bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Verification and Validation of Hybridspectral Radiometry Obtained from an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) in the Open and Coastal Oceans
Authors: Hooker Stanford B. , Houskeeper Henry F. , Lind Randall N. , Kudela Raphael M. , Suzuki Koji
Published: February 2022

The hardware and software capabilities of the compact-profiling hybrid instrumentation for radiometry and ecology (C-PHIRE) instruments on an unmanned surface vessel (USV) are evaluated. Both the radiometers and USV are commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products, with the latter being only minimally modified to deploy the C-PHIRE instruments. The hybridspectral C-PHIRE instruments consist of an array of 18 multispectral microradiometers with 10 nm wavebands spanning 320–875 nm plus a hyperspectral compact grating spectrometer (CGS) with 2048 pixels spanning 190–1000 nm. The C-PHIRE data were acquired and processed using two architecturally linked software packages, thereby allowing lessons learned in one to be applied to the other. Using standard data products and unbiased statistics, the C-PHIRE data were validated with those from the well-established compact-optical profiling system (C-OPS) and verified with the marine optical buoy (MOBY). Agreement between algorithm variables used to estimate colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption and chlorophyll a concentration were also validated. Developing and operating novel technologies, such as the C-PHIRE series of instruments, deployed on a USV increase the frequency and coverage of optical observations, which are required to fully support the present and next-generation validation exercises in radiometric remote sensing of aquatic ecosystems.
A Novel Time-Domain Frequency Diverse Array HRWS Imaging Scheme for Spotlight SAR
Authors: Wen Yuhao , Zhang Zhimin , Chen Zhen , Qiu Jinsong , Ren Mingshan , Meng Xiangrui
Published: February 2022

The frequency diverse array (FDA) technique is a novel scheme for high resolution wide swath synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging, which employs a frequency increment across the array elements. This introduces a range-angle-dependence to the transmission steering vector, which is exploited for range ambiguity resolution in strip-map SAR. Generally in spotlight mode, scatterers dispersively distributed in azimuth have different Doppler histories, in which the range ambiguity resolution for strip-map SAR fails. To extend the flexibility of FDA, in this paper a novel FDA imaging scheme for spotlight mode SAR is proposed. Exploiting the property of the same illuminated period of all scatterers in spotlight mode, the proposed scheme is carried out entirely in the azimuth time domain, which allows for higher processing efficiency and real-time implementations. Still, excessive Doppler history differences among scatterers deteriorate the scheme performance for azimuth-edge scatterers. Aiming at this situation, a residual angle phase compensation in time domain is considered for the cases of a large azimuth beam width, improving the applicability of the proposed scheme. Compared with existing methods, the proposed spotlight FDA-SAR offers the possibility of achieving simultaneously high azimuth resolution and wide swath performance with high efficiency. Simulations and analyses are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed spotlight FDA-SAR scheme.
A Global Conversion Factor Model for Mapping Zenith Total Delay onto Precipitable Water
Authors: Zhao Qingzhi , Liu Kang , Zhang Tengxu , He Lin , Shen Ziyu , Xiong Si , Shi Yun , Chen Lichuan , Liao Weiming
Published: February 2022

The conversion factor is a key parameter for converting zenith wet delays (ZWD) into precipitable water vapour (PWV) with a mean value of 0.15, and the traditional method of calculating it is to model the weighted average temperature in the process of conversion factor calculation. Here, we overcome the dependence on high-precision atmospheric weighted average temperature for mapping ZWD onto PWV and build a global non-meteorological parametric model for conversion factor GΠ model by using the gridded data of global conversion factor time series from 2006 to 2013 provided by the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) Atmosphere. Internal and external accuracy tests were performed using data from four times (UTC 00:00, 06:00, 12:00, and 18:00) per day throughout 2012 and 2014 as provided by the GGOS Atmosphere, and the statistical average root-mean-square (RMS) and mean absolute errors (MAE) on a global scale are 0.0031/0.0026 and 0.0030/0.0026, respectively, which only account for 1.5–2% of the conversion factor value. In addition, the observed GPS data are also used to validate the established GΠ model, and the RMS of the PWV differences between the established model and the observed meteorological data was less than 3.2 mm. The results show that the established GΠ model has a high accuracy, which can be used to calculate the PWV value where no observed meteorological parameters are available.
Interseismic Fault Coupling and Slip Rate Deficit on the Central and Southern Segments of the Tanlu Fault Zone Based on Anhui CORS Measurements
Authors: Tao Tingye , Chen Hao , Li Shuiping , Qu Xiaochuan , Zhu Yongchao
Published: February 2022

