bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal Degradation-Aware Control Using Process-Controlled Sparse Bayesian Learning
Authors: Dadash Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh , Björsell Niclas
Published: November 2023

Efficient production planning hinges on reducing costs and maintaining output quality, with machine degradation management as a key factor. The traditional approaches to control this degradation face two main challenges: high costs associated with physical modeling and a lack of physical interpretability in machine learning methods. Addressing these issues, our study presents an innovative solution focused on controlling the degradation, a common cause of machine failure. We propose a method that integrates machine degradation as a virtual state within the system model, utilizing relevance vector machine-based identification designed in a way that offers physical interpretability. This integration maximizes the machine’s operational lifespan. Our approach merges a physical machine model with a physically interpretable data-driven degradation model, effectively tackling the challenges in physical degradation modeling and accessibility to the system disturbance model. By embedding degradation into the system’s state-space model, we simplify implementation and address stability issues. The results demonstrate that our method effectively controls degradation and significantly increases the machine’s mean time to failure. This represents a significant advancement in production planning, offering a cost-effective and interpretable method for managing machine degradation.
Silver Nanoparticles Coated with Recombinant Human Epidermal Growth Factor: Synthesis, Characterization, Liberation and Anti-Escherichia coli Activity
Authors: Gonzales Matushita Layla M. , Palomino Luis , Rodriguez-Reyes Juan Carlos F.
Published: November 2023

Epithelial tissue regeneration may be favored if the tissue receives both therapeutic agents such as recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) and, simultaneously, antibacterial materials capable of reducing the risk of infections. Herein, we synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which are well-known antibacterial materials, and impregnate them with rhEGF in order to study a bio-nanomaterial of potential interest for epithelial tissue regeneration. A suspension of Ag NPs is prepared by the chemical reduction method, employing sodium citrate as both a reducer and capping agent. The AgNPs suspension is mixed with a saline solution containing rhEGF, producing rhEGF-coated Ag NPs with rhEGF loadings between 0.1 and 0.4% w/w. ELISA assays of supernatants demonstrate that, in all studied cases, over 90% of the added rhEGF forms part of the coating, evidencing a high efficiency in impregnation. During the preparation of rhEGF-coated Ag NPs, no significant changes are observed on the nanoparticles, which are characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and infrared spectroscopy. The liberation of rhEGF in vitro was followed for 72 h, finding that approximately 1% of rhEGF that is present is released. The rhEGF-coated AgNPs shows antibacterial activity against E. coli, although such activity is decreased with respect to that observed from naked AgNPs. Having confirmed the possibility of simultaneously liberating rhEGF and reducing the proliferation of bacteria, this work helps to support the use of rhEGF-loaded metallic nanoparticles for tissue regeneration.
Factors Influencing the Choice of a Child’s Name and Its Relationship with the Religiosity of Interfaith Marriages: Orthodox (Slavic) and Muslim (Turkish)
Authors: Güzelderen Banu , Yeşildal Ünsal Yılmaz , Düzgün Fatih
Published: November 2023

Names symbolize an individual’s identity, highlighting their unique attributes and representing their religious and cultural background. Names often serve as initial indicators of individuals’ cultural identities and beliefs. In the context of interfaith marriages, the names given to children can offer symbolic insights; however, a comprehensive exploration of the religious, national, and cultural factors underlying such naming choices is required. In many cases, the social environment of interfaith couples exerts pressure on the couple to choose a name aligning with their religion and identity, whether willingly or unwillingly. Antalya, a Turkish province that initially attracted a substantial Slavic population for tourism but subsequently witnessed a significant influx of permanent residents due to the ample employment prospects in the tourism sector, is notably distinguished by its increased Slavic demographic relative to other Turkish urban centers. In this context, Antalya garners notice because of the prevalence of interfaith marriages. This study investigates the preferences of Orthodox (Slavic) and Muslim (Turkish) couples within the region in terms of how they name their children and the factors influencing their preferences. This study systematically gathers and assesses the factors influencing the naming choices of children of these interfaith couples, particularly their correlation with religiosity. To accomplish this, a semi-structured interview prepared by the researchers was employed for data collection, and the data were subsequently analyzed using document analysis.
Abolishing Anger: A Christian Proposal
Authors: Case Brendan
Published: November 2023

