bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Urban Trips? Structural Interpretive Model of Online Shopping and Passengers Trips during the Pandemic
Authors: Ghodsi Mostafa , Ardestani Ali , Rasaizadi Arash , Ghadamgahi Seyednaser , Yang Hao
Published: November 2021

Changing people’s shopping behavior from face-to-face to online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic led to reduced shopping trips, and this decrease directly affects traffic congestion and air pollution. Identifying the factors influencing the increase of online shopping behavior during the pandemic can be helpful for policymakers in the post-COVID-19 era. This study aims to discover the effect of factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic and demographic characteristics on shopping attitude and, consequently, on shopping trips. Based on the interviews of ten experts, factors associated with COVID-19 and demographic characteristics are selected as influential factors on shopping attitude and shopping trips. For pairwise comparisons between these factors, a web-based questionnaire was designed and given to thirty experts. The relationship between all factors is examined using interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and Microscopic–Macroscopic (MICMAC) analysis. In addition, to prioritize factors, the IAHP model is employed. Based on the results, five levels of influential factors affect shopping attitude, which affects shopping trips: level 1, age and gender; level 2, income and education; level 3, the household size and the COVID-19 awareness; level 4, COVID-19 attitude and COVID-19 practice; and level 5, norm subject and shopping personal control.
Impact of Environmental Conditions and Management on Soil Arthropod Communities in Vineyard Ecosystems
Authors: Ghiglieno Isabella , Simonetto Anna , Sperandio Giorgio , Ventura Matteo , Gatti Fabio , Donna Pierluigi , Tonni Marco , Valenti Leonardo , Gilioli Gianni
Published: November 2021

The importance of soil biodiversity and soil-based ecosystem services in the context of viticulture has recently been emphasized. Over 85% of soil fauna species richness is represented by edaphic arthropod communities. Edaphic arthropod responses to soil characteristics and management practices can be considered as good bioindicators of soil quality. Here, 168 soil samples that were collected from 2014 to 2019 in several vineyards of different Italian wine-growing areas were analyzed to explore how arthropod communities respond to several factors that are characteristic of vineyard ecosystems. The analysis of the combined effects of the primary abiotic variables (the chemical and physical characteristics of soil) and management practices (organic vs. conventional, soil inter-row management) on soil biological quality (assessed by QBS-ar index) identified soil temperature and soil texture as the abiotic factors exerting the most significant effect on the QBS-ar values. Organic vineyards exhibited higher QBS-ar values compared to those of conventionally managed vineyards, and subsoiling negatively influenced the soil biological quality.
Tourism Perspectives in National Parks—A Hungarian Case Study from the Aspects of Rural Development
Authors: Kovács András Donát , Gulyás Péter , Farkas Jenő Zsolt
Published: November 2021

Nature-based tourism has become increasingly popular in recent years. However, the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted the tourism sector and triggered contradictory processes, even in protected areas. This phenomenon opens up new opportunities for nature-based tourism from the perspective of rural development. In this study, we assess the relations between tourism and nature conservation and examine the characteristics of practical cooperation in three Hungarian national parks. Based on in-depth interviews (n = 76), document review, and analysis of tourism-related data, our research proves that nature-based tourism could play an essential role in rural development, but this is far from being fulfilled. None of the sectors have been able to impact the comprehensive development of the rural areas concerned. We conclude that sectoral partnership is inadequate, and there is no effective policy coordination. There is a lack of multiday tourism programs, and the currently available tourism infrastructure is insufficient. Initiatives such as the national park product trademark exist but are not well managed, so they do not have a meaningful impact. The results point out that cross-sector collaboration must be strengthened after the epidemic to provide a basis for policy coordination and joint planning.
Pro-Environmental Behaviours at Work: The Interactive Role of Norms and Attitudinal Ambivalence
Authors: Mouro Carla , Lomba Vera , Duarte Ana Patrícia
Published: November 2021

The environmental costs arising from unsustainable production patterns have increased to the point that organisations are now expected to adopt more responsible practices. Pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs) in the workplace can significantly contribute to bettering companies’ environmental performance and sustainability transition. This research investigated the interactive role of norms and attitudes in predicting voluntary energy conservation behaviours, based on a correlational study of 189 Portuguese workers. The study examined whether perceived norm conflicts involving co-workers, closer colleagues and leaders’ behaviours promote or hinder workers’ own PEBs and whether attitudinal ambivalence towards their organisation’s pro-environmental initiatives is a moderator of this relationship. Controlling for the effect of the pro-environmental organisational climate, the ages of employees and organisation size, the results confirm that felt ambivalence moderates the relationship between norm conflict and reported energy conservation behaviours. The findings indicate that ambivalent workers are less likely to engage in PEBs if they perceive norm conflict, that is, if other staff members are not equally motivated to adopt those behaviours. Conversely, norm conflict had an energising effect on non-ambivalent workers. The results thus indicate that organisations could benefit from promoting their environmental policies more explicitly, encouraging their employees to discuss these initiatives and making voluntary PEBs more visible in the workplace.
Is Einkorn Wheat (Triticum monococcum L.) a Better Choice than Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)? Wheat Quality Estimation for Sustainable Agriculture Using Vision-Based Digital Image Analysis
Authors: Csákvári Edina , Halassy Melinda , Enyedi Attila , Gyulai Ferenc , Berke József
Published: November 2021

Einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum L. ssp. monococcum) plays an increasingly important role in agriculture, promoted by organic farming. Although the number of comparative studies about modern and ancient types of wheats is increasing, there are still some knowledge gaps about the nutritional and health benefit differences between ancient and modern bread wheats. The aim of the present study was to compare ancient, traditional and modern wheat cultivars—including a field study and a laboratory stress experiment using vision-based digital image analysis—and to assess the feasibility of imaging techniques. Our study shows that modern winter wheat had better yield and grain quality compared to einkorn wheats, but the latter were not far behind; thus the cultivation of various species could provide a diverse and sustainable agriculture which contributes to higher agrobiodiversity. The results also demonstrate that digital image analysis could be a viable alternate method for the real-time estimation of aboveground biomass and for predicting yield and grain quality parameters. Digital area outperformed other digital variables in biomass prediction in relation to drought stress, but height and Feret’s diameter better correlated with yield and grain quality parameters. Based on these results we suggest that the combination of various vision-based methods could improve the performance estimation of modern and ancient types of wheat in a non-destructive and real-time manner.
An Insight into the Level of Information about Sustainability of Edible Insects in a Traditionally Non-Insect-Eating Country: Exploratory Study
Authors: Guiné Raquel P. F. , Florença Sofia G. , Anjos Ofélia , Correia Paula M. R. , Ferreira Bruno M. , Costa Cristina A.
Published: November 2021

Insects have been reported as a possible alternative solution to help feed the growing world population with less stress on the planet, thus contributing to the preservation of the environment and natural ecosystems. However, the consumption of edible insects (EIs), although culturally accepted for some communities, is not readily accepted for others. Hence this work explores the level of information that people in a traditionally non-insect-eating country have about the sustainability issues related with EIs, and also some possible reasons that could motivate their consumption. The study was based on a questionnaire survey and the results were explored by descriptive statistic tools, tree classification analysis, factor analysis and cluster analysis. The results showed that the level of information is still low in general, with most people not manifesting an opinion. However, some aspects are relatively familiar to the participants (88.9% know that the ecological footprint of insects is smaller than other meats and 86.9% know that they efficiently convert organic matter into protein). Factor and cluster analysis showed three classes: cluster 1—people not informed about the facts disclosed through the true statements and also not able to distinguish the false information; cluster 2—people not informed about the facts disclosed through the true statements but who were able to distinguish the false information; and cluster 3—people well informed about the facts disclosed through the true statements but who were marginally unable to distinguish the false information. It was also found that education, sex and professional area are the most relevant sociodemographic factors associated with the level of information, and the highest motivations to consume EIs are their contribution to preserve the environment and natural resources followed by being a more sustainable option (for 64.7% and 53.4% of participants, respectively). Hence it was concluded that, although some work still needs to be done to better inform people about EIs, there is already some conscientiousness that they constitute a good and more sustainable alternative to other types of meat.
Fire’s Effects on Grassland Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation
Authors: Yan Hui , Liu Guixiang
Published: November 2021

Ecosystem succession and biodiversity change associated with grassland fires are crucial for the patterns and dynamics of ecosystem functioning and services. The reactions to fire by different grassland types vary diversely, and are determined by certain species assemblages and environments. However, there are still uncertainties concerning the role of fire in affecting grassland ecosystems and how the effects are sustained. By conducting a bibliometric analysis of related articles indexed in the Web of Science between 1984 and 2020, we firstly described the general trend of these articles over the recent decades (1984–2020). The major research progress in the effects of fire on grassland ecosystems was then systematically summarized based on three levels (individual level, community level, and ecosystem level) with eight topics. We concluded that strong persistence or resistance of adapted individuals facilitated community conversion to a novel environment, which temporally and spatially interacted with ecological factors. The novel habitats could maintain more frequent fires and change an ecosystem structure and functioning. Nonetheless, the transformation of ecosystem states will present more uncertainties on prospective succession trajectories, global carbon storage, and subsequent biodiversity conservation. This review is important to flourish biodiversity, as well as aid conservation policies and strategy making.
Territorial Development and Cross-Border Cooperation: A Review of the Consequences of European INTERREG Policies on the Spanish–French Border (2007–2020)
Authors: Martín-Uceda Javier , Vicente Rufí Joan
Published: November 2021

