bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Response of Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Plants to Spraying by Hydrogen Peroxide
Authors: Szpunar-Krok Ewa , Jańczak-Pieniążek Marta , Skrobacz Karol , Bobrecka-Jamro Dorota , Balawejder Maciej
Published: March 2020

The biocidal properties of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) could be used in plant protection. However, the effects of H2O2 foliar spraying on the performance of the potato photosynthetic apparatus are still unclear. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of foliar spraying, which was done twice, with various H2O2 concentrations (1, 3, 6, 12, and 18%) on the potato photosynthetic apparatus efficiency and antioxidant capacity. The measurements were taken four times: on the first and seventh day after each application. Foliar spraying with 1% H2O2 concentration was the most stimulating for the course of physiological processes in leaves. Further increased doses of H2O2 enhanced stress in plants which is manifested by a decrease in pigment levels, photosynthetic attributes, antioxidant capacity in leaves, and fresh mass above-ground parts of potato plants. The intensive effect of spraying was particularly observed on the first day after application, while later, the activity of the photosynthetic apparatus and antioxidant capacity increased. The study provides information that foliar spraying with 1% H2O2 can be taken into account in further research on the development of a potato plant protection methods.
Spatio-Temporal Correlation Analysis of Air Quality in China: Evidence from Provincial Capitals Data
Authors: Liu Qingchen , Li Xinyi , Liu Tao , Zhao Xiaojun
Published: March 2020

In China, public health awareness is growing as people get more concerned about the air quality. Based on the air quality index (AQI) of 31 provincial capital cities (2015–2018) in China, we studied the spatio-temporal correlations of air quality between cities. With spatial, temporal and spatio-temporal analysis, we systematically obtained many interesting results where the traditional analyses may be lacking. Firstly, the air quality of cities has spatial spillover and agglomeration effects and further the spatial correlation becomes higher with time. Secondly, there exists temporal correlation between the current AQI and its past values on multiple time scales, which shows certain periodicity. Thirdly, due to the changing characteristics of time, social activities and other factors affect the air quality positively. However, with the panel data model, the coefficients of spatio-temporal correlation vary for different cities.
A Comprehensive Set of Cooling Measures for the Overall Control and Reduction of High Temperature-Induced Thermal Damage in Oversize Deep Mines: A Case Study
Authors: Zhang Wei , Wang Tianyi , Zhang Dongsheng , Tang Jiajia , Xu Peng , Duan Xu
Published: March 2020

The mining process in deep mines occurs at elevated temperatures and thus is significantly jeopardized by the thermal damage. In this study, the main factors causing high-temperatures under particular mining geological and prevailing conditions of coal mine production, namely for the Longgu Coal Mine (LCM) in Shandong Province of China, were specified and analyzed in detail. This included exothermic heat from the surrounding rock of an underground roadway, inflow of high-temperature water, seasonal temperature rise, mechanical and electrical equipment operation, and airflow compression in the mine. The integrated artificial cooling mode was implemented on the basis of the original normal ventilation and cooling facilities of the LCM, which involved cooling by mobile refrigeration units, water source heat pump refrigeration units, and a ground centralized ice-cooling radiation system, as well as the underground centralized cooling system provided by Wärme-Austausch-Technik (WAT) GmbH. Eventually, a comprehensive set of measures for the overall control and reduction of high-temperature-induced damage was realized, which ensured more effective cooling of the LCM. Thus, the average temperature of the main operation sites was reduced by 8 K, while that of the underground working faces was maintained at 299.15 K. These measures also resulted in excellent technical and economic benefits: the total three-year increase in revenue and savings reached 76.3 million USD, hence relevant findings of the study are expected to provide technical guidance on the treatment of high-temperature-induced damage in deep mines.
Problem-Based Learning in University Studies on Renewable Energies: Case of a Laboratory Windpump
Authors: Ulazia Alain , Ibarra-Berastegi Gabriel
Published: March 2020

In the last eight years, the new faculty of Engineering in Renewable Energies at the University of the Basque Country in Eibar has developed several sustainability goals related to clean energy and climate change, but also in educative terms related to co-operative learning, motivation, and reflective thinking. The case of the laboratory-windpump challenge is paradigmatic in this sense, since it constitutes successful problem-based learning for the students in terms of the activation of heuristic tools (analogies or diagrams), critical discussions combining complex ideas about aerodynamics, mechanics and hydraulics, and a good group atmosphere. The conclusions of this work are supported by qualitative and quantitative results within a theoretical background based on the logic of discovery and its corresponding constructive-learning strategy, rather than on the logic of justification with given and well-known aprioristic assumptions.
Research on Mobile Marketing Recommendation Method Incorporating Layout Aesthetic Preference for Sustainable m-Commerce
Authors: Xiao Liang , Mao Hangxiao , Wang Shu
Published: March 2020

