bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optical Protective Window Design and Material Selection Issues in the Multi-Sensor Electro-Optical Surveillance Systems
Authors: Vujić Saša , Perić Dragana , Livada Branko , Radisavljević Miloš , Domazet Dragan
Published: March 2023

Multi-sensor imaging systems have a very important role and wide applications in surveillance and security systems. In many applications, it is necessary to use an optical protective window as an optical interface connecting the imaging sensor and object of interest’s space; meanwhile an imaging sensor is mounted in a protective enclosure, providing separation from environmental conditions. Optical windows are often used in various optical and electro-optical systems, fulfilling different sometimes very unusual tasks. There are lots of examples in the literature that define optical window design for targeted applications. Through analysis of the various effects that follow optical window application in connection with imaging systems, we have suggested a simplified methodology and practical recommendation for how to define optical protective window specifications in multi-sensor imaging systems, using a system engineering approach. In addition, we have provided initial set of data and simplified calculation tools that can be used in initial analysis to provide proper window material selection and definition of the specifications of optical protective windows in multi-sensor systems. It is shown that although the optical window design seems as a simple task, it requires serious multidisciplinary approach.
Energy-Efficient Clustering and Routing Using ASFO and a Cross-Layer-Based Expedient Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Cherappa Venkatesan , Thangarajan Thamaraimanalan , Meenakshi Sundaram Sivagama Sundari , Hajjej Fahima , Munusamy Arun Kumar , Shanmugam Ramalingam
Published: March 2023

Today’s critical goals in sensor network research are extending the lifetime of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and lowering power consumption. A WSN necessitates the use of energy-efficient communication networks. Clustering, storage, communication capacity, high configuration complexity, low communication speed, and limited computation are also some of the energy limitations of WSNs. Moreover, cluster head selection remains problematic for WSN energy minimization. Sensor nodes (SNs) are clustered in this work using the Adaptive Sailfish Optimization (ASFO) algorithm with K-medoids. The primary purpose of research is to optimize the selection of cluster heads through energy stabilization, distance reduction, and latency minimization between nodes. Because of these constraints, achieving optimal energy resource utilization is an essential problem in WSNs. An energy-efficient cross-layer-based expedient routing protocol (E-CERP) is used to determine the shortest route, dynamically minimizing network overhead. The proposed method is used to evaluate the packet delivery ratio (PDR), packet delay, throughput, power consumption, network lifetime, packet loss rate, and error estimation, and the results were superior to existing methods. PDR (100%), packet delay (0.05 s), throughput (0.99 Mbps), power consumption (1.97 mJ), network lifespan (5908 rounds), and PLR (0.5%) for 100 nodes are the performance results for quality-of-service parameters.
Segmental Tissue Resistance of Healthy Young Adults during Four Hours of 6-Degree Head-Down-Tilt Positioning
Authors: Freeborn Todd J. , Critcher Shelby , Hooper Gwendolyn
Published: March 2023

(1) Background: One effect of microgravity on the human body is fluid redistribution due to the removal of the hydrostatic gravitational gradient. These fluid shifts are expected to be the source of severe medical risks and it is critical to advance methods to monitor them in real-time. One technique to monitor fluid shifts captures the electrical impedance of segmental tissues, but limited research is available to evaluate if fluid shifts in response to microgravity are symmetrical due to the bilateral symmetry of the body. This study aims to evaluate this fluid shift symmetry. (2) Methods: Segmental tissue resistance at 10 kHz and 100 kHz was collected at 30 min intervals from the left/right arm, leg, and trunk of 12 healthy adults over 4 h of 6° head-down-tilt body positioning. (3) Results: Statistically significant increases were observed in the segmental leg resistances, first observed at 120 min and 90 min for 10 kHz and 100 kHz measurements, respectively. Median increases were approximately 11% to 12% for the 10 kHz resistance and 9% for the 100 kHz resistance. No statistically significant changes in the segmental arm or trunk resistance. Comparing the left and right segmental leg resistance, there were no statistically significant differences in the resistance changes based on the side of the body. (4) Conclusions: The fluid shifts induced by the 6° body position resulted in similar changes in both left and right body segments (that had statistically significant changes in this work). These findings support that future wearable systems to monitor microgravity-induced fluid shifts may only require monitoring of one side of body segments (reducing the hardware needed for the system).
State-of-the-Art Review on Wearable Obstacle Detection Systems Developed for Assistive Technologies and Footwear
Authors: Joseph Anna M. , Kian Azadeh , Begg Rezaul
Published: March 2023

