bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Process Innovation as a Moderator Linking Sustainable Supply Chain Management with Sustainable Performance in the Manufacturing Sector of Pakistan
Authors: Shahid Hafiz Muhammad , Waseem Rafay , Khan Humayoon , Waseem Faria , Hasheem Muhammad Junaid , Shi Yangyan
Published: March 2020

Purpose: The aim of this research paper is to significantly contribute to empirical research on the impact of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices on sustainable performances of firms, with the moderating effect of process innovation (PI), in the manufacturing sector in Pakistan. This paper also theorizes comprehensive SSCM practices and sustainable performance models of firms and evaluates them empirically. Two aspects of SSCM experiences have been integrated into the model: internal management and external management practices of a firm’s sustainability impact assessment. Research methodology: Using the data from 297 manufacturing firms in Pakistan, this research paper analyzes the influence of sustainable supply chain management practices on sustainable performances of firms with the moderation of process innovation in the said relationship. In this study, we used partial least-squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) for data analysis. Results: The findings demonstrate that both internal management and external management SSCM practices have a positive and significant impact on a firm’s sustainable performance, thus supporting hypotheses (H1–H4). Moreover, process innovation as a moderator has a statistically significant relationship between hypotheses H5 and H5c. Originality: For Pakistani firms, comprehensive performance models of SSCM practices are proposed and empirically evaluated. The results of this study help to support the hypotheses that internal and external SSCM practices are necessary for the service sector. Process innovation plays an important role if managed and implemented properly. A number of internal and external SSCM approaches and implications are recommended, along with firm size as a moderator.
Research on Ecological Infrastructure from 1990 to 2018: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Sun Shoukai , Jiang Yuantong , Zheng Shuanning
Published: March 2020

Ecological infrastructure (EI), as the composite system on which the sustainable development of cities depends, has attracted worldwide attention. Considering refined methodologies and broad scope, researchers lacked overall understanding of research patterns and evolutionary processes on EI-related issues. In this study, we applied the bibliometric approach to describe the current situation of EI-related research, and reveal research trends. Based on the Web of Science Core Collection, the bibliometric analysis of EI-related publications from 1990 to 2018 was performed to discuss the history and present research situation of EI, and preview research prospect. The results showed that: (1) the number of EI-related publications has surged astonishingly worldwide over the last three decades; (2) countries in Europe and North America were the first to invest heavily in EI-related research, while China started later but subsequently developed rapidly; (3) the EI-related research focuses were EI-related management, methods for countering extreme meteorological phenomena, providing ecosystem services, and protecting biodiversity; and (4) the EI-related research frontiers included the design of EI, policy research on EI, role of EI in environmental governance, and research on the adaptability of EI.
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Precipitation in Southwest Arid-Agriculture Zones of Pakistan
Authors: Waseem Muhammad , Ahmad Ijaz , Mujtaba Ahmad , Tayyab Muhammad , Si Chen , Lü Haishen , Dong Xiaohua
Published: March 2020

Investigation of spatiotemporal precipitation trends from a climate change perspective is essential, especially in those regions with rainfed agriculture in order to propose sustainable adaptation schemes. Some restrictive assumptions may hinder the efficacy of trend detection methods, so it could be supported with variability analysis to have a clear picture of the spatiotemporal precipitation dynamics rather than focusing on a single approach. Hence, in the current study, a spatiotemporal dynamic analysis of precipitation was carried out using trend detection methods (the innovative trend analysis method and Mann–Kendall test) and statistical indices (the consecutive disparity index, entropy-based variability index and absolute inter-variability index) in the southwest arid region of Pakistan. The results indicated that based on the monthly, annual and seasonal time series, no systematic precipitation pattern was observed across the whole study region. However, on average, an increasing trend was observed in the east plateau while decreasing in the west plateau. The variability analysis also signposted the higher variability in the case of the western plateau and coastal area compared to the east plateau. Based on the seasonal analysis, it was concluded that, on average, precipitation in the winter and spring season goes on decreasing with higher variability while a mixture of increasing and decreasing trends resulted for summer and autumn. Conclusively the study found that precipitation in the study area is more erratic and its behaviour abruptly changed over a short distance. Moreover, discrepancies and inconstancies were found in the selected trend detection approaches and variability indices. The results also indicated that climate change is going to seriously affect the region as a decreasing trend prevails in most of the cases and stations.
Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany
Authors: Dembski Fabian , Wössner Uwe , Letzgus Mike , Ruddat Michael , Yamu Claudia
Published: March 2020

