bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbial Melanin: Renewable Feedstock and Emerging Applications in Food-Related Systems
Authors: Tsouko Erminta , Tolia Eirini , Sarris Dimitris
Published: May 2023

Melanin is among the most important natural pigments produced by various organisms, from microbes to plants and mammals. Melanins possess great properties such as radioprotective and antioxidant activity, heavy metal chelation and absorption of organic compounds. The biosynthesis of melanin through the DOPA metabolic pathway and/or the DHN pathway mainly involves the tyrosinase and laccase enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of phenolic and indolic substrates to form melanin classes, namely eumelanin, pheomelanin, allomelanins and pyomelanin. The cost-efficient production of melanin at a large scale, with a chemically specified composition, constitutes a major technical challenge. Alternative production routes including highly efficient microbial stains cultivated on renewable resources could sustain and up-scale melanin production capacity. The strategy of valorizing low-cost and abundant agro-industrial waste and byproduct streams complies with concepts of sustainable development and circular economy, thus eliminating the environmental footprint. Genetic engineering tools could substantially contribute to enhancing melanogenesis in natural producers via target gene overexpression and the recombination of novel strains. The production of biobased films for food packaging applications reinforced with melanin nanoparticles constitutes a market segment of high interest due to environmental and societal concerns around the end-of-life management of conventional plastics, gradual depletion of fossil resources, sustainability issues and high performance.
Sustainable Amazon: A Systemic Inquiry with Native Populations
Authors: Miranda Raizza , Schwaninger Markus , Lucena Alvimar , Logullo Ygor , Belderrain Mischel Carmen N. , Carvalho Tereza C. M. B. , Sato Renato C.
Published: May 2023

The Amazon Rainforest suffers from unsustainable exploitation and encroachment on native peoples’ territories, leading to poverty and environmental destruction. This inquiry aims to understand the impact of deforestation on the economic development of communities and peoples and the relationships between persistent poverty and social pathologies. The research project employed empirical and conceptual methods, collecting data through interviews and constructing a systemic model concerning pathological dynamics within the Amazon region. The study found traps involving innovation, biodiversity, capacity building, access to economic assets, social development, cultural identity, access to knowledge, savannization, and forest appropriation. A systemic approach that reconnects with nature is essential to establish a sustainable economy in the Amazon rainforest. Proposed solutions include an ecological economy, stopping deforestation, encouraging entrepreneurship, valuing tradition, safe environment, building skills and competencies, increasing information and communication effectiveness, and fostering cooperation. This research seeks fundamentally new solutions that reach beyond the existing regime and contributes to establishing a new paradigm for the Amazon Forest.
SDGs in the EU Steel Sector: A Critical Review of Sustainability Initiatives and Approaches
Authors: Andreotti Michele , Brondi Carlo , Micillo Davide , Zevenhoven Ron , Rieger Johannes , Jo Ayoung , Hettinger Anne-Laure , Bollen Jan , Malfa Enrico , Trevisan Claudio , Peters Klaus , Snaet Delphine , Ballarino Andrea
Published: May 2023

SDGs are playing an increasing role in defining sustainability paths for energy-intensive sectors. In particular, the steel sector is promoting several parallel initiatives as a key player sector in the European process industry. This work describes the major focal trends related to the sustainability of steel and presents the principal EU approaches and initiatives linked with the ESTEP action area. The core sustainability issues related to SDGs in the EU steel sector are presented with a particular focus on the quantification approaches. Then, the paper presents different areas for SDG implementation by single organizations in the EU context. Such areas provide an operational path for managing and implementing SDGs. In particular, the key areas include: (1) roadmapping initiatives with a focus on specific sustainability targets; (2) eco-labelling trends with reference to usage per label typology; (3) reporting initiatives by single organizations with a focus on specific SDGs; and (4) representative EU steel R&D projects related to selected sustainability targets. The discussion part focuses on a critical review of all presented areas to summarise the main paths in adopting SDGs targeted at the EU steel sector level. As the final outcome, prime emerging barriers are suggested as well as critical issues in implementing SDG-based sustainability targets.
An Emergent Transdisciplinary Methodology for Effective Collaboration in Ecological Economics
Authors: Quinn Terrance
Published: May 2023

