bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Road Accessibility by Residents and Tourists to Public Hospitals in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)
Authors: Moragues Alexandre , Seguí-Pons Joana Maria , Colom Fernández Antoni , Ruiz-Pérez Maurici
Published: May 2023

Accessibility to public hospital services is crucial for healthcare provision, particularly in regions characterized by high tourist presence, such as the Mediterranean islands. This study aims to assess the accessibility of public hospital services in Mallorca, considering access time, the geographic distribution of the resident population, and tourist accommodations. A GIS-based analysis using optimal routing algorithms and the Gini index was conducted to examine the equity in the distribution of regional and reference hospitals across four Health Sectors: Ponent, Migjorn, Tramuntana, and Llevant. The findings reveal that accessibility to regional hospitals is generally favorable, with average access times of 18, 16, 15, and 26 min, respectively, without surpassing 60 min. Accessibility to referral hospitals is comparatively lower, with 31,499 individuals located more than 1 h away. Moreover, 56% of the population is within 10 min from the referral hospital, and only 1.6% require more than 50 min to reach the hospital. Accessibility differs among Health Sectors, with Llevant experiencing the most significant impact. The hospital distribution in Mallorca is deemed to be adequate to serve residents, tourists, and the road network. Although limited in comparisons to other studies conducted in Spain, accessibility in Mallorca is fairly similar to Andalusia, Extremadura, and Catalonia. The study underscores the necessity for health infrastructure planning in order to account for the distribution of resident and tourist populations to ensure efficient and equitable services, particularly in Mediterranean island environments with a substantial tourist presence.
Fresh Produce Supply Chain Coordination Based on Freshness Preservation Strategy
Authors: Ran Wenxue , Chen Yajing
Published: May 2023

Today, consumers are increasingly demanding higher quality in fresh agricultural products. The issues that need to be addressed now are how to keep fresh products fresh and how to coordinate the operations of supply chain participants. Three decision models are developed in this paper using the Stackelberg model: supplier-led decision making, retailer-led decision making, and centralized decision making. The comparative model analysis shows the following: (1) Regardless of the decision model, the supply chain system under centralized decision-making is always more profitable than the supplier-led or retailer-led one. (2) The optimal profit and freshness preservation strategy of the supply chain system depends on the sensitivity coefficient of consumers to price and freshness. (3) Suppliers and retailers can coordinate the costs of freshness inputs according to how the cost-sharing coordination contract is structured. (4) Finally, the numerical analysis is applied to demonstrate the correction of the model.
Methods to Reduce Flicker and Light Pollution of Low-Mounting-Height Luminaires in Urban Road Lighting
Authors: Chen Shenfei , Zhang Bing , Zeng Xianxian , Lin Yi , Zhao Haitian
Published: May 2023

Current low-mounting-height luminaires (LMHLs) have low effective luminous flux, high surface brightness, and many stray lights, resulting in high energy consumption and light interference, and the flicker effect may threaten driver safety. Currently, the flicker effect in LMHL lighting has been relatively poorly studied. However, in prior research, a Flicker Index (FI) quantification model was developed. In this study, we have modified the FI model to incorporate visual persistence, visual masking, and driving speed of the driver, and proposed a dynamic energy ratio model for quantifying flicker effects. The notion of effective luminous flux in road lighting was introduced, revealing that the reasons for high energy consumption, severe light pollution, and strong flicker effects in regular LMHLs were low effective luminous flux and high surface brightness. We recommend a low-mounting-height lighting technique that functions in both forward and reverse directions, which can significantly enhance the effective luminous flux of lighting fixtures, reducing stray light. The lighting fixtures created were tested on a road. The findings suggest that the energy consumption of both forward and reverse lighting fixtures is only 40% of the international standard requirements, resulting in 81% more energy savings than in existing LMHLs. The surface brightness of forward and reverse lighting fixtures is only 1.18 cd/m2, which is equivalent to 0.001% of the surface brightness of existing lighting fixtures. This indicates that 99.89% less invalid light is projected into the environment, indirectly reducing light pollution. Additionally, the flicker index of these fixtures is only 2% of that of existing lighting fixtures, reducing the impact of the flicker effect on drivers. This study provides insights into quantifying and mitigating the flicker effect in LMHLs, as well as presenting novel approaches and strategies for enhancing the efficiency and reducing light pollution of streetlamps.
Nitrate Pollution in the Groundwater of Bangladesh: An Emerging Threat
Authors: Muhib Md. Iftakharul , Ali Mir Mohammad , Tareq Shafi M. , Rahman Md. Mostafizur
Published: May 2023