The strong interactivity and size limitation of the mobile interface calls for the utilization of users’ aesthetic preferences to provide better mobile marketing recommendations in order to promote the sustainable development of m-commerce. Existing studies mostly focus on matching user interests by analyzing marketing content properties. The studies for utilizing the layout information and user aesthetic preferences for the layout of the mobile marketing interface from an aesthetic perspective are insufficient. This paper proposes a mobile marketing recommendation method (LAPR) that incorporates layout aesthetic preferences. Based on the traditional content-based and collaborative filtering recommendation methods, this method introduces users’ aesthetic preferences for interface layout into a mobile marketing recommender. From an aesthetic perspective, a new interface layout design quantification method, a user aesthetic preference similarity measurement model, and a recommendation result ranking method are designed. Experiments show that compared to traditional methods, LAPR is significantly higher in recommendation precision in the task for recommending the same content and outperforms traditional methods in recall, precision, and F-metrics in the common recommendation task. We conclude that incorporating aesthetic preference for layout can improve mobile marketing recommendation quality and promote the sustainable development of m-commerce.
The Impact of Green Information on the Participation Intention of Consumers in Online Recycling: An Experimental Study
Authors: Wang Chang , Zhu Tingting , Yao Hailin , Sun Qiao
Published: March 2020

The rapid growth of electronic waste around the world has led to increased recycling problems. With the development of information technology, e-commerce has become a new trend in electronic waste recycling. This research designs two experiments to study the effect mechanism of green information on participation intention (PI) for online recycling websites. We found that providing green information can increase the PI of consumers, including environmental knowledge of product recycling (EKPR) and environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR). Green perceived value (GPV) and green trust (GT) play mediating roles on the impact of green information on PI. In addition, the recycling platform reputation (RPR) plays a moderating role in the effect of ECSR on GT. Theoretical and managerial implications, along with avenues for future research, are discussed.
Structured Collaboration Across a Transformative Knowledge Network—Learning Across Disciplines, Cultures and Contexts?
Authors: Ely Adrian , Marin Anabel , Charli-Joseph Lakshmi , Abrol Dinesh , Apgar Marina , Atela Joanes , Ayre Becky , Byrne Robert , Choudhary Bikramaditya K. , Chengo Victoria , Cremaschi Almendra , Davis Rowan , Desai Pranav , Eakin Hallie , Kushwaha Pravin , Marshall Fiona , Mbeva Kennedy , Ndege Nora , Ochieng Cosmas , Ockwell David , Olsson Per , Oxley Nathan , Pereira Laura , Priya Ritu , Tigabu Aschalew , Van Zwanenberg Patrick , Yang Lichao
Published: March 2020

Realising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require transformative changes at micro, meso and macro levels and across diverse geographies. Collaborative, transdisciplinary research has a role to play in documenting, understanding and contributing to such transformations. Previous work has investigated the role of this research in Europe and North America, however the dynamics of transdisciplinary research on ‘transformations to sustainability’ in other parts of the world are less well-understood. This paper reports on an international project that involved transdisciplinary research in six different hubs across the globe and was strategically designed to enable mutual learning and exchange. It draws on surveys, reports and research outputs to analyse the processes of transdisciplinary collaboration for sustainability that took place between 2015–2019. The paper illustrates how the project was structured in order to enable learning across disciplines, cultures and contexts and describes how it also provided for the negotiation of epistemological frameworks and different normative commitments between members across the network. To this end, it discusses lessons regarding the use of theoretical and methodological anchors, multi-loop learning and evaluating emergent change (including the difficulties encountered). It offers insights for the design and implementation of future international transdisciplinary collaborations that address locally-specific sustainability challenges within the universal framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Projecting Climate Change Potential of Harvested Wood Products under Different Scenarios of Wood Production and Utilization: Study of Slovakia
Authors: Paluš Hubert , Parobek Ján , Moravčík Martin , Kovalčík Miroslav , Dzian Michal , Murgaš Vlastimil
Published: March 2020

The forestry and forest-based sector play a significant role in climate change mitigation strategies and can contribute to the achievement of a climate-neutral economy. In this context, the ability of harvested wood products (HWP) to sequester carbon is of significant importance. The objective of this work is to make a projection of climate change mitigation potential of HWP, under different scenarios of wood utilization in Slovakia. This study builds on the comparison of different scenarios of industrial wood utilization till 2035 and presents the resulting impacts on the national carbon balance. The results suggest that the development of timber supplies after 2020 in Slovakia will be influenced, in particular, by the future changes in the age distribution and tree species composition as well as the extent of future accidental felling. Consequently, a predicted structure and availability of wood resources in Slovakia will be reflected in a higher share of the production of products with shorter life cycle and thus will negatively affect the carbon pool in HWP. By comparing the results of the four designed scenarios, it follows that the scenario with the greatest mitigation potential, is the one assuming the optimal use of wood assortments and limitation of industrial roundwood foreign trade.
Pb(II) Bio-Removal, Viability, and Population Distribution of an Industrial Microbial Consortium: The Effect of Pb(II) and Nutrient Concentrations
Authors: Hörstmann Carla , Brink Hendrik G. , Chirwa Evans M.N.
Published: March 2020

