bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potential of Sentinel-1 Data for Monitoring Temperate Mixed Forest Phenology
Authors: Frison Pierre-Louis , Fruneau Bénédicte , Kmiha Syrine , Soudani Kamel , Dufrêne Eric , Le Toan Thuy , Koleck Thierry , Villard Ludovic , Mougin Eric , Rudant Jean-Paul
Published: December 2018

In this study, the potential of Sentinel-1 data to seasonally monitor temperate forests was investigated by analyzing radar signatures observed from plots in the Fontainebleau Forest of the Ile de France region, France, for the period extending from March 2015 to January 2016. Radar backscattering coefficients, σ0 and the amplitude of temporal interferometric coherence profiles in relation to environmental variables are shown, such as in situ precipitation and air temperature. The high temporal frequency of Sentinel-1 acquisitions (i.e., twelve days, or six, if both Sentinel-1A and B are combined over Europe) and the dual polarization configuration (VV and VH over most land surfaces) made a significant contribution. In particular, the radar backscattering coefficient ratio of VV to VH polarization, σ V V 0 / σ V H 0 , showed a well-pronounced seasonality that was correlated with vegetation phenology, as confirmed in comparison to NDVI profiles derived from Landsat-8 (r = 0.77) over stands of deciduous trees. These results illustrate the high potential of Sentinel-1 data for monitoring vegetation, and as these data are not sensitive to the atmosphere, the phenology could be estimated with more accuracy than optical data. These observations will be quantitatively analyzed with the use of electromagnetic models in the near future.
A Novel Method for High-Voltage Bundle Conductor Reconstruction from Airborne LiDAR Data
Authors: Zhou Ruqin , Jiang Wanshou , Jiang San
Published: December 2018

The security of high-voltage power transmission corridors is significantly vital to the national economy and daily life. With its rapid development, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology has been widely applied in the inspection of transmission lines. As the basis of potential hazard detection, a robust and precise power line model is a necessary requirement for rapid and correct clearance. Thus, this paper proposes a novel method for high-voltage bundle conductor reconstruction, which can precisely reconstruct each sub-conductor. First, points in high-voltage power transmission corridors are detected and classified into four categories; second, for classified power lines, single power line spans are extracted, and bundle conductors are identified by analyzing the single spans’ fitting residuals; and then, each sub-conductor of bundle conductors is extracted by a projected dichotomy method on the XOY and XOZ planes, respectively; finally, a double-RANSAC (random sample consensus)-based algorithm was introduced to reconstruct each power line. The proposed method makes use of the distribution of bundle conductors in high-voltage transmission lines, and our experiments showed that it could preferably reconstruct the real structure of bundle conductors robustly with a high precision better than 0.2 m.
Calibrations and Wind Observations of an Airborne Direct-Detection Wind LiDAR Supporting ESA’s Aeolus Mission
Authors: Marksteiner Uwe , Lemmerz Christian , Lux Oliver , Rahm Stephan , Schäfler Andreas , Witschas Benjamin , Reitebuch Oliver
Published: December 2018

The Aeolus satellite mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) has brought the first wind LiDAR to space to satisfy the long-existing need for global wind profile observations. Until the successful launch on 22 August 2018, pre-launch campaign activities supported the validation of the measurement principle, the instrument calibration, and the optimization of retrieval algorithms. Therefore, an airborne prototype instrument has been developed, the ALADIN Airborne Demonstrator (A2D), with ALADIN being the Atmospheric Laser Doppler Instrument of Aeolus. Two airborne campaigns were conducted over Greenland, Iceland and the Atlantic Ocean in September 2009 and May 2015, employing the A2D as the first worldwide airborne direct-detection Doppler Wind LiDAR (DWL) and a well-established coherent 2-µm wind LiDAR. Both wind LiDAR instruments were operated on the same aircraft measuring Mie backscatter from aerosols and clouds as well as Rayleigh backscatter from molecules in parallel. This paper particularly focuses on the instrument response calibration method of the A2D and its importance for accurate wind retrieval results. We provide a detailed description of the analysis of wind measurement data gathered during the two campaigns, introducing a dedicated aerial interpolation algorithm that takes into account the different resolution grids of the two LiDAR systems. A statistical comparison of line-of-sight (LOS) winds for the campaign in 2015 yielded estimations of the systematic and random (mean absolute deviation) errors of A2D observations of about 0.7 m/s and 2.1 m/s, respectively, for the Rayleigh, and 0.05 m/s and 2.3 m/s, respectively, for the Mie channel. In view of the launch of Aeolus, differences between the A2D and the satellite mission are highlighted along the way, identifying the particular assets and drawbacks.
Annual Cropland Mapping Using Reference Landsat Time Series—A Case Study in Central Asia
Authors: Hao Pengyu , Löw Fabian , Biradar Chandrashekhar
Published: December 2018

