[go: up one dir, main page]
More Web Proxy on the site http://driver.im/
Next Issue
Volume 13, June-2
Previous Issue
Volume 13, May-2
You seem to have javascript disabled. Please note that many of the page functionalities won't work as expected without javascript enabled.
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.8
3.3
Journals
Sustainability
Volume 13
Issue 11
sustainability-logo

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Sustainability, Volume 13, Issue 11 (June-1 2021) – 747 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): The ecosystem services of high natural mountain lakes may be threatened in the future due to global change, but indicators for assessing ecosystem services are potentially lacking. In this study, we propose multiple indicators based on limnological, spatial and socio-economic data. Quantitative results for eight ecosystem services indicate varying levels across 15 study lakes in the European Alps. Based on various socio-ecological variables, we identified four groups of lakes, which differed in ecosystem services such as water, recreation, representation, research, and education. Other ecosystem services, including habitat, aesthetic, and existence, were rather independent from the socio-ecological context. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the ecosystem services of mountain lakes and support sustainable development by proposing group-specific management strategies. View this paper
  • Issues are regarded as officially published after their release is announced to the table of contents alert mailing list.
  • You may sign up for e-mail alerts to receive table of contents of newly released issues.
  • PDF is the official format for papers published in both, html and pdf forms. To view the papers in pdf format, click on the "PDF Full-text" link, and use the free Adobe Reader to open them.
Order results
Result details
Section
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
11 pages, 229 KiB  
Article
Priorities Determining Future Directions of Sustainable Development in Business Models of the Healthcare Industry—Findings and Framework
by Rocio Rodriguez, Göran Svensson and David Eriksson
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6507; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116507 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4255
Abstract
The private healthcare sector was chosen because of the fundamental importance of quality in this sector, the widespread understanding that sustainable development is part of hospital quality standards, and the compelling need for the supply chain components to work together in order to [...] Read more.
The private healthcare sector was chosen because of the fundamental importance of quality in this sector, the widespread understanding that sustainable development is part of hospital quality standards, and the compelling need for the supply chain components to work together in order to add value to the business models of private healthcare services. This study uses a qualitative methodology, striving to add value to and shed light on the relationship between private hospital communication modes and their stakeholders’ needs and their stakeholders’ expectations of business models in the marketplace and society. This research lists a range of actions and services for assessing the priorities of private hospital communication modes in business models with respect to stakeholder needs and expectations. Furthermore, the study links stakeholder needs and the expectations of business models in private hospitals, with respect to private hospital communication modes with stakeholders, and vice versa. It also provides directions for managers in the healthcare industry to determine the appropriate actions and services for addressing stakeholders’ needs and stakeholders’ expectations of business models in private hospitals considering sustainable development. This research contributes to framing the future direction of sustainable development in business models of the healthcare industry. The paper outlines the assessment of communication modes in relation to economic, social, and environmental performance in the context of sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Business Model Innovation: Review, Analysis and Impact on Society)
19 pages, 1317 KiB  
Article
Conventional and Conservation Seedbed Preparation Systems for Wheat Planting in Silty-Clay Soil
by Roberto Fanigliulo, Daniele Pochi and Pieranna Servadio
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6506; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116506 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4421
Abstract
Conventional seedbed preparation is based on deep ploughing followed by lighter and finer secondary tillage of the superficial layer, normally performed by machines powered by the tractor’s Power Take-Off (PTO), which prepares the seedbed in a single pass. Conservation methods are based on [...] Read more.
Conventional seedbed preparation is based on deep ploughing followed by lighter and finer secondary tillage of the superficial layer, normally performed by machines powered by the tractor’s Power Take-Off (PTO), which prepares the seedbed in a single pass. Conservation methods are based on a wide range of interventions, such as minimum or no-tillage, by means of machines with passive action working tools which require two or more passes The aim of this study was to assess both the power-energy requirements of conventional (power harrows and rotary tillers with different working width) and conservation implements (disks harrow and combined cultivator) and the soil tillage quality parameters, with reference to the capability of preparing an optimal seedbed for wheat planting. Field tests were carried out on flat, silty-clay soil, using instrumented tractors. The test results showed significant differences among the operative performances of the two typologies of machines powered by the tractor’s PTO: the fuel consumption, the power and the energy requirements of the rotary tillers are strongly higher than power harrows. However, the results also showed a decrease of these parameters proceeding from conventional to more conservation tillage implements. The better quality of seedbed was provided by the rotary tillers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Tillage Systems and Wheat Yield under Climate Change)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Selected implements during the tests. (<b>a</b>) 5 m power harrow; (<b>b</b>) 5.2 m rotary tiller; (<b>c</b>) combined cultivator; (<b>d</b>) offset disk harrow.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Diagrams of the relationship between the variables (letters A to L) and the principal components (PC1 and PC2) for the power harrows (<b>a</b>) and rotary tillers (<b>b</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Correlation coefficient between each variable considered in the PCA and the principal components (PC) identified for the power harrow (PH) and the rotary tillers (RT, A to L).</p> Full article ">
20 pages, 1632 KiB  
Article
Food Safety and Quality in Connection with the Change of Consumer Choice in Czechia (a Case Study)
by Lucie Severová, Roman Svoboda, Karel Šrédl, Marie Prášilová, Alexandr Soukup, Lenka Kopecká and Marek Dvořák
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6505; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116505 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3300
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to express changes in consumer preferences for certain food products due to the income growth of the population, and to specify the way producers or retailers of these commodities respond to the changes in customer choices. The [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study is to express changes in consumer preferences for certain food products due to the income growth of the population, and to specify the way producers or retailers of these commodities respond to the changes in customer choices. The methodology of this study is based on comparing the economic model of consumer behavior in the market to the analysis of demand elasticity, together with its practical application to food products of the same brand offered by multinational chains in Czechia and Germany. The study presents a new survey, including a comparison of the quality and safety of food products offered by retail chains in Czechia and Germany, and a comparison with similar bio-quality products offered by Czech farmers in their shops or at farmers’ markets. As the comparison indicates, unless multinational producers change their current behavior, consumers will prefer purchasing products from Czech producers, including products offered at farmers’ markets, and shop in neighboring countries where higher-quality original products may be found. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Environment and Food Retailing: Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Food Policy)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Indifference curves and the efficiency point in a two-product model [<a href="#B26-sustainability-13-06505" class="html-bibr">26</a>].</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Consumer demand with a high parameter <span class="html-italic">e</span> (own processing).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Consumer demand with a low parameter <span class="html-italic">e</span> (own processing).</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Consumer demand with a high parameter <span class="html-italic">b</span> (<span class="html-italic">e</span>) [<a href="#B26-sustainability-13-06505" class="html-bibr">26</a>].</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Consumer demand with a low parameter <span class="html-italic">b</span> (<span class="html-italic">e</span>) [<a href="#B26-sustainability-13-06505" class="html-bibr">26</a>].</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Belief in the truthfulness of dual food quality.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Interest in the country of origin of food products by gender.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>Knowledge of the EU directive on identically branded food products of varying quality on the European market.</p> Full article ">
16 pages, 7420 KiB  
Article
Reactivity Effect of Calcium Carbonate on the Formation of Carboaluminate Phases in Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag Blended Cements
by Walid Deboucha, Nassim Sebaibi, Yassine El Mendili, Aurélie Fabien, U. Johnson Alengaram, Nordine Leklou, Mahmoud N Hamdadou, Alexandra Bourdot and Stéphanie Gascoin
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6504; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116504 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3695
Abstract
The reactivity effect of calcium carbonate, present in ground oyster shells and limestone filler, on the formation of carboaluminate phases in ground granulated blast furnace slag blended cement pastes was reported in this paper. Six different binary and ternary blended cement pastes were [...] Read more.
The reactivity effect of calcium carbonate, present in ground oyster shells and limestone filler, on the formation of carboaluminate phases in ground granulated blast furnace slag blended cement pastes was reported in this paper. Six different binary and ternary blended cement pastes were prepared using ground granulated blast furnace slag, ground oyster shells and limestone filler with different replacement levels (from 5 to 35%). The carboaluminate formation was assessed and quantified directly using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and indirectly by following the aluminate phase’s reaction (heat flow) and consumed calcium carbonate using Isothermal Calorimetry (IC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), respectively. Further, the overall reaction degree calculated based on TGA results and the compressive strength were determined to support the findings obtained. The results revealed that the calcium carbonate present in ground oyster shells is more reactive when compared to that present in limestone filler, where more formed hemi- and monocarboaluminate phases were observed in mixtures containing ground oyster shells. An enhancement in compressive strength and overall reaction degree was observed by adding 5% ground oyster shells as cement replacement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Construction Materials for Sustainable Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Oyster shells. (<b>a</b>) before grinding; (<b>b</b>) after grinding.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Heat flow of (<b>a</b>) ternary cement pastes; (<b>b</b>) binary cement pastes.</p> Full article ">Figure 2 Cont.
<p>Heat flow of (<b>a</b>) ternary cement pastes; (<b>b</b>) binary cement pastes.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>XRD patterns and identified phases within 2θ range of 5–12 °C for binary and ternary cement pastes studied. Aft-ettringite, Hc- Hemicarboaluminate, Mc-monocarboaluminate.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Consumption of calcium carbonate in cement pastes based on 5% LF and 20% BFS.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Normalized consumed calcium carbonate content of (<b>a</b>) cement pastes based on LF and GGBFS; (<b>b</b>) cement pastes based on GOS and GGBFS; (<b>c</b>) cement pastes based on LF or GOS.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Overall reaction degree of (<b>a</b>) cement pastes based on LF and GGBFS; (<b>b</b>) cement pastes based on GOS and GGBFS.</p> Full article ">Figure 6 Cont.
