bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Melting Mechanism and Natural Convection Effect in a Triplex Tube Heat Storage System with a Novel Fin Arrangement
Authors: Najim Farqad , Kaplan Sami , Mohammed Hayder , Dulaimi Anmar , Abed Azher , Ibrahem Raed , Al-Qrimli Fadhil , Mahmoud Mustafa , Awrejcewicz Jan , Pawłowski Witold
Published: September 2022

In this research, a numerical analysis is accomplished aiming to investigate the effects of adding a new design fins arrangement to a vertical triplex tube latent heat storage system during the melting mechanism and evaluate the natural convection effect using Ansys Fluent software. In the triplex tube, phase change material (PCM) is included in the middle tube, while the heat transfer fluid (HTF) flows through the interior and exterior pipes. The proposed fins are triangular fins attached to the pipe inside the PCM domain in two different ways: (1) the base of the triangular fins is connected to the pipe, (2) the tip of the triangular fins is attached to the pipe and the base part is directed to the PCM domain. The height of the fins is calculated to have a volume equal to that of the uniform rectangular fins. Three different cases are considered as the final evaluation toward the best case as follows: (1) the uniform fin case (case 3), (2) the reverse triangular fin case with a constant base (case 12), (3) the reverse triangular fin case with a constant height (case 13). The numerical results show that the total melting times for cases 3 and 12 increase by 4.0 and 10.1%, respectively, compared with that for case 13. Since the PCM at the bottom of the heat storage unit melts slower due to the natural convection effect, a flat fin is added to the bottom of the heat storage unit for the best case compared with the uniform fin cases. Furthermore, the heat storage rates for cases 3 and 12 are reduced by 4.5 and 8.5%, respectively, compared with that for case 13, which is selected as the best case due to having the lowest melting time (1978s) and the highest heat storage rate (81.5 W). The general outcome of this research reveals that utilizing the tringle fins enhances the thermal performance and the phase change rate.
Smart Grid Project Benefit Evaluation Based on a Hybrid Intelligent Model
Authors: Liang Yi , Fan Yingying , Peng Yongfang , An Haigang
Published: September 2022

With the accelerated development of smart cities, the construction and development of smart grids have an increasing impact on the safe and stable operation of power systems. The benefit evaluation of smart grids can find out the problems of smart grids more comprehensively, which is of great practical significance for the further development of smart cities. In order to ensure accuracy and real-time evaluation, this paper proposes a new hybrid intelligent evaluation model using an improved technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) and long–short-term memory (LSTM) optimized by a modified sparrow search algorithm (MSSA). First, a set of smart grid benefit evaluation index systems is established in the context of considering smart city development. Then, aiming at the reverse order problem existing in TOPSIS, an improved evaluation model with entropy weight and modified TOPSIS is established. Finally, an intelligent evaluation model based on LSTM with MSSA optimization is designed. The example analysis verifies the accuracy of the model proposed, points out the important factors affecting the benefits of smart grids, and provides a new idea to achieve effective evaluation and rapid prediction, which can help to improve the benefit level of smart grids.
Cultural, Social and Psychological Factors of the Conservative Consumer towards Legal Cannabis Use—A Review since 2013
Authors: Siddiqui Shahida Anusha , Singh Prachi , Khan Sipper , Fernando Ito , Baklanov Igor Spartakovich , Ambartsumov Tigran Garrievich , Ibrahim Salam A.
Published: September 2022

Cannabis consumption has become the center of much debate globally. The positive public perception of the medicinal benefits of cannabis and the rise of recreational usage of cannabis necessitate dramatic changes in cannabis reform policy. As a consequence, there is an increase in cannabis legalization around the globe, although it is still facing many rejections. It is crucial to understand the factors affecting public acceptance of cannabis use to support the contextualization and success of cannabis legalization. This review aims to address consumer cultural, social and psychological factors regarding the legal use of cannabis. Based on this review, cultures influence the endorsement or rejection of cannabis use depending on political views, religious sentiments and affiliated subcultures (adult, youth and adolescent subcultures). Regarding the social factors, socioeconomic status, measured by income, education level and occupation, is a key determinant of cannabis use. The beliefs opposing cannabis legalization are due to the negative stigma surrounding cannabis use. Nevertheless, growing awareness about the pharmaceutical and therapeutic effects of cannabis has led to an increase in positive attitudes towards cannabis legalization. Thus, dissemination of cannabis use benefits reaffirmed by scientific evidence could be a strategic way to alleviate the public’s negative feedback on cannabis legalization.
Predictors of University Attrition: Looking for an Equitable and Sustainable Higher Education
Authors: Vidal Jack , Gilar-Corbi Raquel , Pozo-Rico Teresa , Castejón Juan-Luis , Sánchez-Almeida Tarquino
Published: September 2022

