bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enabling Packet Classification with Low Update Latency for SDN Switch on FPGA
Authors: Li Chenglong , Li Tao , Li Junnan , Shi Zilin , Wang Baosheng
Published: April 2020

Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is widely used in real-time network processing such as Software-Defined Networking (SDN) switch due to high performance and programmability. Bit-Vector (BV)-based approaches can implement high-performance multi-field packet classification, on FPGA, which is the core function of the SDN switch. However, the SDN switch requires not only high performance but also low update latency to avoid controller failure. Unfortunately, the update latency of BV-based approaches is inversely proportional to the number of rules, which means can hardly support the SDN switch effectively. It is reasonable to split the ruleset into sub-rulesets that can be performed in parallel, thereby reducing update latency. We thus present SplitBV for the efficient update by using several distinguishable exact-bits to split the ruleset. SplitBV consists of a constrained recursive algorithm for selecting the bit positions that can minimize the latency and a hybrid lookup pipeline. It can achieve a significant reduction in update latency with negligible memory growth and comparable high performance. We implement SplitBV and evaluate its performance by simulation and FPGA prototype. Experimental results show that our approach can reduce 73% and 36% update latency on average for synthetic 5-tuple rules and OpenFlow rules respectively.
Quantification of Household Food Waste in Hungary: A Replication Study Using the FUSIONS Methodology
Authors: Kasza Gyula , Dorkó Annamária , Kunszabó Atilla , Szakos Dávid
Published: April 2020

Household food waste accounts for the most significant part of total food waste in economically developed countries. In recent times, this issue has gained recognition in the international research community and policy making. In light of the Sustainable Development Goals of FAO, mandatory reporting on food waste has been integrated into European legislation, as a basis of preventive programs. The paper presents the results of research that aimed to quantify the food waste generated by Hungarian households. Research methodology was based on the EU compliant FUSIONS recommendations. In total, 165 households provided reliable data with detailed waste logs. Households were supported by kitchen scales, measuring glasses, and a manual. Based on the extrapolation of the week-long measurement, the average food waste was estimated to be 65.49 kg per capita annually, of which the avoidable part represented 48.81%. Within the avoidable part, meals, bakery products, fresh fruits and vegetables, and dairy products are accountable for 88% of the mass. This study was a replication of the first Hungarian household food waste measurement conducted in 2016 with the same methodology. Between the two periods, a 4% decrease was observed. The findings, for instance the dominant share of meals in food waste, should be put in focus during preventive campaigns. National level food waste measurement studies using the FUSIONS methodology should be fostered by policy makers to establish the foundations of effective governmental interventions and allow for the international benchmarking of preventive actions.
Assessing Soil Acidification of Croplands in the Poyang Lake Basin of China from 2012 to 2018
Authors: Liu Xiaoyang , Shi Huading , Bai Zhongke , Liu Xiaocai , Yang Bing , Yan Dingxuan
Published: April 2020

Soil acidification, caused by intensified fertilizer application and acid deposition, has threatened the sustainability of agricultural ecosystems and soil quality in parts of China since the 1980s. However, little is known about the spatio-temporal change of soil pH in cropland at a large basin scale. Poyang Lake Basin of China was selected as the study area to identify the spatio-temporal change of cropland pH and detect potential soil acidification factors. A total of 507 and 503 topsoil samples were collected in 2012 and 2018, respectively, and methods including one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson’s correlation analyses, and Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) were applied. Results showed that soil pH ranged from 3.96 to 7.95 in 2012 and from 3.34 to 8.19 in 2018, with most samples being acidic (pH < 7) in both sets of data. The two soil datasets showed a significant decline (p < 0.05) of 0.1 pH units over the past six years and several soil samples that exhibited obvious uptrends in the groups of pH < 4.5 and 4.5–5.0 from 2012 to 2018. Overall, the distribution patterns of pH at the two sampling dates were similar, whereas local details of the pH spatial distribution patterns differed. While we found a significant correlation (p < 0.05) between soil pH and aspect, elevation and slope showed no significant correlation with pH. ANOVA showed that pH values in the water density (river or lake network density) range of 6.27–19.94 were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the other water densities. Large amounts of precipitation with low pH values were found to significantly influence soil pH, whereas N-fertilizer inputs exerted limited effects on soil pH over the entire study area. These findings provided new insights on soil acidification assessment and potential factor detection at the basin scale.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Performance: A Hybrid Text Mining Algorithm
Authors: Lee Mushang , Huang Yu-Lan
Published: April 2020