Territorial cohesion policies are a priority for the European Union. For over thirty years, they have aimed not only to provide greater social and economic development across all European space, but also to contribute to balancing g internal social and economic inequalities. On the other hand, European institutions have adopted regional scale as the optimal to achieve this broad goal. Consequently, the ability of these policies to solve the problems faced by some of these regions has been one of the most widely researched areas in numerous scientific disciplines. This article aims to assess the impact, over a fifteen-year perspective, of cooperation funds focusing on a specific area, the cross-border, and, in particular, the border area separating Spain and France. Specifically, the analyses of data from operative programmes IV and V of the INTERREG-A projects produces contradictory results. While the aim of European institutions was to use the European Territorial Cooperation instrument to achieve a greater, better real impact of funds in cross-border areas, and to progress towards territorial cohesion, the results show that, conversely, they have largely contributed to reinforcing unequal development. In the analysed border, the dynamics are an increasing distance between the more and less developed areas in the direct border space, and a privilege of urban areas, even if they are far from the borderline. A relevant conclusion of the text is that these unexpected results are partly a consequence of the design of the European programmes.
A Novel Hexagonal-Shaped Multilevel Inverter with Reduced Switches for Grid-Integrated Photovoltaic System
Authors: Islam Md. Tariqul , Fayek Hady H. , Rusu Eugen , Rahman Md. Fayzur
Published: November 2021

To date, the grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) system has drawn consideration from researchers and academicians due to the speedy improvement and the declining price of solar panels. The proficiency and dependability of a grid integrated PV system rest mainly on the power conversion unit and the proper controlling mechanism. This paper introduces a novel asymmetric hexagonal-shaped fifteen-level inverter designed to feed a grid-integrated solar PV system. First, it aims to reduce the number of components and thereby decrease the installation space and cost of the multilevel inverter. Moreover, it has a low total blocking voltage (TBV) and total device rating (TDR) and uses few switching devices for generating per level of output voltage. The proposed topology utilizes only eight switching devices for generating fifteen levels at the output, which is lower than conventional multilevel inverter topologies. Here, a low-frequency modulation scheme using the half-height (HH) method generates switching pulses to minimize the complexity. The proposed multilevel inverter topology is also validated through the simulations in the MATLAB SIMULINK environment. The proposed inverter need for filters is illustrated according to different grid codes for integrating PV systems to the grid.
Heavy Metal Contents and Assessment of Soil Contamination in Different Land-Use Types in the Qaidam Basin
Authors: Nuralykyzy Bayan , Wang Pan , Deng Xiaoqian , An Shaoshan , Huang Yimei
Published: November 2021

Due to the unique geographical location and rapid development in the agricultural industry, heavy metals’ risk of soil contamination in the Qaidam Basin is gradually increasing. The following study was conducted to determine the soil heavy metal contents under different types of land use, contamination levels, and the physicochemical properties of soil. Soil samples were collected from facility lands, orchards, farmlands, and grasslands at 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil layers. Heavy metals including copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg) were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and the soil was evaluated with different methods. Overall, the average Cu (25.07 mg/kg), Cr (45.67 mg/kg), Ni (25.56 mg/kg), Zn (71.24 mg/kg), Pb (14.19 mg/kg), Cd (0.17 mg/kg), As (12.54 mg/kg), and Hg (0.05 mg/kg) were lower than the environmental quality standard. However, the Cu, Cr, Ni, and As were highest in farmland, and Zn and Hg were highest in the facility land. The Pb content was highest in orchards, and the Cd content was the same in facility land, orchards, and farmland. Among the different land-use types, the soil heavy metal concentrations decreased in the order of facility land > farmland > grassland > orchards. The pH was alkaline, the content of SOC (soil organic carbon) 15.76 g/kg in grassland, TN (total nitrogen) 1.43 g/kg, and TP (total phosphorus) 0.97 g/kg in facility land showed the highest result. The soil BD (bulk density) had a significant positive correlation with Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cd, and the TP positively correlated with Cu, Zn, Cd, and Hg. The soil evaluation results of the comprehensive pollution index indicated that the soil was in a clean condition. The index of potential environmental risk indicates that heavy metals are slightly harmful to the soil.
The Role of the E-Learning Departments in Controlling the Quality of Electronic Assessments in Palestinian Universities during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Hamdan Rabab , Ashour Wafaa , Daher Wajeeh
Published: November 2021

