bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does Employee Quality Affect Corporate Social Responsibility? Evidence from China
Authors: Sun Shilu , Li Tiantian , Ma Hong , Li Rita Yi Man , Gouliamos Kostas , Zheng Jianming , Han Yan , Manta Otilia , Comite Ubaldo , Barros Teresa , Duarte Nelson , Yue Xiao-Guang
Published: April 2020

This paper investigated the impact of employee quality on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Based on data from China A-share-listed companies for the years 2012–2016 and using ordinary least squares, our empirical results show that the educational level of the workforce, as a proxy for employee quality, is positively associated with CSR, which suggests that higher education can promote CSR implementation. Additional analyses found that this positive relationship is more pronounced in non-state-owned enterprises, enterprises in regions with lower marketisation processes, and firms with lower proportions of independent directors. This study extends the literature on human capital at the level of firms’ entire workforce and CSR by elaborating the positive effect of employee quality on CSR in the context of an emerging economy (China). The results suggest that it is necessary to consider the educational level of employees when analysing CSR, which is of strategic significance for corporate sustainable development.
Temporal and Spatial Variability of Carbon Emission Intensity of Urban Residential Buildings: Testing the Effect of Economics and Geographic Location in China
Authors: Shi Qingwei , Gao Jingxin , Wang Xia , Ren Hong , Cai Weiguang , Wei Haifeng
Published: April 2020

The role of urban residential buildings (URBs) in the carbon reduction goal of China is becoming increasingly important because of the rising energy consumption and carbon emission of such buildings in the region. Considering the increasing spatial interaction of the carbon emission of URBs (URBCE) in the region, this study investigates the influence of climate and economic factors on the URBCE in North and South China. First, the URBCE is calculated by using a decomposition energy balance table based on the carbon emission coefficient of electric and thermal power, thereby improving the estimation of the basic data of URBCE. Second, the influence of economic and climatic factors on the URBCE intensity in 30 provinces of China is explored by using a spatial econometric model. Results show that the URBCE intensity in China had a spatial autocorrelation from 2000 to 2016. Climatic and economic factors have great differences in the degree and direction of influencing the URBCE intensity in the country. Formulating emission reduction policies for climate or economic zones is more scientific and effective than developing national policies. Among these factors, urbanization rate, climate, and GDP per capita have a significant positive impact on the URBCE intensity in the region, whereas other factors have varying degrees of negative impact. In addition, climate, consumption level, and building area have significant spatial spillover effects on URBCE intensity, whereas other factors do not pass the significance test. Relevant conclusions should be given special attention by policymakers.
Perceived Knowledge, Coping Efficacy and Consumer Consumption Changes in Response to Food Recall
Authors: Liao Chuanhui , Yu Huang , Zhu Weiwei
Published: April 2020

With a serious food safety situation in China, lots of major food recalls have been initiated. This study examined the key determinants underlying consumers’ protection and behavioral intention in response to major food recalls. An augmented protection motivation theory model (PMT) was developed by incorporating trust in food safety management and food recall concern into the original PMT. Structural equation model analysis was conducted using survey data in China (N = 631). The results showed that perceived knowledge significantly and positively influence protection motivation via its positive influence on the threat appraisal and coping appraisal. Moreover, protection motivation, trust in food safety management (TFSM), and food recall concern (FRC) significantly affect protection behavior intention. It was indicated that the inclusion of TFSM and FRC into the PMT significantly increase the explanatory power of the PMT model. Further analysis of quadratic regression demonstrated that the relationship between perceived knowledge and protection motivation presented an inverted U shape, which indicates the importance of continuous education in developing consumers’ food safety knowledge. Implications for future research are discussed.
Techno-Economic Analysis of Electrocoagulation on Water Reclamation and Bacterial/Viral Indicator Reductions of a High-Strength Organic Wastewater—Anaerobic Digestion Effluent
Authors: Uludag-Demirer Sibel , Olson Nathan , Ives Rebecca , Nshimyimana Jean Pierre , Rusinek Cory A. , Rose Joan B. , Liao Wei
Published: April 2020

This study investigated the use of iron and aluminum and their combinations as electrodes to determine the technically sound and economically feasible electrochemical approach for the treatment of anaerobic digestion effluent. The results indicated that the use of iron as anode and cathode is the most suitable solution among different electrode combinations. The reduction of turbidity, total chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Enterococci, and phages in the reclaimed water were 99%, 91%, 100%, 1.5 log, 1.7 log, 1.0 log, and 2.0 log, respectively. The economic assessment further concluded that the average treatment cost is $3 per 1000 L for a small-scale operation handling 3000 L wastewater/day. This study demonstrated that the electrocoagulation (EC) is a promising technique for the recovery and reclamation of water from anaerobic digestion effluent. Even though its energy consumption is higher and the nitrogen removal is insufficient compared to some conventional wastewater treatment technologies, there are several advantages of the EC treatment, such as short retention time, small footprint, no mixing, and gradual addition of coagulants. These features make EC technology applicable to be used alone or combined with other technologies for a wide range of wastewater treatment applications.
Virtual Museums as Learning Agents
Authors: Daniela Linda
Published: April 2020

