bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physics-Guided Reduced-Order Representation of Three-Dimensional Sound Speed Fields with Ocean Mesoscale Eddies
Authors: Ji Xingyu , Cheng Lei , Zhao Hangfang
Published: November 2022

Ocean mesoscale eddies have an important role in the ocean and affect the underwater sound speed field (SSF). Many physical models have been proposed for mesoscale eddy three-dimensional (3D) structure analysis and construction. Here, we propose a model for the reduced-order representation of 3D SSF with ocean mesoscale eddies. Particularly, the radial basis functions (RBFs), which are guided by the universal physics model of mesoscale eddy in horizontal dimensions, are employed. RBF and empirical orthogonal function (EOF) are used as basis functions for 3D representation. The proposed method is an approximation of the classical Gaussian eddy model in the first-order form. Simulation results confirm the reduced-order representation performance and effectiveness in reconstruction using 136 days of HYCOM data in the northwestward of the South China Sea with a warm eddy and a cold eddy. The proposed RBF + EOF method roughly halves the number of coefficients for mesoscale eddy representation, compared with classical methods. The reduced-order representation method can be utilized in ocean acoustic tomography and acoustic remote sensing in a mesoscale area.
Pavement Crack Detection and Clustering via Region-Growing Algorithm from 3D MLS Point Clouds
Authors: del Río-Barral Pablo , Soilán Mario , González-Collazo Silvia María , Arias Pedro
Published: November 2022

Road condition monitoring plays a critical role in transportation infrastructure maintenance and traffic safety assurance. This research introduces a methodology to detect cracks on pavement point clouds acquired with Mobile Laser Scanning systems, which offer more versatility and comprehensive information about the road environment than other specific surveying systems (i.e., profilometers, 3D cameras). The methodology comprises the following steps: (1) Road segmentation; (2) the detection of candidate crack points in individual scanning lines of the point cloud, based on point elevation; (3) crack point clustering via a region-growing algorithm; and (4) crack geometrical attributes extraction. Both the profile evaluation and the region-growing clustering algorithms have been developed from scratch to detect cracks directly from 3D point clouds instead of using raster data or Geo-Referenced Feature images, offering a quick and effective pre-rating tool for pavement condition assessment. Crack detection is validated with data from damaged roads in Portugal.
Satellite Laser Altimetry Data-Supported High-Accuracy Mapping of GF-7 Stereo Images
Authors: Liu Changru , Cui Ximin , Guo Li , Wu Ling , Tang Xinming , Liu Shuhan , Yuan Debao , Wang Xia
Published: November 2022

GaoFen 7 (GF-7) is China’s first submeter high-resolution stereo mapping satellite with dual-linear-array cameras and a laser altimeter system onboard for high-precision mapping. To further take advantage of the very high elevation accuracy of laser altimetry data and the high relative accuracy with stereo images, an innovative combined adjustment method for GF-7 stereo images with laser altimetry data is presented in this paper. In this method, two flexible and effective schemes were proposed to extract the elevation control point according to the registration of footprint images and stereo images and then utilized as vertical control in the block adjustment to improve the elevation accuracy without ground control points (GCPs). The validation experiments were conducted in Shandong, China, with different terrains. The results demonstrated that, after using the laser altimetry data, the root mean square error (RMSE) of elevation was dramatically improved from the original 2.15 m to 0.75 m, while the maximum elevation error was less than 1.6 m. Moreover, by integrating a few horizontal control points, the planar and elevation accuracy can be simultaneously improved. The results show that the method will be useful for reducing the need for field survey work and improving mapping efficiency.
A Novel Estimation Method of Water Surface Micro-Amplitude Wave Frequency for Cross-Media Communication
Authors: Luo Jianping , Liang Xingdong , Guo Qichang , Zhao Tinggang , Xin Jihao , Bu Xiangxi
Published: November 2022

Cross-media communication underpins many vital applications, especially in underwater resource exploration and the biological population monitoring domains. Water surface micro-amplitude wave (WSAW) frequency detection is the key to cross-media communication, where the WSAW frequency can invert the underwater sound source frequency. However, extracting the WSAW frequency information encounters many challenges in a real environment, such as low precision and symbol synchronization, leading to inaccurately estimating the WSAW frequency. Thus, this paper proposed a WSAW frequency estimation method based on an improved RELAX algorithm, incorporating two improvements. First, adding a nonlinear filter to the RELAX kernel function compensates for the filtered gain and enhances the WSAW frequency precision. Second, the improved RELAX kernel function is combined with the generalized inner product method to obtain the time distribution of the non-stationary signals, which is convenient for decoding. Several simulations and experiments applying our method on a Ka-band frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar demonstrate that our algorithm attains a better performance than traditional methods, e.g., periodogram and the RELAX algorithm. Using the improved algorithm affords to extract the frequency information of the WSAW signal accurately with a short sampling duration, further improving the performance indicators of the communication system, such as communication rate.
A Registration-Error-Resistant Swath Reconstruction Method of ZY1-02D Satellite Hyperspectral Data Using SRE-ResNet
Authors: Peng Mingyuan , Li Guoyuan , Zhou Xiaoqing , Ma Chen , Zhang Lifu , Zhang Xia , Shang Kun
Published: November 2022

