bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Systematic Review Investigating the Use of Earth Observation for the Assistance of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Disaster Response and Recovery
Authors: Shah Aamina , Kantamaneni Komali , Ravan Shirish , Campos Luiza C.
Published: February 2023

The use of Earth observation technology such as satellites, unmanned aircraft, or drones as part of early-warning systems and disaster risk reduction plans is a widely researched and established area of study. However, the use this technology can have in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene services in the response and recovery phases of a disaster is not widely researched. A systematic literature review was undertaken assessing relevant literature to identify Earth observation technology and methods that can be applied to the context of water, sanitation and hygiene in disaster response and recovery. Whilst there were many water-related studies, there was a lack of studies looking at the potential uses of Earth observation for sanitation. This is an area that requires further research. Three main common uses of Earth observation technology were identified as relevant: (1) Monitoring of surface water quality; (2) Groundwater Sensing; and (3) Mapping and monitoring of hazards and infrastructure. Whilst the studies of Earth observation in these areas highlight that this technology could be usefully applied to assist with water, sanitation and hygiene during disaster response and recovery, more research is needed and there are limitations to consider—predominantly that funding, communication and integration between many agencies and technologies are required. Additionally, some technologies are subject to local regulations which can cause restrictions to their use over contested or private areas, or trans-national boundaries—common situations in disasters. This review was largely influenced by the search strings inputted during the identification of relevant literature; changing the search strings would likely result in a different combination of literature available for review and subsequent variations in the findings.
The Impact of Population Aging on Green Innovation: An Empirical Analysis Based on Inter-Provincial Data in China
Authors: Liu Yu , Jia Mingde
Published: February 2023

China’s green innovation and green transformation is facing the uncertain challenge of an aging population. Based on provincial panel data from 2006 to 2019 in 30 provinces of China, this paper uses the threshold regression approach to test the green innovation effect of population aging. The following important conclusions are obtained through empirical analysis. First, population aging has a significant inhibiting effect on green innovation. This inhibition has shown an overall downward trend. Second, the green innovation effect of population aging has the characteristic of regional heterogeneity. The negative impact of population aging on green innovation in the western region shows a “U” shaped distribution with the deepening of population aging. The inflection point value of the “U” shape is 18.1%. The inhibitory effect of population aging on green innovation in the central region is higher than that in the eastern and western regions, with the degree of inhibitory effect reaching over 41%. The inhibitory effect of population aging on green innovation in the eastern region has obvious marginal decreasing characteristics. Third, the moderating mechanisms of different regional conditions are different. The green innovation effect of population aging is positive when the level of urbanization exceeds 70% and trade openness exceeds 1.1547. Green finance is also a positive moderator. However, population aging can negatively affect green innovation through environmental regulation and human capital channels. Thus, China should adopt supporting measures for green innovation market cultivation and green industry development, and enhance its green innovation capabilities through channels such as trade opening, urbanization and green finance.
Estimation of Biomass Dynamics and Allocation in Chinese Fir Trees Using Tree Ring Analysis in Hunan Province, China
Authors: Xu Xiaojun , Ma Fengfeng , Lu Kangying , Zhu Baoqi , Li Shuaichen , Liu Kangqi , Chen Qianmin , Li Qingfen , Deng Cheng
Published: February 2023

Studying tree biomass dynamics and allocation is crucial to understanding the forest carbon cycle and the adaptation of trees to the environment. However, traditional biomass surveys are time-consuming and labor-intensive, so few studies have specifically examined biomass formation in terms of the increase in individual tree biomass, and the role that tree age and site conditions play in this process, especially tree roots, is unclear. We studied the tree ring characteristics of 87 sample trees (8–40 years old) from 29 Chinese fir plantations with different site conditions and measured the biomass of their stems, crowns, and roots. The biomass increment at various age stages during tree growth was determined via using tree ring analysis, and a generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) was used to analyze biomass formation and allocation, as well as the specific impact of site conditions on them. The results showed that the biomass increment of Chinese fir trees first increased and then decreased with age, and improving site conditions delayed the carbon maturation of the trees. The proportion of stem biomass increased with age, while the proportion of crown biomass decreased and the proportion of root biomass increased and then decreased. The effect of the site conditions on the tree biomass allocation showed a nonlinear trend. Tree ring analysis provides a feasible and effective method for assessing tree growth and biomass dynamics. Forest managers can use the findings of this study to scientifically optimize the management of increasing forest carbon sequestration.
Human–Wildlife Interactions and Coexistence in an Urban Desert Environment
Authors: Larson Kelli L. , Rosales Chavez Jose-Benito , Brown Jeffrey A. , Morales-Guerrero Jorge , Avilez Dayanara
Published: February 2023

