bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental Governance in Urban Watersheds: The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Mexico
Authors: Cotler Helena , Cuevas Maria Luisa , Landa Rossana , Frausto Juan Manuel
Published: January 2022

Cities depend on several watersheds’ ecosystems as the main source of ecosystem services for urban populations; however, this connection is not visible to decision-makers and citizens. The current governance structures do not contemplate the integrated management of the urban-rural territory by watershed; they establish few spaces for citizen participation, and limit the transparency of information. We use qualitative methods to analyze the work of the Civil Society Organization (CSO) in seven urbanized watersheds in Mexico, located under different socio-environmental conditions, to incorporate the watershed cities’ management processes through new spaces of collaborative governance. Through environmental education campaigns, the CSOs raised awareness of the importance of watershed ecosystems to provide water for cities, explored the willingness to pay for their conservation, and the perception of the work of municipal water utilities. By promoting alliances between social sectors, the private sector, communities, and different levels of government, the CSOs built new institutions to increase the collaborative decisions and facilitate public participation, such as Watershed Committees, Citizen Observatories for Water and Consultative Councils. The incorporation of cities and citizens in the conservation of environmental services of the watershed was promoted through payment for environmental services programs. These processes of building new forms of governance are not linear. They depend on the convening and organizational capacity of the CSOs, the political will of the municipalities and states, as well as the socioeconomic conditions of citizens. In general, our results suggest that CSOs allow the formation of alliances that strengthen collaborations among stakeholders at different scales, increase government transparency and accountability, and provide a bridge of trust between upstream and downstream users in the watersheds.
A Creative Analysis of Factors Affecting the Landscape Construction of Urban Temple Garden Plants Based on Tourists’ Perceptions
Authors: Zhao Yang , Liu Junhan , Chen Yuqing
Published: January 2022

This study was based on the perspectives of tourists, with data obtained through a questionnaire survey of users of the Kaiyuan Temple Scenic Area in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China. Through statistical evaluation and principal component analysis, the data collected from 351 questionnaires were analyzed, and five common factors affecting tourists’ perceptions were obtained: spatial structure, functional structure, utility plants, heritage characteristics and sensory characteristics. Through data analysis and research, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) most tourists have high expectations in terms of the overall layout of the temple garden plant landscape; (2) they like eye-catching and interesting plants and comfortable spaces for recreation and leisure; (3) they pay attention to the health-giving properties of plants; (4) tourists like it when the temple garden plant landscape includes a diverse range of plant forms while maintaining distinctive regional characteristics; and (5) tourists find bright flowers and aromatic plants relaxing and mood-enhancing, functioning to promote interaction between the temple landscape and tourists. The findings of the study can therefore be used as theoretical guidance for the design of urban temple garden plant landscape construction that meets the needs of tourists.
Recovery of Degraded Areas through Technosols and Mineral Nanoparticles: A Review
Authors: Gonçalves Janaína Oliveira , Fruto Carolina Moreno , Barranco Mauricio Jaraba , Oliveira Marcos Leandro Silva , Ramos Claudete Gindri
Published: January 2022

Anthropogenic sources such as urban and agricultural runoff, fossil fuel combustion, domestic and industrial wastewater effluents, and atmospheric deposition generate large volumes of nutrient-rich organic and inorganic waste. In their original state under subsurface conditions, they can be inert and thermodynamically stable, although when some of their components are exposed to surface conditions, they undergo great physicochemical and mineralogical transformations, thereby mobilizing their constituents, which often end up contaminating the environment. These residues can be used in the production of technosols as agricultural inputs and the recovery of degraded areas. Technosol is defined as artificial soil made from organic and inorganic waste, capable of performing environmental and productive functions in a similar way to natural ones. This study presents results of international research on the use of technosol to increase soil fertility levels and recover degraded areas in some countries. The conclusions of the various studies served to expand the field of applicability of this line of research on technosols in contaminated spaces. The review indicated very promising results that support the sustainability of our ecosystem, and the improvement achieved with this procedure in soils is comparable to the hybridization and selection of plants that agriculture has performed for centuries to obtain better harvests. Thus, the use of a technosol presupposes a much faster recovery without the need for any other type of intervention.
Design-Based Research on Teacher Facilitation in a Pedagogic Integration of Flipped Learning and Social Enquiry Learning
Authors: Jong Morris Siu-Yung , Chen Gaowei , Tam Vincent , Hue Ming-Tak , Chen Mengyuan
Published: January 2022

