bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Can the Professional Community Influence Teachers’ Work Engagement? The Mediating Role of Teacher Self-Efficacy
Authors: Cai Yonghong , Wang Li , Bi Yan , Tang Runjia
Published: August 2022

The sustainable development of education requires the continuous engagement of teachers, and the professional community has long been considered an important facilitator of teacher engagement. However, teachers’ professional community has often been analyzed as a unified construct, and thus the question of how teacher engagement is enhanced remains unanswered. Based on the conservation of resources theory, in this study, we investigated how teacher work engagement was affected by the crossover of job resources between the professional community (including shared norms, collective responsibility, collaboration, and reflective dialogue) and teachers (self-efficacy). The sample included 1123 primary and secondary school teachers in China. Covariance structural modeling was used to test our hypotheses. Shared norms and collective responsibility played a fundamental role and positively predicted collaboration, which in turn enhanced reflective dialogue. Teacher self-efficacy partially mediated the effect of the four dimensions of the professional community on teachers’ work engagement. The findings of this study indicate that the professional community offers valuable organizational and social resources that can be used by teachers to enhance their personal resources, such as self-efficacy, and thus become more engaged in their work. Shared norms and collective responsibility serve to shape a growth-oriented school culture that stimulates teachers’ willingness to collaborate and improves their confidence in teaching, and thus should be stressed by school leaders when introducing changes.
A Study on Integrating SMRs into Uganda’s Future Energy System
Authors: Daniel Niwagira , Kim Juyoul
Published: August 2022

Uganda is looking forward to diversifying its energy system to sustainably meet the present and future energy needs. To achieve this, the country is embarking on a nuclear power program to construct large nuclear reactors, although this would increase Uganda’s electricity generation capacity, huge investments in construction and grid expansion required presents a big challenge considering the small size of Uganda’s economy and grid. Luckily, emerging new nuclear technologies, such as small modular reactors (SMRs) can address these challenges due their enhanced features that are compatible with Uganda’s energy system. SMRs having smaller capacities means that they would reduce the total investment costs in construction and also fit Uganda’s small electric grid. In this study, the methodology followed two approaches to examine the best strategies to integrate SMRs into Uganda’s future energy system, that is, the model for energy supply strategy alternatives and their general environmental impacts (MESSAGE) code and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) economic competitiveness analysis parameter. The results of analysis reveal that SMRs can play a key role in the future energy mix by contributing 13% to the total electricity generation. Additionally, the LCOE value of the SMRs was 78.01 $/MWh, which is competitive with large nuclear reactors with an LCOE value of 79.77 $/MWh and significantly lower than the LCOE of biomass, peat, and thermal energies. In conclusion, this study justified Uganda’s need to invest in SMRs considering the country’s energy security needs, future energy mix diversification goals, and national financial environment.
Perspective from Chinese Tourists: Study on Urban Tourism Experience of Seoul City Based on Online Travel Notes
Authors: Ma Jianwei , Zhao Hongyu , Liu Ziyang
Published: August 2022

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a serious impact on the tourism of Seoul, which is deeply dependent on international tourists. It is now more crucial than ever to make preparation for tourism recovery. Hence, this study took the travel notes posted by Chinese tourists in Seoul as a data source and applied manual content analysis to encode urban tourism experience (UTE) elements from travel notes, scoring them one by one and, consequently, obtaining the Seoul UTE element structure table. On this basis, the paper used social network analysis (SNA) and modified “importance–performance” analysis (MIPA), which complement each other, to thoroughly analyze the structural characteristics of elements and experience quality. The content analysis concludes that the Seoul UTE includes twenty-eight elements; SNA analysis shows that the network structure has high internal coordination and that UTE elements present aggregation with an indication of obvious differentiation of tourist sources; MIPA analysis reveals that overall experience quality is high, and an evaluation of traditional elements such as shopping and catering found them to be good; however, the evaluation of some core elements is low. With the help of our findings, it is hoped that this study can provide a better understanding and mastery of Chinese tourists’ demands and experiences to further improve tourism competitiveness for the industry’s recovery after post-COVID-19.
A Multivariate Analysis of the Links between Transport Noncompliance and Financial Uncertainty in Times of COVID-19 Pandemics and War
Authors: Aivaz Kamer-Ainur , Munteanu Ionela Florea , Stan Mari-Isabella , Chiriac Alina
Published: August 2022

