bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Making Hospitals Sustainable: Towards Greener, Fairer and More Prosperous Services
Authors: Borges de Oliveira Karine , de Oliveira Otávio José
Published: August 2022

The growing demand for hospital services and the pressure to incorporate sustainable strategies into hospital management have led hospitals to rethink their business model and seek new ways to manage their operations. Corporate sustainability is an important way to make hospitals more sustainable and competitive. Therefore, this paper proposes a framework that contains the drivers for the management of sustainability in hospitals (SH), developed through the content analysis method. As a result, this study proposes five drivers: toward the circular economy; making sustainable buildings; adopting knowledge management and organizational culture; employing management systems, tools, and methods; and applying technological innovations. This framework contributes in a managerial way to helping managers of hospitals in managing sustainability; making their businesses fairer, greener, and more prosperous; and fulfilling their commitments to the well-being of their employees and society, providing a basis for moving toward the premises of the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda. This study also scientifically contributes to the academic maturation of the topic by systematizing elements and adding insights to the state of the art on SH. It is recommended that future studies add new elements to the drivers or even propose new drivers for the continuous scientific advancement of this topic.
Research on China’s Carbon Emission Efficiency and Its Regional Differences
Authors: Zhao Xiaochun , Xu Huixin , Sun Qun
Published: August 2022

With the development of China’s economy, China is emitting more and more carbon. At the same time, it has also exposed the problem of carbon emission efficiency differences caused by the unbalanced development of resources and economy among regions. Based on the carbon emission panel data of provinces and cities in China from 2009 to 2018, this paper studies carbon emission efficiency and regional differences by constructing a three-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) model that eliminates the influence of environmental factors and random factors. The research shows that: (1) Carbon emission efficiency in China is spatially distributed; carbon emission efficiency in the western region is generally lower than that in the eastern region. (2) China’s carbon emission efficiency is not entirely synchronized with economic development; carbon emission efficiency in some underdeveloped western regions has reached the forefront of China, and some developed regions in the east are in the middle position. (3) China’s carbon emission efficiency is restricted by scale efficiency; many regions in China have high pure technical efficiency, but due to low scale efficiency, overall efficiency is low. (4) Overall, China’s carbon emission efficiency is currently on the rise, but the rising rate is relatively slow, and there is still plenty of room for improvement.
Coal Mining Surface Damage Characteristics and Restoration Technology
Authors: Ren Jiachi , Kang Xiangtao , Tang Meng , Gao Lu , Hu Jinguo , Zhou Cunliu
Published: August 2022

With the continuous improvement of mining technology and equipment in China’s coal mines, the number of working faces with high-intensity mining is increasing, and the area of surface damage continues to increase compared with previous years. In order to ensure safe production and protect the overall environment of the mining area, the damage characteristics of overlying rock and the transmission mechanism of surface damage in coal mining were analyzed, the forms of surface damage and their negative external influences were evaluated, the current situation of surface damage prevention and restoration technology was investigated, and the feasibility of surface damage economic utilization was considered. According to the above theoretical analysis and the current situation of China’s industry, this paper discusses the prevention and restoration of surface damage in China, and puts forward the following idea of mine governance: “utilization first, prevention and restoration later; natural restoration is the main approach, and artificial restoration is auxiliary; artificial restoration and natural restoration should be combined”, which provides a governance concept for mine surface damage management. This study on the negative external influence of rock and surface damage and its prevention and restoration technology is of great significance for mine safety and environmental protection.
The COVID-19 Epidemic Spreading Effects
Authors: Hu Chich-Ping
Published: August 2022

Cities are hotbeds for the outbreak and spread of infectious diseases. In the process of urban development, frequent interpersonal interactions are conducive to the spread of viruses. After the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China in 2019, it quickly spread to Europe, North America, and Asia. This paper collects data on the number of COVID-19-infected cases per 100,000 people in Taiwan from 1 January to 4 May 2022 and the researcher uses the spatial regression model to analyze the spatial effect of the COVID-19 epidemic. The results of the study find that the hot zones of COVID-19-infected cases per 100,000 people are distributed in Taipei City, New Taipei City, Keelung City, Yilan County, and Taoyuan City, and the cold zones are distributed in Changhua County, Yunlin County, Chiayi County, Chiayi City, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City. There are three types of urban development indicators: density, urbanization, and transportation system and means of transport, all of which can significantly affect the spatial spread of COVID-19. There is a negative correlation between the area of the “urban planning” district, the “road area” per person, the current status of the urban planning district population “density”, and the number of infected cases of “COVID19”. There is a negative correlation between “urban planning”, “road area”, “urbanization”, and “density” of neighboring cities and “COVID19” in a certain city.
Attitudes and Opinions of Biomedical Students: Digital Education Questionnaire
Authors: Nikolic Turnic Tamara , Mijailovic Sara , Nikolic Maja , Dimitrijevic Jelena , Milovanovic Olivera , Djordjevic Katarina , Folic Marko , Tasic Ljiljana , Reshetnikov Vladimir , Mikerova Maria , Milovanovic Dragan , Jakovljevic Vladimir
Published: August 2022

