bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Effect of the Polyol Structure and the Incorporation of Lignin on the Properties of Bio-Based Polyurethane
Authors: Kim Bomin , Lee Jihoon , Jang Sunjin , Park Jaehyeon , Choi Jinsil , Lee Seungyeol , Jung Joonhoo , Park Jaehyung
Published: February 2025

This study developed bio-based waterborne polyurethane (BWPU) dispersions containing lignin as a sustainable filler with castor oil (CO), polycaprolactone diol (PCL), or poly(trimethylene ether) glycol (PO3G). The effects of the polyol structure and the presence of lignin on the mechanical performance, thermal stability, water absorption, ethanol resistance, and UV-blocking capabilities of the resulting BWPU samples were evaluated. The results revealed that lignin affects the molecular packing and interchain interactions of CO-based BWPU, thus improving its tensile strength and thermal stability while reducing its water absorption and ethanol permeability. In the PCL-based BWPU, lignin had a minimal impact on water absorption and ethanol resistance but led to greater UV-blocking ability due to interactions between the semi-crystalline matrix of PCL and the aromatic structure of the lignin. In the PO3G-based BWPU, lignin disrupted the polymer network, increasing its water absorption and reducing its ethanol resistance but significantly improving its elongation and UV-shielding behavior. These results highlight the dual role of lignin as a sustainable reinforcing agent and functional additive in enhancing the properties of BWPU. By tailoring the polyol structure and optimizing lignin use, this study demonstrates a framework for the development of eco-friendly PU composites suitable for use as coatings, barriers, UV-shielding films, and packaging
Novel Carvacrol@activated Carbon Nanohybrid for Innovative Poly(lactide Acid)/Triethyl Citrate Based Sustainable Active Packaging Films
Authors: Karabagias Vassilios K. , Giannakas Aris E. , Leontiou Areti A. , Karydis-Messinis Andreas , Moschovas Dimitrios , Andritsos Nikolaos D. , Avgeropoulos Apostolos , Zafeiropoulos Nikolaos E. , Proestos Charalampos , Salmas Constantinos E.
Published: February 2025

It has been well known for the past decade that the accumulation of food E-preservatives in the human body has harmful consequences for human health. Furthermore, scientists have realized that despite the convenience offered by petrochemical-derived polymers, a circular economy and sustainability are two current necessities; thus, the use of biodegradable alternative materials is imposed. The food packaging sector is one of the most rapidly changing sectors in the world. In recent years, many studies have focused on the development of active packaging films to replace old non-ecofriendly techniques with novel environmentally friendly methods. In this study, a novel self-healable, biodegradable active packaging film was developed using poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as a biopolymer, which was incorporated with a nanohybrid solid material as a natural preservative. This nanohybrid was derived via the absorption of carvacrol (CV) essential oil in an activated carbon (AC) nanocarrier. A material with a high carvacrol load of 71.3%wt. into AC via a vacuum-assisted adsorption method, functioning as a natural antioxidant and an antibacterial agent. The CV@AC nanohybrid was successfully dispersed in a PLA/triethyl citrate (TEC) matrix via melt extrusion, and a final PLA/TEC/xCV@AC nanocomposite film was developed. The study concluded that x = 10%wt. CV@AC was the optimum nanohybrid amount incorporated in the self-healable PLA/TEC and exhibited 277% higher ultimate strength and 72% higher water barrier compared to the pure PLA/TEC. Moreover, it remained ductile enough to show the slowest CV release rate, highest antioxidant activity, and significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica serovar Typhimurium. This film extended the shelf life of fresh minced pork by four days, according to total viable count measurements, and decreased its lipid oxidation rate. Finally, this novel film preserved the nutritional value of porkby maintaining a higher heme iron content and showed a higher level of sensory characteristics compared to commercial packaging paper.
The Development and Validation of a Novel HPLC-DAD Method for the Quantification of Icaridin in Insect Repellent Formulations
Authors: Farias Fernanda Fernandes , Santa Bárbara Maria Cristina , Martins Valéria Adriana Pereira , Silva Mariana Sbaraglini Garcia , Silva Vanessa Cristina Martins , Andreo-Filho Newton , Lopes Patricia Santos , Leite-Silva Vânia Rodrigues
Published: February 2025