ZY1-02D is a Chinese hyperspectral satellite, which is equipped with a visible near-infrared multispectral camera and a hyperspectral camera. Its data are widely used in soil quality assessment, mineral mapping, water quality assessment, etc. However, due to the limitations of CCD design, the swath of hyperspectral data is relatively smaller than multispectral data. In addition, stripe noise and collages exist in hyperspectral data. With the contamination brought by clouds appearing in the scene, the availability is further affected. In order to solve these problems, this article used a swath reconstruction method of a spectral-resolution-enhancement method using ResNet (SRE-ResNet), which is to use wide swath multispectral data to reconstruct hyperspectral data through modeling mappings between the two. Experiments show that the method (1) can effectively reconstruct wide swaths of hyperspectral data, (2) can remove noise existing in the hyperspectral data, and (3) is resistant to registration error. Comparison experiments also show that SRE-ResNet outperforms existing fusion methods in both accuracy and time efficiency; thus, the method is suitable for practical application.
Extraction, Separation, Antitumor Effect, and Mechanism of Alkaloids in Sophora alopecuroides: A Review
Authors: Zhang Ruixia , Wang Ruizhou , Zhao Shipeng , Chen Dan , Hao Fusheng , Wang Bo , Zhang Jin , Ma Yingying , Chen Xingyi , Gao Xiaojuan , Han Lu , Bai Changcai
Published: November 2022

Malignant tumors pose a serious threat to human health, reducing quality of life. Natural antitumor drugs play a vital role in the treatment of cancer. Sophora alopecuroides, a traditional Chinese medicine not a part of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, grows in the arid desert and edge zone of grassland. Previous studies have extensively investigated the antitumor effects of S. alopecuroides and its major alkaloids. Of these, aloperine, matrine, oxymatrine, sophoridine, and sophocarpine have received the most attention. In recent years, a variety of extraction and separation methods have been applied to the study of the alkaloids of Sophora alopecuroides, which has greatly promoted the study of the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of the plant. S. alopecuroides has been shown to impede cancer cell growth, induce cell cycle arrest, enhance apoptosis and cellular differentiation, and impede cancer metastasis and invasion. Several mechanisms have been proposed for modulating cancer signaling and molecular pathways or targets based on multitudinous studies in various types of cancerous cells. This review provides an in-depth overview of the antitumor effects of S. alopecuroides and the potential targets of 12 alkaloids in S. alopecuroides via a pharmacophore mapping approach and offers a scientific basis for the further exploration of the mechanism related to the antitumor effects of this plant.
Model Validation of a Single Degree-of-Freedom Oscillator: A Case Study
Authors: Boone Edward , Hannig Jan , Ghanam Ryad , Ghosh Sujit , Ruggeri Fabrizio , Prudhomme Serge
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we investigate a validation process in order to assess the predictive capabilities of a single degree-of-freedom oscillator. Model validation is understood here as the process of determining the accuracy with which a model can predict observed physical events or important features of the physical system. Therefore, assessment of the model needs to be performed with respect to the conditions under which the model is used in actual simulations of the system and to specific quantities of interest used for decision-making. Model validation also supposes that the model be trained and tested against experimental data. In this work, virtual data are produced from a non-linear single degree-of-freedom oscillator, the so-called oracle model, which is supposed to provide an accurate representation of reality. The mathematical model to be validated is derived from the oracle model by simply neglecting the non-linear term. The model parameters are identified via Bayesian updating. This calibration process also includes a modeling error due to model misspecification and modeled as a normal probability density function with zero mean and standard deviation to be calibrated.
Machine Learning Framework for Real-Time Assessment of Traffic Safety Utilizing Connected Vehicle Data
Authors: Mussah Abdul Rashid , Adu-Gyamfi Yaw
Published: November 2022

