bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sustainable Food Waste Recycling for the Circular Economy in Developing Countries, with Special Reference to Bangladesh
Authors: Sarker Aniruddha , Ghosh Mithun Kumar , Islam Tofazzal , Bilal Muhammad , Nandi Rakhi , Raihan Md Lamiur , Hossain Mohammad Nabil , Rana Juwel , Barman Subrato Kumar , Kim Jang-Eok
Published: September 2022

Food waste management is a critical environmental issue in many developing countries, including Bangladesh, due to unplanned food waste disposal and lack of dedicated food waste legislation. In those countries, a significant amount of food waste is discarded to the environment rather than being recycled. In Bangladesh, food waste is traditionally often used for composting, landfilling, and feeding animals, as there is no valorization option. In addition, food waste and food waste streams of food industries are utilized for the recycling and production of diverse economically valuable bioactive compounds. Therefore, we conducted a detailed literature review on food waste management and valorization options in Bangladesh and discussed the findings in the context of global status. The amount of food waste in Bangladesh is quite high, and it needs to be recycled to promote the circular economy of this developing nation. In this study, it is revealed that various research uncertainties and gaps regarding sustainable food waste management exist in Bangladesh, which should be investigated as priority research. Furthermore, a logical and global synchronization of the contemporary approach to food waste valorization with policy advocacy is proposed, to ensure efficient food waste decontamination and recycling in Bangladesh. This is the first and most comprehensive evaluation of the present research trend and prospects for sustainable recycling of food waste for the circular economy of Bangladesh.
Hybrid Wavelet Scattering Network-Based Model for Failure Identification of Reinforced Concrete Members
Authors: Barkhordari Mohammad Sadegh , Barkhordari Mohammad Mahdi , Armaghani Danial Jahed , Rashid Ahmad Safuan A. , Ulrikh Dmitrii Vladimirovich
Published: September 2022

After earthquakes, qualified inspectors typically conduct a semisystematic information gathering, physical inspection, and visual examination of the nation’s public facilities, buildings, and structures. Manual examinations, however, take a lot of time and frequently demand too much work. In addition, there are not enough professionals qualified to assess such structural damage. As a result, in this paper, the efficiency of computer-vision hybrid models was investigated for automatically detecting damage to reinforced concrete elements. Data-driven hybrid models are generated by combining wavelet scattering network (WSN) with bagged trees (BT), random subspace ensembles (RSE), artificial neural networks (ANN), and quadratic support vector machines (SVM), named “BT-WSN”, “RSE-WSN”, “ANN-WSN”, and “SVM-WSN”. The hybrid models were trained on an image database containing 4585 images. In total, 15% of images with different sorts of damage were used to test the trained models’ robustness and adaptability; these images were not utilized in the training or validation phase. The WSN-SVM algorithm performed best in classifying the damage. It had the highest accuracy of the hybrid models, with a value of 99.1% in the testing phase.
Preparation and Characterization of Black Seed/Cassava Bagasse Fiber-Reinforced Cornstarch-Based Hybrid Composites
Authors: Abotbina Walid , Sapuan S. M. , Ilyas R. A. , Sultan M. T. H. , Alkbir M. F. M.
Published: September 2022

Great advances have been made in the preparation of bioplastics and crude oil replacements to create a better and more sustainable and eco-friendly future for all. Here, we used cassava bagasse fibers at different ratios as reinforcement material to enhance the properties of black seed w-cornstarch films using the facile solution casting technique. The reinforced films showed compact and relatively smoother structures without porosity. The crystallinity values increased from 34.6 ± 1.6% of the control to 38.8 ± 2.1% in sample CS-BS/CB 9%, which reflects the mechanical properties of the composite. A gradual increase in tensile strength and elastic modulus was observed, with an increase in loading amounts of 14.07 to 18.22 MPa and 83.65 to 118.32 MPa for the tensile strength and elastic modulus, respectively. The composite film also exhibited faster biodegradation in the soil burial test, in addition to lower water absorption capacity. Using bio-based reinforcement material could significantly enhance the properties of bio-based packaging materials. The prepared hybrid composite could have a promising potential in food packaging applications as a safe alternative for conventional packaging.
Energy and Economic Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from OECD Countries
Authors: He Yugang , Zhang Ziqian
Published: September 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption to the original order of the global economy and has had an influence on the social and economic growth of countries all over the globe. As a result, the aim of this paper is to explore the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on a sample of OECD countries with regard to energy and the economy. For empirical investigation, data from the first quarter of 2010 to the first quarter of 2022 are used, and the system generalized method of moments is applied. The findings reveal that during the COVID-19 pandemic, energy consumption impeded economic growth while economic expansion was the primary driver of energy resource consumption. Furthermore, an examination of heterogeneous effects reveals that economic growth and energy consumption are heterogeneous both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. To conclude, these findings might provide a contribution to the body of research that has already been undertaken on this subject.
Time-Dependent Deformation and Long-Term Strength of Carbonaceous Mudstone under Dry and Wet Cycles
Authors: Li Sheng-Nan , Peng Zhu , Huang Zhong-Hua , Liang Qiao , Liu Jie , Zhou Wen-Quan
Published: September 2022