In recent years, advocates of (so-called) righteous anger have become increasingly vocal and articulate, as is evident from a growing literature defending anger as a moral emotion and tool for social change. Righteous anger has defenders both among secular philosophers—notably Myisha Cherry in her The Case for Rage and Failures of Forgiveness—and Christian theologians and activists, particularly, though by no means only, those drawing inspiration from Thomas Aquinas’s Aristotelian defense of anger. As a Christian theologian writing in the first instance for other Christians, I will argue in what follows that permissive attitudes to anger—even of the “righteous” sort—are fundamentally mistaken, not least because they are inconsistent with the universal obligation to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Christians instead ought to take something approaching an abolitionist approach to anger, as an emotion intrinsically opposed to charity. We can see this most clearly by beginning with the faults of a qualified defense of anger, which I reconstruct from Cherry’s work, and from the work of Thomas Aquinas, whose views on anger are interestingly convergent with hers. (This pairing has at least two advantages: it highlights the essentially traditional character of Cherry’s approach, and illustrates how relatively untutored Aquinas’s Aristotelian treatment of anger is by distinctively theological commitments.) I then sketch and defend the view, with a particular reliance on the Sermon on the Mount, that we ought to seek to abolish anger from our lives and defend that position against three apparent defeaters drawn from the Christian Scriptures.
Assessing Planet Nanosatellite Sensors for Ocean Color Usage
Authors: Lewis Mark D. , Jarreau Brittney , Jolliff Jason , Ladner Sherwin , Lawson Timothy A. , McCarthy Sean , Martinolich Paul , Montes Marcos
Published: November 2023

An increasing number of commercial nanosatellite-based Earth-observing sensors are providing high-resolution images for much of the coastal ocean region. Traditionally, to improve the accuracy of normalized water-leaving radiance (nLw) estimates, sensor gains are computed using in-orbit vicarious calibration methods. The initial series of Planet nanosatellite sensors were primarily designed for land applications and are missing a second near-infrared band, which is typically used in selecting aerosol models for atmospheric correction over oceanographic regions. This study focuses on the vicarious calibration of Planet sensors and the duplication of its red band for use in both the aerosol model selection process and as input to bio-optical ocean product algorithms. Error measurements show the calibration performed well at the Marine Optical Buoy location near Lanai, Hawaii. Further validation was performed using in situ data from the Aerosol Robotic Network—Ocean Color platform in the northern Adriatic Sea. Bio-optical ocean color products were generated and compared with products from the Visual Infrared Imaging Radiometric Suite sensor. This approach for sensor gain generation and usage proved effective in increasing the accuracy of nLw measurements for bio-optical ocean product algorithms.
Analysis of Daytime and Night-Time Aerosol Optical Depth from Solar and Lunar Photometry in Valladolid (Spain)
Authors: Herrero del Barrio Celia , Mateos David , Román Roberto , González Ramiro , Herrero-Anta Sara , González-Fernández Daniel , Calle Abel , Toledano Carlos , Cachorro Victoria Eugenia , De Frutos Baraja Ángel Máximo
Published: November 2023

Aerosol optical depth (AOD) at night-time has become a hot topic in recent years due to the development of new instruments recording accurate ground-based lunar irradiance measurements, and the development of calibration methods and extraterrestrial irradiance models adapted to lunar photometry. This study uses all daytime and night-time AOD data available at Valladolid (Spain) from October 2016 to March 2022 in order to analyze its behavior and the added contribution of night data. The annual, monthly and daily AOD evolution is studied comparing daytime and night-time values and checking the correlation between them. For this purpose, the daily averages are computed, showing an annual pattern, with low AOD values throughout the year (mean value of AOD at 440 nm: 0.122), where winter months have the lower and summer the higher values, as observed in previous studies. All these AOD values are modulated by frequent desert dust events over the Iberian Peninsula, with a strong influence on daily and monthly mean values in February and March, where the strongest desert outbreaks occurred. The added new data confirm these results and the good correlation between daytime and night-time data. Also, a complete daily evolution is shown, observing that AOD and Ångström exponent (AE) mean values vary by only ±0.02 in 24 h, with a maximum value at 06:00 UTC and minimum at 18:00 UTC for both parameters.
Vertical Profiles of Particle Number Size Distribution and Variation Characteristics at the Eastern Slope of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Shu Chenyang , Zhu Langfeng , Yang Yinshan , Zhao Xingbing , Jiang Xingwen , Hu Hancheng , Pu Dongyang , Liu Mengqi , Wu Hao
Published: November 2023