<p>Overall reaction degree of (<b>a</b>) cement pastes based on LF and GGBFS; (<b>b</b>) cement pastes based on GOS and GGBFS.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Compressive strength results. (<b>a</b>) cement pastes based on LF and GGBFS; (<b>b</b>) cement pastes based on GOS and GGBFS.</p> Full article ">Figure 7 Cont.
<p>Compressive strength results. (<b>a</b>) cement pastes based on LF and GGBFS; (<b>b</b>) cement pastes based on GOS and GGBFS.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>X-ray diffraction patterns of (<b>a</b>) LF and (<b>b</b>) GOS refined using the MAUD software. The calculated pattern (red line) is superimposed on the observed profile (coarse line). The difference curve (Iobs−Icalc) is shown at the bottom.</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p>SEM images of (<b>a</b>) ground oyster shells; (<b>b</b>) limestone filler.</p> Full article ">
10 pages, 1314 KiB  
Review
Dryland Food Security in Ethiopia: Current Status, Opportunities, and a Roadmap for the Future
by Yu Peng, Hubert Hirwa, Qiuying Zhang, Guoqin Wang and Fadong Li
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6503; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116503 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5718
Abstract
Given the impact of COVID-19 and the desert locust plague, the Ethiopian food security issue has once again received widespread attention. Its food crisis requires comprehensive and systematic research to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger. This review discusses [...] Read more.
Given the impact of COVID-19 and the desert locust plague, the Ethiopian food security issue has once again received widespread attention. Its food crisis requires comprehensive and systematic research to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger. This review discusses the current situation and the causes of food security in Ethiopia. We focus on the challenges in the food security assessment field. The article lists seven typical causes of food insecurity and three roots of food security in Ethiopia. Long-term food security assessment and a comprehensive understanding and manageability for food security causes are considered as the main existing research challenges. Climate-resilient management, water management, and long-term ecosystem network monitoring and data mining are suggested as potential roadmap for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coupling Eco-Hydrology with Water Sustainability: Concepts and Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Aridity index distribution in Ethiopia in 2019. Note: Arid index was mapped by TerraClimate dataset using Google Earth Engine.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Interlinkages among drylands, food security, and livelihood resilience.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>The synthetic conceptual framework of the G-DEP. Goals (Source: Modified by [<a href="#B50-sustainability-13-06503" class="html-bibr">50</a>].)</p> Full article ">
19 pages, 315 KiB  
Article
How Transboundary Learning Occurs: Case Study of the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN)
by Si-Ying Tan, Araz Taeihagh and Kritika Sha
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6502; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116502 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5360
Abstract
While policy study of smart city developments is gaining traction, it falls short of understanding and explaining knowledge transfers across national borders and cities. This article investigates how transboundary learning occurs through the initiation and development of a regional smart cities network: the [...] Read more.
While policy study of smart city developments is gaining traction, it falls short of understanding and explaining knowledge transfers across national borders and cities. This article investigates how transboundary learning occurs through the initiation and development of a regional smart cities network: the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN). The article conducts an in-depth case study from data collected through key informant interviews and document analysis. Spearheaded by Singapore in 2017, ASCN is seen as a soft power extension for Singapore, a branding tool for ASEAN, and a symbiotic platform between the private sector and governments in the region. Most transboundary knowledge transfers within the ASCN are voluntary transfers of policy ideas. Effective branding, demand for knowledge, availability of alternative funding options, enthusiasm from the private actors, and heightened interest from other major economies are highlighted as facilitators of knowledge transfer. However, the complexity of governance structures, lack of political will and resources, limited policy capacity, and lack of explicit operational and regulatory mechanisms hinder transboundary learning. The article concludes that transboundary learning should go beyond exchanges of ideas and recommends promoting facilitators of knowledge transfer, building local policy capacity, encouraging collaborative policy transfer, and transiting from an information-sharing platform to tool/instrument-based transfer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Governance of Technology in Smart Cities)
27 pages, 3507 KiB  
Review
Towards a Conceptual Development of Industry 4.0, Servitisation, and Circular Economy: A Systematic Literature Review
by Sehrish Atif, Shehzad Ahmed, Muhammad Wasim, Bassam Zeb, Zeeshan Pervez and Lorraine Quinn
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6501; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116501 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 49 | Viewed by 8428
Abstract
Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies have been highlighted in recent literature as enablers of servitisation. Simultaneously, businesses are advised to implement a circular economy (CE) to bring new opportunities. However, it is pertinent to mention that little attention has been given to assess the [...] Read more.
Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies have been highlighted in recent literature as enablers of servitisation. Simultaneously, businesses are advised to implement a circular economy (CE) to bring new opportunities. However, it is pertinent to mention that little attention has been given to assess the role of I4.0 in adopting the CE and servitisation in a fully integrated manner. This research fills this gap by developing a conceptual framework through a systematic literature review of 139 studies investigating the relationship between the I4.0, CE, and servitisation. This study identifies the impact of these variables on a firm’s operational and financial performance (revenue stream, growth, and profitability). Our research findings advocate that adopting I4.0 technologies to the business and manufacturing model enables sustainability, energy and resource efficiency while enhancing performance and offering innovative products through smart services. Thus, firms must systematically adopt I4.0 technologies to support a CE model that creates value through servitisation. This study identifies the research gaps that are unexplored for practitioners and future researchers while providing insight into the role of I4.0 in implementing CE in the servitisation business model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Servitization, Logistics and Manufacturing in Resilient and Digital Supply Chains)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Steps in the systematic literature review.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>PRISMA flow diagram showing the search and screening process.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Keyword categorisation process.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Database-wise finalized papers.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Distribution of journals in which the finalised papers were published.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Yearly published papers on I4.0, servitisation, and CE.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Geographic context of the articles published on I4.0, servitisation, and CE.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>The design and applied methodology of the selected papers.</p> Full article ">
17 pages, 3815 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Driving Forces to Increasing Traffic Flow and Transport Emissions in Philippine Regions: A Spatial Decomposition Study
by Geoffrey Udoka Nnadiri, Anthony S. F. Chiu, Jose Bienvenido Manuel Biona and Neil Stephen Lopez
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6500; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116500 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6747
Abstract
The warming of the climate system has raised a lot of concerns for decades, and this is traceable to human activities and energy use. Conspicuously, the transportation sector is a great contributor to global emissions. This is largely due to increasing dependence on [...] Read more.
The warming of the climate system has raised a lot of concerns for decades, and this is traceable to human activities and energy use. Conspicuously, the transportation sector is a great contributor to global emissions. This is largely due to increasing dependence on private vehicles and a poorly planned public transportation system. In addition to economic impacts, this also has significant environmental and sustainability implications. This study demonstrates a novel approach using spatial logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) to analyze drivers of traffic flow and its corresponding CO2 emissions in regions through an illustrative case study in the Philippines. Population growth is revealed as the main driver to traffic flow in most regions with the exception of a few regions and the national capital which are driven by economic activity. The economic activity effect shows positive trends contributing positively to traffic flow which is greatly linked to income level rise and increase in vehicle ownership. Concerning the impacts, results revealed that an increase in economic activity generally causes traffic intensity to decrease, and switching to more sustainable modes is not a guarantee to reduce carbon emissions. The authors recommend increasing equity on the appropriation of transport infrastructure projects across regions, quality improvement of public transport services and promoting mixed-use development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Development for Sustainability)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Conceptual framework of the study.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Map of Philippines with Regions.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Effect estimates by region, as compared with the national average, μ. ∆VKM<sub>pop</sub> refers to the population effect, ∆VKM<sub>act</sub> refers to the activity effect, ∆VKM<sub>int</sub> refers to the intensity effect and ∆VKM<sub>str</sub> refers to the structural effect.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Effect estimates by region for traffic intensity (∆VKM<sub>int</sub>) and modal structure (∆VKM<sub>str</sub>), as compared with the national average, μ.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Breakdown of modal share by region.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Polar plot between economic activity and population. ∆VKM<sub>act</sub> and ∆VKM<sub>pop</sub> refer to the activity and population effects, respectively.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Polar plot between economic activity and traffic intensity. ∆VKM<sub>act</sub> and ∆VKM<sub>int</sub> refer to the activity and intensity effects, respectively.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>Polar plot between economic activity and modal structure. ∆VKM<sub>act</sub> and ∆VKM<sub>str</sub> refer to the activity and structural effects, respectively.</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p>Polar plot between economic activity and modal share of private diesel vehicles. ∆VKM<sub>act</sub> and ∆VKM<sub>str</sub> (PV, Diesel) refer to the activity effect and the structural effect of private diesel vehicles, respectively.</p> Full article ">Figure 10
<p>Polar plot between modal shares of jeepneys and private gasoline vehicles. ∆VKM<sub>str</sub> (Jeepney) and ∆VKM<sub>str</sub> (PV, Gasoline) refer to the structural effect of public jeepney vehicles and the structural effect of private gasoline vehicles, respectively.</p> Full article ">Figure 11
<p>Plot between CO<sub>2</sub> emissions and effect of increasing modal share of jeepneys, ∆VKM<sub>str</sub> (Jeepney).</p> Full article ">Figure 12
<p>Plot between CO<sub>2</sub> emissions and effect of increasing modal share of pedicabs (i.e., pedaled tricycles), ∆VKM<sub>str</sub> (Pedicab).</p> Full article ">Figure 13
<p>Transport emission drivers across regions.</p> Full article ">
16 pages, 1126 KiB  
Article
To Buy or Not to Buy: How Behavioral Habits Affect the Repurchase Intention of Cobranded Wearable Fitness Technology
by Sardar Mohammadi, Hossein Abdolmaleki, Sholeh Khodadad Kashi, Ainara Bernal-García and Pablo Gálvez-Ruiz
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6499; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116499 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3999
Abstract
Luxury sports products and brands in general have seen a significant increase in their sales, highlighting the high consumption of smart sports watches. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating role of cobranding, self-presentation, self-expression, and symbolic values in the [...] Read more.
