bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DenseTextPVT: Pyramid Vision Transformer with Deep Multi-Scale Feature Refinement Network for Dense Text Detection
Authors: Dinh My-Tham , Choi Deok-Jai , Lee Guee-Sang
Published: June 2023

Detecting dense text in scene images is a challenging task due to the high variability, complexity, and overlapping of text areas. To adequately distinguish text instances with high density in scenes, we propose an efficient approach called DenseTextPVT. We first generated high-resolution features at different levels to enable accurate dense text detection, which is essential for dense prediction tasks. Additionally, to enhance the feature representation, we designed the Deep Multi-scale Feature Refinement Network (DMFRN), which effectively detects texts of varying sizes, shapes, and fonts, including small-scale texts. DenseTextPVT, then, is inspired by Pixel Aggregation (PA) similarity vector algorithms to cluster text pixels into correct text kernels in the post-processing step. In this way, our proposed method enhances the precision of text detection and effectively reduces overlapping between text regions under dense adjacent text in natural images. The comprehensive experiments indicate the effectiveness of our method on the TotalText, CTW1500, and ICDAR-2015 benchmark datasets in comparison to existing methods.
Attention-Based Fusion of Ultrashort Voice Utterances and Depth Videos for Multimodal Person Identification
Authors: Moufidi Abderrazzaq , Rousseau David , Rasti Pejman
Published: June 2023

Multimodal deep learning, in the context of biometrics, encounters significant challenges due to the dependence on long speech utterances and RGB images, which are often impractical in certain situations. This paper presents a novel solution addressing these issues by leveraging ultrashort voice utterances and depth videos of the lip for person identification. The proposed method utilizes an amalgamation of residual neural networks to encode depth videos and a Time Delay Neural Network architecture to encode voice signals. In an effort to fuse information from these different modalities, we integrate self-attention and engineer a noise-resistant model that effectively manages diverse types of noise. Through rigorous testing on a benchmark dataset, our approach exhibits superior performance over existing methods, resulting in an average improvement of 10%. This method is notably efficient for scenarios where extended utterances and RGB images are unfeasible or unattainable. Furthermore, its potential extends to various multimodal applications beyond just person identification.
An Automated Sitting Posture Recognition System Utilizing Pressure Sensors
Authors: Tsai Ming-Chih , Chu Edward T.-H. , Lee Chia-Rong
Published: June 2023

Prolonged sitting with poor posture can lead to various health problems, including upper back pain, lower back pain, and cervical pain. Maintaining proper sitting posture is crucial for individuals while working or studying. Existing pressure sensor-based systems have been proposed to recognize sitting postures, but their accuracy ranges from 80% to 90%, leaving room for improvement. In this study, we developed a sitting posture recognition system called SPRS. We identified key areas on the chair surface that capture essential characteristics of sitting postures and employed diverse machine learning technologies to recognize ten common sitting postures. To evaluate the accuracy and usability of SPRS, we conducted a ten-minute sitting session with arbitrary postures involving 20 volunteers. The experimental results demonstrated that SPRS achieved an impressive accuracy rate of up to 99.1% in recognizing sitting postures. Additionally, we performed a usability survey using two standard questionnaires, the System Usability Scale (SUS) and the Questionnaire for User Interface Satisfaction (QUIS). The analysis of survey results indicated that SPRS is user-friendly, easy to use, and responsive.
A Novel Gait Phase Recognition Method Based on DPF-LSTM-CNN Using Wearable Inertial Sensors
Authors: Liu Kun , Liu Yong , Ji Shuo , Gao Chi , Zhang Shizhong , Fu Jun
Published: June 2023

Gait phase recognition is of great importance in the development of rehabilitation devices. The advantages of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) are combined (LSTM-CNN) in this paper, then a gait phase recognition method based on LSTM-CNN neural network model is proposed. In the LSTM-CNN model, the LSTM layer is used to process temporal sequences and the CNN layer is used to extract features A wireless sensor system including six inertial measurement units (IMU) fixed on the six positions of the lower limbs was developed. The difference in the gait recognition performance of the LSTM-CNN model was estimated using different groups of input data collected by seven different IMU grouping methods. Four phases in a complete gait were considered in this paper including the supporting phase with the right hill strike (SU-RHS), left leg swimming phase (SW-L), the supporting phase with the left hill strike (SU-LHS), and right leg swimming phase (SW-R). The results show that the best performance of the model in gait recognition appeared based on the group of data from all the six IMUs, with the recognition precision and macro-F1 unto 95.03% and 95.29%, respectively. At the same time, the best phase recognition accuracy for SU-RHS and SW-R appeared and up to 96.49% and 95.64%, respectively. The results also showed the best phase recognition accuracy (97.22%) for SW-L was acquired based on the group of data from four IMUs located at the left and right thighs and shanks. Comparably, the best phase recognition accuracy (97.86%) for SU-LHS was acquired based on the group of data from four IMUs located at left and right shanks and feet. Ulteriorly, a novel gait recognition method based on Data Pre-Filtering Long Short-Term Memory and Convolutional Neural Network (DPF-LSTM-CNN) model was proposed and its performance for gait phase recognition was evaluated. The experiment results showed that the recognition accuracy reached 97.21%, which was the highest compared to Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) and CNN-LSTM.
UN-YOLOv5s: A UAV-Based Aerial Photography Detection Algorithm
Authors: Guo Junmei , Liu Xingchen , Bi Lingyun , Liu Haiying , Lou Haitong
Published: June 2023

