bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on Anti-Uplift Effect of Micro-Steel-Pipe Pile on Red-Bedded Soft Rock Subgrade
Authors: Zhang Rui , Luo Hui , Liu Zhengnan , Nie Rusong
Published: September 2022

To investigate the treatment effect of micro-piles on uplift deformation of red-bedded soft rock subgrade, an in-situ static load test of slurry injected steel pipe micro-piles with different length was carried out, the uplift bearing capacity and deformation characteristics of micro-piles were analyzed, and the load transfer function of pile lateral friction resistance was modified with the consideration of pile length. A numerical simulation method considering the variable shear stiffness at the pile-soil interface was established, and the inversion of the relevant material parameters was carried out based on the in-situ test results. Through numerical simulation, the effect of single piles with different pile lengths and group piles with different pile spacing on the treatment of the uplift deformation of the subgrade was investigated. Finally, the anti-uplift design method of micro-piles in red-bedded soft rock was proposed. The results show that the uplift bearing capacity increased nonlinearly with the increase in pile length, and the variation curve of pile lateral friction resistance with pile-soil relative displacement showed a hardened type. The predicted pile lateral friction resistance shows a good correlation with the measured result; all the correlation coefficients were greater than 0.81. The uplift deformation of subgrade without piles was radially distributed with the maximum value of 5.12 mm as the center. A single micro-pile with a length of 7 m or a rectangular array of group piles with a length of 7 m and a spacing of 3D could effectively decrease the maximum uplift deformation to less than 4.0 mm, which can meet the requirement of specification. Thus, the micro-piles could be used for controlling the uplift deformation of red-bedded soft rock subgrade, and this study can provide a reference for anti-uplift design in the distributed area of red-bedded soft rock.
Research Progress and Framework Construction of Urban Resilience Computational Simulation
Authors: Han Xuehua , Wang Liang , Xu Dandan , Wei He , Zhang Xinghua , Zhang Xiaodong
Published: September 2022

Simulating the dynamic process of urban resilience and analyzing the mechanism of resilience-influencing factors are of great significance to improve the intelligent decision-making ability of resilient urban planning. The purpose of this article is to implement a comprehensive literature review on the quantitative computation and simulation studies of urban resilience, investigating the characteristics of current research, including the most commonly applied methods, the most frequently space–time scales, the most popular research topics, and the most commonly involved risk types. Then, the study provides recommendations for future research: (1) research on multiple risk disturbance scenarios, (2) the computation of urban resilience from the public perspective, and (3) a computation-simulation framework with the goal of revealing the mechanism. Finally, this study constructs a resilience-computation simulation framework for resilient urban planning, which lays a foundation for the further development of urban-resilience dynamic-simulation computing and planning-scenario applications in the future.
Variation and Influencing Factors of Cloud Characteristics over Qinghai Lake from 2006 to 2019
Authors: Li Lin , Sun Meiping , Mei Jing
Published: September 2022

Clouds are an indispensable part of climate change, and the occurrence and development of clouds in the Qinghai Lake area (QHL) have great significance for the regional energy budget and precipitation system. To a certain extent, clouds will affect the water resources, agriculture, animal husbandry, and photovoltaic power industry in this region. In this study, we used CloudSat satellite data, combined with meteorological elements and atmospheric circulation, to analyze the cloud occurrence frequency and cloud water content in QHL. The results demonstrate that the frequency of cloud occurrences in QHL is 33% with a decreasing trend from 2006 to 2019. Altostratus and Nimbostratus are the main types of cloud systems in QHL. The cloud ice water content is 62.21 mg/m3 and the cloud liquid water content is 261.66 mg/m3. The highest value of the vertical cloud fraction occurs from March to June, at a height of 7–11 km in QHL. The height of the mixed-phase clouds is approximately 4–8 km and the ice clouds are above 8 km. The vertical distribution of ice particles is relatively dispersed, while the vertical distribution of liquid particles is relatively concentrated. The time and height of high particle effective radius and high particle concentration are consistent with the high value of cloud water content. The decrease in total cloud occurrence frequency in QHL is caused by the increase in temperature. This study helps to clarify the detailed structure of clouds and the distribution of cloud water resources, which has an important reference value for the study of climate change impact and the sustainable development of lake resources in QHL.
Strategic Guidelines for the Intellectualization of Human Capital in the Context of Innovative Transformation
Authors: Kuzior Aleksandra , Arefieva Olena , Kovalchuk Alona , Brożek Paulina , Tytykalo Volodymyr
Published: September 2022

