bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Workshop, Cost-Effective and Streamlined Fabrications of Re-Usable World-To-Chip Connectors for Handling Sample of Limited Volume and for Assembling Chip Array
Authors: Lue Jiann-Hwa , Su Yu-Sheng , Kuo Tai-Chih
Published: December 2018

The world-to-chip interface is an essential yet intriguing part of making and employing microfluidic devices. A user-friendly connector could be expensive or difficult to make. We fabricated two ports of microfluidic chips with easily available materials including Teflon blocks, double adhesive films, coverslips, and transparency films. By using a mini grinder, coverslips were drilled to form small holes for the fluid passages between port and chip. Except for the double adhesive films, the resultant ports are durable and re-useable. The DK1 port, contains a mini three-way switch which allows users to handle fluid by a tube-connected pump, or by a manual pipette for the sample of trace amount. The other port, the DK2 port, provides secured tube-connections. Importantly, we invented a bridge made of craft cutter-treated transparency films and double adhesive films to mediate liquid flow between DK2 port and chip. With the use of a bridge, users do not need to design new ports for new chips. Also, individual chips could be linked by a bridge to form a chip array. We successfully applied DK1 port on a microfluidic chip where green fluorescent protein was immobilized. We used DK2 port on an array of fish chips where the embryos of zebra fish developed.
On-Orbit Relative Radiometric Calibration of the Night-Time Sensor of the LuoJia1-01 Satellite
Authors: Zhang Guo , Li Litao , Jiang Yonghua , Shen Xin , Li Deren
Published: December 2018

The LuoJia1-01 satellite can acquire high-resolution, high-sensitivity nighttime light data for night remote sensing applications. LuoJia1-01 is equipped with a 4-megapixel CMOS sensor composed of 2048 × 2048 unique detectors that record weak nighttime light on Earth. Owing to minute variations in manufacturing and temporal degradation, each detector’s behavior varies when exposed to uniform radiance, resulting in noticeable detector-level errors in the acquired imagery. Radiometric calibration helps to eliminate these detector-level errors. For the nighttime sensor of LuoJia1-01, it is difficult to directly use the nighttime light data to calibrate the detector-level errors, because at night there is no large-area uniform light source. This paper reports an on-orbit radiometric calibration method that uses daytime data to estimate the relative calibration coefficients for each detector in the LuoJia1-01 nighttime sensor, and uses the calibrated data to correct nighttime data. The image sensor has a high dynamic range (HDR) mode, which is optimized for day/night imaging applications. An HDR image can be constructed using low- and high-gain HDR images captured in HDR mode. Hence, a day-to-night radiometric reference transfer model, which uses daytime uniform calibration to calibrate the detector non-uniformity of the nighttime sensor, is herein built for LuoJia1-01. Owing to the lack of calibration equipment on-board LuoJia1-01, the dark current of the nighttime sensor is calibrated by collecting no-light desert images at new moon. The results show that in HDR mode (1) the root mean square of mean for each detector in low-gain (high-gain) images is better than 0.04 (0.07) in digital number (DN) after dark current correction; (2) the DN relationship between low- and high-gain images conforms to the quadratic polynomial mode; (3) streaking metrics are better than 0.2% after relative calibration; and (4) the nighttime sensor has the same relative correction parameters at different exposure times for the same gain parameters.
Automatic Estimation of Dynamic Lever Arms for a Position and Orientation System
Authors: Fu Qiangwen , Li Sihai , Liu Yang , Zhou Qi , Wu Feng
Published: December 2018

An inertially stabilized platform (ISP) is generally equipped with a position and orientation system (POS) to isolate attitude disturbances and to focus surveying sensors on interesting targets. However, rotation of the ISP will result in a time-varying lever arm between the measuring center of the inertial measurement unit (IMU) and the phase center of the Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna, making it difficult to measure and provide compensation. To avoid the complexity of manual measurement and improve surveying efficiency, we propose an automatic estimation method for the dynamic lever arm. With the aid of the ISP encoder data, we decompose the variable lever arm into two constant lever arms to be estimated on line. With a complete 21-dimensional state Kalman filter, we accurately and simultaneously accomplish navigation and dynamic lever arm calibration. Our observability analysis provides a valuable insight into the conditions under which the lever arms can be estimated, and we use the error distribution method to reveal which error sources are the most influential. The simulation results demonstrate that the dynamic lever arm can be estimated to within [0.0104; 0.0110; 0.0178] m, an accuracy that is equivalent to the positioning accuracy of Carrier-phase Differential GPS (CDGPS).
The Elastic Contact and Stability Analysis of an Inertial Micro-Switch with a Spring Stationary Electrode
Authors: Chen Wenguo , Wang Huiying , Kong Dejian , Sun Shulei
Published: December 2018

