bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Participation of Electric Vehicle Aggregators in Ancillary Services Considering Users’ Preferences
Authors: Clairand Jean-Michel
Published: December 2019

Growing environmental concerns have contributed to urban transit alternatives, such as Electric Vehicles (EVS). As a result, the market for EVs is growing each year, which are a solution to mitigate these concerns. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Although EVs present several environmental advantages, a massive introduction of them could generate power systems issues. Several works have proposed strategies to mitigate those issues. Since EVs posses batteries with significant capacity, they could provide services to the power grid, such as ancillary services. Thus, this paper presents a methodology where EVs could participate in Secondary frequency response through an EV aggregator. Moreover, EV user’s preferences are taken into account to facilitate their participation. The case study of Quito, Ecuador is considered. The results of this methodology show that the EV aggregator has a significant potential for providing electricity market regulation services, especially in view of the use of V2G mode.
Regional Inequality of Firms’ Export Opportunity in China: Geographical Location and Economic Openness
Authors: Li Peixin , Li Lixia , Zhang Xueliang
Published: December 2019

China has a large land area and uneven regional development. There are significant disparities between the three belts (eastern, central, and western China), with the eastern region being the most developed and the western region the least developed. Considering that export is regarded as one of the troikas for China’s economic growth and firms are the basic entities engaged in trade activities, we examine whether there exists inequality of firms’ export opportunity between the three regions. We find that the critical productivity level of firms’ export in developed eastern China is significantly lower than that of western and central regions. Our results indicate that firms in eastern China are more likely to export and there is an obvious inequality of firms’ exporting opportunities.
Assessing the Impact of Cultural Intelligence on Sustainable Career Competitive Advantage for Students in College of Design
Authors: Tu Jui-Che , Zhang Xiu-Yue , Chiu Shu-Ping
Published: December 2019

In culturally diverse career settings, some designers are performing more effectively than others. The competence and intelligence behind their performance are crucial to sustainable career development in the highly competitive and globalized design industry. We believe that cultural intelligence (or CQ as a shorthand label) is highly required in such cross-cultural design situations, and it could be trained and improved through design education. Therefore, to better prepare students in design colleges for sustainable career development, we extend and assess the CQ model in design education. We begin the study by determining the demographic differences of design students in terms of CQ, then clarify associations between CQ and competitive advantage. The results of variance analyses using both a t-test and ANOVA showed that education level had a significant effect on two dimensions of CQ (cognitive and motivational CQs), whereas gender, age, and design field did not have significant effects on any dimensions of CQ. Further, step-wise regression analyses demonstrated that three dimensions of CQ (motivational, metacognitive, and behavioral CQs) had significant impacts on competitive advantage. Based on these results, theoretical and practical implications, as well as suggestions for future studies, are further discussed.
Investigation and Analysis of Medication Disposal in Hospitals and Community Pharmacies in Taiwan
Authors: Wang Tzu-Chueh , Ku Pou-Jen , Lu Hai-Lin , Hsu Kung-Chuan , Trezise Damien , Hong Yu-Hsuan
Published: December 2019

Taiwan offers affordable access to health care through the National Health Insurance (NHI) Program, but this increases the risk of waste of medications and pollution caused by improper disposal. This research aimed to: (1) understand methods of disposal of unused medications, and public awareness of related issues, (2) understand the sources and types of unused medications and reasons for their disposal, and (3) propose improvements to current disposal practices. Data on practices and perspectives on the disposal of medications were collected from members of the public using a questionnaire, and subjected to chi-square analysis of demographic variables. The survey found that many respondents disposed of medications inappropriately, but most believed the government should establish a return system. The majority of discarded medications came from hospitals, and were most frequently discarded because patients had forgotten to take them. Based on these findings, the study proposes that receiving stations be established across Taiwan for the safe and environmentally friendly disposal of unused medications, along with a system of monthly checks and compensation for pharmacists’ costs. The study also suggests that pharmacists strengthen medication guidance, spend more time on medication counseling, better understand the reasons for medication waste, and offer health education and advice to physicians and the public.
Monitoring Phenology in the Temperate Grasslands of China from 1982 to 2015 and Its Relation to Net Primary Productivity
Authors: Zhang Chaobin , Zhang Ying , Wang Zhaoqi , Li Jianlong , Odeh Inakwu
Published: December 2019

