bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Importing Religion into Post-Communist Albania: Between Rights and Obligations
Authors: Abazi Enika
Published: May 2023

After the communist regime seized power in Albania in 1944, the vilification, humiliation, persecution and execution of clergy of all faiths, including Muslim, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox, were conducted publicly. Religious estates were nationalized in 1946, and around the same time, religious institutions were closed or converted into warehouses, gymnasiums, workshops or cultural centers. In the communist constitution of 1976, Albania became the first constitutional atheist state in the world. In Article 37 of the Constitution was stated “the state does not recognize any religion”. Albanians were forced to deny their religion, change their belief system and adopt the new socialist way of life that praised secular gods such as the Communist Party and its leaders. The image of the party leader replaced religious icons. Young people were encouraged to follow worldly pursuits, including offering their life for communist deities. With the fall of communism, Albanian clerics and foreign missionaries encouraged the revival of religiosity in the country. Because in Albania, religious institutions and clergy did not exist for more than 3 decades, foreign actors played a major role in the return of religion to social life and among young people. Post-communist Albania represents a quintessential case study of importing religion into a formerly atheistic country that lacked qualified clergy, religious institutions and strong religious beliefs. In the permissive post-communist Albania, people, especially young people, attributed different meanings to religion and religiosity. Mere investigations and surveys of faith communities along traditional lines would fail to provide useful insights into the significant transformations that have impacted the religious field in Albania after the fall of the communist regime and the current challenges faced by new and “traditional” denominations. The post-communist religious context is dominated by two opposing currents: The first trend is marked by the legal organization of religious practice in the public space, which grants freedoms and equality to the “traditional” religions recognized by the state, but autonomous and independent from it. The other trend is shaped by the rituals and practices of believers from abroad who are pushing for the creation of new autonomous religious communities. This paper is not investigating religious “communitarianism” along traditional lines but rather examines salient religious identification and societal relationships and discusses their implications. This analysis rests on survey data and free-flowing and open-ended interviews conducted mainly with students of the Political Science Department of the University of Tirana and of the European University of Tirana, as well as research of different social networks. The article is divided into three parts, which present the following: literature insights, the historical background of Albania’s secularization and current religious trends and practices.
Interstate Relational Ethics: Mengzi and Later Mohists in Dialogue
Authors: Lee Ting-mien
Published: May 2023

The popular interpretation holds that Mengzi was strongly critical of Mozi because the Mohist moral theory was antithetical to Confucian relational ethics. According to this interpretation, Mohism promotes the norm of “impartiality” or “impartial care”, which violates the Confucian norms of “filial piety” and “graded love”. Accordingly, Mengzi thought that the Confucian ideal would not be realized if Mohism continued to prevail. Scholars have tried to nuance and revise this dominant interpretation. For example, some have pointed out the importance of family-oriented values in Mohist ethical theory, arguing that Mengzi likely misunderstood or purposefully mispresented Mohism. This article is an initial attempt to modify the popular interpretation by arguing that the debate between Mengzi and Mohist regarding relational ethics is predominantly about the relations between states rather than individuals. This interpretation sheds light on a core difference between Confucian and Mohist ethical theories and can help make better sense of some later Mohist passages.
Normative Reasons, Epistemic Autonomy, and Accountability to God
Authors: Rickabaugh Brandon
Published: May 2023

According to many, human autonomy is necessary for moral action and yet incompatible with being morally accountable to God’s divine commands. By issuing commands that ground normative facts, God demands our accountability without understanding our normative reasons for moral action, which crushes human autonomy. Call this the Autonomy Objection to Theism (AOT). There is an unexplored connection between models of normative reason and AOT. I argue that any plausible AOT must be stated in terms of an adequate model of normative reason. There are two broad metaethical categories for models of normative reason: anti-realist or realist views. I defend the thesis that both anti-realism and realism about normative reasons fail to support AOT by means of a dilemma. If the AOT defender adopts anti-realism about normative reasons (subjectivism and constructivism), AOT loses its force. However, if the AOT defender adopts moral realism, they face the same problem as the theist, as normative fact constrains autonomy. Consequently, AOT is a problem for all moral realists, including non-theists, such as Russ Shafer-Landau, David Enoch, and Erik Wielenberg, among others.
Evaluating the Consistency of Vegetation Phenological Parameters in the Northern Hemisphere from 1982 to 2015
Authors: Liu Xigang , Chen Yaning , Li Zhi , Li Yupeng
Published: May 2023