Walking independently is essential to maintaining our quality of life but safe locomotion depends on perceiving hazards in the everyday environment. To address this problem, there is an increasing focus on developing assistive technologies that can alert the user to the risk destabilizing foot contact with either the ground or obstacles, leading to a fall. Shoe-mounted sensor systems designed to monitor foot-obstacle interaction are being employed to identify tripping risk and provide corrective feedback. Advances in smart wearable technologies, integrating motion sensors with machine learning algorithms, has led to developments in shoe-mounted obstacle detection. The focus of this review is gait-assisting wearable sensors and hazard detection for pedestrians. This literature represents a research front that is critically important in paving the way towards practical, low-cost, wearable devices that can make walking safer and reduce the increasing financial and human costs of fall injuries.
An Artificial Plant Community Algorithm for the Accurate Range-Free Positioning of Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Cai Zhengying , Jiang Shan , Dong Jiahuizi , Tang Sijia
Published: March 2023

The problem of positioning wireless sensor networks is an important and challenging topic in all walks of life. Inspired by the evolution behavior of natural plant communities and traditional positioning algorithms, a novel positioning algorithm based on the behavior of artificial plant communities is designed and presented here. First, a mathematical model of the artificial plant community is established. Artificial plant communities survive in habitable places rich in water and nutrients, offering the best feasible solution to the problem of positioning a wireless sensor network; otherwise, they leave the non-habitable area, abandoning the feasible solution with poor fitness. Second, an artificial plant community algorithm is presented to solve the positioning problems encountered in a wireless sensor network. The artificial plant community algorithm includes three basic operations, namely seeding, growing, and fruiting. Unlike traditional artificial intelligence algorithms, which always have a fixed population size and only one fitness comparison per iteration, the artificial plant community algorithm has a variable population size and three fitness comparisons per iteration. After seeding by an original population size, the population size decreases during growth, as only the individuals with high fitness can survive, while the individuals with low fitness die. In fruiting, the population size recovers, and the individuals with higher fitness can learn from each other and produce more fruits. The optimal solution in each iterative computing process can be preserved as a parthenogenesis fruit for the next seeding operation. When seeding again, the fruits with high fitness can survive and be seeded, while the fruits with low fitness die, and a small number of new seeds are generated through random seeding. Through the continuous cycle of these three basic operations, the artificial plant community can use a fitness function to obtain accurate solutions to positioning problems in limited time. Third, experiments are conducted using different random networks, and the results verify that the proposed positioning algorithms can obtain good positioning accuracy with a small amount of computation, which is suitable for wireless sensor nodes with limited computing resources. Finally, the full text is summarized, and the technical deficiencies and future research directions are presented.
Extraction of Individual EEG Gamma Frequencies from the Responses to Click-Based Chirp-Modulated Sounds
Authors: Mockevičius Aurimas , Yokota Yusuke , Tarailis Povilas , Hasegawa Hatsunori , Naruse Yasushi , Griškova-Bulanova Inga
Published: March 2023

Activity in the gamma range is related to many sensory and cognitive processes that are impaired in neuropsychiatric conditions. Therefore, individualized measures of gamma-band activity are considered to be potential markers that reflect the state of networks within the brain. Relatively little has been studied in respect of the individual gamma frequency (IGF) parameter. The methodology for determining the IGF is not well established. In the present work, we tested the extraction of IGFs from electroencephalogram (EEG) data in two datasets where subjects received auditory stimulation consisting of clicks with varying inter-click periods, covering a 30–60 Hz range: in 80 young subjects EEG was recorded with 64 gel-based electrodes; in 33 young subjects, EEG was recorded using three active dry electrodes. IGFs were extracted from either fifteen or three electrodes in frontocentral regions by estimating the individual-specific frequency that most consistently exhibited high phase locking during the stimulation. The method showed overall high reliability of extracted IGFs for all extraction approaches; however, averaging over channels resulted in somewhat higher reliability scores. This work demonstrates that the estimation of individual gamma frequency is possible using a limited number of both the gel and dry electrodes from responses to click-based chirp-modulated sounds.
Age Classification of Rice Seeds in Japan Using Gradient-Boosting and ANFIS Algorithms
Authors: Rathnayake Namal , Miyazaki Akira , Dang Tuan Linh , Hoshino Yukinobu
Published: March 2023

