bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Backlash by Men against the Socio-Economic and Political Promotion of Women in Europe
Authors: Parth Anne-Marie
Published: September 2022

The gender gap in voting for far-right parties is significant in many European countries. While most studies focus on how men and women differ in their nationalist and populist attitudes, it is unknown how the socio-economic and political promotion of women is associated with the gender gap in far-right political orientation. The following paper compares the effect of four different spheres of gender equality on this gender gap. By estimating multilevel logit models for more than 25 European countries and testing the mechanism via a socially conservative attitude toward gendered division of work, I find that the visible field of representation in particular—measured by the share of women in parliament and women on boards—is associated with a gender gap in far-right orientation. This paper contributes to the literature in two important ways: first, it combines policy feedback with cultural backlash theory, enlarging the scope of both theories; second, it demonstrates the importance of gender equality policies for the study of the far-right gender gap.
Engineers and Social Responsibility: Influence of Social Work Experience, Hope and Empathic Concern on Social Entrepreneurship Intentions among Graduate Students
Authors: Lingappa Anasuya K. , Kamath Aditi , Mathew Asish Oommen
Published: September 2022

The synergy of technology-based innovative solutions and Social Entrepreneurship carries an immense potential to provide solutions for numerous environmental, social, and economic issues faced by an emerging economy like India. For an engineering professional, a commitment to society is regarded as integral and can be thought of as being impelled by involvement in various social causes. Therefore, this study seeks to analyze the influence of the Social Work Experience of engineering students on Empathic Concern and the newly identified construct, Hope. Additionally, the effect of Empathic Concern and Hope on Social Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and Social Entrepreneurship Intention (SEI) is examined. Through a questionnaire survey of undergraduate students from 49 engineering and technical institutions across the country, 243 responses were collected. The research employed the Partial Least Squares Approach to Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed hypotheses. This study found that students’ involvement and experience in social activities significantly influenced both Empathic Concern and Hope. Empathic Concern and Hope, the newly introduced antecedent, significantly influenced Social Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy. In line with the previous studies, self-efficacy positively and significantly influenced SEI. The establishment of Hope as an antecedent to study SEI is particularly novel and contributes to future Social Entrepreneurship research. The findings contribute to the body of knowledge on SEI of engineering students in an emerging nation where studies are particularly scarce, and techno-Social Entrepreneurship may be the ray of hope to address social, environmental, and economic concerns.
Digital Transformation of the Greek Banking Sector in the COVID Era
Authors: Boufounou Paraskevi , Mavroudi Magdalini , Toudas Kanellos , Georgakopoulos Georgios
Published: September 2022

Rapid developments in digital innovation and technology in recent decades have marked a transition into the fourth industrial revolution (and the fifth social revolution), causing a significant impact on all areas of human activity. Moreover, these developments have been strongly felt with the advent of the COVID pandemic. The COVID pandemic has acted as a catalyst for imminent changes within the operational models of banks and their digitization, both locally and internationally, dealing with this peculiar crisis as an opportunity rather than a threat. In this study, after conducting a bibliographic overview of the key literature, an analysis of the digital development that took place in the banking sector in Greece was conducted, comparing the views of bank customers to those of bank employees and investigating the key factors that are believed to have a positive and/or negative effect on the use of new digital banking products and services, as well as the influence of factors determining digital banking expansion (gender, age, educational level, pandemic, etc.). The results revealed that bank customers were quite satisfied and familiar with digital transactions and wished to expand their use, while they considered the possibility of 24/7 service as an important factor in choosing to use digital banking, and the factors for expanding their use were transaction speed, transaction security, and information security. However, bank employees accept digital transformation positively and believe that for it to be successful, additional and ongoing training is required to upgrade their digital skills, which will also contribute to culture change and adaptation to the digital era. Furthermore, the age and educational level of bank customers had a statistically significant effect on the growing acceptance and expansion of the banking sector’s digital transformation. A comparison of the correlations of the demographic data with answers given by bank employees did not reveal any significant variations regarding the findings given by bank customers. These findings can be useful for bank management policy-making issues, for banks and their supervising authorities to build KPIs to monitor and assess the digitalization progress, and for academics for further research, especially as the COVID pandemic ensues and the need for digital solutions is all the more urgent, marking the digital competition between banks as one of increasing intensity.
Exploring the Mutual Nexus of Social Capital, Social Innovations and Organizational Performance
Authors: Zhang Shuwang , Madni Ghulam Rasool , Yasin Iftikhar
Published: September 2022

