bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comprehensive Review on Lane Marking Detection Using Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Mamun Abdullah Al , Ping Em Poh , Hossen Jakir , Tahabilder Anik , Jahan Busrat
Published: October 2022

Lane marking recognition is one of the most crucial features for automotive vehicles as it is one of the most fundamental requirements of all the autonomy features of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Researchers have recently made promising improvements in the application of Lane Marking Detection (LMD). This research article has taken the initiative to review lane marking detection, mainly using deep learning techniques. This paper initially discusses the introduction of lane marking detection approaches using deep neural networks and conventional techniques. Lane marking detection frameworks can be categorized into single-stage and two-stage architectures. This paper elaborates on the network’s architecture and the loss function for improving the performance based on the categories. The network’s architecture is divided into object detection, classification, and segmentation, and each is discussed, including their contributions and limitations. There is also a brief indication of the simplification and optimization of the network for simplifying the architecture. Additionally, comparative performance results with a visualization of the final output of five existing techniques is elaborated. Finally, this review is concluded by pointing to particular challenges in lane marking detection, such as generalization problems and computational complexity. There is also a brief future direction for solving the issues, for instance, efficient neural network, Meta, and unsupervised learning.
Trainable Quaternion Extended Kalman Filter with Multi-Head Attention for Dead Reckoning in Autonomous Ground Vehicles
Authors: Milam Gary , Xie Baijun , Liu Runnan , Zhu Xiaoheng , Park Juyoun , Kim Gonwoo , Park Chung Hyuk
Published: October 2022

Extended Kalman filter (EKF) is one of the most widely used Bayesian estimation methods in the optimal control area. Recent works on mobile robot control and transportation systems have applied various EKF methods, especially for localization. However, it is difficult to obtain adequate and reliable process-noise and measurement-noise models due to the complex and dynamic surrounding environments and sensor uncertainty. Generally, the default noise values of the sensors are provided by the manufacturer, but the values may frequently change depending on the environment. Thus, this paper mainly focuses on designing a highly accurate trainable EKF-based localization framework using inertial measurement units (IMUs) for the autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) with dead reckoning, with the goal of fusing it with a laser imaging, detection, and ranging (LiDAR) sensor-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) estimation for enhancing the performance. Convolution neural networks (CNNs), backward propagation algorithms, and gradient descent methods are implemented in the system to optimize the parameters in our framework. Furthermore, we develop a unique cost function for training the models to improve EKF accuracy. The proposed work is general and applicable to diverse IMU-aided robot localization models.
Analyzing Determinants of Job Satisfaction Based on Two-Factor Theory
Authors: Lee Byunghyun , Lee Changjae , Choi Ilyoung , Kim Jaekyeong
Published: October 2022

For one company to have a competitive advantage and sustainability over others, its human resource management is of the utmost importance to secure competent employees. As job satisfaction plays a critical role in securing excellent manpower and enhancing corporate performance, it is essential to identify factors that would affect employees’ job satisfaction. Recently, writing reviews with integrity on job portal sites by former and current employees has become prevalent as such websites have guaranteed the reviewers’ anonymity. For this reason, we collected a vast amount of review data over nine industries, such as IT web communication, from one of the representative job portal sites in South Korea, Job Planet, and investigated factors that affect one’s job satisfaction based on the two-factor theory. As a result, it was found that (1) both motivation and hygiene factors had a substantial effect on job satisfaction over all industries; (2) the moderating effect between former and current employees was different for each industry; and (3) there was no moderating effect on job satisfaction between motivation and hygiene factors.
An Improved Overmodulation Strategy for a Three-Level NPC Inverter Considering Neutral-Point Voltage Balance and Common-Mode Voltage Suppression
Authors: Ma Zhixun , Niu Haichuan , Wu Xiang , Zhang Xu , Lin Guobin
Published: October 2022

The three-level neutral-point clamped voltage source inverter (3L-NPC-VSI) is widely used in the maglev traction systems due to its high output voltage, large output capacity and low output current harmonics. In order to improve the utilization of the DC-bus voltage, an overmodulation strategy is necessary. This paper proposes an improved overmodulation strategy based on the minimum amplitude error method for a 3L-NPC-VSI. Compared with the conventional overmodulation strategy based on the minimum amplitude error method, the utilization of the DC-bus voltage is higher. Meanwhile, a virtual space vector modulation strategy is adopted for inverter neutral-point (NP) voltage balance and common-mode voltage (CMV) suppression. Furthermore, the suppression of leakage current also has been verified. Furthermore, the implementation details of the proposed overmodulation strategy based on minimum amplitude error method is elaborated. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by simulation and experimental results.
Effect of Revegetation in Extremely Degraded Grassland on Carbon Density in Alpine Permafrost Regions
Authors: Jia Yinglan , Chen Shengyun , Wei Peijie
Published: October 2022