The quality control of insect repellents contributes to the population’s health since these products prevent mosquito bites and vector-borne diseases. In this study, we developed and validated a novel analytical method using high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) for the quantification of icaridin in insect repellent lotions. The analysis was performed on a phenyl chromatographic column 150 × 4.6 mm, 3.5 μm and stabilized at 30 °C. The detection of icaridin was achieved at 4.5 min with a 20 μL injection volume of the samples. The active ingredient was extracted from the lotion samples with isopropanol and water (50:50 v/v) and then diluted to the working concentration at 0.6 mg/mL with the mobile phase. The calibration curve was linear in the concentration range of 0.1 to 1.2 mg/mL. The method was robust, specific and precise (relative standard deviations—RSD < 2%). The accuracy of the method was demonstrated by icaridin recovery. The limit of detection and quantification were 0.03 mg/mL and 0.1 mg/mL, respectively. The present report puts forward a novel analytical method for the quantification of icaridin, contributing to improving the quality control and efficacy of marketed formulations and their different presentations such as lotions, gels and sprays, demonstrating its good applicability.
Comparison of Hydraulic Measures for Improving Coal Seam Permeability: A Case Study
Authors: Huang Yuxi , Cheng Xiaoyang , Zhang Huan
Published: February 2025

Hydraulic measures are widely used to improve coal seam permeability, but not all hydraulic measures have a positive effect on coal permeability in soft coal seams, and the permeability-enhancing effect of hydraulic measures in soft coal seams is not clear. To further study the permeability-enhancing mechanism of hydraulic measures and compare the effect of hydraulic punching and reaming in soft coal seams, this study takes Changping Mine, China, as its case study. A comparative analysis was conducted on the influence range and gas extraction effect of hydraulic reaming and punching on coal seam permeability enhancement. The following conclusions were mainly drawn: A mathematical calculation model was established for the strength and impact velocity of high-pressure water jet damage to the coal body, and the critical theoretical pressure threshold and jet velocity were obtained. During the implementation of hydraulic measures at the Changping Mine, the effective radius of hydraulic reaming is around 4.5 m, and the influence radius of hydraulic reaming is approximately 7.5 m; the effective radius of hydraulic punching is about 6.5 m, and the influence radius of hydraulic punching is approximately 7–9 m. The gas data from field monitoring show that hydraulic measures have significantly improved the extraction gas concentration and purity, and hydraulic punching has a more significant effect on enhancing permeability in soft coal seams.
An Investigation of MnOx and K/MnOx-Based Catalysts on MnO2 and Fe3O4 Supports for the Deep Oxidation of Cyclohexane
Authors: Kamal Md Sarwar , Almquist Catherine B. , Tierney David L.
Published: February 2025

K/MnOx catalysts on MnO2 and Fe3O4 supports were synthesized and compared for the deep oxidation of cyclohexane. The presence of potassium (K) on the catalysts enhanced the catalytic activity compared to catalysts with similar composition but without K. Interestingly, the lowest loading of K/MnOx used in this study (0.63 mmoles/g support) performed better than those with higher loadings. The presence of K on the catalysts increased water adsorption, decreased the extent of sintering, and inhibited changes in crystal phase of the catalyst support, as evidenced by TGA, XRD, and BET surface area analyses. The XRD profiles of the catalysts showed mixed crystal phases of MnOx and FeOx species, and EPR results support the presence of mixed valence states of Fe and Mn. The activation energies for MnOx-supported catalysts and FeOx-supported catalysts were approximately 50 kJ/mole and 53 kJ/mole, respectively.
Characteristics of Resveratrol Tablets Stored Under Stress Conditions by Total Hemispherical Reflectance and Selected Pharmacopoeial Parameters
Authors: Szulc-Musioł Beata , Sarecka-Hujar Beata
Published: February 2025

The introduction of medicine into the pharmaceutical market must be preceded by a stability study. One of the most important reasons for the instability of a drug preparation is improper storage by the patient, which can accelerate the degradation process. In this study, the novel directional-hemispherical reflectance (THR) and traditional (hardness and friability) methods of drug quality control were used in the characteristics of resveratrol supplemental tablets exposed to light and elevated temperatures. The tablets were stored in an aging chamber at two different temperatures (25 °C, 45 °C) over different time intervals (1 h, 3 h, 1 day, 5 days), yielding seven storage conditions. The 410-Solar Reflectometer allowed us to determine the THR values for seven spectral ranges: 335–380, 400–540, 480–600, 590–720, 700–1100, 1000–1700, and 1700–2500 nm. At each time point, tablets exposed to stress conditions were characterized by lower reflectance values for all spectral ranges, compared to the values on day 0. Compared to day 0, significant differences in THR values were observed at temperatures of 25 °C and 45 °C on day 1 and at a temperature of 25 °C on day 5 across the entire spectrum studied. The change in THR on day 5 of the experiment at 45 °C, compared to 25 °C, was significantly higher only in the UVA 335–380 nm range. In addition, significant changes in the strength parameters of the tablets, i.e., an increase in hardness and a decrease in friability were found on days 1 and 5 of the study, irrespective of temperature. Such significant differences after UV and heat exposure are probably due to changes in the homogeneity of the tablet matrix and may indicate possible physical and chemical changes occurring on the surface or inside the tablet.
Is It Rational to Reject God?
Authors: Ho Pao-Shen
Published: February 2025

