bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping of Back Muscle Stiffness along Spine during Standing and Lying in Young Adults: A Pilot Study on Spinal Stiffness Quantification with Ultrasound Imaging
Authors: Ma Christina Zong-Hao , Ren Long-Jun , Cheng Connie Lok-Kan , Zheng Yong-Ping
Published: December 2020

Muscle stiffness in the spinal region is essential for maintaining spinal function, and might be related to multiple spinal musculoskeletal disorders. However, information on the distribution of muscle stiffness along the spine in different postures in large subject samples has been lacking, which merits further investigation. This study introduced a new protocol of measuring bilateral back muscle stiffness along the thoracic and lumbar spine (at T3, T7, T11, L1 & L4 levels) with both ultrasound shear-wave elastography (SWE) and tissue ultrasound palpation system (TUPS) in the lying and standing postures of 64 healthy adults. Good inter-/intra-reliability existed in the SWE and TUPS back muscle stiffness measurements (ICC ≥ 0.731, p < 0.05). Back muscle stiffness at the L4 level was found to be the largest in the thoracic and lumbar regions (p < 0.05). The back muscle stiffness of males was significantly larger than that of females in both lying and standing postures (p < 0.03). SWE stiffness was found to be significantly larger in standing posture than lying among subjects (p < 0.001). It is reliable to apply SWE and TUPS to measure back muscle stiffness. The reported data on healthy young adults in this study may also serve as normative reference data for future studies on patients with scoliosis, low back pain, etc.
Multimode HMSIW-Based Bandpass Filter with Improved Selectivity for Fifth-Generation (5G) RF Front-Ends
Authors: Iqbal Amjad , Jiat Tiang Jun , Kin Wong Sew , Alibakhshikenari Mohammad , Falcone Francisco , Limiti Ernesto
Published: December 2020

This article presents the detailed theoretical, simulation, and experimental analysis of a half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW)-based multimode wideband filter. A third-order, semicircular HMSIW filter is developed in this paper. A semicircular HMSIW cavity resonator is adopted to achieve wide band characteristics. A U-shaped slot (acts as a λ/4 stub) in the center of a semicircular HMSIW cavity resonator and L-shaped open-circuited stubs are used to improve the out-of-band response by generating multiple transmission zeros (TZs) in the stop-band region of the filter. The TZs on either side of the passband can be controlled by adjusting dimensions of a U-shaped slot and L-shaped open-circuited stubs. The proposed filter covers a wide fractional bandwidth, has a lower insertion loss value, and has multiple TZs (which improves the selectivity). The simulated response of filter agrees well with the measured data. The proposed HMSIW bandpass filter can be integrated with any planar wideband communication system circuit, thanks to its planar structure.
Fisheye-Based Smart Control System for Autonomous UAV Operation
Authors: Oh Donggeun , Han Junghee
Published: December 2020

Recently, as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) have become smaller and higher-performance, they play a very important role in the Internet of Things (IoT). Especially, UAVs are currently used not only in military fields but also in various private sectors such as IT, agriculture, logistics, construction, etc. The range is further expected to increase. Drone-related techniques need to evolve along with this change. In particular, there is a need for the development of an autonomous system in which a drone can determine and accomplish its mission even in the absence of remote control from a GCS (Ground Control Station). Responding to such requirements, there have been various studies and algorithms developed for autonomous flight systems. Especially, many ML-based (Machine-Learning-based) methods have been proposed for autonomous path finding. Unlike other studies, the proposed mechanism could enable autonomous drone path finding over a large target area without size limitations, one of the challenges of ML-based autonomous flight or driving in the real world. Specifically, we devised Multi-Layer HVIN (Hierarchical VIN) methods that increase the area applicable to autonomous flight by overlaying multiple layers. To further improve this, we developed Fisheye HVIN, which applied an adaptive map compression ratio according to the drone’s location. We also built an autonomous flight training and verification platform. Through the proposed simulation platform, it is possible to train ML-based path planning algorithms in a realistic environment that takes into account the physical characteristics of UAV movements.
Development of Microcontroller-Based System for Background Radiation Monitoring
Authors: Holovatyy Andriy , Teslyuk Vasyl , Kryvinska Natalia , Kazarian Artem
Published: December 2020

An appearance of radiometers and dosimeters on free sale made it possible to provide better radiation safety for citizens. The effects of radiation may not appear all at once. They can manifest themselves in decades to come in future generations, in the form of cancer, genetic mutations, etc. For this reason, we have developed in this paper a microcontroller-based radiation monitoring system. The system determines an accumulated radiation dose for a certain period, as well as gives alarm signals when the rate of the equivalent dose exceeds. The high reliability of this system is ensured by a rapid response to emergency situations: excess of the allowable power of the equivalent radiation dose and the accumulator charge control. Further, we have composed a microcontroller electronic circuit for the monitoring radiation system. Additionally, an operation algorithm, as well as software for the ATmega328P microcontroller of the Arduino Uno board, have been developed.
Explainable Security in SDN-Based IoT Networks
Authors: Sarica Alper Kaan , Angin Pelin
Published: December 2020