Assessment of roadway safety in real-time is a necessary component for providing proactive safety countermeasures to ensure the continued safety and efficiency of roadways. A framework for utilizing data from connected vehicles and other probe sources is proposed in this study. Connected vehicles present an opportunity to provide live fingerprinting and activity monitoring on roadways. Taking advantage of high-resolution trajectory data streaming directly from connected vehicles, variables are extracted and the relationship with crashes are explored utilizing statistical and machine learning models. Hard acceleration events, in conjunction with segment miles are shown to have strong positive correlations with historical crash outcomes as proven by OLS, Poisson and Gradient Booster regression models. An XGBoost classification model is then trained to predict the real-time instances of crash outcomes at 5 min temporal bins with high levels of accuracy when trained with data including the real-time segment speed, reference speed, segment miles, a segment crash risk factor and other variables related to the difference in speeds between consecutive segments as well as the hour of the day. A weighted ensemble model achieved the best performance with an accuracy of 0.95. The results present evidence that the framework can capitalize on the richness of data available via connected vehicles and is implementable as a component in Advanced Traffic Management Systems for the analysis of safety critical situations in real-time.
Effects of Conversation Politeness on Hiring Decision in Online Labor Markets: An Inverted U-Shaped Relationship Exploration
Authors: Dong Lingfeng , Ji Ting , Zhang Jie
Published: November 2022

This study examined the effect of politeness, as a key reflection of linguistic features of conversation in the online labor marketplace, on hiring behavior. Drawing on the politeness theory, a non-linear relationship was theorized. A hypothesis was put forward and examined against a large-scale archival dataset from a Chinese online labor market. Using an econometric model, the results demonstrated that there was an inverted U-shaped relationship between politeness and hiring decisions. The study offers theoretical implications to the online labor market literature and politeness theory by providing empirical insights on the role of politeness in hiring decision. In addition, our findings offer beneficial and practical contributions for vendors and platform operators.
Standard Identification Certificate for Legal Legislation of a Unique Gene Pool of Thai Domestic Elephants Originating from a Male Elephant Contribution to Breeding
Authors: Ariyaraphong Nattakan , Ho My Nguyen Dung , Singchat Worapong , Suksavate Warong , Panthum Thitipong , Langkaphin Warangkhana , Chansitthiwet Saran , Angkawanish Taweepoke , Promking Arphorn , Kaewtip Kantapon , Jaisamut Kitipong , Ahmad Syed Farhan , Trirongjitmoah Suchin , Muangmai Narongrit , Taesumrith Orasa , Inwiset Suratchai , Duengkae Prateep , Srikulnath Kornsorn
Published: November 2022

Illegal wildlife trade is a major threat to global biodiversity. Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are highly valued by various cultures as religious symbols and tourist attractions, which has led to a high demand for captive elephants. Owing to the unviability of captive breeding programs, several captive elephant populations are maintained by illegally obtaining wild Asian elephants. Morbidity and mortality rates among captive populations are high, whereas reproduction is low. In this study, we examined the genetic diversity among elephants using microsatellite genotyping and mitochondrial D-loop sequences of three captive elephant populations. The study results showed very low nucleotide diversity D-loop sequences and high variations in microsatellite genotyping, with an extensive variation of the gene pool estimates from different populations. This suggests that the optimal male selection during breeding could aid in maintaining the genetic diversity among captive populations. Forward genetic simulation revealed a decreasing genetic diversity in the fixed state within 50 generations. However, largely different gene pools can be effectively used to infer original elephant sources; this would facilitate the development of an identification certificate integration with machine learning and image processing to prevent illegal legislation owing to registration fraud between wild and domestic elephants. Implementing the proposed approaches and recommendations would aid in the mitigation of the illegal capture and domestic trade of wild elephants in Thailand and contribute to the success of future conservation plans in the blueprint of sustainable development goals.
An Experiential Learning-Based Virtual Reality Approach to Foster Students’ Vocabulary Acquisition and Learning Engagement in English for Geography
Authors: Li Yifan , Ying Shufan , Chen Qu , Guan Jueqi
Published: November 2022

EFL learners encounter a number of challenges in English for specific purposes, especially in understanding and remembering vocabulary. Therefore, exploring effective ways to improve their vocabulary and its applications is the key area of ESP. VR, as a newer type of audiovisual input on incidental vocabulary learning, is an important tool for innovation in language education. With its sense of presence and immersion, VR constructs an experiential learning process for students involving incidental vocabulary acquisition to promote their learning engagement and performance. Therefore, this study applied an experiential learning-based VR approach to an English for Geography course in a university. Thirty-six geography students participated in vocabulary acquisition on the theme of the hydrologic cycle. For the experiment, 18 students were assigned to the experimental group learning with the VR-based approach, while the other 18 were assigned to the control group learning with the video-based approach. The findings demonstrated that the experimental group outperformed the control group in terms of incidental vocabulary acquisition and cognitive, behavioral, and social engagement.
Developing Applicable Scenarios to Install and Utilize Solar Panels in the Houses of Abu Dhabi City
Authors: Hussain Hamed M. , Rahi Khalil , Al Tarawneh Mohammednoor , Preece Christopher
Published: November 2022