Negative interactions between people and wildlife pose a significant challenge to their coexistence. Past research on human–wildlife interactions has largely focused on conflicts involving carnivores in rural areas. Additional research is needed in urban areas to examine the full array of negative and positive interactions between people and wildlife. In this study, we have conducted interviews in the desert metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona (USA), to explore residents’ everyday interactions with wildlife where they live. Our multifaceted approach examines interactions involving physical contact and observational experiences, as well as associated attitudinal and behavioral responses and actions toward wildlife. Overall, the qualitative analysis of residents’ narratives identified two distinct groups: people who are indifferent toward wildlife where they live, and those who appreciate and steward wildlife. Instead of revealing conflicts and negative interactions toward wildlife, our findings underscore the positive interactions that can foster human wellbeing in urban areas. The holistic approach presented herein can advance knowledge and the management of coexistence, which involves not only managing conflicts but also tolerance, acceptance, and stewardship. Understanding diverse human–wildlife interactions and managing coexistence can advance both wildlife conservation and human wellbeing in cities.
Performance of Alkali-Activated Materials Using Precursors with High Impurity Contents
Authors: Mirmoghtadaei Reza , Shen Lin , Jehn Ian , Wang Baomin
Published: February 2023

The presence of impurities, such as anhydrite (calcium sulfate) and unburnt carbon, in fly ash and other industrial wastes greatly limits the utilization of these materials in the construction industry. In addition, alkali-activated materials using precursors with high impurity contents should be closely monitored to ensure long-term durability. This study investigates the performance of alkali-activated materials using precursors with high impurity contents. Successful alkali-activated mixes have been developed and comprehensive tests have been conducted on the mechanical properties, volume stability, and durability. The research determined that a new mixing procedure could significantly enhance various properties of high-impurity alkali-activated materials (HI-AAMs). The study investigated both short- and long-term mechanical properties, as well as the durability of the specimens. The hardened samples exhibited reasonable 28-day compressive strength (38 MPa (5500 psi)), and rapid strength gain (28 MPa (4000 psi)), after 3 days. HI-AAMs also demonstrated acceptable long-term properties: drying shrinkage similar to that of normal concrete after four months; resistance to 5% sodium sulfate after 180 days of exposure; passing the ASTM 1260 ASR test, and smaller creep values compared to conventional concrete samples with similar compressive strengths. With similar or even superior performances to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), HI-AAMs could be a sustainable building material suitable for a host of structural and non-structural applications. Therefore, employment of the novel mixing procedure is recommended in fabricating AAMs with high impurity contents to optimize performance, cost, and environmental benefits.
Attitudes and Behaviours of Young Consumers towards Wasting Food: Case Study Based on Polish Students
Authors: Tarczyńska Anna Sylwia , Malinowska Ewa , Urbanowicz Andrzej
Published: February 2023

Civilisation changes affect the attitudes and behaviour of consumers related to food waste. Most food is wasted by households. The purpose of this study was to assess the behaviour and attitudes of Polish students related to food waste and to determine the amount and type of food waste, as well as to indicate the causes of this problem. The analysis of attitudes and behaviours of individual groups of society directs actions to be taken in order to reduce food waste. For 14 days, a questionnaire was completed by Polish students from two universities. It concerned the frequency of throwing away food products and the type and amount of wasted products, as well as the reasons for throwing food away and the ways of counteracting this situation. Descriptive statistics, a Pareto–Lorenz analysis and a cluster analysis were used to analyse the obtained data. In this study, the level of food waste by Polish students was determined, and the study group was segmented into three clusters. The three clusters defining the attitudes of Polish students were (1) “aware students”, (2) “disengaged students” and (3) “aware but disengaged”. The largest number of respondents were classified into cluster 2. Polish students are aware of the problems of food waste, but do not contribute to reducing it. In most cases, students’ behaviour was not differentiated by socio-demographic characteristics.
Impact of Key Drivers on Energy Intensity and GHG Emissions in Manufacturing in the Baltic States
Authors: Miskinis Vaclovas , Galinis Arvydas , Bobinaite Viktorija , Konstantinaviciute Inga , Neniskis Eimantas
Published: February 2023

