bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deep-Learning-Based Wireless Visual Sensor System for Shiitake Mushroom Sorting
Authors: Deng Junwen , Liu Yuhang , Xiao Xinqing
Published: June 2022

The shiitake mushroom is the second-largest edible mushroom in the world, with a high nutritional and medicinal value. The surface texture of shiitake mushrooms can be quite different due to different growing environments, consequently leading to fluctuating market prices. To maximize the economic profit of the mushroom industry, it is necessary to sort the harvested mushrooms according to their qualities. This paper aimed to develop a deep-learning-based wireless visual sensor system for shiitake mushroom sorting, in which the visual detection was realized by the collection of images and cooperative transmission with the help of visual sensors and Wi-Fi modules, respectively. The model training process was achieved using Vision Transformer, then three data-augmentation methods, which were Random Erasing, RandAugment, and Label Smoothing, were applied under the premise of a small sample dataset. The training result of the final model turned out nearly perfect, with an accuracy rate reaching 99.2%. Meanwhile, the actual mushroom-sorting work using the developed system obtained an accuracy of 98.53%, with an 8.7 ms processing time for every single image. The results showed that the system could efficiently complete the sorting of shiitake mushrooms with a stable and high accuracy. In addition, the system could be extended for other sorting tasks based on visual features. It is also possible to combine binocular vision and multisensor technology with the current system to deal with sorting work that requires a higher accuracy and minor feature identification.
5G-BSS: 5G-Based Universal Blockchain Smart Sensors
Authors: Yao Zhengyi , Tan Liang , She Kun
Published: June 2022

A smart sensor is a sensor with information processing functions. It is the product of the combination of sensor integration and a microprocessor. It has the characteristics of intelligence, networking and high precision. It has been widely used in aerospace, aviation, intelligent transportation, industrial control and medical and health care. However, in some specific application scenarios with high data security requirements and low transmission delay, such as environmental detection, transportation, etc., smart sensors have three obvious shortcomings. First, the data transmission delay is high. Second, the confidentiality and integrity of the data transmission process cannot be effectively guaranteed. Third, centralized data storage is easily leaked and tampered with by malicious users and semi-trusted administrators. Therefore, a 5G-based blockchain smart sensor 5G-BSS was designed. 5G-BSS has three innovation points. First, the 5G communication module enables the smart sensor 5G-BSS. The 5G communication module is integrated into the smart sensor 5G-BSS to reduce the delay of data transmission and improve the speed and reliability of data transmission. Second, cryptographic algorithms enable the smart sensor 5G-BSS. The data encryption module of the smart sensor 5G-BSS improves the confidentiality and integrity of the data transmission process. Third, blockchain empowers the smart sensor 5G-BSS. The blockchain client is integrated into the smart sensor 5G-BSS to ensure the centralized storage of data and prevent data leakage and tampering by semi-trusted administrators. The operation process of the hardware and software architecture is described in detail and tested on the Fisco-Bcos. The experimental results show that 5G-BSS not only has fast data transmission speed but also can effectively guarantee the integrity, confidentiality and availability of data. 5G-BSS is suitable for application scenarios with high requirements for data security and data transmission, such as environmental monitoring, intelligent transportation, autonomous driving, etc.
LiDAR-Based Structural Health Monitoring: Applications in Civil Infrastructure Systems
Authors: Kaartinen Elise , Dunphy Kyle , Sadhu Ayan
Published: June 2022

As innovative technologies emerge, extensive research has been undertaken to develop new structural health monitoring procedures. The current methods, involving on-site visual inspections, have proven to be costly, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and highly subjective for assessing the safety and integrity of civil infrastructures. Mobile and stationary LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) devices have significant potential for damage detection, as the scans provide detailed geometric information about the structures being evaluated. This paper reviews the recent developments for LiDAR-based structural health monitoring, in particular, for detecting cracks, deformation, defects, or changes to structures over time. In this regard, mobile laser scanning (MLS) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), specific to structural health monitoring, were reviewed for a wide range of civil infrastructure systems, including bridges, roads and pavements, tunnels and arch structures, post-disaster reconnaissance, historical and heritage structures, roofs, and retaining walls. Finally, the existing limitations and future research directions of LiDAR technology for structural health monitoring are discussed in detail.
Compact Shortwave Infrared Imaging Spectrometer Based on a Catadioptric Prism
Authors: Feng Lei , He Xiaoying , Li Yacan , Wei Lidong , Nie Yunfeng , Jing Juanjuan , Zhou Jinsong
Published: June 2022

