bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The RothC Model to Complement Life Cycle Analyses: A Case Study of an Italian Olive Grove
Authors: Fantin Valentina , Buscaroli Alessandro , Buttol Patrizia , Novelli Elisa , Soldati Cristian , Zannoni Denis , Zucchi Giovanni , Righi Serena
Published: January 2022

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a fundamental role in soil health, and its storage in soil is an important element to mitigate climate change. How to include this factor in Life Cycle Assessment studies has been the object of several papers and is still under discussion. SOC storage has been proposed as an additional environmental information in some applications of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF). In the framework of wider activity aimed at producing the PEF of olive oil, the RothC model was applied to an olive cultivation located in Lazio region (Italy) to calculate the SOC storage and assess four scenarios representing different agricultural practices. RothC applicability, possible use of its results for improving product environmental performance, and relevance of SOC storage in terms of CO2eq compared to greenhouse gas emissions of the life-cycle of olive oil are discussed in this paper. According to the results, in all scenarios, the contribution in terms of CO2eq associated with SOC storage is remarkable compared to the total greenhouse gas emissions of the olive oil life-cycle. It is the opinion of the authors that the calculation of the SOC balance allows a more proper evaluation of the agricultural products contribution to climate change, and that the indications of the scenarios analysis are useful to enhance the environmental performance of these products. The downside is that the application of RothC requires additional data collection and expertise if compared to the execution of PEF studies.
Biobased Innovation as a Fashion and Textile Design Must: A European Perspective
Authors: D’Itria Erminia , Colombi Chiara
Published: January 2022

Fashion industry investments drive the choice for textile solutions characterized by radical experimentation and a firm commitment to sustainability. In the last five years, textile innovations have been strongly related to biobased textile solutions evolving to become effectively feasible and strategic. The produced qualitative knowledge implementations consider new production patterns, innovative technical and digital know-how, and new consumption scenarios. The directions the industry is tracing may provide new opportunities for future textile development in the circular biobased economy. This paper presents a map of current European practices. It discusses the possible passage through a holistic paradigm that goes beyond the boundaries of the old productive systems to accompany the sector towards a new sustainable and transversal state. It also presents three selected best practices that return the actual context in which the phenomenon occurs. A model is presented to demonstrate how these circular processes of biobased materials production enable more process innovations which are developed through implementing the process itself: companies’ search for rethinking and implementing the traditional practices or designing new ones (as determined by the doctoral research of one of the authors).
Social Network Relationships between Biomass Industry Stakeholders in the Agricultural Waste Power Generation Industry—A Case of Northern Jiangsu, China
Authors: Zhu Jingan , Lin Huaxing , Yang Xinyu , Yang Xiaohui , Jiang Ping , Marin Del Valle Tomas
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to explore the impact of the interaction between stakeholders in the sustainable development of the biomass industry and to reveal network issues relating to material flow and information flow under the current biomass energy development model. This study focused on the agriculture and forestry waste power generation industry. Taking the biomass industry in Nanjing, Suqian, and Yancheng as examples, the study selected six stakeholder groups involved in the industry and conducted field investigations by using semi-open interviews and questionnaires. The research mainly applied social network analysis methods, combined with UCINET software, to draw a network diagram of the stakeholder relationships and to quantitatively analyze stakeholder centrality and overall network density. The results revealed that (1) the biomass enterprises had the highest centrality in the overall network, which played a vital role in the construction of the overall network; (2) the farmers were positioned at the outer fringes of the industrial social network and their information acquisition capabilities and degree of control over the network were the lowest; and (3) the overall network density was low, which showed that the connections between stakeholders were not close enough to support the circulation of material and information in the overall network.
Infrastructure Service Assessment Model Based on a Service Quality Gap Model—Focused on South Korea
Authors: Lee Seulki
Published: January 2022

To improve the quality of life (QOL) of the citizen, it is essential to not only to secure a quantitative stock, such as the number or extension of individual infrastructure, but to also understand the perspective of the public on service levels and the demand for infrastructure. In this study, an infrastructure service level assessment model that reflects the demands of citizens is proposed, and the importance and adequacy of infrastructure service indexes for setting priorities and goals for the investment of government funds in infrastructure are verified. The evaluation items used in this model included usability, accessibility, and recovery speed. The infrastructure service level for 12,500 Korean citizens was surveyed using the proposed assessment model, and the results reveal that the satisfaction of citizens with their residences had a significant effect on the QOL improvement, and that the level of infrastructure performance in a residential area significantly affected the satisfaction of citizens with their residences. In addition, the results revealed that the quantitative and qualitative aspects of infrastructure should be simultaneously considered. Lastly, the possible application of this model for the evaluation of the effectiveness of investment for infrastructure improvement is proposed.
Does Postural Feedback Reduce Musculoskeletal Risk?: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Oliver Hernández Coral , Li Shimeng , Merino Rivera María Dolores , Mateo Rodríguez Inmaculada
Published: January 2022