Luxury sports products and brands in general have seen a significant increase in their sales, highlighting the high consumption of smart sports watches. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating role of cobranding, self-presentation, self-expression, and symbolic values in the relationship between the consumer’s need for uniqueness and the intention to repurchase luxury smart sports watches. The sample consisted of a total of 217 users of smart sports watches. An online questionnaire was used for data collection (24 items from 6 scales) and Smart PLS-SEM software was used for confirmatory factor analysis and to test a structural equation model. The findings provide an insight into the importance of cobranding on self-expression, self-presentation, and symbolic value. Specifically, in the case of intention to repurchase, the results show that symbolic value is the variable with the highest predictive value. This study provides an important advance in the academic literature related to luxury products in the sports sector, and the results facilitate a better understanding of the consumer’s intention to repurchase. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Structural model results. Note: * <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05; ** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.01; *** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.001.</p> Full article ">
15 pages, 1302 KiB  
Article
Environmental and Health Co-Benefits of Coal Regulation under the Carbon Neutral Target: A Case Study in Anhui Province, China
by Wu Xie, Wenzhe Guo, Wenbin Shao, Fangyi Li and Zhipeng Tang
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6498; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116498 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3571
Abstract
Coal regulation has been implemented throughout China. However, the potential benefits of pollution abatement and the co-benefits of residents’ health were rarely assessed. In this study, based on the analysis of historical coal consumption and multiple coal regulation measures in Anhui Province, China, [...] Read more.
Coal regulation has been implemented throughout China. However, the potential benefits of pollution abatement and the co-benefits of residents’ health were rarely assessed. In this study, based on the analysis of historical coal consumption and multiple coal regulation measures in Anhui Province, China, four scenarios (Business as Usual (BU), Structure Optimization (SO), Gross Consumption Control (GC), and Comprehensive Measures (CM)) were constructed to indicate four different paths from 2020 to 2060, which is a vital period for realizing carbon neutrality. The results show that reductions of SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 emissions in the SO scenario are higher than those in the GC scenario, while the reduction of NOx emission is higher in the GC scenario. Compared with the BU scenario, residents’ health benefits from 2020 to 2060 are 8.3, 4.8, and 4.5 billion USD in the CM, GC, and SO scenarios, respectively, indicating that the achievements of coal regulation are significant for health promotion. Therefore, the optimization and implementation of coal regulation in the future is not only essential for the carbon neutrality target, but also a significant method to yield environmental and health co-benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Development for Sustainability)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Coal consumption structure in Anhui.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Scenario setting of future coal consumption in Anhui.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Coal consumption in Anhui in the four scenarios in the future. (<b>a</b>) BU Scenario; (<b>b</b>) SO Scenario; (<b>c</b>) GC Scenario; (<b>d</b>) CM Scenario.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Air pollutants emission in the future four scenarios. (<b>a</b>) SO<sub>2</sub>; (<b>b</b>) NO<sub>X</sub>; (<b>c</b>) PM<sub>10</sub>; (<b>d</b>) PM<sub>2.5</sub>.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Cumulative number of various diseases in the four scenarios. (<b>a</b>) Mortality; (<b>b</b>) Respiratory hospital admission; (<b>c</b>) Cardiovascular hospital admission; (<b>d</b>) Asthma attack.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Health benefits of residents in different scenarios of coal regulation.</p> Full article ">
18 pages, 682 KiB  
Article
Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Super SBM Network DEA for Assessing Sustainability Performance of Third-Party Logistics Service Providers Considering Circular Economy Strategies in the Era of Industry 4.0
by Mahsa Pishdar, Masoumeh Danesh Shakib, Jurgita Antucheviciene and Arvydas Vilkonis
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6497; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116497 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4958
Abstract
Stakeholders are increasingly aware of the aspect of sustainability, and the fact that the circular economy facilitates the achievement of sustainable development goals. They place pressure on supply chains to become sustainable, and for this reason, third-party logistics (3PL) service providers, as specialized [...] Read more.
Stakeholders are increasingly aware of the aspect of sustainability, and the fact that the circular economy facilitates the achievement of sustainable development goals. They place pressure on supply chains to become sustainable, and for this reason, third-party logistics (3PL) service providers, as specialized professionals, play a vital role in sustainable supply chain management. Although developments in technology in the era of Industry 4.0 have been effective at directing 3PLs along the path towards sustainability, integrated management of forward and reverse logistics systems in order to achieve a circular economy and to become sustainable remains a problem, even in developed countries. However, benchmarking and using the experiences of others can help to speed up this path at a minimal cost. An interval type-2 fuzzy super-slack-based measure network DEA was developed to make such benchmarking possible. Governance style, staff behavior, environmental management systems, and social elements are considered, alongside the principles of the circular economy, in order to compare the sustainability performance of 17 3PLs with respect to different aspects through the application of the developed DEA model. Proper benchmarking with respect to strategies and operations of the 3PLs that are recognized as efficient makes it possible for these 3PLs to overcome obstacles and progress at a lower cost. The results show that 3PLs do not have a comprehensive sustainability strategy that is coordinated with an overall vision of the total supply chain. An investigation into the development of a framework with multiple steps for the guidance of 3PLs, as well as the whole supply chain, towards sustainability in the Industry 4.0 era would be a fruitful next study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Operations and Logistics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Current study DEA network.</p> Full article ">
13 pages, 245 KiB  
Article
Corporate Social Responsibility and Post Earnings Announcement Drift: Evidence from Korea
by Hyunjung Choi and Haeyoung Ryu
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6496; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116496 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2784
Abstract
To promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) in emerging markets such as South Korea to the level of developed nations, support from capital market investors is necessary. That is, CSR activities expand if capital market investors actively invest in companies that pursue such activities. [...] Read more.
To promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) in emerging markets such as South Korea to the level of developed nations, support from capital market investors is necessary. That is, CSR activities expand if capital market investors actively invest in companies that pursue such activities. This study thus analyzes the influence of the level of CSR activities on the post-earnings-announcement drift (PEAD) of publicly listed companies in South Korea, given the need to analyze the relationship between capital markets and CSR, which is part of sustainability management strategies. A sample of Korean firms listed on the Korean Stock Exchange from 2014 to 2018 was used for the regression analysis. The financial and stock return data were extracted from the KIS-Value database and CSR activities data were collected from the Korea Economic Justice Institute (KEJI) Index. The empirical analysis determined that more inactive companies in terms of CSR exhibited greater PEAD magnitude. Furthermore, high information asymmetry was found to further increase the magnitude of PEAD. These results indicate that investors cannot make swift investment decisions because of their low confidence in the information disclosed by inactive CSR companies; as a result, earnings information is slowly reflected in the stock prices of the period following disclosure. These findings suggest that CSR plays an important role in boosting investor confidence in corporate earnings information. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability)
22 pages, 24483 KiB  
Article
The Integrated Cropping Calendar Information System: A Coping Mechanism to Climate Variability for Sustainable Agriculture in Indonesia
by Yayan Apriyana, Elza Surmaini, Woro Estiningtyas, Aris Pramudia, Fadhlullah Ramadhani, Suciantini Suciantini, Erni Susanti, Rima Purnamayani and Haris Syahbuddin
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6495; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116495 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 6624
Abstract
Climate change and its variability are some of the most critical threats to sustainable agriculture, with potentially severe consequences on Indonesia’s agriculture, such as changes in rainfall patterns, especially the onset of the wet season and the temporal distribution of rainfall. Most Indonesian [...] Read more.