Until now, the works regarding the relationships between corporate operating performance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) could not reach a conclusive result (positive, natural, and negative). This circumstance can be attributed to two main reasons: (1) inadequate performance measurement and (2) ignoring the multi-dimensional nature of CSR. To combat this, we provided a hybrid decision framework that consisted of two main procedures: (1) performance measurement via linear programming algorithm and (2) CSR’s multi-dimensional nature extraction via text mining. By joint utilization of a linear programming algorithm and text mining, we could gain more insights from the outcome. The proposed decision framework, tested by real cases, is a promising alternative method for performance prediction. Managers can take this model as a roadmap and allocate resources to suitable places, as well as reach the goal of sustainable development.
Productivity Growth in Chinese Medical Institutions during 2009–2018
Authors: Chen Xueli , Valdmanis Vivian , Yu Tuotuo
Published: April 2020

China is the most populous nation and considerations of economic efficiency in the social sectors is important for maintaining the wellbeing of such a large population. This is especially true when gauging the performance of the healthcare sector treating the population. In this paper, we examine the total factor productivity (TFP) growth in Chinese medical institutions during the period 2009–2018, which experienced a systemic healthcare reform. In order to identify the contribution from each component of TFP indicators and from each provincial or regional medical institutions, a generalized decomposition of productivity gains is applied to analyze hospital operations based on an aggregate directional distance function (DDF). The results show that the annual average TFP growth rate in Chinese medical institutions is 1.87% that is mainly driven by technological progress (0.75%, per annum), while less contributed by technical efficiency change (0.65%, p.a.) and scale efficiency change (0.47%, p.a.). Disparities of provincial hospital performances are observed that may provide policy implications for decision makers.
Ammonium as a Carbon-Free Electron and Proton Source in Microbial Electrosynthesis Processes
Authors: Sivalingam Vasan , Dinamarca Carlos , Samarakoon Gamunu , Winkler Dietmar , Bakke Rune
Published: April 2020

Biogas upgrading to biomethane with microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is receiving much attention due to increasing biomethane demands and surplus renewable energy. Research has demonstrated the feasibility of MES to increase methane yield by reducing CO2 in anaerobic digestion (AD). Such CO2 reduction occurs at the cathode and requires the supply of both protons and electrons. The most studied sources of protons and electrons are oxidation of organic substances and water, generated at the anode. These anodic reactions, however, also imply the production of CO2 and O2, respectively, both with negative implications for the AD process. A source of protons and electrons without CO2 and O2 as by-products would be beneficial for MES-enhanced biomethane production. This opinion article discusses the possibility of ammonium to serve as a sustainable proton and electron source.
Thermal Analysis of a New Neutron Shielding Vacuum Multiple Glass
Authors: Zhang Shanwen , Kong Min , Memon Saim , Miao Hong , Zhang Yanjun , Liu Sixing
Published: April 2020

The neutron shielding glass is widely used in nuclear/fusion plants. To improve its temperature resistance and heat insulation, a Gadolinium (Gd)-containing laminate vacuum multiple glass is proposed by using the vacuum insulation method. A 3D finite element model validated by theoretical calculation was developed to analyse the heat transfer path and numerical simulation of the multiple glass was carried out to obtain the temperature distribution and the maximum temperatures of the organic glass in relation to dynamic working temperatures, the sealing agent width, view size, and vacuum thermal conductivity. The results show that the vacuum layer between common glasses can make the work temperature of neutron shielding glass increase. The multiple glass has good heat-shielding performance and it is expected to work in a high-temperature environment. In addition, the vacuum layer between the common glasses and the sealing agent width decay with respect to the view size and vacuum thermal conductivity show an increase in the working temperature of the neutron shielding glass. It was concluded that the order of affecting the temperatures of the organic glass follows the pattern of: view size > vacuum thermal conductivity > sealing agent width.
Is the Relationship between Transportation and Communications Industries Complementary or Substitutional? An Asian Countries-Based Empirical Analysis Using Input-Output Accounts
Authors: Choi Sungtaek , Choo Sangho , Kim Sujae
Published: April 2020

The relationship between transportation and communications has been discussed throughout the past decades. This study also investigates that relationship to determine whether they are complementary or substitutive in terms of the industrial perspective, focusing mainly on six Asian countries (China, Japan, India, Korea, Indonesia, and Taiwan). National input-output (I-O) tables from the World Input-Output Database (WIOD) were used to construct research dataset. Each activity in the table was examined and fell into either transportation or communications category when they are related to those categories, thereby establishing six categories: Transportation manufacturing (TM), transportation utilities (TU), communications manufacturing (CM), communications utilities (CU), all transportation (AT), and all communications (AC). To examine the interrelationship between two sectors, direct and total coefficients were calculated for four benchmark years (2000, 2005, 2010, and 2014), then Spearman correlation analysis was conducted using those two coefficient matrices after weighting each coefficient using the economic contribution-based weight (ECBW). As a result, we confirm the predominant complementary relationship between two industries. Most Asian countries present consistent, dominant complementarity in both direct and total analysis. Although there are mixed total effects in Japan and Taiwan, the overall pattern demonstrates remarkable positive relationships. In analyzing the same effects in western countries, we also find the same straightforward positive association between two sectors, mostly in France, the US, and the UK. We believe that our findings can contribute to the literature by providing compelling evidence of the overall trend of a complementary relationship between two industries.
Named Data Networking for Efficient IoT-based Disaster Management in a Smart Campus
Authors: Ali Zain , Shah Munam Ali , Almogren Ahmad , Ud Din Ikram , Maple Carsten , Khattak Hasan Ali
Published: April 2020