Virtual solutions for exhibiting museum collections are no longer a novelty, as such experiences already exist in the world, but the remote use of museum collections for learning purposes has so far not been widely used in the educational environment. This article analyzes virtual museum applications by evaluating them from a learning perspective, including 25 criteria in the evaluation rubric divided into three groups: (i) Technical performance; (ii) information architecture; and (iii) educational value. This will enable educators to select the most appropriate material for their specific learning purpose and to plan the most appropriate learning strategies by organizing training sessions to acquire knowledge that can be enhanced by museum information and teaching students digital skills in evaluating information available in the digital environment, analyzing its pros and cons to teach them how to develop new innovative solutions. The research is carried out from a phenomenological perspective; to be more precise, virtual museums are analyzed using the principles of transcendental design and a hermeneutic design is used to interpret the resulting data. A total of 36 applications of virtual museums were analyzed, whereupon the results were compiled using static data analysis software, while 13 applications were used for the hermeneutic data analysis. The results suggest that the strength of virtual museums is in information architecture, but less attention is paid to the educational value of the material, which points to the need to change the principles of virtual museum design and emphasizes the role of teachers in using virtual museums as learning agents.
Characterization of Bioactive Compounds in Colored Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Cultivars Grown with Conventional, Organic, and Biodynamic Methods
Authors: Vaitkevičienė Nijolė , Kulaitienė Jurgita , Jarienė Elvyra , Levickienė Dovilė , Danillčenko Honorata , Średnicka-Tober Dominika , Rembiałkowska Ewa , Hallmann Ewelina
Published: April 2020

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effect of conventional, biodynamic, and organic cultivation methods on the contents of polyphenols and carotenoids in tubers of potato cultivars with different colored flesh: “Red Emmalie”, “Salad Blue”, “Violetta”, “Tornado”, and “Laura”. These bioactive compounds were determined by the high-performance liquid chromatography method. The data received were analyzed with ANOVA and further explored and visualized by principal component analysis. Higher contents of polyphenols (sum), phenolic acids (sum), chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, and caffeic acid were found in biodynamic and organic samples compared to the conventional tubers. Moreover, organically and biodynamically produced potatoes (except “Salad Blue” cultivar) were significantly richer in flavonoids and anthocyanins. The highest contents of carotenoids (sum), lutein, and β-carotene were found in biodynamic potatoes. Among the tested cultivars, “Tornado”, with white flesh, was richest in polyphenols (sum), phenolic acids (sum), chlorogenic acid, and p-coumaric acid. “Violetta”, with dark purple flesh, accumulated the highest contents of flavonoids (sum), anthocyanins (sum), petunidin-3,5-di-O-glucoside, pelargonidin-3,5-di-O-glucoside, and peonidin-3,5-di-O-glucoside. Carotenoids were only found in “Laura” tubers, and the dominating carotenoid was lutein.
Typical Challenges of Governance for Sustainable Regional Development in Globalized Latin America: A Multidimensional Literature Review
Authors: Balanzo Alejandro , Garavito Leonardo , Rojas Héctor , Sobotova Lenka , Pérez Oscar , Guaquetá Diego , Mojica Alejandro , Pavajeau Juan , Sanabria Sebastián
Published: April 2020

The paper aims to identify and analyze what types of governance challenges for sustainable regional development in the context of globalization are more frequently found in scholarship regarding Latin America. In order to do so, we carried out a systematic review of scholarly works discussing regional sustainability issues across the region. Analytically, it provides a heuristic multidimensional framework for organizing and typifying the most frequent sustainable regional development governance challenges under study, offering a nuanced and interrelated account of economic, environmental, political, and socio-spatial scientific discussions. According to our findings, scholarship on Latin America shows a bricolage-like scenery where political atomization linked to economic factionalism and fragmentation stand out as frequently analyzed situations. Another frequent topic relates to discussions about political endeavors linked to environmental concerns, connecting incidence strategies with collective environmental conservation approaches.
Aerated Irrigation of Different Irrigation Levels and Subsurface Dripper Depths Affects Fruit Yield, Quality and Water Use Efficiency of Greenhouse Tomato
Authors: Zhu Yan , Cai Huanjie , Song Libing , Wang Xiaowen , Shang Zihui , Sun Yanan
Published: April 2020

