By exploring the cooling potential of tree quantity, ground albedo, green roofs and their combinations in local climate zone (LCZ)-4, LCZ-5, and LCZ-6, this study focuses on the optimum cooling level that can be achieved in open residential regions in Changsha. It designs and models 39 scenarios by integrating in situ measurement and ENVI-met numerical simulation and further compares cooling effects of various combinations of the cooling factors. The results show that (1) an increased number of trees and higher albedo are more effective compared to green roofs in reducing summer potential temperatures at street level (2 m high) in three LCZs. Negative correlations are observed in the pedestrian air temperature with trees and ground albedo; (2) the effects of cooling factors vary among different LCZ classes, with the increased 60% more trees leading to lower outdoor temperatures for LCZ-4 (0.28 °C), LCZ-5 (0.39 °C), and LCZ-6 (0.54 °C), while higher albedo of asphalt surface (increased by 0.4) is more effective in LCZ-4 (reaches to 0.68 °C) 14:00, compare to LCZ-5 (0.49 °C) and LCZ-6 (0.38 °C); (3) applying combined cooling methods can provoke air temperature reduction (up to 0.96 °C), especially when higher levels of tree quantities (increased by 60%) are coupled with cool ground materials (albedo increased by 0.4). The results can contribute useful information for improving thermal environment in existing residential regions and future residential planning. Full article

In the last decades, lighting has evolved from a branch of engineering ensuring safety and performance in indoor and outdoor installations, to a key discipline interacting with a wide spectrum of fields and having a deep impact on our daily lives. Although this evolution also applies to other areas of knowledge, the special features of lighting make its potential and also its limitations different. It is not the typical field where a well-established mathematical framework allows a departure from well-defined input and identifying clear effects and conclusions. The reason is that lighting is a field dealing with the interaction between a physical phenomenon and a physiological and psychological system, the human being. In addition to the complexity of its basis, the relationship between lighting and sustainability has become stronger in recent years. This relationship is bi-directional in some cases: on one hand, advanced societies require more and more complex lighting installations, which means high energy consumption, use of raw materials, financial costs, manufacturing and maintenance processes, waste and emissions to the atmosphere. On the other hand, good lighting has an impact on issues like productivity, well-being, happiness, disease avoidance, safety, and many other qualitative aspects whose direct or indirect impact on sustainability is remarkable. This work will analyze how lighting can give answers to questions related to sustainability, not only from the classic topics of energy consumption and waste management, but from a wider and global perspective. The results of these works are analyzed, and the basis of the new framework of total lighting, discussed. Full article

Many cities are experiencing persistent risk in China due to frequent extreme weather events. Some extreme weather events, such as extreme heat hazard, have seriously threatened human health and socio-economic development in cities. There is an urgent need to measure the degree of extreme heat risk and identify cites with the highest levels of extreme heat risk. In this study, we presented a risk assessment framework of extreme heat and considered risk as a combination of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. Based on these three dimensions, we selected relevant variables from historical meteorological data (1960–2016) and socioeconomic statistics in 2016, establishing an indicator system of extreme heat risk evaluation. Finally, we developed an extreme heat risk index to quantify the levels of extreme heat risk of 296 prefecture-level cities in China and revealed the spatial pattern of extreme heat risk in China in 2016 and their dominant factors. The results show that (1) cities with high levels of extreme heat hazard are mainly located in the south of China, especially in the southeast of China; (2) the spatial distribution of the extreme heat risk index shows obvious agglomeration characteristics; (3) the spatial distribution of the extreme heat risk is still mostly controlled by natural geographical conditions such as climate and topography; (4) among the four types of hazard-dominated, exposure-dominated, vulnerability-dominated, and low risk cities, the number of vulnerability-dominated cities is the largest. The results of this study can provide support for the risk management of extreme heat disasters and the formation of targeted countermeasures in China. Full article

This paper proposes a new methodology for predicting aggregate flight departure delays in airports by exploring supervised learning methods. Individual flight data and meteorological information were processed to obtain four types of airport-related aggregate characteristics for prediction modeling. The expected departure delays in airports is selected as the prediction target while four popular supervised learning methods: multiple linear regression, a support vector machine, extremely randomized trees and LightGBM are investigated to improve the predictability and accuracy of the model. The proposed model is trained and validated using operational data from March 2017 to February 2018 for the Nanjing Lukou International Airport in China. The results show that for a 1-h forecast horizon, the LightGBM model provides the best result, giving a 0.8655 accuracy rate with a 6.65 min mean absolute error, which is 1.83 min less than results from previous research. The importance of aggregate characteristics and example validation are also studied. Full article