Cities are complex systems connected to economic, ecological, and demographic conditions and change. They are also characterized by diverging perceptions and interests of citizens and stakeholders. Thus, in the arena of urban planning, we are in need of approaches that are able to cope not only with urban complexity but also allow for participatory and collaborative processes to empower citizens. This to create democratic cities. Connected to the field of smart cities and citizens, we present in this paper, the prototype of an urban digital twin for the 30,000-people town of Herrenberg in Germany. Urban digital twins are sophisticated data models allowing for collaborative processes. The herein presented prototype comprises (1) a 3D model of the built environment, (2) a street network model using the theory and method of space syntax, (3) an urban mobility simulation, (4) a wind flow simulation, and (5) a number of empirical quantitative and qualitative data using volunteered geographic information (VGI). In addition, the urban digital twin was implemented in a visualization platform for virtual reality and was presented to the general public during diverse public participatory processes, as well as in the framework of the “Morgenstadt Werkstatt” (Tomorrow’s Cities Workshop). The results of a survey indicated that this method and technology could significantly aid in participatory and collaborative processes. Further understanding of how urban digital twins support urban planners, urban designers, and the general public as a collaboration and communication tool and for decision support allows us to be more intentional when creating smart cities and sustainable cities with the help of digital twins. We conclude the paper with a discussion of the presented results and further research directions.
Institutional Ownership and Value Relevance of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: Empirical Evidence from China
Authors: Rehman Ramiz ur , Riaz Zahid , Cullinan Charles , Zhang Junrui , Wang Fanghua
Published: March 2020

We examine the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure and firm value in China. Using a sample of listed companies on the Shanghai Stock Exchange from 2008 to 2012, we find that market value of a firm is higher when a company makes a lower level of CSR disclosure. Other things being equal, this relationship becomes positive when the CSR disclosure is moderated with the institutional ownership. With regard to the CSR disclosure, we found consistent results with respect to the little evidence that the amount of CSR disclosure is significantly associated with market value among those companies who chose to provide CSR disclosures. Taken together, these results indicate that the decision to disclose or not to disclose CSR information is value relevant to the level of institutional investors. These findings are important as they have made an attempt to resolve the earlier contradictory findings with respect to the relationship between market value and CSR disclosure. Furthermore, it has highlighted the value relevance of CSR disclosure regarding the type of shareholders/institutional investors.
A Novel Stochastic Two-Stage DEA Model for Evaluating Industrial Production and Waste Gas Treatment Systems
Authors: Wang Meiqiang , Chen Yingwen , Zhou Zhixiang
Published: March 2020

In recent decades, the high-speed development in China has caused serious air pollution in China. The present paper proposes a stochastic data envelopment analysis (DEA) model based on a general two-stage structure with comprehensively considering the randomness in both desirable and undesirable outputs to calculate the environmental efficiency of the industry system. The new proposed model is more applicable to practical system, and is applied to evaluate the performance of production and waste gas treatment in the industrial sector for China’s regions along the “One Belt and One Road” in 2015. The results show that about half of the regions along “One Belt and One Road” in China are inefficient, where the performance on waste gas treatment is significantly worse than that of industrial production. Further, the managers should take different strategies for efficiency improvement in different areas because of the obvious differences in efficiency scores, in which the regions in the southeast area should pay more attention to improving waste gas treatment efficiency while that in the northwest area need to focus on industrial production efficiency.
The Effects of Knowledge Assets and Path Dependence in Innovations on Firm Value in the Korean Semiconductor Industry
Authors: Cho Yoonkyo
Published: March 2020

This study investigated whether firms’ knowledge assets and path dependence in their innovations affect firm value. For the analysis, I used 37 firms in the semiconductor industry in Korea. These firms were listed on the Korea Stock Exchange and the Korea Securities Dealers Association Automated Quotation as of 2010 and through 2015. The dependent variable was measured by return on assets as firm value, and the ordinary least squares estimation was used. The results showed that a firm’s knowledge assets have a positive effect on firm value. In addition, when a firm creates new knowledge, if the firm follows path dependence by using its own knowledge, it has a positive effect on firm value. By contrast, when a firm conducts innovations using knowledge created by other firms, it has no effect on the value of the firm. Additionally, I found that technological innovation based on knowledge assets and path dependence has a positive effect on firm value in the short term but has no effect in the medium term. Thus, firms need to continue their innovation to maintain their competitive advantage and to use their existing knowledge in innovation in order to have high performance.
The Role of Education in the Prevention of Radicalization and Violent Extremism in Developing Countries
Authors: Sas Marlies , Ponnet Koen , Reniers Genserik , Hardyns Wim
Published: March 2020