Aerated irrigation (AI) is a method to mitigate rhizosphere hypoxia caused by the wetting front from subsurface drip irrigation (SDI). This study evaluated the impacts of AI on soil aeration, plant growth performance, fruit yield (tomato), irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), fruit nutrition (lycopene and Vitamin C (VC)) and taste (soluble sugar, organic acid and sugar–acid ratio) quality. A three-factorial experiment including AI and SDI at three irrigation levels (W0.6, W0.8 and W1.0, corresponding with crop-pan coefficients of 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0) and two dripper depths (D15 and D25, burial at 15 and 25 cm, respectively), totaling 12 treatments overall, was conducted in a greenhouse during the tomato-growing season (April–July) in 2016. The AI improved soil aeration conditions, with significantly increased soil oxygen concentration and air-filled porosity relative to SDI. Moreover, the AI improved crop growth performance, with increased root morphology (diameter, length density, surface area and volume density), delayed flowering time, prolonged flowering duration and increased shoot (leaf, stem and fruit) dry weight, and harvest index. Fruit yield per plant, fruit weight, IWUE, the contents of lycopene, VC and soluble sugar, and sugar–acid ratio significantly increased under AI treatments (P < 0.05). As the irrigation level increased, fruit yield, number, and weight increased (P < 0.05), but IWUE and fruit lycopene, soluble sugar, and organic acid content decreased (P < 0.05). The dripper depth had no significant impact on fruit yield, nutrition and taste quality. Principal component analysis revealed that the optimal three treatments in terms of fruit yield, IWUE, and nutrition and taste quality were the treatments W0.6D25AI, W1.0D25AI and W1.0D15AI. These results suggest that AI can improve tomato growth performance and increase fruit yield, nutrition and taste quality, and IWUE through enhancing soil aeration conditions.
A Model of the Sustainable Management of the Natural Environment in National Parks—A Case Study of National Parks in Poland
Authors: Oleśniewicz Piotr , Pytel Sławomir , Markiewicz-Patkowska Julita , Szromek Adam R. , Jandová Soňa
Published: April 2020

This paper aimed to present a model of natural environment management in national parks in Poland in the context of increased tourist traffic. The research area comprised Polish national parks as they are characterized by barely altered nature, little human impact, and undisturbed natural phenomena. The methods involved the observational method, literature analysis and criticism, and the in-depth interview method employed in November 2019. The respondents included national park management staff. The questions were prepared in accordance with the Berlin Declaration principles of sustainable tourism development and were extended with the authors’ own items. The questionnaire contained 17 questions, grouped in four parts: science and documentation; tourism; cooperation and education; environmental threats. The results indicate that in order for actions to prove efficient in a park, a conservation plan should be carefully developed. Its correctness requires monitoring the state of the environment, tourist traffic size and trends, and tourists’ impact on the environment. An important condition for effective tourism management in parks is to increase the competences of the administering bodies and knowledge regarding individuals’ responsibilities. Boards should be able to evaluate and modify conservation plans, spatial development plans, municipality development strategies, and projects for investments within the parks.
The Effect of the Relative Amount of Ingredients on the Rheological Properties of Semolina Doughs
Authors: Fanari Fabio , Desogus Francesco , Scano Efisio Antonio , Carboni Gianluca , Grosso Massimiliano
Published: April 2020

“Pani carasau” is a traditional Sardinian bread, made with re-milled durum wheat semolina, with a long shelf-life. The production process is highly energy consuming, but its automation can make it more energy-efficient and sustainable. This requires a deep knowledge of the rheological parameters of the doughs. This study investigated the rheological properties of doughs—prepared by mixing semolina with water, yeast, and salt—as a function of the relative amount of the ingredients. The rheological measurements were carried out by an Anton Paar MCR 102 rheometer, equipped with a plate–plate fixture. In more detail, frequency sweep and creep tests were performed. It was found that doughs obtained with different amounts of ingredients showed significant differences in the rheological responses. The addition of water led to a significant decrease in the viscosity and improved the deformability of the dough. In addition, the yeast addition produced a viscosity decrease, while the presence of salt produced an improvement of the three-dimensional gluten network characteristics and, consequently, of the strength of the dough. In addition to the production process of pani carasau, this work contributes to improving the general performance of the doughs used in the production of flour-and-semolina-based foods.
When a Girl Awakened the World: A User and Social Message Analysis of Greta Thunberg
Authors: Jung Jieun , Petkanic Peter , Nan Dongyan , Kim Jang Hyun
Published: April 2020

Young climate activist Greta Thunberg was Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2019. In this study, the authors examine the role of social media in Thunberg’s rise to prominence by investigating Twitter communications over 14 months, analyzing tweet contents and user profiles. The changes in sentiment revealed on Twitter are examined, along with four major events from the period. The paper also compares Swedish and American user characteristics in relation to Thunberg. The findings reveal that celebrities and public figures played an essential role in amplifying the influence of the activist. To categorize the influencer group, the authors identified each user’s occupation, organization, location and position on other social issues. The results show that some people held a negative attitude toward Thunberg, not only because of their skepticism about climate change but also because of their views on other social issues, such as gender and age.
Computational Hybrid Machine Learning Based Prediction of Shear Capacity for Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Beams
Authors: Ly Hai-Bang , Le Tien-Thinh , Vu Huong-Lan Thi , Tran Van Quan , Le Lu Minh , Pham Binh Thai
Published: April 2020