The improvement in energy efficiency (EE) and increasing consumption of renewable energy sources (RES) in manufacturing play an important role in pursuing sustainable development in the Baltic States and contribute to the transition to a low-carbon economy. This paper presents the results of a detailed analysis of the channel through which EE, along with structural activity changes, passes energy intensity and total energy savings and in combination with other key drivers results in reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in manufacturing in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania during the period 2010–2020, taking into account the role of transformations in the energy and climate framework of the European Union (EU). The Fisher Ideal Index, the Kaya identity, the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI), and comparative analysis methods are used. The results of the impact analysis of key drivers on energy intensity showed different contributions towards improvements in EE and structural activity changes to changes in energy intensity in manufacturing, which decreased by 53.1% in Estonia, by 30.5% in Lithuania, and by 16.5% in Latvia. The dominant role of EE improvements on total energy savings is identified. The results of the GHG decomposition analysis showed that because of improvements in energy intensity, reductions in the share of fossil fuels, and increases in labour productivity, number of employees, and emissions intensity, the GHG emissions decreased by 35.5% in Estonia, 40.4% in Latvia, and 8.1% in Lithuania. The results confirm the need for new policies and the implementation of relevant commitments to save energy and increase the contribution of RES in all three countries.
Study on Physical and Mechanical Properties of High-Water Material Made by Seawater
Authors: Lu Bangwen , Liu Changwu , Guo Jungang , Feng Naiqi
Published: February 2023

In maritime engineering, marine-derived construction materials are seen as an efficient and cost-effective alternative. HWM is a novel inorganic cementitious material characterized by its high water content, rapid setting, and early strengthening. In this study, first, HWM was proposed to be produced from seawater and used in a maritime environment. Two groups of HWM samples with varied w/c ratios were prepared with fresh water and seawater, and their behavior was examined to assess the viability of HWM produced with seawater. The microstructures and chemical compositions were studied using SEM and XRD. Results indicated that as the w/c ratio increased from 3:1 to 6:1, the water content, density, and uniaxial compressive strength of HWM produced from seawater varied from 72.1% to 77.5%; 1.25 to 1.12 g/cm3, and 1.47 MPa to 0.39 MPa, respectively, which is 2–10% lower, 0.8–2.2% higher, and 13–45% stronger than that from fresh water. The chemical composition of HWM mixed with seawater is predominantly composed of ettringite, C-S-H gel, aluminum (Al(OH)3) glue, M-S-H gel, and Mg(OH)2. SO42− and Mg2+ in seawater participate in the hydration and hardening of HWM, resulting in an increase in the synthesis of ettringite and M-S-H gel, which makes the skeletal structure of HWM denser, hence increasing its strength. HWM derived from seawater retains excellent physical and mechanical properties. This work reveals the HWM-seawater interaction mechanism, elucidates the promising application prospect of HWM in maritime engineering, and paves the way to investigate its field performance.
Influence of Clean Energy and Financial Structure on China’s Provincial Carbon Emission Efficiency—Empirical Analysis Based on Spatial Spillover Effects
Authors: Xie Ying , Zhang Minglong
Published: February 2023

Clean energy is an essential means to limiting carbon emissions and improving economic transformation, and a market-oriented financial structure is the inevitable result of the deepening of supply-side financial reforms. Exploring whether clean energy enhances carbon emission efficiency (CEE) through financial structural adjustment is essential in formulating policies intended to achieve the dual goals of “carbon peaking” and “carbon neutrality”. As part of the evaluation of China’s provincial CEE using panel data of 30 provinces from 2000 to 2019, this paper adopts an improved nonradial directional distance function (NDDF), while empirically analyzing the influence of clean energy and a market-oriented financial structure on CEE using a spatial econometric model. The results indicate the following findings: (1) The provincial CEE in China is characterized by significant spatial autocorrelation. (2) A 1% increase in the integration of clean energy and a market-oriented financial structure leads to a 0.0032% increase in the local CEE and a 0.0076% increase in neighboring regions’ CEE through the spatial spillover effect. Clean energy can efficiently enhance CEE through the stock market, while it has a passive impact through bank credit. (3) The interactive effect between clean energy and a market-oriented financial structure varies according to the provincial CEE. From the 25th to the 90th quantiles, the role of clean energy in promoting CEE through the capital market is very significant, while clean energy inhibits CEE through bank credit in most provinces. Therefore, China’s clean energy development will bolster its competitiveness in the global market through a market-oriented financial structure that will bring economic development and environmental pollution into balance and provide a theoretical foundation for China’s double carbon reduction.
A Light-Weight Neural Network Using Multiscale Hybrid Attention for Building Change Detection
Authors: Hua Zhihua , Yu Haiyang , Jing Peng , Song Caoyuan , Xie Saifei
Published: February 2023

