bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DeepLocBox: Reliable Fingerprinting-Based Indoor Area Localization
Authors: Laska Marius , Blankenbach Jörg
Published: March 2021

Location-based services (LBS) have gained increasing importance in our everyday lives and serve as the foundation for many smartphone applications. Whereas Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) enable reliable position estimation outdoors, there does not exist any comparable gold standard for indoor localization yet. Wireless local area network (WLAN) fingerprinting is still a promising and widely adopted approach to indoor localization, since it does not rely on preinstalled hardware but uses the existing WLAN infrastructure typically present in buildings. The accuracy of the method is, however, limited due to unstable fingerprints, etc. Deep learning has recently gained attention in the field of indoor localization and is also utilized to increase the performance of fingerprinting-based approaches. Current solutions can be grouped into models that either estimate the exact position of the user (regression) or classify the area (pre-segmented floor plan) or a reference location. We propose a model, DeepLocBox (DLB), that offers reliable area localization in multi-building/multi-floor environments without the prerequisite of a pre-segmented floor plan. Instead, the model predicts a bounding box that contains the user’s position while minimizing the required prediction space (size of the box). We compare the performance of DLB with the standard approach of neural network-based position estimation and demonstrate that DLB achieves a gain in success probability by 9.48% on a self-collected dataset at RWTH Aachen University, Germany; by 5.48% for a dataset provided by Tampere University of Technology (TUT), Finland; and by 3.71% for the UJIIndoorLoc dataset collected at Jaume I University (UJI) campus, Spain.
Cantilever Beam with a Single Fiber Bragg Grating to Measure Temperature and Transversal Force Simultaneously
Authors: Abushagur Abdulfatah A. G. , Arsad Norhana , Bakar Ahmad Ashrif A.
Published: March 2021

This work investigates a new interrogation method of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor based on longer and shorter wavelengths to distinguish between transversal forces and temperature variations. Calibration experiments were carried out to examine the sensor’s repeatability in response to the transversal forces and temperature changes. An automated calibration system was developed for the sensor’s characterization, calibration, and repeatability testing. Experimental results showed that the FBG sensor can provide sensor repeatability of 13.21 pm and 17.015 pm for longer and shorter wavelengths, respectively. The obtained calibration coefficients expressed in the linear model using the matrix enabled the sensor to provide accurate predictions for both measurements. Analysis of the calibration and experiment results implied improvements for future work. Overall, the new interrogation method demonstrated the potential to employ the FBG sensing technique where discrimination between two/three measurands is needed.
Automated Design and Integration of Asset Administration Shells in Components of Industry 4.0
Authors: Arm Jakub , Benesl Tomas , Marcon Petr , Bradac Zdenek , Schröder Tizian , Belyaev Alexander , Werner Thomas , Braun Vlastimil , Kamensky Pavel , Zezulka Frantisek , Diedrich Christian , Dohnal Premysl
Published: March 2021

One of the central concepts in the principles of Industry 4.0 relates to the methodology for designing and implementing the digital shell of the manufacturing process components. This concept, the Asset Administration Shell (AAS), embodies a systematically formed, standardized data envelope of a concrete component within Industry 4.0. The paper discusses the AAS in terms of its structure, its components, the sub-models that form a substantial part of the shell’s content, and its communication protocols (Open Platform Communication—Unified Architecture (OPC UA) and MQTT) or SW interfaces enabling vertical and horizontal communication to involve other components and levels of management systems. Using a case study of a virtual assembly line that integrates AASs into the technological process, the authors present a comprehensive analysis centered on forming AASs for individual components. In the given context, the manual AAS creation mode exploiting framework-based automated generation, which forms the AAS via a configuration wizard, is assessed. Another outcome consists of the activation of a virtual assembly line connected to real AASs, a step that allows us verify the properties of the distributed manufacturing management. Moreover, a discrete event system was modeled for the case study, enabling the effective application of the Industry 4.0 solution.
Investigation of Potting-Adhesive-Induced Thermal Stress in MEMS Pressure Sensor
Authors: Zhang Yunfan , Li Bowen , Li Hui , Shen Shengnan , Li Feng , Ni Wentao , Cao Wan
Published: March 2021