This study examines the utilization of solar panels in the houses of Abu Dhabi city. A presentation of applicable solar power scenarios is displayed on a global scale. Furthermore, solar power applications in Abu Dhabi city are briefly demonstrated. In light of the depleting state of oil-backed energy sources, this study further investigates the social acceptance of homeowners in Abu Dhabi to install solar panels in their private houses, and identifies the main reason and the optimal scenario to achieve it. Importantly, this research solidifies the objectives with a related survey that was sent to 216 interested individuals residing locally in Abu Dhabi city, over a time period of 2 months. The survey, in the main, presents four scenarios that could stimulate interested individuals to change to the use of independent solar power systems in their houses. The results are displayed in detail to show the different opinions of homeowners in the city of Abu Dhabi, and an in-depth discussion follows afterwards, proving a high interest in solar power. The results of the survey emphasize that the most preferred scenario is to have authoritative financial support in the process of solar panel implantation. The conclusion confirms that the rising social acceptance status along with the elected scenario could stimulate the possession and utilization of solar panels in private villas and houses in Abu Dhabi city.
Sustaining Human Resources through Talent Management Strategies and Employee Engagement in the Middle East Hotel Industry
Authors: Hassanein Fida , Özgit Hale
Published: November 2022

This study aims to develop a deeper understanding on talent management strategies to encourage employee engagement in the tourism industry of the Middle East during and after COVID-19 and further to reveal the impacts of employee engagement on customer satisfaction. This study was conducted qualitatively, where open-ended questions were posed to 37 managers through semi-structured interviews. Managers in the human resource domain of numerous hotels across the Middle East located in countries such as Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the Sultanate of Oman participated in the study. The majority of Hotels had five-star ratings, and others four-star. The study themes were qualitatively developed from the data using inductive content analysis deployed in QSR NVivo. The results showed that by implementing appropriate talent management strategies, engagement and, consequently, job satisfaction of hotel staff could be enhanced. The COVID-19 pandemic showed that realistic targets must need be set for the effective retention of talented employees. The results imply that a lack of resources and investments in talent management strategies (e.g., reward system) can lead to the loss of talented employees. The overarching impact of talented employees is increased customer satisfaction as service quality is improved and interactions between staff and clients are enhanced. The results are beneficial for scholars as well as leaders in the hotel industry of the Middle Eastern region.
Experimental Investigation of the Output Performance of Compressed-Air-Powered Vehicles with a Pneumatic Motor
Authors: Xu Yonghong , Wang Xin , Zhang Hongguang , Yang Fubin , Liang Jia , Yang Hailong , Niu Kai , Liu Zhuxian , Wang Yan , Wu Yuting
Published: November 2022

Compressed-air vehicles have the advantages of zero pollution and low cost. A compressed-air engine test bench is established in this study. The effects of rotational speed, torque, and regulated pressure on the power performance, economy, and energy conversion efficiency of the pneumatic motor are investigated. The differences in power output, compressed-air consumption rate, and energy conversion efficiency between forward and reverse rotation of the pneumatic motor are compared and analyzed. To effectively investigate the performance of a compressed-air vehicle under various road conditions, this study compares and analyzes the power performance, economy, and energy conversion efficiency of pneumatic motors under different road conditions. Experimental results show that the power output and energy conversion efficiency of the pneumatic motor in reverse rotation are less than those in forward rotation, indicating that the pneumatic motor has better power performance and higher efficiency with forward rotation than reverse rotation. The compressed-air consumption rate of the pneumatic motor with reverse rotation is higher than that with forward rotation, indicating that the pneumatic motor with forward rotation has better economic performance than with reverse rotation. The maximum power output and energy conversion efficiency of the pneumatic motor are about 1220 W and 13.23%, respectively.
How Does China Develop Green Service Industries? A Perspective on Policy Evolution
Authors: He Dan , Tang Yahua , Ren Miaomiao , Yang Jie
Published: November 2022

In the process of promoting the development of a low-carbon economy, green services lag behind the green manufacturing industry. This paper applies the textual analysis method and systematically analyses the evolutionary trends and structural characteristics of green service policies to further optimise the service policy system and strengthen the quality of the green service supply. This paper identifies 859 policies introduced since 1986 and uses the content analysis method to analyse changes in the number of policies, the relationships between policy subjects, the formal types of texts and the composition of policy instruments. The results show that (1) the number and overall effectiveness of green service industry policies promulgated by the central government are increasing, such that the formulation of green service industry policies has passed the exploratory phase and has entered the stage of high-quality development; (2) there is a wide range of obvious interministerial cooperative phenomena, the modes of cooperation are relatively fixed, and the overall intersuperior cooperation has been strengthened but is characterised by phased development; (3) the distribution of policy forms is uneven, with many documents characterised by low effectiveness and a lack of high-efficiency documents; (4) the policy object structure is relatively complete, but the industrial distribution is unbalanced; (5) there is an imbalance among the three policy tools of supply, environment and demand. Those tools that are embodied in the environment are deemed more important than those of supply and demand.
Economic Efficiency of the Implementation of Digital Technologies in Energy Power
Authors: Galkovskaya Victoria , Volos Mariia
Published: November 2022