The failure and dropout of university studies are issues that worry all nations due to the personal, social, and economic costs that this they entail. Because the dropout phenomenon is complex and involves numerous factors, to reverse it would involve a comprehensive approach through interventions aimed at the factors identified as key in the decision to drop out. Therefore, the main objective of this work is to determine the profile of students who enter the EPN (STEM higher-education institution) to analyze the characteristics that differentiate students who drop out early in their career and those who stay in school. A sample of 624 students who accessed the EPN leveling course (a compulsory course at the beginning of their studies) participated in the study. A total of 26.6% of the participants were women. A total of 50.7% of the participants passed the course. Data referring to social, economic, and academic variables were analyzed. Comparison techniques, as well as artificial neural networks, were used to compare characteristic profiles of students who passed the leveling course and those who dropped out. The results showed significant differences between the profiles of the students who passed and those who dropped out with regard to the variables related to previous academic performance and motivational and attributional aspects. The artificial neural networks corroborated the importance of these variables in predicting dropout. In this research, the key variables predicting whether a student continues or leaves higher education are revealed, allowing the identification of students at possible risk of dropping out and thus promoting initiatives to provide adequate academic support and improve student retention.
Bank Diversification and Financial Constraints on Firm Investment Decisions in a Bank-Based Financial System
Authors: Lin Hueh-Chen , Huang Jiang-Chuan , You Chun-Fan
Published: September 2022

The purpose of the study is to investigate whether bank diversification influences borrowing firms’ financial constraints on investment decisions. It also analyzes whether the different dimensions of bank diversification could alleviate financial constraints to firm investment. Further, the role of bank diversification in achieving firm financial sustainability is explored. By applying the Two-step System GMM, this study examines the effect of changes in bank diversification on financial constraints to borrowing firm investment in a reduced-form investment model with a sample of 810 listed firms in Taiwan over the period 1997–2019. The empirical findings indicate that firms are financially constrained as well as there being a positive relationship between cash flow and investment among Taiwanese listed firms. Additionally, bank diversification significantly reduces the investment-cash flow sensitivity of firms, suggesting that bank diversification mitigates the financial constraints to borrowing firms. Moreover, the multi-diversification of a bank compared to single-diversification will have greater impact on mitigating the firms’ financial constraints on investment. Thus, bank diversification strategies are proposed in a bank-based financial system, leading to the easing of the borrowing firms’ financial constraints to investments.
Age- and Drought-Related Variation in Plant-Available Water of Rain-Fed Jujube Orchards on the Loess Plateau of China
Authors: Li Lusheng , Zhao Lili , Ge Jiankun , Li Hongchen , Yang Peiwen
Published: September 2022

As an important part of the large-scale ecological restoration project of “Grain for Green”, the planting area of jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) trees has increased significantly in the hilly region on the Loess Plateau of China, which aims to improve water and soil conservation and develop economic prospects of the region. Understanding the long-term effects of expanding orchards and the responses of soil water dynamics to drought are important for orchard management. Therefore, we use a space-for-time substitution to investigate the variations of plant-available water storage in returning cropland to orchards with different stand ages (2, 6, 10, and 15 years) in a normal year (NY2014, 442.1 mm rainfall) and the next year with low annual precipitation (DY2015, 388 mm rainfall). The results showed that the plant-available water storage in jujube orchards decreased with increasing stand age, and the trend was most obvious in the 60–180 cm layer. The mature stands (10 and 15 years) primarily absorbed soil water from the deep layer (180–300 cm) in DY2015, leading to negative values of plant-available water storage. The whole soil profiles were all subjected to severe water deficits in our study. The findings will help guide rain-fed orchard management in the loess hilly region of China and similar dryland regions.
Solar PV Panels-Self-Cleaning Coating Material for Egyptian Climatic Conditions
Authors: El-Mahallawi Iman , Elshazly Engy , Ramadan Mohamed , Nasser Reem , Yasser Moaaz , El-Badry Seif , Elthakaby Mahmoud , Oladinrin Olugbenga Timo , Rana Muhammad Qasim
Published: September 2022

The electrical efficiency of photovoltaic panels is affected by many environmental parameters, which have a negative impact on system electrical efficiency and cost of energy, dust and increased panel temperatures being the most serious in the MENA region. In this work, a few organic-based self-cleaning coatings are developed, and their effects on PVs’ electrical efficiency re assessed for polycrystalline panels exposed to natural soiling conditions outdoors at El-Sherouk City. The results show that monolithic hydrophobic-based coatings using paraffine and dimethyl-siloxane show up to 14.3% improvement in the electrical efficiency of the PV panels, but the role of nanoparticles TiO2 and Al2O3 addition needs further investigation. Hydrophobic-based coatings using dimethyl-siloxane reduce the coated panels’ surface temperature compared with the uncoated panel.
Mapping User Experiences around Transit Stops Using Computer Vision Technology: Action Priorities from Cairo
Authors: Wael Shereen , Elshater Abeer , Afifi Samy
Published: September 2022