Context and purpose: This study focuses on identifying the current qualities of enhancing the action of intellectualization of human capital. The main purpose of the article is to identify relevant strategic benchmarks for the intellectualization of human capital in enterprises under conditions of innovative transformation. Research method: The methods of research are synthesis and analysis, used to identify trends in the processes of intellectualization of human capital on enterprises, factor analysis methods in combination with methods of expert evaluations, and other general scientific methods. Findings: The article offers, for the first time, a definition of the essence of intellectualization of human capital as a separate economic process, which is based on the renewal of competencies in accordance with the needs of enterprise development and includes the need for their up-to-date globalization and industry trends in the economy of the country. The relationship between the intellectualization of human capital and innovation has been defined. The influence of factors on the processes of intellectualization of human capital on enterprises in conditions of innovative transformations has been investigated. It was found that such factors are prerequisites for the formation of strategic guidelines for the development of the intellectualization of human capital. The main aspects of innovative transformations by identifying trends of intellectualization of Ukrainian human capital in the international space through the analysis of the Global Innovation Index have been investigated. Conclusion and innovation: Thus, the relationship between the intellectualization of human capital and innovation, which affects the sustainability of economic systems, was determined. According to the results of the study, the key directions of formation and development of strategic guidelines for the intellectualization of human capital of enterprises are proposed.
Disentangling Consumers’ CSR Knowledge Types and Effects
Authors: Avis Mark , Konopka Roman , Gregory-Smith Diana , Palakshappa Nitha
Published: September 2022

This paper examines consumers’ objective knowledge of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for brands over different product categories, and investigates whether objective knowledge influences attitudes to CSR, and the relationships between demographics and objective knowledge. The research uses an innovative approach to examining consumer CSR knowledge via (largely) unprompted recall. The analysis uses independent judges to score actual consumer objective knowledge of the CSR of well-known brands against the policies and actions of the brand owner. The research reveals that participants’ objective knowledge of CSR was limited or, in many cases, there was no knowledge. Further, the number and type of CSR policies did not influence overall evaluations of CSR. However, where objective knowledge was held, it did positively influence evaluations. The findings of the research direct managerial attention towards improvement of the communication of CSR, including using the research methodology here to evaluate the success of current communications.
Development of Physical Activity Guidelines for a Healthy China Using the Life Cycle Concept: The Perspective of Policy Tools from Five Countries
Authors: Wang Jing , Li Fanghui , Wu Liang , Wang Zhuangzhi , Xie Tian , Ruan Ling , Yan Shizhan , Su Yingmin
Published: September 2022

Developing physical activity guidelines based on the life cycle concept is conducive to accelerating the realization of the goal of “all-round, full-cycle maintenance and protection to greatly improve people’s health” in the Healthy China 2030 Planning Outline. Based on a policy tools perspective, this study uses the text analysis method to collect and analyze physical activity guidelines based on the life cycle concept from five economically developed countries: the USA, Japan, Canada, Australia, and the UK. The policy tools, country data, and stages of the life cycle were used to develop physical activity guidelines in China to accelerate the realization of the Healthy China 2030 strategy based on the following principles: (1) Strengthen sectoral cooperation and establish a system of policy instruments; (2) increase publicity and scientific awareness of physical activity and exercise; (3) focus on talent cultivation and improve guideline research and development; and (4) mobilize the power of all sectors to promote the implementation of physical activity guidelines.
Dynamic Response Analysis on Stress and Displacement of the Shield Tunnel Structure and Soil Layer under Train-Induced Vibration in Xiamen Metro Line 6
Authors: Guo Jiaqi , Xu Lexin , Xu Chong , Chen Ruimin , Lin Jinhai
Published: September 2022

Tunnel engineering develops rapidly. To study the dynamic response of shield tunnel structure and its bottom soil layer caused by metro train operation, a three-dimensional finite-difference dynamic calculation method is used to establish a shield tunnel-soil layer coupling model based on the shield tunnel project of Maluan Central Station-Jimei Island Station of Xiamen Metro Line 6, and the dynamic response of tunnel structure and its bottom soil layer caused by metro train operation is calculated. The results show that: Under the action of train-induced vibration, the shield tunnel structure mainly bears compressive stress and generates compressive deformation. The dynamic response of tunnel structure represents a significant increasing trend with the enhancement of train-induced vibration load. Under the same load strength, dynamic response change amplitude of structure is not obvious with tunnel structural stiffness, stress is gradually increasing, and displacement is weakening. The deeper the soil depth at the bottom of the shield tunnel structure, the weaker the dynamic response of the soil layer. The stress response of the soil layer at the same depth is increasing with the train-induced vibration load improving, but the displacement response has a stage characteristic. The dynamic response of the soil layer at the same depth does not change obviously with the increase in shield tunnel structural stiffness, but the stress response gradually increases, and the displacement response becomes weak. In general, investigation of the dynamic response of the subway shield tunnel under train-induced vibration has important practical significance for maintaining the long-term safe operation of subway tunnels.
The Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Matter and Soil Microbial Communities in the Soils of Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr. Plantations in the Qinling Mountains, China
Authors: Li Hailiang , Yang Yang , Crabbe M. James C. , Chen Haikui
Published: September 2022