Understanding shear behavior is crucial for the design of reinforced concrete beams and sustainability in construction and civil engineering. Although numerous studies have been proposed, predicting such behavior still needs further improvement. This study proposes a soft-computing tool to predict the ultimate shear capacities (USCs) of concrete beams reinforced with steel fiber, one of the most important factors in structural design. Two hybrid machine learning (ML) algorithms were created that combine neural networks (NNs) with two distinct optimization techniques (i.e., the Real-Coded Genetic Algorithm (RCGA) and the Firefly Algorithm (FFA)): the NN-RCGA and the NN-FFA. A database of 463 experimental data was gathered from reliable literature for the development of the models. After the construction, validation, and selection of the best model based on common statistical criteria, a comparison with the empirical equations available in the literature was carried out. Further, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the importance of 16 inputs and reveal the dependency of structural parameters on the USC. The results showed that the NN-RCGA (R = 0.9771) was better than the NN-FFA and other analytical models (R = 0.5274–0.9075). The sensitivity analysis results showed that web width, effective depth, and a clear depth ratio were the most important parameters in modeling the shear capacity of steel fiber-reinforced concrete beams.
An Empirical Analysis on DPRK: Will Grain Yield Influence Foreign Policy Tendency?
Authors: Zhang Chi , He Jun , Yuan Guanghui
Published: April 2020

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the hub of Northeast Asia and its geopolitics is of great significance, whose foreign policy trend is not only related to the peace and stability of the region, but also one of the major variables affecting cooperation in Northeast Asia. According to the data on North Korea’s grain yield collected by the Korea National Statistical Office, supplemented by the data on international food aid to North Korea collected by the World Food Programme, and combined with the judgment of 10 experts from China, South Korea and the United States on the Hawk and Dove Index of North Korea’s foreign policy from 1990 to 2018, we use empirical mode decomposition wavelet transform data analysis and feature extraction methods to study the impact relationship, and OLS regression analysis to study the actual cycle of transformation. We found that: (1) North Korea’s grain output is an important indicator that affects its foreign policy tendency (hawks or doves). The hawk refers to those who take a tough attitude in policy and prefer rigid means such as containment, intimidation and conflicts; the dove refers to those who take mild attitude in policy, and prefer to adopt flexible means such as negotiation, cooperation, and coordination. When it comes to grain yield increase, North Korea’s foreign policy tends to be hawkish; when it comes to grain reduction, its dovish tendency will be on the rise. This is because food increase can alleviate grain shortage in North Korea and enhance its ability to adopt tough policies in its foreign policy. However, decreases in grain production will lead to adopt a more moderate policy and seek international cooperation and assistance to ease the internal pressure caused by grain shortage. (2) North Korea’s grain yield influencing its foreign policy (hawks or doves) has a lag phase of about 3 years. Such being the case, the accumulated grain during the production increase period has enhanced North Korea’s ability to cope with grain reduction in the short term. Secondly, the North Korean government blames the reduction on foreign sanctions, which will instead make the North Korean people more determined to resist external pressure. Therefore, we can use the changes in North Korea’s grain output to predict the direction of its foreign policy so as to more accurately judge the development of the Korean Peninsula and more effectively promote the process of peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia. We concluded that grain production will affect its policy sustainability in North Korea.
Physical Fatigue Detection Using Entropy Analysis of Heart Rate Signals
Authors: Nasirzadeh Farnad , Mir Mostafa , Hussain Sadiq , Tayarani Darbandy Mohammad , Khosravi Abbas , Nahavandi Saeid , Aisbett Brad
Published: April 2020

Physical fatigue is one of the most important and highly prevalent occupational hazards in different industries. This research adopts a new analytical framework to detect workers’ physical fatigue using heart rate measurements. First, desired features are extracted from the heart signals using different entropies and statistical measures. Then, a feature selection method is used to rank features according to their role in classification. Finally, using some of the frequently used classification algorithms, physical fatigue is detected. The experimental results show that the proposed method has excellent performance in recognizing the physical fatigue. The achieved accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity rates for fatigue detection are 90.36%, 82.26%, and 96.2%, respectively. The proposed method provides an efficient tool for accurate and real-time monitoring of physical fatigue and aids to enhance workers’ safety and prevent accidents. It can be useful to develop warning systems against high levels of physical fatigue and design better resting times to improve workers’ safety. This research ultimately aids to improve social sustainability through minimizing work accidents and injuries arising from fatigue.
Legal Origins and Corporate Social Responsibility
Authors: Becchetti Leonardo , Ciciretti Rocco , Conzo Pierluigi
Published: April 2020

