bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal Variations of Global Terrestrial Typical Vegetation EVI and Their Responses to Climate Change from 2000 to 2021
Authors: Li Chenhao , Song Yifan , Qin Tianling , Yan Denghua , Zhang Xin , Zhu Lin , Dorjsuren Batsuren , Khalid Hira
Published: August 2023

With the increasing impact of climate change on ecosystems, it is crucial to analyze how changes in precipitation and temperature affect global ecosystems. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) in the global forest, grassland, shrubland, and tundra (FGST) from 2000 to 2021. We utilized partial correlation analysis and grey relation analysis to assess the responses of different vegetation types to precipitation, temperature, and extreme water and heat indicators. The result shows that, despite a “warmer and drier” trend in FGST (excluding tundra), global climate change has not adversely affected the ongoing vegetation growth. It presents a favorable implication for global carbon dioxide assimilation. Different vegetation types displayed different sensitivities to changes in precipitation and temperature. Shrubland proved to be the most sensitive, followed by grassland, forest, and tundra. As the impacts of global climate change intensify, it becomes crucial to direct our attention toward dynamics of vegetation types demonstrating heightened sensitivity to fluctuations in precipitation and temperature. Our study indicates that, except for forests, extreme precipitation indicators have a stronger impact on EVI than extreme temperature indicators. Forests and tundra have demonstrated heightened susceptibility to the intensity of extreme climatic events, while grasslands and shrublands have been more sensitive to the duration of such events. Understanding these responses can offer valuable insights for developing targeted strategies for adaptation and preservation. Our study enhances comprehension of the feedback relationship between global climate change and vegetation, offering scientific evidence for global climate change evaluation.
A Data-Fusion Approach to Assessing the Contribution of Wildland Fire Smoke to Fine Particulate Matter in California
Authors: Yang Hongjian , Ruiz-Suarez Sofia , Reich Brian J. , Guan Yawen , Rappold Ana G.
Published: August 2023

The escalating frequency and severity of global wildfires necessitate an in-depth understanding and monitoring of wildfire smoke impacts, specifically its contribution to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We propose a data-fusion method to study wildfire contribution to PM2.5 using satellite-derived smoke plume indicators and PM2.5 monitoring data. Our study incorporates two types of monitoring data, the high-quality but sparse Air Quality System (AQS) stations and the abundant but less accurate PurpleAir (PA) sensors that are gaining popularity among citizen scientists. We propose a multi-resolution spatiotemporal model specified in the spectral domain to calibrate the PA sensors against accurate AQS measurements, and leverage the two networks to estimate wildfire contribution to PM2.5 in California in 2020 and 2021. A Bayesian approach is taken to incorporate all uncertainties and our prior intuition that the dependence between networks, as well as the accuracy of PA network, vary by frequency. We find that 1% to 3% increase in PM2.5 concentration due to wildfire smoke, and that leveraging PA sensors improves accuracy.
An Overview of Anthelmintic Resistance in Domestic Ruminants in Brazil
Authors: Macedo Lucia Oliveira , Silva Samuel Souza , Alves Leucio Câmara , Carvalho Gílcia Aparecida , Ramos Rafael Antonio Nascimento
Published: August 2023

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) significantly, negatively impact livestock worldwide, and their control depends on the use of chemotherapy drugs. However, this approach is unsustainable as anthelmintic resistance (AR) is growing widespread. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the historical and current data published on AR in domestic ruminants in Brazil. Alternative measures of GIN control have been discussed to provide helpful information to prevent the development of AR in the country. This review consisted of a search of technical and scientific publications between January 1960 to January 2023, using online sources such as PubMed, Scielo and Google Scholar. Eighty-three articles published over the last six decades reporting AR in sheep (n = 43), goats (n = 20) and cattle (n = 20) were included. A total of 37.3%, 25.4% and 37.3% evaluated one, two and three or more molecule classes, respectively. Among all studies, 82.1% used fecal egg count reduction test as a method of AR diagnosis. In conclusion, AR is an urgent and emerging issue for ruminant production in Brazil. It is necessary to evaluate on a large scale the distribution and management of anthelmintic drugs and discuss strategies that delay this phenomenon’s development.
Dynamic Gesture Recognition Based on FMCW Millimeter Wave Radar: Review of Methodologies and Results
Authors: Tang Gaopeng , Wu Tongning , Li Congsheng
Published: August 2023

As a convenient and natural way of human-computer interaction, gesture recognition technology has broad research and application prospects in many fields, such as intelligent perception and virtual reality. This paper summarized the relevant literature on gesture recognition using Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) millimeter-wave radar from January 2015 to June 2023. In the manuscript, the widely used methods involved in data acquisition, data processing, and classification in gesture recognition were systematically investigated. This paper counts the information related to FMCW millimeter wave radar, gestures, data sets, and the methods and results in feature extraction and classification. Based on the statistical data, we provided analysis and recommendations for other researchers. Key issues in the studies of current gesture recognition, including feature fusion, classification algorithms, and generalization, were summarized and discussed. Finally, this paper discussed the incapability of the current gesture recognition technologies in complex practical scenes and their real-time performance for future development.
Optical Measurement of Ligament Strain: Opportunities and Limitations for Intraoperative Application
Authors: Marx Christian , Wulff Paul , Fink Christian , Baumgarten Daniel
Published: August 2023