This study presents the effect of aqueous Pb(II) and nutrient concentrations on the Pb(II)-removal, biomass viability, active species identities, and population distribution of an industrial Pb(II) resistant microbial consortium. The studied consortium has previously shown to be highly effective at precipitating Pb(II) from solution. At all conditions tested (80 and 500 ppm Pb(II), and varying nutrients conditions) it was found that circa 50% of Pb(II) was removed within the first 3 h, with the absence of any visual changes, followed by a slower rate of Pb(II) removal accompanied by the formation of a dark precipitate. The Pb(II) removal was found to be independent of microbial growth, while growth was observed dependent on the concentration of Pb(II), nutrients, and nitrates in the system. SEM analysis indicated viable bacilli embedded in precipitate. These findings indicate that precipitation occurs on the surface of the biomass as opposed to an internal excretion mechanism. BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) results indicated Klebsiella pneumoniae as the active species responsible for Pb(II) bioprecipitation for both the 80 and 500 ppm isolated colonies, while a diverse population distribution of organisms was observed for the streak plate analyses. A quicker microbial generation rate was observed than what was expected for Klebsiella pneumoniae, indicating that the overall consortial population contributed to the growth rates observed. This study provided insights into the factors affecting Pb(II) bio-removal and bioprecipitation by the investigated industrially obtained consortium, thereby providing invaluable knowledge required for industrial application.
The Linkages of Carbon Spot-Futures: Evidence from EU-ETS in the Third Phase
Authors: Chen Hao , Liu Zhixin , Zhang Yinpeng , Wu You
Published: March 2020

Based on the prices selected from European Energy Exchange (EEX) from 2013 to 2018, we investigate the inter-correlation of carbon spot and futures markets. Specifically, we adopt the widely used DCC-GARCH model and VAR-BEKK-GARCH model to conduct a comprehensive analysis on the carbon market, i.e., the dynamic correlation and volatility spillover between carbon spot and carbon futures. Moreover, we develop a hedge strategy based on the VAR-BEKK-GARCH model and calculate the hedging effectiveness (HE) value to evaluate the strategy performance. The empirical results show that (i) during our sample period, carbon spot and futures markets are highly correlated, (ii) carbon spot overflows to the futures market and vice versa, and (iii) the HE value is equal to 0.9370, indicating a good performance for the hedging strategy. Then, we provide further discussion on the relationship between carbon spot and futures markets by replacing our dataset with the data of phase II. The results do not change our conclusions on the dynamic correlation and volatility spillover. However, the HE value of phase III is higher than that of phase II, which indicates that the carbon futures market of phase III is not only an available market to hedge risk from the contemporaneous carbon spot market but also has a better hedge effectiveness than phase II.
Eye Movement Analysis of Digital Learning Content for Educational Innovation
Authors: Liu Xiaolong , Zhang Xuebai , Chen Wei-Wen , Yuan Shyan-Ming
Published: March 2020

Eye movement technology is highly valued for evaluating and improving digital learning content. In this paper, an educational innovation study of eye movement behaviors on digital learning content is presented. We proposed three new eye movement metrics to explain eye movement behaviors. In the proposed method, the digital content, which were slide-deck-like works, were classified into page categories according to the characteristics of each page. We interpreted the subjects’ eye movement behaviors on the digital slide decks. After data regularization and filtering, the results were analyzed to give directions for how to design an attractive digital learning content from the viewpoint of eye movement behaviors. The relationships between the subjects’ evaluation scores, page categories, and eye movement metrics are discussed. The results demonstrated that the proposed fixation time percentage (FTP) was a representative, strong, and stable eye movement metric to measure the subjects’ interest. Moreover, a reasonable portion of semantic content had a positive influence on the subjects’ interest.
Compaction Quality Monitoring of Open-Graded Aggregates by Light Weight Deflectometer and Soil Stiffness Gauge
Authors: Choi Yongjin , Ahn Donghyun , Lee Yunje , Ahn Jaehun
Published: March 2020