The significant advances in wireless networks in the past decade have made a variety of Internet of Things (IoT) use cases possible, greatly facilitating many operations in our daily lives. IoT is only expected to grow with 5G and beyond networks, which will primarily rely on software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization for achieving the promised quality of service. The prevalence of IoT and the large attack surface that it has created calls for SDN-based intelligent security solutions that achieve real-time, automated intrusion detection and mitigation. In this paper, we propose a real-time intrusion detection and mitigation solution for SDN, which aims to provide autonomous security in the high-traffic IoT networks of the 5G and beyond era, while achieving a high degree of interpretability by human experts. The proposed approach is built upon automated flow feature extraction and classification of flows while using random forest classifiers at the SDN application layer. We present an SDN-specific dataset that we generated for IoT and provide results on the accuracy of intrusion detection in addition to performance results in the presence and absence of our proposed security mechanism. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed security approach is promising for achieving real-time, highly accurate detection and mitigation of attacks in SDN-managed IoT networks.
Electrospun ZnO/Pd Nanofibers: CO Sensing and Humidity Effect
Authors: Platonov Vadim , Rumyantseva Marina , Khmelevsky Nikolay , Gaskov Alexander
Published: December 2020

Variable air humidity affects the characteristics of semiconductor metal oxides, which complicates the reliable and reproducible determination of CO content in ambient air by resistive gas sensors. In this work, we determined the sensor properties of electrospun ZnO and ZnO/Pd nanofibers in the detection of CO in dry and humid air, and investigated the sensing mechanism. The microstructure of the samples, palladium content, and oxidation state, type, and concentration of surface groups were characterized using complementary techniques: X-ray fluorescent spectroscopy, XRD, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping, XPS, and FTIR spectroscopy. The sensor properties of ZnO and ZnO/Pd nanofibers were studied at 100–450 °C in the concentration range of 5–15 ppm CO in dry (RH25 = 0%) and humid (RH25 = 60%) air. It was found that under humid conditions, ZnO completely loses its sensitivity to CO, while ZnO/Pd retains a high sensor response. On the basis of in situ diffuse reflectance IR Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) results, it was concluded that high sensor response of ZnO/Pd nanofibers in dry and humid air was due to the electronic sensitization effect, which was not influenced by humidity change.
0.5 V Fifth-Order Butterworth Low-Pass Filter Using Multiple-Input OTA for ECG Applications
Authors: Kumngern Montree , Aupithak Nattharinee , Khateb Fabian , Kulej Tomasz
Published: December 2020

This paper presents a 0.5 V fifth-order Butterworth low-pass filter based on multiple-input operational transconductance amplifiers (OTA). The filter is designed for electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition systems and operates in the subthreshold region with nano-watt power consumption. The used multiple-input technique simplifies the overall structure of the OTA and reduces the number of active elements needed to realize the filter. The filter was designed and simulated in the Cadence environment using a 0.18 µm Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) process from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Simulation results show that the filter has a bandwidth of 250 Hz, a power consumption of 34.65 nW, a dynamic range of 63.24 dB, attaining a figure-of-merit of 0.0191 pJ. The corner (process, voltage, temperature: PVT) and Monte Carlo (MC) analyses are included to prove the robustness of the filter.
Analysis of Combining SAR and Optical Optimal Parameters to Classify Typhoon-Invasion Lodged Rice: A Case Study Using the Random Forest Method
Authors: Wang Jinning , Li Kun , Shao Yun , Zhang Fengli , Wang Zhiyong , Guo Xianyu , Qin Yi , Liu Xiangchen
Published: December 2020

Lodging, a commonly occurring rice crop disaster, seriously reduces rice quality and production. Monitoring rice lodging after a typhoon event is essential for evaluating yield loss and formulating suitable remedial policies. The availability of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 open-access remote sensing data provides large-scale information with a short revisit time to be freely accessed. Data from these sources have been previously shown to identify lodged crops. In this study, therefore, Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data after a typhoon event were combined to enable monitoring of lodging rice to be quickly undertaken. In this context, the sensitivity of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) features (SF) and spectral indices (SI) extracted from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 to lodged rice were analyzed, and a model was constructed for selecting optimal sensitive parameters for lodging rice (OSPL). OSPL has high sensitivity to lodged rice and strong ability to distinguish lodged rice from healthy rice. After screening, Band 11 (SWIR-1) and Band 12 (SWIR-2) were identified as optimal spectral indices (OSI), and VV, VV + VH and Shannon Entropy were optimal SAR features (OSF). Three classification results of lodging rice were acquired using the Random Forest classification (RFC) method based on OSI, OSF and integrated OSI–OSF stack images, respectively. Results indicate that an overall level of accuracy of 91.29% was achieved with the combination of SAR and optical optimal parameters. The result was 2.91% and 6.05% better than solely using optical or SAR processes, respectively.
Introduction of a sEMG Sensor System for Autonomous Use by Inexperienced Users
Authors: Romero Avila Elisa , Junker Elmar , Disselhorst-Klug Catherine
Published: December 2020