The rapidly changing climate affects an extensive spectrum of human-centered environments. The food industry is one of the affected industries due to rapid climate change. Rice is a staple food and an important cultural key point for Japanese people. As Japan is a country in which natural disasters continuously occur, using aged seeds for cultivation has become a regular practice. It is a well-known truth that seed quality and age highly impact germination rate and successful cultivation. However, a considerable research gap exists in the identification of seeds according to age. Hence, this study aims to implement a machine-learning model to identify Japanese rice seeds according to their age. Since agewise datasets are unavailable in the literature, this research implements a novel rice seed dataset with six rice varieties and three age variations. The rice seed dataset was created using a combination of RGB images. Image features were extracted using six feature descriptors. The proposed algorithm used in this study is called Cascaded-ANFIS. A novel structure for this algorithm is proposed in this work, combining several gradient-boosting algorithms such as XGBoost, CatBoost, and LightGBM. The classification was conducted in two steps. First, the seed variety was identified. Then, the age was predicted. As a result, seven classification models were implemented. The performance of the proposed algorithm was evaluated against 13 state-of-the-art algorithms. Overall, the proposed algorithm has a higher accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score than the others. For the classification of variety, the proposed algorithm scored 0.7697, 0.7949, 0.7707, and 0.7862, respectively. The results of this study confirm that the proposed algorithm can be employed in the successful age classification of seeds.
An Optimized Active Sampling Procedure for Aerobiological DNA Studies
Authors: Basapathi Raghavendra Jyothi , Mathanlal Thasshwin , Zorzano Maria-Paz , Martin-Torres Javier
Published: March 2023

The Earth’s atmosphere plays a critical role in transporting and dispersing biological aerosols. Nevertheless, the amount of microbial biomass in suspension in the air is so low that it is extremely difficult to monitor the changes over time in these communities. Real-time genomic studies can provide a sensitive and rapid method for monitoring changes in the composition of bioaerosols. However, the low abundance of deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) and proteins in the atmosphere, which is of the order of the contamination produced by operators and instruments, poses a challenge for the sampling process and the analyte extraction. In this study, we designed an optimized, portable, closed bioaerosol sampler based on membrane filters using commercial off-the-shelf components, demonstrating its end-to-end operation. This sampler can operate autonomously outdoors for a prolonged time, capturing ambient bioaerosols and avoiding user contamination. We first performed a comparative analysis in a controlled environment to select the optimal active membrane filter based on its ability to capture and extract DNA. We have designed a bioaerosol chamber for this purpose and tested three commercial DNA extraction kits. The bioaerosol sampler was tested outdoors in a representative environment and run for 24 h at 150 L/min. Our methodology suggests that a 0.22-µm polyether sulfone (PES) membrane filter can recover up to 4 ng of DNA in this period, sufficient for genomic applications. This system, along with the robust extraction protocol, can be automated for continuous environmental monitoring to gain insights into the time evolution of microbial communities within the air.
The Evaluation of Emotional Intelligence by the Analysis of Heart Rate Variability
Authors: Lee Gangyoung , Park Sung , Whang Mincheol
Published: March 2023

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a critical social intelligence skill that refers to an individual’s ability to assess their own emotions and those of others. While EI has been shown to predict an individual’s productivity, personal success, and ability to maintain positive relationships, its assessment has primarily relied on subjective reports, which are vulnerable to response distortion and limit the validity of the assessment. To address this limitation, we propose a novel method for assessing EI based on physiological responses—specifically heart rate variability (HRV) and dynamics. We conducted four experiments to develop this method. First, we designed, analyzed, and selected photos to evaluate the ability to recognize emotions. Second, we produced and selected facial expression stimuli (i.e., avatars) that were standardized based on a two-dimensional model. Third, we obtained physiological response data (HRV and dynamics) from participants as they viewed the photos and avatars. Finally, we analyzed HRV measures to produce an evaluation criterion for assessing EI. Results showed that participants’ low and high EI could be discriminated based on the number of HRV indices that were statistically different between the two groups. Specifically, 14 HRV indices, including HF (high-frequency power), lnHF (the natural logarithm of HF), and RSA (respiratory sinus arrhythmia), were significant markers for discerning between low and high EI groups. Our method has implications for improving the validity of EI assessment by providing objective and quantifiable measures that are less vulnerable to response distortion.
Optical Glucose Sensors Based on Chitosan-Capped ZnS-Doped Mn Nanomaterials
Authors: Nguyen Son Hai , Vu Phan Kim Thi , Nguyen Hung Manh , Tran Mai Thi
Published: March 2023

The primary goal of glucose sensing at the point of care is to identify glucose concentrations within the diabetes range. However, lower glucose levels also pose a severe health risk. In this paper, we propose quick, simple, and reliable glucose sensors based on the absorption and photoluminescence spectra of chitosan-capped ZnS-doped Mn nanomaterials in the range of 0.125 to 0.636 mM glucose corresponding to 2.3 mg/dL to 11.4 mg/dL. The detection limit was 0.125 mM (or 2.3 mg/dL), much lower than the hypoglycemia level of 70 mg/dL (or 3.9 mM). Chitosan-capped ZnS-doped Mn nanomaterials retain their optical properties while improving sensor stability. This study reports for the first time how the sensors’ efficacy was affected by chitosan content from 0.75 to 1.5 wt.%. The results showed that 1 %wt chitosan-capped ZnS-doped Mn is the most-sensitive, -selective, and -stable material. We also put the biosensor through its paces with glucose in phosphate-buffered saline. In the same range of 0.125 to 0.636 mM, the sensors-based chitosan-coated ZnS-doped Mn had a better sensitivity than the working water environment.
Self-Excited Microcantilever with Higher Mode Using Band-Pass Filter
Authors: Hyodo Yuji , Yabuno Hiroshi
Published: March 2023