Sanctions should improve business compliance and mitigate the risks of non-conformity. This premise motivated our research and led to very interesting results for the trinomen business performance—transport infrastructure and local development strategies—public control. We used a customized Brunswik lens model to illustrate the decision-making process based on the interactions between the analysis of sanctions in the transport sector and the projected financial judgement, as we have traditionally understood and experienced them. We clustered 186,671 cases of noncompliance sanctioned by the Romanian authorities and created a chromatic map with accents on the risks of nonconformities. We employed principal component analysis to find patterns and correlations between faulty behavior in transport activities and the evolution of financial indicators, such as exports and imports. The ROC curve was used to investigate the credibility of a possible connection between transport sanctions and the development of regional exports and imports. We found multiple challenges that interfere with the projection of a trustworthy financial judgement in transport and offer insights and recommendations for integrated local governance practices and strategies aimed at mitigating the risks of noncompliance and promoting sustainable development in transport.
Study of Lead-Free Perovskite Photoelectric Devices with TiO2 as a Buffer Layer
Authors: Tomov Rade , Aleksandrova Mariya
Published: August 2022

In this work, a titanium oxide buffer layer was explored as a possible buffer electron transporting layer (ETL) with iodine-tin-based perovskite material for enhancement of a thin-film lead-free perovskite solar cell. The open-circuit voltage of the device was used as an indicator for the interface energy barrier’s change with the thickness of the TiO2. The buffer and photoabsorbing layers were deposited by vacuum reactive sputtering and a low-temperature ion-assisted process from a confocal sintered source, respectively, allowing precise tuning of the film properties and reproducibility of the solar cell behavior. The surface roughness of the buffer layers was investigated by atomic force microscopy and together with the measured absorbance spectra conclusions about the optical losses in the device were made. It was found that the highest voltage was generated from the structure with 75 nm-thick ETL. The electrical behavior of the cell with this buffer layer was additionally studied by impedance measurements. Small interface capacitance and contact resistance were obtained and considered suitable for photodetector fabrication. The practical applicability of the structure with a dual function of self-powered photodetection was demonstrated by the measurement of the response time.
Mapping Soil Properties at a Regional Scale: Assessing Deterministic vs. Geostatistical Interpolation Methods at Different Soil Depths
Authors: Barrena-González Jesús , Lavado Contador Joaquín Francisco , Pulido Fernández Manuel
Published: August 2022

To determine which interpolation technique is the most suitable for each case study is an essential task for a correct soil mapping, particularly in studies performed at a regional scale. So, our main goal was to identify the most accurate method for mapping 12 soil variables at three different depth intervals: 0–5, 5–10 and >10 cm. For doing that, we have compared nine interpolation methods (deterministic and geostatistical), drawing soil maps of the Spanish region of Extremadura (41,635 km2 in size) from more than 400 sampling sites in total (e.g., more than 500 for pH for the depth of 0–5 cm). We used the coefficient of determination (R2), the mean error (ME) and the root mean square error (RMSE) as statistical parameters to assess the accuracy of each interpolation method. The results indicated that the most accurate method varied depending on the property and depth of study. In soil properties such as clay, EBK (Empirical Bayesian Kriging) was the most accurate for 0–5 cm layer (R2 = 0.767 and RMSE = 3.318). However, for 5–10 cm in depth, it was the IDW (Inverse Distance Weighted) method with R2 and RMSE values of 0.689 and 5.131, respectively. In other properties such as pH, the CRS (Completely Regularized Spline) method was the best for 0–5 cm in depth (R2 = 0.834 and RMSE = 0.333), while EBK was the best for predicting values below 10 cm (R2 = 0.825 and RMSE = 0.399). According to our findings, we concluded that it is necessary to choose the most accurate interpolation method for a proper soil mapping.
Sustainability Trade-Offs in Media Coverage of Poverty Alleviation: A Content-Based Spatiotemporal Analysis in China’s Provinces
Authors: Sun Yuting , Yao Shu-Nung
Published: August 2022

Poverty alleviation has always been fundamental for China to achieve the goal of creating a moderately prosperous society. This study conducted a content-based spatiotemporal analysis of media coverage, regression analysis of panel data, and text mining to examine how China’s Targeted Poverty Alleviation (TPA) Strategy is characterised by online mainstream media platform. A total of 10,857 articles related to TPA in 31 specific provinces of mainland China were collected and analysed by Natural Language Processing (NLP) analysis. The results of this study indicated that spatiotemporal distribution of TPA coverage was consistent with the typical logic of the Chinese government in policy implementation based on spatial and social marginalisation. Media attention on TPA is influenced by economic, environmental, and community sustainability indicators, reflecting the sustainability trade-offs in TPA-related media coverage. The keywords embedded in media coverage indicated that agricultural product promotion in extremely impoverished areas and the experiences of economically developed agricultural areas were essential for poverty eradication. Keywords emphasise top-down administrative-led poverty governance for extremely impoverished areas and local autonomy for relatively impoverished areas. This study provides perspectives for antipoverty governance and media empowerment in the postpoverty era in China.
Network-Based Research on Organizational Resilience in Wuhan Thunder God Mountain Hospital Project during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Zhou Junuo , Yang Lin
Published: August 2022