(1) Background: the purpose of this study was a preliminary analysis of current methods of online teaching at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Republic of Serbia, in order to define the attitudes of biomedical students about education during the COVID-19 pandemic and to validate of the education medical questionnaire (eMedQ), a new tool for the assessment of the students’ perceptions about digital education. (2) Methods: this was a qualitative cross-sectional observational study that used the originally developed 45-item questionnaire (eMedQ) as an assessment instrument conducted on biomedical students (n = 209) of all study years at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac (Republic of Serbia), during winter semester or between September 2021 and January 2022. (3) Results: In this study, a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.904 was obtained, which indicated good internal consistency; the correlation matrix revealed many coefficients greater than 0.3, denoting high correlations between the items. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was 0.866 and Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant (p < 0.001). The PCA revealed the presence of seven components with characteristic values over one, while three factors explained the highest percentage of variance. (4) Conclusions: this research developed and validated a new tool for evaluation of biomedical student perceptions about digital education.
Socioeconomic Sustainability for Low-Income Households: The Mediating Role of Financial Well-Being
Authors: Munisamy Ananthan , Sahid Sheerad , Hussin Muhammad
Published: August 2022

Financial literacy contributes to the economic well-being of every country. Specifically, the financial literacy level of low-income households is crucial in the process of developing and building economic potential. Moreover, the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of families are essential to the financial sustainability and money-wise behavior of low-income households. Thus, financial literacy and financial well-being are vital for low-income households to survive in highly competitive marketplaces and sustain their socioeconomic status. This study intends to examine the impact of financial literacy on the socioeconomic status of low-income households. A self-administered survey questionnaire was employed, and the sample consists of 282 randomly selected respondents from low-income households in Malaysia. The data were analyzed using the Structural Equation Modelling procedure in IBM-SPSS-AMOS 26.0 to examine the causal effect. The results showed that financial literacy (consisting of financial knowledge, financial behavior, and financial attitudes) has a positive and significant impact on the socioeconomic status of low-income households. Moreover, financial well-being also mediated the effect of financial literacy on socioeconomic status. The research results provide new ideas and perspectives for improving money-wise mechanisms and the socioeconomic sustainability of low-income households.
Examining Factors That Influence the International Tourism in Pakistan and Its Nexus with Economic Growth: Evidence from ARDL Approach
Authors: Khan Naqib Ullah , Alim Wajid , Begum Abida , Han Heesup , Mohamed Abdullah
Published: August 2022

Tourism has played an influential role in the global economies. It is considered the third largest socio-economic sector and contributes about 9% to the world economy’s GDP. Tourism enhances investments, creates job opportunities, harnesses entrepreneurship, and secures heritage and cultural values and norms. However, tourism faces serious challenges in developing countries, especially in Pakistan. Therefore, the main aim of the current study is to examine the influential factors that affect the tourism sector and exhibit the nexus between tourism and economic development in Pakistan. The study collected data from the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), Pakistan Tourism Statistics, and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for the period from 1995 to 2017. The results of the study present that terrorism, which hampers peace and certainty, tourism expenditure and inflation rate, has a strong influence on the tourism sector in Pakistan. Moreover, the study also disclosed that tourism boosts the long-term macro-economic factors and leads to the economic development of Pakistan.
Factors Influencing Public Trust in Open Government Data
Authors: Almuqrin Abdullah , Mutambik Ibrahim , Alomran Abdulaziz , Gauthier Jeffrey , Abusharhah Majed
Published: August 2022

Open government data (OGD) involves exposing government data to the public, guided by the values of clarity, accountability, honesty, and integrity. This study investigates the impact of the perceived quality of data, systems, and services on citizens’ trust in OGD, with the information systems success model as the theoretical framework. A questionnaire was delivered electronically to reach OGD users around the world. A total of 358 complete responses were obtained, representing 63.58% of all responses. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships between constructs based on users’ responses. The findings confirm the impact of data, system, and service quality on citizens’ perceived trust in OGD. Moreover, perceived system and service quality had a positive impact on perceived data quality, and perceived service quality had a positive effect on perceived system quality. These findings indicate that OGD service quality affects data and system quality, making it the most fundamental motivator of citizens’ trust in OGD. This highlights the role of open government platforms in developing public services and providing users with complete and correct data, feedback tools, and data visualization.
Experimental Study of the Effect of Axial Load on Stress Wave Characteristics of Rock Bolts Using a Non-Destructive Testing Method
Authors: Li Chuanming , Xia Xin , Feng Ruimin , Gao Xiang , Chen Xiao , Lei Gang , Bai Jiankui , Nie Bochao , Zhang Zhengrong , Zhang Baoyou
Published: August 2022