The study of high-precision building change detection is essential for the sustainable development of land resources. However, remote sensing imaging illumination variation and alignment errors have a large impact on the accuracy of building change detection. A novel lightweight Siamese neural network building change detection model is proposed for the error detection problem caused by non-real changes in high-resolution remote sensing images. The lightweight feature extraction module in the model acquires local contextual information at different scales, allowing it to fully learn local and global features. The hybrid attention module consisting of the channel and spatial attention can make full use of the rich spatiotemporal semantic information around the building to achieve accurate extraction of changing buildings. For the problems of large span of changing building scales, which easily lead to rough extraction of building edge details and missed detection of small-scale buildings, the multi-scale concept is introduced to divide the extracted feature maps into multiple sub-regions and introduce the hybrid attention module separately, and finally, the output features of different scales are weighted and fused to enhance the edge detail extraction capability. The model was experimented on the WHU-CD and LEVIR-CD public data sets and achieved F1 scores of 87.8% and 88.1%, respectively, which have higher change detection accuracy than the six comparison models, and only cost 9.15 G MACs and 3.20 M parameters. The results show that our model can achieve higher accuracy while significantly reducing the number of model parameters.
Sustainable Multi-Objective Production Planning for the Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Industry in Saudi Arabia: A Preemptive Goal Programming Approach
Authors: Alam Teg
Published: February 2023

This research presents a preemptive goal-programming model for sustainable multi-objective production planning for the refrigeration and air conditioning industry in Saudi Arabia. The model was solved using LINGO software, taking into account market demand, production revenue, production time, and production cost data to optimize production planning. The findings showed that the objectives of minimizing production cost, maximizing sales revenue, and maximizing machine utilization were achieved, with no negative or positive deviational variables. The study suggests that by using sensitivity analysis, the company can increase costs by 2.14% to minimize production costs in the following year, but this could result in a 4.37% reduction in revenues. Overall, the goal-programming model demonstrates the potential for the refrigeration and air conditioning industry in Saudi Arabia to achieve its goals for cost optimization, sales revenue maximization, and resource utilization.
Travelling the Metaverse: Potential Benefits and Main Challenges for Tourism Sectors and Research Applications
Authors: Monaco Salvatore , Sacchi Giovanna
Published: February 2023

The paper focuses on analysing the potential benefits and challenges of the Metaverse, particularly in the field of research in the tourism and food and wine sectors. The Metaverse is part of the new generation of the internet known as web 3.0, which also includes AI, blockchain and other digital innovations. The food marketing and tourism sectors are the main fields where companies are experimenting with solutions to offer people a fully functioning immersive Metaverse experience. This paper aims to highlight the potential impact of the Metaverse on tourism sectors as well as on research activities. Open challenges concern the social acceptance, affordability, and environmental sustainability of these technologies. Research is needed on the Metaverse’s ability to reduce bias and accurately simulate real experiences, as well as on tourists’ perceptions, attitudes, and willingness to pay for mediated experiences. Another important issue is the management of sensitive data that will travel through the Metaverse. Looking forward, the Metaverse has the potential to become a valuable tool for advancing tourism research through virtual collaboration and interdisciplinary research projects.
Decision-Making of Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform Supply Chains Considering Information Sharing and Free Shipping
Authors: Guo Libin , Shang Yuxiao
Published: February 2023

For cross-border e-commerce companies with high shipping costs, the existing retailer and the new entrant retailer on the platform are usually concerned with information sharing and free shipping due to the uncertainty of market demand. For this, by establishing a Stackelberg game model between two competing retailers, we analyze the strategy of retailers and explore the business strategies of the cross-border e-commerce platform. The study shows that regarding information-sharing strategies, retailer A’s willingness to share information is positively related to initial market potential and negatively related to market competition intensity. Moreover, retailer B is willing to spend higher information costs to purchase information when the necessity of the product is more elevated. As for a free shipping strategy, if the existing retailer offers free shipping, the new entrant retailer should also offer free shipping service to consumers when the initial market potential is larger. Conversely, when the initial market potential is smaller, the retailer’s willingness to offer free shipping decreases when the intensity of competition in the market increases. When the market tends to be perfectly competitive, the new entrant retailer will not choose a free shipping strategy, and the platform is most profitable when information sharing and free shipping occur simultaneously. However, when the carrier charges a higher shipping fee to customers, the existing retailer is more profitable when the new entrant does not offer free shipping. Therefore, in order to achieve a win-win situation for all parties, the platform needs to develop appropriate operational strategies to influence the decisions of retailers and carriers. Some numerical experiments are made to test the validity of the model and the effect of the parameters involved in the model.
Reasonable Working-Face Size Based on Full Mining of Overburden Failure
Authors: Ding Ziwei , Wang Shaoyi , Liao Jinglong , Li Liang , Jia Jindui , Tang Qingbao , Li Xiaofei , Gao Chengdeng
Published: February 2023