A feasible and precise method to measure ligament strain during surgical interventions could significantly enhance the quality of ligament reconstructions. However, all existing scientific approaches to measure in vivo ligament strain possess at least one significant disadvantage, such as the impairment of the anatomical structure. Seeking a more advantageous method, this paper proposes defining medical and technical requirements for a non-destructive, optical measurement technique. Furthermore, we offer a comprehensive review of current optical endoscopic techniques which could potentially be suitable for in vivo ligament strain measurement, along with the most suitable optical measurement techniques. The most promising options are rated based on the defined explicit and implicit requirements. Three methods were identified as promising candidates for a precise optical measurement of the alteration of a ligaments strain: confocal chromatic imaging, shearography, and digital image correlation.
Functional Enhancement and Characterization of an Electrophysiological Mapping Electrode Probe with Carbonic, Directional Macrocontacts
Authors: Popa Radu C. , Serban Cosmin-Andrei , Barborica Andrei , Zagrean Ana-Maria , Buiu Octavian , Dumbravescu Niculae , Paslaru Alexandru-Catalin , Obreja Cosmin , Pachiu Cristina , Stoian Marius , Marculescu Catalin , Radoi Antonio , Vulpe Silviu , Ion Marian
Published: August 2023

Electrophysiological mapping (EM) using acute electrode probes is a common procedure performed during functional neurosurgery. Due to their constructive specificities, the EM probes are lagging in innovative enhancements. This work addressed complementing a clinically employed EM probe with carbonic and circumferentially segmented macrocontacts that are operable both for neurophysiological sensing (“recording”) of local field potentials (LFP) and for test stimulation. This paper illustrates in-depth the development that is based on the direct writing of functional materials. The unconventional fabrication processes were optimized on planar geometry and then transferred to the cylindrically thin probe body. We report and discuss the constructive concept and architecture of the probe, characteristics of the electrochemical interface deduced from voltammetry and chronopotentiometry, and the results of in vitro and in vivo recording and pulse stimulation tests. Two- and three-directional macrocontacts were added on probes having shanks of 550 and 770 μm diameters and 10–23 cm lengths. The graphitic material presents a ~2.7 V wide, almost symmetric water electrolysis window, and an ultra-capacitive charge transfer. When tested with clinically relevant 150 μs biphasic current pulses, the interfacial polarization stayed safely away from the water window for pulse amplitudes up to 9 mA (135 μC/cm2). The in vivo experiments on adult rat models confirmed the high-quality sensing of LFPs. Additionally, the in vivo-prevailing increase in the electrode impedance and overpotential are discussed and modeled by an ionic mobility-reducing spongiform structure; this restricted diffusion model gives new applicative insight into the in vivo-uprisen stimulation overpotential.
Shoulder Range of Motion Measurement Using Inertial Measurement Unit–Concurrent Validity and Reliability
Authors: Kaszyński Jakub , Baka Cezary , Białecka Martyna , Lubiatowski Przemysław
Published: August 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of the RSQ Motion sensor and its validity against the Propriometer and electronic goniometer in measuring the active range of motion (ROM) of the shoulder. The study included 15 volunteers (mean age 24.73 ± 3.31) without any clinical symptoms with no history of trauma, disease, or surgery to the upper limb. Four movements were tested: flexion, abduction, external and internal rotation. Validation was assessed in the full range of active shoulder motion. Reliability was revised in full active ROM, a fixed angle of 90 degrees for flexion and abduction, and 45 degrees for internal and external rotation. Each participant was assessed three times: on the first day by both testers and on the second day only by one of the testers. Goniometer and RSQ Motion sensors showed moderate to excellent correlation for all tested movements (ICC 0.61–0.97, LOA < 23 degrees). Analysis of inter-rater reliability showed good to excellent agreement between both testers (ICC 0.74–0.97, LOA 13–35 degrees). Analysis of intra-rater reliability showed moderate to a good agreement (ICC 0.7–0.88, LOA 22–37 degrees). The shoulder internal and external rotation measurement with RSQ Motion sensors is valid and reliable. There is a high level of inter-rater and intra-rater reliability for the RSQ Motion sensors and Propriometer.
Skilled Migrants and Their Encounters with Care and Employment Regimes: Childcaring among Highly Skilled Female Migrants from Korea in Germany
Authors: Kwon Jaok
Published: August 2023