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) observation platform obtained the first vertical profiles of particle number size distribution (PNSD) from 7 to 16 July 2022 on the eastern slope of the Tibetan Plateau (ESTP). The results were from two flanks at the Chuni (CN) and Tianquan (TQ) sites, which are alongside a mountain (Mt. Erlang). The observations revealed a significant negative correlation between the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) and the particle number concentration (PNC), and the correlation coefficient was −0.19. During the morning, the rise in the PBLH at the CN and TQ sites caused decreases of 16.43% and 58.76%, respectively, in the PNC. Three distinct profile characteristics were classified: Type I, the explosive growth of fine particles with a size range of 130–272 nm under conditions of low humidity, strong wind shear, and northerly winds; Type II, the process of particles with a size range of 130–272 nm showing hygroscopic growth into larger particles (e.g., 226–272 nm) under high humidity conditions (RH > 85%), with a maximum vertical change rate of about −1653 # cm−3 km−1 for N130–272 and about 3098 # cm−3 km−1 for N272–570; and Type III, in which during the occurrence of a surface low-pressure center and an 850 hPa low-vortex circulation in the Sichuan Basin, polluting air masses originating from urban agglomeration were transported to the ESTP region, resulting in an observed increase in the PNC below 600 nm. Overall, this study sheds light on the various factors affecting the vertical profiles of PNSD in the ESTP region, including regional transport, meteorological conditions, and particle growth processes, helping us to further understand the various features of the aerosol and atmospheric physical character in this key region.
Characterizing Snow Dynamics in Semi-Arid Mountain Regions with Multitemporal Sentinel-1 Imagery: A Case Study in the Sierra Nevada, Spain
Authors: Torralbo Pedro , Pimentel Rafael , Polo Maria José , Notarnicola Claudia
Published: November 2023

Monitoring snowmelt dynamics in mountains is crucial to understand water releases downstream. Sentinel-1 (S-1) synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) has become one of the most widely used techniques to achieve this aim due to its high frequency of acquisitions and all-weather capability. This work aims to understand the possibilities of S-1 SAR imagery to capture snowmelt dynamics and related changes in streamflow response in semi-arid mountains. The results proved that S-1 SAR imagery was able not only to capture the final spring melting but also all melting cycles that commonly appear throughout the year in these types of environments. The general change detection approach to identify wet snow was adapted for these regions using as reference the average S-1 SAR image from the previous summer, and a threshold of −3.00 dB, which has been assessed using Landsat images as reference dataset obtaining a general accuracy of 0.79. In addition, four different types of melting-runoff onsets depending on physical snow condition were identified. When translating that at the catchment scale, distributed melting-runoff onset maps were defined to better understand the spatiotemporal evolution of melting dynamics. Finally, a linear connection between melting dynamics and streamflow was found for long-lasting melting cycles, with a determination coefficient (R2) ranging from 0.62 to 0.83 and an average delay between the melting onset and streamflow peak of about 21 days.
Estimating Crop Sowing and Harvesting Dates Using Satellite Vegetation Index: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Rodigheri Grazieli , Sanches Ieda Del’Arco , Richetti Jonathan , Tsukahara Rodrigo Yoiti , Lawes Roger , Bendini Hugo do Nascimento , Adami Marcos
Published: November 2023

In the last decades, several methodologies for estimating crop phenology based on remote sensing data have been developed and used to create different algorithms. Although many studies have been conducted to evaluate the different methodologies, a comprehensive understanding of the potential of the different current algorithms to detect changes in the growing season is still lacking, especially in large regions and with more than one crop per season. Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate different phenological metrics extraction methodologies. Using data from over 1500 fields distributed across Brazil’s central area, six algorithms, including CropPhenology, Digital Earth Australia tools package (DEA), greenbrown, phenex, phenofit, and TIMESAT, to extract soybean crop phenology were applied. To understand how robust the algorithms are to different input sources, the NDVI and EVI2 time series derived from MODIS products (MOD13Q1 and MOD09Q1) and from Sentinel-2 satellites were used to estimate the sowing date (SD) and harvest date (HD) in each field. The algorithms produced significantly different phenological date estimates, with Spearman’s R ranging between 0.26 and 0.82 when comparing sowing and harvesting dates. The best estimates were obtained using TIMESAT and phenex for SD and HD, respectively, with R greater than 0.7 and RMSE of 16–17 days. The DEA tools and greenbrown packages showed higher sensitivity when using different data sources. Double cropping is an added challenge, with no method adequately identifying it.
Clutter Covariance Matrix Estimation for Radar Adaptive Detection Based on a Complex-Valued Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Kang Naixin , Shang Zheran , Liu Weijian , Huang Xiaotao
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we address the problem of covariance matrix estimation for radar adaptive detection under non-Gaussian clutter. Traditional model-based estimators may suffer from performance loss due to the mismatch between real data and assumed models. Therefore, we resort to a data-driven deep-learning method and propose a covariance matrix estimation method based on a complex-valued convolutional neural network (CV-CNN). Moreover, a real-valued (RV) network with the same framework as the proposed CV network is also constructed to serve as a natural competitor. The obtained clutter covariance matrix estimation based on the network is applied to the adaptive normalized matched filter (ANMF) detector for performance assessment. The detection results via both simulated and real sea clutter illustrate that the estimator based on CV-CNN outperforms other traditional model-based estimators as well as its RV competitor in terms of probability of detection (PD).
Performance of Smartphone BDS-3/GPS/Galileo Multi-Frequency Ionosphere-Free Precise Code Positioning
Authors: Wang Ruiguang , Hu Chao , Wang Zhongyuan , Yuan Fang , Wang Yangyang
Published: November 2023

