ALBERT

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2593: Visual Analysis of the Height Ratio between Building and Background Vegetation. Two Rural Cases of Study: Spain and Sweden Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082593 Authors: Jacinto Garrido-Velarde María Jesús Montero-Parejo Julio Hernández-Blanco Lorenzo García-Moruno The perception of apparent sizes of buildings in a rural environment depends on the height ratio between the building and its surrounding vegetation, and it is this parameter which is currently used to assess the built landscapes. The impact of a contrasting height is less strong if the building does not exceed the horizon line. For buildings overshooting the skyline, the building’s level of sharpness and number of lines in contrast to the sky determines the impact of the scales, and vegetation in the background helps to reduce impact. The specific objectives of the present study were: (1) finding height–ratio thresholds between building and background vegetation, which may improve the integration of rural buildings in sky-sensitive locations, and; (2) comparing the results in two rural contexts with very different climatic conditions: Spain and Sweden. A survey of eighteen scenarios (nine Spanish and nine Swedish), all digitally modified with different relative height ratios between vegetation and buildings, was performed. The survey was evaluated by the public from both countries. Regardless of the country of origin, integration of the building was good or very good when the vegetation in background did not exceed one half of the height of the construction. These results may be translated to technical criteria for planning assessment.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2586: Conserving Tropical Forests: Can Sustainable Livelihoods Outperform Artisanal or Informal Mining? Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082586 Authors: Joshua Fisher Poonam Arora Sophia Rhee The viability of conservation efforts, including protected areas and buffer zones, depends on finding ways to make those strategies more attractive and viable for local populations. This paper presents a pilot study utilizing a rapid rural appraisal of livelihoods in the buffer zone of Tambopata National Reserve in Madre de Dios, Peru, threatened by illegal gold mining and logging. We evaluated three predominant economic activities—artisanal gold mining, Brazil nut harvesting, and fish farming—in terms of potential economic returns. The main research question we ask is whether the latter two potentially sustainable land uses can match or exceed the returns from mining. Contrary to popular belief, we find that enhancing value creation at product origin could make existing forest-friendly livelihoods as or more lucrative than extractive ones. This has implications on local conservation policy encouraging implementable strategies incentivizing sustainable livelihoods in tandem with, and in support of, conservation goals.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 969: Assessment of Runoff Components Simulated by GLDAS against UNH–GRDC Dataset at Global and Hemispheric Scales Water doi: 10.3390/w10080969 Authors: Meizhao Lv Hui Lu Kun Yang Zhongfeng Xu Meixia Lv Xiaomeng Huang The current evaluations of global land data assimilation system (GLDAS) runoff were generally limited to the observation-rich areas. At the global and hemispheric scales, we assessed different runoff components performance of GLDAS (1.0 and 2.1) using the University of New Hampshire and Global Runoff Data Centre (UNH-GRDC) dataset. The results suggest that GLDAS simulations show considerable uncertainties, particularly in partition of surface and subsurface runoffs, in snowmelt runoff modeling, and in capturing the northern peak time. GLDAS1.0-CLM (common land model) produced more surface runoff almost globally; GLDAS-Noah generated more surface runoff over the northern middle-high latitudes and more subsurface runoff in the remaining areas; while the partition in GLDAS1.0-VIC (variable infiltration capacity) is almost opposite to that in Noah. Comparing to GLDAS1.0-Noah, GLDAS2.1-Noah improved the premature snow-melting tendency, but its snowmelt-runoff peak magnitude was excessively high in June and July. The discrepancies in northern primary peak times among precipitation and runoff is partly caused by the combination of rainfall and melting-snow over high-latitude, as well as the very different temporal–spatial distributions for snowmelt runoff simulated by GLDAS models. This paper can provide valuable guidance for GLDAS users, and contribute to the further improvement of hydrological parameterized schemes.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2601: Researcher–Planner Dialogue on Environmental Justice and Its Knowledges—A Means to Encourage Social Learning Towards Sustainability Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082601 Authors: Aino Rekola Riikka Paloniemi Societies aiming for a sustainable future need more effective and legitimate planning and decision making practices, in which various actors together find pathways towards a sustainable transition. In this paper, we approach sustainability and environmental justice as epistemological (and ontological) challenges for land-use planning, and empirically analyse how action research could support planners’ social learning and planning towards fair and sustainable development. We analysed qualitatively the evolution of the researcher–planner dialogue while co-designing and developing better methods, means and practices to improve environmental justice in regional scale planning in Kymenlaakso Region, South-East Finland. We found that researcher-planner dialogue developed during cooperation. While in the beginning, social learning related to approaching environmental justice as a fair distribution of power evolved incrementally, later, when dialogue became more focused, communicative and reflective as an outcome of mutual frames and trust, learning occurred in a more transformative way. Such transformative learning concerned recognising youth as a silent group in the planning process and the means to involve their perceptions in planning. In order to support sustainability transformation in the future, we conclude that it is essential to create opportunities for such incremental and transformative social learning through innovative modes of interaction in various contexts.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2602: Towards a Joint Local Energy Transition Process in Urban Districts: The GO2Zero Simulation Game Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082602 Authors: Geertje Bekebrede Ellen van Bueren Ivo Wenzler The depletion of fossil fuel sources for our energy system and the influence on overall CO2 emissions drive the need to more sustainable energy systems. The transition towards a renewable energy system cannot be seen as a purely technical issue; it is strongly embedded within society. In this study, we analyze the stakeholder complexities of the transition in urban districts and research the use of a simulation game to increase the understanding of the complexity of the transition. Surveys and observations were used to collect data about the learning experiences of playing the game GO2Zero. The results show that participants liked to play the game and they considered the game a valid representation of the system. Further, the participants agree that they obtained a better understanding of the complexity of the residential energy system and experienced a variety of challenges in the transition. Simulation games, like GO2Zero, could become valuable instruments in local energy transition processes as they offer a safe environment for novices and experts to jointly experiment with the challenges in this process. These experiences could support the design of the transition process by helping actors to formulate goals and collaborative strategies for achieving those goals. Future research will focus on the use of this game for experimenting with different strategies and instruments and to analyze their effects.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2613: An E-Commerce Platform for Industrialized Construction Procurement Based on BIM and Linked Data Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082613 Authors: Dandan He Zhongfu Li Chunlin Wu Xin Ning Industrialized construction has raised the requirements of procurement methods used in the construction industry. The rapid development of e-commerce offers efficient and effective solutions, however the large number of participants in the construction industry means that the data involved are complex, and problems arise related to volume, heterogeneity, and fragmentation. Thus, the sector lags behind others in the adoption of e-commerce. In particular, data integration has become a barrier preventing further development. Traditional e-commerce platform, which considered data integration for common product data, cannot meet the requirements of construction product data integration. This study aimed to build an information-integrated e-commerce platform for industrialized construction procurement (ICP) to overcome some of the shortcomings existing platforms. We proposed a platform based on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and linked data, taking an innovative approach to data integration. It uses industrialized construction technology to support product standardization, BIM to support procurement process, and linked data to connect different data sources. The platform was validated using a case study. With the development of an e-commerce ontology, industrialized construction component information was extracted from BIM models and converted to Resource Description Framework (RDF) format. Related information from different data sources was also converted to RDF format, and Simple Protocol and Resource Description Framework Query Language (SPARQL) queries were implemented. The platform provides a solution for the development of e-commerce platform in the construction industry.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2614: An Efficient Grid-Based K-Prototypes Algorithm for Sustainable Decision-Making on Spatial Objects Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082614 Authors: Hong-Jun Jang Byoungwook Kim Jongwan Kim Soon-Young Jung Data mining plays a critical role in sustainable decision-making. Although the k-prototypes algorithm is one of the best-known algorithms for clustering both numeric and categorical data, clustering a large number of spatial objects with mixed numeric and categorical attributes is still inefficient due to complexity. In this paper, we propose an efficient grid-based k-prototypes algorithm, GK-prototypes, which achieves high performance for clustering spatial objects. The first proposed algorithm utilizes both maximum and minimum distance between cluster centers and a cell, which can reduce unnecessary distance calculation. The second proposed algorithm as an extension of the first proposed algorithm, utilizes spatial dependence; spatial data tends to be similar to objects that are close. Each cell has a bitmap index which stores the categorical values of all objects within the same cell for each attribute. This bitmap index can improve performance if the categorical data is skewed. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithms can achieve better performance than the existing pruning techniques of the k-prototypes algorithm.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2609: The Influence of the Backfilling Roadway Driving Sequence on the Rockburst Risk of a Coal Pillar Based on an Energy Density Criterion Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082609 Authors: Yi Xue Zhengzheng Cao Feng Du Lin Zhu The rockburst hazard has always been an important issue affecting the safety production of coal mines in China. The unreasonable sequencing of roadway driving can lead to the dynamic instability of coal pillars, which subsequently causes rockburst accidents in roadway backfilling mining engineering and poses a serious threat to the safety of the mines. Roadway backfilling mining technology is an effective approach with which to mine corner residual coal resources under buildings, railways, and rivers. An energy density criterion is established and programmed with FISH language using numerical analysis software for the rockburst risk evaluation of coal pillars. On this basis, a numerical simulation model is established based on four scheme types, namely, the sequential mining, one-roadway interval mining, two-roadway interval mining, and three-roadway interval mining schemes. The influence of the backfilling roadway driving sequence on coal pillar stability is investigated, and the change law of vertical stress and energy density factor of coal pillars in different driving sequences in roadway backfilling mining technology are analyzed. According to the research results, the maximum energy density factor value of 21,172 J/m4 for coal pillars in one-roadway interval mining is the lowest among the different schemes. Therefore, the one-roadway interval mining scheme is the optimal choice in roadway backfilling mining technology. The results can be treated as an important basis for the prevention and treatment of coal pillar instability and rockburst in roadway backfilling mining technology.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2604: Analysis of Guidelines and Identification of Characteristics Influencing the Deconstruction Potential of Buildings Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082604 Authors: Roberta Carvalho Machado Henor Artur de Souza Gustavo de Souza Veríssimo Growing concerns regarding environmental preservation and the fact that the construction industry is one of the sectors with the highest rates of resource consumption and waste generation, have encouraged the adoption of deconstruction as an alternative to the demolition of buildings at the end of their lifecycle. However, the choice of strategies to enable deconstruction requires an in-depth knowledge of how the building’s characteristics, combined with the procedures adopted in the deconstruction process, will affect the reutilization of materials and components. In this paper, characteristics relating to design for deconstruction (DfD) are identified and the influence of each characteristic on the viability of a deconstruction is analysed. A literature review is conducted to assess the guideline of DfD and to identify relevant characteristics. These characteristics are then divided into the following categories: direct influence enabling deconstruction; influence on the ease of the process; and, influence on prolonging a building’s lifecycle. A number of questions are suggested for analysing each characteristic, and these can be employed in the development of a methodology for evaluating a building’s deconstruction potential. The identification of characteristics involved in the deconstruction guidelines may assist in the optimization of projects and the planning of deconstruction processes.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2605: Building a More Sustainable Society? A Case Study on the Role of Sustainable Development in the Education and Early Career of Water and Environmental Engineers Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082605 Authors: Anu Vehmaa Meeri Karvinen Marko Keskinen Engineering education is critical for sustainability, given the key role that engineers have in shaping the development of our society. Yet, engineering studies have traditionally not been driven by sustainability-related knowledge and skills, but focused more on general computational skills and technical problem-solving. This has also been the case in our case study, which focuses on recent water and environmental engineering graduates in Finland. We studied the role that sustainable development has had in their education and early career through an extensive questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The analysis was done in two ways: indirectly by comparing how well the key working life knowledge and skills recognized by the respondents correspond with sustainability-related skills, and directly by studying the graduates’ views towards the sustainable development and their possibilities to advance it in their work. The results show that although sustainability was not at the core of respondents’ studies, their key competencies correspond well with sustainability-related working life skills. The respondents also see that sustainable development has a central role in water and environmental engineering, although it is typically more visible at a strategic rather than a practical level. However, the results also indicate that several early-career engineers have deficient knowledge of sustainable development, and are therefore lacking the ability to fully connect the principles of sustainable development into their own expertise. Overall, the findings suggest that water and environmental engineers with their wide set of competencies have the potential to take on a larger role in building a more sustainable society. To ensure this, engineering education should emphasize the connection between the field and sustainable development and clearly link engineers’ core competencies with the skills required to promote sustainability.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2603: Historic Urban Landscapes: A Review on Trends and Methodologies in the Urban Context of the 21st Century Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082603 Authors: Arturo Azpeitia Santander Agustín Azkarate Garai-Olaun Ander de la Fuente Arana This article makes a critical reflection, questioning the notion of historical urban landscapes as a conceptual paradigm used for the basis of urban conservation in the twenty-first century. The study begins with a brief summary of the origins and subsequent evolution of this concept, highlighting the two key reference milestones: the Vienna Memorandum (UNESCO, 2005) and the Paris Recommendation (UNESCO, 2011). Subsequently, the focus of attention will be on highlighting the problems and difficulties posed by the management and protection of historic urban landscapes today. In this sense, the focus of attention will be placed on the assumption that change is an inherent part of the urban condition, since there is no consensus on what the limits of acceptable change in historic urban landscapes should be. It also emphasizes three factors that make this more difficult: (1) the reminiscences of the doctrines of the Weberian administration in the current models of government; (2) the subjective nature of the systems of indicators applied to the scope of historic cities; and (3) the opportunism of tactical urbanism, which, despite its shortcomings, is becoming an outstanding alternative for the methodological development of the historic urban landscapes.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 981: Scenario-Based Economic Impact Analysis for Bridge Closures Due to Flooding: A Case Study of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea Water doi: 10.3390/w10080981 Authors: Byungil Kim Sha Chul Shin Du Yon Kim Flooding has the ability to severely reduce the capacity of a transportation network. The closure of even a single bridge, which often acts as a critical link in transportation networks, can have a severe impact on the entire network. This impact can lead to significant economic costs resulting from increased travel distances for drivers. Despite the significance of these costs, however, notably few studies have been conducted to determine the societal economic cost that would be incurred due to bridge closures. One possible reason for the lack of studies investigating bridge closures due to flooding could stem from the difficultly in collecting data. To address this issue, the methodology presented in this paper uses modeling and data resources that are available for major cities in most developed countries, including those in South Korea. We evaluate the economic impact of the bridge closures using the new administrative capital of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea as a case study. Scenarios for the closure of bridges are derived from channel surveys and hydraulic analyses. These methods are used to overcome a lack of adequate data on historical floods in the new city. Traffic is forecasted to estimate the number of road users that would be forced to take detours due to inundated bridges. Contrasting travel distances when bridges are and are not operational, economic costs incurred by bridge closures due to flooding are estimated. The results indicated that bridge closures would result in an economic cost of 1563 USD to 44,180 USD per day, depending on how many bridges are closed and how many people are living in the new city. The estimates from this study will act as guidelines for identifying cost-effective mitigation and preparedness strategies aimed at reducing the frequency and impact of bridge closures due to flooding.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 972: Microbial Function and Hydrochemistry within a Stratified Anchialine Sinkhole: A Window into Coastal Aquifer Interactions Water doi: 10.3390/w10080972 Authors: Madison C. Davis James R. Garey Anchialine sinkholes provide insight into coastal aquifer systems and coastal mixing processes. Aquifer microbial community function is usually inferred from hydrochemical information, but there are few direct studies of microbial communities in the Floridan Aquifer. Hospital Hole is a 43 m-deep stratified sinkhole under the Weeki Wachee River, FL, with three distinct brackish layers: a hypoxic layer, a chemocline and a sulfidic anoxic layer. Illumina sequencing and bioinformatic tools were used to reconstruct metabolic functions and interactions of microbial communities in each layer. Each layer appears to originate from different parts of the coastal mixing zone and has a distinct microbial community with unique functions, which are influenced by the respective hydrochemistry. Sulfide oxidation and nitrate reduction are the most abundant functions. Syntrophy between methane oxidizers, methanogens and sulfate reducers is present. Similarities between the hydrochemistry and potential connectivity of Hospital Hole and the Floridan Aquifer coastal mixing zone suggest that microbial communities of Hospital Hole could be a surrogate for the coastal mixing zone of the aquifer in the absence of direct studies. Understanding how groundwater microbial communities react to saltwater intrusion and nutrient flux will be useful in predicting how coastal aquifer regions might react to anthropogenic change.