Clarifying the time-dependent strength deterioration characteristics of carbonaceous mudstone under dry and wet cycles is of great significance to the design of expressway cut slopes. In this work, we conducted triaxial compression creep tests on carbonaceous mudstone specimens that had undergone different numbers of dry and wet cycles to investigate their creep properties. A function was established between the steady-state viscoplastic creep rate and axial compression. The threshold stress of the steady-state viscoplastic creep rate was assumed as the long-term strength, and the long-term strength deterioration law of carbonaceous mudstone under dry and wet cycles was studied. The results showed that the transient strain, viscoelastic creep, and viscoplastic creep of carbonaceous mudstone increased with the number of dry and wet cycles, and the creep failure stress and transient elasticity modulus decreased. Based on the steady-state viscoplastic creep rate method, the long-term strength of carbonaceous mudstone after n (n = 0, 3, 6, 9) dry and wet cycles was found to be 74.25%, 64.88%, 57.56%, and 53.16% of its uniaxial compression strength, respectively. Compared with the isochronous curve method and the transition creep method, the steady-state viscoplastic creep rate method can more accurately determine the long-term rock strength. The long-term strength of carbonaceous mudstone under dry and wet cycles decays exponentially, and the long-term strength decay rate during the first three dry and wet cycles is about 215 times the average decay rate.
Sustainable Reservists’ Services: The Effect of Resilience on the Intention to Remain in the Active Military Reserve Using a Parallel Mediating Model
Authors: Bekesiene Svajone , Kanapeckaitė Rosita , Smaliukienė Rasa , Navickienė Olga , Meidutė-Kavaliauskienė Ieva , Vaičaitienė Ramutė
Published: September 2022

The high priority of military training programs in the army is to improve the resilience of its professional and reserve soldiers. In addition, resilience helps to maintain the optimal cognitive and physical performances necessary for mission success; it also has other positive effects that have not yet been studied. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to understand the effect of psychological resilience (PRE) on the intention of reservists to remain in the active reserve (FMT) after the completion of combat training. In addition, we focus on the motivation (prosocial motivation (PRM) and intrinsic motivation (IMT)) and psychological capital (passion in the pursuit of long-term goals (LTGs), proactivity (PRO), and capability to harness the circumstances (SEF)), and achieved a level of competence after the completion of training (ACH). Building on the perspective of training sustainable reserve soldiers’ capabilities and the theory of psychological resilience, we hypothesize and assess the effect of psychological resilience on the intention of reservists to remain in the active reserve for future military training, as well as the mediating role of psychological capital, motivation, and the obtained training ratings. The study hypotheses are tested on a sample of 345 Lithuanian reserve soldiers. The mediating effects are tested by employing the PROCESS v3.5 macro program developed by Hayes, and bootstrap 10,000. The main findings propose that the total impact of psychological resilience is highly positive (β = 0.659, t = 7.670, p < 0.001) and influences the decision of the reservists to extend their capabilities in future military training. Furthermore, intrinsic motivation (β = 0.691, p < 0.001, and 58.6% of the total effect) and the achieved rating of completed training (β = 0.136, p < 0.01, and 21.2% of the total effect) positively mediate the relationship between psychological resilience and the intention to remain in the active reserve. Selected bootstrap confidence interval and Sobel test statistics with two-tailed probability values evidence the robustness of the mediating results. The significance of the theoretical and practical implications is discussed.
Impact of Entrepreneurship on Innovation Performance of Chinese SMEs: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Enterprise Dynamic Capability and Organizational Innovation Environment
Authors: Cui Fang , Song Jae-hoon
Published: September 2022