Microresonators have a variety of scientific and industrial applications. The measurement methods based on the natural frequency shift of a resonator have been studied for a wide range of applications, including the detection of the microscopic mass and measurements of viscosity and stiffness. A higher natural frequency of the resonator realizes an increase in the sensitivity and a higher-frequency response of the sensors. In the present study, by utilizing the resonance of a higher mode, we propose a method to produce the self-excited oscillation with a higher natural frequency without downsizing the resonator. We establish the feedback control signal for the self-excited oscillation using the band-pass filter so that the signal consists of only the frequency corresponding to the desired excitation mode. It results that careful position setting of the sensor for constructing a feedback signal, which is needed in the method based on the mode shape, is not necessary. By the theoretical analysis of the equations governing the dynamics of the resonator coupled with the band-pass filter, it is clarified that the self-excited oscillation is produced with the second mode. Furthermore, the validity of the proposed method is experimentally confirmed by an apparatus using a microcantilever.
Sign2Pose: A Pose-Based Approach for Gloss Prediction Using a Transformer Model
Authors: Eunice Jennifer , J Andrew , Sei Yuichi , Hemanth D. Jude
Published: March 2023

Word-level sign language recognition (WSLR) is the backbone for continuous sign language recognition (CSLR) that infers glosses from sign videos. Finding the relevant gloss from the sign sequence and detecting explicit boundaries of the glosses from sign videos is a persistent challenge. In this paper, we propose a systematic approach for gloss prediction in WLSR using the Sign2Pose Gloss prediction transformer model. The primary goal of this work is to enhance WLSR’s gloss prediction accuracy with reduced time and computational overhead. The proposed approach uses hand-crafted features rather than automated feature extraction, which is computationally expensive and less accurate. A modified key frame extraction technique is proposed that uses histogram difference and Euclidean distance metrics to select and drop redundant frames. To enhance the model’s generalization ability, pose vector augmentation using perspective transformation along with joint angle rotation is performed. Further, for normalization, we employed YOLOv3 (You Only Look Once) to detect the signing space and track the hand gestures of the signers in the frames. The proposed model experiments on WLASL datasets achieved the top 1% recognition accuracy of 80.9% in WLASL100 and 64.21% in WLASL300. The performance of the proposed model surpasses state-of-the-art approaches. The integration of key frame extraction, augmentation, and pose estimation improved the performance of the proposed gloss prediction model by increasing the model’s precision in locating minor variations in their body posture. We observed that introducing YOLOv3 improved gloss prediction accuracy and helped prevent model overfitting. Overall, the proposed model showed 17% improved performance in the WLASL 100 dataset.
Dried Leaves Powder of Adiantum capillus-veneris as an Efficient Biosorbent for Hazardous Crystal Violet Dye from Water Resources
Authors: Gul Salma , Gul Shehla , Gul Hajera , Khitab Fatima , Khattak Rozina , Khan Muhammad , Ullah Rizwan , Ullah Rooh , Wasil Zahida , Krauklis Andrey , Zekker Ivar
Published: March 2023

The dyeing industry uses many chemicals and dyes. After the dying process is completed, they release a significant amount of dyes in wastewater. The dyes’ color emissions are extremely poisonous and dangerous for aquatic and terrestrial life. Due to the toxic nature of dyes, the current study was carried out to evaluate whether it would be effective to employ an adsorption procedure with leaves from the Adiantum capillus-veneris plant as an adsorbent to remove commonly used textile dyes from an aqueous dye solution and wastewater. The effect of pH, concentration, time and the adsorbent dose on the adsorption process was studied in order to determine the maximum adsorption under ideal conditions. The selected pH was 3; the optimum concentration was 30 ppm with a contact time of 90 min and the optimized adsorbent dose was 60 mg. The absorbent under study showed excellent results when compared with commercial adsorbents i.e., animal charcoal and silica gel. The leaves of the Adiantum capillus-veneris plant revealed a maximum removal of 90.36 percent crystal violet dye (adsorption capacity (Qe) 9.05 mg/g) without any treatment to activate or alter the surface chemistry of the biosorbent. Its effectiveness was also tested with water gathered from several sources, including canal water, tap water, distilled water, and saline water, to determine whether it was practical. In both the canal and the tap water, the adsorbent displayed good removal efficiency. From the results of the current study, it can be inferred that the leaves of the Adiantum capillus-veneris plant are a reasonably priced biosorbent that can be used to remove toxic dyes from wastewater to protect water bodies from toxic pollution and can be used to treat industrial wastewater directly.
Can Inclusive Entrepreneurialism Be a Solution for Unemployed Female Graduates? A Study on Inclusive Entrepreneurial Intention
Authors: Sarhan Mhd. Louai , Ab. Aziz Kamarulzaman
Published: March 2023