Both vegetation phenology and net primary productivity (NPP) are crucial topics under the background of global change, but the relationships between them are far from clear. In this study, we quantified the spatial-temporal vegetation start (SOS), end (EOS), and length (LOS) of the growing season and NPP for the temperate grasslands of China based on a 34-year time-series (1982–2015) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from global inventory modeling and mapping studies (GIMMS) and meteorological data. Then, we demonstrated the relationships between NPP and phenology dynamics. The results showed that more than half of the grasslands experienced significant changes in their phenology and NPP. The rates of their changes exhibited spatial heterogeneity, but their phenological changes could be roughly divided into three different clustered trend regions, while NPP presented a polarized pattern that increased in the south and decreased in the north. Different trend zones’ analyses revealed that phenology trends accelerated after 1997, which was a turning point. Prolonged LOS did not necessarily increase the current year’s NPP. SOS correlated with the NPP most closely during the same year compared to EOS and LOS. Delayed SOS contributed to increasing the summer NPP, and vice versa. Thus, SOS could be a predictor for current year grass growth. In view of this result, we suggest that future studies should further explore the mechanisms of SOS and plant growth.
Experimental Study on the Optimum Preparation of Bentonite–Steel Slag Composite Particles
Authors: Zhan Xinhui , Xiao Liping , Liang Bing
Published: December 2019

Novel multifunctional adsorbent bentonite–steel slag composite particles (BSC) were developed for highly efficient and synergistic treatment of heavy metal ions in acid mine drainage (AMD). Single-factor experiments were performed to examine the influence of different parameters on the adsorption effect, alkalinity release quantity, and loss rate of the composite particles. Based on these results, an L9(43) orthogonal experiment was carried out, and the optimum levels and order of the factors were determined by range analysis. Finally, the optimum preparation process of the composite particles was determined: a bentonite–steel slag proportion of 5:5, Na2CO3 content of 5%, aging time of 12 h, calcination particle size of 2 mm, calcination temperature of 500 °C, and calcination time of 60 min. The isothermal adsorption of optimum BSC fit well with Langmuir and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) isotherms ( R 2 R 2 > 0.997). A synergistic adsorption–coagulation effect occurs, leading to the appearance of multiple layers locally on the surface of BSC, which satisfies the BET model. To understand the preparation mechanism of the BSC, bentonite, steel slag, uncalcined BSC, and the optimum BSC were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results indicate that calcination led to an increase in the average pore radius, total pore volume, and specific surface area (SBET) in the optimum BSC; numerous pores were present on its layered surface. Although the layer spacing increased after calcination, the structure of the dioctahedra remained unchanged. Exchangeable Na+, montmorillonite, and alkaline components were present between the optimum BSC layers. Water and impurities were removed after calcination. The BSC not only released an alkalinity-neutralising acid but also induced a synergistic adsorption–coagulation effect that removed heavy metal ions. It is an excellent multifunctional protective material for the mining environment, that can treat AMD-containing heavy metal ions.
An Assessment of Lean Design Management Practices in Construction Projects
Authors: Herrera Rodrigo F. , Mourgues Claudio , Alarcón Luis Fernando , Pellicer Eugenio
Published: December 2019

Evidence exists for the application of lean management practices in the design process. However, there is no systematic review of this type of practice that links the design management practices to the lean construction principles. There is no tool to assess the level of use of lean design management practices in construction projects either. Therefore, this paper aims to assess the lean management practices that are performed at the design phase of construction projects. The research was divided into a literature review of design management practices; a validation of lean design management practices with a practice–principle relationship, based on an expert survey; the devolvement of a tool (questionnaire) to evaluate the lean design management practices; and an assessment in 64 construction projects (coherence, reliability, correlation, and descriptive analysis). It is concluded that evidence exists for the implementation of 19 lean design management practices. These practices are grouped into three categories: stakeholder management, planning and control, and problem solving and decision making. Additionally, in the assessment of the 64 projects, it can be observed that the lean design management practices are at initial levels of implementations, so there is a significant development gap. This research proposes a tool to assess management practices in the design phase of construction projects; then, the study identifies implementations gaps, it provides benchmarks with other projects, and it improves the design process through a taxonomy of lean design management practices.
LCA Analysis of Grafted Tomato Seedling Production in Turkey
Authors: Mencet Yelboğa Makbule Nisa
Published: December 2019

