bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Triple-Type Feature Extraction for Palmprint Recognition
Authors: Wu Lian , Xu Yong , Cui Zhongwei , Zuo Yu , Zhao Shuping , Fei Lunke
Published: July 2021

Palmprint recognition has received tremendous research interests due to its outstanding user-friendliness such as non-invasive and good hygiene properties. Most recent palmprint recognition studies such as deep-learning methods usually learn discriminative features from palmprint images, which usually require a large number of labeled samples to achieve a reasonable good recognition performance. However, palmprint images are usually limited because it is relative difficult to collect enough palmprint samples, making most existing deep-learning-based methods ineffective. In this paper, we propose a heuristic palmprint recognition method by extracting triple types of palmprint features without requiring any training samples. We first extract the most important inherent features of a palmprint, including the texture, gradient and direction features, and encode them into triple-type feature codes. Then, we use the block-wise histograms of the triple-type feature codes to form the triple feature descriptors for palmprint representation. Finally, we employ a weighted matching-score level fusion to calculate the similarity between two compared palmprint images of triple-type feature descriptors for palmprint recognition. Extensive experimental results on the three widely used palmprint databases clearly show the promising effectiveness of the proposed method.
Biochemical Methanol Gas Sensor (MeOH Bio-Sniffer) for Non-Invasive Assessment of Intestinal Flora from Breath Methanol
Authors: Toma Koji , Iwasaki Kanako , Zhang Geng , Iitani Kenta , Arakawa Takahiro , Iwasaki Yasuhiko , Mitsubayashi Kohji
Published: July 2021

Methanol (MeOH) in exhaled breath has potential for non-invasive assessment of intestinal flora. In this study, we have developed a biochemical gas sensor (bio-sniffer) for MeOH in the gas phase using fluorometry and a cascade reaction with two enzymes, alcohol oxidase (AOD) and formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FALDH). In the cascade reaction, oxidation of MeOH was initially catalyzed by AOD to produce formaldehyde, and then this formaldehyde was successively oxidized via FALDH catalysis together with reduction of oxidized form of β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). As a result of the cascade reaction, reduced form of NAD (NADH) was produced, and MeOH vapor was measured by detecting autofluorescence of NADH. In the development of the MeOH bio-sniffer, three conditions were optimized: selecting a suitable FALDH for better discrimination of MeOH from ethanol in the cascade reaction; buffer pH that maximizes the cascade reaction; and materials and methods to prevent leaking of NAD+ solution from an AOD-FALDH membrane. The dynamic range of the constructed MeOH bio-sniffer was 0.32–20 ppm, which encompassed the MeOH concentration in exhaled breath of healthy people. The measurement of exhaled breath of a healthy subject showed a similar sensorgram to the standard MeOH vapor. These results suggest that the MeOH bio-sniffer exploiting the cascade reaction will become a powerful tool for the non-invasive intestinal flora testing.
Privacy-Preserving Energy Management of a Shared Energy Storage System for Smart Buildings: A Federated Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach
Authors: Lee Sangyoon , Xie Le , Choi Dae-Hyun
Published: July 2021

This paper proposes a privacy-preserving energy management of a shared energy storage system (SESS) for multiple smart buildings using federated reinforcement learning (FRL). To preserve the privacy of energy scheduling of buildings connected to the SESS, we present a distributed deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework using the FRL method, which consists of a global server (GS) and local building energy management systems (LBEMSs). In the framework, the LBEMS DRL agents share only a randomly selected part of their trained neural network for energy consumption models with the GS without consumer’s energy consumption data. Using the shared models, the GS executes two processes: (i) construction and broadcast of a global model of energy consumption to the LBEMS agents for retraining their local models and (ii) training of the SESS DRL agent’s energy charging and discharging from and to the utility and buildings. Simulation studies are conducted using one SESS and three smart buildings with solar photovoltaic systems. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach can schedule the charging and discharging of the SESS and an optimal energy consumption of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in smart buildings under heterogeneous building environments while preserving the privacy of buildings’ energy consumption.
Segmentation of Change in Surface Geometry Analysis for Cultural Heritage Applications
Authors: Saha Sunita , Martusewicz Jacek , Streeton Noëlle L. W. , Sitnik Robert
Published: July 2021