To improve production efficiency and prevent potential disasters in coal mines, comprehensive research methods such as similar simulation, numerical simulation, theoretical analysis, and on-site detection were used in this study. The migration characteristics of overburden rock under different working face lengths and development heights of water-conducting fracture zones were investigated via these methods in order to determine the reasonable length of the working face. The results show that the regularity of the development height of water-conducting fracture zones in similar simulations and numerical simulations is highly consistent, and the final stable values are 48 and 50 m. When the working face length was 300 m, the error between the simulated value and the value calculated from the formula dropped below 10% and exhibited a further decreasing trend; as a result, the working face length of 300 m was found to be the turning point for the development height of the water-conducting fracture zone to become stable. Based on the simulation results and mining damage theory, the critical size of the working face was 307.6 m, and the height of the water-conducting fracture zone was determined to be in the range of 45.5–60.5 m. The actual detection result of the height of the water-conducting fracture zone under the critical size of the working face was 55 m, which conforms to the law obtained from the simulation. Finally, the reasonable working face length under the geological conditions of a coal mine was determined to be 300–400 m. This study offers important reference value for determining the reasonable working face length under similar geological conditions, and may have significance for the sustainable development of coal resource mining.
Investigation of the Corrosion Characteristics and Corrosion Inhibitor Action on J55 Steel in Produced Water
Authors: Li Wangdong , Jing Jiaqiang , Sun Jie , Wang Shuai , Zhang Feng , Wang Hai
Published: February 2023

The corrosion behaviour of J55 steel in typical high-water-cut oil wells and the inhibition effects of different types of corrosion inhibitors were investigated. Using electrochemical experiments, the effects of temperature, Cl−, HCO3−, Ca2+, Mg2+ and pH on the corrosion of J55 steel were studied. Under experimental conditions, the corrosion rate slowed with increasing pH value when the temperature increased from 35 °C to 70 °C. The corrosion rate also increased first and then decreased with increasing Cl−, Ca2+ and Mg2+ ion concentrations, which notably affected the distribution of corrosion pits on the surfaces of the steel. The protection performances of various corrosion inhibitors and corrosion products were evaluated through electrochemical measurements. The results showed that the CT-2, UT2-2 and YC-2 inhibitors had obvious effects on the corrosion prevention of the J55 steel. In particular, the corrosion inhibition efficiencies of the three kinds of carbon steel were remarkable and exceeded 84% when the UT2-2 concentration reached 0.18 g/L.
Study on Dynamic Response of Damper under Gas Explosion Impact
Authors: Li Shujuan , Jia Zhenzhen , Ye Qing
Published: February 2023

Mine ventilation provides fresh air to underground workers. The dampers can provide a qualified fresh air to each demand workplace by adjusting the air volume, which can ensure workers’ health. However, the powerful impact damage caused by gas explosions in the roadway can lead to deformation and damage to the dampers and even cause the breakdown of the ventilation system. At the same time, the impact effects of gas explosions may cause worker fatalities. For this reason, the dynamic response of gas explosions to dampers and their effects need to be studied. Based on the analysis of the damper construction and the damage characteristics of the gas explosion, ANSYS/LS-DYNA software is used to establish a mathematical-physical model of the damper with ventilation-regulating windows of six different sizes. The reliability of the model is verified by comparing the simulated pressure values with the values calculated by the Sadowski equation. The dynamic response characteristics of the dampers under the gas explosion impact are simulated and the displacement, equivalent stress and effective plastic strain of the dampers are measured. Finally, a theoretical analysis is carried out. The study results show that the displacement of the damper increases gradually from the edge to the center and the deformation is symmetrical in the absence of the ventilation-regulating window. The deformation region below the ventilation-regulating window is more obvious when the ventilation-regulating window is installed. The maximum stress of the damper first appears at the four corners of the damper, the stress of the unit at this position increases with the increase of the side length of the ventilation-regulating window. The stress of the unit in the lower left corner of the ventilation-regulating window first increases and then decreases with the increase of the side length of the ventilation-regulating window, and all the stresses of the units first increase and then decrease, and finally, the stresses basically approach a stable value. From the instantaneous ignition to the completion of the final reaction, the plastic strain gradually increases, but the area of the plastic strain region gradually decreases. The damage and deformation of the damper are basically consistent with the situation of the damper in the explosion accident. The research results can provide some theoretical basis and data support for the damper structure selection, damper location selection and setting of ventilation-regulating window.
Comparative Investigation of the Effect of EggshellPowder and Calcium Carbonate as Additivesin Eco-Friendly Polymer Drilling Fluids
Authors: Sid Asma Nour El Houda , Tahraoui Hichem , Kebir Mohammed , Bezzekhami Mohammed Amin , Kouini Benalia , Hassein-Bey Amel Hind , Selma Toumi , Amrane Abdeltif , Imessaoudene Ali , Mouni Lotfi
Published: February 2023