Only since the beginning of this century, the prevention of radicalization has become an important topic in debates about terrorism and sustainable development in developing countries. Research has shown that radicalized individuals are not uneducated, but have often completed secondary or tertiary education. Additionally, it became clear that some extremist groups consider the school environment as an attractive recruitment place. These findings led to a new approach where the education sector is considered as a prominent partner in preventing and combating the radicalization of young individuals. In this article, the potential limitations of the role of the education sector in developing countries are exposed. Based on previous research, three bottlenecks in the education sector were found: unequal access to education, poor quality of education and the relationship between education and employment. In order to strengthen the role of education for sustainable development in developing countries, it is recommended that equal access to education is improved, that schools invest in the creation of safe spaces for their students, that not only secondary but also primary and tertiary education are involved in policy strategies regarding radicalization, and that the job market is adjusted to the educational level of graduated students.
The Relationship between Knowledge Characteristics’ Fit and Job Satisfaction and Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Work Engagement
Authors: Bayona Jaime Andrés , Caballer Amparo , Peiró José María
Published: March 2020

Knowledge workers are highly valued by organizations, but there is a lack of evidence about the role of work engagement in the satisfaction and performance of these workers. Harmonization and Person–Job Fit theory state that workers who have similar characteristics to those present in the context (i.e., give similar importance to the characteristics present in the context) perform better. The aim of this paper is twofold: to test the congruence effect between five knowledge characteristics and their rated influence on job satisfaction and job performance; and test the mediational role of work engagement between the knowledge characteristics’ fit and job performance. Using a time-lagged design, 531 Colombian employees from 20 economic sectors answered questionnaires about work engagement (i.e., UWES-9), knowledge characteristics (i.e., WDQ), importance given to knowledge characteristics, job satisfaction, and job performance. Using polynomial regression, surface response methodology, and ordinary least squares path analyses, we found a congruence effect of the relationship between knowledge characteristics and their levels of importance on job performance in four out of five comparisons (i.e., job complexity, information processing, problem solving, and specialization). In addition, we found that knowledge characteristics’ fit indirectly influenced job satisfaction and performance through its effect on work engagement.
Carving out New Business Models in a Small Company through Contextual Ambidexterity: The Case of a Sustainable Company
Authors: Minatogawa Vinicius , Franco Matheus , Durán Orlando , Quadros Ruy , Holgado Maria , Batocchio Antonio
Published: March 2020

Business model innovation (BMI) and organizational ambidexterity have been pointed out as mechanisms for companies achieving sustainability. However, especially considering small and medium enterprises (SMEs), there is a lack of studies demonstrating how to combine these mechanisms. Tackling such a gap, this study seeks to understand how SMEs can ambidextrously manage BMI. Our aim is to provide a practical artifact, accessible to SMEs, to operationalize BMI through organizational ambidexterity. To this end, we conducted our study under the design science research to, first, build an artifact for operationalizing contextual ambidexterity for business model innovation. Then, we used an in-depth case study with a vegan fashion small e-commerce to evaluate the practical outcomes of the artifact. Our findings show that the company improves its business model while, at the same time, designs a new business model and monetizes it. Thus, our approach was able to take the first steps in the direction of operationalizing contextual ambidexterity for business model innovation in small and medium enterprises, democratizing the concept. We contribute to theory by connecting different literature strands and to practice by creating an artifact to assist management.
Factors Affecting Residential Satisfaction in Slum Rehabilitation Housing in Mumbai
Authors: Kshetrimayum Bangkim , Bardhan Ronita , Kubota Tetsu
Published: March 2020

Affordable housing for the low-income population, who mostly live in slums, is an endemic challenge for cities in developing countries. As a remedy for the slum-free city, most of the major metropolis are resorting to slum rehabilitation housing. Rehabilitation connotes the improved quality of life that provides contentment, yet what entails residential satisfaction in such low-income situations remains a blind spot in literature. The study aims to examine the factors affecting residential satisfaction of slum rehabilitation housing in Mumbai, India. Here, the moderation effects of sociodemographic characteristics between residential satisfaction and its predictors are elaborated using a causal model. Data on residents’ perception of the residential environment were collected from 981 households in three different slum rehabilitation housing areas spatially spread across Mumbai. The causal model indicated that residential satisfaction was significantly determined by internal conditions of dwelling resulting from design, community environment and access to facilities. Gender, age, mother tongue, presence of children, senior citizens in the family, and education moderate the relationship between residential satisfaction and its predictors. The need for design and planning with the user’s perspective is highlighted to improve the quality of life.
Motivational Variables to Predict Autotelic Experience and Enjoyment of Students. Analysis in Function of Environment and Sports Practice
Authors: Leyton-Román Marta , Guíu-Carrera Marta , Coto-Cañamero Asier , Jiménez-Castuera Ruth
Published: March 2020