The ability of self-reconstruction is essential to the survival of social organizations. To meet the social challenges, these organizations must enhance their creative and innovative processes. Although an extensive literature describes the impact of social capital on innovations, research on how social and organizational innovations affect organizational performance and social capital is very slim. This paper makes an addition to the literature by investigating the impact of organizational and social innovations in explaining the relationship of social capital and organizational performance. Confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and structural equation modelling are used on the data gained from social organizations in China. It is found that social and organizational innovations affect the organizational performance in positive way while social capital has a vital role in this relationship by improving mutual cooperation, interaction and trust. The mediating role of social and organizational innovations in the relationship of social capital and organizational performance is formalized through structural equation modeling. The empirical findings reveal that organizational and social innovations have mediating role in relationship of organizational performance and social capital. The empirical results do not support the direct relationship between organizational performance and social capital or between innovations and organizational performance. It is also found that social and organizational innovations are necessary to improve the relationship of organizational performance and social capital.
The Multiplicative Effect Interaction between Outdoor Education Activities Based on the Sensory System
Authors: Mindrescu Veronica , Simion Gabriel , Turcu Ioan , Catuna Cristian , Paun Dan Gheorghe , Nechita Florentina
Published: September 2022

Background: The present paper initiates the introduction of physical education activities within the Transylvania University of Brașov, aiming at a new strategy. The purpose is identifying the level of knowledge and the level of perception regarding the extent to which outdoor activities are viewed and implemented, and the effects that the latter has on them by tracking certain variables of a sensory nature, comprised of visual, auditory, kinesthetic and digital areas. Methods: This research aims to analyze if the type of sensory channel is influenced by the type of sport and the environment (urban/rural) of that practiced sport. We also analyzed the benefits offered by different sports and if these benefits influence the type of activity. Data were collected using an online survey, a questionnaire, using a Likert scale, with subjects having to choose between multiple answers. In addition, data were allocated and reviewed based on a sample of 100 students who have the habit of practicing outdoor activities. Results: The results of the study significantly show that the objectives were met and as such it can be concluded that outdoor activities, from the point of view of perception systems, can be classified according to the method of ordering the rank of activities by the dominant kinesthetic sensory channel.
Deep Pose Graph-Matching-Based Loop Closure Detection for Semantic Visual SLAM
Authors: Duan Ran , Feng Yurong , Wen Chih-Yung
Published: September 2022

This work addresses the loop closure detection issue by matching the local pose graphs for semantic visual SLAM. We propose a deep feature matching-based keyframe retrieval approach. The proposed method treats the local navigational maps as images. Thus, the keyframes may be considered keypoints of the map image. The descriptors of the keyframes are extracted using a convolutional neural network. As a result, we convert the loop closure detection problem to a feature matching problem so that we can solve the keyframe retrieval and pose graph matching concurrently. This process in our work is carried out by modified deep feature matching (DFM). The experimental results on the KITTI and Oxford RobotCar benchmarks show the feasibility and capabilities of accurate loop closure detection and the potential to extend to multiagent applications.
Method of Predicting SOH and RUL of Lithium-Ion Battery Based on the Combination of LSTM and GPR
Authors: Zhao Jiahui , Zhu Yong , Zhang Bin , Liu Mingyi , Wang Jianxing , Liu Chenghao , Zhang Yuanyuan
Published: September 2022

The state of health and remaining useful life of lithium-ion batteries are important indicators to ensure the reliable operation of these batteries. However, because they cannot be directly measured and are affected by many factors, they are difficult to predict. This paper presents method of jointly predicting state of health and RUL based on the long short-term memory neural network and Gaussian process regression. This method extracts the batteries’ health factors from the charging curve, selects health factors with more relevance than the setting standard as the characteristic of capacity by the maximum information coefficient method, and establishes the battery aging and remaining useful life prediction models with Gaussian process regression. On this basis, the long short-term memory neural network is used to predict the trend of the change in health factors with the increase in cycles, and the results are input into a Gaussian process regression aging model to predict the state of health. Taking the health factors and state of health as the characteristics of remaining useful battery life, a battery remaining useful life model based on Gaussian process regression is established, and the change trend in the remaining useful life can be obtained by inputting the predicted health factors and state of health. In this study, four battery data sets with different depths of charge were used to verify the accuracy and adaptability of the algorithm. The results show that the proposed algorithm has high accuracy and reliability.
Developing a Spatiotemporal Model to Forecast Land Surface Temperature: A Way Forward for Better Town Planning
Authors: Khalil Umer , Azam Umar , Aslam Bilal , Ullah Israr , Tariq Aqil , Li Qingting , Lu Linlin
Published: September 2022