By analysing the childcaring experiences of female skilled workers from South Korea (hereafter, Korea) in Germany, this paper maintains that the challenges in labour market participation for highly skilled women, and especially those with children, should be understood in the context of their encounters with similar and different care and employment regimes between their home and host countries. On the theoretical level, this research confirms the argument that the migration of highly skilled workers should be contextualized not from a neoclassical perspective in which the maximization of economic profits takes priority, but from an institutional point of view in which social and cultural norms, practices, and policies in both the home and host societies are taken into consideration. Specifically, through a series of in-depth interviews conducted with skilled female migrants from Korea, this paper highlights the significance of taking the function of similar and different caring and employment regimes into account in explaining the challenges faced by highly skilled migrant women in labour market participation. On the empirical level, this paper sheds light on the migration experiences of skilled women from Asia as well as the (dis)integration processes of newcomers from third-national countries in Germany, with a focus on female migrants from Korea.
From Waste to Renewable Energy: A Policy Review on Waste-to-Energy in the Philippines
Authors: Anonas Samuel David S. , Eugenio Francis Darwin T. , Flores BenJeMar-Hope F. , Balite Paul Heherson M. , Tomacruz Jan Goran T. , Limjuco Lawrence A. , Ocon Joey D.
Published: August 2023

Solid waste management issues continue to pose challenges in the Philippines. The increasing generation of waste, coupled with a foreseen lack of infrastructure for disposal, inevitably leads to overflowing sanitary landfills laced with environmental and health issues. As a result, the Philippine government is placing emphasis on Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technology as an ideal and immediate solution to the waste problem. By reviewing past, current, and future government policies and conducting interviews, this paper comprehensively explores the Philippine policy framework regulating WtE. The analysis shows several policy gaps and concerns, which stem from the fundamental concept of treating waste as a renewable energy resource. As it stands, the current waste management framework puts heavy emphasis on waste minimization, while the renewable energy framework explicitly promotes WtE technologies. To address this conflict in policy goals, several policies are recommended that are grounded in clarifying the country’s stances on waste as a renewable energy resource and WtE’s role in the waste management hierarchy. With clear policies and regulations on WtE, this will boost its potential as a key driver not only in waste management but also in the country’s drive for renewable energy generation.
Integrating Reliability and Energy Efficiency Assessments for Pinpointing Actionable Strategies for Enhanced Performance of Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants
Authors: Cassidy Joana , Silva Tatiana , Semião Nuno , Ramalho Pedro , Santos Ana Rita , Feliciano João Faria , Silva Catarina , Rosa Maria João
Published: August 2023

By leveraging performance assessment systems (PASs) and incorporating targeted strategies, utilities can enhance the overall effectiveness, reliability, efficiency, and environmental performance of their wastewater treatment facilities. This work presents the results obtained from a comprehensive analysis of treatment reliability and energy performance of three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The results allowed identifying, for each WWTP, improvement needs related to the aeration energy requirements, as well as to determine the effluent concentration targets required to achieve higher reliability levels while potentially reducing running costs. By analysing reliability combined with energy efficiency, this methodology allowed identifying the WWTPs’ performance-limiting stages or dysfunctions that affect both effectiveness and efficiency, to estimate the investment needs and prioritize the rehabilitation or even retrofitting of facilities’ assets.
Influence of Chemical, Organic, and Biological Silicon Fertilization on Physiological Studies of Egyptian Japonica Green Super Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Elekhtyar Nehal M. , AL-Huqail Arwa A.
Published: August 2023

Rice plants are known to be silicon (Si) accumulators, hence farmers often use specific commercial chemical fertilizers to meet the nutrient needs of plants. Farmers commonly use fertilizers that are expensive and produce immediate effects, yet they contaminate the soil, water, and air. We should reduce the use of chemical fertilizers by combining a part of them with alternative organic and biological sources of Si, such as rice husk and Bacillus mucilaginosus (Si-solubilizing bacteria). Furthermore, it rationalizes chemical fertilizer consumption, reduces environmental pollution, and improves nutrient use efficiency to achieve rationalization of consumption with economic benefits in spending and rationalization of consumption of chemicals polluting the environment. In two successive growth seasons, 2021 and 2022, a field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of chemical, organic, and biological silicon fertilization in physiological studies of Egyptian Japonica green super rice. A randomized complete block design was used, with four replications, and the following treatments were used: T1, recommended dose of silica gel (SG; chemical Si); T2, recommended dose of rice husk (RH; organic Si); T3, recommended dose of Si-solubilizing bacteria (SSB; Bacillus mucilaginosus; biological Si); T4, ½ SG + ½ RH; T5, ½ SG + ½ SSB; T6, ½ RH + ½ SSB; T7, 1/3 SG + 1/3 RH + 1/3 SSB; T8, zero chemical, organic, and biological Si (control). The results showed that the application of silica gel as a chemical Si fertilizer, rice husk as an organic Si fertilizer, and Bacillus mucilaginosus as a Si-solubilizing bacteria or biological Si fertilizer source resulted in significantly higher yields of grain (10.71 and 10.53) t ha−1 and straw (12.66 and 12.37) t ha−1 in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Following that, silica gel, when combined with Si-solubilizing bacteria, led to increases in grain yield output of 10.32 and 10.39 t ha−1 and straw yield of 12.16 and 12.05 t ha−1 in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In addition, yield attributes, chlorophyll content in leaves, flag leaf area, flag leaf weight, chlorophyll in flag leaf, crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), and silicon uptake in grain and straw were determined as follows: The application of silica gel as a chemical Si fertilizer, rice husk as an organic Si fertilizer, and Bacillus mucilaginosus as a Si-solubilizing bacteria or biological Si fertilizer source had a substantial impact on all examined characteristics. According to the optimal treatment, one part of the three parts of Si fertilization utilized just chemical Si fertilizer and the other two parts organic and biological Si. So we can minimize chemical fertilizer use and reduce soil pollution. The findings of this study will be valuable for future research, such as the usage of alternative organic and biological sources of Si in rice.
Improving Climate Change Awareness through Immersive Virtual Reality Communication: A Case Study
Authors: Dhunnoo Yétindranathsingh , Carter Adrian , O’Hare Daniel , Birt James , Skitmore Martin
Published: August 2023