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2633: Scenario-Based Simulation of Tianjin City Using a Cellular Automata–Markov Model Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082633 Authors: Ruci Wang Hao Hou Yuji Murayama Rapid urbanization is occurring throughout China, especially in megacities. Using a land use model to obtain future land use/cover conditions is an essential method to prevent chaotic urban sprawl and imbalanced development. This study utilized historical Landsat images to create land use/cover maps to predict the land use/cover changes of Tianjin city in 2025 and 2035. The cellular automata–Markov (CA–Markov) model was applied in the simulation under three scenarios: the environmental protection scenario (EPS), crop protection scenario (CPS), and spontaneous scenario (SS). The model achieved a kappa value of 86.6% with a figure of merit (FoM) of 12.18% when compared to the empirical land use/cover map in 2015. The results showed that the occupation of built-up areas increased from 29.13% in 2015 to 38.68% (EPS), 36.18% (CPS), and 47.94% (SS) in 2035. In this context, current urbanization would bring unprecedented stress on agricultural resources and forest ecosystems, which could be attenuated by implementing protection policies along with decelerating urban expansion. The findings provide valuable information for urban planners to achieve sustainable development goals.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2629: Pathways to Coastal Resiliency: The Adaptive Gradients Framework Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082629 Authors: Elisabeth M. Hamin Yaser Abunnasr Max Roman Dilthey Pamela K. Judge Melissa A. Kenney Paul Kirshen Thomas C. Sheahan Don J. DeGroot Robert L. Ryan Brain G. McAdoo Leonard Nurse Jane A. Buxton Ariana E. Sutton-Grier Elizabeth A. Albright Marielos Arlen Marin Rebecca Fricke Current and future climate-related coastal impacts such as catastrophic and repetitive flooding, hurricane intensity, and sea level rise necessitate a new approach to developing and managing coastal infrastructure. Traditional “hard” or “grey” engineering solutions are proving both expensive and inflexible in the face of a rapidly changing coastal environment. Hybrid solutions that incorporate natural, nature-based, structural, and non-structural features may better achieve a broad set of goals such as ecological enhancement, long-term adaptation, and social benefits, but broad consideration and uptake of these approaches has been slow. One barrier to the widespread implementation of hybrid solutions is the lack of a relatively quick but holistic evaluation framework that places these broader environmental and societal goals on equal footing with the more traditional goal of exposure reduction. To respond to this need, the Adaptive Gradients Framework was developed and pilot-tested as a qualitative, flexible, and collaborative process guide for organizations to understand, evaluate, and potentially select more diverse kinds of infrastructural responses. These responses would ideally include natural, nature-based, and regulatory/cultural approaches, as well as hybrid designs combining multiple approaches. It enables rapid expert review of project designs based on eight metrics called “gradients”, which include exposure reduction, cost efficiency, institutional capacity, ecological enhancement, adaptation over time, greenhouse gas reduction, participatory process, and social benefits. The framework was conceptualized and developed in three phases: relevant factors and barriers were collected from practitioners and experts by survey; these factors were ranked by importance and used to develop the initial framework; several case studies were iteratively evaluated using this technique; and the framework was finalized for implementation. The article presents the framework and a pilot test of its application, along with resources that would enable wider application of the framework by practitioners and theorists.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2627: Photovoltaic Power Forecasting Based on EEMD and a Variable-Weight Combination Forecasting Model Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082627 Authors: Hui Wang Jianbo Sun Weijun Wang It is widely considered that solar energy will be one of the most competitive energy sources in the future, and solar energy currently accounts for high percentages of power generation in developed countries. However, its power generation capacity is significantly affected by several factors; therefore, accurate prediction of solar power generation is necessary. This paper proposes a photovoltaic (PV) power generation forecasting method based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and variable-weight combination forecasting. First, EEMD is applied to decompose PV power data into components that are then combined into three groups: low-frequency, intermediate-frequency, and high-frequency. These three groups of sequences are individually predicted by the variable-weight combination forecasting model and added to obtain the final forecasting result. In addition, the design of the weights for combination forecasting was studied during the forecasting process. The comparison in the case study indicates that in PV power generation forecasting, the prediction results obtained by the individual forecasting and summing of the sequences after the EEMD are better than those from direct prediction. In addition, when the single prediction model is converted to a variable-weight combination forecasting model, the prediction accuracy is further improved by using the optimal weights.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2622: A Rough Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Sustainable Supplier Selection under Vague Environment Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082622 Authors: Huiyun Lu Shaojun Jiang Wenyan Song Xinguo Ming With the growing awareness of environmental and social issues, sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has received considerable attention both in academia and industry. Supplier selection plays an important role in the successful implementation of sustainable supply chain management, because it can influence the performance of SSCM. Sustainable supplier selection is a typical multi-criteria decision-making problem involving subjectivity and vagueness. Although some previous researches of supplier selection use fuzzy approaches to deal with vague information, it has been criticized for requiring much priori information and inflexibility in manipulating vagueness. Moreover, the previous methods often omit the environmental and social evaluation criteria in the supplier selection. To manipulate these problems, a new approach based on the rough set theory and ELECTRE (ELimination Et Choix Traduisant la REalité) is developed in this paper. The novel approach integrates the strength of rough set theory in handling vagueness without much priori information and the merit of ELECTRE in modeling multi-criteria decision-making problem. Finally, a case study of sustainable supplier selection for solar air-conditioner manufacturer is provided to demonstrate the application and potential of the approach.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2624: Economic Transition and Changing Location of Manufacturing Industry in China: A Study of the Yangtze River Delta Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082624 Authors: Jiawei Wu Yehua Dennis Wei Qizhai Li Feng Yuan Industrial restructuring is widely considered an important force in regional economic growth and sustainable development. With increased globalization and economic transition, a dramatic industrial restructuring has been taking place in China. Applying geographically weighted shift-share model (GW-SSM) and geographically and temporally weighted regression model (GTWR), we analyze (re)location dynamics and determinants of the manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 1999 to 2013, with particular attention to the implications of economic transition and institutional restructuring. We find that high-tech and capital-intensive manufacturing industries agglomerated in coastal cities, while labor-intensive and resource-based sectors have become spatially more dispersed to peripheral areas. We also find that the development of service and high-tech industries, rising labor costs, and more strict environmental regulations have facilitated the geographic dispersion of labor- and pollution-intensive industries. Moreover, regions with advantages in intermediate goods, preferential policies, and urbanization economies are attractive to capital- and technology-intensive manufacturing industries. Our research suggests that development policies should be tailored to specific regions to promote local production and innovative networks and make manufacturing industries more competitive.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2621: Adoption of Conservation Tillage on the Semi-Arid Loess Plateau of Northwest China Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082621 Authors: Qingfeng Han Kadambot H. M. Siddique Fengmin Li Conservation tillage is an important approach to prevent water loss and soil erosion and promote soil fertility that has been adopted widely throughout the world. However, despite promotion of the benefits of conservation tillage, obstacles are still encountered in some regions. A survey of 385 farmer households in the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China was conducted to assess the adoption of conservation tillage (ACT). This investigation was located in two counties that have run conservation tillage demonstrations with wheat for at least eight years. A binary logistic regression model was used to quantify the factors determining whether or not farmers adopt conservation tillage. Farmer’s education level, the influence of training, and field demonstrations by agricultural departments had significant positive effects on ACT. Although the adoption rate of conservation tillage in this paper was very high (89%), farmers were reluctant to continue practicing conservation tillage based on their experiences, which is contrary to the expectations of the government. The area available for planting winter wheat and the number of arable plots per household also had significant positive effects on ACT. However, the total cultivated area of land per household had a significant negative impact on ACT. Farmer awareness of conservation tillage technology, the distance from a farmer’s house to the nearest agricultural market, and the size of the active labor force in the family had significant negative impacts on ACT. These results will help in the development of more effective and targeted policies to improve the sustainability of farming systems on the semi-arid Loess Plateau.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2620: Transition towards Energy Efficiency: Developing the Nigerian Building Energy Efficiency Code Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082620 Authors: Susanne Geissler Doris Österreicher Ene Macharm In Nigeria, there is an estimated deficit of 17 million housing units. Power supply is insufficient, and the electricity supply for about 60 million Nigerians relies on private generators, causing noise, pollution, and high expenditures for mainly imported fuel. Altogether, current challenges clearly demonstrate the need for effective energy efficiency policies targeting also the building sector. The Nigerian Energy Support Program began in 2013, among others, with the objective being to support the Nigerian Government in developing the Nigerian Building Energy Efficiency Code. This paper presents two preparatory activities carried out in order to come up with suggestions for a legal framework well suited for the situation on the ground: the Case Study Building Analysis carried out in collaboration with a Nigerian developer and the Nigerian Building Energy Efficiency Guideline, elaborated together with stakeholders. The results of preparatory activities pointed out that the code must put emphasis on climate adaptive design and must define requirements and procedures in a clear and simple way to allow for effective enforcement. Only then can energy-efficient mass housing be feasible in Nigeria. The paper concludes with a description of the Nigerian Building Energy Efficiency Code (BEEC), officially approved and launched by the Federal Minister of Power, Works and Housing on 29 August 2017.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2619: Are the World-Leading Primary Silver Mines Exhausting? Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082619 Authors: Marcello Ruberti Stefania Massari Silver is one of the rarest metals in nature and certainly among the most used ones, not only as precious good for financial investments but also for many industrial critical applications. Because it would be very difficult to analyze the situation regarding the future global availability of silver as a commodity in general, due to the necessity of a large amount of data which are hardly available, we have focused only on the mining production of primary silver. In particular, the study regards the activities of a sample consisting of twelve of the world top fifteen leading primary silver mines, which represent the 54% of the worldwide primary silver production and 16% of the global silver mining production. We have investigated the related exploitation state and trends of these twelve sites by elaborating their last ten-years statistics on silver production, ore grades, resources and reserves. The findings of this study, in short, are that the cumulative average silver ore grades, both in extracted mineral, resources and reserves, of the above selected mines, have decreased and also that the new mining fields (Dukat, San Bartolomé, Pirquitas, Saucito) have lower silver content indexes than the older ones.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 989: Computational Study of a Vertical Plunging Jet into Still Water Water doi: 10.3390/w10080989 Authors: Zegao Yin Qianqian Jia Yuan Li Yanxu Wang Dejun Yang The behavior of a vertical plunging jet was numerically investigated using the coupled Level Set and Volume of Fluid method. The computational results were in good agreement with the experimental results reported in the related literature. Vertical plunging jet characteristics, including the liquid velocity field, air void fraction, and turbulence kinetic energy, were explored by varying the distance between the nozzle exit and the still water level. It was found that the velocity at the nozzle exit plays an unimportant role in the shape and size of ascending bubbles. A modified prediction equation between the centerline velocity ratio and the axial distance ratio was developed using the data of the coupled Level Set and Volume of Fluid method, and it showed a better predicting ability than the Level Set and Mixture methods. The characteristics of turbulence kinetic energy, including its maximum value location and its radial and vertical distribution, were also compared with that of submerged jets.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 984: Vulnerability Analysis of the Venetian Littoral and Adopted Mitigation Strategy Water doi: 10.3390/w10080984 Authors: Piero Ruol Luca Martinelli Chiara Favaretto This paper discusses the key aspects of the recent Coastal Plan of the Veneto Region (IT). Its aim is to propose a single mitigation strategy for coastal erosion that is valid for the whole Veneto Region, and possibly elsewhere, as well as a method to assign a priority level to any action. The suggested mitigation action against erosion depends on urbanization level, beach width, as well as cross-shore and long-shore sediment transport. The criterion used to give a priority level to mitigation actions is based on a vulnerability index that takes into account erosive tendency, existing coastal flooding hazards, coast value, environmental relevance, tourist pressure, urbanization level, the presence of production activities, and cultural heritage. A sample case featuring the littoral of Rosolina is also provided and includes a site description, the sediment budget, critical issues and possible mitigation measures.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 982: Multivariate Chemometric Analysis of Membrane Fouling Patterns in Biofilm Ceramic Membrane Bioreactor Water doi: 10.3390/w10080982 Authors: Olga Kulesha Zakhar Maletskyi Harsha Ratnaweera Membrane fouling highly limits the development of Membrane bioreactor technology (MBR), which is among the key solutions to water scarcity. The current study deals with the determination of the fouling propensity of filtered biomass in a pilot-scale biofilm membrane bioreactor to enable the prediction of fouling intensity. The system was designed to treat domestic wastewater with the application of ceramic microfiltration membranes. Partial least squares regression analysis of the data obtained during the long-term operation of the biofilm-MBR (BF-MBR) system demonstrated that Mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), diluted sludge volume index (DSVI), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and their slopes are the most significant for the estimation and prediction of fouling intensity, while normalized permeability and its slope were found to be the most reliable fouling indicators. Three models were derived depending on the applied operating conditions, which enabled an accurate prediction of the fouling intensities in the system. The results will help to prevent severe membrane fouling via the change of operating conditions to prolong the effective lifetime of the membrane modules and to save energy and resources for the maintenance of the system.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 983: The Mechanical Properties of High Strength Reinforced Cured-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) Liner Composites for Urban Water Infrastructure Rehabilitation Water doi: 10.3390/w10080983 Authors: Hyun Wook Ji Sung Soo Yoo Jonghoon Kim Dan Daehyun Koo Most urban areas in the world have water infrastructure systems, including the buried sewer and water pipelines, which are assessed as in need of extensive rehabilitation. Deterioration by many other factors affects structural integrity. Trenchless technologies such as Cured-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) are now applied in numerous projects while minimizing disturbance in an urban environment. The main purpose of this study is to develop a high strength CIPP material using various composite materials (e.g., glass fiber, carbon fiber, polyester felt, unsaturated polyester resin, and others). Composite samples were made of the materials and tested using three-point bend apparatus to find mechanical properties, which include the flexural modulus, strength, and deflection. A composite combination with glass fibers with thin felt layers shows the best results in mechanical properties. Flexural modulus is a key factor for CIPP liner thickness design. Glass fiber composite yields between four and nine times higher values than the minimum value specified in the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F1216. This study provides a fundamental baseline for high strength CIPP liners that are capable of using conventional curing technologies.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2617: Exploring Twitter for CSR Disclosure: Influence of CEO and Firm Characteristics in Latin American Companies Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082617 Authors: Yuli Marcela Suárez-Rico Mauricio Gómez-Villegas María Antonia García-Benau Social networks, which are characterised by accessibility and interactivity, offer great potential for dialogue between companies and stakeholders, for example as platforms for publishing information on aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In this paper, we use a synthetic index to analyse levels of CSR disclosure via Twitter, and identify explanatory variables of this disclosure by studying the demographic characteristics of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and of the company. This synthetic index was based on data for 93 companies located in the four countries of the Pacific Alliance (Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru), using categories based on the 2016 Global Reporting Initave (GRI) Standards. The tweets were compiled during a period of two months in 2017, immediately before and after the publication of each CSR report. The synthetic index was taken as the dependent variable and used as the basis for multivariate regression analysis to identify the relationship between the level of CSR disclosure on Twitter and the characteristics of the firm and its CEO. The results obtained show that firms operating in environmentally-sensitive industries present higher levels of CSR disclosure on Twitter than those in other sectors. By country of origin, the Colombian and Chilean companies offered higher levels of disclosure than those in Mexico and Peru. The regression analysis revealed a positive relationship between the firm operating in a sensitive industry and its level of CSR disclosure on Twitter, and an inverse relationship between the latter variable and the tenure of the CEO.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 993: Understanding Fundamental Phenomena Affecting the Water Conservation Technology Adoption of Residential Consumers Using Agent-Based Modeling Water doi: 10.3390/w10080993 Authors: Kambiz Rasoulkhani Brianne Logasa Maria Presa Reyes Ali Mostafavi More than one billion people will face water scarcity within the next ten years due to climate change and unsustainable water usage, and this number is only expected to grow exponentially in the future. At current water use rates, supply-side demand management is no longer an effective way to combat water scarcity. Instead, many municipalities and water agencies are looking to demand-side solutions to prevent major water loss. While changing conservation behavior is one demand-based strategy, there is a growing movement toward the adoption of water conservation technology as a way to solve water resource depletion. Installing technology into one’s household requires additional costs and motivation, creating a gap between the overall potential households that could adopt this technology, and how many actually do. This study identified and modeled a variety of demographic and household characteristics, social network influence, and external factors such as water price and rebate policy to see their effect on residential water conservation technology adoption. Using Agent-based Modeling and data obtained from the City of Miami Beach, the coupled effects of these factors were evaluated to examine the effectiveness of different pathways towards the adoption of more water conservation technologies. The results showed that income growth and water pricing structure, more so than any of the demographic or building characteristics, impacted household adoption of water conservation technologies. The results also revealed that the effectiveness of rebate programs depends on conservation technology cost and the affluence of the community. Rebate allocation did influence expensive technology adoption, with the potential to increase the adoption rate by 50%. Additionally, social network connections were shown to have an impact on the rate of adoption independent of price strategy or rebate status. These findings will lead the way for municipalities and other water agencies to more strategically implement interventions to encourage household technology adoption based on the characteristics of their communities.