Mapping the spatial and temporal dynamics of cropland is an important prerequisite for regular crop condition monitoring, management of land and water resources, or tracing and understanding the environmental impacts of agriculture. Analyzing archives of satellite earth observations is a proven means to accurately identify and map croplands. However, existing maps of the annual cropland extent either have a low spatial resolution (e.g., 250–1000 m from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) to Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS); and existing high-resolution maps (such as 30 m from Landsat) are not provided frequently (for example, on a regular, annual basis) because of the lack of in situ reference data, irregular timing of the Landsat and Sentinel-2 image time series, the huge amount of data for processing, and the need to have a regionally or globally consistent methodology. Against this backdrop, we propose a reference time-series-based mapping method (RBM), and create binary cropland vs. non-cropland maps using irregular Landsat time series and RBM. As a test case, we created and evaluated annual cropland maps at 30 m in seven distinct agricultural landscapes in Xinjiang, China, and the Aral Sea Basin. The results revealed that RBM could accurately identify cropland annually, with producer’s accuracies (PA) and user’s accuracies (UA) higher than 85% between 2006 and 2016. In addition, cropland maps by RBM were significantly more accurate than the two existing products, namely GlobaLand30 and Finer Resolution Observation and Monitoring of Global Land Cover (FROM–GLC).
Comparative Analysis of Polarimetric SAR Calibration Methods
Authors: Jung Yoon Taek , Park Sang-Eun
Published: December 2018

In the diverse applications of polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems, it is a crucial to conduct polarimetric calibration, which aims to remove the radar system distortion effects prior to utilizing polarimetric SAR observations. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of different polarimetric calibration methods. Two widely used methods, the Van Zyl and Quegan methods, and one recently proposed method, such as the Villa method, have been selected among various calibration methods in literature. The selected methods have basic differences in their assumptions that are applied to the polarimetric system model. In order to evaluate the calibration performances under different system parameters and ground characteristics, comparative analysis of the calibration results were conducted on synthetic polarimetric SAR data and ALOS PALSAR quad-pol mode data. Based on the experimental results, the advantages and limitations of different methods were clarified, and a simple hybrid calibration method is presented to further improve the polarimetric calibration performance.
Optimal Sensor Formation for 3D Cooperative Localization of AUVs Using Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) Method
Authors: Bo Xu , Razzaqi Asghar A. , Wang Xiaoyu
Published: December 2018

The cooperative localization of submerged autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) using the Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) measurements of surface AUV sensors is an effective method for many applications of AUVs. Proper positioning of the sensors to maximize the observability of the AUVs is very critical for cooperative localization. In this paper, a novel method for obtaining the optimal formation of sensor AUVs has been presented for the three-dimensional (3D) cooperative localization of targets using the TDOA technique. An evaluation function for estimating the optimal formation has been derived based on Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) theory for a single target as well as multiple-target cooperative localization systems. An iterative stepping algorithm has been followed to solve the evaluation function and obtain the optimal positions of the sensors. The algorithm ensured that the computation complexity should remain limited, even when the number of sensor AUVs is increased. Various simulation examples are then presented to calculate the optimal formation for different systems/situations. The effect of the position of the reference sensor and operating depth of the target AUVs on the optimal formation of the sensors has also been studied, and conclusions are drawn. For implementation of the proposed method for more practical scenarios, a simulation example is also presented for cases when the target’s position is only known with uncertainty.
Posture-Specific Breathing Detection
Authors: Guan Hualin , Yang Xiaodong , Sun Wanrong , Ren Aifeng , Fan Dou , Zhao Nan , Guan Lei , Haider Daniyal , Abbasi Qammer H.
Published: December 2018

Human respiratory activity parameters are important indicators of vital signs. Most respiratory activity detection methods are naïve abd simple and use invasive detection technology. Non-invasive breathing detection methods are the solution to these limitations. In this research, we propose a non-invasive breathing activity detection method based on C-band sensing. Traditional non-invasive detection methods require special hardware facilities that cannot be used in ordinary environments. Based on this, a multi-input, multi-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) system based on 802.11n protocol is proposed in this paper. Our system improves the traditional data processing method and has stronger robustness and lower bit relative error. The system detects the respiratory activity of different body postures, captures and analyses the information, and determines the influence of different body postures on human respiratory activity.
On the Security and Data Integrity of Low-Cost Sensor Networks for Air Quality Monitoring
Authors: Luo Lan , Zhang Yue , Pearson Bryan , Ling Zhen , Yu Haofei , Fu Xinwen
Published: December 2018