The research aimed to identify the role of the e-learning departments in Palestinian universities in controlling the quality of the academic processes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection was conducted using interviews starting from November 2020 and ending in December 2020 during the academic year 2020/2021. The interviews included a number of questions within the axis of electronic assessment. The population of the study consisted of directors of e-learning departments in a number of Palestinian universities, namely: University A, University B, University C, University D, and University E. The main study findings indicated that the universities agreed that the assessment at the beginning of the pandemic sought to save what could be saved in the emergency period, which made electronic assessment a complex issue in this pandemic. Moreover, the problem of plagiarism and faked identities was one of the biggest problems faced by university instructors in the electronic assessment; consequently, changes have been made to the assessment methods that were used before the COVID-19 pandemic. To do so, alternative methods of learning and assessment were sought and arrived at.
Do Companies in Different Industries Respond Differently to Stakeholders’ Pressures When Prioritising Environmental, Social and Governance Sustainability Performance?
Authors: Matakanye Rendani Mavis , van der Poll Huibrecht Margaretha , Muchara Binganidzo
Published: November 2021

Good sustainability decisions depend on how companies respond to wide-ranging exposure to exogenous and endogenous pressures. The purpose of the article was to determine whether companies in different industries respond differently to stakeholders’ pressures when prioritising Environmental, Social and Governance sustainability performance (ESG-SP) activities. Data of six sectors, with a total of 75 companies was extracted from the CSRHub database, which is a rating agency that focuses on assessing ESG performance of companies. The ANOVA, pairwise comparative and multiple comparison Tukey HSD tests were applied to compare mean scores across the sectors. Overall industry scores show no evidence of ESG-SP differences across industries in the sectors examined. It was however revealed that three (3) out of twelve ESG ratings have significant differences namely: Community Development and Philanthropy; Human Rights and Supply Chain; as well as Compensation and Benefits. The study found that the type of industry does not have a significant role in determining the ESG rating of a company. Future studies can look at a longitudinal analysis to shed light on the pattern of sustainability practices across companies that are listed on the JSE.
Is the Sharing Economy Green? Evidence from Cross-Country Data
Authors: Yin Wei , Kirkulak-Uludag Berna , Chen Ziling
Published: November 2021

Using cross-sectional data from 165 countries, this study takes a fresh look at whether or not the sharing economy is a green solution for countries. This study relies on the Timbro sharing economy index and uses both carbon emission and environmental performance index as proxies for the greenhouse gas effect and overall environment, respectively. Due to limited sample size and non-normal distribution of the sample, this paper applies the Bayesian regression model, which is based on posterior distribution. The findings suggest the following: (1) a high sharing economy level has a negative relationship to carbon emissions but a positive relationship to overall environmental performance; (2) the joint variables show that a high sharing economy level together with high broadband access, urbanization, and high education level reduces carbon emissions; and (3) for manufacturing countries, a high sharing economy level together with high urbanization is associated with comparatively low carbon emissions and high environmental performance. In general, these findings allow us to conclude in favor of the contribution made by a high sharing economy level to sustainability.
Conceptualising the Sustainable Energy Security Dimensions of Malaysia: A Thematic Analysis through Stakeholder Engagement to Draw Policy Implications
Authors: Shadman Saleh , Hanafiah Marlia Mohd , Chin Christina May May , Yap Eng Hwa , Sakundarini Novita
Published: November 2021

This study aims to provide established knowledge of the multi-dimensional concept of energy security through engaging stakeholders and experts. Energy security policy implications have been suggested in this study to address and mitigate energy security challenges. A total of seven emerging themes from semi-structured interviews have been discussed in-depth to understand the role of each theme and their interactions with energy policies. There is an urgent need to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and to look for alternative fuel options from renewable sources. At the same time, energy-efficient technology plays a significant role in improving overall efficiency and leading to reduced wastage of energy. This would, in turn, improve the availability and affordability of energy in Malaysia. Energy equity gets the most emphasis in the energy trilemma of Malaysia; however, equal importance should be attached to the nation’s energy security alongside environmental sustainability. The final decision of the trilemma balance and the energy policies that govern the energy use framework depends on the ministries and the regulatory bodies. An indicator mapping process has been recommended for these themes to quantify energy security by developing an energy security index. The thematic results discussed in this study have the potential to facilitate policymakers and energy analysts of countries with similar energy outlooks to design data-driven energy security policies.
Addressing Education for Sustainable Development in the Teaching of Science: The Case of a Biological Sciences Teacher Education Program
Authors: Hogan Deirdre , O’Flaherty Joanne
Published: November 2021

