bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
False Positive Results of Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) Quantitation in Dried Blood Spots (DBS): The Influence of Alcohol Vapors
Authors: Bashilov Anton , Osipenko Sergey , Ikonnikova Karolina , Kovaleva Oxana , Izotov Boris , Nikolaev Evgeny , Kostyukevich Yury
Published: September 2022

The role of phosphatidylethanol (PEth) as an alcohol consumption marker is increasing in clinical and forensic medicine. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of hygiene increased, and it became common practice to use disinfectants almost everywhere. This paper highlights a possible source of false positive results (by the vapors of alcohols during the blood spot drying process) in dried blood spots (DBS) by LC-MS/MS quantitation of PEth. To achieve this, the PEth quantitation method was validated according to FDA guidelines. Additionally, the synthesis of phosphatidyl derivatives by phospholipase D (PLD) in the presence of methanol and 2-propanol vapors during the DBS process was determined. Each PEth-negative sample from a healthy male patient incubated in the presence of ethanol vapor becomes PEth-positive. After 4 h of DBS drying, teetotalers become “moderate drinkers”. It is necessary to avoid using alcohol-containing disinfectants in treatment rooms, where DBS is sampled.
Determination of the Loading Capacity and Recovery of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Human Embryonic Kidney Cells and Urine Matrices on Capillary-Channeled Polymer (C-CP) Fiber Columns
Authors: Billotto Lacey S. , Jackson Kaylan K. , Marcus R. Kenneth
Published: September 2022

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are 50–1000 nm membranous vesicles secreted from all cells that play important roles in many biological processes. Exosomes, a smaller-sized subset of EVs, have become of increasing interest in fundamental biochemistry and clinical fields due to their rich biological cargos and their roles in processes such as cell-signaling, maintaining homeostasis, and regulating cellular functions. To be implemented effectively in fundamental biochemistry and clinical diagnostics fields of study, and for their proposed use as vectors in gene therapies, there is a need for new methods for the isolation of large concentrations of high-purity exosomes from complex matrices in a timely manner. To address current limitations regarding recovery and purity, described here is a frontal throughput and recovery analysis of exosomes derived from human embryonic kidney (HEK) cell cultures and human urine specimens using capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fiber stationary phases via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Using the C-CP fiber HPLC method for EV isolations, the challenge of recovering purified EVs from small sample volumes imparted by the traditional techniques was overcome while introducing significant benefits in processing, affordability (~5 $ per column), loading (~1012 particles), and recovery (1011–1012 particles) from whole specimens without further processing requirements.
Investigating Configurations of Internal Corporate Social Responsibility for Work–Family Spillover: An Asymmetrical Approach in the Airline Industry
Authors: Chen Wen-Kuo , Huang Tsun-Yu , Tang Au Due , Ilkhanizadeh Shiva
Published: September 2022

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and work–family interface have attracted considerable scientific interest; however, their relationship has not been considered yet. Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study fills this gap by examining the relationship between internal CSR and work to family spillover. While most previous CSR studies widely examined the net effect of a single CSR dimension, this study discovers configurations of five different internal CSR dimensions (internal dissemination, compensation, occupational health and safety, training, and legal employment) in explaining positive and negative work to family spillover. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this study examines a primary database of 136 flight attendants working for Asian airline companies; results reveal that the combination of internal dissemination and compensation creates the most driving power in leading to positive spillover. The absence of internal dissemination, occupational health and safety, and legal employment leads to high negative spillover regardless of the presence of compensation. This study broadens the literature by linking internal CSR to employees’ perceptions of work–family spillover. FsQCA findings also make a methodological contribution to prior CSR research by indicating three configurations that explain positive and negative work–family spillover. Findings provide airline companies with practical guidelines that are useful to enhance positive spillover and reduce negative spillover from work to family domains among their flight attendants.
Dual Vocational Education and Training Systems’ Governance Model and Policy Transfer: The Role of the European Union in Its Diffusion
Authors: Martínez-Izquierdo Luis , Torres Sánchez Mónica
Published: September 2022

Some southern member states have undertaken the reform of their vocational education and training (VET) systems so as to promote dual apprenticeship, such as that which is promoted in Germany. During this process, the European Union (EU) has exercised an extensive influence. This paper advances the analysis of the role exercised by the EU in this stage of cross-national attraction by analysing the model of VET governance promoted by European institutions. The methodology consists of a reflexive thematic analysis of the EU VET texts. A total of 35 texts from the EU institutions was analysed by using NVivo. This produced three themes under the overarching theme of fostering a more pluralistic governance system: promoting cooperation among stakeholders in the design, management and financing of the system, enhancing social dialogue and strengthening responsiveness to change in the world of work. This analysis concludes that the EU, as an agent of the policy transfer process, encourages the implementation of a cooperative governance model of VET systems, such as that present in the dual VET systems of certain member states with collective skill formation governance regimens such as Germany, Austria and Denmark.
Fertility Decision-Making in the UK: Insights from a Qualitative Study among British Men and Women
Authors: Brough Mikaela , Sheppard Paula
Published: September 2022