A mechanical trigger inertial micro-switch with spring stationary electrode is proposed and fabricated by surface micromachining. The elastic contact process and stability performance are evaluated through experimental tests performed using a drop hammer. The test results show that the contact time is about 110 μs and 100 μs when the threshold acceleration is 480 g and the overload acceleration is 602 g, respectively. The vibration process of the electrodes is explained through an established physical mode. The elastic contact process is analyzed and discussed by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations, which indicated that the contact time is about 65 μs when the threshold acceleration is 600 g. At the same time, this result also proved that the contact time could be extended effectively by the designed spring stationary electrode. The overload acceleration (800 g) has been applied to the Finite-Element model in ANSYS, the contact process indicated that the proof mass contacted with stationary electrode three times, and there was no bounce phenomenon during contact process, which fully proved that the stable contact process can be realized at high acceleration owing to the designed elastic stationary electrode.
Distributed Temperature Sensing Monitoring of Well Completion Processes in a CO2 Geological Storage Demonstration Site
Authors: Lee Dasom Sharon , Park Kwon Gyu , Lee Changhyun , Choi Sang-Jin
Published: December 2018

The Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) profiles obtained during well completion of a CO2 monitoring well were analyzed to characterize each well completion process in terms of temperature anomalies. Before analysis, we corrected the depth by redistributing the discrepancy, and then explored three temperature calibration methods. Consequently, we confirmed the depth discrepancy could be well corrected with conventional error redistribution techniques. Among three temperature calibration methods, the conventional method shows the best results. However, pointwise methods using heat coil or in-well divers also showed reliable accuracy, which allows them to be alternatives when the conventional method is not affordable. The DTS data revealed that each well completion processes can be characterized by their own distinctive temperature anomaly patterns. During gravel packing, the sand progression was monitorable with clear step-like temperature change due to the thermal bridge effect of sand. The DTS data during the cementing operation, also, clearly showed the progression up of the cement slurry and the exothermic reaction associated with curing of cement. During gas lift operations, we could observe the effect of casing transition as well as typical highly oscillating thermal response to gas lifting.
Bowel Sounds Identification and Migrating Motor Complex Detection with Low-Cost Piezoelectric Acoustic Sensing Device
Authors: Du Xuhao , Allwood Gary , Webberley Katherine Mary , Osseiran Adam , Marshall Barry J.
Published: December 2018

Interpretation of bowel sounds (BS) provides a convenient and non-invasive technique to aid in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. However, the approach’s potential is limited by variation between BS and their irregular occurrence. A short, manual auscultation is sufficient to aid in diagnosis of only a few conditions. A longer recording has the potential to unlock additional understanding of GI physiology and clinical utility. In this paper, a low-cost and straightforward piezoelectric acoustic sensing device was designed and used for long BS recordings. The migrating motor complex (MMC) cycle was detected using this device and the sound index as the biomarker for MMC phases. This cycle of recurring motility is typically measured using expensive and invasive equipment. We also used our recordings to develop an improved categorization system for BS. Five different types of BS were extracted: the single burst, multiple bursts, continuous random sound, harmonic sound, and their combination. Their acoustic characteristics and distribution are described. The quantities of different BS during two-hour recordings varied considerably from person to person, while the proportions of different types were consistent. The sensing devices provide a useful tool for MMC detection and study of GI physiology and function.
Two-Way Affective Modeling for Hidden Movie Highlights’ Extraction
Authors: Wang Zheng , Yan Xinyu , Jiang Wei , Sun Meijun
Published: December 2018

Movie highlights are composed of video segments that induce a steady increase of the audience’s excitement. Automatic movie highlights’ extraction plays an important role in content analysis, ranking, indexing, and trailer production. To address this challenging problem, previous work suggested a direct mapping from low-level features to high-level perceptual categories. However, they only considered the highlight as intense scenes, like fighting, shooting, and explosions. Many hidden highlights are ignored because their low-level features’ values are too low. Driven by cognitive psychology analysis, combined top-down and bottom-up processing is utilized to derive the proposed two-way excitement model. Under the criteria of global sensitivity and local abnormality, middle-level features are extracted in excitement modeling to bridge the gap between the feature space and the high-level perceptual space. To validate the proposed approach, a group of well-known movies covering several typical types is employed. Quantitative assessment using the determined excitement levels has indicated that the proposed method produces promising results in movie highlights’ extraction, even if the response in the low-level audio-visual feature space is low.
Immunological Methods in Gluten Risk Analysis: A Snapshot
Authors: Melini Francesca , Melini Valentina
Published: December 2018