Education plays a key role in ensuring that all learners are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set out the key challenges of our time with targets to protect the planet, end poverty, and improve the prospects of all people by 2030. As global challenges including access to healthcare and climate change escalate, the need for action is even more pressing. Education is an enabler of change and presents opportunities to support learners to explore how they can participate in transformative education experiences that focus on building a more sustainable world. Science education provides unique opportunities to explore sustainability given the nature of the discipline, the knowledge it reflects, and its focus on inquiry based pedagogical approaches. This study explores the nature of science as an academic discipline, as it is lived and perceived within the teaching of an undergraduate Science Education (biological sciences) program in a Higher Education Institution (HEI) and its capacity for the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). An ethnographic informed research design was adopted to document the social culture, perspectives, and practices inherent in the educational setting. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with academics and tutors from the HEI’s Science Department who contribute to the program (n = 11). Focus groups were held with pre-service teachers enrolled on the program (n = 21) and observations from lectures, laboratory sessions, and field trips were carried out. Findings arising from analysis of data point to a strong link between science and society in science education, and the need for learners to develop critical scientific literacy that enables them to meaningfully navigate the multiple perspectives presented in media and public debates relating to sustainability issues. Findings suggest that while sustainability themes permeated some modules in the program, the emphasis was on imparting hard, technical knowledge rather than allowing for the critical exploration of issues. Results also highlight some discipline specific challenges to adopting discursive pedagogical approaches in the science education program. Some ways of understanding these findings are explored.
Experiential Value, Satisfaction, Brand Love, and Brand Loyalty toward Robot Barista Coffee Shop: The Moderating Effect of Generation
Authors: Kim Young Joong , Park Jung Sook , Jeon Hyeon Mo
Published: November 2021

This study applies experiential value, satisfaction, brand love, brand loyalty, and generation to identify consumer behavior toward robot baristas providing new non-face-to-face services during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the analysis, a set of hypotheses was developed and tested based on the data collected from 404 customers who had visited a robot barista coffee shop (RBCS) in South Korea. The results show that playfulness had the most positive effect on satisfaction, followed by service excellence and consumer return on investment (CROI). Satisfaction had a positive effect on brand love and loyalty. This result indicates that playfulness, service excellence, and CROI are important for inducing brand love and brand loyalty of customers toward RBCS. Moreover, generation plays a moderating role between satisfaction and brand love, and between brand and brand loyalty. This research design and the results differ from those of previous studies on experiential value that have focused on human services in the hospitality industry. Consequently, this study contributes to the hospitality literature by applying the experience value theory, which has been mainly applied to research on human services, to non-face-to-face service research, and to identifying its role. Additionally, it makes an important contribution by presenting practical implications for the sustainable management of the food service industry in the COVID-19 era.
Psychological Contract Breach and Union Commitment Revisited: Evidence from Chinese Employees
Authors: Ahn Ji-Young , Lei Xia , Han Joohee
Published: November 2021

From the social exchange theory, this study examines the relationship between psychological contract breach, organizational cynicism, and union commitment, as well as the interaction effect of perceived union dual identity on the relationship between organizational cynicism and union commitment. We argue that contract breach has a positive impact on union commitment, and this relationship is mediated by organizational cynicism. Moreover, we suggest that the perceived union dual identity moderates the relationship between the two. To examine this, we sampled 371 employees of Chinese non-state-owned firms in 2019. The results show that, in the Chinese context, the psychological contract breach has a positive impact on organizational cynicism and union commitment. This relationship is weaker when the perceived union identity (state-oriented) is higher; it is stronger when the perceived union identity (labor-oriented) is higher.
Northern Research Policy Contributions to Canadian Arctic Sustainability
Authors: Perrin Alison , Ljubicic Gita , Ogden Aynslie
Published: November 2021

Academic research plays a key role in developing understanding of sustainability issues in the Canadian Arctic, yet northern organizations and governments struggle to find research that is relevant, respectful of local interests, and that builds local capacity. Northern science and research policies communicate expectations for how research should be prioritized, planned, conducted, and disseminated. They discuss northern leadership of research and outline the diverse roles that northerners and northern organizations could fill in research programs and projects. Many of these documents are founded on the need for research to improve environmental, economic, and social sustainability in the Canadian North and provide insight into how academia can support a northern-led Arctic sustainability research agenda. The goal of this study is to examine northern research-policy documents to identify commonalities amongst the goals and priorities of northern organizations and their shared expectations for research in northern Canada. The objectives are to understand how organizations expect researchers to engage in and conduct research, how research programs can align with northern science policy objectives, and how academic research can support policy and decision-making related to sustainability. Through a quantitative content analysis combined with a qualitative thematic analysis, this comprehensive review examines research policy, strategy, guidance, and program documents produced by northern and northern-focused governments and Indigenous organizations. Relationships, partnership, and communication are the foundations of relevant and applicable research, requiring both resources and time for local and partner participation. Our analysis shows that researchers should consider potential policy applications for sustainability research early on in the development of research projects, ensuring that relevant local and policy partners are involved in designing the project and communicating results.
Marketing Orientation of Entities on the Tourism Market
Authors: Panasiuk Aleksander
Published: November 2021