The change in the local climate is attributed primarily to rapid urbanization, and this change has a strong influence on the adjacent areas. Lahore is one of the fast-growing metropolises in Pakistan, representing a swiftly urbanizing cluster. Anthropogenic materials sweep the usual land surfaces owing to the rapid urbanization, which adversely influences the environment causing the Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) effect. For the analysis of the SUHI effect, the parameter of utmost importance is the Land Surface Temperature (LST). The current research aimed to develop a model to forecast the LST to evaluate the SUHI effect on the surface of the Lahore district. For LST prediction, remote sensing data from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and the Reflection Radiometer Global Digital Elevation Model and Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer sensor are exploited. Different parameters are used to develop the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model. In the present investigation, for the prediction of LST, the input parameters to the model included 10 years of LST data (2009 to 2019) and the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), road density, and elevation. Data for the year 2020 are used to validate the outcomes of the LSTM model. An assessment of the measured and model-forecasted LST specified that the extent of mean absolute error is 0.27 K for both periods. In contrast, the mean absolute percentage error fluctuated from 0.12 to 0.14%. The functioning of the model is also assessed through the number of pixels of the research area, classified based on the error in the forecasting of LST. The LSTM model is contrasted with the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to evaluate the skill score factor of the LSTM model in relation to the ANN model. The skill scores computed for both periods expressed absolute values, which distinctly illustrated the efficiency of the LSTM model for better LST prediction compared to the ANN model. Thus, the LST prediction for evaluating the SUHI effect by the LSTM model is practically acceptable.
Anaerobic Co-Digestion to Enhance Waste Management Sustainability at Yosemite National Park
Authors: Burmistrova Julia , Beutel Marc , Hestir Erin , Ryals Rebecca , Pandey Pramod
Published: September 2022

This study evaluated the co-digestion of domestic wastewater solids (WWS) and food waste (FW) at the bench-scale for Yosemite National Park, California, which operates a 1900 m3/d wastewater treatment plant in El Portal, California. A 35-day biochemical methane potential test was performed on varying amounts of FW as a percentage of total waste (WWS plus FW) on a volatile solids basis (%FW). Specific methane yield and volumetric methane yield increased substantially with increasing %FW. A higher %FW was also associated with slower degradation kinetics but higher methane content in biogas. The 75 %FW treatment had relatively rapid kinetics, a high cumulative specific methane yield (453 mL CH4/g VS), and an elevated methane content in biogas, and is suggested as an upper limit %FW mixture for full-scale co-digestion. This, coincidently, is near the estimated ratio of WWS and FW production at the Park (70 %FW). Co-digesting the Park’s feedstock of FW with WWS in existing anaerobic digestion facilities could increase methane production five-fold. Combusting this methane in a combined heat and power system would produce about twice the energy needed to heat anaerobic digestors and power the treatment plant.
Comparative Analysis for a Solar Tracking Mechanism of Solar PV in Five Different Climatic Locations in South Indian States: A Techno-Economic Feasibility
Authors: Praveenkumar Seepana , Gulakhmadov Aminjon , Kumar Abhinav , Safaraliev Murodbek , Chen Xi
Published: September 2022

As the second most populous country in the world, India’s needs related to electricity production are still growing; thus, the country is seeking renewable energy resources as an alternative to conventional resources. Currently, India’s use of renewable energies ranks as fifth worldwide, with approximately 13.22% of the total amount of energy used in the form of solar energy, which is very nominal. Therefore, in the present study, a large-scale 20 MW solar PV power plant was modelled to access the technological and economic performances using the System Advisor Model (SAM) for the selected locations: Vishakhapatnam (VSKP), Hyderabad (HYD), Madurai (MDU), Thiruvananthapuram (TVC), and Bangalore (SBC), where solar radiation is high for South Indian states. In order to carry this out, three solar tracking mechanisms, i.e., fixed tracking (FT), single-axis tracking (SAT), and double-axis tracking (DAT), are taken into consideration at the selected locations. The results from the assessment of the FT mechanism’s yearly energy production show that 31 GWh were produced at TVC and 33 GWh were produced at VSKP, HYD, MDU, and SBC in the first year of the project, with a capacity factor (CF) from 18.5% to 19.5%. Conversely, the SAT mechanism generated an annual amount of energy, ranging from 38 GWh to 42 GWh, with an increase in the CF ranging from 22% to 23%. Furthermore, the DAT mechanism’s annual energy generated 44 GWh to 46 GWh, with the CF ranging between 25% and 26.5%. However, the recorded levelized cost of energy (LCOE) ranges were between 3.25 ¢/kWh to 4.25 ¢/kWh at the selected locations for all three mechanisms. The sensitivity analysis results also suggest that the FT and SAT mechanisms are not economically feasible because of their negative net present values (NPV) in all five locations, whereas the DAT mechanism generated positive results for all of the locations after 20 years. Furthermore, according to the study, we concluded that HYD was identified as the most feasible location in the South Indian region for installing a large-scale solar PV power project.
Swarm Intelligence-Based Multi-Objective Optimization Applied to Industrial Cooling Towers for Energy Efficiency
Authors: Nedjah Nadia , Mourelle Luiza de Macedo , Lizarazu Marcelo Silveira Dantas
Published: September 2022

