bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Project Environment and Outlook within the Scope of Technologically Integrated European Green Deal in EU and Ukraine
Authors: Labenko Oleksandr , Sobchenko Tetiana , Hutsol Taras , Cupiał Michał , Mudryk Krzysztof , Kocira Anna , Pavlenko-Didur Krystyna , Klymenko Oleksandra , Neuberger Pavel
Published: July 2022

Issues of environmental security, fuel and energy independence have been forming political and economic territories for several centuries. Current events in Ukraine have become a litmus test, which clearly highlights the dangers of resource monopolies and the transfer of economic benefits. The issue of ensuring the energy system in climate neutrality became relevant even before the aggression by Russia. However, today, there is no country, it has not recognized that there is the urgent need to develop and implement effective tools for economic development in a sustainable environment. The modern cost-oriented model of knowledge of economic processes has led not only to the irrational use of natural potential. Large-scale use of natural resources and the irrational organization of production (including agricultural) disrupt the process of their reproduction, which, in turn, leads to the depletion of bioresources and, as a consequence, can lead humanity to ecological catastrophe. Certain solutions have been proposed to address these issues. To ensure the efficient use of the resources of the agricultural sector and the reliable reflection of biological processes, it is proposed to recognize the biological form of capital as self-growing and self-reproducing value, which, in the process of biological transformation, allows obtaining an additional unit of benefits. The study examines, in detail, the promising areas of the transformation of the agricultural sector in the framework of a technologically integrated European Green Deal in the EU. In this study, to determine the potential opportunities for the ecological transformation of agriculture, discrete analytical models of the assessment of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine were used. Representative data use statistical indicators of Ukraine and, to illustrate potential opportunities, present a comparison of export data to EU countries. In addition, it reveals the realized and potential opportunities of Ukraine’s entry into the European market through the prism of the implementation programs of EU environmental policy. The place and significance of assimilation potential for a reduction in the anthropogenic impact on the environment, and providing the self-restoration of natural resources, are substantiated. It is determined that one of the most effective tools for low-cost reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions is the national-level implementation of environmental-quota trade and the development of organic production. The study includes an analytical assessment of the expected emission reductions from environmental initiatives’ implementation. Prospects for further research are the development of an effective mechanism for the systematic management of the biological potential reproduction of the agricultural sector while reducing anthropogenic impact on the environment.
Supply Chain Design for Blending Technologies
Authors: Bányai Tamás , Veres Péter
Published: July 2022

When optimizing blending technologies, the main objective is to determine the right mixing ratio of the raw materials, depending on the different qualities and costs of the raw materials available. It can be concluded that research is mainly focused on answering technological questions, and only very few studies take into account the logistics processes related to blending technologies, their design, cost-efficiency, utilization and sustainability including energy efficiency and environmental impact. Based on this fact, within the frame of this research the authors describe a new approach, extending the basic model of blending problems by adding new supply chain efficiency-related components that makes it possible to take logistics parameters related to the raw materials supply (available stocks, batch sizes, transport and storage costs, supply chain structure) into consideration. A mathematical model of this supply chain optimization problem for blending technologies is described including routing and assignment problems in the supply chain, while technological objectives are also taken into consideration as technological objective functions and constraints. The optimization problem described in the model is a problem with non-deterministic polynomial-time hardness (NP-hard), which means that there are no known efficient analytical methods to solve the logistics-related supply chain optimization of blending technologies. As a solution algorithm, the authors have used an evolutive solver and a new metrics, which improved the efficiency of the comparison of distances between solutions of routing problems represented by permutation arrays. The scenario analysis, which focuses on the integrated optimization of technological and logistics problems validates the model and evaluates the solution algorithm and the new metrics. Using the mentioned algorithm, the supply chain processes of the blending technologies can be improved from availability, efficiency, sustainability point of view.
A Calculation Model of Carbon Emissions Based on Multi-Scenario Simulation Analysis of Electricity Consumption
Authors: Chen Xiaoli , Liao Zhiwei , Gao Zhihua , Li Qian , Lv Peng , Zheng Guangyu , Yang Kun
Published: July 2022