This design-based research (DBR) project aimed to develop apt in-class and out-of-class teacher facilitation strategies to be employed in a pedagogic integration of flipped learning and social enquiry learning, viz., FIBER (Flipped Issue-Based Enquiry Ride), with respect to upper-, average-, and lower-academic classrooms. The research was conducted in the formal learning and teaching context of senior secondary social humanities education in Hong Kong, involving nine teachers (from nine different schools at three different academic bands) and their Secondary-5 (Grade-11) classes (with a total of 610 students) in two consecutive school years. Apart from delineating the evidence-based teacher facilitation practices that we designed, enacted and evaluated in the DBR process, this paper also discusses the principles that we derived in accordance with these practices. The present work provides both researchers and educators with new insights into developing adequate teacher facilitation strategies when adopting flipped learning in social humanities education and upon different formal schooling settings.
Semi-Automatic Extraction of Geometric Elements of Curved Ramps from Google Earth Images
Authors: AL-Qadri Mohammed , Cheng Jianchuan , Zhang Yunlong
Published: January 2022

Generating and updating roadway geometric elements from aerial images is necessary for multiple geospatial information system purposes, which have been addressed through various approaches. However, most existing methods cannot deal with challenges such as differently curved ramp characteristics, whereas measurements of geometric elements are still of low effectiveness and accuracy. This paper presents a new method for the semi-automatic extraction of horizontal parameters of curved highway ramps using Google Earth images. The proposed method first determines a road centerline manually using a graphics editor software; the file is then saved and processed with a program that analyzes and splits the centerline into its basic components. After that, the curvature analysis and linear fitting methods are integrated for automatic PC and PT determination. Finally, at the post-processing stage, the radii of the curves are computed automatically using the least-squares method. The proposed method was tested on four highway ramps and validated by comparison with the obtained design plans. Results show that the proposed method successfully detected the curves’ PC/PT and measured their radii with a high degree of accuracy.
Using Organigraphs to Map Disaster Risk Management Governance in the Field of Cultural Heritage
Authors: Durrant Louis J. , Vadher Atish N. , Sarač Mirza , Başoğlu Duygu , Teller Jacques
Published: January 2022

Global cultural heritage is threatened by the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters caused by climate change. International experts emphasise the importance of managing cultural heritage sustainably as part of a paradigm shift in cultural heritage perception, understanding, and management. This paradigm shift has stimulated a need to integrate cultural heritage into pre-existing disaster risk management governance. However, there is currently a lack of robust and practical approaches to map the complex nature of disaster risk management governance. It is here considered that a shared understanding of the respective roles and responsibilities of the different organisations involved in risk management is a critical element in improving the preparedness of cultural heritage sites. The purpose of this article is to present the utility of the Organigraph technique and its main components as a tool to map governance structures, identify key stakeholders, and integrate cultural heritage experts into wider disaster risk management. The article presents a semi-empirical research approach, consisting of four iterative phases in which a series of digital workshops, semi-structured meetings, and bilateral expert meetings were used to co-produce five Organigraphs for heritage sites participating in an ongoing European Project. Our findings suggest that Organigraphs provide a valuable tool at the disposal of practitioners and academics with the potential to provide a basis for cross-national, cross-issue, and cross-scale peer learning between heritage sites. Furthermore, the technique is a valuable self-diagnostic tool to facilitate learning and proactive discussions in the preparedness phase of disaster risk management. Finally, they facilitate the co-creation of solutions through an evolving, interactive platform to integrate data-driven approaches.
Linking Digital HRM Practices with HRM Effectiveness: The Moderate Role of HRM Capability Maturity from the Adaptive Structuration Perspective
Authors: Wang Lijun , Zhou Yu , Zheng Guoyang
Published: January 2022

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to digital human resource management (HRM) practices. Nonetheless, the impact of digital HRM practices is not yet fully understood by practitioners and researchers. Drawing from adaptive structuration theory (AST), we suggest that HRM capability maturity is a key boundary condition for understanding the effectiveness of digital HRM practices. By employing a path analysis approach on a sample of 1770 enterprises in China, this study found that the use of digital HRM practices impacts HRM effectiveness through the internal consistency of HR practices and external social networking of HR managers with line managers. The positive or negative effects of digital HRM practices depend on the enterprise’s HRM capability maturity. While the majority of previous studies have explored the impact of digital HRM on organizations, including the effects on cost reduction and organizational performance, our study expanded the focus on the outcomes of digital HRM to include employees’ perceptions of HRM effectiveness, which can further influence employees’ attitudes and organizational behaviors. The implications of our findings for research and practice are discussed.
An Empirical Study of How Both Environmental Awareness and Interest in Artwork Can Be Incorporated into the Interior Design of Urban Hotels
Authors: Kim Jeongah , Kang Eungoo
Published: January 2022