This article demonstrates a compact prism imaging spectrometer method. A catadioptric curved prism is located at the secondary mirror position of the spectrometer and used to balance the aberrations, enlarge the dispersion width, and decrease the volume. A mathematical model of the prism and spectrometer is derived, which provides an optimal initial structure for a non-coaxial spectrometer, simplifying the optical design process and reducing the system volume. Using this method, a compact shortwave infrared imaging spectrometer with a 16° field of view is designed with an F-number/3, and the measured spectrum ranges from 0.95 to 2.5 μm. The performance is analyzed and evaluated. Laboratory testing results prove the excellent optical performance, and under the same specifications, the spectrometer length decreases by 40%.
Total Style Transfer with a Single Feed-Forward Network
Authors: Kim Minseong , Choi Hyun-Chul
Published: June 2022

The development of recent image style transfer methods allows the quick transformation of an input content image into an arbitrary style. However, these methods have a limitation that the scale-across style pattern of a style image cannot be fully transferred into a content image. In this paper, we propose a new style transfer method, named total style transfer, that resolves this limitation by utilizing intra/inter-scale statistics of multi-scaled feature maps without losing the merits of the existing methods. First, we use a more general feature transform layer that employs intra/inter-scale statistics of multi-scaled feature maps and transforms the multi-scaled style of a content image into that of a style image. Secondly, we generate a multi-scaled stylized image by using only a single decoder network with skip-connections, in which multi-scaled features are merged. Finally, we optimize the style loss for the decoder network in the intra/inter-scale statistics of image style. Our improved total style transfer can generate a stylized image with a scale-across style pattern from a pair of content and style images in one forwarding pass. Our method achieved less memory consumption and faster feed-forwarding speed compared with the recent cascade scheme and the lowest style loss among the recent style transfer methods.
Vulnerable Road Users and Connected Autonomous Vehicles Interaction: A Survey
Authors: Reyes-Muñoz Angélica , Guerrero-Ibáñez Juan
Published: June 2022

There is a group of users within the vehicular traffic ecosystem known as Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs). VRUs include pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, among others. On the other hand, connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs) are a set of technologies that combines, on the one hand, communication technologies to stay always ubiquitous connected, and on the other hand, automated technologies to assist or replace the human driver during the driving process. Autonomous vehicles are being visualized as a viable alternative to solve road accidents providing a general safe environment for all the users on the road specifically to the most vulnerable. One of the problems facing autonomous vehicles is to generate mechanisms that facilitate their integration not only within the mobility environment, but also into the road society in a safe and efficient way. In this paper, we analyze and discuss how this integration can take place, reviewing the work that has been developed in recent years in each of the stages of the vehicle-human interaction, analyzing the challenges of vulnerable users and proposing solutions that contribute to solving these challenges.
Optimization and Evaluation of Sensor Angles for Precise Assessment of Architectural Traits in Peach Trees
Authors: Raman Mugilan Govindasamy , Carlos Eduardo Fermino , Sankaran Sindhuja
Published: June 2022

Fruit industries play a significant role in many aspects of global food security. They provide recognized vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutritional supplements packed in fresh fruits and other processed commodities such as juices, jams, pies, and other products. However, many fruit crops including peaches (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) are perennial trees requiring dedicated orchard management. The architectural and morphological traits of peach trees, notably tree height, canopy area, and canopy crown volume, help to determine yield potential and precise orchard management. Thus, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) coupled with RGB sensors can play an important role in the high-throughput acquisition of data for evaluating architectural traits. One of the main factors that define data quality are sensor imaging angles, which are important for extracting architectural characteristics from the trees. In this study, the goal was to optimize the sensor imaging angles to extract the precise architectural trait information by evaluating the integration of nadir and oblique images. A UAV integrated with an RGB imaging sensor at three different angles (90°, 65°, and 45°) and a 3D light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system was used to acquire images of peach trees located at the Washington State University’s Tukey Horticultural Orchard, Pullman, WA, USA. A total of four approaches, comprising the use of 2D data (from UAV) and 3D point cloud (from UAV and LiDAR), were utilized to segment and measure the individual tree height and canopy crown volume. Overall, the features extracted from the images acquired at 45° and integrated nadir and oblique images showed a strong correlation with the ground reference tree height data, while the latter was highly correlated with canopy crown volume. Thus, selection of the sensor angle during UAV flight is critical for improving the accuracy of extracting architectural traits and may be useful for further precision orchard management.
A Nudge-Inspired AI-Driven Health Platform for Self-Management of Diabetes
Authors: Joachim Shane , Forkan Abdur Rahim Mohammad , Jayaraman Prem Prakash , Morshed Ahsan , Wickramasinghe Nilmini
Published: June 2022