Wearable devices play an increasing role in the rehabilitation of patients with movement disorders. Although information about muscular activation is highly interesting, no approach exists that allows reliable collection of this information when the sensor is applied autonomously by the patient. This paper aims to demonstrate the proof-of-principle of an innovative sEMG sensor system, which can be used intuitively by patients while detecting their muscular activation with sufficient accuracy. The sEMG sensor system utilizes a multichannel approach based on 16 sEMG leads arranged circularly around the limb. Its design enables a stable contact between the skin surface and the system’s dry electrodes, fulfills the SENIAM recommendations regarding the electrode size and inter-electrode distance and facilitates a high temporal resolution. The proof-of-principle was demonstrated by elbow flexion/extension movements of 10 subjects, proving that it has root mean square values and a signal-to-noise ratio comparable to commercial systems based on pre-gelled electrodes. Furthermore, it can be easily placed and removed by patients with reduced arm function and without detailed knowledge about the exact positioning of the sEMG electrodes. With its features, the demonstration of the sEMG sensor system’s proof-of-principle positions it as a wearable device that has the potential to monitor muscular activation in home and community settings.
Diagnostic Criteria for Premature Ejaculation: Clarifying the Role of “Ejaculatory Control” and “Bother/Distress”
Authors: Cote-Leger Philippe , Rowland David L.
Published: December 2020

“Ejaculatory control” and “bother/distress” are key criteria for diagnosing men with premature ejaculation (PE), yet compared with ejaculatory latency (EL), these constructs have received only minimal attention. In addition, they have not been characterized in men having different sexual orientations or subtypes of PE. This study aimed to characterize relationships among ejaculatory control, bother/distress, and EL; to assess differences across men having different sexual orientations, PE status, and PE subtypes (i.e., lifelong vs. acquired); and to determine the importance of ejaculatory control to men’s sexual partners. In total, 1071 men and sexual partners of men rated their ejaculatory control and bother/distress and estimated their EL; these measures were compared across sexual orientation, PE status, PE subtype, and male and female partners of men. Results revealed a monotonic though slightly curvilinear relationship between ejaculatory control and bother/distress. These PE criteria differed significantly between PE and non-PE men, to a lesser extent between gay and straight men, and not at all between men having lifelong vs. acquired PE. Female and male partners of men affirmed the importance of ejaculatory control during partnered sex, indicating lack of control as a potential reason for ending a relationship.
Low pH of a High Carbon Gleysol Contributes to Nitrification Inhibition Resulting in Low N2O Soil Emissions and Limited Effectiveness of Nitrification Inhibitors
Authors: Rose Terry J. , Kearney Lee J. , Van Zwieten Lukas , Rose Michael T.
Published: December 2020

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas, and drained tropical/subtropical wetland soils that are high in carbon (C) make a substantial contribution to global anthropogenic N2O emissions. However, we previously reported negligible N2O emissions from an acidic, C-rich Gleysol under aerobic rice (Oryza sativa L.) production in the subtropics despite ample moisture and fertiliser nitrogen (N). In a field experiment, seasonal cumulative N2O emissions in the field following the application of 90 kg ha−1 N as urea were low (0.15 kg N2O-N ha−1·season−1). An incubation study examining the effects of temperature (20 °C, 25 °C and 30 °C) and water-filled pore space (WFPS; 40% vs. 60%) on N transformations showed that incubation temperature had a larger influence on nitrification than WFPS (40% vs. 60%). There was limited nitrification at 20 °C at either WFPS over 30 days, but low concentrations of NO3− (<100 mg kg−1) began to accumulate between 16–23 days at 30 °C and between 23–30 days at 25 °C. Liming soil resulted in nitrification after 10 days, while only minor nitrification was evident in the unlimed soil. The presence of the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) with urea delayed nitrification for up to 4 days in the limed soil, suggesting such inhibitors may not provide substantial benefits in high C soils. Our results suggest that a low soil pH contributes to impaired nitrification in the C-rich Gleysol examined, which is associated with low fluxes of N2O in the field. We suggest that soil pH could potentially be manipulated to sustain low rates of nitrification and lower N losses, without compromising crop growth.
A Question-Based Method to Calculate the Human Appropriation of Land for Food (HALF) Index
Authors: Hoff Marije , de Boer Hugo Jan
Published: December 2020