Open-graded aggregates (OGAs) are free-draining materials often used as the base layer of permeable pavements to allow the infiltration or drainage of stormwater. Despite their widespread use, the compaction quality of OGA base layers has not been specified properly. The currently used density-based compaction quality control (QC) has limitations; obtaining the field density and maximum dry density of OGAs by typical methods is challenging, due to their unique properties. To overcome these limitations, modulus-based compaction QC can be used as an alternative. In this study, five different OGAs were chosen and compacted into a specially built soil chamber to measure their densities. The light weight deflectometer (LWD) and the soil stiffness gauge (SSG) were used to evaluate the modulus of the compacted OGAs. The vibratory hammer compaction test was conducted to obtain the maximum dry density of the aggregates. Through these tests, the relationship between the modulus of the compacted aggregates and the relative density was obtained, and efforts to find a modulus range that ensures proper compaction were made. It was found that the LWD and SSG are valid and reliable devices for monitoring the modulus change of OGAs due to compaction.
Light Grazing Significantly Reduces Soil Water Storage in Alpine Grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Guo Xiaowei , Dai Licong , Li Qian , Qian Dawen , Cao Guangmin , Zhou Huakun , Du Yangong
Published: March 2020

The degradation of alpine grasslands directly affects their ability to conserve water, but changes in soil water storage in grassland under different degrees of degradation are poorly understood. Here, we selected four grassland plots along a degradation gradient: no-degradation grassland (NG), lightly degraded grassland (LG), moderately degraded grassland (MG) and severely degraded grassland (SG). We then applied an automatic soil moisture monitoring system to study changes in soil water storage processes. Results revealed significant (p < 0.05) differences in soil water storage among NG, LG, MG and SG. Specifically, LG lost 35.9 mm of soil water storage compared with NG, while soil water storage in LG, MG and SG decreased by 24.5%, 32.1% and 36.7%, respectively. The shallow groundwater table, air temperature and grass litter were the key controlling factors of soil water storage in the grassland. Grazing and future global warming will significantly reduce soil water storage in alpine grasslands.
Strategic Options for Campus Sustainability: Cluster Analysis on Higher Education Institutions in Japan
Authors: Ikegami Maki , Neuts Bart
Published: March 2020

This study evaluates campus sustainability initiatives in Japanese higher education institutions over the 10-year period since a related important political declaration was made. Our findings show that implementation of sustainability actions was still largely lacking. This is one of the first extensive empirical studies on Japanese higher education institutions to examine data related to institutions that conform with the Assessment System for Sustainable Campus (ASSC). Our study aimed to identify key factors that promote robust campus sustainability among Japanese institutions. Our research question was “What are the strategic options of institutions that conform with ASSC?” We aimed to determine which fields best prompt Japanese higher education institutions to initiate campus sustainability initiatives. We applied cluster analysis to 42 cases collected by ASSC toward identifying groups of institutions with different strategic options. The analysis identified four groups: “lagging-behind”, “asset-driven”, “top-of-the-class”, and “networkers” clusters. An important finding of this study was that the asset-driven and networkers clusters showed significant positive scores with respect to asset management and networking. Our survey about institution size revealed two major findings: (1) despite the general dependency of campus sustainability on resources, both large and small institutions were capable of attaining the top-of-the-class cluster by adopting a holistic strategy; (2) small institutions are able to implement campus sustainability initiatives by focusing on asset management or networking.
Environmental Regulation and Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence from China’s Eleventh and Twelfth Five-Year Plans
Authors: Ge Yuqing , Hu Yucai , Ren Shenggang
Published: March 2020

This paper investigates environmental regulation and its impact on inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries. Based on the Chinese province-industry-level panel data in the period 2001 to 2015, we use a difference-in-difference-in-differences (DDD) model to evaluate pollution haven behavior in the context of China’s 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans SO2 emissions reduction policy. The results show that the policy leads to fewer FDI inflows to its highly-polluting industries in provinces with tougher pollution reduction targets. In addition, the environmental policy has significantly inhibited FDI inflows in provinces with stricter environmental enforcement, while investment in provinces with worse environmental enforcement is insensitive to environmental policy. These findings are consistent with pollution haven behavior. In contrast, FDI in industries with high levels of technology is not significantly influenced by the policy, whereas the FDI in industries with low levels of technology shows a negative response to environmental policy. This is overall evidence confirming a pollution haven effect (PHE), although technology differences could alleviate the negative effects of environmental regulation on inward FDI.
Revisiting the Dynamics of Tourism, Economic Growth, and Environmental Pollutants in the Emerging Economies—Sustainable Tourism Policy Implications
Authors: Khan Asif , Bibi Sughra , Ardito Lorenzo , Lyu Jiaying , Hayat Hizar , Arif Anas
Published: March 2020

