bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
β-carotene in Obesity Research: Technical Considerations and Current Status of the Field
Authors: Coronel Johana , Pinos Ivan , Amengual Jaume
Published: April 2019

Over the past decades, obesity has become a rising health problem as the accessibility to high calorie, low nutritional value food has increased. Research shows that some bioactive components in fruits and vegetables, such as carotenoids, could contribute to the prevention and treatment of obesity. Some of these carotenoids are responsible for vitamin A production, a hormone-like vitamin with pleiotropic effects in mammals. Among these effects, vitamin A is a potent regulator of adipose tissue development, and is therefore important for obesity. This review focuses on the role of the provitamin A carotenoid β-carotene in human health, emphasizing the mechanisms by which this compound and its derivatives regulate adipocyte biology. It also discusses the physiological relevance of carotenoid accumulation, the implication of the carotenoid-cleaving enzymes, and the technical difficulties and considerations researchers must take when working with these bioactive molecules. Thanks to the broad spectrum of functions carotenoids have in modern nutrition and health, it is necessary to understand their benefits regarding to metabolic diseases such as obesity in order to evaluate their applicability to the medical and pharmaceutical fields.
International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE): Contributions to Understanding the Global Obesity Epidemic
Authors: Katzmarzyk Peter T. , Chaput Jean-Philippe , Fogelholm Mikael , Hu Gang , Maher Carol , Maia Jose , Olds Timothy , Sarmiento Olga L. , Standage Martyn , Tremblay Mark S. , Tudor-Locke Catrine
Published: April 2019

The purpose of this review is to summarize the scientific contributions of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE) in extending our understanding about obesity in children from around the world. ISCOLE was a multi-national study of 9 to 11 year-old children from sites in 12 countries from all inhabited continents. The primary purpose was to investigate relationships between lifestyle behaviors and obesity, and the influence of higher-order characteristics such as behavioral settings, and physical, social and policy environments. ISCOLE has made several advances in scientific methodology related to the assessment of physical activity, dietary behavior, sleep and the neighborhood and school environments. Furthermore, ISCOLE has provided important evidence on (1) epidemiological transitions in obesity and related behaviors, (2) correlates of obesity and lifestyle behaviors at the individual, neighborhood and school levels, and (3) 24-h movement behaviors in relation to novel analytical techniques. A key feature of ISCOLE was the development of a platform for international training, data entry, and data quality for multi-country studies. Finally, ISCOLE represents a transparent model for future public-private research partnerships across low, middle and high-income countries.
Acute Effect of a Single Dose of Tomato Sofrito on Plasmatic Inflammatory Biomarkers in Healthy Men
Authors: Hurtado-Barroso Sara , Martínez-Huélamo Miriam , Rinaldi de Alvarenga Jose Fernando , Quifer-Rada Paola , Vallverdú-Queralt Anna , Pérez-Fernández Silvia , Lamuela-Raventós Rosa M.
Published: April 2019

Sofrito is a Mediterranean tomato-based sauce that typically also contains olive oil, onion, and garlic. The preparation of sofrito modifies the bioactive compounds (carotenoids and polyphenols) in the ingredients to more bioavailable forms, promoting cis-lycopene formation and polyphenol bioaccessibility. To evaluate the health benefits of this cooking technique, the effect of consuming an acute dose of sofrito on the inflammatory status was studied. In a clinical trial, 22 healthy male subjects consumed a single dose of sofrito (240 g/70 kg) after three days without ingesting any tomato products and following a low-antioxidant diet the day before the intervention. Plasma carotenoids and total polyphenol excretion (TPE) were evaluated, as well as the inflammatory biomarkers C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). After the sofrito intake, a significant decrease in CRP (p = 0.010) and TNF-α (p = 0.011) was observed, but only TNF-α was inversely correlated with an increase in TPE and plasma β-carotene (not the major carotenoid, lycopene). The positive health effects of this tomato-based product may be attributed not only to lycopene, but to the bioactive compounds of all the ingredients.
Uptake of Travel Health Services by Community Pharmacies and Patients Following Pharmacist Immunization Scope Expansion in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Houle Sherilyn K. D. , Kozlovsky Kristina , Fernandes Heidi V. J. , Rosenberg-Yunger Zahava
Published: April 2019