This work proposes a change-based segmentation method for applications to cultural heritage (CH) imaging to perform monitoring and assess changes at each surface point. It can be used as a support or component of the 3D sensors to analyze surface geometry changes. In this research, we proposed a new method to identify surface changes employing segmentation based on 3D geometrical data acquired at different time intervals. The geometrical comparison was performed by calculating point-to-point Euclidean distances for each pair of surface points between the target and source geometry models. Four other methods for local distance measurement were proposed and tested. In the segmentation method, we analyze the local histograms of the distances between the measuring points of the source and target models. Then the parameters of these histograms are determined, and predefined classes are assigned to target surface points. The proposed methodology was evaluated by considering two different case studies of restoration issues on CH surfaces and monitoring them over time. The results were presented with a colormap visualization for each category of the detected change in the analysis. The proposed segmentation method will help in the field of conservation and restoration for the documentation and quantification of geometrical surface change information. This analysis can help in decision-making for the assessment of damage and potential prevention of further damage, and the interpretation of measurement results.
A Smart Archive Box for Museum Artifact Monitoring Using Battery-Less Temperature and Humidity Sensing
Authors: Gawade Dinesh R. , Ziemann Steffen , Kumar Sanjeev , Iacopino Daniela , Belcastro Marco , Alfieri Davide , Schuhmann Katharina , Anders Manfred , Pigeon Melusine , Barton John , O’Flynn Brendan , Buckley John L.
Published: July 2021

For the first time, this paper reports a smart museum archive box that features a fully integrated wireless powered temperature and humidity sensor. The smart archive box has been specifically developed for microclimate environmental monitoring of stored museum artifacts in cultural heritage applications. The developed sensor does not require a battery and is wirelessly powered using Near Field Communications (NFC). The proposed solution enables a convenient means for wireless sensing with the operator by simply placing a standard smartphone in close proximity to the cardboard archive box. Wireless sensing capability has the advantage of enabling long-term environmental monitoring of the contents of the archive box without having to move and open the box for reading or battery replacement. This contributes to a sustainable preventive conservation strategy and avoids the risk of exposing the contents to the external environment, which may result in degradation of the stored artifacts. In this work, a low-cost and fully integrated NFC sensor has been successfully developed and demonstrated. The developed sensor is capable of wirelessly measuring temperature and relative humidity with a mean error of 0.37 °C and ±0.35%, respectively. The design has also been optimized for low power operation with a measured peak DC power consumption of 900 μW while yielding a 4.5 cm wireless communication range. The power consumption of the NFC sensor is one of the lowest found in the literature. To the author’s knowledge, the NFC sensor proposed in this paper is the first reporting of a smart archive box that is wirelessly powered and uniquely integrated within a cardboard archive box.
Effects of Buffer Concentration on the Sensitivity of Silicon Nanobelt Field-Effect Transistor Sensors
Authors: Wu Chi-Chang , Wang Min-Rong
Published: July 2021

In this work, a single-crystalline silicon nanobelt field-effect transistor (SiNB FET) device was developed and applied to pH and biomolecule sensing. The nanobelt was formed using a local oxidation of silicon technique, which is a self-aligned, self-shrinking process that reduces the cost of production. We demonstrated the effect of buffer concentration on the sensitivity and stability of the SiNB FET sensor by varying the buffer concentrations to detect solution pH and alpha fetoprotein (AFP). The SiNB FET sensor was used to detect a solution pH ranging from 6.4 to 7.4; the response current decreased stepwise as the pH value increased. The stability of the sensor was examined through cyclical detection under solutions with different pH; the results were stable and reliable. A buffer solution of varying concentrations was employed to inspect the sensing capability of the SiNB FET sensor device, with the results indicating that the sensitivity of the sensor was negatively dependent on the buffer concentration. For biomolecule sensing, AFP was sensed to test the sensitivity of the SiNB FET sensor. The effectiveness of surface functionalization affected the AFP sensing result, and the current shift was strongly dependent on the buffer concentration. The obtained results demonstrated that buffer concentration plays a crucial role in terms of the sensitivity and stability of the SiNB FET device in chemical and biomolecular sensing.
A Thermal Skin Model for Comparing Contact Skin Temperature Sensors and Assessing Measurement Errors
Authors: MacRae Braid A. , Spengler Christina M. , Psikuta Agnes , Rossi René M. , Annaheim Simon
Published: July 2021

To improve the measurement and subsequent use of human skin temperature (Tsk) data, there is a need for practical methods to compare Tsk sensors and to quantify and better understand measurement error. We sought to develop, evaluate, and utilize a skin model with skin-like thermal properties as a tool for benchtop Tsk sensor comparisons and assessments of local temperature disturbance and sensor bias over a range of surface temperatures. Inter-sensor comparisons performed on the model were compared to measurements performed in vivo, where 14 adult males completed an experimental session involving rest and cycling exercise. Three types of Tsk sensors (two of them commercially available and one custom made) were investigated. Skin-model-derived inter-sensor differences were similar (within ±0.4 °C) to the human trial when comparing the two commercial Tsk sensors, but not for the custom Tsk sensor. Using the skin model, all surface Tsk sensors caused a local temperature disturbance with the magnitude and direction dependent upon the sensor and attachment and linearly related to the surface-to-environment temperature gradient. Likewise, surface Tsk sensors also showed bias from both the underlying disturbed surface temperature and that same surface in its otherwise undisturbed state. This work supports the development and use of increasingly realistic benchtop skin models for practical Tsk sensor comparisons and for identifying potential measurement errors, both of which are important for future Tsk sensor design, characterization, correction, and end use.
Array Design of 300 GHz Dual-Band Microstrip Antenna Based on Dual-Surfaced Multiple Split-Ring Resonators
Authors: Bie Shuhang , Pu Shi
Published: July 2021

