: May 2023

The objective of this paper was to examine the influence of determinants of business ethics, for instance, HR management ethics, ethics in corporate governance, and ethics in sales and marketing on organizational performance. The paper also examined mediation of human capital, structural capital and relational capital (dimensions of intellectual capital) in the connection between business ethics and organizational performance. Additionally, this research examined show technological change moderates between business ethics and organizational performance. Researchers collected 474 responses from March 2022 to November 2022 from the information technology sector in various cities in South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, through structured questionnaires. PLS-SEM modeling was used for data analysis; we evaluated the measurement and structural models for this purpose. The research results suggest that ethics in corporate governance, HR management ethics, and ethics in sales and marketing have a notably positive effect on business ethics, leading to a substantial and affirmative impact on organizational performance. The findings also revealed a significant mediating influence of human capital, structural capital, and relational capital between exogenous variables and organizational performance. The findings further suggest that technological change significantly and positively moderates the relationship between business ethics and organizational performance in the high-tech industry. This research offers a novel modified conceptual framework that provides substantial theoretical and managerial implications to research scholars and industry practitioners.
Environmental Variables Related to Aedes aegypti Breeding Spots and the Occurrence of Arbovirus Diseases
Authors: da Silva Adivânia Cardoso , Scalize Paulo Sérgio
Published: May 2023

Outbreaks of dengue fever, Zika and chikungunya are realities that manifest themselves in almost the entire world. These are diseases whose main vector is Aedes aegypti. This is a synanthropic that needs three factors in order to survive: water, food, and shelter, which are available under favorable socio-environmental conditions. The goal of this work was to identify and evaluate the pertinence of environmental variables that can allow the growth of Aedes aegypti breeding spots and the eventual increase of dengue fever, Zika and chikungunya in rural areas. A systematic literature review was conducted by searching for works published in bibliometric databases, and the results were analyzed in qualitative and quantitative forms (statistical analysis). This search found 1007 works, of which 50 were considered pertinent to the subject. Each work was analyzed individually, and 16 distinct variables were found to be relevant and were afterward grouped into three categories: sanitation (SAN), climatology (CLIM) and socio-environmental factors, which are named “integrative” (INT) variables. The use of two or more categories was present in 52% of the works, highlighting the SAN + INT combination. Around 16% of the works have included rural areas, relating the arbovirus diseases in these regions to socio-economic and sanitation conditions. The paper analyses the impact of water characteristics on the growth of the mosquito, as well as on the increase of the three diseases. The monitoring of these 16 variables may allow for better arbovirus disease control and could be integrated into entomological vigilance programs for helping make decision processes concerning the prevention of diseases associated with water.
Developing Design Principles for Sustainability-Oriented Blended Learning in Higher Education
Authors: Versteijlen Marieke , Wals Arjen E. J.
Published: May 2023

Climate change forces higher educational institutions (HEI) to reconsider their traditional ways of teaching and organising education. This implies that they should reduce their impact on the environment and provide sustainability-oriented education. Blended learning (fusion of on-campus and online learning) may provide an appealing solution to achieve both objectives. It may reduce HEI’s climate impact by reducing student travel to and from campus and support the development of students’ sustainability competencies. In this paper, pedagogical design principles and recommendations are developed to design such a sustainability-oriented blended learning configuration. A realist review methodology is used to distil and develop pedagogical principles for blended learning. These principles were mirrored against pedagogical approaches that have been identified as suitable for developing sustainability competencies. This mirroring revealed some overlap but also some notable differences. Common principles include self-regulation, community building, discussion, knowledge management, and collaboration, but some principles identified in sustainability-oriented education are noticeably absent, including self-awareness, orientation towards sustainable change, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The insights guide designing sustainability-oriented blended learning and vice versa can also provide ideas for people working in off-line place-based contexts on sustainability-oriented education, to consider blended options.
The Asymmetric Effects of Extreme Climate Risk Perception on Coal Futures Return Dynamics: Evidence from Nonparametric Causality-In-Quantiles Tests
Authors: Gao Wang , Wei Jiajia , Yang Shixiong
Published: May 2023