The present research prioritized the most important direction of energy power transformation—energy sector digitalization—and its contribution to the achievement of the sustainable development goals focused on climate change mitigation and responsible consumption and production. The authors evaluated the economic efficiency of the implementation of digital tools due to the decrease in energy production costs. The evaluation was performed using the energy cost calculation method before and after the implementation of digital technology, and the digital technology cost calculation method based on the technology readiness level, introduced for the first time. The study demonstrates the advantages of energy power digitalization worldwide, including the achievement of the declared goals of sustainable development and the transition to low-carbon energy. The scientific results obtained are valuable for scholars who carry out research in the area of the efficiency of economic digitalization, since they hold for all countries and types of energy generation. The directions of further research include the development of an analytical notation to show that the digital technology cost also depends on the speed and volume of its distribution, as well as the level of technological development of material and technical resources in the industry and in the country, and also the labor and capital availability.
DNA Barcoding Revealing the Parrotfish (Perciformes: Scaridae) Diversity of the Coral Reef Ecosystem of the South China Sea
Authors: Xiao Yayuan , Li Chunhou , Wang Teng , Lin Lin , Guo Jiatong , Quan Qiumei , Liu Yong
Published: November 2022

Parrotfish are an important group in the coral reef ecosystem that maintain ecological stability and have a close relationship with coral reefs. Around the world, parrotfish and coral reefs are being destroyed due to human activities and global climate change. Here, we investigated the diversity of parrotfish in the South China Sea (SCS) using DNA barcoding, and initially established a DNA barcode database of the SCS parrotfish. A total of 1620 parrotfish specimens, belonging to 23 species of 6 genera in the family Scaridae, were collected in the SCS, accounting for 64% of the parrotfish species in the SCS. Genetic distance analysis at each taxonomic level showed that the average genetic distance was 0.23% within species, 8.52% within genus and 13.89% within family. The average inter-specific distance was 37.04-fold the intra-specific distance. Barcode gap analysis showed that 6 of the 21 parrotfish species with multiple samples had no barcode gap, resulting in an overall identification success rate of 74%. The ABGD analysis revealed that there could be 37 potential operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and the BIN analysis showed 32 identifiable taxonomic units, which by far exceed the number of morphologically previously known species. Overall, this study complements the lack of parrotfish DNA barcode sequences, and our findings provide an important stepping-stone to further study the diversity of parrotfish in South China.
Construction of Control Charts to Help in the Stability and Reliability of Results in an Accredited Water Quality Control Laboratory
Authors: Oliveira da Silva Flávia Matias , Silvério Karina Santos , Castanheira Maria Ivone , Raposo Mariana , Imaginário Maria José , Simões Isabel , Almeida Maria Adelaide
Published: November 2022

Overall, laboratory water quality analysis must have stability in their results, especially in laboratories accredited by ISO 17025. Accredited parameters should be strictly reliable. Using control charts to ascertain divergences between results is thus very useful. The present work applied a methodology of analysis of results through control charts to accurately monitor the results for a wastewater treatment plant. The parameters analyzed were pH, BOD5, COD, total suspended solids, and total phosphorus. The stability of the results was analyzed from the control charts and 30 analyses performed in the last 12 months. From the results, it was possible to observe whether the results are stable, according to the rehabilitation factor that cannot exceed WN = 1.00 and the efficiency of removal of pollutants that remained above 70% for all parameters. The method of determining the technological reliability and stability of the treatment station using control charts is an efficient tool for detecting any instability in the results. These results help to monitor the results of the analyses more clearly and thus enable a rapid response to possible disturbances and maintain the quality of the analysis control, as well as determining the accreditation entities.
How the Entry Profiles and Early Study Habits Are Related to First-Year Academic Performance in Engineering Programs
Authors: Aquines Gutiérrez Osvaldo , Hernández Taylor Diana Margarita , Santos-Guevara Ayax , Chavarría-Garza Wendy Xiomara , Martínez-Huerta Humberto , Galloway Ross K.
Published: November 2022