The aim of this study was to find out how self-determined motivation, Basic Psychological Needs (BPN) and the perception of support influence autonomy-predicted autotelic experience and enjoyment, and to analyse the differences depending on the geographical location of the centre and whether they lead to the practice of physical activity, extracurricular or not, of 271 learners in physical education from 10 to 12 years (M = 10.94, SD = 0.73). The theoretical framework used was the Self-Determination Theory. The results showed that more self-determined motivation, the perception of support for autonomy and BPN positively predict both autotelic experience and enjoyment. Moreover, learners from urban areas have higher values in less self-determined forms of motivation and lower levels of perceived support for autonomy and BPN than learners from rural areas. Furthermore, students who carry out extracurricular physical activity had higher values in all variables compared to those who did not. It is essential to promote sport to students with more self-determined forms of motivation through the satisfaction of BPN, especially in students who do not do extracurricular physical activity and students in urban areas.
Cyperus laevigatus L. Enhances Diesel Oil Remediation in Synergism with Bacterial Inoculation in Floating Treatment Wetlands
Authors: Fahid Muhammad , Ali Shafaqat , Shabir Ghulam , Rashid Ahmad Sajid , Yasmeen Tahira , Afzal Muhammad , Arslan Muhammad , Hussain Afzal , Hashem Abeer , Abd Allah Elsayed Fathi , Alyemeni Mohammed Nasser , Ahmad Parvaiz
Published: March 2020

Diesel oil is considered a very hazardous fuel due to its adverse effect on the aquatic ecosystem, so its remediation has become the focus of much attention. Taking this into consideration, the current study was conducted to explore the synergistic applications of both plant and bacteria for cleaning up of diesel oil contaminated water. We examined that the application of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) is an economical and superlative choice for the treatment of diesel oil contaminated water. In this study, a pilot scale floating treatment wetlands system having diesel oil contaminated water (1% w/v), was adopted using Cyperus laevigatus L and a mixture of hydrocarbons degrading bacterial strains; viz., Acinetobacter sp.61KJ620863, Bacillus megaterium 65 KF478214, and Acinetobacter sp.82 KF478231. It was observed that consortium of hydrocarbons degrading bacteria improved the remediation of diesel oil in combination with Cyperus laevigatus L. Moreover, the performance of the FTWs was enhanced by colonization of bacterial strains in the root and shoot of Cyperus laevigatus L. Independently, the bacterial consortium and Cyperus laevigatus L exhibited 37.46% and 56.57% reduction in diesel oil, respectively, while 73.48% reduction in hydrocarbons was exhibited by the joint application of both plant and bacteria in FTWs. Furthermore, microbial inoculation improved the fresh biomass (11.62%), dry biomass (33.33%), and height (18.05%) of plants. Fish toxicity assay evaluated the effectiveness of FTWs by showing the extent of improvement in the water quality to a level that became safe for living organisms. The study therefore concluded that Cyperus laevigatus L augmented with hydrocarbons degrading bacterial consortium exhibited a remarkable ability to decontaminate the diesel oil from water and could enhance the FTWs performance.
Sustainable Landscape Management and Planning
Authors: Machar Ivo
Published: March 2020

Dynamic changes of landscape structure affect the abundance and distribution of organisms. Currently, changing land-use is one of the major forces altering ecosystem services in landscapes globally. Human activities are transforming land at a faster rate and greater extent than at any time in history. This is a perspective challenge for research in the field of emerging sustainability science. The human conversion of natural habitats and land use change is not only a local/regional phenomenon but can be considered as one of important global change drivers. Some of the impacts of global change on biodiversity can be studied only at the landscape scale, such as the climate change-induced shift of vegetation zones. A landscape perspective fosters a multi-scale approach to sustainable landscape management and landscape planning. Additionally, a landscape scale is very useful for the innovative application of the common management paradigm to multiple uses in agriculture, forestry and water resource management. The need for sustainable landscape management and planning is now obvious. Landscape conservation seems to be a new paradigm for the conservation of biodiversity. This Special Issue (SI) of the Sustainability journal is focused on building a bridge between scientific theory and the practice of landscape management and planning based on the application of sustainability as a key conceptual framework. Papers dealing with various theoretical studies and case studies of the best practice for sustainable landscape management and planning across diverse landscapes around the world are included.
How to Help Crowded Destinations: Tourist Anger vs. Sympathy and Role of Destination Social Responsibility
Authors: Kim Hae-Ryong , Yoon So-Yeon
Published: March 2020