Access to safe potable water is one of the most significant challenges in an environmentally vulnerable country like Bangladesh. The presence of high concentrations of nitrate in groundwater can deteriorate its quality and pose serious health threats. A review was conducted to evaluate the current status of overall nitrate concentrations in different districts (35 out of 64 districts) of Bangladesh based on available published data. Human Health Risk Analysis (HHRA) and nitrate pollution index (NPI) were calculated to illustrate the level of chronic risk and degree of pollution among the population of the studied districts. The HHRA model predicted that the adult population of 48.57% districts and the child population of 56.25% districts were found to be facing potential health risks associated with elevated nitrate consumption. The NPI results revealed that at least 45.72% of the studied districts were characterized by light to very significant nitrate pollution loads. It can be concluded that the outcomes of this systematic study would draw the attention of policymakers and the population of all districts and enable them to take effective measures in preserve groundwater resources in Bangladesh and prevent long-term, complex diseases.
Attitudinal Factors Associated with the Use of Bicycles and Electric Scooters
Authors: Rodríguez-Correa Paula Andrea , Franco-Castaño Sebastián , Bermúdez-Hernández Jonathan , Valencia-Arias Alejandro , Barandiarán-Gamarra José Manuel
Published: May 2023

The use of personal mobility vehicles (PMVs) has increased, given the consumption characteristics of the population as well as the impact on the environment that other means of transport generate. In this work, the attitudinal factors associated with the use of PMVs are identified, making use of the theory of planned behaviour and a modified technological acceptance model. For the collection of information, a sample of 457 individuals was used. For the analysis of this information, a structural equation model was generated through SmartPLS 4. The results reveal that of the attitudinal factors associated with the use of these vehicles, green attitudes, perceived green value and loyalty stand out, with the latter being one of the latent predictive variables of the model, which is why feelings of enjoyment, usefulness generated and a perception of caring for the environment by PMV users have a greater influence on their loyalty to this type of green technology.
Sound Absorption Properties of Charcoal Made from Wood Waste
Authors: Khrystoslavenko Olga , Astrauskas Tomas , Grubliauskas Raimondas
Published: May 2023

Wood is a sustainable renewable material that is widely used in the building sector. Due to recent trends in green initiatives in European and other countries, wood waste is becoming more popular for sound absorption and insulation because of its renewability. Recycled wood material granulated charcoal is an effective acoustic treatment. In this study, we investigated the sound absorption coefficients of raw wood and granulated charcoal species: birch (Betula pendula), pine (Pinus sylvestris), and oak (Quercus robur). The impedance tube method was used to characterize the sound absorption properties of the granulated charcoal. The maximum bulk densities of the materials investigated were 567 kg/m3 for birch (B. pendula) wood and 247 kg/m3 for granulated charcoal. The airflow resistivity of wood and granulated charcoal was found using the static airflow method according to the standard. The grain size distribution of charcoal was also determined, with the highest percentage (25–29%) of the birch and pine grain distribution of charcoal species having a size of 400 µm and 30.7% of the oak a size of 1 mm. All species had the lowest grain size value, i.e., 900 µm (1–4%). The sound absorption of granulated charcoal does not depend on the carbonization temperature at 400, 500, or 600 °C. Granular charcoal of 25 mm has a better sound absorption thickness coefficient for birch at 600 °C (0.57 at 315 Hz) compared to wood of the same thickness. The effectiveness of absorption for wood and granular charcoal depends on the type of wood (birch > pine > oak), grain size, airflow resistivity, and bulk density.
Unveiling the Spatial Effects of Climate Change on Economic Growth: International Evidence
Authors: Benhamed Adel , Osman Yousif , Ben-Salha Ousama , Jaidi Zied
Published: May 2023

Climate change represents one of the most serious threats to the well-being of humanity. In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in the amount of research dedicated to analysing the economic impacts of climate change. Nevertheless, the spatial aspect of climate change has not been addressed. This research is the first to empirically assess both direct and indirect (spillover) effects of climate change, as measured by temperature variations, on economic growth. The empirical analysis is based on a balanced dataset for 86 countries between 1980 and 2019. The preliminary analysis suggests the presence of spatial autocorrelation and the suitability of the dynamic spatial autoregressive model to assess the spillover effects of climate change. The results for the full sample reveal that there are no substantial short- or long-run effects of climate change on economic growth. When the sample is decomposed by income, the analysis indicates that climate change has direct and indirect spillover effects on economic growth only in low–middle-income countries over the short- and long run. The decomposition according to the climate regime also yields interesting findings as climate change exerts adverse direct and indirect spillover effects on economic growth only in the hottest countries over the long run. These findings are robust since they hold regardless of whether the contiguity weight matrix or the inverse distance weight matrix is used. The research advocates for international collaboration in the design and implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Sustainable Ultrasound Assisted Extractions and Valorization of Coffee Silver Skin (CS)
Authors: Biondić Fučkar Vedran , Nutrizio Marinela , Grudenić Anamarija , Djekić Ilija , Režek Jambrak Anet
Published: May 2023