Revegetation has been proposed as an effective approach to restoring the extremely degraded grassland in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP). However, little is known about the effect of revegetation on ecosystem carbon density (ECD), especially in alpine permafrost regions. We compared aboveground biomass carbon density (ABCD), belowground biomass carbon density (BBCD), soil organic carbon density (SOCD), and ECD in intact alpine meadow, extremely degraded, and revegetated grasslands, as well as their influencing factors. Our results indicated that (1) ABCD, BBCD, SOCD, and ECD were significantly lower in extremely degraded grassland than in intact alpine meadow; (2) ABCD, SOCD, and ECD in revegetated grassland significantly increased by 93.46%, 16.88%, and 19.22%, respectively; (3) stepwise regression indicated that BBCD was mainly influenced by soil special gravity, and SOCD and ECD were controlled by freeze–thaw strength and soil temperature, respectively. This study provides a comprehensive survey of ECD and basic data for assessing ecosystem service functions in revegetated grassland of the alpine permafrost regions in the QTP.
The Impact of Land Transportation Integration on Service Agglomeration in Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration
Authors: Wei Gongding , Li Xueyan , Yu Mingyuan , Lu Guangquan , Chen Zhiyu
Published: October 2022

This study selected the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration as the research area, considering the current status of its transportation development to construct an urban agglomeration land transportation integration index system and to evaluate the development of the area’s transportation integration. The study examined the influence mechanism of transportation infrastructure on service industry agglomeration. The results were as follows: (1) From 2011 to 2020, the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration land transportation integration index showed a clear upward trend. (2) The development of the integration level of local transportation has a certain inhibitory effect on the agglomeration of local service industries. The transportation integration of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration played an important role in promoting the agglomeration of local wholesale and retail industries and transportation, storage, and postal services. The labor force and market size also have a significant impact on service agglomeration. (3) The integration of land transport in the urban agglomeration affects the agglomeration of service industries through the knowledge spillover effect caused by the improvement of accessibility, and the impact is heterogeneous. The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration needs to accelerate the construction of trans-provincial and trans-municipal transportation infrastructure and to further improve its connectivity level to promote the integrated development of high-quality transportation in this area.
Motivation Analysis of Market and Institution on Corporate Leasing Financialization from the Perspective of Regulatory Arbitrage: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies
Authors: Zhu Chengke , Shen Lijing , Shi Yanping
Published: October 2022

In recent years, more and more real enterprises speculate and arbitrage in the financial market by participating in financial institutions, and the financialization of micro enterprises has become a general trend. However, the empirical conclusions of existing literature from different dimensions of enterprise development are not consistent. This paper uses the data from Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share companies from 2007 to 2019 to perform an empirical analysis on the market and institutional motivations of the entity enterprises’ sharing and holding financial leasing companies (SHFL). It is found that the fundamental reason for enterprises to SHFL is the profit gap between the financial industry and the real industry. The more intense the industry competition, the lower the profit rate, the larger the spread, and the stronger the incentive to SHFL. In addition, the continuous improvement of the national system construction in the financial leasing industry has played an essential role in promoting it. In the heterogeneity analysis, it is found that private enterprises are also motivated to ease financing constraints except interest rate spread. On the contrary, they are not significant in the sample of state-owned enterprises. Equipment manufacturing industries have both narrowing interest rates and equipment promotion motivation, while the non-equipment manufacturing industry has no such characteristics. Finally, the limitations and future research directions of this paper are discussed.
Working from Home as a Catalyst for Urban Regeneration
Authors: Glackin Stephen , Moglia Magnus , Newton Peter
Published: October 2022

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home has become normalised and is likely to continue to gather pace. The adjustment in daytime population that this creates has implications for urban planning, as it can drive greater levels of localization and less car-dependent cities. In this paper, we describe how this shift changes urban daytime population density, a significant predictor of most measures of amenity, walkability, and liveability. First, we define a method for mapping access to amenity, applied to two cities: Melbourne and Sydney. Secondly, we analyse the two-way causal relationship between population density and amenity based on bivariate spatial mapping. Thirdly, we provide a method for estimating changes in daytime populations. Finally, the article provides a taxonomy of telework regeneration potential for different parts of the city based on the level of amenity and expected changes in daytime population (average changes in high job-density areas −14%, CBDs −30%, and +54% in residential areas). We argue that, if used as a catalyst within strategic planning, and for urban regeneration, increases could create higher levels of amenity in suburban areas, which can lead to improved sustainability outcomes, specifically greater levels of walkability, liveability, and reduced car dependence. We have calculated that opportunity areas account for 89% of the greater urban area and cover 49% of the population, which may well grow as the WFH trend continues. As such, and in conclusion, we outline a set of site-specific opportunities and challenges relevant to urban planners that aim for urban regeneration.
The Research Venation Analysis and Future Prospects of Organizational Slack
Authors: Zhu Sulu , Gao Pengqun , Tang Zhen , Tian Ming
Published: October 2022

