bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Reinforcement Learning Based Transmission Parameter Selection and Energy Management for Long Range Internet of Things
Authors: Yazid Yassine , Guerrero-González Antonio , Ez-Zazi Imad , El Oualkadi Ahmed , Arioua Mounir
Published: July 2022

Internet of Things (IoT) landscape to cover long-range applications. The LoRa-enabled IoT devices adopt an Adaptive Data Rate-based (ADR) mechanism to assign transmission parameters such as spreading factors, transmission energy, and coding rates. Nevertheless, the energy assessment of these combinations should be considered carefully to select an accurate combination. Accordingly, the computational and transmission energy consumption trade-off should be assessed to guarantee the effectiveness of the physical parameter tuning. This paper provides comprehensive details of LoRa transceiver functioning mechanisms and provides a mathematical model for energy consumption estimation of the end devices EDs. Indeed, in order to select the optimal transmission parameters. We have modeled the LoRa energy optimization and transmission parameter selection problem as a Markov Decision Process (MDP). The dynamic system surveys the environment stats (the residual energy and channel state) and searches for the optimal actions to minimize the long-term average cost at each time slot. The proposed method has been evaluated under different scenarios and then compared to LoRaWAN default ADR in terms of energy efficiency and reliability. The numerical results have shown that our method outperforms the LoRa standard ADR mechanism since it permits the EDs to gain more energy. Besides, it enables the EDs to stand more, consequently performing more transmissions.
Giant Magnetoresistance Biosensors for Food Safety Applications
Authors: Liang Shuang , Sutham Phanatchakorn , Wu Kai , Mallikarjunan Kumar , Wang Jian-Ping
Published: July 2022

Nowadays, the increasing number of foodborne disease outbreaks around the globe has aroused the wide attention of the food industry and regulators. During food production, processing, storage, and transportation, microorganisms may grow and secrete toxins as well as other harmful substances. These kinds of food contamination from microbiological and chemical sources can seriously endanger human health. The traditional detection methods such as cell culture and colony counting cannot meet the requirements of rapid detection due to some intrinsic shortcomings, such as being time-consuming, laborious, and requiring expensive instrumentation or a central laboratory. In the past decade, efforts have been made to develop rapid, sensitive, and easy-to-use detection platforms for on-site food safety regulation. Herein, we review one type of promising biosensing platform that may revolutionize the current food surveillance approaches, the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) biosensors. Benefiting from the advances of nanotechnology, hundreds to thousands of GMR biosensors can be integrated into a fingernail-sized area, allowing the higher throughput screening of food samples at a lower cost. In addition, combined with on-chip microfluidic channels and filtration function, this type of GMR biosensing system can be fully automatic, and less operator training is required. Furthermore, the compact-sized GMR biosensor platforms could be further extended to related food contamination and the field screening of other pathogen targets.
The Social Shaping of the Metaverse as an Alternative to the Imaginaries of Data-Driven Smart Cities: A Study in Science, Technology, and Society
Authors: Bibri Simon Elias
Published: July 2022

Science and technology transform the frontiers of knowledge and have deep and powerful impacts on society, demonstrating how social reality varies with each era of the world. As a set of fictional representations of technologically driven future worlds, the Metaverse is increasingly shaping the socio-technical imaginaries of data-driven smart cities, i.e., the outcome of radical transformations of dominant structures, processes, practices, and cultures. At the core of the systematic exploration of science and technology is the relationships between scientific knowledge, technological systems, and values and ethics from a wide range of perspectives. Positioned within science of science, this study investigates the complex interplay between the Metaverse as a form of science and technology and the wider social context in which it is embedded. Therefore, it adopts an analytical and philosophical framework of STS, and in doing so, it employs an integrated approach to discourse analysis, supported by a comparative analysis of the Metaverse and Ambient Intelligence. This study shows that the Metaverse as a scientific and technological activity is socially constructed, politically driven, economically conditioned, and historically situated. That is, it is inherently human and hence value-laden, as well as can only be understood as contextualized within the socio-political-economic-historical framework that gives rise to it, sustains it, and makes it durable by material effects and networks. This view in turn corroborates that the Metaverse raises serious concerns as to determinism, social exclusion, marginalization, privacy erosion, surveillance, control, democratic backsliding, hive mentality, cyber-utopianism, and dystopianism. This study argues that, due to the problematic nature of the Metaverse in terms of its inherent ethical and social implications, there need to be more explicit processes and practices for enhancing public participation and allowing a more democratic public role in its shaping and control, especially early in the decision-making process of its development—when the opportunity for effective inputs and informed choices is greatest. The novelty of this study lies in that it is the first of its kind with respect to probing the link between the Metaverse and data-driven smart cities from an STS perspective. The main contribution of this study lies in deepening and extending social scientific critiques and understandings of the imaginaries of data-driven smart cities based on the analysis and evaluation of the Metaverse and the warning signals and troubling visions it conveys and animates in order to help construct desirable alternative futures for the greater good of all citizens. The ultimate goal is to structure the Metaverse in ways that are morally acceptable and collectively the most democratically beneficial for society.
An Empowering Climate as a Protective Factor against Sexual Violence in Sport?
Authors: Ohlert Jeannine , Schmitz Helena , Schäfer-Pels Alina , Allroggen Marc
Published: July 2022