Disasters are uncertain occasions that can impose a drastic impact on human life and building infrastructures. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays a vital role in coping with such situations by enabling and integrating multiple technological resources to develop Disaster Management Systems (DMSs). In this context, a majority of the existing DMSs use networking architectures based upon the Internet Protocol (IP) focusing on location-dependent communications. However, IP-based communications face the limitations of inefficient bandwidth utilization, high processing, data security, and excessive memory intake. To address these issues, Named Data Networking (NDN) has emerged as a promising communication paradigm, which is based on the Information-Centric Networking (ICN) architecture. An NDN is among the self-organizing communication networks that reduces the complexity of networking systems in addition to provide content security. Given this, many NDN-based DMSs have been proposed. The problem with the existing NDN-based DMS is that they use a PULL-based mechanism that ultimately results in higher delay and more energy consumption. In order to cater for time-critical scenarios, emergence-driven network engineering communication and computation models are required. In this paper, a novel DMS is proposed, i.e., Named Data Networking Disaster Management (NDN-DM), where a producer forwards a fire alert message to neighbouring consumers. This makes the nodes converge according to the disaster situation in a more efficient and secure way. Furthermore, we consider a fire scenario in a university campus and mobile nodes in the campus collaborate with each other to manage the fire situation. The proposed framework has been mathematically modeled and formally proved using timed automata-based transition systems and a real-time model checker, respectively. Additionally, the evaluation of the proposed NDM-DM has been performed using NS2. The results prove that the proposed scheme has reduced the end-to-end delay up from 2 % to 10 % and minimized up to 20 % energy consumption, as energy improved from 3 % to 20 % compared with a state-of-the-art NDN-based DMS.
Modeling of the Factors of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) Influencing the Strategic Linking Decisions with the Industrial Sector: Whole-Institution Approach
Authors: Arredondo-Soto Karina Cecilia , Serrano-Manrrique Jean Paul , Blanco-Fernandez Julio , Hernández-Escobedo Guadalupe , Miranda-Ackerman Marco Augusto , García-Alcaraz Jorge Luis
Published: April 2020

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are dedicated to the professionalization of human capital; to accomplish this, the link with the productive sector is an active component that must be strengthened through formal mechanisms. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the relationships and effects from the Institutional Framework (IF), as well as from the independent variables in the context of linking HEI with the industrial sector. Survey data were collected from 47 HEIs in the Northwest of Mexico; a mixed research approach was applied and analyzed through the partial least-squares structural equations modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. Although the IF is identified as a relevant aspect for the model, this is not a problem for Mexican HEIs, since the analysis reflects a solid legal framework regarding the common basic levels and research. The main impact for experts who carry out research activities is that the route to creating, maintaining, and promoting integrated academic, technical, and administrative personnel as a specialized work team is not achieved. The main factor that does not contribute for researchers who carry out research activities is that the route to integrating (creating–maintaining–promoting) academic, technical, and administrative personnel as a specialized work team is not achieved. One finding is that the informants agree with the existing stimuli that are not aimed at research linked to the industrial sector and problem-solving through applied research. There is a need for retaining the groups of researchers to help make the benefits for the industry clear by offering advanced linkage levels.
Crowdsourcing for Sustainable Urban Logistics: Exploring the Factors Influencing Crowd Workers’ Participative Behavior
Authors: Huang Lijuan , Xie Guojie , Blenkinsopp John , Huang Raoyi , Bin Hou
Published: April 2020

With crowd logistics becoming a crucial part of the last-mile delivery challenge in many cities, continued participation of crowd workers has become an essential issue affecting the growth of the crowd logistics platform. Understanding how people are motivated to continue their participation in crowd logistics can provide some clarity as to what policies and measures should be undertaken by the industry to support its further growth. Using the Push–Pull–Mooring (PPM) theory, we developed a research model to explain the factors influencing crowd workers’ participative behavior. Survey data from 455 crowd workers were analyzed using SmartPLS3.0 software. The results show monetary rewards and trust have a significant positive impact on the willingness of crowd workers to continue participating in crowd logistics, while work enjoyment from previous work and entry barriers for work have a significant negative impact. Trust plays an intermediary role between monetary incentives and crowd workers’ willingness to continue participating. Based on the findings of this study, we recommend that crowd logistics platforms should offer reasonable monetary incentives and keep these under constant review, build a high degree of trust and cooperation with their crowd workers, and initiate activities geared towards promoting satisfaction at work.
A Resilience and Environmentally Sustainable Assessment Framework (RESAF) for Domestic Building Materials in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Almulhim Mohammad S. M. , Hunt Dexter V. L. , Rogers Chris D. F.
Published: April 2020