Prior studies on urban hotel service settings show that the positive response to the lobby artwork and interior design in a hotel is a performance determinant since it directly impacts the orientation of green customers’ preferences who form a significant part of the primary and secondary consumers outcome of emotional satisfaction. In addition, it elaborates on the importance of marketing strategy based on hotel interior design for urban hotels intending to increase customer loyalty. For this reason, the present study collected a total of 330 South Korean participants to identify the mediating role of hotel lobby interior design and artworks between green customers’ preferences and hotel loyalty. The survey instrument designed for the current study included 15 questions to test the hypotheses and a path analysis using AMOS 24.0 was conducted as the main tool to determine the relationship key factors. According to our statistical findings, it is acceptable to relate the customers’ environmental awareness with interest in artwork in the hotel lobby due to the first impression created. The artwork gives a general perception of the value and quality that the consumer is likely to gain by interacting with the available products and services. It is also valid to indicate that the customers’ environmental awareness closely relates to their preference for interior design to develop customer loyalty. Therefore, we conclude that the environmental awareness and hotel loyalty factors impact the marketing strategy and segmentation process used for the urban hotels that deal with green customers with unique and exclusive needs.
Nonlinear Influence of Financial Technology on Regional Innovation Capability: Based on the Threshold Effect Analysis of Human Capital
Authors: Han Wei , Wang Ping , Jiang Yushi , Han Hao
Published: January 2022

According to the data of financial technology and high-tech innovation level of 17 cities in the pilot area of China Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone (Shandong Province) from 2007 to 2017, and taking human capital as the threshold variable, this paper empirically analyzes the nonlinear influence of financial technology development on regional innovation capability under different absorptive capacity by constructing a panel threshold regression model. The results show that: (1) Taking human capital endowment as the threshold variable, the influence mechanism of financial technology development on regional innovation capability has an inverted S-shaped double threshold effect, that is, the driving effect of financial technology development on regional innovation capability has the “optimal range” of human capital absorption capability; (2) When the endowment of human capital is less than the first threshold, there is a significant negative relationship between financial technology and regional innovation capability, and in this case, financial technology development cannot promote the improvement of regional innovation capability; (3) When the human capital endowment crosses the first threshold, there is a significant positive relationship between the development of financial science and technology and the regional innovation capability, which indicates that only when the human capital endowment can better realize R&D learning, digestion and absorption can the development of financial science and technology achieve collaborative innovation and enhance the regional innovation capability; (4) After the endowment of human capital crosses the second threshold, although there is still a positive relationship between the development of financial technology and regional innovation capability, the driving effect of financial technology has a diminishing marginal effect, which shows that the scale of technology and finance should match with human capital, and unlimited expansion of human capital investment will also lead to the imbalance of the allocation of innovation elements and reduce the efficiency of regional innovation. Based on the empirical analysis results, the paper finally puts forward policy suggestions from the aspects of differentiated development strategy, innovative talent incentive policy, and the construction of financial technology leading center.
De-Risking the Energy Efficient Renovation of Commercial Office Buildings through Technical-Financial Risk Assessment
Authors: Andaloro Annalisa , Salvalai Graziano , Fregonese Gabriele , Tso Linda , Paoletti Giulia
Published: January 2022

Energy efficiency in the building sector plays a key role in supporting European and global commitments against the current climate crisis. A massive adoption of deep renovation measures would allow a global reduction of energy need up to 36%, based on estimations. However, the market for building renovation is still limited, due to uncertainties associated with risk evaluation. This paper aims to suggest a method to evaluate the financial impacts of technical risks related to energy efficiency investments. Key performance indicators (KPIs) necessary to evaluate the investment risk associated with energy renovation have been defined based on an analysis of the correlation between technical and financial risks, and their originating factors or root causes. The evaluation has been carried out thanks to the EEnvest tool: a web-based search and match platform, developed within the EEnvest collaborative research project funded by the European Commission (EC). This evaluation methodology has then been applied to a case study, an office building located in Rome, for whom an energy efficient renovation project was already in place to reduce energy needs. The investment risk of the renovation project is calculated for two different scenarios: with and without risk mitigation measures being applied during the design, installation and operation phases. The results show the different technical and financial risk trends of these two scenarios, highlighting the benefits obtained by the implementation of mitigation measures.
Estimate Spatial Spillover of Airport Operational Efficiency in the YRD Region
Authors: Qian Bingxue , Zhang Ning , Wu Congliang
Published: January 2022

Accurate measurement of airport operational efficiency and the analysis of key influencing factors can provide theoretical references for regional airport planning and air traffic management. Many studies are conducted on the operational efficiency of airports in the region, but little attention is paid to their interactions. To fill this gap, this paper measures the operational efficiency of airports in four major cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, and on this basis, the spatial Durbin model is used to explore the influencing factors and spillover effects of airport operational efficiency based on two aspects: airport physical characteristics and regional characteristics. The study demonstrates that the efficiency of airport operations has a significant negative spillover effect, indicating that the efficiency of neighboring airports evolves in a competitive interaction. In terms of direct effects, the number of flights, the number of destinations, airport capacity utilization and GDP are important factors affecting airport efficiency. In terms of spillover effects, this paper found that the population and income positively affect the efficiency of local airport operations, while the number of flights and airport capacity utilization effects have negative effects.
Heavy Metal Concentrations of Soil, Rock, and Coal Gangue in the Geological Profile of a Large Open-Pit Coal Mine in China
Authors: Liu Xiaoyang , Jing Ming , Bai Zhongke
Published: January 2022