The emerging connected, low-cost, and easy-to-use air quality monitoring systems have enabled a paradigm shift in the field of air pollution monitoring. These systems are increasingly being used by local government and non-profit organizations to inform the public, and to support decision making related to air quality. However, data integrity and system security are rarely considered during the design and deployment of such monitoring systems, and such ignorance leaves tremendous room for undesired and damaging cyber intrusions. The collected measurement data, if polluted, could misinform the public and mislead policy makers. In this paper, we demonstrate such issues by using a.com, a popular low-cost air quality monitoring system that provides an affordable and continuous air quality monitoring capability to broad communities. To protect the air quality monitoring network under this investigation, we denote the company of interest as a.com. Through a series of probing, we are able to identify multiple security vulnerabilities in the system, including unencrypted message communication, incompetent authentication mechanisms, and lack of data integrity verification. By exploiting these vulnerabilities, we have the ability of “impersonating” any victim sensor in the a.com system and polluting its data using fabricated data. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first security analysis of low-cost and connected air quality monitoring systems. Our results highlight the urgent need in improving the security and data integrity design in these systems.
A Distributed Energy-Balanced Topology Control Algorithm Based on a Noncooperative Game for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Du Yongwen , Gong Junhui , Wang Zhangmin , Xu Ning
Published: December 2018

In wireless sensor networks, nodes may adopt selfish behavior to save their energy resources, which causes energy imbalance among nodes, because of lacking a central controller with the function of making nodes cooperate. Noncooperative game is an effective tool for portraying this kind of selfish behavior. In this paper, we address the problems of transmission power minimization and energy balance using a topology control game. Firstly, we establish a topology control game model and prove that the topology game model is an ordinal potential game with Pareto optimality. Secondly, based on this model, we propose an Energy Balance Topology control Game algorithm (EBTG), in which, by taking the energy efficiency and energy balance of the nodes into account, we design an improved optimization-integrated utility function by introducing the Theil index. Finally, simulation results show that the EBTG algorithm can improve the energy balance and energy efficiency, and can prolong the network lifetime in comparison with other topology control algorithms based on game theory.
Portable Drowsiness Detection through Use of a Prefrontal Single-Channel Electroencephalogram
Authors: Ogino Mikito , Mitsukura Yasue
Published: December 2018

Drowsiness detection has been studied in the context of evaluating products, assessing driver alertness, and managing office environments. Drowsiness level can be readily detected through measurement of human brain activity. The electroencephalogram (EEG), a device whose application relies on adhering electrodes to the scalp, is the primary method used to monitor brain activity. The many electrodes and wires required to perform an EEG place considerable constraints on the movement of users, and the cost of the device limits its availability. For these reasons, conventional EEG devices are not used in practical studies and businesses. Many potential practical applications could benefit from the development of a wire-free, low-priced device; however, it remains to be elucidated whether portable EEG devices can be used to estimate human drowsiness levels and applied within practical research settings and businesses. In this study, we outline the development of a drowsiness detection system that makes use of a low-priced, prefrontal single-channel EEG device and evaluate its performance in an offline analysis and a practical experiment. Firstly, for the development of the system, we compared three feature extraction methods: power spectral density (PSD), autoregressive (AR) modeling, and multiscale entropy (MSE) for detecting characteristics of an EEG. In order to efficiently select a meaningful PSD, we utilized step-wise linear discriminant analysis (SWLDA). Time-averaging and robust-scaling were used to fit the data for pattern recognition. Pattern recognition was performed by a support vector machine (SVM) with a radial basis function (RBF) kernel. The optimal hyperparameters for the SVM were selected by the grind search method so as to increase drowsiness detection accuracy. To evaluate the performance of the detections, we calculated classification accuracy using the SVM through 10-fold cross-validation. Our model achieved a classification accuracy of 72.7% using the PSD with SWLDA and the SVM. Secondly, we conducted a practical study using the system and evaluated its performance in a practical situation. There was a significant difference (* p < 0.05) between the drowsiness-evoked task and concentration-needed task. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of our low-priced portable drowsiness detection system in quantifying drowsy states. We anticipate that our system will be useful to practical studies with aims as diverse as measurement of classroom mental engagement, evaluation of movies, and office environment evaluation.
Determination of HPLC-UV Fingerprints of Spanish Paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) for Its Classification by Linear Discriminant Analysis
Authors: Cetó Xavier , Serrano Núria , Aragó Miriam , Gámez Alejandro , Esteban Miquel , Díaz-Cruz José Manuel , Núñez Oscar
Published: December 2018

