bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Printing Technologies as an Emerging Approach in Gas Sensors: Survey of Literature
Authors: Simonenko Nikolay P. , Fisenko Nikita A. , Fedorov Fedor S. , Simonenko Tatiana L. , Mokrushin Artem S. , Simonenko Elizaveta P. , Korotcenkov Ghenadii , Sysoev Victor V. , Sevastyanov Vladimir G. , Kuznetsov Nikolay T.
Published: May 2022

Herein, we review printing technologies which are commonly approbated at recent time in the course of fabricating gas sensors and multisensor arrays, mainly of chemiresistive type. The most important characteristics of the receptor materials, which need to be addressed in order to achieve a high efficiency of chemisensor devices, are considered. The printing technologies are comparatively analyzed with regard to, (i) the rheological properties of the employed inks representing both reagent solutions or organometallic precursors and disperse systems, (ii) the printing speed and resolution, and (iii) the thickness of the formed coatings to highlight benefits and drawbacks of the methods. Particular attention is given to protocols suitable for manufacturing single miniature devices with unique characteristics under a large-scale production of gas sensors where the receptor materials could be rather quickly tuned to modify their geometry and morphology. We address the most convenient approaches to the rapid printing single-crystal multisensor arrays at lab-on-chip paradigm with sufficiently high resolution, employing receptor layers with various chemical composition which could replace in nearest future the single-sensor units for advancing a selectivity.
Combined Longitudinal and Surface Acoustic Wave Analysis for Determining Small Filling Levels in Curved Steel Containers
Authors: Metzenmacher Michael , Beugholt Alexander , Geier Dominik , Becker Thomas
Published: May 2022

Measurement of the small filling levels in closed steel container systems is still a challenge. Ultrasound, however, is a sensitive and non-invasive technique and is suitable for online monitoring. This study describes a new ultrasonic sensor system for sensing small filling levels using longitudinal and surface acoustic wave analysis. The sensor system consists of one transducer for the longitudinal wave analysis and two transducers for the longitudinal and surface acoustic wave analysis. All transducers were mounted to the outer wall of the steel container, ensuring non-invasiveness, and a filling level ranging from 0 to 5 cm was investigated. Combining both approaches, a consistent determination of small filling levels was achieved for the entire measuring range (R2 = 0.99).
Casual Sex and Sexlessness in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Konishi Shoko , Moriki Yoshie , Kariya Fumiko , Akagawa Manabu
Published: May 2022

Low fertility has persisted in Japan for decades. Sexless marriages may indirectly contribute to low fertility. Inactive sexual lives within intimate and committed relationships may be linked to sexual activity outside such relationships, called “casual sex”. This study aimed to explore the correlates of casual sex and sexlessness. A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted among married and single men (n = 4000) aged 20–54 years in Japan. Sexlessness were reported by 56% of men, whereas 11% had had casual sex and 31% had had non-casual sex (with spouse, fiancé, or girlfriends/boyfriends) in the last month. Among married men, higher income and long working hours were positively associated with casual sex. Regarding never-married men: those with lower educational status and without full-time jobs were more likely to report casual sex, those in rural areas were more likely to be sexless than those in urban and suburban areas, and those with depression were more likely to be sexless than those without depression. Matching app use was strongly associated with casual sex among married and never-married men, suggesting that such tools may facilitate sexual activity outside committed and intimate relationships. Sexual behavior is closely linked to one’s social and economic environment and health status.
A Federated Blockchain Approach for Fertility Preservation and Assisted Reproduction in Smart Cities
Authors: Liao Da-Yin
Published: May 2022

Modern life is making people infertile. Giving birth later in life is wreaking havoc on our fertility and threatening human survival. Smart cities intend to optimize the quality of life of their citizens by utilizing technology for smarter living. This research first identifies the requirements and business opportunities of using advanced technology for smarter fertility preservation and assisted reproduction in smart cities. A federated blockchain approach is proposed for the alliance of integrated commercial egg banks (ICEBs). In particular, we designed a membership fee rebate (MFR) mechanism that offers incentives for blockchain creations in the egg banking alliance. We formulated the MFR problem into a leader–followers Stackelberg game whose objectives are (1) to maximize the benefits of forming the alliance (the leader) and (2) to maximize the benefits in each ICEB (the follower). We developed an iterative scheme that utilizes mathematical programming techniques to solve the two-level, Stackelberg game problem. With a given set of parameters of the alliance and membership fee function, and the average number of blocks generated for an oocyte, the iterative scheme achieves the optimal solution for the MFR rate per block created. A numerical example demonstrates the feasibility and applicability of the proposed iterative scheme. Numerical results show that it achieves good solutions in adding a small to medium-sized new ICEB to the existing alliance. The proposed federated approach lays the foundation for developing a blockchain-based egg banking platform.
Enhancing the Replication Potential of Smart Lighting Projects
Authors: Talmar Madis , Romme A. Georges L. , Valkenburg Rianne
Published: May 2022

