bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Elemental Impact Factor, a Method to Determine an Alloy’s Compositional Influences upon Phase Stability and Metallurgical Material Properties
Authors: Cote Danielle L. , Sousa Bryer C. , Champagne Victor K. , Sisson Richard D.
Published: December 2020

Design-driven materials engineering is gaining wider acceptance with the advancement and refinement of commercially available thermodynamic software as well as enhanced computing power. Computationally designed materials are a significant improvement over the more common and resource-intensive experimental approach to materials design by way of trial and error. While not entirely eliminating experimental methods for alloy design, thermodynamic and kinetic models provide accurate predictions of phases within a given alloy, which enables material properties to be calculated. Accordingly, the present paper introduces a new technique that offers a systematic method of material design by way of utilizing commercial computational software, which has been termed the elemental impact factor. In turn, the present manuscript considers Al 6061 as a proof-of-concept metallic alloy system for elemental impact factor substantiation. Effects of chemical composition on resultant equilibrium and metastable material phases as well as properties can be efficiently assessed with the elemental impact factor framework for metallurgical materials design. Desired phases or properties may be produced by adding elements with a positive elemental impact factor, while deleterious phases or undesired properties may be reduced by adding elements with a negative elemental impact factor. Therefore, the elemental impact factor methodology was presented and then demonstrated herein with examples that showcase the technique’s potential applications and utility for integrated structure-processing-property-performance analysis.
Influence of Design Parameters on Fresh Properties of Self-Compacting Concrete with Recycled Aggregate—A Review
Authors: Martínez-García Rebeca , Jagadesh P. , Fraile-Fernández Fernando , Morán-del Pozo Julia , Juan-Valdés Andrés
Published: December 2020

This article presents an overview of the bibliographic picture of the design parameter’s influence on the mix proportion of self-compacting concrete with recycled aggregate. Design parameters like water-cement ratio, water to paste ratio, and percentage of superplasticizers are considered in this review. Standardization and recent research on the usage of recycled aggregates in self-compacting concrete (SCC) exploit its significance in the construction sector. The usage of recycled aggregate not only resolves the negative impacts on the environment but also prevents the usage of natural resources. Furthermore, it is necessary to understand the recycled aggregate property’s role in a mixed design and SCC properties. Design parameters are not only influenced by a mix design but also play a key role in SCC’s fresh properties. Hence, in this overview, properties of SCC ingredients, calculation of design parameters in mix design, the effect of design parameters on fresh concrete properties, and the evolution of fresh concrete properties are studied.
Reasons for the Early Introduction of Complementary Feeding to HIV-Exposed Infants in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: An Exploratory Qualitative Study
Authors: Goon Daniel Ter , Ajayi Anthony Idowu , Adeniyi Oladele Vincent
Published: December 2020

Exclusive breastfeeding has many health benefits for the baby and the mother. This study explored the reasons for the early introduction of supplementary feeding before six months, and the issues faced by parturient women in practicing exclusive breast feeding (EBF) for their HIV-exposed infants in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Narratives from 319 parturient women with HIV (aged 18 years and above) were collected at three hospitals in the Eastern Cape through semi-structured interviews over a period of five months. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The maternal perception of HIV transmission from breast milk influenced the decision for the immediate introduction of formula feeding. Breast sores, lumps, surgery and perceived insufficiency of milk influenced the decision of mothers to initiate formula feeding within the first two months. However, mothers who initiated complementary feeding after two months were driven by factors common among newborns (refusal of breast milk, baby crying inconsolably and fear of losing weight) and social factors (economic or financial hardships and work-related challenges). Additionally, advice from family members weighed heavily in the decision to switch to complementary feeding, contrary to the healthcare providers’ recommendations. Early complementary feeding for HIV-exposed infants is influenced by maternal perceptions of breast milk transmission, breast and infant factors and socio-economic and cultural practices in the region. Thus, behavioural interventions tailored towards promoting exclusive breastfeeding practices in this population, starting from the pre-natal and continuing during the post-partum period, should also target the immediate family members. National policy should focus on creating an EBF-friendly environment at the workplace for women.
Impact of Inorganic Ions and Organic Matter on the Removal of Trace Organic Contaminants by Combined Direct Contact Membrane Distillation–UV Photolysis
Authors: Tufail Arbab , Price William E. , Hai Faisal I.
Published: December 2020