Vegetation phenology reflects the response mechanisms in ecology and climate change, so it is important that the parameters used to study vegetation phenology are accurate. Previous studies mainly focused on phenological changes. However, because the extraction methods used in those investigations led to inconsistencies in setting vegetation phenological parameters, a more accurate approach needs to be developed. To resolve this issue, we select five methods to extract the start of the growing season (SOS) and the end of the growing season (EOS) from the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI3g) data. The five chosen methods are the second-order derivative method (Method 1), the first-order derivative method (Method 2), the 0.2 dynamic threshold method (Method 3), the 0.5 dynamic threshold method (Method 4), and the fixed threshold method (Method 5). Our study area is the Northern Hemisphere (above 30°N), and our study period is 1982 to 2015. After applying the five methods, we evaluate the consistency of the vegetation phenological parameters. The results show that (1) regardless of the method used, the average changes in phenological parameters are consistent; however, the SOS and EOS under Methods 1, 3 and 5 are up to 30 days earlier than those under Methods 2 and 4. (2) Under all five methods, the SOS trend mainly shows an advance, but the trend is substantially higher under Methods 1, 3 and 4 than under Methods 2 and 5 from 45°N to 60°N. The distribution of the EOS trend under different methods is consistent. (3) Under the tested extraction methods, the SOS trends of evergreen needleleaf forests (ENF) and mixed forests (MF) have significant differences (p < 0.05), whereas, the EOS trend for different vegetation types is consistent. (4) By analysing the consistency of the phenological parameters between remote sensing data and ground data under different methods, we now know that Methods 3 and 4 are the most accurate for extracting the SOS and EOS, respectively. The above results can provide a reference for the accurate extraction of phenological parameters above 30°N.
Bandpass Alignment from Sentinel-2 to Gaofen-1 ARD Products with UNet-Induced Tile-Adaptive Lookup Tables
Authors: Liu Zhi-Qiang , Wang Zhao , Zhao Zhitao , Huo Lianzhi , Tang Ping , Zhang Zheng
Published: May 2023

The successful launching of more satellites in recent years has made data fusion an important and promising task because it can significantly increase the temporal frequency of the resulting time series data. To improve the usability of Gaofen-1 analysis ready data (GF1-ARD), Sentinel-2 (S2) is selected to enhance the temporal resolution of GF1-ARD due to their similar characteristics and short revisit period. Before constructing a denser time series from different platforms, bandpass alignment is required. Most researchers implement bandpass alignment using the linear model. However, the transformed bands of S2 by the linear model cannot match GF1-ARD well due to the limited globally shared parameters. In contrast, local-derived lookup tables (LUTs) can better address this problem. Inspired by the powerful capability of deep learning, we develop a model based on the U-shaped network (UNet) to learn tile-adaptive LUTs. Specifically, the LUTs are adaptively learned from the histogram of the S2 tile. Given that the bandpass alignment can be viewed as a histogram matching process, the expected LUTs are believed to be highly correlated with the input histogram. In addition, a simple convolutional module is further introduced to address the pixel-level misregistration. We have created a large-scale dataset and conducted extensive experiments on it to evaluate the competitive performance of the proposed model. Meanwhile, extensive visualizations are generated to illustrate the mechanism of our model. Furthermore, the temporal frequency of S2 and GF1-ARD is thoroughly assessed to demonstrate that bandpass alignment can significantly improve the temporal resolution of GF1-ARD.
An Active Service Recommendation Model for Multi-Source Remote Sensing Information Using Fusion of Attention and Multi-Perspective
Authors: Zhu Lilu , Wu Feng , Fu Kun , Hu Yanfeng , Wang Yang , Tian Xinmei , Huang Kai
Published: May 2023

With the development and popularization of remote sensing earth observation technology and the remote sensing satellite system, the problems of insufficient proactiveness, relevance and timeliness of large-scale remote sensing supporting services are increasingly prominent, which seriously restricts the application of remote sensing resources in multi-domain and cross-disciplinary. It is urgent to help terminal users make appropriate decisions according to real-time network environment and domain requirements, and obtain the optimal resources efficiently from the massive remote sensing resources. In this paper, we propose a recommendation algorithm using fusion of attention and multi-perspective (MRS_AMRA). Based on MRS_AMRA, we further implement an active service recommendation model (MRS_ASRM) for massive multi-source remote sensing resources by combining streaming pushing technology. Firstly, we construct value evaluation functions from multi-perspective in terms of remote sensing users, data and services to enable the adaptive provision of remote sensing resources. Then, we define multi-perspective heuristic policies to support resource discovery, and fusion these policies through the attention network, to achieve the accurate pushing of remote sensing resources. Finally, we implement comparative experiments to simulate accurate recommendation scenarios, compared with state-of-the-art algorithms, such as DIN and Geoportal. Furthermore, MRS_AMRA achieves an average improvement of 10.5% in the recommendation accuracy NDCG@K, and in addition, we developed a prototype system to verify the effectiveness and timeliness of MRS_ASRM.
Delineation Evaluation and Variation of Debris-Covered Glaciers Based on the Multi-Source Remote Sensing Images, Take Glaciers in the Eastern Tomur Peak Region for Example
Authors: Yang Shujing , Wang Feiteng , Xie Yida , Zhao Weibo , Bai Changbin , Liu Jingwen , Xu Chunhai
Published: May 2023