Seedling grafting is an essential technique that is often expressed as the fusion of two different small plants to make an organism with superior properties. Grafted seedlings have strategic and economic importance because they affect the yield of other agricultural products and final product quality. However, grafted seedling production consumes more resources than normal seedlings; therefore, its environmental effects carry great importance for sustainable agricultural production whilst in life-cycle assessment (LCA) literature, little research exists about this subject. This cradle-to-farm-gate LCA study focuses on grafted tomato seedling production in Antalya, Turkey and original data compiled by face-to-face surveys with seedling producers are used. It aims to analyze and discuss the environmental impacts of energy, fertilizers, pesticides, disinfectants, peat, perlite, vermiculite, inserts, trays, grafting sticks, clips, plastic sheeting, packaging used in production. Findings reveal that coal for greenhouse heating in the energy category and expanded polystyrene (EPS) trays in supporting materials category have higher impacts. Therefore, rigid plastic alternatives of EPS with higher recycling potential are discussed. After creating a scenario to compare EPS and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as raw materials, the results indicate that HDPE has lower damage potential than EPS in the human health, ecosystems, and resources categories.
Effective Teaching and Activities of Excellent Teachers for the Sustainable Development of Higher Design Education
Authors: Lai Yi-Chen , Peng Li-Hsun
Published: December 2019

Education for sustainable development (ESD) is regarded as a key element of high-quality education. Hence, the United Nations proposed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, in an attempt to achieve the harmony and shared prosperity between humans and the Earth, and advocate for fair and high-quality education. With the aim of exploring “high-quality sustainable teaching”, this study intends to probe into the idea and meaning of the high-quality design education for sustainable development and elaborate on the teaching effectiveness and sustainable teaching activities by the teachers of higher design education. According to the research results, the effectiveness of high-quality teaching is introduced in seven categories, as follows: (1) Faith in sustainability in teaching, (2) the trend of talent demand, (3) the teaching value of sustainability, (4) curriculum mapping, (5) teaching approach, (6) teaching evaluation, (7) the sustainable management of teaching development. The factors of high-quality teaching include: The teacher has passion for teaching, the teacher pays attention to the student’s independent learning ability, the teacher intrigues student’s interest in learning, the teacher places emphasis on furnishing the student with professionalism and confidence, the teacher highlights learning through doing to increase the student’s competitiveness in the job fair, the teacher reviews teaching effectiveness and makes progress in pursuing the value of high-quality ESD.
Numerical Simulation of the Aeroelastic Response of Wind Turbines in Typhoons Based on the Mesoscale WRF Model
Authors: Wang Long , Chen Cheng , Wang Tongguang , Wang Weibin
Published: December 2019

A new simulation method for the aeroelastic response of wind turbines under typhoons is proposed. The mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used to simulate a typhoon’s average wind speed field. The measured power spectrum and inverse Fourier transform method were coupled to simulate the pulsating wind speed field. Based on the modal method and beam theory, the wind turbine model was constructed, and the GH-BLADED commercial software package was used to calculate the aerodynamic load and aeroelastic response. The proposed method was applied to assess aeroelastic response characteristics of a commercial 6 MW offshore wind turbine under different wind speeds and direction variation patterns for the case study of typhoon Hagupit (2008), with a maximal wind speed of 230 km/h. The simulation results show that the typhoon’s average wind speed field and turbulence characteristics simulated by the proposed method are in good agreement with the measured values: Their difference in the main flow direction is only 1.7%. The scope of the wind turbine blade in the typhoon is significantly larger than under normal wind, while that under normal operation is higher than that under shutdown, even at low wind speeds. In addition, an abrupt change in wind direction has a significant impact on wind turbine response characteristics. Under normal operation, a sharp variation of the wind direction by 90 degrees in 6 s increases the wind turbine (WT) vibration scope by 27.9% in comparison with the case of permanent wind direction. In particular, the maximum deflection of the wind tower tip in the incoming flow direction reaches 28.4 m, which significantly exceeds the design standard safety threshold.
Pay Me Later is Not Always Positively Associated with Bank Risk Reduction—From the Perspective of Long-Term Compensation and Black Box Effect
Authors: Ma Tianyi , Jiang Minghui , Yuan Xuchuan
Published: December 2019

The relationship between executive compensation and bank risk-taking is one of the core topics of corporate governance theory. Especially after the 2008 global financial crisis, due to the characteristics of banks, such as systemic risk, this relationship has become more important. However, though usually calculated on the basis of cash salary and inside equity, which can promote risk incentives, inside debt was considered a tool for risk reduction in prior empirical analyses. Based on actual bank situations, we had doubts about this relationship and wanted to verify the specific relationship between inside debt and risk. We initiated this research by setting up a theoretical model between inside debt and bank default risk and by simulating the result using data from Wells Fargo & Co. to draw the function image. We are the first to define the three kinds of compensation in three dimensions. Then, considering bankruptcy, we found the black box effect exists. Therefore, different from prior views, pay me later not only reduces but also increases risk. We expect our findings to offer help to the formulation of policies for pay contracts.
Sustainable Road Maintenance Planning in Developing Countries Based on Pavement Management Systems: Case Study in Baja California, México
Authors: Montoya-Alcaraz Marco , Mungaray-Moctezuma Alejandro , García Leonel
Published: December 2019