The development of a simple HPLC-UV method towards the evaluation of Spanish paprika’s phenolic profile and their discrimination based on the former is reported herein. The approach is based on C18 reversed-phase chromatography to generate characteristic fingerprints, in combination with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to achieve their classification. To this aim, chromatographic conditions were optimized so as to achieve the separation of major phenolic compounds already identified in paprika. Paprika samples were subjected to a sample extraction stage by sonication and centrifugation; extracting procedure and conditions were optimized to maximize the generation of enough discriminant fingerprints. Finally, chromatograms were baseline corrected, compressed employing fast Fourier transform (FFT), and then analyzed by means of principal component analysis (PCA) and LDA to carry out the classification of paprika samples. Under the developed procedure, a total of 96 paprika samples were analyzed, achieving a classification rate of 100% for the test subset (n = 25).
CMOS Current Feedback Operational Amplifier-Based Relaxation Generator for Capacity to Voltage Sensor Interface
Authors: Polak Ladislav , Sotner Roman , Petrzela Jiri , Jerabek Jan
Published: December 2018

This paper presents a simple relaxation generator, suitable for a sensor interface, operating as a transducer of capacitance to frequency/period. The proposed circuit employs a current feedback operational amplifier, fabricated in I3T25 0.35 μ m ON Semiconductor CMOS process, and four passive elements including a grounded capacitor (the sensed parameter). It offers a low-impedance voltage output of the generated square wave. Additional frequency to DC voltage converter offers output information in the form of voltage. The experimental capacitance variation from 6.8 nF to 100 nF yields voltage change in the range from 21 mV to 106 mV with error below 5% and sensitivity 0.912 mV/nF evaluated over the full range of change. These values are in good agreement with simulation results obtained from the Mathcad model of frequency to DC voltage transducer passive circuit.
Design of a Piezoelectric Multilayered Structure for Ultrasound Sensors Using the Equivalent Circuit Method
Authors: Afzal Muhammad Shakeel , Shim Hayeong , Roh Yongrae
Published: December 2018

This study investigates the electroacoustic behavior of a piezoelectric multilayered structure for ultrasonic sensors using the equivalent circuit method (ECM). We first derived the vertical deflection of the multilayered structure as a function of pressure and voltage using equilibrium equations of the structure. The deflection derived in this work is novel in that it includes the effect of piezoelectricity as well as the external pressure on the radiating surface. Subsequently, the circuit parameters were derived from the vertical deflection. The acoustic characteristics of the structure were then analyzed using the electro-acoustical model of an ultrasonic sensor for in-air application. Using the equivalent circuit, we analyzed the effects of various structural parameters on the acoustic properties of the structure such as resonance frequency, radiated sound pressure, and beam pattern. The validity of the ECM was verified initially by comparing the results with those from the finite element analysis (FEA) of the same structure. Furthermore, experimental testing of an actual ultrasonic sensor was carried out to verify the efficacy of the ECM. The ECM presented in this study can estimate the performance characteristics of a piezoelectric multilayered structure with high rapidity and efficiency.
Why do People Train Martial Arts? Participation Motives of German and Japanese Karateka
Authors: Meyer Martin , Bittmann Heiko
Published: December 2018

Meyer’s (2012) qualitative research on motivation of German karateka initiated the coordinated research project Why Martial Arts? (WMA) to analyse motives in various martial arts styles, like jūdō, taiji, krav maga and wing chun. In 2017, the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) supported the transposition of the research question to Japanese karatedō and jūdō practitioners. For the German sub-study, 32 interviews were conducted about entry/participation motives, fascination categories, and reasons for choosing karatedō. The design of the Japanese sub-study was based on the aforementioned German study, but due to the higher number of participants (n = 106), a mixed method questionnaire was used and distributed via paper and online versions. The results demonstrate that many motivation categories of Japanese and German karatedō practitioners share similarities in importance and content, although the characteristics of motives can be very different—partly due to cultural specifics.
Evolution of Tourism in Natural Destinations and Dynamic Sustainable Thresholds over Time
Authors: Haraldsson Hördur V. , Ólafsdóttir Rannveig
Published: December 2018

Tourism is a complex industry involving numerous types of activities that can have adverse environmental impacts and, over time, gradually change the way tourists experience tourist destinations and their choice of particular tourist destinations. The overall aim of this study is to examine the impact of tourism destination exploitation upon the perceived attractiveness of a particular destination to different types of visitors using the Purism Scale coupled to the Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC). The study uses the system dynamics Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) approach, to analyse feedback loop behaviour and causal loop impacts over time. The results show that the different visitors’ types, as defined by the Purist Scale, affect the attractiveness of the tourist destination in different ways over time. The results further show that different visitors’ types cannot exist at their own optimum level at the same time in a destination. The concept tourism carrying capacity should thus be defined through the maximum site attractiveness,-based upon the optimum size of infrastructure that ensures low visual effect, low crowding effect, and low environmental impact. This enables better understanding of the different evolution phases of the tourist site during its push for infrastructure development.
Evaluating the Effect of Bacterial Inoculation and Fertilization on the Soil Nutrient Status of Coal Mine Soil by Growing Soybean (Glycine max) and Shrub Lespedeza (Lespedeza bicolor)
Authors: Shin Chang-Seob , Sharif Md. Omar , Lee Hwa-Yong
Published: December 2018