This paper uses nonparametric causality-in-quantiles tests to examine the asymmetric effects of climate risk perception (CRP) on the thermal and coking coal futures high-frequency returns and volatilities. The results show that CRP significantly impacts the dynamic high-frequency returns of the coal futures market, with volatility indicators exhibiting asymmetry at different percentiles and being more pronounced in a downward market. The influence of CRP on dynamic coal futures mainly transmits through continuous components, while its impact on coking coal futures primarily transmits through jump parts. Additionally, the positive and negative volatilities of coal futures are asymmetrically affected by CRP. By incorporating the climate risk perception factor, investors can better predict price fluctuations in the coal market. This study provides an important supplement to the theory of pricing climate risks, and it is beneficial for formulating financial policies related to climate risk management and promoting the sustainable development of the coal industry.
Evaluation of Sensory and Physicochemical Characteristics of Vitamin B12 Enriched Whole-Meal Sourdough Bread Fermented with Propionibacterium freudenreichii
Authors: Zhang Yanyu , Momoisea Pafe , Lin Qixin , Liang Jiaqi , Burrow Keegan , Serventi Luca
Published: May 2023

The sustainable production of vegan or vegetarian food rich in vitamin B12 is a challenge. Propionibacterium freudenreichii fermentation has been identified as an effective method for the enhancement of vitamin B12 content in foods. However, limited studies have been conducted on the co-fermentation of P. freudenreichii with other bacteria. This study investigated the co-fermentation of P. freudenreichii with Lactic acid Bacteria (LAB) and its effects on the sensory characteristics of whole-meal sourdough bread (WMSB) in comparison to WMSB produced with LAB alone. The effects of P. freudenreichii co-fermentation on WMSB vitamin B12 content were also evaluated. Results indicated that P. freudenreichii co-fermentation with LAB significantly reduced (p < 0.05) crumb hardness when compared with WMSB produced with only LAB (4532 ± 176 g and 5313 ± 846 g respectively). A significantly higher adhesiveness (p < 0.05) was also observed due to the presence of P. freudenreichii. Triangle testing showed that perceptible differences were observed between the two WMSB types investigated in this study (p < 0.05). Qualitative data from focus group testing indicated that WMSB produced with co-fermentation has a more homogeneous texture. However, improvement in aroma, texture, and taste was possible in both bread types. The co-fermentation of P. freudenreichii with Lactic acid Bacteria (LAB) was successful in producing bread with enriched vitamin B12 levels (ranging from 0.89 to 1.44 µg 100 g−1). Overall, the co-fermentation of P. freudenreichii presents an opportunity to improve the nutritional value of WMSB.
Investigating the Key Factors Influencing the Process Innovation Capability in Organizations: Evidence from the Republic of Serbia
Authors: Žižakov Marina , Vuckovic Teodora , Vulanović Srđan , Dakić Dušanka , Delić Milan
Published: May 2023

Research exploring quality management, knowledge management, and innovations in organizations has received significant attention from academics worldwide, providing different insights. Innovation has been widely seen as an essential organizational performance driver. This study aims to accentuate the importance of quality management and knowledge management and their direct, mediating, and total effect on an organization’s process innovations. The double-reflective second-order construct model was analyzed following the most recent methodology guidelines. Eventually, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the research hypotheses and investigate the relations between the latent factors. The results from 264 Serbian companies that implemented ISO 9001 standard point to quality management’s direct effect on process innovations and knowledge management’s mediating effect on process innovation.
Exploring the Characteristics of Solid Waste Management Policy in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area
Authors: Yang Zhenjie , Huang Canpeng , Liao Fengjie , Lam Fat Iam , Li Lue , Qin Quande , Fan Bi
Published: May 2023