Tourism contributions to economic growth and well-being have been widely acknowledged; however, its impacts on the environment demand an integrated approach to policy improvement across institutions in the emerging economies for the development of sustainable tourism practices. This study investigates the causal relationship between tourism, economic growth (GDP, capital investment), energy consumption, and environmental pollutants in developing economies, explicitly focusing on the case of Pakistan. Various econometric procedures and techniques were applied to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings suggest that economic growth support tourism development. Tourists’ arrivals have a significant positive impact on energy consumption, capital investment, and CO2 emissions; besides, environmental pollutant (CO2) causes negative effects on tourism. The results suggest that a 1 unit increase in tourism increases CO2 emissions metric tons per capita by 0.26 units in the long-run. A 1 unit increase in capital investment increases CO2 emissions metric tons per capita by 0.21 units, and a 1 unit increase in energy consumption increases CO2 emissions metric tons per capita by 0.51 units in the long-run. In the short-run, a 1 unit increase in tourism, capital investment, and energy consumption rises CO2 emissions metric tons per capita by 0.045, 0.04, and 0.08 units, respectively. Sustainable tourism remains a sole option in developing economies to enhance the competitiveness of tourism as a tool for friendly developments. Thus, tourism policies are needed to be integrated with overall economic, environmental, and energy policies to encourage the shift towards sustainable tourism development to minimize environmental pollution.
Expert Consensus Versus Statistical Techniques in the Delimitation of Tourism Destinations
Authors: Rodríguez-Rodríguez Yurena , Hernández-Martín Raúl
Published: March 2020

Delimitation of the boundaries of local tourism destinations has been proposed as a useful tool to obtain spatially-detailed statistical information to improve their decision-making and management. In the case of the Canary Islands, a leading tourism region, expert consensus supported by criteria based on supply characteristics has been used to set the boundaries of local destinations. This paper aims to analyse the characteristics of these established local destinations and test if statistical methods may provide better or different results than expert consensus from the perspective of destinations’ internal homogeneity and the differences between them. After applying descriptive and analytical statistical methods, the results confirm the evidence found in other delimitation exercises in social sciences. The consensus of experts, or subjectivity, provides consistent results that are, by and large, confirmed by statistical analysis. While statistical methods can provide new insights for delimitation, pure statistical methods can sometimes be misleading if stakeholders’ knowledge is not considered.
Energy Security of Poland and Coal Supply: Price Analysis
Authors: Nyga-Łukaszewska Honorata , Aruga Kentaka , Stala-Szlugaj Katarzyna
Published: March 2020

Energy security is one of the most intensely debated topics. Majority of papers treat the issue from the hydrocarbon market perspective, but this research focuses on the coal market broken into two specific market segments: heating and electricity production. Using the case of Poland as an example, we conduct a cointegration analysis between the coal and natural gas markets. The study uses monthly data from 2011 until the beginning of 2019. Our results show that the Polish electricity sector is more connected to the international coal market than it is to the natural gas market, while the heating sector, despite using insignificant quantities of imported coal, is more connected to the natural gas market. Hence, energy security—in its price dimension—in those two market segments differs. This situation has important policy implications. First, energy policy should take this difference into account, and second, such variation implies that different market tools should be used in those market segments.
Finance Unchained: The Political Economy of Unsustainability
Authors: Fieldman Glenn
Published: March 2020

This article explains how the liberation of finance from the Bretton Woods constraints imposed after World War II has shaped the resulting “neoliberal” political economy into a political economy that is inhospitable, if not hostile, to the kind of regulation and public investment necessary to address the climate emergency and other environmental problems, and has contributed to levels of inequality that constitute a social crisis in their own right. Using the United States as an example, the author explains how mobile finance and the accompanying neoliberal ideology impose “checks” on a range of governmental policies, and moreover, have led to inadequate levels of public and private investment, both generally and in areas crucial to reduce carbon emissions. The article concludes with a discussion of how a new set of international monetary and financial arrangements along the lines that Keynes originally envisioned could support a “Green New Deal” sustainability strategy or, absent such an international agreement, how capital controls imposed nationally could constitute a temporary solution to the problems of insufficient regulation and investment.
Implementation of the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals in Spain
Authors: Boto-Álvarez Alejandra , García-Fernández Roberto
Published: March 2020

This paper examines the implementation status of sustainable development goals (SDG) in Spain and explores the extent to which the country will be able to meet European standards in sustainability by the year 2030 within the current regulation and praxis. Based on data retrieved from official statistics supplied by Eurostat for a set of indicators useful to monitor the goals our calculations prognosticate whether Spain will reach the European Union average values. The display of each relevant indicator is provided, as well as discussion on their evolution and some recommendations for an effective implementation of SDG on the mid-term, notwithstanding the peculiar political and socio-economic situation in the country. The study proves that Spain needs to adopt urgent regulatory measures and public policies in order to fulfill its commitment to the 2030 Agenda. Otherwise, if the ongoing trend continues, most of the Spanish indicators will not reach the European average values in the overwhelming majority of the goals, including areas as relevant as the struggle for education or environment.
Protected Users: A Moodle Plugin To Improve Confidentiality and Privacy Support through User Aliases
Authors: Amo Daniel , Alier Marc , García-Peñalvo Francisco José , Fonseca David , Casañ María José
Published: March 2020