To address major threats to the sustainability and quality of life in urban settings, many municipalities have started exploring routes toward smarter cities to, for example, lower their energy consumption and carbon footprint. These explorations, in the form of living labs or other pilot projects, often suffer from major problems in scaling up the initial try-outs. In this study, we identify the mechanisms that facilitate the diffusion of smart city solutions, which are developed with public funds but typically lack dedicated resources to spur the diffusion of these solutions within the same municipality as well as toward other municipalities. We introduce the construct of embedded replication potential, defined as the capacity of an original project to be either scaled up locally or replicated elsewhere. Subsequently, empirical findings from a study of smart lighting projects in several municipalities in northwestern Europe serve to develop a checklist-based tool for assessing the embedded replication potential of an initial project. This tool can also be used to assess the replication potential of other smart city projects.
Towards Community Rooted Research and Praxis: Reflections on the BSS Safety and Youth Justice Project
Authors: Serrano Uriel , Turner David C. , Regalado Gabriel , Banuelos Alejandro
Published: May 2022

This article focuses on the Brothers, Sons, Selves (BSS) Safety and Youth Justice project to describe what we refer to as a Community Rooted and Research Praxis (CRRP) approach. BSS is an organizing coalition for boys, young men, and masculine-identifying youth of color that works to decriminalize communities of color. In 2018, BSS developed a survey to capture how safety and justice is experienced by youth of color across multiple contexts and institutions in Los Angeles County. With over 3000 surveys collected, the findings have now been used to promote racial equity and decriminalize youth at the local and state level. Building on a Black Radical Tradition, including abolitionists struggles against the carceral state, in this paper, we name CRRP as a framework to describe BSS’s community engaged scholarship. In other words, we contend that the CRRP approach is a mode of community engaged scholarship that brings together youth, university affiliated adults, and community organizations to engage in youth participatory action, research, political education, and collective struggle.
Comparative Analysis of Performance Factors between Ladies Professional Golf Association and Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association Golfers
Authors: Chung SunHee
Published: May 2022

This study aimed to analyze the performance factors of both Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) players and suggest which performance factors they should improve to play in world-level games. Data from 180 LPGA and KLPGA players who ranked within the top 60 in prize money rankings from 2018 to 2020 were analyzed. Then, the data from LPGA and KLPGA golfers were compared using the seemingly unrelated estimation method. As a result of analyzing 178 data, excluding two players who had missing values, this study found that among LPGA player data, putting average (PA), sand save (SS), green in regulation (GIR), and birdies (BIR) had a significant impact in 2018. Additionally, scoring average (SA) and top-10 finish (T10) had a significant impact in 2019. However, there were no factors influencing performance in 2020.From the results of analyzing 180 players who ranked within the top 60 in KLPGA prize money rankings, there were no performance factors that significantly affected their performance in 2018. However, driver distance (DD) in 2019 and DD and T10 in 2020 affected performance. In conclusion, short games were the most important factor on the LPGA Tour, and driving distance was the most important trend on the KLPGA Tour. Therefore, KLPGA golfers should train in abilities such as putting and ironshots.
Towards Nondiscrimination and Gender Equality: The Role of International Labor Standards
Authors: Khamzina Zhanna , Buribayev Yermek , Taitorina Binur , Yessengazieva Ainur , Kuttygalieva Anarkhan
Published: May 2022

Gender equality and the prohibition of discrimination are not only one of the fundamental human rights, but also a necessary basis for achieving sustainable development. Kazakhstan’s global rankings for gender equality in recent years show a steady decline, despite the legislation formed during the period of independence, which guarantees the prohibition of any form of discrimination and the proclamation of gender equality as a priority of national policy. An important aspect of reforms, ensuring their effectiveness, is changes in legislation. International labor agreements are mechanisms for the transformation of national legislation and practice on the basis of universally accepted standards for more sustainable development of employment and the labor market. This study analyzes the effectiveness of the national legal framework of Kazakhstan from the standpoint of implementation, compliance with international standards of prohibition of discrimination and ensuring gender equality. An analysis is made of how universal norms can affect the development of national legislation. The article concludes that the laws aimed at the implementation of international standards for promoting the prohibition of discrimination and gender parity do not fully achieve their intended goals due to a weak law enforcement mechanism and the lack of full practical implementation of the country’s obligations. Legal solutions are proposed to neutralize the inconsistency of the internal Kazakhstani labor legislation with international standards, as well as the necessary accompanying elements of changes in civil procedural, social, administrative, and criminal legislation. An overview is presented of how the ratification of ILO acts will further improve conditions in the labor market and what changes in laws will be required in the future.
Recognizability of Ecolabels on E-Commerce Websites: The Case for Younger Consumers in Poland
Authors: Kabaja Bartłomiej , Wojnarowska Magdalena , Cesarani Maria Chiara , Varese Erica
Published: May 2022