As a particular type of alpine glacier, debris-covered glaciers are essential for local water resources and glacial disaster warnings. The Eastern Tomur Peak Region (EPTR) is the most concentrated glacier in Tien Shan Mountain, China, where the glaciers have not been studied in detail. This paper evaluates the delineation accuracy of Landsat8 OLI, Sentinel-1A, and GF images for debris-covered glaciers in the EPTR. Each image uses the most advanced delineation method for itself to minimize the error of inherent resolutions. The results show that the accuracy of these images for delineating debris-covered glaciers is very high, and the F1 scores are expressed as 96.73%, 93.55%, and 95.81%, respectively. Therefore, Landsat images were selected to analyze the area change of EPTR from 2000 to 2022 over a 5-year time scale. The results indicate that glaciers of the EPTR decreased by 19.05 km2 from 2000 to 2020, accounting for 1.9% (0.08% a−1), and debris increased by 10.8%, which validates the opinion that the presence of debris inhibits glacier melting. The most varied time was 2010–2022, but it was much less than other Tien Shan regions. The lower glacier ablation rate in this area results from the combined effect of decreased bare ice and increased debris. The main reason for the change in debris-covered glaciers is the increase in temperature.
The Estimation of Maize Grain Protein Content and Yield by Assimilating LAI and LNA, Retrieved from Canopy Remote Sensing Data, into the DSSAT Model
Authors: Zhu Bingxue , Chen Shengbo , Xu Zhengyuan , Ye Yinghui , Han Cheng , Lu Peng , Song Kaishan
Published: May 2023

The assimilation of remote sensing data into mechanistic models of crop growth has become an available method for estimating yield. The objective of this study was to explore an effective assimilation approach for estimating maize grain protein content and yield using a canopy remote sensing data and crop growth model. Based on two years of field experiment data, the remote sensing inversion model using assimilation intermediate variables, namely leaf area index (LAI) and leaf nitrogen accumulation (LNA), was constructed with an R2 greater than 0.80 and a low root-mean-square error (RMSE). The different data assimilation approaches showed that when the LAI and LNA variables were used together in the assimilation process (VLAI+LNA), better accuracy was achieved for LNA estimations than the assimilation process using single variables of LAI or LNA (VLAI or VLNA). Similar differences in estimation accuracy were found in the maize yield and grain protein content (GPC) simulations. When the LAI and LNA were both intermediate variables in the assimilation process, the estimation accuracy of the yield and GPC were better than that of the assimilation process with only one variable. In summary, these results indicate that two physiological and biochemical parameters of maize retrieved from hyperspectral data can be combined with the crop growth model through the assimilation method, which provides a feasible method for improving the estimation accuracy of maize LAI, LNA, GPC and yield.
Spatial–Temporal Self-Attention Enhanced Graph Convolutional Networks for Fitness Yoga Action Recognition
Authors: Wei Guixiang , Zhou Huijian , Zhang Liping , Wang Jianji
Published: May 2023

Fitness yoga is now a popular form of national fitness and sportive physical therapy. At present, Microsoft Kinect, a depth sensor, and other applications are widely used to monitor and guide yoga performance, but they are inconvenient to use and still a little expensive. To solve these problems, we propose spatial–temporal self-attention enhanced graph convolutional networks (STSAE-GCNs) that can analyze RGB yoga video data captured by cameras or smartphones. In the STSAE-GCN, we build a spatial–temporal self-attention module (STSAM), which can effectively enhance the spatial–temporal expression ability of the model and improve the performance of the proposed model. The STSAM has the characteristics of plug-and-play so that it can be applied in other skeleton-based action recognition methods and improve their performance. To prove the effectiveness of the proposed model in recognizing fitness yoga actions, we collected 960 fitness yoga action video clips in 10 action classes and built the dataset Yoga10. The recognition accuracy of the model on Yoga10 achieves 93.83%, outperforming the state-of-the-art methods, which proves that this model can better recognize fitness yoga actions and help students learn fitness yoga independently.
Backdoor Attack on Deep Neural Networks Triggered by Fault Injection Attack on Image Sensor Interface
Authors: Oyama Tatsuya , Okura Shunsuke , Yoshida Kota , Fujino Takeshi
Published: May 2023

A backdoor attack is a type of attack method that induces deep neural network (DNN) misclassification. The adversary who aims to trigger the backdoor attack inputs the image with a specific pattern (the adversarial mark) into the DNN model (backdoor model). In general, the adversary mark is created on the physical object input to an image by capturing a photo. With this conventional method, the success of the backdoor attack is not stable because the size and position change depending on the shooting environment. So far, we have proposed a method of creating an adversarial mark for triggering backdoor attacks by means of a fault injection attack on the mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), which is the image sensor interface. We propose the image tampering model, with which the adversarial mark can be generated in the actual fault injection to create the adversarial mark pattern. Then, the backdoor model was trained with poison data images, which the proposed simulation model created. We conducted a backdoor attack experiment using a backdoor model trained on a dataset containing 5% poison data. The clean data accuracy in normal operation was 91%; nevertheless, the attack success rate with fault injection was 83%.
Multiple Physical Quantities Janus Metastructure Sensor Based on PSHE
Authors: Sui Junyang , Xu Jie , Liang Aowei , Zou Jiahao , Wu Chuanqi , Zhang Tinghao , Zhang Haifeng
Published: May 2023