The tourism market is characterized by a high level of competition. Hence, the entities providing tourism services and creating their offers in tourist destinations take actions aimed at satisfying the consumers’ (tourists’) needs. These activities are realized by achieving the appropriate level of marketing orientation. In terms of behaviour, marketing orientation is based on the implementation of a marketing concept focusing on customers’ needs and also on the achieved economic results. In cultural terms, marketing orientation should be understood as a type of business culture. The study is of theoretical, empirical and conceptual nature. The theoretical part presents the following issues: genesis and essence of marketing orientation and methods of its measurement, the concept and the scope of the tourism market, along with the implementation of marketing orientation issues necessary to assess the functioning of entities on this market. The concept of a system of connections of a selected type of tourist market entity with other entities in terms of shaping marketing orientation was presented. An example of the research on the level of marketing orientation on the tour operator market in selected European countries was presented in the empirical part. Tour operator market entities in Poland are characterized by a slightly higher average marketing orientation than entities from other European countries. Tour operators operating on the Polish market are also more diversified in terms of the level of marketing orientation than entities from other surveyed European countries. The main aim of the study is to adapt the theoretical and methodological issues related to the assessment of the level of marketing orientation to the entities operating on the tourism market. The specific aim is to analyze the level of marketing orientation of the entities on the tour operator market. The following research methods were used: a critical analysis of the literature on the subject, methods of logical operations; observation, quantitative methods, and diagnostic survey based on a standard questionnaire.
Evaluation of an Environmental Education Program Using a Cross-Sectoral Approach to Promote the Sustainable Use of Domestic Drains
Authors: Martín-Jaime Juan-Jesús , Velasco-Martínez Leticia-Concepción , Tójar-Hurtado Juan-Carlos
Published: November 2021

The discharge of hygienic waste down domestic drains has become a socio-environmental problem that is causing serious damage to aquatic ecosystems and wastewater management systems. In this paper, we report the results of our study to determine the effectiveness of an environmental education (EE) program to raise awareness of this problem among primary school students. A longitudinal study was carried out using a survey methodology. A questionnaire, including Likert-scale items, was designed (n = 4362). A study of the reliability and validity of the measure was carried out using validations conducted by experts, Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient, factor analysis, and the categorical analysis of principal components (CATPCA). The analyses showed that there were significant differences between the educational cycles of primary education and two different versions of the program. For example, a second version of the EA program, with a more positive approach, produced an improvement in the acquisition of knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes regarding the development of good habits concerning the use of household drains. The conclusions show the suitability of this cross-sectoral EE program for actively involving students and their families in the proper management of household hygienic waste.
Beef productivity of steers of Kalmyk breed of different breeding
Authors: Lumbunov S. G. , Garmaev B. D.
Published: November 2021

The success of the development of beef cattle breeding in the Republic of Buryatia mostly depends on the effectiveness of using animals of Kalmyk breed of different origins in order to increase beef production. The study of the productive traits and expediency of using the gene pool of Kalmyk breed from other regions in comparison with the animals of local selection when breeding beef herds has practical and scientifi c significance. The purpose of the research was to study the productive traits of cattle of Kalmyk breed imported from various climatic zones of Russia. For the experiment, 3 groups of newborn calves of Kalmyk breed of different breeding of 15 heads in each have been selected according to the principle of analogues. The 1st group consisted of steers Kalmyk breed of Buryat breeding, the 2nd – of Kalmyk breeding, the 3rd group – of Rostov breeding. During rearing and feeding, the steers were in the same feeding and housing conditions. During the growth process, the largest live weight at the age of 7 months has been observed in the 1st group of steers received from parents of local reproduction. They surpassed the herdmates of the 2nd group by 3,1 kg or 1,7 %, and the 3rd group by 4,8 kg or 2,7 %. With age the differences in live weight increased at 14 and 18 months the steers of Buryat breeding exceeded their herdmates of the 2nd group by 10,6 kg or 3,4 % and 15,7 kg or 3,8 % (P > 0,95) and the 3rd group by 16,8 kg or 5,4 % (P > 0,95) and 23,5 kg or 5,8 % (Р > 0,99), respectively. A comparative study of the beef productivity of steers of Kalmyk breed obtained under the conditions of the Republic of Buryatia and imported from the Republic of Kalmykia and the Rostov region has shown the advantage of the animals of Buryat breeding, while the herdmates of Rostov selection were the worst, and Kalmyk breeding steers occupied an intermediate position.
Biological indicators of bee families against the background of stimulating additives
Authors: Mannapov A. G. , Krichevtsova A. N. , Kutlin Yu. N.
Published: November 2021