In Saudi Arabia, the carbon footprint and energy use that results from using concrete in construction is a major negative contributor to the environmental effects of building materials. Likewise, the impact of annual cooling and heating energy demands has an equally prominent role to play. These demands need to be assessed and benchmarked in order that reduction targets can be set. Saudi Arabia presents its own unique context and local conditions, which creates a challenge when utilizing generic frameworks for assessing the environmental impact of domestic buildings. In meeting this aim, this paper presents a resilience and environmental sustainability assessment framework (RESAF) developed specifically for domestic buildings in Saudi Arabia. RESAF helps designers/builders to minimize the carbon footprint of the building fabric and reduce in-use energy demands of domestic buildings in Saudi Arabia. This paper shows how this framework can be used to reduce, by approximately 23%, the carbon impact from construction materials, primarily by substituting a portion of cement for pulverized fly ash (PFA) or ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS). A reduction of 19% in annual cooling and heating energy demand were additionally achieved throughout the building’s life, simply by increasing insulation and using triple-glazed windows. The importance of passing these alternative solutions through the resilience filter is highlighted, not least questioning whether they are really fit-for-purpose.
Does the Consumption of Acidified Drinking Water Affect Growth Performance and Lymphoid Organs of Broilers?
Authors: Al-Mutairi Hany M. S. , Hussein Elsayed O. S. , Jar El Nabi Abdul Rahman , Swelum Ayman A. , Abd El-Hack Mohamed E. , Taha Ayman E. , Al-Mufarrej Saud I.
Published: April 2020

This study was conducted to compare the effects of single and synergistic organic acids (formic (F) and butyric (B) acids) on the performance and lymphoid organs of broiler chicks. In total, 450 one-day-old ISA JA57 chicks were assigned randomly to nine groups, each of five replicates (10 chicks/replicate): The control group, without added acids; groups 2 and 3, with 0.2% and 0.3% formic acid, respectively; groups 4 and 5, with 0.2% and 0.3% butyric acid, respectively; group 6, with 0.2% formic acid and 0.3% butyric acid; group 7, with 0.2% butyric acid and 0.3% formic acid; groups 8 and 9, with 0.2% butyric and formic acids and 0.3% butyric and formic acids, respectively. The control group received tap water, and other treatment groups received acidified drinking water, as previously described. The results indicated that treatment resulted in a significantly higher (p < 0.05) average live weight and weight gain at four weeks of age than in the control group. Nevertheless, group 7 showed significant decreases in the feed conversion ratio compared with the other treatments between four and five weeks of age. The carcass percentage was highest when B3, F3B2, and B2 were added to the drinking water, whereas control and F2B3 showed lower carcass percentage than the other treatments. At 42 days of age, the addition of organic acids to the drinking water of broilers had significant effects on the bursa of Fabricius and thymus percentages, but no effect on the spleen percentage. Water acidification by F and B alone and in combination did not affect poultry performance. However, it improved the lymphoid organ weight, indicating improved immunity and carcass percentage at 42 days of age.
Emission Embodied in International Trade and Its Responsibility from the Perspective of Global Value Chain: Progress, Trends, and Challenges
Authors: Zhang Boya , Bai Shukuan , Ning Yadong , Ding Tao , Zhang Yan
Published: April 2020

In the context of economic globalization and production fragmentation, the boom in intermediate and processing trade has made EEIT (emission embodied in international trade) accounting and the recognition of its responsibility more and more complicated, and the drawbacks of traditional gross value statistics more and more conspicuous. The rapid development of global value chain theory in recent years has given rise to a decomposition framework of the trade flow in a country’s export, based on the global value chain, which offers new methods to study EEIT and allocate its responsibility. The combination of global value chain accounting and EEIT research can offer new ways to research EEIT transfer and allocate its responsibility. Utilization of this technique can help understand each country’s “common but differentiated responsibility” in emission reduction. Finally, aiming at the knowledge gaps in current analysis, this paper attempts to discuss the trends, and possible challenges, in research on EEIT, and its responsibility based on the global value chain theory.
Sustainability Assessment of Goat and Sheep Farms: A Comparison between European Countries
Authors: Paraskevopoulou Christina , Theodoridis Alexandros , Johnson Marion , Ragkos Athanasios , Arguile Lisa , Smith Laurence , Vlachos Dimitrios , Arsenos Georgios
Published: April 2020