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) encourage the efficient use of sustainable technologies. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) is one of the extraction process techniques, which are also directed towards sustainability as a goal. Coffee silver skin (CS), being a healthy raw material as well as a waste, could be utilized in the manufacturing process of new dietary products. The goal of this research was to isolate proteins and polyphenols from CS using UAE and to employ spectrophotometry to determine the yields. Three parts of the research were conducted: ultrasonic extraction, the optimization of UAE conditions for the isolation of proteins and polyphenols from CS, and the analysis of the amino acid extract obtained with the optimal use of UAE. According to the results, it was reported that the highest yields of total polyphenols isolated from the CS using UAE were obtained by applying an amplitude of 75% and a time interval of 9 min. The optimal parameters of UAE, when considering the proportions of total polyphenols and proteins, are an amplitude of 100% and a time of 9 min. The most abundant amino acids in isolated proteins (Asp, Glu, Pro, Gly, and Ala) were defined as well. Based on the use of energy, it was obvious that UAE is a promising technology. This concurs with the proposed practice that when non-thermal technologies are analyzed from an environmental point of view, the first common denominator is the use of electricity to run the equipment, in relation to resource depletion. As expected, CS poses a great waste to be recycled, being a nutritionally rich raw material with great potential. Quantitative consideration on the environmentally friendly applicability of CS in mass production should be carried out to validate the entire process of developing a new product from both economic and environmental aspects.
Modeling and Predicting Land Use/Land Cover Change Using the Land Change Modeler in the Suluh River Basin, Northern Highlands of Ethiopia
Authors: Entahabu Hailay Hagos , Minale Amare Sewnet , Birhane Emiru
Published: May 2023

Land use and land cover change are among the drivers of environmental change. The Suluh River Basin’s land use and land cover are modeled in this study using a land change modeler. To accomplish the goals of this study, Landsat images and ancillary data sources were utilized. In eCognition Developer 9.2 software, nearest neighbor fuzzy classification was used to classify Landsat images. With the IDRISI Selva 17.3 software, change detection and modeling were carried out. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data were conducted. The results showed that, despite a drop in forest land of 97.2%, grazing land of 89.8%, plantation land of 89.1%, shrub-bush land of 1.5%, and water bodies of 84.8% from 1990 to 2002, bare land increased by 10.6%, built-up land by 29.4%, and cultivated land by 65.4%. The model projects, bare, built-up, and cultivated land will increase at the cost of water bodies, grazing, forest, shrub-bush, and plantation land between the years 2028 and 2048. Rainfall, slope, height, distance to rivers, distance to highways, distance from towns, and population density were the main determinants of LULC change in the study area. Therefore, in order to promote sustainable development, safeguard the river basin, and lessen the severity of the changes, appropriate management and timely action must be taken by policymakers and decision makers.
Digital Transformation Blueprint in Higher Education: A Case Study of PSU
Authors: Alenezi Mamdouh , Akour Mohammad
Published: May 2023

Digital transformation is a rapidly growing trend that has captured the attention of institutions and stakeholders worldwide. This phenomenon has become a top priority for higher education institutions, as universities play a critical role in the development and empowerment of societies. To address this pressing need, this paper proposes the establishment of a sustainable digital transformation environment based on the best national and international practices and recommendations. The goal of this proposal is to overcome the challenges faced by universities and provide the most convenient mechanisms to achieve their duties. Furthermore, this proposal aims to be a successful part of achieving Saudi Arabia Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which seeks to revolutionize the education and scientific research system. By adopting this proposed approach, universities in Saudi Arabia can proactively anticipate and address emerging trends and thereby ensure that they are offering the highest quality education to their students. Digital transformation is a crucial trend that cannot be ignored. By embracing this trend and implementing sustainable digital transformation environments, universities can ensure that they are providing the best possible education to their students and contributing to the development and empowerment of societies.
Synergistic Effect of Organic and Biofertilizers on Strawberry Cultivation
Authors: Kilic Neslihan
Published: May 2023