In order to reach the peak of carbon emission in China by 2030 and to meet the low-carbon conversion of energy and the growing demand for electricity, this study aims to propose a more accurate and scientific method to calculate the carbon emissions of the entire power industry chain. This paper analyzes the historical actual operation data of the energy and power industry from 2000 to 2020, and originally proposes a carbon emission calculation model based on a multi-scenario simulation analysis of electricity consumption. This paper is an original study from the perspective of the whole industry chain of electricity production, transmission, and consumption. Firstly, a carbon emission model of the power system is established based on the carbon emission composition and transmission mechanism of the whole power industrial chain, which consists of calculation models for carbon emissions from overall electricity demand and carbon emissions from electricity network losses. Secondly, the concept of carbon emission coefficient is proposed, and the key parameters of the carbon emission coefficient of the power system are obtained through the econometric model. On this basis, the carbon emission coefficient is obtained by regression fitting of multiple key parameters according to historical data. Finally, electricity consumption per unit output value (ECPUOV) and per capita electricity consumption (PCEC) are used to predict electricity consumption in the next 15 years. This paper also makes a quantitative analysis of the relationship between CO2 emissions from the power system and electricity consumption. This paper takes G province, which ranks first in total energy consumption and economic aggregate in China, as an example and calculates its CO2 emissions and achievement of peak CO2 emissions by multi-scenario analysis. The case study results show that the low carbon scenario(LC) is the best route for G province to peak CO2 emissions from energy consumption. The method proposed in this paper can set an achievable goal of 2030 carbon peaking for the government and industry policymakers, and find a feasible implementation path.
Optimization of Pervious Geopolymer Concrete Using TOPSIS-Based Taguchi Method
Authors: Anwar Faiz Habib , El-Hassan Hilal , Hamouda Mohamed , El-Mir Abdulkader , Mohammed Safa , Mo Kim Hung
Published: July 2022

This paper evaluates the effect of mix design parameters on the mechanical, hydraulic, and durability properties of pervious geopolymer concrete (PGC) made with a 3:1 blend of granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) and fly ash (FA). A total of nine PGC mixtures were designed using the Taguchi method, considering four factors, each at three levels, namely, the binder content, dune sand addition, alkaline-activator solution-to-binder ratio (AAS/B), and sodium hydroxide (SH) molarity. The quality criteria were the compressive strength, permeability, and abrasion resistance. The Taguchi and TOPSIS methods were adopted to determine the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios and to optimize the mixture proportions for superior performance. The optimum mix for the scenarios with a compressive strength and abrasion resistance at the highest weights was composed of a binder content of 500 kg/m3, dune sand addition of 20%, AAS/B of 0.60, and SH molarity of 12 M. Meanwhile, the optimum mix for the permeability-dominant scenario included a 400 kg/m3 of binder content, 0% of dune sand addition, 0.60 of AAS/B, and 12 M of SH molarity. For a balanced performance scenario (i.e., equal weights for the responses), the optimum mix was similar to the permeability scenario with the exception of a 10% dune sand addition. An ANOVA showed that the binder content and dune sand addition had the highest contribution toward all the quality criteria. Multivariable regression models were established to predict the performance of the PGC using the mix design factors. Experimental research findings serve as a guide for optimizing the production of PGC with a superior performance while conducting minimal experiments.
Multi-Fracture Synchronous Propagation Mechanism of Multi-Clustered Fracturing in Interlayered Tight Sandstone Reservoir
Authors: Tian Fuchun , Jin Yan , Jin Fengming , Ma Xiaonan , Shi Lin , Zhang Jun , Qiu Dezhi , Zhang Zhuo
Published: July 2022

A numerical model was established by using the 3D lattice method to investigate the synchronous propagation mechanism of multiple clusters of hydraulic fractures in interlayered tight sandstone reservoirs in the Songliao Basin in China. The multi-fracture synchronous propagation model under different geological factors and fracturing engineering factors was simulated. The results show that the vertical stress difference, interlayer Young’s modulus, and lithologic interface strength are positively correlated with the longitudinal propagation ability of multiple hydraulic fractures. The three clusters of hydraulic fractures can have adequate longitudinal extension capacity and transverse propagation range with 15 m cluster spacing and a 12 m3/min pumping rate. The viscosity of the fracturing fluid is positively correlated with the ability of hydraulic fracture to penetrate the interlayer longitudinally but negatively correlated with the transverse propagation length. It is recommended that high viscosity fracturing fluid is used in the early stage of multi-clustered fracturing in interlayered tight sandstone reservoirs to promote hydraulic fractures to penetrate more interlayers and communicate more pay layers in the longitudinal direction, and low viscosity fracturing fluid in the later stage to make multiple clusters of fractures propagate to the far end where possible and obtain a more ideal SRV.
Integration of Supercritical CO2 Recompression Brayton Cycle with Organic Rankine/Flash and Kalina Cycles: Thermoeconomic Comparison
Authors: Seyed Mahmoudi Seyed Mohammad , Ghiami Sardroud Ramin , Sadeghi Mohsen , Rosen Marc A.
Published: July 2022