Diabetes mellitus is a serious chronic disease that affects the blood sugar levels in individuals, with current predictions estimating that nearly 578 million people will be affected by diabetes by 2030. Patients with type II diabetes usually follow a self-management regime as directed by a clinician to help regulate their blood glucose levels. Today, various technology solutions exist to support self-management; however, these solutions tend to be independently built, with little to no research or clinical grounding, which has resulted in poor uptake. In this paper, we propose, develop, and implement a nudge-inspired artificial intelligence (AI)-driven health platform for self-management of diabetes. The proposed platform has been co-designed with patients and clinicians, using the adapted 4-cycle design science research methodology (A4C-DSRM) model. The platform includes (a) a cross-platform mobile application for patients that incorporates a macronutrient detection algorithm for meal recognition and nudge-inspired meal logger, and (b) a web-based application for the clinician to support the self-management regime of patients. Further, the platform incorporates behavioral intervention techniques stemming from nudge theory that aim to support and encourage a sustained change in patient lifestyle. Application of the platform has been demonstrated through an illustrative case study via two exemplars. Further, a technical evaluation is conducted to understand the performance of the MDA to meet the personalization requirements of patients with type II diabetes.
Noise Reduction in Human Motion-Captured Signals for Computer Animation based on B-Spline Filtering
Authors: Memar Ardestani Mehdi , Yan Hong
Published: June 2022

Motion capturing is used to record the natural movements of humans for a particular task. The motions recorded are extensively used to produce animation characters with natural movements and for virtual reality (VR) devices. The raw captured motion signals, however, contain noises introduced during the capturing process. Therefore, the signals should be effectively processed before they can be applied to animation characters. In this study, we analyzed several common methods used for smoothing signals. The smoothed signals were then compared based on the smoothness metrics defined. It was concluded that the filtering based on the B-spline-based least square method could achieve high-quality outputs with predetermined continuity and minimal parameter adjustments for a variety of motion signals.
Three-Dimensional (3D) Imaging Technology to Monitor Growth and Development of Holstein Heifers and Estimate Body Weight, a Preliminary Study
Authors: Le Cozler Yannick , Brachet Elodie , Bourguignon Laurianne , Delattre Laurent , Luginbuhl Thibaut , Faverdin Philippe
Published: June 2022

The choice of rearing strategy for dairy cows can have an effect on production yield, at least during the first lactation. For this reason, it is important to closely monitor the growth and development of young heifers. Unfortunately, current methods for evaluation can be costly, time-consuming, and dangerous because of the need to physically manipulate animals, and as a result, this type of monitoring is seldom performed on farms. One potential solution may be the use of tools based on three-dimensional (3D) imaging, which has been studied in adult cows but not yet in growing individuals. In this study, an imaging approach that was previously validated for adult cows was tested on a pilot population of five randomly selected growing Holstein heifers, from 5 weeks of age to the end of the first gestation. Once a month, all heifers were weighed and an individual 3D image was recorded. From these images, we estimated growth trends in morphological traits such as heart girth or withers height (188.1 ± 3.7 cm and 133.5 ± 6.0 cm on average at one year of age, respectively). From other traits, such as body surface area and volume (5.21 ± 0.32 m2 and 0.43 ± 0.05 m3 on average at one year of age, respectively), we estimated body weight based on volume (402.4 ± 37.5 kg at one year of age). Body weight estimates from images were on average 9.7% higher than values recorded by the weighing scale (366.8 ± 47.2 kg), but this difference varied with age (19.1% and 1.8% at 6 and 20 months of age, respectively). To increase accuracy, the predictive model developed for adult cows was adapted and completed with complementary data on young heifers. Using imaging data, it was also possible to analyze changes in the surface-to-volume ratio that occurred as body weight and age increased. In sum, 3D imaging technology is an easy-to-use tool for following the growth and management of heifers and should become increasingly accurate as more data are collected on this population.
Dyadic Analysis of a Speed-Dating Format between Farmers and Citizens
Authors: Berkes Jessica , Schröter Iris , Mergenthaler Marcus
Published: June 2022