Cooling towers constitute a fundamental part of refrigeration systems in power plants and large commercial buildings. Their main function is to treat the heat emitted by other equipment to cool down the temperature of the environment and/or processes. In the considered refrigeration system, cooling towers are coupled with compression chillers. The serious world-wide concerns with regard to environmental wear and water scarcity are now common knowledge. One way to mitigate their impact is to reach a state of maximum energy efficiency in industrial processes. For this purpose, this work proposes the application of multi-objective optimization algorithms to find out the optimal operational setpoints of the studied refrigeration system. Here, we exploit swarm intelligence strategies to offer the best trade-offs. This consists of finding solutions that maximize the cooling tower’s effectiveness and yet minimize the global power requirement of the system. Additionally, the solutions must also respect operational constraints for the safe operation of the equipment. In this investigation, we apply two algorithms, multi-objective particle swarm optimization and multi-objective TRIBES, using two different models. The achieved results are compared considering two different scenarios and two different models of the refrigeration system. This allows for the selection of the best algorithm and best equipment model for energy efficiency of the refrigeration system. For the studied configuration, we achieve an energy efficiency factor of 1.78, allowing power savings of 9.48% with tower effectiveness reduction of only 5.32%.
Sustainable Energy Supply, Finance, and Domestic Investment Nexus in West Africa
Authors: Kolawole Kayode David , Ajayi Micheal Adebayo , Alhassan Abdulkareem , Bekun Festus Victor , Uzuner Gizem
Published: September 2022

This study examines the impact of financial deepening and sustainable energy supply on domestic investment in West African countries. The data for the study range from 1990 to 2020 and were sourced from the World Development Indicator database. We used the cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) estimator for the analysis. Empirical findings showed that credit to the private sector significantly impacts domestic investment in West Africa. It was also revealed that access to electricity significantly impacts domestic investment in West Africa. This demonstrates that funding for the private sector and adequate power generation improve the investment in any economy. The study concludes that financial deepening has a significant impact on domestic investment. The study therefore recommends that the management of banks should be encouraged to pursue policies that will deepen the efficient allocation of financial services for domestic investment in the region.
Identification of Soil Erosion-Based Degraded Land Areas by Employing a Geographic Information System—A Case Study of Pakistan for 1990–2020
Authors: Ulain Qurrat , Ali Syeda Maria , Shah Ashfaq Ahmad , Iqbal Kanwar Muhammad Javed , Ullah Wahid , Tariq Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman
Published: September 2022

Land is one of the most vital nonrenewable resources that guarantee the survival and development of humans on planet Earth. In the 21st century, rapid population growth accompanied by expeditious industrialization and urbanization has led to land degradation and irreparable damage. In Pakistan, land degradation has affected the livelihood of 3.58% of the total population. This study aimed to identify the soil erosion-based land that is degraded in Pakistan through an analytical hierarchal process (AHP). For this purpose, climatic parameters such as vis-a-vis precipitation, temperature, land use/land cover, soil parameters (i.e., soil pH, soil texture, soil bulk density, and soil moisture content), and topographic parameters (i.e., slope, elevation, aspect, and drainage density) were taken into the consideration. Weights and scores were assigned in integration with a weighted overlay analysis (WOA) to the prioritized parameters. The findings revealed that Zone A comprising high mountains is severely affected by land degradation, followed by Zone D and E (Sindh and Balochistan). Key factors operating in Zone D and E are hyper-arid climatic conditions along with inefficient land management practices. The overall results validated the hypothesis that soil erosion strongly correlates with an increase in the magnitude and severity of land degradation.
Developing Entrepreneurial Sustainability among Saudi Arabia’s University Students
Authors: Abdelwahed Nadia Abdelhamid Abdelmegeed
Published: September 2022