This paper explores how the entry profiles of engineering students are related to their academic performance during the first year of university in a sample of 255 first-year engineering students (77 females and 178 males) at a university in Northeast Mexico. The predictors used were the high school grade point average (HSGPA), Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) results, the first admission test, and a Spanish adaptation of the Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes Test (SSHA) from Brown and Holtzman. The SSHA adaptation was tested for internal consistency reliabilities via Cronbach’s alpha globally (0.92) and for the following categories: delay avoidance (DA: 0.79), work methods (WM: 0.81), teacher approval (TA: 0.89), and educational acceptance (EA: 0.74). The results were compared with those of other studies to validate their consistency. To assess the different entry profiles between high- and low-achieving students, we performed a Kruskal–Wallis test and found significant differences (p < 0.001) between both profiles for all variables. We then measured the relationships between the variables and academic success by constructing a correlation table, where HSGPA, SAT, and DA showed the highest correlations: 0.61, 0.40, and 0.36, respectively. With these outcomes, a predictive model via a logistic regression (R2=0.52) was built to forecast first year academic performance in the specific context.
Contamination and Environmental Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils of Palm Farms in Northwest Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alarifi Saad S. , El-Sorogy Abdelbaset S. , Al-Kahtany Khaled , Alotaibi Mislat
Published: November 2022

Thirty-four surface soil samples were collected from the palm farms of the Al-Ammariah area, northwest Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to assess the contamination and environmental risk of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), strontium (Sr), uranium (U), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn) were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP–AES). Several pollution indices were employed to assess contamination and to evaluate the environmental risks of these PTEs. Average values (mg/kg) for Cr (19.97), Pb (5.08), Cu (11.36), Zn (52.16), Ni (26.94), Co (3.89), and V (18.94) were under the values recorded for soils globally, while the average values of Hg (0.50) and U (8.06) were greater than the average values of worldwide soils. Pollution indices indicated that the studied soils exhibited indications of severe enrichment and significant contamination with Hg, and moderately severe enrichment with U and As. The potential ecological (RI) findings indicated a moderate level of risk posed by PTEs in the study area. The potentially toxic elements originated from both natural and human sources, largely due to chemical weathering of the neighboring mountains, in addition to the widespread utilization of insecticides and fertilizers.
Research on the Influencing Mechanism via Which Security Perception of Personal Information Affects Tourist Happiness: A Moderated Mediation Model
Authors: Zhang Kai , Chen Xuejiao
Published: November 2022

Due to the continuous advancement of smart tourism and the improvement of tourists’ security perception of personal information (SPPI), SPPI has become an important factor affecting tourist happiness (TH). However, few studies have been conducted on the influencing mechanism via which SPPI affects TH. According to the risk perception theory and subjective wellbeing theory, the following conclusions were drawn from mixed methods research: (1) SPPI has a significant direct effect on TH; (2) SPPI has a significant indirect effect on TH through the perception of smart tourism application (PSTA); (3) the perception of smart tourism technology (PSTT) does not have a significant moderating effect between SPPI and PSTA or between PSTA and TH, but has a significant moderating effect between SPPI and TH. The discussion of this mechanism can not only promote the combined development of the two theories but also remind destinations or scenic spots to focus on improving tourists’ SPPI when developing smart tourism.
Investigating Yield Variability and Technical Efficiency of Smallholders Pineapple Production in Johor
Authors: Muhamad Muhamad Zahid , Shamsudin Mad Nasir , Kamarulzaman Nitty Hirawaty , Nawi Nolila Mohd , Laham Jamaliah
Published: November 2022

This research investigates the efficiency of pineapple production in Malaysia using the stochastic frontier model with flexible risk features and a sample of 290 pineapple farms by smallholders in Johor. The results of the study indicate that the trans log model is the best match for the mean output function, while input factors, such as sucker, fertilizer, agrochemicals, labor, and hormones, have a positive effect on pineapple yield with rising returns to scale. The study also finds that fertilizers and hormones are risk increasing inputs, whilst sucker is classified as a risk decreasing input. The total farm-specific characteristics account for the difference in the mean technical efficiency, which is estimated to be 68.1%. The study shows that, on average, 31.9 percent of the potential output is wasted owing to technical inefficiency and production risks in inputs. However, the optimal production of pineapple is facilitated by the application of the best agricultural techniques.
Subsidy Accountability and Biodiversity Loss Drivers: Following the Money in the Chilean Silvoagricultural Sector
Authors: Pérez Cristian , Simonetti Javier A.
Published: November 2022

In Chile, promotion of activities in the silvoagricultural sector has been made through the implementation of Instruments of Productive Promotion, which are governmental interventions oriented to increase productive systems by applying economic incentives. However, its use has not been exempted of criticism due to the poor articulation and coordination between the programs and because their implementation has lacked a coordinated territorial approach. Chile has committed to different international frameworks to protect biodiversity, including the Convention on Biological Diversity that, through the Aichi targets, aimed to either eliminate or reform incentives, including subsidies, to minimize negative impacts and to manage agriculture in a sustainable manner. Allocation of IPPs used to finance field work (IPP-FFWs) at the silvoagricultural sector was analyzed, including amounts granted, use of the funds, and geographical distribution; they explored eventual links with biodiversity trends, including identified drivers of biodiversity loss. We found that, in the last two decades, IPP-FFWs have more than quintupled; the activities funded relate to main anthropogenic factors associated with ecosystems deterioration, including land use change and plantations with exotic species; the funding mostly occurs where most relevant Chilean terrestrial biodiversity features concentrate and where most ecosystems that have been classified under risk are located.
Sustainable Healthcare Education as a Practice of Governmentality?
Authors: Sandset Tony , Engebretsen Eivind
Published: November 2022