The use of the organic Rankine cycle (ORC), organic flash cycle (OFC) and Kalina cycle (KC) is proposed to enhance the electricity generated by a supercritical CO2 recompression Brayton (SCRB) cycle. Novel comparisons of the SCRB/ORC, SCRB/OFC and SCRB/KC integrated plants from thermodynamic, exergoeconomic and sustainability perspectives are performed to choose the most appropriate bottoming cycle for waste heat recovery for the SCRB cycle. For comprehensiveness, the performance of the SCRB/OFC and SCRB/ORC layouts are examined using ten working fluids. The influence of design parameters such as pressure ratio in the supercritical CO2 (S-CO2) cycle, pinch point temperature difference in heater and pre-cooler 1, turbine inlet temperature and pressure ratio for the ORC/OFC/Kalina cycles are examined for the main system indicators including the net output power, energy and exergy efficiencies, and unit cost of power production. The order of the exergy efficiencies for the proposed systems from highest to lowest is: SCRB/ORC, SCRB/OFC and SCRB/KC. The minimum unit cost of power production for the SCRB/ORC system is lower than that for the SCRB/KC and SCRB/OFC systems, by 1.97% and 0.75%, respectively. Additionally, the highest exergy efficiencies for the SCRB/OFC and SCRB/ORC systems are achieved when n-nonane and R134a are employed as working fluids for the OFC and ORC, respectively. According to thermodynamic optimization design, the SCRB/ORC, SCRB/OFC and SCRB/KC systems exhibit sustainability indexes of 3.55, 3.47 and 3.39, respectively.
Institutional Barriers and Facilitators of Sustainability for Indonesian Batik SMEs: A Policy Agenda
Authors: Gunawan Arien Arianti , Bloemer Jose , van Riel Allard C. R. , Essers Caroline
Published: July 2022

The implementation of sustainability-oriented practices in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been discussed frequently over the years. Recent studies on sustainability have focused mainly on links between ecological and economic sustainability. This exploratory study aims to explore institutional barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of sustainability-oriented practices in the Indonesian batik industry and to provide policy recommendations. The Indonesian batik industry is well-known for its cultural heritage and for being part of the Indonesian identity. Batik products are mostly hand-crafted by women crafters. The study used in-depth insights from two focus groups conducted with entrepreneurs active in the batik industry, while also building on earlier empirical insights. The lack of customer knowledge and socio-cultural and regulatory factors were found to be barriers to sustainability in batik SMEs. Ecological, technological, socio-cultural, and political factors were found to facilitate achieving sustainability objectives. This study contributes to the sustainable entrepreneurship and women entrepreneurship literature by considering facilitators and barriers as they are experienced by batik entrepreneurs and by furthering the conceptualization of sustainable entrepreneurs as either “committed” or “followers”.
Spatio-Temporal Synergy between Urban Built-Up Areas and Poverty Transformation in Tibet
Authors: Su Yiting , Li Jing , Wang Dongchuan , Yue Jiabao , Yan Xingguang
Published: July 2022

Understanding the causes of poverty and identifying the transformation characteristics of poverty is the basis for achieving poverty eradication. In order to clarify the availability of construction land for poverty assessment, this paper explores the spatio-temporal synergy between urban built-up areas and poverty transformation in Tibet. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) the built-up areas in Tibetan counties have been growing from 2013 to 2019; (2) the proportion of counties with very low and low levels of relative poverty have decreased significantly, and the overall spatial characteristics of poverty are “high in the center and low in the surroundings”; (3) the overall coupling-coordination level between the built-up areas and the relative poverty level is gradually improving from the initial antagonism, and the relative-poverty index shows a significant negative correlation with coupling coordination (correlation coefficient of −0.63); and (4) the built-up area has a strong explanatory power for the spatial distribution of regional relative-poverty transfer compared to temperature, precipitation, elevation, and slope. The results of the study prove that the built-up area cannot be directly used as an indicator factor when constructing the multidimensional relative-poverty model and, instead, should use urban built-up areas by region to participate in poverty-estimation models based on regional economic development.
Assessing the Spatiotemporal Development of Ecological Civilization for China’s Sustainable Development
Authors: Ye Di , Zhang Yufei , Li Qilun , Zhang Xue , Chu Chunli , Ju Meiting
Published: July 2022

The ecological civilization strategy in China has accelerated its national sustainability. However, few systematic evaluations of Chinese Ecological Civilization Construction (ECC) have provided detailed and timely information regarding estimations of the sustainable development levels. Here, we combined indicators and policies of the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) with Chinese ecological civilization and built an integrated assessment system with mixed indicators for evaluating the sustainable development levels in five dimensions (i.e., economy, society, ecology, culture, and institutions). Based on the acquired sustainability index from the system, we revealed the spatiotemporal transitions at the national and provincial levels from 2005 to 2019 in China. Specifically, both the national and provincial ECC temporally increased in this period, while spatially, the development performance of ECC was differentiated across provinces and regions. In particular, sustainable trajectories in east China and coastal regions presented better than the west and inland. Moreover, we identified the different dimensional contributions between the top and bottom provinces in ECC development. The results showed that the institutional, social, and cultural dimensions created more effects than the economic and ecological dimensions. By analyzing the provincial development patterns, we recommend the comprehensive development of ECC across the five dimensions and suggest that addressing weak dimensions is a priority. The proposed system will elevate the sustainable development strategies and pave the way for the broadening of the framework’s application to other regions and countries in the future.
Linking Environmental Transformational Leadership, Environmental Organizational Citizenship Behavior, and Organizational Sustainability Performance: A Moderated Mediation Model
Authors: Althnayan Saleh , Alarifi Areej , Bajaba Saleh , Alsabban Abdullah
Published: July 2022