Traditional rock bolt inspection methods are destructive and limited. Non-destructive testing (NDT) based on the stress wave method can realize a fast and convenient quality detection of rock bolts. To verify the effectiveness of the stress wave-based anchor NDT method, a multi-functional experimental bench was customized on the basis of a bench-pull tension testing machine. Stress waves can be generated by applying axial loads on rock bolts and then collected using a non-destructive tester. The VMD decomposition method and Hilbert–Huang signal processing method were used to filter and analyze the stress wave signal. The influence of the axial loads of different magnitudes on the stress wave was then investigated. The results showed that the stress wave characteristics of the rock bolt changed with the increase in the axial load. It was found, correspondingly, that the stress wave amplitude decreased gradually and there was a trend of rapid decrease at the beginning and then a slower decline. The change in the time domain amplitude of the stress wave after noise reduction can be used to determine the magnitude of the load on the rock bolt during the elastic deformation stage. Further studies showed that the axial load on rock bolts inversely calculated by the stress-wave time-domain amplitude method is accurate and reliable, which can be validated by comparing the data measured by the rock bolt dynamometer. The research results shed light on the development of the NDT technology on rock bolt inspection, and make this testing method more convenient, efficient, and accurate.
Optimization Method of Temperature Measuring Point Layout for Steel-Concrete Composite Bridge Based on TLS-IPDP
Authors: Zhang Jun , Wang Da , Xiang Shengtao , Liu Yang , Tan Benkun , Yan Donghuang
Published: August 2022

An optimization method of temperature measurement point layout for steel-concrete composite bridges based on the total least squares improved piecewise Douglas–Peucker (TLS-IPDP) algorithm was proposed to solve the problem that the traditional temperature measurement data cannot reflect the actual temperature gradient (TG) due to the position of measurement points on different paths is not reasonable. The characteristic curves of TG for the most unfavorable period and annual period are extracted from the finite element model. The rationality of the proposed method is illustrated by two typical steel-concrete composite beams with steel plates and steel boxes. By improving the classical Douglas–Peucker (DP) algorithm, the TLS-IPDP algorithm proposed in this paper has a better approximation effect on the original data. Compared with the traditional temperature measuring point arrangement method, the TLS-IPDP algorithm optimized arrangement in this paper realized the measuring point arrangement with different variable spacing under different paths; the temperature gradient curve obtained was closer to the real temperature distribution, and had higher accuracy in the region with a large gradient. In addition, the proposed method has the function of manually specifying the location of feature points and reserving the required number. The optimized arrangement of measuring points can meet the requirements of measuring points number and measurement accuracy. The method presented in this paper can provide a useful reference for temperature data acquisition and sensor layout for health monitoring of steel-composite bridges.
Internalizing Sustainability into Research Practices of Higher Education Institutions: Case of a Research University in Taiwan
Authors: Alam Mehtab , Lin Fu-Ren
Published: August 2022

The research and innovation activities at higher education institutions (HEIs) are considered essential in driving forward sustainability in order to facilitate future decision-making. However, a systematic approach regarding sustainability research through administrative efforts is still lacking in HEIs worldwide. Therefore, this manuscript aimed to explore contradictions embedded in the activity systems that hamper the internalization of sustainability research in HEIs. The current study conducted semi-structured interviews with faculty members at a leading research university in Taiwan. The lens of activity theory was used to explore and analyze tensions rooted in the activity systems involved in research and innovation. We found that resources to undertake sustainability-related research have not been allocated in a desirable manner. Moreover, the stakeholders are lacking agency, motivation, and perceived urgency to play their roles in supporting sustainability-related research through their practices. The propositions concluded from this study would help the involved actors to reconfigure their activity systems to make a contribution toward sustainability. This study also serves as a fundamental step towards conducting future empirical studies in contextual theory building directed at co-creating value through sustainability-related research and innovation practices.
Personality Characteristics as Predictors of the Leader’s Ethical Leadership in Regular Times and in Times of Crisis
Authors: Damti Shirel , Hochman Guy
Published: August 2022

Personality traits broadly impact people’s behavior and decisions in the organizational realm. One of the leading personality models suggests that people’s personalities can be expressed by five dimensions: openness to experience, conscientiousness, pleasantness, extroversion, and neuroticism. While these characteristics are stable in most human lives, they are assumed to be more pronounced in times of crisis, since crises are weak situations. According to the situational strength theory, people are less aware of the desired rules and codes of conduct in weak situations. Thus, they tend to rely more on their traits and less on the existing procedures. The current work aimed to examine if, during a crisis, the personal characteristics of the manager will be more pronounced and thus have a larger influence on their ethical leadership. In three studies, we show a strong link between agreeableness and conscientiousness and the ethical leadership of managers. However, contrary to our hypotheses, the link between personality traits and ethical leadership is stronger in regular times and not during a crisis. Our findings emphasize the importance of characterizing managers’ personality traits for organizations’ sustainability. Second, they highlight how significant is the relationship between managers and their employees.
A Dynamic Regional Partitioning Method for Active Traffic Control
Authors: Xing Yan , Li Wenqing , Liu Weidong , Li Yachao , Zhang Zhe
Published: August 2022