Thermal stress is one of the main sources of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices error. The Wheatstone bridge is the sensing structure of a typical piezoresistive MEMS pressure sensor. In this study, the thermal stress induced by potting adhesive in MEMS pressure sensor was investigated by experiments, calculated by analytics and analyzed by simulations. An experiment system was used to test the sensor at different air pressures and temperatures. The error becomes greater with the decrease in pressure. A set of novel formulas were proposed to calculate the stress–strain on Wheatstone bridge. The error increases with the temperature deviating from 25 °C. A full-scale geometric model was developed, and finite element simulations were performed, to analyze the effect of the stress on MEMS pressure sensor induced by different temperatures and thicknesses of potting adhesive. Simulation results agree well with the experiments, which indicated that there is a 3.48% to 6.50% output error in 0.35 mm potting adhesive at 150 °C. With the thickness of potting adhesive increasing, the variations of output error of the Wheatstone bridge present an N-shaped curve. The output error meets a maximum of 5.30% in the potting adhesive of 0.95 mm and can be reduced to 2.47%, by increasing the potting adhesive to 2.40 mm.
Comparing Localization Performance of IEEE 802.11p and LTE-V V2I Communications
Authors: Halili Rreze , Weyn Maarten , Berkvens Rafael
Published: March 2021

The future of transportation systems is going towards autonomous and assisted driving, aiming to reach full automation. There is huge focus on communication technologies expected to offer vehicular application services, of which most are location-based services. This paper provides a study on localization accuracy limits using vehicle-to-infrastructure communication channels provided by IEEE 802.11p and LTE-V, considering two different vehicular network designs. Real data measurements obtained on our highway testbed are used to model and simulate propagation channels, the position of base stations, and the route followed by the vehicle. Cramer–Rao lower bound, geometric dilution of precision, and least square error for time difference of arrival localization technique are investigated. Based on our analyses and findings, LTE-V outperforms IEEE 802.11p. However, it is apparent that providing larger signal bandwidth dedicated to localization, with network sites positioned at both sides of the highway, and considering the geometry between vehicle and network sites, improve vehicle localization accuracy.
Weakly Supervised Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Highway Driving via Virtual Safety Cages
Authors: Kuutti Sampo , Bowden Richard , Fallah Saber
Published: March 2021

The use of neural networks and reinforcement learning has become increasingly popular in autonomous vehicle control. However, the opaqueness of the resulting control policies presents a significant barrier to deploying neural network-based control in autonomous vehicles. In this paper, we present a reinforcement learning based approach to autonomous vehicle longitudinal control, where the rule-based safety cages provide enhanced safety for the vehicle as well as weak supervision to the reinforcement learning agent. By guiding the agent to meaningful states and actions, this weak supervision improves the convergence during training and enhances the safety of the final trained policy. This rule-based supervisory controller has the further advantage of being fully interpretable, thereby enabling traditional validation and verification approaches to ensure the safety of the vehicle. We compare models with and without safety cages, as well as models with optimal and constrained model parameters, and show that the weak supervision consistently improves the safety of exploration, speed of convergence, and model performance. Additionally, we show that when the model parameters are constrained or sub-optimal, the safety cages can enable a model to learn a safe driving policy even when the model could not be trained to drive through reinforcement learning alone.
What Influences the Perceived Trust of a Voice-Enabled Smart Home System: An Empirical Study
Authors: Liu Yuqi , Gan Yan , Song Yao , Liu Jing
Published: March 2021

Contemporarily, almost all the global IT giants have aimed at the smart home industry and made an active strategic business layout. As the early-stage and entry-level product of the voice-enabled smart home industry, the smart speakers have been going through rapid development and rising fierce market competition globally in recent years. China, one of the most populous and largest markets in the world, has tremendous business potential in the smart home industry. The market sales of smart speakers in China have gone through rapid growth in the past three years. However, the market penetration rate of related smart home devices and equipment still stays extremely low and far from mass adoption. Moreover, the market sales of smart speakers have also entered a significant slowdown and adjustment period since 2020. Chinese consumers have moved from early impulsive consumption to a rational consumption phase about this early-stage smart home product. Trust in the marketing field is considered an indispensable component of all business transactions, which plays a crucial role in adopting new technologies. This study explores the influencing factors of Chinese users’ perceived trust in the voice-enabled smart home systems, uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the interaction mechanism between different variables, and establishes a perceived trust model through 475 valid samples. The model includes six variables: system quality, familiarity, subjective norm, technology optimism, perceived enjoyment, and perceived trust. The result shows that system quality is the essential influence factor that impacts all other variables and could significantly affect the perceived trust. Perceived enjoyment is the most direct influence variable affected by system quality, subjective norm, and technology optimism, and it positively affects the perceived trust in the end. The subjective norm is one of the most distinguishing variables for Chinese users, since China has a collectivist consumption culture. People always expect their behavior to meet social expectations and standards to avoid criticism and acquire social integration. Therefore, policy guidance, authoritative opinions, and people with important reference roles will significantly affect consumers’ perceived trust and purchase intention. Familiarity and technology optimism are important influential factors that will have an indirect impact on the perceived trust. The related results of this study can help designers, practitioners, and researchers of the smart home industry produce products and services with higher perceived trust to improve consumers’ adoption and acceptance so that the market penetration rate of related products and enterprises could be increased, and the maturity and development of the voice-enabled smart home industry could be promoted.
Trailgazers: A Scoping Study of Footfall Sensors to Aid Tourist Trail Management in Ireland and Other Atlantic Areas of Europe
Authors: Madden Kyle , Ramsey Elaine , Loane Sharon , Condell Joan
Published: March 2021