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) plays an important role in China’s development strategy. With recent GDP growth and high population density, solid waste generation has emerged as a significant challenge for the region. This study sought to clarify GBA’s solid waste management policies by constructing a two-dimensional policy analysis framework covering nearly 99 available policy texts. This quantitative method provides an explanatory framework for solid waste management policy in GBA, identifying the main policy objectives and instruments as well as making comparisons. Additionally, given the variations in policy format resulting from regime differences, this paper utilizes a novel approach to encode the documents. The results of the study indicate that both Macao and Hong Kong have made greater progress than Shenzhen in waste management development. While Shenzhen is primarily focused on source control, Macao and Hong Kong have transitioned to the recycling stage, with Hong Kong having a more advanced system. It is recommended that Shenzhen increase its engagement in information sharing, learning, and collaboration with Macao and Hong Kong. Moreover, it is observed that Shenzhen’s waste management approach relies heavily on administrative measures, whereas Macao and Hong Kong have implemented social participation-oriented and economic incentives-oriented policies, respectively. There is also an adaptation deviation between Waste Collection and Treatment Development (WCTD) and the policy instruments used to achieve it in the three cities. It is imperative that the three governments utilize their policy tools in an effective manner and have a rational use of power and the performance of functions. These findings can provide recommendations for promoting inter-city learning and collaboration in the GBA.
The Characteristics of the Financially Vulnerable Groups Impacted by COVID-19 and Other Factors
Authors: Zhao Guoqin , Cheong Tsun Se , Tung Brian , Siu Yam Wing
Published: May 2023

Businesses have been exposed to various challenges during the global pandemic. Unfortunately, the financially vulnerable groups in society are disproportionately affected by such a difficult time. Therefore, it is important for businesses to recognise this when creating new business models for sustainable corporate management. This paper attempts to (1) identify the factors that affect individual financial vulnerability, (2) develop survey items to assess financial vulnerability and its factors and (3) provide the characteristics of financially vulnerable groups by presenting a complete set of descriptive statistics. The results can help to create more inclusive business models that are better equipped to address the challenges ahead. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted with collaboration with an NGO that provides a financial counselling service in Hong Kong. In total, 338 valid responses were collected and the data were used to characterise financially vulnerable groups in terms of (1) change in financial conditions due to COVID-19; (2) exposure to digitised financial services and related push marketing; (3) financial management ability; (4) changes in four financial behaviours and (5) financial vulnerability as measured according to the debt/service ratio. Results show that the respondents have a median debt/service ratio of 0.513, which represents an unsustainable level of debt. Around ¼ of surveyed respondents reported that their debt/service ratio was 1 or even higher, indicating obvious difficulties in meeting financial obligations. A total of 36.7% of the respondents reported worsening financial conditions since the outbreak of COVID-19. The results presented provide a solid empirical set of data that will help future research work to examine and/or develop a heuristic financial vulnerability model that incorporates the key factors leading to it. Businesses can refer to them when creating new business models that are sustainable, able to meet corporate social responsibility goals and can achieve several targets/goals of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
From Modeling to Optimizing Sustainable Public Transport: A New Methodological Approach
Authors: Spengler Lukas , Gößwein Eva , Kranefeld Ingmar , Liebherr Magnus , Kracht Frédéric Etienne , Schramm Dieter , Gennat Marc
Published: May 2023