Soil microorganisms and dissolved organic matter (DOM) play vital roles in nutrient cycling and maintaining plant diversity. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between DOM component characteristics and microbial community structure in the soil of Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr. plantations. We quantified the responses of the soil microbial and DOM characteristics to stand age in a plantation forest ecosystem using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analyses, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Three humic-like components and a fulvic-like component were identified from the soil samples, and humic-like substances were the dominant component of the soil DOM of the stands of different ages. The fluorescence index showed that the sources of soil DOM in the stands of different ages throughout the growth stages may be mostly plant residues, with very little contribution from microbial sources. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that stand age and growth season had a significant effect on the contents of the soil PLFA biomarkers of L. principis-rupprechtii Mayr. Additionally, significantly higher contents of different species of soil PLFA biomarkers were observed in the young forest (17a) than in the sapling forest (7a) and half-mature forest (27a), suggesting that stand age differences in the quality and quantity of larch litter and soil physicochemical characteristics affect the microbial community structure. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that changes in the soil DOM quality and components that were driven by growth season and stand age were the major drivers of variations in the soil microbial community structure in the study region. Overall, the seasonal variations in DOM quality and components may contribute to the variability of soil microorganisms, and the soil microbial responses to tree age will depend upon the provisioning of these resources.
Technology Transfer in the Context of Sustainable Development—A Bibliometric Analysis of Publications in the Field
Authors: Craiut Lisa , Bungau Constantin , Negru Paul Andrei , Bungau Tudor , Radu Andrei-Flavius
Published: September 2022

Technology transfer (TT) is a complex process that considers various components and variables. The mechanisms underlying innovation and TT have led to the development of applications in a context of sustainable development, framing an expanding area of research in terms of bibliometric quantity, quality, and structural indicators in recent years. Although there is considerable academic interest in TT in the context of sustainable development, there has not been a recent analysis of the literature in the field to assess its relevance in terms of scientific impact, citations, and other information prior to the literature search/publication process. Therefore, the present paper conducts a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer to assess research performance and to perform a scientific mapping of the most relevant literature in the field included in the Web of Science (W.o.S.) database. Furthermore, 39,958 manuscripts published between 1976 and 2022 have been systematically assessed in terms of influential indicators, citations, and publication trends. Major contributors in the field include the United States, China, and England, while the most prolific journals include Sustainability, Environmental Science & Technology, and Applied Energy. This study contributes to the scientific literature by providing a significant theoretical reference for the potential application of TT in the context of sustainable development through statistical analysis and interpretation of the bibliometric data obtained.
Human Activities Aggravate VOC Pollution in the Huangshui River of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Yang Xi , Deng Xuwei , Li Guangxin , Liu Yu , Gao Qiang
Published: September 2022

Many xenobiotic compounds can threaten human health and natural ecosystems. The ability to predict the level of human activities and identify major impact factors is crucial for the design of pollutant risk-reduction plans. In this study, a total of 25 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including eight alkenes, six alkanes, and eleven aromatics were identified at 11 monitoring locations along the Huangshui River of the Tibetan Plateau. GC-MS analysis was applied to detect the concentrations of the VOCs. The results showed that the alkene, alkane, and aromatic concentrations in the sediment were significantly higher than in the water in all seasons (p < 0.001). The VOC concentrations in summer were significantly higher than in spring and winter (p < 0.01). In addition, several VOCs were found to surpass the national standard, i.e., bromoform reached 312.43 μg/L in water during the summer (the national standard is 100 μg/L), carbon tetrachloride was 209.58 μg/L (the national standard is 2 μg/L), and vinyl chloride was 10.99 μg/L (the national standard is 5 μg/L), which were all related to human activities. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to comprehensively evaluate the water quality and the VOCs. The total organic carbon (TOC) was found to be responsible for the presence of the VOCs in the river, accounting for 77.93%, 81.97%, and 82.13% of the total variance in the datasets in spring, summer, and winter, respectively.
Stakeholder Workshops Informing System Modeling—Analyzing the Urban Food–Water–Energy Nexus in Amman, Jordan
Authors: Klauer Bernd , Küblböck Karin , Omann Ines , Karutz Raphael , Klassert Christian , Zhu Yuanzao , Zozmann Heinrich , Smilovic Mikhail , Talozi Samer , Figueroa Anjuli Jain , Grohs Hannes , Heilemann Jasmin , Gorelick Steven
Published: September 2022