Recent reports highlighted a worrying trend in Malaysia where the number of female graduates has increased but at the same time there is a lower number of female workers. Particularly, in 2022, most unemployed graduates are women, accounting for 54.2% of the total, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM). This increases the gender gap in the workforce and subsequently decreases female participation towards nation-building and economic growth. Meanwhile, studies have shown that inclusivity can significantly affect the reduction of unemployment rates and increase re-employment. Thus, this study suggests that “Inclusive Entrepreneurship” can be a viable solution to the problem observed, as entrepreneurship might be a more attractive option than employment for female graduates. This paper aims to explore the factors influencing inclusive entrepreneurial intention among female graduates in Malaysia. Specifically, this study employed the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and opted for a quantitative exploratory study using the conductive method. The collected survey sample of 227 female students in Malaysia was analysed using PLS-SEM. The framework structure is based on a combination of formatively and reflectively measured variables. The results indicated that attitude, perceived behavioural control and inclusive innovativeness have significant relationships to the inclusive entrepreneurial intention of female graduates in Malaysia. These insights can lead to the formulation of effective policies and programs to encourage as well as enable female graduates to contribute towards the nation’s development via inclusive entrepreneurialism.
‘I Feel Well, Accepted and Competent in School’—Determinants of Self-Perceived Inclusion and Academic Self-Concept in Students with Diagnosed Behavioral, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD)
Authors: Zdoupas Philippos , Laubenstein Désirée
Published: March 2023

The present paper reports on the perceptions of inclusion in students with formally diagnosed behavioral, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) by taking into account social and didactic characteristics of the class teachers’ behavior as possible predicting variables. N = 119 students with BESD attending either special or inclusive secondary schools in North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany were questioned about their self-perceived emotional inclusion, social inclusion and academic self-concept, as well as about their perception of the class teacher’s behavior in the dimensions ‘care’ and ‘pressure for achievement’. In this context, the present study pursued two key objectives: Firstly, to identify possible differences in perceptions of inclusion and perceived class teacher behavior between students with BESD in inclusive and special schools. Secondly, to examine whether perceived aspects of the class teacher behavior function as significant predictors for perceptions of inclusion. To examine these research issues, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) were applied. The findings suggest that academic self-concept and perception of class teacher behavior are significantly more positive in special schools than in inclusive schools. Furthermore, a substantial link between perceived class teacher behavior and self-perceived inclusion was identified with ‘care’ predicting emotional and social inclusion as well as ‘pressure for achievement’ predicting academic self-concept. Concerning this structural pattern, a significant moderating effect through ‘school setting’ was detected. Further comparative and longitudinal studies should evaluate the subjective perceptions of students with diagnosed BESD in school with special regard to a broader range of potentially influencing (subjective and objective) class teacher variables.
Development of Bacterial Augmented Floating Treatment Wetlands System (FTWs) for Eco-Friendly Degradation of Malachite Green Dye in Water
Authors: Sahreen Sania , Mukhtar Hamid
Published: March 2023

Industrial revolution has intensified water pollution due to the indiscriminate discharge of untreated industrial effluents into water bodies, posing a serious threat to the whole ecosystem. Recently, the floating treatment wetlands system (FTWs) technique has been used as one of the most innovative, cost-effective and environment-friendly option for wastewater treatment. The present study is aimed at investigating the Malachite green (MG) dye decolorizing potential of Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) through the development of a bacterial augmented FTWs. To an artificial FTWs, vegetated with E. crassipes and bioaugmented with Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas sp., synthetically prepared MG dye enriched wastewater was added. Among all the treatments developed, floating wetlands treatment T2 (consisting of dye, E. crassipes and Pseudomonas putida) performed the best in decolorizing the dye and in reducing values of electrical conductivity (EC), pH and total dissolved solids (TDS) of the treated water. Bacterial inoculation proved fruitful in assisting the increased MG dye decolorization in partnership with E. crassipes and also helped in aquatic plant growth promotion. MG dye toxicity effects were studied through phytotoxicity assay using FTWs treated water on Pisum sativum seeds, and satisfactory results were obtained. From experimental results, it can be seen that Eichhornia crassipes with bacterial inoculation have a strong ability to degrade and decolorize MG dye in textile effluents. We conclude that the plant-microbial assisted FTWs technique can be a unique approach to remediate the textile dye effluents before their release into water bodies.
Traditional Fabric and Medicinal Use Are the Leading Factors of In Situ Conservation of Gossypium barbadense in Central Brazil
Authors: Cardoso Kálita Cristina Moreira , Barroso Guilherme Hoffmann , Freitas Fabio Oliveira , de Menezes Ivandilson Pessoa Pinto , Fernandes Silva Catarina , Arriel Nair Helena Castro , Sofiatti Valdinei , Hoffmann Lucia Vieira
Published: March 2023