The role of entrepreneurship has transformed to include issues beyond economic growth. This has twisted attention toward the drivers of entrepreneurial intentions across entrepreneurship types, particularly in sustainable entrepreneurship. Sustainable entrepreneurship is essential and a protagonist tool in protecting the environment, economy and society. This ensures employment opportunities, solves environmental problems and facilitates social and economic development. Keeping into consideration, the present study attempts to investigate sustainable entrepreneurial intention through Attitudes toward Sustainability (ATS), Perceived Desirability (PED), Perceived Feasibility (PEF) and Opportunity Recognition (OR) among Saudi Arabia’s university students. We employed the quantitative approach and used a survey questionnaire to obtain the responses from the respondents. We targeted the students of different public sector universities in Saudi Arabia using a random sampling technique. Finally, we utilized 292 valid samples to infer the results. Utilizing the Structural Equation Model (SEM) through analysis of moment structures (AMOS), we found a positive and significant effect of Attitudes towards Sustainability (ATS), Perceived Desirability (PED) and Perceived Feasibility (PEF) on Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions (SEI) and Opportunity Recognition (OR). This study provides valuable insights into the entrepreneurship domain and offers guidelines for policymakers and planners in shaping the policies that promote entrepreneurial sustainability and employment in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the OR factor also significantly and positively affects SEI. Finally, the study’s findings would contribute to the literature review by adding another empirical confirmation from Saudi Arabian students’ viewpoint.
Analysis of Decadal Land Use Changes and Its Impacts on Urban Heat Island (UHI) Using Remote Sensing-Based Approach: A Smart City Perspective
Authors: Sahoo Sashikanta , Majumder Atin , Swain Sabyasachi , Gareema  , Pateriya Brijendra , Al-Ansari Nadhir
Published: September 2022

The land surface temperature (LST) pattern is regarded as one of the most important indicators of the environmental consequences of land use/land cover change. The possible contribution of land surface to the warming phenomenon is being investigated by scientists across the world. This research focuses on variations in surface temperature and urban heat islands (UHIs) over the course of two seasons, i.e., winter and summer. Using remotely sensed datasets and geospatial techniques, an attempt was made to analyze the spatiotemporal variation in urban heat islands (UHIs) and its association with LULC over Chandigarh from 2000 to 2020. The Enhanced Built-up and Bareness Index (EBBI), Dry Built-up Index (DBI), and Dry Bare-Soil Index (DBSI) were used to identify built-up areas in the city. The results revealed an increase of 10.08% in BA, whereas the vegetation decreased by 4.5% over the study period, which is in close agreement with the EBBI, DBI, and DBSI assessments. From 2000 to 2020, the UHI intensities increased steadily in both the summer and winter seasons. Dense built-up areas such as the industrial unit of the city possessed the highest UHIindex (>0.7) values.
Research on Emergency Supply Chain Collaboration Based on Tripartite Evolutionary Game
Authors: Wang Jiguang , Hu Yushang , Qu Weihua , Ma Liuxin
Published: September 2022

To explore the optimal mechanism of emergency supply chain collaboration when an epidemic crisis occurs, we construct a tripartite evolutionary game model of emergency collaboration among the government, the retailer, and the supplier to explore the interaction of primary strategies and the impact of critical parameters on the evolution and stability of the system. We conduct simulation analysis based on the actual situation of China’s emergency supply chain development. The research results show that in the recognition period of the crisis, the government participates in emergency supervision and the retailer participates in emergency collaboration, but the supplier does not participate in emergency collaboration. However, in the containment period of the crisis, the government increases penalties, provides appropriate emergency subsidies, and improves the efficiency of emergency supervision, which are conducive to promoting the supplier’s participation in emergency collaboration. In the recovery period of the crisis, as the benefits of both the retailer and the supplier participation in emergency collaboration increase, the government will withdraw from emergency supervision gradually. Moreover, the weaker the risk of supply chain enterprises participating in emergency collaboration, the more reasonable the distribution of the collaboration benefits, and the more conducive to the spontaneous emergency collaboration of the retailer and the supplier.
Gender and Legume Production in a Changing Climate Context: Experiences from Chipata, Eastern Zambia
Authors: Mphande Emelia , Umar Bridget Bwalya , Kunda-Wamuwi Chibuye Florence
Published: September 2022

This study explored legume production by female and men smallholder farmers in Chipata, in a changing climate context. The study objectives were to (i) find out how men and women smallholder legume farmers in Chipata understand climate variability, (ii) investigate how climate variability affects smallholder legume farmers and (iii) identify the different challenges faced by womenfemale and men legume farmers in Chipata. Interviews were conducted with 86 male and 86 female legume farmers selected using stratified random sampling. Purposive sampling was used to select nine key informants and focus group discussants. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis, while quantitative data were analysed through statistical tests. About half the men and women perceived that climate change in Chipata manifested through a shorter rainy season, late start of rainy season, intra-seasonal droughts and heavy downpours. Some men (34.9%) and women (23.3%) reported that heavy downpours caused common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) flowers to drop off. About 41% of the men farmers interviewed and 23.3% of the women reported witch weed (Striga asiaticapa) on their groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea) fields after periods of heavy rainfall. The men discussants complained that soya bean (Glycine max) fields became waterlogged after prolonged heavy rains, which delayed weeding. Women farmers had challenges accessing hybrid legume seed, inoculants and marketing legumes. Men’s challenges were low market prices for soya beans. The study recommends agricultural interventions should focus on climate-smart legume seed multiplication and certification among legume farmers and promotion of local seed-sharing networks to enhance seed diversity.
Study on Prediction of Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction in Universities Based on Exponential Smoothing
Authors: Wang Rongbin , Zhang Weifeng , Deng Wenlong , Zhang Ruihao , Zhang Xiaohui
Published: September 2022