The gradual pace of climate change means that its awareness plays a particularly important role in encouraging support for its amelioration or adopting adaptive behavior. This case study involves an action research project that engages twelve urban planning-related professionals in the experience of immersive virtual reality (IVR) as a tool to improve awareness of the effects of climate change. Mobile LiDAR technology was used to digitally recreate urban models in which the participants could navigate a simulated inundated urban environment and interact with the virtual objects involved. Feedback from the participants indicated the IVR technology to be a potentially useful educational tool for both professionals and the community, offering unparalleled immersion and interaction for climate change awareness which, based on its unique attributes, could offer insights and understanding of the necessity for building resiliency into our living environments.
Influence of Opposing Exterior Window Geometry on the Carbon Emissions of Indoor Lighting under the Combined Effect of Natural Lighting and Artificial Lighting in the City of Shenyang, China
Authors: Ding Jianhua , Zou Xinyi , Lv Murong
Published: August 2023

According to relevant statistics, the electricity consumption for lighting in university buildings accounts for 20 to 40% of the total energy consumption of the buildings. Lighting energy saving is a key influential factor in achieving a low-carbon campus construction. The electricity consumption for lighting is simultaneously affected by the utilization of natural daylight and artificial lighting schemes. Currently, there is a lack of research regarding the dynamic quantitative correlation between the geometric design of external windows affecting the utilization of natural daylight and carbon emissions. Also, research on the dynamic synergistic impact between natural light utilization and artificial lighting on carbon emissions has not been observed. Hence, there is a lack of quantitative carbon impact prediction and guidance in the early design and actual operation of such spaces. This study took the professional drawing space of a university in the severe cold regions of Shenyang as a prototype. Daylight factor (DF) and spatial daylight autonomy (sDA) were determined using Rhino + Grasshopper and Ladybug + Honeybee for window geometry. DIALux evo simulation was used to analyze the carbon emissions of space operation, followed by correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS to determine the degree of influence of each window design parameter on the carbon emissions. The window-to-floor ratio (WFR), window-to-wall ratio (WWR), windowsill height (Hws), window width (Ww), and window height (Hw) had inhibitory effects on carbon emissions from daylight-responsive artificial lighting (C), and the influence of different orientations was different. Under the condition of an opposing window, the overall C trend of the professional drawing space was west < east< south < north, and the C of the morning period in each orientation was significantly lower than that in the afternoon period. Taking the frame structure system space with a floor-to-floor height of 4.2 m as an example, within the requirements of WFR and WWR, the C of the west-facing professional drawing classroom with 2.55 m for Hw, 0.75 m for Hws, and 9.6 m for Ww was the smallest. To a certain extent, opening large windows and opening high windows can reduce the C of the space.
Trend Forecasting of Public Concern about Low Carbon Based on Comprehensive Baidu Index and Its Relationship with CO2 Emissions: The Case of China
Authors: Dong Wenshuo , Chen Renhua , Ba Xuelin , Zhu Suling
Published: August 2023