Background: From qualitative studies with survivors of sexual violence, it is known that two important risk factors for sexual violence are unequal power relations and strong hierarchies; the concept of an empowering climate works against these risk factors and might thus serve as a factor in preventing experiences of sexual violence among athletes. The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between an empowering climate within a sport group and experiences of sexual violence. Methods: In total, 644 athletes took part in an online survey measuring their perceptions of the empowering climate within their training group and their observations and experiences of sexual violence within the same group. MANOVAs were used to examine differences in perception of the empowering climate between those athletes who had observed or experienced sexual violence and those who had not. Results: The results reveal that athletes who had experienced or observed sexual violence rated the empowering climate subfactors within their training group as lower and the disempowering climate subfactors as higher. Conclusions: This study supports findings from prior qualitative studies and hints that a climate high in empowerment and low in disempowerment might be a protective factor against sexual violence in sport groups.
Intersecting Systems of Power Shaping Health and Wellbeing of Urban Waste Workers in the Context of COVID-19 in Vijayawada and Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India
Authors: Kakar Inayat Singh , Mallya Apeksha , Whittaker Lana , Tolhurst Rachel , Garimella Surekha
Published: July 2022

Background: Waste work in India is an undervalued role relegated to historically marginalised communities. The informal nature of their work coupled with lack of state regulation keeps waste workers trapped in poverty. This study aims to understand how intersecting systems and relations of power impact the agency of waste workers to shape their health and wellbeing. Methods: We used in-depth interviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions to collect primary data from waste worker communities in Vijayawada and Guntur in India. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data using conceptual frameworks relating to wellbeing and power. Results: Inter-generational poverty and lack of access to social determinants of health keeps waste workers trapped in a cycle of debt and poverty. They experience negative wellbeing owing to material and relational deprivations that are sustained by a nexus of power relations, explained using the themes of “power over”, “power to”, “power with”, and “power-within”. Conclusions: The ability of communities to exercise agency is constrained by the power exercised on their lives by the state and society. NGOs play a supportive role for the realisation of rights, but the ability of waste workers to organize and effect change is limited to coping strategies.
Risk Factors for Contracting COVID-19 and Changes in Menstrual and Sleep Cycles in Japanese Female Athletes during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Tsukahara Yuka , Hieda Yuka , Takayanagi Satomi , Macznik Aleksandra
Published: July 2022

Although research on COVID-19 is prevalent, risk factors for contracting COVID-19 and lifestyle changes in athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic have not been thoroughly investigated. This study included 254 female collegiate athletes and 107 female non-athletes from Japan, who completed an anonymous survey comprising questions about COVID-19, personal background and lifestyle changes during the pandemic. A total of 6.30% athletes and 6.54% non-athletes had tested positive for COVID-19. The majority reported no change in menstrual cycle (80.31% and 78.50% for athletes and non-athletes, respectively). Wake-up time and bedtime were delayed in some athletes (42.13% and 39.25%, respectively) and non-athletes (46.73% and 31.30%, respectively) during the pandemic. Body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher in COVID-19 (+) athletes than in their COVID-19 (−) counterparts (22.78 ± 3.40 and 21.26 ± 2.06, respectively, p < 0.01) and logistic regression analysis revealed that younger students and those with higher BMI had an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. The proportion of vaccinated students was significantly higher in athletes than in non-athletes (p < 0.01). Whether the student was an athlete or not was not a related factor in contracting COVID-19. Extra attention should be focused on athletes experiencing weight gain or staying up late and experiencing lower quality sleep.
The Relationship between Form and Ritual in Cultural Sustainability
Authors: Wu Jun , Ju Lee-Hsiu , Lin Po-Hsien , Lyu Yanru
Published: July 2022

