15 pages, 4414 KiB  
Article
Technology for Apple Pomace Utilization within a Sustainable Development Policy Framework
by Paweł Sobczak, Rafał Nadulski, Zbigniew Kobus and Kazimierz Zawiślak
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5470; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095470 - 2 May 2022
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4330
Abstract
The aim of this study was to develop a concept, within the framework of sustainable agriculture, for utilizing apple pomace as a valuable raw material in food production. The proposal includes a description of the production technology of four food products together with [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to develop a concept, within the framework of sustainable agriculture, for utilizing apple pomace as a valuable raw material in food production. The proposal includes a description of the production technology of four food products together with the characteristics of their chemical composition, wholesome compounds, and physical properties. These new products were developed on the basis of apple pomace and wheat bran. In the developed technology, heat treatment in a convection oven, treatment with infrared radiation, and two types of barothermic treatments, i.e., extrusion and granulation, were implemented as the principal methods. All of the proposed technologies allow for the use of pomace for the production of food products to be made directly in the home plant and are relatively easy to implement in small processing facilities. It was found that the product consisting of fragmented apple pomace (mass fraction: 75%) and wheat bran (mass fraction: 25%), obtained using infrared radiation treatment, had the greatest value in terms of wholesome characteristics among the products obtained. This product had high contents of fiber and simple sugars, the highest content of polyphenols among the obtained products, and the ability to scavenge free radicals. It was also the only one with partially preserved vitamin C. The proposed method for processing pomace for food is in line with the sustainable agriculture movement. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

50 pages, 2128 KiB  
Systematic Review
Traceability Models and Traceability Systems to Accelerate the Transition to a Circular Economy: A Systematic Review
by Silvina Santana and Agostinho Ribeiro
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5469; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095469 - 2 May 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6947
Abstract
Research and implementation efforts and investment in the circular economy are rising sharply. With the high stakes associated with achievements in the field, an increasing emphasis on evaluation, transparency and accountability are to be expected. All require high-quality data, methodologies and tools that [...] Read more.
Research and implementation efforts and investment in the circular economy are rising sharply. With the high stakes associated with achievements in the field, an increasing emphasis on evaluation, transparency and accountability are to be expected. All require high-quality data, methodologies and tools that are able to improve results and to assess and document the implementation processes and outcomes. A challenging key issue in the implementation of a circular economy is ensuring coordination, control and transparency within a network of parties. Traceability models and systems are vital pillars of such an endeavor, but a preliminary search of the available literature revealed a rather unstable and fragmented research field and practice. The objective of this systematic review was to examine those studies discussing traceability models and traceability systems while connecting traceability capacities and outputs to implement the principles of the circular economy. The literature databases were searched on 6 January 2020, with an update for the entire year of 2020. Overall, 49 studies were included. By addressing eight specific research questions, we found that a link between traceability and the circular economy is yet to be established. Sound research and practice documentation are required to establish evidence regarding this connection, including methodologies that are able to support the design and implementation of business- and lifecycle-oriented, value-based traceability models and traceability systems, along with thorough evaluation methods and tools incorporating economic, social and environmental perspectives. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

29 pages, 3667 KiB  
Article
Urban Transition and the Return of Neighbourhood Planning. Questioning the Proximity Syndrome and the 15-Minute City
by Elena Marchigiani and Bertrando Bonfantini
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5468; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095468 - 2 May 2022
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 15737
Abstract
European policies acknowledge cities’ major roles in building greener and just urban habitats. When rethinking cities’ spatial organisation, the call is for creating better liveability conditions at the level closest to citizens. In this frame, research into the impacts of COVID-19 has led [...] Read more.