The primary objective of this study is to examine the relationship of entrepreneurship, enterprise innovation performance, enterprise dynamic ability, and organizational innovation environment of small and medium enterprises in China. Based on a thorough literature review, this study constructed a research model of “entrepreneurship, enterprise dynamic ability, organizational innovation environment, and enterprise innovation performance”. To meet this purpose, a survey was conducted by collecting data using a random sampling method targeting five cities in Shandong and Henan, where the proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China is high. Additionally, SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0 were used to carry out correlation analyses, structural equation path analyses, and intermediary effect tests on 426 valid questionnaires. There are three major findings. First, entrepreneurship positively affects the dynamic ability of enterprises and the organizational innovation environment and enterprise innovation performance. Second, enterprise dynamic capability and organizational innovation environment positively affect enterprise innovation performance. Third, enterprise dynamic capability and organizational innovation environment play a partial mediating role on the influence path between entrepreneurship and innovation performance. The findings of this paper provide further evidence for the positive impact of entrepreneurship on innovation performance and the relationship between variables. Suggestions are provided for SMEs to improve their innovation performance. To stimulate entrepreneurship of SMEs, more attention needs to be given to cultivate their dynamic capabilities, create an environment of organizational innovation for enterprises, and help them maintain a competitive advantage in the ever-changing market environment.
A Laboratory and Field Universal Estimation Method for Tire–Pavement Interaction Noise (TPIN) Based on 3D Image Technology
Authors: Wang Hui , Zhang Xun , Jiang Shengchuan
Published: September 2022

Tire–pavement interaction noise (TPIN) accounts mainly for traffic noise, a sensitive parameter affecting the eco-based maintenance decision outcome. Consistent methods or metrics for lab and field pavement texture evaluation are lacking. TPIN prediction based on pavement structural and material characteristics is not yet available. This paper used 3D point cloud data scanned from specimens and road pavement to conduct correlation and clustering analysis based on representative 3D texture metrics. We conducted an influence analysis to exclude macroscope pavement detection metrics and macro deformation metrics’ effects (international roughness index, IRI, and mean profile depth, MPD). The cluster analysis results verified the feasibility of texture metrics for evaluating lab and field pavement wear, differentiating the wear states. TPIN prediction accuracy based on texture indicators was high (R2 = 0.9958), implying that it is feasible to predict the TPIN level using 3D texture metrics. The effects of pavement texture changes on TPIN can be simulated by laboratory wear.
The Role of Educating the Labor Force in Sustaining a Green Economy in MINT Countries: Panel Symmetric and Asymmetric Approach
Authors: Ahmed Nihal , Sheikh Adnan Ahmed , Hassan Bilal , Khan Sajjad Nawaz , Borda Ricardo Cosio , Huamán Juan Martín Campos , Senkus Piotr
Published: September 2022

Over the years, the economies of Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey (the MINT countries) have had significant levels of economic growth. However, these countries have not been able to protect the quality of their environments simultaneously. As a result, the rising environmental indices in these nations cast a gloomy shadow over their capacity to continue their economic development. It has been shown that a more educated workforce may boost an economy’s absorption capacity and enhance the efficiency of green technology, both of which contribute to lower emissions of greenhouse gases. This article reports on research that examines the link between educating the labor force and environmental sustainability in the MINT economies. In order to conduct an empirical analysis of the data spanning the years 1995–2020, panel ARDL-PMG and NARDL-PMG techniques were used. First, the results of the ARDL-PMG demonstrate that a more highly educated workforce plays a vital role in mitigating CO2 emissions. Moreover, the NARDL-PMG’s results demonstrate that a positive component of a highly educated workforce is a large negative influence on CO2 emissions, whereas in the long run, the negative component of a highly educated workforce has a positive impact on CO2 emissions over time. This article recommends that the MINT nations’ authorities boost education and training for their workforces in order to keep CO2 emissions down.
Characteristics of Chemical Accidents and Risk Assessment Method for Petrochemical Enterprises Based on Improved FBN
Authors: Pan Lidong , Zheng Yu , Zheng Juan , Xu Bin , Liu Guangzhe , Wang Min , Yang Dingding
Published: September 2022

Refining and chemical integration is the major trend in the development of the world petrochemical industry, showing intensive and large-scale development. The accident risks caused by this integration are complex and diverse, and pose new challenges to petrochemical industry safety. In order to clarify the characteristics of the accident and the risk root contained in the production process of the enterprise, avoid the risk reasonably and improve the overall safety level of the petrochemical industry, in this paper, 159 accident cases of dangerous chemicals in China from 2017–2021 were statistically analyzed. A Bayesian network (BN)-based risk analysis model was proposed to clarify the characteristics and root causes of accident risks in large refining enterprises. The prior probability parameter in the Bayesian network was replaced by the comprehensive weight, which combined subjective and objective weights. A hybrid method of fuzzy set theory and a noisy-OR gate model was employed to eliminate the problem of the conditional probability parameters being difficult to obtain and the evaluation results not being accurate in traditional BN networks. Finally, the feasibility of the methods was verified by a case study of a petrochemical enterprise in Zhoushan. The results indicated that leakage, fire and explosion were the main types of accidents in petrochemical enterprises. The human factor was the main influencing factors of the top six most critical risk root causes in the enterprise. The coupling risk has a relatively large impact on enterprise security. The research results are in line with reality and can provide a reference for the safety risk management and control of petrochemical enterprises.
A Two-Stage Stochastic Programming Model for Emergency Supplies Pre-Position under the Background of Civil-Military Integration
Authors: Li Qingwen , Wang Jiuhe , Wang Yinggang , Lv Jian
Published: September 2022