In ecological economics, common themes notwithstanding, there is a lack of consensus in basic views, with no signs of convergence. All the while, ecological, economic, and social crises continue to deepen globally. A question arises: philosophical speculation and mathematical modeling aside, how can we make progress in theory and praxis when there are mutually incompatible views and sources are transdisciplinary? This article describes a transdisciplinary methodology for effective collaboration that is already emergent in ecological economics, but which has not yet been identified. The method employed in the paper allows for but also is an extension of traditional empirical method. One looks not only to output (of, for example, disciplines) but also to operative methods generative of output. And so, for example, in the effort to interpret an author’s writings, one adverts not only to familiar sources of data but also to one’s own experience. Within this broader focus, components of the methodological solution to the problem in ecological economics begin to come into view. More specifically, sample texts from the literature reveal eight distinct but mutually dependent modes of thought and expression (or, in other words, eight distinct tasks). Four are past-oriented, and four are future-oriented. It also becomes evident that, at this time in history, these modes often are inadvertently combined in semi-random, fragmentary, and counter-productive ways. By the same token, however, when looking to future possibilities, emergent in contemporary ecological economics is a potential methodology for effective collaboration that will be explicitly centered on the eight modes identified. Because it will be grounded in operative methods rather than discipline-specific output, the methodology will be transdisciplinary functional collaboration.
Relative Humidity, Soil Phosphorus, and Stand Structure Diversity Determine Aboveground Biomass along the Elevation Gradient in Various Forest Ecosystems of Pakistan
Authors: Ali Shahab , Khan Shujaul Mulk , Ahmad Zeeshan , Abdullah Abdullah , Kazi Naeemullah , Nawaz Ismat , Almutairi Khalid F. , Avila-Quezada Graciela Dolores , Abd_Allah Elsayed Fathi
Published: May 2023

The direct effects of relative humidity and soil on aboveground biomass (AGB) versus the indirect effects mediated by stand structural diversity remain unclear in forest ecosystems across large-scale elevation gradients. Forest inventory data containing 15,260 individual trees and 104 tree species from 200 forest plots were collected. The result shows that the relative humidity, elevation, and Coefficient of Variation of Diameter at breast height (CVD) significantly influence AGB in the Tropical Thorn Forest (TTF). Regarding elevation, CVD was positive and significant, and relative humidity and SR negatively impacted AGB in sub-tropical broad-leaved forests (STBLF). In moist temperate mixed forests (MTMF), soil phosphorus and CVD have a significant positive impact, while relative humidity, elevation, and SR negatively influence AGB. Elevation and CVD have positive, while SR and soil phosphorus have a negative and insignificant effect on AGB in Dry Temperate Conifer Forests (DTCF). Soil phosphorus and relative humidity positively affected AGB (β = 0.021), while elevation, CVD, and SR negatively affect AGB in dry temperate, pure pine forests (DTPPF). Relative humidity and soil phosphorus have a positive direct effect on AGB in multi-species forests. The current study suggests that AGB primarily depends on relative humidity, soil phosphorus, and elevation in different forest types.
Accessibility and Tourist Satisfaction—Influencing Factors for Tourism in Dobrogea, Romania
Authors: Dumitrașcu Alina Viorica , Teodorescu Camelia , Cioclu Alexandra
Published: May 2023

Dobrogea is a region in Romania that boasts a rich cultural heritage, with a significant number of historical monuments, as well as breathtaking landscapes that attract tourists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of accessibility for seven of the most popular tourist attractions in Dobrogea, which were selected on the basis of their physical, geographic, religious, and historical significance. Furthermore, the level of satisfaction among tourists who visit each attraction was also assessed. Methodologically, several working and data processing methods specific to accessibility analysis were used, and graphic materials were produced to highlight the results obtained. To analyse tourist satisfaction, the researchers conducted interviews with 718 tourists who visited the attractions between June and September of 2022. The findings of this study can provide valuable information to local communities regarding the tourism potential of the region and the accessibility of its attractions. These data can be used to identify areas where roads need to be built or rehabilitated to improve accessibility to important tourist sites. By providing easy access to Dobrogea’s many attractions and ensuring that tourists are satisfied with their experiences, the region can become a top tourist destination in Romania.
The Relation between Outdoor Microclimate and People Flow in Historic City Context the Case Study of Bologna within the ROCK Project
Authors: Boeri Andrea , Longo Danila , Fabbri Kristian , Roversi Rossella , Boulanger Saveria
Published: May 2023

Life quality in urban contexts is related to several interconnected factors. Lots of innovative technologies allow for the gathering of real-time information, which is helpful for analysing and interpreting significant urban dynamics and citizens’ behaviours. The presence of people in outdoor environments, particularly for social and recreational purposes, can be considered as a qualitative indicator, giving evidence of a living environment. The relationship between urban areas and the climate context has been addressed in recent years by the scientific literature. However, these studies did not report the direct correlation between people’s presence and outdoor thermal comfort in outdoor spaces. The aim of this paper is to assess whether the presence of people in outdoor public spaces, detected through human presence sensors, can be associated with outdoor microclimatic conditions (both with on-site measurement and software simulation) and outdoor thermal comfort indicators (as physiological equivalent temperature). The question is whether there exists a direct correlation between outdoor microclimate in public spaces and people’s presence, and if a public event plays a role in changing it. The research compares on-site measurements of physics variables (e.g., air temperature) and people’s presence with outdoor microclimate maps by Envi-met. The case study, carried out in the framework of the H2020 project ROCK—Regeneration and Optimization of Cultural Heritage in Creative and Knowledge cities, focuses on two squares located in Bologna’s historic city center. The conclusions show that public events are the main deciding factor influencing square crowding; nevertheless, the study reveals a relationship between thermal comfort and the number of people.
Mitigation of Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Rice–Wheat Cropping Systems with Sub-Surface Application of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Water-Saving Irrigation
Authors: Gaihre Yam Kanta , Bible Wendie D. , Singh Upendra , Sanabria Joaquin , Baral Khagendra Raj
Published: May 2023