The Sea Island cotton Gossypium barbadense has been present in Brazil for at least 750 years. Cultivated worldwide, the fibres present superior quality; therefore, farmers’ seeds are an important genetic resource and in situ maintenance is essential to complement ex situ conservation. To understand how the species has been conserved in situ and investigate the socio-economic aspects which may ensure the continuity of its conservation, we conducted expeditions to three different municipalities situated in Brazilian Cerrado, Goiás state, Brazil—one of which is a traditional community, the quilombo Kalunga community—interviewed plant maintainers and compared our results with data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. There is hand spinning and hand weaving for home uses and commercialization within and outside the traditional community, which contribute to the continuity of the in situ conservation of Gossypium barbadense. Medicinal use is more determinant than hand weaving in deciding to keep plants and seeds. Fabric handicraft is a predominantly female, low-income activity. Interviews with cotton hand spinners indicated that in situ maintenance may be favoured by access to weaving looms and improvement in the marketing and sale of their products. Policies valuing handicrafts can ensure the continuity of biodiversity and disseminate and vivify traditions in addition to maintaining an income for the artisans.
Sustainable Growth for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Interpretive Structural Modeling Approach
Authors: Runtuk Johan Krisnanto , Ng Poh Kiat , Ooi Shih Yin , Purwanto Remigius , Nur Chairat Arief Suardi , Ng Yu Jin
Published: March 2023

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are constantly under pressure to grow. This pressure forces everyone involved to think about how best to run their business. Although there is much research on SME growth, previous research is fragmented and only addresses internal or external enablers. This study aims to construct an interaction model for all enablers that promote sustainable SME growth. An interpretive structural modeling (ISM) analysis is conducted to formulate an interaction model of enablers for SME growth. The results show that both internal and external enablers are crucial for SME growth. This study shows that the following internal enablers that are interrelated and strongly influence SME growth are MS (managerial skills), EO (entrepreneurial orientation), and OwS (ownership structure). In addition, external enablers such as CIL (customer involvement and location) and GS (government support) also play an important role in improving the performance of other factors for SME growth. In addition, this study also provides a guide for formulating strategies for SME sustainability. Effective policy formulation must be based on a correct understanding of the interdependence between enablers as a unified model of interaction. The interaction between the enablers highlighted and the level of the model would be helpful to all shareholders in finding appropriate strategies for SME growth.
A Review on Adopting Blockchain and IoT Technologies for Fostering the Circular Economy in the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Value Chain
Authors: Fernandes Leonardo , Rosado da Cruz António Miguel , Cruz Estrela Ferreira , Lopes Sérgio Ivan
Published: March 2023

With the continuous growth in the use of home appliances and electronics, waste produced with obsolete material (e-waste) has an increasing environmental impact. Furthermore, the production of such devices leads to increased consumption of natural resources and produces a multitude of toxic and hazardous substances, which are normally not treated properly. One of the approaches that may be adopted to reduce such problems relies on the circularization of the current linear model, commonly adopted in the Electric and Electronic Equipment (EEE) value chain. This includes recovering End-of-Life products and reintroducing their parts, components, or raw materials into the value chain (e.g., semiconductors, circuit boards, raw metals, etc.), contributing to a more sustainable value chain. In this article, we present a state-of-the-art review that focuses on approaches and solutions for EEE value chain traceability and analyze the technologies that may be beneficial for promoting and implementing the Circular Economy model in this value chain.
Exploring the Opportunities and Challenges of ICT-Mediated Food Sharing in Japan
Authors: Yamabe-Ledoux Alice Marie , Saito Osamu , Hori Keiko
Published: March 2023