Gluten is among the 14 major food allergens officially recognized by Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011. The risk to coeliac patients from gluten presence in the food products they consume is likely due to the unintentional contamination of naturally gluten-free (GF) and GF-labelled products, or to hidden sources of gluten in processed GF products. The aim of this paper is to provide a snapshot of gluten risk analysis, with emphasis on immunological methods currently used in gluten detection. The study highlights that immunoassays have some advantages over other analytical methods in gluten determination and are suitable for routine tests. However, some factors (e.g., complexity of the food matrix, type of the applied antibody, gluten extraction procedures and lack of reference material) affect the reliability of obtained results. Hence, efforts are required at an analytical level to overcome the drawbacks of the immunological methods currently available. Harmonization is necessary, so as to assist both consumers in making safe food choices, and the food industry in gluten risk assessment, management and communication.
On Evaluating Social Learning Outcomes of Serious Games to Collaboratively Address Sustainability Problems: A Literature Review
Authors: Den Haan Robert-Jan , Van der Voort Mascha C.
Published: December 2018

Serious games are increasingly explored as collaborative tools to enhance social learning on sustainable management of land and natural resources. A systematic literature review was conducted to examine the current state of the art of the different methods and procedures used to assess social learning outcomes of collaborative serious games. Forty-two publications were identified and included in the review following study selection and quality assessment steps. Extracted data from the publications were categorized in relation to five research questions. Approaches that were used to assess cognitive, normative, and relational learning outcomes of collaborative serious games were subsequently identified based on the categorizations. As a result, these approaches distinguished between the nature of learning in the assessment of collaborative serious games. Combined, these approaches provide an overview of how to assess social learning outcomes of collaborative serious games, including the methods and procedures that can be used, and may serve as a reference for scholars designing and evaluating collaborative serious games.
Characteristics and Trends of Ambient Ozone and Nitrogen Oxides at Urban, Suburban, and Rural Sites from 2011 to 2017 in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Huang Dian , Li Qinglan , Wang Xiaoxue , Li Guangxin , Sun Liqun , He Bing , Zhang Li , Zhang Chunsheng
Published: December 2018

The emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) decreased under China’s air quality control policies. However, concern remains regarding the response of ozone (O3) in the metropolitan areas. The characteristics and trends of ambient O3 and NOx in Shenzhen were investigated during the 2011–2017 period. Both the human population and vegetation are exposed to higher O3 at suburban and rural sites than at the urban site. The O3 weekend effect is significant (p = 0.062) at the urban site, with O3 levels 1.19 ppb higher on Sunday than on weekdays. Solar radiation, precipitation, and relative humidity are the most relevant meteorological factors that affect O3 daily variations. Wind speed is the least relevant factor, but wind direction is related to the presence of high O3 air concentrations. Both 1-h and 8-h O3 exhibit an increase, opposite to the trend of NOx. A slight decline in O3 occurs in autumn at less urbanized sites. The increase in O3 is more prevalent and rapid in the winter at more urbanized sites. This can be due to the transport of increased O3 from northern China, as well as a lowered O3 titration effect with NOx reduction. O3 increases fastest at the urban site, with an estimated rate of 4.3% (95% confidence intervals (CIs): 0.96, 8.25) per year (p < 0.05) for 8-h O3 and 2.5% (95% CIs: −0.46, 6.12) per year (p > 0.1) for 1-h O3, posing greater human health risks to areas with high population density.
Hotel Profiles Based on Environmental Management Practices: Evidence from a Study at an Alpine Destination
Authors: Buffa Federica , Franch Mariangela , Martini Umberto , Tamanini Alessio
Published: December 2018

This paper analyzes the investment in environmental management practices (EMPs) adopted by hotels within a community destination. The aim is twofold: (a) to understand whether hotels have changed their EMPs in the last ten years and, if so, how; (b) to analyze the link between hotels’ environmental commitment and propensity of collaboration among local stakeholders. The research, carried out in 2015, involved all the hotels (N = 1.514) of Trentino, a community destination in the Italian Alps, through a CAWI survey (redemption rate 88.9%). The data analysis followed two steps: (1) frequency analysis to identify the EMPs adopted by hotels and to compare the data with the survey conducted in 2005; (2) multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical ascendant cluster analysis to identify hotel profiles with different levels of environmental commitment. The results revealed new and original aspects of the propensities of hotels to invest in EMPs and identified three different environmental hotel profiles: not eco-friendly, proactive, and reactive. Proactive and reactive hotels have a greater propensity to invest in EMPs and to collaborate with the Destination Management Organisation and with other hotels. The research contributes to the scientific debate on EMP adoption and the extent to which stakeholder power and pressure influence the environmental sustainability strategies of hotels.
A Model to Promote Sustainable Social Change Based on the Scaling up of a High-Impact Technical Innovation
Authors: Cuéllar-Gálvez David , Aranda-Camacho Yesid , Mosquera-Vásquez Teresa
Published: December 2018

