During the urbanization process in Jeddah, evidenced by an annual population growth rate of 9.5%, vacant lots have existed in developed residential areas in spite of the housing shortage. This study aimed at investigating the housing shortage problem and suggesting future solutions based on a predictive formula through four tasks: (1) examining the issues induced by population growth; (2) assessing the extent to which articles in the Procedure Manual for Preparation of Residential Land Subdivision (PMPRLS) foster diversity within villa-type neighborhoods; (3) clarifying the extent of the applicability of these articles and the contribution of existing neighborhood patterns to the housing shortage problem; and (4) providing recommendations for developing each kind of villa-type neighborhood to contribute to resolving the housing shortage. The proposed development methods for villa-type neighborhoods were derived from a correlation analysis using PMPRLS-related indicators in all such neighborhoods (103 study sites) in Jeddah and from a predictive regression analysis. This study suggests that each neighborhood class can contribute to resolving the housing shortage problem. In conclusion, diversifying lot areas, population density, and lot widths in current villa-type neighborhoods would have a positive impact on the housing shortage problem. Full article

Broadening citizen participation in biodiversity governance is often presented as a priority by public institutions. Citizens’ engagement in policy design fostering the protection of biodiversity would indeed allow two-way knowledge transfers between expert knowledge and local knowledge; it would also enable citizens to influence collective choices; and it would finally lead to inclusive decision-making processes. However, the achievement of these promises depends strongly on the capacity of public participation exercises to be fair and efficient. By focusing on these two concepts, this paper aims to contribute to identifying obstacles and tools for public participation in biodiversity governance through a comparative analysis of two case studies. The first one consists of three one-day open space technology meetings, which aimed to engage citizens in orienting biodiversity research during Paris COP21. The second one was a two-year long experiment of Citizens Committees-based participatory governance led by the French Office for Biodiversity. These two case studies are representative of two complementary dimensions of biodiversity governance: the orientation of scientific research and the regulation of individual and collective actions through laws, rules and institutional communication. Among other insights, our results determine the existence of strong skepticism regarding the political outputs of public participation, which is reinforced when the objectives and the means of the exercises are not clear enough. Second, we argue that the efficiency of participative biodiversity governance depends on the capacity of institutions to propose diversity of citizen engagement formats and objectives in order to reflect the diversity of citizens’ motivations and preferences. Full article

Application of new methodologies at Spanish universities is essential to improve the teaching–learning process, although their implementation for the initial training of students is not common. The aim of this study was to use the flipped classroom (FC) methodology in the sports management area of the bachelor’s degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences (DPASS). Students (n = 370) from private (n = 284) and public (n = 86) universities participated in different activities, ending with the completion of a survey in which the impact of an FC was analysed in three dimensions: (1) interaction, (2) learning, and (3) methodology and resources. The results show significant differences concerning ownership (private universities are more highly rated than public universities). In terms of gender (with no significant differences), the female students had a better perception of the FC. The most highly valued aspects in the dimensions were as follows: (1) they are more likely to collaborate with their classmates (3.95 + 1.05); (2) learning is more active and experiential (3.69 + 0.86); and (3) with an FC, they spent more time than in other subjects. The most used device was laptop (68.4%). This pioneering study is of relevance to faculty members in the field of sports as it enhances students’ engagement with their learning development. Full article

This research aims to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected college students’ entrepreneurial intention (EI), as well as whether the well-studied link between entrepreneurial alertness (EA) and EI is involved. Data were collected from 612 respondents, and using the stepwise regression method we examined the moderating role of college students’ perceived risk of COVID-19 on the connection between EA and EI. The results show that students’ perceived risk of COVID-19 reduces their EI. Furthermore, the perceived risk of COVID-19 attenuates the relationship between EA and EI. Specifically, those who perceived a greater risk tended to show lower EI. This article contributes to a better understanding of how the relationship between EA and EI has changed during the pandemic. Full article