The objective of this research is to develop a useful procedure that allows the collection, analysis, processing and updating of pavement conditions data, with the vision of generating inputs for the implementation of sustainable strategies for maintenance and rehabilitation of roads, based on pavement management systems. The relevance of this proposal lies in the fact that road management agencies in most of the developing countries have limited resources, staff and data to plan the interventions carried out on road networks. The proposed model comes from a work that has been done since 2014 to date, on the Centinela-La Rumorosa Highway, located in the state of Baja California, Mexico. Results integrate data gathered from analyzing the surface and structural conditions of its pavement and the study area, as well as the operating conditions of the road, including a georeferencing process in order to determine critical points in the network, and simulation to determine the effects of maintenance work carried out annually. It is concluded that the proposed planning model contributes to the improvement of highway performance, since it allows planning and administering the allocation of resources in making appropriate maintenance and rehabilitation decisions. Additionally, it allows to generate valuable inputs for pavement management systems implementation. The foregoing allows road management agencies in developing countries to provide a quality transportation system to their users.
Experimental Study on the Effect of Advancing Speed and Stoping Time on the Energy Release of Overburden in an Upward Mining Coal Working Face with a Hard Roof
Authors: Cui Feng , Yang Yanbin , Lai Xingping , Jia Chong , Shan Pengfei
Published: December 2019

In order to study the influence of advancing speed and stoping time of a coal face on the scale and frequency of rock burst, the energy release characteristics of an overburden fracture under six advancing speeds and four stoping times are studied by theoretical analysis and similar simulation experiments. The distribution characteristics of microseismic events before and after stoppage are compared, and the load/unload response ratio is introduced to analyze the relationship between the synergistic effect of advancing speed and stoping time and the characteristics of microseismic events in coal and rock mass. The mechanism of rock burst induced by the advancing speed and stoping time effect in the working face is studied, and the coordinated regulation and mitigation of advancing speed and stoping time are analyzed and completed. The results show that the effect of advancement speed and stoping time is very important to the energy release of overburden. The energy released by microseismic events during stoping is exponentially related to the advancing speed. The change of advancing speed causes the change of microseismic event characteristics, reflecting the evolution process of overburden structure and its energy. During stoping, the secondary microseismic events disturbed by mining occur frequently, leading to the significant difference of energy released by microseismic events during stoping. After stoping, the microseismic energy is more than four times higher than that during the stop period, and the risk of coal seam impact is high during the stope period. The synergetic change of advancement speed and stoping time changes the cycle of energy accumulation and release. The response ratio of loading and unloading considering the effect of advancement speed and stoping time is established by using the corresponding ratio of loading and unloading, and the impact risk of the coal seam is quantitatively analyzed. Based on the monitoring and analysis of microseismic events, the safety mining index of coordinated control with the energy of a single microseismic event of 180 J is established, and the best advancing speed of the working face is determined to be 4 m/d. According to the corresponding ratio of loading and unloading, the reasonable stoping time of different advancing speeds and the corresponding advancing speed of different stoping times after the resumption of mining are determined, so as to provide a reference for the safe and efficient mining of similar rock burst mines.
Green Strategic Planning Approach for International Shipping Activities
Authors: Wu Xiaofang , Zhang Luoping , Feng Huan
Published: December 2019

Sustainability is a long-term and ultimate goal for international shipping, although it is slowly making progress. The shipping perspective that moves away from “port-to-port” operations to “door-to-door” services also requires international shipping to take a long-term and holistic view instead of fragmented efforts. How to achieve the long-term sustainability goal becomes a key issue for door-to-door international shipping. Hence, green strategic planning for door-to-door international shipping was proposed with green development that puts forward the eco-centric point of view as its basic theory for sustainability. This study used a strategic decision-making approach, a so-called multi-dimensional decision-making (MDDM), coupled with the life-cycle thinking and continual improvement of ISO 14000, to achieve strategic planning for door-to-door international shipping aiming at sustainability. A case study showed an example of potential framework and/or methodology for the door-to-door international shipping, which integrates green development principles into international shipping planning to reach the long-term goal of sustainability, and meet the needs of the “door-to-door” logistics. It not only points out the general environmental problems but also identifies many critical issues for sustainability in international shipping. As a result, this study developed an approach and methods for sustainable door-to-door international shipping based on the proactively strategic decision-making associated with green development.
A Preliminary Attempt at the Identification and Financial Estimation of the Negative Health Effects of Urban and Industrial Air Pollution Based on the Agglomeration of Gdańsk
Authors: Czechowski Piotr O. , Dąbrowiecki Piotr , Oniszczuk-Jastrząbek Aneta , Bielawska Michalina , Czermański Ernest , Owczarek Tomasz , Rogula-Kopiec Patrycja , Badyda Artur
Published: December 2019