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 994: Predicting Lake Eutrophication Responses to Multiple Scenarios of Lake Restoration: A Three-Dimensional Modeling Approach Water doi: 10.3390/w10080994 Authors: Yanping Wang Weiping Hu Zhaoliang Peng Ye Zeng Karsten Rinke To improve the water quality and alleviate the eutrophication of Lake Yangchenghu, the third largest freshwater body within the Lake Taihu basin in China and an important source of drinking water, nutrient reduction strategies should be urgently addressed by decision makers, since virtually no improvement of water quality has taken place since the mid-1990s. Due to the lack of sufficient observation data and simulation results, a vertically compressed three-dimensional numerical model, the EcoTaihu model, was used to study the impact of three restoration measures on the water quality—namely, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and biomass of phytoplankton (BP)—of Lake Yangchenghu: (i) total nutrient reduction, (ii) intensification of flushing by water transfer, and (iii) spatial adjustment of inflow channels. In particular, the spatial effects of the three restoration measures on the water quality were investigated. The results showed that the EcoTaihu model is applicable to other shallow lakes in China. The water quality responses to the different restoration scenarios showed significant spatio-temporal differences. The reduction of nutrient loads from inflows appeared to be the most effective measure for controlling the eutrophication and algal blooms in Lake Yangchenghu. The effectiveness of water transfer on the improvement of water quality for TN and TP was more influenced by the differences of nutrient concentrations between the transferred water and lake water, rather than flow rate, since no proportionate increase of improvement was observable in the case of larger transferred rates (60 m3 s−1). The spatial narrowing of inflowing rivers in the southwestern lake could preferentially improve the water quality in the southern bay of the western lake, but would also result in a deterioration trend of water quality in the total lake and drinking water abstraction areas.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2659: Research on the Influence of Real Estate Development on Private Investment: A Case Study of China Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082659 Authors: Jiangtao Li Jianyue Ji Huiwen Guo Lei Chen Private investment in China, as a developing country, is an important source of financing for Chinese SMEs (Small and Medium-Size Enterprises) and has played a major role in the development of the real economy. However, in 2016, the growth rate of private investment in China dropped from 10.18% to 3.17%, which had a significant impact on the real economy. At the same time, China’s real estate market has developed rapidly, attracting a large number of capital inflows. The relationship between real estate development and private investment in China is worth considering. This study first, theoretically analyzes the influence mechanism of real estate industry on private investment, pointing out that within a modest development range, the development of real estate industry can promote private investment through the industrial linkage, urbanization, and balance sheet effects, but when real estate is overdeveloped, it has an inhibitory effect on private investment through vampire effect, raising costs and reducing demand effect. In other words, real estate has different effects on private investment in different developmental periods. Therefore, there is a non-linear relationship between the two variables. Second, the relevant provincial panel data of 31 provinces in mainland China from 2003 to 2015 were selected. Using the dynamic panel system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), this study estimated the correlation between real estate development and private investment. The empirical results showed that the development of the real estate industry has a significant impact on the level of private investment; the two showing an “inverted U-shaped” relationship. At present, in some provinces in China, the real estate industry has exceeded the inverted U-shaped threshold. To boost the vitality of private investment in promoting real economic growth, the development of the real estate industry should be restricted, and house prices should be properly regulated.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2657: Numerical Thermal Characterization and Performance Metrics of Building Envelopes Containing Phase Change Materials for Energy-Efficient Buildings Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082657 Authors: Mingli Li Guoqing Gui Zhibin Lin Long Jiang Hong Pan Xingyu Wang Residential and commercial buildings consume nearly 40 percent of total USA energy use and account for one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions. The challenges are how to effectively promote energy efficiency in buildings to respond to the high financial burden of energy consumption, while reducing pollution. Phase change materials (PCMs) have been used as passive energy storage for building systems. Along this vein, this study aims to numerically elucidate the design parameters of building envelopes strengthened by PCM layers, and unveil their impacts on building energy efficiency. Critical design variables, such as the thickness of the PCM layer, the latent heat of PCMs, or melting temperature of PCMs were selected for a parametric study, while performance metrics were used to assess building efficiency. Results revealed that PCM-enabled building walls exhibited different levels of improvement, in terms of reduction of peak temperature and temperature swings. Among the variables, the selection of the proper melting point for a PCM was identified as the most crucial parameter for determining building energy efficiency, while the heat of fusion was also observed as a critical property of PCM for building potential. Findings also demonstrated that the placement of the PCM near the interior wall surface could achieve higher efficiency, as compared to other cases. Results also showed that the thermal conductivity of PCM has a minimum contribution to energy storage capacity.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2655: Substructure Hybrid Simulation Boundary Technique Based on Beam/Column Inflection Points Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082655 Authors: Zaixian Chen Xueyuan Yan Hao Wang Xingji Zhu Billie F. Spencer Compatibility among substructures is an issue for hybrid simulation. Traditionally, the structure model is regarded as the idealized shear model. The equilibrium and compatibility of the axial and rotational direction at the substructure boundary are neglected. To improve the traditional boundary technique, this paper presents a novel substructure hybrid simulation boundary technique based on beam/column inflection points, which can effectively avoid the complex operation for realizing the bending moment at the boundary by using the features of the inflection point where the bending moment need not be simulated in the physical substructure. An axial displacement prediction technique and the equivalent force control method are used to realize the proposed method. The numerical simulation test scheme for the different boundary techniques was designed to consider three factors: (i) the different structural layers; (ii) the line stiffness ratio of the beam to column; and (iii) the peak acceleration. The simulation results for a variety of numerical tests show that the proposed technique shows better performance than the traditional technique, demonstrating its potential in improving HS test accuracy. Finally, the accuracy and feasibility of the proposed boundary technique is verified experimentally through the substructure hybrid simulation tests of a six-story steel frame model.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2666: Understanding the Spontaneous Spreading of Stone Bunds in Ethiopia: Implications for Sustainable Land Management Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082666 Authors: Meskerem Abi Aad Kessler Peter Oosterveer Degefa Tolossa This study deals with the spontaneous spreading of stone bunds in the central Ethiopian highlands, i.e., the adoption and implementation of stone bunds by farmers on their own initiative. The study tests the hypothesis that spontaneously implemented stone bunds, as compared to stone bunds implemented by mass mobilization campaigns, are more integrated with other land management practices and lead to higher yields. Data are collected in the Girar Jarso woreda through field observations and household surveys. Descriptive statistics are used to analyze and test the data at 1% and 5% probability levels. Results show that stone bunds are spontaneously implemented mainly on farmlands located nearby the homesteads where farmers perceive severe erosion, poor soil fertility and steep slope gradients. Compared to stone bunds implemented by mass mobilization, spontaneously implemented stone bunds are perceived as better maintained, more frequently modified to fit the farming system and better integrated with soil fertility management practices, such as applying fertilizer, compost and manure. Particularly, this better integration with other practices is very important, because it makes stone bunds more effective in reducing erosion, leading to beneficial effects on soil moisture and soil productivity, as perceived by farmers. The study, therefore, suggests that the mass mobilization campaign should use a more participatory and integrated approach, in which there is ample space for awareness raising and learning concerning the benefits of integrated farm management, and in which farmers themselves have a leading role in the decision on where to construct stone bunds. Such a strategy will lead to more sustainable impact on soil fertility and food security than the current top-down intervention approach.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2674: Reputation Effects in Socially Driven Sharing Economy Transactions Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082674 Authors: Maarten ter Huurne Amber Ronteltap Chenhui Guo Rense Corten Vincent Buskens Reputation has often been proposed as the central mechanism that creates trust in the sharing economy. However, some sharing platforms that focus primarily on social rather than economically driven exchanges have managed to facilitate exchanges between users without the use of a reputation system. This could indicate that socially driven exchanges are in less need of reputation systems and that having sufficient trust is less problematic. We examine the effect of seller reputation on sales and price as proxies for trust, using a large dataset from a Dutch meal-sharing platform. This platform aims to stimulate social interactions between people via meal sharing. Multilevel regression analyses were used to test the association of reputation with trust. Our main empirical results are that reputation affects both sales and price positively, consistent with the existing reputation literature. We also found evidence of the presence of an information effect, i.e., the influence of reputation on sharing decreases when additional profile information is provided (e.g., a profile photo, a product description). Our results thus confirm the effectiveness of reputation in more socially driven exchanges also. Consequently, platform owners are advised to use reputation on their platform to increase sharing between its users.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2676: Measuring Social Vulnerability to Flood Disasters in China Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082676 Authors: Ming Zhang Wenbo Xiang Meilan Chen Zisen Mao To proactively prevent losses from flood disasters and subsequent potential human conflicts, it is critical to measure the social vulnerability of a country or a region to flood. In this article, we first propose a list of potential indicators for measuring this social vulnerability. These indicators’ significances are then tested based on their correlation coefficients with a vulnerability index obtained using nonparametric Data Envelopment Analysis. In the final measurement system, there are nine indicators: the proportion of the primary industry, infrastructure development level, income gap between urban and rural residents, the proportion of population over 60 years old, the proportion of children under 14 years old, the number of people receiving minimum income assistance, and the number of disasters per year. We then conduct principal component analysis to evaluate the social vulnerability level. Our results show that the social vulnerability level is mostly impacted by the economic principal component and the demographic and social security principal component. Moreover, our results also confirm that the social vulnerability level to flood in China declined overall from 2003 to 2015.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2673: The Public Willingness to Pay for Reducing the Incidence of Hazardous Chemical Spill Accidents by Half in South Korea Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082673 Authors: Hye-Jeong Lee Hyo-Jin Kim Seung-Hoon Yoo Hazardous chemical spill (HCS) accidents, which occur due to careless workers, transport accidents, etc., can be harmful to humans. Recently, an average of 96 cases of HCS accidents have taken place in South Korea annually. As a result, the government is trying to reduce the incidence of HCS accidents by 50%. Government officials are seeking information about the value that the enforcement of the reduction plan will bring for the public. This knowledge will help government officials decide whether to implement the reduction plan. This article seeks to acquire information about the public willingness to pay (WTP) for the reduction plan, employing the contingent valuation (CV) technique. For this purpose, a total of 1000 households living in South Korea participated in the CV survey in 2017. The data on the WTP were gathered using a dichotomous choice question and analyzed using the spike model. Forty-five percent of the respondents were willing to accept an increase in income taxes to carry out the reduction plan. The mean household WTP estimate was obtained as KRW 3830 (USD 3.41) per annum. The national value expanded from the sample to the population is worth KRW 74.8 billion (USD 66.6 million) per year. This value implies the public value of the reduction plan and can be applied in policy analysis and decision-making concerning the reduction of the incidence of HCS accidents.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2671: The Sustainable Characteristic of Bio-Bi-Phase Flow of Peristaltic Transport of MHD Jeffrey Fluid in the Human Body Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082671 Authors: Ahmed Zeeshan Nouman Ijaz Tehseen Abbas Rahmat Ellahi This study deals with the peristaltic transport of non-Newtonian Jeffrey fluid with uniformly distributed identical rigid particles in a rectangular duct. The effects of a magnetohydrodynamics bio-bi-phase flow are taken into account. The governing equations for mass and momentum are simplified using the fact that wavelength is much greater than the amplitude and small Reynolds number. A closed-form solution for velocity is obtained by means of the eigenfunction expansion method whereby pressure rise is numerically calculated. The results are graphically presented to observe the effects of different physical parameters and the suitability of the method. The results for hydrodynamic, Newtonian fluid, and single-phase problems can be respectively obtained by taking the Hartmann number (M = 0), relaxation time (λ1=0), and volume fraction (C = 0) as special cases of this problem.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 1008: Inherent Relationship between Flow Duration Curves at Different Time Scales: A Perspective on Monthly Flow Data Utilization in Daily Flow Duration Curve Estimation Water doi: 10.3390/w10081008 Authors: Lei Ye Wei Ding Xiaofan Zeng Zhuohang Xin Jian Wu Chi Zhang Modelling flow duration curves (FDCs) has long been a topic of interest since it is widely used in various hydrological applications. Most studies related to the estimation of FDCs in ungauged or partial gauged basins focus primarily on using climate and catchment characteristics to regionalize FDC at some single time scale. However, the relationship of FDCs at various time scales are rarely analyzed or studied. Here, we propose two methods, which are Modelled FDC Parameter comparison (M-FDC-P) and Empirical FDC Ratio comparison (E-FDC-R), to study the quantitative relationship between daily and monthly FDCs. One method M-FDC-P, selects a Kappa (KAP) distribution to represent the characteristics of the FDCs and then analyzes the relationship between KAP parameters of modelled FDCs at different time scales. Results indicate that three out of four parameters have strong correlations between FDCs at daily and monthly time scales. The other method, E-FDC-R, compares the quantitative relationship between daily and monthly empirical FDCs with given exceedance probabilities. The Power function is used for fitting the ratio-exceedance probability curves. In addition, the simulated daily FDC derived from monthly FDC can be very consistent with the observed daily flow records when the two parameters of power function are quantified precisely. These results clearly indicate that there are strong connections between daily and monthly FDCs, and monthly FDC can provide valuable information for daily FDC estimation. Since flow records at a large time scale are easier to obtain, daily FDC could be derived from monthly FDC by considering the inherent relationships between FDCs at different time scales, which is not sufficiently realized in previous studies.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 1006: Validation of TRMM 3B42V7 Rainfall Product under Complex Topographic and Climatic Conditions over Hexi Region in the Northwest Arid Region of China Water doi: 10.3390/w10081006 Authors: Xiuna Wang Yongjian Ding Chuancheng Zhao Jian Wang Continuous and accurate spatiotemporal precipitation data plays an important role in regional climate and hydrology research, particularly in the arid inland regions where rain gauges are sparse and unevenly distributed. The main objective of this study is to evaluate and bias-correct the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B42V7 rainfall product under complex topographic and climatic conditions over the Hexi region in the northwest arid region of China with the reference of rain gauge observation data during 2009–2015. A series of statistical indicators were adopted to quantitatively evaluate the error of 3B42V7 and its ability in detecting precipitation events. Overall, the 3B42V7 overestimates the precipitation with Bias of 11.16%, and its performance generally becomes better with the increasing of time scale. The agreements between the rain gauge data and 3B42V7 are very low in cold season, and moderate in warm season. The 3B42V7 shows better correlation with rain gauges located in the southern mountainous and central oasis areas than in the northern extreme arid regions, and is more likely to underestimate the precipitation in high-altitude mountainous areas and overestimate the precipitation in low-elevation regions. The distribution of the error on the daily scale is more related to the elevation and rainfall than in monthly and annual scale. The 3B42V7 significantly overestimates the precipitation events, and the overestimation mainly focuses on tiny amounts of rainfall (0–1 mm/d), which is also the range of false alarm concentration. Bias correction for 3B42V7 was carried out based on the deviation of the average monthly precipitation data during 2009–2015. The bias-corrected 3B42V7 was significantly improved compared with the original product. Results suggest that regional assessment and bias correction of 3B42V7 rainfall product are of vital importance and will provide substantive reference for regional hydrological studies.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2591: Reducing Seismic Vulnerability and Energy Demand of Cities through Green Infrastructure Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082591 Authors: Riccardo Privitera Daniele La Rosa Historically, urbanization processes in Italy resulted in built environments with high levels of seismic vulnerability, low energy efficiency and a lack of green spaces. The latter represent the main providers of ecosystem services in cities and play a relevant role in reducing the effects of climate change by the regulation of microclimate and urban heat islands that are responsible for building energy consumption. Despite their importance in providing ecosystem services, the implementation of green infrastructure challenges limited financial resources for the public acquisition of private plots. This paper proposes a strategy to implement an urban green infrastructure aimed at generating a double positive effect on cities by triggering seismic retrofitting and the reduction of cooling energy demand of the existing urban fabric. This is proposed through a transfer of development rights program where landowners gain economic incentives to adopt seismic retrofitting interventions and, at the same time, public administrations implement the green infrastructure in the portion of areas transferred to the municipality. The energy efficiency of buildings closer to the green infrastructure, therefore, benefits from the cooling effects of this new greenery. The strategy is tested under different scenarios of acquisition of private land by public administrations in the metropolitan area of Catania (Italy).