Revegetation with fast-growing N-fixing leguminous plants can be an alternate for reclamation of degraded coal mining areas. Selection of appropriate plant species is an important factor in deciding the success in the remediation of mine spoil. Thus, this study was carried out in greenhouse conditions to evaluate the effect of two N-fixing leguminous plant seedlings, soybean (Glycine max) and shrub lespedeza (Lespedeza bicolor), on the available N and other soil nutrients (P, K, Ca, and Mg) of the experimental coal mine soil. Four treatments, including T0—non-fertilized non-inoculation (control), T1—fertilization, T2—bacterial inoculation, and T3—combination of fertilization and bacterial inoculation with three replications were applied to both plants. Concentration of NH4+-N and NO3−-N increased significantly in the soil at different treatments for both soybean and shrub lespedeza, as compared to control, but apart from control no significant difference was observed between other treatments of increased NH4+-N for soybean and increased NO3−-N for shrub lespedeza. The highest number of nodules and dry weight of nodule per plant (g) was recorded 5.73 and 1.8, respectively in soybean, and 7.77 and 2.76, respectively, in shrub lespedeza with bacteria-inoculated treatment (T2), whereas fertilized treatment (T1) produced the lowest number of nodule and dry weight of nodule in both plants. Increasing of available P and K was significantly high when NPK fertilizer was applied to the plants but decreased at other treatments. Therefore, it can be concluded that soybean and shrub lespedeza have a significant role in changing soil nutrient status in coal mining soil through fertilizer application and biological N fixation.
Decisions on Recycling or Waste: How Packaging Functions Affect the Fate of Used Packaging in Selected Swedish Households
Authors: Williams Helén , Wikström Fredrik , Wetter-Edman Katarina , Kristensson Per
Published: December 2018

The intention of this paper is to learn more about why consumers choose whether or not to recycle, with special attention given to the functions of the packaging itself, in order to provide suggestions for improvements in packaging design, recycling systems and the environmental assessment of different packaging designs. The study focussed on ten households in Sweden that where motivated to participate in the study in order to gain an understanding of the complex matter of this decision-making process. The intention of implementing an interview-based qualitative study was to gain rich data and to reach beyond the respondents’ immediate verbal responses. The respondents were interviewed with open-ended questions, which were supported with pictures of packaging; additionally, their waste bins were examined. This explorative study suggests a set of obstacles that cause consumers to dispose of packaging relating to the functions of packaging. The different obstacles that determine whether or not packaging is recycled were organised according to three different themes: the attitude towards cleanliness, the effort required to clean and sort and uncertainties about the best environmental alternative. The different functions of packaging do in fact influence all of the identified themes and; therefore, influence the decisions consumers make with regards to the recycling of specific packaging. The identified packaging functions were easy to separate different materials, easy to separate different parts, easy to clean, easy to empty, easy to reseal, easy to compress and communication regarding recycling. Consumer behaviour with regards to specific packaging functions and recycling should be further investigated. It should also be considered for inclusion in design processes, to increase the chance of materials being recycled, and in food-packaging life-cycle assessments, to provide results that align more closely with reality.
Designing Sustainable HRM: The Core Characteristics of Emerging Field
Authors: Stankevičiūtė Živilė , Savanevičienė Asta
Published: December 2018

The common agreement in human resource management (HRM) literature suggests that organizations willing to attract and retain human resources for running business in the future must change the prevailing situation where human resources are rather consumed than developed. In doing this, sustainable HRM has been introduced recently as a response to changes on societal level, labor market, and employment relations. Sustainable HRM is seen as an extension of strategic HRM and presents a new approach to people management with the focus on long-term human resource development, regeneration, and renewal. However, the attributes of sustainable HRM, as compared to mainstream HRM, are not clear. The paper aims at closing this gap by proposing and revealing the characteristics of sustainable HRM, namely: Long-term orientation, care of employees, care of environment, profitability, employee participation and social dialogue, employee development, external partnership, flexibility, compliance beyond labour regulations, employee cooperation, fairness, and equality. This is a theoretical paper.
Development at the Crossroads of Capital Flows and Migration: Leaving No One Behind?
Authors: Zoomers Annelies (E.B.)
Published: December 2018