At present, the external environment is full of crises and challenges. The practice of firms deploying slack resources in advance and actively coping with external disturbances has achieved good effect. But, the theoretical research process of organizational slack is relatively slow compared with practice. Therefore, this paper comprehensively applied a bibliometric method and traditional literature review method to carry out scientific econometric analysis on 958 papers from the WoS database. We visualized the results as knowledge maps and analyzed papers with the help of the knowledge graph. The research venation and evolution trend of organizational slack are sorted out from a longitudinal perspective. On this basis, we put forward the future development direction of organizational slack in line with emerging phenomena, mainly including: ① Clarifying the sources of organizational slack; ② Two new dimensions of defensiveness slack and strategic slack are proposed from functional attributes; ③ Based on the perspective of active response, we expand the research depth of firms to construct organizational resilience through organization slack to adapt to uncertain environments. The purpose of this paper is to provide new ideas for firms to make plans before turbulence occurs in highly uncertain environments. It provides a useful reference for the future development of organizational slack research and promotes the formation of a virtuous cycle of mutual promotion between theory and practice.
Performance of Sustainable Road Pavements Founded on Clay Subgrades Treated with Eco-Friendly Cementitious Materials
Authors: Amakye Samuel Y. O. , Abbey Samuel J. , Booth Colin A. , Oti Jonathan
Published: October 2022

Clays encountered during road construction are mostly weak and result in major pavement failures due to their low California bearing ratio (CBR) and high swelling potential. In this study, sustainable and eco-friendly waste materials including brick dust waste (BDW), ground granulated blastfurnance slag (GGBS), recycled plastic (RP) and recycled glass (RG) at varying proportions of 11.75% and 23.5% were used as partial replacement for cement and lime in clay treatment. After determining the water content by conducting Atterberg limit and compaction test, A CBR and swell characteristics of treated and untreated clay were also conducted. A road pavement design was conducted using the Design Manual for Road and Bridges (DMRB) as a guide to determine the performance of treated clay with varying CBR values. A road pavement failure analysis was also conducted to understand the defect formation within pavement structures supported by eco-friendly treated clay. The embodied carbon of treated clay was calculated and a life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) of flexible pavement with treated clay and road with imported materials was conducted. The results show a liquid limit of 131.26 and plastic limit of 28.74 for high plasticity index (clay 1) and liquid limit of 274.07 and a plastic limit of 45.38 for extremely high plasticity index (clay 2). An increase in CBR values from 8% and 9% to 57% and 97% with a reduction in swell values from 4.11% and 5.03% to 0.38% and 0.56% were recorded. This resulted in a reduction in pavement thickness and stresses within the road pavement leading to reduced susceptibility of the pavement to fatigue, rutting and permanent deformation. Very low embodied carbon was recorded for eco-friendly treated clay and a high life cycle cost (LCC) with clay removed and replaced with imported materials compared with clay treated using eco-friendly waste materials. The study concluded that carbon and overall construction costs can be reduced using waste materials in road construction. Owners and operators can save money when clay is treated and used in road construction instead of removing clay and replacing it with imported materials.
Study on the Design Strategy of Rehabilitation Space for Patients with Cognitive Disorders Based on the Environmental Adaptation of Disease Symptoms
Authors: Li Weicong , Du Zhaoming , Toe Doris Hooi Chyee , Liu Yueling , Yong Kum Weng , Lin Haopai
Published: October 2022

Under the dual pressure of the large number of patients and the funding of expensive treatments, the established medical model is no longer able to meet the treatment needs of patients with cognitive disorders. Cognitive disorders cannot be cured, and the proposed MCI stage provides a window of opportunity for early intervention of the condition. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a high-risk potential conversion state prior to a diagnosis of cognitive disorder, where the person still has the ability to live but with the presence of cognitive damage. The theory of environment-facilitated rehabilitation has begun to be applied to the study of cognitive disorders prevention, but its effectiveness and the drivers of its pathological characteristics remain unclear. In this paper, we explore spatial design strategies for the rehabilitation of patients with cognitive disorders based on the adaptability of pathological characteristics, and provide new ideas for spatial interventions to prevent the condition. Firstly, this paper constructs the relationship between behavioral characteristics (roaming), pathological characteristics (cognitive impairment), and environmental factors interacting with cognitive disorder patients. Second, the feasibility of spatial design to assist the rehabilitation of the condition was demonstrated by analyzing spatial accessibility, visual visibility, and walking distance using the environmental modification of Yuexiu Elderly Service Center in Guangzhou as an example. The study concludes that environmental influences to improve the quality of rehabilitation and cognitive function are effective, mainly in the improvement of spatial communication depth and care efficiency variables.
Elastic Wave Denoising in the Case of Bender Elements Type Piezoelectric Transducers
Authors: Xie Ming , Liu Jiahao , Lu Song
Published: October 2022