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2588: Identifying Economic Growth Convergence Clubs and Their Influencing Factors in China Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082588 Authors: Feng Li Guangdong Li Weishan Qin Jing Qin Haitao Ma Balanced and coordinated economic development across regions is a critical goal of regional economic development and new-type urbanization in China. However, few studies have examined economic growth convergence clubs at the county level. To extend the research on convergence clubs, this research applies a log t convergence test and a dynamic spatial ordered probit model (DSOP) to endogenously identify economic growth convergence clubs in counties and to examine the influence of initial states and structures on club convergence probability. The study sample covers 2286 counties of China from 1992 to 2010. The results show significant convergence club patterns at the county levels, resulting in the gradual formation of six convergence clubs. The DSOP estimation results show that per capita fixed assets, population density, and industrialization have promoted convergence club formation to varying degrees.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2594: Resilient Entrepreneurship among European Higher Education Graduates Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082594 Authors: Ana-Maria Zamfir Cristina Mocanu Adriana Grigorescu Resilience represents the ability of systems and individuals to adapt and overcome the difficulties and challenges they face. Resilient entrepreneurs are those who cope with stressful or adverse situations by relying on both internal and external factors. This article examines the way higher education graduates express entrepreneurial resilience in various national contexts. We analyze the Research into Employment and professional Flexibility (REFLEX) data set that provides information on early career of higher education graduates leaving education in the academic year 1999/2000 in 13 European countries. We study resilience in entrepreneurship by considering both how long higher education graduates succeed to remain in self-employment and the extent to which they re-entry in entrepreneurship after exiting. Survival analyses, logistic and cox regressions indicate important differences in patterns of starting, remaining and returning in self-employment and in factors influencing the retention in entrepreneurship among higher education graduates. It is argued that structural factors, personal characteristics and educational background explain a large amount of variation in resilient entrepreneurship.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2710: An Analysis of the Energy Consumption Behavior of Scaled, Containerized Web Apps Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082710 Authors: Sandro Kreten Achim Guldner Stefan Naumann Containerization is one of the most important topics for modern data centers and web developers. Since the number of containers on one- and multi-node systems is growing, knowledge about the energy consumption behavior of single web-service containers is essential in order to save energy and, of course, money. In this article, we are going to show how the energy consumption behavior of single containerized web services/web apps changes while creating replicas of the service in order to scale and balance the web service.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2699: A Framework for Regional Ecological Risk Warning Based on Ecosystem Service Approach: A Case Study in Ganzi, China Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082699 Authors: Tian Dong Weihua Xu Hua Zheng Yang Xiao Lingqiao Kong Zhiyun Ouyang Worldwide, most ecosystem services have declined. However, the theoretical and analytical frameworks for the ecological risk assessment of ecosystem services are still lacking. Here a framework for the risk assessment of ecosystem services was developed based on the formation, changes, risk, and management of ecosystem services. The framework was tested in Ganzi, the upstream area of the Yangtze River Basin, for the regional ecological warning of ecosystem services. Ecosystem services in the form of soil retention and sandstorm prevention and ecological risks including soil and wind erosion were modelled. The results showed that with the increase in area and quality of natural vegetation (forest and grassland), the soil retention service and sandstorm prevention service increased by 66.92% and 8.59% between 2000 and 2015, respectively. Correspondingly, the ecological risk of soil erosion decreased by 8.8%, and wind erosion remained stable. Despite the negative impacts from agricultural development on sandstorm prevention, the increase in vegetation and improvement in ecological quality led to a decrease in the ecological risks of soil erosion and sandstorm erosion by improvement of ecosystem services. This research provides a new perspective for ecological risk assessment, as well as direct management information on ecological risks, by incorporating ecosystem services.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 1025: Monitoring the Chloride Concentration in International Scheldt River Basin District Water Using a Low-Cost Multifunction Data Acquisition Board Water doi: 10.3390/w10081025 Authors: Wanda J. Guedens Monique Reynders Koen Van Vinckenroye Jan Yperman Robert Carleer In analytical chemistry laboratories, to gather in the shortest time as many data as possible with the utmost accuracy and precision, high throughput automated setups are indispensable. In the present study, to determine the chloride concentration in the international Scheldt river basin district, experiments are carried out utilizing a thermostatically controlled semi-automated setup. A novel ICT-based method is developed using a low-cost multifunction Data Acquisition Board (DAQ) controlled by a homebuilt LabVIEW™ program. Specifically, this approach enables a correlation between different parameters i.e., droplet volume, temperature, A/D voltage conversions. Here, processing experimental data of a potentiometric precipitation titration utilizing a silver nitrate standard solution as titrant in a manual burette equipped with a controllable electronic valve allows for a preliminary indication of the titration end point via the Virtual Instrument (VI) numerical first derivative tool in the LabVIEW software. The LabVIEW tool is compared with the well-known Gran method implemented in the LabVIEW program, emphasizing an accurate performance of the setup to determine the chloride concentration in fresh river water. We are confident that our findings are evidence of the versatile and powerful features of the LabVIEW controlled DAQ in the analytical chemistry laboratory.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2732: Sustainable Mineral Resource Management—Insights into the Case of Phosphorus Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082732 Authors: Gerald Steiner Bernhard Geissler Although it is among the most abundant elements in Earth’s crust (11th [1]) and water (13th [2]), phosphorus (P) is commonly referred to as “life’s bottleneck”, as “life can multiply until all thephosphorus is gone, and then there is an inexorable halt which nothing can prevent . . . ” [3]. [...]

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2730: Regime-Switching Determinants for Spreads of Emerging Markets Sovereign Credit Default Swaps Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082730 Authors: Ma Deng Ho Tsai Using the Markov regime switching approach, we investigate the dependency of short term sovereign credit default swap (SCDS) spread changes on a nation’s country-specific fundamental factors, local, regional and macroeconomic global factors. We find that the significance of the determinants of SCDS spread changes differ across the two states of our regime-switching model. Specifically, in the good state, the weekly SCDS spread changes are mainly determined by local, regional and fundamental factors; whereas global variables have a stronger influence in the bad regime. In particular, US market returns play a dominant role in influencing the SCDS spread change in the bad state suggesting loss aversion and flight–to–quality behavior of investors. We then examine the cross-sectional differences of the above regime switching effect based on country-specific characters and find that the regime switching effect is associated with a nation’s country-specific characters such as openness, economic size and so forth.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2729: Assessment of Postural Load during Melon Cultivation in Mediterranean Greenhouses Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082729 Authors: Marta Gómez-Galán José Pérez-Alonso Ángel-Jesús Callejón-Ferre Julián Sánchez-Hermosilla-López Health and safety at work directly influence the development of sustainable agriculture. In the agricultural sector, many farm workers suffer musculoskeletal disorders caused by forced posture. The objective of this research is to assess working postures during melon cultivation in Almería-type greenhouses. The Ovako Working Posture Assessment System (OWAS) has been used with pictures of the tasks. The variables studied by multiple correspondence analysis were as follows: Subtask, Posture code, Back, Arms, Legs, Load, Risk, and Risk combination. The OWAS analysis showed that 47.57% of the postures were assessed as risk category 2, 14.32% as risk category 3, 0.47% as risk category 4, and the rest as risk category 1. Corrective measures should be implemented immediately, as soon as possible, or in the near future, depending on the risks detected.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2785: How Does Project Supervisor Maintain Sustainability of Project Members? A Study from Leadership Perspective Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082785 Authors: Han-Sheng Lei Chuan-Fu Lai Chih-Chang Chen Project members’ innovative behavior is crucial to their sustainability and successful implementation of the project. This research develops a conceptual model to explore the effect of project supervisor leadership skills on member’s innovative behavior. The model is examined by a sample of 437 project members in Taiwan. The results show that project supervisors’ emotional healing positively influences members’ innovative behavior through affect-based trust in their supervisor and supervisor conceptual skill has an inverted-U impact on members’ innovative behavior through cognition-based trust in their supervisor. This paper further discusses implications of these conclusions for additional research on the association between leadership skills and innovative behavior.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2772: Estimates of Daily PM2.5 Exposure in Beijing Using Spatio-Temporal Kriging Model Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082772 Authors: Jinhuang Lin An Zhang Wenhui Chen Mingshui Lin Excessive exposure to ambient (outdoor) air pollution may greatly increase the incidences of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Accurate reports of the spatial-temporal distribution characteristics of daily PM2.5 exposure can effectively prevent and reduce the harm caused to humans. Based on the daily average concentration data of PM2.5 in Beijing in May 2014 and the spatio-temporal kriging (STK) theory, we selected the optimal STK fitting model and compared the spatial-temporal prediction accuracy of PM2.5 using the STK method and ordinary kriging (OK) method. We also reveal the spatial-temporal distribution characteristics of the daily PM2.5 exposure in Beijing. The results show the following: (1) The fitting error of the Bilonick model (BM) model which is the smallest (0.00648), and the fitting effect of the prediction model of STK is the best for daily PM2.5 exposure. (2) The cross-examination results show that the STK model (RMSE = 8.90) has significantly lower fitting errors than the OK model (RMSE = 10.70), so its simulation prediction accuracy is higher. (3) According to the interpolation of the STK model, the daily exposure of PM2.5 in Beijing in May 2014 has good continuity in both time and space. The overall air quality is good, and overall the spatial distribution is low in the north and high in the south, with the highest concentration in the southwestern region. (4) There is a certain degree of spatial heterogeneity in the cumulative duration at the good, moderate, and polluted grades of China National Standard. The areas with the longest cumulative duration at the good, moderate and polluted grades are in the north, southeast, and southwest of the study area, respectively.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2767: On Decision Makers’ Perceptions of What an Ecological Computer Model is, What It Does, and Its Impact on Limiting Model Acceptance Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082767 Authors: Fabio Boschetti Michael Hughes Cheryl Jones Hector Lozano-Montes Environmental decision makers are required to understand complex ecological processes and ecological computer models are designed to facilitate this understanding. A set of interviews reveals three main perceptions affecting senior environmental decision makers’ trust in ecological computer models as decision facilitation tools: an ecological computer model is perceived as (i) a ‘black box’, (ii) processing poorly documented, sparse and out-of-date input data, and (iii) whose sensitivity to model parameters enables manipulation to produce desired outcomes justifying pre-conceived decisions. This leads to lack of trust towards both ecological computer models and model-users, including other scientists and decision makers. Model acceptance appears to depend on the amount, currency and geographical origin of input data. This is at odds with modellers’ communication style, which typically places more emphasis on highlighting the ecological computer model’s features and performance, rather than on describing the input data. Developing ‘big data’ capabilities could deliver the large, real-time, local data that may enhance acceptance. However, the size and complexity of ‘big data’ requires automated pre-processing, using modelling and algorithms that are even more inscrutable than current ecological computer models. Future trust in ecological computer models will likely depend on how this dilemma is resolved, which is likely to require improved communication between modellers and decision makers.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2777: Sustainability Assurance in Socially-Sensitive Sectors: A Worldwide Analysis of the Financial Services Industry Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082777 Authors: Elies Seguí-Mas Fernando Polo-Garrido Helena María Bollas-Araya Sustainability reporting and assurance have considerably increased in the last decades. Among different sectors, ‘sensitive sectors’ attracted the attention of many academics. However, most of research works were focused only on ‘environmentally-sensitive sectors’. Therefore, after the loss of trust caused by the lack of transparency due to the crisis, ‘socially-sensitive sectors’ as financial services sector needs to strengthen users’ confidence in the credibility of their reported activities. The aim of this paper is to assess assurance practices worldwide in one of the main ‘socially-sensitive sectors’: the financial services sector. We study what factors are associated with adoption of assurance and choice of assurance provider, and whether assurance statements differ across providers. Our results reveal that, compared to the global context, companies operating in the financial services sector are more likely to adopt assurance and to choose accountants as assurance providers. Our findings show that adoption of assurance depends on company size. We also found that companies using the financial services sector supplement are more prone to adopt assurance. Our results also evidence that choice of assurance provider depends on the country and listing status Finally, our research shows a great variability in assurance statements across providers.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 1040: Storm Water Management and Flood Control in Sponge City Construction of Beijing Water doi: 10.3390/w10081040 Authors: Shuhan Zhang Yongkun Li Meihong Ma Ting Song Ruining Song To solve the problems of increasing local flooding, water shortage, and water pollution caused by the traditional model of urban development, the Chinese government proposed a new model of urban development—the Sponge City. In Beijing, the capital of China, research on storm water management in urban areas has been carried out since 1989 and has put forward the concept of urban storm water harvesting and flood control. The further research and demonstration application started in 2000. So far, a series of policies and technology standards on storm water management have been formulated, which promote the application of technologies on comprehensive urban storm water harvesting and flood control. A significant number of storm water harvesting and flood control projects have been built in Beijing, which are now playing important roles in runoff reduction, local flood control, non-point source pollution reduction, and storm water utilization. However, it does not solve the above problem completely. Storm water management and flood control needs to be further strengthened. The “Sponge City” is based on natural and ecological laws, which allows storm water to be managed with natural infiltration, natural retention and detention, and natural cleaning facilities. Through in-depth analysis of the connotation, characteristics, and construction path of “Sponge City”, this paper summarizes the status quo of urban rainwater flooding, flood control technology development and application, and Beijing policy and engineering to introduce the overall ideas and methods of Sponge City construction. All the above will provide a reference for cities with similar problems in the construction of sponge cities.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2762: Technological Entrepreneurship: How does Environmental Turbulence Impact upon Collaboration Risk? Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082762 Authors: Iwona Staniec The aim of this paper is to identify the impact of environmental turbulence on the risk of cooperation in technological entrepreneurship. Multidimensional factors such as the risk of cooperation, environmental turbulence, and the reaction to operationalized changes were selected during the literature review, and were subjected to empirical verification on a 304 element sample of SMEs, which are implementing technology entrepreneurship. The study used a questionnaire interview technique conducted directly in the company, and the research tool was a specially prepared questionnaire. Because of the multidimensional character of the studied variables, structural modelling was chosen. In addition, the influence of selected mediators and moderators on the relationship between the turbulence of the environment and the risk of cooperation in technological entrepreneurship was examined. The article has been divided into five main sections. The first section constitutes the introduction to the deliberations. A detailed review of the literature, taking into account the principles of operationalization of each of the presented variables, is discussed in the second section. The methodology used is then presented. In the next section of the paper, the results of the research are presented and then a broad discussion of these results is undertaken. The last section is a summary of the conducted research and its limitations. Knowledge about the antecedents of cooperation risk allows for the minimization of the presence of adverse phenomena, while knowledge of the directions of their impact greatly enriches the experience in the management of this type of relationship. The presented research may contribute to the construction of a rational model of the cooperation risk management process, in particular, in the case of adopting resources existing within the organization.