Scholars are interested in better understanding the low fertility observed in higher income countries. While some people are choosing to have smaller families, countries also report a ‘fertility gap’, which is the proportion of people who end up with fewer children than originally desired. This paper investigates some causes of the fertility gap in the UK. We amassed qualitative data from seven focus groups conducted among men and women of reproductive age with different educational backgrounds. These focus groups suggest that social support is an influential factor for Britons thinking about having children, although discussions differed in terms of whether this was support from partners or parents. Discussions with university-educated women featured themes of career opportunity costs, and non-university men contributed insights on the financial burden of parenthood. This exploratory study provides up-to-date material on unwanted childlessness and the low fertility in the UK, and highlights the merit of using qualitative methods in understanding the fertility gap.
Comparative Study of the Information about the COVID-19 Pandemic and COVID-19 Vaccines on the Covers of United Kingdom, France, Spain and United States’ Main Newspapers
Authors: Tejedor Santiago , Cervi Laura , Tusa Fernanda , Gracia Villar Mónica
Published: September 2022

This study compares the information coverage of the vaccine against the information of the COVID-19 pandemic in eight newspapers (two per country) from the United Kingdom, France, Spain and the United States. The newspapers analyzed are The Times and The Guardian (United Kingdom), Le Monde and Le Figaro (France), El País and El Mundo (Spain), and The New York Times and The Washington Post (United States). On a methodological level, the work uses a descriptive approach of hemerographic analysis. As a result, it is observed—in the case of coverage of the pandemic—that the presence of affected persons and health personnel in the front-page information was negligible, with a predominance of news journalistic genres (brief and newsworthy, especially), evidencing a leading role of political figures and the high degree of politicization of the crisis. In addition, the visual frames in the analyzed newspapers tended to promote humanization through emotional representation. On the other hand, the results of the news coverage of the vaccine showed a predominance of news journalistic genres, wherein supranational entities and pharmaceutical companies starred in the front pages to a greater extent. The study denotes the importance of media literacy among citizens, especially in the face of this type of informational events of global significance.
Analysis of the Association between Internal and External Training Load Indicators in Elite Soccer; Multiple Regression Study
Authors: Versic Sime , Modric Toni , Katanic Borko , Jelicic Mario , Sekulic Damir
Published: September 2022

The aim of this study was to identify the external training load (ETL) variables that are most influential on the session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) during elite soccer training. The participants (n = 29) were adult male soccer players from a single team that competed in Croatia’s highest national soccer competition in the 2021/2022 season. Data were collected using the 10 Hz Global Positioning System from 66 training sessions, and a total of 1061 training observations were undertaken. The univariate and multivariate relationships among the predictors (ETL variables) and the criterion (sRPE) were assessed using forward stepwise multiple regressions and Pearson’s correlations, respectively. ETL variables explained 63% of the variance in the sRPE (Multiple R = 0.79; p < 0.01), and the model was successfully cross-validated. The significant partial regressors were total distance (β = 0.66), metres per minute (β = −0.47), high-intensity accelerations (β = 0.22) and decelerations (β = 0.18), and sprint distance (β = 0.14). All ETL variables were significantly correlated with the sRPE (all p < 0.01), with the highest correlations found for total distance covered (r = 0.70) and high-intensity accelerations and decelerations (r = 0.62 and 0.65, respectively). Such results show that (i) the total distance and acceleration rates during the training sessions are the most important predictors of the sRPE, and (ii) a combination of different ETL variables predicts the sRPE better than any individual parameter alone. This study shows that both the volume and intensity of training are related to players’ internal responses. The findings ultimately provide further evidence to support the use of sRPE as a global measure of training load in soccer players.
Modeling Realized Variance with Realized Quarticity
Authors: Kawakatsu Hiroyuki
Published: September 2022

This paper proposes a model for realized variance that exploits information in realized quarticity. The realized variance and quarticity measures are both highly persistent and highly correlated with each other. The proposed model incorporates information from the observed realized quarticity process via autoregressive conditional variance dynamics. It exploits conditional dependence in higher order (fourth) moments in analogy to the class of GARCH models exploit conditional dependence in second moments.
Enhancing the Durability Properties of Sustainable Geopolymer Concrete Using Recycled Coarse Aggregate and Ultrafine Slag at Ambient Curing
Authors: Arora Saloni , Jangra Parveen , Pham Thong M. , Lim Yee Yan
Published: September 2022