In the modern retail system, labels may be defined as silent-sellers which, if recognized and understood by consumers, may allow them to make conscious choices. This simple concern is particularly important considering e-commerce: it ensures customers to find nearly everything they demand without the need to exit from home; however, as shoppers are not in direct contact with sales-clerks, labels play even more a crucial role in the purchasing decision. Online shopping is increasing, notably among young people, and ecolabels represent for producers a tool to distinguish their goods and to provide consumers reliable and credible information about the environmental characteristics of their products. Despite the growing interest in the above-mentioned topics, research which investigate the recognition of ecolabels in online shopping by young consumers lack. To this purpose, the authors conducted an online questionnaire that was distributed to a sample of 559 young consumers who shop online in the most popular Polish retailing chains. Results reveal that online shopping is becoming increasingly popular in Poland, but only some ecolabels were recognized by more than 50% of respondents. This result is not correlated to the frequency of online purchases nor to gender. The recognition of ecolabels among consumers is fundamental.
Home Use and Experience during COVID-19 in London: Problems of Housing Quality and Design
Authors: Jacoby Sam , Alonso Lucia
Published: May 2022

COVID-19 lockdowns led to a reassessment of housing conditions and created greater awareness of their impact on wellbeing and inequalities. Changes in home use and lived experience during the pandemic were studied through a survey of London residents (n = 1250) in 2021, focusing on issues of housing design, perceptions of housing quality, and future housing expectations. The survey found that a quarter of all dwellings and at least one room in a third of homes were deemed too small and failing to meet the needs of occupants. Renters with a shortage of space and poorly maintained or designed homes suffered most. A total of 37.9% of respondents reported that their wellbeing was affected by housing conditions. While for well-designed homes aspects of dwelling size were considered the highest priority, dwelling layout, usability, adaptability, and flexibility were equally key concerns. However, how problems of housing design, quality, and size are understood often depends on highly individual experiences and expectations. By highlighting the importance of lived experience, the pandemic shows the limitations of current, normative design standards. Future space standards need greater flexibility in the distribution of floor areas and should consider a wider range of home uses to ensure more equitable and long-term housing provision.
The Impact of Macroeconomic Sustainability on Exchange Rate: Hybrid Machine-Learning Approach
Authors: Erçen Hüseyin İlker , Özdeşer Hüseyin , Türsoy Turgut
Published: May 2022

This paper constructed a robust methodology to investigate the impact of news regarding macroeconomic policies on exchange rate fluctuations, and to examined the applicability of qualitative information alongside historical data to predict exchange rates. To do so, hybrid machine learning algorithms comprised of natural language processing, fuzzy logic, and support vector regression have been constructed. This study emphasizes the significance of qualitative information on investors’ subjective consideration, the decision-making process, and causality on exchange rate volatility. To perceive the causality of expected and unexpected macroeconomic news on exchange rate fluctuations, news regarding the inflation rate, interest rate, unemployment rate, balance of trade, and credit ratings has been extracted from the web. Learning automata has been adopted to construct a unique lexicon for textual analysis. Subjective considerations of decision makers based on news have been evaluated by processing using the prospect theory and composing fuzzy antecedents for the fuzzy logic phase. The fuzzy logic method attained the correlation value between the macroeconomic news and the exchange rate. Finally, support vector regression predicted the exchange rate on a daily basis. The statistical test results indicated a strong correlation between recently published macroeconomic news on daily exchange rate fluctuations and their usability for predicting exchange rates in the short term, while emphasizing the significance of sustainable macroeconomic policies on exchange rate stability.
Choices of Potential Car Buyers Regarding Alternative Fuel Vehicles in South Korea: A Discrete Choice Modeling Approach
Authors: Lashari Zulfiqar Ali , Ko Joonho , Jung Seunghyun , Choi Sungtaek
Published: May 2022