To meet the increasing need of high-data-rate and broadband wireless communication systems, the devices and its circuits R&D under Millimeter, Sub-Millimeter, or even Terahertz (THz) frequency bands are attracting more and more attention from not only academic, but also industrial areas. Most of the former research on the THz waveband (0.1–10 THz) antenna design is mainly focused on realizing high directional gain, such as horn antennas, even though the coverage area is very limited when comparing with the current Wi-Fi system. One solution for the horizontally omnidirectional communication antenna is using the structure of multiple split-ring resonators (MSRRs). Aiming at this point, a novel 300 GHz microstrip antenna array based on the dual-surfaced multiple split-ring resonators (DSMSRRs) is proposed in this paper. By employing the two parallel microstrip transmission lines, different MSRRs are fed and connected on two surfaces of the PCB with a centrally symmetric way about them. The feeding port of the whole antenna is in between the centers of the two microstrip lines. Thus, this kind of structure is a so-called DSMSRR. Based on the different size of the MSRRs, different or multiple working wavebands can be achieved on the whole antenna. Firstly, in this paper, the quasi-static model is used to analyze the factors affecting the resonance frequency of MSRRs. Simulation and measured results demonstrate that the resonant frequency of the proposed array antenna is 300 GHz, which meets the design requirements of the expected frequency point and exhibits good radiation characteristics. Then, a dual-band antenna is designed on the above methods, and it is proved by simulation that the working frequency bands of the proposed dual-band antenna with reflection coefficient below −10 dB are 274.1–295.6 GHz and 306.3–313.4 GHz.
Exploring Residents’ Perceptions of the Socio-Cultural Benefits of Tourism Development in the Mountain Area
Authors: Muresan Iulia C. , Harun Rezhen , Arion Felix H. , Fatah Ava Omar , Dumitras Diana E.
Published: July 2021

Development of tourism affected the socio-cultural environment of many destinations. Previous studies have focused more on analyzing the impact of tourism on all three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, environment and socio-cultural); therefore, the present paper examines tourism development’s impact with regard to the socio-cultural benefits that enhance sustainable tourism development. A survey based on a questionnaire was employed in June 2018 in a mountain village in Cluj County, Romania. The collected data were analyzed using principal component analysis, and several statistical tests were conducted. The results indicated that the respondents have a positive attitude towards tourism development and socio-cultural perceived benefits. Older people and those running a business tend to perceive more positively the benefits of tourism development. The findings of the research could contribute to future development strategies, as it is well known that supporting local communities influences the success of tourism destination.
Social Bottom-Up Approaches in Post-COVID-19 Scenario: The AGOGHÈ Project
Authors: Ferraro Francesco Vincenzo , de Ruggiero Federica , Marino Simonetta , Ferraro Giuseppe
Published: July 2021

The AGOGHÈ Project aims to produce innovative and entrepreneurial models following the global socioeconomic changes caused by COVID-19. Its objectives include (i) generating awareness, education and social skills through dedicated ethical workstations and workgroups; (ii) developing a novel figure called “Social Trainer” who represents a professional opportunity for young graduates, able to discuss, explain and guide others through the maze of active citizenship rules. The project was developed in the Quartieri Spagnoli of Naples (Italy). The current manuscript reports preliminary data from the local community collected between November and December 2020. Results provide an insight into the neighbourhood, where the lockdown produced an increment in school dropouts and irreparable economic damage. In conclusion, the approach proposed with the AGOGHÈ Project, fully described here, is predicted to be beneficial in increasing social, cultural and economic aspects in the local area and in facilitating a dialogue between people, stakeholders and governments engaging in novel resolutions for post-COVID-19 crises.
Life Cycle Cost Assessment of Offshore Wind Farm: Kudat Malaysia Case
Authors: Alsubal Shamsan , Alaloul Wesam Salah , Shawn Eu Lim , Liew M. S. , Palaniappan Pavitirakumar , Musarat Muhammad Ali
Published: July 2021