This study aimed at investigating the durability characteristics of the ambient-cured geopolymer concrete (GPC) developed using recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) and ultrafine slag (UFS). Two series of mixes were prepared. Natural aggregates (NAs) were replaced by RCA at different volume levels of 0, 25, 50 and 100% in both series. Meanwhile, UFS was added as a replacement by volume of fly ash at varying levels of 0, 15, and 30% in the first series, while UFS was used in addition to fly ash by percentage weight of fly ash at the levels of 0, 15, and 30% in the second series. The compressive strength, water absorption, chloride ion penetration, and carbonation depth of the developed ambient-cured GPC were studied. In addition, creep and drying shrinkage of the specimens were also examined. It was found that the compressive strength increased with the UFS content, while the opposite trend was observed with increasing RCA%. The highest compressive strength obtained with 100% RCA was 40.21 MPa (at 90 days), when 30% UFS was used in addition to fly ash. The addition of UFS not only helped in improving the strength characteristics but also provided an alternative to heat curing, which is a major drawback of GPC. Furthermore, the negative effects of RCA can also be minimised by adding UFS, which can be used as a compensator to RCA to improve the durability characteristics. The experimental results prove that susceptibility to chemical, water and chloride attacks can be mitigated by incorporation of UFS, and durable GPC can be produced by using RCA and UFS.
Social Reporting by Islamic Banks: The Role of Sharia Supervisory Board and the Effect on Firm Performance
Authors: Wijayanti Rita , Setiawan Doddy
Published: September 2022

This study aims to explore social reporting by Islamic banks (IB) (referred to as Islamic social reporting, ISR, hereafter) through two streams, i.e., its determinants and consequences on firm performance. Using annual report data from 90 samples of the world’s IB from 2016–2020, this study focuses on the sharia governance implementation through the role of the Sharia Supervisory Board (SSB). The SSB was measured by individual characteristics and IG-Score, representing a combination of dichotomous characteristics of the SSB, which have not been encountered in previous studies. Firm performance as a consequence of disclosure was determined by a more comprehensive approach based on accounting and the stock market. The study’s findings demonstrate the SSB’s beneficial influence on ISR, suggesting that the presence of an SSB can promote ISR practices. Social reporting has been found to have a negative impact on ROA, but it has a positive impact on MTBV and Tobin’s Q. The data suggest that while voluntary reporting practices may cause a short-term decline in profitability, they can have a positive impact on an enterprise’s long-term value.
The Influence Mechanism of Corporate Environmental Responsibility on Corporate Performance: The Mediation Effect of Green Innovation
Authors: Liu Rong , Zhao Min , Ren Jianyu
Published: September 2022

Facing the current increasingly severe environmental problems, the government and the public make increasingly strong demands for environmental protection. It is the key to sustainable development to study how to motivate enterprises to actively fulfill their environmental responsibilities and practice green production mode. This study selects large steel enterprises of the China Iron and Steel Association from 2009 to 2017 as samples to empirically analyze the effect and mechanism of environmental responsibility on corporate performance. The results show that corporate environmental responsibility (CER) has a significant promoting effect on corporate performance, and green innovation has a significant mediating effect between them. Furthermore, from the perspective of regional and ownership heterogeneity, the differences in the mediating effect of green innovation on the relationship between corporate environmental responsibility and corporate performance are explored. Finally, based on the research results, this paper suggests that enterprise managers should balance the relationship between enterprise performance and environmental protection, so as to achieve a “win–win” situation.
Do We Really Have to Scale Up Local Approaches? A Reflection on Scalability, Based upon a Territorial Prospective at the Burkina Faso–Togo Border
Authors: Ancey Véronique , Sourisseau Jean-Michel , Corniaux Christian
Published: September 2022