Large cities worldwide are increasingly suffering from a nexus of food, water, and energy supply challenges. This complex nexus can be analyzed with modern physico-economic system models. Only when practical knowledge from those affected, experts, and decision makers is incorporated alongside various other data sources, however, are the analyses suitable for policy advice. Here, we present a concept for “Sustainability Nexus Workshops” suitable for extracting and preparing relevant practical knowledge for nexus modeling and apply it to the case of Amman, Jordan. The experiences of the workshop participants show that, although water scarcity is the predominant resource problem in Jordan, there is a close connection between food, water, and energy as well as between resource supply and urbanization. To prevent the foreseeable significant degradation of water supply security, actions are needed across all nexus dimensions. The stakeholders demonstrate an awareness of this and suggest a variety of technical measures, policy solutions, and individual behavioral changes—often in combination. Improving the supply of food, water, and energy requires political and institutional reforms. In developing these, it must be borne in mind that the prevalent informal structures and illegal activities are both strategies for coping with nexus challenges and causes of them.
The Determinants of Micro Finance Institutions’ Decision to Receive a Social Rating: An Institutional and Resource-Dependence Perspective
Authors: Simo Christelle , Tchakoute Tchuigoua Hubert , Faugere Christophe
Published: September 2022

We examine the determinants of MFIs’ social rating decisions according to institutional and resource dependency pressure factors. We exploit a unique data set containing 221 MFIs resulting in 767-year observations, obtained from both mixed market and social rating agencies (Planet, MicroFinanza, and Microrate rating agencies). Our data was collected for both rated and non-rated MFIs between the years 2006 and 2018, in six major less-developed regions of the world. Our study contributes to the CSR literature in microfinance as the decision to be rated acts like a CSR signal. Our research shows that the tighter the rule of law the less inclined MFIs are to seek a rating. In addition, we borrow from the resource-dependence perspective to demonstrate that proxies for resource (in)dependence such as for-profit status, mature stage, and subsidization are negatively associated with the obtention of a social rating. Overall, in the less-developed regions of the world, when MFIs operate in a strongly regulated environment and have a strong position (financial and mission-wise), with respect to investors, they are less willing to obtain a social rating.
The Development of a Service System for Facilitating Food Resource Allocation and Service Exchange
Authors: Trieu Viet-Cuong , Lin Fu-Ren
Published: September 2022

To address the current limitation of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) in tackling urban–rural sustainability issues, this study proposes a Cooperative Human-Agent Service System (CHASS) by leveraging the decentralized communication and coordination capability of a multi-agent system. The unique feature of CHASS is the collaboration between humans and agents for real-world deployment. From the perspective of Service-Dominant Logic (S-DL), value is co-created by involved actors through service exchange; that is, one actor’s service exchanges for other one’s service. With S-DL, technology is treated as an essential actant for resource integration, and the customer is a value co-creator. In this study, we propose a two-phase top trading cycle (TTC) negotiation mechanism to facilitate food resource allocation and service exchange. An agent-based model is developed to simulate the real-world environment and is integrated with CHASS to form a multi-agent simulation for system evaluation. In addition, to generalize the research outcomes, we use regression analysis to clarify the interaction mechanism between the algorithms applied by the platform and human decisions under the moderation of environmental factors. The results show the effectiveness of TTC-Negotiation mechanism to support resource allocation between customers and providers on CHASS. It shows the applicability of CHASS to the cooperative AFNs model.
Informal Sector Employment and Economic Growth: Evidence from Developing Countries in SDG Perspective
Authors: Sultana Nahid , Rahman Mohammad Mafizur , Khanam Rasheda
Published: September 2022

The understanding of the role of informal employment in economic growth is important to facilitate developing countries in safeguarding the decent work, productive employment, and inclusive growth agenda mentioned in Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8. The present study attempts to this end by investigating the role of informal employment on economic growth with an aim to assist in fulfilling target 8.3 of SDG. This study utilizes the data available for 20 developing countries for the period 2011–2019. Panel data analysis techniques have been applied, considering the percentage of total employment in the informal sector as the main explanatory variable of the models. The relevant macroeconomic indicators are included in the model as control variables. Empirical findings from Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS), and Dynamic Fixed Effect (DFE) models indicate a positive effect of informal employment on the economic growth of developing countries. The other macroeconomic indicators, per capita income, national expenditure, money supply, and economic freedom, are also found to contribute to the economic growth of the selected countries. This study reveals an important bidirectional causal association between informal employment and economic growth, a unidirectional causal link from per capita income to informal employment and from informal employment to national expenditure. Taking into account the contribution of the informal sector to the economy, this study fosters the need for achieving the targets mentioned in SDG 8 by adopting appropriate policies rather than punishing this sector immediately.
Determining the Extent of Economical Sustainability of a Case Study Milk Farm in Bosnia and Herzegovina Based on the Real Options Model
Authors: Jalić Nemanja , Rozman Črtomir , Vaško Željko , Pažek Karmen
Published: September 2022