Climate change is harmful to ecosystems and public health, so the concern about climate change has been aroused worldwide. Studies indicated that greenhouse gas emission with CO2 as the main component is an important factor for climate change. Countries worldwide are on the same page that low-carbon development is an effective way to combat climate change. Enhancing public concern about low-carbon development and climate change has a positive effect on universal participation in carbon emission reduction. Therefore, it is significant to study the trend of public concern about low carbon and its relationship with CO2 emissions. Currently, no related studies are available, so this research explores the relationship between the public concern about low carbon and CO2 emissions of China, as well as the respective trends of each. Based on the daily data of Baidu-related keyword searches and CO2 emission, this research proposes the GMM-CEEMD-SGIA-LSTM hybrid model. The GMM is utilized to construct a comprehensive Baidu index (CBI) to reflect public concern about low carbon by clustering keywords search data. CEEMD and SGIA are applied to reconstruct sequences for analyzing the relationship between CBI and CO2 emissions. Then LSTM is utilized to forecast CBI. The reconstructed sequences show that there is a strong correlation between CBI and CO2 emissions. It is also found that CBI affects CO2 emissions, with varying effect lag times for different periods. Compared to LSTM, RF, SVR, and RNN models, the proposed model is reliable for forecasting public concern with a 46.78% decrease in MAPE. The prediction results indicate that public concern about low carbon shows a fluctuating upward trend from January 2023 to January 2025. This research could improve understanding of the relationship between public concern about low carbon and CO2 emissions to better address climate change.
Contribution of Business Research to Sustainable Development Goals: Bibliometrics and Science Mapping Analysis
Authors: Raman Raghu , Lathabhai Hiran , Mandal Santanu , Kumar Chandan , Nedungadi Prema
Published: August 2023

Despite significant business-related research publications, extant studies are yet to show how well business research directly maps to 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our study uses a qual-quant approach combining the PRISMA framework, performance analysis, and content analysis to find answers to this research gap. Using the Australia Business Deans Council list of 2500+ journals as a proxy for business research during 2016–2022, our study shows that only about 25% of business research is directly mapping to SDGs with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well Being) and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) being the most mapped. The most cited journals are the Journal of Cleaner Production, Applied Energy, and the European Journal of Public, which largely focus on SDG 7, SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 3. Top authors focus their research mainly on SDG 7, SDG 13, and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), with few publications dedicated to SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 5 (Gender Equality). Applied Economics has emerged as the dominant field for SDGs. Further, our study is the first to incorporate social network analysis to understand the interconnected nature of SDGs in the context of business research. This research provides substantial policy insight, particularly insight relevant to the formulation of regulations that promote the alignment of business researchers with SDGs.
E-Commerce Development and Green Technology Innovation: Impact Mechanism and the Spatial Spillover Effect
Authors: Yu Yan , Hu Wenjie , Dong Chunyu , Gu Xiao , Obrenovic Bojan
Published: August 2023

Green technology innovation (GTI) is critical for economic development and environmental protection. This paper investigates the influence of the National E-commerce Demonstration Cities (NEDC) policy on GTI using a multi-period Difference-in-Difference (DID) model and data from prefecture-level Chinese cities. The findings indicate that the NEDC policy considerably facilitates GTI in China. The conclusion withstands a comprehensive set of robustness tests and remains valid even after considering potential endogeneity issues. A dynamic analysis reveals an increasing influence of the NEDC policy on GTI over time. The paper identifies producer services agglomeration, internet development, and financial support as channels through which the NEDC policy affects GTI. A heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that the NEDC policy’s influence on GTI is more pronounced in larger cities with a higher degree of marketization and increased levels of human capital. Moreover, the NEDC policy exhibits spatial spillover effects, supporting GTI advancement in both local cities and neighboring regions. This study provides insights into how emerging market economies can leverage e-commerce for green development.
Does Carbon Emissions Trading Policy Improve Inclusive Green Resilience in Cities? Evidence from China
Authors: Xiong Bin , Sui Qi
Published: August 2023

With the impact of external globalization uncertainties and the pressure of internal national environmental policies and markets, maintaining inclusive green resilience while coordinating economic, environmental, and social systems is critical for achieving green and sustainable urban development. We define inclusive green resilience for cities in this research and build a system of inclusive green resilience indicators. The DID model and entropy approach were used to examine the impact of carbon trading policies on inclusive green resilience in 184 representative Chinese cities from 2008 to 2018, and PSM-DID was utilized for further validation. According to the findings of the study, carbon emissions pricing policies can considerably increase inclusive green resilience in cities. Mechanism verification demonstrates that carbon trading programs improve inclusive green resilience in cities through industrial restructuring, technical innovation capability, and employment benefits. According to the city heterogeneity study, the implementation of the carbon emissions trading system has a scale effect and significant urban functional differences, and its impact on inclusive green resilience of cities is greater in large and medium-sized cities and non- resource-based cities. This research offers a new way of thinking about inclusive green resilience as well as empirical data for future sustainable policy development.
Online Equipment Repair Community in Russia: Searching for Environmental Discourse
Authors: Zakharova Olga , Glazkova Anna , Suvorova Lyudmila
Published: August 2023