Management of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and irrigation can play a critical role to increase nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). However, the impacts of N application at the root zone via urea briquette deep placement (UDP) and water-saving irrigation alternate wetting and drying (AWD) on N2O emissions are not well-understood. A greenhouse study was conducted to investigate the impacts of UDP on N2O emissions, NUE, and grain yields of rice and wheat compared with broadcast prilled urea (PU). For rice, the effect of UDP was evaluated under continuous flooding (CF) and AWD, while the control (no N) and PU were tested only under CF. In rice, UDP under CF irrigation produced similar emissions to PU-CF, but UDP under AWD irrigation increased emissions by 4.5-fold compared with UDP under CF. UDP under CF irrigation increased (p < 0.05) rice grain yields and N recovery efficiency (RE) by 26% and 124% compared with PU-CF, respectively. In wheat, UDP had no effects (p > 0.05) on emissions compared with PU. However, it produced higher wheat grain yields (9%) and RE (35%) over PU. In conclusion, UDP under CF irrigation increases the RE and grain yields of rice without increasing N2O emissions, but the yield may reduce and N2O emissions may increase under AWD.
Investigations on Entrepreneurship Needs, Challenges, and Models for Countries in Transition to Sustainable Development from Resource-Based Economy—Qatar as a Case
Authors: Al-Housani Mohammad I. , Koç Muammer , Al-Sada Mohammed S.
Published: May 2023

This paper presents a comprehensive and comparative investigation into the needs, challenges, and potential roles for entrepreneurship in transforming resource-rich countries into sustainable economies. It explores the role of entrepreneurship to help transition from a resource-based economy, mainly through increasing the number of entrepreneurs and enhancing private-enterprise-led and small and medium enterprises to achieve economic diversification. This study focuses on the case of Qatar, considering its current policies, mechanisms, and institutes, and how they are working together to help diversify the economy and ultimately transition from its current resource-based economy. It begins with a comprehensive review of the literature, including a discussion of the significance of economic diversification globally and examining the role of government and other actors in developing entrepreneurship and the private sector. The methodology and conditions are set out, followed by the findings of the qualitative interview study with key and representative stakeholders within the existing entrepreneurship arena, such as entrepreneurs (successful or failed), those wanting to be entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors, and supporting agencies. The interviews are thematically analyzed to identify apparent challenges, their root causes, and initial recommendations. Three barriers in the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Qatar are identified: (1) lack of a conducive and transparent legal, regulatory, and governance environment, (2) lack of access to risk-based financing for entrepreneurs, and (3) lack of locally relevant entrepreneurial mentorship and guidance. Finally, the authors used the literature review and interview results to develop a progressive, locally tailored, dynamic preliminary framework for Qatar, and similar countries, to increase the number of entrepreneurs and small businesses to achieve economic growth and diversification.
SLM Additive Manufacturing of Oscillating Heat Pipe
Authors: Chen Kuan-Lin , Luo Kuan-Yu , Gupta Pratik Prakash , Kang Shung-Wen
Published: May 2023

This study employed metal additive manufacturing technology to fabricate oscillating heat pipes using SUS316L as the material and conducted related printing parameter experiments and thermal performance tests. The initial experimentation involved testing the relative density and size error of the metal additive manufacturing process. Density measurement was performed using the Archimedes method, and further X-ray CT scanning was utilized to observe the internal structure and compactness. The outcomes indicate that suitable laser parameters yield favorable results in producing oscillating heat pipes, achieving good compactness and minimal dimensional error with proper parameter adjustments. Following relevant pre-processing and post-processing on the oscillating heat pipe, leakage experiments were conducted to ensure experimental accuracy. The oscillating heat pipe had dimensions of 120 mm in length and 51 mm in width, with five turns of 2 mm × 2 mm cross-sectional channels inside. Interval design was employed to address inter-channel thermal interaction commonly encountered in flat heat pipes for comparison. Methanol was selected as the working fluid to investigate the oscillating characteristics and thermal performance under different input powers (20 W, 30 W, 40 W, 60 W, 80 W). The results indicated that the inter-channel spacing can significantly decrease the lateral thermal interaction and enhance the oscillation effect during the operation of the oscillating heat pipe, resulting in improved thermal performance. The experiments demonstrated that at 20 W, the equivalent thermal conductivity of the heat pipes with and without inter-channel spacing was 2428 and 1743 (W/mK), respectively, and at 80 W, it was 2663 and 2511 (W/mK), respectively. These results indicate that reducing thermal interaction can significantly improve the oscillation effect, leading to higher equivalent thermal conductivity at low power.
Research on Calculating Traffic Capacity in Extra-Long Subsea Tunnels—A Case Study of the Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Subsea Tunnel
Authors: Xing Ruru , Li Zimu , Cai Xiaoyu , Rong Xiaonan , Yang Tao , Peng Bo
Published: May 2023