In December 2016, pharmacists in Ontario, Canada with authorization to administer injections saw an expansion in their scope from a restriction to the influenza vaccination only to now including an additional 13 vaccine-preventable diseases, largely those related to travel. It was uncertain whether this change in scope would see sufficient uptake, or translate to a corresponding expansion in other travel health service offerings from community pharmacies. In October/November 2017 a survey was conducted of all licensed community pharmacists in Ontario, followed by semi-structured interviews with 6 survey respondents in June 2018. A web-based survey of members of the public from a single region of the province was also conducted in September 2018 to assess uptake of expanded vaccination services. Broad variability in uptake of these services was noted, ranging from the dispensing of travel-related medications and vaccinations only through to vaccine administration and prescribing under medical directive; however, uptake was generally at the lower end of this spectrum. This was evidenced by 94% of pharmacists reporting administering fewer than 10 travel vaccinations per month, fewer than 10% of patients reporting receiving a travel vaccine administered by a pharmacist, and a maximum of 30 pharmacies (of nearly 6000 in the province) designated to provide yellow fever vaccinations. Fewer than 1 in 3 pharmacists reported performing some form of pre-travel consultation in their practice, often limited to low-risk cases only. Barriers and facilitators reported were similar for these services as they were for other non-dispensing services, including insufficient time to integrate the service into their workload, perceived lack of knowledge and confidence in travel health, and low patient awareness of these new services available to them through community pharmacies.
The Effect of Nanofillers on the Functional Properties of Biopolymer-Based Films: A Review
Authors: Jamróz Ewelina , Kulawik Piotr , Kopel Pavel
Published: April 2019

Waste from non-degradable plastics is becoming an increasingly serious problem. Therefore, more and more research focuses on the development of materials with biodegradable properties. Bio-polymers are excellent raw materials for the production of such materials. Bio-based biopolymer films reinforced with nanostructures have become an interesting area of research. Nanocomposite films are a group of materials that mainly consist of bio-based natural (e.g., chitosan, starch) and synthetic (e.g., poly(lactic acid)) polymers and nanofillers (clay, organic, inorganic, or carbon nanostructures), with different properties. The interaction between environmentally friendly biopolymers and nanofillers leads to the improved functionality of nanocomposite materials. Depending on the properties of nanofillers, new or improved properties of nanocomposites can be obtained such as: barrier properties, improved mechanical strength, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties or thermal stability. This review compiles information about biopolymers used as the matrix for the films with nanofillers as the active agents. Particular emphasis has been placed on the influence of nanofillers on functional properties of biopolymer films and their possible use within the food industry and food packaging systems. The possible applications of those nanocomposite films within other industries (medicine, drug and chemical industry, tissue engineering) is also briefly summarized.
End Group Stability of Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP)-Synthesized Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide): Perspectives for Diblock Copolymer Synthesis
Authors: Herberg Artjom , Yu Xiaoqian , Kuckling Dirk
Published: April 2019

Studies on the end group stability of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) during the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) process are presented. Polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide was conducted in different solvents using a copper(I) chloride/Me6Tren catalyst complex. The influence of the ATRP solvent as well as the polymer purification process on the end group stability was investigated. For the first time, mass spectrometry results clearly underline the loss of ω end groups via an intramolecular cyclization reaction. Furthermore, an ATRP system based on a copper(I) bromide/Me6Tren catalyst complex was introduced, that showed not only good control over the polymerization process, but also provided the opportunity of block copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide with acrylates and other N-substituted acrylamides. The polymers were characterized using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography. Polymer end groups were determined via ESI-TOF mass spectrometry enhanced by ion mobility separation (IMS).
Isothermal Crystallization Kinetics and Morphology of Double Crystalline PCL/PBS Blends Mixed with a Polycarbonate/MWCNTs Masterbatch
Authors: Gumede Thandi P. , Luyt Adriaan S. , Tercjak Agnieszka , Müller Alejandro J.
Published: April 2019

In this work, the 70/30 and 30/70 w/w polycaprolactone (PCL)/polybutylene succinate (PBS) blends and their corresponding PCL/PBS/(polycarbonate (PC)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) masterbatch) nanocomposites were prepared in a twin-screw extruder. The nanocomposites contained 1.0 and 4.0 wt% MWCNTs. The blends showed a sea-island morphology typical of immiscible blends. For the nanocomposites, three phases were formed: (i) The matrix (either PCL- or PBS-rich phase depending on the composition), (ii) dispersed polymer droplets of small size (either PCL- or PBS-rich phase depending on the composition), and (iii) dispersed aggregates of tens of micron sizes identified as PC/MWCNTs masterbatch. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) results showed that although most MWCNTs were located in the PC dispersed phase, some of them migrated to the polymer matrix. This is due to the partial miscibility and intimate contact at the interfaces between blend components. Non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) scans for the PCL/PBS blends showed an increase in the crystallization temperature (Tc) of the PCL-rich phase indicating a nucleation effect caused by the PBS-rich phase. For the nanocomposites, there was a decrease in Tc values. This was attributed to a competition between two effects: (1) The partial miscibility of the PC-rich and the PCL-rich and PBS-rich phases, and (2) the nucleation effect of the MWCNTs. The decrease in Tc values indicated that miscibility was the dominating effect. Isothermal crystallization results showed that the nanocomposites crystallized slower than the neat blends and the homopolymers. The introduction of the masterbatch generally increased the thermal conductivity of the blend nanocomposites and affected the mechanical properties.
Alternative Environmentally Friendly Insulating Gases for SF6
Authors: Wang Yong , Huang Danqing , Liu Jing , Zhang Yaru , Zeng Lian
Published: April 2019