In order to identify the scope of active traffic control regions and improve the effect of active traffic control, this paper proposes a dynamic partitioning method of area boundaries based on benchmark intersections, taking into account the saturation, homogeneity, and correlation of intersections in the region. First, a boundary indicator correlation model was established. Next, benchmark intersections were selected based on evaluation indicators, such as traffic speed and queue length. Then, the boundary of the control region is initially defined based on the selected reference intersection, through a combination of the improved Newman algorithm. Subsequently, a spectral clustering algorithm is used to obtain the boundaries of the optimal active control subregions. Finally, a city road network is used as the study object for analysis and verification under the premise of implementing active traffic control. The results show that compared with the intersection clustering algorithm method and the boundary control subdivision method, the control effect indicators, such as the average delay and the average number of stops, have a great optimization improvement. Thus, the proposed method of regional borders combines the actual traffic flow characteristics efficiently to make a more accurate real-time dynamic division of the road network sub-areas.
Primary Treatment of Domestic Wastewater with the Use of Unmodified and Chemically Modified Drinking Water Treatment Sludge
Authors: Castro-Jiménez Camilo C. , Saldarriaga-Molina Julio C. , García Edwin F. , Correa-Ochoa Mauricio A.
Published: August 2022

Improved wastewater (WW) treatment contributes to preserving human life and aquatic ecosystems and acting on climate change. The use of drinking water treatment sludges (WTS) as coagulants in the primary treatment of WW contributes, in this regard, and simultaneously enables the sustainable management of this waste. In this work, the improvement of the primary treatment of real domestic WW using unmodified WTS and chemically modified WTS with sulphuric and hydrochloric acids (reactive sludges—RSs) as coagulants was evaluated. The evaluated WTS contains a higher fraction of inorganic solids and is mainly an amorphous material. The wet WTS (W-WTS) showed a better performance in enhancing WW clarification (up to 76%), as measured by turbidity in comparison with the dry WTS (D-WTS). All RSs improved this performance considerably (up to 98%), and of these, the sulphuric reactive sludge generated from the W-WTS (SRS-W) showed the lowest costs associated with acid consumption for activation. The best treatments with W-WTS and SRS-W significantly improved the removal of solids (total suspended solids > 90% and volatile suspended solids > 80%), organic matter (total biochemical oxygen demand > 50% and total chemical oxygen demand > 55%), and total phosphorus (>75%) compared to natural sedimentation, with slight differences in favour of SRS-W, especially in the removal of phosphorus species. The reuse of WTSs in primary WW treatment becomes a valuable circular economy proposal in the water sector, which simultaneously valorises waste from the drinking water process and contributes to the fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)
Climate Smart Pest Management
Authors: Du Xiaoxue , Elbakidze Levan , Lu Liang , Taylor R. Garth
Published: August 2022

This study examines the role of weather and pest infestation forecasts in agricultural pest management, taking into account potential correlation between weather and pest population prediction errors. First, we analytically illustrate the role of the correlation between weather and pest infestation forecast errors in pest management using a stochastic optimal control framework. Next, using stochastic dynamic programming, we empirically simulate optimal pest management trajectory within a growing season, taking into account correlation between weather and pest population prediction errors. We used lentil production in the Palouse area of northern Idaho and eastern Washington as a case study, where pesticide use was restricted due to environmental or health reasons. We showed that the benefit of applying pesticides later in the growing season can outweigh benefits of early application when pesticide use is restricted due to environmental or health regulations. The value of information is close to $9 per acre, approximately 8% of the expected net returns per acre, and close to $12 per acre ($106–$94), or approximately 13% of the expected net returns per acre for the baseline versus the climate change scenarios, respectively.
Comprehensive Carbon Emission and Economic Analysis on Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings in Different Regions of China
Authors: Kang Yiting , Wu Jianlin , Lu Shilei , Yang Yashuai , Yu Zhen , Zhou Haizhu , Xie Shangqun , Fu Zheng , Fan Minchao , Xu Xiaolong
Published: August 2022