European policies acknowledge cities’ major roles in building greener and just urban habitats. When rethinking cities’ spatial organisation, the call is for creating better liveability conditions at the level closest to citizens. In this frame, research into the impacts of COVID-19 has led to a revival of neighbourhood planning and the 15-Minute City has been proposed as a successful model for cities’ recoveries in the name of regained proximity to collective facilities. This article questions the long-lasting neighbourhood image that the 15-Minute City refers to, by exploring recent experiences that renewed its application. We begin with a literature review, and then develop an evidence-based approach to a deeper analysis of policy design and implementation focusing on the Italian city of Milano. Discussion and conclusions highlight critical issues and potentials of the 15-Minute City. If the threat is that of a simplified and rhetorical use of this idea, its ability to gather plural actions under an appealing flagship can be a powerful driver for urban regeneration policies. However, being more than just a reproducible spatial model, the 15-Minute City needs to be handled as a complex planning device, whose effective implementation depends on the specific characteristics of the urban environments it applies to and on the strong intertwining of different policy fields and tools. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards a Sustainable Urban Planning for the Green Deal Era)
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2829 KiB  
Article
Effects of Climate Change on Hydropower Generation in China Based on a WEAP Model
by Li Sun, Xiaoyu Zhou and Alun Gu
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5467; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095467 - 2 May 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3192
Abstract
Changes in climate patterns not only affect precipitation and precipitation patterns, but also cause the spatiotemporal redistribution of precipitation and runoff, affecting hydrogeneration in turn. Based on the coupling relationship between the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) climate change model and surface [...] Read more.
Changes in climate patterns not only affect precipitation and precipitation patterns, but also cause the spatiotemporal redistribution of precipitation and runoff, affecting hydrogeneration in turn. Based on the coupling relationship between the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) climate change model and surface runoff in China, a database of China’s major hydropower stations was constructed in this study and the Water Evaluation and Planning model was applied to analyze the impacts of climate change on hydropower generation in China by region and basin under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP)4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. During the forecast period, national power generation compared with base year first decreased in the 2030s and then increased in the 2070s, while a risk of excessive hydropower generation was concentrated in the southwestern provinces, Yangtze River Basin, and giant hydropower stations. During the 2030s, hydropower generation may face a risk of electricity generation decrease which will limit its contribution to the Nationally Determined Contribution target. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 847 KiB  
Article
Entrepreneurship or Employment? A Survey of College Students’ Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions
by Ruijie Zhu, Guojing Zhao, Zehai Long, Yangjie Huang and Zhaoxin Huang
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5466; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095466 - 1 May 2022
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 6555
Abstract
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the global job market, with increasing unemployment rates leading to an unstable social situation that has affected college students’ job prospects. This situation has drawn the attention of the Chinese government and universities [...] Read more.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the global job market, with increasing unemployment rates leading to an unstable social situation that has affected college students’ job prospects. This situation has drawn the attention of the Chinese government and universities to the promotion of entrepreneurship. The present study used field theory to analyze the entrepreneurial intentions of 4926 college students in Hangzhou, an emerging global digital city. It was found that college students who had received entrepreneurship education were more likely to insist on entrepreneurship, while the native environmental field had a significant positive effect on students’ sustainable entrepreneurial intention (SEI). These findings provide a good reference for universities to promote entrepreneurial intentions among college students and provide advice on the construction of entrepreneurship education fields. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 483 KiB  
Article
Satisfaction, Assessment and Adaptation to a Virtual Environment of the University Mentoring Programme GuíaMe-AC-UMA for Gifted High School Students
by Serafina Castro-Zamudio, Enrique Viguera, Antonio Cortés-Ramos, María Teresa Castilla-Mesa, Daniel Valbuena-Díaz and Isabel Moreno-Madrid
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5465; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095465 - 1 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2195
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to analyse the satisfaction levels of participants (mentees, mentors, and technical-research team) of a university mentoring programme. The GuíaMe-AC-UMA is aimed at gifted high school students. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IX edition was carried out [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study is to analyse the satisfaction levels of participants (mentees, mentors, and technical-research team) of a university mentoring programme. The GuíaMe-AC-UMA is aimed at gifted high school students. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IX edition was carried out in an online format. The results were compared to those of the in-person edition (VII edition) to assess whether there were differences between the editions. For this purpose, three versions (one for each participant type) of a Likert-type questionnaire were distributed among the participants of the 22 workshops offered by the GuíaMe-AC-UMA Programme. A total of 224 responses were received: 21 from the mentors, 181 from the mentees and 22 from the technical-research team. The results indicate a high level of satisfaction with the development of the workshops by all participants. While the mentees preferred the in-person edition, the rest of the participants showed no difference in satisfaction levels between editions. A similar result was observed when correcting for the subject area of the workshop. The in-person edition was valued higher than the online version by all. The overall level of satisfaction shown by all participants and the support for continuation of the programme suggest that this type of educational offer is beneficial and satisfactory for all involved, in accordance with previous research on mentoring programmes. These results indicate that programmes focused on young pre-university students with high abilities are valued; these results encourage us to continue the programme. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3145 KiB  
Article
Spatio-Temporal Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Ecological Risk in China’s North–South Transition Zone
by Li Li, Xiaoping Zhou, Lan Yang, Jinglong Duan and Zhuo Zeng
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5464; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095464 - 1 May 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2867
Abstract
Ecological risks (ERs) are external threats to ecosystem structure and function, and the evaluation of ER is valuable for understanding the extent of the disturbance of ecosystems by human activities. An objective investigation of the spatio-temporal characteristics of ER and its affecting elements [...] Read more.