This paper explores the potential for connected public-transport (PT) mobility as an alternative to motorized private transport (MPT) in medium-sized cities. Despite the high demand for MPT, it occupies a lot of space and contributes to conflicts and reduced livability. The more sustainable mobility solution of PT, however, is often considered slow, unreliable, and uncomfortable. To overcome these issues, the authors investigate the state-of-the-art research of connected PT mobility, including ways to quantify mobility behavior, micro- and macro-simulations of traffic flow, and the potential of not-yet-established modes of transport such as Mobility on Demand (MoD) for last-mile transportation. MoD could reduce the drawbacks of PT and provide sufficient and sustainable mobility to all citizens, including those in rural areas. To achieve this, precise information on individual traffic flows is needed, including origin–destination (OD) relations of all trips per day. The paper outlines a two-step approach involving the expansion of OD relations to include all modes of transport and diurnal variation, followed by microscopic traffic simulations and macroscopic optimization to determine potentials for on-demand offers within inner-city traffic. The paper concludes by calling for critical questioning of the approach to validate and verify its effectiveness.
Definition of the Green Infrastructure Vegetation System: An Approach to the City of Castelo Branco
Authors: Machado Mariana do Rosário
Published: May 2023

This paper analyses the vegetation system as a matter of design and configuration of the urban green infrastructure of Castelo Banco, Portugal, taking into account the current environmental challenges—air quality, biodiversity and the climate crisis. Being one of the components of nature-based solutions, it explores among its multiple functions those of ecological and cultural order. Furthermore, it deals with integrating the knowledge of phytosociological science into the projectual practice of landscape architecture. Specifically, it explores the choice of the most appropriate vegetation system to be used in order to meet the future needs of this city.
Sustainable Enterprise Development in the Manufacturing Sector: Flexible Employment and Innovation in China
Authors: You Chengde , Qiu Huishan , Pi Zhuojie , Yu Mengyuan
Published: May 2023

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the scope and market size of flexible employment in sustainable enterprise development have significantly increased worldwide, yet academic literature offer little information about the outcomes and moderators of flexible employment in China. The paper advances current knowledge and empirically addresses this gap by examining the effects of flexible employment on enterprise innovation input and output, with information technology capability and labor regulation as unexplored moderators. Based on data from 1179 manufacturing enterprises in China, this paper uses the OLS method to conduct empirical tests. The results show that (1) flexible employment has positively contributed to sustainable enterprise development by facilitating innovation inputs and outputs; (2) superior enterprise information technology capabilities and strict labor regulations were significant moderating factors in this relationship. The findings provide credible evidence for enterprises to pursue flexible employment as an inexhaustible impetus for sustainable economic and enterprise development.
Influence of Heterogeneous Arrangements of Reinforcements’ Length and Stiffness on the Deformation of Instrumented Geosynthetic-Reinforced Retaining Walls Constructed with Sustainable Locally Available Backfill Soils
Authors: Portelinha Fernando H. M. , Goulart Joao M. H. , Avesani Neto Jose Orlando
Published: May 2023

Sustainable solutions involving geosynthetic-reinforced soil walls have been achieved in projects that use locally available backfill materials and a reduced volume of geosynthetic reinforcements. Different arrangements of reinforcements can be adopted to reduce the volume of geosynthetics. This paper reports the deformation measurements taken from four instrumented geosynthetic-reinforced soil walls constructed with different arrangements of reinforcement layers including different lengths and tensile properties. The deformation of walls with rigid reinforcements at lower elevations and more flexible at upper portions of the wall height was compared to walls with a uniform distribution of reinforcement layers. Similarly, the effect of the nonuniformity of reinforcement lengths along the wall height was also evaluated. Relatively short reinforcements (L/H < 0.7) used at deeper reinforced layers were observed to overload the upper reinforcement layers resulting in mobilized loads higher than expected, resulting in increases of approximately 80% in the wall’s deformation. In contrast, the use of rigid reinforcements at lower layers led to a reduction in facing displacements of 50% at lower instrumented layers and of 60% at upper instrumented layers. The distribution pattern of facing displacements, reinforcement-mobilized loads and strains along the wall height was significantly affected by the adoption of heterogeneous reinforced layers.
Integration of Multicriteria Decision Analysis and GIS for Evaluating the Site Suitability for the Landfill in Hargeisa City and Its Environs, Somaliland
Authors: Mohamed Nimcan Abdi , Asfaha Yemane G. , Wachemo Akiber Chufo
Published: May 2023