The accuracy of the wave signal is key to studying physical information inside the soil using bender-element-type piezoelectric transducers. There is too much noise during the elastic wave signal collected by bender elements, which is caused by factors such as fluid current and infiltration. At present, the mainstream method is the superposition method, which superposes multiple tested waveform data to obtain a clear waveform. However, the superposition method is limited by the number of signals during the collection, and the denoised waveform still contains high-frequency noise. A combination method combining superposition and the wavelet threshold is proposed in this work to improve the accuracy of the elastic waveform signal. Three different signal denoising simulation tests and one model box test are conducted to verify the method’s feasibility from two aspects. The results show that the combined method can effectively remove high-frequency noise and display clear waveforms based on overcoming the number of signals. This work provides a new means of signal denoising in the case of studying soil properties by bender-element-type piezoelectric transducers.
A Study on the Effect of Knowledge Services on Organizational Performances Based on the Concept of Balanced Scorecards for the Sustainable Growth of Firms: Evidence from South Korea
Authors: Jeong Jae-Woong , Lee Heon-Hwi , Park Hun
Published: October 2022

This study clarified the effect of knowledge services (KSs) on organizational performances by introducing the concept of balanced scorecards (BSCs) for the sustainable growth of firms. Data were obtained from 246 firms by online survey and PLS-SEM was used as a data analysis method. Enhancement of knowledge absorptive capacity had a significantly positive effect on the improvement in decision-making quality. The improvement in decision-making quality was significantly relevant to organizational performances. Organizational performances were composed of non-financial and financial performances based on the framework of BSCs. A causal relationship between non-financial and financial performances was developed and suggested regarding non-financial performance as a leading indicator of financial performance. The perspectives of learning and growth and customers showed a statistical significance for the financial performance of firms. The customer aspect was more important than that of learning and growth when considering a relationship with financial performance. It was found that firms need to make an effort to improve their capabilities related to the perspectives of customers and learning and growth for their sustainable growth when they introduce external KSs as an open innovation strategy.
Effect of Supporting Base System on the Flexural Behavior and Toughness of the Lighting GFRP Poles
Authors: Nawar Mahmoud T. , Kaka Mostafa E. , El-Zohairy Ayman , Elhosseiny Osama , Arafa Ibrahim T.
Published: October 2022

Due to the high risk of common traffic electric poles, the use of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) material in electric poles has become essential due to its excellent advantages such as high strength to weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and electrical insulation, which keeps people safe. To reduce the accidental effect of street lighting poles on humans, the generated energy during the collision must be absorbed. Experimental and numerical investigations were carried out to identify the efficiency of tapered GFRP electric poles with handle doors using steel sleeve bases until the occurrence of failure. Six full-scale cantilever bending tests were performed to investigate the strength and ductility of the GFRP pole. Moreover, finite element (FE) models were developed using Abaqus software and verified against tests to provide alternative tools instead of lab experiments. An extensive parametric study was carried out to predict the effect of the GFRP pole wall thickness, base plate geometric (length, diameter, and wall thickness), electric cable hole diameter, material properties, and base sleeve geometric (length and wall thickness) on the toughness of the GFRP pole. Based on the results of the load–displacement (P–Δ) curves, the flexibility of the GFRP poles was directly proportional to their length and the local buckling failure often occurred at the handle door. Strengthening the zone of the handle door using a steel ring was investigated to prevent the local buckling failure at this part. However, the wall thickness of the GFRP pole, base sleeve height, base plate dimensions, and base plate material properties were the most effective parameters to enhance accidental energy absorption through large deformation kinematics. The base sleeve thickness had a slight direct effect on the ductility and toughness of the GFRP pole.
An Empirical Study on Higher Education C-ESG Sustainable Development Strategy in Lower-Birth-Rate Era
Authors: Chan Yung-Kuan , Hsieh Ming-Yuan
Published: October 2022