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of numerous devices that are consistent with one another via the internet. Wireless sensor networks (WSN) play an integral part in the IoT, which helps to produce seamless data that highly influence the network’s lifetime. Despite the significant applications of the IoT, several challenging issues such as security, energy, load balancing, and storage exist. Energy efficiency is considered to be a vital part of the design of IoT-assisted WSN; this is accomplished by clustering and multi-hop routing techniques. In view of this, we introduce an improved metaheuristic-driven energy-aware cluster-based routing (IMD-EACBR) scheme for IoT-assisted WSN. The proposed IMD-EACBR model intends to achieve maximum energy utilization and lifetime in the network. In order to attain this, the IMD-EACBR model primarily designs an improved Archimedes optimization algorithm-based clustering (IAOAC) technique for cluster head (CH) election and cluster organization. In addition, the IAOAC algorithm computes a suitability purpose that connects multiple structures specifically for energy efficiency, detachment, node degree, and inter-cluster distance. Moreover, teaching–learning-based optimization (TLBO) algorithm-based multi-hop routing (TLBO-MHR) technique is applied for optimum selection of routes to destinations. Furthermore, the TLBO-MHR method originates a suitability purpose using energy and distance metrics. The performance of the IMD-EACBR model has been examined in several aspects. Simulation outcomes demonstrated enhancements of the IMD-EACBR model over recent state-of-the-art approaches. IMD-EACBR is a model that has been proposed for the transmission of emergency data, and the TLBO-MHR technique is one that is based on the requirements for hop count and distance. In the end, the proposed network is subjected to rigorous testing using NS-3.26’s full simulation capabilities. The results of the simulation reveal improvements in performance in terms of the proportion of dead nodes, the lifetime of the network, the amount of energy consumed, the packet delivery ratio (PDR), and the latency. Full article

Effective process management is a basic prerequisite for increasing the quality and performance of educational organizations. The aim of the paper is to point out the potential for the application of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Model 2020 to improve and perfect the processes in a Slovakian vocational school towards sustainability. We used the latest version of the EFQM Model and applied the questionnaire method to conduct a self-assessment. A study of the documentation was also carried out to get more insight into the processes of the school. The application of the EFQM Model 2020 pointed out weaknesses in areas such as those titled Organizational Culture, Driving Performance & Transformation, and Stakeholder Perceptions—namely, the perceptions of employees and partners. Improvements were primarily recommended in the fields of culture management to support changes, motivational processes to support creativity and innovation, human resource planning processes, employee training and development, performance indicators and performance management, and employees’ and partners’ perception measurement to enhance sustainable value for the students and key stakeholders. The paper contributes to the body of knowledge in the field of quality and performance management of Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers. Full article

The paper considers the integration and joint operation of a methane steam reforming unit (MSRU) and a heat pump unit (HPU) at a thermal power plant (TPP) as one of the possible ways to follow the global decarbonization policy. Research methods are simulation modeling of a thermal power plant in the program “United Cycle” and analysis of thermodynamic cycles of heat pumps. The Petrozavodskaya combined heat and power plant (CHPP) was selected as the object of the research. During the research, technological schemes for hydrogen production at the Petrozavodskaya CHPP were developed: with steam extraction to MSRU from a live steam collector and with the use of production steam. A scheme for HPU integration is proposed to reduce the cost of hydrogen and to reduce waste heat. A heat pump is used to preheat natural gas before going to MSRU. A method for determining fuel costs for hydrogen production in the trigeneration cycle of a thermal power plant was developed. The minimum specific fuel consumption for hydrogen production—7.854 t ref.f./t H₂—is achieved in the mode with steam extraction to MSRU from the turbine PT-60-130/13 (industrial extraction with a flow rate of 30 t/h). At this mode, the coefficient of fuel heat utilization is the highest among all modes with hydrogen production—66.18%. Full article

Ammonia (NH₃) emissions deriving from the management of livestock manure have a significant environmental impact, and therefore it is important to reduce them. Among the available options, the process of NH₃ stripping is promising to remove NH₃ from manures and digestates recovering it as a mineral fertilizer (e.g., ammonium sulfate) that is more widely adoptable on farms. The traditional stripping process takes place in batches; however, in this study, a continuous process was evaluated using a lab scale plant in which four reactors were used in series with different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 12 or 20 days. The NH₃ recovery of each reactor was studied for the liquid fraction of pig slurry, dairy cattle slurry and digestate, applying simple headspace aeration. For 20 days of HRT, totals of 92%, 83% and 67% of NH₃ were stripped from the digestate, pig slurry and dairy cattle slurry, respectively. For 12 days of HRT, total NH₃ recoveries were 83%, 60% and 41% for the digestate, pig slurry and dairy cattle slurry, respectively. The inlet NH₃ concentration and inlet total alkalinity had a positive and negative effect, respectively, on the specific NH₃ removal rate for each reactor. Stripping NH₃ on farm scale can abate NH₃ emissions in response to the environmental concerns of European policies. Full article