During the rapid outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the construction of the Thunder God Mountain Hospital (TGMH) in a harsh environment significantly lowered the burden of medical assistance in Wuhan, demonstrating the significance of organizational resilience in construction projects to handle harsh environments. This paper aims to explore the impact of organizational collaboration patterns on organizational resilience in construction projects and to outline the lessons that can be gained for similar projects. Firstly, an extensive literature review was conducted to determine organizational resilience indicators and corresponding complex network parameters, followed by a content analysis approach to identify the organizations involved and their collaboration behaviors. Secondly, the obtained organizations and collaboration data were used to construct an organization collaboration network for the TGMH project. The results of the complex network analysis show the following as critical factors affecting organizational resilience: (1) the one core multi-center organizational collaboration structure; (2) the small group relationships among organizations; and (3) assortative ties between organizations with diverse backgrounds. This study contributes to providing a feasible research framework for assessing organizational resilience from the perspective of organizational collaboration and practical suggestions for other construction projects to improve organizational resilience when faced with large public emergencies.
Development of Optimized Maintenance Program for a Steam Boiler System Using Reliability-Centered Maintenance Approach
Authors: Patil Suyog S. , Bewoor Anand K. , Kumar Ravinder , Ahmadi Mohammad Hossein , Sharifpur Mohsen , PraveenKumar Seepana
Published: August 2022

Reliability centered maintenance (RCM) is a new strategic framework for evaluating system maintenance requirements in its operating conditions. Some industries employ predictive maintenance strategies in addition to preventive maintenance (PM) strategies, which increase production costs. As the breakdown maintenance (BDM) technique is used, the maintenance cost increases. The RCM approach is a mixture of these maintenance strategies that can be used to optimize the maintenance costs and to ensure the availability of the system. The RCM method was applied to the steam boiler system used in the textile industries for the research work reported in this paper. The RCM methodology stated in the literature cannot be implemented, as it is in Indian textile industries due to the lack of knowledge of RCM principles, a labor-oriented nature, the use of partially computerized information systems, an inadequate maintenance database, and information about maintenance costs and production loss. To resolve these issues, a modified RCM approach involving a large number of experts is developed. To apply this RCM methodology, critical components are identified through reliability and failure mode effect and criticality analysis (FMECA). Finally, scheduled maintenance strategies and their intervals are recommended to ensure that the system continues to operate properly. According to this study, implementing the RCM technique effectively will increase boiler system reliability and availability by 28.15 percent and 0.16 percent, respectively. Additionally, up to 20.32 percent of the maintenance cost can be saved annually by applying these scheduled maintenance programs.
Airborne Nanoparticles (PM0.1) in Southeast Asian Cities: A Review
Authors: Phairuang Worradorn , Amin Muhammad , Hata Mitsuhiko , Furuuchi Masami
Published: August 2022

PM0.1 (particles with a diameter ≤ 0.1 µm), nanoparticles (NPs), or ultrafine particles (UFPs) were interchangeably used in the scientific communities. PM0.1 originated from both natural and human sources; however, PM0.1 and its effects on the environment, visibility, and human health to understanding air pollution levels, sources, and impacts in Southeast Asia (SEA) countries continue to be challenging. The concentrations of PM0.1 in most SEA countries are much worse than in western countries’ environments. A further motivation of this reviewed article is to provide a critical synthesis of the current knowledge and study of ambient PM0.1 in SEA cities. The primary influence of characteristics of PM0.1 appears to be local sources, including biomass burning and motor vehicles. Continuous monitoring of PM0.1 in mass and number concentration should be further understood. A critical review is of great importance to facilitating air pollution control policies and predicting the behavior of PM0.1 in SEA.
Are Customers Willing to Pay More for Eco-Friendly Edible Insect Restaurants? Focusing on the Internal Environmental Locus of Control
Authors: Kim Heather Markham , Joo Kyuhyeon , Hwang Jinsoo
Published: August 2022

This study examines the effect of the internal environmental locus of control, which includes green consumers, environmental activists, environmental advocates, and recyclers, in regard to the green image of edible insect restaurants. This study additionally investigates how the green image of edible insect restaurants affects the willingness to pay more. Lastly, this study explores the differences of the internal environmental locus of control, which were based on the demographic characteristics. A total of 448 samples were used for the final statistical analysis. The results of the data analysis indicate that two dimensions of the internal environmental locus of control, which include recyclers and environmental activists, have a positive influence on the green image of edible insect restaurants, and they in turn positively affect the willingness to pay more. In terms of difference analysis, all four concepts of INELOC indicated statistical differences according to age. In addition, significant differences of the mean value of recyclers and environmental advocates were found in age. There were also significant differences in the education level for the groups of green consumers. There were significant differences in green consumers, environmental advocates, and environmental activists based on marital status. Lastly, there were significant differences of the mean values of environmental advocates in monthly income.
Study of the Effect of a Seismic Zone to the Construction Cost of a Five-Story Reinforced Concrete Building
Authors: Chrysanidis Theodoros , Mousama Dimitra , Tzatzo Eleni , Alamanis Nikolaos , Zachos Dimos
Published: August 2022