Alienation between farmers and citizens has increased amid complex developments of agriculture’s intensification, urbanization processes, demographic change, and specialization in food supply chains in developed countries. Traditional public relations instruments have failed to generate societal acceptance of today’s intensive agricultural practices. At the same time, the agricultural sector feels alienated from societal value changes. Other controversial contexts showed that open face-to-face encounters at eye level hold the potential to promote mutual understanding and acceptance. The study aims to analyze how speed-dating conversations between farmers and citizens, considering participants’ characteristics, impact different outcome variables. 24 farmers and 22 citizens specifically recruited for participation in the speed-dating were organized to have short conversations of 10–15 min in different farmer-citizen-constellations. Each conversation had a specific overall agricultural topic including animal welfare, agricultural technology, environmental protection, agricultural policy, and esteem for food. Four months after, different outcomes were measured in a follow-up survey. For 84 person-constellations complete dyadic data were available to be analyzed by hierarchical regression analyses. Participants were mostly satisfied with the dialogue format and gained new factual and personal information. Results indicate stronger impacts of socio-demographic characteristics and personality traits than characteristics of the conversations themselves. Constellations with male citizens, female farmers, more educated farmers, extroverted participants, emotionally stable farmers, and more open participants tended to have higher dyadic outcome variable values. The results call for a re-design of farmer-citizen dialogue formats to facilitate more direct interpersonal communication.
Study on the Horizontal Bearing Characteristic of a New Type of Offshore Rubber Airbag Branch Pile
Authors: Wang Xiaolei , Wang Zeyuan , Yuan Changfeng , Liu Libo
Published: June 2022

In this work, a new type of marine rubber airbag branch pile has been presented, and the influences of the exposed length L0 of the pile, size of rubber airbag branch and depth S0 of rubber airbag branch embedded in soil on the horizontal bearing capacity of the pile, have been investigated using numerical simulations. Simulation results were used to modify the eigenvalue equations of the horizontal bearing capacity. The results also showed that reverse displacement and the bending moment of the rubber airbag branch pile were lower in pipe piles with larger diameters, and the horizontal bearing capacity was more stable. At small horizontal displacements of the pile top, horizontal bearing capacities of large-diameter pipe piles were slightly higher, while for the pile’s top horizontal displacements of above 10 mm, horizontal bearing capacities of rubber airbag branch piles became significantly greater than those of the large-diameter pipe piles. Based on assumptions, the calculation equations of vacuum negative pressure and friction force between the rubber airbag branch and soil were derived. The equations for calculating the characteristic horizontal bearing capacities of rubber airbag branch piles were also derived and were modified based on simulation results. The calculation results confirmed the improvement in the accuracy of the modified equations.
Towards Road Sustainability—Part II: Applied Holistic Assessment and Lessons Learned from French Highway Resurfacing Strategies
Authors: de Bortoli Anne , Féraille Adélaïde , Leurent Fabien
Published: June 2022

Roads are major transportation infrastructure whose sustainability of maintenance practices has never been holistically assessed due to a lack of a proper method. This paper applies a newly developed assessment method (see article part I) on a 10-km-long section of French highway to fully compare the performance of various types of pavement resurfacing policies, for all the maintenance stakeholders, and considering pavement–vehicle interaction (PVI). After presenting the highway section and the parametrization of the model, four alternative resurfacing frequencies are compared to the French standard maintenance scenario over the pavement lifespan. Results show that increasing resurfacing frequency generates gains in terms of domestic production and employment, environmental damage (health, biodiversity, resources), user budgets, and local residents’ health damage created by traffic noise. Conversely, it entails financial losses for the road operator and government (tax revenues and net present value), as well as time losses for users. On the contrary, the consequences of a decrease in this frequency are the opposite. Excess fuel consumption due to PVI governs the scale of the environmental and financial gains or losses of highway maintenance policies. Optima in terms of health returns on investment and user savings appear to be around a 50% increase in maintenance funding: for each additional euro spent by the operator, there is a user gain of 3.5 euros and a human health gain of 710 euros. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the marginal gains are highly sensitive to the thickness of the resurfacing technique for macroeconomic indicators, global Net Present Value, and operator savings, while the gains are proportional to the traffic and International Roughness Indicator deterioration speed for tax revenue, users’ savings, time savings, noise, and environmental metrics. The other indicators are either slightly or not sensitive to these parameters. To conclude, the entire road maintenance system must be redesigned, from the tax system and funding schemes to the prioritization of road “green practices”, to align all the stakeholders’ interests towards a globally more sustainable road system.
Risk Assessment of Soil Erosion Using a GIS-Based SEMMA in Post-Fire and Managed Watershed
Authors: Shin Seung Sook , Park Sang Deog , Kim Gihong
Published: June 2022