This paper examines the current state of the art of commercially available outdoor footfall sensor technologies and defines individually tailored solutions for the walking trails involved in an ongoing research project. Effective implementation of footfall sensors can facilitate quantitative analysis of user patterns, inform maintenance schedules and assist in achieving management objectives, such as identifying future user trends like cyclo-tourism. This paper is informed by primary research conducted for the EU funded project TrailGazersBid (hereafter referred to as TrailGazers), led by Donegal County Council, and has Sligo County Council and Causeway Coast and Glens Council (NI) among the 10 project partners. The project involves three trails in Ireland and five other trails from Europe for comparison. It incorporates the footfall capture and management experiences of trail management within the EU Atlantic area and desk-based research on current footfall technologies and data capture strategies. We have examined 6 individual types of sensor and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. We provide key learnings and insights that can help to inform trail managers on sensor options, along with a decision-making tool based on the key factors of the power source and mounting method. The research findings can also be applied to other outdoor footfall monitoring scenarios.
Error Analysis of Accelerometer- and Magnetometer-Based Stationary Alignment
Authors: Silva Felipe O. , Paiva Lucas P. S. , Carvalho Gustavo S.
Published: March 2021

This paper revisits the stationary attitude initialization problem, i.e., the stationary alignment, of Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRSs). A detailed and comprehensive error analysis is proposed for four of the most representative accelerometer- and magnetometer-based stationary attitude determination methods, namely, the Three-Axis Attitude Determination (TRIAD), the QUaternion ESTimator (QUEST), the Factored Quaternion Algorithm (FQA), and the Arc-TANgent (ATAN). For the purpose of the error analysis, constant biases in the accelerometer and magnetometer measurements are considered (encompassing, hence, the effect of hard-iron magnetism), in addition to systematic errors in the local gravity and Earth magnetic field models (flux density magnitude, declination angle, and inclination angle). The contributions of this paper are novel closed-form formulae for the residual errors (normality, orthogonality, and alignment errors) developed in the computed Direction Cosine Matrices (DCM). As a consequence, analytical insight is provided into the problem, allowing us to properly compare the performance of the investigated alignment formulations (in terms of ultimate accuracy), as well as to remove some misleading conclusions reported in previous works. The adequacy of the proposed error analysis is validated through simulation and experimental results.
Comparison between Recurrent Networks and Temporal Convolutional Networks Approaches for Skeleton-Based Action Recognition
Authors: Nan Mihai , Trăscău Mihai , Florea Adina Magda , Iacob Cezar Cătălin
Published: March 2021

Action recognition plays an important role in various applications such as video monitoring, automatic video indexing, crowd analysis, human-machine interaction, smart homes and personal assistive robotics. In this paper, we propose improvements to some methods for human action recognition from videos that work with data represented in the form of skeleton poses. These methods are based on the most widely used techniques for this problem—Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs), Temporal Convolutional Networks (TCNs) and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs). Initially, the paper explores and compares different ways to extract the most relevant spatial and temporal characteristics for a sequence of frames describing an action. Based on this comparative analysis, we show how a TCN type unit can be extended to work even on the characteristics extracted from the spatial domain. To validate our approach, we test it against a benchmark often used for human action recognition problems and we show that our solution obtains comparable results to the state-of-the-art, but with a significant increase in the inference speed.
Assessment of the European Union’s Educational Efficiency
Authors: Dincă Marius Sorin , Dincă Gheorghiţa , Andronic Maria Letiţia , Pasztori Anna Maria
Published: March 2021

This paper assesses education sector’s efficiency by comparing 28 European Union states at different levels of education using the mathematic approach of data envelopment analysis. We conducted the study from both the allocative and technical perspectives by considering all education levels separately and then as a whole, every three years, starting with 2006. The input and output variables were adapted to each particular level of education. In this way, we offered a complete image of the education system, creating a ranking for the countries, based on efficiency scores. Efficiency appears to be achieved when education results, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment scores, attainment level or other value-added outcomes, are reached with rather low levels of financial resources. The performance in education lacks sustainability in many countries, mostly belonging to Mediterranean and south-eastern European groups, with old member states recording efficiency scores closer to 1 compared to the new ones. Inefficiency derived from different causes and interactions between these causes (the mixture between public and private resources, the different population composition, gross domestic product per capita or levels of education attainment) and most often imply particular solutions from country to country.
Evaluation of Self-Development Ability and Study of Its Obstacle Factors for State-Owned Forest Farms: Applying the SEM–PPM
Authors: Bai Jiangdi , Tan Pan , Chen Wenhui , Liu Junchang
Published: March 2021