With the continuous development of China’s economy, the phenomenon of energy scarcity has become more and more prominent, for which China has put forward the strategic goal of carbon peak and carbon neutrality (double carbon target). As densely populated areas, the demand for energy is especially tight in universities. In combination with the work of “conservation-oriented colleges” carried out by the Ministry of Education, the accurate monthly electrical and water energy consumption of Kunming University of Science and Technology from 2018–2021 was counted, and the data were plotted into an energy consumption analysis chart to determine its compliance with the prediction range of the smoothing index prediction model. The corresponding smoothing indices were calculated by writing smoothing formulas through Excel, and, finally, the overall energy consumption indexes for 2022 and 2023 were successfully predicted using the exponential smoothing method. The errors between the real and forecasted values of electricity and water consumption in 2021 are reduced to 2.61% and 2.44%. The smoothing index predicts that the baseline discounted electricity energy consumption in 2022 is 5,423,658.235 kgce and in 2023 is 5,758,865.224 kgce; on the other hand, the baseline discounted water energy consumption in 2022 is predicted to be 632,654.321 kgce, while in 2023 it is predicted to be 652,321.238 kgce. The projected values can be used as an early warning line for the energy consumption index, and long-term management approaches and data support for energy conservation and carbon emission reduction can be effectively provided. The mentioned research provides an important reference for the proposal and implementation of efficient management measures, and provides strong theoretical technical support for the implementation of the carbon peak and neutrality in universities.
Do Women Perceive a Payoff from Working without Pay? A Gender Comparison of Perceived Career Outcomes of Sport Volunteering
Authors: Scharfenkamp Katrin , Wicker Pamela , Thormann Tim F. , Davies Larissa E.
Published: September 2022

Gender equality among volunteers and in the labor market are essential for social sustainability. This study examines whether women value benefits of sport volunteering for their job market situation significantly differently than men. Based on signaling and social role theory, we hypothesize that women are more likely to value sport volunteering as a job market signal and as useful for career options than men. According to human capital and ecological systems theory, we hypothesize that this link depends on women’s age and national gender equality. An online survey targeting volunteers in European football clubs (in seven countries; n = 16,989) was conducted. Logistic regressions are estimated to analyze the factors affecting respondents’ agreement that sport volunteering ‘looks good on their CV’ or ‘allows to explore new career options’. The findings show that women are significantly more likely to value sport volunteering as a job market signal but are significantly less likely to explore new career options than men. While older women are significantly less likely to agree, women living in more gender equal countries are more likely to agree. Our findings indicate a link between the male dominance in sport volunteering and the job market, which is determined by social sustainability.
Fostering Green Finance for Sustainable Development: A Focus on Textile and Leather Small Medium Enterprises in Pakistan
Authors: Kumar Love , Nadeem Farah , Sloan Maggie , Restle-Steinert Jonas , Deitch Matthew J. , Ali Naqvi Sohail , Kumar Avinash , Sassanelli Claudio
Published: September 2022

The green financing landscape in Pakistan is evolving, which signifies the need for a comprehensive gap analysis that examines the present status and constraints in supporting green finance in the country. Textile and leather industries are key sectors in Pakistan’s economy and rely heavily on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Excessive resource use and inadequate environmental management methods pose a significant danger to the sectors’ long-term viability and account for an extreme relevance to the embracement of the circular economy paradigm. Green finance aims to ensure that economic process, safeguarding the environment, and maintaining environmental integrity all grow together. This research used a literature review and interview-based methodology (in which we interviewed more than 20 people representing SME operators, government officials, and banking staff) to examine SME finance, green banking, and demand and supply side constraints to cleaner/sustainable manufacturing in Pakistan’s leather and textile sectors. The research findings show that policy uncertainty and financial short-termism are economic impediments and obstacles that constitute a path-dependent, lock-in, non-linear mechanism. This study found a lack of tailored business advisory and financing for SMEs to learn about and invest in sustainable consumption and production (SCP). Furthermore, many banks in Pakistan also show a strong commitment to the expansion of the State Bank of Pakistan’s Green Banking Guidelines (GBGs). The results also highlight the high value of government assistance for businesses participating in green initiatives and incentives for banking institutions and private limited companies to support and invest in green practices.
Exploring the Impacts of Renewable Energy, Environmental Regulations, and Democracy on Ecological Footprints in the Next Eleven Nations
Authors: Wang Jintian , You Shouchang , Agyekum Ephraim Bonah , Matasane Clement , Uhunamure Solomon Eghosa
Published: September 2022