This study investigated the degradation of five trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) by integrated direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) and UV photolysis. Specifically, the influence of inorganic ions including halide, nitrate, and carbonate on the performance of the DCMD–UV process was evaluated. TrOC degradation improved in the presence of different concentrations (1–100 mM) of fluoride ion and chloride ion (1 mM). With a few exceptions, a major negative impact of iodide ion was observed on the removal of the investigated TrOCs. Of particular interest, nitrate ion significantly improved TrOC degradation, while bicarbonate ion exerted variable influence—from promoting to inhibiting impact—on TrOC degradation. The performance of DCMD–UV photolysis was also studied for TrOC degradation in the presence of natural organic matter, humic acid. Results indicated that at a concentration of 1 mg/L, humic acid improved the degradation of the phenolic contaminants (bisphenol A and oxybenzone) while it inhibited the degradation of the non-phenolic contaminants (sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, and diclofenac). Overall, our study reports the varying impact of different inorganic and organic ions present in natural water on the degradation of TrOCs by integrated DCMD–UV photolysis: the nature and extent of the impact of the ions depend on the type of TrOCs and the concentration of the interfering ions.
Effect of Gold Nanoparticles on the TLR2-Mediated Inflammatory Responses Induced by Leptospira in TLR2-Overexpressed HEK293 Cells
Authors: Sooklert Kanidta , Boonwong Chawikan , Ekpo Pattama , Rojanathanes Rojrit , Patarakul Kanitha , Chirathaworn Chintana , Thamakaison Sasin , Sereemaspun Amornpun
Published: December 2020

Leptospira infection can cause potential hazards to human health by stimulating inflammation, which is mediated mainly through the Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) pathway. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are promising for medical applications, as they display both bioinert and noncytotoxic characteristics. AuNPs have been shown to have the ability to modify immune responses. To understand the in vitro immunomodulatory effect of AuNPs in a Leptospira infection model, the activation of TLR2 expression was examined in HEK-Blue-hTLR2 cells treated with Leptospira serovars and/or AuNPs (10 and 20 nm). The ability of AuNPs to modulate an inflammatory response induced by Leptospira was examined in terms of transcript expression level modulation of three proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6) using two-stage quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. The results revealed that the administration of 10 nm AuNPs could augment the Leptospira-induced TLR2 signaling response and upregulate the expression of all three cytokine gene transcripts, whereas the 20 nm AuNPs attenuated the TLR2 activation and expression of proinflammatory cytokines. This indicates that AuNPs can modulate inflammatory parameters in Leptospira infection and different-sized AuNPs had different immunomodulatory functions in this model.
Calculation of Hole Concentrations in Zn Doped GaAs Nanowires
Authors: Johansson Jonas , Ghasemi Masoomeh , Sivakumar Sudhakar , Mergenthaler Kilian , Persson Axel , Metaferia Wondwosen , Magnusson Martin
Published: December 2020

We have previously demonstrated that we can grow p-type GaAs nanowires using Zn doping during gold catalyzed growth with aerotaxy. In this investigation, we show how to calculate the hole concentrations in such nanowires. We base the calculations on the Zhang–Northrup defect formation energy. Using density functional theory, we calculate the energy of the defect, a Zn atom on a Ga site, using a supercell approach. The chemical potentials of Zn and Ga in the liquid catalyst particle are calculated from a thermodynamically assessed database including Au, Zn, Ga, and As. These quantities together with the chemical potential of the carriers enable us to calculate the hole concentration in the nanowires self-consistently. We validate our theoretical results against aerotaxy grown GaAs nanowires where we have varied the hole concentration by varying the Zn/Ga ratio in the aerotaxy growth.
The Effects of Vitamin D-Enriched Mushrooms and Vitamin D3 on Cognitive Performance and Mood in Healthy Elderly Adults: A Randomised, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Zajac Ian T. , Barnes Mary , Cavuoto Paul , Wittert Gary , Noakes Manny
Published: December 2020

Despite abundant cross-sectional evidence that low vitamin D status is associated with risk of cognitive decline in ageing, interventional evidence for benefits of vitamin D supplementation is lacking. This study was a 6 month randomised, double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial of the effects of vitamin D3 (D3), enhanced vitamin D2 in a mushroom matrix (D2M), standard mushroom (SM) and placebo (PL) on cognition and mood in n = 436 healthy older male (49%) and female volunteers aged ≥ 60 years. Primary end points were change in serum vitamin D metabolites (25-OH-D, 25-OH-D2 and 25-OH-D3), cognitive performance, and mood over 24 weeks. Levels of total 25-OH-D and 25-OH-D3 were maintained in the D3 arm but decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the remaining arms (D2M, SM and PL). Analysis also revealed differential changes in these metabolites depending on total vitamin D status at baseline. There were no significant effects of treatment on any of the measures of cognitive function or mood. Overall, the results show that daily supplementation of ~600 IU of vitamin D3 was sufficient to maintain 25-OH-D throughout winter months, but in contrast to existing cross-sectional studies there was no support for benefit of vitamin D supplementation for mood or cognition in healthy elderly people.
Comprehensive Study of the Risk Factors for Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw Based on the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report Database
Authors: Toriumi Shinya , Kobayashi Akinobu , Uesawa Yoshihiro
Published: December 2020