Crowding at destinations is becoming an important issue in sustainable tourism. This study examines the relationship between tourist perceptions of crowding, environmentally responsible behavior (ERB), and intention to recommend a destination, from a helping behavior perspective. It proposes two discrete emotions, in particular anger and sympathy, to understand how tourist perceptions of crowding affect their helping behavior. We collected data through an online survey of tourists who had visited Jeju Island, which has emerged as Korea’s tourism hub. We performed structural equation modeling (SEM) and regression analysis to empirically test the research model. The results reveal that while tourist perceptions of spatial crowding positively impact both anger and sympathy, human crowding perceptions do not link to them. Further, we investigated the incompatible roles of anger and sympathy in tourist ERB and intention to recommend. Whereas anger weakens tourist ERB and intention to recommend, sympathy may strengthen them. This study also examined whether destination social responsibility (DSR) moderates the impact of crowding perceptions on the aforementioned emotions. In addition to encouraging relevant studies, we emphasize the importance of DSR, given the need for destination management organizations and tourism managers to understand tourists’ emotional responses and helping behavior at crowded destinations.
The Role of Customer Experience, Food Healthiness, and Value for Revisit Intention in GROCERANT
Authors: Yoo Se Ran , Lee Suk Won , Jeon Hyeon Mo
Published: March 2020

This study proposes a research model in which food healthiness is considered in addition to the five strategic experiential modules (sense, feel, think, act, and relate) to test the antecedent variables that may enhance customer value and intention to revisit grocerants. For the empirical analysis, consumers with experience of using seven Korean grocerants were surveyed. Grocerant experience and food healthiness were found to be associated with hedonic and utilitarian values and these values were shown to have a significant effect on revisit intention. This study differentiates itself from earlier studies of consumer experience in the foodservice industry that ignore the importance of food healthiness. The presented research model shows the importance of the roles played by food healthiness and the five strategic experiential modules in enhancing customers’ value perception and intention to revisit grocerants. The theoretical framework proposed and tested in the research model of this study is thus expected to serve as the basis for future research on experiential marketing in the foodservice industry.
Microsimulation of Residential Activity for Alternative Urban Development Scenarios: A Case Study on Brussels and Flemish Brabant
Authors: Priem Frederik , Stessens Philip , Canters Frank
Published: March 2020

The historically rooted suburbanization of Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region (BCR) in Belgium has resulted in severe urban sprawl, traffic congestion, natural land degradation and many related problems. Recent policy proposals put forward by the two regions aim for more compact urban development in well-serviced areas. Yet, it is unclear how these proposed policies may impact residential dynamics over the coming decades. To address this issue, we developed a Residential Microsimulation (RM) framework that spatially refines coarse-scale demographic projections at the district level to the level of census tracts. The validation of simulated changes from 2001 to 2011 reveals that the proposed framework succeeds in modelling historic trends and clearly outperforms a random model. To support simulation from 2011 to 2040, two alternative urban development scenarios are defined. The Business As Usual (BAU) scenario essentially represents a continuation of urban sprawl development, whereas the Sustainable Development (SUS) scenario strives for higher-density development around strategic well-serviced nodes in line with proposed policies. This study demonstrates how residential microsimulation supported by scenario analysis can play a constructive role in urban policy design and evaluation.
Robust Blocking of Human Faces with Personal Information Using Artificial Deep Neural Computing
Authors: Jang Seok-Woo , Lee Sang-Hong
Published: March 2020

High-speed wired and wireless Internet are one of the useful ways to acquire various types of media data easily. In this circumstance, people also can easily get media data including objects with exposed personal information through the Internet. Exposure of personal information emerges as a social issue. This paper proposes an effective blocking technique that makes it possible to robustly detect target objects with exposed personal information from various types of input images with the use of deep neural computing and to effectively block the detected objects’ regions. The proposed technique first utilizes the neural computing-based learning algorithm to robustly detect the target object including personal information from an image. It next generates a grid-type mosaic and lets the mosaic overlap the target object region detected in the previous step so as to effectively block the object region that includes personal information. Experimental results reveal that the proposed algorithm robustly detects the target object region with exposed personal information from a variety of input images and effectively blocks the detected region through grid-type mosaic processing. The object blocking technique proposed in this paper is expected to be applied to various application fields such as image security, sustainable anticipatory computing, object tracking, and target blocking.
Energy Intensity and Human Mobility after the Anthropocene
Authors: Mohorčich J.
Published: March 2020

After the Anthropocene, human settlements will likely have less available energy to move people and things. This paper considers the feasibility of five modes of transportation under two energy-constrained scenarios. It analyzes the effects transportation mode choice is likely to have on the size of post-Anthropocene human settlements, as well as the role speed and energy play in such considerations. I find that cars, including battery-electric cars, are not feasible under a highly energy-constrained scenario, that buses, metros, and walking are feasible but will limit human settlement size, and that cycling is likely the only mode of transportation that would make suburbs possible in an energy-constrained post-Anthropocene scenario.
An Analysis of Urban Land Use/Land Cover Changes in Blantyre City, Southern Malawi (1994–2018)
Authors: Mawenda John , Watanabe Teiji , Avtar Ram
Published: March 2020