The continuously improving performance of mass-market global navigation satellite system (GNSS) chipsets is enabling the prospect of high-precision GNSS positioning for smartphones. Nevertheless, a substantial portion of Android smartphones lack the capability to access raw carrier phase observations. Therefore, this paper introduces a precise code positioning (PCP) method, which utilizes Doppler-smoothed pseudo-range and inter-satellite single-difference methods. For the first time, the results of a quality investigation involving BDS-3 B1C/B2a/B1I, GPS L1/L5, and Galileo E1/E5a observed using smartphones are presented. The results indicated that Xiaomi 11 Lite (Mi11) exhibited a superior satellite data decoding performance compared to Huawei P40 (HP40), but it lagged behind HP40 in terms of satellite tracking. In the static open-sky scenario, the carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR) values were mostly above 25 dB-Hz. Additionally, for B1C/B1I/L1/E1, they were approximately 8 dB-Hz higher than those for B2a/L5/E5a. Second, various PCP models were developed to address ionospheric delay. These models include the IF-P models, which combine traditional dual-frequency IF pseudo-ranges with single-frequency ionosphere-corrected pseudo-ranges using precise ionospheric products, and IFUC models, which rely solely on single-frequency ionosphere-corrected pseudo-ranges. Finally, static and dynamic tests were conducted using datasets collected from various real-world scenarios. The static tests demonstrated that the PCP models could achieve sub-meter-level accuracy in the east (E) and north (N) directions, while achieving meter-level accuracy in the upward (U) direction. Numerically, the root mean square error (RMSE) improvement percentages were approximately 93.8%, 75%, and 82.8% for HP40 in the E, N, and U directions, respectively, in both open-sky and complex scenarios compared to single-point positioning (SPP). In the open-sky scenario, Mi11 showed an average increase of about 85.6%, 87%, and 16% in the E, N, and U directions, respectively, compared to SPP. In complex scenarios, Mi11 exhibited an average increase of roughly 68%, 75.9%, and 90% in the E, N, and U directions, respectively, compared to SPP. Dynamic tests showed that the PCP models only provided an improvement of approximately 10% in the horizontal plane or U direction compared to SPP. The triple-frequency IFUC (IFUC123) model outperforms others due to its lower noise and utilization of multi-frequency pseudo-ranges. The PCP models can enhance smartphone positioning accuracy.
One-Shot Simple Pattern Detection without Pre-Training and Gradient-Based Strategy
Authors: Su Jun , He Wei , Wang Yingguan , Ma Runze
Published: November 2023

One-shot object detection has been a highly demanded yet challenging task since the early age of convolutional neural networks (CNNs). For some newly started projects, a handy network that can learn the target’s pattern using a single picture and automatically decide its architecture is needed. To specifically address a scenario in which a single or multiple targets are standing in relatively stable circumstances with hardly any training data, where the rough location of the target is required, we propose a one-shot simple target detection model that focuses on two main tasks: (1) deciding if the target is in the testing image, and (2) if yes, outputting the target’s location in the image. This model requires no pre-training and decides its architecture automatically; therefore, it could be applied to a newly started target detection project with unconventionally simple targets and few training examples. We also propose an architecture with a non-training parameter-gaining strategy and correlation coefficient-based feedforward and activation functions, as well as easy interpretability, which might provide a perspective on studies in neural networks. We tested this design on the data we collected in our project, the Brown–Yosemite dataset and part of the Mnist dataset. It successfully returned the target area in our project and obtained an IOU of up to 87.04%, reached 80.28% accuracy on the Brown–Yosemite dataset with disposable networks, and obtained an accuracy of up to 89.4% on part of the Mnist dataset in the detection task.
Fake News in the Post-COVID-19 Era? The Health Disinformation Agenda in Spain
Authors: Costa-Sánchez Carmen , Vizoso Ángel , López-García Xosé
Published: November 2023

Three years after a pandemic that demonstrated the importance of reliable health information in a news agenda dominated by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we analyze the situation of health disinformation in Spain on the basis of the verifications carried out by its main fact-checking platforms. The results show that COVID-19 shared center stage with other topics in the health area. In addition, a unique agenda is evident in each situation in the study, indicating a fact-checking strategy that is differentiated according to the media outlet and type of specialization (generalist fact-checker or one specialized in health). Vaccination, nutrition, and disease treatment emerge as the most important thematic subfields. Most health hoaxes are manufactured, i.e., created from scratch, rather than being manipulated or reconfigured from real preexisting elements. The format of text and image together predominates, and new social networks (TikTok or Telegram) have appeared as platforms for the circulation of hoaxes. This indicates that providing necessary health literacy to society and giving health issues greater presence in current fact-checking agendas are strategies for combatting disinformation, which can have serious consequences, regardless of whether there is a public health crisis such as the one experienced recently.
The More-Than-Human Life of Capitalism: Assemblages, Affects and the Neoliberal Black Hole
Authors: Fox Nick J.
Published: November 2023