Scaling up has become an objective and an indicator of success across many fields. We challenge this norm in the field of agricultural development, where it has recently become widespread, offering a critique and alternative approaches by presenting work conducted on the border between Burkina Faso and Togo. Our territorial and prospective approach to cross-border transhumance draws on 30 years of statistical data, 61 interviews, a survey of 568 people and a demographic projection. A collective ambition grew out of the three workshops. Local cross-border debates and the subsequent dialogue between actors across territorial scales demonstrate that contextualized results can be valid without being “scaled up”. A real change in scale means going beyond individual perceptions by identifying and debating the connections between actors and with resources. Resource sustainability is considered through a collective process-based approach rather than through norms. To support practical work on sustainability, rather than fantasizing about perfectly generalizable objects of study or, on the contrary, getting wrapped up in a “small is beautiful” ideal, collective reflection should be encouraged on prospects for local actions. Where tensions run high—as in the territory that we study—these are all emerging resources in the negotiations of public action.
Engagement and Social Impact in Tech-Based Citizen Science Initiatives for Achieving the SDGs: A Systematic Literature Review with a Perspective on Complex Thinking
Authors: Sanabria-Z Jorge , Alfaro-Ponce Berenice , González Peña Omar Israel , Terashima-Marín Hugo , Ortiz-Bayliss José Carlos
Published: September 2022

Recent years have witnessed significant achievements and technological advances in citizen science (CS) projects; nevertheless, significant global challenges are present. Proof of this is in the joint efforts of international organizations to achieve the 2030 SDG agenda in a complex environment. Thus, UNESCO has recognized CS as being among the initiatives that could bridge the Science, Technology, and Innovation gap as a substantial resource, given its power to bring the general public closer together. Although tech-based CS projects keep rising, there is limited knowledge about which type of projects might allow participants to develop higher-order complex thinking skills. To that end, this study describes a systematic literature review (SLR) and analysis of 49 CS projects over the last 5 years concerning the technology utilized, the level of citizen involvement, and the intended social impact. The results of the analysis evidenced: (a) broad implementation in Europe on issues of the built environment, disaster risk, and environmental and animal monitoring; (b) prevalence of helix configurations other than the triple, quadruple, and quintuple helix innovation models; (c) a focus on technological developments to improve living conditions in cities; (d) an opportunity to develop applied native technologies; (e) limited development of participants’ complex thinking, when constrained to low levels of involvement; and (f) an opportunity to develop native technologies and promote a higher level of citizen participation, leading to more significant impact whilst developing complex thinking.
Impact of the Global Megatrends, COVID-19, and Digital Economy on Professional Career Management Transformation in Asian Countries
Authors: Wang Yijiang , Jiang Shuxian , Wu Chuanqi , Cai Xinyu , Wang Fulin
Published: September 2022

This research systematically analyzes the effects that global megatrends, digitalizing economy, and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic are having on the transformation of professional career management and changing professional skills for achieving career purposes and tasks, providing a competent approach to the labor market. It also suggests a sustainable career management process for people to prepare career goals, objectives, and ambitions in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Following this aim, the secondary analysis of the literature reviewed aided in offering important information to satisfy the original research targets and aims. Thus, the study maintained an exploratory and deductive research design to analyze the qualitative data gathered on the phenomenon of professional career management under the digital transformation in Asian countries. The analysis reveals that some megatrends have transformed how professional career development occurs. This paper is novel because it provides a critical assessment of the global megatrends and the impact of the digital economy related to professional career management transformation, with specific emphasis on Asian countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the paper redounds the extant literature, making a significant contribution to the current debate in the literature. Additionally, it is expected to contribute to the sustainable development of the labor market in Asian countries based on system research and converging the concepts of transformation processes in professional career management affected by megatrends with theoretical and methodological support.
Experimental Validation of a High Precision GNSS System for Monitoring of Civil Infrastructures
Authors: Cinque Daniele , Saccone Mauro , Capua Roberto , Spina Daniele , Falcolini Corrado , Gabriele Stefano
Published: September 2022

In recent years, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technologies, which take full advantage of both real-time kinematic (RTK) and precise point positioning (PPP), managed to reach centimeter-level positioning accuracy with ambiguity resolution (AR) quick convergence techniques. One great advantage over traditional structural health monitoring (SHM) systems is that GNSS technologies will be functional in disaster management situations, when terrestrial communication links become unavailable. In this study, a multi-GNSS system, based on GPS and Galileo constellations and exploiting advanced RTK and PPP-AR technologies with update rate of 100 Hz is tested on two benchmark structures as an SHM system. The first case study served as a baseline to outline the methodology: first, a setup phase of the instrumentation, then a signal processing phase and last, the validation of the results. The methodology was then applied to a real-case scenario, in which the GNSS was tested on a road bridge. A comparative analysis with the results acquired by a set of accelerometers showed that the GNSS was able to identify the crossing of heavy vehicles. The work is paving the way for the development of an affordable and efficient multi-GNSS-based tool for the monitoring of civil infrastructures.
Motives for Following Sports Events among Physical Education Students from Bosnia and Hercegovina and Slovenia
Authors: Jereb Blaz , Dolenc Maja , Kajtna Tanja
Published: September 2022