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is associated with many drugs, including bisphosphonates (BPs). BPs are associated with atypical femoral fractures and osteonecrosis of the external auditory canal. Thus, many drugs are reported to cause adverse effects on bone. This study aimed to investigate the effects of drugs and patient backgrounds regarding osteonecrosis-related side effects, including MRONJ. This study used a large voluntary reporting database, namely, the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database. First, we searched for risk factors related to MRONJ using volcano plots and logistic regression analysis. Next, we searched for bone-necrosis-related side effects using principal component and cluster analysis. Factors that were significantly associated with MRONJ included eight types of BPs and denosumab, prednisolone, sunitinib, eldecalcitol, raloxifene, letrozole, doxifluridine, exemestane, radium chloride, medroxyprogesterone, female, elderly, and short stature. Furthermore, antiresorptive agents (i.e., BPs and denosumab) tended to induce MRONJ and atypical femoral fractures by affecting osteoclasts. We believe these findings will help medical personnel manage the side effects of many medications.
Analysis of the Impact of Positional Accuracy When Using a Single Pixel for Thematic Accuracy Assessment
Authors: Gu Jianyu , Congalton Russell G.
Published: December 2020

The primary goal of thematic accuracy assessment is to measure the quality of land cover products and it has become an essential component in global or regional land cover mapping. However, there are many uncertainties introduced in the validation process which could propagate into the derived accuracy measures and therefore impact the decisions made with these maps. Choosing the appropriate reference data sample unit is one of the most important decisions in this process. The majority of researchers have used a single pixel as the assessment unit for thematic accuracy assessment, while others have claimed that a single pixel is not appropriate. The research reported here shows the results of a simulation analysis from the perspective of positional errors. Factors including landscape characteristics, the classification scheme, the spatial scale, and the labeling threshold were also examined. The thematic errors caused by positional errors were analyzed using the current level of geo-registration accuracy achieved by several global land cover mapping projects. The primary results demonstrate that using a single-pixel as an assessment unit introduces a significant amount of thematic error. In addition, the coarser the spatial scale, the greater the impact on positional errors as most pixels in the image become mixed. A classification scheme with more classes and a more heterogeneous landscape increased the positional effect. Using a higher labeling threshold decreased the positional impact but greatly increased the number of abandoned units in the sample. This research showed that remote sensing applications should not employ a single-pixel as an assessment unit in the thematic accuracy assessment.
Potential of GPM IMERG Precipitation Estimates to Monitor Natural Disaster Triggers in Urban Areas: The Case of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Authors: Getirana Augusto , Kirschbaum Dalia , Mandarino Felipe , Ottoni Marta , Khan Sana , Arsenault Kristi
Published: December 2020

Extreme rainfall can be a catastrophic trigger for natural disaster events at urban scales. However, there remains large uncertainties as to how satellite precipitation can identify these triggers at a city scale. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of satellite-based rainfall estimates to monitor natural disaster triggers in urban areas. Rainfall estimates from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission are evaluated over the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where urban floods and landslides occur periodically as a result of extreme rainfall events. Two rainfall products derived from the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG), the IMERG Early and IMERG Final products, are integrated into the Noah Multi-Parameterization (Noah-MP) land surface model in order to simulate the spatial and temporal dynamics of two key hydrometeorological disaster triggers across the city over the wet seasons during 2001–2019. Here, total runoff (TR) and rootzone soil moisture (RZSM) are considered as flood and landslide triggers, respectively. Ground-based observations at 33 pluviometric stations are interpolated, and the resulting rainfall fields are used in an in-situ precipitation-based simulation, considered as the reference for evaluating the IMERG-driven simulations. The evaluation is performed during the wet seasons (November-April), when average rainfall over the city is 4.4 mm/day. Results show that IMERG products show low spatial variability at the city scale, generally overestimate rainfall rates by 12–35%, and impacts on TR and RZSM vary spatially mostly as a function of land cover and soil types. Results based on statistical and categorical metrics show that IMERG skill in detecting extreme events is moderate, with IMERG Final performing slightly better for most metrics. By analyzing two recent storms, we observe that IMERG detects mostly hourly extreme events, but underestimates rainfall rates, resulting in underestimated TR and RZSM. An evaluation of normalized time series using percentiles shows that both satellite products have significantly improved skill in detecting extreme events when compared to the evaluation using absolute values, indicating that IMERG precipitation could be potentially used as a predictor for natural disasters in urban areas.
Automatic Delineation and Height Measurement of Regenerating Conifer Crowns under Leaf-Off Conditions Using UAV Imagery
Authors: Chadwick Andrew J. , Goodbody Tristan R. H. , Coops Nicholas C. , Hervieux Anne , Bater Christopher W. , Martens Lee A. , White Barry , Röeser Dominik
Published: December 2020

The increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and high spatial resolution imagery from associated sensors necessitates the continued advancement of efficient means of image processing to ensure these tools are utilized effectively. This is exemplified in the field of forest management, where the extraction of individual tree crown information stands to benefit operational budgets. We explored training a region-based convolutional neural network (Mask R-CNN) to automatically delineate individual tree crown (ITC) polygons in regenerating forests (14 years after harvest) using true colour red-green-blue (RGB) imagery with an average ground sampling distance (GSD) of 3 cm. We predicted ITC polygons to extract height information using canopy height models generated from digital aerial photogrammetric (DAP) point clouds. Our approach yielded an average precision of 0.98, an average recall of 0.85, and an average F1 score of 0.91 for the delineation of ITC. Remote height measurements were strongly correlated with field height measurements (r2 = 0.93, RMSE = 0.34 m). The mean difference between DAP-derived and field-collected height measurements was −0.37 m and −0.24 m for white spruce (Picea glauca) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), respectively. Our results show that accurate ITC delineation in young, regenerating stands is possible with fine-spatial resolution RGB imagery and that predicted ITC can be used in combination with DAP to estimate tree height.
Estimation of Ice Thickness and the Features of Subglacial Media Detected by Ground Penetrating Radar at the Baishui River Glacier No. 1 in Mt. Yulong, China
Authors: Liu Jing , Wang Shijin , He Yuanqing , Li Yuqiang , Wang Yuzhe , Wei Yanqiang , Che Yanjun
Published: December 2020

Using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), we measured and estimated the ice thickness of the Baishui River Glacier No. 1 of Yulong Snow Mountain. According to the position of the reflected media from the GPR image, combined with the radar waveform amplitude and polarity change information, the ice thickness and the changing medium position at the bottom of this temperate glacier were identified. Water paths were found in the measured ice, including ice caves and crevasses. A debris-rich ice layer was found at the bottom of the glacier, which produces strong abrasion and ploughing action at the bedrock surface. This results in the formation of different detrital layers stagnated at the ice-bedrock interface and numerous crevasses on the bedrock surface. Based on the obtained ice thickness and differential GPS data, combined with Landsat images, the kriging interpolation method was used to obtain grid data. The average ice thickness was 52.48 m and between 4740 and 4890 m above sea level, with a maximum depth of 92.83 m. The bedrock topography map of this area was drawn using digital elevation model from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. The central part of the glacier was characterized by small ice basins with distributed ice steps and ice ridges at the upper and lower parts.
Surface Energy Flux Estimation in Two Boreal Settings in Alaska Using a Thermal-Based Remote Sensing Model
Authors: Cristóbal Jordi , Prakash Anupma , Anderson Martha C. , Kustas William P. , Alfieri Joseph G. , Gens Rudiger
Published: December 2020

Recent Arctic warming has led to changes in the hydrological cycle. Circum-Arctic and circumboreal ecosystems are showing evidence of “greening” and “browning” due to temperature warming leading to shrub encroachment, tree mortality and deciduousness. Increases in latent heat flux from increased evapotranspiration rates associated with deciduous-dominated ecosystems may be significant, because deciduous vegetation has extremely high-water use and water storage capacity compared to coniferous and herbaceous plant species. Thus, the impact of vegetation change in boreal ecosystems on regional surface energy balance is a significant knowledge gap that must be addressed to better understand observed trends in water use/availability and tree mortality. To this end, output from a two-source energy balance model (TSEB) with modifications for high latitude boreal ecosystems was evaluated using flux tower measurements and Terra/Aqua MODIS remote sensing data collected over the two largest boreal forest types in Alaska (birch and black spruce). Data under clear and overcast days and from leaf-out to senescence from 2012 to 2016 were used for validation. Using flux tower observations and local model inputs, modifications to the model formulation for soil heat flux, net radiation partitioning, and canopy transpiration were required for the boreal forest. These improvements resulted in a mean absolute percent difference of around 23% for turbulent daytime fluxes when surface temperature from the flux towers was used, similar to errors reported in other studies conducted in warmer climates. Results when surface temperature from Terra/Aqua MODIS estimates were used as model input suggested that these model improvements are pertinent for regional scale applications. Vegetation indices and LAI time-series from the Terra/Aqua MODIS products were confirmed to be appropriate for energy flux estimation in the boreal forest to describe vegetation properties (LAI and green fraction) when field observations are not available. Model improvements for boreal settings identified in this study will be implemented operationally over North America to map surface energy fluxes at regional scales using long time series of remote sensing estimates as part of NOAA’s GOES Evapotranspiration and Drought Information System.
Assessing the Impact of Corona-Virus-19 on Nitrogen Dioxide Levels over Southern Ontario, Canada
Authors: Griffin Debora , McLinden Chris Anthony , Racine Jacinthe , Moran Michael David , Fioletov Vitali , Pavlovic Radenko , Mashayekhi Rabab , Zhao Xiaoyi , Eskes Henk
Published: December 2020