Considering the comprehensive effect of building carbon emissions, cost savings is of great significance in nearly-zero-energy buildings (NZEBs). Previous research mostly focused on studying the impact of technical measures in pilot projects. The characteristics of different cities or climate zones have only been considered in a few studies, and the selection of cities is often limited. At times, only one city is considered in each climate zone. Therefore, this study selected 15 cities to better cover climate zone characteristics according to the variation in weather and solar radiation conditions. A pilot NZEB project was chosen as the research subject, in which the energy consumption was monitored and compared across different categories using simulated values by EnergyPlus software. Various NZEB technologies were considered, such as the high-performance building envelope, the fresh air heat recovery unit (FAHRU), demand-controlled ventilation (DCV), a high-efficiency HVAC and lighting system, daylighting, and photovoltaic (PV). The simulated carbon emission intensities in severe cold, cold, and hot summer and cold winter (HSCW) climate zones were 21.97 kgCO2/m2, 19.60 kgCO2/m2, and 15.40 kgCO2/m2, respectively. The combined use of various NZEB technologies resulted in incremental costs of 998.86 CNY/m2, 870.61 CNY/m2, and 656.58 CNY/m2. The results indicated that the HSCW region had the best carbon emission reduction potential and cost-effectiveness when adopting NZEB strategies. Although the incremental cost of passive strategies produced by the envelope system is higher than active strategies produced by the HVAC system and lighting system, the effect of reducing the building’s heating load is a primary and urgent concern. The findings may provide a reference for similar buildings in different climate zones worldwide.
Estimation of Critical Nitrogen Concentration Based on Leaf Dry Matter in Drip Irrigation Spring Maize Production in Northern China
Authors: Jia Biao , Fu Jiangpeng , Liu Huifang , Li Zhengzhou , Lan Yu , Wei Xue , Zhai Yongquan , Yun Bingyuan , Ma Jianzhen , Zhang Hao
Published: August 2022

The application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer not only increases crop yield but also improves the N utilization efficiency. The critical N concentration (Nc) can be used to diagnose crops’ N nutritional status. The Nc dilution curve model of maize was calibrated with leaf dry matter (LDM) as the indicator, and the performance of the model for diagnosing maize N nutritional status was further evaluated. Three field experiments were carried out in two sites between 2018 and 2020 in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region with a series of N levels (application of N from 0 to 450 kg N ha−1). Two spring maize cultivars, i.e., Tianci19 (TC19) and Ningdan19 (ND19), were utilized in the field experiment. The results showed that a negative power function relationship existed between LDM and leaf N concentration (LNC) for spring maize under drip irrigation. The Nc dilution curve equation was divided into two parts: when the LDM < 1.11 t ha−1, the constant leaf Nc value was 3.25%; and when LDM > 1.11 t ha−1, the Nc curve was 3.33LDM−0.24. The LDM-based Nc curve can well distinguish data on the N-limiting and non-N-limiting N status of maize, which was independent of maize varieties, growing seasons, and stages. Additionally, the N nutrition index (NNI) had a significant linear correlation with the relative leaf dry matter (RLDM). This study revealed that the LDM-based Nc dilution curve could accurately identify spring maize N status under drip irrigation. NNI can thus, be used as a robust and reliable tool to diagnose the N nutritional status of maize.
Can Adult Education Boost Sustainability Transitions? Some Evidence from Farmers and Teachers
Authors: Charatsari Chrysanthi , Fragkoulis Iosif , Anagnou Evaggelos , Lioutas Evagelos D.
Published: August 2022

Sustainability transitions are long-term processes that involve interactions among societal groups and promote co-evolutionary socio-technical transformations aimed at addressing crucial sustainability challenges. Although the focus of relevant work is often on groups, sustainability transitions also require personal transformations. Can adult education be a vehicle for promoting such transformations? In the present study, we attempted to answer this question by examining whether participation in sustainability-related adult education programs (AEPs) leads to the development of sustainability awareness, formation of sustainability-related values, construction of sustainability empathy, and initiation of pro-sustainability action among individuals. Following a quantitative research design and drawing upon data from farmers and teachers, we compared attendees and non-attendees of AEPs on the above-mentioned constructs. The analysis revealed that attendees scored significantly higher than non-attendees in awareness, values, empathy, and action. A series of hierarchical regressions confirmed the association between participation and the outcome variables, also showing no effects of demographic factors on the models. These results underscore the potential contribution of sustainability-related adult education to individual transformation, thus suggesting that targeted adult education interventions can facilitate sustainability transitions.
Preparation of Special Wettability Quartz Sand Filter Media and Its Synchronous Oil/Water Mixture Separation and Dye Adsorption
Authors: Yinglong Che , Hanyue Guo , Shide Man , Tingting Zhang , Bigui Wei
Published: August 2022