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) shows excellent insulation performance as an insulating gas. It is suitable for various climate conditions due to its low boiling point (−64 °C). Therefore, it has been widely used in power grid equipment. However, its global warming potential (GWP) is 23,500 times higher than that of CO2. Thus, it is imperative to find an environmentally friendly insulating gas with excellent insulation performance, lower GWP, and which is harmless to equipment and workers to replace SF6. In this review, four possible alternatives, including perfluorocarbons, trifluoroiodomethane, perfluorinated ketones, and fluoronitrile are reviewed in terms of basic physicochemical properties, insulation properties, decomposition properties, and compatibility with metals. The influences of trace H2O or O2 on their insulation performances are also discussed. The insulation strengths of these insulating gases were comparable to or higher than that of SF6. The GWPs of these insulating gases were lower than that of SF6. Due to their relatively high boiling point, they should be used as a mixture with buffering gases with low boiling points. Based on these four characteristics, perfluorinated ketones (C5F10O and C6F12O) and fluoronitrile (C4F7N) could partially substitute SF6 in some electrical equipment. Finally, some future needs and perspectives of environmentally friendly insulating gases are addressed for further studies.
Sad Paradise: Jack Kerouac’s Nostalgic Buddhism
Authors: Haynes Sarah F.
Published: April 2019

Jack Kerouac’s study of Buddhism started in earnest in 1953 and is traditionally believed to have ended in 1958. This paper considers the relationship between Kerouac’s Buddhist practice and his multi-layered nostalgia. Based on a close reading of his unpublished diaries from the mid-1950s through mid-1960s, I argue that Buddhism was a means of coping with his suffering and spiritual uncertainty. Kerouac’s nostalgic Buddhism was a product of orientalist interpretations of the religion that allowed him to replace his idealized version of his past with an idealized form of Buddhism.
Spiritual Eroticism and Real Good Loving in Tina McElroy Ansa’s The Hand I Fan With
Authors: Bess Montgomery Georgene
Published: April 2019

By situating herself in the historical dialogue about Christianity, women, and sexuality, the author examines what many may consider an oxymoron—spiritual eroticism. The essay provides a definition of spiritual eroticism, one which takes it beyond intense sexual encounters but instead grounds the idea in the story of Oshun, the African deity of beauty, sensuality, and fertility. Spiritual eroticism is explored in Tina McElroy Ansa’s The Hand I Fan With.
Rubber Tree Crown Segmentation and Property Retrieval Using Ground-Based Mobile LiDAR after Natural Disturbances
Authors: Yun Ting , Jiang Kang , Hou Hu , An Feng , Chen Bangqian , Jiang Anna , Li Weizheng , Xue Lianfeng
Published: April 2019

Rubber trees in southern China are often impacted by natural disturbances, and accurate rubber tree crown segmentation and property retrieval are of great significance for forest cultivation treatments and silvicultural risk management. Here, three plots of different rubber tree clones, PR107, CATAS 7-20-59 and CATAS 8-7-9, that were recently impacted by hurricanes and chilling injury were taken as the study targets. Through data collection using ground-based mobile light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, a weighted Rayleigh entropy method based on the scanned branch data obtained from the region growing algorithm was proposed to calculate the trunk inclination angle and crown centre of each tree. A watershed algorithm based on the extracted crown centres was then adopted for tree crown segmentation, and a variety of tree properties were successfully extracted to evaluate the susceptibility of different rubber tree clones facing natural disturbances. The results show that the angles between the first-order branches and trunk ranged from 35.1–67.7° for rubber tree clone PR107, which is larger than the angles for clone CATAS 7-20-59, which ranged from 20.2–43.2°. Clone PR107 had the maximum number of scanned leaf points, lowest tree height and a crown volume that was larger than that of CATAS 7-20-59, which generates more frontal leaf area to oppose wind flow and reduces the gaps among tree crowns, inducing strong wind loading on the tree body. These factors result in more severe hurricane damage, resulting in trunk inclination angles that are larger for PR107 than CATAS 7-20-59. In addition, the rubber tree clone CATAS 8-7-9 had the minimal number of scanned leaf points and the smallest tree crown volume, reflecting its vulnerability to both hurricanes and chilling injury. The results are verified by field measurements. The work quantitatively assesses the susceptibility of different rubber tree clones under the impacts of natural disturbances using ground-based mobile LiDAR.
Widespread Decline in Vegetation Photosynthesis in Southeast Asia Due to the Prolonged Drought During the 2015/2016 El Niño
Authors: Qian Xin , Qiu Bo , Zhang Yongguang
Published: April 2019