This article marks the first attempt on Polish and European scale to identify the relationship between urban and industrial air pollution and the health conditions of urban populations, while also estimating the financial burden of incidence rates among urban populations for diseases selected in the course of this study as having a causal relation with such incidence. This paper presents the findings of a pilot study based on general regression models, intended to explore air pollutants with a statistically relevant impact on the incidence of selected diseases within the Agglomeration of Gdańsk in the years 2010–2018. In discussing the city’s industrial functions, the study takes into consideration the existence within its limits of a large port that services thousands of ships every year, contributing substantially to the volume of emissions (mainly NOx and PM) to the air. The causes considered include the impact of air pollution, seasonality, land- and sea-based emissions, as well as their mutual interactions. All of the factors and their interactions have a significant impact (p ≤ 0.05) on the incidence of selected diseases in the long term (9 years). The source data were obtained from the Polish National Health Fund (NFZ), the Agency for Regional Monitoring of Atmosphere in the Agglomeration of Gdańsk (ARMAAG), the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection (GIOŚ), and the Port of Gdańsk Harbourmaster. The study used 60 variables representing the diseases, classified into 19 groups. The resulting findings were used to formulate a methodology for estimating the financial burden of the negative health effects of air pollution for the agglomeration, and will be utilized as a reference point for further research in selected regions of Poland.
Sustainability as a Key Factor in Tourism Competitiveness: A Global Analysis
Authors: Rodríguez-Díaz Beatriz , Pulido-Fernández Juan Ignacio
Published: December 2019

The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between sustainability and tourism competitiveness and potential differences in these parameters between geographical regions. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) of the World Economic Forum is most commonly used to measure tourism competitiveness, however, this index has been criticized by some academics. We propose a synthetic indicator (Imα) using the multicriteria double reference point method, which can measure tourism competitiveness more accurately by applying different degrees of substitutability among pillars. The Sustainable Development Index (SDG Index) frames the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals and was used to analyze sustainability data. The new tourism competitiveness index (Imα) was obtained at both the global and regional level. It is important to note that some countries have a different ranking in the regional and global tourism competitiveness indexes, which shows a different behaviors among regions. The relationship between sustainability and tourism competitiveness is positive in all the analyses performed, though it is stronger when calculated without allowing substitutability, especially when considering the regional index. These trends show the value of this regional study of tourism competitiveness, because in addition to helping managers develop strategies to improve tourism competitiveness, it allows them to know the effect that these strategies will have on sustainability.
The Modelling of Roof Installation Projects Using Decision Trees and the AHP Method
Authors: Maceika Augustinas , Bugajev Andrej , Šostak Olga R.
Published: December 2019

In this work, the process of roofing projects’ execution is considered. The proper analysis of this process is important to optimise the behaviour of a project’s participants and to perform risk evaluation. The main result of this work is methodology, which can be used to optimise a project owner’s decisions and potentially can be applied for risk control or integrated into expert systems. This methodology includes the application of a decision tree and AHP (analytic hierarchy process) method to perform the modelling for roof installation project selection. In the proposed approach, a decision tree describes the process with nodes representing the states of a project. The tree includes the decision on whether to sell the project results or not, which requires the estimation of the subjective opinion of the project owner. These subjective values are used in the decision tree leaves. We propose to perform this estimation with the AHP method and describe how to do it in this paper. A particular example was considered. The proposed methodology was applied to that case, and all details of the process and results are provided. Using the proposed methodology, the adapted version of a specific, current situation model of project participants’ behaviours can be formed, allowing one to make the most efficient decisions in the light of the existing constraints. The application of results can increase the investor protection and contribute to the general sustainability of investments.
Characteristics and Determinants of Livelihood Diversification of Different Household Types in Far Northwestern China
Authors: Dai Xuhuan , Wu Zhilong , Fan Yao , Li Bo , Yang Zihan , Nan Bo , Bi Xu
Published: December 2019