This study analyzes consumer preferences in South Korea for alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), including battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs), instead of conventional fuel vehicles. A survey targeting 1500 potential car buyers in three years was conducted wherein the subjects stated their preferences depending on the varying conditions of AFV attributes and charger accessibility. Cluster-based multinomial logit and mixed logit models were developed to identify influential factors affecting consumer preferences. The models incorporated the sociodemographic characteristics of users, attitudinal perceptions, and vehicle attributes to capture their interactive impacts. The results of the estimated models suggest that a reduction in purchase price can substantially boost AFV sales, particularly those of HFCVs, with a direct elasticity of 1.78. Additionally, the models demonstrated that attitudinal perceptions, such as perceived environmental and economic benefits are significant factors. Moreover, potential car buyers who plan to buy one vehicle within one year showed the least preference for purchasing BEVs, indicating the importance of technology maturity in the BEV market. These findings can provide reasonable guidelines for establishing marketing strategies and stronger support to achieve the targeted market penetration of AFVs in a city or country.
Sustainable Adoption of E-Government from the UTAUT Perspective
Authors: Zeebaree Mosleh , Agoyi Mary , Aqel Musbah
Published: May 2022

This paper attempts to study the sustainable adoption of e-government services in northern Iraq. The well-known unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) is applied and extended to study citizens’ behavior regarding e-government services. A quantitative technique was utilized to gauge the efficiency of the model. Overall, 371 replies were received through distributing samples. SPSS software was used for the data evaluation. Two extra constructs were introduced in the study, i.e., “Trust of system (TOS)” and “Ethics of Internet (EOI)”, into the original UTAUT as the theoretical extension. The findings indicate that all constructs have a significant influence on the intention to use e-government services. Moreover, the EOI moderates the effects of TOS on social impacts (SI), performance expectancy (PE), and behavior intention (BI). The results also indicated that there were statistically significant differences in the demographic characteristics of age, educational level excluding gender, and behavioral intention to use e-government services. The study’s results support most of the hypotheses. The results contribute to a better knowledge of the factors affecting the sustainable adoption of e-government in northern Iraq.
Economies of Scale in City Gas Sector in Seoul, South Korea: Evidence from an Empirical Investigation
Authors: Ju Byoung-Kuk , Yoo Seung-Hoon , Baek Chulwoo
Published: May 2022

The city gas sector in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, consists of five locally monopolized companies. As the city gas penetration reaches 98% and city gas as cooking fuel and heating fuel is being converted to electricity and district heating system, respectively, the need to redefine the role of the city gas sector is being raised. In this respect, this study aims to analyze the economies of scale in the city gas sector using the translog variable cost function model over the period 2008–2020 and to compute the minimum efficient scale. The scale economy index ranged from 0.1 to 0.2, which was larger than 1.0. The results show that the city gas sector still enjoys economies of scale, although the economies of scale are gradually disappearing. The minimum efficiency scale was estimated to be 1.06 times the size of the total market, which is the total output of the five companies. This finding vividly suggests that reducing the number of city gas companies through mergers and acquisitions among five city gas companies is more desirable in terms of cost reduction. This study suggests that the business structure favorable to the city gas business, such as high population density and urbanization, can rapidly lose economies of scale under rapid electrification and a rigid wholesale market. The central and local governments, which have the authority to regulate the city gas business, need to promote mergers and acquisitions between city gas operators, and to normalize distorted energy rates in order to prevent excessive electrification.
Assessment and Promotion Strategy of Rural Resilience in Yangtze River Delta Region, China
Authors: Su Fei , Luo Jiaqi , Liu Hang , Tong Lei , Li Yuan
Published: May 2022

The Yangtze River Delta region is the most economically active and open region in China. It is also the region with the most prominent contradictions between urban and rural development. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the resilience of the rural areas in this region so that they can develop further with resources and opportunities after sustaining shocks. This study used a weighted TOPSIS method to measure the rural resilience of 153 research units from 2000 to 2019 and then applied the ESDA method to measure the spatial agglomeration or heterogeneity characteristics. The results show that: (1) The rural resilience of this region is higher in the east and lower in the west; (2) rural resilience has obvious spatial agglomeration characteristics, which have undergone a process of shifting from strong to weak before becoming strong again; and (3) the hotspots of rural resilience gradually shifted from Jiangsu to Zhejiang, while the coldspots gradually shifted from Zhejiang to Anhui. Finally, the K-means clustering algorithm was applied to divide all research units into five types: natural capital-dominated areas, productive capital-dominated areas, human capital-dominated areas, social-financial capital-dominated areas and general development areas. Then, the strategies for resilience promotion were proposed accordingly.
Regional Ecological Security Pattern Construction Based on Ecological Barriers: A Case Study of the Bohai Bay Terrestrial Ecosystem
Authors: Zhang Jinxin , Cao Yunmeng , Ding Fanshu , Wu Jing , Chang I-Shin
Published: May 2022