Analyzing the traffic capacity of extra-long tunnels is crucial in assessing their sustainable capacity. However, previous studies on tunnel capacity mainly considered the influence of a single factor, ignoring the interaction between multiple factors, which cannot reflect the actual tunnel capacity. Therefore, considering the influence of multiple factors, this paper constructs an actual capacity calculation model for extra-long tunnels. Firstly, by combining hierarchical analysis and the entropy method, we determined the key factors that influence the capacity of extra-long tunnels. Secondly, based on the constructed traffic simulation model, we constructed an actual capacity model of extra-long tunnels by using multiple non-linear regression equations and tested the goodness of fit with the help of the misfit term. Finally, we determined the key correction coefficients of the model using the difference proportion method. Taking Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay undersea Tunnel as an example, the research results show that the method proposed in this paper can accurately determine the tunnel capacity with an error of less than 4%, providing a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the management and control of the tunnel’s sustainable carrying capacity after traffic congestion.
Assessment of Vulnerability Caused by Earthquake Disasters Based on DEA: A Case Study of County-Level Units in Chinese Mainland
Authors: Gao Yuxin , Yu Xianrui , Xi Menghao , Zhao Qiuhong
Published: May 2023

Earthquake activity can generate huge energy in a short period of time, bringing enormous risks to people’s lives and property safety. This poses a great challenge to regional sustainable development. Meanwhile, due to the complex mechanism, seismic activity is difficult to accurately predict. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore how to reduce earthquake disaster losses from the perspective of human society. In this study, we use vulnerability to reflect the relative impact of earthquake disasters on different counties. The vulnerability caused by earthquakes is calculated with the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. We use CCR and BCC models to further decompose vulnerability into pure technology vulnerability and scale vulnerability. This study analyzes 69 earthquake disasters that occurred in the Chinese mainland from 2013 to 2020 and explores the influencing factors of pure technology vulnerability from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Three main conclusions are drawn. First, four factors, including the added value of the secondary industry, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, investment density of fixed assets and energy released by earthquakes, have a significant impact on the pure technical vulnerability of counties caused by earthquake disasters. Second, in the samples under consideration, the average vulnerability of the regions with an earthquake magnitude below 5.0 is higher than that of the regions with an earthquake magnitude between 5.0 and 6.0. There are deficiencies in organization, management and facilities in regions with a small earthquake risk. Third, through qualitative analysis, it is shown that the seismic function of buildings affects the vulnerability of counties facing earthquake disasters. The results of the research can provide decision makers with new insights into earthquake prevention and disaster reduction management.
What Are Differences in Perceptions about Climate Technologies between Experts and the Public?
Authors: Song Jaeryoung
Published: May 2023

The Korean government announced it was carbon-neutral in October 2021. In addition, as a follow-up, the government maintains related laws and systems and invests in facilitating research and technology development extensively. Government investment is ultimately the people’s taxes, and for laws and systems, the people’s support and interest are of importance. This study investigated carbon-neutral technologies of an expert group and the public, technology acceptance, and recommendation intention. The results of the study are as follows. First, the goodness-of-fit of the proposed model and its structure had a positive impact on technology acceptance (recommendation) intention. Second, the result of a multi-group comparative analysis of the impacts on the acceptance of carbon-neutral technologies by the public and experts was overall at an acceptable level. Third, as for perceptions about climate technologies among experts and the public, it was found that there were differences in effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and network effects between the expert group and the public.
Fuel Gas Production from the Co-Gasification of Coal, Plastic Waste, and Wood in a Fluidized Bed Reactor: Effect of Gasifying Agent and Bed Material
Authors: Zaccariello Lucio , Mastellone Maria Laura
Published: May 2023

In this study, the effect of gasifying agent and bed material on the performance of the co-gasification of a mixture of coal, plastic waste, and wood was investigated. The experimental runs were carried out in a lab-scale bubbling fluidized bed reactor utilizing air, oxygen-enriched air, a mixture of air and steam, and a mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide as reactant gases, while silica sand, olivine, and a mixture of olivine and dolomite as bed materials were used. The results indicated that both gasifying agent and bed material strongly affect the gas composition and, as a consequence, the process performance. In particular, the test with oxygen-enriched air and silica sand provided a producer gas with the highest heating value (9.32 MJ/Nm3), while the best performance in terms of gas yield (2.98 Nm3/kg) and tar reduction (−94.5%) was obtained by utilizing the air/steam mixture and olivine. As regards tar composition, it was observed that the most abundant and recalcitrant tar substance groups are naphthalenes and PAHs. On the other hand, phenols and furans appear to be the most sensitive groups to the effect of gasifying agent and bed material.
A Responsive Approach for Designing Shared Urban Spaces in Tourist Villages
Authors: Moussa Rasha A.
Published: May 2023