The privacy policies, terms, and conditions of use in any Learning Management System (LMS) are one-way contracts. The institution imposes clauses that the student can accept or decline. Students, once they accept conditions, should be able to exercise the rights granted by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, students cannot object to data processing and public profiling because it would be conceived as an impediment to teachers to execute their work with normality. Nonetheless, regarding GDPR and consulted legal advisors, a student could claim identity anonymization in the LMS, if adequate personal justifications are provided. Per contra, the current LMSs do not have any functionality that enables identity anonymization. This is a big problem that generates undesired situations which urgently requires a definitive solution. In this work, we surveyed students and teachers to validate the feasibility and acceptance of using aliases to anonymize their identity in LMSs as a sustainable solution to the problem. Considering the positive results, we developed a user-friendly plugin for Moodle that enables students’ identity anonymization by the use of aliases. This plugin, presented in this work and named Protected users, is publicly available online at GitHub and published under GNU General Public License.
Factors Contributing to Mobile Phone Dependence Amongst Young People—Educational Implications
Authors: Martínez-Sánchez Isabel , Goig-Martínez Rosa M. , Álvarez-Rodríguez José , Fernández-Cruz Manuel
Published: March 2020

The use of mobile devices facilitates access to knowledge and is at the base of the education of the future. Although the digital society has contributed a number of benefits, it has also been associated with worrying behaviors. The study design consisted of a quantitative approach that was descriptive, inferential and ex post facto in nature. Its purpose was to better understand the opinion of young people regarding smartphone use and describe dependence deriving from regular use. The sample was formed of 420 students from the Faculty of Education at the University of Granada. Results indicate that mobile phone use has displaced use of other technologies such as the television and is associated with communication and recreational activities. In addition, a profile was identified for young people at greater risk of developing a dependence on their mobile devices. This profile constituted female smartphone users with recreational motives and individuals who exceeded mobile phone use by more than six hours a day. To improve the educational use of smartphones, prevention and intervention plans must be designed which ensure correct management of this device, taking advantage of the benefits they offer, while avoiding problems derived from inappropriate use.
Study Abroad in Support of Higher Education Sustainability: An Application of Service Trade Strategies
Authors: Oh Eunji , Shin M. Minsuk
Published: March 2020

The objective of this study is to foster the sustainability of the higher education enrollment system in developed countries, where declining student enrollment is eminent, by promoting study abroad programs through utilizing service trade strategy. The methodology used in the current study is based on a co-orientation model adopted from the field of psychology. Using the co-orientation theory, this study investigates perceptual gaps (created from services’ intangibility, convergence, and internationalization) between the service provider (university staff) and the customers (international students) for multiple selection criteria. The survey questionnaires were constructed based on co-orientation survey questionnaires and modified using the selection criteria that were indicated from previous studies. In conclusion, it was found that international students and the university staffs in the sample have very different perceptions on most of the international students’ university selection criterion. As an implication, this study shows the factors which have the most significant difference between the perception of international students and the university staffs and offers appropriate actions to amend such gaps.
The Effect of Phases of the Adoption of the Circular Economy on Firm Performance: Evidence from 28 EU Countries
Authors: Moric Ilija , Jovanović Jelena Šaković , Đoković Rajka , Peković Sanja , Perović Đurđica
Published: March 2020

Although a substantial body of literature has analysed the potential benefits of the circular economy, empirical evidence on the relationship between circular economy-related activities and firm performance is scarce. Rather than analysing only the effect of the circular economy on firm performance, we empirically examine the effects of the different phases of the adoption process of the circular economy on firm performance. Therefore, in this paper, a multiphase framework of circular economy adoption is developed. Employing a propensity-score-matching model on the sample of more than 4000 European SMEs, we show that the adoption of circular economy activities improves firm performance as measured by productivity. In addition, our findings reveal that the impact of circular economy activities on firm performance is dependent on the different phases of the adoption process. Taken together, this study enriches current research on the circular economy by contributing to a more nuanced understanding on the relationship between the different phases of the adoption process and firm performance.
Educational Innovation in Higher Education: Use of Role Playing and Educational Video in Future Teachers’ Training
Authors: Moreno-Guerrero Antonio-José , Rodríguez-Jiménez Carmen , Gómez-García Gerardo , Ramos Navas-Parejo Magdalena
Published: March 2020