Sustainability as a concept is found across a multitude of sectors in today’s society. This ‘sustainability turn’ as we might call it, has made its entry into educational paradigms such as ‘education for sustainable development’. The healthcare sector has embraced the notion of sustainability primarily by emphasizing how climate change impacts human health. Epitomized in the new paradigm of sustainable healthcare education (SHE), or education for sustainable healthcare (ESH), the sustainability turn has arrived with full force within medical education. This article will argue that sustainable healthcare education may be analyzed as a governmental practice. We ask: by what governmental techniques does one seek to create sustainable health subjects, i.e., self-leading future doctors? On the one hand, sustainability is a call for global engagement that goes beyond the health of the singular patients within the paradigm of SHE. On the other hand, it can risk producing individual doctors and students that are responsibilized in the name of sustainability to take on ever-increasing tasks to foster human and planetary health. In this way, we argue that the SHE paradigm might risk transferring responsibility from the state to the individual to achieve ‘sustainable health’.
Feasibility Assessment of Rural Hybrid Microgrid Using Canal-Based Microhydel Resources: A Case Study of Renala Khurd Pakistan
Authors: Sattar Misbah , Azeem Fawad , Memon Zulfiqar , Zidan Hasan , Baig Sobia
Published: November 2022

Water canal networks that are widely used for irrigation are an equally good source of micropower generation to be fed to the nearby areas. A practical example of such a system is the micro-hydro generation at Renala Khurd Pakistan integrated with the national grid known as hydro–grid configuration. Apart from the rare Renala Khurd hydro generation example, solar photovoltaic generation integrated with a mainstream network, i.e., solar PV-Grid configuration, is widely used. The integrated operation of combinations of primary distributed generation sources has different operational attributes in terms of economics and reliability that are needed to be quantified before installation. So far, various combinations of primary distributed generation sources have been simulated and their accumulative impact on project economics and reliability have been reported. A detailed economic and reliability assessment of various configurations is needed for sustainable and cost-effective configuration selection. This study proposes a trigeneration combination of solar–hydro–grid with an optimal sizing scheme to reduce the solar system sizing and grid operational cost. A genetic algorithm based optimal sizing formulation is developed using fixed hydro and variable solar and grid systems with a number of pre-defined constraints. The hydro–grid, solar–grid, and grid–hydro–solar configurations are simulated in HOMER Pro software to analyze the economic impact, and to undertake reliability assessments under various configurations of the project. Finally, optimal values of the genetic algorithm are provided to the HOMER Pro software search space for simulating the grid–hydro–solar configuration. It was revealed that the net present cost (NPC) of hydro-to-grid configuration was 23% lower than the grid–hydro–solar configuration, whereas the NPC of grid–hydro–solar without optimal sizing was 40% lower than the solar–grid configuration, and the NPC of grid–solar–hydro with the genetic algorithm was 36% lower than the hydro–grid configuration, 50.90% lower than solar–grid–hydro without the genetic algorithm, and 17.1% lower than the grid–solar configuration, thus proving utilization of trigeneration sources integration to be a feasible solution for areas where canal hydropower is available.
Consumer Acceptance and Preference for Camel Milk in Selected European and Mediterranean Countries
Authors: Profeta Adriano , Enneking Ulrich , Claret Anna , Guerrero Luis , Heinz Volker
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we analyse consumer acceptance, preferences and attitudes to camel milk based on a cross-country study based on qualitative focus groups with consumers. Outside the main consumption countries where camel milk is a regular part of the daily diet, many consumers buy this product primarily due to its promised health benefits. Furthermore, they are willing to pay a substantial price premium for camel milk. The findings from the literature study suggest the need for further research aimed at improving the sensory quality of camel milk, camel milk fermented products (such as yoghurt, kefir, etc.) and camel milk cheese. In addition, the application of flavours could be an option to cover the perceived salty taste of camel milk. Another aspect is that more research needs to be conducted to optimize the operating parameters and standardization of the production procedures of camel milk yoghurt in the future. In general, we can state that so far only a few consumer studies exist and, in particular, for European consumers, not much is known about their attitudes, preferences and acceptance to try or to buy such a product.
Best Practices in Knowledge Transfer: Insights from Top Universities
Authors: Demarinis Loiotile Annamaria , De Nicolò Francesco , Agrimi Adriana , Bellantuono Loredana , La Rocca Marianna , Monaco Alfonso , Pantaleo Ester , Tangaro Sabina , Amoroso Nicola , Bellotti Roberto
Published: November 2022