Background: There is a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among personnel working in the healthcare sector, mainly among nursing assistants and orderlies. Objective: The objective is to analyze the effectiveness of a multi-component intervention that included postural feedback in reducing musculoskeletal risk. Method: A total of 24 nursing assistants and orderlies in a hospital setting were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. After collecting sociodemographic information, a selection of tasks was made and assessed using the REBA (rapid entire body assessment) method. A multi-component intervention was designed combining theoretical and practical training, including feedback on the postures performed by the professionals involved, especially those involving high musculoskeletal risk. This program was applied only to participants in the intervention group. Subsequently, eight months after the first assessment and intervention, the second assessment was carried out using the same method and process as in the first evaluation. Results: The results indicate that the musculoskeletal risk in the second assessment in the intervention group was significantly reduced. However, no significant changes were observed in the control group. Conclusion: The multi-component intervention applied can significantly reduce the musculoskeletal risk of nursing assistants and orderlies. In addition, it is a low-cost intervention with great applicability.
Accuracy of Risk Perception of Zoonoses Due to Intensive Animal Farming and People’s Willingness to Change Their Animal Product Consumption
Authors: Stel Mariëlle , Eggers Janina , Nagelmann Stina
Published: January 2022

Zoonoses have become more frequent and intense. As intensive animal farming plays a role in the emergence of zoonoses, the increase in intensive animal farming increases the risk of future zoonotic outbreaks. This raises the question of to what extent people are aware that intensive animal farming poses a risk to zoonoses. Furthermore, if people would be made aware, would they be willing to take protective measures, such as reducing their animal food consumption? This was investigated in a representative descriptive study of 1009 Dutch citizens. We measured participants’ perception of the risk of intensive animal farming and their perception of the way animals are treated. We measured their willingness to consume fewer animal products and their opinions on governments banning intensive animal farms. Additionally, participants estimated the percentage of meat from intensive farms that they consume. The main results showed that most participants were aware that zoonoses can occur through intensive animal farming, but not where their meat comes from. The majority of participants were willing to change their animal consumption behavior if this could reduce future zoonotic outbreaks.
Appraising Agroecological Urbanism: A Vision for the Future of Sustainable Cities
Authors: Cheng Acga , Noor Azmi Nurul Syafiqah , Ng Yin Mei , Lesueur Didier , Yusoff Sumiani
Published: January 2022

By the mid-century, urban areas are expected to house two-thirds of the world’s population of approximately 10 billion people. The key challenge will be to provide food for all with fewer farmers in rural areas and limited options for expanding cultivated fields in urban areas, with sustainable soil management being a fundamental criterion for achieving sustainability goals. Understanding how nature works in a fast changing world and fostering nature-based agriculture (such as low-input farming) are crucial for sustaining food systems in the face of worsening urban heat island (UHI) effects and other climatic variables. The best fit for the context is transformative agroecology, which connects ecological networks, sustainable farming approaches, and social movements through change-oriented research and action. Even though agroecology has been practiced for over a century, its potential to address the socioeconomic impact of the food system remained largely unexplored until recently. Agroecological approaches, which involve effective interactions between researchers, policy makers, farmers, and consumers, can improve social cohesion and socioeconomic synergies while reducing the use of various agricultural inputs. This review presents a timeline of agroecology transformation from the past to the present and discusses the possibilities, prospects, and challenges of agroecological urbanism toward a resilient urban future.
Measuring Project Governance of Mega Infrastructure in China: A Scale Development Study
Authors: Luo Lan , Yang Yue , Zheng Junwei , Xie Jianxun
Published: January 2022

This study builds a measurement framework of project governance for mega-infrastructure considering the institutional situation of mega-infrastructure projects in China, including contractual governance, relational governance, and governmental governance. The factors of governmental governance are identified by the method of grounded theory with six cases of megaprojects, and the measures of project governance for mega-infrastructure are refined by expert interviews. The 235 questionnaires are collected, and exploratory factor analysis is used to identify six factors of the governance mechanism for mega-infrastructure projects. The scales are developed, and reliability and validity tests are conducted. Results indicate that (1) the governmental governance mechanism includes government decision, government supervision, and government coordination. (2) The three-dimensional framework of project governance is established as “contractual–relational–governmental” in the field of mega-infrastructure. (3) The measurement scales of project governance are developed and validated for mega-infrastructure, including government regulation, government coordination, risk sharing, revenue distribution, relationship maintenance, and cultural development. This research contributes to (a) the state of the knowledge by gaining a holistic and comprehensive understanding of project governance in mega-infrastructure in China, and (b) the state of the practice by providing a tool for measuring project governance in mega-infrastructure.
Upcycling Systems Design, Developing a Methodology through Design
Authors: Bofylatos Spyros
Published: January 2022