In the contemporary era, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers in areas where strawberries are intensively cultivated disrupts the balance of nature and reduces economic efficiency. Therefore, using organic and biofertilizers in sustainable agriculture can solve these problems. The effect of organic fertilizer and other treatments on the yield, quality, and plant growth of the Monterey strawberry variety was investigated. Solid farm manure and a liquid organic fertilizer of vegetable origin were used as basic fertilizers, while five different commercial fertilizers containing bacteria and mycorrhiza were used as complementary fertilizers. In addition, this study examined plant growth parameters, including root length, stem diameter, leaf area, yield per plant, fruit weight, pH in the fruit, SSC, acid, SSC-to-acid ratio, and plant nutrient content. The Biofarm+Botanica+Fontera microzone bacterial fertilizer (Azosprillium brasilense, Azotobacter vinelandii, Rhizobium trifollii, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Bacillus mucilaginosus) treatment provided the best results; namely, it produced the highest total yield (250.17 g plant−1), largest fruits (18.13 g), highest SSC-to-acid ratio (18.05), and best nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium contents in the leaves. Similarly, the same treatment produced the longest root, thickest stem, and maximum leaf area. As a result of this study, it is recommended to use biofertilizers together with organic fertilizers to ensure high-quality fruit production.
The Spatial Spillover Effect of Logistics and Manufacturing Co-Agglomeration on Regional Economic Resilience: Evidence from China’s Provincial Panel Data
Authors: Wang Haojun , Su Xiao , Liu Jun M.
Published: May 2023

The logistics and manufacturing industries’ co-agglomeration (LMCA) and deep integration, as well as the industries’ digital transformation and intelligent upgrading, are of great significance to enhance regional economic resilience (EcoResi). This paper establishes a theoretical framework for LMCA and EcoResi based on the economic development theory and the new economic geography theory, explores the spatial spillover effect of LMCA on EcoResi, and measures the levels of LMCA and EcoResi. The data set is consisted of the indicators of LMCA and GDP growth rate of 30 provinces, centrally administered municipalities, and autonomous regions in China from 2006 to 2020. Spatial econometric models were used to empirically analyze the impact of LMCA on EcoResi based on provincial panel data. The results show that the improvement in LMCA not only improves the resilience of local economy, but it also has a significant spatial spillover effect. Further regional analyses show that LMCA has significant stimulating effects and spatial spillover effects on EcoResi in the central and western regions of China. However, the same effects are not significant in the eastern region of China. This research enriches the literature by suggesting effective ways to enhance EcoResi through LMCA.
A Review of Vibration-Based Scour Diagnosis Methods for Bridge Foundation
Authors: Zhang Zhenhao , Lin Guowei , Yang Xiaopeng , Cui Shilin , Li Yan , Shi Xueqing , Han Zhongyu
Published: May 2023

Foundation scour poses a serious threat to bridge safety in the whole life cycle and leads to many bridge failure incidents. Recently, as an important subfield of bridge structural health monitoring, vibration-based scour diagnosis methods have garnered widespread attention, particularly due to their rapid and low-cost features, which overcomes the difficulties of complex equipment installation associated with the traditional approaches. Recent advances of this method within the last decade are reviewed in this paper. Firstly, the principle of scour diagnosis and vibration excitation methods are introduced. Then, existing qualitative and quantitative studies on scour diagnosis are reviewed, respectively. The former refers to identifying the scour location based on the bridge dynamic characteristics or dynamic response changes, and the latter refers to identifying scour depth based on model updating or machine learning methods. Based on the above review, some important but neglected issues are summarized and discussed in depth, and some challenges and future trends are proposed, including innovative excitation methods, mitigation of environmental conditions interference, soil–structure interaction prediction and application of machine learning techniques.
Unraveling the Fate and Transport of DNAPLs in Heterogeneous Aquifer Systems—A Critical Review and Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Guleria Abhay , Gupta Pankaj Kumar , Chakma Sumedha , Yadav Brijesh Kumar
Published: May 2023

Dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) in the subsurface environment beyond the permissible limit poses a threat to human health and a suite of ecological services. An accurate prediction of the concentration and mass fluxes of DNAPL at environmentally sensitive locations and their temporal variations can be obtained using robust and efficient fate and transport mathematical models. Thus, this study evaluated 412 articles published from 1990 to 2022 utilizing the Scopus® database to provide a quantitative overview of the present trends and future perspectives of the DNAPL transport research field, especially fate and transport models via bibliometric analysis. The major findings of the published literature based on the scale of the study and type of modeling framework, relationships of governing parameters with a scale of study, and recent developments in the mathematical models were discussed. The country-citation analysis revealed the USA and Canada as leading countries in DNAPL fate and transport research field. The findings of this study uncovered a need for studies considering low-permeability and stagnant regions, as well as the variable nature of the flow, transport, and reaction parameters to understand the complex plume evolution dynamics of DNAPLs under field-scale conditions. The nonlinear interactions between various flow and transport phenomena should be quantified during a model’s development by applying spatial- and time-varying global sensitivity analyses. The outcomes of the bibliometric survey, visual analysis, and concise review presented in this study can provide a wide range of references, emerging topics, and prospects to emphasize less focused on topics of DNAPL transport research.
Determinant of M-Banking Usage and Adoption among Millennials
Authors: Al Tarawneh Mo’men Awad , Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan , Yong David Gun Fie , Dorasamy Magiswary A/P
Published: May 2023