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have led to the emergence of a variety of active and innovative teaching methods. This is the case in role-playing, which consists of simulating a real-life situation, in this case the school context, in which the student takes on a certain role and interacts with other students in a fictitious situation. Framed in this way, the present study aims to show if the application of the role-playing method promotes the improvement of attitude variables and practical skills. To this end, we advocated the use of a quasi-experimental methodology, with a control and experimental group and the application of a post-test. The sample is composed of 138 students from the Master of Teachers of Compulsory Secondary Education in Ceuta (Spain). The results showed that the students positively valued the application of the method, obtaining better scores in the set of variables studied, especially in motivation, creativity and collaboration. Therefore, it continues to be observed that the application of innovative methodologies through technology promotes the increase of multiple skills in the student body. This study aimed to prove that the use of active methods provides an increase in students’ skills, and that, therefore, we must bet on the use of sustainable pedagogies in order to promote a real innovation in the classrooms.
Does the Nation Innovation System in China Support the Sustainability of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Innovation?
Authors: Jia Caiyan , Tang Xiaoyun , Kan Zhehan
Published: March 2020

To maintain sustainable economic growth, China has created a national innovation system (NIS) and strengthened the central status of firms. Our data show that the effect of turnover growth in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on China’s aggregate Gross Domestic Product (GDP)growth is significant, but the status of SMEs in the NIS and related policies is not significant. To determine whether there is a correspondence between the sustainability of innovation in SMEs and the support of China’s NIS, we developed a framework for China’s innovation policy under the NIS framework, taking into account its transition characteristics, to examine the texts of SME innovation policies and reveal the sustainability of SMEs’ innovation. The relevant national government policy texts were collected from the yearbooks of Chinese SMEs between 1999 and 2017 and government notices between 1994 and 2017. On this basis, we also compared with some other countries’ innovation systems. The findings indicate that China’s NIS pays little attention to the sustainability of SMEs’ innovation activities for two reasons. First, the scope of the NIS is very narrowly defined. Second, the top-down, government-oriented Research and Development (R&D) system that focuses on large state-owned firms leaves little room for innovation policies in SMEs.
CityScapeLab Berlin: A Research Platform for Untangling Urbanization Effects on Biodiversity
Authors: von der Lippe Moritz , Buchholz Sascha , Hiller Anne , Seitz Birgit , Kowarik Ingo
Published: March 2020

Urban biodiversity conservation requires an understanding of how urbanization modulates biodiversity patterns and the associated ecosystem services. While important advances have been made in the conceptual development of urban biodiversity research over the last decades, challenges remain in understanding the interactions between different groups of taxa and the spatiotemporal complexity of urbanization processes. The CityScapeLab Berlin is a novel experimental research platform that allows the testing of theories on how urbanization affects biodiversity patterns and biotic interactions in general and the responses of species of conservation interest in particular. We chose dry grassland patches as the backbone of the research platform because dry grasslands are common in many urban regions, extend over a wide urbanization gradient, and usually harbor diverse and self-assembled communities. Focusing on a standardized type of model ecosystem allowed the urbanization effects on biodiversity to be unraveled from effects that would otherwise be masked by habitat- and land-use effects. The CityScapeLab combines different types of spatiotemporal data on (i) various groups of taxa from different trophic levels, (ii) environmental parameters on different spatial scales, and (iii) on land-use history. This allows for the unraveling of the effects of current and historical urban conditions on urban biodiversity patterns and the related ecological functions.
The Relationship between Primary Energy Consumption and Real Gross Domestic Product: Evidence from Major Asian Countries
Authors: Liu Wen-Chi
Published: March 2020

This study examines the relationship between primary energy consumption (PEC) and real gross domestic product (real GDP) in the top four major energy consumers in Asia, namely, China, India, Japan, and South Korea. The study period is from 1982–2018, covering 37 years of data after the second oil crisis (1979–1981). Bootstrap panel Granger causality method is applied to examine the causal relationship between PEC and real GDP. This method is capable of controlling cross-sectional dimension and cross-country heterogeneity. In addition, few studies investigate the relevance of real GDP to energy consumption, although real GDP adjusted by inflation provides an accurate picture of a country’s economic situation. Our results contribute to existing literature in the field of PEC and real GDP. Through rigorous empirical research, we derive the main conclusion as follows. The real GDP and PEC of the top four energy consumers in Asia seem to be affected by the burst of the speculative Internet bubble from 2000–2001. Therefore, this study divides the research period into three periods: 1982–2018, 1982–2001, and 2002–2018. During the 1982–2018 period, an independent causal relationship is observed between real GDP and PEC for all four countries, thus supporting the neutrality hypothesis. During the 1982–2001 period, a unidirectional causal relationship running from PEC to real GDP is observed, thus supporting the energy growth hypothesis. Moreover, the coefficient is significantly negative in India; that is, PEC constrains economic development. Thus, the Indian government should reform its energy efficiency and consumption technologies to reduce energy waste. During the 2002–2018 period, an independent causal relationship is observed between real GDP and energy consumption for all four countries, thus supporting the neutrality hypothesis. This study then changes real GDP into nominal GDP and finds a unidirectional causal relationship running from PEC to nominal GDP in South Korea, thus supporting the growth hypothesis. A unidirectional causal relationship is also observed running from nominal GDP to PEC in India, thus supporting the energy conservation hypothesis. As mentioned above, we find that the relationship between PEC and real GDP adjusted by the GDP deflator is weaker than that between PEC and nominal GDP. Nominal GDP strengthens its relationship with PEC through the effect of prices for all the goods and services produced in an economy.
Collaborative Learning Communities for Sustainable Employment through Visual Tools
Authors: Martín-García Rodrigo , López-Martín Carmen , Arguedas-Sanz Raquel
Published: March 2020