The aim of this special issue is to push forward the frontier of development studies by analysing local livelihoods from a ‘flows of capital/people’ perspective. In development studies, and especially in livelihood research, local development has long been defined in terms of local people’s agency and the importance of capitals and capabilities. Over the last decade, however, the context of local development has undergone considerable change. Globalisation, in alternation with deglobalisation, has given rise to new and intensified flows and circulations: the total volume and the diversity of capital flows and flows of people have rapidly increased, often going hand in hand with flows of goods, knowledge and ideas. Rather than looking at local development in terms of local people having access to and control of local resources, we acknowledge the importance networked space and positionality. Local development opportunities are very much determined by translocal linkages—what is happening in other places, sometimes directly, as a result of flows of capital, goods, people and information. The various articles in this special issue contribute to a better understanding of the link between large-scale flows of capital/people and local development, focusing on questions such as: what kinds of mobilities are taking place and in which directions? What are the new geographies of development, and what are the consequences of the inflows and outflows of capital/people (including goods and ideas) for local development and achieving the various sustainable development goals? In analysing the link between different types of capital/people flows and inclusive development, each article in this special issue focuses on a particular type of flow of capital/people and its multiple impacts in terms of local livelihood development. Case studies focus on Sub-Sahara Africa (Ghana, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Senegal, Rwanda); Asia (Vietnam, Indonesia, India) and Latin America.
Resilient and Sustainable Communities
Authors: Bec Alexandra , Moyle Brent , Moyle Char-lee
Published: December 2018

This research advances our understanding of sustainable community development in relation to complex economic phenomena and psychological processes. The last decade has seen regional and global communities transition through unprecedented economic change. Community resilience offers a framework to guide regional development and explore the sustainability of social, economic and environmental systems to manage change. However, the fundamental constructs of community resilience are still not well known, such as the critical role of emotional stability and residents’ perceptions of change. This research explores this relationship in economies undergoing transformations by presenting the results of a survey administered to 663 Mackay and Whitsunday residents in Queensland, Australia. The findings add substantial depth to community resilience theory by demonstrating a positive relationship between emotional stability and resilience and a negative relationship between resilience and perceptions of change. The results also provide insight into the sustainable characteristics of communities to build resilience and manage the transformation process. Future research should focus on further testing the relationship between resilience, emotional stability and perceptions of change within communities at different stages of the transformation process.
Impact of Investment Climate on Total Factor Productivity of Manufacturing Firms in Vietnam
Authors: Giang Mai Huong , Xuan Tran Dang , Trung Bui Huy , Que Mai Thanh , Yoshida Yuichiro
Published: December 2018

Investment climate has been acknowledged as a key factor that significantly influences economic performance. Improving the investment climate may foster the development of the private sector by creating sustainable jobs and opportunities for entrepreneurs, which contributes to sustained poverty reduction in developing countries. This research examined the relationship between the investment climate and firm productivity by exploring a unique panel dataset of 1310 enterprises operating in the manufacturing sector in Vietnam. Productivity was measured as the total factor productivity (TFP) obtained by production function estimation using Levinsohn and Petrin’s approach. Investment climate factors included infrastructure, labor skills, regulatory governance and institutions, and access to finance. It was shown that restrictions on the investment climate were harmful to firm productivity. The lack of Internet and financial accessibility, low educational level of employees, administrative burden and the cost of bribery were negatively associated with firm TFP. The results indicate that access to Internet and finance, and quality of labor should be further enhanced while administrative burden and corruption should be significantly reduced to strengthen the TFP. The findings of this study may provide insights for policymakers who aim to improve the investment climate and firm productivity and thereby contribute to the sustainable growth of the country.
Making Virtue Out of Necessity: Managing the Citrus Waste Supply Chain for Bioeconomy Applications
Authors: Raimondo Maria , Caracciolo Francesco , Cembalo Luigi , Chinnici Gaetano , Pecorino Biagio , D’Amico Mario
Published: December 2018

The efficient use of agricultural wastes and by-products, which essentially transforms waste materials into value-added products, is considered as pivotal for an effective bioeconomy strategy for the rural development. Within this scope, citrus waste management represents a major issue for citrus processors. However, it also represents a potentially unexploited resource for rural sustainable development. This study focuses on analyzing the current management of citrus waste in South Italy, and on identifying the determinants and barriers that may affect an entrepreneur’s choice in the destination of citrus waste. This study investigates the preferences of citrus processors regarding the contract characteristics necessary to take part in a co-investment scheme. Both analyses are preliminary steps in designing an innovative and sustainable citrus by-product supply chain. Results show that the distance between the citrus processors and the citrus by-products plant is one of the main criteria for choosing alternative valorization pathways. Moreover, guaranteed capital, a short duration of the contract, and reduced risk are contract scheme characteristics that improve entrepreneurs’ willingness to co-invest in the development of a citrus waste multifunctional plant. The overall applied approach can be extended to other contexts for designing new and innovative by-product supply chains, thereby enhancing the implementation of bioeconomy strategies.
A Coordinated Approach for Supply-Chain Tracking in the Liquefied Natural Gas Industry
Authors: Wang Jun , Chi Hung-Lin , Shou Wenchi , Chong Heap-Yih , Wang Xiangyu
Published: December 2018