Although considerable research has been conducted on improving sustainability performance, many important questions remain. Drawing on Social Learning Theory (SLT) and Stakeholder Theory (ST), our model suggests a mechanism, Environmental Organizational Citizenship Behavior (EOCB), through which Environmental Transformational Leadership (ETL) influences Organizational Sustainability Performance (SP). In addition, employees’ Work Passion (WP) will moderate the relationship between ETL and EOCB. A total of 240 full-time employees in Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical industries submitted responses via survey questionnaires, and the proposed hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression analysis. Results were consistent with the hypothesized conceptual scheme in that ETL indirectly impacts SP through EOCB. In the meantime, the WP of employees plays a moderating role in the relationship between ETL and EOCB as well as in the indirect effect of ETL on SP via EOCB. As a way to improve their sustainability performance, organizations must hire and nominate ETLs who can influence their employees to become aware of environmental protection and instill these values. Furthermore, employees’ passion for their work encourages them to engage in voluntary environmental behaviors. A discussion of the findings, implications, limitations, and future research avenues is included.
Model for Sustainable Financial Planning and Investment Financing Using Monte Carlo Method
Authors: Tobisova Alica , Senova Andrea , Rozenberg Robert
Published: July 2022

The article deals with current issues of finance and investment planning with a selective focus on financial decision-making processes using sophisticated software tools. The article has a special significance in this period when it is necessary to re-evaluate and consider ways of appropriate and effective investment and financial policy in view of the restrictions in enterprises in Slovakia, which brings with it the global pandemic COVID-19 or another crisis in enterprises. The aim of the article is to propose a methodology as a tool for streamlining the investment activities of companies. The proposed methodology combines the usability of traditional and modern economic methods, making it an important tool for the sustainability and competitiveness of enterprises. Three variants of investment decisions in the enterprise were simulated using simulation in terms of two approaches. The first approach focuses on mathematical–economic calculations of deterministic modeling through traditional software tools. The second stochastic modeling uses the simulation of financial risks using a modern software tool using the Monte Carlo method. The output is the creation of a graphical management model in the form of an algorithm.
Agricultural Supply Chain Financing Strategies under the Impact of Risk Attitudes
Authors: Bai Shizhen , Jia Xuelian
Published: July 2022

Bank and e-commerce financing strategies are the main ways for farmers to solve the problem of capital shortage. Aiming at the uncertainty risk of the output of the agricultural product supply chain, we consider the risk attitudes of farmers; construct the Stackelberg game model under different financing strategies to obtain the optimal decision of e-commerce and farmers; and explore the expected output factors, the degree of farmers’ risk aversion, e-commerce’s interest rates on the decision-making results. Our research found that farmers with low-risk aversion prefer to choose the e-commerce financing strategy when the e-commerce’s interest rates are lower. In addition, farmers’ risk-averse attitudes lead to lower equilibrium decision-making between farmers and e-entrepreneurs, which is not conducive to the interests of e-commerce and farmers. A higher expected output factor reduces farmers’ production inputs and e-commerce purchase price. When the expected output factor is low, the decision of whether e-commerce provides financing services to farmers is only affected by interest rates, and lower interest rates create more value for e-commerce.
A Novel Solution for Optimized Energy Management Systems Comprising an AC/DC Hybrid Microgrid System for Industries
Authors: Asghar Faran , Zahid Adnan , Hussain Muhammad Imtiaz , Asghar Furqan , Amjad Waseem , Kim Jun-Tae
Published: July 2022

A novel solution for optimized energy management comprising a microgrid system for industries in Pakistan is proposed. The proposed study considered microgrids based on photovoltaics, wind turbines, power storage systems, and dual-fuel (DF) generators as backup. A heuristic methodology with a cuckoo search algorithm (CSA) is presented for efficient power trading by scheduling machines. The study was conducted to prove that CSA is adaptable and flexible for self-governing choices for the efficient management and scheduling of machines and power trade between the microgrid and commercial grid. A mixed integer linear programming algorithm is introduced to optimize the system design problems that control decision making for the ideal operation management. A real-time pricing scheme is utilized for electricity price figures. The simulation results show the efficient performance of the proposed scheme to maximize profitability, reduction in electricity cost, and peak to average ratio. Furthermore, the proposed optimization technique was compared with a highly in-use strawberry algorithm to prove the supremacy of the proposed technique. The proposed efficient and robust energy management system was implemented in Shafi Dyeing Industry, Faisalabad, to validate the simulated model.
Heritage Tourism and Nation-Building: Politics of the Production of Chinese National Identity at the Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor
Authors: Wei Hongni , Yu Yi , Yuan Zhenjie
Published: July 2022