The Government of Malaysia has set a striving target to achieve a higher usage of renewable energy (RE) in the energy mix which is currently around 2% of the country’s electricity. Yet, the government intends to increase this ratio up to 20% by the year 2025. Most of the renewable energy in Malaysia comes from hydropower and biomass sources. Meanwhile, numerous studies have been conducted to determine the feasibility of wind energy in Malaysia. Several locations were reported to be economically viable for wind energy development such as Kudat, Mersing, and Kuala Terengganu. This study presents and discusses the whole life cycle cost analysis of an offshore wind farm in Kudat, Malaysia and determines the cost drivers of offshore wind energy developments. It covers the wind data collection and analysis, breakdown of whole life cycle cost structure, and calculation of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Results showed that almost 67% of the total cost was incurred by the capital expenditure (CAPEX), and around 26% by operation and maintenance costs (OPEX), while decommissioning costs (DECOM) reached up to 7% of the whole life cycle costs. The LCOE was calculated and determined to be USD 127.58/MWh.
Sustainability of Project-Based Learning by Incorporating Transdisciplinary Design in Fabrication of Hydraulic Robot Arm
Authors: Farid Taha , Ali Sara , Sajid Muhammad , Akhtar Khalid
Published: July 2021

Wider acceptance of project-based learning (PjBL) in the tertiary education industry has been obstructed by its resource-intensive nature. This paper introduces a transdisciplinary variant of PjBL for undergraduate engineering students through a multidisciplinary complex engineering problem requiring the design and fabrication of a hydraulic robot arm. The robotics-inspired transdisciplinary PjBL variant was first evaluated through student feedback using the Chi-square hypothesis test, which, at Chi-square (4, N = 101) = 129.12; p < 0.05, revealed a statistically significant difference in the proportion of the student feedback in favor of the PjBL for sustainability of transdisciplinary project-based learning. Furthermore, the students’ PjBL and PbBL scores were subjected to the Mann–Whitney U test which concluded the effectiveness of PjBL against PbBL with statistical significance, U(N = 101) = 192.00, z = −11.826, p < 0.05. The results indicate that the novel transdisciplinary project-based learning (PjBL) approach develops students’ practical engineering knowledge spanning multiple disciplines, thereby resulting in a sustainable concept of project-based learning.
The Impact of Entrepreneurship Curriculum with Teaching Models on Sustainable Development of Entrepreneurial Mindset among Higher Education Students in China: The Moderating Role of the Entrepreneurial Climate at the Institution
Authors: Cui Jun
Published: July 2021

There has been considerable attention on the role of entrepreneurship education and outcomes from students’ sustainable development, predominantly entrepreneurial intentions. However, research has tended to overlook novel and promising, yet under-examined areas, such as the entrepreneurial mindset (EM), its link with entrepreneurship education, and the contextual factor. Drawing on social cognitive and teaching model theory, we aimed at addressing these gaps by examining the impact of entrepreneurship curriculum (EC) with different teaching models (supply, demand, competence) on EM, as well as the moderating role of the entrepreneurial climate of the higher education institution. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected in 15 higher education institutions in China. A sample of 739 students were used to test our hypotheses. The results suggest that all the entrepreneurial teaching models and mindset are positively related (though the demand model is the strongest predictor). Furthermore, the results establish that the entrepreneurial climate at the institution plays a moderating role between EC and EM, though it is the strongest for the competence teaching model. This paper contributes to the theoretical conceptualization of the EC–EM relationship and the deep understanding on “how” and “when” the teaching models in EC influence EM. Our study also expanded social cognitive theory (SCT) application in the context of higher entrepreneurship education by combining and confirming educational (specific teaching models), cognitive (EM), and institutional factors (entrepreneurial climate). Our research implies that universities and entrepreneurial program developers should pay attention to the selection of the right teaching models and provide a supportive entrepreneurial climate to optimize students’ EM, thus promoting their sustainable development.
The Effect of Socially Responsible HRM on Organizational Citizenship Behavior for the Environment: A Proactive Motivation Model
Authors: He Junqian , Kim Hyosun
Published: July 2021

Many organizations face the important challenges of motivating employees effectively to participate in corporate social responsibility initiatives and maintaining socially responsible human resource management practices. We examine whether socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) practices can affect employees’ social responsibility-related behaviors, such as organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE). Based on proactive motivation theory, we propose a multiple-mediation model, selecting moral efficacy, felt obligation, and empathy as the mediators. We analyzed data from a sample of 535 employees from 23 manufacturing companies in China. The results show that SRHRM practices have a significant positive effect on OCBE. We also found that moral efficacy, felt obligation, and empathy significantly mediate the effect of SRHRM practices on OCBE and that there is no significant difference among the three mediation paths. Our study suggests that organizational pursuit of the socially responsible human resource management practices is an effective pathway to make employees feel more responsible toward global sustainability.
Infrastructure Elements for Smart Campuses: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Omotayo Temitope , Moghayedi Alireza , Awuzie Bankole , Ajayi Saheed
Published: July 2021