The aim of this research was to determine a sustainable economic model of a milk farm in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the possibility of reorientation of raw milk production into cheese on-farm processing. All investment costs, annual production costs, production quantities, prices and annual income were collected through an unstructured questionnaire. The case study farm, originally engaged in milk production, reoriented itself to processing milk into several products. A cost–benefit analysis was applied for the 14-year project lifetime, as well as the Black–Scholes and binomial models of real options evaluation for shifting to cheese production in the fourth year of the project. The milk production farm is economically inefficient, and the investment project is unacceptable, resulting in negative net present value under assumed typical production parameters, and the payback period is longer than the project lifetime. The cheese production option value is positive according to the Black–Scholes and binominal models. Both real options models confirmed that processing milk into cheese is sustainable long-term and economically.
Towards Incompressible Laminar Flow Estimation Based on Interpolated Feature Generation and Deep Learning
Authors: Le Thi-Thu-Huong , Kang Hyoeun , Kim Howon
Published: September 2022

For industrial design and the improvement of fluid flow simulations, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers offer practical functions and conveniences. However, because iterative simulations demand lengthy computation times and a considerable amount of memory for sophisticated calculations, CFD solvers are not economically viable. Such limitations are overcome by CFD data-driven learning models based on neural networks, which lower the trade-off between accurate simulation performance and model complexity. Deep neural networks (DNNs) or convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are good illustrations of deep learning-based CFD models for fluid flow modeling. However, improving the accuracy of fluid flow reconstruction or estimation in these earlier methods is crucial. Based on interpolated feature data generation and a deep U-Net learning model, this work suggests a rapid laminar flow prediction model for inference of Naiver–Stokes solutions. The simulated dataset consists of 2D obstacles in various positions and orientations, including cylinders, triangles, rectangles, and pentagons. The accuracy of estimating velocities and pressure fields with minimal relative errors can be improved using this cutting-edge technique in training and testing procedures. Tasks involving CFD design and optimization should benefit from the experimental findings.
Spatial Prediction of Total Nitrogen in Soil Surface Layer Based on Machine Learning
Authors: Liu Zunfang , Lei Haochuan , Lei Lei , Sheng Haiyan
Published: September 2022

In order to satisfy the basic requirements of sustainable agricultural development, it is important to understand the spatial distribution characteristics of soil total nitrogen (TN) content to better guide accurate fertilization to increase grain yield. To this end, this paper constructs three inversion models of partial least squares regression (PLSR), back propagation neural network (BPNN) and support vector machines (SVM) with remote sensing data to predict the TN content in Datong County, Xining City, Qinghai Province, China. The results showed that the average TN content was 1.864 g/kg, and the coefficient of variation (CV) was 30.596%. The prediction accuracy of the SVM model (R2 = 0.676, RMSE = 0.296) among the three inversion models was higher than that of the BPNN model (R2 = 0.560, RMSE = 0.305) and the PLSR model (R2 = 0.374, RMSE = 0.334). The model with the highest accuracy predicted the spatial distribution of TN, and TN content showed a spatial distribution trend which was high in the northwest and low in the southeast, and gradually decreased from north to south. This study provides reference basis and support for soil fertility evaluations and sustainable agricultural development.
Research on the Symbiosis Model of the Core Interest Subjects of Chinese Ancient Village Tourism Sites in the Context of Rural Revitalization
Authors: Tang Bin , Zeng Zhenjian , Xi Zhenhua
Published: September 2022

The rural governance pattern suffers from the loss of field resources, stagnation of factor flow and disintegration of public authority. Based on this, this paper takes symbiosis theory as the perspective of analysis and explores the optimization of the rural revitalization path and the construction of a symbiosis model under the logic of “common construction, common governance and sharing”. Taking Zhoutian village in China, which has significant endogenous resource advantages but is difficult to develop, this paper uses quantitative analysis and qualitative interviews to analyze the logic of ancient villages that are difficult to form sustainable development paths in and explore the conditions for the formation of symbiotic relationships. The results show the following: (1) The current symbiosis model of ancient villages is an asymmetric reciprocal symbiosis model, resulting in short-term behavior for each symbiotic unit, which is not conducive to the sustainable development of ancient villages. (2) The core stakeholders are closely related to each other and have partly common goals. (3) The symbiotic relationship of ancient villages should evolve toward a symmetrical and reciprocal integrated symbiosis model, which should coordinate the relationship between the various interests and build a symbiotic path. To this end, this paper tries to build a symbiotic development model of “co-construction, co-rule and sharing” and refine the development mechanism based on the case of resource co-construction, joint governance and benefit sharing, hoping to provide reference for the rural revitalization and sustainable development of other villages.
Qualitative Analyses of e-Learning Implementation and Hybrid Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic at Spanish Universities
Authors: Bustamante Juan Carlos , Segura-Berges Manuel , Lizalde-Gil Manuel , Peñarrubia-Lozano Carlos
Published: September 2022