A large wildfire occurred due to strong winds and dry climates in the Gangwon province of South Korea. Thereafter, floods and sediment damage were caused by Typhoon Mitag in the burned areas. This study was an attempt to quantitatively evaluate the risk of soil erosion in wildfire areas using the Soil Erosion Model for Mountain Areas (SEMMA) based on GIS, which was developed in South Korea. The model required the integration of maps of the main factors involved, i.e., rainfall erosivity, vegetation index, soil erodibility, and slope length and steepness. According to the model simulation results, high erosion rates of over 100 t/ha were concentrated within the wildfire areas. Sediment yields from the study watershed, including the wildfire areas, were estimated to be 40.33 t/ha for the 30-year frequency of rainfall, which is similar to those of the typhoon. The high risk of erosion was predominantly observed in the upper mountains, which are characterized by steep slopes, silt loam, and shallow soil depths within the wildfire areas. Urgent and excessive logging of burned trees further increased the risk of erosion. However, various treatment strategies were implemented to control soil erosion and sediment transport from the post-fire watershed. This study confirmed that temporal and spatial BMPs should be selected and enforced to reduce sediment disasters in wildfire areas.
Hotel Service Analysis by Penalty-Reward Contrast Technique for Online Review Data
Authors: Zhang Wen Tu , Choi Il Young , Hyun Yun Joo , Kim Jae Kyeong
Published: June 2022

Hotel reviews play an important role in the selection of hotels by travelers. Online travel platforms (e.g., Tripadvisor, Expedia) provide multi-criteria (e.g., room, service, location, sleep quality, etc.) ratings to make it easier for travelers to choose a hotel from reviews. Through penalty-reward contrast analysis (PRCA), this study aims to explore the asymmetric effects of attribute performance (Value, Cleanliness, Location, Rooms, Service, and Sleep Quality) on customer satisfaction with different geographic and cultural backgrounds using review data from hotels in Shanghai, Seoul, and New York. This study compares the asymmetric effects of attribute performance on customer satisfaction of hotels in different cities. At the same time, this study compares the asymmetric effects of attribute performance on customer satisfaction of reviews that are written in English and reviews that are written in the domestic language of hotels in the same city. The findings of this study help hotel managers serve customers from different cultural backgrounds and improve hotel services by identifying the criteria that affect customer satisfaction. As a result, it will be possible to improve the service and profitability of the hotel.
Exploring the Spatial Relationship between Nighttime Light and Tourism Economy: Evidence from 31 Provinces in China
Authors: Chang Pengpeng , Pang Xueru , He Xiong , Zhu Yiting , Zhou Chunshan
Published: June 2022

Nighttime light (NTL) data have become increasingly practical and are now widely used in studies on urbanization, energy consumption, population estimation, socio-economic evaluation, etc. Based on NTL data and the basic tourism economy (TE) data from 31 provinces of China in 2019, this paper adopted a geographic concentration index, inconsistency index, spatial agglomeration coupling index, global and Local Moran’s index and geographical detector to explore the spatial relationship between NTL and TE. The results of the study were as follows. Firstly, there is a high spatial correlation between NTL and TE. Secondly, the concentration degree, as well as the concentrated distribution area of NTL and TE, are very similar, roughly showing a higher concentration in East and South-Central China. Thirdly, NTL and TE show a type of coordinated development in East and North China, and a TE surpassing NTL in Southwest and South-Central China. The spatial agglomeration coupling index is higher in North China, South-Central China and the coastal regions of East China, and relatively lower in Southwest and Northwest China. Furthermore, in the spatial agglomeration distribution of NTL and TE, there is an obvious high–high and low–low agglomeration. Finally, the geographical detector analysis showed that the driving factor of tourism economy level (TEL) also has a great influence on NTL. The spatial distribution of NTL and TE is integrated to reasonably allocate tourism resources for different areas and promote the sustainable development of NTL and TE among regions.
Usage Intention of e-Learning Systems in Ghanaian Tertiary Institutions: A Case Study of the University for Development Studies
Authors: Dramani Isaac Elijah , Tang Zhiwei , Coffie Cephas Paa Kwasi
Published: June 2022

The onset of COVID-19 has triggered the mass diffusion of information technology-backed services globally. In Ghana, Universities adopted various e-learning platforms in order to sustain teaching and learning. While this is positive, not much is known about the continuous usage intention of lecturers in these Universities. Therefore, we explored this phenomenon using survey data from teaching staff at the University for Development Studies. Our results using the partial least square structural equation model suggest that facilitating factors, attitude, perceived trust, and perceived usefulness positively influence the continuous usage intention of lecturers. This can shed light on the contribution of COVID-19 as an external facilitating factor to the mass uptake of e-learning systems. Furthermore, this study confirms existing theories on the continuous usage of ICT-powered systems. Consequently, universities should have well-formulated strategic plans in order to ensure the continual usage of these systems post-COVID-19.
Sustainable Manufacturing Evaluation Based on Enterprise Industry 4.0 Technologies
Authors: Eldrandaly Khalid A. , El Saber Nissreen , Mohamed Mona , Abdel-Basset Mohamed
Published: June 2022