Poor waste management and illegal waste shipments adversely affect the environment and public health, resulting in environmental degradation. Indeed, environmental degradation is one of the most visible problems in Hargeisa. Currently, solid waste is disposed of at two dumping sites within the city limits, causing problematic and unsanitary conditions. Moreover, the existing dumpsites are on the verge of closure, highlighting an important need that must be addressed. This research aimed to integrate multicriteria decision analysis and GIS to evaluate the site suitability for landfill in Hargeisa, Somaliland. For this purpose, eleven significant parameters were selected: proximity to built-up areas, surface water, groundwater well points, sensitive sites (airports), land use/land cover, geology, soil type, elevation, slopes, roads, and separation from existing dumpsites. Next, these were combined via an analytical hierarchy technique. Subsequently, restriction buffer analysis was performed on the seven parameters to obtain better and more accurate results, and restricted zones were omitted. Furthermore, the pair-wise comparison used to obtain priorities between the selected criteria showed that the LULC is the most significant criterion in the model, with a relative weight of 0.1829, followed by habitations, with 0.1506. The overall result reveals that approximately 68.96% (21,060.9 ha) of the study area is unsuitable, while 24.36% (7441.53 ha) and 6.68% were considered less and highly appropriate zones, respectively. As a result, this study reveals that despite the vast extent of the study area, the areas ideal for landfill remain severely limited. Therefore, in light of the findings of this study, the municipal council of Hargeisa must reevaluate dumpsite locations and waste management practices to address the issues in the region in a timely manner. Furthermore, this systematic research approach will assist regional and global researchers, policymakers, and municipal governments.
Mapping of Energy Communities in Europe: Status Quo and Review of Existing Classifications
Authors: Koltunov Maksym , Pezzutto Simon , Bisello Adriano , Lettner Georg , Hiesl Albert , van Sark Wilfried , Louwen Atse , Wilczynski Eric
Published: May 2023

A lack of aggregate analysis concerning energy communities exists in the academic literature. The authors utilized a combination of literature reviews and desk research to fill this gap. The existing debate on the classification of energy communities was summarized and aligned. Discovered classifications were used to analyze the status quo of the sector. The authors found nearly 4000 energy communities with 900,000 members in the European Union. On average, there are 844 members per one energy community. Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United Kingdom are at the forefront of the movement. Different countries have different primary sources of renewable energy utilized by energy communities, and membership structures vary based on the energy source and corporate purpose of the energy community together with the sector’s maturity in a certain country. Predominantly, hydro and biomass are used by energy communities in Alpine countries, solar energy is used in Germany, Spain, and France, wind in the Netherlands and Denmark, and different renewables in the United Kingdom. More members have joined the hydro, biomass, and wind communities than solar communities. Each country has national and regional associations of energy communities. In addition, intermediary actors, researchers, and consultancy agencies have shown a growing interest in the deployment of the movement. Achieving a conformity of business models Europe-wide would probably be impossible and pointless. Distinct geographical, institutional, and policy context-specific conditions stimulate diversity rather than conformity.
Old Landfill Leachate and Municipal Wastewater Co-Treatment by Sequencing Batch Reactor Combined with Coagulation–Flocculation Using Novel Flocculant
Authors: Kumar Radhakrishnan Naresh , Sadaf Somya , Verma Mohini , Chakraborty Shubhrasekhar , Kumari Shweta , Polisetti Veerababu , Kallem Parashuram , Iqbal Jawed , Banat Fawzi
Published: May 2023