European sheep and goat farming faces diverse challenges at global or local scales and constitutes an important sector for many countries, playing important sociocultural, economic and environmental roles. A closer examination of the overall sustainability of the sector is necessary to assess the performance of different farm types in various geographical settings. This comparative study evaluates the use of a common sustainability assessment (SA) tool for the major European countries in the sheep and goat sector. In particular, the study reports the results of a SA using the Public Goods (PG) Tool, adapted within the Innovation for Sustainable Sheep and Goat Production in Europe (iSAGE) Horizon 2020 project, which includes questions accounting for 13 dimensions of a sheep and goat farm sustainability. In total, 206 farmers from Greece, Italy, Spain, Finland, United Kingdom, France and Turkey were interviewed, all of which were typical of specific types of a pan-European sheep and goat farm typologies elaborated within iSAGE. The study resulted in composite indicators of performance in each dimension for each country. Finland, Italy and the United Kingdom performed better than other countries, while Turkey and Greece performed below average in most categories. The results highlight challenges for each country but also at the European level, the latter mainly relating to generational renewal and an unwillingness to invest in the adoption of a more sustainable approach with long-term results.
A Deep Learning Approach to Forecasting Monthly Demand for Residential–Sector Electricity
Authors: Son Hyojoo , Kim Changwan
Published: April 2020

Forecasting electricity demand at the regional or national level is a key procedural element of power-system planning. However, achieving such objectives in the residential sector, the primary driver of peak demand, is challenging given this sector’s pattern of constantly fluctuating and gradually increasing energy usage. Although deep learning algorithms have recently yielded promising results in various time series analyses, their potential applicability to forecasting monthly residential electricity demand has yet to be fully explored. As such, this study proposed a forecasting model with social and weather-related variables by introducing long short-term memory (LSTM), which has been known to be powerful among deep learning-based approaches for time series forecasting. The validation of the proposed model was performed using a set of data spanning 22 years in South Korea. The resulting forecasting performance was evaluated on the basis of six performance measures. Further, this model’s performance was subjected to a comparison with the performance of four benchmark models. The performance of the proposed model was exceptional according to all of the measures employed. This model can facilitate improved decision-making regarding power-system planning by accurately forecasting the electricity demands of the residential sector, thereby contributing to the efficient production and use of resources.
The Hawaiian Islands: Conceptualizing an Industrial Ecology Holarchic System
Authors: Chertow Marian R. , Graedel Thomas E. , Kanaoka Koichi S. , Park Jooyoung
Published: April 2020

The Hawaiian Islands form a holarchic system with at least five nested layers (holons) at increasing spatial scales: from a single enterprise to cities, to individual islands, to the archipelago (the group of islands), and to the global resource base that connects them all. Each holonic layer operates individually but is also linked to holons at lower and higher levels by material input and output flows. An integrated study of the holarchic system allows us to explore the value of applying this concept to industrial ecology. We present examples from a multi-level material flow analysis combining a large quantity of material and energy flow data for Hawaii from the five holarchic levels. Our analysis demonstrates how a holarchic approach to the study of selected interacting systems can reveal features and linkages of their metabolism not otherwise apparent and can provide a novel basis for discovering material, energy, and societal connections.
Hydrochemical and Quality Assessment of Groundwater Resources in Al-Madinah City, Western Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alghamdi Abdulaziz G. , Aly Anwar A. , Aldhumri Sami Ali , Al-Barakaha Fahad N.
Published: April 2020

Fifty-four groundwater samples were collected from Hamra Alasad in Al-Madinah City. The chemical and microbial characteristics of the samples were analyzed and compared with their respective standards. The results revealed that 90.7% of the samples showed higher amounts of NO3. However, 59.3% of the samples were found unfit for irrigation purposes due to a high salinity hazard. Most of the groundwater samples were highly saline, yet no sodicity hazards were anticipated as predicted by sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). Generally, the soluble cations and anions, dissolved salts, boron, and NO3− exceeded the maximum permissible limits for drinking water in most of the samples; however, Pb, Cd, As, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, and Cr were within the permissible limits. Furthermore, 42.6%, 24.1%, 18.5%, 14.8%, 1.9%, and 37.0% of the samples were infected by a total coliforms group, fecal coliform, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus sp., Salmonella sp., and Shigilla sp., respectively. The water quality index revealed that 3.7% of the samples were good for drinking (class II), and 9.3% were very poor (class IV). The remaining samples were unfit for drinking (class V) due to high salinity and/or microbial contamination. Durov and Piper diagrams revealed that the majority of water samples were of the calcium sulfate–chloride type. Overall, 87% of water samples were inappropriate for drinking purposes, while 77.8% were unsuitable for irrigation.
Analysis on the Enterprises’ Innovation Quality Based on the Patent Value: A Comparison between Public and Private Enterprises in China
Authors: Huang Dujuan , Duan Hongbo , Zhang Gupeng
Published: April 2020