Repair is recognized as an important part of the circular economy and leads to fewer resources being used, less waste, and less emissions generation. The crucial condition for scaling repairs is people’s perception of repairs as a significant social practice harmonizing the relationship between society and nature. This paper aims to analyze the key discourses of repair in the content of the posts of the biggest Russian online communities and to identify environmental discourse. These communities specialize in the repair of household appliances, IT, and telecommunications equipment and are organized by independent repairers. We collected all of the posts from the communities that contain textual information in the body of the post. Based on the analysis of the results of the theoretical discourses of repair, we identified four types of repair discourses: environmental, pedagogical, social, and the discourse of the right to repair. We formed lists of keywords corresponding to each discourse type and analyzed posts by computer processing. We concluded that the practice of repair is widespread in specialized online communities, but the content of these communities includes almost no mention of environmental discourse. Social and pedagogical discourses prevail. Based on our research results, we suggested some recommendations for greening and spreading repair.
Promoting Strategic Flexibility and Business Performance through Organizational Ambidexterity
Authors: Kafetzopoulos Panagiotis , Psomas Evangelos , Katou Anastasia A.
Published: August 2023

The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive structural model to understand the outcomes of organizational ambidexterity (OA) within the manufacturing and service sector. It focuses on evaluating the effects of OA on business performance and strategic flexibility while also exploring the under-researched relationship between strategic flexibility and business performance. To accomplish this objective, an empirical survey was carried out among a sample of 370 Greek manufacturing and service firms. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were utilized to extract and validate the latent constructs examined. Finally, the structural relationships among these latent constructs were determined using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study’s findings reveal the significant contributions of OA to both firm performance and strategic flexibility. Additionally, the results demonstrate the positive influence of strategic flexibility on business performance. This research sheds light on the multifaceted impacts of ambidexterity, offering valuable implications for managers, decision-makers, and practitioners. The outcomes underscore the importance of ambidexterity in various dimensions of business performance and highlight its role in fostering strategic flexibility. This study stands out by offering a holistic model that explicates the outcomes of OA within the manufacturing and service sector. It places particular emphasis on the interplay between business performance and strategic flexibility, an area that has received limited attention in prior research. By empirically examining these relationships and providing practical guidelines, the proposed model enriches our understanding of ambidexterity’s significance and supports further research in this domain within organizations.
Regional Differences, Distribution Dynamics, and Convergence of the Green Total Factor Productivity of China’s Cities under the Dual Carbon Targets
Authors: Qian Long , Zhou Yunjie , Sun Ying
Published: August 2023

Economic development in China has been severely restricted by environmental problems such as carbon emissions. Improving green total factor productivity (GTFP) is an extremely important pathway to realizing carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Nevertheless, existing studies on China’s urban GTFP under the carbon emissions constraint are still insufficient. In this context, this study adopts the directional distance function (DDF), includes carbon emissions in the undesirable output, combines the global Malmquist–Luenberger (GML) productivity index, and calculates the GTFP of China’s cities. On this basis, the Dagum Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation, and convergence model are employed to explore the regional differences, distribution dynamics, and convergence in China and in three subdivision regions of east, center, and west. The core conclusions are as follows: (1) the average annual growth rate of GTFP in China’s cities is about 0.7064%, which is relatively low, but there is great room for improvement. The growth trend of GTFP in the three subdivision regions of east, center and west is obvious, presenting a spatial distribution characteristic of “high in the east and low in the west”; (2) the regional differences in GTFP of these cities are enlarging, with the largest gap in the eastern region and the smallest in the western region. Intraregional difference is the primary source of regional differences; (3) the imbalance in urban GTFP in China is prominent, with noticeable gradient differences, making it difficult to achieve hierarchical crossing. The central and western regions even have multilevel differentiation problems; (4) there is an absolute β convergence and conditional β convergence of China’s GTFP, but no σ convergence. As a result, it is necessary to comprehensively consider and actively implement the concept of shared development, enhance technological progress, focus on narrowing the differences in GTFP, and facilitate coordinated green development within the regions.
Unintended Maladaptation: How Agritourism Development Policies in Iran Have Increased Vulnerability to Climate Change
Authors: Torabi Zabih-Allah , Khavarian-Garmsir Amir Reza , Hall Colin Michael , Khatibi Neda Beiraghi
Published: August 2023

Implementing appropriate policies is crucial for adapting the agricultural sector to climate change. However, adopting incorrect policies can exacerbate unsustainable development. Hence, this study investigated the unintended consequences of agritourism development policies as a climate change adaptation strategy in the villages of Shahrud, Iran. It demonstrated how such policies have inadvertently heightened farmers’ vulnerability to climate change impacts. Data were collected through 44 semi-structured interviews, which underwent thematic analysis to identify emerging patterns. The study’s findings indicate that the rapid expansion of Agritourism in Iran, aimed at addressing climate change, has failed to achieve its intended goals. Inadequate government support, increased supply, legal gaps, and lack of empowerment were identified as contributing factors leading to unsustainable development and financial losses. Consequently, smallholder farmers were found to harbor negative perceptions of agritourism and expressed dissatisfaction with existing policies. These findings underscore the necessity of comprehensive policies and support systems to facilitate the effective implementation of sustainable agritourism by stakeholders in Iran.
Coordinated Supply Contracts for a Two-Echelon Supply Chain under Given Bargaining Powers
Authors: Jung Sung-Moon , Koh Shie-Gheun , Kim Young-Jin , Koo Pyung-Hoi
Published: August 2023