According to the free will theodicy of hell, the damned agent freely chooses to suffer in hell, or equivalently, to reject God. Against this view, Thomas Talbott argues that it is impossible for the agent to freely reject God because doing so is not rational. The aim of this essay is to critically respond to Talbott’s argument that it is not rational to reject God, rather than offering a full defense of the free will theodicy of hell itself. Drawing on recent work on rationality, I argue that not only does Talbott’s argument commit the fallacy of equivocation, but its two premises are also indefensible. I also explain what the reasons are for rejecting God: when the agent’s happiness consists of an incoherent combination of attitudes, it is both structurally and substantively rational for her to reject God.
Abraham Abulafia on the Messiah and the Pope
Authors: Idel Moshe
Published: February 2025

The biblical episode of the encounter between Moses and the Pharaoh turned out to be a matrix of speculations in Judaism about the messianic drama. Nahmanides contributed to it in his dispute with Paulus Christianus by assuming that the Messiah will go to the Pope as part of the messianic scenario. Some few decades later, the Kabbalist Abraham Abulafia (1240—c.1292) reports about his intention to meet the Pope in 1280. Scholars differed as to what was the purpose of this intention. The present study considers a series of passages written by the Kabbalist, which include inclusive language insofar as he was addressing not only the Jews but also other religions, in order to elucidate the succinct sentence found in one of his writings. In my opinion, those passages are related to his inclusive vision of the meaning of Yahadut, referring to religious persons who acknowledge the centrality of the divine name, and consequentially, Abulafia was concerned with some form of religious dialogue with the Pope. This more open tone is found in the claim that as a Messiah, Abulafia preached to the Gentiles and discussed esoteric topics with a Christian.
On Responsibility: Islamic Ethical Thought Engages with Jewish Ethical Thought
Authors: Topkara Ufuk
Published: February 2025

A remarkable amount of work on the study of Islamic ethical thought is published annually, covering an unprecedented variety of topics and themes. Yet despite the strides made, these debates have not addressed vital questions about how Islamic ethical thought can contribute to ongoing discourses that affect not only the Muslim community but society at large. In other words, how can we bring Islamic ethical thought into systematic engagement with modern philosophy? Specifically, how can Islamic ethical thought learn from contemporary philosophy, as it learned from Greek philosophy in the Middle Ages? And how might it be possible to develop Islamic ethical thought that can withstand both religious and rational scrutiny? In this programmatic overview, I respond to these questions by engaging with responsibility ethics within and beyond the Islamic tradition. As much as the debate about ethics has reached new heights in contemporary philosophical discourses, so too has the debate about responsibility re-emerged in theological discourses. In this paper, I bring into conversation the thought of Taha Abdurrahman on responsibility, which is nested within his larger paradigm of contemporary Islamic ethics, and Jewish thinker Hans Jonas’ concept of an ethics of responsibility. I argue that orchestrating this scholarly dialog between a 20th-century German Jewish thinker (Jonas) and a contemporary Muslim thinker (Abdurrahman) can lead to both a productive and constructive elaboration of Islamic ethical thought. Furthermore, I suggest that Habermas’ philosophy can serve as a bridge in this discussion, facilitating a comparative exploration of the ethical frameworks presented by both thinkers. By engaging with Habermas, we can highlight how Islamic thought can approach modernity, including philosophical debates, in a manner similar to that of 20th-century Jewish scholars like Jonas. This engagement not only enhances our understanding of responsibility within these traditions but also underscores the potential for interdisciplinary dialog in navigating contemporary ethical challenges.
“No Eden Without Its Serpent?”: Tracing Colonial Discourses in the Early Missionary Writings and the Development of Adventist Theological Education in Indonesia
Authors: Noya Ludwig Beethoven J.
Published: February 2025

Through this article, I endeavor to foreground the topic of colonial education by focusing on how missionaries manifested a colonial mindset in the realm of theological education in Indonesia. This article begins by tracing the colonial discourses of the early missionaries through missionaries’ reports, newsletters, and other historical sources. It continues by delineating the colonial discourses in the development of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) system of education. This survey shows how colonial discourses such as the discourse of othering, anti-conquest ideology, binary hierarchies, hegemonic mindsets, cultural imperialism, reproduction of workers, and a strict disciplinary system are present in the development of SDA theological education in Indonesia.
Energy Consumption, Economic Growth, and Climate Change Nexus in Jordan: Insights from the Toda Yamamoto Causality Test
Authors: Jaber Mohammad M. , Szép Tekla , El-Naqa Ali Ramadan , Abusmier Shereen A.
Published: February 2025