Design has an important role in shaping the modes of production, consumption and disposal. Decisions made early in the product, service and system development influence the majority of the environmental impact and social consequences. With sustainability emerging as the major challenge of our times, the creation of novel methodologies, economic models and innovative materials is critical. In this paper, we put forward a new methodology that aims to bridge the ecomodernist business-focused circular economy models with the expressive material driven design (MDD) approach. The ‘design out waste methodology’ (DOWM) bridges existing concepts, methods and practices, creating an innovative design and production process that redefines waste and sets it up as a subject of creative study. The purpose of this process is to help designers understand the importance of evaluating the entire life cycle of a product; it also enables local ‘degrowth’ by shifting our modes of production towards a human scale with local makers exchanging knowledge and expressing themselves through upcycled materials, while simultaneously eradicating the very concept of waste. The methodology has been developed in an iterative research-through-design process that combines experiential and tacit knowledge from local case studies with desk research of emerging case studies in MDD.
Impact of High-Speed Rail on Social Equity—Insights from a Stated Preference Survey in Vietnam
Authors: Ngoc An Minh , Nishiuchi Hiroaki
Published: January 2022

This study investigated the impact of high-speed rail (HSR) on social equity, utilizing information from a stated preference survey conducted in Vietnam. Social equity was examined across the population of four cities representing the northern, central, and southern areas of Vietnam. In general, the high price of HSR is one of the barriers to using HSR over inter-city buses and conventional trains. Low-income groups (less than VND 6 million per month) have 4.894 and 4.725 times the likelihoods, compared to higher income groups, of retaining the use of an inter-city bus or conventional train, respectively, after introducing HSR. Our findings reveal the fact that social inequity may occur, with the low-income group being especially vulnerable, due to the existence of HSR in the future. Furthermore, our results indicate that the interest of people towards inter-city buses and conventional trains varied among the four cities before and after the presence of HSR. More specifically, low-income groups in Vinh and Nha Trang were observed to have a higher feeling of staying away from HSR, as they prefer to use inter-city buses. The findings of this study suggest that planners and policymakers need to consider various components of HSR ticket planning, in order to achieve sustainable evolution of the passenger rail system.
Date Components as Promising Plant-Based Materials to Be Incorporated into Baked Goods—A Review
Authors: Ranasinghe Meththa , Manikas Ioannis , Maqsood Sajid , Stathopoulos Constantinos
Published: January 2022

Date (Phoenix dactylifera L. Arecaceae) fruits and their by-products are rich in nutrients. The health benefits of dates and their incorporation into value-added products have been widely studied. The date-processing industry faces a significant sustainability challenge as more than 10% (w/w) of the production is discarded as waste or by-products. Currently, food scientists are focusing on bakery product fortification with functional food ingredients due to the high demand for nutritious food with more convenience. Utilizing date components in value-added bakery products is a trending research area with increasing attention. Studies where the researchers tried to improve the quality of bakery goods by incorporating date components have shown positive results, with several drawbacks that need attention and further research. The objective of this review is to present a comprehensive overview of the utilization of date components in bakery products and to identify gaps in the current knowledge. This review will help focus further research in the area of valorization of date by-products and thereby contribute to the generation of novel functional bakery products that meet consumer expectations and industry standards, thus generating income for the relevant industry and considerable alleviation of the environmental burden this waste and by-products contribute to. Only a few studies have been focused on utilizing date by-products and their extracts for baked goods, while a research area still remaining under-explored is the effect of incorporation of date components on the shelf life of bakery products.
Shock and Conflict in Social-Ecological Systems: Implications for Environmental Governance
Authors: Van Assche Kristof , Gruezmacher Monica , Beunen Raoul
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we present a framework for the analysis of shock and conflict in social-ecological systems and investigate the implications of this perspective for the understanding of environmental governance, particularly its evolutionary patterns and drivers. We dwell on the distinction between shock and conflict. In mapping the relation between shock and conflict, we invoke a different potentiality for altering rigidity and flexibility in governance; different possibilities for recall, revival and trauma; and different pathways for restructuring the relation between governance, community and environment. Shock and conflict can be both productive and eroding, and for each, one can observe that productivity can be positive or negative. These different effects in governance can be analyzed in terms of object and subject creation, path creation and in terms of the dependencies recognized by evolutionary governance theory: path, inter-, goal and material dependencies. Thus, shock and conflict are mapped in their potential consequences to not only shift a path of governance, but also to transform the pattern of self-transformation in such path. Finally, we reflect on what this means for the interpretation of adaptive governance of social-ecological systems.
Towards Circular Economy for More Sustainable Apparel Consumption: Testing the Value-Belief-Norm Theory in Brazil and in The Netherlands
Authors: Gomes Giovana Monteiro , Moreira Natalia , Bouman Thijs , Ometto Aldo Roberto , van der Werff Ellen
Published: January 2022