With the progress of science and technology, artificial intelligence is widely used in various disciplines and has produced amazing results. The research of the target detection algorithm has significantly improved the performance and role of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and plays an irreplaceable role in preventing forest fires, evacuating crowded people, surveying and rescuing explorers. At this stage, the target detection algorithm deployed in UAVs has been applied to production and life, but making the detection accuracy higher and better adaptability is still the motivation for researchers to continue to study. In aerial images, due to the high shooting height, small size, low resolution and few features, it is difficult to be detected by conventional target detection algorithms. In this paper, the UN-YOLOv5s algorithm can solve the difficult problem of small target detection excellently. The more accurate small target detection (MASD) mechanism is used to greatly improve the detection accuracy of small and medium targets, The multi-scale feature fusion (MCF) path is combined to fuse the semantic information and location information of the image to improve the expression ability of the novel model. The new convolution SimAM residual (CSR) module is introduced to make the network more stable and focused. On the VisDrone dataset, the mean average precision (mAP) of UAV necessity you only look once v5s(UN-YOLOv5s) is 8.4% higher than that of the original algorithm. Compared with the same version, YOLOv5l, the mAP is increased by 2.2%, and the Giga Floating-point Operations Per Second (GFLOPs) is reduced by 65.3%. Compared with the same series of YOLOv3, the mAP is increased by 1.8%, and GFLOPs is reduced by 75.8%. Compared with the same series of YOLOv8s, the detection accuracy of the mAP is improved by 1.1%.
Two-Channel OTDM System for Data-Center Interconnects: A Review
Authors: Bae Sunghyun , Kim Hyeon-June
Published: June 2023

It has been proposed to implement the >100 Gb/s data-center interconnects using a two-channel optical time-division multiplexed system with multilevel pulse-amplitude modulation. Unlike the conventional four-channel optical time-division multiplexed system which requires an expensive narrow pulse, the two-channel system can be implemented cost-effectively using a wide pulse (which can be simply generated using a single modulator). The two-channel system is expected to be practically available using an integrated transmitter in a chip due to the recent advances in photonics-integrated circuits. This paper reviews the current stage of research on a two-channel optical time-division multiplexed system and discusses possible research directions. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that 200 Gb/s signals can be generated by using modulators with only 17.2 GHz bandwidth. Therefore, the use of the phase-alternating pulse can make the multiplexed signal robust to chromatic dispersion, enabling the 200 Gb/s 4-level pulse-amplitude-modulated signal to be transmitted over 1.9 km of standard single-mode fiber.
Teachers’ Attitude towards Inclusive Education: Latvian and Lithuanian Experiences
Authors: Bethere Dina , Kasiliauskiene Romalda , Pavitola Linda , Usca Svetlana
Published: June 2023

Inclusive education is a continuous process of transformation of the education system. It is both an approach to teaching and learning, as well as a different organization of the educational process that welcomes all students regardless of their social skills and physical and intellectual abilities. The qualitative implementation of inclusive education requires competent staff. The study reflects a comparative study carried out in Latvia and Lithuania, and it focuses on Latvian and Lithuanian teachers’ attitude self-assessment regarding the implementation of inclusive education. A three-dimensional model, including the cognitive, affective, and behaviour components, are used for the study. The Technical Manual for Attitudes Towards Teaching All Students Instrument developed by Gregory Jess L. and Noto Lori A. has been applied in the study. The SPSS 25.0 programme, Pearson Correlation, and One-Way ANOVA tests were used for the statistical analysis of the data. The results reveal, and generally confirm, differences in the structure of Latvian and Lithuanian teachers’ attitudes, as well as emphasize the importance of teachers and support specialists’ competence improvement to ensure optimal teaching and learning processes for all learners involved in the educational process.
The Concept and Measurement of Interpersonal Violence in Specialist Services Data: Inconsistencies, Outcomes and the Challenges of Synthesising Evidence
Authors: Bunce Annie , Carlisle Sophie , Capelas Barbosa Estela
Published: June 2023