Intangible cultural heritage tourism has become a hot topic in academia and industry. As a vital tourism resource, intangible cultural heritage can activate the in-depth experience of tourists for local culture to enhance the attraction and competitive advantage of national or regional tourism. From the perspective of culture, design is used to realize a kind of life taste and form a lifestyle through cultural creativity and industry, with applications in different fields to create a human lifestyle through innovative design. This study proposed a framework exploring form and ritual and discusses the aesthetic economy from form (Hi-tech) to ritual (Hi-touch) through case studies. There were three cases that analyzed how to improve local tourism development through the interaction between form and ritual. The results show that this model can integrate sustainable development into intangible cultural heritage tourism and can be further verified in other countries and regions.
The Tradition and Symbols of a Place in Shaping Public Spaces through the Example of the Transformation of Litewski Square in Lublin, Poland
Authors: Bal Wojciech , Czałczyńska-Podolska Magdalena , Szymski Adam
Published: July 2022

Litewski Square is widely known as the place where the Lithuanian envoys camped to attend the Union Sejm in 1569. Today, Litewski Square represents a space of transformation. The urban public spaces of the square have been rebuilt several times, each instance delineating a distinct rendering of tradition and history. In this article, the evolution of the square is presented in order to analyse three main aspects. Over the years and under changing political conditions, its meaning, role, and function have shifted. Traditions and symbols that shape the space of the square have changed; these changing symbols have influenced how the meaning and functionality of the square have evolved over time. The research methodology of this paper is based on historical and interpretative studies. This form of analysis made it possible to identify the successive stages of the transformation of Litewski Square and, accordingly, in the context of changing political conditions, identify the elements that are important for the meaning of the square today. Litewski Square has evolved from an urban space with a clearly defined function to a multifunctional public space: from a memorial square into a modern space of leisure and entertainment. This paper argues that the accumulation of commemorative elements and directly adjacent recreational spaces give the impression of a lapidary, the constituent elements of which devalue each other. What this means is that, even as the number of commemorative symbolic elements have increased, their status is degraded, as well as that of Litewski Square as a whole.
Fuzzy-Based Ecological Vulnerability Assessment Driven by Human Impacts in China
Authors: Han Cheng , Zhang Yang , Shen Jing
Published: July 2022

Human activities have a significant impact on global ecosystems. Assessing and quantifying ecological vulnerability is a fundamental challenge in the study of the ecosystem’s capacity to respond to anthropogenic disturbances. However, little research has been conducted on EVA’s existing fuzzy uncertainties. In this paper, an ecological vulnerability assessment (EVA) framework that integrated the Exposure-Sensitivity-Adaptive Capacity (ESC) framework, fuzzy method, and multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), and took into account human impacts, was developed to address the uncertainties in the assessment process. For the first time, we conducted a provincial-scale case study in China to illustrate our proposed methodology. Our findings imply that China’s ecological vulnerability is spatially heterogeneous due to regional differences in exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indices. The results of our ecological vulnerability assessment and cause analysis can provide guidance for further decision-making and facilitate the protection of ecological quality over the medium to long term. The developed EVA framework can also be duplicated at multiple spatial and temporal dimensions utilizing context-specific datasets to assist environmental managers in making informed decisions.
Highway Network and Fire Occurrence in Amazonian Indigenous Lands
Authors: Silva Carlos F. A. , Alvarado Swanni T. , Santos Alex M. , Andrade Maurício O. , Melo Silas N.
Published: July 2022

The construction and expansion of highways aiming to improve the integration of the most isolated regions in Brazil facilitated the access to many inhabited areas in the Amazon biome, but had as a consequence assisted the degradation of many of these regions. Over the last two decades, we have observed in this biome a gradual diversification and intensification of land uses through vegetation loss and an increase in fire associated with deforestation and an increase in grazing areas. We used data from several active fires products derived from 14 different satellites, available on the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE). We evaluated the influence of highway infrastructure on fire occurrence inside and around Indigenous Lands (IL) located in the Brazilian Amazon biome, from 2008 to 2021. We classified 332 ILs into “cut by highways”, “without highways”, and “with highways in a 10 km buffer”. We performed: (a) the descriptive statistics of the fire occurrence by state, by season, and by type of land use and land cover (LULC) affected by fire; (b) the spatial distribution of the active fire density; and (c) a simple linear regression model between the fire occurrence and the IL area. Our results showed that in total, 16–46% of the fires occurred within the IL in most of the states, while the 10 km buffer was the region most affected by fire. We confirmed that in the last three years there was a significant increase in the number of active fires, representing anomalies in fire occurrence across the studied period. We discussed the result implications and the role of the highway network in environmental degradation inside and around the ILs located in the Brazilian Amazon.
The Influence of Mixing Degree between Coarse and Fine Particles on the Strength of Offshore and Coast Foundations
Authors: Liu Shunkai , Nie Yuxing , Hu Wei , Ashiru Mohammed , Li Zhong , Zuo Jun
Published: July 2022