A lockdown was implemented in Canada mid-March 2020 to limit the spread of COVID-19. In the wake of this lockdown, declines in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were observed from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI). A method is presented to quantify how much of this decrease is due to the lockdown itself as opposed to variability in meteorology and satellite sampling. The operational air quality forecast model, GEM-MACH (Global Environmental Multi-scale - Modelling Air quality and CHemistry), was used together with TROPOMI to determine expected NO2 columns that represents what TROPOMI would have observed for a non-COVID scenario. Applying this methodology to southern Ontario, decreases in NO2 emissions due to the lockdown were seen, with an average 40% (roughly 10 kt[NO2]/yr) in Toronto and Mississauga and even larger declines in the city center. Natural and satellite sampling variability accounted for as much as 20–30%, which demonstrates the importance of taking meteorology into account. A model run with reduced emissions (from 65 kt[NO2]/yr to 40 kt[NO2]/yr in the Greater Toronto Area) based on emission activity data during the lockdown period was found to be consistent with TROPOMI NO2 columns.
Retrieval of Hyperspectral Information from Multispectral Data for Perennial Ryegrass Biomass Estimation
Authors: Togeiro de Alckmin Gustavo , Kooistra Lammert , Rawnsley Richard , de Bruin Sytze , Lucieer Arko
Published: December 2020

The use of spectral data is seen as a fast and non-destructive method capable of monitoring pasture biomass. Although there is great potential in this technique, both end users and sensor manufacturers are uncertain about the necessary sensor specifications and achievable accuracies in an operational scenario. This study presents a straightforward parametric method able to accurately retrieve the hyperspectral signature of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) canopies from multispectral data collected within a two-year period in Australia and the Netherlands. The retrieved hyperspectral data were employed to generate optimal indices and continuum-removed spectral features available in the scientific literature. For performance comparison, both these simulated features and a set of currently employed vegetation indices, derived from the original band values, were used as inputs in a random forest algorithm and accuracies of both methods were compared. Our results have shown that both sets of features present similar accuracies (root mean square error (RMSE) ≈490 and 620 kg DM/ha) when assessed in cross-validation and spatial cross-validation, respectively. These results suggest that for pasture biomass retrieval solely from top-of-canopy reflectance (ranging from 550 to 790 nm), better performing methods do not rely on the use of hyperspectral or, yet, in a larger number of bands than those already available in current sensors.
Sustainable and Renewable Bio-Based Natural Fibres and Its Application for 3D Printed Concrete: A Review
Authors: Luhar Salmabanu , Suntharalingam Thadshajini , Navaratnam Satheeskumar , Luhar Ismail , Thamboo Julian , Poologanathan Keerthan , Gatheeshgar Perampalam
Published: December 2020

The concept of sustainability and the utilization of renewable bio-based sources have gained prominent attention in the construction industry. Material selection in construction plays a significant role in design and manufacturing process of sustainable building construction. Several studies are being carried out worldwide to investigate the potential use of natural fibres as reinforcement in concrete with its noticeable environmental benefits and mechanical properties. 3D printed concrete (3DPC) is another emerging technology, which has been under-developed for the past decade. The integration of reinforcement is one of the major challenges in the application of this new technology in real-life scenario. Presently, artificial fibres have been used as a reinforcement material for this special printable concrete mixture. However, natural fibre composites have received significant attention by many 3DPC constructions due to their lightweight energy conservation and environmentally friendly nature. These benchmarking characteristics unlock the wider area of natural fibres into the composite sector and challenge the substitution of artificial fibres. Hence, this paper presents a comprehensive review on the current practice and advantages of natural fibres in conventional concrete construction. Subsequently, with a view to the future efficient 3DPC construction, the potentials of natural fibres such as eco-friendly, higher impact, thermal, structural, and fire performance over the artificial fibres were highlighted, and their applicability in 3DPC as composites was recommended.
Adapting to Climate Extreme Events Based on Livelihood Strategies: Evidence from Rural Areas in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam
Authors: Minh Dao Duy , Hao Nguyen Dang , Lebailly Philippe
Published: December 2020

The key farming communities in Vietnam are generally poor and lack resources to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate extreme events (CEEs), but the extent of their adaptation strategies is not well understood. This study aims to analyze the impacts of CEEs, current barriers, and adaptation strategies based on three categories of livelihood strategies. The classification method is first used to divide the livelihood strategy into these three categories, and a multinomial logistic model (MLS) is then applied to determine the set of parameters that affect adaptation options. CEEs result in significant damage in terms of both financial and health dimensions. Various barriers remain, such as the low capacity of relevant staff, lack of local budgets, and outdated methods being used to estimate and mitigate the impacts of CEEs. Notably, there were over 44%, and 28% conducted reactive and proactive adaptations, respectively, while a high percentage of households did not implement at least one adaptation method, around 27%. The MLS model is able to explain about 51.2% of the driving factors that influence adaptation strategies. In addition, the behavior of households in choosing adaptation methods shows the difference between perceptions of CEEs’ impacts and livelihood strategy profiles. There is a need for a package of adaptive solutions to address the impacts of CEEs that cover the many different household perspectives and involve stakeholders at multiple levels.
Organizational Happiness Dimensions as a Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals: A Prospective Study in Higher Education Institutions in Chile, Colombia and Spain
Authors: Silva Munar José Luis , De Juana-Espinosa Susana , Martínez-Buelvas Laura , Vecchiola Abarca Yanina , Orellana Tirado Joan
Published: December 2020