Interpersonal violence comprises a variety of different types of violence that occur between individuals, including violence perpetrated by strangers and acquaintances, intimate partners and family members. Interpersonal violence is a leading cause of death, particularly among young adults. Inconsistencies in definitions and approaches to the measurement of interpersonal violence mean it is difficult to clearly understand its prevalence and the differences and similarities between its different subcategories and contexts. In the UK, specialist services provide support for victim-survivors and also perpetrators of violence. As well as delivering frontline services, specialist services collect data on interpersonal violence, both routinely and for the purpose of research and evaluation. This data has the potential to greatly improve understanding of violence in the UK; however, several issues make this challenging. This review describes and discusses some of the key challenges facing the two types of data collected by specialist services. Key inconsistencies regarding conceptualisation and measurement are identified, along with the implications of these for the synthesis of data, including implications for researchers, service providers, funders and commissioners. Recommendations are proposed to improve practice, the quality of data and, therefore, the understanding of interpersonal violence in the UK.
Red Cross Presence and Prominence in Spanish Headlines during the First 100 Days of War in Ukraine
Authors: Pallarés-Renau María , Miquel-Segarra Susana , López-Font Lorena
Published: June 2023

This research seeks to find out to what extent the Spanish press reflects the role played by the Red Cross during the first 100 days of the war in Ukraine. It aims to identify the main characteristics of the information in which the organization has taken a leading role in the press. The theoretical framework includes a literature review on the strategic relationship between the press and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for the benefit of their reputation, as well as the role of the Red Cross in armed conflicts, and the link between the third sector and geopolitics. In order to examine how different media treated the Red Cross as the protagonist of the news, articles published in the written press that included “Red Cross” as keywords in the headline were selected through the Onclusive platform (formerly Kantar Media). The period of analysis covered the first 100 days of war in Ukraine, from 24 February to 3 June 2022. The methodology used was developed in two phases: the first based on content analysis, and the second focused on the description and interpretation of the informative development of the sample. The results reveal that the role of the Red Cross in the conflict is not the focus of media attention and that its name has become a lure for political communication, for social events or for the publicity of the more traditional corporate social responsibility (CSR) of companies. We can say that the relationship between the Red Cross and the written press has not contributed to explaining or clearly expressing the institution’s task or mission in a war. This is why it can be deduced that the articles analyzed do not improve the brand value and its positioning among readers.
Response of Cellulose Decomposition and Nodulation in Soils Amended with Biochar for Peri-Urban Agriculture
Authors: Haddad Samir A. , Abdelmageed Hossam , Saleh Abdelaziz , Ahmed Samia , Abd El-Azeim Mohieyeddin M. , Lemanowicz Joanna , Eldesoky Gaber E. , Saad Omar
Published: June 2023

Peri-urban agriculture is becoming a potential step to promote sustainable and environmental food production systems. Our aim was to study the effect of biochar application at various rates on faba bean growth, cellulose decomposition, nodulation, and selected enzyme activities associated with carbon cycling in clay and sandy soils collected from peri-urban agricultural areas near the city of El-Minia, Egypt. To achieve this aim, incubation and pot experiments were conducted under controlled greenhouse conditions using clay and sandy soil. Among the studied treatments, using biochar at the rate of 3 kg/sq·m was the most effective soil amendment followed by biochar at the rate of 2 kg/sq·m. At 60 days of incubation, the count of cellulose-decomposing microorganisms reached a high level in both clay and sandy soil, and then decreased after 90 days, regardless of the biochar rate. The response of the cellulose-decomposer ratio (Fcd/Bcd) was positively correlated with biochar rates and incubation time. The obtained results showed significant increases in fresh and dry weight in clay soil compared to sandy soil. In any case, the use of biochar as a soil amendment enhanced soil health, soil microbial communities, and increased cellulose-decomposing microorganisms, thus improving faba bean nodulation and growth.
Transport Planning beyond Infrastructural Change: An Empirical Analysis of Transport Planning Practices in the Rhine-Main Region in Germany
Authors: Quentin Paula , Buscher Jost , Eltner Thomas
Published: June 2023

The transport system in Germany is characterised by a dominance of individual automobility. Acknowledging the necessity of a transition in the transport sector towards a more equal and sustainable transport system, the paper takes a closer look at how local and regional transport planning actually responds to the demands of the transition. Following a practice theoretical approach, the empirical analysis of local and regional transportation planning in the Rhine-Main region aims at an understanding of planning actions that go beyond infrastructural and technological change. Based on document analysis and interviews, the analysis highlights spatial and material changes promoted by transport planning, normative aims, and assumptions followed by transport planning and skills and competencies supporting transport planning in the Rhine-Main region. The paper identifies two overarching transport planning practices that shape the way the transport transition is addressed in the Rhine-Main region: the expansion of sustainable transport networks and the redistribution of road space. The empirical results are discussed with regard to the potential for change in local and regional transport planning.
Bridging Knowledge Gaps towards 2030: The Use of Foresight for the Strategic Management of a Sustainable Blue Economy
Authors: Pace Lisa A. , Borch Kristian , Deidun Alan
Published: June 2023