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 1037: Multivariate and Spatial Analysis of Physicochemical Parameters in an Irrigation District, Chihuahua, Mexico Water doi: 10.3390/w10081037 Authors: Jesús Alejandro Prieto-Amparán Beatriz Adriana Rocha-Gutiérrez María de Lourdes Ballinas-Casarrubias María Cecilia Valles-Aragón María del Rosario Peralta-Pérez Alfredo Pinedo-Alvarez Water quality is relevant due to the complexity of the interaction of physicochemical and biological parameters. The Irrigation District 005 (ID005) is one of the most important agricultural region in Chihuahua, México; for that reason, it was proposed to investigate the water quality of the site. Water samples were collected in two periods: Summer (S1) and Fall (S2). The samples were taken from 65 wells in S1, and 54 wells in S2. Physicochemical parameters (PhP) such as Arsenic (As), Temperature, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Oxide Reduction Potential (ORP), Hardness, pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), and Turbidity were analyzed. The data were subjected to statistical principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA) and spatial variability tests. In both seasons, the TDS exceeded the Mexican maximum permissible level (MPL) (35% S1, 39% S2). Turbidity exceeded the MPL in S1 (29%) and in S2 (12%). Arsenic was above the MPL for water of agricultural use in 9% (S1) and 13% (S2) of the wells. The PCA results suggested that most variations in water quality in S1 were due to As, pH and Temperature, followed by EC, TDS and Hardness; while in S2 to EC, TDS and Hardness, followed by As and pH.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 1036: Hydraulic Conductivity Characteristics of Desert Plant Organs: Coping with Drought Tolerance Strategy Water doi: 10.3390/w10081036 Authors: Shanjia Li Peixi Su Haina Zhang Zijuan Zhou Rui Shi Wei Gou Plant hydraulic conductivity (K) refers to the rate of water flow (kg s−1) per unit pressure drop (MPa), which drives flow through the plant organ system. It is an important eco-physiology index for measuring plant water absorption and transport capacity. A field study was conducted in the arid region of the Heihe River Basin in northwestern China, plant hydraulic conductivity was measured by high-pressure flowmeter (HPFM) to investigate the characteristics of hydraulic conductivity of typical dominant desert plants (Reaumuria soongarica M., Nitraria sphaerocarpa M., and Sympegma regelii B.) and their relationship with functional traits of leaves, stems, and roots, and explaining their adaptation strategies to desert environment from the perspective of plant organs hydraulic conductivity. The results showed that the hydraulic conductivity of the leaves and stems of R. soongarica and N. sphaerocarpa (KLA, leaf hydraulic conductivity per unit leaf area; KLW, leaf hydraulic conductivity per unit leaf weight; KSLA, stem hydraulic conductivity per unit leaf area; KSLW, stem hydraulic conductivity per unit leaf weight) were significantly lower than those of S. regelii, while their fine root (KRL, root hydraulic conductivity per unit leaf length; KRSA, root hydraulic conductivity per unit root surface area) and whole root (KTRW, whole root hydraulic conductivity per unit root weight) of hydraulic conductivity were significantly higher than those of S. regelii. In addition, KLA and KLW, KSLA and KSLW, and KRL and KRSA in three desert plants all exhibited consistent trends. Correlation analysis illustrated that the hydraulic conductivity of leaves and stems had a significantly positive correlation, but they had no significant negative correlation with the specific leaf weight (SLW, specific leaf weight). The hydraulic conductivity of fine root weight (KRW, root hydraulic conductivity per unit root weight) and specific root surface area (SRSA, specific root surface area) showed significantly positive correlation (r = 0.727, P < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the R. soongarica and N. sphaerocarpa preserved their water content through the strong leaf absorption capacity of soil water and the low water dispersion rates of leaves to adapt to the harsher arid habitat, which is more drought tolerant than S. regelii.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 1038: Simple and Low-Cost Procedure for Monthly and Yearly Streamflow Forecasts during the Current Hydrological Year Water doi: 10.3390/w10081038 Authors: Fernando Delgado-Ramos Carmen Hervás-Gámez Accurately forecasting streamflow values is essential to achieve an efficient, integrated water resources management strategy and to provide consistent support to water decision-makers. We present a simple, low-cost, and robust approach for forecasting monthly and yearly streamflows during the current hydrological year, which is applicable to headwater catchments. The procedure innovatively combines the use of well-known regression analysis techniques, the two-parameter Gamma continuous cumulative probability distribution function and the Monte Carlo method. Several model performance statistics metrics (including the Coefficient of Determination R2; the Root-Mean-Square Error RMSE; the Mean Absolute Error MAE; the Index of Agreement IOA; the Mean Absolute Percent Error MAPE; the Coefficient of Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency NSE; and the Inclusion Coefficient IC) were used and the results showed good levels of accuracy (improving as the number of observed months increases). The model forecast outputs are the mean monthly and yearly streamflows along with the 10th and 90th percentiles. The methodology has been successfully applied to two headwater reservoirs within the Guadalquivir River Basin in southern Spain, achieving an accuracy of 92% and 80% in March 2017. These risk-based predictions are of great value, especially before the intensive irrigation campaign starts in the middle of the hydrological year, when Water Authorities have to ensure that the right decision is made on how to best allocate the available water volume between the different water users and environmental needs.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2802: Bi-Objective Scheduling Optimization for Discrete Time/Cost Trade-Off in Projects Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082802 Authors: Hongbo Li Zhe Xu Wenchao Wei In sustainable project management, time and cost are two critical factors affecting the success of a project. Time/cost trade-offs in projects accelerate the execution of some activities by increasing the amount of non-renewable resources committed to them and therefore shorten the project duration. The discrete time/cost trade-off problem (DTCTP) has been extensively studied during the past 20 years. However, due to its complexity, the DTCTP—especially the DTCTP curve problem (DTCTP-C)—has only been solved for relatively small instances. To the best of our knowledge, there is no computational performance analysis for solving the DTCTP-C on large project instances with up to 500 activities. This paper aims to fill this gap. We present two bi-objective heuristic algorithms for the DTCTP-C where both project duration and cost are minimized. The objective is to obtain a good appropriate efficient set for the large-scale instances. The first algorithm is based on the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) and uses a specially designed critical path-based crossover operator. The second algorithm is a steepest descent heuristic which generates efficient solutions by iteratively solving the DTCTP with different deadlines. Computational experiments are conducted to validate the proposed algorithms on a large set of randomly generated problem instances.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2800: A Framework for Spatiotemporal Analysis of Regional Economic Agglomeration Patterns Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082800 Authors: Rui Jin Jianya Gong Min Deng Yiliang Wan Xuexi Yang Understanding regional economic agglomeration patterns is critical for sustainable economic development, urban planning and proper utilization of regional resources. Taking Guangdong Province of China as the study area, this paper introduces a comprehensive research framework for analyzing regional economic agglomeration patterns and understanding their spatiotemporal characteristics. First, convergence and autocorrelation methods are applied to understand the economic spatial patterns. Then, the intercity spatial interaction model (ISIM) is proposed to measure the strength of interplay among cities, and social network analysis (SNA) based on the ISIM is utilized, which is designed to reveal the network characteristics of economic agglomerations. Finally, we perform a spatial panel data analysis to comprehensively interpret the influences of regional economic agglomerations. The results indicate that from 2001 to 2016, the economy in Guangdong showed a double-core/peripheral pattern of convergence, with strengthened intercity interactions. The strength and external spillover effects of Guangzhou and Shenzhen enhanced, while Foshan and Dongguan had relatively strong absorptive abilities. Moreover, expanding regional communication and cooperation is key to enhancing vigorous economic agglomerations and regional network ties in Guangdong by spatial panel data analysis. Our results show that this is a suitable method of reflecting regional economic agglomeration process and its spatiotemporal pattern.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2798: Bringing the Community Back: A Case Study of the Post-Earthquake Heritage Restoration in Kathmandu Valley Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082798 Authors: Stelios Lekakis Shobhit Shakya Vasilis Kostakis Heritage preservation is a resource-intensive activity nested among other processes in the public administration, related to identity building and touristic product enhancement. Strategies and schemata associated with heritage preservation sprang in the western world after WWII and they have been adapted, in the form of ‘heritage management’, in various contexts with questionable effectiveness regarding sustainability. Our paper discusses the case of the post-earthquake cultural, social and political landscape of the World Heritage Site of Kathmandu valley in Nepal. By reviewing the bibliography and drawing upon various case studies of post-earthquake heritage restoration, we focus on the traditional ways of managing human and cultural resources in the area as related to the modern national heritage management mechanism. We also examine how traditional practices, re-interpreted into a modern context, can point towards inclusive and sustainable forms of collaboration based on the commons. We shed light on the elements of an emerging management system that could protect the vulnerable monuments through community participation, adapted to the challenging realities of the Nepalese heritage and its stakeholders.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2792: The Causal Nexus between Oil Prices, Interest Rates, and Unemployment in Norway Using Wavelet Methods Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082792 Authors: Hyunjoo Kim Karlsson Yushu Li Ghazi Shukur This paper applies wavelet multi-resolution analysis (MRA), combined with two types of causality tests, to investigate causal relationships between three variables: real oil price, real interest rate, and unemployment in Norway. Impulse response functions were also utilised to examine effects of innovation in one variable on the other variables. We found that causal relations between the variables tend to be stronger as the wavelet time scale increases; specifically, there were no causal relationships between the variables at the lowest time scales of one to three months. A causal relationship between unemployment rate and interest rate was observed during the period of two quarters to two years, during which time a feedback mechanism was also detected between unemployment and interest rate. Causal relationships between oil price and both interest rate and unemployment were observed at the longest time scale of eight quarters. In conjunction with Granger causality analysis, impulse response functions showed that unemployment rates in Norway respond negatively to oil price shocks around two years after the shocks occur. As an oil exporting country, increases (or decreases) in oil prices reduce (or increase) unemployment in Norway under a time horizon of about two years; previous studies focused on oil importing economies have generally found the inverse to be true. Unlike most studies in this field, we decomposed the implicit aggregation for all time scales by applying MRA with a focus on the Norwegian economy. Thus, one main contribution of this paper is that we unveil and systematically distinguish the nature of the time-scale dependent relationship between real oil price, real interest rate, and unemployment using wavelet decomposition.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2795: Tasty or Sustainable? The Effect of Product Sensory Experience on a Sustainable New Food Product: An Application of Discrete Choice Experiments on Chianina Tinned Beef Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082795 Authors: Biancamaria Torquati Tiziano Tempesta Daniel Vecchiato Sonia Venanzi This study aims to contribute to the existing literature by verifying whether the degree of liking of a new food product influences people’s preferences and willingness to pay from a discrete choice experiment when dealing with sustainable food products. To this purpose, we considered the case study of the introduction into the Italian market of a new food product: tinned Chianina meat. Among the attributes considered for this new product, two in particular were related to sustainability: organic breeding and the preservation of a traditional rural landscape. Half of the respondents underwent a sensory test before taking part in the hypothetical market (discrete choice experiment), while the remaining were administered the tests in reverse order. Tasting the product before the discrete choice experiment did not produce different willingness to pay (WTP) parameters as estimated by a taste factor interaction. However, separating the respondents into those who liked or disliked the product in the tasting condition revealed differences in willingness to pay results. The preferences are different for more than 50% of the attributes considered, and the magnitude of this difference is quite relevant. The WTP for one well known and certified sustainability related attribute—organic breeding—was not affected by the liking, while, for the other—the preservation of a traditional rural landscape—the effect of liking decreases the WTP. As a consequence, we suggest that tasting and liking studies should be routinely coupled with discrete choice studies when analyzing the introduction of new food products, especially when considering sustainable attributes in the experimental design. In the case of organic products where the expectations about taste are higher, neglecting to consider their sensory perception, along with the other discrete choice experiment attributes, could seriously undermine their long lasting success on the market.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2797: The Cause and Evolution of Urban Street Vitality under the Time Dimension: Nine Cases of Streets in Nanjing City, China Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082797 Authors: Xiaodong Xu Xinhan Xu Peng Guan Yu Ren Wei Wang Ning Xu Street vitality is associated with a comfortable human-based public environment and urban sustainability. In most current studies, street vitality is assessed considering single or multi factors; however, the impact of time dimension is ignored. This study selects nine different year-built streets in old, main, and new urban areas, in Nanjing, China, proposes a framework to assess street vitality considering the different time dimensions and selects the following factors: street form, including building density, continuity, and height-width; street business type, including store density, function density, and permeation rate; and street accessibility, including location, the number of entrances/exits, transportation, and walkability. After calculating the values of the subfactors, a ranking method was applied to assign the ranking of impact of all factors for a comprehensive analysis. The results showed that Pipa Street, Wufu Street in a main urban area, and Hongmiao Street had the highest street vitality and the highest rankings of almost all the factors. Street vitality in different periods demonstrated that street vitality in new urban areas is lower compared with old and main urban areas.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2799: A Definition and Theoretical Review of the Circular Economy, Value Creation, and Sustainable Business Models: Where Are We Now and Where Should Research Move in the Future? Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10082799 Authors: Tom Lahti Joakim Wincent Vinit Parida This paper contains a theory review of value creation and the implementation of next-generation sustainable business models to profit in the circular economy. While previous research has pointed to the influence of society and regulatory policy on companies’ ability to address larger sustainability concerns and to change their ways of working, the field suffers from little theoretical guidance outlining how undertake circular business mode transformation in practice. By reviewing the field’s main theories, we illustrate significant implications for how future research can study profitability and competitiveness in the circular economy. This paper introduces the central components of circular business models and discusses links to contingency theory, transaction cost theory, resource-based theory, theory on networks and industrial economics, and agency theory. Understanding the circular economy and the ways companies can compete in the circular economy based on these theories is important for establishing important new research directions for scholars of sustainable business and circular business models.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 1046: Comparing Bias Correction Methods Used in Downscaling Precipitation and Temperature from Regional Climate Models: A Case Study from the Kaidu River Basin in Western China Water doi: 10.3390/w10081046 Authors: Min Luo Tie Liu Fanhao Meng Yongchao Duan Amaury Frankl Anming Bao Philippe De Maeyer The systemic biases of Regional Climate Models (RCMs) impede their application in regional hydrological climate-change effects analysis and lead to errors. As a consequence, bias correction has become a necessary prerequisite for the study of climate change. This paper compares the performance of available bias correction methods that focus on the performance of precipitation and temperature projections. The hydrological effects of these correction methods are evaluated by the modelled discharges of the Kaidu River Basin. The results show that all used methods improve the performance of the original RCM precipitation and temperature simulations across a number of levels. The corrected results obtained by precipitation correction methods demonstrate larger diversities than those produced by the temperature correction methods. The performance of hydrological modelling is highly influenced by the choice of precipitation correction methods. Furthermore, no substantial differences can be identified from the results of the temperature-corrected methods. The biases from input data are often greater from the works of hydrological modelling. The suitability of these approaches depends upon the regional context and the RCM model, while their application procedure and a number of results can be adapted from region to region.