As an important embodiment and carrier of Chinese traditional culture, the rituals and ceremonies in heritage tourism not only carry profound spiritual and cultural connotations, such as respecting nature and worshiping ancestors, they also enable people to gain a sense of identity. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the relationship between heritage tourism and the politics of identity-building from the perspective of critical toponymy based on the case study of the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor. Drawing on five years’ of fieldwork at the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor in Shaanxi Province, China, this paper unfolds how heritage tourism has evolved into a certain kind of political agenda and a social engineering of nation-building. Relying on in-depth interviews and R language text analysis, this paper examines how Chinese national identity is produced, performed, and established through landscape naming and ritual performance in heritage tourism. This paper finds that (1) the naming and interpretation of ancestral roots cultural landscapes, as well as ritual performance in heritage tourism, are closely associated with cultural representations and reproductions of national identity. (2) The naming and interpretation of landscapes, as well as the performance of ritual practices in heritage tourism, are closely associated with national history and mythology. The tourists’ behaviors and emotions, as well as their performance and experiences during the ritual practice at the heritage tourism site, help to construct national identity. The cultural production and invention are combined with actions enacted by governments and local residents, as well as visitors from different backgrounds. (3) The mausoleum creates cultural links for Taiwanese tourists to understand their ancestral roots culture and thus to enhance their connection with the mainland. This paper tries to explore the relationship between heritage tourism and identity-building from the perspective of critical toponymy, which has implications for place branding and marketing projects when promoting ancestral roots culture and place-named tourism. This research not only helps the individuals to realize and reappreciate the value of traditional culture and heritage, it also motivates the individuals to rethink their responsibilities in cultural inheritance and the innovative development of culture. It also helps to enhance the consciousness of the people on both sides of the strait as a community of the Chinese nation, as well as to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.
COVID-19 and E-Learning Adoption in Higher Education: A Multi-Group Analysis and Recommendation
Authors: Dash Ganesh , Akmal Syed , Mehta Prashant , Chakraborty Debarun
Published: July 2022

Transition to e-learning has become crucial in the last two years, partially forced by the current pandemic. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to examine an integrated and comprehensive moderation-cum-mediation model that focuses on user intention to adopt e-learning. Self-efficacy, interaction, and e-learning contents were taken as the independent constructs. User satisfaction and user intention were taken as dependent constructs. Enjoyment and choice were taken as moderators. “Choice” was explicitly used in this study as a moderator to test whether the transition was by force or choice. Five hundred and sixty-two teachers and students from two countries, India and Saudi Arabia, were considered for this study. The findings indicate that self-efficacy and interaction augment user satisfaction and user intention. User satisfaction enhances user intention. It also mediates the relationship between self-efficacy, interaction, and user intention. Choice moderates the relationship between interaction and user intention. Enjoyment moderates the relationship between e-learning contents and user intention. This study is unique as it provides a multi-group analysis that compares nationality, gender, and the type of respondents in a multi-national context. All the stakeholders of e-learning, the teachers, the students, the policymakers, and the platforms, may find the results of this study particularly useful.
Impact of Managers’ Emotional Competencies on Organizational Performance
Authors: Strugar Jelača Maja , Bjekić Radmila , Berber Nemanja , Aleksić Marko , Slavić Agneš , Marić Slobodan
Published: July 2022

The research objective of the study is to identify if there is a statistically significant effect of EI competencies on organizational performance, like emotional self-awareness, achievement orientation, adaptability, optimism, and emotional self-control on one side and financial, employee, and operational performance on the other side. The authors used SmartPLS software in order to test the questionnaires and the proposed research hypotheses (PLS-SEM). The questionnaires included three main parts: scales related to the demographic profile of respondents, the most common 360-degree Emotional and Social Competency Inventory—ESCI 360—to assess managers’ emotional intelligence, and scales to measure the respective organizations’ performance. The data for the present study were collected from 80 managers from medium-sized and large organizations in the Republic of Serbia. Managers were required to rate their emotional intelligence and organizations’ performance using a five-point Likert scale. The findings indicate that two EI competencies, such as adaptability and optimism, have a positive impact on organizational performance, while achievement orientation has a negative impact on organizational performance. With this research, we tried to reduce the gap that exists due to the insufficient research on emotionally intelligent managers in developing countries, as well as the existence of contradictory results in this area so far. This study delivers practical implications to organizations, experts and leaders on how to define the learning material for training and coaching, with the aim of obtaining key emotional competencies, thus increasing organizational performance. The more adaptable and optimistic the managers are, the more they will be in a position to perform well in an organization and create an effect on financial, employee and operational performance.
Application of Open Government Data to Sustainable City Indicators: A Megacity Case Study
Authors: Takiya Harmi , Negreiros Iara , Yamamura Charles Lincoln Kenji , Quintanilha José Alberto , Machado Cláudia Aparecida Soares , Abiko Alex , Campos Cintia Isabel de , Pessoa Marcelo Schneck de Paula , Berssaneti Fernando Tobal
Published: July 2022