The variability in strata of foundation soil in marine environments makes it tedious to design foundations for offshore structures. Hence, it is essential to investigate and evaluate the strength properties of this type of soil. This study investigates the variability of the soil strata (which is quantified by the index of the mixing degree between coarse and fine particles) and its influence on the stability of the soil by mixing coarse and fine particles at varying proportions. A series of discrete element method triaxial shear tests were conducted on binary geotechnical mixtures with a varying proportion of coarse content (25%, 50% and 75%) and different mixing degrees (ranging from 0.0 to 1.0). The macroscopic results show that the peak shear strength increases with an increase in mixing degree, and the increase is more obvious with increasing coarse content, while the critical shear strength is independent of the mixing degree. The main evaluation of the number, mean normal force and distribution of the coarse–fine (cf) contact helps to clarify the meso-mechanisms that result in the variations in peak shear strength and critical shear strength with mixing degree. The increase in the peak strength may primarily be due to the increased number and globalized distribution of coarse–fine contact. However, the decreased contact force of coarse–fine contact counterbalances the strength gain due to the increased number and globalized distribution, which maintain the stability of the critical strength.
Multi-Objective Optimization of the Organization’s Performance for Sustainable Development
Authors: Fechete Flavia , Nedelcu Anișor
Published: July 2022

Sustainable development can be defined in terms of three main components: ecologically sustainable, economically sustainable, and socially sustainable. Conflicting objectives are involved in sustainable development issues, of which the economic, environmental, and social objectives are the most important. Multi-criteria decision-making provides a systematic methodology that combines these conflicting objectives and can provide a rational compromise solution to complex decision-making issues. Using multi-objective optimization, this paper integrated three major objectives of organizational performance, maximizing sales, minimizing expenses, and maximizing productivity, all of which are combined for the sustainable development of the organization. All these conflicting problems were included in an objective function that allowed for solving the three objectives simultaneously and, thus, achieving economic, environmental, and social performance, in order to sustainably develop the organization. The input data included the objectives planned by the company regarding the turnover to be achieved, the production and delivery costs, and the productivity achieved by employees. Customer orders, production capacity, delivery costs, and resource consumption were also taken into account for optimization. With the help of multi-objective linear programming, the optimal number of parts produced and delivered by the company was determined so as to reach its economic, environmental, and social performance.
A Study on the Impact of Boundary-Spanning Search on the Sustainable Development Performance of Technology Start-Ups
Authors: Wang Di , Song Jianfeng , Sun Xiumei , Wang Xueyang
Published: July 2022

Boundary-spanning search and ambidextrous learning are the key means for organizations to absorb and internalize external heterogeneous knowledge and play an important role in the sustainable development of enterprises. From the perspective of organizational learning and value co-creation, this paper constructs a theoretical model of the impact of boundary-spanning search on sustainable development performance and conducts multiple regression analysis and a bootstrap test based on the sample data of Chinese start-up technology enterprises. The results show that the following: (1) boundary-spanning search contributes to the sustainable development performance of technology start-ups; (2) the role of ambidextrous learning as a partial mediator between boundary-spanning search and the sustainable development performance of technology start-ups; (3) value co-creation positively regulates the relationship between boundary-spanning search and exploratory learning, while the regulation effect between boundary-spanning search and exploitative learning is not significant; (4) value co-creation strengthens the intermediary role of exploratory learning between boundary-spanning search and the sustainable development performance of start-up technology enterprises. The findings help reveal the mechanisms by which boundary-spanning search affects the sustainable development performance of technology start-ups and their boundary conditions.
Human Comfort Model of Noise and Vibration for Sustainable Design of the Turboprop Aircraft Cabin
Authors: Aggarwal Geetika , Mansfield Neil , Vanheusden Frederique , Faulkner Steve
Published: July 2022