El Niño events are known to be associated with climate extremes and have substantial impacts on the global carbon cycle. The drought induced by strong El Niño event occurred in the tropics during 2015 and 2016. However, it is still unclear to what extent the drought could affect photosynthetic activities of crop and forest in Southeast Asia. Here, we used the satellite solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), which is a proxy of actual photosynthesis, along with traditional vegetation indices (Enhanced Vegetation Index, EVI) and total water storage to investigate the impacts of El Niño–induced droughts on vegetation productivity of the forest and crop in the Southeast Asia. We found that SIF was more sensitive to the water stress than traditional vegetation indices (EVI) to monitor drought for both evergreen broadleaf forest and croplands in Southeast Asia. The higher solar radiation partly offset the negative effects of droughts on the vegetation productivity, leading to a larger decrease of SIF yield (SIFyield) than SIF. Therefore, SIFyield had a larger reduction and was more sensitive to precipitation deficit than SIF during the drought. The comparisons of retrieved column-average dry-air mole fraction of atmospheric carbon dioxide with SIF demonstrated the reduction of CO2 uptake by vegetation in Southeast Asia during the drought. This study highlights that SIF is more beneficial than EVI to be an indicator to characterize and monitor the dynamics of drought in tropical vegetated regions.
Distribution and Morphologies of Transverse Aeolian Ridges in ExoMars 2020 Rover Landing Site
Authors: Bhardwaj Anshuman , Sam Lydia , Martin-Torres F. Javier , Zorzano Maria-Paz
Published: April 2019

Aeolian processes are believed to play a major role in the landscape evolution of Mars. Investigations on Martian aeolian landforms such as ripples, transverse aeolian ridges (TARs), and dunes, and aeolian sediment flux measurements are important to enhance our understanding of past and present wind regimes, the ongoing dust cycle, landscape evolution, and geochemistry. These aeolian bedforms are often comprised of loose sand and sharply undulating topography and thus pose a threat to mobility and maneuvers of Mars rovers. Here we present a first-hand account of the distribution, morphologies, and morphometrics of TARs in Oxia Planum, the recently selected ExoMars 2020 Rover landing site. The gridded mapping was performed for contiguous stretches of TARs within all the landing ellipses using 57 sub-meter high resolution imaging science experiment (HiRISE) scenes. We also provide the morphological descriptions for all types of TARs present within the landing ellipses. We use HiRISE digital terrain models (DTMs) along with the images to derive morphometric information for TARs in Oxia Planum. In general, the average areal TAR coverage was found to be 5.4% (±4.9% standard deviation), increasing from west to east within the landing ellipses. We report the average TAR morphometrics in the form of crest–ridge width (131.1 ± 106.2 m), down-wind TAR length (17.6 ± 10.1 m), wavelength (37.3 ± 11.6 m), plan view aspect ratio (7.1 ± 2.3), inter-bedform spacing (2.1 ± 1.1), slope (10.6° ± 6.1°), predominant orientations (NE-SW and E-W), and height (1.2 ± 0.8 m). While simple TARs are predominant, we report other TAR morphologies such as forked TAR, wavy TAR with associated smaller secondary ripples, barchan-like TAR, networked TAR, and mini-TARs from the region. Our results can help in planning the rover traverses in terms of both safe passage and scientific returns favoring aeolian research, particularly improving our understanding of TARs.
The Near-Space Wind and Temperature Sensing Interferometer: Forward Model and Measurement Simulation
Authors: He Weiwei , Wu Kuijun , Feng Yutao , Fu Di , Chen Zhenwei , Li Faquan
Published: April 2019

Wind and temperature observation in near space has been playing an increasingly important role in atmospheric physics and space science. This paper reports on the near-space wind and temperature sensing interferometer (NWTSI), which employs a wide-angle Michelson interferometer to observe O2(a1Δg) dayglow near 1.27 μm from a limb-viewing satellite, and presents the instrument modeling and observation simulations from the stratosphere to the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The characteristics of atmospheric limb-radiance spectra and line selection rules are described. The observational strategy of using two sets of three emission lines with a line-strength difference of one order of magnitude is proved to be suitable for extending altitude coverage. The forward modeling and measurement simulation of the expected NWTSI observations are provided, and the measurement uncertainty of the wind and temperature is discussed. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the limb-view weight work together to affect the precision of the wind and temperature measurements. The simulated results indicate a wind measurement precision of 1 to 3 m/s and a temperature precision of 1 to 3 K over an altitude range from 40 to 80 km, which meets the observing requirement in measurement precision for near-space detection.
Detection of Gaps in Concrete–Metal Composite Structures Based on the Feature Extraction Method Using Piezoelectric Transducers
Authors: Giri Paritosh , Mishra Spandan , Clark Simon Martin , Samali Bijan
Published: April 2019

A feature extraction methodology based on lamb waves is developed for the non-invasive detection and prediction of the gap in concrete–metal composite structures, such as concrete-filled steel tubes. A popular feature extraction method, partial least squares regression, is utilised to predict the gaps. The data is collected using the piezoelectric transducers attached to the external surface of the metal of the composite structure. A piezoelectric actuator generates a sine burst signal, which propagates along the metal and is received by a piezoelectric sensor. The partial least squares regression is performed on the raw sensor signal to extract features and to determine the relationship between the signal and the gap size, which is then used to predict the gaps. The applicability of the developed system is tested on two concrete-metal composite specimens. The first specimen consisted of an aluminium plate and the second specimen consisted of a steel plate. This technique is able to detect and predict gaps as low as 0.1 mm. The results demonstrate the applicability of this technique for the gap and debonding detection in concrete-filled steel tubes, which are critical in determining the degree of composite action between concrete and metal.
A Neuroevolutionary Approach to Controlling Traffic Signals Based on Data from Sensor Network
Authors: Bernas Marcin , Płaczek Bartłomiej , Smyła Jarosław
Published: April 2019