Economies are making environmental regulations to achieve sustainable development and mitigate environmental pollution. However, these regulations cannot provide effective results unless implemented properly. The role of the government is fundamental in this regard. In this context, this research probes the impacts of democracy, environmental regulations, renewable energy, globalization, and economic growth on ecological footprints in N-11 countries from 1990 to 2018. For statistical analysis, this work applies the cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lags (CS-ARDL) methods. This method efficiently provides robust findings for panel time series data because they counter the cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity while providing the results. Moreover, augmented mean group (AMG) and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) are used to check the robustness of the findings. The results show that environmental regulation significantly mitigates ecological footprint, while economic growth escalates footprints in N-11 countries. In addition, democratic quality, renewable energy consumption, and globalization are contributing factors to environmental quality. Hence, this research presents important policy implications for the N-11 countries in that they need to enhance democratic accountability. This will assist them to launch an effective environmental policy. Effective environmental policy will assist in increasing renewable energy, which will ultimately enhance the environmental quality.
Robust Decoupling Vector Control of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Used in Electric Vehicles with Reduced Parameter Mismatch Impacts
Authors: Xiong Shu , Pan Jian , Yang Yucui
Published: September 2022

Interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) drives have been widely employed in sustainable transport such as electric vehicles (EV). However, the traditional vector control (VC) strategies cannot achieve optimal control due to the intrinsic property of the IPMSMs, which is strong coupling. To solve the issue, this paper proposes an improved decoupling VC strategy to improve the steady-state performance of the IPMSMs with reduced parameter mismatch impacts. First, a deviation decoupling strategy is developed, and meanwhile, the parameters that influence the decoupling method are clearly illustrated. This enriches the theory concerning decoupling control and lays the ground for the development of effective solutions to the parameter mismatch issue. Second, the Luenberger observer theory is discussed, based on which the reason why the Luenberger inductance observers are not widely employed is explained for the first time. Third, with the aid of intermediate variables, which are the disturbances caused by the mismatched inductances, a new inductance identification method based on the Luenberger observer is proposed. Finally, the simulation and experimental results prove that the proposed decoupling methods, as well as the parameter identification method, are effective.
Soil Reinforcement with Geocells and Vegetation for Ecological Mitigation of Shallow Slope Failure
Authors: Song Gaofeng , Song Xiaoruan , He Shiqin , Kong Dezhong , Zhang Shuai
Published: September 2022

Soil reinforcement using geocells and vegetation is one of the best forms of soil protection for shallow slope failure control. The geocell supports the vegetation growth and the vegetation cover provides protection against the surface erosion. This work proposed a soil treatment method using geocells for supporting the vegetation growth and stabilizing the shallow slope. A step-by-step installation of the geocells in the field and the development of vegetation growth were also described. The authors developed nine physical models that were reinforced with different sized geocell structures (no reinforcement and small and large geocell reinforcement). The models were placed under three rainfall intensities (50, 75, and 100 mm/h). The stability of the slope under the rainfall and the performance of the geocell reinforcement were assessed from the the development of slope failures, the soil erosion and the slope displacement. The results showed that the stability of geocell reinforced slopes were better off than the unsupported slope. The small geocell-reinforced slopes showed less measured soil erosion and also smaller slope displacement. In general, small geocells outperformed large geocells in terms of the erosion control and slope stabilization. The rainfall intensity dramatically increased the soil erosion on slopes. The geocell- and vegetation-treated slope in the field showed good resistance against the surface erosion.
An Investigation of Opportunity Charging with Hybrid Energy Storage System on Electric Bus with Two-Speed Transmission
Authors: Yang Ying , Wang Zhenpo , Wang Shuo , Lin Ni
Published: September 2022

As one of the most popular and important forms of massive transit, the public bus contributes to a healthier environment compared to private vehicles. Through the electrification of the public bus, energy consumption, carbon emission, and air pollution can be significantly reduced. However, the limited driving range and high battery replacement cost put significant barriers to its large-scale commercialization. Thanks to the development of wireless charging technology and opportunity charging strategy, the driving range can be improved. However, the battery has to suffer additional impulse current generated by opportunity wireless charging. In this paper, a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) that combines battery and supercapacitor and related energy control strategy is proposed to smoothen the impulse current and extend the battery lifespan. A comprehensive investigation of the combined impacts of the opportunity charging and HESS is carried out in terms of driving range extension and battery lifespan improvement. The detailed HESS model and powertrain model are built. A global optimizing method, dynamic programming, is adopted as the energy management strategy under the Chinese heavy-duty commercial vehicle test cycle-bus (CHTC-B). A battery degradation model is employed to evaluate its health with 60 kW wireless charging. The results demonstrate that the proposed energy control strategy for HESS could improve battery health and extend bus driving range concurrently via opportunity charging.
Seedling Establishment Test for the Comprehensive Evaluation of Compost Phytotoxicity
Authors: Liu Yuan , Liu Jiahui , Cheng Hongyan , Luo Yuan , Oh Kokyo , Meng Xiangzhuo , Zhang Haibo , Liu Na , Chang Mingchang
Published: September 2022