The pre-positioning of emergency supplies is of great significance for a timely and effective rescue after a disaster. Using the background of civil-military integration in China, this paper puts the military storage facilities into the layout scheme of emergency supplies reserve and builds a two-stage stochastic programming model of emergency supplies location–allocation optimization, the aim of which is to effectively use the reserve resources of both military and civilian sides to reduce the reserve cost. Then, an improved whale optimization algorithm (IWOA) with more strategies is designed to solve the model. The applicability of the model is proved via a real-world case study in Tangshan, China. The case study shows that when the unit storage cost of military storage facilities is less than 1.5 times of that of civilian emergency storage, the military and civilian joint reserve mode can reduce the reserve cost-effectively; decision-makers can set different maximum rescue times according to different preferences to adapt to different emergency decision-making needs.
Photosynthetic Behavior of Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels Induced under Grazed and Ungrazed Conditions
Authors: Nait Douch Aicha , Boukhalef Laila , El Asbahani Abdelhafed , Al-Namazi Ali A. , El Mehrach Khadija , Bouqbis Laila , Touaf Mourad , Ain-Lhout Fatima
Published: September 2022

The endemic Moroccan species Argania spinosa is considered the most grazed tree species in its distribution area. Since grazing exerts an important effect on plant performances, we attempted to explore the impact of grazing on A. spinosa. Thus, we performed a comparative field experiment where seasonal variations of gas exchange, photochemical efficiency, relative water content, photosynthetic pigment content, and stomatal features were assessed in grazed and ungrazed trees. The net photosynthetic rate was increased in grazed trees in spring and autumn, the favorable seasons. Enhancement of photosynthetic performance may be due to the high stomatal conductance registered in grazed trees. This mechanism may compensate for the lost leaf area, in order to recover from grazing stress. In addition, grazed trees exhibit a better photochemical efficiency, use water more economically and show lower oxidative stress. However, results obtained in summer show that the compensation mechanism could be limited by summer drought. Since the key to preserving the future of forests is sustainable forest management, our results suggest that proper grazing management can be a control tool to increase plant performance and improve species resilience.
An Experimental and Modeling Study on the Effect of Wall Opening Location on the Under-Ventilated Compartment Fire
Authors: Wang Lujia , Park Haejun
Published: September 2022

An experimental and modeling study was carried out to investigate the effect of wall opening location on the mass flow rates of gases through the opening and the associated fire phenomena, such as compartment temperature, projected flame height through the opening, and the heat release rates inside and outside the compartment. A 0.3 m by 0.3 m opening was placed at three different elevations—bottom, middle, and top—of a narrow end wall of a 0.8 m by 1.2 m by 0.8 m (H) compartment. A propane gas burner was used to provide four different fire sizes in the compartment: 90, 110, 130, and 150 kW. The existing correlations for mass flow rates and heat release rates generally do not include the wall opening location as a variable and are functions of only the opening area and height. Based on the experimental and modeling analysis, it is found that the wall opening location affects the internal and external fire phenomena. Two fundamental factors, K and O, are introduced to explain the effect quantitatively. Factor K is the ratio of the air inflow predicted by Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) to the existing correlation (0.5AoHo), and Factor O is the ratio of the oxygen consumption rate in the compartment to the oxygen flow rate into the compartment, indicating combustion efficiency. Factor K ranges from 0.78 to 0.94, and O ranges from 0.67 to 0.85 for different opening locations, which suggests that the existing correlations may overestimate the amount of airflow to and the combustion efficiency within the compartment.
Analysis of Consumers’ Electric Vehicle Purchase Intentions: An Expansion of the Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Yeğin Tuğba , Ikram Muhammad
Published: September 2022