Risk assessment related to heavy metals in mining areas is crucial to ensuring the sustainable development of regional ecosystems and protecting human health. However, almost all research on the impact of mining activities on environmental quality entails field monitoring of surface soils or soil profiles. Here, to compare the variety of heavy metal concentrations in the geological profile, 39 samples (including soil, rock, and coal gangue) were collected and analyzed from hundreds of meters underground in the Pingshuo coal mine (Anjialing coal mine, Antaibao coal mine, and Donglutian coal mine), which is the largest open-pit coal mine in China. The mean heavy metal concentrations of Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni in soils were 0.15 mg/kg, 0.02 mg/kg, 13.70 mg/kg, 27.12 mg/kg, 70.89 mg/kg, 26.10 mg/kg, 79.88 mg/kg, and 37.68 mg/kg, respectively; most of these metals were more concentrated in the soil samples than in the rock and coal gangue samples. A potential ecological risk assessment indicated that As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni in all samples showed low risk, while the ecological risk degrees of Cd and Hg were higher and contributed most to the total risk index (RI). The highest E_r^i value (92.94) for Cd was found in rock samples, contributing to approximately 55.18% of the to tal RI. For Hg, four rock sampling sites had the highest E_r^i values (427.70, 270.78, 198.96, and 188.70), contributing approximately 68.36–88.07% of the total RI. Ranked after soil (0.15 mg/kg), limestone and shale showed high mean Cd concentrations (both 0.13 mg/kg). The highest mean concentration was found in coal gangue samples (0.1 mg/kg). Compared with the other types of samples, the mean concentrations of Cr, Cu, and Ni in soils, limestone, and mudstone were relatively higher. At different sites, heavy metal concentrations varied greatly at different depths, owing to diverse sample types and rock types. Correlations between heavy metals and soil nutrients indicated that N and P were closely correlated with heavy metals. Comparing the proportions of different heavy metals in various types of samples showed that heavy metals in soils were extremely similar to those in limestone, mudstone, and shale, implying that soils might indirectly inherit their features from their parent material.
Rome’s GRAB—Great Bicycle Ring Route—As Complex Landscape Infrastructure
Authors: Caravaggi Lucina , Imbroglini Cristina , Lei Anna
Published: January 2022

This paper aims to describe the design strategy adopted in Rome to support and enhance sustainable mobility. It is a strategy aimed at promoting new green infrastructures for urban accessibility, daily sports practice and social inclusion in a historic city, stratified and not very inclined to change. Therefore, the dissemination of this experience is useful for planning a sustainable future for heritage cities that ensures an appropriate and equitable balance between conservation and development. Sustainable mobility is now considered one of the most important challenges for metropolitan areas and large conurbations. In these terms, Rome is a weak city. The city’s great bicycle ring route (GRAB), an integral part of the Extraordinary Tourism Mobility Plan 2017-22, is a key infrastructure for increasing more sustainable and healthier modes of travel, even on a local scale. The GRAB project, whose complex infrastructure provides multiple services, differs from a simple cycle path network. Its complexity refers to an ability to attract different types of users in different types of urban contexts—historical settings, monuments, newer neighborhoods and areas of contemporary urbanization. The project results can be measured first in relation to its progress (already funded, in the executive planning phase, with the approval of the first construction sites expected by 2022). A second important result is the participation of institutional bodies and citizens’ associations, which will oversee the construction and maintenance work as well as infuse into the project a constant vitality, in a true civic ecology perspective. Third, the results are important for enhancing metropolitan area accessibility and the environmental and social re-activation of the areas crossed, achieved directly and through the project’s realization. The GRAB strategy belongs to the new generation of landscape projects that have radically changed the priorities and hierarchies of intervention in the contexts of contemporary urbanization. These projects are based on the ecological analysis of the context but are located close to the fluctuating dynamics of contemporary metropolises and the problems of exclusion and marginality—both spatial and social—linked to the very rapid ecological, economic and demographic transformations.
Evaluation of Existing Indexes of Sustainable Well-Being and Propositions for Improvement
Authors: Brulé Gaël
Published: January 2022