Sustainable development can be attained at a microlevel and having smart campuses around the world presents an opportunity to achieve city-wide smartness. In the process of attaining smartness on campuses, the elements requiring attention must be investigated. There are many publications on smart campuses, and this investigation used the bibliometric analysis method to identify such publications produced over the last decade. A matrix of 578 nodes and 3217 edges was developed from 285 publications on smart campus construction and procurement. Fifteen cluster themes were produced from the bibliometric analysis. The findings revealed that China contributed 48.4% of all published articles on the smart campus. The findings presented a framework from the cluster themes under the four broad infrastructure areas of building construction or repurposing, technology and IT network, continuous improvement, and smart learning and teaching management. The implications of the findings identified that IT project management, traditional procurement strategy, and standard forms of contracts such as the New Engineering Contract (NEC) and the Joint Contract Tribunal (JCT) are applicable in the procurement of smart cities.
Impact of Social and Economic Development on Sediment Load of the Yellow River
Authors: Tan Guangming , Han Shasha , Yu Yuecong , Hu Rui , Lv Yiwei , Shu Caiwen
Published: July 2021

Approximately 90% of the sediment yield of the Yellow River is derived from the Loess Plateau. In this paper, the Loess Plateau was used as the research object. To investigate the influence of economic and social development on reducing sediment load of the Yellow River, a mathematical method was employed with hydrological and sediment data from three hydrological stations (Toudaoguai and Sanmenxia at the Yellow River, and Ganguyi at the Yan River) as well as per capita GDP data from the Yan River basin. The results showed that the reduction in runoff in the reaches between the Toudaoguai and Sanmenxia stations accounted for 39.3% of the decrease in the sediment load of the Yellow River, and the other 60.7% of the decrease may have resulted from economic and social development. Using the Yan River basin as an example, there was an inverse relationship between per capita GDP and sediment delivery during the period from 1984 to 2018. Grey relational analysis revealed a relatively high relation between the sediment load of the Yan River and the number of rural laborers transferred from the area, the afforestation area, and the tertiary industry value of Yan’an city. Thus, economic development and social transformation are highly related to sediment delivery in the basin, which may result in a decrease in sediment delivery to some extent.
Evaluating the Impact of Crop Layout Changes on N and P Nutrient Balance: A Case Study in the West Liaohe River Basin, China
Authors: Zhao Zijuan , Fan Beilei , Liu Dong
Published: July 2021

Regional crop layout has changed significantly due to climate, policy, and other factors, which has impacted farmland nutrient balance. Here, we evaluated the impact of crop layout changes on N and P nutrient balance in the West Liaohe River Basin from 2000–2015. The study area has long been in a N and P surplus state. The unit N surplus exhibited a downward trend and the unit P surplus showed an increasing trend. Significant correlations existed between planting areas and nutrient surplus. The N and P surplus layout was mainly concentrated in the West Liaohe River lower reaches basin. The planting area of wheat must be reduced and the areas of maize and soybean must be controlled to adjust the N and P balance and reduce the environmental pollution risk. Chemical fertilizer and seed inputs are the main sources of N input. Furthermore, combining farming and pastoral farming is conducive to improving N and P use efficiency. Manure can be absorbed by farmland, the ratio of organic and chemical fertilizers can be reasonably set, and chemical fertilizer application can be reduced.
Solution of Bottlenecks in the Logistics Flow by Applying the Kanban Module in the Tecnomatix Plant Simulation Software
Authors: Pekarcikova Miriam , Trebuna Peter , Kliment Marek , Dic Michal
Published: July 2021

The presented article deals with the issue of solving bottlenecks in the logistics flow of a manufacturing company. The Tx Plant Simulation software tool is used to detect bottlenecks and deficiencies in the company’s production, logistics and transportation systems. Together with the use of simulation methods and lean manufacturing tools, losses in business processes are eliminated and consequently flow throughput is improved. In the TX Plant Simulation software environment, using Bottleneck analyzer, bottlenecks were defined on the created simulation model and a method of optimizing logistics flows was designed and tested by introducing the Kanban pull system. This resulted in an improvement and throughput of the entire logistics flow, a reduction in inter-operational stocks and an increase in the efficiency of the production system as a whole.
Integration of Emergy Analysis with Building Information Modeling
Authors: Paneru Suman , Foroutan Jahromi Forough , Hatami Mohsen , Roudebush Wilfred , Jeelani Idris
Published: July 2021

Traditional energy analysis in Building Information Modeling (BIM) only accounts for the energy requirements of building operations during a portion of the occupancy phase of the building’s life cycle and as such is unable to quantify the true impact of buildings on the environment. Specifically, the typical energy analysis in BIM does not account for the energy associated with resource formation, recycling, and demolition. Therefore, a comprehensive method is required to analyze the true environmental impact of buildings. Emergy analysis can offer a holistic approach to account for the environmental cost of activities involved in building construction and operation in all its life cycle phases from resource formation to demolition. As such, the integration of emergy analysis with BIM can result in the development of a holistic sustainability performance tool. Therefore, this study aimed at developing a comprehensive framework for the integration of emergy analysis with existing Building Information Modeling tools. The proposed framework was validated using a case study involving a test building element of 8’ × 8’ composite wall. The case study demonstrated the successful integration of emergy analysis with Revit®2021 using the inbuilt features of Revit and external tools such as MS Excel. The framework developed in this study will help in accurately determining the environmental cost of the buildings, which will help in selecting environment-friendly building materials and systems. In addition, the integration of emergy into BIM will allow a comparison of various built environment alternatives enabling designers to make sustainable decisions during the design phase.
How to Improve Government Openness for Sustainable Development: The Interaction of Four Factors in African Countries
Authors: Park Eun G.
Published: July 2021