This paper applies a more-than-human, relational, new materialist ontology to ask the Deleuzian question: what does capitalism actually do? The transactions identified in Marx’s Capital are re-analysed as more-than-human assemblages, constituted by affective flows involving both human and non-human matter. The paper then identifies further more-than-human affects that produce the fluctuations in prices and quantities of goods sold, described in classical economics as the ‘laws of supply and demand’. Analysis reveals these affects to be associated with the affective and relational capacities of commodities. The consequences of this more-than-human ontology of capitalism are explored by means of a short case study of the digital economy. This demonstrates how more-than-human affects are responsible for many of the negative consequences of a capitalist economy, including uncertainty, waste and social inequalities. The paper suggests that capitalism is progressively becoming a ‘black hole’ from which neither workers nor capitalist enterprises can escape, and draws conclusions that diverge radically from both neoliberal and Marxist analyses of capitalism.
Mothering a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder during the COVID-19 Outbreak
Authors: Hyassat Mizyed , Al-Zyoud Nawaf , Al-Masa’deh Mu’tasem
Published: November 2023

(1) Background: The lockdown that was forced by the Jordanian government as part of the attempt to contain the COVID-19 outbreak included extreme measures such as home confinement and the shutting down of schools’ special education centers. This study explores the experiences of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during this significant life disturbance. (2) Methods: Eleven mothers of children with ASD took part in semi-structured telephone interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and underwent thematic analysis. (3) Results: The analysis was conducted in an iterative consensus-building process to identify mothers’ experiences, concerns, challenges, coping strategies, and perceived needs during the lockdown. The main themes that emerged from the analysis were maternal stress, maternal fears, and maternal hopes. Our findings indicate that the COVID-19 outbreak greatly affected the family lives of the mothers interviewed, which required them to optimize their coping strategies and resilience. (4) Conclusions: The mothers faced significant difficulties during the pandemic and there is an urgent need to support them on multiple levels. Additionally, our findings reveal the need for more research that takes Jordan’s cultural context into account when determining how best to support children with ASD and their parents.
Global Application of Regenerative Agriculture: A Review of Definitions and Assessment Approaches
Authors: Jayasinghe Sadeeka L. , Thomas Dean T. , Anderson Jonathan P. , Chen Chao , Macdonald Ben C. T.
Published: November 2023

Regenerative agriculture (RA) is an approach to farming pursued globally for sustaining agricultural production and improving ecosystem services and environmental benefits. However, the lack of a standardized definition and limited bioeconomic assessments hinder the understanding and application of RA more broadly. An initial systematic review revealed a wide range of definitions for regenerative agriculture, although it is generally understood as a framework consisting of principles, practices, or outcomes aimed at improving soil health, biodiversity, climate resilience, and ecosystem function. To address existing gaps, we propose a working definition that integrates socioeconomic outcomes and acknowledges the significance of local knowledge and context to complement established scientific knowledge. A second systematic review identified indicators, tools, and models for assessing biophysical and economic aspects of RA. Additionally, a third literature review aimed to identify the potential integration of advanced analytical methods into future assessments, including artificial intelligence and machine learning. Finally, as a case study, we developed a conceptual framework for the evaluation of the bioeconomic outcomes of RA in the mixed farming setting in Australia. This framework advocates a transdisciplinary approach, promoting a comprehensive assessment of RA outcomes through collaboration, integrated data, holistic frameworks, and stakeholder engagement. By defining, evaluating assessment methods, and proposing a pragmatic framework, this review advances the understanding of RA and guides future research to assess the fit of RA practices to defined contexts.
Innovating ESG Integration as Sustainable Strategy: ESG Transparency and Firm Valuation in the Palm Oil Sector
Authors: Chong Tricia , Loh Lawrence
Published: November 2023