During the COVID-19 pandemic over the academic year 2020–2021, many universities and faculties had to deal with hybrid teaching by combining face-to-face and virtual teaching approaches. The main objective herein considered was to analyze the perceptions of students and teachers from Spanish universities regarding how e-learning has actually been adopted before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdown. We also wished to know their opinions about the usefulness and applicability of the e-learning and hybrid teaching methodologies regarding their impacts on the teaching–learning process in the university context. A thematic analysis was performed using three discussion groups (two made up of four teachers each, and another comprising five teachers with university management posts). Seventy-nine open questionnaires completed by students were also analyzed. The participants were from eight different Spanish universities: six public and two private. The obtained results revealed a preference for face-to-face teaching over virtual teaching, and the advantages offered by closer interpersonal relationships were stressed. However, the participants also indicated the potential of the e-learning and hybrid teaching methodologies, which they believed complemented one another and reinforced learning personalization. Thus, a specific need for training in the e-learning methodology and hybrid teaching format was apparent.
Financial Risk Assessment of Photovoltaic Industry Listed Companies Based on Text Mining
Authors: Chi Yuanying , Yan Mingjian , Pang Yuexia , Lei Hongbo
Published: September 2022

At present, the research on photovoltaic companies’ financial risk early warning model mainly focuses on financial indicators and non-financial indicators from corporate governance structure and external audit opinions. There are few literature studies on the companies’ internal information from their annual report. To solve the above problem, firstly, this paper aims to establish a comprehensive assessment indicators system including financial and non-financial indicators considering the companies’ internal information. Secondly, this paper uses text mining and a binary logistic regression model to evaluate the financial risk for 37 listed companies in the photovoltaic industry. The results showed that profitability was the most significant factor. Probability, as well as negative sentiment ratios, are both negatively correlated with the occurrence of financial risk, while development capability is positively associated with financial risk. These findings can be used as an effective supplement for financial risk evaluation in the photovoltaic industry and provide reference strategies for developing listed companies in the photovoltaic industry.
Interaction of Microplastic Presence and Oxidative Stress in Freshwater Fish: A Regional Scale Research, East Anatolia of Türkiye (Erzurum & Erzincan & Bingöl)
Authors: Atamanalp Muhammed , Kokturk Mine , Kırıcı Mahinur , Ucar Arzu , Kırıcı Muammer , Parlak Veysel , Aydın Ahmet , Alak Gonca
Published: September 2022

The presence of microplastic (MP) in different fish species taken from stations in Erzurum, Erzincan and Bingöl was examined. The obtained data were classified and shared with the scientific world as the first record made in this region. In the obtained results, the most dominant color was black (39–58%) and the most prevalent forms were fragment and fiber. The sizes (0–50, 50–100 µm) of microplastics differed according to the region and species. When the number of MPs in the gastrointestinal systems of different fish species in the Bingöl, Erzurum and Erzincan provinces was evaluated, the most microplastics were found in Squalius squalus (20.7%) and Blicca bjoerkna (18.2%) in Bingöl province from among six different species. In Erzincan province, four fish species were sampled, and the rates were (29.7%) in Capoeta umbla and (26.6%) in Blicca bjoerkna. The highest abundance in Erzurum province was determined in Cyprinus carpio (53.0%). In the analyses performed on liver tissues, the highest ROS, which is the indicator of oxidative damage, was listed as Bingöl > Erzincan > Erzurum, while MDA levels were recorded as Bingöl > Erzurum > Erzincan, from high to low. When the differences between species were examined, the highest SOD and CAT activity was determined in the Mugil cephalus species. Considering the total MP numbers in fish samples, 47 MP was determined in this species. On the other hand, in the Squalius squalus species, where the highest total MP was determined, SOD and CAT activities were found to be low in Bingöl province. Therewithal, the high levels of ROS and MDA in this species can be said to induce oxidative stress due to the presence of microplastics on the one hand and to reduce antioxidant levels on the other hand. When the findings were evaluated, it was concluded that MPs in freshwater are a potential stressor, and freshwater environments may represent a critical target habitat for future MP removal and remediation strategies.
The Impact of Workload on Workers’ Traumatic Stress and Mental Health Mediated by Career Adaptability during COVID-19
Authors: Hassanie Souad , Olugbade Olusegun A. , Karadas Georgiana , Altun Özlem
Published: September 2022