The apparel industry causes environmental problems, particularly due to the shortening life cycle of garments and fast-fashion’s throw-away culture. The circular economy provides solutions to minimise and prevent these problems through innovative circular business models, which require changes in consumer behaviours. With the lens of environmental psychology, we analyse consumers’ willingness to acquire circular apparel considering four approaches on clothing life-cycle extension. We conducted an online questionnaire among Brazilian and Dutch consumers and tested if the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory can explain the willingness of consumers to purchase circular apparel. Our results indicate that, overall, the variables from the VBN theory explain circular behaviour in the apparel industry and that the paths suggested by the model are supported by our analyses. Additionally, we tested and found that when all of the variables from the VBN theory were controlled for, materialistic values did not explain circular behaviours in the apparel industry among Brazilian respondents. However, they had a positive influence on some circular apparel behaviours among Dutch consumers. Overall, materialistic values did not play an important role in predicting willingness to consume circular clothing. Furthermore, the results suggest that the VBN theory predicts willingness to consume circular apparel better in the Netherlands compared to Brazil, suggesting that this behaviour may be perceived as more effortful for the Brazilian population. However, we highlight the need for future research.
Cadmium Uptake and Growth Responses of Seven Urban Flowering Plants: Hyperaccumulator or Bioindicator?
Authors: Liu Zhouli , Chen Mengdi , Lin Maosen , Chen Qinglin , Lu Qingxuan , Yao Jing , He Xingyuan
Published: January 2022

The application of flowering plants is the basis of urban forest construction. A newly-found flowering hyperaccumulator is crucial for remediating urban contaminated soil sustainably by cadmium (Cd). This study evaluated growth responses, Cd uptake and bioaccumulation characteristics of seven urban flowering plants. Based on growth responses of these plants, Calendula officinalis L. showed high tolerance to at least 100 mg kg−1 Cd, in terms of significant increase in biomass and with no obvious changes in height. After 60 d exposure to 100 mg kg−1 Cd, the accumulated Cd in shoots of the plant reached 279.51 ± 13.67 μg g−1 DW, which is above the critical value defined for a hyperaccumulator (100 μg g−1 DW for Cd). Meanwhile, the plant could accumulate Cd to as much as 926.68 ± 29.11 μg g−1 DW in root and 1206.19 ± 23.06 μg g−1 DW in plant, and had higher Cd uptake and bioaccumulation values. According to these traits, it is shown that Calendula officinalis L. can become a potential Cd-hyperaccumulator for phytoremediation. By contrast, Dianthus caryophyllus L. is very sensitive to Cd stress in terms of significantly decreased biomass, height and Cd uptake, indicating the plant is considered as a Cd-bioindicator.
The Casualty Stabilization–Transportation Problem in a Large-Scale Disaster
Authors: Bronfman Andrés , Beneventti G. Diego , Alvarez Pamela P. , Reid Samantha , Paredes-Belmar Germán
Published: January 2022

We address the problem of picking up, stabilizing, and transporting casualties in response to mass-injury disasters. Our proposed methodology establishes the itinerary for collecting, on-site stabilization, and transporting victims considering capacitated vehicles and medical care centers. Unlike previous works, we minimize the time required to achieve on-site stabilization of each victim according to his age and level of severity of the injuries for their subsequent transfer to specialized medical centers. Thus, more critical patients will be the first to be stabilized, maximizing their chances of survival. In our methodology, the victims’ age, the injuries’ severity level, and their deterioration over time are considered critical factors in prioritizing care for each victim. We tested our approach using simulated earthquake scenarios in the city of Iquique, Chile, with multiple injuries. The results show that explicitly considering the on-site stabilization of the vital functions of the prioritized victims as an objective, before their transfer to a specialized medical center, allows treating and stabilizing patients earlier than with traditional objectives.
Perceived Organizational Support and Career Satisfaction among Chinese Teachers: The Mediation Effects of Job Crafting and Work Engagement during COVID-19
Authors: Oubibi Mohamed , Fute Antony , Xiao Weilong , Sun Binghai , Zhou Yueliang
Published: January 2022