The access to open government data has been a relevant topic for societies around the world, especially over the last ten years. This paper aims to analyze the indicators of the São Paulo City Observatory (ObservaSampa), confronting them with the ISO 3712x series (sustainable, smart, and resilient cities) standards, to assess if the former meet both open data principles and the ISO prescriptions. Bibliometric analysis, comparative analysis, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA) were the methods used in this research. From the comparative analysis, 18 indicators were identified as conforming and 41 as partially conforming. Thus, 20% of the ObservaSampa indicators adhere to the ISO standards. The PCA applied to the conforming indicators shows component 1 is related to socioeconomic dimensions, while component 2 refers to social policy, with both appraisals confirmed by cluster analysis. Measuring and presenting city data in compliance with indicator standards is relevant because they open the possibility of comparing different cities. However, there is still a lack of consensus on a common set of indicators to be accommodated within the current ISO standards system.
Nexus between Agricultural Land Use, Economic Growth and N2O Emissions in Canada: Is There an Environmental Kuznets Curve?
Authors: Haider Azad , Rankaduwa Wimal , ul Husnain Muhammad Iftikhar , Shaheen Farzana
Published: July 2022

The present study investigates the relationship between nitrous oxide emissions and economic growth using the ARDL bounds testing approach in Canada over the period of 1970–2020. The agricultural land use and exports are included in the estimated models as additional control variables. The empirical findings confirmed the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis when total N2O emissions are used as a dependent variable in the case of Canada, and similar results are found when we used agricultural induced N2O emissions as a dependent variable. The results also indicate that Canada is already in the decreasing segment of the Kuznets curve, and the turning point of GDP per capita for the total N2O emissions is $41,718, while for agricultural induced N2O emissions, it is $38,825. Our empirical evidence confirms that agricultural land use had a positive and significant effect on total N2O emissions, while a negative but insignificant effect in the case of agricultural induced N2O emissions. However, Canadian exports are negatively associated with total N2O emissions as well as agricultural induced N2O emissions, but it requires more stringent laws to curb N2O emissions-oriented exports to keep the ecosystem in balance in the short-run and intends to meet its long-term target of reducing emissions as it progresses towards Canada’s 2050 net-zero ambition.
Bioremediation of Vanadium from Contaminated Water in Bioreactor Using Methylocystis hirsuta Bacterium: Comparisons with In Silico 2D and 3D Simulations
Authors: Samaei Fatemeh , Yazdian Fatemeh , Menaa Farid , Hatamian-Zarmi Ashrafalsadat
Published: July 2022

The elimination of poisonous wastes (e.g., heavy metals) from polluted water remains challenging, both in industrialized societies and developing countries. To overcome this human health and environmental issue, biotechnology (e.g., biosorption, bioaccumulation) is being applied as an economic and eco-friendly option compared to physicochemical methods (e.g., adsorption, membrane filtration, and coagulation–flocculation). The development of the appropriate biotechnology process (i.e., bioremediation) requires more accurate information and details, which are possible to obtain through the design of a set of resources and various computer applications. In sustainable remediation, microorganisms are one of the feasible choices for modifying and remaking the natural condition. In this in silico study, the methanotroph Methylocystis hirsuta (M. hirsuta) was used for the first time to simulate the removal of vanadium (Vn) from contaminated water through two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) modeling using COMSOL 4.4 software. Rotating machinery-laminar flow, transport of diluted species, and reaction engineering physics were also used. Independency analyses of the numerical network, concentration contour, velocity contour, concentration–time, and velocity–distance charts were also calculated. The data consistently showed that the removal of Vn increased with increasing velocity (which depends on time). Indeed, the amount of pollutant removal at 120 rpm, 160 rpm, and 200 rpm was maintained at 10%, 12%, and 12%, respectively. The simulation results showed excellent conformity (less than 20%) with previously reported laboratory results. This proposed model of bioremediation is thus a reliable and accurate solution for the removal of heavy metals (i.e., Vn and possibly others) from polluted areas (such as contaminated water).
Open Innovation Web-Based Platform for Evaluation of Water Quality Based on Big Data Analysis
Authors: Han Xiaofang , Shen Hong , Hu Hongqing , Gao Jerry
Published: July 2022