Modeling of hive buildings with the architectonics of cells close to the natural sample against the background of stimulating additives can become an effective biological and technological lever not only in increasing the productivity of bee families, but also in rearing complete offspring in bee generations. This is especially relevant in association to the reproduction of the spring generation of honey bees. A characteristic feature of this period is that bee colonies should show high nesting activity and increase their strength. At the same time, the amino acids of honey bees play an important role in the detoxification of poisons, which is especially characteristic of histidine. The importance of tyrosine in the metabolism of honey bees as a class of insects is difficult to overestimate, because its derivatives play the important role not only in the formation of the exoskeleton of insects, but also in the creation of body color, they are also part of protective secretions and probably serve as chemical mediators of the nervous system. It has been proved that the spring-summer development of bee families was most active after wintering against the background of stimulating additives with inverted sugar syrup with the addition of cobalt chloride or drug Apinik, or in combination with 10 % bee bread and the construction of new-generation wax honeycombs, which compared with the control group, ensured the achievement of the maximum parameters of the growth indices of strength and construction activity for the construction of honeycombs – in 3,0, 4,26, 4,52 and in 0,86, 1,0 and 1,0 (in the control group – 2,61 and 0,57) and increased the live weight of bee individuals of the summer generation by 4,18, 4,6 and 4,7 %. It has been found that minerals, essential amino acids of the drug Apinik, associated with str. Fasium microorganisms, and 10 % bee bread as part of stimulating additives top dressing against the background of the renewal of new-generation wax combs before the main honey collection, increase the volume of hemolymph in inactive worker bees by 6,76–7,63 %, the degree of development of the fat body by 10,0 %, and in nectar-collecting bees by 6,75–8,16 % and 5,56–7,88 %, respectively. At the same time, the increase in the level of the amino acids histidine and tyrosine was recorded in inactive worker bees by 0,76–1,56 % and by 16,56–17,72 %, in nectar-collecting bees by 2,53–3,19 % and 28,68–30,08 %, respectively. This indicates the receipt of the complete generation of working bees of the summer generation, which will actively work on the main honey collection, providing economically useful traits of bee families.
Design and Implementation of a Vacuum Forming Machine
Authors: Birton Botond-Antal , Gergely Attila
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this work is to present the design of a laboratory scale vacuum forming machine, which can be used for the processing of thermoplastic sheets. The designed machine can process an A4 format plastic sheet. An important consideration in the design process was to follow a cost-effective approach. The vacuum forming instrument is made for educational purposes in the framework of a final project for the Polymer Technology Laboratory of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Sapientia EMTE University in Târgu Mureș. The structure and the operation of the machine is similar to that found in the industry. However, the cost of production is significantly lower. The main components of the machine include the frame, heater, vacuum pump and the clamping device.
Carbon Particle-Doped Polymer Layers on Metals as Chemically and Mechanically Resistant Composite Electrodes for Hot Electron Electrochemistry
Authors: Nur-E-Habiba  , Uddin Rokon , Salminen Kalle , Sariola Veikko , Kulmala Sakari
Published: November 2021

This paper presents a simple and inexpensive method to fabricate chemically and mechanically resistant hot electron-emitting composite electrodes on reusable substrates. In this study, the hot electron emitting composite electrodes were manufactured by doping a polymer, nylon 6,6, with few different brands of carbon particles (graphite, carbon black) and by coating metal substrates with the aforementioned composite ink layers with different carbon-polymer mass fractions. The optimal mass fractions in these composite layers allowed to fabricate composite electrodes that can inject hot electrons into aqueous electrolyte solutions and clearly generate hot electron-induced electrochemiluminescence (HECL). An aromatic terbium (III) chelate was used as a probe that is known not to be excited on the basis of traditional electrochemistry but to be efficiently electrically excited in the presence of hydrated electrons and during injection of hot electrons into aqueous solution. Thus, the presence of hot, pre-hydrated or hydrated electrons at the close vicinity of the composite electrode surface were monitored by HECL. The study shows that the extreme pH conditions could not damage the present composite electrodes. These low-cost, simplified and robust composite electrodes thus demonstrate that they can be used in HECL bioaffinity assays and other applications of hot electron electrochemistry.
Changes to the Collagen Structure using Vibrational Spectroscopy and Chemometrics: A Comparison between Chemical and Sulfide-Free Leather Process
Authors: Mehta Megha , Liu Yang , Naffa Rafea , Waterland Mark , Holmes Geoff
Published: November 2021