The Tanlu fault zone, extending over 2400 km from South China to Russia, is one of the most conspicuous tectonic elements in eastern Asia. In this study, we processed the Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements of Anhui Continuously Operating Reference System (AHCORS) between January 2013 and June 2018 to derive a high-precision velocity field in the central and southern segments of the Tanlu fault zone. We integrated the AHCORS data with those publicly available for geodetic imaging of the interseismic coupling and slip rate deficit distribution in the central and southern segments of the Tanlu fault zone. This work aims at a better understanding of strain accumulation and future seismic hazard in the Tanlu fault zone. The result indicates lateral variation of coupling distribution along the strike of the Tanlu fault zone. The northern segment of the Tanlu fault zone has a larger slip rate deficit and a deeper locking depth than the southern segment. Then, we analyzed three velocity profiles across the fault. The result suggests that the central and southern segments of the Tanlu fault zone are characterized by right-lateral strike-slip (0.29–0.44 mm/y) with compression components (0.35–0.76 mm/y). Finally, we estimated strain rates using the least-squares collocation method. The result shows that the dilatation rates concentrate in the region where the principal strain rates are very large. The interface of extension and compression is always accompanied by sudden change of direction of principal strain rates. Especially, in the north of Anhui, the dilatation rate is largest, reaching 3.780×10−8/a. Our study suggests that the seismic risk in the northern segment of the Tanlu fault zone remains very high for its strong strain accumulation and the lack of historical large earthquakes.
Crop Detection Using Time Series of Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-1 and Existing Land Parcel Information Systems
Authors: Snevajs Herman , Charvat Karel , Onckelet Vincent , Kvapil Jiri , Zadrazil Frantisek , Kubickova Hana , Seidlova Jana , Batrlova Iva
Published: February 2022

Satellite crop detection technologies are focused on the detection of different types of crops in fields. The information of crop-type area is more useful for food security than the earlier phenology stage is. Currently, data obtained from remote sensing (RS) are used to solve tasks related to the identification of the type of agricultural crops; additionally, modern technologies using AI methods are desired in the postprocessing stage. In this paper, we develop a methodology for the supervised classification of time series of Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-1 data, compare the accuracies based on different input datasets and find how the accuracy of classification develops during the season. In the EU, a unified Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) is available to provide essential field borders. To increase usability, we also provide a classification of the entire field. This field classification also improves overall accuracy.
Multi Swarm Optimization Based Clustering with Tabu Search in Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Suganthi Sundararaj , Umapathi Nagappan , Mahdal Miroslav , Ramachandran Manickam
Published: February 2022

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) can be defined as a cluster of sensors with a restricted power supply deployed in a specific area to gather environmental data. One of the most challenging areas of research is to design energy-efficient data gathering algorithms in large-scale WSNs, as each sensor node, in general, has limited energy resources. Literature review shows that with regards to energy saving, clustering-based techniques for data gathering are quite effective. Moreover, cluster head (CH) optimization is a non-deterministic polynomial (NP) hard problem. Both the lifespan of the network and its energy efficiency are improved by choosing the optimal path in routing. The technique put forth in this paper is based on multi swarm optimization (MSO) (i.e., multi-PSO) together with Tabu search (TS) techniques. Efficient CHs are chosen by the proposed system, which increases the optimization of routing and life of the network. The obtained results show that the MSO-Tabu approach has a 14%, 5%, 11%, and 4% higher number of clusters and a 20%, 6%, 14%, and 6% lesser average packet loss rate as compared to a genetic algorithm (GA), differential evolution (DE), Tabu, and MSO based clustering, respectively. Moreover, the MSO-Tabu approach has 136%, 36%, 136%, and 38% higher lifetime computation, and 22%, 16%, 51%, and 12% higher average dissipated energy. Thus, the study’s outcome shows that the proposed MSO-Tabu is efficient, as it enhances the number of clusters formed, average energy dissipated, lifetime computation, and there is a decrease in mean packet loss and end-to-end delay.
ColaborAtiva: A Platform Based on Gamified Collaborative Practices to Prevent Pressure Injuries for Wheelchair Users
Authors: Moura Júnior Romero , Alves Lynn , González Carina
Published: February 2022

Pressure injuries are wounds caused by reduced blood circulation for regular and repetitive periods when pressing the human body against a hard surface. It is a pathology that needs daily preventive care and health promotion to avoid incidences. Thus, this article aims to validate a platform based on the gamified collaborative practices model to prevent pressure injuries. The methodological contribution is Design Science, and the software was evaluated by 16 wheelchair users who aimed at usability (SUS), user experience (UEQ), and ability to promote the system (NPS). In addition to creating a collaborative network using the interactions that occurred during the platform’s use. Wheelchair users rated 73.28 for SUS; on the UEQ benchmark scales, they classified: excellent (efficiency, dependability, stimulation, and novelty), good (attractiveness), and above-average (perspicuity) and in NPS obtained 62.5%. Moreover, they provided feedback to improve and legitimize that gamification positively interfered in the execution of collaborative practices. In the end, it is possible to suppose that the prototype contributes to the prevention of pressure injuries. In addition, it is possible to adapt it to apply to other pathologies that require continuous health care such as diabetes, mental illness, heart disease, addictions, multiple sclerosis, cancer, among others, maximizing its purpose.
Knowledge Discovery on Cryptocurrency Exchange Rate Prediction Using Machine Learning Pipelines
Authors: Shahbazi Zeinab , Byun Yung-Cheol
Published: February 2022