The legal origin literature documents that civil and common law traditions have different impacts on economic outcomes. We contribute to this literature by formulating and testing hypotheses on the effect of legal origins on corporate social responsibility, overall and in different specific dimensions. We find that, net of industry-specific effects, companies in common law countries score higher in corporate governance and community involvement, while those in countries belonging to the French legal tradition of civil law do better in human resources. We also observe no significant differences in terms of environmental protection among companies in civil and common law countries, which we attribute to a progressive convergence towards common industry sustainability standards.
Prevention of Barite Sag in Water-Based Drilling Fluids by A Urea-Based Additive for Drilling Deep Formations
Authors: Mohamed Abdelmjeed , Al-Afnan Saad , Elkatatny Salaheldin , Hussein Ibnelwaleed
Published: April 2020

Barite sag is a challenging phenomenon encountered in deep drilling with barite-weighted fluids and associated with fluid stability. It can take place in vertical and directional wells, whether in dynamic or static conditions. In this study, an anti-sagging urea-based additive was evaluated to enhance fluid stability and prevent solids sag in water-based fluids to be used in drilling, completion, and workover operations. A barite-weighted drilling fluid, with a density of 15 ppg, was used with the main drilling fluid additives. The ratio of the urea-based additive was varied in the range 0.25–3.0 vol.% of the total base fluid. The impact of this anti-sagging agent on the sag tendency was evaluated at 250 °F using vertical and inclined sag tests. The optimum concentration of the anti-sagging agent was determined for both vertical and inclined wells. The effect of the urea-additive on the drilling fluid rheology was investigated at low and high temperatures (80 °F and 250 °F). Furthermore, the impact of the urea-additive on the filtration performance of the drilling fluid was studied at 250 °F. Adding the urea-additive to the drilling fluid improved the stability of the drilling fluid, as indicated by a reduction in the sag factor. The optimum concentration of this additive was found to be 0.5–1.0 vol.% of the base fluid. This concentration was enough to prevent barite sag in both vertical and inclined conditions at 250 °F, with a sag factor of around 0.5. For the optimum concentration, the yield point and gel strength (after 10 s) were improved by around 50% and 45%, respectively, while both the plastic viscosity and gel strength (after 10 min) were maintained at the desired levels. Moreover, the anti-sagging agent has no impact on drilling fluid density, pH, or filtration performance.
Property Value and Sustainability. The Future of Living: Focus on Short-Term Rents in Italy
Authors: Bassi Andrea , Moscatelli Monica
Published: April 2020

Society is evolving faster and faster and there are many changes in our everyday living environment, especially concerning buildings. Buildings have significant effects on the ecosystem, economy, health, and productivity of the people occupying them; moreover, their environmental impact is not limited to the energy consumption for heating, cooling, moving, and lighting, but it affects many other factors, including above all the relationship with the territory. Considering these premises, this research focused on suggesting sustainable guidelines in Italy by trying to identify what has changed in the methods of residential construction, especially in order to meet new environmental and people’s requests. The research purpose is to focus on the concept of property value, trying to identify some guidelines that increase the value of housing according to the mutated market requests observed by a representative sample of real estate agents. As a result, a new property concept aimed at high quality and sustainability standards, co-housing, and dynamic scenarios pushed up by the increasing demand from new generations, such as single, high-educated young workers and university students, lead us to explore the solution of short-term rents in the Italian territory. This solution appears in a real estate market heavily affected by the economic crisis, and is a good alternative for owners or landlords, which is able to guarantee a positive return on investment and to assure a major capability to keep value in the long term.
Government Subsidies and Firm-Level Markups: Impact and Mechanism
Authors: Yue Wen , Wang Jianhua
Published: April 2020

This paper investigates the impact of government subsidies on the firm-level markups and its mechanism of action by measuring the firm-level markups based on a micro dataset of Chinese manufacturing firms from 2000 to 2007. The findings suggest that government subsidies significantly reduce the markups of Chinese firms. Moreover, there is significant heterogeneity in the negative impact of government subsidies among different types of firms. Furthermore, analysis of the impact mechanism based on the mediation effect model shows that the increase in rent-seeking cost is an important way for government subsidies to reduce the firm-level markups. Finally, based on the dynamic decomposition of the aggregate markup of the Chinese manufacturing industry, it is found that government subsidies significantly reduce the industry-level aggregate markup through within-firm and cross-firm effects. This study enriches the literature on government subsidies and markups, and provides a new perspective for understanding the micro-performance of government subsidies.
Impacts of Rural Women’s Traditional Economic Activities on Household Economy: Changing Economic Contributions through Empowered Women in Rural Pakistan
Authors: Jabeen Salma , Haq Sanam , Jameel Arif , Hussain Abid , Asif Muhammad , Hwang Jinsoo , Jabeen Abida
Published: April 2020