The proportion of older adults in the population is significantly growing in the EU, therefore, wellbeing of the older population has become a social challenge. Functional foodstuffs are food products with nutritional composition that may reduce the risk of diet-related diseases or enhance physiological functions. Therefore, they could play an important role in prevention and mitigation of health-related problems, and in promotion of healthy ageing. The aim of this study is to present the impact of age on consumer preferences about functionality of foods, covering attitude aspects, nutrition claims, possible carriers, some particular health problems and expectations about sustainable production. The results are based on a representative quantitative survey. Findings highlight statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences in preferences of older adults compared to other age segments. They generally accept functional foods, especially when functionality is attached to increased vitamin, protein, and fiber content. Older adults also prefer products with lower salt and sugar content, which were less relevant for other age groups. Products of fruit and vegetable origin are distinguished as carriers of functional traits. Compared to other segments, older adults accept products of animal origin (especially milk products) and even breakfast products on a higher level. The paper provides details about particular health issues that could be addressed by functional foods based on actual consumer concerns. Full article

With an increasing interest in closing the nutrient loop in agroecosystems, organic amendments are highly recommended as a reliable resource for soil nutrient recycling. However, from a carbon sequestration perspective, not much has been reported on the contribution of different organic amendments to soil organic carbon (SOC), crop carbon (C) uptake, and soil carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in wheat-maize cropping systems of sloppy upland soil. To fill the knowledge gap, a two-year lysimeter-field plots experiment was conducted in a sloppy upland purplish soil under wheat-maize cropping systems. The experiments were arranged in a complete random block design with five treatment plots, namely; fresh pig slurry as organic manure (OM), crop residues (CR), conventional mineral fertilizers (NPK) as the control, organic manure plus mineral fertilizers (OMNPK), and crop residues plus mineral fertilizers (CRNPK). Our results showed the leaf photosynthesis rate was not significantly increased by organic amendment application treatments compared to NPK treatment, and was within a range of 4.8 to 45.3 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ for the wheat season and −20.1 to 40.4 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ for the maize season across the five treatments and the measured growth stages. The soil CO₂ emissions for the maize season (in the range of 203 to 362 g C m⁻²) were higher than for the wheat season (in the range of 118 to 252 g C m⁻²) on average across the different experimental treatments over the two-year experiment. The organic amendment application increased annual cumulative CO₂ emissions from 30% to 51% compared to NPK treatment. Over the two years, the average crop C uptake ranged from 174 to 378 g C m⁻² and from 287 to 488 g C m⁻² for the wheat and maize seasons, respectively, and the organic amendment application increased the crop C uptake by 4% to 23% compared to NPK treatment. In the organic amendment treatments, the C balance ranged from −160 to 460 g C m⁻² and from −301 to 334 g C m⁻² for the wheat and the maize seasons, respectively, which were greater than those in the NPK treatment. Overall, the present study results suggest incorporation of organic amendments could be an effective strategy for increasing C sequestration and sustaining crop productivity in sloppy upland soil. Full article

Air pollution has become a global environmental problem that directly affects the living quality of city residents. It not only does damages to the physical health of the human body but also has adverse effects on mood, outdoor activities, and social interactions, which further reduces the vitality of the city. Dining out is an important way of social interaction for city residents. Using Beijing as an example, this paper aims to study the impacts of different air pollutants on dining-out activities and satisfaction of urban and suburban residents. The results show that: (1) Air pollution can significantly reduce dining-out frequency and satisfaction; (2) Due to differences in environmental and health awareness, the impact of air pollution on dining-out behaviors varies among urban and suburban residents; and (3) O₃ pollution has a greater emotional impact on suburban residents than urban residents, possibly because of the differences in defense strategies and levels of pollution exposure in the workplace. The findings imply that improving air quality can obtain not only health benefits but also long-term social and economic vitality. The publicity of environment and health information should be strengthened on key urban air pollutants, especially on particulate matter and O₃, and on disadvantaged groups to enhance environmental justice. Full article