Jordan faces significant challenges related to energy security due to its limited natural resources and reliance on energy imports, which meet over 90% of its energy needs. The adoption of renewable energy (RE) technologies is viewed as a crucial step in reducing dependence on fossil fuels, enhancing energy security, and addressing environmental concerns such as CO2 emissions. Jordan has set ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 through RE and energy efficiency initiatives, in line with the global push to combat climate change. Using the Toda-Yamamoto causality test, this study examines the relationship between economic growth, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions in Jordan from 1980 to 2021. The results indicate a bidirectional causality between energy consumption and economic growth, highlighting the energy-dependent nature of Jordan’s economy. Additionally, greenhouse gas emissions were found to cause economic growth, reflecting the role of emissions-intensive industries in the country’s development. The study also shows that economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions jointly influence energy consumption, while energy consumption does not directly drive emissions. These findings emphasize the need for Jordan to adapt and accelerate its energy transition. By investing in renewable energy and improving energy efficiency, Jordan can reduce its contributions to climate change while enhancing energy security and fostering sustainable economic growth.
An Interplay Between Digital Banking Services, Perceived Risks, Customers’ Expectations, and Customers’ Satisfaction
Authors: Barjaktarovic Rakocevic Sladjana , Rakic Nela , Rakocevic Rade
Published: February 2025

Advancements in technology and emerging digital trends are driving the expectations of bank clients. With the development of new, innovative technologies, the banking sector has started creating new products and services and looking for new channels through which to offer those services in a way that meets customers’ uplifted expectations. The aim of this paper is to explore several aspects of digital banking services, analyze user expectations, evaluate risks, and gauge how customers’ expectations and perceived risks affect their satisfaction with these services. For that purpose, an empirical survey was conducted using an online questionnaire, obtaining 535 valid responses. This research showed that bank clients identified digital banking services as the most important factor when choosing a bank. Furthermore, the results of the study revealed which perceived characteristics and expectations of digital banking services create the highest levels of customer satisfaction in using digital banking services, and what types of perceived risks of using digital banking services should be mitigated.
Towards Safer Electric Vehicles: Autoencoder-Based Fault Detection Method for High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Battery Packs
Authors: Wójcik Grzegorz , Przystałka Piotr
Published: February 2025

The rapid growth in the battery electric vehicle (BEV) market has brought lithium-ion battery (LIB) packs to the forefront due to their superior power and energy density properties. However, LIBs are highly susceptible to environmental factors, operating conditions, and manufacturing inconsistencies and operate within a narrow safety operating window. Battery faults pose significant risks, including potentially catastrophic thermal runaway, that can be initiated even by small faults, propagating further into a chain reaction cascade of failures. Aiming to improve the safety of such battery packs, this article presents the developed autoencoder-based fault detection method. The method, enhanced by computational intelligence and machine learning, is a result of extensive research into optical liquid detection systems (OLDSs) for immersion-cooled battery packs, where optical rather than electrical signals are used inside high-voltage areas. The performance was evaluated using recorded real-life datasets under faultless states and under simulated fault states through specific model performance indicators as well as detection performance indicators.
Wearable and Flexible Sensor Devices: Recent Advances in Designs, Fabrication Methods, and Applications
Authors: Ali Shahid Muhammad , Noghanian Sima , Khan Zia Ullah , Alzahrani Saeed , Alharbi Saad , Alhartomi Mohammad , Alsulami Ruwaybih
Published: February 2025

The development of wearable sensor devices brings significant benefits to patients by offering real-time healthcare via wireless body area networks (WBANs). These wearable devices have gained significant traction due to advantageous features, including their lightweight nature, comfortable feel, stretchability, flexibility, low power consumption, and cost-effectiveness. Wearable devices play a pivotal role in healthcare, defence, sports, health monitoring, disease detection, and subject tracking. However, the irregular nature of the human body poses a significant challenge in the design of such wearable systems. This manuscript provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in wearable and flexible smart sensor devices that can support the next generation of such sensor devices. Further, the development of direct ink writing (DIW) and direct writing (DW) methods has revolutionised new high-resolution integrated smart structures, enabling the design of next-generation soft, flexible, and stretchable wearable sensor devices. Recognising the importance of keeping academia and industry informed about cutting-edge technology and time-efficient fabrication tools, this manuscript also provides a thorough overview of the latest progress in various fabrication methods for wearable sensor devices utilised in WBAN and their evaluation using body phantoms. An overview of emerging challenges and future research directions is also discussed in the conclusion.
Comprehensive Statistical Analysis of Skiers’ Trajectories: Turning Points, Minimum Distances, and the Fundamental Diagram
Authors: Zhang Buchuan , Schadschneider Andreas
Published: February 2025