The relationship between sustainability and well-being is inconclusive in the literature, with some studies showing consonance while others show dissonance. On top of differences of scale (micro or macro) and of methods, part of this conflict in narratives is due to differences in measurement. In this paper I evaluate the quality of existing indexes linking both concepts at a macro level (Happy Planet Index (first generation and second generation), Sustainable Development Goals Index, Human Sustainable Development Index, Sustainable Development Index, Gaucher’s index). Recognizing the limits of all of them and acknowledging that the current landscape of measures is over-oriented towards cognitive measures on the well-being side and ecological footprint-oriented on the environmental side, I propose some alternatives to complete the current measures and I discuss possible implications.
The Dynamic Relationship between China’s Economic Cycle, Government Debt, and Economic Policy
Authors: Yang Yifu , Zhang Sheng , Zhang Nannan , Wen Zuhui , Zhang Qihao , Xu Meng , Zhang Yingfan , Niu Muchuan
Published: January 2022

Economic growth is an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 8. We combine 10 economic constraints and build a five-variable (structural vector autoregressive) SVAR model based on China’s time series data of 1978–2017. The empirical results show: (1) The Chinese government adopted different economic policies at different stages of reform and opening up; (2) From the impulse response results, China’s excessively high government debt ratio has begun to inhibit economic growth; (3) In terms of policy selection and coordination, the Chinese government mostly adopts a “discretion” adjustment strategy. In most cases, the fiscal and monetary policies were in the same direction, and the “double expansionary” and “double contractionary” policy coordination may become mainstream; (4) The results of variance decomposition showed that both fiscal and monetary policies can effectively regulate economic growth at the present stage, and the contribution rates of exogenous shocks to the prediction variance of economic growth rate were about 25%.
The Effect of Top Management Team Gender Diversity on Climate Change Management: An International Study
Authors: Caby Jérôme , Coron Clotilde , Ziane Ydriss
Published: January 2022

The aim of this research was to assess the effect of top management team gender diversity on firms’ effective commitment to climate change management from two new perspectives: a more detailed analysis of gender diversity in corporate management and an international analysis of the phenomenon. Broadening climate change management assessment through selected CDP qualitative metrics for governance, risk management and strategy provides a more in-depth view of climate change managerial practices. Even though a growing body of academic literature highlights the potential positive impact of gender diversity, this empirical research based on a sample of 836 firms from 16 developed countries provides mainly inconclusive results. These results may be explained first by a still insufficient and below critical mass, percentage of women within top management teams; and second, by a selection bias, as only the best performers disclose their climate change management data. This also calls for companies to improve their gender diversity among the top management team, and for regulators to further extend compulsory climate change management reporting.
The Empirical Research on Transfer of Cultural Meaning from Commodity to Customer—A Case Study for Hotel Staying Experience
Authors: Hu Kuo-Jui , Chueh Chia-Pin , Chang Yuh-Shihng
Published: January 2022

This purpose of this article is to explore the case for the integration of art, aesthetics, and the atmosphere of local life into hotel interior designs. We used statistical empirical methods to verify whether the transformation of cultural elements into tourism products can really bring tourists to feel cultural meaning. In this study, we use the “Movement of meaning” model proposed by McCracken as a validation of how consumers feel the effects of cultural learning through the consumption of hotel stays. This research focuses on the integration of local culture and hotel consumption in the part of cultural learning, and particularly on the second stage of the meaning trajectory: hotel tourists feel the cultural meaning transfer when they consume and stay. In order to objectively investigate the influence of cultural products on guest consumption experience, we asked more than 187 hotel guests for their data to understand their perceptions of artistic experience and cultural meaning through questionnaires. The contribution of our research is to provide a framework for testing the validity of cultural meanings transformed into commodity consumption for tourism. The value of this research lies in our empirical research on how people perceive the beauty of local culture, and how the combination of cultural elements and hotel design allows customers to experience the cultural meaning benefits. The quantitative verification method of this research for the “meaning movement” model can be used as an operational procedure for tourism relative research, especially for verifying the effectiveness of cultural meaning transmission by integrating culture into tourism products.
Research on Environmental Protection Strategy of Urban Construction Subject Based on Evolutionary Game
Authors: Liu Mengkai , Zhang Shujie
Published: January 2022

With the urban renewal and development, the impact of urban construction projects such as old city reconstruction on the surrounding environment has always attracted social attention in the construction process. The strategies of the participants in the project construction in the process of environmental protection need to be further clarified. Taking the government investor and contractor as the construction subject, combined with questionnaire survey and evolutionary game, determines the three-party evolutionary stable game strategy and clarifies the internal mechanism of the evolution trend of the construction subject through simulation. The results show that the investor and contractor have a certain awareness of environmental protection, but they have limited understanding of the relevant policies and regulations issued by the government and believe that the government has little supervision and governance. The optimal evolutionary stability strategy adopted by the construction subject in promoting environmental protection is {Incentive, Effective supervision, Proper protection}, in which the stability conditions are J1 > M1 and T1 > N1. Reducing G1, A, M1, N1 and T1 or increasing J1 and the construction subject’s willingness to take measures can promote the model to stabilize and evolve. The government should establish and improve the incentive system, improve the environmental protection awareness of the construction subject, urge the investor and the contractor to take effective measures to achieve the long-term stability goal of the tripartite subject strategy, and minimize the impact on environmental protection.
Global Virtual Team Leadership Scale (GVTLS) Development in Multinational Companies
Authors: Batırlık Sema Nur , Gencer Yasin Galip , Akkucuk Ulas
Published: January 2022