There is need to better understand the trends and future challenges influencing the marine and coastal environments and identify the opportunities to develop innovative sustainability-oriented solutions to address these. Alongside mainstream decision support tools used in environmental management and conservation sciences, foresight techniques provide comprehensive and well-rounded information and knowledge about likely developments in the long-term future. This study uses a horizon scanning exercise to explore emerging signals and trends of future developments and innovation for the sustainable development of the blue economy looking towards 2030. It derives a series of global developments, challenges and opportunities relating to the blue economy from a review of high-level international reports and studies. Through a workshop conducted with 29 scientists and researchers based in maritime universities in six countries in Europe, the study identifies and prioritizes emerging signals and trends considered of high impact for a sustainability transition. The outputs include a synthesis of 11 global developments in the blue economy and 7 cross-cutting trends and trend projections. These may be valuable to marine scientists as a source of inspiration for a future research agenda or can be used as evidence for decision- and policymakers to deal with future uncertainties about the growth of the blue economy.
‘Safety in Numbers’ for Walkers: Effects of Pedestrian Volume on Per-Pedestrian Crash Rate and Severe Injury Probability
Authors: Kim Suji , Jang Kitae , Park Sungjin
Published: June 2023

The ‘safety in numbers’ phenomenon is very intriguing to many walking advocates. Some studies have examined the phenomenon for walkers, but they mostly focused on the relationship between pedestrian volume and the likelihood of vehicle–pedestrian crash occurrences. This study evaluated the effects of the ‘safety in numbers’ phenomenon not only on the risk of crash occurrences, but also on the probability of severe or fatal injuries. Pedestrian volume and crash data obtained from the six districts in Seoul Metropolitan City and Jeju Island were jointly analyzed to examine the expected pedestrian crash rate and the probability of severe or fatal injury as a function of pedestrian volume. The analysis confirmed that the expected pedestrian crash rate and the probability of severe or fatal injuries decline as pedestrian volume increases, although the absolute number of crashes and injuries increases. The increase in the number of pedestrian crashes is less than the increase in pedestrian volume. In addition, the probability of severe or fatal injuries tends to diminish with a larger pedestrian volume. These findings can be used as logical evidence to support future policies promoting walking trips, and they suggest that policy measures encouraging walking trips can deliver additional benefits beyond the well-known economic, health, and environmental benefits.
Evaluation of PM Chemical Composition in Thessaloniki, Greece Based on Air Quality Simulations
Authors: Tsiaousidis Dimitrios Theodoros , Liora Natalia , Kontos Serafim , Poupkou Anastasia , Akritidis Dimitris , Melas Dimitrios
Published: June 2023

The average PM10 daily levels over the urban area of Thessaloniki, Greece, usually exceed the air quality limits and therefore the improved PM chemical composition and air quality modeling results that will facilitate the design of the most appropriate mitigation measures (e.g., limitations in wood combustion for heating purposes) are essential. The air quality modeling system WRF-CAMx was applied over a 2 × 2 km2 horizontal resolution grid covering the greater area of Thessaloniki for the year 2015, when Greece was still confronting the consequences of the financial crisis. The output hourly surface concentrations of twelve PM species at three sites of different environmental type characterization in the city of Thessaloniki were temporally and spatially analyzed. Carbonaceous aerosols (organic and elemental) are the major contributor to total PM10 levels during winter representing a 35–40% share. During summer, mineral aerosols (excluding dust) distribute by up to 48% to total PM10 levels, being the major contributor attributed to road traffic. PM species, during winter, increase in the morning and in the afternoon mainly due to road transport and residential heating, respectively, in addition with the unfavorable meteorological conditions. An underestimation of the primary organic carbon aerosol levels during winter is identified. The application of the modeling system using a different speciation profile for the fine particles emissions from residential heating based on observational data instead of the CAMS emissions profile revealed an improvement in the simulated OC/EC values for which a 50% increase was identified compared to the base run.
Impact of Economic Policy Uncertainty on Agribusiness Technology Innovation: Evidence from 231 Listed Firms in China
Authors: Li Lanlan , Gao Yanlei , Wang Xiudong
Published: June 2023

The role of enterprise technological innovation in driving high-quality economic development has become increasingly prominent in a dynamic environment of uncertainty. This study examines the impact of economic policy uncertainty on enterprise technological innovation and its mechanism of action using panel data of agricultural listed firms in China 2007–2021. We obtain the following results. (1) Economic policy uncertainty significantly promotes technological innovation in agricultural firms, and this finding holds under various robustness checks, and works mainly through two paths: tightening financial flexibility and highlighting managerial capabilities. (2) From the heterogeneity results, the incentive effect of economic policy uncertainty on technological innovation in agricultural firms is more pronounced in state-owned agricultural firms, basic agricultural firms, and high adjustment cost agricultural firms. (3) Government subsidies strengthen the role of economic policy uncertainty in promoting technological innovation in agricultural firms. The results of this study provide data support for agricultural firms technology innovation decisions and have important implications for the guidance of national economic policy formulation.
Assessment of Literacy to Biotechnological Solutions for Environmental Sustainability in Portugal
Authors: Figueiredo Margarida , Dias Alexandre , Neves José , Vicente Henrique
Published: June 2023