A sports result takes on its meaning only when the public reacts to it after attending a sporting event. In order to determine and compare attitudes toward attending such events, students from two different cultural backgrounds were invited to participate in the study: 156 students from the Faculty of Sport in Ljubljana and 82 students from the Pedagogical faculty, Department of Physical Education and Sports in Bihać. They were asked to complete a questionnaire containing 25 variables on the motives for attending sporting events. The respondents rated the importance of the motives with scores from 1 to 5 (1—not the reason at all; 2—not the reason; 3—occasionally true for me; 4—true for me; 5—absolutely true). The obtained results were ranked and compared between the students of different faculties and between genders. The results showed that Bosnian and Slovenian students differed in 11 out of 25 motives. Statistically significant gender differences were found for only two out of 25 motives. Differences between Bosnian and Slovenian students were also found in the ranking of the importance of the motives as well as in their evaluation. The results show that cultural, national, and mentality differences between the two groups are reflected in the motives for following sporting events.
Prediction of Ground Water Content Using Hyperspectral Information through Laboratory Test
Authors: Lee Kicheol , Park Jeong Jun , Hong Gigwon
Published: September 2022

With the technological advances led by the fourth industrial revolution, automation has been implemented in road earthworks and paving in the road construction sector. For preparation of construction works, achieving an optimal degree of compaction of the subgrade soil is one of the key factors required for automation of construction and digitalization of quality control. The degree of compaction is greatly affected by water content in geotechnical aspects, and measurement of water content is a necessary process in construction sites. However, conventional methods of water content measurement have limitations and drawbacks and have low efficiency considering the recent trend of construction automation and digitalization of quality control. Therefore, in this study, hyperspectral remote sensing was applied for efficient large-scale measurement of water content over a wide area. To this end, first, through laboratory tests, soil water content was normalized with spectral information. A spectrum was derived with a varying water content using standard sand, and reflectance was obtained for specific ranges of wavelength. Finally, we obtained the relationship between the reflectance and the water content by comparing with various fitting models. At this time, the ranges of wavelength to be used in the equation were specified and presented in an exponential model.
A Proposed DISE Approach for Tourist Destination Crisis Management
Authors: Sun Sunny , Zhong Lina , Law Rob , Zhang Xiaoya , Yang Liyu , Li Meiling
Published: September 2022

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a huge impact on the global tourism industry over the past couple of years. Most previous studies investigated tourism crises after the pandemic period. Hence, to minimize the research gap, the present study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on tourism during the pandemic period. By assessing this impact, this paper proposes a D (big data) I (impact module) S (strategy module) E (evaluation module) model to cope with the crisis in order to bring about feasible implications for tourism practitioners and governments. This paper is to provide real-time destination management adjustments. This model is based on a crisis management framework and governance theory through retrieving big data from China Unicom and major travel information delivery sources. The major finding shows that the detailed time points of pandemic information release in the early stage of crisis. In conclusion, through proposing a DISE model, the present study assesses the impact of the major emergency public health crisis, assists destination managers in adjusting tourism-related policy and reflects the priority of recovering tourism after the crisis for effective tourist destination management.
Feasibility Studies on the Utilization of Recycled Slag in Grouting Material for Tunneling Engineering
Authors: Ou Yazhou , Tian Gang , Chen Junjie , Chen Guoguang , Chen Xiaoyu , Li Hai , Liu Binggang , Huang Tianyu , Qiang Mengyun , Satyanaga Alfrendo , Zhai Qian
Published: September 2022

The construction of tunnels involves massive excavation work and generates an enormous amount of waste slag. The improper disposal of the waste slag may cause environmental pollution. The treatment of waste slag is usually costly. In this study, the feasibility of recycling waste slag as a component in the synchronous grouting material was investigated. A series of experimental measurements were conducted to evaluate the performance of grouting material with different proportions of recycled waste slag. The experimental results show that the grouting material with the selected proportion of recycled slag has a similar performance to the original grouting material mix. It was observed that waste slag can be recycled as one component of the grouting material for tunneling engineering.
Monopolistic vs. Competitive Supply Chain Concerning Selection of the Platform Selling Mode in Three Power Structures
Authors: Zhou Lixi , Fan Tijun , Yang Jie , Zhang Lihao
Published: September 2022