The objectives of this study are to: estimate African countries’ Government Openness Index (AGOI) to see the updated progress of open government in those countries, examine which areas African countries should further improve for sustainable development, and compare the performance of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) member countries to that of non-OGP countries in forming AGOI. This study developed the AGOI with 32 selected countries and four factors (ACC (accountability), TRA (transparency), CPF (citizen participation and freedom) and ICT (information and communication technology)) for the period of 2006–2019. The results show that African countries have continuously increased the values of AGOI for the period. ACC has barely changed, but TRA has increased slightly. Both CPF and ICT have increased at higher growth rates during the period. The OGP group reached much better scores than their non-OGP counterparts, with positive differences in AGOI, ICT, CPF, and TRA, except ACC. The results of this study suggest that the constantly increasing CPF and ICT levels in countries that have similar conditions as African countries should be further improved to function well enough to build accountability and transparency. It is also recommended that countries join the OGP in order to move towards improving government openness and creating sustainable development.
Qualitative Stakeholder Analysis for a Swedish Regional Biogas Development: A Thematic Network Approach
Authors: Rambaree Komalsingh , Sundström Agneta , Wang Zhao , Wright Sandra Ann Ingela
Published: July 2021

The creation of pathways toward a societal transition to clean energy requires the engagement of multiple stakeholders with different and sometimes conflicting interests. In this connection, stakeholder analysis (SA) offers a technique for identifying, assessing and structuring different needs, interests and concerns related to different stakeholders within the context of sustainability. This article aims to present the findings from a qualitative stakeholder analysis (QSA) by using a thematic network approach (TNA), with the help of the ATLAS.ti software. It focuses on Project X, which was aimed at engaging multiple stakeholders and creating favorable conditions for small and medium-sized companies in a region situated in the central part of Sweden, with the potential to start biogas production. In this work, the findings and discussions of the QSA using TNA are structured by using the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal (PESTEL) themes of the model. The present study concludes that for the small-scale biogas industry to successfully develop an understanding of the possibilities of the biogas value chain, it is necessary to have analyzed the nature of the main themes by which various stakeholders relate to biogas production and envision their contribution to creating a sustainable society. Herein, we demonstrate that QSA by a TNA, combined with the application of a PESTEL model, are valuable analytical tools in sustainable project management. The lessons from Project X can be applied to other local biogas initiatives, as many identified threats and opportunities are shared by others.
The Wadden Sea as a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site: Students’ Word Associations with These Two Conservation Designations
Authors: Schmäing Till , Grotjohann Norbert
Published: July 2021

The Wadden Sea ecosystem is unique in many respects from a biological perspective. This is one reason why it is protected by national parks in Germany and by its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In biology didactics, there are only a few studies that focus on the Wadden Sea. This work investigates students’ word associations with the two stimulus words “national park” and “UNESCO World Heritage Site”. The survey was conducted among students living directly at the Wadden Sea and among students from the inland. The analysis of the identified associations (n = 8345) was carried out within the framework of a quantitative content analysis to be able to present and discuss the results on a group level. A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups. Overall, results showed that the students made subject-related associations as well as a large number of associations to both stimulus words that could be judged as non-subject-related. In some cases, a connection with the region of residence could be found, but this was not generally the case. Even students’ immediate residential proximity to the Wadden Sea is no guarantee that they have knowledge of the two considered protection terms.
Mask Design for Life in the Midst of COVID-19
Authors: Liu Shuo-Fang , Chang Jui-Feng , Wang Ming-Hong
Published: July 2021

Existing medical masks have various disadvantages, such as the environmental damage caused by disposable masks, the discomfort and poor ventilation caused by prolonged mask wearing, and the lack of aesthetic design in mass-produced masks. Thus, this study used quality function deployment, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation to research, develop, and design masks. The aforementioned methods were also used to determine the ranking of design requirements. The following priority ranking of design requirements from most to least important was obtained: reducing discomfort at the contact between the mask and the skin (0.265), avoiding foul odor inside the mask (0.187), convenient cleaning and portability (0.166), good airtightness (0.152), suitable aesthetic design for wearing in public and on social occasions (0.130), and reducing waste (0.100). Experts evaluated mask designs, and their opinions were subject to fuzzy analysis. Specifically, 50% of the experts evaluated the designs to be “good” or “very good”. Only 29% of the experts rated the design results as “average”. Thus, the innovative mask designed in this study can meet the needs of users, overcome the drawbacks of existing masks, and provide a feasible solution for the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Commons as Traditional Means of Sustainably Managing Forests and Pastures in Olt Land (Romania)
Authors: Roșculeț Gheorghe , Sorea Daniela
Published: July 2021