In recent years, the aircraft industry has made significant advancements in technology in the context of fuel consumption, maintenance, and performance. The most promising developments in terms of fuel efficiency and minimization of emissions are through future generations of turboprop aircraft (i.e., those generating thrust from a propeller). One important drawback with turboprop aircraft is that they tend to have noisier cabins, and there is an increased level of discomfort from vibration due to the tonality that is present. Human comfort perception is a key factor for aircraft manufacturers in the design of airframes and aircraft interiors. Noise and vibration are major sources of discomfort in aircraft cabins; hence, aircraft manufacturers are seeking to estimate passenger discomfort based on noise and vibration measurements in order to optimize the aircraft design. The aim of this research study is focused on building a comfort model for aircraft to enable designers and engineers to optimize the passengers’ traveling experience. In this paper, an experimental laboratory study is presented, determining the relative importance of noise and vibration for the turboprop aircraft cabin. The results show that with the increase in noise levels and vibration magnitudes, the overall human discomfort also increased. A linear comfort model is presented, allowing for the prediction of overall discomfort from measurements of turboprop noise and vibration for the optimization of aircraft cabins.
Procurement Strategies and Auction Mechanism for Heterogeneous Service Providers in a Service Supply Chain
Authors: Cao Jifeng , Ma Cheng
Published: July 2022

This paper examines competition between two heterogeneous service providers (SPs) in a service procurement market. We investigate a service supply chain consisting of one service integrator (SI), and two SPs who compete the SI’s order with their own reservation profits. To select the favorable SP and centralize the total system, we propose an auction mechanism in symmetric and asymmetric information scenarios and find that channel coordination can be achieved by means of an efficient auction mechanism, hence, Pareto improvement conditions can be clearly illustrated. In addition, we characterize the effects of information asymmetry on optimal decisions and derive some important managerial insights into the value of information.
The Impact of Financial Development and Green Finance on Regional Energy Intensity: New Evidence from 30 Chinese Provinces
Authors: Lv Kun , Yu Shurong , Fu Dian , Wang Jingwen , Wang Chencheng , Pan Junbai
Published: July 2022

Energy efficiency and energy intensity are gradually gaining attention, and it is now an important proposition to reconcile financial development, green finance, and regional energy intensity. Using Chinese mainland provincial panel data (except Tibet) from 2007 to 2019, this paper applied the spatial econometric model and the panel threshold model to investigate the effects of financial development and green finance on regional energy intensity. The paper discovered that financial development raises regional energy intensity, while green finance reduces it. Based on the panel threshold perspective, in different stages of green finance development, the effect of financial development on regional energy intensity presents an inverted U-shaped effect that first promotes and then inhibits. Meanwhile, green finance has a significant positive spatial transmission effect on regional energy intensity. Based on the spatial weight matrix reflecting regional economic relations, the increase in energy intensity has a significant negative spatial autoregressive effect on itself, and the spatial spillover effect of financial development is negligible.
Study on the Evolutionary Game of Cooperation and Innovation in Science and Technology Town Enterprises
Authors: Li Feng , Wang Yalong
Published: July 2022

Developing science- and innovation-based special towns plays a pivotal role in new urbanization, and enterprise cooperative innovation can help accelerate the development of high-quality science- and innovation-based special towns. A dynamic evolutionary model of enterprise cooperative innovation under two different mechanisms of market law and government regulation is developed for a government-led science and innovation town. The influence of various influencing factors, including willingness to cooperate, on the choice of enterprise cooperative innovation strategy is examined, and MATLAB simulation is used to verify the analysis and provide suggestions for promoting the sustainability of enterprise cooperative innovation. As a result of the study, it is shown that factors influencing the choice of cooperative innovation strategy for enterprises under the market mechanism include the cost and benefits of cooperative innovation, the degree of willingness to cooperate, and the degree of effort. When the market mechanism fails, government subsidies and incentive bonuses are more effective than either alone when it comes to encouraging firms to adopt cooperative innovation strategies. When government penalties are lower than free-rider benefits, they cannot influence firms’ speculative behavior. It is found that only a penalty intensity above the threshold can effectively inhibit the phenomenon of free-riding and motivate enterprises in science- and innovation-oriented characteristic towns to choose a cooperative innovation strategy, and the greater the penalty intensity, the faster the enterprises will tend to cooperate and innovate.
Stochastic Modelling to Assess External Environmental Drivers of Atlantic Chub Mackerel Population Dynamics
Authors: Derhy Ghoufrane , Macías Diego , Elkalay Khalid , Khalil Karima , Rincón Margarita María
Published: July 2022