The aim of this study is to reveal the perception of current and future organizational happiness in the context of higher education institutions (HEIs) in a cross-national study, to reveal exploratory scenarios supporting the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). Six dimensions of organizational happiness were considered for this study: Meaning, reliable relationships, positive emotions, engagement, achievement and recognition, and personal and professional development. To do so, Delphi methodology was used. An online survey was addressed to academics and support staff from three HEIs in different countries (Chile, Colombia and Spain), whose answers were analyzed using the Approximation of Qualitative Profiles mathematical technique. The results of this analysis show that there is a favorable prospective for happy workplaces, in all the dimensions for all countries. The implications of this research will serve HEIs’ human management practitioners to formulate effective policies for sustainable workplaces based on organizational happiness.
A Review of Energy Storage Technologies’ Application Potentials in Renewable Energy Sources Grid Integration
Authors: Behabtu Henok Ayele , Messagie Maarten , Coosemans Thierry , Berecibar Maitane , Anlay Fante Kinde , Kebede Abraham Alem , Mierlo Joeri Van
Published: December 2020

Renewable energy sources (RESs) such as wind and solar are frequently hit by fluctuations due to, for example, insufficient wind or sunshine. Energy storage technologies (ESTs) mitigate the problem by storing excess energy generated and then making it accessible on demand. While there are various EST studies, the literature remains isolated and dated. The comparison of the characteristics of ESTs and their potential applications is also short. This paper fills this gap. Using selected criteria, it identifies key ESTs and provides an updated review of the literature on ESTs and their application potential to the renewable energy sector. The critical review shows a high potential application for Li-ion batteries and most fit to mitigate the fluctuation of RESs in utility grid integration sector. However, for Li-ion batteries to be fully adopted in the RESs utility grid integration, their cost needs to be reduced.
The Integration of Recycling Cooperatives in the Formal Management of Municipal Solid Waste as a Strategy for the Circular Economy—The Case of Londrina, Brazil
Authors: Miranda Isabella Tamine Parra , Fidelis Reginaldo , de Souza Fidelis Dayanne Aline , Pilatti Luiz Alberto , Picinin Claudia Tania
Published: December 2020

In many developing countries, the informal recycling sector is responsible for reducing the amount of waste in landfills and supplying the needs of recycling industries. In the context of municipal solid waste (MSW) management, considering that developing countries aim to implement circular economy (CE) actions, it is essential to ensure the inclusion of waste pickers (catadores) in an adapted CE structure. This study analyzes the integration of recycling cooperatives in the formal management of municipal solid waste with recyclable potential (MSWRP) of a medium-sized municipality in Brazil, with the objective of ascertaining the contributions of cooperatives in an adapted CE structure and, at the same time, identifying a cooperative that can be used as a benchmarking option for other cooperatives, especially in relation to their organizational and operational practices. The results indicate that from this integration, cooperatives have legal responsibility in the management of MSWRP, resulting in the professionalization of its members and increasing their productivity. The results also revealed that the implementation of the CE in developing countries is, in a sense, conditioned to the performance of the informal sector in the recycling chain and, in addition, that the inclusion of cooperatives in the formal sector of MSWRP management can improve the rates of a municipality.
Corporate Sustainability: It’s Mine! Effect of Green Product Psychological Ownership on the Environmental Behavior and Performance of Employees
Authors: Chang Tai-Wei , Wang Kuo-Hsuan , Lin Yi-Hsiung
Published: December 2020

Green shared vision (GSV) has provided a research prototype for past green management research topics; however, few studies have examined the confusion related to environmental issues among employees. Therefore, to fill the aforementioned research gap, this study used psychological ownership theory and expectancy–valence theory to establish a research framework for GSV. This study explored the relationships of GSV with employee green confusion (EGC) and employee environmental performance (EEP) as well as the mediating effect of green product psychological ownership (GPPO) on these relationships. The research results indicate that GSV positively affects GPPO, EGC, and EEP. Moreover, GSV also influences behavior and performance through personal psychological processes. Thus, if an enterprise wishes to establish GSV, it must adopt a series of supporting measures, including improving members’ GPPO, to effectively reduce EGC and improve EEP to realize the goal of sustainable development.
A Firm’s Financial Reputation vs. Sustainability Reputation: Do Consumers Really Care?
Authors: Loock Moritz , Phillips Diane M.
Published: December 2020