Greece is divided into three earthquake hazard zones: Zone I, Zone II and Zone III. In the present research work, the same building in the three seismic zones in Greece was modeled, analyzed and dimensioned. Then, the construction cost of its structural body was estimated. The building modeling was performed in SAP2000 using frame elements. The analysis of the building was performed by dynamic spectral analysis methods using the design spectrum EC8. A five-story building with a standard rectangular floor plan per floor was used. The purpose of this research paper is to demonstrate whether the cost of construction of a load-bearing body of a reinforced concrete (R/C) building is influenced by the area of an earthquake hazard through a comparative analytical estimation of construction costs. It was determined if this impact is important and to what extent. Helpful conclusions were drawn in relation to the influence of seismicity on the construction cost of the load-bearing structure of R/C buildings. Furthermore, the probable environmental impact was examined.
The Rural Gentrification and Its Impacts in Traditional Villages―A Case Study of Xixinan Village, in China
Authors: Lu Song , Rao Xiaofang , Duan Pengxiao
Published: August 2022

Since the reform and opening up in 1978, China has experienced a rapid urbanization process, with an increasing urban population. In recent years, with the improvement of the rural living environment and the rise of the urban middle class, more and more people have moved from cities to villages in China. The gentrification phenomenon has also emerged in rural China. This paper takes Xixinan Village, a traditional village in China, as a case. On the basis of field investigation, it employs qualitative research methods and grounded theory to explore the emergence and influence of rural gentrification in the traditional village. The finding show that: (1) the rural gentrification in Xixinan Village was divided into two stages, namely, the setting-in stage of immigrants (2009–2014) and the rural gentrification development stage (2015–present). (2) The impacts of rural gentrification in Xixinan Village primarily include four aspects: population growth, landscape change, economic transformation and cultural transformation. The increased population mainly includes the urban lifestyle type of gentrifiers, new rural construction type of gentrifiers and returning home entrepreneurial type of gentrifiers. The landscape change is mainly manifested in the spatial form of villages, housing landscape, street landscape and other aspects. The economic transformation is manifested in the rapid development of rural tourism services and cultural industry in Xixinan. In addition, with the influx of the new urban middle class, new aesthetic methods and cultural vitality have emerged in Xixinan Village. (3) The rural gentrification and its impacts in Xixinan Village can be interpreted from three perspectives, i.e., consumption orientation, production orientation and the unique role of the government. Furthermore, the limitations of the study are briefly analyzed, and the “displacement” problem caused by rural gentrification in China needs follow-up research in the future.
Quantifying Water Provision Service Supply, Demand, and Spatial Flow in the Yellow River Basin
Authors: Liu Yang , Yang Yang , Wang Zhijie , An Shaoshan
Published: August 2022

Quantifying and spatial mapping the ecosystem services driven by land use change will help better manage land and formulate relevant ecological protection policies. However, most studies to date just focused on water supply services, and ignore water demand services and their supply–demand coupling mechanisms. Ecosystem service flow could be used to evaluate the imbalance between water supply and demand. Therefore, this study takes the Yellow River Basin as the research object to quantify the supply, demand, and spatial flow of water provision services. The results showed that land use and land cover (LULC) played a critical role in the spatial distributions of water supply and demand in the Yellow River Basin. The total water supply was 3.03 × 1011 m3, with a range of 3.29 × 108 m3 to 7.35 × 1010 m3 for different sub-watersheds. The spatial patterns of water supply were strongly different from those in water demand, resulting in obvious spatial mismatches. There was a higher water demand for constructional areas and agricultural lands, which had relatively lower water supply. Most water areas and natural lands provide much more water supply than demand. We used a water flow process to assess the water provision service between water supply side and demand side. The water flow process suggested that the Yellow River Basin had an obvious imbalance between water supply and demand depending on land use and populations, which would help policy makers to manage water resources through optimizing land management in different cities and finally achieving a balance between water supply side and demand site.
The Future Impacts of ESL Events in Euro-Mediterranean Coastal Cities: The Coast-RiskBySea Model to Assess the Potential Economic Damages in Naples, Marseille and Barcelona
Authors: Clemente Maria Fabrizia
Published: August 2022