The paper introduces an artificial neural network ensemble for decentralized control of traffic signals based on data from sensor network. According to the decentralized approach, traffic signals at each intersection are controlled independently using real-time data obtained from sensor nodes installed along traffic lanes. In the proposed ensemble, a neural network, which reflects design of signalized intersection, is combined with fully connected neural networks to enable evaluation of signal group priorities. Based on the evaluated priorities, control decisions are taken about switching traffic signals. A neuroevolution strategy is used to optimize configuration of the introduced neural network ensemble. The proposed solution was compared against state-of-the-art decentralized traffic control algorithms during extensive simulation experiments. The experiments confirmed that the proposed solution provides better results in terms of reduced vehicle delay, shorter travel time, and increased average velocity of vehicles.
Attitude Measurement for High-Spinning Projectile with a Hollow MEMS IMU Consisting of Multiple Accelerometers and Gyros
Authors: Liu Fuchao , Su Zhong , Zhao Hui , Li Qing , Li Chao
Published: April 2019

A low cost, high precision hollow structure MEMS IMU has been developed to measure the roll angular rate of a high-spinning projectile. The hollow MEMS IMU is realized by designing the scheme of non-centroid configuration of multiple accelerometers. Two dual-axis accelerometers are respectively mounted on the pitch axis and the yaw axis away from the center of mass of the high-spinning projectile. Three single-axis gyros are mounted orthogonal to each other to measure the angular rates, respectively. The roll gyro is not only used to judge the spinning direction, but also to measure and compensate for the low rotation speed of the high-spinning projectile. In order to improve the measurement accuracy of the sensor, the sensor output error is modeled and calibrated by the least square method. By analyzing the influence of noise statistical characteristics on angular rate solution accuracy, an adaptive unscented Kalman filter (AUKF) algorithm is proposed, which has a higher estimation accuracy than UKF algorithm. The feasibility of the method is verified by numerical simulation. By using the MEMS IMU device to build a semi-physical simulation platform, the solution accuracy of the angular rate is analyzed by simulating different rotation speeds of the projectile. Finally, the flight test is carried out on the rocket projectile with the hollow MEMS IMU. The test results show that the hollow MEMS IMU is reasonable and feasible, and it can calculate the roll angular rate in real time. Therefore, the hollow MEMS IMU designed in this paper has certain engineering application value for high-spinning projectiles.
Bend and Moisture Effects on the Performance of a U-Shaped Slotted Wearable Antenna for Off-Body Communications in an Industrial Scientific Medical (ISM) 2.4 GHz band
Authors: Sanchez-Montero Rocio , Lopez-Espi Pablo-Luis , Alen-Cordero Cristina , Martinez-Rojas Juan-Antonio
Published: April 2019

In recent years, the study and design of wearable antennas have been empowered given the success of Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) for healthcare and medical purposes. This work analyses a flexible textile antenna whose performance can be optimised by the careful selection of the substrate thickness of the textile material, and by varying the antenna’s geometrical shape. After considering these parameters, several arrangements of antennas were simulated using the Computer Simulation Technology software (CST). The results of the simulations were compared to the experimental prototypes manufactured on a flexible felt material for a range of thicknesses and curvatures of the antenna substrate. Such antenna designs can be utilised in off-body communications and ISM applications.
The Sustainability of Reclaimed Asphalt as a Resource for Road Pavement Management through a Circular Economic Model
Authors: Mantalovas Konstantinos , Di Mino Gaetano
Published: April 2019

The transition of the road engineering industry to a circular way of doing business requires more efficient and sustainable resources, energy, and waste management. The rates in which reclaimed asphalt is being recycled or reused in the asphalt mixture production process constitutes a crucial parameter in this transition. This paper aims at establishing a further step towards the combined circularity and sustainability of asphalt pavements, by introducing a framework for quantifying their Material Circularity Index. The framework is based on the methodology proposed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and accordingly tailored for the context of asphalt pavements. This study, thus, attempts to provide a thorough analysis of the Reclaimed Asphalt’s recycling rates and trends on a European scale and to identify whether the efficiency of the current recycling practices is adequate or not. Moreover, a case study has been undertaken in order to quantify the Material Circularity index of the asphalt pavements forming Italy’s motorway network, following the proposed framework. For representative and accuracy reasons, the Material Circularity index of wearing, binder, and base courses has been calculated separately, and the results interestingly indicate that the base course exhibits the highest rates of circularity.
Business Sustainability Performance Evaluation for Taiwanese Banks—A Hybrid Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making Approach
Authors: Lin Arthur Jin , Chang Hai-Yen
Published: April 2019