In the field of urban studies, artificial intelligence technology offers potential applications. There are, however, limited sources on how technology can contribute to the study of user experiences in city contexts. This study examined the factors affecting user experiences around three exits of one of the Cairo Metro stops in Ramses Square in Cairo, Egypt. Using a Geographical Information System (GIS) and GoodVision Video Insights and spatial analysis was conducted for the selected built environment. Our results demonstrate that pedestrian flow, thermal comfort, safety levels, and destination proximity contribute to the user experience. Our results also prove that urban configuration with multiple elements in the stations’ context strongly affects metro user experience. As such, three levels of priorities were suggested to guide city planners, urban designers, and landscape architects through developing or designing stations with user experience in mind. For future studies, this study offers a valuable method for developing qualitative and quantitative analyses of pedestrian movement in stations’ contexts.
A Car-Following Model for Mixed Traffic Flows in Intelligent Connected Vehicle Environment Considering Driver Response Characteristics
Authors: Wang Yunze , Xu Ranran , Zhang Ke
Published: September 2022

Autonomous driving technology and vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology make the hybrid driving of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) and regular vehicles (RVs) a long-existing phenomenon in the coming future. Among the existing studies, IDM models are mostly used to study the performance of homogeneous traffic flow. To explore the stability of mixed traffic flow, an extended intelligent driver model (IDM) based car-following model was proposed for mixed traffic flow (MTF) with both CAVs and RVs, considering the headway, the speed and acceleration of multiple front vehicles, as well as the response characteristics of RV drivers. Through the linear stability analysis, the criterion for the stability of MTFs was derived, and the relationship among the penetration rate of CAVs, equilibrium velocity and traffic stability in MTF are discussed. Based on the above theoretical model, a numerical simulation was conducted in two typical scenarios of starting and braking. The results showed that, at the microscopic scale, the vehicle in the Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) mode could significantly decelerate in response to the interference from other vehicles in the same traffic environment. At the macroscopic scale, as the penetration rate of CAVs increased, the overall acceleration fluctuation of the traffic flow decreased. At the same penetration rate of CAVs, the higher density of CAVs coincided with the higher stability of the MTF. When the penetration rate of CAVs was 50%, the degree of distribution had the greatest impact on the MTF. When the penetration rate of CAVs exceeded 70%, the degree of distribution had little impact on the MTF. This research can provide basic theoretical support for the management and control of MTF in the future.
Revitalization of Post-Industrial Facilities in Economic and Socio-Cultural Perspectives—A Comparative Study between Poland and the USA
Authors: Kuzior Aleksandra , Grebski Wiesław , Kwilinski Aleksy , Krawczyk Dariusz , Grebski Michalene Eva
Published: September 2022

The article presents selected post-industrial heritage sites in Poland and the USA. Comparative studies conducted by the authors concern economic, financial and socio-cultural aspects. The research methods used include a diagnostic survey and analysis of financial documents of selected post-industrial facilities in Poland and the USA. The authors carried out financial analyses of the functioning of selected post-industrial cultural heritage facilities. The aims of the diagnostic survey were to examine public opinion regarding the financing of post-industrial facilities and the interest of young people in post-industrial monuments. Furthermore, the researchers aimed to identify potential customers and determine the most effective methods of promoting post-industrial cultural objects and post-industrial tourism. These research results can be used by authorities managing post-industrial cultural monuments as a guideline for designing marketing activities and segmenting the market for post-industrial tourism services. This will allow marketing information to reach defined target groups more effectively. Surveys showed that respondents from both countries agreed about the need to protect post-industrial heritage. Significant differences in opinions concerned interest in post-industrial tourist offerings. In Poland, 88% of respondents believed that post-industrial facilities can arouse the interest of tourists, whereas only 28% of respondents believed so in the USA. This article considers the development of post-industrial tourism and the revitalization of post-industrial facilities from the new perspective of potential users.
Assessment of the Nutritional Value of Selected Wild Food Plants in Türkiye and Their Promotion for Improved Nutrition
Authors: Borelli Teresa , Güzelsoy Nurcan Ayşar , Hunter Danny , Tan Ayfer , Karabak Sevinç , Uçurum Huriye Özgül , Çavuş Filiz , Ay Saadet Tuğrul , Adanacıoğlu Neşe , Özbek Kürşad , Özen Birgül , Tokat Emre , Taşçı Rahmi
Published: September 2022