This paper addresses the supply contracts within a decentralized supply chain comprising an upstream component supplier and a downstream manufacturer. With the need to invest in production capacity before the sales season, suppliers often make conservative capacity decisions due to uncertain demand, which gives rise to the double marginalization problem. The distribution of supply chain profits is typically determined based on each member’s relative bargaining power, often exogenously provided in the market. While numerous studies have been conducted to design supply contracts for coordination in decentralized supply chains, most of them overlook the supplier’s capacity constraints and the existing bargaining power structure. To bridge this gap, this study proposes a supply contract scheme that achieves coordination under any given bargaining power structure. The key finding of this paper is that two contract types, namely capacity cost-sharing (CCS) and surplus capacity compensation (SCC), can address the entire spectrum of bargaining powers. This study demonstrates how to identify a specific threshold for a given bargaining power structure, from which the appropriate contract type is selected. Through numerical illustrations, we present how to select coordinated contracts for different bargaining power structures and examine the influence of contract parameters on the profit of each supply chain member. The primary contribution is that this study provides actionable insights for practitioners to effectively implement coordinated contracts by presenting a straightforward and practical methodology.
Research on Value Co-Creation Strategies for Stakeholders of Takeaway Platforms Based on Tripartite Evolutionary Game
Authors: Li Jianjun , Xu Xiaodi , Yang Yu
Published: August 2023

As the digitization of the supply side continues to advance, the takeaway industry has made a significant contribution to economic growth. However, the rapid expansion of the scale has also brought many social problems, merchants provide low-quality goods out of the psychology of opportunity, and the uneven quality of goods and asymmetric information not only bring great regulatory problems for the takeaway platform, but also make it difficult for consumers to identify the platform, merchants, and consumers as takeaway platform stakeholders, it is difficult to integrate resources to achieve value co-creation. Therefore, in order to realize the value co-creation among the stakeholders of the takeaway platform, a three-party evolutionary game model was constructed to analyze and simulate the strategic choices of stakeholders under different situations through simulation experiments and to explore the sensitive influence of each factor. The results of the study show the following: shaping a scientific reward and punishment system and setting reasonable rewards and punishments within a limited threshold; platforms, consumers using word-of-mouth effects to amplify the loss of network externalities that merchants have to bear when they provide low-quality services, and improving the consumer feedback mechanism to reduce the cost of feedback are all effective measures to promote the active participation of takeaway platform stakeholders in value co-creation and promote the sustainable and healthy development of the takeaway industry.
Effects of Fertilizers and Conditioners on Chromium Uptake of Maize in Chromium-Polluted Farmland
Authors: Zheng Jing , Zhou Xiaotian , Gao Yuxin , Cao Chi , Hu Hanxiu , Ye Wenling , Ma Youhua
Published: August 2023

Using agronomic measures to remediate heavy metal chromium (Cr) on farmland is the main measure to achieve the safe utilization of crops. This study was conducted under field trial conditions using locally formulated fertilizers (urea–ammonium phosphate–potassium chloride) as the control. Different fertilizer-type treatments such as ammonium sulfite, calcium magnesium phosphate, and diammonium phosphate were set up. Biochar and soil conditioner PX5B were chosen to compare the impacts of each to study the effects of different fertilizer types on maize yield, Cr content in each part, the bioconcentration factor, the translocation factor, and the available content of Cr in the soil. The results show that, compared with the formulated fertilizer, all treatments improved pH and soil organic matter and reduced the effective state of Cr content in the soil by 15.05% to 42.66%. The Cr content of maize grains under biochar and soil conditioner PX5B treatments were 0.80 mg·kg−1 and 0.88 mg·kg−1 with a 39.95% and 33.83% reduction, respectively, whereas the Cr content of maize grains under various fertilizer treatments was in the range of 0.82~1.32 mg·kg−1 with a 0.75%~38.19% reduction, respectively. Among the different fertilizer treatments, urea–calcium magnesium phosphate–potassium chloride, urea–diammonium phosphate–potassium chloride, ammonium sulfite–calcium magnesium phosphate–potassium chloride, and ammonium sulfite and urea–calcium magnesium phosphate–potassium chloride treatments reduced the Cr content of maize grains to within the range of the national food safety standard of China (1.0 mg·kg−1). The best reductions in the effective state Cr content of the soil and the Cr content of maize grains were achieved by ammonium sulfite–calcium magnesium phosphate–potassium chloride treatment, which was able to achieve similar reductions to the two conditioners. It also had a reduction effect on the Cr content of maize roots and straws, the aboveground bioconcentration factor (BCF), and the primary translocation factor (PTF). Therefore, the combination of ammonium sulfite and calcium magnesium phosphate is the best fertilizer combination to block the absorption of Cr by maize and has some implications for the fertilization of farmland under acidic soil conditions of Cr contamination.
Problems and Solution Methods of Machine Scheduling in Semiconductor Manufacturing Operations: A Survey
Authors: Fang Jianxin , Cheang Brenda , Lim Andrew
Published: August 2023