The article presents the results of an investigation of water composition and quality in sprinkler installations, as well as the influence of temperature changes on the corrosion process. The physical and chemical components of the water were measured to ascertain the influence of its properties on the corrosion process in a wet pipe sprinkler system operating in significantly changing ambient temperature conditions. The article presents the results of measurements of the wall thickness of galvanized pipes and changes in the chemical composition of water occurring under the influence of variable ambient temperature. The range and variability of temperatures corresponded to the seasons of the year: spring and summer in a temperate climate. Changes in the corrosive aggressiveness of water were assessed using the Langelier saturation index (LSI), the Ryznar stability index (RSI), and the general acidity intensity index (I). The tests revealed that the tap water used demonstrated strong corrosive properties for galvanized pipes. The calculated indices showed the tendency of water to cause corrosion (−1.1 > LSI < 1.0; RSI = 7.1–12.8). The chemical parameters that significantly influenced the corrosion of galvanized pipes are chloride (Cl⁻), sulphate (SO₄²⁻), and bicarbonate (HCO³⁻) ions. An important factor contributing to the intensification of corrosion is the roughness and heterogeneity of the pipe surface. Full article

With the current transitioning and increasing complexity of power systems owing to the continuous integration of distributed generators (DGs) and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS), power system quality and security studies have extended to incorporate the impacts of these technologies. This paper presents a review of the operation and reliability impacts of FACTS technologies in improving power quality and security in modern Cyber-Physical Power Systems (CPPS). While introducing DG to the power system helps to decentralize the network for easy accessibility and enhances clean energy system, it creates new challenges such as harmonics, voltage instability, and frequency distortion. These challenges can be tackled with FACTS devices which are flexible and dynamic smart electronic controllers used to stabilize power system parameters to improve power quality and reliability. This paper examines the current state-of-the-art optimization techniques and artificial intelligence and/or computational techniques for optimal placement and operation of FACTS devices. This review highlights the generational advancement of FACTS technologies and the different objectives of optimal placement and operation of these devices. Moreover, the concept of CPPS is discussed with the potential utilization of distribution-FACTS (D-FACTS) devices for network security. Furthermore, a bibliometric analysis was carried out to show research trend of FACTS utilization. The result presents future trajectories for power utility industries and researchers interested in power system optimization and the application of FACTS technologies in smart power system networks. Some of the significant findings leads to proposed demand-side management for placement of DGs and FACTS technologies as a more strategic optimal system sizing to minimize cost. It was also concluded that future design of FACTS/D-FACTS devices must consider and appreciate interactions with the automated systems of CPPS to enhance effective integration. To this end, design modification of the operational configuration of these devices with sensors for real-time synchronized control and interaction with other CPPS technologies is an area that requires more research attention in the future. Full article

Reducing inequalities within and among countries is one of the main tenets of the sustainable development paradigm and has become an important pillar at the European Union level. By adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, EU countries have committed themselves to meet targets against which progress in reducing inequalities can be measured. Through the present research, we aim to analyze and assess the extent to which EU countries will achieve the specific SDG 10 targets. Based on data published by Eurostat for the period 2010–2020, we forecast the trends of the indicators until the year 2030, using a model based on the AAA (Holt–Winters) version of exponential smoothing (ETS), to assess the degree to which the assumed targets will be reached. For more detailed information, we used dynamic indices to analyze the dynamics of the progress achieved. The results showed that it is difficult to clearly distinguish one or more countries as part of a group of high or low performers in terms of the efforts made and the effects achieved in reducing inequalities. However, we could mention Poland as a good and very good performer on most of the indicators analyzed. As opposite examples, we can mention Bulgaria and Greece, for which more attention and involvement are needed in adopting measures to correct the negative trend forecast. Full article