Mobile banking has the benefits of internet banking, in which the customer can access bank services over an internet connection anytime and anywhere. Millennials in Malaysia’s business environment are an enormous segment of the Malaysian population, and they are moving to take their places in the middle and high levels of their companies’ managerial governance pyramid these days and in the near future. This study examines the question, “What are the main factors that may influence mobile banking use (MBU) and the intention to use mobile banking (IU) among millenial consumers in Malaysia?”. The determining factors of UTAUT, performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC), hedonic motivation (HM), price value (PV), habit (Ha), perceived risk (PDR), and interface design quality (IDQ) were tested in this study. Method: SPSS and PLS-SEM are employed on a collected sample of 504 respondents of Millennials in Malaysia using a well-defined questionnaire to carry out all statistical analyses of this study. Result: The study model can explain 55.3% of the variance of mobile banking use (MBU) and 60.3% of the intention to use mobile banking (IU). In this study, all the relations of the model are significant, except the relation between price value (PV) and the intention to use mobile banking. For both IU and MBU in the model, the factor “Interface design quality” (IDQ) has the highest impact. In contrast, the factor “Perceived Risk” (PDR) has the lowest impact. The findings of this study extend the knowledge on mobile banking as an approach of financial technology implementation, from which mobile banking providers and interface designers can provide new potential solutions to expand the usage of mobile banking services in Malaysia. This study proposed a modified model with eleven variables. While the designed model was evaluated successfully and explained 55% of actual use and 60% of intentional use, the remaining portion (45% for actual use and 40% for intended usage) exposes yet other factors that are still unrevealed. Therefore, further studies are required to assess the design in various other financial sectors, and further studies are invited to conduct qualitative research to reveal other variables for a better understanding of the intention and actual use of mobile banking.
Albedo of Pervious Concrete and Its Implications for Mitigating Urban Heat Island
Authors: Lu Yunan , Qin Yinghong , Huang Chan , Pang Xijun
Published: May 2023

Urban heat islands have become a growing concern in many cities around the world. Pervious pavements have been proposed as a potential solution to mitigate this effect, but their effectiveness in reducing surface temperatures is still uncertain. This experimental study aims to investigate the reflectivity of pervious concrete to determine whether pervious pavements are cooler than conventional pavements. To achieve this, five different Portland cement concrete mixes are used to create pervious concrete samples with varying porosity levels. The samples are sliced, and their spectral reflectance and albedo are measured and analyzed. The results showed that the albedo of dry pervious concrete decreases linearly with increasing porosity. Pervious concrete with a wet surface exhibits an albedo of approximately 0.15 which is independent of porosity. Additionally, fresh, dry pervious Portland concrete has an albedo ranging from 0.20 to 0.35, which is 0.10 to 0.20 lower than conventional fresh cement concrete. As a result of this low albedo, caution should be exercised when developing pervious concrete as a solution to combat the urban heat island effect, unless measures are taken to increase evaporation and offset the additional solar absorption resulting from the low albedo. Overall, these findings suggest that the use of pervious pavements alone may not be sufficient to reduce surface temperatures in urban areas. Future research should explore ways to increase the albedo of pervious pavements and develop effective strategies to mitigate the urban heat island effect.
Ecological Footprint and Population Health Outcomes: Evidence from E7 Countries
Authors: Biyase Mduduzi , Masron Tajul Ariffin , Zwane Talent , Udimal Thomas Bilaliib , Kirsten Frederich
Published: May 2023

This study investigates the relationship between ecological footprint and health outcomes in E7 countries from 1990 to 2017. This study makes use of panel fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) models to assess the relationship between the ecological footprint and health outcomes. Although the findings show that ecological footprint has a positive effect on life expectancy, implying that the current levels of ecological footprints support life expectancy, failure to strictly observe the level of ecological footprint, in the long run, may result in a negative impact on life expectancy. Therefore, more serious efforts and strategies are needed to keep the size of ecological footprints to be favorable to human life.
Relationship Modeling of Travel Website Quality toward Customer Satisfaction Influencing Purchase Intention
Authors: Almakayeel Naif
Published: May 2023

Consumer behavior is an important area for the tourism sector that needs to be continuously explored. Tourism is a sensitive sector influenced by several factors, like pandemics, government intervention, international cooperation, etc. The tourist industry is rapidly expanding, influenced by social media and digital marketing, which act as influencers. The current study investigates the association between travel website quality and customer satisfaction to lead to purchase intention. The research undertook a statistical path analysis of feedback from 500 frequent flyers, who use travel websites for international travel. SmartPLS 4.0 was applied to prepare a structural equation model by partial least squares. The study indicates that the caliber of travel websites is linked to customers’ satisfaction, which, in turn, impacts their intention to make a purchase.
An Alternative System for Assessing Pavement Condition in the Event of an Epidemic: A Case of COVID-19
Authors: Shtayat Amir , Moridpour Sara
Published: May 2023