To efficiently and synchronously separate oil/water mixture and adsorbed dyes, corn-cob-covered quartz sand (CCQS) filter media with underwater superoleophobic qualities and underoil extremely hydrophobic qualities were fabricated by grafting a corn cob onto the surface of quartz sand using the dip-coating technique. Due to the introduction of more hydrogen bonds on the quartz surface and the construction of a rough structure, the underwater oil contact angles and underoil water contact angles of the CCQS were 150.3~154.6° and 132.2°~154.6°, respectively. A separator for oil/water separation was devised, and the CCQS-filled separator could synchronously separate the oil/water mixture and adsorb malachite green. The separation efficiency of the oil/water mixture was over 99.93%, the removal rate of MG was 99.73%, and the adsorption capacity was 7.28 mg/g. The CCQS could keep its wettability steady under challenging environmental circumstances. Therefore, the study offered a novel concept for the successful oil/water mixture separation, while synchronously adsorbing dye.
The Influence of Different Row Spacing and Weed Control Intervals on Weed Infestation and Yield-Related Traits of American (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and Desi (Gossypium arboreum) Cotton
Authors: Hussain Mubshar , Abbas Muhammad Haider , Majeed Abdul , Minhas Waqas Ahmed , Farooq Shahid , Jabran Khawar
Published: August 2022

Narrow row spacing has attracted significant attention due to its beneficial impacts on weed management in cotton. This study compared the effects of normal and ultra-narrow row spacing on critical periods of weed control in American (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and ‘Desi’ (Gossypium arboreum) cotton. Two different row spacings (i.e., recommended (75 cm) and ultra-narrow (30 cm)) and three weed control intervals (i.e., weed control at 30, 60 and 90 days after sowing (DAS)) were included in the study. Weedy-check and weed-free treatments were included in the experiment as controls for comparison. ‘Desi’ cotton grown under ultra-narrow spacing recorded the lowest weed density and individual density of Trianthema portulacastarum L., Cyperus rotundus L., Cynodon dactylon L., Echinochloa colona (L.) Link and Digera muricata (L.) Mart. Moreover, ‘Desi’ cotton sown under ultra-narrow spacing with weed-free and weed control at 30 DAS resulted in the highest leaf area index (LAI), leaf area duration (LAD), net assimilation late (NAR), root elongation rate (RER) and root growth rate (RGR) at all sampling dates. Likewise, ‘desi’ cotton sown under recommended row spacing and weed-free conditions produced the highest number of sympodial and monopodial branches, number of flowers and bolls per plant, whereas the highest seed cotton yield of ‘Desi’ cotton was noted under ultra-narrow spacing and weed-free conditions. It is concluded that sowing both cotton types in ultra-narrow row spacing and controlling weeds at 30 DAS will result in lower weed infestation and higher seed cotton yield.
Strategic Development Associated with Branding in the Tourism Sector: Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Review of the Literature between the Years 2000 to 2022
Authors: López-Rodríguez Campo Elías , Mora-Forero Jorge Alexander , León-Gómez Ana
Published: August 2022

This study aims to identify research trends associated with the development of brand management in the tourism sector. To this end, bibliometric analysis has been carried out, using the R Core Team 20201-Bibliometrix software, on the scientific production, the most influential countries, authors, and journals, and the co-occurrence of keywords in the 1421 articles published to date in the Scopus database. This analysis was then complemented with a systematic qualitative evaluation using the PRISMA technique. The results obtained show the trend and impact of the literature published to date and the established and emerging research groups. Furthermore, they identify that research procedures related to brand communities, co-branding, brand architecture, positioning, and brand research in the tourism sector need to be strengthened. Therefore, this study identifies key research questions in a way that provides a planning framework for future research in this field.
Developed Design of Battle Royale Optimizer for the Optimum Identification of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
Authors: Karamnejadi Azar Keyvan , Kakouee Armin , Mollajafari Morteza , Majdi Ali , Ghadimi Noradin , Ghadamyari Mojtaba
Published: August 2022

One of the most appropriate electricity production systems is solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which are important because they are highly efficient, flexible to fuel, and have fewer environmental degradation effects. A new optimum technique has been provided for providing well-organized unknown parameters identification of the solid oxide fuel cell system. The main idea is to achieve the lowest amount of the sum of square error between the model’s output voltage and the empirical voltage datapoints. To get efficient results, the minimum error value has been achieved by designing a new metaheuristic algorithm, called the Developed version of Battle Royale algorithm. The reason for using this version of Battle Royale algorithm is to achieve results with higher accuracy and better convergence. The proposed technique was then applied to a 96-cell SOFC stack under different temperature and pressure values and its achievements were compared with several different latest methods to show the proposed method’s efficiency.
Vehicle Routing Problem for the Simultaneous Pickup and Delivery of Lithium Batteries of Small Power Vehicles under Charging and Swapping Mode
Authors: Chen Lei , Ma Haiyan , Wang Yi , Li Feng
Published: August 2022