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been identified as potential enablers for alternative forms of sharing surplus food to prevent food loss and waste. Food sharing platforms can also provide an entry point to the sustainability transition by encouraging its users to confront the systemic causes of unsustainable and inequitable food systems. The paper explores the opportunities and challenges of ICT-mediated food sharing platforms in Japan. A comparative case study of 10 food sharing platforms operating in Japan was drawn from a web content analysis and semi-structured interviews. A consumer-side analysis was conducted, based on a Japan-wide survey of 10,000 respondents, to understand consumers’ general attitudes towards ICT-mediated food sharing and identify key challenges and drivers for its expansion. This paper provides initial contributions to understanding the Japanese experience of ICT-mediated food sharing from both the supply and consumption sides. All investigated food sharing platforms embedded food waste reduction and sustainable objectives in their mission. However, a consumer-side survey suggests that participation in food sharing was mainly driven by price consciousness and convenience orientation. Distrust towards the safety of redistributed food and reluctance to engage in a sharing community were some of the main barriers identified to food sharing. Highlighting convergences and divergences between platforms and consumers was key to starting developing intervention designs towards expanding online food sharing and leading consumers’ behaviour change.
Research on the Carbon Emission Reduction Effect of Green Taxation under China’s Fiscal Decentralization
Authors: Dong Wei , Hou Xiaomi , Qin Guowei
Published: March 2023

Using the spatial Durbin model, this study investigates, systematically, the link between green taxes and carbon emissions and the influence of green taxation on carbon emissions under fiscal decentralization in the context of the shift in performance evaluation of the local government. The results demonstrate a positive correlation at different stages of the performance appraisal. Fiscal expenditure has dual effects on carbon emissions at different stages of environmental assessments. It additionally strengthens the positive effects of green taxation on carbon emissions, with improvements in economic development. Further analysis demonstrates an interaction between fiscal decentralization and environmental taxes and fees, effectively reducing carbon emissions. The interaction between fiscal decentralization and other green taxes, except the environmental bonded tax, has no significant impact on emissions. This study finally proposes a series of policy recommendations to reduce carbon dioxide from the perspective of reasonable green tax formulation and fiscal decentralization. These include: increasing environmental taxes, modifying present resource and environmental protection taxes, adopting new environmental taxes gradually, enhancing the current tax system, and enhancing the “greening” of tax income. In addition, this study proposes reforms to the performance evaluation method within the present fiscal decentralization framework.
Circular Business Model Strategies Progressing Sustainability in the German Textile Manufacturing Industry
Authors: Arnold Marlen Gabriele , Pfaff Constanze , Pfaff Thomas
Published: March 2023

The EU Textile Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles calls for circularity along the whole value chain of textiles. However, little is known about how circularity is already embedded in German manufacturing textile industries due to a lack of literature. Having conducted a survey study in December 2022 and January 2023, the results of 56 participating German manufacturing textile industries will be presented by applying descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis. The study shows that there is already an understanding of circularity including circular strategies in the German textile manufacturing industry. There are companies that apply the following circular business model strategies: upcycling and recycling, product-as-a-service, repair and reuse, and material innovation. Closed-loop supply chain companies are not yet prominent. Many manufacturing textile companies are not prepared yet for a circular transformation. Another finding is that the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles is so far insufficiently known by the respondents of the sample. A more structured provision of information or financial state support should be discussed.
Developing and Testing a General Framework for Conducting Transdisciplinary Research
Authors: Butt Anosh Nadeem , Dimitrijević Branka
Published: March 2023

Complex societal problems cannot be resolved without transdisciplinary research (TDR). Currently, there is no focused communication platform or commonly shared research framework for conducting TDR. The current study is a continuation of the exploration of collaborations in multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and TDR to identify ideas that could contribute to developing and testing a general framework for conducting TDR. The systematic literature review in this study discovered three main themes (TDR initiation, TDR management, and transdisciplinary knowledge exchange). These themes formed three phases of a general framework for conducting TDR. The novelty of the presented phased general framework for conducting TDR relates to the type of learning and outputs that are required at the end of each related action of all associated stages of the three phases to enable all participants to participate in TDR. The logical sequence of these actions and associated stages and phases were verified through a survey of academics and industry professionals internationally. The findings evidenced that improved communication between academics and industry professionals can respond to complex societal problems such as sustainable development, global environmental change, and environmental crises. The findings of the current research will enable the development of a transdisciplinary collaboration framework (TCF) for the nature-based design (NBD) of sustainable buildings aligned with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Plan of Work.
The Internal and External Factors of Environmental Destructive Behavior in the Supply Chain: New Evidence from the Perspective of Brand-Name Products
Authors: Xie Tao , Du Jianguo , Boamah Kofi Baah , Xu Lingyan , Ma Mingyue
Published: March 2023