Türkiye represents one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, containing over 11,000 species of plants, with an estimated 10% being edible. Wild food plants, especially in rural areas, are collected and eaten or sold in local markets, complementing people’s diets, and represent a source of additional income for foraging households. Yet, the use of wild food plants is declining, with both their dietary and cultural values being undermined. Wild food plants can be used as a healthy dietary alternative to imported and ultra-processed foods, particularly as the Turkish population increasingly suffers from diet-related diseases. Using a unique and innovative approach to mainstream biodiversity for food and nutrition, wild food plants from five different regions of Türkiye were analyzed to determine their nutrient composition, and to evaluate their contribution not only to diets and nutrition, but to promoting a more sustainable food system. Examples are presented of how the approach was put into practice and how action was taken to (i) strengthen the evidence of the nutritional value of wild food plants; (ii) use this knowledge to shape new policies and identify emerging markets for food biodiversity; and, (iii) improve awareness of consumers, using capacity building and farmer training, gastronomy, and cultural events.
Fuelwood in South Africa Revisited: Widespread Use in a Policy Vacuum
Authors: Shackleton Charlie , Sinasson Gisele , Adeyemi Opeyemi , Martins Vusumzi
Published: September 2022

South Africa has experienced massive urbanisation and socioeconomic development over the past two decades. Concomitantly, the national energy policy focuses on the provision of modern fuels, notably electricity, for domestic use. Given this policy environment and socioeconomic development, we examine pertinent literature and policies from South Africa on fuelwood use, value, and sustainability to understand how it might have changed in tandem with the national shifts in urbanisation and socioeconomic development over the last 20 years. Recent literature shows that fuelwood is still used to some extent by 96% of rural households and 69% of low-income urban ones. We also estimate that the use of fuelwood by rural households alone is valued at approximately ZAR 10.5 billion (approx. USD 700 million) annually, with the probability of an equally high value to low-income urban households. However, despite the extensive use and high value, our analysis of cognate national policies related to energy, forestry, environment, and social development, show that fuelwood and its use is hardly considered, indicating a policy vacuum. This policy vacuum means that there is no strategic or apposite support or interventions in any localised areas where fuelwood demand might exceed supply, thereby undermining the livelihoods and energy security of affected citizens, most notably the poor.
Lean Six Sigma with Value Stream Mapping in Industry 4.0 for Human-Centered Workstation Design
Authors: Wang Fu-Kwun , Rahardjo Benedictus , Rovira Pol Rifa
Published: September 2022

Many industries have successfully implemented the define-measure-analyze-improve-control (DMAIC) method of Lean Six Sigma to improve their production activities. Value stream mapping (VSM) for Industry 4.0 allows us to understand the current state of operations in order to plan future improvements. In this study, we propose an improvement model based on DMAIC with VSM 4.0 for a truck cooler manufacturer to improve the picking workstation design with a human-centered approach. We use the DMAIC method to analyze the project step by step. After identifying the root cause, we identified countermeasures to improve the productivity. To reduce human error, the project team adopted a human-centered approach and applied lean tools, such as visual management, error prevention, and waste analysis. As a result of this case study, the yield rate was improved from 98% to 100%, and the direct savings of the project amounted to EUR 3180, mainly due to the freeing up of space. A human-centered LSS framework is also presented as a novel contribution of this study.
Hedonic Pricing of Houses in Megacities Pre- and Post-COVID-19: A Case Study of Shanghai, China
Authors: Chen Yujiao , Luo Zhengbo
Published: September 2022

Housing price is one of the most concerning issues to the public worldwide. Studying the spatial characteristics of Shanghai’s housing prices and their explanatory factors is of great practical significance, for Shanghai is the largest city in China and serves as the national economic center and a global financial hub. By crawling the point of interest (POI) data from the Lianjia Real Estate and Gaode Map in the past decade and applying the multiscale geographically-weighted regression (MGWR) model, this study deeply explores the spatial characteristics of housing prices and their main influencing variables in Shanghai before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that housing prices in Shanghai kept rising even under the shock of the pandemic, especially in high-priced housing. After the pandemic, Shanghai’s housing price market polarization intensified. In addition, housing prices are very sensitive to location and have strong spatial heterogeneity. The influencing effects of different explanatory factors vary perceptibly in spatial heterogeneity as well as pre- and post- COVID-19.
Improving Design Project Management in Remote Learning
Authors: Calavia María Belén , Blanco Teresa , Casas Roberto , Dieste Belén
Published: September 2022

Design Thinking has the potential to train the soft skills of preservice teachers who will need to continuously design their future towards sustainable education. However, Design Thinking is intrinsically complex, and managing its learning and projects with large groups is not straightforward, especially in remote situations such as COVID-19. From collaborative work among disciplines, this study introduces a Design Thinking-based board to improve the implementation and management of remote design projects. This board was applied with university-level preservice teachers who worked in teams to design instructional materials for preschool. We assessed the perception of the usefulness of the board by the preservice teachers and the teachers responsible for their training, using mixed methods in two consecutive courses. The board was perceived as helpful in developing design projects and improving collaborative learning. It was beneficial for the management, monitoring, and communication, enriching the project process and outcomes. From the achieved learning, we provide guidelines for designing and using these boards to aid educators and researchers in integrating Design Thinking and developing practical and sustainable solutions. This study contributes to the natural integration of Design Thinking and technology in preservice teachers’ education with a replicable and flexible process, improving the quality of education for future generations.
Calibrating Evolution of Transformative Tourism: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Rus Karina A. , Dezsi Ștefan , Ciascai Ovidiu R. , Pop Florin
Published: September 2022