State-owned forest farms (SOFFs) help maintain forest ecological security and hold an important strategic position in China’s development. In this study we used 1305 sample data from 16 provinces, a structural equation model (SEM), and a projection pursuit model (PPM) to evaluate the self-development abilities of SOFFs, and used the obstacle model to analyze factors hindering these abilities in various provinces, at different development levels, and with different subordination relationships. The results show that (1) the self-development abilities of SOFFs remain weak, and there are many more provinces with low than with high levels; (2) the subordination relationship significantly affects the self-development ability, which is the highest for municipal SOFFs; and (3) social services, people’s livelihood security, management ability, and forest resources are the main constraints for SOFF’s self-development abilities, and people’s livelihood security has the greatest influence for SOFFs with high self-development abilities, while social services are the most important for those with low self-development abilities.
Taekwondo as an Academic Field of Study for Non-Koreans: An Unconventional and Extreme Form of Martial Arts Tourism
Authors: Johnson John A.
Published: March 2021

Many Korean universities grant undergraduate and graduate school degrees in part on coursework, theses, and dissertations that explore Taekwondo through various academic lenses in Taekwondo Studies programs, yet only a few individuals have traveled to the Korean Peninsula to study Taekwondo academically. Traveling internationally to earn a university degree in a martial art can be considered extreme martial arts tourism. This multidisciplinary study explores the motivations of non-Koreans who have studied Taekwondo academically in Korea as well as their aspirations after graduation. The study utilized a combination of autoethnographic techniques and interviews with individuals who have given up years of their lives, thousands of dollars, their home cultures, languages, and food, and their families to travel to a foreign university in order to study Taekwondo. Twelve participants were identified that met the selection criteria, but eight responded to the interview requests. The nine participants, including the author, came from a wide assortment of backgrounds, but all shared a passion for Taekwondo; now, most participants (n = 5) have jobs within the Taekwondo industry, including two professors in separate Departments of Taekwondo. This study’s findings elucidate why non-Koreans study Taekwondo academically and thereby offer suggestions on how to improve this educational market.
Preventing Youth Homelessness through Social Procurement in Construction: A Capability Empowerment Approach
Authors: Loosemore Martin , Bridgeman Jemma , Russell Hugh , Zaid Alkilani Suhair
Published: March 2021

Homelessness is a serious and growing problem in the UK, exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. The latest figures estimate that 160,000 households are at risk of the worst forms of homelessness. Employment is widely recognised as being critical to reducing homelessness, yet there has been no research into the role that the construction industry, as a major UK employer, can play in reducing this problem. The aim of this paper is to address this gap in knowledge and contribute to the emerging social procurement debate in construction by exploring the role that construction employment can play in reducing the risk of homelessness. Mobilising Sen’s and Nussbaum’s capabilities empowerment approach, an in-depth case study is presented of a construction employment program in Wales, UK, which was aimed at supporting young people who had experienced or who were at risk of homelessness. Contributing to the emerging social value and social procurement debate in construction and drawing on documentary analysis and interviews with young people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness who went through the program, findings indicate that these young people became empowered in ways which reduced their risk of homelessness. It is concluded that the capabilities empowerment framework is valuable in explaining how employment in the construction industry can reduce the risks of homelessness for disadvantaged youth with a care-experienced background or who were known to the criminal justice system.
Gaseous Nitrogen Losses from Tropical Soils with Liquid or Granular Urea Fertilizer Application
Authors: Motasim Ahmmed Md , Samsuri Abd Wahid , Abdul Sukor Arina Shairah , Adibah Amin Mohd
Published: March 2021