Frequent environmental incidents in the supply chains of brand-name products have dire consequences on the ecological environment and in terms of social development. There have been few considerations of supply chains and enterprise characteristics included in previous research. This paper focuses on the supply chains of brand-name products, and systematically identifies principal factors that influence environmentally destructive behaviors in the supply chain of brand-name products from internal and external viewpoints of the supply chain. Considering the characteristics of the polluting industries, 416 valid questionnaires were obtained by investigating the supply chain of brand-name products in chemical, mechanical, food, and agricultural products, the light industry, and other industries. The results show that: (1) environmentally destructive behavior is differently exhibited in different industries among the investigated supply chains of brand-name products; (2) the enterprises’ attitudes, policies, and investments in pro-environment approaches play a fundamental role in the environmental management of the brand-name products supply chain; (3) environmental legislation and public supervision have significant effects on the environmental management of the brand-name products supply chain; (4) only when environmental regulation is combined with environmental legislation and public supervision is a restriction of environmentally destructive behavior in the supply chain of brand-name products triggered. Thus, we suggest that the attribution and sharing mechanisms of environmental responsibility in the supply chain of brand-name products should be established; a “push-pull-anchor” mechanism and coordinated co-governance supervision system for environmentally destructive behavior in the supply chain of brand-name products should be built.
Adaptive Equivalent Fuel Consumption Minimization Based Energy Management Strategy for Extended-Range Electric Vehicle
Authors: Yao Dongwei , Lu Xinwei , Chao Xiangyun , Zhang Yongguang , Shen Junhao , Zeng Fanlong , Zhang Ziyan , Wu Feng
Published: March 2023

Unlike battery electric vehicles, extended-range electric vehicles have one more energy source, so a reasonable energy management strategy (EMS) is crucial to the fuel economy of the vehicles. In this paper, an adaptive equivalent fuel consumption minimization strategy (A-ECMS)-based energy management strategy is proposed for the extended-range electric vehicle. The equivalent fuel consumption minimization strategy (ECMS), which utilizes Pontryagin’s minimum principle (PMP), is introduced to design the EMS. Compared with other ECMS strategies, an adaptive equivalent factor algorithm, based on state of charge (SOC) feedback and a proportional–integral (PI) controller is designed to update the equivalent factor under different working conditions. Additionally, a start–stop penalty is added to the objective function to take the dynamic start–stop process of the range extender into account. As a result, under the WLTC driving cycle, the proposed strategy can achieve 6.78 L/100 km comprehensive fuel consumption, saving 6.2% and 3.4% fuel consumption compared with the conventional rule-based thermostat strategy and the power following strategy. Moreover, the proposed EMS achieves the lowest ampere-hour flux among the three EMSs, indicating its ability to improve battery life.
District-Level Patterns of Health Insurance Coverage and Out-of-Pocket Expenditure on Caesarean Section Deliveries in Public Health Facilities in India
Authors: Kamath Rajesh , Brand Helmut , Nayak Nisha , Lakshmi Vani , Verma Reena , Salins Prajwal
Published: March 2023

Reducing catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) and increasing the rates of institutional deliveries are part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). India has made significant progress on the maternal and child health front in recent years. India’s National Health Mission (NHM) has been able to increase rates of institutional deliveries. In the present study, we aim to ascertain district-level patterns of percentage of health insurance coverage in the National Family Health Surveys NFHS 4 and NFHS 5. We also aim to ascertain district-level patterns of out-of-pocket expenditure on C-section deliveries in public health facilities in NFHS 4 and NFHS 5. The present study explores district-level data associated with health insurance coverage (%) and out-of-pocket expenditure in a public health facility (in INR) observed across NFHS 4 and NFHS 5. A spatial analysis was carried out using QGIS 3.26 (Mac version) and GeoDA 1.20.0.8. A visual assessment of the maps across NFHS 4 and NFHS 5 shows improvement in insurance coverage at the district level across the two surveys. Despite an increase in insurance coverage, North East India has experienced an increase in OOPE for C-section deliveries. Rajasthan and various parts of South India have experienced a decrease in OOPE for C-section deliveries. Kerala has experienced a rise in insurance coverage and OOPE for C-section deliveries. Univariate LISA cluster and significance maps revealed that Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the eastern coast of India and parts of Mizoram are hot spots, whereas Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat are cold spots. Both these findings are significant. Rajasthan emerges as a significant hot spot along with parts of Assam and a few districts on the eastern coast of India in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka have emerged as significant cold spots. The South Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are no longer hot spots indicating geospatial variations across time. An increase in the number of hot spots across NFHS 4 and NFHS 5 indicates rising out-of-pocket expenditure for C-sections despite growth in health insurance coverage. The present study does not offer any evidence to suggest that health insurance coverage decreases OOPE on C-section deliveries at government facilities. With RSBY having been launched in 2008 and Ayushman Bharat in 2018, high levels of OOPE on C-section deliveries at government facilities raise serious concerns about the efficacy of PFHIs in reducing OOPE. The government would need to plug the well-documented weaknesses of PFHIs, such as fraud, double charging, poor enrolment, and lack of awareness in addition to the unfortunate phenomena of “tips” and “tie ups” mentioned earlier that plague the public healthcare system, if we are to see any reduction in OOPE in the foreseeable future.