The compossessorates in Transylvania (Romania) are traditional varieties of commons. During the inter-war period two types of compossessorates were most common in the Olt Land, between the Olt River and the Southern Carpathians: those of the former boyars and the ones owned by the former serfs. An analysis of the 1904 Austro-Hungarian Regulation on the organization and management of the commons, of the 1910 Romanian Forest Code that was implemented in Transylvania after 1918, and of the by-laws of compossessorates, derived from the aforementioned documents, unveils the concern of both legislators and members of compossessorates for the preservation, balanced exploitation and regeneration of the forest fund and their focus on sustainable management of forests. The compossessorates were disbanded upon the instauration of the communist regime in Romania and re-established after 1989. Nowadays, compossessorates in the Olt Land continue the local tradition of sustainably managing the forests and the pastures. Their activity in this regard can be improved. Collaboration of the communal schools and the university with the compossessorates, the use of the Internet to promote their image and the involvement of NGOs in their support would be effective in this respect.
Territorialization of Public Action and Mountain Pastoral Areas—Case Study of the Territorial Pastoral Plans of the Rhône-Alpes Region, France
Authors: Pachoud Carine
Published: July 2021

Territorialization aims at improving the effectiveness of public action by adapting to local contexts and including a wide diversity of actors. In the 2000s, the French local authorities, with the support of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), launched more transversal and bottom-up policies on the development of mountain pastoral territories in order to counter national and European sectoral and top-down policies. This article focuses on the Territorial Pastoral Plans (TPPs), a policy of the Rhône-Alpes region, which funds projects defined collaboratively between multiple actors in pastoral territories. The objective is to shed the light on the implementation modalities of the TPPs, and to understand the strengths and weaknesses of this policy in terms of governance to respond to the sustainability challenges of the Rhône-Alpine pastoral territories. A document analysis was achieved and interviews were conducted with nine key actors from four pastoral territories. Results showed that awareness-raising and mediation projects are becoming increasingly important because of the growing conflicts linked to the multi-purpose use of these lands and to wolf predation. Moreover, the integration of environmental actors allows better consideration of ecology in projects. However, the current budgetary restrictions limit their capacity of action within the policy.
Effect of Prior Gameplay Experience on the Relationships between Esports Gameplay Intention and Live Esports Streaming Content
Authors: Jang Wooyoung (William) , Byon Kevin K. , Song Hyunseok
Published: July 2021

This study examined the effect of prior experience with esports gameplay on its antecedents and consequences. Prior experience is considered a significant factor in consumers’ intention and behavior, and in gameplay engagement it is considered the amount of gameplay time. While esports consumers are heterogeneous, only a few esports studies have been conducted. Thus, this study focused on prior esports gameplay experience to explain consumers’ behavior better and examine antecedents, esports gameplay intention, and live esports streaming content across two groups (i.e., high and low frequencies of esports gameplay). Data were collected via an online survey in Amazon Mechanical Turk (M-Turk) from esports consumers who engaged in esports gameplay and live-streaming. One-third of the median cases were excluded to create two groups designated by weekly esports gameplay hours. The results revealed different patterns in the two groups. Specifically, esports gameplay had no effect on engagement in live esports streaming content for consumers who played esport games frequently. However, gameplay intention predicted live esports streaming content engagement successfully in the group who played infrequently. These findings contributed to (1) esports research by demonstrating consumers’ heterogeneity, and the (2) extension of technology acceptance and use research in esports engagement by identifying the role of prior gameplay experience.
A GIS Methodology to Determine the Critical Regions for Mitigating Eutrophication in Large Territories: The Case of Jalisco, Mexico
Authors: Cervantes-Astorga Enrique , Aguilar-Juárez Oscar , Carrillo-Nieves Danay , Gradilla-Hernández Misael Sebastián
Published: July 2021