With the increased size and complexity of liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, supply-chain management has become a challenging process due to involvements of the remote location of the project site and the multiple stakeholders. The transparency and traceability of the supply-chain are critical as any surpluses or shortages of materials will put the project at risk. Currently, limited research has been conducted on LNG projects considering the total supply-chain perspective, which refers to all stages of materials tracking in off-site manufacturing, transportation, and site logistics. The purpose of this research is to propose a framework of a coordinated approach for supply-chain tracking in the LNG industry. Two focus group studies were organized to develop the proposed framework: One for LNG construction supply chain process development, and another for alternative tracking technologies selection. In addition, two experiments, namely off-site fabrication tracking and site logistics tracking, were conducted in a field to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed framework. Technology limitations were also discussed in terms of field implementation.
A Framework for Empirical Assessment of Agricultural Sustainability: The Case of Iran
Authors: Fallah-Alipour Siavash , Mehrabi Boshrabadi Hossein , Zare Mehrjerdi Mohammad Reza , Hayati Dariush
Published: December 2018

In developing countries, agricultural development is still a fundamental means of poverty alleviation, economic development and, in general, sustainable development. Despite the great emphasis on sustainable agricultural development, it seems that there are many practical difficulties towards empirical assessment of agricultural sustainability. In this regard, the present study aims to propose a comprehensive framework for the assessment of agricultural sustainability and present an empirical application of the proposed framework in south-east Iran (Kerman province). The framework is based on a stepwise procedure, involving: (1) The calculation of economic, social, environmental, political, institutional and demographic indicators, covering the actual and potential aspects of unsustainability; (2) the application of Fuzzy Pairwise Comparisons and Analytic Hierarchy Process to construct composite indicators, with the purpose of incorporating the concept of social construct into the assessment process; and (3) the application of Sustainability Maps, diagrams and Barometer of Sustainability for presenting and analyzing the results. The output of the framework is a comprehensive and yet easy-to-understand picture of agricultural sustainability numerically and visually for the selected counties of the province in 2003 and 2015—via the variety of comparisons and rankings—which allows us to identify the weaknesses and strengths of agriculture in each county in various sustainability levels (comprehensive, overall actual and overall potential, dimensional, and base indicators). It also enables us to monitor and analyze the trends in sustainability changes over the years. By providing such information, this framework can be a useful tool to support agricultural sector decisions that would help planners and policymakers find the right path and move toward sustainability, or modify policies to stay in the right direction over time. Overall, the results suggest that the proposed framework can be an effective tool for the assessment of agricultural sustainability. Of course, it is necessary to examine and validate its capabilities through practical applications in different agricultural areas and systems.
Research on Technological Innovation Efficiency of Tourist Equipment Manufacturing Enterprises
Authors: Lin Yuanyuan , Deng Nianqi , Gao Hailian
Published: December 2018

With the lack of quantitative literature related to the tourist equipment manufacturing industry, this study used the innovation input and output data from 12 listed tourist equipment manufacturing companies in 2011–2017 and employed data envelopment analysis (DEA)–Malmquist to analyze the change of technological innovation efficiency. The Malmquist index and its decompositions were used as dependent variables separately, and government ownership, cooperation with academics, and cooperation with international corporations as independent variables to construct a Tobit regression model. The results of static DEA show that the efficiencies of 12 tourist equipment manufacturing enterprises display a slight decline rule, and DEA–Malmquist analysis showed that the decline of technological innovation efficiency main derives from both the decline of technical efficiency and technical level. Moreover, other innovative subjects have different impacts on the technological innovation efficiency of China’s tourist equipment manufacturing enterprises. Thus, enterprises need to increase input of innovation and enhance the management level. In addition, they should manage the relationship between these innovative subjects and enhance the ability of collaborative innovation and independent innovation.
Research on the Measurement of the Technical Innovative Capabilities of Oil and Gas Industry Clusters and Their Factors of Influence: Empirical Analysis Based on Eight Provinces in China
Authors: Jin Lei , Liu Zifeng , Xu Fei
Published: December 2018

Existing studies have suggested that rich mineral resources may serve as a “resource curse” as well as a “resource blessing” with respect to regional economic development. However, the reason behind the emergence of this paradox is not clear. In this paper, we carried out an investigation of the sustainable development of oil and gas industry clusters in eight provinces of China. We studied the panel data of these industry clusters and performed quantitative analysis. By considering the effects of the technical innovation ability of the cluster on its long-term development, we showed that increasing the technical innovation ability of the cluster promoted the development of the industry, which led to a “resource blessing” situation. On the other hand, a mineral resource-based industry cluster may not survive long without technological innovation. Increasing investments in scientific research and technology development and reducing the reckless expansion of the industry cluster may lower the possibility of the occurrence of a “resource curse”.
Employee Volunteering Meaningfulness and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Exploring the Effects of Organizational Support, Pride, and Trust
Authors: Im Seunghee , Chung Yang Woon
Published: December 2018