Maintaining the efficiency of road pavement is essential to achieving the highest road performance and comfort for road users. Pavement monitoring plays a significant role in maintaining the sustainability of road networks. Additionally, assessments have been performed using different equipment and devices or through visual inspections to determine the type and severity of pavement degradation. However, some obstacles may affect the sustainability of road networks by preventing the regular monitoring and maintenance of pavements, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction and management of transportation systems have been affected by economic shut-downs and imposed social restrictions. Road networks have also suffered from neglect and a lack of monitoring and maintenance due to the government’s lockdowns in addition to strict regulations that limit movement on roads and any form of construction, monitoring, inspection, and evaluation to improve road pavement conditions. This research introduces a safe pavement monitoring system using an e-bike to evaluate and predict pavement degradation. An accelerometer sensor and line-scan camera were used to collect pavement vibration data during the e-bike’s movement. The results of the proposed monitoring method showed reliable evaluation outcomes. Moreover, the SVM model showed a significant contribution to detecting and classifying pavement distress.
Accurate Detection of Concrete Pavement Thickness Based on Ultrasonic Array
Authors: Tian Yu , Wu Jinyu , Liu Shifu , Ling Jianming , Zheng Yaqi , Zhao Xindong , Liu Le
Published: May 2023

Thickness detection of concrete pavement is a critical step in construction completion acceptance and serves as an important metric for subsequent pavement performance evaluations. The crux of thickness evaluation lies in determining the interface reflection echo propagation sound time. Based on the acoustic impedance difference between the surface layer and contact layer, pavement can be classified into two types: large-difference and small-difference. By examining the singularity of the detection signal, we employed the improved correlation coefficient method and the wavelet transform maximum value method to identify the interface reflection echo sound time. This study refines the traditional correlation coefficient method by using the surface direct wave as the reference signal, simplifying the signal analysis process. In actual detection, for the type of concrete pavement with large differences in acoustic impedance, the average relative error between the improved correlation coefficient method and the core drilling method can be reduced to 1.7%; for the type with small differences, the average relative error of the detection results obtained using the wavelet transform modulus maximum method can be reduced to 1.9%, showcasing high accuracy.
Comparison of Aggregation Operators in the Group Decision-Making Process: A Real Case Study of Location Selection Problem
Authors: Petrović Goran , Mihajlović Jelena , Marković Danijel , Hashemkhani Zolfani Sarfaraz , Madić Miloš
Published: May 2023

Aggregation methods in group decision-making refer to techniques used to combine the individual preferences, opinions, or judgments of group members into a collective decision. Each aggregation method has its advantages and disadvantages, and the best method to use depends on the specific situation and the goals of the decision-making process. In certain cases, final rankings of alternatives in the decision-making process may depend on the way of combining different attitudes. The focus of this paper is the application and comparative analysis of the aggregation operators, specifically, arithmetic mean (AM), geometric mean (GM), and Dombi Bonferroni mean (DBM), to the process of criteria weights determination in a fuzzy environment. The criteria weights are determined using Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (F-MCDM) methods, such as Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (F-AHP), Fuzzy Pivot Pairwise Relative Criteria Importance Assessment (F-PIPRECIA), and Fuzzy Full Consistency Method (F-FUCOM), while the final alternative ranking is obtained by Fuzzy Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (F-WASPAS). A comparison of aggregation operators is done for the real case of location selection problem for a used motor oil transfer station in the regional center of Southern and Eastern Serbia, the city of Niš. The results obtained in this study showed that the views of different experts and application of a certain aggregation approach may have a significant impact on the values of criteria weight coefficients and further on the final ranking of alternatives. This paper is expected to stimulate future research into the impact of aggregation methods on final rankings in the decision-making process, especially in the field of waste management.
Tunnel Face Stability Considering the Influence of Excess Slurry Pressure
Authors: Zhong Junhao , Zhao Shihe , Wang Pengqin , Hou Chuantan
Published: May 2023