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) integration is an increasingly popular and innovative investing strategy that requires companies to be transparent about their ESG practices to facilitate investors’ decisions. In the palm oil sector, companies are addressing ESG risks by adopting and disclosing ESG efforts to improve access to financing. This study seeks to broaden existing research on ESG transparency and firms’ financial indicators by using firm valuation as a financial indicator and investigating the moderating role of firm size in the palm oil sector. It first investigates whether ESG transparency has a direct positive or negative effect on firm valuation. Transparency is measured using the Zoological Society of London’s (ZSL) Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit (SPOTT) 2021 assessment, which provides scores for palm oil companies’ total, environmental, social, and governance disclosures. Firm valuation is measured by the price-to-earnings ratio (P/E), a widely used ratio calculated by dividing the share price by earnings per share. The study also explores the moderating role of firm size, using accounting-based measures such as revenue and assets, in strengthening the relationship between ESG transparency and firm valuation. The results show statistically significant negative relationships between ESG transparency and firm valuation. Companies with stronger ESG transparency are valued at a discount relative to companies with weaker ESG transparency. Additionally, the results find that firm size plays a moderating role such that larger firms strengthen the negative relationships between all transparency measures and firm valuation. These findings encourage constructive action for various stakeholders and provide implications for future research to support mainstreaming sustainable palm oil.
Strategic Transition to Sustainability: A Cybernetic Model
Authors: Štrukelj Tjaša , Dankova Petya , Hrast Nomi
Published: November 2023

As the importance of the transition to sustainable development is increasingly recognised by individuals, organisations, and society as a whole, there is a growing need to examine its impact at micro-, meso-, and macro-levels. There is an urgent imperative to ensure the sustainability of growing economic inequalities, a degraded environment, and people living in uneven conditions in different societies. The authors, therefore, highlight the strategic role and essential contribution of organisations, and universities/higher education institutions in particular, in achieving sustainable development and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Universities/higher education institutions play a key role in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, and they form the crucial architecture of contemporary practices in national economies and beyond. Policy makers, university/higher education institution governors, managers, and professors shape students and create new social contexts, and these must be oriented towards sustainability. This paper aims to explore the strategic role of organisations, in particular, universities/higher education institutions, as a key link between personal and social responsibility and, thus, as a powerful enabler of sustainable development. The authors examine the strategic transition to sustainability of two higher education institutions, the University of Maribor and the University of Economics—Varna, and conduct a qualitative case study research to develop a cybernetic model of the university’s/higher education institution’s transition to sustainability, which reflects the organisation’s growing commitment to achieving the Sustainability Development Goals. The model includes seven successive stages: pre-awareness, awareness, focusing, implementation, reaching out, transparency and disclosure, and continuous improvement. The study shows that sustainable development, i.e., sustainability governance, management, and operations, are indispensable for implementing the strategic concept of sustainability in an organisation and for achieving the strategic transition to sustainability as explained in the proposed cybernetic model.
The Sustainability Level of an EcoVillage in the Upper Citarum Watershed of West Java Province, Indonesia
Authors: Syamsiyah Nur , Sulistyowati Lies , Noor Trisna Insan , Setiawan Iwan
Published: November 2023

The Citarum watershed is the longest in West Java Province. It is used as a source of raw water for drinking water, irrigation water for hundreds of thousands of hectares of rice fields, fisheries, industrial raw water, and hydroelectric power plants. The high population and industry growth at the outskirts of the Citarum watershed, which is not accompanied by good waste management, also results in high pollution in the Citarum watershed. Various efforts to handle the issue have been carried out since 1989 until the present; however, this problem still needs to be solved. One of the approaches to overcome environmental pollution that has been conducted is to develop an environmentally-cultured village. This study aims to determine the sustainability level of environmentally-cultured villages in the Upper Citarum watershed viewed from ecological, economic, social, and cultural dimensions using a multidimensional scaling (MDS) approach with the Rapid Appraisal Technique for Ecovillage (RAPVIL) software (version 1.0). The result shows that the multidimensional sustainability of ecovillage development in the Upper Citarum watershed, West Java Province is “fairly sustainable” for the cultural dimension and “poorly sustainable” for the ecological, social, and economic dimensions. This result shows that ecovillage development still requires support from various stakeholders to improve its sustainability status. The cultural dimension has the highest value due to the local cultural values, including a value system, traditions, languages, norms, and customs that have grown in the community. Meanwhile, the social dimension has the lowest sustainability value, influenced by the low level of community participation in ecovillage development.
An Overview of Dental Solid Waste Management and Associated Environmental Impacts: A Materials Perspective
Authors: Khanna Rita , Konyukhov Yuri , Maslennikov Nikita , Kolesnikov Evgeny , Burmistrov Igor
Published: November 2023