Tourist villages are constructed as a means for reducing the stress caused by the rapid changes in modern life by providing a comfortable environment for users to integrate with. Nevertheless, many villages cannot achieve a satisfactory performance level due to the ignorance of urban designers of the relationship between humans and their environment and its impact on developing successful urban spaces. This paper aims to analyze and measure the impact of humanitarian needs on the spatial formation of shared urban spaces in three tourist villages on the Northern Coast in Egypt, as it is one of the significant areas that the government and the private sector focus on developing and considering as a domestic and international touristic area. Furthermore, the study uses different quantitative techniques to achieve its goals, such as spatial analysis and data analysis of user questionnaires using SPSS to measure the factors that affect each need. The study’s findings place special emphasis on the connection between spatial formation’s capacity for meeting and satisfying user needs. Moreover, the results highlight design criteria that contribute to creating responsive urban spaces and should be considered by urban designers to achieve the highest performance quality in these shared spaces and generate social sustainability.
Research on the Coupling Coordination of Green Finance, Digital Economy, and Ecological Environment in China
Authors: Zhang Lifang , Zhao Yuexu
Published: May 2023

This study analyzes the coupling coordination of green finance, digital economy, and ecological environment, and constructs an evaluation index system of coupling coordination degree. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020, this study applies the coupling coordination model, spatial autocorrelation model, and gray correlation model to analyze the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of coupling coordination degree and driving factors. The results indicate that the overall level of green finance, digital economy, and ecological environment maintains steady development, among them, the digital economy is developing the fastest. The coupling coordination degree among the three subsystems exhibits an ascending trend and transitions from dissonance to coordination and displays significant global and local spatial autocorrelation characteristics. Regional disparities exist between the driving factors that influence the coupling coordination degree. Therefore, the existing green financial system should be optimized, coordination of green finance and digital economy synergies should be improved, and each region should devise a development strategy tailored to its regional characteristics.
Coupling Study of Urban Ecological Planning and Environmental Music in Hefei University Town, China
Authors: Wang Su , He Huaidong , Xiao Qingqing
Published: May 2023

Urban ecological planning uses ecology, environmental science, economics, and urbanology to adjust and transform various complex urban relationships, seeking to expand benefits and reducing risks. Environmental music, a kind of non appreciative music, can act on subject consciousness and may influence the urban ecosystem in which it is employed. Many connections appear between urban ecological planning and environmental music. This study took the university town of Hefei City, Anhui Province, China, as an example. This work was conducted to explore the effects of environmental music on the development of urban ecological planning by combining relevant studies of environmental science, urban ecology, urban planning, and musicology. The results showed that environmental music, as a cultural information flow, affected the urban ecosystem and had a typical function for different ecological function zones in the city. Different types of environmental music had spiritual and cultural publicity functions in regulating the main body of the urban ecosystem (residents and students), and it also influenced the growth of common plants in cities and had different ecological and environmental effects.
Circularity as a Climate Change Mitigation Strategy in the Building Sector: The Stakeholder’s Involvement in the Interconnected Life Cycle Phases
Authors: Kaya Fuat Emre , Monsù Scolaro Antonello
Published: May 2023

There is an evident relationship between climate change and the building sector through reciprocal environmental impacts. The circular economy is fitted into this relationship as a mitigation strategy in the building sector, thanks to its nature of life cycle perspective consideration, support for stakeholder collaboration, and the ideology of waste minimization, reduction of natural resource consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. This article aims to conduct two subsequential systematic literature reviews to evaluate the status in the scientific literature about the circular economy as a climate change mitigation strategy in the building sector and to find the place taken in the scientific literature about the stakeholder’s involvement toward circularity transition in the abovementioned link. As a result of the methodological approach, publicly available and reliable publications have been identified and analyzed based on the publication year and territory. The results indicate an increasing scientific literature contribution about the context, but the stakeholder concept is considerably taken less place; thus, it is a gap in the scientific literature. The stakeholder focal point, which the innovativeness of this article lays down, needs more attention in academic research, thus in the sector with the strengthening collaboration and mutual awareness among stakeholders.
Research on the Bearing Capacity and Sustainable Construction of a Vacuum Drainage Pipe Pile
Authors: Lin Wei-Kang , Tang Xiao-Wu , Zou Yuan , Liang Jia-Xin , Li Ke-Yi
Published: May 2023