In recent years, an increasing number of accidents at ski resorts have raised significant safety concerns. To address these issues, it is essential to understand skiing traffic and the underlying dynamics. We collected 225 trajectories, which were analyzed after a correction process. To obtain a quantitative classification of typical trajectories we focus on three main quantities: turning points, minimum distance, and the fundamental diagram. Our objective was to analyze these trajectories in depth and identify key statistical properties. Our findings indicate that three factors—turning angle, curvature, and velocity change—can be used to accurately identify turning points and classify skiers’ movement styles. We found that aggressive skiers tend to exhibit larger and less stable turning angles, while conservative skiers demonstrate a more controlled style, characterized by smaller, more stable turns. This is consistent with observations made for the distribution of the minimum distance to other skiers. Furthermore, we have derived a fundamental diagram which is an important characteristic of any traffic system. It is found share more similarities with the fundamental diagram of ant trails than those of highway traffic.
DC-NFC: A Custom Deep Learning Framework for Security and Privacy in NFC-Enabled IoT
Authors: Rehman Abdul , Alharbi Omar , Qasaymeh Yazeed , Aljaedi Amer
Published: February 2025

NFC has emerged as a critical technology in IoET ecosystems, facilitating seamless data exchange in proximity-based systems. However, the security and privacy challenges associated with NFC-enabled IoT devices remain significant, exposing them to various threats such as eavesdropping, relay attacks, and spoofing. This paper introduces DC-NFC, a novel deep learning framework designed to enhance the security and privacy of NFC communications within IoT environments. The proposed framework integrates three innovative components: the CE for capturing intricate temporal and spatial patterns, the PML for enforcing end-to-end privacy constraints, and the ATF module for real-time threat detection and dynamic model adaptation. Comprehensive experiments were conducted on four benchmark datasets—UNSW-NB15, Bot-IoT, TON-IoT Telemetry, and Edge-IIoTset. The results of the proposed approach demonstrate significant improvements in security metrics across all datasets, with accuracy enhancements up to 95% on UNSW-NB15, and consistent F1-scores above 0.90, underscoring the framework’s robustness in enhancing NFC security and privacy in diverse IoT environments. The simulation results highlight the framework’s real-time processing capabilities, achieving low latency of 20.53 s for 1000 devices on the UNSW-NB15 dataset.
Gamified Engagement for Data Crowdsourcing and AI Literacy: An Investigation in Affective Communication Through Speech Emotion Recognition
Authors: Siamtanidou Eleni , Vrysis Lazaros , Vryzas Nikolaos , Dimoulas Charalampos A.
Published: February 2025

This research investigates the utilization of entertainment approaches, such as serious games and gamification technologies, to address various challenges and implement targeted tasks. Specifically, it details the design and development of an innovative gamified application named “J-Plus”, aimed at both professionals and non-professionals in journalism. This application facilitates the enjoyable, efficient, and high-quality collection of emotionally tagged speech samples, enhancing the performance and robustness of speech emotion recognition (SER) systems. Additionally, these approaches offer significant educational benefits, providing users with knowledge about emotional speech and artificial intelligence (AI) mechanisms while promoting digital skills. This project was evaluated by 48 participants, with 44 engaging in quantitative assessments and 4 forming an expert group for qualitative methodologies. This evaluation validated the research questions and hypotheses, demonstrating the application’s diverse benefits. Key findings indicate that gamified features can effectively support learning and attract users, with approximately 70% of participants agreeing that serious games and gamification could enhance their motivation to practice and improve their emotional speech. Additionally, 50% of participants identified social interaction features, such as collaboration, as most beneficial for fostering motivation and commitment. The integration of these elements supports reliable and extensive data collection and the advancement of AI algorithms while concurrently developing various skills, such as emotional speech articulation and digital literacy. This paper advocates for the creation of collaborative environments and digital communities through crowdsourcing, balancing technological innovation in the SER sector.
Biochar and Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria Boost Chemical and Biological Properties of Semiarid Soil in Cowpea
Authors: Araujo Inara da Silva , Martins Filho Argemiro Pereira , da Costa Diogo Paes , Silva Aline Oliveira , da França Rafaela Felix , Lira Junior Mario de Andrade , Duda Gustavo Pereira , Lima José Romualdo de Sousa , da Silva Mairon Moura , Araujo Ademir Sergio Ferreira , Hammecker Claude , Medeiros Erika Valente de
Published: February 2025

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are an effective tool for improving nutrients in agricultural systems; however, their efficacy depends on successful colonization in soils. To address this challenge, biochar has been identified as an effective material for enhancing soil ecosystem services and can serve as a protective for PGPB. However, the impact of biochar and PGPB on soil health indicators and plant growth remains poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of biochar and PGPB on soil chemical and biological properties in cowpea. We used biochar from bean husk (BHB) and grape fermentation residue (GFB) and Bradyrhizobium elkanii USDA 76 (BRA), Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 25416 (PRB), or Rhizobium altiplani BR10423 (RHI). BHB and PRB stimulated cowpea growth, while GFB and PRB promoted soil phosphatase activity. Overall, different combinations of biochar and PGPR increased soil pH, phosphorus, potassium, organic carbon content, and urease activity, but did not affect microbial biomass carbon and β-glucosidase activities. The biochars inoculated with the BRA showed the highest productivity. For example, plants subjected to the BRA + GFB treatment exhibited a 3.85-fold increase in productivity compared to the additional treatment that involved the use of commercial peat. The study demonstrated a positive effect of biochar and PGPB on soil enzymatic activity, nutrient content, and cowpea growth suggesting a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers, especially in poor soils. These findings highlight the potential of biochar as an environmentally sustainable carrier of PGPB while addressing the issue of agricultural waste reuse.
Who Is Taking Actions to Address Climate Change: Prevalence and Correlates of Actions to Address Climate Change in a Nationally Representative U.S. Sample of Adults
Authors: Latkin Carl , Lee Hyojin , Srinivasan Swathi , Bhaktaram Ananya , Dayton Lauren
Published: February 2025