The Taiwanese government has encouraged bank privatization and the establishment of financial holding companies to improve banking sustainability and consolidate banks, insurance companies, and securities firms. It is important for bank decision makers to set policies that lead to sustainable development. However, the literature remains unclear about the types of banks that achieve greater business sustainability. This paper aims to (1) identify the criteria that affect banks’ business sustainability and (2) determine the most sustainable types of banks. This study uses a hybrid multiple-criteria decision-making approach on eighteen financial criteria for twenty-five Taiwanese listed banks with data from 2012 to 2016. The results show that non-performing loan ratio is the most critical factor. In addition, financial holding companies outperformed non-financial holding companies. Financial holding companies with insurance companies as their largest subsidiaries performed best. Private banks exceeded state-owned banks in sustainability. The results lead to two implications. First, banks should value risk over profitability and diversify financial products. Second, the government should continue to privatize banks. These findings suggest that bank managers implement an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with a master plan, framework, and guidelines to help them track bank performance indicators to ensure sustainability.
Vulnerability Analysis of Intercity Multimode Transportation Networks; A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta
Authors: Miao Yu , Ni Anning
Published: April 2019

The disruption of an intercity transportation network will seriously influence the economic activities and communication between cities. At the regional or national transportation network level, in most cases, there is no link redundancy because of the high construction cost of the extra transportation infrastructure, so the impacts caused by the disruption of regional intercity transportation networks should be paid more attention. This paper proposes an accessibility-based method to analyze the vulnerability of multimode transportation networks. The measurement captures the influence of the disruption of network components in terms of the travel cost, socio-economic impacts, and level of transportation service of cities, and besides the network vulnerability analysis, it can also be used in the analysis of city relationships and development status of cities, providing a reference direction of the sustainable development for the city cluster. Finally, with the rapid application of high-speed trains in China, a preliminary study of the public transportation network of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region is conducted to illustrate the applicability of the evaluating method. The results show that the proposed measurement can be used to analyze the transportation network from the perspective of socio-economic impacts and level of transportation service, providing a reference for network planners and managers.
A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Model to Choose the Best Option for Sustainable Construction Management
Authors: Erdogan Seyit Ali , Šaparauskas Jonas , Turskis Zenonas
Published: April 2019

The article briefly discusses the content and terms of construction project management. It identifies the main problems of construction management and discusses ways to solve those using multi-criteria methods. Well-performed management is one of the critical factors which leads to the success of any significant sustainable project. Construction project management consists of setting goals and defining user requirements, project constraints, and resources needed. This paper aims to create a practically useful model. The paper presents a comprehensive set of criteria, which led to the creation of a decision-making model for construction management, which was applied to a Turkish case study. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and the Expert Choice computer program were used for calculations.
Archaeoastronomy: A Sustainable Way to Grasp the Skylore of Past Societies
Authors: González-García Antonio César , Belmonte Juan Antonio
Published: April 2019

If astronomy can be understood as the contemplation of the sky for any given purpose, we must realize that possibly all societies throughout time and in all regions have watched the sky. The why, who, how and when of such investigation is the pursuit of cultural astronomy. When the research is done with the archaeological remains of a given society, the part of cultural astronomy that deals with them is archaeoastronomy. This interdisciplinary field employs non-invasive techniques that mix methodologies of the natural sciences with the epistemology of humanities. Those techniques are reviewed here, providing an excellent example of sustainable research. In particular, we include novel research on the Bohí Valley Romanesque churches. The results provided go beyond the data. This is because they add new value to existing heritage or discovers new heritage due to the possible relationship to the spatial and temporal organization of past societies. For the case of the Bohí churches the results point to a number of peculiarities of these churches in a valley in the Pyrenees. This links these aspects to the ritual, practical and power sphere of past societies. A wonderful example of such links is the high mountain sanctuaries in Gran Canaria, where archaeoastronomy helps promoting a World Heritage candidacy.
A Stochastic Differential Game in the Closed-Loop Supply Chain with Third-Party Collecting and Fairness Concerns
Authors: Xiao Jianmin , Huang Zongsheng
Published: April 2019

This paper investigates the optimal return control problem in a closed-loop supply chain consisted of one manufacturer, one retailer, and one third-party collector, in the presence of stochastic return disturbance and fairness concern of followers. We formulate the stochastic differential game-theoretic models and resolve the feedback Stackelberg equilibriums without and with fairness concern. We also derive the evolutionary paths of the stochastic return rate and the value functions of the supply chain members under the optimal control strategies. We find that the feedback equilibrium exists only under a specific condition, and the expectation and variance of the return rate both approach the stable state for a specific closed-loop supply chain system. We further discussed the impact of fairness concerns on the supply chain system. The manufacturer would shift profit to the retailer by lowering the wholesale price, and the stable expected return rate will be lower in the supply chain with fairness concerns, as the third party will have less incentive to collect used products, considering unfairness. The manufacturer should set a higher transfer subsidy to incentivize the third party to collect when the third party is concerned with fairness.
New Urban Transitions towards Sustainability: Addressing SDG Challenges (Research and Implementation Tasks and Topics from the Perspective of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) Urban Europe)
Authors: Kabisch Sigrun , Finnveden Göran , Kratochvil Petr , Sendi Richard , Smagacz-Poziemska Marta , Matos Rafaela , Bylund Jonas
Published: April 2019