Chemical and physical changes take place when hides and skins are processed to leather that affect the quality and strength of the material. Understanding the structure at each leather-making stage is the basis of this study but also intend to improve the process through a biochemical approach, employing a proteolytic enzyme for processing leather more cleanly with reduced environmental impact. Raman and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy in conjunction with chemometrics was used to investigate each leather-making stage from fresh green cattle hide to dry crust leather. The changes in proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and other biomolecules with leather processing was measured and reported using three novel Raman ratiometric markers, 920/1476, 1345/1259 and 1605/1476 cm-1, to discriminate the structural changes in collagen of hide using standard chemical and enzymatic method. Amide I band was deconvoluted to investigate thecollagen secondary structures using curve fitting by Gaussians function. The results of Principal Component Analysis are well-corroborated with the ratiometric markers of structural changes.
Typical Defects of Natural Phospholipid Fatliquors in Leather Industry and Their Solutions
Authors: Chen Zhikun , Luo Tao , Zhang Xu , Peng Biyu , Zhang Chunxiao
Published: November 2021

Leather made with soybean phospholipid fatliquors is prone to problems such as yellowing, elevated hexavalent chromium content, and undesirable odor. In this study, the aforementioned typical defects of soybean phospholipid fatliquors were investigated in respect to the main components, the antioxidants and the unsaturation degree of the natural soybean phospholipid. The results showed that the oxidation of soybean phospholipid is the primary source for its yellowing, elevated hexavalent chromium content, and undesirable odor. The volatile aldehydes produced by lipid oxidative rancidity are the main components of the undesirable odor. The purification of natural soybean phospholipid through removing the non-phospholipid components cannot solve the problems caused by oxidation of phospholipid. Furthermore, as a typical natural antioxidant existing in natural soybean phospholipid, tocopherols can restrain the oxidation of phospholipid to a certain degree, however, the dissolving out and destruction of tocopherols at high temperature in the phospholipid purification process can lead to more obviously oxidation of phospholipids. Additionally, the oxidation defects of phospholipid cannot be completely resolved by adding extra tocopherols, even at high dosages. The research finds that the defects of soybean phospholipid fatliquors can be thoroughly solved by increasing the saturation degree of lipid through addition reaction, the suggested iodine value of phospholipid products is lower than 20 g I2/100 g.
Polacy z Mińszczyzny w życiu społecznym międzywojennej Polski
Authors: Lipińska-Rzeszutek Małgorzata
Published: November 2021

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PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON HEALTHCARE IN POLAND (2010-2020)
Authors: Owczarczyk Anna
Published: November 2021

Both expenditure on healthcare and the functioning of the entire healthcare system in Poland stir up considerable controversy and are often discussed in the media. Hospital debts, the low quality of services, and the low availability of specialist medical services form the basis for the discussion of the effectiveness of the healthcare system. Statistical data are also bleak. Total health expenditure in Poland in 2019 amounted to 6.3% of GDP (estimated expenditure), whereas the average for health expenditure in the OECD countries was 8.8%. Therefore, Poland is below the average, and is placed last but four in the ranking (stat.oecd.org). The aim of this article is the presentation of public expenditure on healthcare in Poland from 2010 to 2020. In order to achieve this, the following research methods were used: a critical analysis of the literature, an analysis of statistical data, and - to make the research more transparent and the research results clearer - a tabular method was used. Also, widely accepted measurements were used, such as absolute values in domestic and international currencies, values per capita, and values in relation to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).oduct (GDP).
FRANCHISING AS BOTH A NETWORK PHENOMENON AND AN INSTRUMENT FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW-HOW
Authors: Czernicki Przemysław , Brodowska-Szewczuk Jolanta
Published: November 2021

This article aims to present the specifics of franchise networks, which are playing an increasingly important role in the Polish economy. We shall also look to characterize such networks as an instrument for the transfer and dissemination of knowledge and know-how among the participants of a given distribution system or client base. We shall also draw attention to the fact that although franchising is a network phenomenon, it also exhibits specific characteristics that distinguish it from the classical organizational network model. This applies in particular to the management of the transfer of the body of knowledge possessed by the network organizer under this type of system. Such knowledge management serves both to provide participants with an idea for their own business, and to possibly modify the ways of conducting or running it. This article shall endeavor to indicate that the growing popularity of franchising is determining the specific features of this form of economic cooperation among entrepreneurs.