Ecological risks (ERs) are external threats to ecosystem structure and function, and the evaluation of ER is valuable for understanding the extent of the disturbance of ecosystems by human activities. An objective investigation of the spatio-temporal characteristics of ER and its affecting elements can contribute to the improvement of the ecological environment and the sustainable development of regional resources. The Funiu Mountains were chosen as the study area, the ecological risk index was built using landscape interference and landscape separation, and the spatial–temporal properties and scale effect of the ER were assessed. The findings of ER may be separated into four distinct zones to study the variations in ER levels from 2000 to 2015: modest, mild, moderate, and high. Furthermore, geographically weighted regression (GWR) was used to ascertain the degree to which environmental factors impact ER and regional disparities. The results show: (1) Ecological risk assessment was sensitive to scale transformation, and there are variations in the spatial pattern of ER on diverse scale units. With the scale following a 1 km grid to the watershed, Global Moran’s I values dropped from 0.53 to 0.04, and 1 km × 1 km was the most suitable unit. (2) The ecological and environmental quality of the Funiu Mountains improved from 2000 to 2015. The extent of the high ecological risk zone dropped by 398.07 km2, but other types of ecological risk regions rose, owing to the execution of policies aimed at restoring cropland to forests. The ER presented a transitional distribution from a high risk in the surrounding area to low risk in the central area. (3) From the perspective of correlations among the influencing factors, altitude and slope had a negative correlation with other influencing factors, while others were positively correlated. The correlation coefficient between land-use degree and human activities intensity and ER was the highest. Each environmental factor had significant effects on the ERs and spatial variation existed, where the land-use degree and human activities intensity were the main obstacle factors limiting ER improvement. Population density, altitude, slope, and maximum temperature all displayed effects on ER with different directions and intensities. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

32 pages, 2427 KiB  
Article
A Hybrid Intuitionistic Fuzzy-MEREC-RS-DNMA Method for Assessing the Alternative Fuel Vehicles with Sustainability Perspectives
by Ibrahim M. Hezam, Arunodaya Raj Mishra, Pratibha Rani, Fausto Cavallaro, Abhijit Saha, Jabir Ali, Wadim Strielkowski and Dalia Štreimikienė
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5463; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095463 - 1 May 2022
Cited by 65 | Viewed by 4726
Abstract
Alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) offer opportunities to lower fuel costs as well as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and, therefore, they are a feasible option for customers in the market. Due to technological advancements, decisions about suitable alternative fuel vehicles are a challenging [...] Read more.
Alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) offer opportunities to lower fuel costs as well as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and, therefore, they are a feasible option for customers in the market. Due to technological advancements, decisions about suitable alternative fuel vehicles are a challenging problem for fleet operators. This paper aims to introduce a multi-attribute decision-analysis framework to rank and select the “alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs)” for a private home healthcare service provider in Chandigarh, India. The selection of AFVs can be treated as a decision-making problem, because of the presence of various qualitative and quantitative attributes. Thus, the current work introduces an integrated decision-making framework based on intuitionistic fuzzy-“method based on the removal effects of criteria (MEREC)”, “ranking sum (RS)”, and the “double normalization-based multi-aggregation (DNMA)” framework for assessing the AFVs. The combination of MEREC and RS is applied to assess the objective and subjective weighting values of various parameters for AFV assessment. The DNMA approach is utilized to prioritize the different AFVs over various significant parameters. According to the outcomes, the most significant parameters for AFV assessment are social benefits, fueling/charging infrastructure, and financial incentives, respectively. In this context, globally existing AFVs for the sustainable transportation sector are identified, and then prioritized against fifteen different criteria relevant to the environmental, economic, technological, social, and political aspects of sustainability. It is distinguished that electric vehicles (G2), hybrid electric vehicles (G1), and hydrogen vehicles (G3) achieve higher overall performance compared to the other technologies available in India. The assessment outcomes prove that electric vehicles can serve as a valuable alternative for decreasing carbon emissions and negative effects on the environment. This technology contributes to transportation sector development and job creation in less developed areas of the country. Moreover, a comparison with existing studies and a sensitivity investigation are conferred to reveal the robustness and stability of the developed framework. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 4769 KiB  
Article
Influence of Climatic Factors on Lightning Fires in the Primeval Forest Region of the Northern Daxing’an Mountains, China
by Yang Shu, Chunming Shi, Bole Yi, Pengwu Zhao, Lijuan Guan and Mei Zhou
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5462; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095462 - 1 May 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2763
Abstract
Forest fires lead to permafrost degradation and localized drought, and regional droughts increase the probability of forest fires, leading to a positive feedback loop between climate change and fires. However, the relationship between fire occurrence and climatic factors change is unclear for boreal [...] Read more.