Recently, scientific theories on career satisfaction (CS) have been promoted worldwide. Research on the subject has become more and more popular, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study adds to the existing literature by investigating the impact of organizational support on career satisfaction through the mediation role of job crafting and work engagement among Chinese teachers. A diverse sample of teachers (n = 3147) was drawn from various schools in Zhejiang province (P.R. China), from June to September 2021. SPSS 26 software with PROCESS macro and JASP was used to analyze the data. The findings demonstrate that perceived organizational support (POS), job crafting (JC), and work engagement (WE) have a significant and positive relation with teachers’ career satisfaction. POS was serially associated with JC (b = 0.34, p = 0.001), CS (b = 0.40, p = 0.001), and WE (b = 0.49, p0.001). The residual direct pathways for JC → CS (b = 0.55, p = 0.001, 95% CI = [0.51, 0.60]) and for WE → CS (b = 0.47, p = 0.001, 95% CI = [0.44, 0.50]) were significant. Sequentially, JC and WE mediated the relation between POS and CS. The multiple mediation model supported our general hypothesis that JC and WE mediate the relationship between POS and CS.
Civilian-Military Collaboration before and during COVID-19 Pandemic—A Systematic Review and a Pilot Survey among Practitioners
Authors: Khorram-Manesh Amir , Mortelmans Luc J. , Robinson Yohan , Burkle Frederick M. , Goniewicz Krzysztof
Published: January 2022

Due to the similarity in skills and assets, Civilian-Military collaboration has emerged as one of the most reliable partnerships during the disaster and public health emergency management to address all necessary elements of surge capacity, i.e., staff, stuff, structure (space), and systems. This study aimed to evaluate this collaboration before and during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic. The outcomes of the systematic review revealed several published reports on successful civilian-military collaboration and proposed a need for further improvement. One hundred sixty-six individuals from 19 countries responded to nine questions, included in an online survey with the possibility to leave comments if necessary. The questionnaire referred to elements such as command and control, safety, communication, assessment, triage, treatment, and transport, as the crucial components of emergency management. The comprehensive examination of the survey results together with registered comments revealed a possible improvement in collaboration particularly on the strategic levels, i.e., meetings at the command-and-control level, safety, communication, and networking issues. While logistic collaboration seemed to be unchanged, the practical parts of the collaboration, i.e., clinical and non-clinical operational partnership (Triage and Treatment), mutual education, training, and operational understanding of each organization remained unchanged. In conclusion, although the current pandemic may have facilitated a more intense collaboration between civilian and military healthcare organizations, it lacks practical partnership and operative engagement, representing two crucial elements necessary for harmony and compatibility of both systems. Such collaboration may require a political will and perhaps a mutual civilian-military authority.
Exploring Travel Mode Preference of External Trips for Smart City Transportation Planning: Sejong, Korea
Authors: Eom Jin-Ki , Lee Kwang-Sub , Ko Sangpil , Lee Jun
Published: January 2022

In the face of growing concerns about urban problems, smart cities have emerged as a promising solution to address the challenges, for future sustainable societies in cities. Since the early 2000s, 67 local governments in Korea have been participating in smart city projects, as of 2019. The Sejong 5-1 Living Area smart city was selected as one of two pilot national demonstration smart cities. The main objectives of this study are to introduce the Sejong 5-1 Living Area smart city project that is currently in the planning stage, present travel and mode preferences focusing on external trips in a smart city context to be built, and analyze a mode choice model according to the socioeconomic characteristics of individual travelers. One of the distinguishing features of the Sejong smart city is its transportation design concept of designating a sharing car-only district within the city to limit private vehicle ownership to about one-third of residents, while bus rapid transit (BRT) plays a central role in mobility for external trips among four transport modes including private cars, BRT, carsharing, and ridesharing. This study was analyzed using the stated preference survey data under hypothetical conditions by reflecting the unique characteristics of the Sejong smart city transportation policy. Approximately two-thirds of respondents in the survey preferred to spend less than 1.25 USD, traveling less than 35 min on BRT trips. On the basis of the survey data, we developed a mixed logit mode choice model and found the overall model estimates to be statistically significant and reasonable. All people-specific variables examined in this study were associated with mode choices for external commuting trips, including age, income, household size, major mode, driving ability, and presence of preschoolers.
Reducing Tillage Affects Long-Term Yields but Not Grain Quality of Maize, Soybeans, Oats, and Wheat Produced in Three Contrasting Farming Systems
Authors: Pearsons Kirsten Ann , Omondi Emmanuel Chiwo , Heins Brad J. , Zinati Gladis , Smith Andrew , Rui Yichao
Published: January 2022