The scaling up of the innovations concept has gained importance in recent years, underlining the importance of disseminating successful innovations on a large scale to increase their socio-economic impact, seeking to sustain broad rural development and promoting public policies that generate equal and sustainable results. However, few projects take advantage of the adoption of innovative technologies to promote social change. This paper reports on an intervention model that incorporates common elements, from the literature, of scaling up, and includes novel such as linking technological and social innovations, with an exit strategy to build sustainable processes and results. The model is based on a trans-disciplinary approach, and leadership, that involves local communities and stakeholders to establish synergies, to give coherence to the whole process, and to build an exit strategy involving territorial dynamics related to the innovation. The model includes a clear definition of the objects, and the process, that should be transformed, and the specific methodologies to involve local communities and stakeholders, to reach the final target user. The model was applied to develop the project, More Nutritious Potatoes, for scaling up new yellow potatoes varieties with improved agronomic and nutritional attributes. To implement the project, the research team, local communities, and stakeholders agreed on specific actions to improve food security and nutrition in a sustainable manner. The operational objectives were, the strengthening of capabilities for autonomy and governance in public policies, the entrepreneurship to build inclusive businesses, the valorization of agro-biodiversity, the acquisition of good food habits, and the promotion of social equity. The methodologies employed allowed building of social and scientific capabilities for Colombia.
Harnessing a ‘Currency Matrix’ for Performance Measurement in Cooperatives: A Multi-Phased Study
Authors: Benos Theo , Kalogeras Nikos , Wetzels Martin , De Ruyter Ko , Pennings Joost M. E.
Published: December 2018

The cooperative organizational form is by nature a sustainable one, which has proved to be resilient in the face of crises and a solid lever in addressing present-day societal challenges. Still, little is known about its socio-economic impact. Also, despite the plethora of studies on cooperative performance, research remains inconclusive about how to best measure it. In fact, scholarly work has largely favored the use of appraisal tools reflecting those of investor-owned firms (IOFs), having undermined the dual idiosyncratic nature of the cooperative organizational form, which is manifest in the business and social-membership objectives. The goal of this article is to fill these gaps by delivering a comprehensive dashboard for cooperative performance assessment that harmonizes business–social aspects and catalogs the basic components for future attempts. To reach this goal, we used an extensive review of empirical research in cooperative performance (phase 1) and a Delphi study with 14 experts (phase 2). In addition, we reviewed comparable research efforts for a business form (social enterprises) that combines business with social goals and faces similar challenges (phase 3). This inquiry was particularly insightful for the social perspective and the overlooked role of cooperatives as a socially-embedded organizational form that hardly documents its societal impact and outreach.
Adaptation Strategies under Climate Change for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity in Cambodia
Authors: Kim Jeonghyun , Park Hojeong , Chun Jong Ahn , Li Sanai
Published: December 2018

Since the Cambodian economy is largely dependent on agricultural production, it is important to understand the effects of climate change on rice production, the primary staple crop of Cambodia. This study assessed the economic impacts of climate change in Cambodia to provide an appropriate set of policy suggestions that could lead to sustainable agricultural productivity and economic growth. The results from the GLAM-Rice crop model and various climate models indicate that Cambodia will be severely affected by climate change, which will lead to lower rice production and economic growth. The changes in rice yield under the RCP 8.5 and RCP 4.5 baseline scenarios reduced the GDP by 8.16% and 10.57%, respectively. By employing an investment model based on a real options framework, the economic effects and feasibility of adaptation strategies such as irrigation and adjustment of planting dates are identified. The analysis indicates that irrigation is a feasible option and the most efficacious strategy to reduce the negative impacts of climate change for the agricultural sector. The index of economic feasibility for irrigation, defined by the ratio of the current realized agriculture value-added to the identified threshold, is 0.6343 and 0.8803 under the RCP 8.5 and RCP 4.5 baseline scenarios, respectively. The results suggest that the priority choice for adaptation measure be in order of irrigation, 20-day later adjustment, and 20-day earlier adjustment.
The Design and Analysis of Internally Stiffened GFRP Tubular Decks—A Sustainable Solution
Authors: Li Yeou-Fong , Meda Habib Armel , Chen Walter
Published: December 2018