Forest fires lead to permafrost degradation and localized drought, and regional droughts increase the probability of forest fires, leading to a positive feedback loop between climate change and fires. However, the relationship between fire occurrence and climatic factors change is unclear for boreal forests, which represent the largest land-based biome and stock of carbon. Here, we analyzed the relationship between lightning fire occurrence and meteorological and topographic factors based on the fire frequency, burned area, and meteorological data from the primeval forest region of the northern Daxing’an Mountains in China. We found that lightning fires occurred most frequently at an altitude of 600 to 700 m. From 1999 to 2019, the frequency of lightning fires showed an overall upward trend, whereas the affected area had no obvious change. It can be attributed to fire suppression efforts and greatly increased investment in fire prevention in China. Snow cover had a strong regulatory effect on the start and end dates of lightning fires for seasonal cycle. The frequency of lightning fires was positively correlated with the average temperature, maximum temperature, and surface evaporation and negatively correlated with precipitation and surface soil moisture (0–10 cm). The result will be useful in the spatially assessment of fire risk, the planning and coordination of regional efforts to identify areas at greatest risk, and in designing long-term lightning fires management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability)
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2033 KiB  
Article
Characterization and Planning of Household Waste Management: A Case Study from the MENA Region
by Feriel Kheira Kebaili, Amel Baziz-Berkani, Hani Amir Aouissi, Florin-Constantin Mihai, Moustafa Houda, Mostefa Ababsa, Marc Azab, Alexandru-Ionut Petrisor and Christine Fürst
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5461; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095461 - 1 May 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5653
Abstract
Solid waste management is one of the most important environmental issues worldwide, particularly in MENA countries. The present study was carried out in the city of Algiers, the capital city of Algeria. This urban area is marked by an increase in waste flow [...] Read more.
Solid waste management is one of the most important environmental issues worldwide, particularly in MENA countries. The present study was carried out in the city of Algiers, the capital city of Algeria. This urban area is marked by an increase in waste flow combined with a demographic surge. In order to investigate waste production and its drivers, we used both multiple regression and correlation analyses to test this dependence. Geospatial analysis was performed using principal component analysis integrated with GIS in order to look at the spatial distribution of waste management and potential drivers of waste production. The results indicate that household waste management is influenced by drivers related to the size of the settlement and the characteristics of waste management companies (p ≤ 0.05). The findings also show that none of the sociodemographic variables were found to significantly influence waste production. However, the spatial distribution is influenced by the geographic and sociodemographic characteristics of Algeria at all territorial levels. Algiers is still a landfill-based city in the MENA region, where mixed waste collection prevails in all districts. This study reinforces the importance of expanding source-separated waste collection schemes in order to increase the household waste diversion from landfills and, more importantly, shows how modern tools such as GIS, principal component analysis, and spatial analysis urban planning are useful for monitoring household waste, in line with circular economy principles. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1558 KiB  
Article
Sex and Affective Education at University: Evaluation of the Training of Students
by Antonio Daniel García-Rojas, Ángel Hernando-Gómez, José Ignacio Aguaded Gómez and Francisco Javier García-Prieto
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5460; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095460 - 1 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2387
Abstract
There is currently a scarcity of training proposals at university related with sex and affective education. The present work analyzes the impact on university students of an intervention in sex education implemented through training programs, in both virtual and in-person formats. A study [...] Read more.