As a result of developments in technology, globalization and digitalization, virtual teams have become indispensable for many industries. Transformations in information and communication technology have provided new opportunities for businesses to create and manage virtual teams. Today, all organizations have had to introduce new methods of communication and have started to continue their conversations through digital platforms. It has become inevitable for teams to form in such virtual environments. Virtual team members are made up of individuals from different genders, experiences, cultures and geographic locations. While there are leaders in virtual teams as in face-to-face environments, this type of leadership performs its function through information and communication technologies, unlike traditional types. Although there are many studies on face-to-face leadership in academic studies and despite the increasing use of digital platforms, it is observed that there is a need for studies on leadership styles in virtual organizations. The main purpose of this study is to create a scale about leadership characteristics in virtual teams. With the present study, it is aimed to develop a valid and reliable scale in order to discover and analyze the virtual team leadership characteristics of individuals within the multinational companies. During the scale development process, literature review, focus group interviews and statistical analysis were used to create the items to be included in the scale. First of all, focus group discussions were conducted by examining the scale developments on the leadership phenomenon. A total of three focus group interviews were held; expert opinions were used to ensure the content validity of the results, and a draft scale with 29 items was created as a result.
The Effects of Demographic Trends on the High-Quality Development of the Chinese Sports Industry
Authors: Duan Yuping , Li Ping , Meng Di , Bu Te , Liu Xuewei , Popovic Stevo , Matic Radenko M.
Published: January 2022

Demographic change is a fundamental characteristic of China’s demographic development. The primary problem in China’s population development has shifted in recent years from overall pressure to structural challenges. Using data from China’s seventh demographic census, this study examines the dynamics of sports consumption growth from the perspective of population structure, analyzes the characteristics of the current population structure and the current state of sports consumption development, and establishes a regression to examine the impact of population structure change trends on sports industry development. The study demonstrates that there are varying degrees of correlation between different demographic trends and the sports industry in China’s aging population: the added value per capita of the sports industry is significantly (p < 0.01), positively correlated with the proportion of the elderly population and the number of graduates from general higher education institutions. While the expansion of the sports sector continues to be positive, there are numerous issues that need to be addressed. To encourage the development of a high-quality sports industry, proactive countermeasures are proposed to adjust population policy, increase population quality, and promote the comprehensive upgrading of sports consumption.
A Comparative Study on Planning Patterns of Industrial Bases in Northeast China Based on Spatial Syntax
Authors: Han Rui , Liu Daping , Zhu Guangjie , Li Linjie
Published: January 2022

After World War II, unprecedented and positive industrialization and urban construction were launched in lots of developing countries all over the world. Meanwhile, more and more far-reaching planning theories and technological achievements emerged. In this study, we combed the development process of the industrial base planning pattern created by the Soviet Union in the 1950s, summarized its main theoretical and technical contents and its transfer to Northeast China, and revealed the absorption and innovation of this planning pattern in three import industrial cities built in the 1950s in Northeast China. Based on the spatial syntax theory and technology, the practice of three representative industrial bases’ planning patterns was deeply analyzed. A comparative study on the theoretical and technical fit planning level among the three bases was implemented from the two aspects of the extension of different functional spatial modules and the connection and accessibility of the road axis. It was finally found that the planning pattern of the new industrial base of a single plant had more advantages of functional support and road accessibility in spatial morphology. The conclusion of this study not only generated great historical value for combing the history of contemporary industrial urban planning in China but is also a significant reference for the sustainable development of the industrial cities in Northeast China.
On the Optimality of the LR Test for Mediation
Authors: Van Garderen Kees Jan , Van Giersbergen Noud
Published: January 2022