Energy systems planning commonly involves the study of supply and demand of power, forecasting the trends of parameters established on economics and technical criteria of models. Numerous measures are needed for the fulfillment of energy system assessment and the investment plans. The higher energy prices which call for diversification of energy systems and managing the resolution of conflicts are the results of high energy demand for growing economies. Due to some challenging problems of fossil fuels, energy production and distribution from alternative sources are getting more attention. This study aimed to reveal the most proper energy systems in Saudi Arabia for investment. Hence, integrated fuzzy AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process), fuzzy VIKOR (Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisno Resenje) and TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preferences by Similarity to Idle Solution) methodologies were employed to determine the most eligible energy systems for investment. Eight alternative energy systems were assessed against nine criteria—power generation capacity, efficiency, storability, safety, air pollution, being depletable, net present value, enhanced local economic development, and government support. Data were collected using the Delphi method, a team of three decision-makers (DMs) was established in a heterogeneous manner with the addition of nine domain experts to carry out the analysis. The fuzzy AHP approach was used for clarifying the weight of criteria and fuzzy VIKOR and TOPSIS were utilized for ordering the alternative energy systems according to their investment priority. On the other hand, sensitivity analysis was carried out to determine the priority of investment for energy systems and comparison of them using the weight of group utility and fuzzy DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) approaches. The results and findings suggested that solar photovoltaic (PV) is the paramount renewable energy system for investment, according to both fuzzy VIKOR and fuzzy TOPSIS approaches. In this context our findings were compared with other works comprehensively. Full article

Through history, the habitats of wild mammals have changed greatly in China. Habitat changes may reflect changes in the environment and human–wildlife conflicts. This study focused on how the habitat changed for six taxa of rare wild mammals (one family, one genus, and four species) in mainland China. Their historical and current habitats were estimated according to their historical and current presence occurrences and three sets of environmental data (climate data, topography data, and human activity data), using the Maximum Entropy Model. Then, spatial statistical methods were used to analyze the changes in their habitats, and how human activities have influenced changes in their habitat. The results suggest that the habitats of all six taxa of mammals have shrunk considerably, compared to their historical ranges. With regards to current or past habitats, on average, 68.3% of habitats have been lost. The Asian elephant, which is facing the most serious habitat losses, has lost 93.1% of its habitat. By investigating the relationship between the changes in habitats and the anthropogenic impacts for each taxa, human activities have an obvious negative influence on mammal habitats. The sensitivity of habitats to human activities varies among different mammals: the tiger, Asian elephant, Bactrian camel, and snub-nosed monkey are more sensitive to human activities than musk deer and Chinese water deer. Full article

Previous research on work engagement has sought to understand the drivers, as well as the consequences, of engaging people at work. The drivers of engagement have been found mainly within the work domain. However, working life is not detached from personal life, which has been demonstrated by research on work-life balance. The goal of this research is to understand the relation between life satisfaction and work engagement. Data were collected from a sample of 571 employees from major Portuguese companies using a questionnaire. The results confirmed the constructs used, and the regression model showed that life satisfaction is related to work engagement. The main conclusion was that work engagement can be explained by factors external to the organization, which are an integral part of employees’ lives. Being a psychological and emotional state, work engagement can be related to other aspects of employees’ lives besides their organizational and job roles. Full article

Eudaimonic well-being is related to activities that lead to self-realization and personal development, goals and growth. Emotional intelligence and personality traits play a role in the perception of emotions, self-esteem and motivation and therefore in well-being. Although previous studies have analyzed the relationship among personality, emotional intelligence and well-being, the relationship between all three constructs and the predictive value of personality and emotional intelligence in the study of eudaimonic well-being in adolescents remains to be analyzed. This study evaluates this relationship and the predictive role of personality and emotional intelligence in eudaimonic well-being in 1031 Spanish secondary school students aged 12 to 17 (49.37% male, average age = 14.91 years). A quantitative field survey was conducted which included the distribution of the eudaimonic well-being questionnaire, the emotional intelligence questionnaire and the personality questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and correlations among eudaimonic well-being, emotional intelligence and personality well-being were calculated using SPSS Statistical Package software. Stepwise multiple regression was used to estimate the predictive value of personality and emotional intelligence in the study of eudaimonic well-being. Finally, a structural equations model was designed with AMOS software. The results show that these constructs are related and that personality and emotional intelligence are important variables for eudaimonic well-being. In addition, activity and anxiety factors (related to personality) and emotionality and well-being factors (related to trait emotional intelligence) have been shown to have predictive value in the study of eudaimonic well-being in adolescents. These results underline the value of personality and emotional intelligence in the study of eudaimonic well-being and present new research perspectives. Full article