Most studies in recent decades focused on transforming linear economics into circular through recovering and remanufacturing the products. Circular Economies (CE) aim to minimize the usage of resources by utilizing the waste in production as new or raw materials. Interconnectivity between parties in the industrial system provides decision-makers with rich information and anticipation of failure. Industry 4.0 technologies (I4.0) allow for handling such issues, protecting the environment by utilizing resources efficiently, and restructuring the industry to be smarter as well. This paper contributes to achieving cleaner production (CP), CE, and social for manufacturers through the linkage between 6R methodology with new technologies of I4.0 such as Blockchain technology (BCT) and big data analytical technology (BDA). In this paper, the authors proposed a Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) decision framework based on the best-worst method (BWM), Decision-Making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), Technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), and Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS). The authors contributed to addressing the weaknesses and problems of these subjective MCDM methods through the cooperation of the neutrosophic theory with the usage of MCDM methods in this work. In the first stage, all criteria that influence sustainable manufacturer selection are specified using literature research on this topic. BWM-based neutrosophic theory was combined to get the criteria’s weights with the aid of DEMATEL-based neutrosophic to obtain the least and best criteria used in BWM in the second stage. The optimal sustainable manufacturer was selected based on TOPSIS and COPRAS under neutrosophic theory in the third and fourth stages, respectively. Furthermore, a case study performed indicated manufacturer 2 (A2) is an optimal sustainable manufacturer in two ranking methods otherwise, manufacturer 4 (A4) is the worst sustainable manufacturer. The contribution of this work is to propose a hybrid MCDM with an uncertainty theory of neutrosophic for sustainable manufacturer selection based BDA-BCT with 6R. Sensitivity analyses were carried out to show the decision’s flexibility in various scenarios. Finally, the consequences for management viewpoints were considered.
Modelling Impacts of Nature-Based Solutions on Surface Water Quality: A Rapid Review
Authors: Matos Fábio André , Roebeling Peter
Published: June 2022

Global climate change and growing urbanization pose a threat to both natural and urban ecosystems. In these, one of the most impacted elements is water, which is responsible for a large variety of ecosystem services and benefits to society. Mathematical models can be used to simulate the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs), thus helping to quantify these issues in a practical and efficient manner. This paper presents a rapid review of literature in which the effects of NBS on water quality were assessed with the help of modelling methods. It was found that only 14 papers deal with the topic in regard to NBSs. Most of these papers were published in European countries, using Nitrogen and/or Phosphorus as the studied water quality indicators and focusing predominantly on wetlands. The literature suggests that NBS can positively impact surface water quality, even under future climate conditions, while being a justified investment from an economic standpoint. It is suggested that more information is required in order to expand the evidence base on the effectiveness of NBS for water quality improvement as well as to develop better and more standardized methods to model NBS impacts on water quality.
Visualizing the Knowledge Base and Research Hotspot of Public Health Emergency Management: A Science Mapping Analysis-Based Study
Authors: Chen Kai , Lin Xiaoping , Wang Han , Qiang Yujie , Kong Jie , Huang Rui , Wang Haining , Liu Hui
Published: June 2022

Public health emergency management has been one of the main challenges of social sustainable development since the beginning of the 21st century. Research on public health emergency management is becoming a common focus of scholars. In recent years, the literature associated with public health emergency management has grown rapidly, but few studies have used a bibliometric analysis and visualization approach to conduct deep mining and explore the characteristics of the public health emergency management research field. To better understand the present status and development of public health emergency management research, and to explore the knowledge base and research hotspots, the bibliometric method and science mapping technology were adopted to visually evaluate the knowledge structure and research trends in the field of public health emergency management studies. From 2000 to 2020, a total of 3723 papers related to public health emergency management research were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection as research data. The five main research directions formed are child prevention, mortality from public health events, public health emergency preparedness, public health emergency management, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The current research hotspots and frontiers are climate change, COVID-19 and related coronaviruses. Further research is needed to focus on the COVID-19 and related coronaviruses. This study intends to contribute inclusive support to related academia and industry in the aspects of public health emergency management and public safety research, as well as research hotspots and future research directions.
Proposing a Pedagogical Framework for Integrating Urban Agriculture as a Tool to Achieve Social Sustainability within the Interior Design Studio
Authors: Pakravan Sarvenaz , Keynoush Shahin , Daneshyar Ehsan
Published: June 2022