The vacuum drainage pipe (VDP) pile is a new type of pipe pile on which the current research is mainly focused on laboratory tests. There is little research on bearing characteristics and carbon emissions in practical engineering. To further explore the bearing capacity and sustainable construction of vacuum drainage pipe piles, static load tests were conducted to investigate the single-pile bearing capacity of ordinary pipe piles and vacuum drainage pipe piles, as well as soil settlement monitoring around the piles. Then, the Q-S curves of the two piles, the pile-side friction resistance under different pile top loads, and the development law of pile end resistance were compared and analyzed. Finally, based on the guidelines of the IPCC, the energy-saving and emission-reduction effects of VDP piles in practical engineering were estimated. The results indicate that, after vacuum consolidation, the VDP pile basically eliminates the phenomenon of soil compaction and does not cause excessive relative displacement of the pile and soil. VDP piles have increased lateral friction resistance, and compared to traditional piles, their ultimate bearing capacity is increased by 17.6%. Compared with traditional methods, the VDP pile method can reduce carbon emissions by 31.4%. This study provides guidance for the production and design of future VDP piles and demonstrates the potential of VDP piles for energy conservation and emission reduction in comparison to traditional methods.
Multidimensional Ecosystem Mapping: Towards a More Comprehensive Spatial Assessment of Nature’s Contributions to People in France
Authors: Shmelev Stanislav E. , Agbleze Linus , Spangenberg Joachim H.
Published: May 2023

Ecosystems are experiencing significant pressure from human activities, with 1 million species at risk of extinction. This is threatening to undermine the resilience of ecosystems, which provide multiple benefits to support human existence and are essential for the support of life on Earth. A number of conceptual frameworks have been developed as a guide for the assessment of ecosystem services (ESs) and nature’s contributions to people (NCPs), including Millennium Ecosystems Assessment, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity report, France’s National Ecosystems Assessment, the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services, and the Global Assessment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. In this paper, we compare the existing conceptual frameworks for the assessment of ESs and NCPs and derive a unified structural framework. Several indicators for characterizing the ESs/NCPs provided are selected and integrated through normalization. On this basis, and enriched by a number of culture-specific indicators, we conduct a mapping exercise illustrating the ES/NCP provision for the whole of France in a spatially explicit form based on a 1 × 1 km scale. Finally, we generate integrated maps depicting distribution patterns of different services and contributions across the landscapes of France focusing on economic, social and ecological dimensions. The results indicate that a non-monetary assessment of the complexity and diversity of NCPs is feasible and presents tangible advantages as compared to monetary frameworks. The paper concludes that provisioning, regulating and cultural services and contributions are geographically unevenly distributed and further analysis is required to assess the degree of complementarity, feedback loops and tipping points among different services. Our pilot research clearly illustrated the feasibility of conducting a highly disaggregated multidimensional assessment of ESs/NCPs at the national scale to inform decision making.
Quantitative Identification Study of Epidemic Risk in the Spatial Environment of Harbin City
Authors: Sun Ming , Jiao Xueyu
Published: May 2023

Global pandemics pose a threat to the sustainable development of urban health. As urban spaces are important places for people to interact, overcrowding in these spaces can increase the risk of disease transmission, which is detrimental to the sustainable development of urban health. Therefore, it is crucial to identify potential epidemic risk areas and assess their risk levels for future epidemic prevention and the sustainable development of urban health. This article takes the main urban area of Harbin as the research object and conducts a cluster spatial analysis from multiple perspectives, including building density, functional density, functional mix, proximity, intermediacy, and thermal intensity, proposing a comprehensive identification method. The study found that (1) functional density is the most significant influencing factor in the formation of epidemic risks. Among various urban functions, commercial and public service functions have the strongest impact on the generation and spread of epidemic risks, and their distribution also has the widest impact range. (2) The spaces with higher levels of epidemic risk in Harbin are mainly distributed in the core urban areas, while the peripheral areas have relatively lower levels of risk, showing a decreasing trend from the center to the periphery. At the same time, the hierarchical distribution of urban space also has an impact on the spatial distribution of the epidemic. (3) The method proposed in this study played an important role in identifying the spatial aggregation of epidemic risks in Harbin and successfully identified the risk levels of epidemic distribution in the city. In spatial terms, it is consistent with high-risk locations of epidemic outbreaks, which proves the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method. These research findings are beneficial for measures to promote sustainable urban development, improve the city’s epidemic prevention capabilities and public health levels, and make greater contributions to the sustainable development of global public health, promoting global health endeavors.
Do ESG Risk Scores Influence Financial Distress? Evidence from a Dynamic NDEA Approach
Authors: Antunes Jorge , Wanke Peter , Fonseca Thiago , Tan Yong
Published: May 2023