Livelihood diversification is beneficial to mitigate economic and environmental risks and to improve livelihood sustainability and regional sustainable development. Unsettled herder households (UHH), settled herder households (SHH) and farmer households (FH) are different household types in far northwestern China whose livelihood diversification has not been fully explored. By applying a framework of livelihood diversification, this paper presents a comparative analysis of the characteristics and determinants of the diversification of the three household types. The results show that livelihood assets have been unequally distributed, with FH possessing the least assets; however, FH are better than UHH and SHH in the diversification of livelihood activities. Agriculture remains the most important livelihood source. The high-income groups of the three household types have a higher number of livelihood activities but do not necessarily hold an advantage in equality of livelihood activities. Labor capacity and income are positively related to the number of livelihood activities for the three household types. Livestock size is negatively associated with the number of activities of herders. Moreover, age and subsidy have negative impacts on the number of activities for UHH. Based on the findings, we provide policy suggestions on livelihood enhancement and sustainable and effective development of pastoral regions.
Knowledge Mapping Analysis of Rural Landscape Using CiteSpace
Authors: Wu Yunong , Wang Huijie , Wang Zhexiao , Zhang Bin , Meyer Burghard C.
Published: December 2019

This study visualizes and quantifies extant publications of rural landscape research (RLR) in Web of Science using CiteSpace for a wide range of research topics, from a multi-angle analysis of the overall research profile, while providing a method and approach for quantitative analysis of massive literature data. First, it presents the number of papers published, subject distribution, author network, the fundamental condition of countries, and research organizations involved in RLR through network analysis. Second, it identifies the high-frequency and high betweenness-centrality values of the basic research content of RLR through keyword co-occurrence analysis and keyword time zones. Finally, it identifies research fronts and trending topics of RLR in the decade from 2009 to 2018 by using co-citation clustering, and noun-term burst detection. The results show that basic research content involves protection, management, biodiversity, and land use. Five clearer research frontier pathways and top 20 research trending topics are extracted to show diversified research branch development. All this provides the reader with a general preliminary grasp of RLR, showing that cooperation and analysis involving multiple disciplines, specialties, and angles will become a dominant trend in the field.
Vegetation Response to Urban Landscape Spatial Pattern Change in the Yangtze River Delta, China
Authors: Cao Yu , Wang Yucen , Li Guoyu , Fang Xiaoqian
Published: December 2019

Urbanization has destroyed and fragmented large amounts of natural habitats, resulting in serious consequences for urban ecosystems over past decades, especially in the rapidly urbanizing areas of developing countries. The Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, which has experienced the fastest socioeconomic development in China, was selected as the study area. To explore the relationship between urbanization and vegetation dynamics at the agglomeration scale, the spatiotemporal characteristics of urban expansion and vegetation variation of the study area were evaluated by landscape spatial analysis, regression analysis, and trend analysis. The results show that the urbanization level of the study area exhibited a continuous upward trend, with Shanghai as the regional core city, and the level of urbanization gradually decreased from the center towards the periphery of the urban agglomeration. The overall urban expansion presented obvious landscape spatial heterogeneity characteristics and the emergence of new cities and towns enhanced landscape connectedness and created a more aggregated urban agglomeration. Noticeable spatiotemporal differences of vegetation variation were observed from 2004 to 2013. Areas with relatively low vegetation coverage showed a steady growth trend, while those with higher vegetation coverage reported a significant decreasing trend. The spatial heterogeneity analysis of the vegetation trend demonstrated that vegetation degradation was a dominant and inevitable process across the study area. However, some parts of the urban sprawl area, especially at the periphery of the metropolis, may experience a greening trend rather than a browning trend, indicating that urbanization does not necessarily lead to large-scale vegetation degradation. Although urbanization poses a negative impact on vegetation and physical environments, urbanization has not yet reduced a large area of vegetation at the regional level.
Compassion Fatigue, Compassion Satisfaction, and Burnout in Oncology Nurses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ortega-Campos Elena , Vargas-Román Keyla , Velando-Soriano Almudena , Suleiman-Martos Nora , Cañadas-de la Fuente Guillermo A. , Albendín-García Luis , Gómez-Urquiza José L.
Published: December 2019

Professionals working in cancer care are exposed to strong sources of stress. Due to the special characteristics of this unit, the appearance of burnout, compassion fatigue, and low compassion satisfaction is more likely. The principal aim was to analyze the levels and prevalence of burnout, compassion fatigue, and low compassion satisfaction in oncology nurses and interventions for its treatment. The search for the systematic review was done in Medline, ProQuest, Lilacs, CINAHL, Scopus, Scielo, and PsycINFO databases, with the search equation “burnout AND nurs* AND oncology AND compassion fatigue”. The results obtained from the 15 studies confirmed that there are levels of risk of suffering burnout and compassion fatigue among nursing professionals, affecting more women and nurses with more years of experience, with nurses from oncology units having one of the highest levels of burnout and compassion fatigue. The oncology nurse sample was n = 900. The meta-analytic estimations were 19% for low compassion satisfaction, 56% for medium and high burnout, BO, and 60% for medium and high compassion fatigue. The increase in cases of burnout and compassion fatigue in nursing staff can be prevented and minimized with a correct evaluation and development of intervention programs, considering that there are more women than men and that they seem to be more vulnerable.
Dynamic Evolution of Knowledge Sharing Behavior among Enterprises in the Cluster Innovation Network Based on Evolutionary Game Theory
Authors: Kong Xiaodan , Xu Qi , Zhu Tao
Published: December 2019