Evidently, the global population is increasing. A decline in the stock of agricultural land per capita is becoming a global issue. The future agriculture output may need to grow in order to satisfy the future growing demands. Feeding the global population of 9.1 billion by the year 2050 requires growth in global agriculture output by approximately 60% to 110%. Urban agriculture as an alternative solution can reduce the future burden on agriculture sector. As a response to this issue, the interior architecture design studio-V (INT 401) proposes a futuristic vision which is based on the notion of urban agriculture. This vision requires a pedagogical framework to be defined for the interior design studio-V. The proposed pedagogy consists of the following three notions: (1) residential urban agriculture, (2) context-based and culture-based design approach, and (3) social sustainability. The proposed pedagogy follows a futuristic vision that advocates that future interior spaces and adjacent spaces should be capable of cultivating food. The proposed pedagogy tries to integrate the concept of residential urban agriculture within its core. The context-based and culture-based design approach highlights the importance of considering the local context during the design process. The interior design studio pedagogy should be valued, studied, and reflected in local traditions, practices, and values. The proposed pedagogy is based on the threefold schema of social sustainability that comprises development sustainability, bridge sustainability, and maintenance sustainability. The proposed design studio pedagogy highlights the following three points: (1) defining a vision for the interior design studio; (2) the interior design studio should be responsive to the contemporary and future social, environmental, and economic issues; and (3) the importance of considering the local context and reflecting it within the interior design studio pedagogy.
Comparison of Total Factor Productivity of Rice in China and Japan
Authors: Gao Liting , Gao Qianhui , Lorenc Marcin
Published: June 2022

Because rice is one of China’s staple foods, studying the total factor productivity (TFP) of rice is of great importance for China’s food security. There are many similarities between rice production in China and Japan. Japan has achieved an effective supply of high-quality rice under the constraints of insufficient production resources and limited environmental capacity. In this paper, we use the DEA Malmquist index method to comparatively analyze the production efficiency of the rice industry in China and Japan, as well as its trends and changes. The contribution of each decomposition index is analyzed by using grey correlation, and kernel density estimation is used to analyze the dynamic evolution of rice productivity in both countries. The empirical results show that rice TFP in Japan is higher than that in China. Technological progress is an important driver of TFP and is the main reason for the difference in rice TFP between the two countries. The concentration of rice TFP distribution in China is decreasing, and regional differences are increasing, whereas in Japan, the opposite trend is observed, with the proportion of areas of high TFP increasing in both countries.
Have Extreme Events Awakened Us?
Authors: Farhidi Faraz , Madani Kaveh , Crichton Rohan
Published: June 2022

We may translate anthropogenic climate change as a reaction of our planet to our unsustainable economic activities. This research explores whether environmental policies have been impacted by extreme climatic events like droughts, floods, storms, tornados, and wildfires. We use yearly panel data from 1990 to 2017 for the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries to examine such a relationship. To have an impartial analysis, we control major variables influencing environmental policies such as energy consumption, gross domestic product (GDP), population, technology, head of the state’s political affiliation, carbon emission, and waste generation. The analysis results suggest that policymakers make more stringent environmental decisions as the death rate increases and environmental threats become more imminent putting human life is at risk; this correlation is stronger in the case of European Countries.
Housing Affordability of Private Rental Apartments According to Room Type in Osaka Prefecture
Authors: Yoshida Mikio , Kato Haruka
Published: June 2022

Housing poverty was already a social problem in Japan before the COVID-19 pandemic. The research questions of this study were as follows: How many private rental apartments that are affordable for low-income groups exist in the real estate market? Additionally, do these rental apartments have enough rooms? This study aimed to clarify the housing affordability of private rental apartments in Osaka Prefecture according to room type. In this study, we analyzed housing affordability based on room types and housing conditions using a real estate dataset. In conclusion, this study found that housing affordability is problematic in terms of quantity and quality among the private rental apartments for multiple households in Osaka Prefecture. Additionally, it was found that the role of old wooden low-rent housingbuildings has declined as affordable housing. In particular, the total number of two-room and over three-room-type low-rent housing was less than 8000 units, accounting for only 4.2% of all private rental apartments in the real estate market. The distributed supply of low-rent housing has potential risks in maintaining a stable life for low-income groups with multi-person households. Those low-income groups are forced to live in higher-rent housing or one-room-type low-rent housing.
Beyond Traditional Energy Sector Coupling: Conserving and Efficient Use of Local Resources
Authors: Maldet Matthias , Schwabeneder Daniel , Lettner Georg , Loschan Christoph , Corinaldesi Carlo , Auer Hans
Published: June 2022