The popularity of cryptocurrency in recent years has gained a lot of attention among researchers and in academic working areas. The uncontrollable and untraceable nature of cryptocurrency offers a lot of attractions to the people in this domain. The nature of the financial market is non-linear and disordered, which makes the prediction of exchange rates a challenging and difficult task. Predicting the price of cryptocurrency is based on the previous price inflations in research. Various machine learning algorithms have been applied to predict the digital coins’ exchange rate, but in this study, we present the exchange rate of cryptocurrency based on applying the machine learning XGBoost algorithm and blockchain framework for the security and transparency of the proposed system. In this system, data mining techniques are applied for qualified data analysis. The applied machine learning algorithm is XGBoost, which performs the highest prediction output, after accuracy measurement performance. The prediction process is designed by using various filters and coefficient weights. The cross-validation method was applied for the phase of training to improve the performance of the system.
A Novel Unified Framework for Energy-Based Spectrum Sensing Analysis in the Presence of Fading
Authors: Gvozdarev Aleksey S.
Published: February 2022

This paper studies the performance of the energy-based sensing procedure in the presence of multipath fading and shadowing effects in terms of its average probability of detection (APD), average receiver operating characteristic (AROC) and the area under the AROC curve (AUC). A new generalization for the class of the fading channel moment generating functions (MGFs) (i.e., factorized power type (FPT) MGF) was proposed and applied for the construction of the unified framework for the analytical treatment of the formulated problem. The contiguity of the proposed model with the existing classical ones (Rayleigh, Nakagami-m, Hoyt, η−μ, κ−μ shadowed and Mixture-Gamma) was demonstrated. Within the assumed MGF representation, the novel closed-form solutions and computationally efficient approximation for APD and AUC are derived. The obtained general expressions were then applied for derivation of the new results for the recent generalized fading channel models: Fluctuating Beckmann and Beaulieu-Xie shadowed. For each of the models, high-SNR asymptotic expressions were obtained. Lastly, numeric simulation was performed to verify the correctness of the derived results, to establish the dependencies of the sensing performance quality from the channel parameters and to identify the specific ranges of their asymptotic behavior.
Neisseria mucosa Does Not Inhibit the Growth of Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Authors: Abdellati Saïd , Laumen Jolein , Gonzalez Natalia , Manoharan-Basil Sheeba S. , Van Dijck Christophe , De Baetselier Irith , Martiny Delphine , de Block Tessa , Kenyon Chris
Published: February 2022

Antibiotic-sparing treatments are required to prevent the further emergence of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Commensal Neisseria species have previously been found to inhibit the growth of pathogenic Neisseria species. For example, a previous study found that three out of five historical isolates of Neisseria mucosa could inhibit the growth of N. gonorrhoeae. In this study, we used agar overlay assays to assess if 24 circulating and historical isolates of Neisseria mucosa could inhibit the growth of 28 circulating and historical isolates of N. gonorrhoeae. Although pitting around each colony of N. mucosa created an optical illusion of decreased growth of N. gonorrhoeae, we found no evidence of inhibition (n = 24). In contrast, positive controls of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Escherichia coli demonstrated a strong inhibitory effect against the growth of N. gonorrhoeae.
Post-Functionalization of Bromo-Substituted Ether-Linked Polymers via Ullman Coupling Reaction: Synthesis, Characterization and Their Role toward Carbon Dioxide Capture
Authors: Al-Shboul Tareq M. A. , Al-Tarawneh Suha S. , Ababneh Taher S. , Jazzazi Taghreed M. A.
Published: February 2022

A new open-chain ether-linked polymer has been prepared via nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction on a C-F bond of 1,4-dibromo-2,5-difluorobenzene by using 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane (bisphenol AF or BAF). The new polymer (PE-AF) has shown a good solubility in non-polar solvents, good thermal stability (up to 300 °C) and random surface morphology. Tailoring these properties has been achieved by utilizing the post-modification synthetic methodology on the bromo-sites of the polymer backbone via the application of an Ullmann coupling reaction with aniline to form the polymer (PE-Sec-NHPh). The successful synthesis of the polymers has been confirmed by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy (IR), 1H- and 13C-NMR and 13C CP-MAS solid state. Upon incorporation of the aniline linker, the nitrogen content increased when compared with the parent polymer chain, and thus PE-Sec-NHPh revealed a higher thermal stability up to 350 °C and a more uniformly aggregated morphology (spherical particles ca. 0.3–0.1 µm). A further evaluation has been conducted on the polymers by measuring their surface tendency toward carbon dioxide capture. Interestingly, despite their non-porous nature, the polymers demonstrated a reasonable amount of gas capture that reached 90.0 and 41.0 mg/g for PE-Sec-NHPh and PE-AF, respectively. Furthermore, the calculated CO2 binding affinities of the polymers are consistent with data reported previously in the literature.
A Longitudinal Look at Family Communication about Sexual Issues
Authors: Grossman Jennifer M. , Richer Amanda M.
Published: February 2022