There is currently a scarcity of training proposals at university related with sex and affective education. The present work analyzes the impact on university students of an intervention in sex education implemented through training programs, in both virtual and in-person formats. A study was conducted with 143 participants enrolled in different university degrees, following a quasi-experimental (pre–post) method with three groups, through the administration of a questionnaire composed by 138 items organized into five scales and was collected at three different times of measurement (previous evaluation, evaluation after the training period, and a final evaluation three months after the training). The results indicate that the students experienced a significant improvement on their knowledge about sexuality, with a ceiling effect detected in the scores of concepts such as attitude towards sex education, gender-based violence, intercultural sentimental relationships, and self-esteem. The conclusions revealed the need to introduce sex and affective education training in the teaching and learning processes in university contexts, through the official curricula of the undergraduate and post-graduate degrees that focus on human groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Education and Approaches)
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 593 KiB  
Article
Corporate Performance, Market-Industry Competition and Enterprise Environmental-Protection Investment
by Liu Yang, Junting Tan, Weiyi Xia, Zhaomei Chi, Han Qin, Quanxin Gan and Qin Yang
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5459; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095459 - 1 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3394
Abstract
Worldwide, many countries regard green as a keyword related to development, and investments into environmental protection are an important way for enterprises to achieve green development. Therefore, clarifying which factors influence enterprises to invest into environmental protection is very important. Starting from micro-enterprises [...] Read more.
Worldwide, many countries regard green as a keyword related to development, and investments into environmental protection are an important way for enterprises to achieve green development. Therefore, clarifying which factors influence enterprises to invest into environmental protection is very important. Starting from micro-enterprises and using the data from companies listed in China’s A-share manufacturing industry from 2008 to 2019, in this study, we empirically analyze the relationship between corporate performance (CP) and the scale of investments by enterprises into environmental protection (EI) and analyze the moderating effect of industry competition on the relationship between CP and EI. The result shows that (1) a positive correlation can be found between CP and EI; (2) fierce industry competition can increase the positive impact of CP on EI; and (3) compared with industries with non-heavy pollution, fierce industrial competition increases the positive impact of CP on EI in industries with heavy pollution. The research results show that performance is a key factor influencing enterprises’ decisions about investments into environmental protection, and industry competition can stimulate enterprises to invest into environmental protection. This study explores the internal and external factors influencing an organization to promote active behaviors of investing into environmental protection, provides a reference for enterprises to explore “win–win” paths, and provides a certain theoretical basis for the government to improve relevant regulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Sustainable Business Performance Management)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4303 KiB  
Article
CO2Flux Model Assessment and Comparison between an Airborne Hyperspectral Sensor and Orbital Multispectral Imagery in Southern Amazonia
by João Lucas Della-Silva, Carlos Antonio da Silva Junior, Mendelson Lima, Paulo Eduardo Teodoro, Marcos Rafael Nanni, Luciano Shozo Shiratsuchi, Larissa Pereira Ribeiro Teodoro, Guilherme Fernando Capristo-Silva, Fabio Henrique Rojo Baio, Gabriel de Oliveira, José Francisco de Oliveira-Júnior and Fernando Saragosa Rossi
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5458; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095458 - 1 May 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3526
Abstract
In environmental research, remote sensing techniques are mostly based on orbital data, which are characterized by limited acquisition and often poor spectral and spatial resolutions in relation to suborbital sensors. This reflects on carbon patterns, where orbital remote sensing bears devoted sensor systems [...] Read more.