The construction of ecological barriers and ecological security patterns is an important way of maintaining regional ecological security in landscape ecology. However, there is still no consensus on the concept and connotation of ecological barriers, and the zoning and adaptive management of ecological sources are rarely considered in the construction of ecological security patterns. This study uses the terrestrial ecosystem of Bohai Bay, China as a study area, and the identification and zoning of ecological sources in the ecological security pattern are achieved by combining an ecosystem service assessment with an ecological risk assessment, and on this basis, ecological barriers are identified to optimize the structure and function of ecological sources. The minimum cumulative resistance model is used to identify ecological corridors and ecological strategic nodes and to construct an ecological security pattern based on the modified ecological sources. The results demonstrate that firstly, 2873.25 km2 was identified as the ecological source, accounting for 14.28% of the total. Secondly, there are three large ecological barrier zones and nine ecological barrier cells with a total area of 1173.06 km2, accounting for 40.83% of the ecological sources. Thirdly, a total of 35 ecological corridors were extracted, and 32 ecological strategic nodes were marked, mainly distributed at the intersection and branches of important ecological corridors. An ecological security pattern construction system was formed with the collection of ecological source selection, ecological barrier identification, ecological resistance surface construction, and ecological corridor extraction. Fourthly, the concept and connotation of ecological barriers was analyzed, and the complementary relationship between ecological barriers and ecological security patterns in terms of structure and function is discussed. This study enriches the definition and connotation of ecological barriers, provides a new framework for identifying the ecological security patterns, and provides scientific guidance for ecological protection and management in coastal areas.
Decoupling of Water Production and Electricity Generation from GDP and Population in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries
Authors: Al Bannay Shayma , Takizawa Satoshi
Published: May 2022

Although the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are in an arid region with limited water resources, the per capita water and electricity consumptions are high, at 560 L/capita/day and 7000–18,000 kWh/year, respectively. Although macroscale parameters (e.g., GDP and population) have been assumed to be correlated with water and electricity demand, this study aims to verify whether this assumption still holds true. As opposed to the previous literature, this study reveals that, although water production and electricity generation had been correlated with GDP and population for years, they have been decoupled from these macroscale parameters since 2015. Such decoupling can be explained by the three phases of economic development. In the initial stage, GDP and population growth promoted rapid increases in water and electricity demands, which came down in the second stage as the consumers became satisfied with water and electricity supplies. In the third stage, the water and electricity demands were decoupled from GDP and population due to demand-management policies for environmental protection and cost saving, combined with consumers’ efforts, such as water-saving faucets and energy efficiency in homes, which indicates that microscale parameters have become more influential on water and electricity demands than macroscale parameters.
Towards Conserving Crop Wild Relatives along the Texas–Mexico Border: The Case of Manihot walkerae
Authors: Garza Gisel , Venegas Barrera Crystian Sadiel , Dale Jon , Martínez-Ávalos José Guadalupe , Feria Arroyo Teresa Patricia
Published: May 2022

Walker’s Manihot, Manihot walkerae, is an endangered species endemic to south Texas and northeastern Mexico and is a Crop Wild Relative (CWR) of the international and economically important crop cassava (M. esculenta). Manihot walkerae is globally endangered (IUCN’s Redlist, Texas list, USA); however, it is not recognized on the Mexican list of endangered species (NOM-059-SEMARNAT). We assessed the status of M. walkerae in Mexico and re-evaluated its global status. According to our analysis, M. walkerae should be considered an endangered species based on the IUCN’s assessment method and a threatened species in Mexico based on the Mexican criteria. Our findings encourage the establishment of sound conservation plans for M. walkerae along the Texas–Mexico border.
Transaction-Specific Investment and Organizational Performance: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhang Leinan , Zeng Qingyan , Zhang Silin , Li Shuqin , Wang Liang
Published: May 2022

Transaction-specific investment and organizational performance are two core concepts in studies of transactions between firms. The existing literature has explored the effect of transaction-specific investment on organizational performance from three different theoretical perspectives: transaction cost economics (TCE), the resource-based view (RBV), and social exchange theory (SET). However, considerable ambiguities and inconsistencies exist among the hypotheses and relevant empirical study results, which have brought confusion to academic research and practice. This study adopted a meta-analysis method to conduct a quantitative review of 58 existing empirical studies, and obtained a total sample size of 16,092. These results suggest more TSIs in buyer–seller relationships, which can improve both economic and social performance, especially regarding technological performance and relationship performance. Moreover, tangible TSIs are more efficient, although they are considered vulnerable to opportunistic behavior in previous research, and contextual factors are also considered as moderators. These findings enrich the existing inter-firm relationship literature and provide clear suggestions for companies’ TSI decisions.
Spatial Analysis of Air Quality Assessment in Two Cities in Nigeria: A Comparison of Perceptions with Instrument-Based Methods
Authors: Chukwu Timothy M. , Morse Stephen , Murphy Richard J.
Published: May 2022