In this paper, a Janus metastructure sensor (JMS) based on the photonic spin Hall effect (PSHE), which can detect multiple physical quantities, is proposed. The Janus property is derived from the fact that the asymmetric arrangement of different dielectrics breaks the structure parity. Hence, the metastructure is endowed with different detection performances for physical quantities on multiple scales, broadening the range and improving the accuracy of the detection. When electromagnetic waves (EWs) are incident from the forward scale of the JMS, the refractive index, thickness, and incidence angle can be detected by locking the angle corresponding to the PSHE displacement peak that is enhanced by the graphene. The relevant detection ranges are 2~2.4, 2~2.35 μm, and 27°~47°, with sensitivities (S) of 81.35°/RIU, 64.84°/μm, and 0.02238 THz/°, respectively. Under the condition that EWs incident into the JMS from the backward direction, the JMS can also detect the same physical quantities with different sensing properties, such as S of 99.3°/RIU, 70.07°/μm, and 0.02348 THz/° in corresponding detection ranges of 2~2.09, 1.85~2.02 μm, and 20°~40°. This novel multifunctional JMS is a supplement to the traditional single-function sensor and has a certain prospect in the field of multiscenario applications.
Structural Health Monitoring of Adhesively Bonded Pipe-to-Socket Joints by Integration of Polymer Optical Fibers and Their Load-Dependent Transmission Properties
Authors: Weiland Josef , Kunze Billy , Luber Michael , Krüger Naomi , Schiebahn Alexander , Engelbrecht Rainer , Reisgen Uwe
Published: May 2023

Adhesively bonded pipe-to-socket joints are used in numerous industrial applications. One example is in the transport of media, e.g., in the gas industry or in structural joints for such sectors as construction, wind energy, and the vehicle industry. To monitor such load-transmitting bonded joints, this study investigates a method based on the integration of polymer optical fibers into the adhesive layer. Previous methods for monitoring the condition of pipes, such as acoustic or ultrasonic methods or the use of glass fiber optic-based sensors (FBG or OTDR), are very complex in methodology and require cost-intensive (opto-) electronic devices to generate and evaluate the sensor signals; they are therefore unsuitable for large-scale use. The method investigated in this paper is based on the measurement of integral optical transmission with a simple photodiode under increasing mechanical stress. When tried at coupon level (single-lap joint), the light coupling was varied to obtain a significant load-dependent sensor signal. Based on an angle-selective coupling of 30° to the fiber axis, a drop of 4% of the optically transmitted light power by a load of 8 N/mm2 can be detected for the adhesively bonded pipe-to-socket joint with the structural adhesive Scotch Weld DP810 (2C acrylate).
Non-Contact Monitoring of Fetal Movement Using Abdominal Video Recording
Authors: Han Qiao , Hao Dongmei , Yang Lin , Yang Yimin , Li Guangfei
Published: May 2023

Fetal movement (FM) is an important indicator of fetal health. However, the current methods of FM detection are unsuitable for ambulatory or long-term observation. This paper proposes a non-contact method for monitoring FM. We recorded abdominal videos from pregnant women and then detected the maternal abdominal region within each frame. FM signals were acquired by optical flow color-coding, ensemble empirical mode decomposition, energy ratio, and correlation analysis. FM spikes, indicating the occurrence of FMs, were recognized using the differential threshold method. FM parameters including number, interval, duration, and percentage were calculated, and good agreement was found with the manual labeling performed by the professionals, achieving true detection rate, positive predictive value, sensitivity, accuracy, and F1_score of 95.75%, 95.26%, 95.75%, 91.40%, and 95.50%, respectively. The changes in FM parameters with gestational week were consistent with pregnancy progress. In general, this study provides a novel contactless FM monitoring technology for use at home.
Removal of Sr(II) in Aqueous Solutions Using Magnetic Crayfish Shell Biochar
Authors: Lu Wenchao , Feng Jundong , Otero Marta , Liao Tao , Qiu Liang
Published: May 2023