Reducing tillage has been widely promoted to reduce soil erosion, maintain soil health, and sustain long-term food production. The effects of reducing tillage on crop nutritional quality in organic and conventional systems, however, has not been widely explored. One possible driver of crop nutritional quality might be the changing soil nitrogen (N) availability associated with reduced tillage in various management systems. To test how reducing tillage affects crop nutritional quality under contrasting conventional and organic farming systems with varied N inputs, we measured nutritional quality (protein, fat, starch, ash, net energy, total digestible nutrients, and concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, P, and S) of maize, wheat, oats, and soybeans harvested from a long-term trial comprised of three farming systems under two tillage regimes: a conventional grain system (CNV); a low-input organic grain system (LEG); and an organic, manure-based grain + forage system (MNR) under conventional full-tillage (FT) and reduced-till (RT) management. Although maize and wheat yields were 10–13% lower under RT management, grain quality metrics including protein, fat, starch, energy, and mineral concentrations were not significantly affected by reducing tillage. Differences in nutrient quality were more marked between farming systems: protein levels in maize were highest in the MNR system (8.1%); protein levels in soybeans were highest in the LEG system (40.4%); levels of protein (12.9%), ash (2.0%), and sulfur (1430 ppm) in wheat were highest in the CNV system, and oat quality was largely consistent between the LEG and MNR systems. As grain quality did not significantly respond to reducing tillage, other management decisions that affect nutrient availability appear to have a greater effect on nutrient quality.
Application of Cascade Forward Backpropagation Neural Networks for Selecting Mining Methods
Authors: Shohda Ahmed M. A. , Ali Mahrous A. M. , Ren Gaofeng , Kim Jong-Gwan , Mohamed Mohamed Abd-El-Hakeem
Published: January 2022

Decision-making is very important in many fields, such as mining engineering. In addition, there has been a growth of computer applications in all fields, especially mining operations. One of these application fields is mine design and the selection of suitable mining methods, and computer applications can help mine engineers to decide upon and choose more satisfactory methods. The selection of mining methods depends on the rock-layer specification. All rock characteristics should be classified in terms of technical and economic concerns related to mining rock specifications, such as mechanical and physical properties, and evaluated according to their weights and ratings. Methodologically, in this study, the criteria considered in the University of British Columbia (UBC) method were used as references to establish general criteria. These criteria consist of general shape, ore thickness, ore plunge, and grade distribution, in addition to the rock quality designation (ore zone, hanging wall, and foot wall) and rock substance strength (ore zone, hanging wall, and foot wall). The technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) was adopted, and an improved TOPSIS method was developed based on experimental testing and checked by means of the application of cascade forward backpropagation neural networks in mining method selection. The results provide indicators that decision makers can use to choose between different mining methods based on the total points given to all ore properties. The best mining method is cut and fill stopping, with a rank of 0.70, and the second is top slicing, with a rank of 0.67.
Equipping Property Graduates for the Digital Age
Authors: Abidoye Rotimi , Lim Benson Teck Heng , Lin Yu-Cheng , Ma Junge
Published: January 2022

Bridging the gaps between property graduates’ attributes and industry expectations has been touted to be the key driver of sustainable development for the next generation of the workforce. This study investigated property-related knowledge and skills from the perspective of property employers and graduates in Australia in the digital age by (1) identifying the most and least important knowledge and skillsets in the property sector; (2) examining the strategies used to develop the required knowledge and skillsets; and (3) ascertaining if there are differences in the knowledge and skillsets perceived to be necessary between employers and graduates. A questionnaire survey was undertaken across property employers affiliated with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and graduates of an Australian university. The results showed that problem solving and time management are the most important knowledge and skills for property employers and graduates, respectively. Notably, there were statistically significant differences in the perceived importance of course directors maintaining close communication with employers, real-life case study-based school assessment, the use of various course delivery methods, inviting guest speakers, and internship training while studying between employers and graduates. This finding implies that Australian property professionals are yet to fully embrace technology in the digital age.
Sustainability and Social Responsibility of Romanian Sport Organizations
Authors: Barbu Mihai Constantin Răzvan , Popescu Marius Cătălin , Burcea George Bogdan , Costin Dan-Eugen , Popa Marian Gabriel , Păsărin Leonardo-Daniel , Turcu Ioan
Published: January 2022