The use of novel flocculants in combination with a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for the treatment of landfill leachate and municipal wastewater has been shown to be an effective method for reducing polluted effluents. Co-treatment of landfill leachate with a mixture of municipal wastewater was performed at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% in SBR and effluent was treated by coagulation–flocculation. SBR with 6 d hydraulic retention time (HRT) and 30 d solids retention time (SRT) removed 58 to 70% COD, 86 to 93% ammonia, 76 to 83% nitrate and 69 to 95% phosphate. Coagulation–flocculation with different dosages of alum and ferric chloride with polyacrylamide grafted gum ghatti (GGI-g-PAM) as a novel flocculant was used for chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS) and color removal. Maximum COD removal was at 20% leachate, which was 74% with alum at 2800 mg/L and 77% with ferric chloride at 470 mg/L. Alum and ferric chloride with GGI-g-PAM flocculant removed 96% and 82% of turbidity and 80% and 82% TSS, respectively. At 20% leachate, combined treatment with SBR and coagulation–flocculation resulted in the total removal of 89% COD, 83% ammonia, 82% nitrate 98% turbidity and 93% TSS with alum. The combined treatment with ferric chloride resulted in a removal of 90% COD, 86% ammonia, 83% nitrate, 98% turbidity and 94% TSS. Except for nitrate combined treatment with both the coagulants at 20% landfill leachate to municipal wastewater ratio removed COD, ammonia, phosphate and TSS to a level that met international standards for discharges to inland surface water. As such, the use of new flocculants with SBR can help reduce water pollution from landfill leachate and municipal wastewater. In addition to coagulation–flocculation, other physico–chemical processes can also be studied as post-treatment options for the co-treatment of wastewater mixture.
Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Understanding of Socio-Scientific Issues Instruction through a Co-Design and Co-Teaching Approach Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Huang Mingchun , He Peng
Published: May 2023

This qualitative case study explores the development of pre-service science teachers’ (PSTs) understanding of Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) instruction. The study utilized a conceptual framework of SSI-based instruction and a three-phase approach involving co-designing solutions, co-designing curriculum materials, and co-teaching classes. Primary data sources included PSTs’ interviews and reflective journals, while artifacts, field notes, and curriculum materials served as secondary data sources. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data of six PSTs in a teacher preparation program. We found that the PSTs’ understanding of SSI instruction was enhanced in 12 features of three core aspects: design elements, learner experiences, and teacher attributes. “Engaging in higher-order practices” was the most prominent feature, observed across all three phases. The three-phase approach played a crucial role in promoting PSTs’ understanding of SSI instruction, with each phase guiding their understanding in distinct ways. Particularly, the co-designing solutions phase facilitated the development of PSTs’ “awareness of the social considerations associated with the issue”. While the co-designing curriculum materials phase was effective in promoting their understanding of “scaffolding for practice: providing scaffolding for higher-order practices. “The co-teaching classes phase played a crucial role in facilitating their understanding of “willingness to position oneself as a knowledge contributor rather than the sole authority”.
Spatio-Temporal Dynamics and Driving Forces of Multi-Scale Emissions Based on Nighttime Light Data: A Case Study of the Pearl River Delta Urban Agglomeration
Authors: Liu Yajing , Zhou Shuai , Zhang Ge
Published: May 2023