The aim of this paper was to find an optimal stiffener configuration of thin-wall tubular panels made by glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite material, which is a low carbon emission, low life cycle cost, and sustainable material. Finite-element analysis (FEA) was used to investigate the flexural and torsional stiffness of various internally stiffened sections of thin-wall GFRP decks. These decks consist of internally stiffened tubular profiles laid side by side and bonded together with epoxy to ensure the panel acts as an assembly. Three-dimensional models of the seven proposed decks were assembled with tubular profiles of different stiffener patterns. First, the non-stiffened tube profile was tested experimentally to validate the parameters used in the subsequent numerical analysis. Then, the finite element software, ANSYS, was used to simulate the flexural and torsional behavior of the decks with different stiffener patterns under bending and torsional loads. The decks with stiffener patterns such as “O” type, “V” type, and “D” type were found to be the most effective in bending. For torsion, there was a distinct tendency for deck panels with closed shaped stiffener patterns to perform better than their counterparts. Overall, the “O” type deck panel was an optimal stiffener configuration.
Antecedents of Sustainable Social Entrepreneurship Initiatives in Pakistan and Outcomes: Collaboration between Quadruple Helix Sectors
Authors: Iqbal Jawad , Kousar Shakeela , Ul Hameed Waseem
Published: December 2018

The concept of social entrepreneurship has not reached full understanding in almost all developing countries, specifically in Pakistan. Social entrepreneurship is an outstanding social vehicle that, if adopted, can transform a society by resolving its social, economic, and environmental issues with the help of homemade solutions for social problems. The phenomena of social entrepreneurship rarely exist in Pakistan, due to a lack of research in and awareness of the field. So far, no quantitative or qualitative research has been conducted on the subject area of social entrepreneurship. Thus, the prime objective of this study is to investigate the effect of personal factors (human capital, social capital, motivational factors) on the development of social entrepreneurial ventures in Pakistan. This research study has investigated the interaction effect of the collaboration of quadruple helix sectors on the factors that affect the development of social entrepreneurial ventures in Pakistan. Quadruple Helix Innovation Theory (QHIT) explains that the economic development of a country stands on four pillars: university, industry, government, and civil society. In this research, a quantitative research approach has been adopted by using a survey questionnaire. This research study has used convenience sampling to select a sample from the target population for collecting answers from respondents who were conveniently available. The population of this study includes all of the social entrepreneurs operating in two important cities (Bahawalpur, Multan) of southern Punjab, Pakistan. SmartPLS 3 was utilized to analyze the data. Moderation has been tested using the bootstrapping technique in SmartPLS software. It is found that human capital, social capital, and motivational factors have a significant positive relationship with social entrepreneurship. Moreover, quadruple helix sectors moderate the relationship between personal factors (human capital, social capital, motivational factors) and social entrepreneurship. The study provides a road map for the development of social entrepreneurship in Pakistan as a solution to social problems.
Weather Risk–Reward Contract for Sustainable Agri-Food Supply Chain with Loss-Averse Farmer
Authors: Fu Hongyong , Teo Kok Loy , Li Yujie , Wang Lei
Published: December 2018

Compared with the traditional agri-food supply chain (AFSC) whose only goal is to maximize economic benefits, the sustainable agri-food supply chain (SAFSC) starts to attract more attention. Typical challenges faced by SAFSC development are unfair pricing of produce, yield uncertainty caused by adverse weather, as well as conflict and cooperation between stakeholders and sustainable activities of SAFSC. In this paper, we establish a two-echelon decision-making model consisting of a loss-averse farmer and a loss-neutral company. A guaranteed price mechanism is contrived to mitigate the effects of uncertain procurement price on the farmers’ profit. It is found that this mechanism can improve the sustainable investment level but fails to reach the optimal level of the SAFSC system. Thus, a risk–reward contract taking into account the weather index (temperature) and the degree of loss aversion is designed. Results show that this contract can settle the distortion of the sustainable investment level and effectively motivate farmers to participate in the sustainable agricultural practice. Furthermore, we derive the conditions on the contract parameters under which both the company and the farmer are motivated to exert efforts to stand by sustainable agricultural practice.
Sustainability Evaluation of Cities in Northeastern China Using Dynamic TOPSIS-Entropy Methods
Authors: Li Weiwei , Yi Pingtao , Zhang Danning
Published: December 2018