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 1047: Assessing Decadal Trends of a Nitrate-Contaminated Shallow Aquifer in Western Nebraska Using Groundwater Isotopes, Age-Dating, and Monitoring Water doi: 10.3390/w10081047 Authors: Martin J. Wells Troy E. Gilmore Aaron R. Mittelstet Daniel Snow Steven S. Sibray Shallow aquifers are prone to nitrate contamination worldwide. In western Nebraska, high groundwater nitrate concentrations ([NO3−]) have resulted in the exploration of new groundwater and nitrogen management regulations in the North Platte Natural Resources District (NPNRD). A small region of NPNRD (“Dutch Flats”) was the focus of intensive groundwater sampling by the United States Geological Survey from 1995 to 1999. Nearly two decades later, notable shifts have occurred in variables related to groundwater recharge and [NO3−], including irrigation methods. The objective of this study was to evaluate how changes in these variables, in part due to regulatory changes, have impacted nitrate-contaminated groundwater in the Dutch Flats area. Groundwater samples were collected to assess changes in: (1) recharge rates; (2) biogeochemical processes; and (3) [NO3−]. Groundwater age increased in 63% of wells and estimated recharge rates were lower for 88% of wells sampled (n = 8). However, mean age and recharge rate estimated in 2016 (19.3 years; R = 0.35 m/year) did not differ significantly from mean values determined in 1998 (15.6 years; R = 0.50 m/year). δ15N-NO3− (n = 14) and dissolved oxygen data indicate no major changes in biogeochemical processes. Available long-term data suggest a downward trend in normalized [NO3−] from 1998 to 2016, and lower [NO3−] was observed in 60% of wells sampled in both years (n = 87), but median values were not significantly different. Collectively, results suggest the groundwater system is responding to environmental variables to a degree that is detectable (e.g., trends in [NO3−]), although more time and/or substantial changes may be required before it is possible to detect significantly different mean recharge.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1975: Sustainable Legitimacy: Chinese Government Inspections and Public Approval of Village Leadership Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061975 Authors: Jinrui Xi Inspections to villages are an important mechanism for the Chinese government to gain and retain its ruling legitimacy. However, whether inspections have been effectively utilized for that designated purpose of sustainable governance remains less clear. We know very little about how the Chinese government employs inspections to boost its public approval. This study sets out to examine that effect, contending that inspections to Chinese villages significantly boost the public approval of village leaderships by promoting the governing efficacy of village leaders. The consistent practice of inspections results in a sustained level of public support for the Chinese government. This causal relationship between inspections and public approval holds, first, by improving village social welfare and economic development, and second, by securing for village leaders essential political and financial support from higher authorities to better represent villagers’ interests and mediate conflicts among villagers. Using data of 961 randomly selected villages across China, the empirical analysis shows that Chinese government inspections significantly boost villagers’ approval regarding their village leaders.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 759: Effects of Water Diversion from Yangtze River to Lake Taihu on the Phytoplankton Habitat of the Wangyu River Channel Water doi: 10.3390/w10060759 Authors: Jiangyu Dai Shiqiang Wu Xiufeng Wu Wanyun Xue Qianqian Yang Senlin Zhu Fangfang Wang Dan Chen To reveal the effects of water diversion from the Yangtze River to Lake Taihu on the phytoplankton habitat of the main water transfer channel of the Wangyu River, we investigated the water’s physicochemical parameters and phytoplankton communities during the water diversion and non-diversion periods over the winters between 2014–2016, respectively. During the water diversion periods in the winter of 2014 and 2015, the nutrients and organic pollutant contents of the Wangyu River channel were significantly lower than those during the non-diversion period in 2016. Moreover, the phytoplankton diversities and relative proportions of Bacillariophyta during the diversion periods evidently increased during the water diversion periods in winter. The increase in the water turbidity content, the decrease in the contents of the permanganate index, and the total phosphorus explained only 21.4% of the variations in the phytoplankton communities between the diversion and non-diversion periods in winter, which revealed significant contributions of the allochthonous species from the Yangtze River and tributaries of the Wangyu River to phytoplankton communities in the Wangyu River. The increasing gradient in the contents of nutrients and organic pollutants from the Yangtze River to Lake Taihu indicated the potential allochthonous pollutant inputs along with the Wangyu River. Further controlling the pollutants from the tributaries of the Wangyu River is critical in order to improve the phytoplankton habitats in river channels and Lake Taihu.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1873: Urban Foraging in Berlin: People, Plants and Practices within the Metropolitan Green Infrastructure Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061873 Authors: Jonah L. Landor-Yamagata Ingo Kowarik Leonie K. Fischer Gathering wild plants in cities (urban foraging) is likely an important, but understudied human-nature interaction globally. As large European cities are critically understudied in this regard, we performed in-depth ethnography-based interviews in Berlin, Germany, to shed light on the cultural background of foragers, their motivations and which plants and fungi are gathered for which purposes. Results demonstrate multiple uses of 125 taxa, mostly frequently-occurring species but also some Red List species, from a range of formal and informal greenspace types. Both native and non-native species were gathered, with significant differences in use patterns. Use for food was most common, followed by medicinal uses, and personal enjoyment was a frequent motivation, indicating that urban foraging combines provisioning and cultural ecosystem services. Familial and childhood foraging exposure were common, pointing to influences of early-in-life exposure on later-in-life activities and transgenerational aspects of the practice. Results further suggest legacy effects from the post-war and communist eras on foraging knowledge. Although non-commercial foraging is allowed in Berlin, over-harvesting was not evident. Interviews indicate that stewardship of urban biodiversity is common among foragers. Results thus suggest considering urban foraging as a promising vehicle for linking humans with nature when developing a biodiverse urban green infrastructure.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1870: A Quantitative Method for Prediction of Environmental Aspects in Construction Sites of Residential Buildings Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061870 Authors: Luis Claudio A. Borja Sandro Fábio César Rita Dione A. Cunha Asher Kiperstok Despite the sectoral initiatives, the construction industry faces difficulties in incorporating effective environmental impact control systems in construction sites. Most of the instruments have been adopting a qualitative approach to environmental issues, with few cases of a quantitative approach. This article introduces a quantitative method for predicting environmental aspects and impacts during the construction of residential buildings, through the integration between environmental indicators and construction cost bases. The methodology was based on the analysis of the relationships among activities, aspects and environmental impacts considered in EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) for the development of the method and its mathematical representation. A case study was carried out to evaluate the method using the bill of quantities (BOQ) from two residential construction sites to measure their environmental aspects. The results suggest the usefulness of the method in the decision-making process on the allocation of control systems and, in some cases, recommending the execution of off-site services to reduce the impacts on the site’s neighborhood. Additionally, the method proved to be easy to apply to evaluate construction sites, as well as flexible to incorporate other activities, adapting to the demand of builders and municipalities to reduce the environmental impacts of construction sites.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1875: Integrating Functions for a Sustainable Urban System: A Review of Multifunctional Land Use and Circular Urban Metabolism Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061875 Authors: Saskia van Broekhoven Anne Lorène Vernay Cities pose environmental challenges but also offer possibilities to close material and energy loops and connect multiple societal and ecologic services. This article reviews and brings together the literature on two important new research directions that address urban sustainability by integrating functions or material flows: Circular Urban Metabolism (CUM) and Multifunctional Land Use (MLU). We focus on challenges to MLU and CUM and strategies to facilitate their realization. The review shows that although MLU and CUM differ in what they integrate, they face partly similar integration challenges. In both fields, the collaboration between actors related to particular functions (water safety, recreation), high investment costs and uncertainties about costs and benefits, and legislation that hampers integration are identified as challenges. In both fields, strategies are proposed to facilitate the collaboration between actors. However, other challenges and strategies are specific. Whilst MLU scholars mostly highlight socio-economic aspects of realizing integration, CUM scholars focus more on technical aspects. We find limited cross-fertilization between both fields so far. To stimulate discussion and knowledge exchange, we introduce ‘integration of urban functions’ as a shared idea for a sustainable urban system. To find further solutions for integration challenges, we propose conceptualizing MLU or CUM initiatives as processes of change, which requires connecting across previously separate ‘worlds’ and changing previously established monofunctional ways of working.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1868: Associations between Public Transit Usage and Bikesharing Behaviors in The United States Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061868 Authors: Yuanyuan Zhang Yuming Zhang Public bikesharing systems have rapidly expanded across many cities in the United States (US). Previous studies in the literature found that, in general, bikesharing is associated with public transit ridership. However, the interdependencies between public transit usage and bikesharing behaviors have been mixed and have not been fully understood. Therefore, the objective of this research is to examine the associations between the frequency of public transit usage and the probability and frequency of bikesharing usage in the US using data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey. The respondents were asked how many times they had used public transit and bikesharing in the last 30 days. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression models were conducted to assess the associations between the frequency of public transit usage and the probability and frequency of bikesharing usage. The results show that, in general, a one-unit increase in the frequency of public transit usage is significantly associated with a 4.0% increase in the probability of bikesharing usage and a 1.4% increase in the frequency of bikesharing usage. The significantly positive relationship between the frequency of public transit usage and the frequency of bikesharing usage is more pronounced among those living in areas with higher population density or with rail service. The empirical results demonstrate that public transit usage is significantly positively associated with bikesharing usage, and suggest policy implications that improving public transit usage tends to increase the usage of bikesharing. This study also provides significant empirical evidence for the formulation of interventions and policies targeting to promote integrated transportation systems that support multimodal transportation and mutually sustainable transport networks.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1867: Organic Carbon Concentrations in High- and Low-Productivity Areas of the Sulu Sea Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061867 Authors: Charissa M. Ferrera Gil S. Jacinto Chen-Tung Arthur Chen Hon-Kit Lui The sequestration of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the form of organic carbon and its eventual deposition in the sediments is an important component of the marine carbon cycle. In the Sulu Sea, Philippines, organic carbon contents in the sediments have been relatively well studied, but the processes that describe the organic carbon distributions in the water column have not been elucidated. Dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC, POC) concentrations were measured at several stations in the Sulu Sea during the northeast monsoon of 2007/2008 to understand the dynamics of organic carbon in this unique internal sea. Analyses of primary productivity estimates, beam attenuation coefficient (at 660 nm) profiles, and correlation coefficients among DOC, POC and other parameters (e.g., apparent oxygen utilization) at different layers of the water column indicate that surface primary productivity, upwelling, bottom intensified flows across sills, and ventilation from shallow sills, which may contain semi-labile DOC that is estimated to largely contribute to microbial respiration in the bathypelagic layer, are the major processes that affect the DOC and POC distributions in the Sulu Sea. The variability of these processes should be taken into consideration when assessing the sustainability of internal and marginal seas as carbon sinks.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1866: Efficiency Assessment of Inbound Tourist Service Using Data Envelopment Analysis Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061866 Authors: Han-Shen Chen Bi-Kun Tsai Gwo-Bao Liou Chi-Ming Hsieh The successful and sustainable development of inbound tourism necessitates a long-term commitment, balancing between tourism supply and tourist demands. This study manipulated a performance appraisal of tourism service quality in Taiwan with Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) by employing input and output constructs to assess service quality efficiency. The empirical results of the estimation of technical efficiency (TE) revealed that (1) the domestic tourism market is competitive, but still needs enhancements for tourism service; (2) Mainland Chinese tourists had the highest score among all foreign tourists, followed by Hong Kong and Macau tourists, tourists from other countries, Japanese tourists, and South Korean tourists; and (3) South Korean tourists had higher travel expenditure than others, but felt less satisfaction with travel services, which can be regarded as inefficient. Tourists from other countries had lower travel expenditure, but had higher satisfaction levels, which was considered efficient based on input and output index. The findings could contribute to bridging the gap between research and practice in assessing the efficiency of inbound tourist service. Tourism practitioners should be aware of tourists’ needs and interests, as these could be key fundamentals for improving tourists’ satisfaction with Taiwan’s service offerings.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1865: sEMG-Based Gesture Recognition with Convolution Neural Networks Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061865 Authors: Zhen Ding Chifu Yang Zhihong Tian Chunzhi Yi Yunsheng Fu Feng Jiang The traditional classification methods for limb motion recognition based on sEMG have been deeply researched and shown promising results. However, information loss during feature extraction reduces the recognition accuracy. To obtain higher accuracy, the deep learning method was introduced. In this paper, we propose a parallel multiple-scale convolution architecture. Compared with the state-of-art methods, the proposed architecture fully considers the characteristics of the sEMG signal. Larger sizes of kernel filter than commonly used in other CNN-based hand recognition methods are adopted. Meanwhile, the characteristics of the sEMG signal, that is, muscle independence, is considered when designing the architecture. All the classification methods were evaluated on the NinaPro database. The results show that the proposed architecture has the highest recognition accuracy. Furthermore, the results indicate that parallel multiple-scale convolution architecture with larger size of kernel filter and considering muscle independence can significantly increase the classification accuracy.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1863: Cycle Tourism as a Driver for the Sustainable Development of Little-Known or Remote Territories: The Experience of the Apennine Regions of Northern Italy Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061863 Authors: Patrizia Gazzola Enrica Pavione Daniele Grechi Paola Ossola One form of cycle tourism can be represented features tourism that focuses on the relation between biking and the discovery of a territory. Geared toward forms of holiday that allow for the low consumption of natural resources and a connection with the landscape, cycle tourism represents a concrete expression of sustainable tourism. As an emerging phenomenon in Italy, cycle tourism requires further understanding in order to identify methods of development and applicable business models. The aim of this paper is to explore the characteristics of cycle tourism’s development in northern Italy in order to identify the links that exist between sustainability and the group of cycle tourists who prefer to spend their holidays discovering little-known or remote territories. For this study, we selected three different destinations in sensitive mountain areas that converge on the common goal to use cycling to rejuvenate the tourism sector. It has been found that the development of cycle tourism in areas not characterized by mass tourism, such as those considered here, is economically, socially, and environmentally beneficial. The business models through which cycle tourism usually develops include a bottom up approach or a top down approach, involving the cooperation of several local destination stakeholders.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1862: Vulnerability Assessment of Rural Households to Urmia Lake Drying (the Case of Shabestar Region) Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061862 Authors: Rasoul Maleki Mehdi Nooripoor Hossein Azadi Philippe Lebailly One of the most important environmental problems in Iran is the destruction and drying of Urmia Lake (UL). UL is one of the main causes of suitable weather for agricultural boom and tourist attraction and it should be considered that the villagers exposed to UL drying have a strong dependence on vulnerable resources such as water, air, soil and plants for their livelihoods and have low adaptive capacity with this crisis for reasons such as poverty, lack of awareness and lack of infrastructure. This study was designed to evaluate the vulnerability of rural households to UL drying in the Shabestar region. The vulnerability was calculated based on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) definition and using vulnerability index (VI). Research population included rural households of Shabestar region (N = 19,249) and about 347 households were selected as the research sample using multistage cluster sampling technique. Results showed that the average score of respondents was 0.455 (moderate) in exposure, 0.359 (moderate to low) in sensitivity, 0.404 (moderate to low) in adaptive capacity and finally, the vulnerability index (VI) was 0.470 (range of 0 to 1). 12.8% of households had low, 70.5% had medium and 16.7% had high vulnerability towards UL drying.