Climate change and its variability are some of the most critical threats to sustainable agriculture, with potentially severe consequences on Indonesia’s agriculture, such as changes in rainfall patterns, especially the onset of the wet season and the temporal distribution of rainfall. Most Indonesian farmers receive support from agricultural extension services, and therefore, design their agricultural calendar based on personal experience without considering global climate phenomena, such as La Niña and El Niño, which difficult to interpret on a local scale. This paper describes the Integrated Cropping Calendar Information System (ICCIS) as a mechanism for adapting to climate variability. The ICCIS contains recommendations on planting time, cropping pattern, planting area, varieties, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, potential livestock feed, and crop damage due to climate extremes for rice, maize, and soybean. To accelerate the dissemination of information, the ICCIS is presented in an integrated web-based information system. The ICCIS is disseminated to extension workers and farmers by Task Force of the Assessment Institute for Agricultural Technology (AIAT) located in each province. Based on the survey results, it is known that the ICCIS adoption rate is moderate to high. The AIAT must actively encourage and support the ICCIS Task Force team in each province. Concerning the technological recommendations, it is necessary to update the recommendations for varieties, fertilizer, and feed to be more compatible with local conditions. More accurate information and more intensive dissemination can enrich farmers’ knowledge, allowing for a better understanding of climate hazards and maintaining agricultural production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Tropical Crop Science and Agriculture Management)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Two examples of rice-growing areas on Klaten and North Toraja Regency.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>The process of ICCIS compilation, updating, recommendation formulating, and dissemination.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Determination of ENSO years using the Ocean Nino Index.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>The interface of ICCIS on the website.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>The current back-end and front end of ICCIS in 2019.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Timeline of features in the ICCIS.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>ICCIS recommendation of the crop planting area in DSP 2020 and WSP 2020/2021.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>An example of standing crop information (<b>a</b>) a webpage and (<b>b</b>) a tabulation page.</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p>Map of planting time of the wet season in Neutral, El Niño, and La Niña in the Klaten Regency (<b>above</b>) and North Toraja Regency (<b>below</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 10
<p>Accuracy of ICCIS planting time (<b>above</b>) and technology recommendation (<b>below</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 11
<p>Frequently accessed menu in ICCIS according to respondents.</p> Full article ">Figure 12
<p>The number of pages visited and new users per month to access the ICCIS website.</p> Full article ">Figure 13
<p>Accumulative new devices acquisitions and install base for Android application.</p> Full article ">
14 pages, 655 KiB  
Article
Digital Platform Ecosystems as Living Labs for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation: A Conceptual Model Proposal
by Grzegorz Baran and Aleksandra Berkowicz
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6494; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116494 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5359
Abstract
The main idea of the paper is to combine modern research methods (as living labs that enable research in a real-life setting) with the new technological opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation development (as digital platforms) to search for innovative solutions, while addressing the [...] Read more.
The main idea of the paper is to combine modern research methods (as living labs that enable research in a real-life setting) with the new technological opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation development (as digital platforms) to search for innovative solutions, while addressing the sustainable development problems. Thus, the paper aims to explain how real value for society is created within digital platform ecosystems and how they employ to this end novel solutions that better address existing social problems. Consequently, it proposes a conceptual framework to research and develop sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation with the use of digital platforms. This research study takes a synthesizing conceptual approach that seeks to integrate the existing knowledge drawn on two major streams of research: living labs as a methodology and digital platform ecosystems to enrich the theory of sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation development. The paper contributes to the body of knowledge by proposing a novel conceptual model of digital platform ecosystems as living labs for sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation. The model depicts digital platform ecosystems examined as living labs and the implicit processes that include platform users in problem-solving and value-creation in real-life settings. The novelty of the model stems from framing these processes that capture the relationship between individuals and opportunities as the foundations of entrepreneurship and the relationship between the problem space and the solution space, where the opportunities occur. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in the Platform Ecosystems Era. New Approaches to an Ancient Problem)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Conceptual model proposal. Source: Own elaboration.</p> Full article ">
23 pages, 8019 KiB  
Article
Statistical Analysis of Field-Based Stormwater Filtration Performance for the Ecosol Litter Basket
by Fereydoon Pooya Nejad and Aaron C. Zecchin
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6493; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116493 - 7 Jun 2021
Viewed by 2703
Abstract
Increasing specificity in water quality regulations for the discharge of stormwater to the environment has increased the requirement to more accurately characterize the performance of filtration interventions. This work presents a statistical performance analysis for the Ecosol Litter Basket, an at source [...] Read more.
Increasing specificity in water quality regulations for the discharge of stormwater to the environment has increased the requirement to more accurately characterize the performance of filtration interventions. This work presents a statistical performance analysis for the Ecosol Litter Basket, an at source filtration device, based on an extensive field study. The field evaluation of the Ecosol Litter Basket, a primary stormwater filtration device, was performed over a three-year period in an urban catchment in Queensland, Australia. A total of 29 rainfall events were recorded, of which between 13 to 16 events were evaluated as qualifying for the purposes of characterizing the removal efficiency. A variety of pollutant removal evaluation metrics, including concentration-based and total load-based metrics, were utilized in this study to characterize the efficacy of the device for removing a range of pollutants. Two approaches are proposed to facilitate the analysis: a nonlinear regression approach to more effectively deal with nonlinear patterns in the influent and effluent data; and the regression of concentrations (ROC), which is an additional concentration-based metric. A statistical analysis of the results demonstrated that the differences between influent and effluent streams for TSS are significantly different in their mean and median, and the removal efficiency of the Ecosol Litter Basket was evaluated to be 57–65% for TSS with the influent event mean concentration (EMC) up to 142 mg/L. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Papers of Outstanding Scientists in section Environmental Sustainability and Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Catchment plan. Adapted with permission from ref. [<a href="#B17-sustainability-13-06493" class="html-bibr">17</a>]. Copyright 2015 Urban Asset Solutions (UAS). (Image @2021 Google Maps).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Installed <span class="html-italic">Ecosol Litter Basket</span>: (<b>a</b>) Device schematic, (<b>b</b>) top-down view of device, (<b>c</b>) device as installed.</p> Full article ">Figure 2 Cont.
<p>Installed <span class="html-italic">Ecosol Litter Basket</span>: (<b>a</b>) Device schematic, (<b>b</b>) top-down view of device, (<b>c</b>) device as installed.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Installed instrumentation: (<b>a</b>) Instrumentation layout; (<b>b</b>) Equipment cabinet; (<b>c</b>) Rain gauge; (<b>d</b>) data loggers; (<b>e</b>–<b>g</b>) Autosampler.</p> Full article ">Figure 3 Cont.
<p>Installed instrumentation: (<b>a</b>) Instrumentation layout; (<b>b</b>) Equipment cabinet; (<b>c</b>) Rain gauge; (<b>d</b>) data loggers; (<b>e</b>–<b>g</b>) Autosampler.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Flow sensor and sample intake locations. Reprinted with permission from ref. [<a href="#B17-sustainability-13-06493" class="html-bibr">17</a>]. Copyright 2015 Urban Asset Solutions (UAS).</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Bar plots for event mean concentration for all pollutants.</p> Full article ">Figure 5 Cont.
<p>Bar plots for event mean concentration for all pollutants.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Box and Whisker plots for event mean concentration for all pollutants.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Cumulative probability plots for all pollutants.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>Regression of loads (ROL).</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p>Regression of concentrations (ROC).</p> Full article ">Figure 10
<p>Concentration removal efficiency (CRE) versus influent event mean concentration (EMC<sub>in</sub>).</p> Full article ">Figure 11
<p>Efficiency results and confidence level for <span class="html-italic">Ecosol Litter Basket</span>.</p> Full article ">
19 pages, 4081 KiB  
Article
Dwelling Is a Key Idea in Traditional Residential Architecture’s Sustainability: A Case Study at Yangwan Village in Suzhou, China
by Fengyi Ji and Shangyi Zhou
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6492; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116492 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3727
Abstract
Previous studies have failed to grasp the essence of traditional building habits responding to natural challenges. Therefore, contradictions arise between unified regulations protecting traditional residential architecture proposed by experts and the diverse construction transformation performed by locals. To resolve these contradictions, fieldwork was [...] Read more.
Previous studies have failed to grasp the essence of traditional building habits responding to natural challenges. Therefore, contradictions arise between unified regulations protecting traditional residential architecture proposed by experts and the diverse construction transformation performed by locals. To resolve these contradictions, fieldwork was conducted in Yangwan, a famous village in South China. The traditional residential architectural characteristics in three periods were obtained and compared. Peirce’s interpretation of the three natures of habit and Heidegger’s dwelling help determine the essence of building habits. The logic in traditional residential architecture is analysed through the “four-layer integrated into one” framework (including the natural environment, livelihood form, institution and ideology), yielding the following results. (1) The characteristics of the residential architectural form change with local livelihood form, institution and ideology. Nevertheless, the process by which local residents think, judge and respond to natural challenges remains unchanged (Thirdness of Habit), forming the core of dwelling. (2) The characteristics of the architectural form are determined by the causal chain of “four-layer integrated into one”. Stable causal chains are formed by the Thirdness of Habit, which represents people’s initiative in addressing natural challenges. Therefore, the protection of traditional residential architecture should centre on dwelling and people’s agency in response to the natural environment rather than on maintaining a unified physical form. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Urban and Rural Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>The relationship between <span class="html-italic">dwelling</span> and building habits. (Drawn by Fengyi Ji).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>The location of Yangwan Village (Drawn by Fengyi Ji).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>The methods applied in this article. (Drawn by Fengyi Ji.).</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>A sketch of the typical characteristics of the residential architectural form in the first period. (Drawn by Fengyi Ji.).</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>A sketch of the typical characteristics of the residential architectural form in the second and third period. (Drawn by Fengyi Ji.).</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>A Tianjing-style courtyard built in the Qing Dynasty that now belongs to three families. The three-story concrete brick architecture on the left side was built in 2000 after the original house was demolished; the single-story house on the right side was also built after the original house was demolished, but the completion time is unknown; only the traditional brick wood architecture in the middle was preserved, but it was uninhabited. (Photograph by Fengyi Ji.).</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>The complex causal chain in the framework of “four-layer integrated into one” affected architectural characteristics in different periods. (Drawn by Fengyi Ji.).</p> Full article ">
11 pages, 5792 KiB  
Article
Issues Surrounding Behavior towards Discarded Textiles and Garments in Ljubljana
by Katarina Polajnar Horvat and Katarina Šrimpf Vendramin
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6491; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116491 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4309
Abstract
In recent years, post-consumer textile waste has become an important issue that attracts attention from activists, scientists and the media. The production and use of clothing has more than doubled in the last fifteen years due to declining costs, streamlined operations and rising [...] Read more.