To investigate Chinese enterprises’ innovation quality and examine how it is determined by the enterprise ownership, this paper uses about 73.8 thousand invention patents applied by Chinese enterprises during 1985–2011 in estimating patent return based on the renewal period. We take patent return to be the measurement of innovation quality, and make a comparison between public and private enterprises. We find that the innovation quality of public enterprises is improved after restructuring, but is still lower than that of private enterprises. We may find the causes of the innovation quality differences from the allocation efficiency of R&D resources. Monopolized enterprises own higher innovation quality by monopolizing industry resources, which leads to a low R&D resources allocation efficiency. In comparison, the R&D resources allocation efficiency of public enterprises in the competitive industry is higher than that in monopolized enterprises. R&D resources allocation efficiency is generally inversely proportional to the public owned level, and proportional to the market competition level. This study generates an important policy implication, that is, the social R&D resources allocation efficiency of China would be improved by disposing part of R&D resources monopolized by public research institutes and public enterprises to private enterprises.
Influencing Factors of Public Participation in Meteorological Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
Authors: Duan Rongrong , Liu Jun , Wang Changkai , Wei Guo
Published: April 2020

Meteorological disasters have become a global challenge due to the increased prevalence and severity, and China is among the most affected countries. In this paper, based on a randomized survey in China, the authors employed a structural equation model to study the influencing factors of public participation in meteorological disaster prevention and mitigation (MDPM). It is found that the behavior of the government has a significant positive influence, with an influencing coefficient of 0.494 on the public’s willingness to participate in MDPM. The degree of community involvement also has a significant positive influence on the public’s willingness, with an influencing coefficient of 0.636. The public’s attention to meteorological events and ability to participate have less impact on their participation in MDPM, with coefficients of 0.057 and 0.075, respectively. The information acquisition has a significant negative impact, with an influencing coefficient of −0.084. There is a strong positive covariation between community participation and governmental behavior, with a covariance coefficient of 0.27, indicating that the two factors promote each other and together boost the public’s willingness to participate in MDPM.
Effects of Earthworm Cast Application on Water Evaporation and Storage in Loess Soil Column Experiments
Authors: Li Yanpei , Shao Mingan , Wang Jiao , Li Tongchuan
Published: April 2020

Earthworm cast is a common bio-organic fertiliser, which can effectively improve soil fertility and structure. However, only a few studies have focused on the effect of earthworm cast on soil water movement. In this study, loess soil was used to determine the effects of earthworm cast application on soil evaporation. The effects on water storage capacity and capillary upward movement were also investigated. A laboratory-based soil column experiment using earthworm cast with different particle sizes (1–3 × 1–2 cm and 3–5 × 2–4 cm) and three application doses (5%, 7.5%, and 10%) was carried out. The daily evaporation and volume of capillary ascension were monitored. The addition of earthworm cast clearly affected the soil evaporation by changing soil water storage capacity and capillary water upward movement. Compared with control soil, the application of 5% small-particle cast reduced the soil cumulative evaporation by 5.13%, while the cumulative evaporation was higher in all large-particle cast treatments. The upward capillary water movement increased with increasing dose of earthworm cast, but decreased with increasing particle size. Overall, the addition of earthworm cast clearly enhanced the water storage capacity of the soil, with the small-particle cast having greater effects than the large-particle cast. We concluded that the application of 5% small-particle earthworm cast can enhance soil water retention and reduce soil evaporation.
Young Pioneers, Vitality, and Commercial Gentrification in Mudan Street, Changchun, China
Authors: Zhang Jing , Ma Zuopeng , Li Dawei , Liu Wei , Tong Yao , Li Chenggu
Published: April 2020

The pioneers who started the gentrification process have contributed significantly to the activation of gentrified neighborhoods, but are often overlooked in top-down urban governance strategies. We studied the core participants, who were avant-garde café owners, in the initial stage of the commercial gentrification of Mudan Street in Changchun, China. By participatory observations and in-depth interviews, we closely investigated the statuses, behaviors, and preferences of the early gentrifiers, their contributions to block revivals, and the impacts of urban renewal policies on the gentrifiers themselves. Our conclusions are as follows. Most early gentrifiers were young and highly educated. They started the process of gentrification by youth culture production, which exhibited idealistic operating behaviors, such as the decoration of shops, creation of cultural atmospheres, and organization of cultural activities. They were the pioneers who drove bottom-up block renewal, reshaped traditional blocks into youth cultural consumption centers, and stimulated commercial vitality. However, commercialization was followed by soaring rents and increasing business competition that have forced many pioneers with low economic capital to leave. Furthermore, urban governance has had strong impacts on block renewal and gentrification. Inclusive management has promoted bottom-up neighborhood renewal, whereas arbitrary management has quickly destroyed the cultural landscape and business atmosphere, thereby accelerating the displacement of the pioneers. This study provides new evidence for gentrification theories, and offers a practical reflection for urban governance by constructing the profiles of early gentrifiers and discussing the paradox of gentrification in the context of urban China.
Quantities and Quantification Methodologies of Food Waste in Swedish Hospitals
Authors: Eriksson Mattias , Malefors Christopher , Bergström Pauline , Eriksson Emelie , Persson Osowski Christine
Published: April 2020