Parent–child communication about sex and relationships can protect adolescents from risky sexual behaviors, but few studies investigate how family talk may change over the course of development from adolescence to emerging adulthood. This current study uses thematic analysis to explore continuity and change in perceived talk with parents about sex and relationships, following a United States sample of 15 adolescent participants over three time points: early adolescence (age 13–14), middle adolescence (age 15–16), and emerging adulthood (age 20–21). Analyses addressed participants’ experiences of talk with parents about sex and relationships (comfort, engagement) and the content of talk: dating and relationships, pregnancy and parenting, protection, STIs, and sexual behavior. Findings show that family communication about sex and relationships extends from early adolescence to emerging adulthood, but changes in content to reflect shifts in adolescent and emerging adult development. Further, while positive engagement and comfort with talk about sex remain relatively high over time, participants’ discomfort and negative engagement appear to increase, highlighting challenges for ongoing family communication. These findings suggest a meaningful, ongoing role for parents in family communication about sex and relationships as their children develop, and suggest some opportunities and challenges that parents may face through this process.
Party Competition Structure and Legislative Productivity of Local Councils: From the 4th to 6th Local Councils in Korea
Authors: Jung Sung Eun , Kim Yongmin
Published: February 2022

The Korean local autonomy system has a unique feature in that it grants councils, mayors, and governors the right to submit bills. Because of Korea’s extensive experience with authoritarianism, the relative legislative productivity of the assembly with respect to the head of the group—that is, the person who has the legislative initiative—has become an evaluation criterion for the activities of local councils in Korea. In this study, we address the question of why the relative legislative productivity of individual councils appears to be the cause of problematic awareness in situations where the legal and institutional conditions—for example, the organization and function of local councils, operating methods, and support systems—are very similar. Accordingly, regarding the 4th to 6th parliamentary period (2006–2018) of 15 parliaments, panel data analysis was performed to understand how the structure of party competition between the heads of the group and parliament and the structure of party competition within the assembly affects the relative legislative productivity of the assembly from a macro perspective. It was found that the relative legislative productivity of the parliament for mayors increases when there is a divided government rather than unified one and when the seat share of the first party in parliament increases. However, it was also found that the greater the difference in seat share between the first party in parliament and the second party in parliament, the higher the index of party concentration in parliament and the lower the relative legislative productivity of parliament. In Korea’s political reality, it was confirmed that the political structure of a divided government at the local level does not necessarily lead to a decrease in legislative productivity. The significance of this study is that these ideas were verified.
Research on Multi Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Emergency Task Planning Method Based on Discrete Multi-Objective TLBO Algorithm
Authors: Tang Miao , Hu Minghua , Zhang Honghai , Zhou Long
Published: February 2022

The outbreak of unexpected events such as floods and geological disasters often produces a large number of emergency material requirements, and when common logistics methods are often ineffective, emergency logistics unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) become an important means. How to rationally plan multiple UAVs to quickly complete the emergency logistics tasks in many disaster-stricken areas has become an urgent problem to be solved. In this paper, an optimization model is established with the goal of minimizing the task completion time and the penalty cost of advance/delay, and a discrete multi-objective teaching–learning-based optimization (DMOTLBO) algorithm is proposed. The Pareto frontier approximation problem is transformed into a set of single objective sub-problems by the decomposition mechanism of the algorithm, and each sub-problem is solved by the improved discrete TLBO algorithm. According to the characteristics of the problem, TLBO algorithm is improved by discretization, and an individual update method is constructed based on probability fusion of various mutation evolution operators. At the same time, variable neighborhood descent search is introduced to enhance the local search ability. Based on the multi-level comparative experiment, the improvement measures and effectiveness of DMOTLBO are verified. Finally, combined with specific case analysis, the practicability and efficiency of the DMOTLBO algorithm in solving the multi-objective emergency logistics task planning problem of multiple UAVs are further verified.
Comparison of Mechanical, Assisted and Manual Harvest of Origanum vulgare L.
Authors: Comparetti Antonio , Greco Carlo , Orlando Santo , Ciulla Salvatore , Mammano Michele Massimo
Published: February 2022