Building on career construction theory and the conservation of resources theory, this study investigated the impact of workload on healthcare workers’ mental health and secondary traumatic stress mediated by career adaptability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected from 549 healthcare workers working in Lebanese private hospitals in a two-wave survey were utilized to evaluate the proposed conceptual model, using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Contrary to our propositions, the workload had a significant positive effect on career adaptability and mental health and a negative effect on secondary traumatic stress. Similarly, career adaptability had a significant positive impact on mental health whereas it had a negative significant impact on secondary traumatic stress. Moreover, the results indicated that career adaptability links workload to secondary traumatic stress; however, the sign of the mediating effect is contrary to the hypotheses of this study. Our unexpected results indicate that workload might be considered a challenging demand that enhances healthcare workers’ career adaptability and mental health and reduces secondary traumatic stress. Healthcare management and human resource managers should develop employees’ abilities to face subsequent large-scale pandemics and should create a positive working atmosphere by providing support and training to healthcare workers.
Characterizing the Morphological Descriptors of Thirty Seed Sources of Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) Concerning Sustainable Forestry
Authors: M. V. Jawahar Vishnu , K. T. Parthiban , S. Umesh Kanna , S. Radhakrishnan , Kumar Uttam , Farooq Taimoor Hassan
Published: September 2022

Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) plantations have increased recently in India; however, morphological descriptors for teak are still lacking. Thus, the goal of this work was to develop descriptors based on morphological characteristics. Among 30 seed sources collected from different states of India, 24 morphological descriptors, including leaf length, leaf width, presence of petiole, petiole length, leaf shape, shape of leaf apex, shape of leaf base, leaf texture, phyllotaxy, leaf attitude, leaf margin, leaf margin undulation, leaf brightness, leaf venation, leaf main vein, leaf veins, leaf vein color, leaf color, leaf pubescence, young leaf color, number of internodes, internodal length, trunk spots, and trunk color, were developed based on leaf and stem characteristics. These seed sources exhibited a difference in all traits except leaf shape, shape of leaf apex, leaf phyllotaxy, leaf margin, leaf venation, leaf main vein, and presence of trunk spots. The Jaccard similarity index was used to calculate the genetic similarity between the sources, and the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) method was used to perform a cluster analysis (four groups at a similarity of 0.5 were obtained). According to the observations made, most of the sources exhibited high similarity, which indicates that only a few characteristics can be used to distinguish the sources.
Design of a Reverse Logistics System with Internet of Things for Service Parts Management
Authors: Mo Daniel Y. , Ma Chris Y. T. , Ho Danny C. K. , Wang Yue
Published: September 2022

Despite that reverse logistics of service parts enables the reuse of failed components to achieve greater environmental and economic benefits, the research and successful business cases are inadequate. This study designs a novel reverse logistics system that applies the Internet of Things (IoT) and business intelligence to streamline the reverse logistics process by identifying the appropriate components for sustainable operations of component reuse. Furthermore, an inventory classification scheme and an analytical model are developed to identify the failed components for refurbishment by considering return quantity of the failed component, repair rate of the failed component in the repairing center, reusable rate of refurbished parts, corresponding costs, and the benefit of refurbished parts. Moreover, a mobile application powered by the IoT technology is developed to streamline the process flow and avoid collection of fake components. Lastly, a case study of an electronic product company is conducted, and it is concluded that the proposed approach enabled the company to facilitate the reuse of components and achieve the benefit of cost saving. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of a reverse logistics system for companies to sustain after-market service operations.
Open Data as a Condition for Smart Application Development: Assessing Access to Hospitals in Croatian Cities
Authors: Seljan Sanja , Viličić Marina , Nevistić Zvonimir , Dedić Luka , Grubišić Marina , Cibilić Iva , Kević Karlo , van Loenen Bastiaan , Welle Donker Frederika , Alexopoulos Charalampos
Published: September 2022