To move towards a sustainable food system, we cannot continue to waste substantial amounts of the food produced. This is especially true for later stages in the food supply chain, where most sub-processes consume resources in vain when food is wasted. Hospitals are located at the end of the food supply chain and the sector has high levels of food waste. This study investigated food waste quantification practices in Swedish hospitals, examined whether a questionnaire is an appropriate methodology for such mapping, and compiled data for the sector in order to determine the amount of food waste and its composition. A questionnaire was sent to all 21 regional authorities, formerly known as county councils, responsible for hospitals in Sweden. The questionnaire responses were supplemented with food waste records from three regions that organize the catering in a total of 20 hospitals. The results showed that it is common practice in most hospitals to quantify food waste, with quantification focusing on lunch and dinner in relation to the number of guests served. It was also clear that waste quantification practices have been established for years, and in the majority of the hospitals studied. The data revealed that, in comparison with other sectors, food waste was still high, 111 g guest−1 meal−1, consisting of 42% plate waste, 36% serving waste, and 22% kitchen waste. However, there was great variation between hospitals, which, in combination with well-established, standardized waste quantification routines, meaning that this sector has strong potential to spread best practices and improve overall performance in reducing food waste generation.
Laser Sealing for Vacuum Plate Glass with PbO-TiO2-SiO2-RxOy Solder
Authors: Miao Hong , Zhang Lingcong , Liu Sixing , Zhang Shanwen , Memon Saim , Zhu Bi
Published: April 2020

Laser sealing for vacuum plate glass is a key step in developing the cost-effective smart vacuum-glass window for the drive towards net-zero energy buildings. In this paper, the pores, cracks, and interface with laser welding are analyzed in depth using PbO-TiO2-SiO2-RxOy system sealing solder to prepare vacuum flat glass. The microstructure of the sealing layer was analyzed by a BX41M-LED metallographic microscope, and the interfacial bonding characteristics were observed by thermal field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The solder was analyzed by an energy spectrometer, and the influence of laser power, sealing temperature, and sealing speed on the gas holes and the crack sand interface separation of the sealing layer are reported. The results show that when the laser power reached 80 W at the welding speed of 2 mm/s, the bulk solder disappeared to most of the quantity and the sealing surface density was higher, due to which negligible pores and micro cracks were found. Thus, the sealing quality of the sealing layer is considered to be suitable when the temperature of 470 °C was maintained and the solder has 68.93% of Pb and 3.04% Si in the atom fraction to achieve the wet the glass substrate surface whilst improving the bonding quality.
How Can Sustainable Agriculture Increase Climate Resilience? A Systematic Review
Authors: El Chami Daniel , Daccache André , El Moujabber Maroun
Published: April 2020

In the last few decades, a great deal has been written on the use of sustainable agriculture to improve the resilience of ecosystem services to climate change. However, no tangible and systematic evidence exists on how this agriculture would participate in alleviating impacts on vulnerable rural communities. This paper provides a narrative systematic review (SR) integrated with a bibliometric analysis and a concept network analysis to determine how, in this changing climate, sustainable agriculture can increase the resilience of agrosystems. Our search ranged from the date of the first relevant article until the end of 2018. The results generated demonstrated the following: (a) Only single practices and methods have been studied to assess the impacts on single ecosystem services; (b) Soil quality and health are considered a key indicator of sustainable agriculture; (c) Although the assessed practices and methods were shown to improve the biodiversity of agrosystems, which makes them more resilient to extreme climate events, we are still far from developing interdisciplinary and multidimensional agriculture that integrates all management aspects and generates a full range of ecosystem services. In conclusion, this study addressed the following recommendations for the scientific community and policymakers to orient future research strategies and efforts: (a) The integration of all agrosystem services into sustainable management using an ecosystem-based approach on a life-cycle basis using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method; (b) Improving the scientific understanding of traditional knowledge to facilitate greater synergy and further integration; (c) The unification of assessment methods and indicators for the quantification of impacts; (d) The creation of a platform to share, monitor, screen, and approve assessments and evaluations of sustainable agriculture by region.
Revisiting the Relation between Renewable Electricity and Economic Growth: A Renewable–Growth Hypothesis
Authors: Yang Minyoung , Kim Jinsoo
Published: April 2020

Global concern about the climate crisis has incited movements for switching to renewable electricity. Renewable electricity can contribute to economic growth as an input factor (electricity generation) and also as an industry (renewable manufacturing). We introduce a new hypothesis, the renewable–growth hypothesis, to investigate the role of the renewable manufacturing industry in the energy–growth nexus study. To test the hypothesis, we select a target country group using the market share of the renewable manufacturing industry and conduct the Granger causality test for solar photovoltaic and wind power. The autoregressive distributed lag bounds testing approach is applied for the causality test. The results show that renewable electricity Granger causes economic growth in target countries, which supports the renewable–growth hypothesis. However, the hypothesis did not hold in countries that export renewable power facilities more than they install them for domestic demand. We believe that the renewable–growth hypothesis would be secured soon if renewable electricity expands broadly over the world.
An Evaluation of an Intervention Programme in Teacher Training for Geography and History: A Reliability and Validity Analysis
Authors: Rodríguez-Medina Jairo , Gómez-Carrasco Cosme J. , Miralles-Martínez Pedro , Aznar-Díaz Inmaculada
Published: April 2020