Background: Climate change and sustainability are highly interconnected. Addressing climate change requires major social change and collective action. The current study examined the prevalence of, and factors associated with, four climate change activism behaviors in a U.S. nationally representative sample. Methods: Data were derived from the Pew Research Center American Trends Panel conducted in April 2021 of 13,749 panelists. Key outcomes included (1) attending a protest or rally addressing climate change, (2) volunteering for a climate change activity, (3) donating money to an organization focused on climate change, and (4) contacting an elected official to urge them to address climate change. Multivariable logistic regression models examined the independent associations with psychosocial and demographic variables. Results: A fourth (24.7%) of participants reported engagement in one or more climate change activism behaviors. Of those who reported climate change activism, most (54.7%) only engaged in one activity. In the multivariable regression models, individual and social factors were significantly associated with all four climate action outcomes. Factors include social network communications and social norms variables, such as encouragement to take action, criticism for not taking action, and climate change communication frequency. Discussion: This study’s findings indicate that over 41 million U.S. adults reported having donated money to an organization focused on addressing climate change in the prior year, 25 million volunteered, and 26 million contacted an elected official. The association of social and communication variables with climate change activism suggests the importance of training people to talk about and encourage others to engage in climate change activism.
Safe and Sustainable City: Exploring the Impact of Urban Factors on Crime Occurrence
Authors: Cysek-Pawlak Monika Maria , Serafin Aleksander , Polishchuk Andrii
Published: February 2025

Safety, a critical component of sustainable development, necessitates an integrated approach in which urban planning assumes a central role. This study investigates the relationship between urban form and crime incidents in public spaces within the center of the city. This study was conducted in the city of Łódź, located in central Poland. Through geolocated data, this research explores crime incidents that, while not the most severe, disrupt public order and impact the overall quality of life. This study fills a gap in the existing literature by analyzing spatial variables such as urban vibrancy and the presence of alcohol outlets, alongside other urban elements. The analysis incorporates a variety of urban form variables, including land development indices, the functional layout of the urban neighborhood, pedestrian infrastructure, public space amenities, and facilities. Urban vibrancy, represented by the density of human activity, is also assessed in relation to crime incidents. The results indicate significant correlations between certain urban features and the occurrence of crime incidents, particularly the presence of public amenities and small businesses. While these findings suggest that urban design can influence crime rates, further panel and time-series regression analysis is needed to confirm these dynamics. Aligned with the 11th Sustainable Development Goal, this study provides insights that could inform urban planning strategies, offering recommendations to enhance both the functionality and safety of city centers. By understanding how urban design elements contribute to public safety, policymakers can develop more effective and targeted spatial planning strategies that promote not only aesthetics and functionality but also the well-being and security of residents.
Environmental Impact Assessment of New Sea Fennel-Based Food Products: Spice and Fermented Pickles
Authors: Costantini Erica , Boakye-Yiadom Kofi Armah , Ilari Alessio , Foppa Pedretti Ester , Duca Daniele
Published: February 2025

Sea fennel, a halophyte with growing economic importance in the Mediterranean region, offers a rich source of bioactive compounds for diverse applications in various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Recognizing the crucial role of eco-design in promoting sustainable food production, this study aimed to assess the environmental impacts of two novel sea fennel products: dried spice and fermented pickles. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method was used to evaluate the environmental burdens of these new products, from raw material acquisition to packaging end-of-life, to fine-tune the innovation process. Primary data were collected from a company in the Marche region, Italy. The Environmental Footprint 3.1 method was applied to analyze the impacts. From the results obtained, the climate change score for the spice was 6.24 kg CO2 eq./kg spice, while the fermented pickle was 0.89 kg CO2 eq./kg product—net weight. The results also revealed that primary packaging emerged as the primary environmental hotspot for both products, accounting for more than 40% of the total impacts in most of the impact categories. Glass packaging significantly contributed to the environmental impact of the spice, while both glass jars and tin-plated steel lids contributed substantially to the impact of the pickled products. Despite the generally low impact of sea fennel cultivation, the processing and packaging stages significantly increased the overall environmental impacts of both products. This study provides valuable insights for manufacturers seeking to develop and commercialize highly sustainable sea fennel-based products. By identifying key environmental hotspots and implementing eco-design principles during the product development phase, manufacturers can significantly reduce the environmental impact of these novel food products.
Investigating AI Adoption, Knowledge Absorptive Capacity, and Open Innovation in Chinese Apparel MSMEs: An Extended TAM-TOE Model with PLS-SEM Analysis
Authors: Qu Chen , Kim Eunyoung
Published: February 2025