This research aims to assess available spatial open data related to access to hospitals in the three largest Croatian cities (Zagreb, Split, Rijeka), with a future aim to create digital services as an ecosystem that will be used in everyday situations, as part of the concept of “digital society”. Data analysis is performed for the following datasets: hospitals, hospital specialization, public transport (tram, bus), bike routes, car routes, parking and parking for people with disabilities. The future aim is to create a new mobile, multilingual and voice-based application that would enable quick access to information on hospital access, relying on the principles of the open data ecosystem, which would improve over time. There are four specific aims: (1) to identify and analyze portals and open datasets of the selected categories for the three largest Croatian cities; (2) to analyze existing open data assessment frameworks and detect gaps; (3) to create a conceptual open data assessment framework as an open data ecosystem that integrates new end-user perspectives; and (4) to analyze existing open datasets for the three largest cities in Croatia, based on supply and demand by researcher/developer categories, using the newly developed framework. The results show that existing open datasets related to hospital access in the three largest Croatian cities are scattered across different portals. Analyzed frameworks existing on the supply side of open data are more focused on the status of the components, lacking evaluation scales and not including end-user-driven aspects, which would be crucial for the open data ecosystem. As a result, the new “Hospital Access Framework” is created as a conceptual ecosystem, including five categories: supply, demand by researcher/developer, demand by end-user, legal aspect and impact. Analysis of existing open data for the three Croatian cities is performed for two categories (supply and demand by researcher/developer), for which KPIs, indicators and evaluation scales are developed. The other three categories are not analyzed, since the application cannot be developed from existing data, which are insufficient for the creation of a smart application. Results show that existing open data related to hospital access are incomplete or do not exist at all (hospital specialization, parking for people with disabilities, data on multilingualism and voice enabling). Average scores of the supply category are higher than those for demand by researcher/developer, although they are below the average grade, showing a lack of available data that could be used for further development. The new conceptual “Hospital Access Framework” open data ecosystem would benefit from end-user interaction, therefore, improving over time with end-users through interaction.
Modified Nano-Fe2O3-Paraffin Wax for Efficient Photovoltaic/Thermal System in Severe Weather Conditions
Authors: Chaichan Miqdam T. , Mahdi Maytham T. , Kazem Hussein A. , Al-Waeli Ali H. A. , Fayad Mohammed A. , Al-Amiery Ahmed A. , Isahak Wan Nor Roslam Wan , Kadhum Abdul Amir H. , Takriff Mohd S.
Published: September 2022

The development of modern photovoltaic thermal systems (PV/T) is one of the most important steps in the application of using solar energy to produce both electricity and heat. Studies have shown that a system consisting of a heat-collecting tank the is most efficient system, in which the phase change materials (PCMs) are mixed with nanoparticles inside the system that are cooled by a cooling fluid (preferably a nanofluid). The PCMs have a high capacity to store energy in the form of latent heat. Nanoparticles are added to PCMs to treat and improve the low thermal conductivity of these materials. In this experimental study, nano-iron oxide III (Fe2O3) was added to paraffin wax in multiple mass fractions to evaluate the thermophysical changes that can be occur on the wax properties. Four samples of paraffin–nano-Fe2O3 were prepared with mass fractions of 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 3%, and their thermophysical properties were compared with pure paraffin (without nano additives). The results from this study showed that adding nano-Fe2O3 at any mass fraction increases the viscosity and density of the product. Thermal conductivity is improved by adding nano-Fe2O3 to paraffin wax by 10.04%, 57.14%, 76.19%, and 78.57% when adding mass fractions of 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 3%, respectively. Stability tests showed that the prepared samples have excellent thermal stability (especially for 0.5% and 1% added nano-Fe2O3) to acceptable level of stability when adding 3% of nano-Fe2O3. The nano-Fe2O3 paraffin PV/T system was tested outdoors to ensure its ability to operate in the harshest weather conditions of Baghdad city. The current experimental results indicated clear evidence of the success of the examined nano-PCM.
A Multi-Modal Warning–Monitoring System Acceptance Study: What Findings Are Transferable?
Authors: Al Haddad Christelle , Abouelela Mohamed , Hancox Graham , Pilkington-Cheney Fran , Brijs Tom , Antoniou Constantinos
Published: September 2022

Advanced driving-assistance systems (ADAS) have been recently used to assist drivers in safety-critical situations, preventing them from reaching boundaries of unsafe driving. While previous studies have focused on ADAS use and acceptance for passenger cars, fewer have assessed the topic for professional modes, including trucks and trams. Moreover, there is still a gap in transferring knowledge across modes, mostly with regards to road safety, driver acceptance, and ADAS acceptance. This research therefore aims to fill this gap by investigating the user acceptance of a novel warning–monitoring system, based on experiments conducted in a driving simulator in three modes. The experiments, conducted in a car, truck, and tram simulator, focused on different risk factors, namely forward collision, over-speeding, vulnerable road user interactions, and special conditions including distraction and fatigue. The conducted experiments resulted in a multi-modal dataset of over 122 drivers. The analysis of drivers’ perceptions obtained through the different questionnaires revealed that drivers’ acceptance is impacted by the system‘s perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, for all investigated modes. A multi-modal technology acceptance model also revealed that some findings can be transferable between the different modes, but also that some others are more mode-specific.