With excess slurry pressures exerted on the tunnel face, slurry particles tend to infiltrate into the soil in front of the tunnel. There will be excess pore pressure ahead of the tunnel in the case of infiltration, leading to an impairment in the supporting effect contributed by the excess slurry pressure. Corresponding to three slurry infiltration scenarios distinguished by the forms of the filter cake, different pressure transfer models are employed to describe the pore pressure distribution. Using the kinematic approach of limit analysis and the numerically simulated seepage field, the study of tunnel face stability under different slurry infiltration cases is extended by employing a 3D discretization-based failure mechanism. In addition, two simple empirical formulas describing the pore pressure distributions above the tunnel and in advance of the tunnel are established and verified. Combined with the dichotomy method and strength reduction method, the safety factors yielding rigorous upper-bound solutions are obtained by optimization. The proposed method is validated by a comparative analysis. The developed framework allows considering the influence of excess pore pressure on the whole failure mechanism and the three-dimensional characteristics of seepage. A parameter analysis is performed to study the effect of the excess slurry pressure, hydraulic conditions, soil strength properties, and pressure drop coefficient. The results show that the steady-state flow model leads to much more conservative results than the full-membrane model. The safety factor increases with the increasing excess slurry pressure and the decreasing pressure drop coefficient. The present work provides an effective framework to quickly assess the face stability of tunnels under excess slurry pressure considering different filter cake scenarios.
Improving Social Performance through Innovative Small Green Businesses: Knowledge Sharing and Green Entrepreneurial Intention as Antecedents
Authors: Alshebami Ali Saleh , Seraj Abdullah Hamoud Ali , Elshaer Ibrahim A. , Al Shammre Abdullah Sultan , Al Marri Salem Handhal , Lutfi Abdalwali , Salem Mostafa Aboulnour , Zaher Ashraf Mahrous Nour
Published: May 2023

Small businesses are thought to be largely responsible for environmental pollution despite the fact that businesses of all shapes and sizes contribute to this issue. This research explores how important factors such as knowledge sharing (KS) and green entrepreneurial intention (GEI) might help small businesses in Saudi Arabia develop and implement green innovation (GI). It also seeks to determine whether GI is a mediating variable that explains the connection between GEI, KS, and social performance (SP). Accordingly, an online survey was used to collect responses from 284 small entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia engaged in various types of business activities. The study used partial least squares structural equation modelling for data analysis and hypothesis testing. The results show that GI considerably influences SP while also having a significant link with both GEI and KS. Further, the study reveals that the relationship between GEI, KS, and SP is mediated by GI. The study offers a plethora of suggestions to various stakeholders generally and to Saudi authorities specifically.
A Protocol for Microclimate-Related Street Assessment and the Potential of Detailed Environmental Data for Better Consideration of Microclimatology in Urban Planning
Authors: Ravnikar Živa , Bahillo Alfonso , Goličnik Marušić Barbara
Published: May 2023

This paper presents a warning that there is a need for better consideration of microclimatology in urban planning, particularly when addressing microclimate-related human comfort in designing outdoor public spaces. This paper develops a protocol for microclimate-related street assessment, considering simultaneous dynamic environmental components data gathering and better understanding of microclimatic conditions when commuting by bicycle. The development of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) has the potential for overcoming the gap between microclimatology and urban planning, since ICT tools can produce a variety of soft data related to environmental quality and microclimate conditions in outdoor spaces. Further, the interpretation of data in terms of their applicability values for urban planning needs to be well addressed. Accordingly, this paper tests one particular ICT tool, a prototype developed for microclimate data collection along cycling paths. Data collection was performed in two European cities: Bilbao (Spain) and Ljubljana (Slovenia), where the main objective was the development of a protocol for microclimate-related street assessment and exploration of the potential of the collected data for urban planning. The results suggest that the collected data enabled sufficient interpretation of detailed environmental data and led to a better consideration of microclimatology and the urban planning of cycling lanes. The paper contributes to urban planning by presenting a protocol and providing fine-grained localised data with precise spatial and temporal resolutions. The data collected are interpreted through human comfort parameters and can be linked with rates/levels of comfort. As the collected data are geopositioned, they can be presented on a map and provide links between environmental conditions within a spatial context.
Hybrid Exoscopic and Robotic Transoral Removal of a Bilateral Hilar Submandibular Stone: Technical Note and Review of the Literature
Authors: Cammaroto Giovanni , Moretti Francesco , Meccariello Giuseppe , Chiesa-Estomba Carlos Miguel , Vicini Claudio , Capaccio Pasquale
Published: May 2023

Submandibular gland sialolithiasis can be addressed by gland removal or by stone removal. Intraoral stone removal has now become the go-to technique to minimize aesthetic and functional sequelae (e.g., marginalis mandibulae injury, visible surgery scar) and, although traditional techniques were first experimented with (intraoral ducotomy), newer techniques drew the interest of the scientific community: sialoendoscopy, TORS-S (TransOral Robotic Surgery Assisted–Sialolithotomy) and VITOM-guided sialolithotomy. In this article, we compare the two newest transoral techniques for transoral sialolithotomy, TORS-S and 3D-4K VITOM-guided sialolithotomy, used to treat bilateral hilar submandibular gland sialolithiasis in the same patient, one technique for each side. Using these techniques, a faster recovery is achievable with almost no anatomical and/or functional sequelae, since they both allow better visualization and manipulation of soft tissues and noble structures (e.g., lingual nerve and Wharton’s duct) and make surgery easier and safer. Moreover, OR staff can better perceive surgical steps and be involved in the procedure, thus showing the high educational and training potential of these technologies.
A Symmetry Histogram Publishing Method Based on Differential Privacy
Authors: Tao Tao , Li Siwen , Huang Jun , Hou Shudong , Gong Huajun
Published: May 2023