Vehicle insurance is a very important source of income for insurance companies, and it is closely related to the driving style performed by driving behavior. Different driving styles can better reflect the driving risk than the number of violations, claims, and other static statistic data. Subdivide the vehicle insurance market according to the personal characteristics and driving habits of the insured vehicles, and studying the personalized vehicle insurance products, will help the insurance companies to improve their income, help the drivers to change their bad driving habits, and thus help to realize the healthy development of the vehicle insurance industry. In the past 20 to 30 years, more and more insurance companies around the world have launched vehicle usage-based insurance (UBI) products based on driving style analysis. However, up to now, there are few comprehensive reports on commercial vehicle UBI products and their core driving risk assessment methods. On the basis of literature indexing on the Web of Science and other academic platforms by using the keywords involved in vehicle UBI, over 100 relevant works of literature were screened in this paper, and a detailed and comprehensive discussion on the driving style evaluation methods and the design of commercial vehicle UBI products during the past 20 to 30 years has been made, hoping to get a full understanding of the possible factors affecting driving style and the collectible data that can reflect these factors, and to get a full grasp of the developing status, challenges and future trends in vehicle insurance branch of the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) industry. Full article

Traffic accidents, by their nature, are random events; therefore, it is difficult to estimate the exact places and times of their occurrences and the true nature of their impacts. Although they are hard to precisely predict, preventative actions can be taken and their numbers (in a certain period) can be approximately predicted. In this study, we investigated the relationship between accident frequency and factors that affect accident frequency; we used accident data for events that occurred on a flat rural state road in Serbia. The analysis was conducted using five statistical models, i.e., Poisson, negative binomial, random effect negative binomial, zero-inflated Poisson, and zero-inflated negative binomial models. The results indicated that the random effect negative binomial model outperformed the other models in terms of goodness-of-fit measures; it was chosen as the accident prediction model for flat rural roads. Four explanatory variables—annual average daily traffic, segment length, number of horizontal curves, and access road density—were found to significantly affect accident frequency. The results of this research can help road authorities make decisions about interventions and investments in road networks, designing new roads, and reconstructing existing roads. Full article

This study aims to ascertain the level of science process skills (SPSs) among pre-service science teachers and to describe how these skills are reflected in their learning approach during the knowledge acquisition process. Additionally, we intend to explore those factors (i.e., those related to cognitive reasoning) that are utilized by pre-service teachers during science experiments conducted at home, in terms of the attainment of SPSs. The course documents of 36 pre-service science teachers were used to help further our understanding of the nature of learning about science through active participation in the inquiry process. Data collection procedures were conducted during a Laboratory Application Course; the participating students were required to undergo the Science Process Skills Test, completed to ascertain their pre-existing skills, as well as a project report investigating the factors affecting plant growth to ascertain levels of SPSs. These data were analyzed using a document analysis method. Data from a Science Process Skills Test were analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 program, along with the descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that the skills that achieved the highest averages included the formulation of preparation predations, as well as experimentation, while the lowest point averages went to the subcategories of proof through experience and communication. Upon an examination of the project reports, several pre-service teachers soon realized they had made certain errors during the design phase of the experiment, and returned to the initial stage. Still others made errors in the descriptions of variables, findings, and inferences, with the smallest minority committing errors in terms of observation. Students who possessed a meaningful learning approach were deemed as having internalized and recalled concepts in a meaningful way. Full article

Responding to the multiculturalist critiques of deliberative democratic education, Amy Gutmann and Sigal Ben-Porath suggested a more inclusive version of deliberative democratic education that emphasizes toleration, public recognition, and mutual respect. Despite its benefits and possibilities, however, their concept of democratic education fails to embrace poststructuralist ideas regarding democratic education. In the pursuit of a sustainable vision for democratic citizenship education, this study sought to conceptualize hybrid spaces wherein an ontology of plurality is woven into Gutmann and Ben-Porath’s idea of deliberative democratic education. By proposing an alternative way to integrate poststructuralist ideas such as intersubjective accounts of self-identity and human agency into the current practice of deliberative democratic education, the authors seek to promote continued dialogue on the purposes and possibilities of education for a more sustainable and democratic society. Full article