Taking a succession of severe carbon emission issues and surprisingly lower birth rates into account, this empirical research employed the social exchange theory (SET) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) sustainable development doctrine in the decisive processes of the decision theory (DT) in order to comprehensively and deeply discuss and evaluate the interplays and dependences among the contemporary environmental carbon emission issue (social facts—SET), the carbon emission reduction public identity (social behavior—SET) and the higher education sustainable governance (social definition—SET). Beyond a succession of complex assessments, the most contributive and empirical benefits were (1) the registering decision-making of a higher education student was directly influenced by the carbon emission reduction governance concurrence (CERGC) of the carbon emission reduction energy recycling facilities (CERERFs) in higher education institutions; (2) the carbon emission reduction governance concurrence (CERGC) of the carbon emission reduction energy recycling facilities (CERERFs) was also indirectly advanced by offering a series of carbon emission reduction professional trainings (CERPTs), relative courses (CERRCs) and international certifications (CERICs) as well as precipitating an important part of the carbon emission reduction region–university collaboration (CERRUC) and alignment with non-profit organizations (CERANO). Hence, the higher education C-ESG sustainable development strategies are going to comprehensively establish a series of systematic carbon emission reduction professional trainings, relative courses, international certification mechanisms, region–university collaborations (CERRUCs) and alignments with non-profit organizations to concretely develop emission reduction energy recycling facilities (CERERFs) in order to increase student registrations to survive in this lower-birth-rate era.
Human Capital, Market Environment, and Firm Innovation in Chinese Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Sun Xiuli
Published: October 2022

This paper explored firm-level innovation in different market environments from a human capital point of view using both theoretical and empirical approaches. In the theoretical model, two firms compete with each other in a two-stage Cournot competition game, the innovation stage and production stage. Theoretical results indicated that a firm’s innovation is not only determined by its human capital level, firm characteristics, and its market share, but also might be affected by market environment. In the empirical study, we used two firm-level datasets from China, one from metropolitan cities and one from mid-sized cities. Results show that skilled human capital is vital for firm innovation in metropolitan cities, while R&D plays an important role in firm innovation in mid-sized cities. The GM’s experience is more important for firms in metropolitan cities, while the GM’s education is more critical for firms in mid-sized cities. Moreover, GDP per capita has a positive effect on firm innovation in metropolitan cities, while it harms firm innovation in mid-sized cities. We further showed that the industry composition explanation could account for our results. Finally, we also tried IV estimation, and the related results are discussed.
The Spatial-Temporal Differentiation of Aerosol Optical Properties and Types in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region Based on the Ecological Functional Zones
Authors: Dong Jianyong , Wang Xiaohong , Li Jinlong , Hao Chenxi , Jiao Linlin
Published: October 2022

Atmospheric aerosol pollution has seriously affected the ecological environment and human health in recent years. There are great differences in aerosol optical properties and types due to the influence of environmental conditions, meteorology, industrial and agricultural activities, and other factors of each ecological functional zones. Using MODIS aerosol products (including MCD19A2 and MOD04_3K), this study discussed the temporal and spatial distribution of aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångström wavelength index (AE) and aerosol types in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region (BTH region) based on the ecological functional zones from 2015 to 2020. The results showed as follows: (1) The AOD in BTH region showed an obviously spatial pattern of low in the north and high in the south, while the spatial pattern of AE was opposite to that of AOD. In addition, the dominant aerosol type of the north part was clean aerosol, the dominant aerosol type of the middle part was biomass burning or urban-industrial aerosol, while that of the other part was mixed aerosols. (2) The seasonal changes of AOD and AE indexes in each ecological functional area had obvious seasonal changes, and the AOD and AE values were highest in summer. At the same time, the proportion of biomass combustion or urban industrial aerosol was the highest in summer. (3) The ecological functional areas with fewer human activities were dominated by clean aerosols, with lower AOD and higher AE value. The ecological functional areas dominated by cities were dominated by mixed aerosols, with higher AOD. The ecological functional areas dominated by agriculture and heavy industry were dominated by biomass combustion or urban industrial aerosols, with the largest AOD. (4) Compared with 2015, the average AOD of each ecological functional area decreased significantly to 2020, and biomass combustion or urban industrial aerosols changed to mixed aerosols.
Advanced Logistics Strategy of a Company to Create Sustainable Development in the Industrial Area
Authors: Rakyta Miroslav , Bubenik Peter , Binasova Vladimira , Micieta Branislav , Staffenova Katarina
Published: October 2022