In Italy, the production of Origanum vulgare L. is lower than the national market demand, so there is an increasing interest in this crop, even if the manual harvest and bunch binding represent ca. 60% of the production cost. The aim of this work is to evaluate the harvest efficiency, as well as the working capacity, productivity and quality of mechanical harvesting by means of a reaper-binder designed for cereal and forage crops and assisted harvesting by means of a long-reach edge trimmer. In fact, the final aim is to suggest a machine and a method for oregano harvesting that could significantly reduce the time and, therefore, the cost of this crop operation, while achieving a product quality similar to that obtained by manual harvesting. Tests of mechanical and assisted harvesting were carried out using a reaper-binder after modifying it (i.e., reducing its forward speed, cutting height and bunch size to improve its working capacity, productivity and quality) and an edge trimmer, respectively. The tests of mechanical and assisted harvesting were compared with manual harvesting. In the testing field, with an irregular shape and an area of one hectare, nine rows were selected and divided into three replications, each comprising three tests, i.e., mechanical, assisted and manual harvesting. The modified reaper-binder allowed us to achieve working capacity and productivity rates much higher than those obtained with manual harvesting. Moreover, its harvest quality, in terms of bunch weight and binding height, favourably compares with that manually obtained. Furthermore, the edge trimmer allowed us to achieve working capacity and productivity rates lower than those obtained by means of the reaper-binder but much higher than in manual harvesting. Thus, the reaper-binder can minimise the harvest time and, therefore, cost while harvesting bunches slightly bigger than those manually harvested, even if it requires a high initial investment cost. Instead, the edge trimmer can be a cheap solution for reducing the harvest time and cost. Therefore, mechanical and assisted harvesting could spread oregano production in areas of inland Sicily and other Mediterranean regions that are often cultivated with low-profit herbaceous plant species or lie fallow. Thus, it would be possible to increase farmers’ incomes and job opportunities, as well as preventing or minimising the hydrogeological instability in these areas.
Land Use, Land Cover Change and Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture and Livestock in the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest in Brazil
Authors: Silveira Júlia Graziela da , Oliveira Neto Sílvio Nolasco de , Canto Ana Carolina Barbosa do , Leite Fernanda Figueiredo Granja Dorilêo , Cordeiro Fernanda Reis , Assad Luís Tadeu , Silva Gabriela Cristina Costa , Marques Renato de Oliveira , Dalarme Melissa Silva Leme , Ferreira Isabel Gouvea Maurício , Conceição Marcela Cardoso Guilles da , Rodrigues Renato de Aragão Ribeiro
Published: February 2022

The Amazon and the Atlantic Forest are Brazilian biomes that suffered an intense land use and land cover change, marked by the loss of native forest and expansion of agriculture and livestock. This article aims to analyze land use and land cover change history and to propose a sustainable alternative for agriculture and livestock as an opportunity for rural development in these biomes. The statistics of the platform from the Annual Mapping Project for Land Use and Land Cover in Brazil (MapBiomas) were used in an annual historical series from 1985 to 2020. The analysis of land use and land cover changes indicates that the Amazon native forest was reduced by 44.53 million hectares (Mha), while pasture, agriculture and planted forest increased by 38.10, 6.06 and 0.26 Mha, respectively, over the 35 years (1985 to 2020). In the Atlantic Forest, for the same period, forest and pasture reduced by 0.99 and 11.53 Mha, respectively, while agriculture expanded by 8.06 Mha and planted forest by 2.99 Mha. Sustainable land use strategies, such as the Integration Crop-Livestock-Forest (ICLF), can support the increase in agricultural production while recovering and preserving the environment. Policies and programs should consider regional particularities and barriers for more significant adoption of this strategy.
Selection of National Park Candidate Areas Based on Spatial Overlap Characteristics of Protected Areas in China
Authors: Liu Xiaoman , Wang Chao , Jiang Dong , Wang Yong , Gao Jixi , Jin Chuanping , Ma Wandong , Yuan Jingfang
Published: February 2022

The integration and optimization of protected areas is an important part of the construction of a protected areas system centered around national parks. How to best integrate and optimize protected areas is the most urgent problem in the reform. This paper analyzes the spatial overlap and continuity of protected areas in China on a national scale and proposes a collection of candidate areas for national parks. The results show that ➀ 52.9% of the protected areas overlap, with nature reserves, forest parks and scenic areas showing the most overlap, and the maximum number of overlaps is five. ➁ There are 1145 groups of contiguous protected areas that form continuous boundary areas, accounting for 58.9% of the total number of protected areas analyzed in this paper. Of these continuous zones, 48.55% consists of only two protected areas. There are 51 continuous areas with more than 10 protected areas, showing point continuous and/or patchy continuous boundary characteristics. ➂ According to the identified continuous areas, overlapping degree, protection levels and function, the candidate areas of national parks in China are proposed. Continuous areas with comprehensive ecosystem services, high-intensity protection levels, and high overlap intensity are selected as preliminary candidate areas for national parks. These are further refined based on their co-location with four types of key areas. A total of 41 areas are recommended as potential national parks. These continuous areas are highly consistent with the national “two screens, three belts” strategy, and nine of them are essentially consistent with the current national parks pilot. These results indicate that the recommended areas selected according to this research method are reasonable, and can provide a scientific basis for determining the spatial layout of China’s new protected areas system and the establishment of national parks.
A Literature Review of the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effect on Sustainable HRM
Authors: Liang Xiaoyan , Zhang Xiwei , Paulet Renee , Zheng Leven Jianwen
Published: February 2022

The ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to emerge across all facets of the world of work, including the field of human resource management (HRM). Sustainable HRM, drawing on the triple bottom line elements of the economic, environmental and social pillars of sustainability, provides an ideal basis from which to understand the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and HRM. In this systematic literature review, we analyze peer reviewed articles published in the nexus of the pandemic and sustainable HRM, identifying the dimensions and extent of research in this topical area of study. Our CEDEL model—complicator–exposer–disruptor–enabler–legitimizer—conceptualizes our understanding of the role of COVID-19 in sustainable HRM. This paper provides a framework from which future studies can benefit when investigating the impacts of COVID-19, and a comprehensive identification of future research avenues.
COVID-19 and Construction: Impact Analysis on Construction Performance during Two Infection Waves in Victoria, Australia
Authors: Bell James , Chan Henry , Chan Michael , Moon Sungkon
Published: February 2022

This research outlines the fluctuation in confirmed active cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as related to the changes in the Victoria state government’s rules and restrictions. Further, this study examines the impact of government restrictions on the performance of construction in Victoria, Australia. The data analyses in this paper identify the specific effects on industrial production, during the different lockdown stages, in three local construction companies. Companies were selected from different points along the supply chain. Company A is a supplier involved in the manufacturing of structural steel. Company B conducts logistics and procurement. Company C is a construction engineering business specializing in foundations. After reviewing relevant case studies and theories, data analyses were developed in collaboration with these companies. The results revealed that the impact of restrictions on the workers on individual construction projects was not significant. Stage 4 restrictions (Victoria’s highest lockdown level) significantly impacted overall income by limiting construction to only servicing essential infrastructure or essential businesses. The novel contribution of this study is the data analysis outcome for Victoria, where a high level of restrictions were experienced, such as curfew and enforced isolation at home, relative to other countries. In 2021 and 2022 (omicron variant dominated), Victoria was again at the brink of an infection wave, which showed a similar pattern to July 2020, and endured the world’s longest COVID-19 lockdown. The research findings contribute to the body of knowledge by providing empirical data analysis of each company, representing the economic impact of ordinary small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in construction.
Spatial–Temporal Differentiation and the Driving Mechanism of Rural Transformation Development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt
Authors: Zhang Rongtian , Zhang Xiaolin
Published: February 2022

Rural transformation development is an important part of rural revitalization, and the study of spatial–temporal differentiation characteristics and the driving mechanism of rural transformation development can provide a decision-making reference for formulating rural revitalization programs according to local conditions. Taking the Yangtze River Economic Belt as the research case, we constructed an evaluation system of rural transformation development in the dimension of “population, land and industry”, and the entropy TOPSIS method, spatial autocorrelation model and geographic detector model were used to reveal spatial-temporal differentiation and the driving mechanism of rural transformation development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 1978 to 2018. The results showed that (1) rural transformation development has been significantly unbalanced in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and rural transformation development showed a weak distribution. Moreover, in terms of dimensions, the land use transformation level > population development transformation level > industrial development transformation level. (2) On the global, rural transformation development presented a spatial distribution trend of club convergence. On the local, the H(High)–H(High) type was mainly distributed in Shanghai City and the southern part of Jiangsu Province, and it evolved to Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Ningbo and Wanjiang City Belt; the L(Low)–L(Low) type was mainly concentrated in the western part of Sichuan Province and in the southwest of Yunnan Province. (3) Natural conditions, economic social development, traffic accessibility, policies and systems were the leading factors affecting rural transformation development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The influences of economic social development and traffic accessibility on rural transformation development were increasing, and policy factors had an important guiding effect on rural transformation development, and the influence of natural conditions on rural transformation development has weakened. This study can provide a practical reference for rural transformation and rural revitalization in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
Local Food Development Perspectives in Latvia: A Value-Oriented View
Authors: Naglis-Liepa Kaspars , Paula Liga , Janmere Lana , Kaufmane Dace , Proskina Liga
Published: February 2022

The role of local food products in the food system of West European countries tends to increase. Currently, the economic aspects of food in most of the western world are no longer dominant in decision-making, and consumers are willing to pay more for prosocial food. The present research examines support for prosocial food among consumers in Latvia. A consumer survey conducted in Latvia (n = 1000) revealed attitudes and behavior in relation to: (a) food and shopping convenience values; (b) economic values; (c) prosocial values of food consumption (local and environmental friendly food). The purpose of the survey was to make quantitative measurements that reveal the main trends in the society of Latvia and what values are important for consumers, depending on their family status, level of education, place of residence and income level. The scientific discourse reveals that more support for prosocial food is observed among higher-income households living in a city which have children and higher education. Surprisingly, the research results did not confirm this. Although the support of this consumer segment for such food is relatively high, it is lower than that of other consumers. Perhaps the explanation should be sought in the broader context of life values, e.g., sentimental feelings caused by travel rather than belongingness to a particular place; or, it is possible that hedonism prevails in the awareness of social and ecological reality and each person’s responsibility for it, which could be further research problems.
Techno-Environmental Analyses and Optimization of a Utility Boiler Based on Real Data
Authors: Koochakinia Sajad , Ebrahimi-Moghadam Amir , Deymi-Dashtebayaz Mahdi
Published: February 2022