For the purpose of paving the way for reducing environmental pollution globally, adapting green energy to people’s lives in more areas is seen as a good solution. The strategic plan implemented to prevent possible energy and water shortages in the future includes cleaning the environment and air from carbon emissions as soon as possible. Countries are taking mandatory sectoral and individual measures to remove the use of CO2-based fuels. As a part of the sustainable development process for Turkey, which is trying to convince its individuals to use more green energy, it is important for society to adopt more electric vehicles. However, there are few internationally accepted studies on the adoption of EVs in Turkey, and a limited number of studies include individuals’ environmental concerns (EC) and green trust (GT) structures. In this research, which we started on the basis of filling this literature gap by taking behavioral factors into account, we expand the TPB framework (subjective norm (SN), attitude (AT), and perceived behavioral control (PBC)) with the “EC” and “GT” constructs. So, with this research, we examine the behavioral factors that affect the intention to purchase electric vehicles (EVPI) of consumers residing in Turkey, based on the theory of planned behavior. Thus, we aim to reveal the barriers to the adoption of EVs in Turkey with an empirical application and SEM analysis. The first phase includes a review of the literature, adaptation of the survey, and development of the hypotheses. The second phase involves conducting a survey with 626 consumers whose information was obtained from four dealers in Turkey. We used Cronbach’s alpha and CFA analyses on the data obtained from the survey. In the final phase, we performed an SEM analysis for our extended theory of planned behavior (ETPB) and hypotheses. The CFA results revealed that the survey showed compatibility with EV purchase intentions. The SEM results indicated that the behavioral constructs of AT, PBC, EC, and GT were positively correlated with EV purchase intentions, and our new ETPB model, extended with EC and GT, was suitable for predicting consumers’ EVPI, suggesting that EVPI are a result of behavioral constructs. This study is unique for being the first in Turkey to focus on whether the factors of EC or GT can predict consumers’ EVPI. On the other hand, it was found that SN had a negative effect on consumers’ EVPI, and this result was in agreement with some studies in the literature and contradicted by others. In addition, we make suggestions based on the findings of the research to the country and related sector managers in order for the country to progress at a level that will set an example for other developing countries in its sustainable development plan. This study contributes to the EVs industry by revealing the consumers’ responses and increasing their marketing efforts. Our findings constitute a comprehensive example for further research on sustainable consumption, EVs, EVPI, and ETPB.
Remaining Useful Life Prediction of Wind Turbine Gearbox Bearings with Limited Samples Based on Prior Knowledge and PI-LSTM
Authors: Wang Zheng , Gao Peng , Chu Xuening
Published: September 2022

Accurately predicting the remaining useful life of wind turbine gearbox bearing online is essential for ensuring the safe operation of the whole machine in the long run. In recent years, quite a few data-driven approaches have been proposed that use the sensor-collected data to deal with this problem, achieving good results. However, their effects are heavily dependent on the massive degradation data due to the nature of data-driven methods. In practice, the complete data collection is expensive and time-consuming, especially for newly built or small-scale wind farms, which brings the problem of using limited data into sharp focus. To this end, in this paper, a novel idea of first using the prior knowledge of an empirical model for data augmentation based on the raw limited samples and then using the deep neural network to learn from the augmented data is proposed. This helps the neural network to safely approach the degradation characteristics, avoiding overfitting. In addition, a new neural network, namely, pre-interaction long short-term memory (PI-LSTM), is designed, which is able to better capture the sequential features of time-series samples, especially in the periods in which the continuous features are interrupted. Finally, a fine-tuning process is conducted using the limited real data for eliminating the introduced knowledge bias. Through a case study based on real sensor data, both the idea and the PI-LSTM are proved to be effective and superior to the state-of-art.
The Role of Big Five Personality Traits in Explaining Pedestrian Anger Expression
Authors: Aghabayk Kayvan , Rejali Sina , Shiwakoti Nirajan
Published: September 2022

Although the relationship between anger and personality characteristics in the literature is well-acknowledged for drivers, there is a lack of systematic investigation of pedestrians. The current study aimed to evaluate pedestrian anger expression (PAX) and its contributing factors, including demographics, travel habits, and the big five personality traits. To test the effects of different variables on PAX scales, data from 742 respondents were collected. The data were analyzed through a two-stage approach of clustering and a logistic regression model. Participants were clustered into two groups of low expression and high expression based on their responses to PAX items. An exploratory factor analysis identified significant constructs of PAX, including “Adaptive/Constructive Expression”, “Anger Expression-In”, and “Anger Expression-out”. It was found that males were more likely to show high anger expressions. Public transport usage and previous crash involvement could significantly increase the probability of high anger expression. On the other hand, life satisfaction and intention to avoid traffic were negatively associated with high anger expression. The results revealed that neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience could positively contribute to higher anger expression; however, agreeableness and conscientiousness were negatively associated with high anger expression for pedestrians.
Research Progress on Stress–Fracture–Seepage Characteristics for Hazard Prevention in Mine Goafs: A Review
Authors: Gong Xuanping , Xue Sheng , Han Baiqing , Zheng Chunshan , Zhu Licheng , Dong Yangyang , Li Yaobin
Published: September 2022