In coastal cities, the effects of climate change will cause an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme sea level (ESL). In this scenario, the application of the Coast-RiskBySea model is proposed to assess the economic impacts of ESL on the built environment in three Euro-Mediterranean coastal cities: Naples, Barcelona, and Marseille. The risk (land use-based) is assessed in the GIS environment as a function of the potential direct and tangible economic damages. The results highlight risk scenarios in all three cities with significant economic damages expected, requiring the implementation of climate mitigation and adaptation measures to reduce the current impacts and limit future ones. The simulations highlight the potential of both remote sensing data and GIS systems to carry out homogeneous environmental analyses over wide areas. The results that were obtained are compared with existing works to verify the reliability of the Coast-RiskBySea model.
Pattern of Grain Production Potential and Development Potential in China–Mongolia–Russia Economic Corridor
Authors: Bu Xiaoyan , Shi Ge , Dong Suocheng
Published: August 2022

The China–Mongolia–Russia Economic Corridor (CMREC) region is part of the Silk Road Economic Belt and is critical to world food grain safety, and thus, developing its potential grain production will help counter any global food crisis. In this study, a grain production potential measurement system for the CMREC was designed and developed using spatial data to progressively correct environmental factor functions. The potential yield per unit area and potential area of four grain crops in 48 provinces were scientifically and systematically evaluated, and the grain production potential, development potential, and development potential range were calculated. The results show that the grain production potential and development potential of the corridor are significant. The yield of wheat and maize is mainly distributed in Siberia and the south of the Russian Far East. The development potential of soybean is very large and is mainly concentrated in the Russian Far East and northeast region of Mongolia. However, there is little room for paddy yield improvement, and its potential is mainly concentrated in northeast China. The grain production potential forms a high-value region with a low value from north to south, high value in the middle, extending from northwest to southeast. Grain and cereals in the whole region amounted to 8.45 × 108 t (4.25 × 108 t in Russia, 4.03 × 108 t in China, and 0.12 × 108 t in Mongolia). In terms of grain type, maize has the highest productivity potential with 1.96 × 108 t, followed by wheat at 1.45 × 108 t. The potential for paddy is 0.58 × 104 t, whereas soybean has the lowest potential of 0.40 × 108 t. The results of this study provide evidential support in the form of data for the development of the complementary advantages of agricultural resources, construction of the CMREC, and joint development of a food resource free trade zone. The CMREC will strengthen the development of modern, green, high-yield, high-quality, and efficient grain production zones for soybean and maize, and promote the diversification of grain resource cooperation.
The Impact of Corporate Culture on Corporate Social Responsibility: Role of Reputation and Corporate Sustainability
Authors: Siyal Saeed , Ahmad Riaz , Riaz Samina , Xin Chunlin , Fangcheng Tang
Published: August 2022

The issues surrounding corporate sustainability (CS), which have gained importance in organizational theory and practice that could help in gaining a competitive advantage, are becoming complex and far-reaching. Competitive advantage could decline if CS will not be maintained. Various factors affect CS. Among those, corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, organizational culture (OC), and reputation (R) are important factors to consider for improving corporate sustainability. Therefore, the current study objective was to investigate the impact of OC on CSR in the hospitality industry. In addition, the mediating role of R between CSR and CS has been analyzed. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire from 350 managers, who were working in the hospitality industry across the country, by using a convenient sampling technique to test the proposed hypotheses empirically and validate the findings. Using a cross-research design and a quantitative-research approach, the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) findings indicated a positive impact by OC, CSR, and R on CS. Based on these findings, the study has practical and theoretical implications for researchers and practitioners. Moreover, the current study is also considered to be a pioneer study, contributing to the related findings in the previous literature specifically in the context of Pakistan.
Fourth-Party Logistics Environmental Compliance Management: Investment and Logistics Audit
Authors: Wang Hongyan , Huang Min , Wang Hongfeng
Published: August 2022

To manage the environmental impact of logistics, we considered a logistics service supply chain consisting of a fourth-party logistics company (4PL) and a third-party logistics company (3PL), where the 4PL deputed the 3PL with the logistics tasks of a client. We examined the investment and pricing strategies adopted by the 4PL for the 3PL, and how factors such as logistics audits level and commitment to investment efforts affected the motivation of the 4PL’s strategy choice. The results showed that if the investment cost was low, the 4PL motivated the 3PL to make efforts by investment. Otherwise, the 4PL incentivized the 3PL by providing a high wholesale price or using a high investment level and medium wholesale price. In addition, when the rectification costs of the 3PL were sufficiently high, increasing the audit level could improve the probability of complying with environmental regulations.
Wildfire Prediction Model Based on Spatial and Temporal Characteristics: A Case Study of a Wildfire in Portugal’s Montesinho Natural Park
Authors: Dong Hao , Wu Han , Sun Pengfei , Ding Yunhong
Published: August 2022