In recent years, post-consumer textile waste has become an important issue that attracts attention from activists, scientists and the media. The production and use of clothing has more than doubled in the last fifteen years due to declining costs, streamlined operations and rising consumption under the influence of fast fashion. According to research, the average European buys as much as 26 kg of textiles each year and discards 11 kg, while a very small share of post-consumer textile waste is recycled. This article presents the findings of a study on household textile waste in the capital of Ljubljana. The research showed that despite the significant declarative environmental awareness of people for sustainable behavior in the field of textile waste, the share of those decreases with exposure to actual behavior. However, there are few people who are completely uninterested in reducing textile waste, as most people are aware of the problem and pay more and more attention to it. The authors study the management of textile waste and its creation by the inhabitants of Ljubljana in the broader context of the influences of fast fashion, as well as the cultural specifics of the Slovenian society. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Age structure of respondents.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Educational structure of respondents.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Number of newly purchased pieces of clothing per year.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>The most common fate of clothing when discarded (multiple answers possible).</p> Full article ">
14 pages, 1514 KiB  
Article
Performance Analysis of the Perhydro-Dibenzyl-Toluene Dehydrogenation System—A Simulation Study
by Farea Asif, Muhammad Haris Hamayun, Murid Hussain, Arif Hussain, Ibrahim M. Maafa and Young-Kwon Park
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6490; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116490 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5824
Abstract
The depletion of conventional energy resources has drawn the world’s attention towards the use of alternate energy resources, which are not only efficient but sustainable as well. For this purpose, hydrogen is considered the fuel of the future. Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) [...] Read more.
The depletion of conventional energy resources has drawn the world’s attention towards the use of alternate energy resources, which are not only efficient but sustainable as well. For this purpose, hydrogen is considered the fuel of the future. Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) have proved themselves as a potential option for the release and storage of hydrogen. The present study is aimed to analyze the performance of the perhydro-dibenzyl-toluene (PDBT) dehydrogenation system, for the release of hydrogen, under various operational conditions, i.e., temperature range of 270–320 °C, pressure range of 1–3 bar, and various platinum/palladium-based catalysts. For the operational system, the optimum operating conditions selected are 320 °C and 2 bar, and 2 wt. % Pt/Al2O3 as a suitable catalyst. The configuration is analyzed based on exergy analysis i.e., % exergy efficiency, and exergy destruction rate (kW), and two optimization strategies are developed using principles of process integration. Based on exergy analysis, strategy # 2, where the product’s heat is utilized to preheat the feed, and utilities consumption is minimized, is selected as the most suitable option for the dehydrogenation system. The process is simulated and optimized using Aspen HYSYS® V10. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>LOHC system based on PDBT-DBT (Adapted from [<a href="#B16-sustainability-13-06490" class="html-bibr">16</a>]).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Process flowsheet developed and simulated in Aspen HYSYS.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Optimization strategy #1 of the dehydrogenation system.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Optimization strategy #2 of the dehydrogenation system.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Contribution of different equipment in total exergy destruction rate—base case (%).</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Contribution of different equipment in total exergy destruction rate—strategy #1 (%).</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Contribution of different equipment in total exergy destruction rate—strategy #2 (%).</p> Full article ">
26 pages, 8847 KiB  
Article
Active and Reactive Power Collaborative Optimization for Active Distribution Networks Considering Bi-Directional V2G Behavior
by Gang Xu, Bingxu Zhang, Le Yang and Yi Wang
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6489; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116489 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2696
Abstract
Due to their great potential for energy conservation and emission reduction, electric vehicles (EVs) have attracted the attention of governments around the world and become more popular. However, the high penetration rate of EVs has brought great challenges to the operation of the [...] Read more.
Due to their great potential for energy conservation and emission reduction, electric vehicles (EVs) have attracted the attention of governments around the world and become more popular. However, the high penetration rate of EVs has brought great challenges to the operation of the Active Distribution Network (ADN). On the other hand, EVs will be equipped with more intelligent chargers in the future, which supports the EVs’ high flexibility in both active and reactive power control. In this paper, a distributed optimization model of ADN is proposed by employing the collaborative active and reactive power control capability of EVs. Firstly, the preference of EV users is taken into account and the charging mode of EVs is divided into three categories: rated power charging, non-discharging, and flexible charging–discharging. Then, the reactive power compensation capacity of the plugged-in EV is deduced based on the circuit topology of the intelligent charger and the active–reactive power control model of the EV is established subsequently. Secondly, considering the operation constraints of ADN and the charging–discharging constraints of EVs over the operation planning horizon, the optimization objective of the model is proposed, which consists of two parts: “minimizing energy cost” and “improving voltage profile”. Finally, a distributed solution method is proposed based on the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM). The proposed model is implemented on a 33-bus ADN. The obtained results demonstrate that it is beneficial to achieve lower energy cost and increase the voltage profile of the ADN. In addition, the energy demand of EV batteries in their plugin intervals is met, and the demand preference of EV users is guaranteed. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>The framework of the proposed model.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>The topology of intelligent bi-directional charger.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>The simplified diagram of EV charging.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Active and reactive operation domain of the charger.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Active and reactive operation domain considering preference of user and energy demand of EV battery. (<b>a</b>) The operation domain of EV in <span class="html-italic">D</span><sub>2<span class="html-italic">,j</span></sub>. (<b>b</b>) The operation domain of EV in <span class="html-italic">D</span><sub>3<span class="html-italic">,j</span></sub>.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>The active and reactive output characteristics of DFIG.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Illustration of the linearization method.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>The decomposition scheme of ADN and EVA sides.</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p>The test case.</p> Full article ">Figure 10
<p>The basic data of test case. (<b>a</b>) Conventional load power and price of active power. (<b>b</b>) The number of three categories of EVs. (<b>c</b>) The active power of WTs. (<b>d</b>) The output of PVs.</p> Full article ">Figure 11
<p>Results of case I. (<b>a</b>) The active power per EVA. (<b>b</b>) Voltage magnitude of four EVA nodes.</p> Full article ">Figure 12
<p>The results comparison of case II and case IV. (<b>a</b>) The active power and adjustable range. (<b>b</b>) The reactive power of EVs. (<b>c</b>) Voltage magnitude of buses 13 and 29. (<b>d</b>) Voltage magnitude of ADN over 96 intervals.</p> Full article ">Figure 12 Cont.
<p>The results comparison of case II and case IV. (<b>a</b>) The active power and adjustable range. (<b>b</b>) The reactive power of EVs. (<b>c</b>) Voltage magnitude of buses 13 and 29. (<b>d</b>) Voltage magnitude of ADN over 96 intervals.</p> Full article ">Figure 13
<p>The results comparison of case II and case IV. (<b>a</b>) The active power of EVs over 96 intervals. (<b>b</b>) The voltage magnitude of bus 13.</p> Full article ">Figure 14
<p>The reactive power of ADN over 96 intervals.</p> Full article ">Figure 15
<p>The voltage profile at peak load intervals.</p> Full article ">Figure 16
<p>The active power from upstream DN and FGs in case IV.</p> Full article ">Figure 17
<p>The SOC change of three categories of EVs in four EVAs. (<b>a</b>) The SOC curve of <math display="inline"><semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi>l</mi> <mrow> <mi>m</mi> <mo>,</mo> <mn>1</mn> </mrow> </msub> </mrow> </semantics></math>. (<b>b</b>) The SOC curve of <math display="inline"><semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi>l</mi> <mrow> <mi>m</mi> <mo>,</mo> <mn>2</mn> </mrow> </msub> </mrow> </semantics></math>. (<b>c</b>) The SOC curve of <math display="inline"><semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi>l</mi> <mrow> <mi>m</mi> <mo>,</mo> <mn>3</mn> </mrow> </msub> </mrow> </semantics></math>. (<b>d</b>) The SOC curve of <math display="inline"><semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi>l</mi> <mrow> <mi>m</mi> <mo>,</mo> <mn>4</mn> </mrow> </msub> </mrow> </semantics></math>.</p> Full article ">Figure 18
<p>Comparison of optimization results between case IV and case V. (<b>a</b>) The active power of EVs. (<b>b</b>) The active power from upstream grid and FGs. (<b>c</b>) The reactive power of EVs. (<b>d</b>) The voltage profile of the ADN at peak load intervals.</p> Full article ">Figure 19
<p>The reactive power of EVs, SVC, upstream grid and active power of EVs under different values of <math display="inline"><semantics> <mi>α</mi> </semantics></math>. (<b>a</b>) The reactive power when <math display="inline"><semantics> <mrow> <mi>α</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>1</mn> </mrow> </semantics></math>. (<b>b</b>) The reactive power when <math display="inline"><semantics> <mrow> <mi>α</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>0.6</mn> </mrow> </semantics></math>. (<b>c</b>) The reactive power when <math display="inline"><semantics> <mrow> <mi>α</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>0.2</mn> </mrow> </semantics></math>. (<b>d</b>) The active power of EVs under different values of <math display="inline"><semantics> <mi>α</mi> </semantics></math>.</p> Full article ">Figure 20
<p>The voltage profile of bus 13 over peak load intervals under different values of <math display="inline"><semantics> <mi>α</mi> </semantics></math>.</p> Full article ">Figure 21
<p>The relationship between <math display="inline"><semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi>γ</mi> <mi>p</mi> </msub> </mrow> </semantics></math>, <math display="inline"><semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi>γ</mi> <mi>v</mi> </msub> </mrow> </semantics></math> and <math display="inline"><semantics> <mi>α</mi> </semantics></math>.</p> Full article ">Figure 22
<p>The relationship between reactive power and the value of <math display="inline"><semantics> <mi>α</mi> </semantics></math>.</p> Full article ">
25 pages, 3334 KiB  
Review
Neuroimaging Techniques in Advertising Research: Main Applications, Development, and Brain Regions and Processes
by Ahmed H. Alsharif, Nor Zafir Md Salleh, Rohaizat Baharun, Alharthi Rami Hashem E, Aida Azlina Mansor, Javed Ali and Alhamzah F. Abbas
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6488; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116488 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 58 | Viewed by 7952
Abstract
Despite the advancement in neuroimaging tools, studies about using neuroimaging tools to study the impact of advertising on brain regions and processes are scant and remain unclear in academic literature. In this article, we have followed a literature review methodology and a bibliometric [...] Read more.