Drilling fluid systems have seen the addition of new natural additives in recent years in order to replace traditional additives, improve their rheological properties, and ensure the functionality of the drilling fluid taking into account health and environmental factors. This paper aims to study and compare the effect of the addition of eggshell powder (ESP) as a native and local additive and calcium carbonate (CC) as a traditional and conventional additive on the rheological and filtration properties of the drilling fluid system based on Na-bentonite of the region of Meghnia (Algeria). The test results of 10, 20, and 30 g of CCwerecompared to the same concentrations of ESP.The findings showed that the CC with various concentrations (10, 20, and 30 g) increases the rheological properties and the mud density while it reduces the filter cake and the fluid loss values which are desirable, calcium carbonate had aslightly higher effect on the pH. The obtained results following the addition of ESP with different ratios revealed that the latter has a considerable impact on the plastic viscosity, the yield point, the gel strength, and the cake thickness. Additionally, the effect of the presence of eggshell as an additive in pH, fluid loss, and mud density was studied; we observed a slight increase in the pH, while the fluid loss values decreased. However, the mud density values increased. Beyond 20 g of eggshell, the properties of the mud becomeundesirable. Moreover, this study contributes tonewfindings and suggests that the utilization of waste food and local goods in drilling mud mixtures has a bright future respecting the percentages of use.
Regional Differences, Dynamic Evolution and Driving Factors Analysis of PM2.5 in the Yangtze River Economic Belt
Authors: Wang Weiguang , Wang Yangyang
Published: February 2023

The proposal of a “dual-carbon” goal puts forward higher requirements for air pollution control. Identifying the spatial-temporal characteristics, regional differences, dynamic evolution, and driving factors of PM2.5 are the keys to formulating targeted haze reduction measures and ameliorating air quality. Therefore, adopting the Dagum Gini Coefficient and its decomposition method, the Kernel Density Estimation model, and spatial quantile regression model, this study analyzes the regional differences, dynamic evolution, and driving factors of PM2.5 concentrations (PM2.5) in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) and the upstream, midstream, and downstream (the three regions) from 2003 to 2018. The study shows that: (1) PM2.5 in the YREB was characterized by increasing first and then decreasing, with evident heterogeneity and spatial agglomeration characteristics. (2) Inter-regional differences and intensity of trans-variation were the primary sources of PM2.5 differences. (3) The density curve of PM2.5 shifted to the left in the YREB and the upstream, midstream, and midstream, suggesting that PM2.5 has declined. (4) Industrial service level (IS) and financial expenditure scale (FES) exerted a significant and negative effect on PM2.5 across the quantiles. On the contrary, population density (PD) showed a significant and positive influence. Except for the 75th quantile, the technology level (TEC) significantly inhibited PM2.5. The remaining variables had a heterogeneous impact on PM2.5 at different quantiles. The above results suggest that regional joint prevention and control mechanisms, collaborative governance mechanisms, and comprehensive policy mix mechanisms should be established to cope with PM2.5 pollution and achieve green, sustainable economic development of the YREB.
Investigation of the Nutrient Composition of Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) under Herbicide Treatment
Authors: Akpasi Stephen Okiemute , Oghenejoboh Kigho Moses , Shoyiga Hassan Oriyomi , Kiambi Sammy Lewis , Mahlangu Thembisile Patience
Published: February 2023

During the 2013 and 2014 harvest seasons, field and laboratory experiments were conducted in Nigeria’s inferred agroecological zone. The nutritive value of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) leaves was evaluated by measuring the levels of carbohydrate, protein, fat, ash, dietary fiber, and moisture content in Telfairia occidentalis using the standard analytical methods. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and repeated four times. Three separate applications of paraquat herbicide (non-selective) at rates of 100, 150, and 200 L ha−1 were applied to the treated plots. Comparative studies of the nutritive value of T. occidentalis were observed in the treatment and control plots. The effects of herbicides showed that the proximate composition of the T. occidentalis leaves of the treated plot was 70% carbohydrate, 29% protein, 1.8% fat, 1.7% dietary fiber, 7.9% ash, and 8.7% moisture. In contrast, the values of the control plots were 6.5% carbohydrate, 1.9% protein, 1.5% fat, 1.2% dietary fiber, 7.0% ash, and 7.9% moisture. The results show that paraquat herbicide spray increased moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrate, ash, and vegetable yields in the treated plot and that T. occidentalis leaves are rich in lipids, fiber, and protein. As a result, the control plot’s fiber, carbohydrate, protein, ash, and moisture content decreased drastically without using paraquat. These results demonstrate that herbicides can affect the nutritional yield of T. occidentalis by eliminating weeds alongside the main crops (T. occidentalis) in the agroecological zone of south-eastern Nigeria. Therefore, if consumed in sufficient quantities, the studied leafy vegetables will significantly contribute to the nutritional needs of human health and the Nigerian population’s food security.
Greenhouse Gases Emissions: Estimating Corporate Non-Reported Emissions Using Interpretable Machine Learning
Authors: Assael Jérémi , Heurtebize Thibaut , Carlier Laurent , Soupé François
Published: February 2023