Knowledge sharing behavior based on the cluster innovation network has become the primary measure for enterprises to realize sustainable innovation. In order to promote the proactive knowledge sharing behavior among enterprises in the long term, the dynamic evolutionary process and law of knowledge sharing in the network need to be further studied. As different from the hypothesis of the rational man in the classical game theory, this paper establishes an evolutionary game model of knowledge sharing behavior in the cluster innovation network based on the evolutionary game theory, and discusses how the bounded rational enterprises can achieve the evolutionary equilibrium through continuously adaptive learning and strategy optimization, further explores the influence factors on the evolutionary trajectory. Combined with mathematical derivation and simulation analysis, the following results are obtained: over time, the dynamic evolution of knowledge sharing behavior in the cluster innovation network is influenced by initial states of the system, but can always reach the evolutionary stable equilibrium; factors such as synergy revenue have a positive impact on the evolutionary results, while factors such as opportunity interest have a negative impact on the evolutionary results; the factor of revenue distribution has a U-shape relationship with the evolutionary results, and the factor of direct revenue has no effect on the results. The results are expected to have an implication for improving the sustainable innovation development of enterprises in the cluster innovation network.
A System Engineering Approach Using FMEA and Bayesian Network for Risk Analysis—A Case Study
Authors: Rastayesh Sima , Bahrebar Sajjad , Blaabjerg Frede , Zhou Dao , Wang Huai , Dalsgaard Sørensen John
Published: December 2019

This paper uses a system engineering approach based on the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) methodology to do risk analysis of the power conditioner of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC). Critical components with high risk, common cause failures and effects are identified for the power conditioner system as one of the crucial parts of the PEMFCs used for backup power applications in the telecommunication industry. The results of this paper indicate that the highest risk corresponds to three failure modes including high leakage current due to the substrate interface of the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), current and electrolytic evaporation of capacitor, and thereby short circuit, loss of gate control, and increased leakage current due to gate oxide of the MOSFET. The MOSFETs, capacitors, chokes, and transformers are critical components of the power stage, which should be carefully considered in the development of the design production and implementation stage. Finally, Bayesian networks (BNs) are used to identify the most critical failure causes in the MOSFET and capacitor as they are classified from the FMEA as key items based on their Risk Priority Numbers (RPNs). As a result of BNs analyses, high temperature and overvoltage are distinguished as the most crucial failure causes. Consequently, it is recommended for designers to pay more attention to the design of MOSFETs’ failure due to high leakage current owing to substrate interface, which is caused by high temperature. The results are emphasizing design improvement in the material in order to be more resistant from high temperature.
Student Teachers’ Knowledge to Enable Problem-Solving for Sustainable Development
Authors: Richter-Beuschel Lisa , Bögeholz Susanne
Published: December 2019

Education is a central strategy in terms of sustainable development (SD) and can contribute to solving global challenges like biodiversity loss and climate change. Content knowledge represents one base for teaching education for sustainable development (ESD). Therefore, identifying teaching and learning prerequisites regarding SD challenges in teacher education is crucial. The focus of the paper was to assess and learn more about student teachers’ procedural knowledge regarding issues of biodiversity and climate change, by using an expert benchmark. The aims of the study are to describe and identify (i) differences between students’ and experts’ effectiveness estimations, (ii) differences in bachelor and master students’ procedural knowledge, and (iii) differences between procedural knowledge of students studying different ESD-relevant subjects. Student teachers at eight German universities (n = 236) evaluated the effectiveness of solution strategies to SD challenges. The results showed high deviations in the effectiveness estimations of experts and students and, therefore, differing procedural knowledge. The lack of student teachers’ interdisciplinary knowledge to reduce biodiversity loss and climate change seemed to be largely independent of their study program and ESD-relevant subject. One reason for this may be the generally low number of ESD-relevant courses they attended. This study suggests further longitudinal research in order to make clear statements about changes in SD-related knowledge during teacher education.
Entropy-Based Face Recognition and Spoof Detection for Security Applications
Authors: Pujol Francisco A. , Pujol María José , Rizo-Maestre Carlos , Pujol Mar
Published: December 2019