Despite the advancement in neuroimaging tools, studies about using neuroimaging tools to study the impact of advertising on brain regions and processes are scant and remain unclear in academic literature. In this article, we have followed a literature review methodology and a bibliometric analysis to select empirical and review papers that employed neuroimaging tools in advertising campaigns and to understand the global research trends in the neuromarketing domain. We extracted and analyzed sixty-three articles from the Web of Science database to answer our study questions. We found four common neuroimaging techniques employed in advertising research. We also found that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex play a vital role in decision-making processes. The OFC is linked to positive valence, and the lateral OFC and left dorsal anterior insula related in negative valence. In addition, the thalamus and primary visual area associated with the bottom-up attention system, whereas the top-down attention system connected to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex, and primary visual areas. For memory, the hippocampus is responsible for generating and processing memories. We hope that this study provides valuable insights about the main brain regions and processes of interest for advertising. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>PRISMA flow chart. Source: own illustration.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>The bibliometric map of all keywords co-occurrence. Use the following URL to open this map in VOSviewer: <a href="http://bit.ly/3qDdmmQ" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/3qDdmmQ</a> (accessed on 1 March 2021).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Map of documents citations 21 articles (minimum of 10 citations). Use the following URL to open this map in VOSviewer URL: <a href="http://bit.ly/3aByx3o" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/3aByx3o</a> (accessed on 1 March 2021).</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>The proposed framework of main brain processes of interest for advertising. Source: own illustration.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Valence and arousal model of emotions [<a href="#B118-sustainability-13-06488" class="html-bibr">118</a>].</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>The model of bottom-up attention system. <b>Source:</b> own illustration.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>The model of top-down attention system. Source: own illustration.</p> Full article ">
29 pages, 679 KiB  
Article
Assessment of the Results and Methodology of the Sustainable Development Index for Spanish Cities
by Javier García López, Raffaele Sisto, Javier Benayas, Álvaro de Juanes, Julio Lumbreras and Carlos Mataix
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6487; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116487 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3150
Abstract
In 2017, the United Nations adopted a global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator framework, calling on member countries to collect complementary national and regional indicators. Cities are crucial to channelling efforts towards sustainability through the use of these indicators. They provide an integrated [...] Read more.
In 2017, the United Nations adopted a global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator framework, calling on member countries to collect complementary national and regional indicators. Cities are crucial to channelling efforts towards sustainability through the use of these indicators. They provide an integrated approach to the city situation monitoring sustainability. However, more research is needed to understand how to adapt the goals, targets and indicators to specific municipal contexts. In 2020, the Spanish Sustainable Development Solutions Network launched the 2nd edition of the Spanish Cities Index. A set of 106 indicators allows for monitoring the implementation of the SDGs at the local level for Spanish cities. The objective is to perform a statistical audit to evaluate the consistency of the indicators and the impact of modelling assumptions on the result. The methodology used is an adaptation of the Handbook on Constructing Composite Indicator prepared by the European Commission. The indicator system is well balanced and covers the essential areas of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Spanish ranking is robust enough among the alternatives evaluated. However, some improvements are possible in the selection of indicators, e.g., removing redundant indicators and regional data. Finally, it is recommended to weigh goals based on municipal responsibility to adjust the results to the Spanish municipal context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathways for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure A1

Figure A1
<p>Factor map of the 17 goals of the SCR Index for A<sub>s</sub>.</p> Full article ">Figure A2
<p>Rotated space component for SDG4.</p> Full article ">
21 pages, 2398 KiB  
Article
Smart and Resilient Urban Futures for Sustainability in the Post COVID-19 Era: A Review of Policy Responses on Urban Mobility
by Christina Kakderi, Eleni Oikonomaki and Ilektra Papadaki
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6486; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116486 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 55 | Viewed by 16836
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has put lifestyles in question, changed daily routines, and limited citizen freedoms that seemed inalienable before. A human activity that has been greatly affected since the beginning of the health crisis is mobility. Focusing on mobility, we aim to discuss [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put lifestyles in question, changed daily routines, and limited citizen freedoms that seemed inalienable before. A human activity that has been greatly affected since the beginning of the health crisis is mobility. Focusing on mobility, we aim to discuss the transformational impact that the pandemic brought to this specific urban domain, especially with regards to the promotion of sustainability, the smart growth agenda, and the acceleration towards the smart city paradigm. We collect 60 initial policy responses related to urban mobility from cities around the world and analyze them based on the challenge they aim to address, the exact principles of smart growth and sustainable mobility that they encapsulate, as well as the level of ICT penetration. Our findings suggest that emerging strategies, although mainly temporary, are transformational, in line with the principles of smart growth and sustainable development. Most policy responses adopted during the first months of the pandemic, however, fail to leverage advancements made in the field of smart cities, and to adopt off-the-shelf solutions such as monitoring, alerting, and operations management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Urban and Rural Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Geographic location of the cities whose policy measures were analyzed. Source: own elaboration.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Location, type, and aim of city policy responses in relation to urban mobility during the first eight months of 2020. Source: own elaboration.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Smart growth objectives. Source: own elaboration.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Contribution of policy measures to sustainable mobility. Source: own elaboration.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Level of ICT penetration. Source: own elaboration.</p> Full article ">
13 pages, 292 KiB  
Article
The Importance of Sustainability in Diving Tourism—The Case of German Speaking Diving Tourists
by Alexander Hodeck, Jacqueline Tuchel, Luisa Hente and Christine von Reibnitz
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6485; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116485 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4148
Abstract
Sustainability in sports tourism has increased in recent years. Sustainability is a particular focus for diving tourism. This paper analyses the meaning of sustainability to German speaking diving tourists to draw conclusions for the development of tourism strategies. Based on a literature review [...] Read more.
Sustainability in sports tourism has increased in recent years. Sustainability is a particular focus for diving tourism. This paper analyses the meaning of sustainability to German speaking diving tourists to draw conclusions for the development of tourism strategies. Based on a literature review on the importance of sustainability in diving tourism, an empirical study was designed to understand the importance of the topic within the target group. A total of 174 German-speaking diving tourists were surveyed using an online-questionnaire. The subjects were clustered regarding their sustainable behavior. It could be shown that there is a correlation between age as well as gender and sustainable behavior. A conjoint measurement showed that for diving tourists, ecological aspects are more important than the prize of a diving trip. The gained insights can contribute to establish new and more sustainable offers in diving tourism and thus developing this area of sports tourism more sustainably overall. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges and Trends in Sport Tourism and Its Development Impacts)
20 pages, 4539 KiB  
Article
Mapping Environmental/Sustainable Governance Research in Chile: A Bibliometric and Network Analysis
by Julien Vanhulst and Adrián E. Beling
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6484; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116484 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3364
Abstract
In light of increasing concerns about the efficacy of environmental governance (EG) to address the global sustainability challenges of the Anthropocene era, more integrative, transversal, and far-reaching approaches, referred to here as sustainability governance (SG), are gaining ground both in governance praxis and [...] Read more.