In today’s world, the importance of preserving the environment has become increasingly evident. As a result, more sustainable solutions and techniques are being developed to combat environmental destruction. Higher education institutions are now including environmental themes in their technological courses to promote sustainable behavior and indirectly enhance environmental literacy among the population. This study aims to evaluate the level of literacy to biotechnological solutions for environmental sustainability in four areas, namely Air Pollution, Aquatic Pollution, Global Warming, and Energy Resources. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to a sample consisting of 471 individuals of both genders, age range between 15 and 78 years old, to collect data characterizing the sample and assess their literacy in environmental issues. The questionnaire was distributed in Portugal, and the participants were asked to indicate their level of agreement with several statements related to the aforementioned environmental themes. The findings suggest that literacy regarding biotechnological solutions for environmental sustainability is influenced by age group and academic qualifications. The age group above 65 years old is the one with the lowest levels of literacy, exhibiting frequencies of response I don’t know exceeding 50% in 10 out of the 22 issues present in the questionnaire. The findings also suggest that the levels of literacy are higher in the thematic areas of Global Warming and Aquatic Pollution and lower in the thematic areas of Air Pollution and Energy Resources, with lower levels of literacy in the issues that have not been widely disseminated by the media. Additionally, a model based on Artificial Neural Networks was presented to predict literacy to biotechnological solutions for environmental sustainability. The proposed model performs well, achieving accuracy rates of 90.8% for the training set and 86.6% for the test set.
The Use of Recycled Tire Rubber, Crushed Glass, and Crushed Clay Brick in Lightweight Concrete Production: A Review
Authors: Helmy Sherif H. , Tahwia Ahmed M. , Mahdy Mohamed G. , Abd Elrahman Mohamed , Abed Mohammed A. , Youssf Osama
Published: June 2023

Worldwide, vast amounts of waste are produced every year and most waste is sent directly to landfills or burnt, which has severe and harmful impacts on the environment. Recycling waste materials is considered the most visible solution to protect the environment. Using scraps in concrete production is a proper method for getting rid of wastes, improving the characteristics of concrete, reducing the consumption of natural aggregates, and can be used as cementitious materials that decrease cement production so that the CO2 that is produced during cement manufacturing decreases. This review paper summarizes the use of recycled waste materials, including rubber tires, crushed glass, and crushed clay brick in concrete, as a fractional replacement of aggregates, cement, etc., to develop eco-friendly lightweight construction materials. It has been concluded that the dry density of sustainable concrete decreased to 4, 21.7, and 31.7% when crushed glass, clay brick, and rubber tire were incorporated into the concrete instead of traditional aggregate, respectively. Waste rubber has good results in sulfate, thermal, and impact resistance, while glass powder and finely crushed clay brick helped to improve mechanical properties by increasing reach by 33% for glass and a slight increase for crushed clay brick, as well as thermal resistance compared to normal concrete. Moreover, due to the low particle density of these waste materials compared to that of normal-weight aggregates, these materials can be utilized efficiently to produce lightweight concrete for structural and non-structural applications such as road engineering, flooring for mounting machinery, highway and rail crash barriers, permeable pavement, interlocking bricks, insulation, filling concrete, and bearing walls.
The Moderating Effect of Sex and Age on the Pattern of Body Image by Pre-Adolescents and Adolescents and Its Relationship with the Time They Spend Doing Sports
Authors: Fernández Paula , Labra José Antonio , Méndez María Teresa , González Carmen , Coballes Soraya , Souto-Gestal Antonio
Published: June 2023

The cult of the body has become a universal phenomenon, and many adolescents feel frustrated and disappointed with their own bodies for not matching the prevailing beauty standards. An empirical-quantitative cross-sectional investigation was carried out to understand perspectives of body image among Spanish youngsters of both sexes in three evolutionary substages (pre-adolescence, early adolescence, and middle adolescence) in the four factors that make up the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire adapted to Spanish pre-adolescents and adolescents (MBSRQ-SA-a) and their relationship with the time that they spend partaking in extracurricular sports. The results show that both boys and girls do not consider physical activity as an instrument to improve health. On the other hand, girls differ from boys regarding a more unstable and convulsive pattern of body image, characterized by a disconnect between physical activity and satisfaction with body image, where weight loss diets could acquire greater relevance. This research demonstrates two things: first, that the MBSRQ-SA-a is a valid instrument to assess the body image pattern of adolescents, and second, that it opens the possibility of being able to identify adolescents who are at risk (physical, psychological, social); therefore, it is also capable of helping to prevent dramatic results and protecting the Sustainable Personal Development of adolescents.
The More Training, the More Willingness? A Positive Spillover Effect Analysis of Voluntary Behavior in Environmental Protection
Authors: Zhao Bin , Huangfu Xin
Published: June 2023