Transformative tourism (TT) has been gaining a lot of attention over the past few years due to its power to transform both the individual and the world we live in, in a positive way. Although presently consisting of a plethora of studies, transformative tourism lacks the lens of a bibliometric approach to track its growth in a more objective and quantitative manner. In this article, a total of 250 publications were analysed using several bibliometric performance metrics, science mapping techniques, such as citation analysis, co-occurrence, and co-authorship, as well as enrichment procedures. By combining these methods, the study identifies the most prolific journals, reference studies in the field, key authors, collaboration patterns, geographic distribution, preferred methods, major research topics, as well as an overall research timeline in this area of study. Findings suggest that transformative tourism could become the heart of tourism in the upcoming years as it begins to take deeper roots through new junctions and discoveries, appealing to more researchers and practitioners, with the literature on TT thus gaining momentum. This paper contributes to fill a research gap and capture the evolution of the fast-growing concept of transformative tourism using bibliometric analysis. The article provides useful insights as well as further research directions for both researchers and tourism practitioners interested in this field of study.
A Course Outline for Education in Legal and Managerial Aspects of Technology
Authors: Metallidou Chrysi Ign. , Psannis Kostas E.
Published: September 2022

This is the era of technological innovation, and the integration of technology into all sectors of society is a reality. Technology industry has already indicated the need for technology professionals who work and take decisions led not only by their engineering skills, but also by their legal and managerial skills. In this direction, in 2019 we conducted a survey using a questionnaire that was distributed to graduated students of Technology Institutes in Greece, in order to examine their knowhow on Entrepreneurship and on Patent Law in the direction of supporting a potential technological invention. Considering the above mentioned and the conclusion of the survey, in this paper a course is compiled and is proposed to be integrated in undergraduate curriculum of technical universities. The course regards both legal and managerial aspects of technology that concern a professional of technology. Educating new technological scientists to cope with the Technology Industry is a major issue and a qualification that scientific and industrial communities require. This paper serves this purpose; the proposed course is an innovative tool for the new generation technocratic scientists, who will serve the future technological and industrial society.
Sustainable Development Solutions for the Medical Waste Problem Using Thermal Plasmas
Authors: Galaly Ahmed Rida
Published: September 2022

Waste-to-energy (WTE) conversion is a vital process in the Middle East, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which is considered sustainable development for the environmental strategic project. Previous publications dealt with the environmentally friendly plasma treatment of wastes such as municipal waste, scrap tire waste, plastic waste, and grey water, using thermal plasmas produced by the cornerstone part of plasma reactors, namely the air plasma torch. In the present paper, with a view to energy recovery from medical waste, the thermodynamic properties of air plasma torches with a flow rate of air ranging from 10 mg/s to 30 mg/s and plasma jet temperatures ranging from 1500 °C to 5000 °C were investigated; these include power loss, enthalpy, plasma flux, and torch efficiency variation with plasma input power and air flow rate. The measured electrothermal efficiency of the plasma torch is in the range of 42% to 80% and increases with the increasing input power and gas flow rate. In Makkah, the number of beds in the hospitals is 10,500; the average annual weight of the medical waste in the hospitals is 2835 × 103 t, with an extracted amount of pyrolysis oil equivalent to 2268 × 103 t and an equivalent energy of 90 × 109 M J. In the proposed plasma treatment project, the amount of diesel oil after the distillation process will reach up to 1928 × 103 t, with an estimated sale profit of the electricity reaching up to 21 × 106 MW·h. The sale profit of pyrolysis oil in 2022 reaches up to USD 34.44 million, and the sale profit of electricity extracted by using the diesel oil in 2022 reaches up to USD 1020 million for households and USD 1445 million for factories.
Evenly Is Even Better? Digital Competitiveness and the Quality of Medical Research
Authors: Shin Whan
Published: September 2022

The combination of rapid advances in digital technology and the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the importance of knowledge sharing and balanced advances in medical research. This study explored how digital competitiveness influences the diverse quality of medical research in vital areas. Based on our synthesized framework of research quality, we found that digital competitiveness benefits medical research broadly but not evenly. While digital competitiveness was positively associated with impactful research across all four fields in vital areas, the relationship between digital competitiveness and science-based and explorative research varied depending on the field. By focusing on the quality of medical research rather than a specific medical service, our study offers meaningful implications for knowledge sharing and collaborative research, which are key conditions for the sustainable development of medicine.
SAKAP: SGX-Based Authentication Key Agreement Protocol in IoT-Enabled Cloud Computing
Authors: Wu Tsu-Yang , Wang Liyang , Guo Xinglan , Chen Yeh-Cheng , Chu Shu-Chuan
Published: September 2022