Due to the national policy of encouraging the development of power exchange modes, the reasonable planning of vehicle distribution paths to meet the demand of lithium battery power exchange points has become a topic of considerable research interest. In this study, we propose the “centralized charging + unified distribution” power exchange mode for optimizing the charging and transporting of lithium batteries. Considering lithium batteries are dangerous goods, the vehicle path problem of simultaneous pickup and delivery of lithium batteries with vehicle load and soft time window constraints is studied. The model objective is to minimize the transportation risk and total cost of delivery. By performing crossover and mutation operations on the initial solutions generated by the ant colony algorithm, a hybrid ant colony genetic algorithm (ACO-GA) is designed to solve the model. The results of ACO-GA are compared with the GA, ACO, and SAA methods using the Solomon dataset; the results show that the optimized ant colony algorithm can achieve a smaller total cost in solving the model. Finally, taking a lithium battery leasing business in Company A, we determine the optimal path under different preferences by setting different weights for distribution cost and transportation risk in the model transformation, which provides a reference for the company to select the distribution route. Thus, the model provides a reference for companies that intend to develop power exchange businesses.
Food Waste and Circular Economy: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Tamasiga Phemelo , Miri Taghi , Onyeaka Helen , Hart Abarasi
Published: August 2022

The world’s population is expected to grow at an increasing rate, leading to increased food consumption and waste production. Even though food waste represents one of the most challenging economic and environmental issues of the 21st century, it also provides a vast array of valuable resources. To address the challenge, this study uses resource recovery from food waste to close the supply chain loop, which is the cornerstone of a circular economy. By applying the bibliometric review technique, trends and patterns in food waste and circular economy were studied. The analysis of frequent keywords in the field provided insights into further research directions. A Boolean search of the keywords in the Scopus database resulted in 288 articles, published between 2015 and 2021. Further screening of titles, keywords, and abstracts resulted in 155 journal articles. Bibliometric coupling, including authors’ co-citation data, co-occurrence, and the occurrence of keywords, was graphically mapped using VOSviewer software. From the analysis of the publications, eight broad themes emerged: (1) anaerobic digestion of food waste for circular economy creation; (2) food waste systems and life cycle assessments for circular economy; (3) bio-based circular economy approaches; (4) consumer behavior and attitudes toward circular economies; (5) food supply chains and food waste in a circular economy; (6) material flow analysis and sustainability; (7) challenges, policies, and practices to achieve circularity; and (8) circular economy and patterns of consumption. Based on the eight themes, we emphasize an urgent need to promote the collaboration of governments, the private sector, educational institutions, and researchers, who should combine efforts to promote, integrate and accelerate acceptance of circularity, which will potentially mitigate greenhouse emissions associated with food loss and waste. We also highlight an opportunity to encourage consumer acceptance of upcycled food in the food waste hierarchy. In addition, we deduce that there is a need to quantify food waste and emissions of greenhouse gases due to this waste along the food value chain; this is important as it is one pathway of examining the ‘food leaks’ along the food supply chain. This can then inform optimal strategies targeting specific areas of the food supply chain experiencing food leaks. Lastly, food wastage affects the entire globe; however, future studies and funding need to be channeled towards investigating the possibility of implementing circularity in developing countries.
A Numerical Study of Dual-Inlet Air-Cooled PV/T Solar Collectors with Various Airflow Channel Configurations
Authors: Kang Zhangyang , Lu Zhaoyang , Song Gangfu , Yao Qiongqiong
Published: August 2022

The multi-inlet air-cooled photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) technology not only avoids the poor heat transfer conditions of single-inlet PV/T air collectors but also reduces photovoltaic (PV) peak temperature and improves solar energy utilization. Since air-cooled PV/T collectors use no more than three inlets, the increase in thermal efficiency is significantly more effective. Therefore, a numerical analysis of an air-cooled PV/T solar collector with two side inlets was performed. The heat transfer efficiency and flow characteristics were then investigated for various air channel configurations. Increasing the area of the second inlet improves thermal and electrical efficiency. As the length ratio of the front and rear airflow channels is reduced, the average outlet temperature first decreases and then increases. The heat-exchanging quantity of the dual-inlet air-cooled PV/T collector is minimal. The thermal efficiency of the dual-inlet air-cooled PV/T collector can be elevated by increasing the angle between the solar panel and the bottom plate. However, the average temperature of the solar panels is increased and the photoelectric conversion efficiency decreased. This design will achieve a reduction in carbon emissions and an increase in the proportion of clean energy in a low- or zero-carbon green building.
Groundwater Contamination Risk Assessment Based on Groundwater Vulnerability and Pollution Loading: A Case Study of Typical Karst Areas in China
Authors: Xiong Yanna , Liu Jingchao , Yuan Wenchao , Liu Weijiang , Ma Shaobing , Wang Zhiyu , Li Tongtong , Wang Yanwei , Wu Jin
Published: August 2022