The revitalization of Northeastern China has been an important topic in China in recent years. Sustainable development of cities plays a strong role in the revitalization process. In this paper, we evaluated the sustainability of the 34 prefecture-level and above cities in Northeastern China. The evaluation process was viewed as a dynamic evaluation problem. A dynamic technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and entropy method was developed by extending the entropy weight and TOPSIS to dynamic situation. It was found that the sustainability levels of the cities in Northeastern China were comparatively low. Only four sub-provincial cities’ average performances were over 0.5 (accounting for 11.8%). Except for Jixi, nearly all the cities had dim sustainability because of the lower positive or even negative growth rates. In addition to Shenyang, Dalian, Changchun, Harbin, and Daqing, the other cities performed worst in the economic sustainability with performance values below 0.3. This implicates that the necessity and urgency of improving the economic sustainability levels of the cities in Northeastern China to realize the coordinated development of the three dimensions (economy, society and environment). In terms of the cities located in Liaoning province, they need to pay more attention to the economic sustainability, even though their economy basis (or levels) were comparatively better than that in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. For the cities in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, the decline of their environmental sustainability was serious. This case should arouse the attention of local authorities.
Migrants’ Integration on the European Labor Market: A Spatial Bootstrap, SEM and Network Approach
Authors: Marcu Nicu , Siminică Marian , Noja Graţiela Georgiana , Cristea Mirela , Dobrotă Carmen Elena
Published: December 2018

This study is set out to identify feasible ways for immigrants’ integration into the major ten host countries within the European Union (EU-10) and increased labor market performance. Eurostat, OECD, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) official data was mainly used to capture essential international migration indicators (for both dimensions—economic and humanitarian), along with education, socio-economic development and labor market credentials, as key variables for immigrants’ integration into EU-10, compiled for 2000–2017. In this respect, spatial analyses, bootstrap estimations, structural equations (SEM), and Gaussian graphical models (GGM) are applied, to better grasp migrants’ labor market outcomes. Significant positive consequences reflected through a reduction in the unemployment rate of the foreign population are generated by active labor market policies, jointly with an enhancement in the attainment for secondary education, and welfare advances. The opposite, a rise in income inequalities has negative effects, while additional support for R&D activities deployed within the business sector is required to entail migrants’ labor market performance. The passive policies need to be redesigned and tailored to significantly downsize the foreign unemployment, since these are currently acting like a disincentive for an active participation of migrants on the European labor market, thus confining their integration.
Eco-Efficiency Evaluation of Agricultural Production in the EU-28
Authors: Rybaczewska-Błażejowska Magdalena , Gierulski Wacław
Published: December 2018

This paper evaluates the eco-efficiency performance of agriculture at the sector level using the joint application of life cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) techniques. The research has been performed for the agricultural production of the 28 member states of the European Union (the EU-28). The foundation for the calculation of the eco-efficiency performance was a statistically selected set of impact categories derived from the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) phase as input values and economic indicators, with the gross domestic product (GDP) of their agriculture as the output value. The results of the analysis showed that the agricultural sectors of 10 member states of the European Union (i.e., Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania, and Sweden) are relatively eco-efficient. The remaining 18 member states of the EU-28 have eco-inefficient agricultural sectors, though to a varying extent. This means that their agricultural sectors consume too many natural resources (in particular, energy), use too much fertilizer, and produce considerable amounts of airborne emissions in relation to the current level of GDP per hectare. These insights into the eco-efficiency performance of agriculture in the EU-28 may contribute to the adoption of better management techniques and more effective agricultural policies.
The Role of the Eco-Industrial Park (EIP) at the National Economy: An Input-Output Analysis on Korea
Authors: Kim Hyeong-Woo , Dong Liang , Jung Seok , Park Hung-Suck
Published: December 2018

The eco-industrial park (EIP), which aims to minimize by-product and unused energy via reuse and recycling within the industrial complex, offers an innovative pathway to realize regional eco-industrial development. As an environmental, as well as business, innovation, the EIP enables changing the perception of industries and create new business values via the whole supply chain, but such evidences have been less reported to date. As one of the world famous promoter on EIPs, the Republic of Korea (ROK) initiated a national EIP project to enhance its competitiveness and solve environmental problems. While the existing literature reviewed and highlighted its economic outcomes in terms of direct performances of firms within the project, the indirect impacts on the supply chain of national economy were less investigated. Within this circumstance, this study performed a first attempt to apply an input-output analysis (IOA) to investigate the effects of the EIP project on the whole economic system of Korea, via an exogenous specification of the EIP sector in the input-output tables (IOTs). General economic effects in terms of value-added change, employment generation, as well as specific effects like the inducement effects and effects of supply shortage and price pervasiveness were evaluated based on the IOA approach (including demand-driven, supply-driven, and Leontief price models). Results highlighted that, from the supply chain perspective, implementing the EIP project made production and value-added grow by around 1264 billion KRW and 272 billion KRW, respectively (with a unit induction coefficient of 1.6201 and 0.3489 for production and value-added). While generating a direct employment around 1000, an indirect employment was also created of over 5000 persons in the whole supply chain (with an employment inducement effect of 6.4512 persons per 1 billion KRW investment). The production shortage cost from 1 KRW of supply failure is 1.1230 KRW. In summary, EIP was proved to be not environmentally friendly, but also a driver to improve the overall economic performance of upstream and downstream industries in the whole supply chain. As a first attempt to link IOA with EIP, the results of this paper are expected to enlighten policy-makers to forward continued improvement on EIP promotion and combine the EIP idea within national economic system reform and planning.
Tourist Intensity in the World, 1995–2015: Two Measurement Proposals
Authors: Manera Carles , Valle Elisabeth
Published: December 2018