Global dietary consumption strongly determines agricultural land requirements. Yet, it is currently difficult for individual consumers to quantify the environmental impact of their individual diet. One relatively easy to understand metric is the Human Appropriation of Land for Food (HALF) index. The HALF index expresses the global land area percentage required for food production were the global population to consume one specific diet. Calculation of the HALF index is not trivial, making the index not suitable for individual consumers to assess their personal diet. The aim of this research is to develop and test a new method to calculate a personalized HALF index based on a limited set of multiple-choice questions that can be answered by a typical consumer. Considering the sensitivity of the original HALF index, we developed a set of ten multiple-choice questions that focus on the type and quantity of consumed animal products in addition to staple foods and overall consumption quantity. To illustrate a potential implementation, we present our question-based HALF index calculator in the form of an online graphical user interface. Across a sample of 23 country-specific diets, the question-based HALF index closely matches the original HALF index with a regression slope of near unity (r2 = 0.94, p < 0.001). Our results indicate that the question-based HALF index can be used by individual consumers to quantify the consequences of their dietary choices on land use for agriculture.
Research of Attitudes toward Online Violence—Significance of Online Media and Social Marketing in the Function of Violence Prevention and Behavior Evaluation
Authors: Melović Boban , Stojanović Anđela Jakšić , Backović Tamara , Dudić Branislav , Kovačičová Zuzana
Published: December 2020

The main aim of this paper is to analyze attitudes toward online violence in order to identify the current state of this problem through psychosocial analysis, as well as the possibility of preventing this kind of violence through the prism of online media and social marketing. The authors developed a conceptual model and conducted an online quantitative research study. The survey was conducted among 277 respondents in Montenegro, which is a developing country and as such is experiencing transitions in many segments. The data were analyzed using standard statistical tests, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, logistic regression and the Relative Importance Index. The results of the research showed that specific vulnerable groups such as women are more exposed to online violence. The results of the logistic regression revealed that female respondents aged 18 to 24 were 76.3% more exposed to online violence than respondents over 55. Regarding the aspect of marital status, the results showed that divorced women were most exposed to online violence, 74% more than widows, while single respondents had a 54.2% greater chance of being a victim of online violence compared to widows. In terms of education, the results of the research highlighted that female respondents with a higher level of education were significantly less likely to be victims of online violence than those with a lower level of education. Respondents who had completed doctoral studies had a 48.6% lower chance of being victims of online violence compared to the respondents who had only completed high school. In terms of online media being used as a tool for spreading online violence, 36.89% of respondents identified Facebook, while 21.61% identified Instagram as the main medium of this type of violence. Thus, the research identified the necessity of continuous work focused on informing the population about online violence, as well as raising awareness about measures that should be carried out in order to reduce online violence, because of the significant influence of online media on forming attitudes toward online violence, which was confirmed by 85.19% of respondents. Furthermore, the results showed that online media—in particular, social marketing—may have a key role in the prevention of online violence, as its preventive role was confirmed by 96.76% of respondents. The findings of the research may be extremely useful for different policymakers in order to help them to better understand and identify cases of online violence, especially against women, as well as to create adequate strategies for its prevention through the prism of online media and social marketing.
Earth–Air Heat Exchanger Geo-Climatic Suitability for Projected Climate Change Scenarios in the Americas
Authors: Zajch Andrew , Gough William A. , Chiesa Giacomo
Published: December 2020

Earth–air heat exchangers (EAHE) provide heating and cooling that is intrinsically tied to the climate of the surrounding environment. A climate-based approach was applied to 273 sites for both historical and projected climate conditions, with the latter being defined by three different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) from the CMIP5 collection of Global Circulation Models (GCMs). Changes to heating and cooling degree hours as well as heating and cooling capacity were estimated and used to classify geo-climatic suitability. The analysis revealed cooler climates will retain their ability to provide cooling despite increasing cooling needs driven by warming temperatures. On the other hand, warmer, more tropical, climates will observe reduced suitability as cooling demand grows. The magnitude and variability of the changes in EAHE potential were greatest for the RCP8.5 scenario during the 2061–2090 time period, particularly for regions with a comparable mix of heating and cooling needs. Ultimately, the results demonstrate that future EAHE suitability is climate dependent, with cooler climates being relatively resistant to changes when compared to warmer climates. The results can be used by stakeholders to find useful climate analogs for their sites of interest to consider the potential impact of global climate change on EAHE usability.
Social Media Adoption and Financial Sustainability: Learned Lessons from Developing Countries
Authors: Ur Rahman Raza , Ali Shah Syed Mohsin , El-Gohary Hatem , Abbas Muzaffar , Haider Khalil Syed , Al Altheeb Saad , Sultan Fahad
Published: December 2020