Gaseous loss of N leads to lower nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of applied urea and N content of the soil. This laboratory study was conducted to compare the nitrogen losses from two tropical soil series (Bungor sandy clay loam and Selangor clay) incubated with either liquid urea (LU) or granular urea (GU) at 0, 300, 400, or 500 mg/kg of soil for thirty days. The NH3 volatilization, N2O emission, and N content in the soils were measured throughout the incubation period. For the same application rate, the total NH3 volatilization loss was higher in GU-treated soils than the LU-treated soils. NH3 volatilization loss continued up to the 15th day in the Selangor soil, while in the Bungor soil series it continued up to the 26th day. Higher amounts of N2O emissions were recorded in GU-treated soils than the LU-treated soils, and N2O emission increased with increasing rate of GU and LU applications in both soils. The N2O emission was higher only in the first few days and then tapered off at the seventh and eighth day in Bungor and Selangor soil series, respectively. The total N2O emission was higher in the Selangor soil series than that of Bungor soil series. The total N content that remained in the LU-treated soils after 30 days of incubation was higher than the GU-treated soils. The total N loss from applied urea was higher in the sandy clay loam Bungor soils than that of clayey Selangor soil series. The results suggest that the LU may be a better N fertilizer source than GU due to lower N loss from NH3 volatilization and N2O emission.
Agriculture Land Use Change and Demographic Change in Response to Decline Suspended Sediment in Južna Morava River Basin (Serbia)
Authors: Manojlović Sanja , Sibinović Mikica , Srejić Tanja , Hadud Abosa , Sabri Ibrahim
Published: March 2021

This study expounds the dynamic relationships among agricultural land-use change, rural population migration, and sediment transport. The variability of suspended sediment load was detected by Mann–Kendall and Pettitt tests. From 1961 to 2007, the annual trend in suspended sediment concentration and sediment load demonstrated significant reduction (α = 0.001), with decreasing rates of 0.0144 g/L/y and 84.7 t/y, respectively. An abrupt change-point was detected in 1984 for the sediment load (p = 0.0001). The double-mass curve method and regression analysis of sediment load versus precipitation were used to quantify the effects of climate change and human activities on sediment load variations. The changes in sediment load were predominantly impacted by human activities (89%), while precipitation explained 11% of the reduction in suspended sediment. An important land-use change recorded in the Južna Morava river basin comprised the abandonment of agricultural lands due to depopulation processes, as well as economic and social changes, which was followed by significant impacts on soil erosion and sediment transport. Land abandonment was most pronounced in marginal mountain or semi-mountainous areas, where agriculture was until recent decades traditional or semi-traditional. The results of the correlation matrix were significant at the p < 0.05 level, demonstrating that the decrease of rural population, agricultural land, and arable land were directly related to the decline of suspended sediment. High correlation coefficients were found between anthropogenic indicators and sediment parameters, ranging from 0.94 to 0.97.
Properties of Precast Concrete Using Food Industry-Filtered Recycled Diatoms
Authors: Rodriguez Carlos , Miñano Isabel , Parra Carlos , Pujante Pedro , Benito Francisco
Published: March 2021

The concrete industry is under increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An immediate solution is to minimize the amount of Portland cement used by partially substituting other supplementary cementitious materials. This article presents the results of an experimental campaign on the influence of replacing Portland cement with both calcined and uncalcined diatomites from the filtration of beer and wine in the production of elements made of vibro-pressed pre-cast concrete, such as pipes. Additionally, a natural diatomite is used. The mechanical properties, capillary water absorption, carbonation, and chloride ingress are tested. The results obtained show the possibility of using natural and recycled diatomites on an industrial scale, which can improve even the long term properties of prepared precast concrete.
Sustainable Urban Greening and Cooling Strategies for Thermal Comfort at Pedestrian Level
Authors: Detommaso Maurizio , Gagliano Antonio , Marletta Luigi , Nocera Francesco
Published: March 2021

The increase of the urban warming phenomenon all over the world is gaining increasing attention from scientists as well as planners and policymakers due to its adverse effects on energy consumption, health, wellbeing, and air pollution. The protection of urban areas from the outdoor warming phenomenon is one of the challenges that policy and governments have to tackle as soon as possible and in the best possible way. Among the urban heat island mitigation techniques, cool materials and urban greening are identified as the most effective solutions in reducing the urban warming phenomenon. The effects produced by the adoption of cool materials and urban forestation on the urban microclimate were investigated through a computational fluid-dynamic (CFD) model. The CFD model was calibrated and validated thanks to experimental surveys within the Catania University campus area. The urban microclimate thermal comfort analysis and assessment were carried out with the Klima–Michel Model (KMM) and Munich Energy Balance Model for Individuals (MEMI). In particular, three scenarios were performed: cool, low, and high levels of urban greening. The cool scenario, although it produces air temperature at around 1.00 °C, determines the worst condition of outdoor thermal comfort, especially at the pedestrian level. On the contrary, a high level of urban greening, obtained by the extensive green roofs together with an urban forestation, guarantees the wellbeing of pedestrians, showing more convenient values of PMV and PET.
Psychometric Investigation of the Cultural Intelligence Scale Using the Rasch Measurement Model in South Korea
Authors: Lee Seung Yeon , Hong Ah Jeong
Published: March 2021