As of 2022, greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions reporting and auditing are not yet compulsory for all companies, and methodologies of measurement and estimation are not unified. We propose a machine learning-based model to estimate scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions of companies not reporting them yet. Our model, designed to be transparent and completely adapted to this use case, is able to estimate emissions for a large universe of companies. It shows good out-of-sample global performances as well as good out-of-sample granular performances when evaluating it by sectors, countries, or revenue buckets. We also compare the model results to those of other providers and find our estimates to be more accurate. Explainability tools based on Shapley values allow the constructed model to be fully interpretable, the user being able to understand which factors split explains the GHG emissions for each particular company.
Being an Emotional Business Leader in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Importance of Emotions during a Crisis
Authors: Margheritti Simona , Gragnano Andrea , Villa Raffaella , Invernizzi Michele , Ghetti Marco , Miglioretti Massimo
Published: February 2023

The COVID-19 crisis has brought about massive and sudden changes in the way people work and has created new emotional strains on workers. For this reason, being an emotional business leader is necessary for an organization’s survival and employees’ well-being. This qualitative study aims: (1) to explore the quality of emotions expressed by business leaders during the COVID-19 crisis, (2) to go into detail on how business leaders managed their own emotions, and (3) to investigate how they managed emotions shown by employees in their company. We interviewed 38 business leaders from 11 Italian companies. The main emotion reported by the leaders we interviewed was anxiety, caused in part by the development of the pandemic and related to uncertainty about the future. Results also showed that some leaders considered emotions as a secondary matter, or something to overcome for the good of their role. Other leaders showed a higher level of emotional intelligence and were able to empathize with their followers, communicate their vision and feelings, and create positive and constructive relationships. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are also discussed.
CSR Influence on Brand Image and Consumer Word of Mouth: Mediating Role of Brand Trust
Authors: Khan Imran , Fatma Mobin
Published: February 2023

The current study aims to empirically explore consumer perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs and their effects on brand image, brand trust, and positive consumer word of mouth in the context of Indian banking. A non-random sample technique was used, and 328 valid responses were obtained for the study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to analyze the proposed model. According to the study’s findings, consumer perception of CSR positively, significantly, and directly affects brand trust. In the association between CSR and brand image and consumer word of mouth, brand trust has a partial mediating effect. By identifying links between CSR, brand image, and word of mouth by using consumer trust as a crucial mediator, this study aims to advance existing knowledge. As a result, this research adds to the body of CSR literature and investigates CSR’s various implications for marketing outcomes.
Active Learning: A Review of European Studies of Active Lessons
Authors: Bailey Richard , Ries Francis , Heck Sandra , Scheuer Claude
Published: February 2023

Background: Physical activity is a familiar feature in schools worldwide. Its most common justification for inclusion is its distinctive contribution to students’ physical health and fitness and claimed benefits to non-physical aspects of education, such as social skills. Possible effects on cognitive and academic performance are less frequently assumed. This article examines the academic effects of ‘Active Learning’ practices in school classrooms. Our objective was to test the claim that physical activity can enhance curricular achievement and learning, specifically curriculum-focused physical activity and Learning Through Movement. Methods: Using a rapid review methodology, in this article we report on the evidence of contributions of active learning from peer-reviewed publications from 2010 to 2022. Results: The literature generally supported the central hypothesis that students in Active Learning conditions out-performed those in non-active conditions, both during Active Learning tasks and later. Whether this was due to the introduction of physical activity in the specific setting of classroom lessons or physical activity per se remains unclear. Conclusions: To ensure positive outcomes from Active Learning, practices should be planned in association with a series of favourable change mechanisms: proactive leadership, teacher engagement, the ease of finding and implementing Active Learning in sessions, and the genuine integration of Active Learning into curricula and lessons.
Assessment of Energy Efficiency in the European Union Countries in 2013 and 2020
Authors: Karasek Aneta , Fura Barbara , Zajączkowska Magdalena
Published: February 2023

In the face of the current energy crisis and the need to implement the objectives of climate and energy policy, it seems necessary to examine energy efficiency. Accordingly, this article aims to assess the energy efficiency of European Union (EU) countries. The assessment is performed using data envelopment analysis (DEA), a non-parametric method of measurement of relative efficiency. Ireland recorded the highest energy efficiency both in 2013 and 2020. The average efficiency of all countries assessed was lower in 2020 than in 2013. The number of fully efficient countries had decreased in 2020 compared to 2013. The differentiation of countries in terms of energy efficiency had increased in 2020. The research made it possible to express the efficiencies of countries using a single indicator applied to establish countries’ rankings. The lowest-ranked states are encouraged to improve their technologies for transforming inputs into outputs following the technologies of the benchmark countries. Moreover, a new approach to defining and measuring energy efficiency is proposed. We define energy efficiency as the ratio of services, goods and/or energy obtained to the energy input. In analysing energy efficiency, we emphasise dynamic perspectives rather than static ones.
The Impact of Incentive and Reward Systems on Employee Performance in the Saudi Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Industrial Sectors: A Mediating Influence of Employee Job Satisfaction
Authors: Alkandi Ibrahim Ghazi , Khan Mohammed Arshad , Fallatah Mohammed , Alabdulhadi Ahmad , Alanizan Salem , Alharbi Jaithen
Published: February 2023