Machine scheduling problems associated with semiconductor manufacturing operations (SMOs) are one of the major research topics in the scheduling literature. Lots of papers have dealt with different variants of SMOs’ scheduling problems, which are generally difficult to tackle theoretically and computationally. In this paper, the single machine, parallel machines, flow shops, and job shops scheduling problems from SMOs have been reviewed, based on different processing constraints, e.g., batch processing, auxiliary resources, incompatible job families, and reentrant flow, etc., with the cycle time, flow time, and throughput-related performance measures. Given the vast and diverse nature of the current literature, it is urgently needed to make a systematic survey in order to identify the important research problems, research trends, and the progress of the related solution methods, as well as clarify future research perspectives. We hope the findings and observations could provide some insights to the researchers and practitioners in this domain.
Parking Generating Rate Prediction Method Based on Grey Correlation Analysis and SSA-GRNN
Authors: Zeng Chao , Zhou Xu , Yu Li , Ma Changxi
Published: August 2023

The parking generating rate model is commonly used in parking demand forecasting. However, the key indicators of the parking generating rate are generally difficult to determine, especially its future annual value. The parking generating rate is affected by many factors. In order to more accurately predict the urban parking generating rate, this paper establishes a parking generating rate prediction model based on grey correlation analysis and a generalized regression neural network (GRNN) optimized by a sparrow search algorithm (SSA). Gross domestic product (GDP), urban area, urban population, motor vehicle ownership, and land use type are selected as input variables of the GRNN via grey correlation analysis. The SSA is used to optimize network weights and thresholds, and a model based on the SSA to optimize the GRNN is constructed to predict the parking generating rate of different cities. The results show that, after SSA optimization, the maximum absolute error of the GRNN model in predicting the parking generating rate is reduced, and the prediction accuracy of the model is effectively improved. This model can provide technical support for solving urban parking problems.
The Evolution of Corporate Innovation in the O2O Model—Case Studies in the Chinese Jewelry Retail Sector
Authors: Shi Minghong , Zhang Chao , Chen Chun-Liang
Published: August 2023

The latest craze of new retailing has required the traditional jewelry industry to cope with it head-on. The aims of this article are to discover how the jewelry retail companies can innovate and evolve in the current wave of new retailing and understand how they use relevant technologies in their omni-channel operations. The selected methodology is a qualitative explanatory multi-case study. Four types of enterprises of the jewelry retail sector were selected. We find that there are four corporate innovation types in the jewelry retail sector, including: price-driven, service-driven, technology-driven, and demand-driven models. Case enterprises have established their own innovation approaches with regard to the adoption of omni-channel technology. This study advocated that different types of enterprise have different channel resources and assets, so they should set up customized omni-channel strategies in accordance with the advantages of their resources and the needs of target customers.
Knowledge of Energy Resources and Next Generation Energy Choice Behaviour: A Case Study of Kazakhstan
Authors: Nakamura Tetsuya , Maruyama Atsushi , Masuda Satoru , Lloyd Steven , Kuchiki Akifumi
Published: August 2023

Renewable energy (RE) is key to averting the climate crisis, and public support is central to its successful implementation. In this study, we examined the impact that knowledge of energy policy and energy issues has on public support for different energy types. This was achieved through the use of an online survey of residents of Kazakhstan. As a resource-rich developing country with a history of nuclear testing, Kazakhstan provides an interesting case study. In this paper, we statistically analyze the effect of individual knowledge of energy policy on the choice behavior for next-generation energy, including RE, in Kazakhstan. First, those who support fossil fuel power generation knew that Kazakhstan has abundant natural gas reserves, and those who support wind and solar power generation were aware that Kazakhstan has huge potential for such forms of power generation. It was clear that knowledge of the positive and negative aspects of fossil fuel, nuclear, wind and solar power generation had an impact on the preferences of the respondents. Second, the reasons given for supporting RE included: unlike fossil fuels, there was no danger of them being exhausted; the rise in adoption of RE technology globally; reduction in carbon dioxide emissions; and, addressing climate change. Third, although many women were aware of the advantages and disadvantages of RE, there were high levels of both support and opposition. Respondents with lower income and lower educational attainment tended to oppose RE. People living in East Kazakhstan, the site of nuclear tests, tended to support RE, but due to the high rates of subsidy to the price of electricity, many people preferred the status quo. Finally, preference for next-generation energy in Kazakhstan was associated with higher awareness of the need to protect the global environment.