Social Media (SM) is considered one of the most discussed topics in today’s business environment, mostly because of the recent developments and improvements in computer and ICT (Information and Communications Technology) technologies. However, very little is known about Social Media’s (SM) role in creating Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ (SMEs’) financial sustainability. Drawing upon the Technology Organisational and Environmental (TOE) framework, the authors constructed a comprehensive model that examined the role of different factors in the adoption of SM by SMEs in developing countries (using Pakistan as an example). Using a questionnaire survey of 383 owners/managers of SMEs in Pakistan, the research findings determined the different factors (i.e., organisational, technological, and environmental), which can impact the adoption of SM by SMEs. In line with previous research studies, the results of structural equation modelling show that technological factors such as perceived benefits of SM, compatibility of SM, cost, and trust have a substantial effect on SMEs’ SM adoption. Similarly, both organisational factors: top management support and technological competence, are strong predictors of SM adoption in SMEs. Finally, environmental factors (i.e., competitor pressure, customer pressure, and information intensity) positively impacted SM adoption by SMEs. The effect of SM adoption on SMEs’ financial sustainability was also tested and found to be positive and significant. Several theoretical and practical implications for owners/managers and other stakeholders regarding SM’s successful implementation by SMEs are highlighted within the paper.
The Influence of Liberalization on Innovation, Performance, and Competition Level of Insurance Industry in Indonesia
Authors: Suryanto Tulus , Dimasqy Darul , Ronaldo Reza , Ekananda Mahjus , Dinata Teuku Heru , Tumbelaka Indra
Published: December 2020

This study aims to reveal the impact of liberalization on innovation, performance, and the level of competition for insurance industry players in Indonesia based on insurance data from 2006 to 2018. The research method used is quantitative with the support of panel data. The analysis technique to explain the findings uses an aggregate model and Threshold Regression analysis. Descriptive and econometric research types were chosen to make it easier to explain the findings. From the results of data analysis using three experimental models, it shows three findings. First, in the aggregate, there is a significant negative relationship between liberalization and innovation. In the Threshold Regression model, a negative impact occurs on companies with low premium income, whereas in high premium income companies, the result is positive. This is due to the availability of resources to large companies to optimize the adaptation of liberalization in terms of innovation. Second, higher liberalization can encourage insurance companies to perform more efficiently and increase net premium income. Third, the negative impact of liberalization on competition shows that the higher the deregulation, the lower the game. These findings indicate that in the aggregate, global insurance financial liberalization has had a significant impact on the development of the insurance industry sector in Indonesia. However, liberalization can be different for groups of small companies and groups of large companies. The expected implication is that the government needs to adopt a long-term policy strategy that can encourage the sustainability of insurance companies: both high-income companies and low-premium-income companies. Besides this, it is hoped that insurance companies pay more attention to innovation, significantly improving the quality of human resources as a competitive advantage in facing global competition.
Mycorrhizal Fungi were More Effective than Zeolites in Increasing the Growth of Non-Irrigated Young Olive Trees
Authors: Lopes João I. , Arrobas Margarida , Brito Cátia , Gonçalves Alexandre , Silva Ermelinda , Martins Sandra , Raimundo Soraia , Rodrigues Manuel Ângelo , Correia Carlos M.
Published: December 2020

Four soil treatments, consisting of two commercial mycorrhizal fungi, one zeolite and an untreated control, were arranged in a factorial design with two foliar fertilization treatments, a foliar spray and a control to study the effects of commercial mycorrhizal fungi and zeolites on the growth of young, rainfed olive trees planted in very acidic soil. The concentrations in the plant tissues of most of essential nutrients, particularly nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and boron (B), did not significantly change with the soil treatments, whereas leaf N and B concentrations significantly increased with foliar fertilization. Leaf calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) levels were found to be much lower than their respective sufficiency ranges and increased with soil amendments, also giving positive outcomes for plant water status, photosynthetic activity and assimilation area. Ultimately, the mycorrhizal fungi increased the growth of the young trees, whereas the effect of zeolites was much smaller and not significantly different to the control. Thus, it seems that in this very acidic soil and under rainfed conditions, the major benefits for plants from the application of mycorrhizal fungi and zeolites were the alleviation of drought stress and tissue Ca and Mg disorders.
Do Ambient Conditions (Air Quality, Noise Level and Temperature) and Image Congruity Matter for Boosting Customer Approach Behaviors in the FSC Sector?
Authors: Han Heesup , Lho Linda Heejung , Ariza-Montes Antonio , Lee Kyung-Sik , Baek Hyungshin , Araya-Castillo Luis
Published: December 2020