It has repeatedly been claimed that persistent traditional agriculture and marketing in countries of the Global South, such as India, are a fruitful basis for the foundation of alternative food networks (AFNs). However, literature on AFNs in the Global South is scarce and it thus remains uncertain how the appropriation of traditional agri-food practices plays out. We conducted semi-structured expert interviews with representatives of 14 AFNs in Bengaluru, India, in order to explore their aims and approaches. We found that there is a high variety of different AFNs in the city. One salient discourse among the representatives was that the agri-food system can be improved by a revitalization of tradition. In this paper, we discuss the implications of this conviction on representatives of AFNs. Traditionalism, we argue, does rather represent a deflection from achieving the stated goals of the AFN, namely the improvement of the livelihood of Indian farmers. Full article

The Finnish forest industry is committed to applying novel technologies for increasing carbon-neutral development and environmental sustainability in “green” circular industry. This study compares the energy efficiency indicators of road freight transportation. Additionally, effects of four mass limits of vehicle combinations are analyzed after a three-year adaptation process that took place in a wood procurement region of 100% renewable resources. The wood-based energy efficiency model (load’s wood energy/fossil transport energy) was the most accurate and precise measure as the development indicator. The indicator showed that the transportation systems (60, 64, 68, and 76 t) and (64, 68, and 76 t) were carbon negative (122, 133, 144, and 108) (142, 147, and 133) in 2014 and 2016, respectively. The numbers reveal positive energy ratio of renewable wood and fossil fuels. In comparison to 60 t, the use of 68 t vehicles increased energy efficiency most effectively in the systems, by 18.0% and 20.5%, respectively. The indicator robustly revealed the energy efficiency of a partial system in the smaller supply region, which depended on the region’s transportation conditions. This novel knowledge can be applied for advancing the adaptation toward carbon-neutral supply networks. There is also the development potential of an industrial ecosystem model for optimizing the environmental sustainability of “green” circular industry. Full article

Although the innovation factor endowment of Heilongjiang province is relatively rich, many innovation resources cannot effectively promote the sustainable development of innovation-driven performance. The combined drift degree evaluation method and grey-DEMATEL model were used to study regional innovation performance in Heilongjiang province and the key factors influencing it. The results of this study show that the overall trend of regional innovation performance is slowly rising. Compared with other regions, the level of science and technology output is in the forefront, and the level of economic output and social effect is at the end. The innovation performance level of enterprises and research institutions is at the end position, showing a trend of slow rise and then slow decline. The innovation performance level of universities is in the middle position, showing a trend of rising first, then falling and then rising. The degree of marketization, the financial environment, the intellectual property system, the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and the level of human capital are the core factors that affect the regional innovation performance. The dominant position and leading role of regional enterprises and the cooperation between industry, university and research institutes should be strengthened through government policies. Full article

Rapid urbanization has seen a concurrent growth of informal economies, which play an important role in alleviating urban unemployment and poverty. Following international efforts to integrate divergent theories on informality, this paper examines the causes of urban informal economies in China by deploying a panel data regression model that considers multiple explanatory factors informed by these theories. Our estimation based on the latest China Population Census shows that the size of urban informal employment in China reached 215 million and 22% of gross domestic product (GDP) output share was from urban informal economies. Our model reveals that the causes of urban informal economies in China are mainly associated with the stages of economic development, tertiarization of industries, unemployment, rural-to-urban migration, and globalization of urban economies. This paper adds evidence from the Chinese context to the emerging argument that informal economies cannot be fully explained by each mainstream informality theory, suggesting that these theories should be seen as complementary rather than opposing alternatives. The paper concludes with policy implications for urbanization in China. Full article