The population dynamics of small and middle-sized pelagic fish are subject to considerable interannual and interdecadal fluctuations in response to fishing pressure and natural factors. However, the impact of environmental forcing on these stocks is not well documented. The Moroccan Atlantic coast is characterized by high environmental variability due to the upwelling phenomenon, resulting in a significant abundance and variation in the catches of small and middle-sized pelagic species. Therefore, understanding the evolution of stock abundance and its relationship with different oceanographic conditions is a key issue for fisheries management. However, because of the limited availability of independent-fishery data along the Moroccan Atlantic coast, there is a lack of knowledge about the population dynamics. The main objective of this study is to test the correlation between the environment conditions and the stock fluctuations trends estimated by a stock assessment model that does not need biological information on growth, reproduction, and length or age structure as input. To achieve this objective, the fishery dynamics are analyzed with a stochastic surplus production model able to assimilate data from surveys and landings for a biomass trend estimation. Then, in a second step, the model outputs are correlated with different environmental (physical and biogeochemical) variables in order to assess the influence of different environmental drivers on population dynamics. This two-step procedure is applied for chub mackerel along the Moroccan coast, where all these available datasets have not been used together before. The analysis performed showed that larger biomass estimates are linked with periods of lower salinity, higher chlorophyll, higher net primary production, higher nutrients, and lower subsurface oxygen, i.e., with an enhanced strength of the upwelling. In particular, acute anomalies of these environmental variables are observed in the southern part presumably corresponding to the wintering area of the species in the region. The results indicate that this is a powerful procedure, although with important limitations, to deepen our understanding of the spatiotemporal relationships between the population and the environment in this area. Moreover, once these relationships have been identified, they could be used to generate a mathematical relationship to simulate future population trends in diverse environmental scenarios.
Cumulative Effect, Targeted Poverty Alleviation, and Firm Value: Evidence from China
Authors: Xiong Li , Long Xiaoliang , Xu Zhaoran
Published: July 2022

This paper studies the influence of the annual cumulative earnings of Chinese listed TPA (targeted poverty alleviation) companies before 2004 on the companies’ value using data from 2012 to 2019, measures the long-term earnings persistence of these companies with the variable of the cumulative earnings averaged by the market price of each company at the current year’s end, and obtains a model of the company’s value combined with each company’s earnings persistence and the long-term competitive strength of its products. The cumulative data from 2004 to 2012, 2005 to 2013…, and 2011 to 2019 provide the data used for regression from 2012 to 2019. The TPA companies’ value is affected by long-term cumulative net profits and long-term competitive advantage. The higher the company’s accumulated net profit, the longer the duration of the long-term competitive advantage, the more stable the company’s value increase, and the higher the quality of the value increase.
Relevant Variables in the Stimulation of Psychological Well-Being in Physical Education: A Systematic Review
Authors: Pérez-Ordás Raquel , Piñeiro-Cossio Javier , Díaz-Chica Óscar , Ayllón-Negrillo Ester
Published: July 2022

This study is based on the need to explore the different strategies and interventions that seek to develop psychological well-being (PW) in scholars (children and adolescents aged 9–19 years) through physical education and school sports by bearing in mind other variables that can extensively facilitate PW in these students. This study analyzed 504 research works published between 2010 and 2020, and 23 were selected for this review because they met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that the most studied variables were: motivation, academic performance, teaching climate in physical education (PE) teaching styles, parents’ relationships and school environment. The literature review carried out in this study reveals the need to consider PW with other relevant variables, and the importance of doing so from a community approach, in which all systems (parents, school and government) are active participants, and contribute to generate a positive environment for all. Finally, school professionals should be aware of the need to stimulate their students’ PW because government organizations should be interested in promoting such a policy in this population.
Surveillance Strategies of Rodents in Agroecosystems, Forestry and Urban Environments
Authors: Jurišić Aleksandar , Ćupina Aleksandra Ignjatović , Kavran Mihaela , Potkonjak Aleksandar , Ivanović Ivana , Bjelić-Čabrilo Olivera , Meseldžija Maja , Dudić Milica , Poljaković-Pajnik Leopold , Vasić Verica
Published: July 2022

Rodents belong to the group of occasionally economically significant to very significant pests. Some species, especially synanthropic species, cause material damage in various ways. Successful and sustainable management of rodent control strategies requires different procedures such as prevention and rodent control measures. The present study gives an overview of the most common rodent species and methods for estimating the rodent population to assess the risk of economic damage that may occur due to rodents feeding in field crops, gardens, orchards, and young forest plantations, as well as contamination of stored food. As a prerequisite for effective integrated control of mice and voles, it is necessary to implement an adequate long-term monitoring system of these species, as they are primary pests. The integrated approach improves the treatment efficacy and reduces the treatment costs but also is considered ecologically friendlier compared to conventional measures. An integrated approach should provide an effective strategy for rodent management and control in all types of rodent habitats, from agricultural and forestry production fields to residential and public areas. By combining different preventive measures, it is possible to prevent the presence of pests, which will therefore result in a reduction of pesticide use.
The Mechanism for Matching the Supply Content and Policy Instruments of Resistive Public Policy
Authors: Luo Hui , Zhang He
Published: July 2022