The differential privacy histogram publishing method based on grouping cannot balance the grouping reconstruction error and Laplace noise error, resulting in insufficient histogram publishing accuracy. To address this problem, we propose a symmetric histogram publishing method DPHR (differential privacy histogram released). Firstly, the algorithm uses the exponential mechanism to sort the counting of the original histogram bucket globally to improve the grouping accuracy; secondly, we propose an optimal dynamic symmetric programming grouping algorithm based on the global minimum error, which uses the global minimum error as the error evaluation function based on the ordered histogram. This way, we can achieve a global grouping of the optimal error balance while balancing the reconstruction and Laplace errors. Experiments show that this method effectively reduces the cumulative error between the published histogram and the original histogram under long-range counting queries based on satisfying ε-differential privacy and improves the usability of the published histogram data.
Controlled S-Metric-Type Spaces and Applications to Fractional Integrals
Authors: Ekiz Yazici Nilay , Ege Ozgur , Mlaiki Nabil , Mukheimer Aiman
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we introduce controlled S-metric-type spaces and give some of their properties and examples. Moreover, we prove the Banach fixed point theorem and a more general fixed point theorem in this new space. Finally, using the new results, we give two applications on Riemann–Liouville fractional integrals and Atangana–Baleanu fractional integrals.
An Analysis of Global and Adaptive Thresholding for Biometric Images Based on Neutrosophic Overset and Underset Approaches
Authors: Dhatchinamoorthy Vinoth , Devarasan Ezhilmaran
Published: May 2023

The study introduces a new threshold method based on a neutrosophic set. The proposal applies the neutrosophic overset and underset concepts for thresholding the image. The global threshold method and the adaptive threshold method were used as the two types of thresholding methods in this article. Images could be symmetrical or asymmetrical in professional disciplines; the government maintains facial image databases as symmetrical. General-purpose images do not need to be symmetrical. Therefore, it is essential to know how thresholding functions in both scenarios. Since the article focuses on biometric image data, face and fingerprint data were considered for the analysis. The proposal provides six techniques for the global threshold method based on neutrosophic membership, indicating neutrosophic TF overset (NOTF), neutrosophic TI overset (NOTI), neutrosophic TIF overset (NOTIF), neutrosophic TF underset (NUTF), neutrosophic TI underset (NUTI), neutrosophic TIF underset (NUTIF); similarly, in this study, the researchers generated six novel approaches for the adaptive method. These techniques involved an investigation using biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial images. The achievement was 98% accurate for facial image data and 100% accurate for fingerprint data.
Preassigned-Time Bipartite Flocking Consensus Problem in Multi-Agent Systems
Authors: Cheng Xiejun , Yu Jiashang , Chen Xiurong , Yu Jiaju , Cheng Bing
Published: May 2023

This article is concerned with the bipartite flocking problem in multi-agent systems. Our contributions can be summarized as follows. Firstly, a class of preassigned-time consensus protocols is proposed to solve the issue of multi-agent systems. Secondly, with the aid of the symmetric properties of the graph theory and the Lyapunov stability theorem, we prove that agents can be divided into two disjointed clusters in a finite time, and they move to opposite directions at the same magnitude and speed. The protocol is novel among existing fixed/finite-time protocols in that the associated settling time is a preassigned constant and a parameter of the protocol. Moreover, it is proven that the diameters of the clusters are bounded and independent of other the protocol parameters. These results are demonstrated through both theoretical analysis and simulation examples.
Machine-Learning-Based Approach for Anonymous Online Customer Purchase Intentions Using Clickstream Data
Authors: Wen Zhanming , Lin Weizhen , Liu Hongwei
Published: May 2023

Since online shopping has become an important way for consumers to make purchases, consumers have signed up to e-commerce platforms to shop online. However, retailers are beginning to realise the critical role of predicting anonymous consumer purchase intent to improve purchase conversion rates and store profitability. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prediction of anonymous consumer purchase intent. This research presents a machine learning model (MBT-POP) for predicting customer purchase behaviour based on multi-behavioural trendiness (MBT) and product popularity (POP) using 33,339,730 clicks generated from 445,336 sessions of real e-commerce customers. The results show that the MBT-POP model can effectively predict the purchase behaviour of anonymous customers (F1 = 0.9031), and it achieves the best prediction result with a sliding window of 2 days. Compared to existing studies, the MBT-POP model not only improves the model performance, but also compresses the number of days required for accurate prediction. The present research has argued that product trendiness and popularity can significantly improve the predictive performance of the customer purchase behaviour model and can play an important role in predicting the purchase behaviour of anonymous customers.