Wildfires influence the global carbon cycle, and the regularity of wildfires is mostly determined by elements such as meteorological conditions, combustible material states, and human activities. The time series and spatial dispersion of wildfires have been studied by some scholars. Wildfire samples were acquired in a monthly series for the Montesinho Natural Park historical fire site dataset (January 2000 to December 2003), which can be used to assess the possible effects of geographical and temporal variations on forest fires. Based on the above dataset, dynamic wildfire distribution thresholds were examined using a K-means++ clustering technique for each subgroup, and monthly series data were categorized as flammable or non-flammable depending on the thresholds. A five-fold hierarchical cross-validation strategy was used to train four machine learning models: extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and decision tree (DT). Finally, to explore the performance of those we have mentioned, we used accuracy (ACC), F1 score (F1), and the values for the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics (ROCs). The results depicted that the XGBoost model works best under the evaluation of the three metrics (ACC = 0.8132, F1 = 0.7862, and AUC = 0.8052). The model performance is significantly improved when compared to the approach of classifying wildfires by burned area size (ACC = 72.3%), demonstrating that spatiotemporal heterogeneity has a broad influence on wildfire occurrence. The law of a spatiotemporal distribution connection in wildfires could aid in the prediction and management of wildfires and fire disasters.
Long-Term Development Perspectives in the Slow Crisis of Shrinkage: Strategies of Coping and Exiting
Authors: Liu Ruiying
Published: August 2022

As a slow crisis, shrinkage is a situation where if actions are not taken to change things, a downward spiral or a long-term decline could happen. The complex, long-term nature of this crisis underlines the importance and potential of strategic approach. However, the conceptualisation of development strategy remains abstract, attributive, or focused on sectorial policies, lacking a view of their roles in the overall development. Against this context, this research investigates (1) how cities that have acknowledged shrinkage strategically organise degrowth, non-growth, and growth-promoting instruments in dealing with shrinkage, (2) what long-term development perspectives emerge out of their policies, and (3) what factors in the local context constrain their strategies. The empirical basis is a cross-national comparative case study between Den Helder and Zwickau, a Dutch and German midsize city, with a cross-sectorial view and a focus on the long-term aspects to reveal the conceptual structures of their strategies. This approach captures how and explains why the cities, as regional centres with similar attitudes towards shrinkage and comparable economic levels, adopt many similar policies but lean towards contrasting long-term perspectives—one strives to exit the crisis, the other has routinised coping with shrinkage and lacks the vision of a different future. Their differences stimulate reflection on the context and parameters for revitalisation, and their shared challenges underlines the need for theory development based on situated policymaking challenges and a more strategic approach in the development of shrinking cities.
The Convergence in the Sustainability of the Economies of the European Union Countries between 2006 and 2016
Authors: Turturean Ciprian Ionel , Chirilă Ciprian , Chirilă Viorica
Published: August 2022

On the background of the exponential growth of the world’s population, doubled by the decrease of natural resources and the continuous, accentuated degradation of the quality of the environment, with global warming as its main effect, ensuring the sustainability of economic and social processes is becoming a growing concern. At the European Union level, it is important that all member countries adhere to and implement common measures on sustainable development, which involve, inter alia, ensuring the convergence of policies and their effects at EU level. The EU through detailed SDGs presents the structure of a system of indicators structured on 17 objectives, indicators taken over, implemented, and calculated by EUROSTAT. The study proposes, based on a Composite Index of Sustainable Development of EU Countries’ Economies (ISDE-EU), the analysis of the convergence of the sustainability of EU states’ economies, not so much at individual level, but at cluster level, each cluster containing EU countries with similar/close ISDE-EU levels and dynamics. The results of the analysis confirm the partial existence of the beta and sigma convergence of the sustainability of EU countries’ economies. Please note that, at the time when we processed data, the UK was an EU state, which is why it was included in the analysis.
Circular Economy in the Context of Food Losses and Waste
Authors: Dudziak Agnieszka , Stoma Monika , Derkacz Arkadiusz J.
Published: August 2022

Although consumption is one of the most important elements of any economy, including those that are developing, excessive consumerism is becoming increasingly common today, often resulting in the phenomenon of food waste. Food waste is a multi-aspect issue. It is a topical problem of varying nature and intensity, particularly for the environment, the economy, and society. In this context, efforts were made to emphasize the importance of the idea of a circular economy, due to the fact that the positive effects of its implementation and correct application may be the minimization of the problem of food waste, which can be seen from an economic, social, or environmental point of view. To obtain this goal, consumer research was conducted among the inhabitants of Eastern Poland. Their principal task was to define social attitudes and explain a problem known as household food waste. The results were subjected to the cluster analysis method and correspondence analysis, and the corresponding calculations and figures made it possible to draw conclusions from the research. Consumers seem to be aware of the dilemma of excessive food discarding in their households. They also recognize their active role in preventing this socio-economic problem. Despite the concerns expressed by consumers, food waste is still very high. This may most likely be because of a declarative approach rather than to the actual attitudes of respondents.
Digitalized Welfare for Sustainable Energy Transitions: Examining the Policy Design Aspects of the Cooking Gas Cash Transfers in India
Authors: Yerramsetti Srinivas , Anand Manish , Ritz Adrian
Published: August 2022