The cooling water of nuclear power plants and discarded crayfish shells (CS), both containing Sr(II), are waste resources that cause environmental pollution and endanger human health. In this study, magnetic biochar produced by crayfish shells (mag@CSBC) was used as an adsorbent to remove radionuclide Sr(II) in an aqueous solution and under irradiation conditions. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and vibration sample magnetometer analysis were used to characterize mag@CSBC. In addition, an isothermal adsorption experiment conducted under irradiation conditions determined that the maximum adsorption capacity of mag@CSBC was 21.902 mg/g, which was 1.896 mg/g higher than that from experiments conducted under conditions without irradiation and more suitable for the Freundlich isotherm model. The kinetic experiment proved that irradiation could improve the adsorption cap acity of mag@CSBC and reduce the adsorption equilibrium time. At the same time, the experiment further proved that, under irradiated conditions, the adsorption rate of mag@CSBC can reach more than 90%, and the adsorption capacity is the highest when the pH is 8 and the reaction process is exothermic. Competitive adsorption with Na(I) has a high selectivity and strong recyclability. Finally, the mechanism of Sr(II) adsorption by mag@CSBC under irradiation was studied. In conclusion, mag@CSBC, as a low-cost, easy-to-synthesize, environmentally friendly and easy-to-recycle adsorbent, can be applied in batches for the removal of Sr(II) in aqueous solutions. In particular, the concept of using irradiation technology to optimize adsorption behavior serves as an inspiration for future research.
A Holistic Analysis of Team Dynamics Using Relational Coordination as the Measure regarding Student Athlete Total Load: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Hagum Cathrine Nyhus , Tønnessen Espen , Nesse Marie Aarrestad , Shalfawi Shaher A. I.
Published: May 2023

Background: Despite its small population, Norway wins a disproportionately large number of medals in international competitions. Therefore, it has been thought that the Norwegian sports model and sports school programs are influential in developing young Norwegian athletes to achieve such results. Today, more than 110 Norwegian private and public schools offer the elite sports program in Norway. Most student athletes attending those schools combine their high school education with elite sports, where they attend training sessions at both school and clubs. The number of people involved with the student athlete on a daily basis (i.e., other student athletes, club coaches, school coaches, schoolteachers, parents, and health personnel) indicate the importance of optimal communication and coordination. However, to the authors’ knowledge, no previous studies have explored communication and coordination among this population group. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to use a holistic analysis of team dynamics using the Relational Coordination Survey as a measure to explore the relational coordination within and between student athletes, club coaches, and school coaches. A secondary objective of this study was to explore student athletes’, club coaches’, and school coaches’ relational coordination with schoolteachers, parents, and health personnel. In addition, the study aimed to explore differences in student athletes’ relational coordination with their significant others according to sport, school, performance level, sex, and school year. Methods: The quality of relational coordination was measured by a cross-sectional questionnaire of student athletes (n = 345), club coaches (n = 42), and school coaches (n = 25) concerning training load and life load. Multiple one-way analyses of variance were used to assess differences between groups. Results: The results show that student athletes, club coaches, and school coaches perceived moderate to weak relational coordination with parents, schoolteachers, and health personnel. Student athletes’ relational coordination score with parents was the only strong score observed. Furthermore, the results reveal notable differences in student athletes’ relational coordination with the roles according to their characteristics. Conclusions: The findings suggest a potential for enhancing relationships and communication within and between the significant roles involved with student athletes. The results further indicate that those involved with the student athlete should consider a holistic approach to enhance communication and coordination, including physical, psychological, and other life factors, for optimal student athlete management and development. More resources are necessary to facilitate effective communication and coordination regarding the student athlete’s total load.
Participatory Design of Participatory Systems for Sustainable Collaboration: Exploring Its Potential in Transport and Logistics
Authors: van Langen Pieter , Pijper Gerdje , de Vries Pieter , Brazier Frances
Published: May 2023

Challenges involving economic, environmental, and societal aspects necessitate organisations in business networks to collaborate. The scientific problem central to this paper is the difficulty of building sustainable collaborations. The research question is how to support organisations in building sustainable collaborations in their business relationships. This paper presents a new socio-technical approach to this end, i.e., PDPS (an acronym for Participatory Design of Participatory Systems) and explores its potential in a case study. PDPS is a value-based approach to the participatory design of participatory systems. Such socio-technical systems enable people working in different disciplines, departments, and organisational levels to create sustainable relationships supported by distributed information and communication technology. In a participatory system, participants gain trust, engagement, and empowerment to self-organise actions that produce results they could not have achieved alone. Following PDPS, participants collectively explore challenges in their relationship, define a joint value-based mission, and create a continuous process of self-organisation to fulfil this mission. In a case study, PDPS supported two Dutch business partners in solving recurring transport and logistics issues in retail store refurbishment projects. Turning their traditional business processes into participatory ones led to new solutions for sustainable transport and logistics, more joint business, and more profit. PDPS differs from other approaches in its involvement of all participants in a business relationship, its focus on shared values, and its capacity for creating a continuous process of self-organisation to fulfil a joint mission. This paper may support researchers, practitioners, and organisational policymakers interested in building sustainable collaborations in business networks.
Exploring Students’ Opinion towards Integration of Learning Games in Higher Education Subjects and Improved Soft Skills—A Comparative Study in Poland and Romania
Authors: Toader Cosmina-Simona , Brad Ioan , Rujescu Ciprian Ioan , Dumitrescu Carmen-Simona , Sîrbulescu Elena Claudia , Orboi Manuela Dora , Pașcalău Raul , Zajdel Małgorzata , Michalcewicz-Kaniowska Małgorzata , Gavrilă Codruța
Published: May 2023