As the business environment and its workforce’s composition have become more diversified, more attention has been paid to cultural intelligence or the ability to effectively function in such an environment. Various attempts have been made to measure and develop leaders and staff members’ cultural intelligence. The Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) is the most representative tool for measuring cultural intelligence worldwide and has been frequently used in South Korea. Although CQS validity has been verified for each country and cultural region, it has been used without psychometric verification in South Korea and simply translates the original scale into Korean. This study’s objective was to test CQS validity when employed with the employees of South Korean companies. It applied the Rasch measurement model to confirm the validity in various aspects. First, this study calculated an item adequacy index and performed point biserial correlation analysis. The results showed that all values were above the appropriateness threshold. A Likert scale response test was conducted to check actual validity. The results confirmed that the 7-point rating scale was valid, and the item–subject map proved that the CQS items reflected the respondents’ ability distribution relatively well. Rasch factor analysis for confirming the internal structure’s validity revealed that CQS showed a multidimensional factor structure. Lastly, this study checked differential functioning items by position to secure evidence of generalization validity. It was confirmed that it has an appropriate level of generalization-related validity.
Board Gender Diversity and Corporate Social Performance in Different Industry Groups: Evidence from China
Authors: Naveed Khwaja , Voinea Cosmina L. , Ali Zahid , Rauf Fawad , Fratostiteanu Cosmin
Published: March 2021

This paper examines the heterogeneous links between board gender diversity and corporate social performance in different industries across China. OLS regression models are approximated using the data of Chinese industries from 2009 to 2015. Robustness test and two-stage least square (2SLS) methods are incorporated to cater for robustness and endogeneity. Board gender diversity (BGD) stimulates corporate social performance (CSP) of firms with environmental and social risk exposure regardless of critical mass and directors’ independence. It does so for firms with governance risk exposure while incorporating the critical mass effect and the director’s independence. Overall, the positive effect of BGD is prevalent in different industries at an aggregate level while considering firms with an overall ESG risk exposure. The findings imply that BGD can mitigate the ESG risk exposure in terms of enhancing the CSP and the advantage can be transpired with the inclusion of even one female director (independent or executive) to the board. The study also highlights that BGD enhances CSP in industries with more environmental and social risk exposure while doing so in industries with governance risk exposure after complementation by critical mass and independent director effects.
Photovoltaic and Thermoelectric Generator Combined Hybrid Energy System with an Enhanced Maximum Power Point Tracking Technique for Higher Energy Conversion Efficiency
Authors: N Kanagaraj
Published: March 2021

In this paper, the design and performance investigation of the hybrid photovoltaic–thermoelectric generator (PV–TEG) system with an enhanced fractional order fuzzy logic controller (FOFLC)-based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique is presented. A control strategy of the variable incremental conduction (INC) method is employed using FOFLC for the MPPT control technique to efficiently harvest the maximum power from the PV module. The fractional factor α used in the MPPT control algorithm is a supporting fuzzy logic controller (FLC) for the accurate tracking of the maximum power point (MPP) and to maintain the constant output after reaching the MPP. In the proposed system configuration, the TEG is mounted with the PV panel for generating the extra electrical power using the waste heat energy produced on the PV panel due to the incident solar irradiation. The PV and TEG are connected electrically in series to increase output voltage level and thereby improve the power output. The hybrid energy module has better energy conversion efficiency when compared to the standalone PV array. The performance of the proposed MPPT technique is studied for the PV–TEG hybrid energy module under various thermal and electrical operating conditions using a MATLAB software-based simulation. The results of the FOFLC-based MPPT technique are compared with the conventional perturb and observe (P&O) and FLC-based P&O methods. The proposed MPPT technique confirms its effectiveness in extracting the maximum power in terms of speed and accuracy. Moreover, the PV and TEG combined system provides higher energy efficiency than the individual PV module.
Effects of the Climate Change on Peripheral Populations of Hydrophytes: A Sensitivity Analysis for European Plant Species Based on Climate Preferences
Authors: Hernández-Lambraño Ricardo Enrique , de la Cruz David Rodríguez , Agudo José Ángel Sánchez
Published: March 2021