Strategic management determines the direction of a company for several years ahead. Managers and business owners who create strategies must anticipate and be able to see systemically. Logistics is a fundamental process in the industrial field, and despite the constant emphasis on importance, companies encounter problems in this area. A prerequisite for properly functioning logistics for companies operating in the industrial sector is an appropriately chosen logistics strategy, which is the subject of this work. The first part summarizes the theoretical basis for strategy and logistics, current trends, and influencing logistics processes. The second chapter analyzes the current state of logistics strategy development and summarizes its problem areas at the same time. The focal part of the contribution is the innovative proposal of the methodology for developing the logistics strategy in the industrial area through a progressive approach. The methodology is partially verified. The proposed methodology offers companies the opportunity to evaluate the current state of the logistics system correctly, select the correct elements of the external and internal environment affecting logistics processes, define goals and limitations, choose the right indicators that will enable the evaluation of the implemented strategy, formulate a strategy that will reflect the requirements of the company and include new technologies, correctly create the framework of the strategy implementation project, and, finally, visualize and evaluate the selected indicators during and after the implementation of the strategy. Among the created variants of the logistics strategy is the introduction of elements that will lead to the gradual development of the Industry 4.0 trend in a company.
Assessment of Solid Waste Management System in Pakistan and Sustainable Model from Environmental and Economic Perspective
Authors: Iqbal Asif , Abdullah Yasar , Nizami Abdul Sattar , Sultan Imran Ali , Sharif Faiza
Published: October 2022

The Solid Waste Management (SWM) sector is given a low-priority by the Pakistani Government, with the climate change agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) being a priority-3 only, similar to other developing countries. Although sustained efforts have been made during the last decade to strengthen the SWM sector, all actions were focused on manual sweeping and waste collection without integrating waste treatment and disposal options. In this respect, the current model of SWM in the country was analyzed for efficient future planning to strengthen the sector waste management regime in line with the targets of Nationally Determined Contributors (NDCs) and SDGs. An assessment of the SWM sector was performed in eleven major cities of Pakistan, applying Waste-aware benchmarking indicators as strategic tools. The current study highlights the strengths and weaknesses of concerned local municipalities and Waste Management Companies (WMCs) along with interventions to reduce Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emission targets by 2030. Proposed interventions from the environment and economy perspective will generate revenue to cater for up to 29% of the operational costs, and this will be an important step towards 100% self-sufficiency in the SWM sector.
Carbon Reduction, Pollution Intensity, and Firms’ Ratios of Value Added in Exports: Evidence from China’s Low-Carbon Pilot Policy
Authors: Zhu Yajun , Sun Churen
Published: October 2022

Global warming is highlighting the importance of carbon emission reduction, while firms in developing countries are facing the dual challenges of carbon reduction and exporting real gains improvement. Using the Chinese Customs Transaction-level Trade Statistics Dataset and the Chinese Annual Survey of Industrial Firms Dataset from 2008 to 2014, we identified the impact of China’s Low-carbon Pilot Policy (LCPP) on firms’ ratios of the domestic value added in exports for the first time by adopting a difference-in-difference method. Our findings show that China’s LCPP continuously improves firms’ ratios of value added in exports, providing empirical evidence for the topic of whether carbon reduction regulations affect firms’ export real gains. The heterogeneity analysis shows that the improvement impact of LCPP on dirty firms is weaker than that on clean firms. The mechanism test also shows that firms’ production efficiency plays the role of partial intermediary in the relationship between LCPP and firms’ ratios of domestic value added in exports. Our research extends the micro effect of LCPP to the field of exporting real gains, and enriches the research on influencing factors of firms’ ratios of the domestic value added in exports.
Effects of Financial Inclusion on Economic Growth, Poverty, Sustainability, and Financial Efficiency: Evidence from the G20 Countries
Authors: Khan Nasir , Zafar Mahwish , Okunlola Abiodun Funso , Zoltan Zeman , Robert Magda
Published: October 2022

The main purpose of this study is to scrutinize the effect of financial inclusion on financial sustainability, financial efficiency, gross domestic product, and human development in the context of G20 nations. This study has employed annual data of 15 developed and emerging economies during the period from 2004 to 2017. The current study has utilized a single index for financial inclusion, financial sustainability, and financial efficiency by employing principal composite analysis (PCA). The outcomes of the panel stationarity test confirmed the ARDL model for both the long and short runs. Equally, the findings of the ARDL Model 1 showed no association between financial inclusion and financial sustainability in the short run, however, in the long run, inclusive finance showed a significant impact on sustainability. Likewise, the ARDL Model 2 showed that financial inclusion has no effect on efficiency in the short run, while it positively influenced financial efficiency in the long run. The results of the ARDL Model 3 are also similar to Models 1 and 2 where inclusive finance showed no effect on poverty in the short run, but a significant effect in long run. Similarly, the ARDL Model 4 also presented no association between GDP and inclusive finance in the short run, while it showed significant relationships in the long run. Moreover, the outcomes of the GMM Model 1 showed a significant impact of inclusive finance on financial stability, and these results were similar to the GMM Model 2 between financial inclusion and financial efficiency. Additionally, GMM Models 3 and 4 have shown that inclusive finance has a statistically significant impact on poverty and economic expansion, respectively. The outcomes of this article are essential for policymakers, academics, regulators, and practitioners with valuable and convincing debate over financial inclusion, economic growth, poverty, sustainability, and financial efficiency.
New Evidence on National Culture and Corporate Financing: Does Institutional Quality Matter?
Authors: Hu Haifeng , Qi Minjing
Published: October 2022