There are many models presented that assess water quality. However, the applications of the models are limited due to the difficulty of preparing input data and interpreting model output. In this paper, we developed a Web-based platform to assist researchers in analyzing water quality. The data from sensors can be automatically imported to the platform according to the configured information of data structures. The platform also provides conventional methods and big data methods for the users to analyze water quality. Moreover, the users can choose the water quality parameters according to the water usage. The presented platform can show the model output in a text format and a graphic format, which allows for the analysis to be better understood by the user. The platform integrates the input, analysis, and output together well and brings great convenience to the research on water quality.
Multi-Scenario Simulation of Ecosystem Service Values in the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration, China
Authors: Yang Shuo , Su Hao
Published: July 2022

Rapid urbanization and human activities enhanced threats to the degradation of various ecosystem services in modern urban agglomerations. This study explored the response of ecosystem service values (ESVs) to land use changes and the trade-offs among various ESVs in urban agglomerations under different future development scenarios. The patch-general land use simulation (PLUS) model and ESV calculation method were used to simulate the ESVs of Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration under the Business As Usual scenario (BAU), Ecological Conservation scenario (EC), and Economic Development scenario (ED) in 2030. Global and local Moran’s I were used to detect the spatial distribution pattern, and correlation analysis was used to measure trade-offs among ecosystem services. The results showed that: (1) The simulated result of land use in Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration showed high accuracy compared to the actual observed result of the same period, with a Kappa coefficient of 0.912. From 2000 to 2030, land use changes were significant, with the rapid decrease in farmland and an increase in construction land. The area of woodland increased significantly under the EC scenario, and the area of construction land increased rapidly under the ED scenario. (2) The decline of total ESV was CNY 218 million from 2000 to 2020, and ESVs remained the downward trend in the BAU and ED scenarios compared to 2020, decreasing by CNY 156 million and CNY 4731 million, respectively. An increasing trend of ESV showed under the EC scenario, with a growth of CNY 849 million. (3) Significant spatial autocorrelation showed in Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration, as the Global Moran’s I were all positive and the p-values were zero. The ESV grids mainly showed “High-High” clusters in the mountainous areas and “Low-Low” clusters in plain areas. Except for food production, a majority of ecosystem services exhibited positive synergistic relationships. In future planning and development, policymakers should focus on the coordinated development of the urbanization process and ecological preservation to build an ecological safety pattern.
The Effects of Job Crafting on Job Performance among Ideological and Political Education Teachers: The Mediating Role of Work Meaning and Work Engagement
Authors: Shang Weiwei
Published: July 2022

Achieving sustainable development in education requires teaching staff who are committed to sustainability in their professional practice. This study investigated how job crafting, work meaning, work engagement and job performance were related in educational organizations. We analyzed the data of 536 ideological and political education teachers in China using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study found that job crafting was significantly and positively related to job performance, work meaning and work engagement. Moreover, work meaning and work engagement mediate the relationship between job crafting and job performance both individually and in series. Our findings highlight that job crafting is a crucial aspect of teacher performance and must be systematically encouraged by educational managers to increase the meaning and engagement that help sustain performance levels at work.
Local Wisdom for Ensuring Agriculture Sustainability: A Case from Indonesia
Authors: Kurnia Ganjar , Setiawan Iwan , Tridakusumah Ahmad C. , Jaelani Gani , Heryanto Mahra A. , Nugraha Adi
Published: July 2022

Land transformation issues have been threatening the future of agriculture within the past decades. However, there are some areas that show their ability in maintaining their agricultural land. This paper aims to explore the farm management system resulted from the presence of legal pluralism that might contribute to future agricultural development. Data were gained through focus group discussions, observations, and in-depth interviews with various key informants. Systems thinking approach was used in this study, and data were iterated and modeled by using Causal Loop Diagram to give a better illustration of the phenomenon. We found that the integration between customary and legal law, which is manifested in the people’s farming praxis, is the main factor in sustaining the agricultural sector. The customary laws were reinforced by the local government, which made the government’s role crucial in allowing its citizen to continuously practice their beliefs in maintaining their agricultural lands. These conclusions are helpful in understanding the complexities underlying land transformation issues, which contributes to the literatures in related fields and improves the policy on agricultural land preservation in Indonesia and other developing countries.
Comparative Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Mono- vs. Bivalent Operation of a Crucible Melting Furnace
Authors: Schutzbach Maximilian , Kiemel Steffen , Miehe Robert , Köse Ekrem , Mages Alexander , Sauer Alexander
Published: July 2022