Biogeographical theory suggests that widespread retractions of species’ rear edges are expected due to anthropogenic climate change, affecting in a particularly intense way those linked to fragile habitats, such as species’ rear edges closely dependent on specific water conditions. In this way, this paper studies the potential effects of anthropogenic climate change on distribution patterns of threatened rear edge populations of five European hydrophyte plants distributed in the Iberian Peninsula. We explored (i) whether these populations occur at the limit of the species’ climatic tolerance, (ii) we quantified their geographic patterns of vulnerability to climate change, and in addition, (iii) we identified in a spatially explicit way whether these threatened populations occur in vulnerable environments to climate change. To do this, we simulated the climatic niche of five hydrophyte species using an ecological modelling approach based on occurrences and a set of readily available climatic data. Our results show that the Iberian populations studied tended to occur in less suitable environments relative to each of the species’ optimal climates. This result suggests a plausible explanation for the current degree of stagnancy or regression experienced by these populations which showed high sensitivity and thus vulnerability to thermal extremes and high seasonality of wet and temperature. Climatic predictions for 2050 displayed that most of the examined populations will tend to occur in situations of environmental risk in the Iberian Peninsula. This result suggests that the actions aimed at the conservation of these populations should be prioritized in the geographic locations in which vulnerability is greatest.
Research Advances on Financial Inclusion: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Gálvez-Sánchez Francisco Jesús , Lara-Rubio Juan , Verdú-Jóver Antonio José , Meseguer-Sánchez Víctor
Published: March 2021

With intensifying competition in the financial system, new strategic applications are constantly being devised in the search for greater efficiency. In consequence, decisions are commonly based on locating and retaining market segments with high added value, and those which fail to supply the profitability required by the market are “excluded”. The aim of this study is to analyse the research advances made in the field of financial inclusion and the main lines of investigation currently being addressed by means of a bibliometric analysis. Among the scientific community, there is growing interest in this study area. The most assiduous in this respect are SA Asongu (the most productive author), Enterprise Development and Microfinance (the journal that has published the most articles in this field), Makerere University, Uganda (the most productive institution) and India (the country where most recent studies have taken place). Foreseeably inspiring future research, there is currently great interest in developing a more accessible financial system, especially through the use of digital money (Fintech) as an instrument to promote financial inclusion. For all this, a line of research is proposed that also includes the proposals from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Forest Park Visitors Opinions and Willingness to Pay for Sustainable Development of the Germia Forest and Recreational Park
Authors: Doli Azdren , Bamwesigye Dastan , Hlaváčková Petra , Fialová Jitka , Kupec Petr , Asamoah Obed
Published: March 2021

The study addresses sustainable development in the forest and recreational park of Germia in the Capital City of Kosovo. The park serves the residents and other visitors’ socioeconomic and environmental needs, such as leisure, sports, meditation, and biodiversity and ecological roles. Sustainable management and the development of natural resources are a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own needs. The study used the contingent valuation method to assess willingness to pay for the sustainable management and development of Germia forest and recreational park, given the values it serves the people. The study surveyed 208 respondents about their opinions on the willingness to pay for the sustainable management and development of the forest and recreational park. The results showed that 56% were willing to pay for recreational services, while 44% were against it because they were not satisfied with the park’s services. The majority (62%) were also willing to pay for this service in tax from their salaries. This showed that an average percentage of people were willing to pay for the sustainable management and development of the forest and recreational park. Therefore, this study serves as a basis for future similar studies and policy decisions for park development.
Technical and Environmental Comparison among Different Municipal Solid Waste Management Scenarios
Authors: Panepinto Deborah , Zanetti Mariachiara
Published: March 2021

In order to determine the optimal final destination of municipal solid waste, it is necessary to consider both monetary costs and environmental externalities, as well as the local availability of waste-processing industrial infrastructure. The paper examines the results obtained from a technical, economic, and environmental comparison between different scenarios for waste management: in particular, the solutions of gasification and pyrolysis were studied and, afterwards, were compared with direct combustion in incineration plant (from the point of view of the thermal treatment) and final disposal in landfill. In order to perform this analysis, 19 plants operating on full scale were analyzed. The comparison took into account environmental, energy, and economic aspects. From the environmental and energetical point of view, the tool of mass and energy balance was used to address some key environmental aspects. In particular, some indexes were defined in order to perform a comparison among the different analyzed solutions. As concerns the economic point of view, conventional economic criteria were considered. The analysis showed advantages for the examined thermal treatment solutions. The comparison methodology that has been defined can establish a more general useful approach in order to help the definition of the best solution for waste management planning.
Toward a Chatbot for Financial Sustainability
Authors: Hwang Sewoong , Kim Jonghyuk
Published: March 2021