In Pakistan, as in other developing countries, rural women make ample contributions to the economy through vital productive and reproductive roles. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of women’s traditional economic activities that supplement their household economy directly through earning income and indirectly through savings expenditure and to assess the factors that influence their productivity performance. For this purpose, six rural areas from Khyber, which is located in the Pukhtoonkhwah province, were chosen to represent the south, north, and the central plain regions. About 480 women responded out of 600, which were selected using a snowball sampling technique from the entire three regions. The data was collected by conducting face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). About 68.33% respondents were illiterate, 47.71% were 31 to 40 years old, and 47.92% lived in a joint family system. Due to the strict Purdah (veil) culture, about 71.88% of the women’s economic activities were confined indoors, such as stitching; embroidery; basket and candle making; preparing pickles, jams, and squash; dairy products; apiculture; sericulture; livestock; poultry; nursery raising; and some agriculture-related off-farm activities. It was reported that the major decisions in the household are made by the male members due to the strong patriarchal norms and values. Development projects by the NGOs and the government have played a significant role to provide credit, training, and awareness that has arisen specifically in the north and the south regions. All of the women were aware of the positive effects of economic independence, but some of them also revealed the negative effects on their physical and psychological health as well as the social ties within the households and communities due to the extensive workload and time issues. The study concluded that many demographic social, cultural, religious, and economic factors negatively influence the women’s productive potential.
Is Parking in Europe Ready for Dynamic Pricing? A Reality Check for the Private Sector
Authors: Friesen Mark , Mingardo Giuliano
Published: April 2020

Both Revenue Management (RM) and Dynamic Pricing (DP) are common practices in many industries—e.g., airlines and hotels—but they are still relatively unknown in the parking sector. In Europe, with the exception of for airport parking and in some pilot tests, DP is rarely used by private parking operators or local authorities. The main objective of this conceptual paper is to set an agenda for introducing DP in the private parking sector at a larger scale. After a short review of the existing academic and gray literature, we describe the requirements and instruments that parking companies need to make use of RM. Next, we shortly report on the major existing and/or planned DP parking schemes in Europe. We continue by providing a comprehensive reality check discussing the major challenges the sector faces to apply DP. We conclude by suggesting a road map for private parking operators to successfully implement RM and DP. Finally, we give some indications for future research.
Truly Sustainability or Hypocrisy: The Effects of Corporate Sustainable Orientation on Consumers’ Quality Perception and Trust Based on Evidence from China
Authors: Liang Xiaobei , Hu Xiaojuan , Meng Hu
Published: April 2020

Sustainable initiatives have been widely fulfilled by corporations, which can acquire better reputations by performing environmental, social, and economic responsibilities. However, if a corporation’s propaganda about sustainable orientation is contrary to the actual action, or even does not have a clear orientation, then it may also fall into the reputation of hypocrisy. In this study, from the perspective of consumer behavior and based on the moral responsibility theory of corporate sustainability, we identify six types of sustainable corporations by their orientations toward sustainability, including value, goals, and structure. We empirically examine their direct effects on consumers’ sustainable quality perception and trust, as well as the moderating effects of corporate social responsibility associations and consumer–corporation identity. Data are collected in China; 203 adults participated in the survey. The results reveal that the types of sustainable goals and structure have a significant effect on consumers’ sustainable quality perception and trust. Furthermore, consumers’ perception is also positively associated with their trust in a corporation. Moreover, the consumer–corporation identity negatively moderates the relationship between perception and trust. These findings also bring theoretical and practical insights for governments and corporations.
Understanding the Interdependence and Temporal Dynamics of Smallholders’ Adoption of Soil Conservation Practices: Evidence from Nigeria
Authors: Oladimeji Tolulope E. , Oyinbo Oyakhilomen , Hassan Abubakar A. , Yusuf Oseni
Published: April 2020