The paper presents the requirements and challenges of urban transitions towards sustainability from the perspective of the SAB of the JPI Urban Europe. Critical reflections on the achievements and identification of gaps in the activities of JPI Urban Europe, based on the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda SRIA (2015–2020), reveal advanced research questions, tasks, and approaches that influenced the development process of the SRIA 2.0 (released in February 2019). The authors emphasize the dilemma approach, the local context and the co-creation concept to pursue urban transitions in real-world context. Considering this frame, they propose specific domains for further research on urban transitions.
Residents’ Satisfaction with Tourism and the European Tourism Indicator System in South Sardinia
Authors: Foroni Ilaria , Modica Patrizia , Zenga Mariangela
Published: April 2019

To make sustainable tourism a more concrete and operational concept, many sets of indicators have been proposed by both academics and policy makers. Among the latter, the European Tourism Indicator System (ETIS) was launched by the European Commission to monitor tourist destinations at a subnational level. To evaluate the social impact of tourism, the ETIS recommended the administration of a proposed questionnaire to the local residents. We conducted the survey administration of the ETIS questionnaire in an Italian seaside resort. In this paper, we report the main outcomes of the survey and propose their interpretation within the context of some of the theoretical frameworks described in the academic literature referring to the relationship between tourism and host communities.
Mediating Bullying and Strain in Higher Education Institutions: The Case of Pakistan
Authors: Anjum Ambreen , Muazzam Amina , Manzoor Farkhanda , Visvizi Anna , Nawaz Raheel
Published: April 2019

Although workplace bullying is a well-researched phenomenon, the specific way it unfolds in higher education institutions (HEI) remains largely underdiscussed. Based on the outcomes of a survey conducted across HEI in Pakistan, by reference to structural equation modeling, using Amos-20, this paper not only adds to our understanding of the scope and features of bullying in HEI, but also suggests strategies employers and victims could employ to cope with the adverse implications of bullying. The key findings of this research are: (i) a positive correlation exists between the degree of workplace bullying and strain levels; (ii) more frequently than not, female employees, younger employees, and employees in junior positions are victims of bullying; (iii) bullying and strain can be fully mediated only when both emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies are employed in synergy. In brief, although research findings elaborated in this paper draw from the specific case of HEI in Pakistan, this paper makes a case for more research, vigilance and action to understand the scale of the phenomenon in academia and to undertake concerted action to mitigate its adverse impact on specific individuals and HEI themselves.
Socio-Cultural Values of Ecosystem Services from Oak Forests in the Eastern Himalaya
Authors: Dorji Tshewang , Brookes Justin D. , Facelli José M. , Sears Robin R. , Norbu Tshewang , Dorji Kuenzang , Chhetri Yog Raj , Baral Himlal
Published: April 2019

Identification and assessment of socio-cultural values of ecosystem services are increasingly important for the planning and management of forest resources. Key information necessary is how different forest user groups perceive and prioritize different ecosystem services based on their local setting. We assessed the socio-cultural values of ecosystem services of high-altitude oak forests in Western Bhutan using participatory approaches with two important forest users: local communities and forest experts. We found that these forests serve as a pool of 22 ecosystem services under four MEA categories of provisioning (9), regulating (8), supporting (2), and cultural (3) services. Fresh water was unanimously identified as the most valuable service, as well as the most vulnerable, by both the groups. The priorities of local communities inclined towards provisioning and cultural services due to their dependence on these services for their livelihood and wellbeing. Forest experts’ priorities were more evenly spread over three categories of services: provisioning, regulating, and supporting services, reflecting their broader interest in resource management, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation. Several regulating and supporting services were not easily identified by many villagers, suggesting that bridging the priorities of local interests with broader national forestry goals may require public partnerships and integrated decision-making about the entire suite of ecosystem services. Several management interventions proposed by the groups were presented for consideration by local users, scientists, and policy makers. For all ongoing and future ecosystem service assessments, we recommend the integration of socio-cultural values with biophysical and monetary assessments to fully value the benefits from the high-altitude oak forests.
Urban Residential Land Suitability Analysis Combining Remote Sensing and Social Sensing Data: A Case Study in Beijing, China
Authors: Huang Huiping , Li Qiangzi , Zhang Yuan
Published: April 2019