Nowadays, cyber attacks are becoming an extremely serious issue, which is particularly important to prevent in a smart city context. Among cyber attacks, spoofing is an action that is increasingly common in many areas, such as emails, geolocation services or social networks. Identity spoofing is defined as the action by which a person impersonates a third party to carry out a series of illegal activities such as committing fraud, cyberbullying, sextorsion, etc. In this work, a face recognition system is proposed, with an application to the spoofing prevention. The method is based on the Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) descriptor. Since different face regions do not have the same information for the recognition process, introducing entropy would quantify the importance of each face region in the descriptor. Therefore, entropy is added to increase the robustness of the algorithm. Regarding face recognition, our approach has been tested on three well-known databases (ORL, FERET and LFW) and the experiments show that adding entropy information improves the recognition rate significantly, with an increase over 40% in some of the considered databases. Spoofing tests has been implemented on CASIA FASD and MIFS databases, having obtained again better results than similar texture descriptors approaches.
Is the World Becoming a Better or a Worse Place? A Data-Driven Analysis
Authors: Pileggi Salvatore F.
Published: December 2019

Is the World becoming a better or a worse place to live? In this paper, we propose a tool that can help to answer the question by combining a number of global indicators belonging to multiple categories. The proliferation of statistical data about various aspects of the World performance may suggest that it should be “easy” to evaluate the overall success of human enterprise on this planet. Moreover, it also points out the intrinsic importance in the selection of indicators. However, people have different values, biases, and preferences about the importance of various indicators, making it almost impossible to find an objective answer to this question. To address the variety and the heterogeneity of available indicators and world views, we present the analysis of global World performance as a multi-criteria decision problem, making sure that the assessment method remains as transparent as possible. By dynamically selecting a set of indicators of interest, defining the weights that we attach to various indicators and specifying the desired trends associated with each indicator, we make the assessment adaptive to individual values. We also try to deal with the inherent bias that may exist in the set of indicators that are chosen. As a study case, from various data sets that are openly available online, we have selected several that are most relevant and easy to interpret in the context of the question in the title of the paper. We demonstrate how the choice of personal preferences, or weights, can strongly change the result. Our method also provides analysis of the weights space, showing how results for particular value sets compare to the average and extreme (optimistic and pessimistic) combinations of weights that may be chosen by users.
Drivers and Constraints to the Adoption of Organic Leafy Vegetable Production in Nigeria: A Livelihood Approach
Authors: Adebiyi Jelili Adegboyega , Olabisi Laura Schmitt , Richardson Robert , Liverpool-Tasie Lenis Saweda O , Delate Kathleen
Published: December 2019

Nigeria, the seventh most populous country in the world, is plagued by livelihood challenges such as poverty and food insecurity, which are more pervasive among farming households and rural communities. Organic farming is being promoted by some domestic non-governmental organizations as a means of addressing the problem of poverty and food insecurity among farming households and rural communities in the country. Promoters consider organic farming to be well-suited to smallholder farmers’ socio-economic conditions in Nigeria, and that it can help improve their livelihood conditions through increased agricultural productivity and farm income. However, the adoption of the technology by smallholder farmers has been underwhelming, for reasons yet to be studied. Using a livelihood framework and through a case study of farmers in Ibadan, Oyo State, this study qualitatively explores and provides insights into the factors that influence, constrain, and gender the adoption of organic farming in Nigeria. Overall, it was found that a mix of factors, which include institutional considerations, farmers’ livelihood assets and vulnerability contexts, their livelihood activities, and gender-related variables shaped adoption decision-making. The policy implications of the findings were outlined.
CEO Tenure, Corporate Social Performance, and Corporate Governance: A Korean Study
Authors: Choi Jun Hyeok , Kim Saerona , Lee Ayoung
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) tenure and corporate social performance with the moderating effect of governance. We investigated whether new CEOs and CEOs in their last year of service were more focused on short-termism than CEOs of other periods. Specifically, we tested whether these CEOs reduced social performance that demands immediate expenditure and expect payoffs in the long run. We also tested whether good governance can mitigate such behaviors, because not all CEOs of the same tenure will act the same, depending on the monitoring environments surrounding them. We employed ordinary least squares (OLS) method and the moderator models using data from the Korean listed companies from 2012 to 2016. Test results showed that only the CEOs of their last year reduced social performance. However, when we considered corporate governance, we found that both groups of CEOs reduced social performance, and that good governance mitigated the adverse effects of the two periods on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Specifically, we tested board independence, board frequency, CEO duality, and board diversity, and found that, for all but board independence, the negative effects of the two periods on social performance were decreased.