Higher education institutions must enable students to acquire skills and capacities that prepare them for working life and enhance their employability. This will lead to an applied learning- and teaching-enhancement-oriented sustainable Higher Education System. This research aims to contribute to that goal by analyzing student interactions in a collaborative learning community. It assesses the impact of visual tools on academic performance and student satisfaction in employment-focused blended studies, in which enrollees were geographically dispersed undergraduates with a diversity of profiles. A financial studies learning community was created to test students’ interactions in a model conducive to participation as visual content creators and users. Three surveys (pre-project, appraisal of classmates’ visual exercises, and post-project) were conducted to assess project impact. First, we used a univariate approach, focused on students’ characteristics, course and project appraisals, and the effects of the project on academic performance and expectations. Secondly, a bivariate approach was conducted to detect relationships between respondents’ appraisals and personal characteristics and to determine whether their mean scores were the same irrespective of such characteristics. The findings showed that: (1) Students’ preferences concur with those of their employers; (2) participation in innovative initiatives improves students’ perception of course procedures; (3) visual tools have a positive impact on learning, in terms of both academic performance and student satisfaction. The study concludes by providing support for educational institutions´ decision-making around courses and the overall curricula by defining the factors determining academic performance and student satisfaction.
Air Pollution Prediction Using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Deep Autoencoder (DAE) Models
Authors: Xayasouk Thanongsak , Lee HwaMin , Lee Giyeol
Published: March 2020

Many countries worldwide have poor air quality due to the emission of particulate matter (i.e., PM10 and PM2.5), which has led to concerns about human health impacts in urban areas. In this study, we developed models to predict fine PM concentrations using long short-term memory (LSTM) and deep autoencoder (DAE) methods, and compared the model results in terms of root mean square error (RMSE). We applied the models to hourly air quality data from 25 stations in Seoul, South Korea, for the period from 1 January 2015, to 31 December 2018. Fine PM concentrations were predicted for the 10 days following this period, at an optimal learning rate of 0.01 for 100 epochs with batch sizes of 32 for LSTM model, and DAEs model performed best with batch size 64. The proposed models effectively predicted fine PM concentrations, with the LSTM model showing slightly better performance. With our forecasting model, it is possible to give reliable fine dust prediction information for the area where the user is located.
Retrofitting an Existing Office Building in the UAE Towards Achieving Low-Energy Building
Authors: Khoukhi Maatouk , Darsaleh Abeer Fuad , Ali Sara
Published: March 2020

Retrofitting an existing building can oftentimes be more cost-effective than building a new facility. Since buildings consume a significant amount of energy, particularly for heating and cooling, and because existing buildings comprise the largest segment of the built environment, it is important to initiate energy conservation retrofits to reduce energy consumption and the cost of heating, cooling, and lighting buildings. However, conserving energy is not the only reason for retrofitting existing buildings. The goal should be to create a high-performance building by applying an integrated, whole-building design process to the project during the planning phase that ensures that all key design objectives are met. This paper presents a real case study of the retrofitting of an existing building to achieve lower energy consumption. Indeed, most of the constructed buildings in the UAE are unsuitable for the region, which is characterized by a very harsh climate that causes massive cooling loads and energy consumption due to an appropriate selection of design parameters at the design level. In this study, a monthly computer simulation of energy consumption of an office building in Sharjah was carried out under UAE weather conditions. Several parameters, including the building orientation, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, external shading, window-to-wall ratio, and the U-values of the walls and the roof, were investigated and optimized to achieve lower energy consumption. The simulation shows that the best case is 41.7% more efficient than the real (original) case and 30.6% more than the base case. The most sensitive parameter in the retrofitting alternatives is the roof component, which affects the energy savings by 8.49%, followed by the AC system with 8.34% energy savings if well selected using the base case. Among the selected five components, a new roof structure contributed the most to the decrease in the overall energy consumption (approximately 38%). This is followed by a new HVAC system, which leads to a 37% decrease, followed by a new wall type with insulation, resulting in a 20% decrease.