The three levels of the industrial sector in Saudi Arabia (primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors) are collectively regarded as a pillar of the economy, with great potential that offers attractive job prospects. Therefore, the success of Saudi private sector companies and foreign companies operating in the Kingdom is pivotal. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of incentives and rewards on the performance of employees in the Saudi industrial sectors, and the role of job satisfaction in this relationship. The research population consisted of employees working with the industrial sectors in Eastern Region in Saudi Arabia, and the sample comprised 216 full-time employees. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used as a statistical method for testing the hypotheses. The results demonstrated that there is an insignificant direct effect between incentives and rewards, and employees’ performance. However, evidence shows a significant direct effect between incentives and rewards, and job satisfaction, as well as a significant direct effect between the mediating variable, job satisfaction, and performance. Furthermore, when job satisfaction acts as a mediator, the influence of incentives and rewards on employees’ performance is significant. The research findings have notable theoretical and practical implications for incentive and rewards systems. The present study seeks to further our understanding of the incentive and reward effect on employees’ performance by examining job satisfaction as a mediating variable to the relationship. Additionally, the study attempts to explain how the relationship between proposed variables works in Saudi cultural context, which differs than Western contexts where most of the previous studies have been conducted. Analyzing employee job satisfaction as a mediator facilitates a better understanding of how and why different forms of incentives and rewards enhance employees’ behavior at work.
A Hybrid Heuristic Algorithm Using Artificial Agents for Data Replication Problem in Distributed Systems
Authors: Arasteh Bahman , Sefati Seyed , Halunga Simona , Fratu Octavian , Allahviranloo Tofigh
Published: February 2023

One of the key issues with large distributed systems, such as IoT platforms, is gaining timely access to data objects. As a result, decreasing the operation time of reading and writing data in distributed communication systems become essential demands for asymmetric system. A common method is to replicate the data objects across multiple servers. Replica placement, which can be performed statically or dynamically, is critical to the effectiveness of distributed systems in general. Replication and placing them on the best available data servers in an optimal manner is an NP-complete optimization problem. As a result, several heuristic strategies for replica placement in distributed systems have been presented. The primary goals of this research are to reduce the cost of data access time, reduce the number of replicas, and increase the reliability of the algorithms for placing replicas. In this paper, a discretized heuristic algorithm with artificial individuals and a hybrid imitation method were developed. In the proposed method, particle and gray-wolf-based individuals use a local memory and velocity to search for optimal solutions. The proposed method includes symmetry in both local and global searches. Another contribution of this research is the development of the proposed optimization algorithm for solving the data object replication problem in distributed systems. Regarding the results of simulations on the standard benchmark, the suggested method gives a 35% reduction in data access time with about six replicates. Furthermore, the standard deviation among the results obtained by the proposed method is about 0.015 which is lower than the other methods in the same experiments; hence, the method is more stable than the previous methods during different executions.
Cultural Integration and Rural Tourism Development: A Scoping Literature Review
Authors: Tang Muyan , Xu Hongzhang
Published: February 2023

Rural tourism plays an increasing role in maintaining sustainable rural development. Integrating culture into rural tourism is multifaceted. Local communities have often been regarded as homogeneous, and different voices within them are selectively presented or re-interpreted by those in power. A better understanding of how and why cultures are integrated into rural tourism is urgently needed. This paper aims to investigate (1) the aims and motives of tourism managers to integrate cultural concepts into rural tourism; (2) who has participated in the cultural integration process; and (3) how cultures have been integrated into rural tourism. Based on a scoping literature review, we found that cultures could add more attractions, such as historical heritage, artwork, cultural landscape, customs, food, and language, to the natural landscape and bring more tourists to rural areas. However, integrating cultures into rural tourism is not always successful. Conflicts of interest among different stakeholders are also often found. Some of the worst cases of cultural integration have even destroyed the original natural landscape and local cultures. While cultural integration is complicated, injustice and perverse effects do not have to be a consequence of integrating cultures into rural tourism. Multi-way communication among tourism providers, managers, and consumers can mitigate disruptive outcomes and unlock positive social outcomes.