It is of great significance to formulate differentiated carbon emission reduction policies to clarify spatio-temporal characteristics and driving factors of carbon emissions in different cities and cities at different scales. By fitting nighttime light data (NTL) of long time series from 2000 to 2020, a carbon emission estimation model of Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration at city, county, and grid unit levels was built to quickly and accurately estimate carbon emission in the Delta cities above county level. Combining spatial statistics, spatial autocorrelation, Emerging Spatio-Temporal Hotspot Analysis (ES-THA), and Theil index (TL), this study explored the spatio-temporal differentiation of urban carbon emissions in the Delta and used a geographical detector to determine the influencing factors of the differentiation. The results of the study showed that NTL could replace a statistical yearbook in calculating carbon emissions of cities at or above county level. The calculation error was less than 18.7385% in the Delta. The three levels of carbon emissions in the Delta increased in a fluctuating manner, and the spatial distribution difference in carbon emissions at the municipal and county levels was small. Therefore, a combination of municipal and county scales can be implemented to achieve precise emission reduction at both macro and micro levels. The central and eastern parts of the agglomeration, including Guangzhou (Gz), Shenzhen (Sz), Zhongshan (Zs), and Huizhou (Hz), were a high-value clustering and spatio-temporal hot spots of carbon emissions. Zhaoqing (Zq) in the northwestern part of the agglomeration has always been a low-value clustering and a spatio-temporal cold spot because of its population, economy, and geographical location. The carbon emission differences in the Delta cities were mainly caused by carbon emission differences within the cities at the municipal level, and the cities faced the challenge of regional differences in the reduction in per capita carbon emissions. As the most influential single factor, spatial interaction between economic development and various factors was the main driving force for the growth of carbon emissions. Therefore, the results of this study provide a scientific theory and information support for carbon emission estimation and prediction, differentiated emission reduction measures, and carbon neutrality of cities in the Delta.
E-Learning Behavior Categories and Influencing Factors of STEM Courses: A Case Study of the Open University Learning Analysis Dataset (OULAD)
Authors: Zhang Jingran , Qiu Feiyue , Wu Wei , Wang Jiayue , Li Rongqiang , Guan Mujie , Huang Jiang
Published: May 2023

With a focus on enhancing national scientific and technological competitiveness and cultivating innovative talents, STEM education has achieved remarkable results in developing students’ core quality and improving academic achievement. Online courses built for STEM education have attracted many learners. However, as the number of learners continues to grow, online STEM education faces problems such as difficulties in ensuring the quality of teaching and learning in STEM online courses and poor performance of students in online learning. An in-depth exploration of the correlations between learners’ E-learning behavior categories and learning outcomes in STEM education online courses will facilitate teachers’ precise interventions for students who are learning online. This study first predicts the E-learning performance of STEM course learners through machine learning and deep learning algorithms, then uses factor analysis methods to discover correlations between behavioral features, uses the random forest algorithm to explore the vital behavioral features that influence the E-learning performance of STEM courses, and finally performs a category classification of important characteristic behaviors based on the learning behavior category basis. The results show that the learning behavior classifications of learning preparation behavior, knowledge acquisition behavior, and learning consolidation behavior affect the E-learning performance of learners in STEM courses. Moreover, a series of characteristic behaviors strongly affect E-learning performance. In general, teachers can systematically intervene in time for at-risk students from the perspective of learning behavior categories and further improve the construction of STEM online courses.
A Comparative Study of the Fractional Partial Differential Equations via Novel Transform
Authors: Ganie Abdul Hamid , AlBaidani Mashael M. , Khan Adnan
Published: May 2023

In comparison to fractional-order differential equations, integer-order differential equations generally fail to properly explain a variety of phenomena in numerous branches of science and engineering. This article implements efficient analytical techniques within the Caputo operator to investigate the solutions of some fractional partial differential equations. The Adomian decomposition method, homotopy perturbation method, and Elzaki transformation are used to calculate the results for the specified issues. In the current procedures, we first used the Elzaki transform to simplify the problems and then applied the decomposition and perturbation methods to obtain comprehensive results for the problems. For each targeted problem, the generalized schemes of the suggested methods are derived under the influence of each fractional derivative operator. The current approaches give a series-form solution with easily computable components and a higher rate of convergence to the precise solution of the targeted problems. It is observed that the derived solutions have a strong connection to the actual solutions of each problem as the number of terms in the series solution of the problems increases. Graphs in two and three dimensions are used to plot the solution of the proposed fractional models. The methods used currently are simple and efficient for dealing with fractional-order problems. The primary benefit of the suggested methods is less computational time. The results of the current study will be regarded as a helpful tool for dealing with the solution of fractional partial differential equations.
Introduction to the Special Issue in Symmetry Titled “Symmetry in Statistics and Data Science”
Authors: Chesneau Christophe
Published: May 2023