This article examines the extent to which digitalized welfare harmonizes the socio-economic goals of economic reform and low-carbon energy transitions in an emerging democratic context. It analyzes digitalized welfare’s effectiveness in facilitating sustainable energy transitions through market mechanisms using a centralized approach to welfare delivery. Using narrative analysis, this article describes the shift to the direct benefits transfers regime from a regime of indirect subsidies for cooking gas in India. It describes the design aspects of various government programs through which target populations are socially constructed, as part of the policy of cooking gas cash transfers in India. Further, it analyzes the role of the practices of communicative governance and digitalization in calibrating the key policy characteristics to strengthen policy legitimacy. The insights from this article contribute to the emerging body of the theory and practice of digitalized welfare for sustainable energy transitions.
Effect of Different Types of Phosphate Fertilizer on Phosphorus Absorption and Desorption in Acidic Red Soil of Southwest China
Authors: Zhou Long , Su Lizhen , Zhang Lianya , Zhang Lu , Zheng Yi , Tang Li
Published: August 2022

The effects of different types of phosphate fertilization on the phosphorus (P) adsorption-desorption in low-P red soil remain unclear. A field plot location test was carried out, and fifteen red soil samples were collected at depths of 0–20 cm from five phosphate fertilizers (CK—no-phosphate, SSP—single superphosphate, CMP—calcium magnesium phosphate, MAP—monoammonium phosphate, and DAP—diammonium phosphate) after the maize was harvested to evaluate the soil physicochemical properties, P adsorption, and desorption characteristics. The structural equation model (SEM) and adjacent tree method (ABT) were used to quantitatively analyze the relative contribution of P adsorption and desorption. The yield, P accumulation, and the P use efficiency of maize were the highest under SSP and CMP treatments. The P adsorption amount was CK > DAP > MAP > CMP > SSP, and the P desorption amount was DAP > MAP > CMP > SSP > CK. Compared with the CK treatment, P adsorption of other P treatments reduced by an average of 21.4%, while P desorption increased by 154.8%. The effect of different types of phosphate fertilizers on soil P adsorption was mainly through regulation of soil organic matter (SOM) and Olsen P, and the effect on soil P desorption was mainly through regulation of SOM and CaCO3. Al2O3 had the greatest effect on P adsorption with a relative contribution rate of 31.52%, and SOM had the greatest effect on P desorption with a relative contribution rate of 53.04%. SSP and CMP treatments had an optimal matching with acidic red soil, which can promote P adsorption, effectively slow down P loss, improve P utilization, and increase crop yield.
A Green Design Method for a Rust-Off Machine Based on QFDE and Function Analysis
Authors: Gong Qingshan , Chen Chen , Jiang Zhigang , Xiong Yurong , Hu Mingmao , Yang Jinghong
Published: August 2022

Green design pursues maximum economic efficiency and minimum environmental impact. Green design of mechanical equipment can ensure environmentally friendly design and manufacturing. A rust-off machine is a crucial piece of equipment in remanufacturing. As attention to remanufacturing grows, the demand for rust-off machines is gradually increasing, but their green characteristics have not attracted attention. There is a need to carry out a green design for a rust-off machine that can improve its economy and environmental friendliness. In response to this need, in this study, a green design method for a rust-off machine was developed, combining the strengths of quality function deployment for environment (QFDE) and function analysis. In this method, functional analysis was used to determine the mapping relationship between functions and components. QFDE was used not only to determine the relationship between customer requirements and engineering metrics, but also to establish the relationship between engineering metrics and components and to obtain optimal structural solutions. A green design of a steel plate surface rust-off machine was taken as a case study. The results show that this method can achieve a win-win design that achieves maximum economic benefit and environmental protection.
Inherent Safety Analysis and Sustainability Evaluation of a Vaccine Production Topology in North-East Colombia
Authors: González-Delgado Ángel Darío , García-Martínez Janet B. , Barajas-Solano Andrés F.
Published: August 2022