In light of increasing concerns about the efficacy of environmental governance (EG) to address the global sustainability challenges of the Anthropocene era, more integrative, transversal, and far-reaching approaches, referred to here as sustainability governance (SG), are gaining ground both in governance praxis and in research. Empirical and methodological challenges emerge from this conceptual analytical cleavage between EG and SG. Through a combination of bibliometric and network analysis, the objective of this article is to explore the structure and trends in the field of EG/SG research in Chile, internationally regarded as the posterchild of Latin-American EG/SG, and derive empirical insights to feed the analytical distinction between EG and SG that informs global debates about ways forward towards an effective governance in the Anthropocene. Our results show that scientific research on EG/SG has experienced a significant increase since the 1990s. We find that while the topical range of the field is broad, including water governance, biodiversity conservation, environmental institutions, climate change and energy issues, and environmental conflicts and justice, key cross-cutting socio-economic and cultural dynamics underpinning the prevalent, yet fundamentally unsustainable, ways of life and economic model are virtually absent from the field, against their growing presence in diagnoses of “sustained unsustainability”. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Engineering and Science)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Publication trends by years, 1993–2018.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Topical trends by years, 1993–2018.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Topical trends by decades.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Network of journals based on citations database (Network built based on paper-to-paper citations, considering the journal of publication. This is a directed graph generated with the centrality and proximity algorithm Fruchterman-Reingold [<a href="#B42-sustainability-13-06484" class="html-bibr">42</a>]. The size and color of the nodes varies according to Indegree (number of citations received)).</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Collaborations Network by discipline (Network built on the basis of co-authorship of the articles in the data set. This is an undirected graph generated with the centrality and proximity algorithm Fruchterman-Reingold [<a href="#B42-sustainability-13-06484" class="html-bibr">42</a>]. The size of the nodes varies according to their degree and each color represents an academic discipline).</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Square citations Network by disciplines (Network based on citations from articles to authors, both from within the data set. This is a directed graph generated with the centrality and proximity algorithm Force Atlas 2 [<a href="#B44-sustainability-13-06484" class="html-bibr">44</a>]. Size and color of the nodes is analogous to the previous networks showcased).</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Communities’ statistical distribution (modularity).</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>Collaborations Network by clusters. Number <b>1</b>: Climate and Resilience Science Center; Number <b>2</b>: CAPES/CCM group, with the Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability and the Marine; Number <b>3</b>: Conservation Center. LTER group (Long Term Environmental Research project); Number <b>4</b>: the center-south of Chile.</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p>Keywords co-occurrences. (Network built on the basis of co-occurrence of keywords in texts from the data set. This is an undirected graph generated with the centrality and proximity algorithm Force Atlas 2 [<a href="#B44-sustainability-13-06484" class="html-bibr">44</a>]. The size and color of the nodes varies depending on their degree).</p> Full article ">Figure 10
<p>Topical landscape from keyword co-occurrences.</p> Full article ">
22 pages, 8506 KiB  
Article
Insights on Water and Climate Change in the Greater Horn of Africa: Connecting Virtual Water and Water-Energy-Food-Biodiversity-Health Nexus
by Hubert Hirwa, Qiuying Zhang, Yunfeng Qiao, Yu Peng, Peifang Leng, Chao Tian, Sayidjakhon Khasanov, Fadong Li, Alphonse Kayiranga, Fabien Muhirwa, Auguste Cesar Itangishaka, Gabriel Habiyaremye and Jean Ngamije
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6483; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116483 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5649
Abstract
Water is the key limiting factor in socioeconomic and ecological development, but it is adversely affected by climate change. The novel virtual water (VW) concept and water, energy, food, biodiversity, and human health (WEFBH) nexus approach are powerful tools to assess the sustainability [...] Read more.
Water is the key limiting factor in socioeconomic and ecological development, but it is adversely affected by climate change. The novel virtual water (VW) concept and water, energy, food, biodiversity, and human health (WEFBH) nexus approach are powerful tools to assess the sustainability of a region through the lens of climate change. Climate change-related challenges and water are complex and intertwined. This paper analyzed the significant WEFBH sectors using the multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model. The AHP model demonstrated quantitative relationships among WEFBH nexus sustainability indicators in the Greater Horn of Africa countries. Besides, the net VW imports and water footprints of major staple crops were assessed. The composite WEFBH nexus indices varied from 0.10 to 0.14. The water footprint of crops is increasing period by period. The results also revealed that most countries in the study area are facing WEFBH domains unsustainability due to weak planning or improper management strategies. The strong policy constancy among the WEFBH sector is vital for dissociating the high-water consumption from crop production, energy, environmental, and human health system. Thus, this study enhances insights into the interdependencies, interconnectedness, and interactions of sectors thereby strengthening the coordination, complementarities, and synergies among them. To attain sustainable development, we urgently call all public and private entities to value the amount of VW used in their daily activities and design better policies on the complex WEFBH nexus and future climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coupling Eco-Hydrology with Water Sustainability: Concepts and Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>The GHA region. The numbers on the bar express the topography in meters above sea level (asl). The Global Multiresolution Terrain Elevation Data 2010 (GMTED2010) was extracted from the Center for Earth Resources Observation and Sciences (EROS) of the U.S. Geological Survey [<a href="#B48-sustainability-13-06483" class="html-bibr">48</a>].</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Annual average of water withdrawn in GHA region by different sectors during 2010–2019 including agriculture (A), industry (I), irrigation (Ir), municipal (M), and water loss in energy production (E) with as environmental flow requirement (EF) and the total water withdrawal (TWW).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Simplified illustration of the complex interconnections between the nexus sectors. Turning clockwise direction, the capital letters represent Food (F), Water (W), Biodiversity (B), Health (H), and Energy (E) sector. The five sectors of the nexus, F, W, B, H, and E, are associated with one another thru various direct and indirect interlinkages. A direct interlinkage between two sectors is described as a change in one’s status due to a change in the status of another, implying that the rest of the components do not interfere with the two first elements’ special bond. Adapted from [<a href="#B13-sustainability-13-06483" class="html-bibr">13</a>].</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>The WEFBH nexus and key positions of VW. Nexus management refers to governability, scenario development, technology and innovation, policy strategy, laws, and finance. Sustainability and security stand for the balance between trade-offs and synergies among each of the five sectors (i.e., water, food, energy, biodiversity, and human health). The VW is common binding material for all interactions within securities, while climate change and population growth are the foremost driving factors in the WEFBH nexus.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>A common procedure for MCDM analysis. Adapted from [<a href="#B87-sustainability-13-06483" class="html-bibr">87</a>].</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Relationship between WEFBH nexus indicators in the GHA region in 2020. Each single radar graph shows the performance of sustainable indicators. Indicators presented in <a href="#sustainability-13-06483-t002" class="html-table">Table 2</a> were normalized regarding the total sum of all indicators. All numbers are absolute. The non-sustainability of resource management is shown by the deformed shape of the numerical relationship. Each axis “zero” value represents the wheel’s center. The higher the quantity (higher level of sustainability) or the closest a point gets to the spoke’s edge (high unsustainability level), the higher the quantity (higher level of sustainability).</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Dynamics of VWC and WF of the main staple crops in the GHA region from 2010 to 2019.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>Overall changes of VWC and WF of crops in the GHA region from 2010 to 2019.</p> Full article ">
23 pages, 3293 KiB  
Article
Prognostic Assessment of the Performance Parameters for the Industrial Diesel Engines Operated with Microalgae Oil
by Sergejus Lebedevas and Laurencas Raslavičius
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6482; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116482 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3536
Abstract
A study conducted on the high-speed diesel engine (bore/stroke: 79.5/95.5 mm; 66 kW) running with microalgae oil (MAO100) and diesel fuel (D100) showed that, based on Wibe parameters (m and φz), the difference in numerical values of combustion characteristics was [...] Read more.
A study conducted on the high-speed diesel engine (bore/stroke: 79.5/95.5 mm; 66 kW) running with microalgae oil (MAO100) and diesel fuel (D100) showed that, based on Wibe parameters (m and φz), the difference in numerical values of combustion characteristics was ~10% and, in turn, resulted in close energy efficiency indicators (ηi) for both fuels and the possibility to enhance the NOx-smoke opacity trade-off. A comparative analysis by mathematical modeling of energy and traction characteristics for the universal multi-purpose diesel engine CAT 3512B HB-SC (1200 kW, 1800 min−1) confirmed the earlier assumption: at the regimes of external speed characteristics, the difference in Pme and ηi for MAO100 and D100 did not exceeded 0.7–2.0% and 2–4%, respectively. With the refinement and development of the interim concept, the model led to the prognostic evaluation of the suitability of MAO100 as fuel for the FPT Industrial Cursor 13 engine (353 kW, 6-cylinders, common-rail) family. For the selected value of the indicated efficiency ηi = 0.48–0.49, two different combinations of φz and m parameters (φz = 60–70 degCA, m = 0.5 and φz = 60 degCA, m = 1) may be practically realized to achieve the desirable level of maximum combustion pressure Pmax = 130–150 bar (at α~2.0). When switching from diesel to MAO100, it is expected that the ηi will drop by 2–3%, however, an existing reserve in Pmax that comprises 5–7% will open up room for further optimization of energy efficiency and emission indicators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Influence of Biofuel Additions on the Ignition Delay of Single Diesel Fuel Drops)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Experiment planning chart.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Schematic view of the pilot study equipment (<b>1</b>) and industrial engines being subjected to mathematical modelling: CAT 3512B HD-SC (<b>2</b>) and FPT Industrial Cursor 13 (<b>3</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>NO<sub>x</sub>-smoke opacity trade-off for the different injection settings of a 1Z engine.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>The combustion cycle of a diesel engine: juxtaposition of pilot study outcomes and mathematical modelling data (<span class="html-italic">φ<sub>inj</sub></span> = 2 degCA BTDC, <span class="html-italic">n</span> = 2000 min<sup>−1</sup>): in-cylinder pressure (<b>a</b>–<b>c</b>) and heat release rate (<b>d</b>,<b>e</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 4 Cont.
<p>The combustion cycle of a diesel engine: juxtaposition of pilot study outcomes and mathematical modelling data (<span class="html-italic">φ<sub>inj</sub></span> = 2 degCA BTDC, <span class="html-italic">n</span> = 2000 min<sup>−1</sup>): in-cylinder pressure (<b>a</b>–<b>c</b>) and heat release rate (<b>d</b>,<b>e</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Changes in heat release characteristics of an 1Z engine when comparing diesel fuel and microalgae oil: at 0.4 MPa (<b>a</b>,<b>b</b>) and 0.6 MPa (<b>c</b>,<b>d</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Variation in break mean effective pressure (<b>a</b>), indicated thermal efficiency (<b>b</b>), maximum cycle pressure (combustion pressure) (<b>c</b>), and exhaust gas temperature (<b>d</b>) for the entire range of engine speeds (1800–1000 min<sup>−1</sup>) for the I, II, and IV injection strategies.</p> Full article ">Figure 6 Cont.