This study aimed to explore and compare Polish and Romanian students’ opinions towards the integration of learning games in Higher Education subjects and to highlight the improved soft skills by participating in learning games. This article reports the results of a quantitative study that was designed to explore and compare the opinions of 103 students from 2 universities towards the integration of learning games in the Project Management subject. The students ranked 71 items found in the questionnaire in 7 scale questions. The items are presented in the form of skills that can be developed by participating in educational games and aspects that are important in Project Management. In the analysis of the data, the T test—two sample test—was used, and the nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test, using the SAS Studio application to assess whether the average responses are different between the two groups (α = 0.05). There were significant differences in the case of some items related to the skills that can be developed by participating in two educational games (communication, empathy, awareness, problem-solving, work productivity, and time management), but also items that help students understand the importance of some aspects related to Project Management after participation in educational games (work productivity, team dimension, time management, and following request).
Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability in the GCC Countries: New Insights Based on the Economic Complexity
Authors: ElMassah Suzanna , Hassanein Eslam A.
Published: May 2023

The economic development and environmental sustainability nexus have long been a fiercely debated issue. Researchers have widely acknowledged the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis when evaluating this relationship. Recently, an emerging strand of research examined the EKC through the lens of the Economic Complexity Index (ECoI) as a broader measure of economic development. However, empirical evidence of the index’s environmental impact is still limited. Despite its growing prominence, no prior research has been conducted in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) using the ECoI, particularly in the EKC context. Furthermore, research comparing the ECoI differentiated impacts on Ecological Footprint and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions is largely lacking. Extending on this line of research, our investigation intends to ascertain the influence of ECoI, income, globalization as well as non-renewable energy consumption on two dominant environmental pressure metrics: CO2 emissions and ecological footprint per capita (EFpc) within the EKC hypothesis context in six GCC countries during 1995–2018. To this end, Pedroni’s cointegration approach was conducted to examine the long-term association between variables; cointegration coefficients were analyzed using Dynamic and Fully modified OLS. Our investigation indicates the emergence of an inverted U-shaped link between ECoI and environmental sustainability in the GCC region for both CO2 emissions and EFpc. Furthermore, according to the individual country analysis, our findings demonstrate that the EKC hypothesis is sensitive to both the environmental degradation indicator used and the country analyzed; such that the quadratic link incorporating ECoI is confirmed for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait when EFpc is employed. In comparison, it holds for Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar when CO2 emissions are used. Moreover, the findings show that income per capita and non-renewables consumption significantly harm environmental sustainability, however, in terms of EFpc only. In contrast, through its three sub-dimensions, globalization contributes to the environmental burden by increasing both EFpc and CO2 emissions. These conclusions emphasize the economic complexity’s dominant role in mitigating environmental pollution in GCC beyond a certain threshold. Finally, the paper reaches a concise set of implications. Among the foremost, the GCC nations could enhance their environmental sustainability by diversifying their energy sources and increasing reliance on renewable sources, encouraging investment in carbon-reduction technologies, converting their economy from energy-intensive to technology-intensive, as well as imposing strict environmental laws to enable globalization to improve environmental quality.
Experimental Study on the Seismic Performance of a Steel Slag CFDST T-Joint
Authors: Zeng Wuhua , Fu Mingliang , Lian Yuezong , Zhong Hai , Wang Wei
Published: May 2023

In this paper, a kind of steel slag, concrete-filled double-skin steel tube (CFDST) T-joint is proposed to promote sustainable structural development. In order to examine the seismic performance of the steel slag CFDST T-joint, a series of hysteresis experiments were carried out on 4 CFDST T-joints with the main pipe under axial compression load and the brace pipe subjected to cyclic axial loading. The seismic performance of the CFDST T-joint was experimentally investigated in terms of the failure mode, load–displacement hysteresis relationship, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation and ductility. The effects of the hollow ratio and the steel slag concrete of the CFDST main pipe on the seismic performance of CFDST T-joint specimens were compared and analyzed. The experimental results show that the failure modes of the CFDST T-joint mainly included two kinds of failure, with those being main pipe fracture and joint area compression-bending failure. The seismic performance of the joints could be improved with a 12% ultimate bearing capacity and 54% ultimate deformation capacity with the hollow ratio of the CFDST main pipe increasing from 0 to 0.5. The seismic performance of the joints could be improved with a 54% ultimate deformation capacity by filling the steel slag concrete with a 0.5 hollow ratio.
Classifying Urban Functional Zones Based on Modeling POIs by Deepwalk
Authors: Yang Xin , Bo Shuaishuai , Zhang Zhaojie
Published: May 2023