Dental healthcare plays an important role in the overall health of individuals, and the sector is rapidly growing around the world due to increases in population, healthcare facilities, and improved access for economically weaker sections of society. Dental procedures and oral care generate a significant amount of biomedical waste that should be managed in an environmentally safe and sustainable manner. An overview is presented of the current status of dental solid waste management with a focus on waste composition from traditional and emerging dental treatments, new-generation dental materials, waste treatment procedures, and current options. Dental waste can be broadly divided into three categories: infectious waste, non-infectious waste, and domestic-type waste. Infectious waste contains materials contaminated with blood or other infectious mouth fluids, amalgam, and sharps, whereas non-infectious dental waste is devoid of human fluid contamination but can be potentially toxic due to the presence of amalgams, acids, metal dust, resins, etc. Suspended particulates in dental wastewater are another likely source of contamination. Appropriate segregation of this waste is essential for containing infections during waste processing. New-generation dental materials, such as nanomaterials, resin-based composites, and ceramics, are finding increasing applications in a variety of dental procedures as antimicrobial, restorative, and therapeutic agents. While incineration and landfilling have been used for processing traditional dental waste, the presence of novel materials in dental waste raises several additional concerns. Novel single/multistage recycling approaches need to be developed for dental waste towards resource recovery, thus minimizing incineration and landfilling to the extent possible.
A Cross-Disciplinary Approach Needs to Be at the Core of Sustainability
Authors: Lyon Steve W.
Published: November 2023

Sustainability as a concept has a long and rich history in which its main focus details the interactions between complementary perspectives—often conceptualized as pillars—that come together to solve complex problems [...]
Integrating Technological Knowledge into Higher Education Curricula: An Essential Measure for Attaining Sustainable Development in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alshammari Abdulaziz M. , Alshammari Faisal F. , Thomran Murad , Altwaiji Mubarak
Published: November 2023

The aim of this paper is to enhance comprehension of the integration of technology knowledge into higher education curricula by analyzing existing literature on technology knowledge in higher education curricula, research patterns, and future research possibilities. A total of 306 participants responded to an online questionnaire after an extensive examination of relevant academic research literature. Convenient sampling and snowball sampling were employed to gather data, and PLS/SEM version 4.0 was used to systematically analyze the results. The study discovered a significant connection between the inclusion of technology knowledge in higher education institutions’ (HEIs’) curriculum and sustainable development. However, the obstacles to integrating technology knowledge into higher education curricula had little effect on sustainable development. This study serves as a reference point for policymakers in Saudi Arabian HEIs in developing an appropriate curriculum that promotes technology integration among university students and improves university performance.
Analysis of the Degradation Characteristics of Chlorpyrifos in an Electrochemically Constructed Wetland Coupled System under Different Pesticide Exposure Conditions and Microbial Community Analysis
Authors: Wang Yuhang , Hao Aibo , Quan Yue , Jin Mingji , Piao Wenhua
Published: November 2023

This study investigates the degradation characteristics of chlorpyrifos under individual exposure and compound exposure to multiple pesticides in both traditional constructed wetlands and electrochemically constructed wetland coupled systems, while also analyzing the microbial communities within the systems using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results show that the electric field can enhance the degradation performance of the system. The degradation effect of the coupled electrochemically constructed wetland coupled system is better than that of the traditional constructed wetland, while the compound exposure to multiple pesticides inhibits the degradation efficiency. Under the influence of pesticides, the diversity of microbial communities decreases towards the end of the system operation, and the electrochemically constructed wetland coupled system exhibits lower diversity compared to the traditional constructed wetland. Proteobacteria is the dominant phylum under compound exposure to multiple pesticides, while Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Aeromonas, and Methylophilus are the dominant electrochemically active phyla and genera in the electrochemically constructed wetland coupled system. The impact of pesticides and the electric field results in a decrease in amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism functions, while membrane transport functions increase. The compound exposure to multiple pesticides has a more significant impact on the microbial community structure and functionality than the electric field. The results also lay a theoretical foundation for the expansion of pesticide degradation technology and constructed wetland treatment technology to new fields, which is of great significance in realizing the “zero direct discharge” of agricultural production wastewater, solving the problem of agricultural non-point source pollution and ensuring the availability of agricultural production.
Study of the Spatio-Temporal Variation of Agricultural Sustainability at National and Provincial Levels in China
Authors: Zhan Xuesong , Xin Shuqi , Shao Chaofeng , Yang Feng , Long Yuhan
Published: November 2023