This study examined the mediating effects of organizational pride and trust on the relationship between employee volunteering meaningfulness and organizational citizenship behavior. The study also investigated the moderating effects of perceived organizational support for the relationships between volunteering meaningfulness with organizational pride and trust. The study was administered in South Korea and sampled 267 full-time employees and found organizational pride and trust mediates the relationship between volunteering meaningfulness and organizational citizenship behavior, while perceived organizational support moderated the relationships between volunteering meaningfulness and organizational pride and trust. In addition, supplementary analysis found mediated moderation suggesting that supportive feelings had indirect effects on citizenship behavior.
Internal Differentiation within the Rural Migrant Population from the Sustainable Urban Development Perspective: Evidence from China
Authors: Deng Xiaohong , Gong Lei , Gao Yanfang , Cui Xiaoqing , Xu Ke
Published: December 2018

Population mobility and attendant issues, especially housing issues, have a major impact on sustainable urban development. In the urbanization process, a number of micro-communities with various social characteristics have come to compose the rural migrant population (RMP), resulting in internal differentiation. This study aims to reveal the demographic structure of this specific group, and to analyze the effects of the mechanism between population flow trends and sustainable urban development, taking housing demand as a starting point. To this end, a clustering model for mixed-type data based on partitioning around the medoid is proposed, and the linked characteristics and potential laws of the RMP are analyzed, based on the dynamic data of the migrant population in eastern China. To achieve sustainable urban development, the locational preferences and coping strategies of inflowing micro-communities based on city types are demonstrated. The results show that the RMP can be divided into four groups that have strong representativeness and that show significant differences in population structure and housing demand. Super-large and medium-sized cities are the main migration destinations. Several suggestions are proposed, based on these results. Housing security policies should be designed according to the housing demand characteristics and the spatial distribution of different groups. Housing security policies should play a full and positive role in reasonably guiding RMP movement.
Transition to Sustainability in Macro-Universities: The Experience of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
Authors: Oyama Ken , Pasquier Ayari G. , Mojica Edgar
Published: December 2018

In this paper, we assess the challenges of macro-universities to incorporate sustainability as an integral dimension of their activities and institutional development, and as a public higher education institutions that have an important role in sustainable development in the Global South. To this end, we analyzed the efforts oriented towards incorporating sustainability into research and teaching agendas, as well as the campus management activities of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), a university with national presence and a community of more than 420,000 people comprising students, academics and administrative staff. UNAM has historically been one of the most important research and teaching institutions in Latin America. The analysis incorporates quantitative and qualitative data, relying on information sources such as the databases of the University regarding research and teaching, institutional documents and interviews with key actors. This study argues that inter-institutional articulation is a key factor to integrate the increasing sustainable initiatives promoted in the last decade but also one of the main challenges in the consolidation of macro-universities as sustainable universities.
Optimal Allocation of Virtual Machines in Cloud Computing
Authors: Lin Ming-Hua , Tsai Jung-Fa , Hu Yi-Chung , Su Tzu-Hsuan
Published: December 2018

Virtualization is one of the core technologies used in cloud computing to provide services on demand for end users over the Internet. Most current research allocates virtual machines to physical machines based on CPU utilization. However, for many applications that require communication between services running on different servers, communication costs influence the overall performance. Therefore, this study focuses on the optimal allocation of virtual machines across multiple geographically dispersed data centers, with the objective of minimizing communication costs. The original problem can be constructed as a quadratic assignment problem that is a classical NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem. This study adopts an efficient deterministic optimization approach to reformulate the original problem as a mixed-integer linear program that may be solved to obtain a globally optimal solution. Since the required bandwidth matrix and communication cost matrix are symmetric, the mathematical model of virtual machine placement can be simplified. Several numerical examples drawn from the literature are solved to demonstrate the computational efficiency of the proposed method for determining the optimal virtual machine allocation in cloud computing.
Some Generating Functions for q-Polynomials
Authors: Cohl Howard S. , Costas-Santos Roberto S. , Wakhare Tanay V.
Published: December 2018

Demonstrating the striking symmetry between calculus and q-calculus, we obtain q-analogues of the Bateman, Pasternack, Sylvester, and Cesàro polynomials. Using these, we also obtain q-analogues for some of their generating functions. Our q-generating functions are given in terms of the basic hypergeometric series 4 ϕ 5 , 5 ϕ 5 , 4 ϕ 3 , 3 ϕ 2 , 2 ϕ 1 , and q-Pochhammer symbols. Starting with our q-generating functions, we are also able to find some new classical generating functions for the Pasternack and Bateman polynomials.