Volunteers trained in environmental science are the backbone of environmental protection. Therefore, it is necessary to study the pro-environmental behaviors of volunteers trained in environmental science and guide them to actively participate in pro-environmental actions. Compared with other kind of volunteers, volunteers trained in environmental science have more expertise on the premises, can this expertise strengthen their willingness to volunteer? Taking a group of university alumni trained in environmental science in city H as an example (N = 2349), this study investigates the potential mechanism of the positive spillover effect of volunteers trained in environmental science behavior. The volunteers in this sample showed the phenomenon of “the more training, the more willingness”: the degree to which environmental protection volunteers received environmental science education strengthened alumni’s willingness to participate. This paper uses the theory of planned behavior as a theoretical framework and serial mediation model as a methodology to investigate the factors that affect the willingness to participate in environmental protection volunteer services. This study identifies two paths from volunteer behavior to willingness: (1) profession → identity → willingness; and (2) profession → identity → pleasure → willingness. It is believed that the main intermediary variable of environmental protection volunteer participation is the sense of identity gained from receiving environmental protection education. Therefore, it is necessary to emphasize that the sense of identity is internalized into cognition and transformed into positive emotions, so as to promote the participation willingness of environmental protection volunteers.
Sustainability Assessment of Mineral Resource Sector Companies in Northern Asia (Russia): An Environmental and Socio-Economic Perspective
Authors: Bilgaev Alexey , Dong Suocheng , Sadykova Erzhena , Li Fujia , Tulokhonov Arnold , Mikheeva Anna , Batomunkuev Valentin
Published: June 2023

This article discusses developing methods for assessing environmental and socio-economic sustainability, using examples of mineral and raw materials sector companies in Northern Asia (Russia). We identified a sustainability criteria system and proposed an indicator system. These indicators represent a mechanism that orders the complex of existing indicators following the goals and strategy of sustainable development at the micro level. The proposed methodology for constructing a generalized index is based on aggregating three indicator blocks that characterize the environmental and socio-economic aspects of company development. The Sustainable Development Generalized Index (SDGI) allowed us to integrate the complex environmental and socio-economic development processes of mineral and raw materials sector companies and assess their sustainability. Its main feature is the reflection of the environmental specificity of companies. The indicator system adapted to the peculiarities of the mineral and raw materials sector development is a tool for identifying the main trends in the extractive industry development and determining the factors that positively or negatively affect the sustainable development of production companies. The obtained results have information significance for state structures in ensuring the regulation, planning, and control of the consequences of decisions made in the greening production activities at the micro level.
Sustainability Management Accounting in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals: The Role of Performance Auditing in the Manufacturing Sector
Authors: Pramono Agus Joko , Suwarno  , Amyar Firdaus , Friska Renny
Published: June 2023

This study aims to examine the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the manufacturing sector in Indonesia, one of the largest contributors of carbon emissions. This sector needs to implement sustainability as outlined in SDG 9: Sustainable Industrialization and Innovation, and SDG 12: Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns. However, developing countries often experience difficulties in promoting the implementation of SDGs due to insufficient maturity in their manufacturing sector. This research empirically examines the relationship between Sustainability Management Accounting (SMA) and Environmental Management Systems (EMS) to determine whether these two variables can improve Organizational Performance (OP) in the Indonesian manufacturing sector. A quantitative method with data collection using survey methods through questionnaires was employed. In this study, 325 respondents were sampled and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis was used to examine the data. The study’s findings reveal a significant and positive link between SMA and EMS, as well as between these two variables and OP. The findings indicate that EMS plays a mediating role in the relationship between SMA and OP in the Indonesian manufacturing sector. This research highlights the importance of SMA and EMS as tools for promoting SDGs in the manufacturing industry in developing countries.
From Technological Sustainability to Social Sustainability: An Analysis of Hotspots and Trends in Residential Design Evaluation
Authors: Song Meijiao , Cai Jun , Xue Yisi
Published: June 2023

Residential design should not only meet the growing demand for habitation but also reduce the negative impact on the natural environment. Therefore, the sustainability of residential buildings has become increasingly important in residential design evaluation. Taking the core database of the Web of Science platform as its source of information, this paper uses bibliometrics to visually analyze the current research status of residential design evaluation and its development trends, as well as hotspots of research from the perspectives of the annual distribution of publications, research fields and institutions, keywords, and highly cited articles. The results demonstrate the following: the number of publications on residential design evaluation has shown an overall upward trend and has grown rapidly over the past five years. Furthermore, due to the emergence of social issues, such as the aging population, social polarization, and rising urban poverty levels, scholars in the field have attached importance to the comprehensive evaluation of residential senior-friendliness, fairness, health, and quality, thereby expanding the connotation of residential sustainability from the technological dimension toward the social dimension. This paper can help researchers to identify future research directions in this field.
Risks Caused by Information Asymmetry in Construction Projects: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Ivić Ivona , Cerić Anita
Published: June 2023