The present research presented a conceptual framework by uncovering the apparent role of ambient condition quality (in-flight air, noise level, and temperature), image congruity, love, respect, and perceived ticket price in increasing customer approach behaviors in the full service carrier (FSC) industry. A quantitative method was used. The evaluation of the measurement model verified the quality of construct measures. Findings from statistical analyses demonstrated the significant associations among research variables, and identified the mediating nature of FSC love and FSC respect. In addition, the important moderating effect of perceived FSC ticket price was found. A prominent role of ambient condition quality in eliciting approach behaviors was also explored. Overall, our theoretical framework contained a prediction power for approach behaviors. The research findings thus assist FSC researchers and practitioners to better understand the process of generating the customer decision-making process and behaviors that are positive for full service carriers. This research hence successfully fulfilled its objective to discover the influences of the customer approach behaviors in the full service carrier (FSC) industry.
Sustainable Extraction and Use of Natural Bioactive Compounds from the Waste Management Process of Castanea spp. Bud-Derivatives: The FINNOVER Project
Authors: Donno Dario , Turrini Federica , Boggia Raffaella , Guido Maddalena , Gamba Giovanni , Mellano Maria Gabriella , Riondato Isidoro , Beccaro Gabriele L.
Published: December 2020

The FINNOVER project provides a technical and economic path for the creation of new supply chains, or their development, for the sustainable extraction and utilization of natural biologically active molecules. In this research, a green extraction method and re-use strategy of botanical by-products are developed and used to obtain value-added products as an ecological alternative to waste composting or incineration. It was applied to the production of Castanea spp. bud-derivatives (a specific category of food supplements derived from plant material) and their by-products. This study aimed to compare the phytochemical composition of Castanea spp. bud-preparations (herbal preparations from buds and sprouts) with the extracts derived from the bud-waste management process. Bioactive compounds were extracted by maceration in hydroglyceroalcoholic solution (traditional method) and by a green extraction technique (Pulsed Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction—PUAE) and identified and quantified by HPLC methods obtaining a specific chromatographic profile. PUAE extracted a total content of 160.42 mg/100 g FW, a good amount if compared to the relative commercial product (1276.17 mg/100 g FW). About 13% of the chemical content of Castanea spp. bud-preparations was maintained in the by-product extracts. This research showed that PUAE may be considered as a sustainable alternative to waste management based on incineration or composting. This study could be considered by the industries for the development of new products for the market derived from the bud-derivative processing waste.
The Role of Socio-Economic Determinants of Horse Farms for Grassland Management, Vegetation Composition and Ecological Value
Authors: Hüppe Cecilia Frauke , Schmitz Anja , Tonn Bettina , Isselstein Johannes
Published: December 2020

Socio-economic context is increasingly seen as a decisive factor for sustainable agricultural land use. The high prevalence of part-time farming and frequent lack of formal agricultural education within the equine sector are often seen as reasons why horse-grazed pastures do not fulfill their biodiversity potential. In spite of the substantial variability within horse farming, little is known about the relationship of socio-economic determinants with vegetation characteristics of horse-grazed grasslands. We surveyed 122 horse farms in Germany, classifying them into four socio-economic classes according to farm income type and farm managers’ agricultural education. We recorded farm structure parameters, grassland management practices and vegetation characteristics. Socio-economic class partly explained the great variability in farm structure that we observed. In contrast to our expectation, income type and agricultural education did not distinctly affect grassland management and were neither directly nor indirectly related to vegetation characteristics. Part-time farming and lack of agricultural education thus did not adversely affect the ecological value of horse-grazed grasslands. By contrast, both farm structure and paddock level management affected grassland vegetation and ecological value. Therefore, the socio-economic context of horse farms should be addressed in further research with strategies targeting the development of sustainable grassland management in horse keeping.
Environmental Habitat Mapping of Green Mussel: A GIS-Based Approach for Sustainable Aquaculture in the Inner Gulf of Thailand
Authors: Kumgumpol Hathaichanok , Liu Yang , Pokavanich Tanuspong , Alabia Irene D. , Yin Zixu , Saitoh Sei-Ichi , Tian Yongjun
Published: December 2020

The green mussel (Perna viridis) is one of the most commercially-important cultured species along the coast of Thailand. In this study, a suitable aquaculture site-selection model (SASSM) was developed to identify the most suitable areas in the inner part of the Gulf of Thailand (InnerGoT) for green mussel culture. Satellite-derived chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and hydrodynamic model outputs for sea surface temperature (SST), salinity, maximum water current (MWC), and bathymetry between 2018 and 2019 were used as input to the SASSM. The results show that suitability scores in mussel aquaculture areas were lowest (1–3) during the Southwest (SW) monsoon, rainy season (July–August), and highest (6–7) during the Northeast (NE) monsoon, cold season (November–December). Moderate suitability scores (4–5) were obtained during the monsoon transition from the NE monsoon to the SW monsoon, summer (April–May). The study area was further divided into three zones: the western, central, and eastern regions. The western and eastern parts showed high suitability scores (5–7) while the central zone exhibited low suitability scores (2–4). The model results show a similar pattern to the actual mussel production in the study area. Seasonal events (i.e., flood and dry seasons) were incorporated into the model to examine the seasonal effects on the suitable mussel aquaculture areas. The suitability scores during the SW monsoon in 2018 were more sensitive to changes in SST and salinity relative to 2019. The higher freshwater discharge and lower temperature in 2018 relative to 2019 resulted in the accrual of suitable aquaculture areas. This pattern is consistent with the productions of the green mussel, where higher production was recorded in 2018 (2002.5 t) than in 2019 (410.8 t). However, correlations among atmospheric (air temperature, rainfall, and wind) and oceanographic factors (SST and MWC) were significant in the western and central regions, suggesting that the suitability of green mussel aquaculture in these regions is vulnerable to environmental disturbances. Thus, the SASSM can be a powerful tool in providing useful information on spatial management for marine aquaculture in environmentally-dynamic coastal systems.
Making Sense of the Sharing Economy: A Category Formation Approach
Authors: Cotrim João Miguel , Nunes Francisco , Laurenti Rafael
Published: December 2020