<p>Variation in break mean effective pressure (<b>a</b>), indicated thermal efficiency (<b>b</b>), maximum cycle pressure (combustion pressure) (<b>c</b>), and exhaust gas temperature (<b>d</b>) for the entire range of engine speeds (1800–1000 min<sup>−1</sup>) for the I, II, and IV injection strategies.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>A relative change in engine operational parameters when switching from diesel fuel to microalgae oil: (<b>a</b>) Indicated efficiency of an engine fueled by diesel fuel; (<b>b</b>) Indicated efficiency (change); (<b>c</b>) Hourly fuel consumption; (<b>d</b>) Maximum cycle pressure (combustion pressure); (<b>e</b>) Exhaust gas temperature; (<b>f</b>) CO<sub>2</sub> emissions; RCoP Zone—the zone of rational combination of <span class="html-italic">m</span> and <span class="html-italic">φ<sub>z</sub></span> parameters).</p> Full article ">
22 pages, 2048 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Allocation Model of Construction Workforce for Work Resumption during COVID-19
by Layin Wang, Dong Zhao and Yanqi Zhong
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6481; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116481 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3391
Abstract
COVID-19 has posed challenges for the construction industry, such as precise pandemic control, sustainable labor relations, and loss minimization. In response to these challenges, this study has developed a decision model that optimizes workforce allocation for projects to achieve sustainable workforce management, a [...] Read more.
COVID-19 has posed challenges for the construction industry, such as precise pandemic control, sustainable labor relations, and loss minimization. In response to these challenges, this study has developed a decision model that optimizes workforce allocation for projects to achieve sustainable workforce management, a tradeoff between pandemic prevention and work resumption. The priority of project resumption was evaluated using basic characteristics, the long- and short-term strategies, and the regional pandemic situation. The energy level of skilled workers was graded according to construction team size, skill level, and experience. Sustainable allocation principles and paths were explored to target four different types of work resumption plans. We used the cellular automaton (CA) technique to simulate the sustainable allocation model. We also analyzed the similarity function of energy levels and the time-cost function of allocation. The case study of the SGJ Construction demonstrates that this allocation model can accurately simulate work resumption and provide a sustainable allocation decisions and tools under pandemic. Also, it implies balanced interests and concerns between construction companies and the society for work resumption during COVID-19. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>A map of the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic in China.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Energy-level assessment indicator system of a construction team in a project pool.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Allocation state at <math display="inline"><semantics> <mrow> <msub> <mi>t</mi> <mn>1</mn> </msub> </mrow> </semantics></math>.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>The initial project prioritization.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>The optimized project prioritization in pandemic.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Work resumption without sustainable allocation of the reinforcement workers during pandemic.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Work resumption with sustainable allocation of the reinforcement workers during pandemic.</p> Full article ">
16 pages, 1194 KiB  
Article
Benthic Community Assessment of Commercial Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) Gear in Delaware Inland Bays
by Melanie Fuoco, Scott Borsum, Zohreh Mazaheri Kouhanestani and Gulnihal Ozbay
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6480; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116480 - 7 Jun 2021
Viewed by 2931
Abstract
Oyster aquaculture is one of several methods for the restoration of Delaware Inland Bays; however, little is known about its potential impacts on the benthic community of the bays. In this study, water quality parameters were measured and polychaetes were collected from 24 [...] Read more.
Oyster aquaculture is one of several methods for the restoration of Delaware Inland Bays; however, little is known about its potential impacts on the benthic community of the bays. In this study, water quality parameters were measured and polychaetes were collected from 24 sampling locations at Rehoboth, Indian River, and Little Assawoman Bays from July to October 2016 and 2017. We aimed to assess the impact of Eastern oyster farming under different stocking densities (50 and 250 oysters/gear) and distances away from the sites where the off-bottom gears are implemented (under gears, one meter, and five meters away). No significant impact was detected on polychaetes’ abundance and richness in regard to the presence of oyster gears. The number of polychaetes and species richness was significantly higher in Little Assawoman Bay in comparison to the Indian River and Rehoboth Bays. Results showed that the Ulva lactuca bloom that happened in 2016 could negatively impact the low abundance and richness observed in the polychaetes community. Similarly, the values of polychaetes abundance and species richness did not change significantly in samples that were taken far from the oyster gears. Dominant polychaetes families were Capitellidae and Glyceridae contributing to more than 70% of polychaetes’ number of individuals. Our results help to understand the role of oyster aquaculture in restoring the viability in the natural habitat of the Delaware Inland Bays. Full article
(This article belongs to the Collection Aquaculture and Environmental Impacts)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Sampling sites in the Delaware Inland Bays. The RB, IR, and LAW indicate Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay, and Little Assawoman Bay (Map Credit: [<a href="#B65-sustainability-13-06480" class="html-bibr">65</a>]).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Spatial and temporal variation in water quality parameters of Delaware Inland Bays; (<b>A</b>) temperature, (<b>B</b>) salinity, (<b>C</b>) pH, (<b>D</b>) turbidity, (<b>E</b>) dissolved oxygen, and (<b>F</b>) chlorophyll-a during the first (2016, black dots and lines) and second year of sampling (2017, gray dots and lines). Sampling locations at Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay, and Little Assawoman Bay are indicated as squares, circles, and triangles, respectively.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Mean (<b>A</b>) abundance and (<b>B</b>) richness index of polychaetes collected from sampling locations in Indian River Bay in 2017. Data collected from control gears are shown in light gray, and dark grays indicate sampling sites in which oysters were farmed with a density of 250 oysters/gear. Errors denote the standard deviations of five sampling data.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Mean total abundance (<b>A</b>) and richness index (<b>B</b>) of polychaetes in Delaware Inland Bays. The gray shade represents sampling location; Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay, and Little Assawoman Bay, respectively, from light to dark. The bars with and without the stripe pattern indicate the farming density of 250 oysters/gear and 50 oysters/gear. Different letters show a significant difference. Errors indicate the standard deviations of five samples.</p> Full article ">
19 pages, 3525 KiB  
Article
How State Interventions affect Municipalities Taking the Lead in Sustainability
by Jayce L. Farmer and Andres J. Rodriguez Lombeida
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6479; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116479 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2635
Abstract
The state and local governments throughout the United States interact within a complex system of multilevel governance to advance sustainability. However, we know little about what this hierarchical system of exchanges means for municipalities as they work to achieve energy efficient government operations. [...] Read more.
The state and local governments throughout the United States interact within a complex system of multilevel governance to advance sustainability. However, we know little about what this hierarchical system of exchanges means for municipalities as they work to achieve energy efficient government operations. Drawing on a perspective of “contested federalism”, we examine how the transaction costs of state–local government relations affect the efforts of U.S. cities to lead by example and promote sustainability within their internal processes. We apply a Bayesian item response theory approach to assess the effects of state-level fiscal and policy interventions on municipal commitments to energy efficiency programs within their internal operations. Our findings suggest that increased fiscal support for state energy programs enhances municipal commitments to government focused energy efficiency. We also find a positive connection between state energy efficiency standards and municipal efforts to enhance energy efficiency within their internal operations. The alignment of state resources and policy efforts with municipal actions can reduce commitment and agency costs that obstruct policy outcomes. The findings speak to the importance of multilevel governance exchanges in municipal efforts to become leaders in sustainability. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Map of selected cities throughout the United States implementing LBE practices.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Transaction costs and the flow of state resources and authority.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Synoptic scheme of analytical approach to estimating municipal internal energy efficiency programs.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Convergence diagnostics for state electricity program budgets.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Convergence diagnostics for state energy efficiency standards.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Convergence diagnostics for broad home rule granted within state.</p> Full article ">
15 pages, 1313 KiB  
Abstract
Linking Conservation, Community Knowledge, and Adaptation to Extreme Climatic Events: A Case Study in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique
by Amemarlita Matos, Laura Barraza and Isabel Ruiz-Mallén
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6478; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116478 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4157
Abstract
This study is based on ethnographic research that analyzes how traditional knowledge and local beliefs on biodiversity conservation relates to the local ability to adapt and be resilient to climatic changes in two communities around Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique: Nhanfisse in the buffer [...] Read more.
This study is based on ethnographic research that analyzes how traditional knowledge and local beliefs on biodiversity conservation relates to the local ability to adapt and be resilient to climatic changes in two communities around Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique: Nhanfisse in the buffer zone and Muanandimae in the core area. A total of 78 semi-structured interviews with heads of households were conducted. We found that both communities carried out practices and held beliefs associated with conservation, such as protecting trees and animal species considered sacred or perceived as beneficial for human life in terms of water provision and agricultural production. In addition to traditional ceremonies that respond to extreme climatic events such as drought and flood, other adaptation strategies used by the communities include moving to neighboring areas in search of better living conditions and using forest products in times of scarcity. We discuss that the management of the park should be agreed on, in a shared way, between local communities and conservation agents to ensure that these areas continue to perform the ecological, subsistence, and spiritual functions required. Our research results contribute to a better understanding of local adaptation dynamics towards extreme climatic events and improvement of management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Environmental Beliefs)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Location of study area (source: Scientific Department Gorongosa National Park).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Use of natural resources in the past by the communities.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>The most important ceremony.</p> Full article ">
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-747
Previous Issue
Next Issue
Back to TopTop