A numerical simulation for analysis and optimization of the performance and NOx production was applied to a natural gas fuel boiler in South Pars Gas Complex. For this purpose, nine actual environmental and operational parameters of a boiler were measured and recorded every two hours and then averaged daily for a year. Using the thermodynamic laws, important parameters such as body and exhaust flue gas losses, as well as the thermal efficiency and exergy efficiencies of the combustor and boiler, were calculated for each day. The results show that, owing to changes in the environmental and operational conditions, the thermal and exergy efficiency of the boiler varied from 83% to 87% and 27% to 32%, respectively, during the year. In addition, by optimizing the excess air percentage, the thermal and exergy efficiencies could be increased by 1.5% and 3%, respectively, for most days of the year.
Experimental and Simulation Study Investigating the Effect of a Transparent Pyramidal Cover on PV Cell Performance
Authors: Alblawi Adel , Talaat M.
Published: February 2022

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are a very popular energy conversion system for electric energy supply due to their ease of connection and fast rate of conversion. However, a disadvantage of these systems is their low efficiency. Many techniques have been proposed to enhance the efficiency of PV systems. In this article, numerical and experimental studies were performed to test the effect of pyramidal transparent covers made of Perspex on the incident radiation reaching PV panels. The energy of light depends on the electric field, and the electric field depends on the permittivity. As the relative permittivity of Perspex is higher than the relative permittivity of air, the energy of the panel with the pyramidal Perspex cover is higher than the energy of the panel without pyramids. In addition, the total irradiance reaching the base of the pyramids was investigated in order to show the effect of the incidence angle on the computed irradiance. A 3D model was constructed and tested with different pyramidal cover dimensions and incidence angles. The tested dimensions were height to base length ratios of 1.5, 1.0, and 0.5. It was found that pyramidal covers with a height to base length ratio of 1.0 achieved the best performance of the three sizes. The simulation model was applied in order to study the solar radiation model for the solar panel with and without pyramids. Two parameters were studied in order to show the effect of the pyramidal covers on solar panel irradiance; these parameters used three different sizes of pyramids to study the effect of changing the incidence angle of the radiation source. The model was constructed in ANSYS-ICEM, then the mesh was exported to FLUENT 14.5. Moreover, the incident radiation on the panel for all tested incidence angles was found to be higher than for the panels without covers. In addition, the existence of the pyramidal cover was found to enhance the homogeneity of the distribution incident of rays on the PV panels. In the case of pyramids with R = 1, enhancement became clear at an incidence angle ranging from 69° to 90°, and the percentage increase in the energy fraction reached 0.2%.
Design of a Lifecycle-Oriented Environmental and Economic Indicators Framework for the Mechanical Manufacturing Industry
Authors: Barni Andrea , Capuzzimati Claudio , Fontana Alessandro , Pirotta Marco , Hänninen Saara , Räikkönen Minna , Uusitalo Teuvo
Published: February 2022

As a result of the worldwide depletion of natural resources, increased energy use, and environmental, economic, and social imbalance, organizations are working to identify the proper strategies supporting the continuous reduction of their impacts. While this trend is fundamentally agreed upon in the literature, several manufacturing industries still fail to identify which elements most influence their contributions to the impact of sustainability and how to easily manage the calculation of these effects within a manufacturing system. The purpose of this article is to incorporate sustainability practices into manufacturing by developing a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) for assessing and improving environmental and economic management practices at the corporate and production level. The definition of the framework began with in-depth research of the leading indicators and framework types in the literature, integrating the most exploited industrial standards to make them easily acceptable in the industrial domain. Then, to provide a broad view of company behavior, the framework has been designed to take either an inventory and impact point of view, thus providing indicators for the online monitoring of the company operations, or assessing their impacts in an LCA-LCC perspective. In selecting the indicators and the definition of the framework structure, five industrial cases covering different business sectors were involved in identifying the most critical indicators in terms of calculability and defining a structure that would allow for their application in various business situations. Therefore, the defined framework has been validated at a conceptual level, thus laying the basis for future quantitative validation. Twenty key performance indicators (KPIs) for assessing the sustainability of manufacturing firms have been created based on the 163 indicators studied.
Techno-Economic Analysis of Scenarios on Energy and Phosphorus Recovery from Mono- and Co-Combustion of Municipal Sewage Sludge
Authors: Bagheri Marzieh , Öhman Marcus , Wetterlund Elisabeth
Published: February 2022