We evaluated a teacher training intervention programme aimed at improving the teaching and learning process relating to history in the secondary classroom. This was carried out via the implementation of several teaching units during the period of teaching practice of trainee teachers specialising in geography and history. The design of the teaching units was based on historical thinking competencies and on the introduction of active learning strategies. The programme was evaluated via a quasi-experimental A-B type methodological approach employing a pretest and a post-test. Both tools were designed on the basis of four dimensions (methodology, motivation, satisfaction and perception). The content of the tools was validated using the interjudge process via a discussion group in the first round and with a Likert scale questionnaire (1–4) with seven experts in the second round. The reliability of the tools has been estimated via three indices (Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability and omega), and the validity of the construct via an exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with the structural equation model. The results regarding reliability and validity have been adequate. Furthermore, the descriptive results show an improvement in all of the dimensions following the implementation of the teaching units, particularly with regard to group work, the use of digital resources and work with primary sources.
The Relationships between Supply Chain Capability and Shareholder Value Using Financial Performance Indicators
Authors: Hong Seock-Jin , Najmi Hossein
Published: April 2020

The purpose of this paper is to explore which financial performance indicators (FPIs) evaluate the level of supply chain capability (SCC) that explicitly touches all of the business functions and processes within and beyond the company. The authors investigated nine FPIs that were selected from the financial statements of 155 companies within nine industries from 2011 to 2017 using Morningstar financial database and Gartner’s report. The authors find that suitable FPIs to measure SCC for shareholders’ value are return-on-assets (ROA), days-sales-outstanding (DSO), and current ratio (CR). This means that higher ROA, shortened DSO, and an appropriate level of CR could reach a sustainable supply chain. These results will help the industry to avert a major disruption in supply chain processes and activities using suitable financial performance indicators.
The Evolution and Adaptive Governance of the 22@ Innovation District in Barcelona
Authors: Gianoli Alberto , Palazzolo Henkes Riccardo
Published: April 2020

The paper analyzes the prominent 22@ Innovation District project, which was initiated at the beginning of the 2000s by the city of Barcelona to regenerate part of the Poblenou district, a former industrial area. The goal was to create an innovation district able to generate economic activity and employment by focusing on knowledge economy and new technologies. The innovative features of the project emphasize the uncertainty and the need to adapt to new technologies and their economic and social influence in urban regeneration projects. The paper uses the adaptive governance framework to analyze how the dynamic process of urban regeneration and creation of an innovation district has been able to adapt to internal and external changes of political, economic and technological nature. Adaptive governance has been conceptualized by focusing on three key aspects (i.e., level of complexity, conflict and uncertainty) and three main actions (i.e., anticipate, learn and adapt) that have been considered in the case study. These elements emphasize the need for bridging organizations that are able to work cross-level and cross-scale. The article shows the suitability of adaptive governance systems in urban regeneration projects, aiming to combine top-down and bottom-up initiatives within a comprehensive strategy.
Indigenous versus Lessepsian Hosts: Nervous Necrosis Virus (NNV) in Eastern Mediterranean Sea Fish
Authors: Lampert Yael , Berzak Ran , Davidovich Nadav , Diamant Arik , Stern Nir , Scheinin Aviad P. , Tchernov Dan , Morick Danny
Published: April 2020

Viruses are among the most abundant and diverse biological components in the marine environment. In finfish, viruses are key drivers of host diversity and population dynamics, and therefore, their effect on the marine environment is far-reaching. Viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER) is a disease caused by the marine nervous necrosis virus (NNV), which is recognized as one of the main infectious threats for marine aquaculture worldwide. For over 140 years, the Suez Canal has acted as a conduit for the invasion of Red Sea marine species into the Mediterranean Sea. In 2016–2017, we evaluated the prevalence of NNV in two indigenous Mediterranean species, the round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) and the white steenbras (Lithognathus mormyrus) versus two Lessepsian species, the Randall’s threadfin bream (Nemipterus randalli) and the Lessepsian lizardfish (Saurida lessepsianus). A molecular method was used to detect NNV in all four fish species tested. In N. randalli, a relatively newly established invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, the prevalence was significantly higher than in both indigenous species. In S. lessepsianus, prevalence varied considerably between years. While the factors that influence the effective establishment of invasive species are poorly understood, we suggest that the susceptibility of a given invasive fish species to locally acquired viral pathogens such as NVV may be important, in terms of both its successful establishment in its newly adopted environment and its role as a reservoir ‘host’ in the new area.