The adoption of soil conservation practices is widely recognized as essential in improving soil fertility and promoting climate-smart agriculture in general. Yet, smallholders’ adoption of soil conservation practices in Sub-Saharan Africa has not been adequately documented, especially in relation to the interdependence and temporal dynamics of adoption decisions. In this paper, we analyze the interdependence and temporal dynamics of smallholders’ adoption of soil conservation practices, such as animal manure, crop residue retention, intercropping, and crop rotation in northern Nigeria. We use data from two rounds of a farm-household panel survey among maize-based farming households and estimate econometric models, including pooled multivariate probit and random effects ordered probit. We found that there is a significant positive correlation between the soil conservation practices, suggesting that adoption decisions for these practices are interrelated and the practices are considered complements by the farmers. We found evidence of inter-temporal variability in the adoption of soil conservation practices, which suggests that some farmers do switch in and out of these practices and may likely explain the often-reported variability in maize yields. Also, we found that the farmers’ decisions to adopt soil conservation practices and the intensity of adoption are influenced by several factors, including farmer-, household-, farm-, institutional-, and biophysical-level factors. Yet, the factors that significantly influence the likelihood of adoption differ slightly from those that influence the intensity of adoption. Policy interventions to enhance the adoption intensity of conservation practices should strongly leverage important factors, such as contract farming, crop–livestock integration, and off-farm income diversification.
Vulnerability of Pastoralism: A Case Study from the High Mountainsof Nepal
Authors: Tiwari Krishna Raj , Sitaula Bishal Kumar , Bajracharya Roshan Man , Raut Nani , Bhusal Prabin , Sengel Mukunda
Published: April 2020

Pastoralism in the Himalayan region of Nepal has undergone significant socio-economic and ecological changes. While there are numerous contributing factors behind these changes, the effect of a changing climate has not been thoroughly studied. This paper adds a significant contribution to the knowledge base through analysis from a survey of 186 herder households, interviews with 38 key participants, and four focus group discussions with individuals from three National Parks and Conservation areas in the high-mountain region of Nepal. Additionally, a review of the existing policies and programs on pastoralism was carried out. Results demonstrate several reasons behind the decline of transhumance pastoralism: Policy focus on the establishment of conservation areas, increasing vulnerability to extreme events (avalanches, snowfall, storms, and disappearing water sources), and ineffective government policies and programs. Hardships involved in herding combined with changing social values and the degradation of pasture quality were identified as contributing factors to the growing challenges facing mountain pastoralism. Similarly, the declining interest among herders to continue their profession can be traced to vulnerability associated with escalating climate change impacts. Considerable knowledge gaps regarding threats to high-altitude pastoralism remain, and continued research on pastureland conservation, capacity development, facilitation for climate change adaptation, and coping strategies for herders in the high mountains is urgently needed. Our analysis suggests that non-climatic variables such as policy and globalization were more influential in eroding pastoralism as compared to climate change.
Comparison of Energy Efficiency Indicators of Road Transportation for Modeling Environmental Sustainability in “Green” Circular Industry
Authors: Palander Teijo , Haavikko Hanna , Kortelainen Emma , Kärhä Kalle
Published: April 2020

The Finnish forest industry is committed to applying novel technologies for increasing carbon-neutral development and environmental sustainability in “green” circular industry. This study compares the energy efficiency indicators of road freight transportation. Additionally, effects of four mass limits of vehicle combinations are analyzed after a three-year adaptation process that took place in a wood procurement region of 100% renewable resources. The wood-based energy efficiency model (load’s wood energy/fossil transport energy) was the most accurate and precise measure as the development indicator. The indicator showed that the transportation systems (60, 64, 68, and 76 t) and (64, 68, and 76 t) were carbon negative (122, 133, 144, and 108) (142, 147, and 133) in 2014 and 2016, respectively. The numbers reveal positive energy ratio of renewable wood and fossil fuels. In comparison to 60 t, the use of 68 t vehicles increased energy efficiency most effectively in the systems, by 18.0% and 20.5%, respectively. The indicator robustly revealed the energy efficiency of a partial system in the smaller supply region, which depended on the region’s transportation conditions. This novel knowledge can be applied for advancing the adaptation toward carbon-neutral supply networks. There is also the development potential of an industrial ecosystem model for optimizing the environmental sustainability of “green” circular industry.
Eudaimonic Well-Being in Adolescents: The Role of Trait Emotional Intelligence and Personality
Authors: Salavera Carlos , Usán Pablo , Teruel Pilar , Antoñanzas José L.
Published: April 2020

Eudaimonic well-being is related to activities that lead to self-realization and personal development, goals and growth. Emotional intelligence and personality traits play a role in the perception of emotions, self-esteem and motivation and therefore in well-being. Although previous studies have analyzed the relationship among personality, emotional intelligence and well-being, the relationship between all three constructs and the predictive value of personality and emotional intelligence in the study of eudaimonic well-being in adolescents remains to be analyzed. This study evaluates this relationship and the predictive role of personality and emotional intelligence in eudaimonic well-being in 1031 Spanish secondary school students aged 12 to 17 (49.37% male, average age = 14.91 years). A quantitative field survey was conducted which included the distribution of the eudaimonic well-being questionnaire, the emotional intelligence questionnaire and the personality questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and correlations among eudaimonic well-being, emotional intelligence and personality well-being were calculated using SPSS Statistical Package software. Stepwise multiple regression was used to estimate the predictive value of personality and emotional intelligence in the study of eudaimonic well-being. Finally, a structural equations model was designed with AMOS software. The results show that these constructs are related and that personality and emotional intelligence are important variables for eudaimonic well-being. In addition, activity and anxiety factors (related to personality) and emotionality and well-being factors (related to trait emotional intelligence) have been shown to have predictive value in the study of eudaimonic well-being in adolescents. These results underline the value of personality and emotional intelligence in the study of eudaimonic well-being and present new research perspectives.
Changes in the Historical and Current Habitat Ranges of Rare Wild Mammals in China: A Case Study of Six Taxa of Small- to Large-Sized Mammals
Authors: Qian Tianlu , Chi Yao , Xi Changbai , Li Zhongqiu , Wang Jiechen
Published: April 2020