Decentralisation and sector coupling are becoming increasingly crucial for the decarbonisation of the energy system. Resources such as waste and water have high energy recovery potential and are required as inputs for various conversion technologies; however, waste and water have not yet been considered in sector coupling approaches but only in separate examinations. In this work, an open-source sector coupling optimisation model considering all of these resources and their utilisation is developed and applied in a test-bed in an Israeli city. Our investigations include an impact assessment of energy recovery and resource utilisation in the transition to a hydrogen economy, with regard to the inclusion of greywater and consideration of emissions. Additionally, sensitivity analyses are performed in order to assess the complexity level of energy recovery. The results demonstrate that waste and water energy recovery can provide high contributions to energy generation. Furthermore, greywater use can be vital to cover the water demands in scarcity periods, thus saving potable water and enabling the use of technology. Regarding the transition to hydrogen technologies, resource energy recovery and management have an even higher effect than in the original setup. However, without appropriate resource management, a reduction in emissions cannot be achieved. Furthermore, the sensitivity analyses indicate the existence of complex relationships between energy recovery technologies and other energy system operations.
The Possible Impact of COVID-19 on Respiratory Muscles Structure and Functions: A Literature Review
Authors: Cesanelli Leonardo , Satkunskiene Danguole , Bileviciute-Ljungar Indre , Kubilius Raimondas , Repečkaite Gintare , Cesanelli Federico , Iovane Angelo , Messina Giuseppe
Published: June 2022

The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on respiratory muscle functions is an important area of recent enquiry. COVID-19 has effects on the respiratory muscles. The diaphragm muscle is perturbed indirectly due to the mechanical-ventilation-induced-disuse, but also by direct mechanisms linked with SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. In this sense, a deeper understanding of the possible links between COVID-19 and alterations in structure and functions of the respiratory muscles may increase the success rate of preventive and supportive strategies. Ultrasound imaging alongside respiratory muscle strength tests and pulmonary function assessment are valid approaches to the screening and monitoring of disease, for mild to severe patients. The aim of the present review is to highlight the current literature regarding the links between COVID-19 and respiratory muscle functions. We examine from the pathophysiological aspects of disease, up to approaches taken to monitor and rehabilitate diseased muscle. We hope this work will add to a greater understanding of the pathophysiology and disease management of respiratory muscle pathology subsequent to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Analysis of Social Support as an Argument for the Sustainable Construction of the European Community Space
Authors: Marian Mihai , Darabaneanu Dragos , Chirodea Florentina , Toca Constantin
Published: June 2022

Cohesion policy is a constant and central area of interest across the European Union. The development and success of European society depends on the social and economic cohesion at the level of all member states. Starting from this assumption, our study will focus on the interdependence between social cohesion and social support, the latter being interpreted and analysed as a means whereby social cohesion may be achieved. Thus, understanding the manifestations of community cohesion at the level of the European communities is an essential element in this investigation, while its main purpose is to build an explanatory model for interpreting social support. Based on such a framework, social cohesion may be analysed and understood. The following measurement scales will be applied to the analysis of social support: the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Survey of Recent Life Experiences, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The source of the information is a non-random sample of 1364 respondents. Data processing is based on the implementation of structural equation modelling (SEM) in order to explore the key factors that influence the perception of social support. As mentioned previously, we plan to build an explanatory model that links the perception of social support with life satisfaction and the disturbing factors that are the outcome of life experiences. A set of comparisons is also made using the independent t test and one-way ANOVA. The perception of social support is interpreted from the perspective of the occupational situation, the age category, the educational level and the marital status of respondents. The variables included in the study generally satisfied the goodness of fit indexes in accordance with the recommendations of the literature on SEM models. The conclusions of the study show that social support is at the core of community integration and one of the determinant elements of social cohesion. Everyday life events condition the perception of social support. In turn, the perception of social support acts on life satisfaction. It has been observed that a higher perception of social support may be associated with greater cohesion at the level of communities and also with a more stable social environment. We have identified a determining relationship between the perceived social support and the degree of social cohesion.
Alterations of Historic Rural Landscape Based on the Multifunctional Approach: The Case of Coastal Fishing Villages in the Yangtze River Basin
Authors: Chen Yueying , Wei Wenbin
Published: June 2022

The historic landscape is an important component of a village, and the alteration of villages is a necessary process of development. To analyze characteristics of historic rural landscape alterations and the reasons behind them, this study utilized a landscape multifunctional approach and a comprehensive methodology comprising space syntax and field investigations. This study divides the historic rural landscape into two types, ecology-led and production-led patterns, which validate the relationship among ecology, social properties, and cultural connotation in space, offering a new perspective on the alteration of historic rural landscapes. Our findings indicate the interaction among ecology, production, and lives, both diachronically and synchronically, and suggest that it is possible to maintain ecological harmony, functional transformation, and the inheritance of cultural connotation through improving historic rural landscapes.