This paper studies the selection of selling modes in a monopolistic and a competitive supply chain circumstance, where each supply chain comprises a supplier and an e-platform. The e-platform usually acts as a product reseller or serves as an online marketplace. The former is referred to as a reselling mode where the order fulfillment cost is paid by the supplier, and the latter is named as an agency selling mode where the platform pays for the order fulfillment cost. Motivated by the industrial cases, three power structures are utilized to capture the veridical market pricing. We find that the platform and the supplier’s selling mode strategies conflict in a great majority of cases, except for the region in which both the platform agency fee and the order fulfillment cost are moderate. The players can coordinate by Pareto improvement, and the improved result shows that the optimal selling modes are a reselling mode in the fierce competitive supply chain circumstance and agency selling mode in the monopolistic circumstance or the mild competitive circumstance. Surprisingly, adopting a reselling mode is not only a better choice than adopting an agency selling mode in the fierce competitive supply chain circumstance, but this makes the supply chain obtain more of a payoff than in the monopolistic circumstance. Furthermore, it is worth noting that each player choosing an agency selling mode will result in a “prisoner’s dilemma” in the competitive supply chain circumstance, where both players can obtain more payoffs with a reselling mode. In addition, the willingness of platforms and suppliers to play the role of “reseller” is the strongest under the ps structure and the weakest in the ss structure.
Identification and Characterization of PM2.5 Emission Sources in Shanghai during COVID-19 Pandemic in the Winter of 2020
Authors: Dai Xiaoyan , Wei Chao , Zhou Liguo , Li Ping
Published: September 2022

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic broke out in Wuhan at the end of 2019 and spread around the whole of China in 2020. In order to reduce the spread of COVID-19, transportation and industrial activities in different regions were limited to varying degrees. This study uses bivariate concentration polar plots, integrated with k-means clustering and temporal variation analyses for PM2.5 time series data, to understand the PM2.5 source characteristics in Shanghai during the COVID-19 pandemic in the winter of 2020. Our findings show that 34.33% of the PM2.5 particles arise from external sources while 65.67% are from local sources. The results of source apportionment combined with land use, wind speed, and direction data are further used to locate the most likely directions of different source categories and geographic origins of PM2.5. During the lockdown period in 2020, traffic and industrial activity were still primary local sources of PM2.5 emissions in Shanghai. The growth of motor vehicle ownership, limited public transport, and a large volume of freight transport in Shanghai result in a higher level of PM2.5 concentrations on weekends than in midweeks. On the other hand, the regional-scale transport of air pollutants from the Yangtze River Delta, the Central Plains, the inland area of northern China, and coastal cities in the north and south of Shanghai aggravates PM2.5 pollution in Shanghai under unfavorable meteorological conditions. The methods and results presented here lay a basis for further study on the complicated effects of meteorological and anthropogenic factors on PM2.5 pollution and on the development of detailed and urgent strategies for the improvement of air quality.
A Decomposed Data Analysis Approach to Assessing City Sustainable Development Performance: A Network DEA Model with a Slack-Based Measure
Authors: Sun Bowen , Wang Haibo , Ortiz Jaime , Huang Jun , Zhao Can , Wang Zelang
Published: September 2022

This paper deals with urban sustainable development in China. We propose a network data envelopment analysis (DEA) model with a slack-based measure (SBM) to analyze the eco-efficiency of 284 Chinese cities, enabling us to find a way to open the “black box” in conventional DEA models and introduce social well-being factors into the model, and depict the role of local government in providing public service and improving social well-beings. We set up a framework of urban development by dividing the process of into two steps. The first stage is a production system translating inputs and natural resources into GDP and waste production, which will be inputs to the second stage for distribution and consumption to realize social welfare and environmental protection. The results show eco-efficiency of Chinese cities experienced a significant decrease from 2005 to 2016, which should be mainly attributed to the distribution and consumption processes. Structural differences are described by regions, administrative level and clusters. These results are compared with an existing urban sustainability index system developed by McKinsey and an ANOVA approach is conducted to reveal differences between cities across regions and clusters. This article sheds new light on the understanding of urban sustainable construction and development in China regarding the service performance of local government.
Understanding the Evolution of Regional Tourism Efficiency: Through the Lens of Evolutionary Economic Geography
Authors: Zhao Songsong , Huang Tai , Xi Jianchao
Published: September 2022