The sharing economy (SE) has drawn significant attention from several society stakeholders in the last five years. While business actors are interested in financial opportunities to meet consumer needs, new business models, academia and governmental organisations are concerned with potential unintended effects on society and the environment. Despite its notable global growth, there is still a lack of more solid ground in understanding its origins and respective mechanisms through which it has been evolving as a category. This research addresses the problematics of the origins and ascendency of the SE by examining the process by which it is arising as a new category, searching for conceptual clarification, and pinpointing the legitimacy granted by stakeholders. Our guiding research questions are: how the SE was formed and evolved as a category, and as a category, is the SE legitimate? Additionally, we attempt to identify the nature of the SE as a category. Making a historical analysis of the expression SE and its equivalents, this paper deepens the discussion about the SE’s nature by providing evidence that it has predominantly been formed by emergence processes, comprising social movement, similarity clustering, and truce components, which render the SE a particular case of category formation and allow communication, entrepreneurship, regulation, and research about what it is. Moreover, the findings reveal a generalised legitimacy granted to the SE by a vast number of stakeholders, although still lacking the consolidation of socio-political legitimation. The SE’s nature seems to fall into a metaphorical approach, notably, the notion of radial categories.
The Effects of Water Levels and Interspecific Competition on Two Carex Species in a Temperate Wetland of Northeast China
Authors: Tan Wenwen , Sun Li , Zhang Xinhou , Song Changchun
Published: December 2020

Zonation along a water level is the main spatial distribution characteristic of wetland plants. This is mainly because of the influences of hydrological conditions and interspecific competition, which finally narrow the fundamental niche of a species to its realized niche. In the present study, a controlled experiment was conducted in order to analyze the relationship between Carex lasiocarpa/Carex pseudocuraica and Glyceria spiculosa, in conditions of three competitive treatments at four water levels. The results showed that in no competition, C. lasiocarpa preferred low water levels, but this preference receded when competing with G. spiculosa. In contrast, C. pseudocuraica had greater preference for low water level when competing with G. spiculosa. The root/shoot ratios of the two Carex species decreased with increasing water levels, but they were almost unaffected by different competition treatments. With the increase in water level during full competition with G. spiculosa, the competitive ability of C. lasiocarpa showed an increasing trend, whereas a contrary trend was observed in C. pseudocuraica. Our results suggested the effects of water levels and their interactions with interspecific competition varied between the two Carex species and played an important role in determining spatial distribution patterns and potential community succession of wetland plants.
Digital Identity Levels in Older Learners: A New Focus for Sustainable Lifelong Education and Inclusion
Authors: Muñoz-Rodríguez José Manuel , Hernández-Serrano María José , Tabernero Carmen
Published: December 2020

Identifying the digital identity of older adults entails an essential step for their effective digital inclusion grounded in a holistic and sustainable human development in hyperconnected societies. This paper proposes a theoretical framework with three levels of digital identity based on motives and practices: location, action, and significance. This framework was used for designing an ad-hoc scale, tested with a sample of senior learners (n = 659) aged 55 and over involved in active aging programs in Adult Education in Spain. Participants filled out a five-point 20-item Likert scale measuring their agreement with the digital identity factors, along with two complementary scales evaluating their internet uses and motivations, as well as other items on living arrangements and perceived social support. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses showed a factorial structure with three levels of digital identity for older adults. The results revealed that active older adults with diverse motives for using the internet and variety in digital practices recorded a higher digital identity level, as did those who felt more isolated or with less social support. As a conclusion, the educational implications according to instrumental, social, and motivational variables are key for the progressive construction of a digital identity in older adults and for their digital inclusion.
Gender Balance in Mars Exploration: Lessons Learned from the Mars Science Laboratory
Authors: Zorzano María-Paz
Published: December 2020