With the rapid development of the Internet, Internet of Things (IoT) technology is widely used in people’s daily lives. As the number of IoT devices increases, the amount of data to be processed also increases. The emergence of cloud computing can process the data of IoT devices in a timely manner, and it provides robust storage and computing capabilities to facilitate data resource sharing. Since wireless communication networks are unstable and open, it is easy for attackers to eavesdrop, intercept, and tamper with the messages sent. In addition, authentication protocols designed for IoT-enabled cloud computing environments still face many security challenges. Therefore, to address these security issues, we propose an Intel software-guard-extensions (SGX)-based authentication key agreement protocol in an IoT-enabled cloud computing environment. The goal is to ensure data privacy and sustainable communication between the entities. Moreover, SGX can resist several well-known attacks. Finally, we show the security using the real-or-random model, ProVerif, and informal analysis. We also compare the security and performance of the proposed protocol with existing protocols. The comparison results show that our proposed protocol reduces the communication cost by 7.07% compared to the best one among the current protocols and ensures sufficient security.
Sustainable Intensification of Rice Fallows with Oilseeds and Pulses: Effects on Soil Aggregation, Organic Carbon Dynamics, and Crop Productivity in Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains
Authors: Saurabh Kirti , Kumar Rakesh , Mishra Janki Sharan , Singh Anil Kumar , Mondal Surajit , Meena Ram Swaroop , Choudhary Jaipal Singh , Biswas Ashis Kumar , Kumar Manoj , Roy Himadri Shekhar , Singh Nongmaithem Raju , Yadav Sushil Kumar , Upadhyaya Ashutosh , Hans Hansraj , Jeet Pawan , Sundaram Prem Kumar , Raman Rohan Kumar
Published: September 2022

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices are becoming increasingly important due to their better adaptability to harsh climatic conditions (in general) and the unpredictability of monsoons in India (in particular). Conventional rice cultivation (e.g., PTR) involves intensive tilling followed by intensive puddling in standing water that destroys the soil aggregation and depletes carbon pools. Therefore, alternative crop establishment methods need to be devised for the sustainability of system productivity, and the suitabilities of potential oilseeds and pulses need to be tested for cropping intensification in rice-fallow regions. Hence, an ongoing experiment (implemented in 2016) was evaluated to identify the appropriate CSA management practices in restoring soil C and physical health under diversified cropping systems in the rice-fallow system of eastern India. Six tillage and crop establishment methods along with residue management were kept as the main plots [zero-till-direct-seeded rice (ZTDSR), conventional-till-DSR (CT-DSR), puddled transplanted rice (PTR), ZTDSR with rice residue retentions (ZTDSRR+), CTDSR with rice residue retention (CTDSRR+), PTR with rice residue retention (PTRR+)] while five winter/post-rainy crops (oilseeds and pulses) were raised in a subplot. In the ZTDSRR+ production system, soil macro-aggregate (%), macro-aggregate-associated C, MWD, and GMD of aggregates increased by 60.1, 71.3, 42.1, and 17.1%, respectively, in comparison to conventional tillage practices (PTR). The carbon management index (CMI) was 58% more in the ZTDSRR+ production system compared to PTR. Among the winter crops, chickpeas recorded higher values of soil structural indices and C content. In the PTR production system, system productivity, in terms of rice equivalent yield, was comparable to ZTDSRR+. ZT with residue retention in rice followed by post-rainy/winter pulses led to higher C content and structural stability of the soil. Thus, CSA management practices can improve the crop productivity as well as soil health of rice-fallow production systems of eastern India and comparable agroecotypes of South Asia.
Controller Design of a Brake-By-Wire System Based on Giant-Magnetostrictive Material for an Intelligent Vehicle
Authors: Chu Changbao , Zhu Renjie , Jia Xingjian
Published: September 2022

Mechatronics control technology can not only improve the performance of vehicles but also solve traditional automotive braking system problems such as long brake pipeline, lots of valve components, slow response and so on. In this paper, a giant-magnetostrictive actuator and a disc brake structure were used to build a drive control system, and the control system module was designed with a single-chip microcomputer as the core. Combined with sensor selection, software programming control was used to build the experimental test platform, and the maximum output displacement of the control system was 0.112156 mm, which was basically consistent with the theoretical calculation. The maximum output force was 3883 N, which exceeded the minimum output force of 3631 N calculated theoretically. According to the results of the test platform, the relevant test parameters were highly consistent with the theoretical calculation, which verified the correctness and effectiveness of the theoretical calculation and bench testbed design. It contributes to the improvement of vehicle active safety performance and can provide a new way for the development of an intelligent vehicle brake-by-wire system.
The Effect of the Board’s Educational and Gender Diversity on the Firms’ Performance: Evidence from Non-Financial Firms in Developing Country
Authors: Kabara Ali Shariff , Khatib Saleh F. A. , Bazhair Ayman Hassan , Sulimany Hamid Ghazi H
Published: September 2022