The air quality (AQ) in urban contexts is a major concern, especially in the developing world. The environmental and social challenges created by poor AQ have continued to increase despite improvements in monitoring AQ using earth observation (EO) satellites, static and mobile ground-based sensors and models. However, these types of equipment can be expensive to purchase, operate, and maintain, especially for cities of the developing world, and, as a result, there is growing interest in the elicitation of residents’ perceptions of AQ. However, there is a need to analyse how the results obtained from sensor measurements and models match the AQ as perceived by residents. This study explored AQ in multiple locations in two developing world cities (Abuja and Enugu) in Nigeria by analysing the perceptions of 262 residents and how these compared with findings obtained from ground-based instruments. The results suggest that the perceived AQ of the locations broadly matches those obtained using instruments, although there were statistically significant differences between respondent groups based on the demographic factors of income-education (Abuja) and age (Enugu). This research supports the contention that perceptual AQ assessment provides a valuable source of data for policy and decision-makers when addressing poor AQ and can support action in the absence of instrument-based measurements.
Sustainability and Risks of Rural Household Livelihoods in Ethnic Tourist Villages: Evidence from China
Authors: Liu Yaping , Shi Huike , Su Zhen , Kumail Tafazal
Published: May 2022

This study constructed a quantitative index system evaluating the level of livelihood sustainability of rural households in ethnic tourist villages and identified the main livelihood risks these households encountered. This was achieved by modifying the sustainable livelihood framework proposed by the Department for International Development (DFID) and testing it on three typical ethnic tourist villages in Guangxi, China (Jinkeng, Ping’an Zhuang, and Chengyang Eight). The results showed that the overall livelihood sustainability index was relatively poor. Livelihood assets and transforming structures and processes were the main factors that restricted the sustainability of household livelihoods. Social capital and financial capital values were lowest out of six types of livelihood capital examined. The lack of community participation of households adversely impacted the score of transforming structures and processes. Households encountered various livelihood risks. Generally, the livelihood issues that concerned most households were market, social, and education risks. However, when the farmers were enquired about a single risk that worried them the most, market, financial, and employment risks ranked the highest. Through quantifying the sustainability and risk of rural household livelihoods, guidelines and subsidies could be allocated to promote rural revitalization.
Chitosan Film Functionalized with Grape Seed Oil—Preliminary Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Mauro Manuela , Pinto Paola , Settanni Luca , Puccio Valeria , Vazzana Mirella , Hornsby Branwen L. , Fabbrizio Antonio , Di Stefano Vita , Barone Giampaolo , Arizza Vincenzo
Published: May 2022

Although the fishing and wine industries undoubtedly contribute significantly to the economy, they also generate large waste streams with considerable repercussions on both economic and environmental levels. Scientific literature has shown products can be extracted from these streams which have properties of interest to the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food industries. Antimicrobial activity is undoubtedly among the most interesting of these properties, and particularly useful in the production of food packaging to increase the shelf life of food products. In this study, film for food packaging was produced for the first time using chitosan extracted from the exoskeletons of red shrimp (Aristomorpha foliacea) and oil obtained from red grape seeds (Vitis vinifera). The antimicrobial activity of two films was analyzed: chitosan-only film and chitosan film with the addition of red grape seed oil at two different concentrations (0.5 mL and 1 mL). Our results showed noteworthy antimicrobial activity resulting from functionalized chitosan films; no activity was observed against pathogen and spoilage Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, although the antimicrobial effects observed were species-dependent. The preliminary results of this study could contribute to developing the circular economy, helping to promote the reuse of waste to produce innovative films for food packaging.
Social Innovation in Sustainable Urban Development
Authors: Mieg Harald A.
Published: May 2022

The publication of a Special Issue on social innovation is not without surprise [...]
Towards Global Cleaner Energy and Hydrogen Production: A Review and Application ORC Integrality with Multigeneration Systems
Authors: Mukhtar Mustapha , Adebayo Victor , Yimen Nasser , Bamisile Olusola , Osei-Mensah Emmanuel , Adun Humphrey , Zhang Qinxiu , Luo Gexin
Published: May 2022

The current evidential effect of carbon emissions has become a societal challenge and the need to transition to cleaner energy sources/technologies has attracted wide research attention. Technologies that utilize low-grade heat like the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and Kalina cycle have been proposed as viable approaches for fossil reduction/carbon mitigation. The development of renewable energy-based multigeneration systems is another alternative solution to this global challenge. Hence, it is important to monitor the development of multigeneration energy systems based on low-grade heat. In this study, a review of the ORC’s application in multigeneration systems is presented to highlight the recent development in ORC integrality/application. Beyond this, a new ORC-CPVT (concentrated photovoltaic/thermal) integrated multigeneration system is also modeled and analyzed using the thermodynamics approach. Since most CPVT systems integrate hot water production in the thermal stem, the proposed multigeneration system is designed to utilize part of the thermal energy to generate electricity and hydrogen. Although the CPVT system can achieve high energetic and exergetic efficiencies while producing thermal energy and electricity, these efficiencies are 47.9% and 37.88%, respectively, for the CPVT-ORC multigeneration configuration. However, it is noteworthy that the electricity generation from the CPVT-ORC configuration in this study is increased by 16%. In addition, the hot water, cooling effect, and hydrogen generated from the multigeneration system are 0.4363 L/s, 161 kW, and 1.515 L/s, respectively. The environmental analysis of the system also shows that the carbon emissions reduction potential is enormous.
Critical Factors Influencing Interface Management of Prefabricated Building Projects: Evidence from China
Authors: Zhang Shengxi , Li Zhongfu , Ma Shengbin , Li Long , Yuan Mengqi
Published: May 2022