Rapid and unplanned urban growth has adverse environmental and social consequences. This is prominent in sub-Saharan Africa where the urbanisation rate is high and characterised by the proliferation of informal settlements. It is, therefore, crucial that urban land use/land cover (LULC) changes be investigated in order to enhance effective planning and sustainable growth. In this paper, the spatial and temporal LULC changes in Blantyre city were studied using the integration of remotely sensed Landsat imageries of 1994, 2007 and 2018, and a geographic information system (GIS). The supervised classification method using the support vector machine algorithm was applied to generate the LULC maps. The study also analysed the transition matrices derived from the classified map to identify prominent processes of changes for planning prioritisation. The results showed that the built-up class, which included urban structures such as residential, industrial, commercial and public installations, increased in the 24-year study period. On the contrary, bare land, which included vacant lands, open spaces with little or no vegetation, hilly clear-cut areas and other fallow land, declined over the study period. This was also the case with the vegetation class (i.e., forests, parks, permanent tree-covered areas and shrubs). The post-classification results revealed that the LULC changes during the second period (2007–2018) were faster compared to the first period (1994–2007). Furthermore, the results revealed that the increase in built-up areas systematically targeted the bare land and avoided the vegetated areas, and that the vegetated areas were systematically cleared to bare land during the study period (1994–2018). The findings of this study have revealed the pressure of human activities on the land and natural environment in Blantyre and provided the basis for sustainable urban planning and development in Blantyre city.
Media Innovation Strategies for Sustaining Competitive Advantage: Evidence from Music Download Stores in Iran
Authors: Omidi Afshin , Dal Zotto Cinzia , Norouzi Esmaeil , Valero-Pastor José María
Published: March 2020

This study explores the value of media innovation strategies for driving business success within the Iranian e-market of music downloads. It argues that the context of music e-markets in emerging countries differs markedly from that of developed economies by highlighting the political and cultural challenges that local e-music platforms in Iran are continuously facing. As literature is scarce in this specific area, and this study is one of the first attempting to gain a comprehensive understanding, a qualitative approach has been applied, and 14 digital music industry experts were interviewed in Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews and then analyzed with a qualitative coding approach. This paper revealed that issues such as copyright challenges and governmental permission barriers are limiting the capabilities of digital music distributors to reach a sustainable competitive advantage.
Knowledge Atlas on the Relationship between Urban Street Space and Residents’ Health—A Bibliometric Analysis Based on VOSviewer and CiteSpace
Authors: Meng Lingchao , Wen Kuo-Hsun , Brewin Richard , Wu Qiong
Published: March 2020

In order to draw and analyze the current status of the research on the relationship between international urban street space (public space, public open space) and residents’ health, we explore the hotspots and frontiers of this research field and the overall evolution path from 1999 to 2019. This study uses 4552 related research articles included in the core database of Web of Science as the basis for data analysis, and uses the advantages of VOSviewer and CiteSpace’s bibliometric visualization software to study countries, institutions, literature keywords, and literature co-citation networks, combined with the Alluvial Generator analysis of landmark literature. In this research area, the research content is constantly enriching, including urban street networks, health systems, green spaces, road traffic, thermal comfort, and vulnerable people. The research methods are also constantly enriching. By analyzing and sorting out the current research status, research hotspots and possible future trends in this field of research, the paper hopes to provide more reference for research implementation.
Impact of Mine Panel Size on Hydraulic Permeability of Weakly Cemented Strata
Authors: Fan Gangwei , Zhang Shizhong , Cao Bobo , Zhang Dongsheng , Zhang Chengguo
Published: March 2020

The effect of underground coal mining on groundwater, ranging from minimal to severe depending on the mined-out panel size, is primarily associated with the change in ground hydraulic permeability. This paper presents a novel panel design method, taking consideration of reducing water loss during the mining operation, which is based on evaluating and ranking the impact of panel size on the hydraulic permeability of weakly cemented strata. The permeability test results of weakly cemented rock samples collected in the Yili No.4 Coal Mine in Xinjiang, China strongly indicates that, in contrast to common rock, their post-peak permeability during the total stress–strain process is lower than the initial permeability due to high porosity and the presence of clay minerals. A numerical modeling based on strain–permeability functions reveals that the post-mining permeability distribution in the weakly cemented overlying strata could be subdivided into three zones: the permeability reduction zone, the permeability restoring zone, and the permeability high-increment zone. The impact significance of different size factors on the post-mining permeability of overlying strata can be ranked in decreasing order as follows: mining height, panel width, and panel length, the quantification of which was based on the variance analysis of such indices as maximum pore pressure and maximum flow velocity. Based on the above findings, the optimal size of panel 21103 in the Yili No.4 Coal Mine was determined and validated by water level field observations.
Love Off, Fear On? Brown Bear Acceptance by Teenagers in European Countries with Differing Population Statuses
Authors: Balčiauskas Linas , Ambarlı Hüseyin , Balčiauskienė Laima , Bagrade Guna , Kazlauskas Martynas , Ozoliņš Jānis , Zlatanova Diana , Žunna Agrita
Published: March 2020