This study evaluates the techno-economic feasibility of energy and phosphorus (P) fertilizer (PF) recovery from municipal sewage sludge (MSS) through incineration in new combustion plants. We evaluated the economic impact of five critical process design choices: (1) boiler type, (2) fuel (MSS mono-combustion/co-combustion with wheat straw), (3) production scale (10/100 MW), (4) products (heat, electricity, PF), and (5) ash destination. Aspen Plus modeling provided mass and energy balances of each technology scenario. The economic feasibility was evaluated by calculating the minimum selling price of the products, as well as the MSS gate fees required to reach profitability. The dependency on key boundary conditions (operating time, market prices, policy support) was also evaluated. The results showed a significant dependency on both energy and fertilizer market prices and on financial support in the form of an MSS gate fee. Heat was preferred over combined heat and power (CHP), which was feasible only on the largest scale (100 MW) at maximum annual operating time (8000 h/y). Co-combustion showed lower heat recovery cost (19–30 €/MWh) than mono-combustion (29–66 €/MWh) due to 25–35% lower energy demand and 17–25% higher fuel heating value. Co-combustion also showed promising performance for P recovery, as PF could be recovered without ash post-treatment and sold at a competitive price, and co-combustion could be applicable also in smaller cities. When implementing ash post-treatment, the final cost of ash-based PF was more than four times the price of commercial PF. In conclusion, investment in a new combustion plant for MSS treatment appears conditional to gate fees unless the boundary conditions would change significantly.
Social Sustainability in Business Organizations: A Research Agenda
Authors: Missimer Merlina , Mesquita Patricia Lagun
Published: February 2022

Since the economic crisis in 2008, the world has seen a partly negative shift in social progress, highlighting that current economic models and practices do not guarantee long-lasting societal and human wellbeing. Economic models and business practices are deeply intertwined; thus, businesses play a major role in the advancement of social sustainability, and academic research can offer support in navigating the complexity of this issue. However, social sustainability tends to be under-researched. This article summarizes the discussion in general business management, product development, and supply-chain management, and from this suggest a research agenda to help in guiding systematic change in business organizations towards social sustainability. The article identifies ten main challenges and offers five recommendations to move the field forward, namely, a more explicit engagement with and discussion of social systems-science based ideas, and a more explicit determination as a field to converge on key pieces leading towards a clearer definition of the concept. Lastly, it recommends that research needs to focus on how to overcome fragmented organizational structures, how to achieve true integration into existing processes and tools, and how to support organizations to become more dynamic in working with these issues.
Two-Stage Algorithm for Solving Arbitrary Trapezoidal Fully Fuzzy Sylvester Matrix Equations
Authors: Elsayed Ahmed Abdel Aziz , Saassouh Bassem , Ahmad Nazihah , Malkawi Ghassan
Published: February 2022

Sylvester Matrix Equations (SME) play a central role in applied mathematics, particularly in systems and control theory. A fuzzy theory is normally applied to represent the uncertainty of real problems where the classical SME is extended to Fully Fuzzy Sylvester Matrix Equation (FFSME). The existing analytical methods for solving FFSME are based on Vec-operator and Kronecker product. Nevertheless, these methods are only applicable for nonnegative fuzzy numbers, which limits the applications of the existing methods. Thus, this paper proposes a new numerical method for solving arbitrary Trapezoidal FFSME (TrFFSME), which includes near-zero trapezoidal fuzzy numbers to overcome this limitation. The TrFFSME is converted to a system of non-linear equations based on newly developed arithmetic fuzzy multiplication operations. Then the non-linear system is solved using a newly developed two-stage algorithm. In the first stage algorithm, initial values are determined. Subsequently, the second stage algorithm obtains all possible finite fuzzy solutions. A numerical example is solved to illustrate the proposed method. Besides, this proposed method can solve other forms of fuzzy matrix equations and produces finite fuzzy and non-fuzzy solutions compared to the existing methods.
Assessing the Effect of Modified Clay on the Toxicity of Karenia mikimotoi Using Marine Medaka (Oryzias melastigma) as a Model Organism
Authors: Zhang Peipei , Song Xiuxian , Zhang Yue , Zhu Jianan , Shen Huihui , Yu Zhiming
Published: February 2022

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi could threaten the survival of marine life, and modified clay (MC) is considered a promising method for the control of harmful algal blooms. Here, using marine medaka as the model organism, the toxicity of K. mikimotoi before and after MC disposal was investigated. The results showed that only a certain density of intact K. mikimotoi cells could cause obvious damage to fish gills and lead to rapid death. A systematic analysis of morphology, physiology, and molecular biology parameters revealed that the fish gills exhibited structural damage, oxidative damage, osmotic regulation impairment, immune response activation, and signal transduction enhancement. MC can flocculate K. mikimotoi rapidly in water and reduce its toxicity by reducing the density of intact algae cells and hemolytic toxicity. The results indicate that MC is an effective and safe method for controlling K. mikimotoi blooms.