Financial distress is a research topic in finance that has attracted attention from academia following past financial crises. Although previous studies associate financial distress with several elements, the relationship between distress and ESG has not been broadly explored. This paper investigates these issues by elaborating a Dynamic Network DEA model to address the underlying connections between accounting and financial indicators. Thus, a model that includes profit and loss, balance sheet, and capital and operating expenditures indicators is demonstrated under the dynamic network structure to compute financial-distress efficiency scores. Then, the impact of carryovers is considered for the accurate calculation of efficiency scores for the three substructures. The influence of contextual variables, such as socioeconomic and macroeconomic variables, and whether the firm owns an ESG Risk Score or not, is assessed through a stochastic non-linear model that combines three distinct regression types: Simplex, Tobit, and Beta. The results indicate that firms that hold an ESG Risk Score are less prone to be in financial distress, and Governance Score is negatively associated with financial distress efficiency.
Correction: Li et al. Cooperative Efficiency Evaluation System for Intelligent Transportation Facilities Based on the Variable Weight Matter Element Extension. Sustainability 2023, 15, 2411
Authors: Li Kailei , Bai Han , Yan Xiang , Zhao Liang , Wang Xiuguang
Published: May 2023

The authors would like to make the following corrections about the published paper [...]
Examining the Impact of Frontline Service Robots Service Competence on Hotel Frontline Employees from a Collaboration Perspective
Authors: Kim Yunsik
Published: May 2023

With the increasing adoption of frontline service robots (FLSRs) in hospitality workplaces, collaboration between frontline employees (FLEs) and FLSRs has become a necessity. The existing literature focuses on the customer perspective of FLSRs; however, this study explains the mechanisms through which employees’ willingness to collaborate with FLSRs are built. By incorporating robot service capability and perceived risk as external variables into a technology acceptance model, this study investigated the mechanisms of FLEs’ willingness to collaborate with FLSRs. The results showed that the service capability of FLSRs plays a significant role in increasing FLEs’ willingness to collaborate, whereas perceived risk decreases their willingness to collaborate. These results indicate that the level of service capability of FLSRs and the management of perceived risk are important in shaping FLEs’ positive attitudes toward collaborating with FLSRs. Therefore, this study extends the literature by investigating how FLEs and FLSRs relate to each other from a collaboration perspective.
The Role of Spontaneous Flora in the Mitigation of Particulate Matter from Traffic Roads in an Urbanised Area
Authors: Popek Robert , Fornal-Pieniak Beata , Dąbrowski Piotr , Chyliński Filip
Published: May 2023

Particulate matter (PM) is a serious air pollutant that poses significant health risks. One solution to reduce PM concentrations in these areas is through phytoremediation, a process that involves using plants to remove contaminants from the environment. In this study, we investigated the capacity of spontaneous flora—herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees growing in five zones from the road—to absorb PM on their foliage. The study found significant differences in the accumulation of PM, with the highest PM accumulation recorded in Zone V, which boasted a blend of the three mentioned vegetation types together. In contrast, Zones I and II, which were located close to the road and comprised solely herbaceous plants, exhibited 14.3% and 43.4% less PM accumulation, respectively. Similarly, Zone IV, with a mix of herbaceous plants and shrubs, showed 64.5% less PM accumulation, while Zone III, with only herbaceous plants, had a staggering PM accumulation reduction of 76.8%. The sum of Si+Al+Ca displayed a similar pattern. Furthermore, the findings highlighted the valuable role of plants in decreasing PM concentrations in the air, resulting in reductions of 76%, 39%, and 47% for PM10, PM2.5, and PM1.0, respectively. The results indicate that various spontaneous flora can work in unison to reduce PM, providing a multifaceted approach to combating air pollution.
Green Requirement Engineering: Towards Sustainable Mobile Application Development and Internet of Things
Authors: Tanveer Mahrukh , Khan Huma Hayat , Malik Muhammad Noman , Alotaibi Youseef
Published: May 2023

Mobile usage statistics show the one thing that cannot be overlooked, which is the overwhelming usage of smartphones. According to the statistics, there are approximately 6.4 billion users of smartphones. Considering the world population, this rate of smart phone usage is more than 80%. Mobile development is the fastest prominent trend, although web development cannot be denied. However, the fact is that mobile platforms are considered cumbersome and complex when it comes to accomplishing requirement engineering processes, especially when mobile applications are combined with the Internet of Things (IoT). These complexities result in barriers to sustainable mobile development. The difficulty and differences occur due to various limitations, either that of mobile devices or others. Some of those from mobile devices include processor, battery, and touch screens, user experience in terms of touch screens, user context, and interactive behaviors. Other limitations include the difference in the software development lifecycle and the difference in the software development process due to inconsistency in user requirements with the aforementioned limited device capabilities. The target objective of this research is to investigate and identify all possible challenges related to mobile applications and connected mobile devices (IoT) while executing the requirement engineering process. This study can further the existing state of knowledge by contributing to the list of challenges faced in the requirement gathering process of mobile application development. Furthermore, it can also help practitioners, specifically those involved in the requirement gathering process, to carefully consider these challenges before executing the requirement engineering process.
Dynamic Capabilities, Environmental Management Capabilities, Stakeholder Pressure and Eco-Innovation of Chinese Manufacturing Firms: A Moderated Mediation Model
Authors: Huang Zhunxin , Xiao Zengrui
Published: May 2023