To further understand the evolution of regional tourism efficiency, a more systematic and theoretical analysis is required. Taking the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River as a case, this study applied evolutionary economic geography to analyze the evolutionary process of regional tourism efficiency. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the Malmquist index were used to measure the regional tourism efficiency and total factors productivity changes. Moreover, this paper employed the semi-variogram, Kriging interpolation, and Markov chain to explore the spatiotemporal evolution and transition characteristics of regional tourism efficiency. Finally, based on the test results of Geo-detector, the driving mechanism of the spatiotemporal evolution of regional tourism efficiency was constructed. The results show that the overall tourism development was inefficient, and the leading sources of inefficiency were primarily embedded in pure technology inefficiency, while the main contributor to the growth of total factor productivity was the positive technical change. Over time, the spatial spillover effect of regional tourism continued to increase, and the spatial pattern changed from divergence to convergence, resulting in co-evolution. The inertial trajectory of the evolution of regional tourism efficiency reveals a significant path dependence. Factors such as traffic accessibility, tourism resource endowments, tourism specialization, industrial structure, informatization, and openness can reasonably explain the evolution of regional tourism efficiency.
Determinants of the Intention to Adopt Digital-Only Banks in Malaysia: The Extension of Environmental Concern
Authors: Saif Mashaal A. M. , Hussin Nazimah , Husin Maizaitulaidawati Md , Alwadain Ayed , Chakraborty Ayon
Published: September 2022

Digital-only banks have not achieved adoption expectations despite being one of the latest innovations in fintech. Several digital-only banks in the United States and Japan have gone bankrupt, and others continue to operate at a loss. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct this study in Malaysia to understand customers’ behavior, particularly regarding the adoption of digital-only banks. With climate change, environmental-friendly behavior, which has been ignored in digital-only bank literature, is becoming increasingly pertinent. This study addresses the lack of an integrated model that investigates the effect of external factors (i.e., critical mass, number of services, and environmental concerns), customer self-determination factors (i.e., trust), and mental perceptions of technology adoption (i.e., convenience, economic efficiency, functional and security risks, as well as perceived value) on the intention to adopt digital-only banks. Data were collected through an online survey targeting Klang Valley residents in the prime age range of 25–54 years old using stratified random sampling. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling by performing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and SEM path analysis in AMOS.v26 software. The results show that convenience, economic efficiency, number of services, trust, perceived value, and environmental concern all have positive significant relationships with the intention to adopt digital-only banks. Further, environmental concern is the strongest indicator of behavioral intention. In contrast, functional and security risks have a negative but non-significant relationship with the intention to adopt digital-only banks. Finally, critical mass has a positive but non-significant effect on the behavioral intention. This study is among the first to examine the influence of environmental concern on behavioral intentions in a digital-only banking context. It also contributes to an expanding body of research investigating environmental sustainability by presenting empirical results in the context of digital-only banks.
Evaluation of Automatic Irrigation System for Rice Cultivation and Sustainable Agriculture Water Management
Authors: Lee Jaenam
Published: September 2022

The water-resource policy of South Korea has been changing from that of securing water to that of saving water through sustainable water management. Moreover, population aging in rural areas is leading to agricultural water-management problems. In this study, an automatic irrigation system for rice crops was investigated and compared with conventional irrigation, and changes in water productivity and required labor power were quantified. The effect of the proposed system on economic feasibility was verified on farmland by monitoring irrigation water and rice yields for three years. Under the automatic irrigation system, on-site water productivity improved by an average of 12.7% and the labor power required for paddy water management decreased by an average of 21.8% compared to the conventional irrigation system. The internal rate of return was 8.6% higher than the discount rate of 4.5%. The net present value was 406,411 KRW, and the benefit-cost ratio was 1.23. The results can serve as a reference for the on-site introduction of irrigation water-supply automation for sustainable water management and are expected to benefit farmers in saving water and reducing labor demands through sustainable agricultural activities.
Livelihood Resilience Perception: Gender Equalisation of Resettlers from Rural Reservoirs—Empirical Evidence from China
Authors: Shi Guoqing , Zhao Yuanke , Mei Xiaoya , Yan Dengcai , Zhang Hubiao , Xu Yuangang , Dong Yingping
Published: September 2022

Hydropower engineering has brought unprecedented benefits to the world while causing massive displacement of people. Since the implementation of the Post-Relocation Support (PReS) policy for reservoir resettlers in China in 2006, the distribution of perceived livelihood resilience by gender of resettlers has gradually become more equal. Based on data from a survey of rural reservoir resettlers’ livelihoods in nine regions of Guizhou Province, China, this data examines the distribution of resettlers’ perceived livelihood resilience across genders using logit regression and then explores the contribution to gender equality. The empirical results show that, unlike previous studies, household economic conditions do not bring about more gender differences in perceived livelihood resilience among resettlers (gender contribution ratio = 1.12). Gender differences in perceived livelihood resilience among resettlers were influenced by household workforce levels (e.g., gender contribution ratio = 1.23 at high workforce levels), education level (e.g., contribution ratio = 1.87 in primary education), and resettlement methods (e.g., contribution ratio = 4.53 at external resettlement). The implementation of the PReS policy also contributes to the gender equality of these resettlers’ perceived livelihood resilience. For rural resettlers in different regions with different livelihoods, resettlement patterns, capital, and gender differences of resettlers should be understood through different livelihood resilience perspectives. Improving capacity building of resettlers’ livelihoods resilience through site-specific, participatory development and resource interoperability to promote high quality, sustainable and simultaneous development in resettlement areas and reservoirs.
Fiscal Decentralization, Local Government Behavior, and Macroeconomic Effects of Environmental Policy
Authors: Chen Shi , Liu Xun , Lu Chong
Published: September 2022