In order to introduce this Special Issue, some motivational facts are given [...]
Cigarette Smoke-Induced Gastric Cancer Cell Exosomes Affected the Fate of Surrounding Normal Cells via the Circ0000670/Wnt/β-Catenin Axis
Authors: Liang Zhaofeng , Fang Shikun , Zhang Yue , Zhang Xinyi , Xu Yumeng , Qian Hui , Geng Hao
Published: May 2023

Cigarette smoke is a major risk factor for gastric cancer. Exosomes are an important part of intercellular and intra-organ communication systems and can carry circRNA and other components to play a regulatory role in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer. However, it is unclear whether cigarette smoke can affect exosomes and exosomal circRNA to promote the development of gastric cancer. Exosomes secreted by cancer cells promote cancer development by affecting surrounding normal cells. Herein, we aimed to clarify whether the exosomes secreted by cigarette smoke-induced gastric cancer cells can promote the development of gastric cancer by affecting the surrounding gastric mucosal epithelial cells (GES-1). In the present study, we treated gastric cancer cells with cigarette smoke extract for 4 days and demonstrated that cigarette smoke promotes the stemness and EMT of gastric cancer cells and cigarette smoke-induced exosomes promote stemness gene expression, EMT processes and the proliferation of GES-1 cells. We further found that circ0000670 was up-regulated in tissues of gastric cancer patients with smoking history, cigarette smoke-induced gastric cancer cells and their exosomes. Functional assays showed that circ0000670 knockdown inhibited the promoting effects of cigarette smoke-induced exosomes on the stemness and EMT characteristic of GES-1 cells, whereas its overexpression had the opposite effect. In addition, exosomal circ0000670 was found to promote the development of gastric cancer by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Our findings indicated that exosomal circ0000670 promotes cigarette smoke-induced gastric cancer development, which might provide a new basis for the treatment of cigarette smoke-related gastric cancer.
Infective Endocarditis due to Non-HACEK Gram-Negative Bacilli: Clinical Characteristics and Risk Factors from a Prospective Multicenter Brazilian Cohort
Authors: de Sousa Leonardo Paiva , Fortes Cláudio Querido , Damasco Paulo Vieira , Barbosa Giovanna Ianini Ferraiuoli , Golebiovski Wilma Felix , Weksler Clara , Garrido Rafael Quaresma , Siciliano Rinaldo Focaccia , Lamas Cristiane da Cruz
Published: May 2023

Background: Non-HACEK Gram-negative bacilli (NGNB) infective endocarditis (IE) has a growing frequency. We aimed to describe cases of NGNB IE and find associated risk factors. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study of consecutive patients with definitive IE according to the modified Duke criteria in four institutions in Brazil. Results: Of 1154 adult patients enrolled, 38 (3.29%) had IE due to NGNB. Median age was 57 years, males predominated, accounting for 25/38 (65.8%). Most common etiologies were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella spp. (8 episodes, 21% each). Worsening heart failure occurred in 18/38 (47.4%). Higher prevalence of embolic events was found (55,3%), mostly to the central nervous system 7/38 (18.4%). Vegetations were most commonly on aortic valves 17/38 (44.7%). Recent healthcare exposure was found in 52.6% and a central venous catheter (CVC) in 13/38 (34.2%). Overall mortality was 19/38 (50%). Indwelling CVC (OR 5.93; 95% CI, 1.29 to 27.3; p = 0.017), hemodialysis (OR 16.2; 95% CI, 1.78 to 147; p = 0.008) and chronic kidney disease (OR 4.8; 95% IC, 1.2 to 19.1, p = 0.049) were identified as risk factors for mortality. Conclusions: The rate of IE due to NGNB was similar to that in previous studies. Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa were the most common etiologies. NGNB IE was associated with central venous catheters, prosthetic valves, intracardiac devices and hemodialysis and had a high mortality rate.