The work emphasizes the importance of measuring the tourist intensity of the economies that are oriented to tourism activity, with the aim of avoiding subjective arguments and being more related to perception than with the empirical contrast of the data. A tourist intensity index is proposed, which is made up of four essential variables: GDP, tourist spending, population, and the number of tourists. However, at the same time, it is complemented by a measure of tourist density, which helps to better understand the proposed index. This allows for the classification of countries according to the resulting index, and to calibrate their position in the set of tourist economies. This can be very useful for the application of economic policies aimed at correcting externalities that are generated in the advanced development of mass tourism.
Improving Environmental Sustainability by Characterizing Spatial and Temporal Concentrations of Ozone
Authors: Lee Kyu Jong , Kahng Hyungu , Kim Seoung Bum , Park Sun Kyoung
Published: December 2018

Statistical methods have been widely used to predict pollutant concentrations. However, few efforts have been made to examine spatial and temporal characteristics of ozone in Korea. Ozone monitoring stations are often geographically grouped, and the ozone concentrations are separately predicted for each group. Although geographic information is useful in grouping the monitoring stations, the accuracy of prediction can be improved if the temporal patterns of pollutant concentrations is incorporated into the grouping process. The goal of this research is to cluster the monitoring stations according to the temporal patterns of pollutant concentrations using a k-means clustering algorithm. In addition, this study characterizes the meteorology and various pollutant concentrations linked to high ozone concentrations (>0.08 ppm, 1-h average concentration) based on a decision tree algorithm. The data used include hourly meteorology (temperature, relative humidity, solar insolation, and wind speed) and pollutant concentrations (O3, CO, NOx, SO2, and PM10) monitored at 25 stations in Seoul, Korea between 2005 and 2010. Results demonstrated that 25 stations were grouped into four clusters, and PM10, temperature, and relative humidity were the most important factors that characterize high ozone concentrations. This method can be extended to the characterization of other pollutant concentrations in other regions.
Investigating the Effects of the Built Environment on PM2.5 and PM10: A Case Study of Seoul Metropolitan City, South Korea
Authors: Park Seung-Hoon , Ko Dong-Won
Published: December 2018

Air pollution has a major impact on human health and quality of life; therefore, its determinants should be studied to promote effective management and reduction. Here, we examined the influence of the built environment on air pollution by analyzing the relationship between the built environment and particulate matter (i.e., PM2.5 and PM10). Air pollution data collected in Seoul in 2014 were spatially mapped using geographic information system tools, and PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were determined in individual neighborhoods using an interpolation method. PM2.5 and PM10 failed to show spatial autocorrelation; therefore, we analyzed the associations between PM fractions and built environment characteristics using an ordinary least squares regression model. PM2.5 and PM10 exhibited some differences in spatial distributions, suggesting that the built environment has different effects on these fractions. For instance, high PM10 concentrations were associated with neighborhoods with more bus routes, bus stops, and river areas. Meanwhile, both PM2.5 and PM10 were more likely to be high in areas with more commercial areas and multi-family housing, but low in areas with more main roads, more single-family housing, and high average gross commercial floor area. This study is expected to contribute to establishing policies and strategies to promote sustainability in Seoul, Korea.
Terrorism as a Determinant of Attracting FDI in Tourism: Panel Analysis
Authors: Nikšić Radić Maja
Published: December 2018

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether terrorism is one of the important determinants affecting the investment decisions of foreign investors in tourism on a panel of 50 countries over the period 2000 to 2016. In addition to terrorism, the importance of three other theoretically significant determinants of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in tourism are explored—the previous level of FDI in tourism, the level of GDP and the international tourist arrivals. To obtain more reliable research results, the initial model is extended with certain control variables. The study uses system-GMM estimator for dynamic panel data models. The research results of a narrower and a wider model indicate that terrorism has no significant effect on the FDI inflow in tourism while international tourist arrivals significantly affect the future FDI in tourism in both models. Furthermore, the research results entail certain political connotations. In order to attract foreign investors in tourism, the most important factor is to ensure a stable macroeconomic environment with a competitive position in the Doing Business list and what better business conditions. Attention should also be focused on the security and preventive counter-terrorism, which will ensure that potential destinations reflect confidence, have a growth rate of tourist arrivals and, consequently, attract foreign investors.
Application of Traditional Knowledge of Hani People in Biodiversity Conservation
Authors: Yang Jingbiao , Wang Yi-Chen , Wang Dan , Guo Luo
Published: December 2018