The construction industry has a great impact on the environment and, more than ever, bears responsibility for achieving global sustainability goals. Despite the increasing technological development in the industry, information asymmetry between construction project participants affects communication and causes risks that have the potential to seriously harm project goals. The main objective of this systematic review is to collect and analyze existing scientific papers to summarize knowledge on the risks influenced by information asymmetry in construction projects. The established PRISMA 2020 methodology was used to collect and analyze papers from the two largest databases of scientific literature, Web of Science and Scopus. The coding rules were set up to evaluate the 94 articles that were assessed as eligible. Furthermore, the content analysis was applied with a set of coding rules and with the help of the software Mendeley. This study finds that research on risks caused by information asymmetry is still new, limited and not well connected with theoretical concepts. The most common methods used by researchers are simulation and case study. With a thematic analysis of current knowledge, this study provides a synthesis of identified risks, consequences and mitigation measures, as well as directions for future research.
Flexibility Analysis for Multi-Energy Microgrid and Distribution System Operator under a Distributed Local Energy Market Framework
Authors: Sahebi Ali , Jadid Shahram , Nazari-Heris Morteza
Published: June 2023

Increasing the penetration rate of microgrids (MGs) for Local Energy Market (LEM) participation creates new challenges for the market-clearing process under a large number of requests for energy transactions. The market-clearing process for decentralized market frameworks is dependent on participants’ flexibility in negotiations for bilateral energy transactions. Multi-energy microgrids (MEMGs) include combined heat and power units which can be less dependent on electricity prices because of energy conversion equipment, gas infrastructure, and combined heat and power loads. In this regard, to evaluate prosumers’ flexibility role in market negotiations, a new analysis based on energy scheduling of MEMG considering a Demand-Response Program (DRP) model is executed under a distributed market structure. Moreover, two new flexibility indexes for market participants with attention to prosumers’ adaption capabilities are proposed. The results show that, under a 9.35% flexibility index improvement for the entire system, the social welfare function improved by 2.75%. Moreover, the results show that the DRP model for changeable and shiftable loads can improve the flexibility of the entire system by 35.82%. Combined heat and power load are considered as the resource of flexibility for system evaluations.
Research on the Evaluation Model of School Management Quality in the Compulsory Education Stage Based on Big Data Technology
Authors: Min Guanghui , Lin Muhui , Liu Ying , Yang Ning , Li Zhe
Published: June 2023

With the spread of compulsory education emerged continuous school management problems, and the quality of school management in compulsory education has attracted a great deal of attention in China. However, the application of information technology in the field is not yet detailed and wide, resulting in problems concerning heavy workloads and high difficulty in the whole evaluation process. As such, we have utilized big data technologies, including Apache Spark, Apache Hive, and SPSS, to effectively carry out data cleaning, correlation analysis, dynamic factor analysis, principal component analysis, and visual display on a sample of 1760 data points from 40 primary and secondary schools located in the Q Province of China. This has enabled us to construct a model for evaluating school management quality in the compulsory education stage, reducing the previous 22 management tasks required for evaluation down to just 5. Such streamlining has greatly reduced the workload and difficulty previously associated with evaluation, providing a more efficient and effective solution for assessing quality management in schools. It has improved the efficiency and accuracy of evaluation and further promoted the simultaneous development of education and education equity in the compulsory education stage.
Population Aging and Household Tourism Consumption—An Empirical Study Based on China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) Data
Authors: Cai Xing , Zhang Yinhe
Published: June 2023

The ever deepening population aging has brought opportunities and challenges to the continued expansion of tourism consumption in China. We explore the impact of population aging on household tourism consumption, by using the data from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2014, 2016 and 2018. We found that population aging has a negative mediating effect on household tourism consumption by reducing household economic conditions. The improvement of health status of the elderly and Internet use have a significant positive moderating effect on the impact of population aging on household tourism consumption, but intergenerational care have no such effect. The results of the heterogeneity analysis show that the negative impact of population aging on household tourism consumption in urban areas is greater than that in rural areas, and the negative impact of population aging on household tourism consumption of families with the old-old elderly is greater than that of families with the young-old elderly. The conclusions of this article provide important references for activating tourism consumption in China in the context of population aging.
Analyzing the Relationship between Digital Transformation Strategy and ESG Performance in Large Manufacturing Enterprises: The Mediating Role of Green Innovation
Authors: Zhao Qingqing , Li Xintao , Li Siqi
Published: June 2023