Application of non-phytotoxic compost is important for soil conservation and crop production. In this study, two treatments were set up to compare the effects of compost water extract on the phytotoxicity of compost based on the dry weight and wet weight of samples and explore the feasibility of seedling establishment test in compost phytotoxicity evaluation—without (CM treatment) and with the addition of a microbial agent (ACM treatment)—based on the addition of corn straw and spent mushroom substrate in cow manure composting. The compost water extracts were prepared as per the wet weight (1:10, w/v) and dry weight (1:20, w/v) of fresh samples. The physicochemical characteristics of the compost water extracts, relative radicle growth, and chlorophyll content of the seed cotyledons of Chinese cabbage were determined. The results demonstrated that the highest electrical conductivity value of 3.95 mS∙cm−1 was obtained for the CM treatment, based on the dry weight of the samples. The contents of nitrate-nitrogen, ammonium-nitrogen, total organic carbon, and total nitrogen under different extraction methods were significantly different between the different extraction methods. The addition of microbial agent effectively promoted compost maturity and increased the relative radicle growth and chlorophyll content of the cotyledons. At the end of composting, the relative radicle growth based on the wet weight of samples was higher—74.69% for the ACM treatment and 71.05% for the CM treatment, respectively. The chlorophyll content of the cotyledons demonstrated a similar pattern. Consequently, the phytotoxicity of the compost may be underestimated when the moisture content of the sample is high. The preparation of compost water extract based on the dry weight of the samples can therefore reflect phytotoxicity more accurately. Seedling establishment tests may be used to comprehensively evaluate compost phytotoxicity.
Airport Sustainability Awareness: A Theoretical Framework
Authors: Eid Ahmed , Salah May , Barakat Mahmoud , Obrecht Matevz
Published: September 2022

Recently, society has had a growing concern about the sustainability of airports in social, economic, and environmental terms and a perception that stakeholders have not adequately addressed this concern. The importance of sustainability awareness, especially in the airport sector, has recently increased as its operations increase greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption and cause other environmental issues. Hence, applying sustainable airport practices can allow airports to improve their economic and social effects and reduce their harmful environmental impact. In response to the growing concern regarding the quality of sustainability practices, this paper aims to allow researchers to investigate airport sustainability awareness (ASA) by studying the relationship between airport sustainability knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of airport sustainability practices and illustrating the gap in the literature on the related topics through a systematic review. Additionally, the study provides a bibliometric method to examine the keywords’ relation. The results focus on developing a theoretical framework to investigate ASA and reveal the need to investigate the relationship between knowledge and attitude to improve sustainable behavior for achieving sustainable development goals. This contributes to the literature gap regarding ASA. The research limitations are open issues for future researchers to promote sustainability awareness.
The Influence of the Peer Effect on Farmers’ Agricultural Insurance Decision: Evidence from the Survey Data of the Karst Region in China
Authors: Wu Guoyong , Cheng Jianwei , Yang Fan
Published: September 2022

Low insurance participation rate and low willingness to insure among farmers have always been major problems in the sustainable development of agricultural insurance in China. This paper attempts to examine the peer effect on farmers’ agricultural insurance buying decisions and explore its mechanism. We have established an IVprobit model, using the survey data of 9452 farmers in the karst regions in China. The empirical results show that: (1) Peer effect has a significant influence on farmers’ participation in agricultural insurance. A 10% increase in farmers’ neighbors’ participation in agricultural insurance increases the likelihood of farmers’ participation by 3.25%. (2) Peer effect promotes farmers’ participation by enhancing farmers’ risk perception and insurance cognition. (3) Peer effect is asymmetrical: male and larger-scale farmers have more significant effects on their peers and probably lead the participation in agricultural insurance. The results of the study have the following policy implications: (1) Increasing policy publicity and enforcing policy advocacy would magnify the positive impact of peer effect. (2) Increasing the participation rate of male and larger-scale farmers by policy interventions, which would give full play and a positive demonstration effect of specific groups. (3) Innovating insurance publicity methods to enhance farmers’ risk awareness and insurance cognition. (4) More concentration should be focused on the primary-level governance in rural China. We should advance the stock of rural social capital on all fronts to leverage the role of peer effect within rural areas.