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to examine the dynamic impact of national culture on corporate financing in the context of seven Asian countries using a two-step GMM model, and second, to assess the moderating role of institutional quality on the relationship between culture and corporate financing. To achieve these objectives, a unique sample of seven Asian countries from the period of 2002 to 2018 was employed. The empirical results reveal that firms operating in countries that encourage individualism, masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance tend to use higher leverage in their operations. Individualism encourages autonomy in decision making and managers from such cultures engage in more risky decisions, while masculinity focuses on competition and suggests that males have a higher tendency for risk preference than females when undertaking financial decisions. In addition, firms from high uncertainty avoidance societies are more driven to engage in the use of leverage to obtain benefits via tax saving, whereas firms in higher power distance countries are less reliant on leverage. Our findings are consistent with our expectations, as well as supporting the existing literature on the issue. Further, the positive culture–leverage nexus is significantly and positively moderated by institutional quality. The findings are robust to alternative procedures (i.e., alternative proxies for culture and corporate financing, reduced sample size, and alternative estimation model), contribute to the existing literature, and have implications for potential policymakers.
Would You Accept Virtual Tourism? The Impact of COVID-19 Risk Perception on Technology Acceptance from a Comparative Perspective
Authors: Li Yuan , Liang Jiaqi , Huang Jingxiong , Yang Mengsheng , Li Runyan , Bai Huanxia
Published: October 2022

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry and its stakeholders have tried to develop a new virtual tourism market, but its effectiveness remains to be tested. We proposed and tested a new measurement scale composed of ease of use, usefulness, autonomy, enjoyment, perceived risk of COVID-19, and attitude. In total, 274 questionnaires were collected by the purposive sampling method and 239 of them were valid, with 57 potential virtual tourists (who knew of but had not used VR in tourism) and 182 actual virtual tourists (who had experienced virtual tourism). Then, we used path analysis to test the hypothetical model and compared the results of two groups. The results show that (1) the popularity of virtual tourism is limited, (2) ease of use significantly affects usefulness and enjoyment for the two groups, (3) usefulness significantly affects autonomy and enjoyment for the two groups, (4) perceived risk of COVID-19 has a direct impact on the attitude towards virtual tourism for the two groups rather than a moderating role, and (5) expected ease of use has a significant effect on autonomy, and autonomy further influences enjoyment for potential tourists. This paper is an explorative attempt to explore virtual technology applied in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results provide theoretical contributions and practical implications for technology improvement, tourism marketing, and virtual tourism development.
Investigating the Effect of Nudges on Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Genetically Modified Corn Oil
Authors: Hashemzadeh Houman , Karbasi Alireza , Mohammadi Hosein , Firoozzare Ali , Boccia Flavio
Published: October 2022

Shifting from conventional methods of food production to genetic modification methods benefits sustainable agri-food production and environmental preservation. However, one of the main problems genetically modified food manufacturers have ever had to deal with is the public acceptability of GM foods. This study has two major objectives. First, it intends to apply principles from behavioral economics to investigate how consumers’ willingness to pay for GM corn oil can be affected. For this purpose, two different nudges are tested by providing consumers with positive information regarding GMO and changing the wording of the GMO label. Then, a comparison between the effectiveness of each of them is provided. Second, it investigates the impact of trust in GM food institutions, GMO information, and perceived GMO risk on both WTP for GM edible oil and the effectiveness of each nudge. A between-subjects choice experiment with a sample size of 550 Iranian corn oil consumers was conducted in Mashhad from March to April 2021. The results of mixed logit models indicate that both nudges affected consumer valuation of GM corn oil significantly, while their effectiveness differed according to the consumer level of trust in the GM food institutions and the perceived risk of GMO. Increasing consumer trust and information raises the WTP for GM corn oil; however, perceived risk has no effect. This study introduces effortless tools that GM food manufacturers can consider in their marketing strategies to affect consumers in the desired way.
Effect of Aerated Irrigation on the Growth and Rhizosphere Soil Fungal Community Structure of Greenhouse Grape Seedlings
Authors: Zhang Huanhuan , Xi Jinshan , Lv Qi , Wang Junwu , Yu Kun , Zhao Fengyun
Published: October 2022