Recently, interface management has been regarded as the key to the success of prefabricated building projects (PBPs) due to its capabilities to manage numerous interfaces caused by PBPs’ inherent geographical and organizational fragmentation. However, the factors influencing the interface management of PBPs are largely unknown and poorly studied. To compensate for this gap, this study aimed to investigate the critical factors influencing interface management in PBPs with quantitative and qualitative methods. Twenty-seven critical factors influencing the interface management of PBPs were identified through a literature review, questionnaire survey, and face-to-face interviews with professionals in the construction industry. A questionnaire survey was sent out to developers, designers, manufacturers, contractors, and consultants in China, and 66 completed questionnaires were received. Results showed the top five critical factors influencing the interface management of PBPs were (1) accuracy of design, (2) timeliness of information communication, (3) timeliness of component production and supply, (4) standardization of design, and (5) definition of work content and scope. The 27 influencing factors of PBPs were further categorized into seven groups via exploratory factor analysis, namely: (1) information communication, (2) trust and cooperation, (3) technical and management capability, (4) organizational integration, (5) standardization, (6) technical environment, and (7) contractual management. Improving these issues will contribute to the successful implementation of PBPs. Finally, combined with relevant literature and expert interviews, the impact of these seven clusters on the interface management of PBPs was discussed. The findings may contribute to deepening the understanding of interface management, reducing unnecessary conflicts and difficulties, and promoting the sustainable development of prefabricated building (PB).
CO2 Emissions in Asia–Pacific Region: Do Energy Use, Economic Growth, Financial Development, and International Trade Have Detrimental Effects?
Authors: Rahman Mohammad Mafizur , Alam Khosrul
Published: May 2022

Global warming has become the main concern in the current world; increased CO2 emissions are believed to be the main reason for this climate change. Therefore, this study investigates the impacts of energy consumption, economic growth, financial development, and international trade on the CO2 emissions of 17 Asia–Pacific countries. Using unbalanced panel data for 61 years (1960–2020), the Driscoll and Kraay’s standard error and panel-corrected standard error (PCSE) models are employed to observe the effect of the studied variables on the CO2 emissions. The obtained results reveal that energy consumption, financial development, economic growth, and international trade have adverse effects on the environment of the panel countries by increasing the CO2 emissions, whereas the square of economic growth reduces it, and results eventually confirm the evidence of the presence of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Bidirectional causality is found between international trade and CO2 emissions, and unidirectional causal association from CO2 emissions to energy consumption and economic growth is also revealed. To maintain sustainable economic growth and to improve environmental quality, an increase in green energy consumption is being recommended.
Shifting Limitations to Restoration across Dryland Ecosystems in Hawaiʻi
Authors: Questad Erin J. , Uowolo Amanda , Brooks Samuel , Cordell Susan
Published: May 2022

Hawaiian dryland ecosystems are important for global biodiversity conservation and contain numerous species threatened with extinction. Over the past century, wildfire frequency and size have increased dramatically because of invasion by fire-promoting non-native invasive species, greatly threatening these ecosystems. Native species restoration is a tool that can disrupt the cycle of increased fire and invasion in lowland dry forest communities, but restoration prescriptions have not been studied systematically in other dryland plant communities. We examined the restoration of three Hawaiian dryland plant communities (a high-productivity Diospyros sandwicensis and Metrosideros polymorpha lowland dry forest (HP), a moderate-productivity Myoporum sandwicense and Sophora chrysophylla dry forest/woodland (MP), and a low-productivity Dodonaea viscosa shrubland (LP)), using a community-assembly framework to understand the abiotic and biotic constraints to species establishment and growth in each community. Because active restoration methods are often needed, at both high and low levels of productivity, we also examined restoration treatments and outcomes across the three sites, which spanned a gradient of rainfall and substrate age. At each site, we used the same factorial field experiment with three factors: habitat quality (high or low), weed control (yes or no), and species addition (none, seeding, or outplanting). Outplants (cohort 1) and seeds were added in the winter of 2009–2010, and outplants were added again in March 2011 (cohort 2). Dispersal limitation was apparent at the LP and HP sites, but was not observed in the MP site, which had, overall, greater native diversity and abundance. Outplant survival was greater in high-quality habitats at the HP site, likely due to reduced abiotic stress. Invasive species were found in greater abundance in certain types of microsites at the LP and MP sites, suggesting that shade or topography can be used to plan restoration and weed-control activities. Overall, active restoration methods improved restoration outcomes at the high- and low-productivity sites, and less so at the moderately productive site. Weed removal and outplanting were effective restoration prescriptions at the LP and HP sites, and habitat quality could also be used to increase survival at the HP site. Active restoration could be a lower priority for moderately invaded, moderate-productivity communities, which have the capability to maintain a native ecosystem state.
Emergency Road Network Determination for Seoul Metropolitan Area
Authors: Choi Seunghyun , Chae Jonggil , Do Myungsik
Published: May 2022