In environmental research, remote sensing techniques are mostly based on orbital data, which are characterized by limited acquisition and often poor spectral and spatial resolutions in relation to suborbital sensors. This reflects on carbon patterns, where orbital remote sensing bears devoted sensor systems for CO2 monitoring, even though carbon observations are performed with natural resources systems, such as Landsat, supported by spectral models such as CO2Flux adapted to multispectral imagery. Based on the considerations above, we have compared the CO2Flux model by using four different imagery systems (Landsat 8, PlanetScope, Sentinel-2, and AisaFenix) in the northern part of the state of Mato Grosso, southern Brazilian Amazonia. The study area covers three different land uses, which are primary tropical forest, bare soil, and pasture. After the atmospheric correction and radiometric calibration, the scenes were resampled to 30 m of spatial resolution, seeking for a parametrized comparison of CO2Flux, as well as NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and PRI (Photochemical Reflectance Index). The results obtained here suggest that PlanetScope, MSI/Sentinel-2, OLI/Landsat-8, and AisaFENIX can be similarly scaled, that is, the data variability along a heterogeneous scene in evergreen tropical forest is similar. We highlight that the spatial-temporal dynamics of rainfall seasonality relation to CO2 emission and uptake should be assessed in future research. Our results provide a better understanding on how the merge and/or combination of different airborne and orbital datasets that can provide reliable estimates of carbon emission and absorption within different terrestrial ecosystems in southern Amazonia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Heat Spots and Sustainable Agriculture)
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 1163 KiB  
Review
Self-Determination as a Mechanism for Personality Sustainability in Conditions of Daily Stress
by Svetlana Kostromina, Natalia Moskvicheva, Elena Zinovyeva, Maria Odintsova and Evgenia Zaitseva
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5457; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095457 - 1 May 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5012
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty, threat to life, and repeated lockdowns have significantly undermined people’s psychological well-being. In such situations, the basic needs for self-determination (SDT) are disrupted—autonomy, connectedness, and competence—but it is the resulting dissatisfaction that actualizes a search for strategies to [...] Read more.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty, threat to life, and repeated lockdowns have significantly undermined people’s psychological well-being. In such situations, the basic needs for self-determination (SDT) are disrupted—autonomy, connectedness, and competence—but it is the resulting dissatisfaction that actualizes a search for strategies to cope with the problem. The objective of this article is to critically review the literature on various ways that people are coping with specific experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and their relationship to basic needs to maintain sustainability. We searched on the Web of Science CC database for relevant studies (2020–2021) and their systematization from the standpoint of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). This showed the dynamics of coping methods, reflecting a transition from confusion when confronted with stress, to the selection of effective strategies, confirming that when basic needs are blocked for a long time, people begin to search for a way to satisfy them. We present three levels of grouped coping methods: (1) physiological, (2) behavioral, and (3) cognitive, demonstrating their interrelationship with orientation (to oneself or to the context), assessment (a threat or a challenge), and basic psychological needs. The proposed model opens up prospects for creating effective coping and training programs for sustainable development of the individual in crisis situations. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

42 pages, 4219 KiB  
Review
A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Review on E-Marketplaces, Open Innovation, and Sustainability
by Jose Alejandro Cano, Abraham Londoño-Pineda, Maria Fanny Castro, Hugo Bécquer Paz, Carolina Rodas and Tatiana Arias
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5456; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095456 - 1 May 2022
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 8272
Abstract
In recent years, the rise of e-commerce has prompted the emergence of electronic marketplaces, or e-marketplaces, which act as intermediaries in the buying and selling process, bringing together several vendors to offer a wide range of products and services to customers, generating modalities [...] Read more.
In recent years, the rise of e-commerce has prompted the emergence of electronic marketplaces, or e-marketplaces, which act as intermediaries in the buying and selling process, bringing together several vendors to offer a wide range of products and services to customers, generating modalities such as business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C) or consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-marketplaces. E-marketplaces offer advantages such as access to potential buyers, business and product visibility, the reduction of transaction costs, the comparison of offers and prices among competitors, and the ease of business internationalization. However, the success of e-marketplace business models depends on the sustainability of these platforms, which must involve different stakeholders in order to meet economic, environmental, and social objectives. Therefore, this study presents a bibliometric analysis and systematic review of e-marketplaces, open innovation, and sustainability for the last ten, five, and two years. The analysis includes the number, types, and subject areas of documents published each year, as well as considerations such as the most-cited publications and the leading authors, journals, countries, and institutional affiliations. The analysis also includes a study of the relevant concepts in the publications and their relationships, identifying the predominant topics related to e-marketplaces, open innovation, and sustainability. The results indicate a focus on subject areas such as social sciences, environmental sciences, energy, business, management, and accounting, which is consistent with the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability. The findings show that e-marketplaces, open innovation, and sustainability are closely related to concepts such as sustainable development, e-commerce, digital marketing, China (the leading country in terms of publications in all periods), logistics, supply chain management, big data, planning, and decision making. Future works should address traffic congestion and environmental impact, new delivery practices in last-mile logistics, and the motives for users’ engagement in e-marketplaces. Likewise, future research can be oriented toward sustainability dimensions and stakeholders’ integration through open innovation and toward the limitations of SMEs in order to access and benefit from digital platforms. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1