Inadequate management practices for solid waste and wastewater are some of the main causes of eutrophication globally, especially in regions where intensive livestock, agricultural, and industrial activities are coupled with inexistent or ineffective waste and wastewater treatment infrastructure. In this study, a methodological approach is presented to spatially assess the trophic state of large territories based on public water quality databases. The trophic state index (TSI) includes total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll A, chemical oxygen demand, and Secchi disk depth values as water quality indicators. A geographical information system (GIS) was used to manage the spatiotemporal attributes of the water quality data, in addition to spatially displaying the results of TSI calculations. As a case study, this methodological approach was applied to determine the critical regions for mitigating eutrophication in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Although a decreasing trend was observed for the TSI values over time for most subbasins (2012–2019), a tendency for extreme hypereutrophication was observed in some regions, such as the Guadalajara metropolitan area and the Altos region, which are of high economic relevance at the state level. A correlation analysis was performed between the TSI parameters and rainfall measurements for all subbasins under analysis, which suggested a tendency for nutrient wash-off during the rainy seasons for most subbasins; however, further research is needed to quantify the real impacts of rainfall by including other variables such as elevation and slope. The relationships between the water quality indicators and land cover were also explored. The GIS methodology proposed in this study can be used to spatially assess the trophic state of large regions over time, taking advantage of available water quality databases. This will enable the efficient development and implementation of public policies to assess and mitigate the eutrophication of water sources, as well as the efficient allocation of resources for critical regions. Further studies should focus on applying integrated approaches combining on-site monitoring data, remote sensing data, and machine learning algorithms to spatially evaluate the trophic state of territories.
Spatial Spillover Effect and Influencing Factors of Information Flow in Urban Agglomerations—Case Study of China Based on Baidu Search Index
Authors: Wu Chengzhuo , Zhuo Li , Chen Zhuo , Tao Haiyan
Published: July 2021

Cities in an urban agglomeration closely interact with each other through various flows. Information flow, as one of the important forms of urban interactions, is now increasingly indispensable with the fast development of informatics technology. Thanks to its timely, convenient, and spatially unconstrained transmission ability, information flow has obvious spillover effects, which may strengthen urban interaction and further promote urban coordinated development. Therefore, it is crucial to quantify the spatial spillover effect and influencing factors of information flows, especially at the urban agglomeration scale. However, the academic research on this topic is insufficient. We, therefore, developed a spatial interaction model of information flow (SIM-IF) based on the Baidu Search Index and used it to analyze the spillover effects and influencing factors of information flow in the three major urban agglomerations in China, namely Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH), the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) in the period of 2014–2019. The results showed that the SIM-IF performed well in all three agglomerations. Quantitative analysis indicated that the BTH had the strongest spillover effect of information flow, followed by the YRD and the PRD. It was also found that the hierarchy of cities had the greatest impact on the spillover effects of information flow. This study may provide scientific basis for the information flow construction in urban agglomerations and benefit the coordinated development of cities.
Road Safety as a Public Health Problem: Case of Ecuador in the Period 2000–2019
Authors: Espinoza-Molina Fabricio Esteban , Ojeda-Romero Christian Fernando , Zumba-Paucar Henry David , Pillajo-Quijia Giovanny , Arenas-Ramírez Blanca , Aparicio-Izquierdo Francisco
Published: July 2021

Background: Road safety is a significant public health problem because it causes negative consequences on victims and families. The objective was to analyze the most significant changes in traffic crashes in Ecuador during the period from 2000 to 2019. With data obtained from the National Institute of Statistics and Census, we performed the analysis to identify: the number of traffic crashes, the number of victims, and other study variables. Methods: Descriptive and analytical statistics and the contrast of proportions were used to analyze data from 2000 to 2019. Results: According to the ideal joinpoint analysis model, there was a significant decrease in the number of recorded traffic accidents from 2015 to 2019 of −8.54 per year, while the tendency to die increased in females (2.05 per year) and males (3.29 per year). The most common crash was a collision, and the automobile appeared as the most involved vehicle from 2015 to 2019. The hypothesis test contrast is used to determine if statistically significant differences exist between age groups by gender of the driver injured in the period 2017–2018. Conclusions: This study determines the most significant changes in the variables related to traffic crashes, where mortality due to this cause in the last four years has had a growth rate of 1.8% compared to collisions that presented a rate of −31.12%. The contrast of the hypothesis test shows significant differences in the injury level between males and female drivers, depending on the age group.
Sustainable Firm Performance of Logistics Service Providers along Maritime Supply Chain
Authors: Dovbischuk Irina
Published: July 2021

As a result of globalization and the growing importance of environmental and social issues, scholars have started to update the scope of logistics management and capture its complexity using different theoretical perspectives. The output of logistics services also encompasses the so-called negative by-products, which have been increased in past decades and stress the need for a standardized, comprehensive and quantitative performance measurement. The reduction of the negative by-production, e.g., decarbonization in the transport industry, is commonly associated with a higher degree of logistics performance using different capabilities. Research aims of the study are twofold: to show the decisive components for sustainability performance of a logistics service provider (LSP) and to outline internal capabilities of LSPs as indicators of its sustainability-oriented firm performance. In the first step, firm performance is sampled using the lenses of sustainability. For this purpose, general and transport-related sustainability frameworks are summarized to identify how they differ in sustainability dimensions in order to help LSPs contribute to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In the second step, decisive and evidence-based capabilities as indicators of sustainability-oriented performance are outlined using mixed methods by reviewing the literature.