In today’s global marketplace, management teams spend a significant amount of effort on managing their organizations’ image. Stellar reputations help to secure financing, attract business partners, and entice customers. Across two studies, we examine the extent to which a firm’s financial and sustainability reputations are influenced by two distinct organizational activities: its status as a first mover in the field of sustainability and its chief executive officer’s actions. We accomplish this by utilizing a basic semiotics framework to analyze the process by which a firm’s reputation is created between the object (the firm), different signs (organizational activities), and an interpretant (the firm’s reputation). Among other reported findings, we confirm that a firm’s first mover status significantly impacts its financial reputation. In addition, the first mover status and the actions of its CEO both significantly impact the firm’s sustainability reputation. In examining sustainability reputation more closely, we confirm a strong and significant effect of the firm’s sustainability reputation on consumer attitudes toward the firm, which is mediated by the attitude toward the CEO and attitude toward the firm’s first mover status. Do consumers care what organizations do? The answer is yes.
A Deep Neural Network-Based Advisory Framework for Attainment of Sustainable Development Goals 1-6
Authors: Emmanuel Okewu , M Ananya , Misra Sanjay , Koyuncu Murat
Published: December 2020

Research in sustainable development, program design and monitoring, and evaluation requires data analytics for the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs) not to suffer the same fate as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs were poorly implemented, particularly in developing countries. In the SDGs dispensation, there is a huge amount of development-related data that needs to be harnessed using predictive analytics models such as deep neural networks for timely and unbiased information. The SDGs aim at improving the lives of citizens globally. However, the first six SDGs (SDGs 1-6) are more relevant to developing economies than developed economies. This is because low-resourced countries are still battling with extreme poverty and unacceptable levels of illiteracy occasioned by corruption and poor leadership. Inclusive innovation is a philosophy of SDGs as no one should be left behind in the global economy. The focus of this study is the implementation of SDGs 1-6 in less developed countries. Given their peculiar socio-economic challenges, we proposed a design for a low-budget deep neural network-based sustainable development goals 1-6 (DNNSDGs 1-6) system. The aim is to empower actors implementing SDGs in developing countries with data-based information for robust decision making.
The Role of Common-Pool Resources’ Institutional Robustness in a Collective Action Dilemma under Environmental Variations
Authors: Dipierri Ana Alicia , Zikos Dimitrios
Published: December 2020

Extreme environmental variations, as a phenomenon deriving from climate change, led to an exacerbated uncertainty on water availability and increased the likelihood of conflicts regarding water-dependent activities such as agriculture. In this paper, we investigate the role of conflict resolution mechanisms—one of Ostrom’s acclaimed Design Principles—when social-ecological systems are exposed to physical external disturbances. The theoretical propositions predict that social-ecological systems with conflict-resolution mechanisms will perform better than those without them. We tested this proposition through a framed field experiment that mimicked an irrigation system. This asymmetric setting exposed farmers to two (2) dilemmas: (i) how much to invest in the communal irrigation system’s maintenance and (ii) how much water to extract. The setting added a layer of complexity: water availability depended not only on the investment but also on the environmental variability. Our findings confirmed the theoretical proposition: groups with stronger ‘institutional robustness’ can cope with environmental variations better than those with weaker robustness. However, we also found that some groups, despite lacking conflict-resolution mechanisms, were also able to address environmental variations. We explored potential explanatory variables to these unexpected results. We found that subjects’ and groups’ attributes might address uncertainty and avert conflict. Thus, social-ecological systems’ capacity to respond to external disturbances, such as environmental variations, might not only be a question of Design Principles. Instead, it might also be strongly related to group members’ attributes and group dynamics. Our results pave the way for further research, hinting that some groups might be better equipped for mitigation measures, while others might be better equipped for adaptation measures.
Lignite Improved the Quality of Composted Manure and Mitigated Emissions of Ammonia and Greenhouse Gases during Forced Aeration Composting
Authors: Impraim Robert , Weatherley Anthony , Coates Trevor , Chen Deli , Suter Helen
Published: December 2020

Lignite amendment of livestock manure is considered a viable ammonia (NH3) emission mitigation technique. However, its impact on the subsequent composting of the manure has not been well studied. This work compared changes in biochemical parameters (e.g., organic matter loss and nitrogen (N) transformation) and also the emissions of NH3 and greenhouse gases (GHGs) between lignite-amended and unamended cattle manure during forced aeration composting. Amending manure with lignite did not alter the time to compost stability despite delaying the onset of the thermophilic temperatures. Lignite treatments retained N in the manure by suppressing NH3 loss by 35–54%, resulting in lignite-amended manure composts having 10–19% more total N than the unamended compost. Relative to manure only, lignites reduced GHG emissions over the composting period: nitrous oxide (N2O) (58–72%), carbon dioxide (CO2) (12–23%) and methane (CH4) (52–59%). Low levels of CH4 and N2O emissions were observed and this was attributed to the continuous forced aeration system used in the composting. Lignite addition also improved the germination index of the final compost: 90–113% compared to 71% for manure only. These findings suggest that lignite amendment of manure has the potential to improve the quality of the final compost whilst mitigating the environmental release of NH3 and GHGs.
Public Participation and Airport Development: The Case of the Site Selection for Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) in Germany
Authors: Sedlin Thomas , Beckmann Volker , Tan Rong
Published: December 2020