Large-scale coal mining has created many goaf areas, which have become one of the most frequent sources of mine hazards. Investigations on the stress–fracture–seepage characteristics around goafs could help with identifying and controlling goaf-area hazards. Scholars have conducted theoretical analyses, similar simulation experiments, numerical simulations, and field measurements to analyze the multifield coupling development of mining stopes, including the stress variations, fracture advancement, and permeability-change characteristics. In the longwall-mining process, a stress-relief zone is formed above the goaf area, while a stress-concentration zone is formed in the adjacent coal seams. Mining-stope fracture goes through a process of stress-relief expansion, stress-recovery closure, and end-fracture expansion. The permeability of coal rock in mining stopes rises in all directions with the increase in the fracturing ratio. Further studies could concentrate on the distribution characteristics of the abutment pressure around the goaf area. A permeability model based on the coupling of the coal stress, damage, gas adsorption, and desorption is expected to be established to improve the accuracy of the permeability prediction and seepage analysis at the boundary of the goaf area. Relevant studies could provide better theoretical guidance for preventing hazards, such as gas-related incidents and coal spontaneous combustion in the goaf, as well as for the stability control of the goaf boundary.
Building a Culture of Entrepreneurial Initiative in Rural Regions Based on Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study of University of Applied Sciences–Municipality Innovation Partnership
Authors: Paunović Ivan , Müller Cathleen , Deimel Klaus
Published: September 2022

The purpose of the study is to provide empirical evidence about the under-researched area of university–government relations in building a culture of entrepreneurial initiatives inside the triple helix model in a rural region. The study deploys a qualitative case study research method based on the content analysis of project documentation and further internal documents both from universities and municipalities. The propositions in the research question are guided by the previous literature and were then analyzed through an “open coding” process to iteratively analyze, verify, and validate the results from the documents against the previous literature. Results presented in the case study are related both to the project of a municipality–university innovation partnership, as well as the historic development of the university in its three missions, and, related to the important third mission, themes relevant for the project. In addition, a “toolkit” of relevant project activities is presented against the major identified themes, major project stakeholders, as well as relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Universities should look beyond a purely economic contribution and should augment all three missions (teaching, research, engagement) by considering social, environmental, and economic aspects of its activities. Instead of considering a government’s role solely as that of a regulator, a much more creative and purposeful cooperation between university and government is possible for creating a regional culture of entrepreneurial initiatives in a rural region.
Mutual Influence between Polyvinyl Chloride (Micro)Plastics and Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens L.)
Authors: Lievens Siebe , Poma Giulia , Frooninckx Lotte , Van der Donck Tom , Seo Jin Won , De Smet Jeroen , Covaci Adrian , Van Der Borght Mik
Published: September 2022

Due to the expansion in the global population, there is an increase in animal protein demand and waste generation. Currently, food waste derived from supermarkets, etc., which is used to produce biogas, is collected separately and can contain (micro)plastics deriving from food packaging, imposing potential risks to the environment. A possible solution to address protein, waste and plastic concerns can potentially be achieved by rearing black soldier fly (BSF) larvae on such substrates. In this study, we investigated the effect of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (micro)plastics on the growth, survival, and bioconversion of BSF larvae. On the other hand, the impact of the larvae on the polymer structure and degradation was also assessed. This was carried out by rearing BSF larvae on artificial food waste spiked with micro-, meso-, and macroplastics, while measuring larval growth, survival, and bioconversion parameters. The remaining plastics were collected and analysed upon changes and degradation of their polymer structure. Generally, BSF larvae were not affected in terms of growth performance (179.9–210.4 mg), survival (77.1–87.3%), and bioconversion (FCR: 4.65–5.53) by the presence of (micro)plastics in the substrates. Furthermore, the larvae were also unable to significantly alter the polymer structure of the used plastic.
The Rediscovery of Traditional Maize Agrobiodiversity: A Study Case from Northern Italy
Authors: Stagnati Lorenzo , Soffritti Giovanna , Desiderio Francesca , Lanubile Alessandra , Zambianchi Sara , Marocco Adriano , Rossi Graziano , Busconi Matteo
Published: September 2022

Nowadays, agriculture is under the pressure of climate change and new pathogen outbreaks while farmers are requiring breeders to develop more resistant and resilient genotypes. The genetic base for breeding may be increased through appropriate conservation, description and characterization of local varieties and germplasm collections that have never been used in breeding, and which could be sources of useful alleles. In this framework, the present paper focuses on eight maize landraces of the eastern part of Emilia-Romagna, derived from the Italian maize collection sampled in 1954. Landraces are characterized by a short cycle length and different kernel types—mainly flint-like or an intermediate type of yellow or yellow–orange color—while dent landraces are less represented. Pigmented and white corns are absent even though one landrace (Va213) showed the presence of scattered blue kernels on yellow ears. Ear shape is frequently conical, a trait associated with drought-resistance and common in Italian traditional landraces. Genetic characterization was carried out on 529 individuals by using 10 SSR markers. A total of 68 different alleles, ranging from 4 for markers (phi084 and umc1401) to 11 (phi031) and from 27 (Va217) to 50 (Va211), were evidenced at the individual and population level. AMOVA analysis revealed a small amount (19%) of variability between populations, as supported also by PCoA, with the only exception of Va217, which is different from the others, as evidenced also by phylogenetic analysis. Population structure analysis resulted in the identification of three and four population levels, which are consistent with previous results.
Examining Social Sustainability in Organizations
Authors: Prieto Leonel , Amin Muhammad Ruhul , Canatay Arman
Published: September 2022