Influenza is a respiratory disease that may cause severe consequences to human health. Influenza caused between 99,000 and 200,000 deaths worldwide in 2019. Studies have reported the presence of this virus in Santander, Colombia, a region with a high humanitarian flow. An influenza vaccine production plant topology has been proposed previously. Nevertheless, the inherent safety and sustainably behavior of this topology is unknown. Process safety plays a crucial role in the evaluation of emerging technologies since it allows the identification of potential risks. Moreover, the current sustainability policies enforce the assessment of processes considering economic, social, and environmental aspects. For this reason, a safety and sustainability evaluation of a vaccine production topology is performed in this work. The inherent safety index (ISI) methodology was implemented to analyze the process. The sustainability evaluation was performed using the sustainability weighted return on investment metric (SWROIM), in which return on investment (ROI), output potential environmental impact (PEI output), total safety inherent index (ITI), and exergy efficiency were considered. The results showed that influenza vaccine production is inherently safe since the total inherent safety index was 11. The destroyed exergy was 378.69 MJ/h, the return on investment was 86%, and the SWROIM was estimated at 81%, which means slightly negative impacts on sustainability.
Axial Behavior of FRP Confined Concrete Using Locally Available Low-Cost Wraps
Authors: Qazi Asad U. , Khan Qasim S. , Ahmad H. Abrar , Pham Thong M.
Published: August 2022

This study investigates the influences of three types of locally available low-cost Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) wraps and two concrete mix designs on the axial behavior of FRP confined concrete. The experimental program comprised four unconfined (control), four glass FRP Matt Strand (GFRP-MS) confined concrete, four glass FRP Rowing (GFRP-R) confined concrete and four carbon FRP (CFRP) confined concrete specimens with a diameter of 150 mm and a height of 300 mm tested under axial compression. The specimens were prepared using two normal strength concrete mix designs, i.e., Mix-A and Mix-B. The experimental results exhibited that an increase in the confined concrete strength per unit cost ratio of a single layer of GFRP-MS was about two times of a single layer of CFRP wrap, whereas the increase in confined concrete strength per unit cost ratio of single layer of GFRP-R was about four times of a single layer of CFRP wrap. GFRP-MS and GFRP-R wraps can exhibit similar confined strengths as CFRP wrap with six and twelve times lower costs, respectively, than CFRP wrap. Mix-B concrete specimens exhibited higher confined concrete strengths but lower confined concrete strain than Mix-A concrete specimens. A database of 140 FRP confined concrete specimens was developed based on a set of specific criteria to develop a design-oriented model to predict the FRP confined concrete strength. The predicted confined concrete strengths matched well with the experimental confined concrete strengths. The two layers of GFRP-R exhibited similar confined concrete strength as CFRP wrap. In addition, GFRP-R exhibited high cement strength index (CSI) and low embodied CO2 index (CI).
Exploring 2040: Global Trends and International Policies Setting Frames for the Finnish Wood-Based Economy
Authors: Kunttu Janni , Wallius Venla , Kulvik Martti , Leskinen Pekka , Lintunen Jussi , Orfanidou Timokleia , Tuomasjukka Diana
Published: August 2022

Global trends influence the approaches and mindset for using natural resources and technological capacities. Participatory scenario methods have proven useful in long-term foresight. However, country-level foresight studies often ignore the broader trends affecting international markets and setting frames for economic development. This study envisions which global trends could occur and how the resulting European policies might affect the Finnish forest sector’s development in 2040. We applied a Futures Wheel approach, where stakeholder groups consisting of policy-, economic- and social sustainability-, technology-, and climate sustainability -experts in the field of forestry and interlinking industries created three future scenarios in a workshop: (1) biodiversity and regulated economy, (2) circular economy, and (3) era of social connection. The scenarios assumed growing resource scarcity as a result of climate change, as well as over-consumption and increasing inequality problems globally. Thus, European-level policies focused on the circular economy and resource-use restrictions. Finnish industries should invest in wood-based side stream and waste utilization to increase added value and decrease virgin wood uses to succeed in these scenarios. However, this would require investments in non-wood energy sources to release these secondary wood flows from energy uses.
The Prospects of Utilizing Geometrical Visual Illusions as Tools for Neuroscience
Authors: Landwehr Klaus
Published: August 2022

Geometrical visual illusions have long been used as tools in neuroscience. Most commonly, researchers have taken illusions as a given and attempted to explain phenomenal impressions in terms of known neural mechanisms. In a psychophysical approach to this topic, it is customary to modify stimuli until conditions for which illusions are enhanced, attenuated, or annihilated have been found. Additionally, the focus is not exclusively on response bias but equally on sensitivity, because observers may fall prey to an illusion but at the same time be able to discriminate between stimuli perfectly. For the T-figure, the length of the undivided line is usually overestimated relative to the length of the divided line, and evidence has accrued that suggests that the illusion may be due to the processing of the figure as a coherent unit (a “T-schema”). Dissecting the T or tilting its lines influenced the amount of illusion, suggesting that interactions between orientation-sensitive and end-inhibited neurons are at work. Examples of cognate research with the Ponzo, Ebbinghaus, and Müller-Lyer illusions are also discussed.