Airport projects can have a significant impact on sustainable development. In Germany, as in many other developed countries, airport development is confronting a dilemma because, on the one hand, airports are important infrastructural components and, on the other hand, airport development faces strong resistance from local populations and interest groups. Thus, uncertainties and long time periods, up to 20 years from the beginning of planning to breaking ground, are quite normal. To ease airport development in Germany, administrative procedures and public participation were enhanced. Nevertheless, even with improved public participation, siting decisions in the case of Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) were lengthy as usual and remain controversial today due to the selection of Schönefeld as the site. Against this background, it seems that public participation in the case of the BER site selection did not particularly deliver the hoped-for results, but why? To answer this question, Creighton’s principles of effective public participation are employed as benchmarks. Moreover, the benchmarking indicates that public participation was not effectively applied. Thus, the possible benefits of public participation could not or could only be partly reaped. Furthermore, from a broader politico-economic perspective, the analysis exposes that public participation was just “a small cog in the machine” of the BER site selection process. It seems that other factors had a more substantial influence on the siting decision than public participation and led decision makers, in addition to regular challenges, into a predicament that might have made Schönefeld the only possible siting solution. In this context, different counterfactual scenarios are discussed to show under which circumstances other outcomes might have occurred regarding the BER site selection.
Sea Lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) Infestation Reduces the Ability of Peripheral Blood Monocytic Cells (PBMCs) to Respond to and Control Replication of Salmonid Alphavirus in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.)
Authors: Gamil Amr A. A. , Gadan Koestan , Gislefoss Elisabeth , Evensen Øystein
Published: December 2020

Here we have studied the impact of lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) infestation of donor fish on the ability of isolated peripheral blood monocytes (PBMCs) to control the replication of salmonid alphavirus (SAV) ex vivo. PBMCs were collected by Percoll gradients at eight and nine weeks post copepodid infestation of Atlantic salmon post smolt. Uninfested fish were controls. PBMCs were then infected ex vivo with SAV (subtype 3), and samples were collected for analysis at two, four, and six days post virus infection. Virus titer in the supernatant was assayed in CHH-1 cells, and in addition, the relative expression of the virus structural protein E2 and selected host antiviral genes, IRF9, ISG15, Mx, and IFIT5, were assayed using real-time PCR. Significantly higher virus replication was detected in cells collected from lice-infested fish compared to controls. Higher virus titer coincided with an inability to upregulate the expression of different immune genes, IFIT5, IRF9, and Mx. These findings point towards compromised ability of PBMCs from lice-infested fish to control virus replication, and, to our knowledge, is the first report showing the direct effect of lice infestation on the interplay between viruses and immune cells. There is a possible impact on the dynamic spread of viral diseases in the aquatic environment.
Fish Community Responses to Human-Induced Stresses in the Lower Mekong Basin
Authors: Nuon Vanna , Lek Sovan , Ngor Peng Bun , So Nam , Grenouillet Gaël
Published: December 2020

The Mekong River is one of the world’s largest rivers and has an annual captured fish production of about 2.3 million tonnes, equivalent to around 11 billion USD. Although the Mekong provides important ecological and socioeconomic benefits to millions of people, it is facing intensive change due to anthropogenic stressors. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the changes to the spatiotemporal fish communities to inform sustainable fisheries management. Here, we aimed to characterize patterns of the fish communities and identify the ecological status of each fish community using daily catch data from 2007 to 2018 at 25 monitoring sites in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB). The collected data were classified by a self-organizing map into four main groups. Group 4 represented the lower Vietnam Mekong Delta (VMD), while groups 1, 2, and 3 were subdivided into subgroups 1a (upper LMB), 1b (upper and middle LMB), 2a (Mekong River below the Khone Falls and Sesan River), 2b (Mekong River below the Khone Falls and Sekong, Sesan and Srepok (3S) Rivers), 3a (Floodplain-Tonle Sap and Songkhram) and 3b (upper VMD). Among the 571 species recorded, 119 were identified as indicator species. Based on the abundance and biomass comparison curves, the fish community of 2b was in a healthier condition with a positive W-statistic value while the rest had a negative W-statistic value. The highest species richness and diversity were observed in 3a and 2b, so these subgroups deserve high management and conservation priority. Likewise, 1a should also be considered as a high priority area since it harbors several endangered and long-distant migratory fishes. It was also noticed that the fish communities of groups 3 and 4, located far from the hydropower dams, remained mostly unchanged compared to those of groups 1 and 2, close to the mainstream and tributary dams in the upper LMB and 3S Rivers.