The benefits of energy flexibility measures have not yet been conclusively assessed from an ecological, economic, and social perspective. Until now, analysis has focused on the influence of changes in the energy system and the ecological and economic benefits of these. Therefore, the objective of this study was to perform a life cycle sustainability assessment of energy flexibility measures on the use case of a bivalent crucible melting furnace in comparison with a monovalent one for aluminum light metal die casting. The system boundary was based on a cradle-to-gate approach in Germany and includes the production of the necessary process technologies and energy infrastructure and the utilization phase of the crucible melting furnaces in non-ferrous metallurgy. The LCSA is performed for different economic and environmental scenarios over a 25-year lifetime to account for potential adjustments in the energy system and volatile energy prices. In summary, it can be said that over the entire service life, no complete ecological, economic, and social advantage of energy flexibility measures through a bivalent system can be demonstrated. Only a temporarily better life cycle sustainability performance of the bivalent furnace can be shown. All results must be considered with the caveat that the bivalent crucible melting furnace has not yet been investigated in actual operation and the calculations of the utilization phase are based on the monovalent crucible melting furnace. To further sharpen the results, more research is needed and the use of actual data for bivalent operation.
Internal Similarity Network for Rejoining Oracle Bone Fragment Images
Authors: Zhang Zhan , Guo An , Li Bang
Published: July 2022

Rejoining oracle bone fragments plays an import role in studying the history and culture of the Shang dynasty by its characters. However, current computer vision technology has a low accuracy in judging whether the texture of oracle bone fragment image pairs can be put back together. When rejoining fragment images, the coordinate sequence and texture features of edge pixels from original and target fragment images form a continuous symmetrical structure, so we put forward an internal similarity network (ISN) to rejoin the fragment image automatically. Firstly, an edge equidistant matching (EEM) algorithm was given to search similar coordinate sequences of edge segment pairs on the fragment image contours and to locally match the edge coordinate sequence of an oracle bone fragment image. Then, a target mask-based method was designed in order to put two images into a whole and to cut a local region image by the local matching edge. Next, we calculated a convolution feature gradient map (CFGM) of the local region image texture, and an internal similarity pooling (ISP) layer was proposed to compute the internal similarity of the convolution feature gradient map. Finally, ISN was contributed in order to evaluate a similarity score of a local region image texture and to determine whether two fragment images are a coherent whole. The experiments show that the correct judgement probability of ISN is higher than 90% in actual rejoining work and that our method searched 37 pairs of correctly rejoined oracle bone fragment images that have not been discovered by archaeologists.
A Study on Certain Subclasses of Analytic Functions Involving the Jackson q-Difference Operator
Authors: Lashin Abdel Moneim Y. , Badghaish Abeer O. , Algethami Badriah Maeed
Published: July 2022

We introduce two new subclasses of analytic functions in the open symmetric unit disc using a linear operator associated with the q-binomial theorem. In addition, we discuss inclusion relations and properties preserving integral operators for functions in these classes. This paper generalizes some known results, as well as provides some new ones.
Estimation of Asymmetric Spatial Autoregressive Dependence on Irregular Lattices
Authors: Harke Franz H. , Merk Miryam S. , Otto Philipp
Published: July 2022

In spatial econometrics, we usually assume that the spatial dependence structure is known and that all information about it is contained in a spatial weights matrix W. However, in practice, the structure of W is unknown a priori and difficult to obtain, especially for asymmetric dependence. In this paper, we propose a data-driven method to obtain W, whether it is symmetric or asymmetric. This is achieved by calculating the area overlap of the adjacent regions/districts with a given shape (a pizza-like shape, in our case). With W determined in this way, we estimate the potentially asymmetric spatial autoregressive dependence on irregular lattices. We verify our method using Monte Carlo simulations for finite samples and compare it with classical approaches such as Queen’s contiguity matrices and inverse-distance weighting matrices. Finally, our method is applied to model the evolution of sales prices for building land in Brandenburg, Germany. We show that the price evolution and its spatial dependence are mainly driven by the orientation towards Berlin.
A Hybrid RBF Collocation Method and Its Application in the Elastostatic Symmetric Problems
Authors: Chen Ying-Ting , Li Cheng , Yao Lin-Quan , Cao Yang
Published: July 2022

In this paper, a new hybrid radial basis function collocation method (HRBF-CM) is proposed to help resolve two-dimensional elastostatic symmetric problems. In the new approach, the hybrid radial basis function (HRBF) combines the infinitely smooth RBF and piecewise smooth RBF, containing two parameters (the shape parameter and the weight parameter). Discretization schemes are presented in detail. We use MATLAB to implement the HRBF-CM and produce numerical results which demonstrate the potential of this method. The new method’s accuracy is higher than that of the traditional methods, especially in the case of a more significant number of nodes. We discuss the new method’s effectiveness compared to the widely used traditional RBF and also investigate the effect of parameters on the method’s performance under the new method.
Bi-Univalent Problems Involving Certain New Subclasses of Generalized Multiplier Transform on Analytic Functions Associated with Modified Sigmoid Function
Authors: Hamzat Jamiu Olusegun , Oladipo Abiodun Tinuoye , Oros Georgia Irina
Published: July 2022

The object of the present work is to investigate certain new classes of bi-univalent functions introduced in this paper using the concept of subordination. The research involves a generalized multiplier transform defined in this paper which is a generalization of known operators and the modified sigmoid function. The results contained in the proved theorems refer to coefficient estimates for the functions in the newly introduced classes.