Through history, the habitats of wild mammals have changed greatly in China. Habitat changes may reflect changes in the environment and human–wildlife conflicts. This study focused on how the habitat changed for six taxa of rare wild mammals (one family, one genus, and four species) in mainland China. Their historical and current habitats were estimated according to their historical and current presence occurrences and three sets of environmental data (climate data, topography data, and human activity data), using the Maximum Entropy Model. Then, spatial statistical methods were used to analyze the changes in their habitats, and how human activities have influenced changes in their habitat. The results suggest that the habitats of all six taxa of mammals have shrunk considerably, compared to their historical ranges. With regards to current or past habitats, on average, 68.3% of habitats have been lost. The Asian elephant, which is facing the most serious habitat losses, has lost 93.1% of its habitat. By investigating the relationship between the changes in habitats and the anthropogenic impacts for each taxa, human activities have an obvious negative influence on mammal habitats. The sensitivity of habitats to human activities varies among different mammals: the tiger, Asian elephant, Bactrian camel, and snub-nosed monkey are more sensitive to human activities than musk deer and Chinese water deer.
Assessing Urban Risk to Extreme Heat in China
Authors: Huang Xiaojun , Li Yanyu , Guo Yuhui , Zheng Dianyuan , Qi Mingyue
Published: April 2020

Many cities are experiencing persistent risk in China due to frequent extreme weather events. Some extreme weather events, such as extreme heat hazard, have seriously threatened human health and socio-economic development in cities. There is an urgent need to measure the degree of extreme heat risk and identify cites with the highest levels of extreme heat risk. In this study, we presented a risk assessment framework of extreme heat and considered risk as a combination of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. Based on these three dimensions, we selected relevant variables from historical meteorological data (1960–2016) and socioeconomic statistics in 2016, establishing an indicator system of extreme heat risk evaluation. Finally, we developed an extreme heat risk index to quantify the levels of extreme heat risk of 296 prefecture-level cities in China and revealed the spatial pattern of extreme heat risk in China in 2016 and their dominant factors. The results show that (1) cities with high levels of extreme heat hazard are mainly located in the south of China, especially in the southeast of China; (2) the spatial distribution of the extreme heat risk index shows obvious agglomeration characteristics; (3) the spatial distribution of the extreme heat risk is still mostly controlled by natural geographical conditions such as climate and topography; (4) among the four types of hazard-dominated, exposure-dominated, vulnerability-dominated, and low risk cities, the number of vulnerability-dominated cities is the largest. The results of this study can provide support for the risk management of extreme heat disasters and the formation of targeted countermeasures in China.
Numerical Simulation of Local Climate Zone Cooling Achieved through Modification of Trees, Albedo and Green Roofs—A Case Study of Changsha, China
Authors: Chen Yaping , Zheng Bohong , Hu Yinze
Published: April 2020

By exploring the cooling potential of tree quantity, ground albedo, green roofs and their combinations in local climate zone (LCZ)-4, LCZ-5, and LCZ-6, this study focuses on the optimum cooling level that can be achieved in open residential regions in Changsha. It designs and models 39 scenarios by integrating in situ measurement and ENVI-met numerical simulation and further compares cooling effects of various combinations of the cooling factors. The results show that (1) an increased number of trees and higher albedo are more effective compared to green roofs in reducing summer potential temperatures at street level (2 m high) in three LCZs. Negative correlations are observed in the pedestrian air temperature with trees and ground albedo; (2) the effects of cooling factors vary among different LCZ classes, with the increased 60% more trees leading to lower outdoor temperatures for LCZ-4 (0.28 °C), LCZ-5 (0.39 °C), and LCZ-6 (0.54 °C), while higher albedo of asphalt surface (increased by 0.4) is more effective in LCZ-4 (reaches to 0.68 °C) 14:00, compare to LCZ-5 (0.49 °C) and LCZ-6 (0.38 °C); (3) applying combined cooling methods can provoke air temperature reduction (up to 0.96 °C), especially when higher levels of tree quantities (increased by 60%) are coupled with cool ground materials (albedo increased by 0.4). The results can contribute useful information for improving thermal environment in existing residential regions and future residential planning.