The acceptance of large carnivores is one of the key issues for their conservation. We analyzed the level acceptance of brown bears (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) amongst 10–18 year old school students in four European countries using anonymous questionnaires. Our aim was to characterize the drivers of species acceptance, described as a rural–urban cline, as well as fear levels and the respondents’ familiarity with bears. We found lower levels of acceptance of bears were related to fear of bears and that bear acceptance was not higher in the bear-inhabited countries, but urban inhabitants tended to better accept the species. Factor analysis revealed the importance of country-related aspects, familiarity with bears, experiences in human-wildlife conflict, gender-age differences, respondent’s relationship to nature and the origin of their knowledge of the species. We consider that bear-related education and mass media in Latvia and Lithuania could reduce fear of these animals and sustain their acceptance, while human–wildlife conflict management measures in Bulgaria and Turkey are recommended to boost the appreciation of the species.
Seismic Reliability-Based Design Approach for Base-Isolated Systems in Different Sites
Authors: Castaldo Paolo , Ferrentino Tatiana
Published: March 2020

This study employs the seismic reliability-based design approach for inelastic structures isolated by friction pendulum isolators, considering two different highly seismic Italian sites to provide useful design recommendations. Incremental dynamic analyses are carried out to estimate the seismic fragility of the superstructure and of devices, assuming different structural properties and limit state thresholds. Finally, considering seismic hazard curves of the investigated sites, seismic reliability-based design curves are proposed to derive the dimensions in plan of devices and the ductility demand of the superstructure as a function of both the structural properties and the reliability level expected. The proposed results confirm the possibility of using seismic reliability-based design as a sustainable and applicable approach and represent a large data set to adopt this design methodology in any site with a similar seismic hazard.
Influence of the Built Environment on Community Flood Resilience: Evidence from Nanjing City, China
Authors: Chen Yi , Liu Tao , Chen Ruishan , Zhao Mengke
Published: March 2020

With the acceleration of global climate change and urbanization, many large and medium-sized cities in China have been frequently subjected to heavy rains and floods. Thus, the question of how to reduce the impact of floods and achieve rapid recovery has attracted much attention. We use the urban community as the basic unit to examine the living environment, internal facilities, and surrounding environment characteristics of six different types of communities in the Jianye District of Nanjing City. First, we use factor analysis and the binary logistic regression model to analyze pre-disaster preparation, disaster response, and post-disaster recovery. Second, we analyze the resilience of the community at different stages. Then, we explore the influencing factors of the built environment on the resilience of the community. Results show that the built-up environmental factors, such as topography, riverfront, building coverage ratio, green space rate, and land use diversity, have a significant impact on community resilience. Finally, we proposed several suggestions for improving the flood resilience of Nanjing City.
Numerical Simulation and Design of Multi-Tower Concentrated Solar Power Fields
Authors: Hussaini Zaharaddeen Ali , King Peter , Sansom Chris
Published: March 2020

In power tower systems, the heliostat field is one of the essential subsystems in the plant due to its significant contribution to the plant’s overall power losses and total plant investment cost. The design and optimization of the heliostat field is hence an active area of research, with new field improvement processes and configurations being actively investigated. In this paper, a different configuration of a multi-tower field is explored. This involves adding an auxiliary tower to the field of a conventional power tower Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) system. The choice of the position of the auxiliary tower was based on the region in the field which has the least effective reflecting heliostats. The multi-tower configuration was initially applied to a 50 MWth conventional field in the case study region of Nigeria. The results from an optimized field show a marked increase in the annual thermal energy output and mean annual efficiency of the field. The biggest improvement in the optical efficiency loss factors be seen from the cosine, which records an improvement of 6.63%. Due to the size of the field, a minimal increment of 3020 MWht in the Levelized Cost of Heat (LCOH) was, however, recorded. In much larger fields, though, a higher number of weaker heliostats were witnessed in the field. The auxiliary tower in the field provides an alternate aim point for the weaker heliostat, thereby considerably cutting down on some optical losses, which in turn gives rise to higher energy output. At 400 MWth, the multi-tower field configuration provides a lower LCOH than the single conventional power tower field.
Impacts of Mainstream Hydropower Dams on Fisheries and Agriculture in Lower Mekong Basin
Authors: Yoshida Yuichiro , Lee Han Soo , Trung Bui Huy , Tran Hoang-Dung , Lall Mahrjan Keshlav , Kakar Kifayatullah , Xuan Tran Dang
Published: March 2020