Traditional knowledge offers a feasible approach to biodiversity conservation because it not only preserves, but also enriches biodiversity [...]
Sustainability in Higher Education: A Didactic Strategy for Environmental Mainstreaming
Authors: Piza Valentín , Aparicio José Luis , Rodríguez Columba , Marín Rigoberto , Beltrán Juana , Bedolla Ramón
Published: December 2018

Institutions of higher education play a fundamental role in the effort to reach sustainability; there are different ways to achieve it. The objective of this work carried out in 2017 was to design, implement and evaluate a course-workshop that will provide teachers of the Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Administration at the Autonomous University of Guerrero (UAGro) tools to incorporate the environmental axis into their learning unit programs, in the context of environmental education. It was a study with a qualitative and transversal approach, based on constructivism and transversality. It was structured with its foundation in institutional documents. The design and selection of the themes was carried out in conjunction with a team of experts. Twenty-four teachers participated. The initial and final evaluation was carried out through guiding questions and surveys; the initial result showed an economistic vision of the environment, as well as ignorance about strategies to incorporate the environment as one of the dimensions of sustainability; this contrasts with the final evaluation, in which knowledge and willingness to incorporate the environment into their respective learning unit programs was observed, as well as satisfaction with the course-workshop that had developed. It is concluded that it is necessary to strengthen the processes of teacher training and give continuity to them for the incorporation of the environment as a contribution to sustainability.
Difficulties in Building Relationships with External Stakeholders: A Family-Firm Perspective
Authors: Sadkowska Joanna
Published: December 2018

Currently, there is a growing number of businesses which organize their operations in the form of projects. One of the key success factors in the area of project management is building successful relationships with project stakeholders. Using stakeholder theory perspective and looking through the lens of family involvement, the study addresses two research questions: 1. how do family firms perceive the difficulty in building relationships with external stakeholders compared to other project management difficulties; 2. does organizing work in the form of projects redefine the significance of family involvement in the difficulties of building relationships with external stakeholders. To answer these questions, 154 Polish family-owned enterprises, considered as representatives of Eastern European emerging economies, were surveyed. The results indicate that family involvement strongly influences the difficulties in building relationships with external stakeholders, but only in those companies which at the time of the survey were not managing projects. In the firms employing project management practices, only the factor related to increasing the number of employees had a facilitating effect on the studied phenomenon. On the contrary, in the case of family firms not managing projects, the growth in the number of employees increased the difficulty in building relationships with external stakeholders. The findings add to the research on the role of family involvement in building relationships with a firm’s external stakeholders.
Real Estate Soars and Financial Crises: Recent Stories
Authors: Jang Hanwool , Song Yena , Sohn Sungbin , Ahn Kwangwon
Published: December 2018

This paper studies the contribution of real estate bubble to a financial crisis. First, we document symptoms of a real estate bubble along with a slowdown of the real economy and find indicators of an imminent crash of the stock market, triggering a sense of déjà vu from the 2008 crisis. However, we show that the relationship between real estate and financial markets has changed since the crisis. The empirical analyses provide evidence that the monetary policy has recovered its control over mortgage rates, which had been lost prior to the global financial crisis, and that the real estate market does not have a Granger causality relationship with the stock market any more. Findings suggest that an imminent financial market crash is not likely to be catalyzed by a real estate bubble.
Pricing and Collaboration in Last Mile Delivery Services
Authors: Ko Seung Yoon , Cho Sung Won , Lee Chulung
Published: December 2018

Recently, last mile delivery has emerged as an essential process that greatly affects the opportunity of obtaining delivery service market share due to the rapid increase in the business-to-consumer (B2C) service market. Express delivery companies are investing to expand the capacity of hub terminals to handle increasing delivery volume. As for securing massive delivery quantity by investment, companies must examine the profitability between increasing delivery quantity and price. This study proposes two strategies for a company’s decision making regarding the adjustment of market density and price by developing a pricing and collaboration model based on the delivery time of the last mile process. A last mile delivery time function of market density is first derived from genetic algorithm (GA)-based simulation results of traveling salesman problem regarding the market density. The pricing model develops a procedure to determine the optimal price, maximizing the profit based on last mile delivery time function. In addition, a collaboration model, where a multi-objective integer programming problem is developed, is proposed to sustain long-term survival for small and medium-sized companies. In this paper, sensitivity analysis demonstrates the effect of delivery environment on the optimal price and profit. Also, a numerical example presents four different scenarios of the collaboration model to determine the applicability and efficiency of the model. These two proposed models present managerial insights for express delivery companies.