There is, recently, a global concern about the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas, starting from education role models, student applications, through the academic, industrial and management career progression. Given the high visibility and popularity of all subjects related to space exploration, female participation in this field may be used to change the existing stereotypes and provide role models to the younger generations, thus having a positive influence on education while also demonstrating to other organizations how to promote diversity in the working environment. Previous studies on spacecraft science teams, considering only principal and co-Investigators, PIs and co-investigators (CoIs), respectively, show that the percentage of women in the role of investigators has remained flat at 15.8% since 2000. The NASA Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission is taken here as an example to perform a statistical analysis of the gender profile for the period 2004–2018. The results are compared with: (1) data from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) about gender distribution in STEM postdoctoral profiles and faculty members; (2) the trend of planetary exploration team profiles; (3) research and innovation statistics in Europe; (4) proposals of the EU FP6 funding program; and (5) the percentage of female researchers from the Elsevier status report. This analysis shows that the process of continually holding open calls for Participating Scientists based on individual merit and the application of a flat working structure have allowed gender balance within the MSL team to improve naturally while maximizing individual and team performance. Women represent approximately 30.6% of the team, in agreement with the current percentage of female planetary exploration researchers and senior faculty members in academia. Interestingly, the percentage of female-led articles has been above the MSL women percentage trend. While the percentage of women in planetary science appears to be increasing, their role on the proposing teams is still low. As in other STEM fields, attention should be paid to secure the adequate promotion of younger generations to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls by 2030.
SME Managers’ Perceptions of Sustainable Marketing Mix in Different Socioeconomic Conditions—A Comparative Analysis of Sri Lanka and Poland
Authors: Kowalska Magdalena
Published: December 2020

Current changes in the business environment mean that the pursuit of economic development—without accounting for social welfare and environmental constraints—is replaced by the concept of sustainable development. Enterprises, in order to meet market requirements, adopt sustainable marketing as part of their strategy to provide long-term benefits in the social, economic, and environmental dimensions. The article aims to assess the differences in the use of marketing mix tools (5P) according to the concept of sustainable development in countries with different socioeconomic conditions. The empirical study was based on 262 questionnaires conducted among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in two different countries, i.e., 150 companies operating in Poland (as an example of a developed country) and 112 in Sri Lanka (as an example of a developing country). The obtained results show that there are statistically significant differences between the analyzed markets in terms of implementing sustainable marketing tools. The results allow us to conclude that the sustainable marketing mix activities are significantly more important for SEM managers in Sri Lanka than in Poland.
Predicting the Purchase Intention and Behaviour towards Green Skincare Products among Malaysian Consumers
Authors: Al Mamun Abdullah , Nawi Noorshella Che , Hayat Naeem , Zainol Noor Raihani Binti
Published: December 2020

This study examined the effect of environmental concern, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and availability on the intention to purchase green skincare products and the effect of purchase intention on the purchase of green skincare products among Malaysian consumers. By performing multi-group analysis (MGA), this study assessed the difference in each association across gender and education groups. A cross-sectional design was adopted in this study to gather quantitative data from 300 respondents in Malaysia via online survey. The study outcomes revealed that environmental concern and attitude towards green skincare products displayed a significant effect on the intention among Malaysians to purchase green skincare products. Purchase intention exhibited a significantly positive effect on the purchase of green skincare products among Malaysian consumers. Further, purchase intention mediated the effect of environmental concern and attitude on the purchase of green skincare products. The MGA outputs revealed that the effect of environmental concern on purchase intention among respondents with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent was significantly higher than those who held a diploma or technical school certificate. Meanwhile, the effect of subjective norms on purchase intention among respondents with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent was significantly lower than those with a diploma or technical school certificate. Next, the effect of availability on purchase intention, as well as the effect of purchase intention on the purchase of green skincare products among male respondents was significantly higher than female respondents. In order to promote the mass adoption of green skincare products among Malaysians, related promotional activities should emphasize the environmental aspects of using green products, in comparison to using conventional skincare products.
Life in Anticipation of Wind Power Development: Three Cases from Coastal Norway
Authors: Staupe-Delgado Reidar , Coombes Philip R.
Published: December 2020

Wind power development, whilst welcomed by many as a potentially green source of energy, also gives rise to considerable local resistance. Drawing on three case studies from coastal Norway (Frøya, Haramsøy, and Egersund), the present article sets out to reflect on life in anticipation of wind power development. Reflecting on the nature of life in anticipation of undesired wind power developments, with implications for how life is lived in dread of imminent adversities in general (such as climate change, pandemics, and disaster risks), these case studies focus on how communities relate to the future and how they perceive and strive to organise so as to shape outcomes. A central point raised in this article is that wind power projects could become more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable if greater attention is paid to working with communities to reduce distrust and uncertainties before, during and after such projects. Hence, relational work carried out that may shape the affective state of anticipation prior to and during wind farm construction can be understood as crucial to the sustainability of large-scale green infrastructure projects.