The riverine ecosystems of the Mekong River Basin possess the world’s most productive inland fishery and provide highly productive food crops for millions of people annually. The development of hydropower potential in the Mekong River has long been of interest to governments in the region. Among the existing 64 dams, 46 dams have been built in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) to produce up to 8650 MW of electricity. Additionally, of the 123 proposed built hydropower dams, eleven hydropower plants have been nominated for the river mainstream and are expected to install a total of 13,000 MW in the LMB countries. However, serious concerns have intensified over the potential negative economic consequences, especially on fisheries and agriculture in Cambodia and Vietnam. To date, most of the concerns have concentrated on the impacts on hydrology, environment, livelihood, and diversity in the LMB attributed to hydropower development. This paper, however, discusses the fishery and agricultural sectors of the LMB and focuses on the downstream floodplains of Cambodia and Vietnam. The dam construction has caused greater losses of biodiversity and fisheries than climate change in the LMB. The reduction of 276,847 and 178,169 t of fish, 3.7% and 2.3% of rice, 21.0% and 10.0% of maize will contribute to a decrease of 3.7% and 0.3% of the GDP of Cambodia and Vietnam, respectively. Lao PDR may benefit the most revenue from electricity generation than the other country in the LMB, as most of the proposed dams are projected in the country. Cambodia burdens 3/4 of the reduction of total capture fishery destruction, whilst Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam endure the remaining 1/3 losses. The tradeoff analyses reveal that losses of capture fisheries, sediment or nutrients, and social mitigation costs are greater than the benefits from electricity generation, improved irrigation, and flood control of the LMB region. The socioeconomic and environmental damage caused by hydropower dams in developing countries, including the Mekong, is greater than the early costs in North America and Europe. It is proposed that dam construction for hydropower in the Mekong River, as well as other rivers in developing countries, should be gradually removed and shifted toward solar, wind, and other renewable resources.
Suitability Evaluation and Layout Optimization of the Spatial Distribution of Rural Residential Areas
Authors: Guo Pengfei , Zhang Fangfang , Wang Haiying , Qin Fen
Published: March 2020

A reasonable layout optimization strategy of rural residential areas can improve the quality of life of rural residents and promote rural revitalization. Evaluating the suitability of rural residential areas is the basis of layout optimization. Based on 1:100,000 land cover data and a digital elevation model (30 m) for the Henan Province, China, we used the minimum cumulative resistance model to evaluate the spatial distribution suitability of rural settlements in the Zhengzhou administrative area (abbreviated: Zhengzhou). Then, we used a weighted Voronoi diagram to determine the scope of influence of central villages and determined the direction of relocation for the “combined migration” rural residential areas. The study results support the following conclusions: (1) the comprehensive resistance value of rural residential areas in the Northeastern part of Zhengzhou is low and the suitability is high. However, the comprehensive resistance value of the Southwestern part is high and the suitability is low. (2) The study area can be divided into highly suitable areas, suitable areas, generally suitable areas, unsuitable areas, and extremely unsuitable areas. Unsuitable areas and extremely unsuitable areas accounted for 33.66% of the total area and included 662 rural residential areas. (3) The rural residential areas were divided into four types of optimization: urbanization, key development, controlled development, and combined migration. Based on an analysis of the characteristics of each type of rural residential area, we proposed corresponding optimization strategies. The results remedy the lack of layout optimization strategies for large-scale rural residential areas and can provide support for the optimization of the layout of rural residential areas in Zhengzhou. Furthermore, the research techniques may apply to other regions.
Movement Recommendation System Based on Multi-Spot Congestion Analytics
Authors: Nakayama Keita , Onoue Akira , Hori Maiya , Shimada Atsushi , Taniguchi Rin-ichiro
Published: March 2020

A method is proposed for resolving human congestion at a specific time at key spots in an area. Sensing data on real-world human flows are analyzed, and important information for changing movement behavior is accordingly provided. By using conventional approaches, this was a difficult task, whereas in the proposed approach, the targets and timing of providing information for congestion mitigation are determined based on spot importance. A congestion transition model is constructed from actual data and the results of a questionnaire survey. Finally, congestion mitigation in key spots is simulated after movement recommendation has been provided.