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1861: Ecological Risk Assessment of the Southern Fujian Golden Triangle in China Based on Regional Transportation Development Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061861 Authors: Xinyi Yang Lina Tang Yuqiu Jia Jiantao Liu Regional transportation development (RTD) is an important stressor of urban agglomeration ecosystems. Groundwater recharge potential may be adversely affected when natural soil is replaced by impervious materials. To systematically identify the urban agglomeration ecological risk (UAER) of RTD in the southern Fujian Golden Triangle, water regulation was used as an assessment endpoint, and RTD was considered the stressor. We used the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number method (SCS-CN) to analyze the internal relationship between the assessment endpoint and the stressor factors. Then, a multi-level risk characterization method was used to show the evolutionary process of risk, and to provide a scientific basis for the management of UAER. Based on the current RTD plan, the UAER assessment shows that there is a 0.90 probability of that the risk distribution results will occur by 2030. The intensity of stress from arterial roads on the urban agglomeration ecosystem is greater than that of the railway system. By considering the development of the railway system as a factor in the stress of RTD, this study of UAER assessment differs from past studies of urban ecological risk assessment, since the latter considers only highways. We also propose a systematic method of risk assessment simulation-prediction.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1859: Culture as a Prerequisite for Sustainable Development. An Investigation into the Process of Cultural Content Digitisation in Romania Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061859 Authors: Mina Fanea-Ivanovici In an age of rapid technological changes, new ways of cultural production–consumption and dissemination–access to cultural content are creating great opportunities for promoting cultural heritage at home and abroad as a prerequisite for sustainable development. The aims of this paper are to scrutinize the main opportunities of the process of cultural content digitisation with a focus on Romania and to highlight the main fields in which the country is still lagging behind. The article discusses technical internet-related endowment and use of internet by households in urban and rural areas, the existing digital cultural content, the importance of open access, e-accessibility, digital archives, e-museums, e-libraries, etc., as well as the main national and European strategies and agendas that Romania has based its cultural digitisation and heritage preservation priorities on. The paper is an empirical inquiry into the progress achieved, the positioning among the other European countries and the perspectives of cultural digitisation for Romania. Such matters are important determinants of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, as long as access to public services and cultural content is a major objective of Europe 2020 Strategy.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1860: Analysis of the Land Use and Cover Changes in the Metropolitan Area of Tepic-Xalisco (1973–2015) through Landsat Images Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061860 Authors: Armando Avalos Jiménez Fernando Flores Vilchez Oyolsi Nájera González Susana M. L. Marceleño Flores Land use and cover changes (LUCC) have been identified as one of the main causes of biodiversity loss and deforestation in the world. Fundamentally, the urban land use has replaced agricultural and forest cover causing loss of environmental services. Monitoring and quantifying LUCC are essential to achieve a proper land management. The objective of this study was to analyze the LUCC in the metropolitan area of Tepic-Xalisco during the period 1973–2015. To find the best fit and obtain the different land use classes, supervised classification techniques were applied using Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC), Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). The results were validated with control points (ground truth) through cross tabulation. The best results were obtained from the SVMs method with kappa indices above 85%. The transition analysis infers that urban land has grown significantly during 42 years, increasing 62 km2 and replacing agricultural areas at a rate of 1.48 km2/year. Forest loss of 5.78 km2 annually was also identified. The results show the different land uses distribution and the dynamics developed in the past. This information may be used to simulate future LUCC and modeling different scenarios.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 731: What Germany’s University Beginners Think about Water Reuse Water doi: 10.3390/w10060731 Authors: Sarah Schmid Franz X. Bogner Water reuse is a new technology, not yet implemented, but discussed for use in Germany. Public opinion plays a major role in the success of the introduction of this new technology and was not yet analyzed for Germany. When monitoring 340 university beginners’ conceptions regarding water reuse, a variety of conceptions appeared. While usage of tap water is accepted for drinking purposes, acceptance of recycled water for oral consumption was low. When asked for reasons for (not) using recycled water, three groups of respondents were extracted: (a) The acceptors (convinced of quality, or naming sustainability as a reason); (b) the undecided (doubts about quality, rejection of its use for consumption, and psychological conflicts of logic and disgust); (c) the non-acceptors (unconvinced of quality and preference for bottled water). When asked about factors that would lead to accepting the use of recycled water, insights into treatment processes were identified as the most convincing, followed by educational films and guided tours. Participants showed high conviction about currently existing tap-water qualities. Having water that is cleaned before it reaches the consumer was reported to have high priority. To increase acceptance of water reuse, recommendations for appropriate outreach programs are discussed.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 730: A Comparative Study of Groundwater Level Forecasting Using Data-Driven Models Based on Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition Water doi: 10.3390/w10060730 Authors: Yicheng Gong Zhongjing Wang Guoyin Xu Zixiong Zhang The reliable and accurate prediction of groundwater levels is important to improve water-use efficiency in the development and management of water resources. Three nonlinear time-series intelligence hybrid models were proposed to predict groundwater level fluctuations through a combination of ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and data-driven models (i.e., artificial neural networks (ANN), support vector machines (SVM) and adaptive neuro fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS)), respectively. The prediction capability of EEMD-ANN, EEMD-SVM, and EEMD-ANFIS hybrid models was investigated using a monthly groundwater level time series collected from two observation wells near Lake Okeechobee in Florida. The statistical parameters correlation coefficient (R), normalized mean square error (NMSE), root mean square error (RMSE), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NS), and Akaike information criteria (AIC) were used to assess the performance of the EEMD-ANN, EEMD-SVM and EEMD-ANFIS models. The results achieved from the EEMD-ANN, EEMD-SVM and EEMD-ANFIS models were compared with those from the ANN, SVM and ANFIS models. The three hybrid models (i.e., EEMD-ANN, EEMD-SVM, and EEMD-ANFIS) proved to be applicable to forecast the groundwater level fluctuations. The values of the statistical parameters indicated that the EEMD-ANFIS and EEMD-SVM models achieved better prediction results than the EEMD-ANN model. Meanwhile, the three models coupled with EEMD were found have better prediction results than the models that were not. The findings from this study indicate that the proposed nonlinear time-series intelligence hybrid models could improve the prediction capability in forecasting groundwater level fluctuations, and serve as useful and helpful guidelines for the management of sustainable water resources.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 729: Geothermometry and Isotope Geochemistry of CO2-Rich Thermal Waters in Choygan, East Tuva, Russia Water doi: 10.3390/w10060729 Authors: Anastasia Shestakova Natalia Guseva Yulia Kopylova Albina Khvaschevskaya David A. Polya Igor Tokarev The Choygan area of southern Siberia, Russia hosts a variety of CO2-rich thermal mineral and other waters emerging from springs at temperatures between 7 °C and 39 °C. Chemical analyses of the spring waters (n = 33) were carried out to characterise the waters and determine their origin. A continuum of compositions was observed between relatively lower temperature (7 °C) HCO3-Ca-Na dominated waters with relatively low amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) and high Eh, and higher temperature (39 °C) HCO3-Na-Ca dominated waters with higher TDS and lower Eh—this reflects largely conservative mixing of these components between near surface low temperature, oxidising groundwaters and higher temperature, more reducing thermal waters derived from a deeper geothermal reservoir. Stable isotopic data are consistent with all the water ultimately being derived from meteoric water that has undergone varying degrees of isotopic fractionation following evaporation. The inferred δ18O and δ2H isotopic composition of the unfractionationed meteoric waters is lighter than that expected that of mean annual local precipitation, which together with a strong negative correlation between δ18O and the elevation of the sampled discharging springs, suggests recharge at higher elevations (1600 m to 3000 m; average 2600 m). Reservoir temperature, calculated using geothermometers and an analysis of saturation indices of plausible reservoir minerals, ranged from 70 °C to 100 °C at an inferred depth of 2 to 3 km. Not all chemical components were found to follow conservative mixing behaviour. In particular, (i) the CO2 contents of the waters were highly variable, suggesting either varying degrees of degassing and/or near discharge admixture with air, and (ii) SO4 concentrations in the lower temperature thermal CO2-rich waters were highly variable, suggesting a role of near surface oxidation processes, for example of pyrite, in modifying the concentration of redox sensitive components. Limited δ13C data are consistent with the CO2 predominately being derived from dissolution of metamorphic/igneous carbonate minerals in the reservoir. Based on geological conditions, isotope and chemical data, a conceptual circulation model of the Choygan hydrothermal system is proposed.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 728: An Integration Approach for Mapping Field Capacity of China Based on Multi-Source Soil Datasets Water doi: 10.3390/w10060728 Authors: Xiaotao Wu Guihua Lu Zhiyong Wu Hai He Jianhong Zhou Zhenchen Liu Field capacity is one of the most important soil hydraulic properties in water cycle, agricultural irrigation, and drought monitoring. It is difficult to obtain the distribution of field capacity on a large scale using manual measurements that are both time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this study, the field capacity ensemble members were established using existing pedotransfer functions (PTFs) and multiple linear regression (MLR) based on three soil datasets and 2388 in situ field capacity measurements in China. After evaluating the accuracy of each ensemble member, an integration approach was proposed for estimating the field capacity distribution and development of a 250 m gridded field capacity dataset in China. The spatial correlation coefficient (R) and root mean square error (RMSE) between the in situ field capacity and ensemble field capacity were 0.73 and 0.048 m3·m−3 in region scale, respectively. The ensemble field capacity shows great consistency with practical distribution of field capacity, and the deviation is revised when compared with field capacity datasets provided by previous researchers. It is a potential product for estimating field capacity in hydrological and agricultural practices on both large and fine scales, especially in ungauged regions.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1869: The Determinant Factors of Travelers’ Choices for Pro-Environment Behavioral Intention-Integration Theory of Planned Behavior, Unified Theory of Acceptance, and Use of Technology 2 and Sustainability Values Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061869 Authors: Li-Min Chuang Pi-Ching Chen Yen-Yu Chen From a previous literature review, there are rare studies that focus on integrating Sustainability Values (SVs), the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) to predict potential travelers’ behavioral intentions. In light of this, the research is designed to propose a comprehensive understanding of potential travelers’ choices for sustainable hospitality businesses by integrating SV, TPB, and UTAUT2 into a theoretical framework, by moderating the effect of age. Prior studies have mentioned TPB identified the role of attitude, perceived behavior control, and moral obligation in generating intention. However, the use of TPB and the extended UTAUT model to explain pro-environmental behavior is lacking. Data was collected from 34 northern, 2 central, and 6 southern Taiwanese consolidated headquarter travel agencies. Email questionnaires were distributed to 630 individuals in 42 travel agencies. The proposed model will be also examining, with an AMOS procedure of structural equation modeling (SEM), the maximum likelihood method of estimation. The results indicated that (1) SVs are positively and significantly impacted by pro-environmental behavioral intention; (2) SVs are positively and significantly impacted by attitude, social influence, perceived behavioral control, and habit respectively; (3) attitude, perceived behavioral control, and habit is positively mediated by the effect between SVs and pro-environmental behavioral intention, respectively; (4) the social demographic variable of age is positively moderated the effect between SVs and social influence.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1985: Applying Blockchain Technology: Evidence from Norwegian Companies Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061985 Authors: Anne H. Gausdal Karen V. Czachorowski Marina Z. Solesvik The aim of this study is to develop a theoretical framework for blockchain, operations in particular. Furthermore, we aim to identify the main drivers and barriers of digital innovation and explore the general possibilities of blockchain applications within the maritime industry. A case study approach is applied: the Norwegian offshore industry. Primary data is collected through interviews, while secondary data is collected from industrial and company reports, the Internet, and national and international media reports. We have discovered that cost reduction intentions, the high level of regulation in the maritime industry, and the large amount of data that maritime companies should process, along with the intention to work more effectively, are the main drivers of digital innovation. On the other hand, the high cost of implementation, the bad quality of Internet connections offshore, the old age of decision-makers, the technology-oriented culture, the lack of investment initiatives, the low level of blockchain diffusion through the supply chain, and risk aversion are the main barriers. The results of the qualitative study show that some of the barriers and motives of digital innovation and the introduction to blockchain technology were pointed out by earlier studies. However, we have identified several unique drivers and barriers specific to the industry. Finally, the blockchain process framework is developed.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 779: Study of the Scale Effect on Permeability in the Interlayer Shear Weakness Zone Using Sequential Indicator Simulation and Sequential Gaussian Simulation Water doi: 10.3390/w10060779 Authors: Meng Chen Zhifang Zhou Lei Zhao Mu Lin Qiaona Guo Mingwei Li The interlayer shear weakness zone (ISWZ) is a deformation zone in stratified rock masses, with different width and spacing, due to tectonic stresses. It represents the main flow path in rocks due to higher permeability compared with massive rocks. The permeability values of an ISWZ can vary significantly depending on the scale. This study focuses on the correlations between the permeability properties of ISWZs and their geometry properties. A range of realistic 3-D numerical models of ISWZs is developed using geostatistical modeling, with fine-scale geometry and permeability information taken into consideration. These ISWZs represent a set of mud content and width distributions that are typical for ISWZs. Horizontal and vertical permeability values for all ISWZs are found to change in small-scale samples, whereas these fluctuations decrease with increasing sample size. For different types of ISWZs, the results show that ISWZs with variable width will show a significantly larger scale effect on the permeability than that of ISWZs with constant width. Furthermore, ISWZs with a higher mud content display greater variation in horizontal permeability, while the opposite is true for vertical permeability. Based on the coefficient of permeability variation, a criterion is proposed to identify the calculated permeability of a sample is locally homogeneous. The size for this sample relies on the properties estimated (horizontal and vertical permeability) and geometry features. These findings could provide a basis for the selection of permeability values of an ISWZ in hydraulic engineering. Additionally, the procedures used in this article can be applied to any type of ISWZs.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 774: Development of an Integrated Modelling System for Evaluating Water Quantity and Quality Effects of Individual Wetlands in an Agricultural Watershed Water doi: 10.3390/w10060774 Authors: Yongbo Liu Wanhong Yang Hui Shao Zhiqiang Yu John Lindsay A GIS-based fully-distributed model, IMWEBs-Wetland (Integrated Modelling for Watershed Evaluation of BMPs—Wetland), is developed to simulate hydrologic processes of site-specific wetlands in an agricultural watershed. This model, powered by the open-source GIS Whitebox Geospatial Analysis Tools (GAT) and advanced database technologies, allows users to simulate and assess water quantity and quality effects of individual wetlands at site and watershed scales. A case study of the modelling system is conducted in a subbasin of the Broughton’s Creek Watershed in southern Manitoba of Canada. Modelling results show that the model is capable of simulating wetland processes in a complex watershed with various land management practices. The IMWEBs-Wetland model is unique in simulating the water quantity and quality effects of individual wetlands, which can be used to examine location-specific targeting of wetland retention and restoration at a watershed scale.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1997: Land Ownership, Rent-Seeking, and Rural Gentrification: Reconstructing Villages for Sustainable Urbanization in China Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061997 Authors: Jinkun Yang Eddie C. M. Hui Wei Lang Xun Li Gentrification is a widespread urban phenomenon across the post-industrial world. However, rural gentrification has been explored insufficiently in the context of China’s unprecedented urbanization. By reviewing the redevelopment processes in Zengcuoan village, Xiamen City, China, this study empirically reveals that the socio-spatial transformation of this village has been mainly led by artists and villagers based on institutional arrangements of land ownership. Rural gentrification, which involves refurbishing houses and public spaces, has played a key role in social life and the engagement between indigenous villagers and artists. As active rent-seekers, indigenous villagers contribute to gentrification in a combined effect with China’s rural land property rights. Contrary to Western findings, villagers in China act as landlords who benefit from rural gentrification, which in turn causes grassroots artists or young people to move out because of the increasing rent or property prices. This paper attempted to enrich the extant understanding of rural Chinese gentrification and broaden the analytics of gentrification studies of the institutional arrangements from a land-ownership perspective. Contributing to the literature on rural gentrification, this study highlights the excessive commercialization of rent-seeking as the trigger of gentrification.