This study examines technology effectiveness for industry demand in which artificial intelligence (AI) is applied in the financial sector. It summarizes prior studies on chatbot and customer service and investigates theories on acceptance attitudes for innovative technologies. By setting variables, the study examines bank revenue methodologically and assesses the impact of customer service and chatbot on bank revenues through customer age classification. The results indicate that new product-oriented funds or housing subscription savings are more suitable for purchase through customer service than through chatbot. However, services for existing products through chatbot positively affect banks’ net income. When classified by age, purchases by the majority age group in the channel positively affect bank profits. Finally, there is a tendency to process small banking transactions through the chatbot system, which saves transaction and management costs, positively affecting profits. Through empirical analysis, we first examine the effect of an AI-based chatbot system implemented to strengthen financial soundness and suggest policy alternatives. Second, we use banking data to increase the study’s real-life applicability and prove that problems in customer service can be solved through a chatbot system. Finally, we investigate how resistance to technology can be reduced and efficiently accommodated.
Impact of Coordination, Psychological Safety, and Job Security on Employees’ Performance: The Moderating Role of Coercive Pressure
Authors: Wang Yong Ming , Ahmad Waqar , Arshad Muhammad , Yin Hong Li , Ahmed Bilal , Ali Zulfiqar
Published: March 2021

Based on institutional theory, the current study examines the relationship of coordination, job security, psychological safety, and coercive pressure with employees’ performance. Further, coercive pressure is treated as a boundary condition between coordination, job security, and psychological safety with employees’ performance. A survey method was used to collect data from 235 faculty members of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Pakistan. Study results show that there is a positive and significant relationship between job security and coordination with employees’ performance. The results also reveal that coercive pressure moderates job security, coordination, and psychological safety with employees’ performance. Implications for organizations and HEIs administration are discussed.
Community Empowerment and Utilization of Renewable Energy: Entrepreneurial Perspective for Community Resilience Based on Sustainable Management of Slum Settlements in Makassar City, Indonesia
Authors: Surya Batara , Suriani Seri , Menne Firman , Abubakar Herminawaty , Idris Muhammad , Rasyidi Emil Salim , Remmang Hasanuddin
Published: March 2021

The acceleration of metropolitan city development toward economic growth has an impact on over-urbanization, energy scarcity, slum settlements, and environmental degradation. Slum settlements that are predominantly inhabited by the urban poor will require an increase in the productivity of economic enterprises through the empowerment process. This study aims to analyze (1) community empowerment functions as determinants of the use of renewable energy in handling slum settlement and (2) the effects of community empowerment, utilization of renewable energy, strengthening of institutional capacity, and productivity of economic enterprises on improving the quality of the slum settlement environment. The study approach used is a combination of qualitative–quantitative research. Data was obtained through observation, in-depth interviews, surveys, and documentation. The results of the study show that community empowerment, coupled with the use of renewable energy, strengthening institutional capacity, and community participation, contributes positively to increasing the productivity of economic enterprises and improving environmental quality toward sustainable management of slum settlements. The effect of economic empowerment, strengthening institutional capacity, and the use of renewable energy to improve environmental quality with a coefficient of determination of 78.5%. This study recommends socio-economic empowerment based on the use of renewable energy in the implementation of the Makasssar City toward environmental, economic sustainability and the creation of social cohesion.
MEOD: Memory-Efficient Outlier Detection on Streaming Data
Authors: Karale Ankita , Lazarova Milena , Koleva Pavlina , Poulkov Vladimir
Published: March 2021

In this paper, a memory-efficient outlier detection (MEOD) approach for streaming data is proposed. The approach uses a local correlation integral (LOCI) algorithm for outlier detection, finding the outlier based on the density of neighboring points defined by a given radius. The radius value detection problem is converted into an optimization problem. The radius value is determined using a particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based approach. The results of the MEOD technique application are compared with existing approaches in terms of memory, time, and accuracy, such as the memory-efficient incremental local outlier factor (MiLOF) detection technique. The MEOD technique finds outlier points similar to MiLOF with nearly equal accuracy but requires less memory for processing.
Heat Driven Flows in Microsized Nematic Volumes: Computational Studies and Analysis
Authors: Śliwa Izabela , Zakharov Alex
Published: March 2021

The nematic fluid pumping mechanism responsible for the heat driven flow in microfluidic nematic channels and capillaries is described in a number of applications. This heat driven flow can be generated either by a laser beam focused inside the nematic microvolume and at the nematic channel boundary, or by inhomogeneous heating of the nematic channel or capillary boundaries. As an example, the scenario of the vortex flow excitation in microsized nematic volume, under the influence of a temperature gradient caused by the heat flux through the bounding surface of the channel, is described. In order to clarify the role of heat flux in the formation of the vortex flow in microsized nematic volume, a number of hydrodynamic regimes based on a nonlinear extension of the Ericksen–Leslie theory, supplemented by thermomechanical correction of the shear stress and Rayleigh dissipation function, as well as taking into account the entropy balance equation, are analyzed. It is shown that the features of the vortex flow are affected not only by the power of the laser radiation, but also by the duration of the energy injection into the microsized nematic channel.