Testing for mediation, or indirect effects, is empirically very important in many disciplines. It has two obvious symmetries that the testing procedure should be invariant to. The ordered absolute t-statistics from two ordinary regressions are maximal invariant under the associated groups of transformations. Sobel’s (1982) Wald-type and the LR test statistic are both functions of this maximal invariant and satisfy two logical coherence requirements: (1) size coherence: rejection at level α implies rejection at all higher significance levels; and (2) information coherence: more (less) evidence against the null implies continued (non) rejection of the null. The LR test statistic is simply the smallest of the two absolute t-statistics, and we show that the LR test is the Uniformly Most Powerful (information and size) Coherent Invariant (UMPCI) test. In short: the LR test for mediation is simple and best.
Description for N = 126 Isotones 210Po and 212Rn with Particle-Hole Excited Nucleon-Pair Approximation and Realistic Effective Interaction
Authors: Wang Yi-Xing , Cheng Yi-Yuan , Kuo Thomas T. S.
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we study yrast states of two N=126 isotones 210Po and 212Rn using the nucleon-pair approximation with particle–hole excitations and using a low-momentum interaction Vlow–k renormalized from the free CD-Bonn NN potential. An overall good agreement with experimental level structures, B(E2)s, and B(E3)s, is achieved. We also calculate the probabilities of neutron particle–hole excitations in these yrast states, with a focus on negative-parity states, which reflect the roles played by the neutron negative-parity configurations of one-particle-one-hole excitations across the N=126 shell gap and the negative-parity configurations of valence proton particles involving the 0i13/2 orbit. The N=126 shell gap is discussed in terms of energies of neutron one-particle-one-hole excitations.
The Search for Geometrical Parameters That Represent the Dynamic Nature of Phyllotaxis in Plants
Authors: Barabé Denis , Lacroix Christian
Published: January 2022

The shoot apical meristem (SAM) is the main growth centre that produces lateral organs such as leaves in specific and precise symmetrical patterns. The main goal of this commentary is to explore the link between phyllotactic parameters such as the plastochrone ratio (R) as well as Γ (relationship between the size of the SAM and the size of primordia) and growth processes involved in the expression of symmetrical patterns at the level of the SAM. It is also possible to deduce the values of these parameters from measures of the apical area and the radius of the SAM. A comparative analysis of phyllotactic parameters for three species (Begonia scabrida, Euterpe oleracea, and Anagallis arvensis) for which ‘dynamic’ data are available reveals that empirical and theoretical values of R and Γ can differ, indicating that characters defining these parameters are subject to developmental constraints that in turn determine the boundary conditions for the dynamic manifestation of phyllotactic patterns. One of the main challenges that remains is the ability to consistently and effectively observe the dynamic changes taking place at the SAM (in real time) over an extended period.
One-Point Statistics Matter in Extended Cosmologies
Authors: Gough Alex , Uhlemann Cora
Published: January 2022

The late universe contains a wealth of information about fundamental physics and gravity, wrapped up in non-Gaussian fields. To make use of as much information as possible, it is necessary to go beyond two-point statistics. Rather than going to higher-order N-point correlation functions, we demonstrate that the probability distribution function (PDF) of spheres in the matter field (a one-point function) already contains a significant amount of this non-Gaussian information. The matter PDF dissects different density environments which are lumped together in two-point statistics, making it particularly useful for probing modifications of gravity or expansion history. Our approach in Cataneo et al. 2021 extends the success of Large Deviation Theory for predicting the matter PDF in ΛCDM in these “extended” cosmologies. A Fisher forecast demonstrates the information content in the matter PDF via constraints for a Euclid-like survey volume combining the 3D matter PDF with the 3D matter power spectrum. Adding the matter PDF halves the uncertainties on parameters in an evolving dark energy model, relative to the power spectrum alone. Additionally, the matter PDF contains enough non-linear information to substantially increase the detection significance of departures from General Relativity, with improvements up to six times the power spectrum alone. This analysis demonstrates that the matter PDF is a promising non-Gaussian statistic for extracting cosmological information, particularly for beyond ΛCDM models.
Semiheaps and Ternary Algebras in Quantum Mechanics Revisited
Authors: Bruce Andrew James
Published: January 2022

We re-examine the appearance of semiheaps and (para-associative) ternary algebras in quantum mechanics. In particular, we review the construction of a semiheap on a Hilbert space and the set of bounded operators on a Hilbert space. The new aspect of this work is a discussion of how symmetries of a quantum system induce homomorphisms of the relevant semiheaps and ternary algebras.
Novel Epidemic Metrics to Communicate Outbreak Risk at the Municipality Level: Dengue and Zika in the Dominican Republic
Authors: Kingston Rhys , Routledge Isobel , Bhatt Samir , Bowman Leigh R
Published: January 2022