As an important pillar of human civilization, the development of agriculture has gradually become the focus of the international community to solve the development dilemma and promote the implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Agricultural sustainability issues are widely addressed in scientific literature and various reports by international organizations. However, there are some problems in the existing studies, such as the design of agricultural sustainable development evaluation indicators does not consider the differences in development stages and data statistical capacity of various countries, and the research depth of spatial and temporal change of agricultural sustainable development is insufficient. Agriculture has become a bottleneck for the world and China to achieve the SDGs. Based on the global indicator framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and comprehensive consideration of agricultural development common problems and regional characteristics, this work has established a basic index library consisting of 86 indicators to evaluate the agricultural sustainable development in China and provide the basis for the assessment in different regions. In the indicator optimization process, having considered the development stage of China, the basic characteristics of agriculture, data availability, and reliability, we determined an evaluation index system of China’s agricultural sustainable development that includes 25 specific indicators. The constant elasticity of substitution (CES) model was used to assess the temporal and spatial changes in agricultural sustainability in China at the national, regional, and provincial levels. The results showed that China’s Agricultural Sustainable Development Index (ASDI) score increased from 44.76 in 2011 to 59.22 in 2021, and the ASDI scores of all agricultural regions and provinces also increased to varying degrees. In terms of goal scores, SDG2, SDG6, SDG7, SDG8, SDG9, and SDG12 all exhibited an overall upward trend, in which SDG6 performed the best, and SDG2 performed the worst, scoring 84.76 and 43.05 in 2021, respectively. This paper will provide a basis for systematically evaluating the progress of agricultural sustainable development goals and accurately identifying unsustainable problems in agricultural development to help China implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Effects of Land Use Characteristics, Physiochemical Variables, and River Connectivity on Fish Assemblages in a Lowland Basin
Authors: Zhang Zhiming , Gao Junfeng , Cai Yongjiu
Published: November 2023

Human disturbances can have severe environmental impacts on freshwater ecosystems. The main aim of this study is to detect the influences of physiochemical variables, land-cover characteristics, and river connectivity on fish assemblages in the Lake Chaohu Basin, China. A cluster analysis of river connectivity variables identified four groups of sites characterized by significantly different connectivity gradients at a local scale. These four groups of sites showed increasing connectivity from the upper reaches to the lower reaches. At the same time, among the four groups, the values of environmental variables generally increased from the upper reaches with less human activities towards the lower reaches with more human activities. For instance, some main physiochemical variables (e.g., river width, water depth, nitrate, phosphate) significantly increased among the four groups. In contrast, fish taxa richness and diversity indices were not significantly different among the four connectivity groups. However, fish assemblages showed significant variations among the connectivity groups (p = 0.026). In addition, the study determined that upper riparian land uses (e.g., woodland and grassland), flow velocity, and elevation were environmental variables regulating the variance of fish communities. As for the connectivity variables, only river order and the number of branches along a path to the left of the main stem affected the variance of fish communities. Therefore, new practices aimed at maintaining and even increasing riparian canopy coverage and the flow velocity of rivers should be integrated into local conservation planning for freshwater ecosystems, especially in the upper reaches of the basin.
Land-Use Dynamics and Water Quality in Andean Basins
Authors: Ruiz-Ordóñez Diana Marcela , Solano-Correa Yady Tatiana , Maysels Rachael , Figueroa-Casas Apolinar
Published: November 2023

Conventional agricultural practices, such as the use of agrochemicals, implementation of monocultures, and the expansion of crops in strategic ecosystems, have significant impacts in Andean basins, directly increasing nutrient inputs to waterways, and contributing to ecological fragility and socioeconomic vulnerability. This complex dynamic is related to land-use change and production activities that affect the provision of hydrological ecosystem services. This study presents an integrated analysis of socioecological interactions related to water quality in the Las Piedras River basin (LPRB), a water supply basin located in the Andean region of southwestern Colombia. The analysis was conducted over a five-year monitoring period to assess the spatiotemporal variation and correlation of water quality between streams and agricultural runoff water within the LPRB. Furthermore, water quality indices were calculated based on physicochemical and biological parameters to evaluate the impact of land-use/land-cover changes and agricultural activities within the basin. Results demonstrate that different types of actors, productive logics, mechanisms of use, and access to water within the basin affect water quality and uncertainty for water management, while facing socioecological conflicts between actors.
Tourism Related to Aromatic and Medicinal Plants: Some Practical Evidence
Authors: Capucho João , Paço Arminda do , Gaspar Pedro Dinis
Published: November 2023

This study examines the dynamic interaction between tourism and the Aromatic and Medicinal Plant (AMP) industry in Portugal. An innovative questionnaire was methodically designed, covering a wide range of topics such as pharmacy, tourism, economics, the environment, and circularity. A dataset of 25 separate farmers’ responses was produced by focusing specifically on responses within the tourist sphere. Particularly, six of these participants engaged in tourist activities in addition to regular AMP efforts. The questionnaire, which is organized around three open-ended questions, yields critical information. It identifies the major motivations driving farmers toward more sustainable strategies in their tourism-focused AMP operations. Furthermore, it identifies the major barriers to tourist growth in the AMP business. Finally, it outlines the benefits of more closely connecting the tourism sector and AMP enterprises. This study closes with an in-depth discussion of its most significant implications and conclusions, providing useful insight for industry stakeholders and academics alike.