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1990: Institutional Perspectives of Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Systematic Literature Review Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061990 Authors: Edmond Totin Alcade C. Segnon Marc Schut Hippolyte Affognon Robert B. Zougmoré Todd Rosenstock Philip K. Thornton Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is increasingly seen as a promising approach to feed the growing world population under climate change. The review explored how institutional perspectives are reflected in the CSA literature. In total, 137 publications were analyzed using institutional analysis framework, of which 55.5% make specific reference to institutional dimensions. While the CSA concept encompasses three pillars (productivity, adaptation, and mitigation), the literature has hardly addressed them in an integrated way. The development status of study sites also seems to influence which pillars are promoted. Mitigation was predominantly addressed in high-income countries, while productivity and adaptation were priorities for middle and low-income countries. Interest in institutional aspects has been gradual in the CSA literature. It has largely focused on knowledge infrastructure, market structure, and hard institutional aspects. There has been less attention to understand whether investments in physical infrastructure and actors’ interaction, or how historical, political, and social context may influence the uptake of CSA options. Rethinking the approach to promoting CSA technologies by integrating technology packages and institutional enabling factors can provide potential opportunities for effective scaling of CSA options.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2020: Assessing the Climate Change Impacts of Biogenic Carbon in Buildings: A Critical Review of Two Main Dynamic Approaches Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10062020 Authors: Charles Breton Pierre Blanchet Ben Amor Robert Beauregard Wen-Shao Chang Wood is increasingly perceived as a renewable, sustainable building material. The carbon it contains, biogenic carbon, comes from biological processes; it is characterized by a rapid turnover in the global carbon cycle. Increasing the use of harvested wood products (HWP) from sustainable forest management could provide highly needed mitigation efforts and carbon removals. However, the combined climate change benefits of sequestering biogenic carbon, storing it in harvested wood products and substituting more emission-intensive materials are hard to quantify. Although different methodological choices and assumptions can lead to opposite conclusions, there is no consensus on the assessment of biogenic carbon in life cycle assessment (LCA). Since LCA is increasingly relied upon for decision and policy making, incorrect biogenic carbon assessment could lead to inefficient or counterproductive strategies, as well as missed opportunities. This article presents a critical review of biogenic carbon impact assessment methods, it compares two main approaches to include time considerations in LCA, and suggests one that seems better suited to assess the impacts of biogenic carbon in buildings.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2021: Linkages Between acequia Farming and Rangeland Grazing in Traditional Agropastoral Communities of the Southwestern USA Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10062021 Authors: Stephanie C. López Andrés F. Cibils Ursula R. Smedly Steven J. Guldan Alexander G. Fernald Carlos G. Ochoa Kenneth G. Boykin Lilian Cibils Many agropastoral systems worldwide are supported by important linkages between crop production and rangeland grazing. We explored the connections between smallholder farming and public rangeland grazing in northern New Mexico, USA. We retrieved historical data of livestock inventories, drought, and hay production which we analyzed using either ordinary least squares models, generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity models (GARCH), or exponential GARCH models. We also conducted a survey of farmers and ranchers (n = 74) of traditional communities in our study area using a mixed methods design. County hay production was the only predictor that explained year-to-year variation in allotment livestock numbers. Allotments that increased livestock numbers tended to have larger base properties (mostly irrigated cropland). Most survey respondents (95%) raised livestock and slightly more than half agreed that livestock provided better financial security than crops. Availability of summer grazing lands and ability to grow or purchase hay to feed livestock during winter were the factors cited least (6% of responses) and most (42%), respectively, as limiting farmers’ ability to increase their herd size. Livestock-raising apparently continues to be critical to the acequia agropastoral economy. Ability to acquire winter feed (hay) appears to regulate the demand for summer grazing on public forested rangelands.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1976: Tourism and Sustainability: A Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061976 Authors: Fernando J. Garrigos-Simon Yeamduan Narangajavana-Kaosiri Ismael Lengua-Lengua Sustainability is a growing research topic in tourism due to the importance of environmental and social issues, and the maintenance of patrimony and other facilities to conserve the potential of tourism destinations. Specifically, sustainability in tourism is crucial in order to guarantee a consistent development of destinations, measured by growth in income and employment. This relevance has been translated into an explosive growth in the sustainability literature regarding tourism, income, and employment. However, there is a lack of bibliometric and visualization research on tourism sustainability (TS), and specifically on its relationship with income and employment. This paper aims to present a bibliometric overview of TS research, and specifically TS related to income and employment. The current work analyzed 2279 references collected from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database and used the visualization of similarities (VOS)viewer program to graphically map the material. The study used co-occurrence of keywords, co-citation, bibliographic coupling, and co-authorship analyses. The results identify the development status and the leading trends in terms of impact, main journals, papers, topics, authors, institutions, and countries. The analysis and graphical presentations are relevant, as they can help researchers and practitioners better understand the state of the art of TS.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1974: An Empirical Study on Sustainable Innovation Academic Entrepreneurship Process Model Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061974 Authors: Xiao-Duo Qian Jing Xia Wei Liu Sang-Bing Tsai As academic entrepreneurs, university faculty members and researchers with rich knowledge resources play an important role in the technology commercialization process, and in the creation and development of university spinoff enterprises. In this paper, we used a case study method to construct a sustainable innovative academic entrepreneurship process model from the perspective of entrepreneurial behavior. Then, we used this model to provide a deeper understanding of the activities and roles of academic entrepreneurs. This paper also expounded the process of value creation that is a result of sustainable innovative academic entrepreneurship, and compared and analyzed three types of university technology commercialization models. Our results showed that in the sustainable innovative academic entrepreneurship process model, the motivation of academic entrepreneurs leads them to play multiple roles as academic researchers, enterprise founders, and enterprise managers. In creating enterprises as the founders, and establishing and developing their enterprises, academic entrepreneurs realize the commercial value of the technology, while also incrementing their personal value. The sustainable innovative academic entrepreneurship process model provides a new path for effective transfer of technological innovations from academic research to the commercial market, creates social as well as economic value, and promotes regional economic development.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1972: Laboratory Experiments of Tradable Development Rights: A Synthesis of Different Treatments Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061972 Authors: Till Proeger Lukas Meub Kilian Bizer Tradable development rights (TDR) are considered by scholars and regulators in various countries as a means of reducing land consumption efficiently. Similar to the development of CO2-certificate trading schemes, the methodology of experimental economics can be used to derive empirical evidence on the core parameters and problems of TDR schemes, thus extending theoretical modelling and evidence from case studies. Building on a common laboratory experimental framework, we discuss results from five distinct experiments that consider mechanisms of allocation, resilience against external shocks, political business cycles, communication and collusion, and risk. These results provide initial empirical directions for the further study and introduction of TDR schemes for managing and reducing environmental issues related to land consumption for building projects.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1970: A Questionnaire Case Study of Chinese Opinions on the Haze Pollution and Economic Growth Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061970 Authors: Frederick Qiu Ethan Wang Matthew Fan Hong Liao Litao Wang Zuyi Huang Haze pollution in China has reshaped daily life for the Chinese and led to serious health issues. At the same time, the Chinese have enjoyed the rapid economic growth that has contributed to this pollution. While questionnaire-based studies have been conducted within certain regions of China to learn the public’s opinions of haze pollution, little work has been done to understand how Chinese citizens value haze treatment in relation to their nation’s economic growth at a nationwide scale. To fill this knowledge gap, this project conducted a nationwide investigation of Chinese opinions on the benefits of economic growth versus the disadvantages of haze pollution, as well as their responses to efforts by the Chinese government to combat haze and to the influence of haze on Chinese daily life and on personal health. The study also sought suggestions for combatting haze. In particular, an anonymous questionnaire consisting of 29 questions was given in the summer and fall of 2017 to 1233 people of different genders, ages, child statuses, educational backgrounds, occupations, living areas (rural, suburban, and urban), and living regions. The statistical Chi squared test was then used to identify the demographic group of respondents supporting the economic slowdown policy or requesting more efforts from the Chinese government to combat haze pollution. A multivariate statistical approach—principal component analysis—was further applied to visualize respondents’ feedback on the impact of haze on their daily life and personal health, as well as the change of environment and economic conditions in the last 10 years. The results show that more than 50% of respondents, especially those with children, those between the ages of 31 to 50, and those living in high-pollution regions, supported the economic slowdown policy. Totally 40.63% of the entire group of respondents believed the government’s efforts to control haze were small or very small. Only 27.84% of respondents held the opposite opinions. In total, 72.91% of respondents believed the environment in China became worse or much worse in the past 10 years; however, most responded positively to the idea of resolving the haze issue within 15 or more years. Haze has caused health issues in and around half of the respondents and has significantly reshaped their outdoor activities.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2006: Analysis, Evaluation and Optimization Strategy of China Thermal Power Enterprises’ Business Performance Considering Environmental Costs under the Background of Carbon Trading Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10062006 Authors: Xiaohua Song Xiao Jiang Xubei Zhang Jinpeng Liu With the development of China’s energy structure adjustment and energy conservation and emission reduction, China’s carbon trading market has been fully launched. As an important participant in the carbon trading market, thermal power enterprises that play a major role in China’s power supply structure may bear huge environmental cost pressures, including carbon transaction costs. Under such a circumstance, thermal power enterprises urgently need to ensure operating performance through environmental cost management. This article takes the thermal performance of Chinese thermal power companies under the background of carbon trading as the study object, designs a measurement method for the environmental costs of thermal power companies, and analyzes the influence mechanism of the environmental cost based on the principle of system dynamics. Relying on the correlation analysis between environmental costs and business performance of thermal power companies, the company’s business performance is evaluated by data envelopment analysis (DEA) efficiency. After reaching the study conclusion, the article proposes an optimization strategy for thermal enterprises to manage and control their environmental cost and business performance. This paper closely integrates the actual background of carbon trading, including carbon transaction costs into environmental costs, and conducts an econometric analysis. It constructs a composite measurement of environmental costs that accounts for carbon transaction costs and conducts performance evaluations of power generation companies based on factors such as environmental costs, which all has a certain degree of innovation.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 2005: The Development of Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research Field Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10062005 Authors: Paul Sarango-Lalangui Jane Lucia S. Santos Esther Hormiga Sustainable entrepreneurship has received substantial recognition from academics and practitioners in the last decade, with a noticeable and rapidly increases of publications on the topic. Through bibliometric techniques and tools, this study allows mapping the main academic literature on sustainable entrepreneurship and analyzes the most substantial contributions to the advances of research in this field. The chronological analysis of literature from the Web of Science-Social Sciences Citation Index (WoS-SSCI) database—until January 2018—provides new insights not previously reviewed, such as the journals, authors and articles more influential so far. As a result, 282 articles were retrieved, which were published in 140 journals and written by 663 authors affiliated to 413 institutions, from 50 countries. The analysis allowed identifying publication evolution over time, and provides clues about the opportunities for future research.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 770: Electrochemical Degradation of Phenol and Resorcinol Molecules through the Dissolution of Sacrificial Anodes of Macro-Corrosion Galvanic Cells Water doi: 10.3390/w10060770 Authors: Boguslaw Pierozynski Grazyna Piotrowska This paper reports on the processes of phenol and resorcinol electrodegradation carried-out through continuous anodic dissolution of aluminum alloy and carbon steel sacrificial anodes for artificially aerated Cu-Al alloy and Cu-Fe-based galvanic (macro-corrosion) cells and synthetically prepared wastewater solutions. Electrochemical experiments were carried-out by means of a laboratory size, PMMA (Poly-methyl methacrylate)-made electrolyser unit, where significant degrees of phenol (10–89%) and resorcinol (13–37%) decomposition were obtained and visualized through the respective chemical/spectroscopy analyses. In addition, quantitative determination of phenol, as well as resorcinol (and possible electrodegradation products) for the selected experimental conditions was performed by means of instrumental high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis.

Beschreibung: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1967: Daily Emotional Labor, Negative Affect State, and Emotional Exhaustion: Cross-Level Moderators of Affective Commitment Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10061967 Authors: Hyewon Kong Joo-Eon Jeon Employees’ emotional-labor strategies, experienced affects, and emotional exhaustion in the workplace may vary over time within individuals, even within the same day. However, previous studies on these relationships have not highlighted their dynamic properties of these relationships. In addition, although the effects of surface and deep acting on emotional exhaustion have been investigated in emotional-labor research, empirical studies on these relationships still report mixed results. Thus, we suggest that moderators may affect the relationship between emotional labor and emotional exhaustion. Also, this study examines the relationship between emotional labor and emotional exhaustion within individuals by repeated measurements, and verifies the mediating effect of a negative affect state. Finally, our study confirms the moderating effects that affective commitment has on the relationship between emotional labor and emotional exhaustion. Data was collected from tellers who had a high degree of interaction with clients at banks based in South Korea. A total of 56 tellers participated in the survey and responded for five working days. A total of 616 data entries were collected from the 56 respondents. We used a hierarchical linear model (HLM) to examine our hypothesis. The results showed that surface-acting emotional labor increases emotional exhaustion; furthermore, the relationship between surface acting emotional labor and emotional exhaustion is mediated by a negative affect state within individuals. In addition, this study verified that affective commitment buffers the negative effects that surface acting emotional labor has on emotional exhaustion. These results suggest that emotional labor is a dynamic process within individuals, and that emotional exhaustion caused by emotional labor differs among individuals, and is dependent upon factors such as the individual’s level of affective commitment.

Beschreibung: Water, Vol. 10, Pages 766: The Influences of Sponge City on Property Values in Wuhan, China Water doi: 10.3390/w10060766 Authors: Shiying Zhang Chris Zevenbergen Paul Rabé Yong Jiang Rapid urbanization in China and global climate change have increased urban flood exposure in Wuhan, and the increased flood risk has reduced property values in flood-prone areas. The central government of China is promoting the application of the sponge city concept to reduce urban flood risk and improve the environment in cities. Wuhan is one of the pilot cities of this initiative. A shortage of funds is one of the main obstacles to sponge city construction, as is the lack of a suitable business model. To test residents’ willingness to pay for sponge city construction, this research analyzed the impact of sponge city construction on the housing values of areas covered by sponge city interventions. The authors conducted interviews and analyzed secondary data to gauge residents’ awareness and perceptions of sponge city interventions. The results show that more than half of residents in Wuhan are willing to pay for sponge city measures, but the amount they are willing to pay is limited. Residents are more willing to pay for improvements of their living environment than for flood reduction measures.