Arboviruses remain a significant cause of morbidity, mortality and economic cost across the global human population. Epidemics of arboviral disease, such as Zika and dengue, also cause significant disruption to health services at local and national levels. This study examined 2014–2016 Zika and dengue epidemic data at the sub-national level to characterise transmission across the Dominican Republic. For each municipality, spatio-temporal mapping was used to characterise disease burden, while data were age and sex standardised to quantify burden distributions among the population. In separate analyses, time-ordered data were combined with the underlying disease migration interval distribution to produce a network of likely transmission chain events, displayed using transmission chain likelihood matrices. Finally, municipal-specific reproduction numbers (Rm) were established using a Wallinga–Teunis matrix. Dengue and Zika epidemics peaked during weeks 39–52 of 2015 and weeks 14–27 of 2016, respectively. At the provincial level, dengue attack rates were high in Hermanas Mirabal and San José de Ocoa (58.1 and 49.2 cases per 10,000 population, respectively), compared with the Zika burden, which was highest in Independencia and San José de Ocoa (21.2 and 13.4 cases per 10,000 population, respectively). Across municipalities, high disease burden was observed in Cotuí (622 dengue cases per 10,000 population) and Jimani (32 Zika cases per 10,000 population). Municipal infector–infectee transmission likelihood matrices identified seven 0% likelihood transmission events throughout the dengue epidemic and two 0% likelihood transmission events during the Zika epidemic. Municipality reproduction numbers (Rm) were consistently higher, and persisted for a greater duration, during the Zika epidemic (Rm = 1.0) than during the dengue epidemic (Rm < 1.0). This research highlights the importance of disease surveillance in land border municipalities as an early warning for infectious disease transmission. It also demonstrates that a high number of importation events are required to sustain transmission in endemic settings, and vice versa for newly emerged diseases. The inception of a novel epidemiological metric, Rm, reports transmission risk using standardised spatial units, and can be used to identify high transmission risk municipalities to better focus public health interventions for dengue, Zika and other infectious diseases.
Preclinical Evaluation of Chicken Egg Yolk Antibody (IgY) Anti-RBD Spike SARS-CoV-2—A Candidate for Passive Immunization against COVID-19
Authors: Wongso Hendris , Mahendra Isa , Arnafia Wyanda , Idar Idar , Yusuf Muhammad , Achmad Arifudin , Holik Holis A. , Kurniawan Ahmad , Halimah Iim , Sriyani Maula E. , Wibawa Teguh H. A. , Febrian Muhamad B. , Setiadi Yanuar , Widyasari Eva M. , Daruwati Isti , Kusumaningrum Crhisterra E. , Subroto Toto
Published: January 2022

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a substantial threat to the international health sector and the global economy. As of 26 December 2021, the number of mortalities resulting from COVID-19 exceeded 5.3 million worldwide. The absence of an effective non-vaccine treatment has prompted the quest for prophylactic agents that can be used to combat COVID-19. This study presents the feasibility of chicken egg yolk antibody (IgY) anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD) spike SARS-CoV-2 as a strong candidate to neutralize the virus for application in passive immunization. For the purpose of preclinical studies, we radiolabeled IgY anti-RBD spike SARS-CoV-2 with radionuclide iodine-131. This allowed us to evaluate several biological characteristics of IgY in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo. The preclinical data suggest that IgY anti-RBD spike SARS-CoV-2 could specifically bind to the SARS-CoV-2 antigens; however, little uptake was observed in normal cells (MRC-5) (<2%). Furthermore, the ex vivo biodistribution study revealed that IgY predominantly accumulated in the trachea of normal mice compared to other organs. We also found that IgY possessed a good safety profile when used as an intranasal agent. Taken together, we propose that IgY anti-RBD spike SARS-CoV-2 has the potential for application in passive immunization against COVID-19.
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Associated Factors among Diabetes Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Changzhi, Shanxi, China
Authors: Wang Ying , Duan Lingrui , Li Mufan , Wang Jiayu , Yang Jianzhou , Song Congying , Li Jing , Wang Jinsheng , Jia Jiantao , Xu Junjie
Published: January 2022

Patients with diabetes are more susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 infection, but vaccine hesitancy is a problem in this population. We investigated the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy among diabetes patients in China through a cross-sectional survey from April and August 2021 using a questionnaire administered to patients at two hospitals affiliated with Changzhi Medical College (Shanxi, China). The health belief model (HBM) is used examining factors influencing vaccine hesitancy. After adjusting for potential confounders, a multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze correlations between vaccine hesitancy and associated factors. Of the 483 participants, 56.4% (273/483) had vaccine hesitancy, including 58.2% (159/273) who were unsure of being vaccinated and 41.8% (114/273) who were unwilling. Although patients considered SARS-CoV-2 infection to be serious (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.36–6.42; p < 0.001), they had concerns about vaccine safety (aOR = 3.05, 95% CI: 1.89–4.91; p < 0.001). Relatives’ vaccination status did not influence participants’ willingness to be vaccinated (aOR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.39–4.25; p < 0.001). Disagreement with physicians’ view that vaccination can reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection risk was independently correlated with vaccine hesitancy (aOR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.28–3.95; p < 0.001). Diabetes patients in China need to be educated on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine safety and protective effects to increase the vaccination rate in this population.