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly transformed industries, positioning the fashion sector as a critical area of study due to its mass production and pressing sustainability challenges. As the world’s largest apparel producer, China faces unique hurdles in terms of integrating AI technologies, highlighting the intersection of technological innovation and sustainability within this industry. In this context, this study aims to provide the initial exploratory correlations between AI adoption and open innovation from apparel manufacturing micro-, small-, and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) managers’ perspectives, identifying knowledge absorptive capacity (KACAP)’s significant impacts through an integrated and extended TAM-TOE model. We conducted PLS-SEM to empirically validate the antecedents of AI adoption and its consequential effects on KACAP and open innovation by collecting information from 269 of the apparel manufacturing MSMEs’ top managers. The results show that the TAM-TOE structural model explains 60.7% of the variance in AI adoption, 47.4% in KACAP, and 55.4% in open innovation, which suggests that the model has good explanatory capacity, and that all these Q2 values indicate a sizeable predictive accuracy threshold. Drawing on the proposed model, the study has identified technological (e.g., perceived usefulness) and environmental factors (e.g., competitive pressure, market uncertainty, and government support and policy) that significantly impact AI adoption, while organizational factors (e.g., organizational readiness) directly impact KACAP, and environmental factors (e.g., competitive pressure, supplier involvement, and market uncertainty) directly impact open innovation. Subsequently, the AI construct is having a significant influence on MSMEs’ open innovation through KACAP. This fills existing theoretical gaps by linking AI technology to organizational innovation processes and demonstrates the mediating influence of KACAP. Also, the proposed model provides a foundation for future research by exploring the intersection of AI and innovation in similar industries.
Understanding the Mediating Effect of Brand Equity on Sustainability and Omnichannel Operation and Phygital Experience
Authors: Kencebay Belma , Ertugan Ahmet
Published: February 2025

As the complexity of modern-day retailing currently complicates businesses, a very key study area that has emerged is how sustainability initiatives can be complemented with brand equity and omnichannel operations. The specific purpose of this study is to investigate how brand equity mediates the relationship between sustainability practices and omnichannel operations—the focus being effective retail tactics in the current market. Sustainability, which includes social responsibility, environmental management, and moral business conduct, has become a key component of corporate strategy. In order to achieve operational efficiency and long-term profitability, businesses attempt to align with consumer values and address urgent societal issues through eco-friendly production methods, community participation, and sustainable sourcing. The study employs a quantitative research approach and uses the survey method to collect data from retail end users. This structured questionnaire was distributed to 474 adult consumers in Turkey and Cyprus, ensuring that the sample is representative at a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error. A simple mediation analysis was thus performed through ordinary least squares (OLS) path analysis to test the hypothesized mediating effect of brand equity. The result shows that brand equity partially mediates the relationship between sustainability and omnichannel performance, thus indicating that sustainability initiatives improve omnichannel effectiveness, both directly and indirectly, through strengthened brand perception. By demonstrating how multidimensional brand equity—which encompasses perceived quality, brand loyalty, brand awareness, and brand associations—influences customer behavior, the study adds something special to the body of current work.
Impact of Democratic Leadership on Employee Innovative Behavior with Mediating Role of Psychological Safety and Creative Potential
Authors: Imran Muhammad , Li Jizu , Bano Sher , Rashid Waqas
Published: February 2025

While leadership influence has been linked to organizational performance, the mechanism through which leadership development can foster sustainable innovation in SMEs with distinctive cultural contexts, including individualism/collectivism, is still not well understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role that democratic leadership plays in increasing employee innovative behavior (EIB) when organizations are working in situations that are characterized by high levels of hierarchical and collectivist cultures. This study fills a gap in the literature by investigating the ways in which leadership influences innovation in small- and medium-sized textile enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan, including psychological safety and creative potential. This study discloses that participative leadership practices effectively drive sustained innovation especially in countries that embrace hierarchy and collectivism. The participants in this study comprised 389 employees from the textile industry, who completed validated self-report surveys of democratic leadership, psychological safety, creative potential, and EIB. This study used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine the direct and indirect effects of the variables using Smart PLS 4.1.0.8 software. The findings reveal that democratic leadership positively and significantly impacts EIB. Psychological safety mediates this relationship by creating a supportive environment for idea sharing, while creative potential acts as a stronger mediator, enabling employees to generate and implement novel ideas. These results highlight the critical role of democratic leadership in driving innovation through safe and creative organizational climates. This study extends leadership and innovation research by demonstrating the mechanisms through which democratic leadership fosters EIB. This study contributes to the understanding of leadership effectiveness in non-Western hierarchical cultures, providing actionable insights for managers and policymakers to promote sustainable innovation in SMEs.
Impact of Environmental Regulation on Regional Innovation in China from the Perspective of Heterogeneous Regulatory Tools and Pollution Reduction
Authors: Lu Haoyang , Hunt Alistair
Published: February 2025