Social sustainability in organizations has been externally focused and, given its socio-ecological importance and potential, it requires further attention. This study examines social sustainability in business organizations (a) as an antecedent of environmental and economically related constructs, and (b) as a component of a multiplicity of relationships among social, environmental, and economically associated constructs. We examine a diverse set of 41 model configurations of 10 first-order constructs, and a diverse set of second-order constructs following a gradient ranging from a relatively moderate degree of order to quasi-random construct arrangements ending with model configurations fully determined at random. These sets reflect variability and commonality among respondents from various organizations, industries, and regions of the United States. Constructs may be antecedents, mediators, or outcomes. Analyses were conducted using PLS-SEM software. Results show (a) that social constructs are at the core of organizational life, given their frequent moderate to strong positive effects on other social constructs, as well as on environmental and economically related organizational constructs; and (b) construct variability within sustainability dimensions. Contributions include examining both constructs’ gradient ordering and constructs’ variability effects contingent on both construct nature and position. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations and future research, are discussed.
Despite Being Distinguished as the 2020 European Green Capital, Lisbon Has Lost Public Green Areas over the Previous Decade
Authors: de Almeida Juscidalva Rodrigues , Alves Gustavo Benedito Medeiros , Nunes Reginaldo de Oliveira , Dias Teresa
Published: September 2022

With the objective of assessing Lisbon’s environmental improvement and sustainable development, we measured the changes in Lisbon’s vegetation cover over the 2010–2020 timeframe considering three categories: public green areas (PGA), street trees (ST), and urban green infrastructure (UGI). We calculated the vegetation cover (m2), vegetation cover per resident (m2 person−1), and % of vegetation cover. PGA and ST covers were made available by the municipality, while UGI cover was estimated from the NDVI calculated from multispectral satellite images (Landsat 7–8). Since only the PGA cover decreased 2% (the ST and UGI covers increased 38% and 5%, respectively), Lisbon has lost PGA over the previous decade. The values of PGA per resident were below the minimum value of 12 m2 person−1 at the city scale and in most parishes (19 parishes out of 24 in 2020). While the values of % of UGI were above the desired value of 30% at the city scale, in 2020 there were three parishes with values below the minimum of 5%. This information is important to prioritize measures that promote sustainable urbanization in those parishes. Our study raised many questions, suggesting the need to standardize the methods for measuring the urban vegetation.
The Influence of Psychological Distance on the Challenging Moral Decision Support of Sports Majors in Internet of Things and Machine Learning
Authors: Zong Xingxing , Wang Lian , Xie Qingyuan , Lipowski Mariusz
Published: September 2022

This work intends to examine the influence of different dimensions of psychological distance on the moral decision-making of sports college students in sports dilemmas under different learning pressure conditions, and to further investigate the relationship between psychological distance and moral decision-making. The research on the influencing factors of moral decision-making of sports majors can effectively help to understand the moral cognition level of the group, and provide a reference for the interpretation of athletes’ moral anomie behavior, thereby enriching the content of the moral quality education of athletes. This work intends to study the impact of psychological distance on the moral decision support of sports college students in the context of the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning. Psychological distance in the machine learning environment may affect individuals’ understanding and cognition of events and, to a certain extent, can change students’ cognition and judgment of events. IoT and machine learning environments are chosen as the foundation. The learning pressure of college students majoring in physical education is a variable. A questionnaire survey and experimental design are used to test the influence of different degrees of learning pressure, social distance, and spatial distance on the moral decision-making of physical education college students in the sports dilemma. The dimensions of the psychological distance of physical education (PE) students are analyzed under different stress conditions and their impact on the moral decision-making of PE students. This experiment adopts a mixed experimental design of 3 learning stresses (no stress vs. moderate stress vs. high stress) × 2 social distances (self vs. others) × 2 spatial distances (Beijing vs. France). The results show that the main effect of social distance is significant. When the self is the decision-making subject, individuals tend to make more moral decisions. There is a significant interaction between social distance and learning pressure. In a stress-free and high-stress environment, individuals make a significant increase in the number of moral decisions when faced with self-centered decision-making. Now, moral decision-making and its consequences are important for college students majoring in sports. The results of their moral decision-making in the field of education directly reflect the image of the individual and even the institution.
Impact of Greenwashing Perception on Consumers’ Green Purchasing Intentions: A Moderated Mediation Model
Authors: Sun Yongbo , Shi Binbin
Published: September 2022