Recently, with the increased frequency of disasters, the demand for measures to secure the golden hour after disasters has been increasing. Therefore, it is necessary to plan and select road infrastructures for effective disaster response. The purpose of this study was to determine emergency road networks for rapid rescue, paramedical activity, and resource transfer in the event of an earthquake in Seoul (including nearby areas). Decisions were made to select a suitable emergency road network in Seoul based on the collection and management of earthquake-related data, grid-based quantitative evaluation of factors regarding demands during disasters and provision of response resources, link-based importance evaluation and grouping analysis, and results of grid and link evaluations. Analysis was first conducted on 16 types of disaster demands, including building, facility, demographic, and response resource-provision data. An expert survey was conducted, and each factor was weighted and integrated into the grid structure for grid-based analysis. Roads and bridges that could play critical roles in an earthquake were selected and grouped in the road network for link-based analysis. The final emergency road network was chosen based on the quantitative and qualitative results from the second and third stages.
Hybrid Predictive Modeling for Charging Demand Prediction of Electric Vehicles
Authors: Jeon Young-Eun , Kang Suk-Bok , Seo Jung-In
Published: May 2022

In recent years, the supply of electric vehicles, which are eco-friendly cars that use electric energy rather than fossil fuels, which cause air pollution, is increasing. Accordingly, it is emerging as an urgent task to predict the charging demand for the smooth supply of electric energy required to charge electric vehicle batteries. In this paper, to predict the charging demand, time series analysis is performed based on two types of frames: One is using traditional time series techniques such as dynamic harmonic regression, seasonal and trend decomposition using Loess, and Bayesian structural time series. The other is the most widely used machine learning techniques, including random forest and extreme gradient boosting. However, the tree-based machine learning approaches have the disadvantage of not being able to capture the trend, so a hybrid strategy is proposed to overcome this problem. In addition, the seasonal variation is reflected as the feature by using the Fourier transform which is useful in the case of describing the seasonality patterns of time series data with multiple seasonality. The considered time series models are compared and evaluated through various accuracy measures. The experimental results show that the machine learning approach based on the hybrid strategy generally achieves significant improvements in predicting the charging demand. Moreover, when compared with the original machine learning method, the prediction based on the proposed hybrid strategy is more accurate than that based on the original machine learning method. Based on these results, it can find out that the proposed hybrid strategy is useful for smoothly planning future power supply and demand and efficiently managing electricity grids.
Permanent Deformation and Breakage Response of Recycled Concrete Aggregates under Cyclic Loading Subject to Moisture Change
Authors: Shah Syed Kamran Hussain , Uchimura Taro , Kawamoto Ken
Published: May 2022

Natural granular materials widely used in building and infrastructure development consume a considerable number of natural resources. To avoid depleting natural granular materials, recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) from construction and demolition waste are now commonly used as an alternative. The mechanical behavior of RCA used in road construction is highly influenced by field conditions such as traffic load and moisture variation. The particle breakage of RCA influences long-term pavement performance because it changes the RCA grading over time. However, the effect of moisture content (m.c.) on mechanical behavior and particle breakage during compaction and cyclic loading is often neglected. The aims of the study were to investigate the mechanism of permanent deformation development due to moisture change, the breakage response of RCA in this process, and the assessment of existing permanent deformation prediction model. The results showed that initial m.c. effectively controlled the deformation of RCA; the permanent axial strain (εpa) was enhanced, and the breakage of coarse fraction (19~9.5 mm) under cyclic loading was reduced at higher levels of m.c. Based on the experimental results, a modified model for predicting εpa was proposed, incorporating a deviation factor induced by m.c. The model fitted the experimental data well, suggesting that it is useful to have a quantitative estimation of εpa of RCA with different m.c. under cyclic loading.