Growing social and academic concerns toward environmental sustainability are constantly driving attention toward eco-innovation as an effective solution to environmental problems. Extant studies on drivers of eco-innovation have not fully investigated the interaction mechanisms between different factors. Drawing upon the resource-based view, stakeholder theory, and environmental literature, this paper aims to explore the mechanisms of how firm capabilities and perceived stakeholder pressure interact to facilitate eco-innovation. Based on survey data collected from 169 Chinese manufacturing firms, the results of regression analysis based on bootstrap resampling method show that environmental management system (EMS) completely mediates the relationship between dynamic capabilities (including absorptive capability and reconfiguring capability) and eco-innovation (including eco-process and eco-product innovation). Furthermore, the relationship between absorptive/reconfiguring capabilities and EMS, as well as the direct and indirect relationship between absorptive capability and eco-process innovation, is contingent upon stakeholder pressure. The direct and indirect effects become stronger when managers perceive higher stakeholder pressure. This paper contributes to answering why firms undertake environmental activities beyond compliance through specifying the interaction between firm capabilities and stakeholder pressure.
Profit-Sharing Contract of the Fresh Agricultural Products Supply Chain under Community Group Purchase Mode Considering Freshness Preservation Efforts
Authors: Li Min , Lian Zhen , Yang Guangchuan , Li Liaoning
Published: May 2023

This article constructed a four-level fresh agricultural product (FAP) supply chain with a two-stage pricing strategy under a “community group purchase (CGP) platform + direct procurement from the FAP supplier” sales model. We investigate the influence of the CGP agency’s participation in the control strategy of FAP freshness preservation efforts on the profits of supply chain stakeholders. This article discusses the effects of the FAP supplier profit-sharing ratio, the CGP agency profit-sharing ratio, and consumers’ sensitivity to FAP freshness on the supply chain stakeholders’ freshness preservation efforts. Moreover, based on the fairness preference theory, this article designed a profit-sharing contract that involves the Nash bargaining game between the FAP supplier and the CGP agency as the supply chain coordination mechanism. Modeling results revealed that: (1) The CGP agency’s freshness preservation efforts increased total supply chain profits. (2) The FAP supplier profit-sharing ratio, CGP agency profit-sharing ratio, and consumers’ sensitivity to FAP freshness have a positive correlation to the profits of the FAP supply chain and promote the coordination of the supply chain. (3) Considering fairness preferences, with the increase in FAP suppliers’ business negotiating ability, their freshness preservation efforts and fairness utility both increased gradually, while the fairness utility of the CGP agency gradually decreased.
Analysis of Modulus Properties of High-Modulus Asphalt Mixture and Its New Evaluation Index of Rutting Resistance
Authors: Huang Guojing , Zhang Jiupeng , Hui Bing , Zhang Hongfei , Guan Yongsheng , Guo Fucheng , Li Yan , He Yinzhang , Wang Di
Published: May 2023

High-modulus asphalt mixture (HMAM) is one of the most effective materials to enhance the rutting resistance of asphalt pavement and upgrade pavement sustainability. The objectives of this study are to investigate the modulus properties of different HMAMs and their correlation with the rutting resistance, to propose reasonable modulus evaluation indicators, and to analyze the rutting resistance mechanisms of different materials (hard asphalt, polyethylene, dissolved polyolefin). The effect of three HMAMs and two styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modifiers on asphalt mixtures’ rutting resistance were evaluated by dynamic modulus test and wheel track test, and the results were simulated and further analyzed via ABAQUS. The results indicate that the dynamic modulus of the mixtures showed a gradual increase and decrease with the increase of loading frequency and testing temperature, respectively. The ratio of dynamic modulus in low frequency to that in high frequency correlates well with dynamic stability under high-temperature conditions, and the wider the frequency coverage, the higher the correlation between this ratio and dynamic stability. The rutting resistance of asphalt pavements can be improved by reducing the frequency sensitivity of HMAMs under high temperatures or by increasing the modulus’ absolute value of the pavement structural layer. Therefore, two indicators, the absolute value of the modulus and the ratio of 0.1 Hz dynamic modulus to 25 Hz dynamic modulus at 55 °C, are recommended for the evaluation of rutting resistance of HMAMs. Based on the evaluation indexes proposed in this paper, a comparative analysis of the rutting resistance mechanism of HMAMs prepared with different materials was carried out, and it was concluded that the mixture with high-modulus agents had the best rutting resistance, which is consistent with the test road observations, thus verifying the feasibility of the modulus evaluation indexes recommended in this paper for the evaluation of the rutting resistance of different types of HMAMs.