With the rapid economic growth, environmental problems have become a significant bottleneck restricting the high-quality development of China’s economy. In the fiscal decentralization system, balancing economic growth and environmental governance is an issue that needs to be paid attention to in fiscal policy. This paper studies the impact of fiscal decentralization on the environmental policy in China. We incorporate the central and local government structure into a standard environmental dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (E-DSGE) model. The economy was featured with multiple-level governments where the local governments implement fiscal policies through the trade-off between pursuing economic growth and environmental governance. The results indicate that implementing a carbon emission tax is not conducive to economic growth but helps reduce environmental pollution. Second, deepening fiscal decentralization has heterogeneous effects on central and local fiscal expenditures. Deepening fiscal decentralization strengthens the positive externality of local government expenditures to output, but it also leads to further deterioration of environmental pollution. The positive externality of the central government expenditures will weaken with the increase in fiscal decentralization, but it is conducive to improving the quality of the environment. Third, deepening fiscal decentralization is conducive to improving social welfare and alleviating environmental pollution. If the local government fiscal expenditures are biased toward environmental governance expenditures, this is beneficial to improve social welfare and the quality of the environment.
Introductory Engineering Mathematics Students’ Weighted Score Predictions Utilising a Novel Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline Model
Authors: Ahmed Abul Abrar Masrur , Deo Ravinesh C. , Ghimire Sujan , Downs Nathan J. , Devi Aruna , Barua Prabal D. , Yaseen Zaher M.
Published: September 2022

Introductory Engineering Mathematics (a skill builder for engineers) involves developing problem-solving attributes throughout the teaching period. Therefore, the prediction of students’ final course grades with continuous assessment marks is a useful toolkit for degree program educators. Predictive models are practical tools used to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching as well as assessing the students’ progression and implementing interventions for the best learning outcomes. This study develops a novel multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS) model to predict the weighted score WS (i.e., the course grade). To construct the proposed MARS model, Introductory Engineering Mathematics performance data over five years from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia, were used to design predictive models using input predictors of online quizzes, written assignments, and examination scores. About 60% of randomised predictor grade data were applied to train the model (with 25% of the training set used for validation) and 40% to test the model. Based on the cross-correlation of inputs vs. the WS, 12 distinct combinations with single (i.e., M1–M5) and multiple (M6–M12) features were created to assess the influence of each on the WS with results bench-marked via a decision tree regression (DTR), kernel ridge regression (KRR), and a k-nearest neighbour (KNN) model. The influence of each predictor on WS clearly showed that online quizzes provide the least contribution. However, the MARS model improved dramatically by including written assignments and examination scores. The research demonstrates the merits of the proposed MARS model in uncovering relationships among continuous learning variables, which also provides a distinct advantage to educators in developing early intervention and moderating their teaching by predicting the performance of students ahead of final outcome for a course. The findings and future application have significant practical implications in teaching and learning interventions or planning aimed to improve graduate outcomes in undergraduate engineering program cohorts.
The Disabling City: Older Persons Walking in Central Neighbourhoods of Santiago de Chile
Authors: Herrmann-Lunecke Marie Geraldine , Figueroa-Martínez Cristhian , Parra Huerta Francisca , Mora Rodrigo
Published: September 2022

Walking reports numerous benefits for older persons, yet its practice can be hindered by the built environment. This article seeks to understand how and why certain elements of the built environment facilitate or impede the everyday trips older persons complete on foot. It reports the findings of a set of walking interviews conducted in four central neighbourhoods of Santiago de Chile, where forty older persons were invited to walk and talk about the trips they complete on foot and the aspects that facilitate or hinder them. The findings reveal that older persons are aware of the benefits of walking and travel regularly on foot despite the barriers they find in their neighbourhoods. The presence/absence of greenery, the conditions of the facades and the level of cleanliness of the streets affect older persons’ walking experience and can increase/diminish their willingness to walk. Damaged and poorly designed pedestrian infrastructure can cause fear, provoke accidents and become serious hazards. Older persons develop strategies to overcome these barriers, yet the data suggest that they see Santiago as a “disabling city” because it has obstacles that could be unsurmountable in a near future if an illness or an accident diminishes their abilities.