In the era of the digital economy, digital technology brings new opportunities for enterprises’ development. The degree of enterprises’ digital transformation determines their development level and potential. At present, China’s “double carbon” policy is having a profound impact on the industry. The relationship between digital transformation strategy and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance is analyzed based on the digitalization and sustainable development goals of enterprises, and on the basis of positioning enterprise digital transformation level through the strategic alignment model (SAM). Data are collected by questionnaire survey from 224 large manufacturing enterprises in China as a sample for empirical testing by the hierarchical regression method. The empirical results show the following. (1) Digital transformation strategy has a direct positive and significant impact on enterprise ESG performance. Specifically, it is reflected in the two dimensions of digital transformation strategy, namely business digitalization and platform digitalization, which have a significant direct positive impact on enterprise ESG performance. (2) Enterprise green innovation plays a significant intermediate role in promoting the relationship between digital transformation strategy and enterprise ESG performance. (3) The two dimensions of green innovation, namely green process innovation and green product innovation, both play a partial mediating role in promoting business digitalization and platform digitalization development level to enterprise ESG performance, respectively. It can be concluded that business digitalization and platform digitalization can improve enterprise ESG performance by promoting green process innovation and green product innovation. Therefore, enterprises should clarify the direction of development of their digital transformation strategy, emphasize green innovation, and continuously improve their ESG performance to create favorable conditions for achieving sustainable development.
Certain Class of Bi-Univalent Functions Defined by Sălăgean q-Difference Operator Related with Involution Numbers
Authors: Breaz Daniel , Murugusundaramoorthy Gangadharan , Vijaya Kaliappan , Cotîrlǎ Luminiţa-Ioana
Published: June 2023

We introduce and examine two new subclass of bi-univalent function Σ, defined in the open unit disk, based on Sălăgean-type q-difference operators which are subordinate to the involution numbers. We find initial estimates of the Taylor–Maclaurin coefficients |a2| and |a3| for functions in the new subclass introduced here. We also obtain a Fekete–Szegö inequality for the new function class. Several new consequences of our results are pointed out, which are new and not yet discussed in association with involution numbers.
Mechanical Asymmetries during Treadmill Running: Effects of Running Velocity and Hypoxic Exposure
Authors: Tee Chris Chow Li , Chong Mee Chee , Sundar Viswanath , Chok Chuen Leang , Yeo Wee Kian , Girard Olivier
Published: June 2023

Studies evaluating mechanical asymmetry across a range of running velocities during treadmill runs have yielded inconsistent findings, while the impact of additional hypoxic exposure has never been investigated. The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of manipulating running velocity and hypoxic exposure on gait asymmetry during treadmill running. Eleven trained individuals performed seven runs at different velocities (8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 km·h−1) in a randomized order, each lasting 45 s. The running took place on an instrumented treadmill for normoxia (FiO2 = 20.9%), moderate hypoxia (FiO2 = 16.1%), high hypoxia (FiO2 = 14.1%), and severe hypoxia (FiO2 = 13.0%). Vertical and antero-posterior ground reaction force recordings over 20 consecutive steps (i.e., after running ∼25 s) allowed the measurement of running mechanics. Lower-limb asymmetry was assessed from the ‘symmetry angle’ (SA) score. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA (seven velocities × four conditions) was used. There was no significant difference in SA scores for any of the biomechanical variables for velocity (except contact time and braking phase duration; p = 0.003 and p = 0.002, respectively), condition, or interaction. Mean SA scores varied between ∼1% and 2% for contact time (1.5 ± 0.8%), flight time (1.6 ± 0.6%), step length (0.8 ± 0.2%), peak vertical force (1.2 ± 0.5%), and mean vertical loading rate (2.1 ± 1.0%). Mean SA scores ranged from ∼2% to 5% for duration of braking (1.6 ± 0.7%) and push-off phases (1.9 ± 0.6%), as well as peak braking (5.0 ± 1.9%) and push-off forces (4.8 ± 1.7%). In conclusion, the trained runners exhibited relatively even strides, with mechanical asymmetries remaining low-to-moderate across a range of submaximal, constant running velocities (ranging from 8 to 20 km·h−1) and varying levels of hypoxia severity (between normoxia and severe hypoxia).
Analysis of a Heterogeneous Queuing Model with Intermittently Obtainable Servers under a Hybrid Vacation Schedule
Authors: Kothandaraman Divya , Kandaiyan Indhira
Published: June 2023

This paper investigates the concept of a Markovian queueing model with heterogeneous, intermittently available servers with feedback under a hybrid vacation policy. Both the asymmetric transition representation and the hybrid vacation policy are addressed in this article. The necessary and sufficient conditions for system stability are presented. In addition, the steady-state probability distribution of the queueing model was derived by employing the matrix geometric method. Furthermore, a few formulae were constructed to determine the model’s performance indicators. Finally, the influence of system parameters was also investigated using some numerical examples.