Conventional irrigation methods decrease greenhouse soil aeration, which leads to restricted root growth and reduced soil fungal abundance in greenhouse grapes. In this study, aerated irrigation equipment was used to investigate the effects of aerated irrigation on the biomass accumulation, root growth, and soil fungal community structure of grape seedlings. The results show that aerated irrigation significantly increased the root length, root surface area, root volume, and number of root tips by 38.5%, 32.1%, 62.1%, and 23.4%, respectively, at a soil depth of 20–40 cm (p ≤ 0.05). The chao1 index and ACE index of fungi at different soil depths under aerated irrigation were higher than those without aerated treatment; aerated irrigation changed the relative abundance of dominant fungi in rhizosphere soil. At a soil depth of 20–40 cm, aerated irrigation increased the abundance of Fusarium by 42.2%. Aerated irrigation also contributed to the abundance of the beneficial fungal genera Mortierella, Cladosporium, and Glomus. At a soil depth of 0–20 cm, the abundance of Mortierella in the soil that received aerated treatment was 180.6% higher than in the control treatment. These findings suggest that aerated irrigation is a promising strategy for the promotion of grape root growth and biomass accumulation, and it can also increase the abundance of some beneficial fungi.
Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Public Fitness Venues in the Main Urban Area of Dalian from the Perspective of Urban Accessibility
Authors: Jiang Yong , Wang Chunwei , Zhao Hongbo , Sun Dongqi , Shi Zhipeng , Xia Jianhong (Cecilia)
Published: October 2022

In the context of the Healthy China initiative, studying the spatial distribution characteristics of urban sports venues will benefit sports venue planning in cities and promote the health of urban residents. Therefore, considering the main urban area of Dalian City as the study area, in this study, we investigated the spatial distribution characteristics of fitness venues and their accessibility through spatial and buffer zone analyses using data of public fitness venues, school sports venues, and the traffic road network. The conclusion is as follows: (1) In Zhongshan, Xigang, and Shahekou Districts, public fitness venues are more densely distributed in non-coastal areas. (2) Within 0–15 min, Xigang District showed the highest ratio of the public fitness venue service area (24.42%), which was followed by Shahekou (19.02%), Zhongshan (17.13%), and Ganjingzi Districts (4.82%). (3) The number of sports venues increased from 272 to 1117 when school sports venues were considered. Due to this, the service area ratio of fitness venues in all districts was increased, and the ranking was also changed. After this, Shahekou District had the highest ratio of the sports and fitness venue service area (55.65%), which was followed by Xigang (48.43%), Zhongshan (35.68%), and Ganjingzi Districts (11.91%). Therefore, solutions to introduce more school sports venues should be investigated to ensure a uniform spatial distribution of urban fitness venues. This study provides a reference to plan and develop fitness venues in cities.
Research on Industrial Innovation Efficiency and the Influencing Factors of the Old Industrial Base Based on the Lock-In Effect, a Case Study of Jilin Province, China
Authors: Li Yunyao , Ma Yanji
Published: October 2022

In the context of the increasingly intensified innovation competition, improving industrial innovation efficiency is the key to achieving the sustainable development of the old industrial base. This paper adopts the thinking of regional research to study the laws of industrial innovation in the old industrial base and takes the lock-in effect as the connection point between the industrial evolution history and industrial innovation efficiency. Based on the perspective of the lock-in effect, the three-stage industrial innovation model, the lock-in effect identification method, and the extended Porter model are creatively constructed. This paper chooses Jilin Province in Northeast China as a case, dissects the evolution history of industrial innovation in detail, and uses super-efficiency DEA, the Granger test, geographical detectors, and the panel regression method for quantitative analysis. The results show the following: (1) The lock-in effect faced by the industrial innovation of the old industrial base is significant, which has an impact on industrial innovation through industrial structure, enterprise composition, management system, and degree of marketization. (2) The lock-in effect causes the old industrial base to fall into an unhealthy circle in which it is difficult for industrial enterprises to obtain sufficient benefits through industrial innovation and the ability of industrial enterprises to absorb regional innovation resources is weakened. (3) The impact mechanism of industrial innovation in the old industrial base is very complex and the lock-in effect factors are not all negative. The improvement of industrial innovation in the old industrial base needs to increase the role of market forces, reform large traditional enterprises, and increase foreign economic ties. However, it also needs policy support, and it should avoid overly radical industrial transformation and enterprise strategies.