Prior studies have analyzed board diversity (mostly in developed nations) using financial firms to measure demographic or cognitive characteristics in relation to firm performance. However, the current study attempted to fill the literature gap by evaluating both demographic and cognitive mechanisms in developing economies using non-financial firms in Nigeria. This study examined how board diversity in terms of the gender and educational level of directors affects the performance of Nigerian stock exchange companies. The study utilized a sample of 67 listed companies from the Nigerian stock exchange over eight years, from 2012 to 2019. A quantitative method using a deductive approach was adopted in conducting fixed effect and generalized method of moments (GMM) estimations for robust findings. The findings support the existence of a significant positive influence of both education and gender diversity on the companies’ performance. These results are consistent with agency and resource dependence theoretical expectations. The outcomes add to the current debates on those types of regulatory setters calling for corporate board diversification. The findings would greatly benefit management in the directors’ selection process as they revealed the importance of both education and gender diversity for better performance and enhancing market value. Thus, they contribute to the literature on the state of board diversity in developing countries.
A Proposed Approach to Monitor and Control Sustainable Development Strategy Implementation
Authors: Negulescu Oriana Helena , Draghici Anca , Fistis Gabriela
Published: September 2022

Due to the actual level of carbon emissions, climate change causes disruptions in business process development and also affects human health. The obvious solution, which will ensure a future for the coming generations, is related to sustainable development (SD). Furthermore, by the effective intervention of ergonomics in organizational processes, risk management and social aspects will improve. In this article, we argue that it is not enough to only define an effective approach to greening an organization—managers and leaders need effective tools to monitor and control the implementation of the proposed approach. Thus, with this article, we aim to bring theoretical and applicative contributions to SD management and to propose a conceptual model for green companies based on an integrated management strategy and a complex assessment model (the LeadSUS assessment methodology). In the first phase, the proposed methodology is developed based on qualitative theoretical research, analysis, comparison, deductions, and conceptualization. The research results highlight important issues for defining the Green Enterprise Model, which is based on elements of the integrated strategy definition. In the second phase, the model, together with an associated methodology for the assessment of SD maturity level, supports the process of monitoring and controlling the implementation of the strategy. This approach is intended to create the conditions for the integrated management strategy and green enterprise configuration models. Furthermore, three case studies validate the proposed approach.
Rural Development Potential in the Bioeconomy in Developed Countries: The Case of Biogas Production in Denmark
Authors: Sørensen Jens Fyhn Lykke , Jørgensen Henning Peter
Published: September 2022

Policy makers have expressed much optimism about the potentials of the bioeconomy in terms of economic growth and job creation in rural areas in developed countries. However, only few studies have attempted to quantify the rural employment effects of bioeconomic projects. This paper uses the biogas production in Denmark as a case within the bioeconomy. It performs a regional input-output analysis to estimate the number of jobs created in rural areas by an increase in the biogas production. The input-output analysis estimates the direct job creation at the biogas plants, the indirect job creation at firms that supply inputs to the plants, and the induced job creation that is generated locally through increased income spending. The results show that an increase in the biogas production by 10% of the available farm manure will give a permanent increase of 342 jobs and an extra annual income of approximately 21 million euros. Consequently, if all available biomass from farm manure were to be used in biogas production, it would result in 3420 jobs. The calculated employment effect is quite sizable but still somewhat modest compared to the significant employment declines in rural Denmark in recent years. Meanwhile, biogas is only one element in the bioeconomy.
Features of Metallic Ion Distribution in Non-Traditional Water Agricultural Applications in Sandy Loam in an Arid Area
Authors: Pei Liang
Published: September 2022