The relationship between environmental regulation and regional innovation has been disputed. This paper analyzes data at the provincial level in China between 2009 and 2020 using a fixed-effects model to investigate the relationship between environmental regulation and innovation. The baseline regression results suggest that market-based environmental regulatory instruments effectively promote regional innovation, while command-and-control environmental regulatory instruments hinder regional innovation. However, the impact of environmental regulation exhibits heterogeneity and non-linearity. The implementation of overly strict command-and-control environmental regulatory instruments hinders innovation, while the implementation of low-intensity command-and-control environmental regulatory instruments instead promotes innovation. In economically developed provinces, market-based environmental regulation promotes innovation, while in less economically developed provinces, market-based environmental regulation inhibits innovation instead. Further analysis from a pollution reduction perspective shows that environmental regulations that mitigate air pollution significantly promote regional innovation levels. This study not only enriches theoretical discourse but also offers practical policy recommendations for balancing environmental governance and innovation development in China.
How Can Carbon Fees Help Taiwan Reduce Carbon Emissions?
Authors: Lin Jyh-Woei
Published: February 2025

Taiwan will levy a carbon fee starting in 2025, according to the three-tier carbon accounting model and carbon emissions inventory measures. On 21 October 2024, Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment announced the carbon fee and that Taiwan had officially entered an era in which carbon emissions would be priced. The carbon fee officially took effect on 1 January 2025. Therefore, all manufacturing and power industries with annual carbon emissions exceeding 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (tCO2e) would be billed. The carbon fee system provides various preferential rate options and encourages all companies to propose voluntary reduction plans. Rate differences can help generate substantial carbon reduction action. However, the carbon fee system is flexible and can be adjusted in the future based on implementation status and industry change to help cope with changes in the net-zero transformation process.
The Role of Social Financing in Promoting Social Equity and Shared Value: A Cross-Sectional Study of Small and Medium Enterprises in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia
Authors: Sarabdeen Masahina , Ismail Shafinar , Mohd Hidzir Putri Aliah , Alofaysan Hind , Rahmat Suharni
Published: February 2025

This study intends to investigate the role of social financing in supporting sustainable development and fostering entrepreneurship within small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and its future directions and opportunities in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. SMEs are increasingly implementing sustainable business models to tackle resource constraints and environmental issues to foster long-term social and environmental impact. A quantitative research design was employed, with data collected through questionnaires distributed to SME owners using purposive sampling. A total of 600 questionnaires were distributed, with 106 valid responses analyzed. The study employed descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using SmartPLS 4.0 to assess the framework. The findings reveal significant positive effects of financial institutions, globalization impact, and access to finance on the role of waqf in SME development, while business obstacles and government support showed no significant influence. According to this study, open innovation is crucial to fostering collaboration between small- and medium-sized enterprises, Islamic endowments, and external stakeholders such as non-profits, government agencies, and community groups. This research adds to the expanding body of knowledge regarding the efficacy of social entrepreneurship and inclusive business models in addressing environmental challenges and assisting SMEs in their long-term growth by facilitating the creation of shared value and the dissemination of sustainable business solutions.
Assessing Carbon Emissions’ Impact on Drought in China’s Arid Regions: Cross-Lagged and Spatial Models
Authors: Zhai Guangyu , Chu Tianxu
Published: February 2025

Global warming is projected to intensify the impact of droughts. Although numerous studies have examined carbon emissions and droughts, few have explored their interactive effects or the spatial spillover effects of carbon emissions on droughts. To address this gap, we use panel data from 2012 to 2021 for China’s arid, semi-arid, and potentially semi-arid regions in the future. First, we estimate city-level carbon emissions data for the study areas based on nighttime light data. We then apply a Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model to investigate the temporal causal relationship between carbon emissions and droughts. Finally, we employ a dynamic spatial Durbin model with spatial and temporal fixed effects, incorporating one-period-lagged carbon emissions to assess both direct and spatial spillover effects on droughts. The results show that carbon emissions have a statistically significant cross-temporal and spatial impact on droughts, with both current and one-period-lagged carbon emissions exhibiting substantial spatial spillover effects on drought conditions. This research offers valuable insights for cities seeking collaborative approaches to mitigate both carbon emissions and drought risks.