Groundwater contamination risk assessment is an important basis to support the protection of the groundwater ecological environment. In this research, the groundwater contamination risk in typical karst areas in China was evaluated by PLEIK model (P: protective cover; L: land use; E: epikarst development; I: infiltration conditions; K: karst development) and classification and discrimination methods were used to assess groundwater vulnerability and pollution source load; the water quality index method was used to assess the status of groundwater contamination in the research area. The results show that groundwater vulnerability values in the research area range from 3.04 to 7.79, and most areas have low groundwater vulnerability. Groundwater pollution loading indexes, in the region of the pollution sources, gathered numerical up-water quality status evaluation that shows that most of the regional groundwater quality in the research area has good groundwater at present. The groundwater contamination risk assessment results show that the groundwater pollution risk is mainly at a very low level in most areas of the study area, but the groundwater pollution risk is higher in the areas where the pollution sources gather. The result reveals that the regional groundwater contamination risk level for regional groundwater ecological environment protection provides a theoretical basis for policy making.
C2-Symmetric N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Asymmetric Transition-Metal Catalysis
Authors: Costabile Chiara , Pragliola Stefania , Grisi Fabia
Published: August 2022

The last decades have witnessed a rapid growth of applications of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) in different chemistry fields. Due to their unique steric and electronic properties, NHCs have become a powerful tool in coordination chemistry, allowing the preparation of stable metal-ligand frameworks with both main group metals and transition metals. An overview on the use of five membered monodentate C2-symmetric N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) as ligands for transition-metal complexes and their most relevant applications in asymmetric catalysis is offered.
New Diluter Solubilized in Liquid Crystal Compounds for High Stability and Fast Response Speed Liquid Crystal Displays
Authors: Mizusaki Masanobu , Okamoto Kazuo , Shibata Toshihiro
Published: August 2022

Diluters play a crucial role for reducing the rotational viscosity of liquid crystal (LC) materials for improving the response property of LC displays (LCDs). However, conventional diluters tend to deteriorate relatively easily under ultraviolet (UV) exposure, due to existence of vinyl groups. Hence, it was difficult to prepare polymer layers in the LC cells by exposing UV for polymerization regarding polymer-sustained vertically-aligned (PS-VA) and polyimide-free (PI-free) technologies. In this study, however, we succeeded to develop a high stable diluter, which shows a symmetrical structure and carries fluorinated groups for stable nematic phase and high affinity with other fluorinated LC compounds. With the use of the symmetrical-structured diluter, we developed the PS-VA and the PI-free in-plane switching cells with a fast response rate and high voltage holding ratio, by combining a reactive monomer including an azobenzene moiety.
Evolutionary Optimization for the Belief-Rule-Based System: Method and Applications
Authors: Qi Zongfeng , Chang Leilei , Shi Fan , Xu Xiaojian , Feng Jing
Published: August 2022

Evolutionary optimization (EO) has been proven to be highly effective computation means in solving asymmetry problems in engineering practices. In this study, a novel evolutionary optimization approach for the belief rule base (BRB) system is proposed, namely EO-BRB, by constructing an optimization model and employing the Differential Evolutionary (DE) algorithm as its optimization engine due to its ability to locate an optimal solution for problems with nonlinear complexity. In the EO-BRB approach, the most representative referenced values of the attributes which are pre-determined in traditional learning approaches are to be optimized. In the optimization model, the mean squared error (MSE) between the actual and observed data is taken as the objective, while the initial weights of all the rules, the beliefs of the scales in the conclusion part, and the referenced values of the attributes are taken as the restraints. Compared with the traditional learning approaches for the BRB system, the EO-BRB approach (1) does not require transforming the numerical referenced values of the attributes into linguistic terms; (2) does not require identifying any initial solution; (3) does not require any mathematical deduction and/or case-specific information which verifies it as a general approach; and (4) can help downsize the BRB system while producing superior performances. Thus, the proposed EO-BRB approach can make the best use of the nonlinear modeling ability of BRB and the optimization superiority of the EO algorithms. Three asymmetry numerical and practical cases are studied to validate the efficiency of the proposed EO-BRB approach.
Theoretical Survey of Time-Dependent Micropolar Nanofluid Flow over a Linear Curved Stretching Surface
Authors: Abbas Nadeem , Shatanawi Wasfi
Published: August 2022

The heat and mass transfer of the unsteady flow of a micropolar fluid over a curved stretching surface was considered in this study. The Brownian motion and thermophoresis effects were explored in this analysis. The effects of suction/injection cases on the curved surface were discussed. Under flow assumptions, a mathematical model was designed employing boundary layer approximations using partial differential equations. A suitable transformation was developed using the lie symmetry method. Partial differential equations were transformed into ordinary differential equations by suitable transformations. The dimensionless system was elucidated through a numerical technique, namely bvp4c. The involved physical parameters’ influences are described in the form of graphs as well as numerical results in the form of tables. Our current work is helpful in the engineering and industrial fields. The unsteadiness parameter increases which Nusselt number at increased but concentrations declined. The thermophoresis parameter increases when increasing the Nusselt number because the small number of nanoparticles enhances the heat transfer rate. The temperature profile declined due to increasing values of unsteadiness parameter for both cases of suction and injection cases.