In the continuous development of behaviorist public policy theory, nudge tools have gradually become a policy tool of great interest to the academic community, which believes these tools can improve the effectiveness of public policy. However, scholars frequently disregard the impact of policy attributes on the policy effect when the policy content is matched with explicit policy tools and potential policy tools. Most studies have confirmed the application effect of nudges in policies that are receptive, but there is little research on their application in policies that are resistive. Through research on the supply content and promotion mechanism of policy resistance, we determined that the nudge policy tool does not demonstrate significant benefits for the effect of policy behavior, while, among the explicit policy tools, the preaching tool has a significant impact on the effect of policy behavior.
ESG Disclosure and the Cost of Capital: Is There a Ratcheting Effect over Time?
Authors: Khanchel Imen , Lassoued Naima
Published: July 2022

In recent years, the CSR disclosure–firm risk relationship has raised the acute interest of capital providers, regulators, debtholders, and academic researchers. In addition to the mounting corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure issues, one particular area that has increasingly attracted the attention of academics, practitioners, and policymakers is the dynamic of CSR disclosure. The effects of institutional pressures and the relative nature of reputation have amplified expectations over time, resulting in a dynamic CSR disclosure strategy to meet those expectations. However, studies on the relationship between CSR disclosure and firm risk over time are still in their premature stages. Thus, this paper seeks to contribute to the literature on firm risk and CSR disclosure by examining the effect of ESG disclosure on the cost of capital over time. The study examines a sample of 430 S&P 500 US firms observed over the 2011 to 2019 period. Our results indicate that the three dimensions do not have the same effect. Governance disclosure decreases the cost of capital during the first years, and in later years, the effect becomes positive. Over time, social disclosure increases the cost of capital. However, environmental disclosure shows a negative and significant effect on the cost of capital during the first years but no significant effect later in time. Our results contribute to explaining the dynamic effect of CSR disclosure. A predominant feature to consider is the evolution of CSR disclosure over time. Steadily, US firms are moving away from some CSR disclosure activities to others. However, firms that abandoned some existing CSR disclosure commitments may face aggressive responses from stakeholders. US firms have to be more cautious when linking CSR disclosure to firm risk over time, recognizing the long-term benefits and drawbacks of CSR disclosure.
Revisiting the Impact of Clean Water and Improved Sanitation on Child Mortality: Implications for Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Ly Anh M. , Pierce Hayley , Cope Michael R.
Published: July 2022

Using Demographic and Health Surveys, this study examined the impact of clean water and improved sanitation on child morality in five South Asian countries. South Asia is the region with the second most public health crises due to the utilization of unsafe water and sanitation, only second to Sub-Saharan Africa. Logistic regression models suggest that access to improved water and sanitation is significantly associated with a lower probability of child mortality, especially during the post-neonatal period. Although increased parental educational attainment and household wealth reduce the risk of child mortality, the combined household wealth and place of residence variable revealed the higher risk of mortality for children living in urban areas than rural areas. These findings emphasize the importance of the access to clean water and improved sanitation to reduce the number of children dying due to water-related diseases. Additionally, they suggest the need for additional research on the contribution of clean water and improved sanitation to achieve the global goals of child mortality reduction, especially the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Creating Sustainable Development of the Destination with Tea Public Version Packaging Design by Obtaining Relational Space Concept
Authors: Li Wan-Ting , Cheng Yueh-Hsiu
Published: July 2022