Sports organizations worldwide are discovering their power of influence over the fans and communities in which they operate, making more and more specialists and practitioners question these organizations’ social responsibility and sustainable development. In sports organizations, although research is increasing, social responsibility and sustainability are topics that require special attention because sports organizations can instill values in a large number of people in different fields. In our paper, we propose a conceptual framework that allows for integrated research into corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the sustainability of sports organizations for sustainable management and identifies their influences on the overall performance. Based on the conceptual framework, we developed a scale for measuring sports organizations’ social responsibility and sustainability, which we applied within sports organizations in Romania. The empirical study involved 280 respondents selected from the first two leagues of four sports areas (football, handball, volleyball, basketball). To support the conceptual framework, we used quantitative research methods in a transversal analysis: structural equation modeling and artificial neural network analysis. The conclusions of the empirical study in Romania show that social responsibility and sustainability are essential for the sustainable management of sports organizations and significantly influence the organization’s overall performance. Among the pillars of sustainability, the social and human impact performance, given the specifics of sports organizations (involving large masses of people). Furthermore, legal and philanthropic responsibilities significantly influence CSR and organizational performance among CSR responsibilities.
Pedestrian Safety in Compact and Mixed-Use Urban Environments: Evaluation of 5D Measures on Pedestrian Crashes
Authors: Sung Hyungun , Lee Sugie , Cheon SangHyun , Yoon Junho
Published: January 2022

This study examined the impact of density, diversity, design, distance to transit, and destination accessibility, five measures, known as the 5Ds, that characterize the built environment, on pedestrian–vehicle crashes in Seoul, Korea. Using spatial analysis based on 500-m grid cells, this study employed negative binomial regression models on the frequencies of three specific types of pedestrian–vehicle crashes: crashes causing death, major injury, and minor injury to pedestrians. Analysis shows that compact and mixed-use urban environments represented by 5D measures have mixed effects on pedestrian safety. Trade-off effects are found between a higher risk for all types of pedestrian crashes, and a lower risk for fatal pedestrian crashes in 5D urban environments. As a design variable, a higher number of intersections is more likely to increase some types of pedestrian crashes, including fatal crashes, a finding which warrants policy attention to promote pedestrian safety near intersection areas. This study also confirms an urgent need to secure the travel safety of pedestrians near public transit stations due to the higher risk of pedestrian crashes near such facilities. Various destinations, such as retail stores, traditional markets, and hospitals, are associated with pedestrian crashes. Pedestrian safety measures should be implemented to reduce the likelihood of pedestrian crashes near major destination facilities.
Cost Estimations of Water Pollution for the Adoption of Suitable Water Treatment Technology
Authors: Mumbi Anne Wambui , Watanabe Tsunemi
Published: January 2022

This study analyzed the cost implications of using suitable technologies and the cost of inaction when addressing water pollution. This was achieved by developing three main models for the costs (model one) and benefits (model two and model three). The first model accounts for the operational costs of adopting suitable technologies, namely the use of diatomaceous earth for textile wastewater treatment. The second model analyzed the cost of inaction through analyzing the cost of treatment for water pollution-related diseases for the affected population. The occurrence and cost of treatment for three diseases, namely diarrhea, amoebiasis and bacterial infection, were used as indicators of water pollution in the area. The third model included the contingent valuation method (CVM) data on the willingness to pay for environmental restoration of the surveyed population. The benefit–cost ratio (BCR) of the resulting data from the three models were used to highlight the economic viability of the proposed project. A BCR of (0.67) for the cost of the proposed project versus the benefits of the project on human health using data from one hospital was obtained. There is a high possibility that the real BCR would increase if more data from other hospitals or other diseases were included. The results imply that the use of D.E can be considered a good candidate for treating wastewater. To thoroughly discuss the BCR of treating wastewater from one factory, the BCR of the proposed restoration project along River Sosiani, and the value of using DE as suitable technology, more studies are needed to evaluate the unaccounted costs and benefits for accurate economic estimations of the proposed project. The outcome of the study is a framework of numbers and figures that can be presented to decision makers and policy makers as critical information when making decisions.
Roadmap to Profitability for a Speed-Controlled Micro-Hydro Storage System Using Pumps as Turbines
Authors: Lugauer Florian Julian , Kainz Josef , Gehlich Elena , Gaderer Matthias
Published: January 2022

Storage technologies are an emerging element in the further expansion of renewable energy generation. A decentralized micro-pumped storage power plant can reduce the load on the grid and contribute to the expansion of renewable energies. This paper establishes favorable boundary conditions for the economic operation of a micro-pump storage (MPS) system. The evaluation is performed by means of a custom-built simulation model based on pump and turbine maps which are either given by the manufacturer, calculated according to rules established in studies, or extended using similarity laws. Among other criteria, the technical and economic characteristics regarding micro-pump storage using 11 pumps as turbines controlled by a frequency converter for various generation and load scenarios are evaluated. The economical concept is based on a small company (e.g., a dairy farmer) reducing its electricity consumption from the grid by storing the electricity generated by a photovoltaic system in an MPS using a pump as a turbine. The results show that due to the high specific costs incurred, systems with a nominal output in excess of around 22 kW and with heads beyond approximately 70 m are the most profitable. In the most economical case, a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of 29.2 €cents/kWh and total storage efficiency of 42.0% is achieved by optimizing the system for the highest profitability.
The Impact of Urbanization on Water Quality: Case Study on the Alto Atoyac Basin in Puebla, Mexico
Authors: Estrada-Rivera Andrés , Díaz Fonseca Alfonso , Treviño Mora Samuel , García Suastegui Wendy Argelia , Chávez Bravo Edith , Castelán Vega Rosalía , Morán Perales José Luis , Handal-Silva Anabella
Published: January 2022