Developing urban functional zone classification method to study urban spatial structure is a hotspot in current research. Using the word embedding model to excavate spatial relationship of the geographic elements in urban functional zones is an important way to develop urban functional zone classification method. However, in these studies, the spatial relationship of geographic elements was regarded as their homogeneity, while the structural similarity of geographical elements was ignored, which inevitably reduces the classification accuracy of urban functional zone classification method. This paper proposes to develop an urban functional zone classification method based on Deepwalk model, which could extract homogeneity and structural similarity of nodes in graph. The proposed method uses POI data to represent geographical elements, organizes POIs into graphs, and uses Deepwalk to embedding POIs for urban functional zone classification. It was applied to classify the urban functional zones of Chaoyang district in Beijing; and the classification results were compared with those of two baseline method based on Word2vec model and Place2vec model. The experimental results show that considering both the homogeneity and structural similarity of geographical elements, the proposed model has higher accuracy than the models only considering the homogeneity of geographical elements.
Analyzing the Challenges for Future Smart and Sustainable Cities
Authors: Paes Vítor de Castro , Pessoa Clinton Hudson Moreira , Pagliusi Rodrigo Pereira , Barbosa Carlos Eduardo , Argôlo Matheus , de Lima Yuri Oliveira , Salazar Herbert , Lyra Alan , de Souza Jano Moreira
Published: May 2023

The fast growth of the urban population increases the demand for energy, water, and transportation, amongst other needs. This study explores the current state and future scenarios of Smart Cities and the environmental, economic, and social challenges that must be overcome. We used the Rapid Review method to understand the challenges of implementing Smart Cities in different urban contexts and the potential impact of research on Smart City planning in future Smart Cities. The study offers insights into the potential for Smart City growth while identifying obstacles that must be addressed to ensure sustainability. Results serve as a foundation for planning and decision-making, highlighting aspects such as the adoption of alternative energies, reduction in car use, preservation of ecosystems, waste reduction, citizen participation, infrastructure, and citizen data privacy, among others. These aspects are essential to overcome obstacles and promoting Smart Cities’ development.
Estimating the Soil Erosion Response to Land-Use Change Using GIS-Based RUSLE and Remote Sensing: A Case Study of Heilongjiang Province, China
Authors: Jiang Nan , Yao Fojun , Liu Tao , Chen Zhuo , Hu Chen , Geng Xinxia
Published: May 2023

Understanding soil erosion in the northeastern area of China with black soil is vital for protecting the natural environment and preserving food security. Although spatial and temporal studies of soil erosion have been conducted, further research is needed on the correlation between soil erosion and land use type changes. In this study, the soil erosion modulus is computed using RUSLE. The model that is most suitable to the research area was produced by contrasting three different approaches to estimating the rainfall erosion factor. The RUSLE based on the multi-year continuous high-density hourly average precipitation had the best performance of the bunch, with a MAPE of 15.49%, RMSPE of 7.99%, and R2 of 0.99. Based on this model, simulated soil erosion trends in the study region from 1980 to 2020 were examined, along with the link between soil erosion and land use change. The results showed that 40.47% of the overall erosion area is made up of cultivated land, and 97.83% of it is low erosion. The most severe soil erosion occurred on unused land, with moderate and above soil erosion occupying 48.93%. Since 2000, there has been an increase in the erosion of soil in the study region, which is primarily spatially represented in the rise in the soil erosion of forests in the central and northern mountainous areas. The study’s findings serve as a guide for land planning and the development of sustainable agriculture.
Evaluating Impacts of Opencast Stone Mining on Vegetation Primary Production and Transpiration over Rajmahal Hills
Authors: Ranjan Avinash Kumar , Parida Bikash Ranjan , Dash Jadunandan , Gorai Amit Kumar
Published: May 2023

Opencast mining has significantly triggered vegetation degradation in many ecologically sensitive regions across the globe. The detailed spatio-temporal information on mining-induced vegetation degradation and associated primary production loss are crucial inputs to authorities and policymakers to frame and implement sustainable development programs in the mining regions to conserve vegetation ecology. Thus, the present study aimed to decipher the mining-induced vegetation cover and subsequent productivity losses over the Rajmahal Hills in Jharkhand (India). The Gross Primary Productivity (GPP), Net Primary Productivity (NPP), and Vegetation Transpiration (VT) datasets were used for analyzing the mines-induced losses in vegetation cover and associated productivity. The key findings indicated a loss of vegetation cover by ~340 km2 and an expansion of the mining area by ~54 km2 over the Rajmahal Hills during 1990–2020. The change detection analysis at the decadal period revealed that ~3.06 km2, 8.10 km2, and 22.29 km2 of vegetation cover were lost only due to the mining activity during 2000–2010, 2010–2020, and 2000–2020, respectively. The replacement of vegetation cover by mining area has caused GPP loss of 0.01 tonnes carbon (tC) per day, 0.04 tC/day, and 0.09 tC/day; NPP loss of ~1.25 tC, 2.77 tC, and 7.27 tC; VT loss of 5200 mm/day, 13,630 mm/day, and 30,190 mm/day during 2000–2010, 2010–2020, and 2000–2020, respectively. Hence, the present study revealed that the mining-induced vegetation losses have caused an alteration of carbon sequestration, carbon stock, and VT over the Rajmahal Hills.
Exploring the Values of a Sustainable Project Manager
Authors: van der Sluijs Ruben , Silvius Gilbert
Published: May 2023