With the degradation of the environment and the acceleration of urbanization, urban residential land has been undergoing rapid changes and has attracted great attention worldwide. Meanwhile, the quantitative evaluation of the suitability of urban residential land is essential for a better and more powerful understanding of urban residential land planning and improvement. Most urban land suitability studies rely solely on remote sensing data and GIS data to evaluate natural suitability, and few studies have focused on urban land suitability from a socioeconomic perspective. Consequently, this paper integrates remote sensing data (GaoFen-2 satellite image) and social sensing data (Tencent User Density data, Point-of-interest data and OpenStreetMap data) to establish an evaluation framework for analyzing the suitability of urban residential land in the Haidian District, Beijing, China, in which, ecological comfortability, locational livability and overall suitability were evaluated according to five attributes extracted from urban residential land via the factor analysis method. The evaluation results of this case study show that, compared with the suburban area in the northwest, the urban area tends to have lower ecological comfortability and higher locational livability. The overall suitability increases from southeast to northwest, consistent with the spatial distribution of ecological comfortability. This framework can potentially assist with the sustainable development of residential lands and urban land use planning.
Life Cycle Assessment Contribution in the Product Development Process: Case Study of Wood Aluminum-Laminated Panel
Authors: Segovia Franz , Blanchet Pierre , Amor Ben , Barbuta Costel , Beauregard Robert
Published: April 2019

The benefits of aluminum lamination in improving the physical and mechanical properties of wood-based composites is now well documented. This paper shows the contribution of life cycle assessment (LCA) as a tool to assess and compare the environmental footprint in the development of laminated panels. SimaPro 9.0 software, using Ecoinvent database was used to analyze the environmental impacts associated with the manufacturing of wood aluminum-laminated (WAL) panels and aluminum honeycomb panel (AHP). The impact 2002+ method was used to estimate environmental impacts. The LCA results show that the WAL panels manufacturing had a lower environmental impact than AHP manufacturing. In term of product, wood-based composites were the best choice as a core in laminated panel manufacturing. Wood-based composite manufacturing showed environmental advantages in all damage categories except in ecosystem quality. Aluminum alloy sheets manufacturing played an important role in the generation of environmental impacts for laminated panel development.
Ownership and Usage Analysis of Alternative Fuel Vehicles in the United States with the 2017 National Household Travel Survey Data
Authors: Li Xuefang , Liu Chenhui , Jia Jianmin
Published: April 2019

By using the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) data, this study explores the status quo of ownership and usage of conventional vehicles (CVs) and alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), i.e., Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), in the United States. The young ages of HEVs (6.0 years), PHEVs (3.2 years) and BEVs (3.1 years) demonstrate the significance of the 2017 NHTS data. The results show that after two decades of development, AFVs only occupy about 5% of annual vehicle sales, and their share does not show big increases in recent years. Meanwhile, although HEVs still dominate the AFV market, the share of PHEVs & BEVs has risen to nearly 50% in 2017. In terms of ownership, income still seems to be a major factor influencing AFV adoption, with the median annual household incomes of CVs, HEVs, PHEVs and BEVs being $75,000, $100,000, $150,000 and $200,000, respectively. Besides, AFV households are more likely to live in urban areas, especially large metropolitan areas. Additionally, for AFVs, the proportions of old drivers are much smaller than CVs, indicating this age group might still have concerns regarding adopting AFVs. In terms of travel patterns, the mean and 85th percentile daily trip distances of PHEVs and HEVs are significantly larger than CVs, followed by BEVs. BEVs might still be able to replace CVs for meeting most travel demands after a single charge, considering most observed daily trip distances are fewer than 93.5 km for CVs. However, the observed max daily trip distances of AFVs are still much smaller than CVs, implying increasing the endurance to meet extremely long-distance travel demands is pivotal for encouraging consumers to adopt AFVs instead of CVs in the future.
A New Multi-Criteria Assessment Model Combining GRA Techniques with Intuitionistic Fuzzy Entropy-Based TOPSIS Method for Sustainable Building Materials Supplier Selection
Authors: Chen Chun-Ho
Published: April 2019

A new multi-criteria assessment model is proposed in this paper, which combines grey relational analysis (GRA) techniques with intuitionistic fuzzy entropy-based Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method, to solve multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problems and to sort the alternatives. Generally speaking, the supplier selection process, by which buyers choose to find the right supplier of the high-quality products or/and services within the scheduled and quantity, is one of the most important key activities in constructing an effective and timely supply chain. On account of several conflicting attributes on which the knowledge of decision makers is often inaccurate and vague, this is a difficult problem. The contribution of this paper is not only to substitute objective weights of intuitionistic fuzzy entropy for subjective weights directly made by decision-makers in the TOPSIS method, but also to extend and modify this method with intuitionistic fuzzy sets and GRA techniques, and to propose the intuitionistic fuzzy entropy-based TOPSIS method combined with GRA techniques for selecting appropriate sustainable building materials supplier. Finally, we take the choice of sustainable building materials supplier as an example to illustrate the alternative effectively chosen by the intuitionistic fuzzy entropy-based TOPSIS method combined with GRA techniques.