When consumers perceive that companies are engaging in greenwashing, this often has many negative impacts on the company, industry, and society. Based on the psychological contract theory, this study constructs a moderated mediation model in an attempt to demonstrate that consumers’ greenwashing perception influences their green purchasing intentions and, more importantly, that this influence is mediated by consumers’ perceived betrayal and moderated by their sense of environmental responsibility. An online questionnaire was used to distribute 220 questionnaires and regression analysis was conducted using SPSS24.0 and Amos24.0 to test the hypothesis. The results show that consumers’ greenwashing perception negatively influences consumers’ green purchasing intentions, that perceived betrayal plays a partially mediating role in this influence relationship, and that environmental responsibility reinforces the negative influence of greenwashing perception on green purchasing intentions. This paper enriches the study of the mechanisms of individual consumer psychological effects after consumers perceive corporate greenwashing behaviour, which is of great value to both corporate performance and the sustainable development of the social environment.
An Improved Mayfly Method to Solve Distributed Flexible Job Shop Scheduling Problem under Dual Resource Constraints
Authors: Zhang Shoujing , Hou Tiantian , Qu Qing , Glowacz Adam , Alqhtani Samar M. , Irfan Muhammad , Królczyk Grzegorz , Li Zhixiong
Published: September 2022

Aiming at the distributed flexible job shop scheduling problem under dual resource constraints considering the influence of workpiece transportation time between factories and machines, a distributed flexible job shop scheduling problem (DFJSP) model with the optimization goal of minimizing completion time is established, and an improved mayfly algorithm (IMA) is proposed to solve it. Firstly, the mayfly position vector is discrete mapped to make it applicable to the scheduling problem. Secondly, three-layer coding rules of process, worker, and machine is adopted, in which the factory selection is reflected by machine number according to the characteristics of the model, and a hybrid initialization strategy is designed to improve the population quality and diversity. Thirdly, an active time window decoding strategy considering transportation time is designed for the worker–machine idle time window to improve the local optimization performance of the algorithm. In addition, the improved crossover and mutation operators is designed to expand the global search range of the algorithm. Finally, through simulation experiments, the results of various algorithms are compared to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for isomorphism and isomerism factories instances.
Exploring Deficiencies in the Professional Capabilities of Novice Practitioners to Reshape the Undergraduate Human Resource Development Curriculum in South Korea
Authors: Choi Hee-Jun , Park Ji-Hye
Published: September 2022

At a time of global economic crisis, professional programs in universities are demanded to make continuous improvements based on new information on performance gaps of novice incumbents, in order to make their graduates more competitive, which ultimately leads to their job security and decent work. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess discrepancies in the importance and performance levels of professional capabilities required of novice Human Resource Development (HRD) practitioners and priorities in instructional needs, as perceived by immediate superiors as an initial effort to improve the curricula of undergraduate HRD courses. Data were collected from 193 HRD supervisors in organizations in South Korea and were analyzed using paired t-test and the ranked discrepancy model. These findings indicated that instructional needs in terms of professional capabilities were high in the following order: instructional design, learning science, career and leadership development, coaching, training delivery and facilitation, knowledge management, and technology application. The results implied that most undergraduate courses developed for the education of prospective HRD practitioners need to be updated and improved. This study also proposed an idiosyncratic and periodic formative evaluation process for the ongoing improvement of professional programs in universities as a part of efforts to sustain the global economic growth.
Analysing Urban Tourism Accessibility Using Real-Time Travel Data: A Case Study in Nanjing, China
Authors: Li Juchen , Guo Xiucheng , Lu Ruiying , Zhang Yibang
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the spatial accessibility of tourism attractions in the urban destination city. An analytical framework for assessing urban tourism accessibility at different spatial scales was proposed to provide references on the interaction of urban transport and tourism systems. In addition to the travel time-based measure, a modified gravity model integrating the tourism destination attractiveness, urban transport system characteristics, and tourist demand distribution was developed to evaluate tourism accessibility in this study. Real-time travel data obtained from the Web Maps service were used to take the actual road network operation conditions into consideration and improve the accuracy of estimation results. Taking Nanjing as an example, the analysis results revealed the spatial heterogeneity of tourism accessibility and inequality in tourism resource availability at different levels. Road transport service improvement plays a dominant role in increasing tourism accessibility in areas with insufficient tourism resources, such as the outskirts of the destination city. As for areas with abundant attractions, authorities could pay attention to destination attractiveness construction and demand management in addition to the organization and management of road network operations around attractions during holidays. The results of this study provide a potentially valuable source of information for urban tourism destination management and transport management departments.