Population growth, poorly planned industrial development and uncontrolled production processes have left a significant footprint of environmental deterioration in the Alto Atoyac watershed. In this study, we propose using the integrated pollution index (PI) to characterize the temporary variations in surface water quality during the rapid urbanization process in the municipalities of San Martín Texmelucán (SMT) and Tepetitla de Lardizabal (TL), in the states of Puebla and Tlaxcala, between 1985 and 2020. We assessed the correlation between the population growth rate and the water quality parameters according to the Water Quality Index (ICA). The contribution of each polluting substance to the PI was determined. The industry database was created and the increase in population and industry, and their densities, were estimated. The results indicated that the temporal pattern of surface water quality is determined by the level of urbanization. The water integrated pollution index (WPI) increased with the passage of time in all the localities: SLG 0.0 to 25.0; SMTL 25.0 to 29.0; SRT 4.0 to 29.0; VA 6.0 to 30.0; T 3.5 to 24.0 and SMA 4.0 to 27.0 from 2010 to 2020, respectively. The correlation coefficients between the five parameters (BOD5, COD, CF, TU and TSS) in the six localities were positive with the population. The values that showed a higher correlation with the population were: SLG (FC 0.86), SMTL (BOD5 0.61, COD 0.89, TSS 0.64) and SRT (TU 0.83), corresponding to highly polluted localities, which generates complex and severe environmental implications due to the unsustainable management of water resources. Achieving the sustainability of water in the watershed is a challenge that should be shared between society and state. This type of research can be a useful tool in making environmental management decisions.
Do Creators of New Markets Meet SDGs? Analysis of Platform Companies
Authors: Mezinova Inga , Balanova Milena , Bodiagin Oleg , Israilova Elima , Nazarova Elmira
Published: January 2022

The platform economy is the embodiment of the activities carried out by its influential players, which by their very nature are new markets, facilitating the matching of suppliers and customers. A new market entails access to or even joint use of underused assets, provision of new working places, and simplification of human life with online transactions and services, which serves the assumption that the platform economy is able to undertake sustainable development and may meet a number of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) introduced in 2015. First, this paper aims to study whether the platform business model entails sustainability as its integral core concept. Second, it attempts to assess if platform companies from two selected industries—ride-sharing services and EdTech—meet SDGs comparably better than their predecessor linear companies in transportation and education. The study carries out an empirical analysis of eight companies. The results indicate that platform companies demonstrate a relatively lower commitment to SDGs compared to linear transnational firms, which can be explained by the level of maturity of platform companies and their still mostly non-public nature.
Anti-Aging Effects of Terminalia bellirica, Phyllanthus emblica, Triphala, and Carica papaya Extracts for Sustainable Youth
Authors: Choi Mijeong
Published: January 2022

As the human lifespan becomes longer, many people invest time and money in managing external beauty. However, managing external beauty has the disadvantage of causing side effects or that the effect does not last. Therefore, research and development are required to maximize effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and sustainably in beauty management. The purpose of this study was to experimentally identify the anti-aging effects, such as skin wrinkle and elasticity improvement, of extracts from Bahera, Phyllanthus emblica, Triphala, and Carica papaya, and to confirm their development as whitening and wrinkle functional cosmetic materials. In this study, a solid mixture was prepared using eco-friendly Terminalia bellirica, amla (Phyllanthus emblica), Triphala, and Carica papaya, and experimental samples were extracted. Antioxidant tests, antibacterial activity tests, polyphenol and flavonoid content, and deodorization tests were conducted to test the efficacy of experimental samples. The procedures and methods of these experiments are summarized in the following article. In this study, we found that the Bahera, Phyllanthus emblica, Triphala, and Carica papaya extracts had significant effects on whitening and wrinkle improvement, and that the effects of using ethanol-based extracts as the co-solvent were even greater. In other words, extracts of Bahera, Phyllanthus emblica, Triphala and Carica papaya showed antioxidant, whitening, and anti-wrinkle effects, and extracts that used ethanol as a co-solvent showed greater effects. In particular, we found that the optimal concentration of ethanol as a co-solvent maximizes its effectiveness at 70%.