The impact of knowledge transfer induced by universities on economy, society, and culture is widely acknowledged; nevertheless, this aspect is often neglected by university rankings. Here, we considered three of the most popular global university rankings and specific knowledge transfer indicators by U-multirank, a European ranking system launched by the European Commission, in order to answer to the following research question: how do the world top universities, evaluated according to global university rankings, perform from a knowledge transfer point of view? To this aim, the top universities have been compared with the others through the calculation of a Global Performance Indicator in Knowledge Transfer (GPI KT), a hierarchical clustering, and an outlier analysis. The results show that the universities best rated by global rankings do not always perform as well from knowledge transfer point of view. By combining the obtained results, it is possible to state that only 5 universities (Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, Harvard, CALTEC), among the top in the world, exhibit a high-level performance in knowledge transfer activities. For a better understanding of the success factors and best practices in knowledge transfer, a brief description of the 5 cited universities, in terms of organization of technology transfer service, relationship with business, entrepreneurship programs, and, more generally, third mission activities, is provided. A joint reading of the results suggests that the most popular global university rankings probably fail to effectively photograph third mission activities because they can manifest in a variety of forms, due to the intrinsic and intangible nature of third mission variables, which are difficult to quantify with simple and few indicators.
Does Corporate Social Responsibility Fuel Firm Performance? Evidence from the Asian Automotive Sector
Authors: Chandrasekaran Minimol M.
Published: November 2022

Corporations are now expected to self-regulate in order to uphold their social obligations to society. This is known as the social responsibility of corporations or corporate social responsibility. CSR helps a business to be mindful of the impacts it has on the economy, society, and environment. The most important CSR component for the automotive industry is unquestionably environmental responsibility. Despite the fact that many businesses still place a strong emphasis on economic responsibility, it is widely acknowledged that all three CSR elements are essential for the success of a firm. This study’s objective is to look into the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on business performance in the automobile sector, with an emphasis on Asian nations. Sample companies were selected from the Thomson Reuters database according to the data availability on corporate social performance and firm performance for more than 10 years. Data analysis was performed using the software STATA. Fixed and random effects panel regression models were used to analyse the relationships. The findings of this study are consistent with the idea that corporate social responsibility considerably improves the performance of automobile companies. The study concludes that companies need to focus more on CSR spending, as it improves the financial performance of the company. The study contributes to the existing literature as it validates the strong relationship between CSR components and firm performance in the automobile sector, which has not been much explored in the extant literature. The results of the panel data regression demonstrated that not only the environmental score is significant in determining the firm performance; other components such as social and governance scores are also equally important in achieving the desired firm performance, which is totally against the common notion that since automobile firms cause much damage to the environment, they need to focus only on environmental aspects through their CSR initiatives.
Design of the Algorithm for Packaging of Water Molecules in a Fixed Volume
Authors: Lorits Ekaterina M. , Gubar Elena A. , Novikov Alexander S.
Published: November 2022

The question about the closest symmetrical packing of chemical substance species (molecules, ions, polymer chains, nanoparticles, etc.) is a subproblem of predicting the structure of matter, in particular, the structure of a crystal, information about which makes it possible to predict almost all of its properties. The design of mathematical models for the closest symmetrical packing is an important and a challenging task for the practical application of optimization theory in theoretical chemistry. Here, we report about the development of the algorithm for water molecules’ symmetrical packing in a closed space of rectangular parallelepiped.
Double Contingency of Communications in Bayesian Learning
Authors: Mori Atsuhide
Published: November 2022

In previous work, we described the geometry of Bayesian learning on a manifold. In this paper, inspired by the notion of modified double contingency of communications from sociologist Niklas Luhmann, we take two manifolds in equal parts and a potential function on their product to set up mutual Bayesian learning. Particularly, given a parametric statistical model, we consider mutual learning between two copies of the parameter space. Here, we associate the potential with the relative entropy (i.e., the Kullback–Leibler divergence). Although the mutual learning forgets all elements about the model except the relative entropy, it still substitutes for the usual Bayesian estimation of the parameter in a certain case. We propose it as a globalization of the information geometry.
On Some Asymptotic Expansions for the Gamma Function
Authors: Mahmoud Mansour , Almuashi Hanan
Published: November 2022

Inequalities play a fundamental role in both theoretical and applied mathematics and contain many patterns of symmetries. In many studies, inequalities have been used to provide estimates of some functions based on the properties of their symmetry. In this paper, we present the following new asymptotic expansion related to the ordinary gamma function Γ(1+w)∼2πw(w/e)ww2+760w2−120w/2exp∑r=1∞μrwr,w→∞, with the recurrence relation of coefficients μr. Furthermore, we use Padé approximants and our new asymptotic expansion to deduce the new bounds of Γ(w) better than some of its recent ones.