Packaging is crucial for presenting the image of tea tourism destinations. The public version of tea packaging with images of tea sightseeing spots was pervasive, and builds the impression to tourists that they have visited a certain destination. However, with the rise of independent brand thinking and sensory stimulation consumption, the form of tea packaging in the public version has changed to be based on tourists’ purchasing preferences, leading to the diversity of the packaging style and pattern, and the public version of tea packaging gradually loses the function of promoting brand images. Based on the rooted land of oriental tea culture, this research has the following aims: (1) to construct the concept of “Relational Space for Sustainable Public Version of Tea Packaging and its Concept” through a literature review and field investigation; (2) to give contributions to the improvement of the visual aspect of the existing public packaging of tea; (3) to integrate the image of the destination and the private brand image of tea farmers with the public version of tea packaging to enhance the perception and attraction of tourists to the brand image of tea tourism destinations; (4) to design, operate, and test the concept discussed in this study by utilizing experimental design and questionnaire survey and propose application guidelines for this concept design. The results of the study are as follows: (1) The destination images and geographical symbols of the existing public packaging of tea are beneficial to the promotion of the destination image; however, the visual elements that make up these packages are not conducive to the cultural richness of the destination because of their single relational context, which leads to the solidification of the destination image. (2) The design application guidelines proposed in this study present the concept of destination branding and private branding as a complement to each other by adjusting the packaging layout to create a mutually beneficial partnership visually embodied in the public tea packaging design. Packaging accessories are central to the partnership between the destination and the local industry, and the public tea packaging design created by this concept creates a richness and specificity of the destination’s brand image. In this way, the destination’s industry and brand image will develop in a diverse and multifaceted way to achieve the sustainability of the destination’s industry.
Securing Commitments from Stakeholders in 10 EU Member States—The Organic Seed Declaration to Foster Stakeholder Involvement
Authors: Schäfer Freya , Gutzen Kaja , Raaijmakers Maaike , Meyer Katharina , Gatzert Xenia , Sommer Martin , Bruszik Ágnes , Messmer Monika M.
Published: July 2022

The new European organic regulation 2018/848 aims to phase out the use of non-organic seeds in organic farming by 2036. At present, achieving this goal in countries with a poorly developed organic seed sector is difficult, and therefore there is a great need to increase organic seed supply by promoting the development of the organic seed sector in Europe. This paper presents a conceptual framework to secure voluntary stakeholder involvement in the process of a gradual increase in the supply of organic seeds for organic farming. Stakeholders showed a high motivation to commit to concrete action points for moving forward. In addition, further actors were involved in the fulfillment of the commitments, a sign of a positive network effect in favor of organic seed production and use. The study indicates application potential and can complement mandatory policy instruments. Further progress monitoring is necessary to ensure that established structures maintain their function, and to keep the shared sense of responsibility alive.
A Study of Bibliometric Trends in Automotive Human–Machine Interfaces
Authors: Zhang Xu , Liao Xi-Peng , Tu Jui-Che
Published: July 2022

With the development of autonomous driving technology and the internet, automotive human–machine interface (HMI) technology has become an important part of contemporary automotive design. Currently, global automakers are designing a variety of innovative in-car HMIs that illustrate the direction of automotive design in the new era from the perspective of technological aesthetics and experience design. However, sleek designs and innovative experience methods must be built on the basis of safety. Therefore, it is necessary to summarize existing research in the field of automotive HMI and construct a literature review of automotive design research. In this paper, literature on automotive HMI from the Scopus database was analyzed using bibliometric methods such as descriptive analysis, keyword co-occurrence, and literature co-citation network analysis. The final mapping analysis revealed that the current automotive HMI research literature primarily focuses on user research, interface research, external environment research, and technology implementation research related to automotive HMI. The three main stages of automotive HMI research include conceptual construction, system and technology refinement, and user perception research from the perspective of driver assistance and information recognition. Additionally, burst detection suggests that future research should focus on driver assistance, trust levels, and e-HMI information communication.
Effects of Government Regulations on Under-Reporting of Carbon Emission Transfers by Enterprises in Supply Chains
Authors: Zhao Biying , Sun Licheng , Gao Siying
Published: July 2022

In low-carbon environments, asymmetric carbon information causes the enterprises in a supply chain to face the risk of misstatements about carbon emissions. Such misstatements could affect the decisions about carbon emission transfers in the supply chain. To optimize carbon emission transfers among supply chain enterprises, this study formulates a supplier-led Stackelberg game model incorporating the government’s initial carbon emission allowances and fines. The study also examines the mechanism of the behaviors of enterprises in low-carbon supply chains, the proportions of initial quotas, the impact of government fines on carbon transfers, and the influence of the supply chain and carbon emission transfers on related supply chain decisions and profits. The main findings are as follows. First, the proportion of the government’s initial quota has a positive effect on the carbon emission transfer quantity of the supplier, while government fines and misstatement factors have a negative effect. Second, the carbon emissions of the unit product of the supplier decrease as the under-reporting factor and carbon emission transfer quantity of the supplier increase. The under-reporting factor has a stronger effect on the carbon emissions of the unit product. Third, in a carbon-free market, carbon emission transfers negatively affect the disclosed profits of the supply chain, whereas in a perfect carbon market, the carbon trading price has a certain endogenous regulation mechanism for the suppliers’ operational decisions. Fourth, the supplier’s wholesale price order quantity is negatively correlated with the supplier’s carbon emission transfer quantity, but positively correlated with the initial carbon quota ratio.