An important project management trend today is Sustainable Project Management. The project manager plays a pivotal role in the sustainability of his/her project, and studies into the stimulus of project managers for sustainability show that the project manager’s intended behavior with regards to sustainability in and of the project is mainly driven by his/her personal attitude towards sustainability. Sustainability is therefore considered a personal trait. The study reported in this article investigates how the values that are underlying to this attitude are therefore a project manager’s intrinsic motivation for sustainability. The study deployed a survey-based design with 116 responses, in which the correlation between a project manager’s values and the motivation for sustainability was explored. The study revealed five values that are positively correlated to the motivation for sustainability and five that are negatively motivated. Values that are negatively related to the motivation for sustainability have a strong personal focus and are related to conforming to rules, whereas values that are positively related have a more social focus. The study provides guidance for organizations that aim to develop the motivation of their project managers for sustainability, and shows that sustainability is not a personal trait, but a personal value.
Assessing Environmental Sustainability Based on the Three-Dimensional Emergy Ecological Footprint (3D EEF) Model: A Case Study of Gansu Province, China
Authors: Liu Hua , Lin Xiaofen , Wei Jinhuan , Hu Lei
Published: May 2023

Quantifying the supply and demand relationship between human social consumption and natural ecosystem resources is an effective way to assess the sustainability of ecosystem services. This paper introduces the concepts of footprint size (EFsize) and depth (EFdepth) to emergy analysis to establish a three-dimensional emergy ecological footprint (3D EEF) model and evaluates the environmental sustainability development of Gansu Province from 2001 to 2020. The results show that the minimum value of the 3D emergy ecological footprint (EEF3D) of Gansu Province was 5.98 × 107 hm2 and that the maximum value was 1.41 × 108 hm2. The EEFdepth was slightly more than one in 2015 and 2016, and the ecological resources were in deficit. However, the ecological service system from 2001 to 2020 was almost in a sustainable state. The region’s emergy carrying capacity (ECC) and emergy ecological footprint (EEF) from 2021 to 2030 are predicted using the ARIMA and GM (1, 1) models. The projections show that the ECC and EEF will increase year by year from 2021 to 2030. In the short term, the flow of natural capital can satisfy the development requirements. Finally, policy recommendations are provided for the ecological sustainability of the region.
COVID-19 Experiences and Coping Strategies: The Case of Differently Sized Businesses in South Africa
Authors: Mishi Syden , Tshabalala Nomonde , Anakpo Godfred , Matekenya Weliswa
Published: May 2023

Businesses have experienced the impacts of COVID-19 differently due to their inherent characteristics and resilience capabilities. Understanding the varied experiences of businesses is an important ingredient for a well-informed policy and for future preparedness. The purpose of this study is to conduct a qualitative analysis of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on different businesses (small, medium, and large) and their coping strategies. The findings reveal different experiences among the businesses; the majority of small businesses were unable to change their business operation model due to logistics and infrastructure constraints, forcing most to temporarily close or pause operations, unlike the larger businesses that had a relatively inbuilt resilience structure. It is also interesting to report that government relief schemes were mainly utilized by larger businesses, arguably due to their formal nature and organized labour, whereas most smaller businesses were out of operation or relying on family support networks for survival. This study further identifies different approaches such as adjusting cost structures, temporary closures, transitioning to an online business (ICT) model, reskilling staff, and retrenchment as some coping strategies. Lessons learned and recommendations are provided at the end of this study.
Comparative Evaluation of Microbially-Produced Biostimulants on Peanut Growth
Authors: Zheng Wuyong , Dai Jing , Li Ning , Zhao Hongtao , Chang Haibin , Liao Xing , Sheng Feng , Qin Lu
Published: May 2023

Improper fertilization has become an essential factor limiting peanut yield and quality improvement. To improve peanut yield and quality, the effects of different fertilizer additives on peanut growth and yield were investigated. In this work, the effects of four fertilizer additives produced by microorganisms (CL, T6, T4, and P1) on peanut growth and yield were evaluated through pot and field trials. The results indicated that all fertilizer additives significantly increased the branch number and biomass of peanuts compared to the control. Additionally, T6 and CL treatments led to significantly higher peanut yields in the field. The aboveground nitrogen concentration of peanuts treated with CL and T6 was also significantly higher than that of the control, while T4 treatment did not show a significant difference. Overall, CL and T6 had the best positive effect on the growth of peanuts. The potential application values of CL and T6 in peanuts showed that fertilizer additives produced by microorganisms could be used as effective measures to achieve highly efficient production in agriculture.