Sandy loam is the main soil in the arid area of North China, which leads to serious water shortage. Therefore, the utilization of non-traditional water is necessary. However, there are many metal mining areas in the northern arid area. The mining process of these metal mines causes the pollution of surrounding water sources. It is important to study the distribution of pollutants in the process of unconventional water utilization around metal mines. In view of the above problems, a field test area was established near a mining area in a northern province to carry out research on non-traditional agricultural water applications. The influence of non-traditional agricultural water on pollutant distribution in balsam pear and sandy loam irrigation areas around a loam metal mine was analyzed. By discussing the influence of non-traditional water output after secondary treatment on the content and distribution characteristics of heavy metals in balsam pear in the sandy loam irrigation area around the metal mine, the distribution rules of heavy metals in the soil crop system under different non-traditional hydroponics conditions in the sandy loam irrigation area around the metal mine were analyzed. The results show that under different non-traditional agricultural water consumption conditions, there is no significant difference in terms of the content of heavy metals in the sandy loam irrigation area around the metal mine. The non-traditional water used for short-term agricultural application does not cause pollution of the loam environment and crops, nor does it cause heavy metal accumulation in the sandy loam irrigation area around the metal mine. The input and output have a minimal impact on the balance of heavy metals in the sandy loam irrigation area around the metal mine. The presented research results provide a scientific basis for agricultural utilization of non-traditional water around mining areas in arid areas.
Life-Cycle Spatial Strategy for Multidimensional Health-Oriented Medical Care Community—From the Perspective of Sustainable Marketing
Authors: Che Le , Guo Zhijian , Yang Yi , Kang Honghao , Cao Shangqing
Published: September 2022

The aging population and the increasing number of sub-healthy people in all age groups in China have brought huge opportunities for related industries. From the perspective of marketing and consumer psychology, there is a great demand for health care properties, especially those that provide long-term medical care. Against this situation, almost all the leading real estate companies have entered this field and tried to occupy more market shares through different products and brand marketing sustainably. In this context, it is urgent to explore a comprehensive community model combining medical and nursing care that covers all stages of life, so as to promote the health of diverse populations. In China, existing research on the growth of medical care communities for sustainable needs started relatively late, and insufficient attention has been paid to the supply–demand linkage among psychological demand, health behavior, spatial bearing, and service supply. Taking Wuzhishan city for example, we deduce the Medical-Care Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs System according to classical theories. Based on motivation theory and marketing strategy, a theoretical model of Health demand-behavior-facilities and Spatial Interaction (HBSI) mediated by healthy behavior is constructed. Then, expert group decision making processes and the Fuzzy Delphi Method (DFM) were used to screen 67 spatial impact factors of 14 categories in five dimensions, including life safety, physical health, mental health, social adaptation and resilience recovery, which fit users’ multi-dimensional health needs. Finally, to provide a spatial strategy reference for the construction of sustainable and adaptive medical caring communities, spatial planning strategies and guidelines are offered based on correlation analysis, so as to fit the changeable market pattern, meet the psychological expectations and life-cycle caring needs of consumers.
Improvement of Environmental Sustainability and Circular Economy through Construction Waste Management for Material Reuse
Authors: Schützenhofer Stefan , Kovacic Iva , Rechberger Helmut , Mack Stephanie
Published: September 2022

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industries are allocated 40–60% of the worldwide raw material extraction. Construction waste accounts for a significant share of the total waste volume. Therefore, careless handling reduces natural resources and waste deposits (landfills). Furthermore, material reuse and recycling can reduce resource and energy consumption and environmental emissions in some cases. Waste management concepts in the fields of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction are increasingly in the European Union and worldwide focus. A circular economy can be seen as a system in which resource input, waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimised due to closed material loops. Therefore, implementing a consistent Circular Economic requires a holistic approach in which material, emissions, and energy are put into context. This paper aims to analyse dismantling, recovery, and recycling processes and link relevant parameters to assess material sustainability. The technical effort must be made, and the associated costs are compared with the influence of eco-indicators. Furthermore, the data required can be used for the following three areas: Facilitating demolition planning and on-site waste management; resource management at the local/regional/state level; and governmental tax mechanisms.
Wind Catchers: An Element of Passive Ventilation in Hot, Arid and Humid Regions, a Comparative Analysis of Their Design and Function
Authors: Chohan Afaq Hyder , Awad Jihad
Published: September 2022

This review study circumscribes wind catchers as vernacular zero-energy systems of passive ventilation. The research reviews various types of wind catchers and analyses their design, effectiveness and utility in building design. Furthermore, the study documented some of the technological transformations of wind catchers and their adaptation (functional and symbolic) in various regions. In this context, the complex design data of various wind catchers were appraised, and adaptable design data is compiled in “Geographical and Regional Influences on Wind Catcher Design “ and “Performance Evaluation of Wind Catchers” of study. The design analysis uncovered interesting facts about the effectiveness of various types of wind catchers; for example, a wind catcher with one side could be employed only as a wind scoop, whereas a multi-sided wind catcher can work simultaneously as a wind scoop and a heat sink (exhaust). The study also revealed that, in the near past, wind catchers were extensively used for ventilation. However, in modern times they are being adapted as an element of urban and architectural (identity) rather than a functional element. Finally, the end results of this study present candid suggestions for using wind catchers in modern buildings and chalks out blueprints (design guidelines) to adapt wind catchers. Towards the adaptation of wind catchers in modern buildings, this study has worked out 14 key design modifications in different types of wind catcher. Most of these findings are related to improving wind intake, preventing dust and rain penetration, the size of a wind catcher’s opening and shaft.