Critical Resources Research Articles

Assessing Geospatial Accuracy in Mapping Applications: A Focus on Google Earth

Google Earth, among other online mapping platforms, offers an interactive mapping platform that has become indispensable for academic and research applications. It serves as a primary reference and a foundational tool for map creation, providing open-source, cost-free imagery that meets the user needs of the mapping community. As a contemporary repository of high-resolution images of Earth's landmass, Google Earth has vast potential for scientific exploration and remains an underexploited resource. Its rapid expansion and consistent reliability make it a favored source for mapping and routing tasks. However, this research underscores the crucial aspect of Google Earth's positional accuracy, which is at the heart of this study. A comparative analysis between the positional accuracy of Google Earth and traditional ground surveying maps was conducted. The Wilcoxon rank test and quantitative methods were used to evaluate coordinate discrepancies, revealing significant discrepancies between the two datasets. This study aims to provide a rigorous assessment of Google Earth's utility and accuracy in scientific and academic contexts, emphasizing its role and reliability as a critical resource for researchers and practitioners in the field of mapping. The results revealed displacement changes in both the northing and the easting coordinates. For the northing coordinates, the displacement increases when moving eastward and decreases when moving westward. For the easting coordinates, the displacement increases when moving northward and decreases when moving southward. This pattern highlights spatial discrepancies and the varying impact of location on the dataset's accuracy, emphasizing the need for targeted corrections to enhance data accuracy. These key findings provide valuable insights that could significantly contribute to optimizing mapping practices and efficiently exploiting this vast, yet underexplored, digital resource. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2024-010-08-012 Full Text: PDF

The cry of Landless Smallholder Women Farmers and Agro-Processors in Northern Ghana- Evidence from West Mamprusi Municipality

Women’s access to critical resources such as land is one of the most topical issues amongst development practitioners, gender advocates, and policymakers alike. Land is one of the bases of wealth, power, and authority in most developing countries. As such, no meaningful development takes place without land resources, yet gender inequalities concerning land allocation and distribution exist in most Sub-Saharan African countries, especially northern Ghana where the majority of the affected are women. This paper examined the effect of the customary land tenure system on landless women smallholder farmers and Agro-processors in West Mamprusi Municipality. Primary data from individuals and household heads, chiefs, and Tingban-dima (landowners), were gathered using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews. The secondary was also extensively reviewed as a complement to the primary data in the area of study. The study revealed significant gender disparities between men and women relative to land allocation and land access. Women's access to land was abysmal compared to that of men. The situation was also found to be aggravated by the dominant patriarchal relations which favor men relative to property ownership. only a handful of women had owned and had access to some lands but in most cases, such lands were reported to be poorer in quality, and lack proximity relative to complementary resources such as water. additionally, some lands in the hands of women came in with hefty royalties, thereby exacerbating their plight. The productive capacity of women in food production, agro-processing, vegetable production, and animal husbandry was found to be impeded by the land tenure system which limits their livelihood opportunities thereby widening the poverty gap between women and men. Nonetheless, women's access to land has seen a bit of improvement over the years, considering the recognition of women’s contribution to household income and the nutritive diet of children, but Indigenous traditional inheritance structures still limit the potential of women in this direction. The need to therefore advocate for a change in traditional land ownership and distribution by emphasizing on women’s rights and contribution to development. The constitution of Ghana allows for equal access to land irrespective of gender; this must therefore be advocated. This will address the gender gap in land and water resources to pave the way for women in agriculture, which will improve rural livelihoods, especially women of reproductive age.

Optimizing EV charging stations: a simulation-based approach to performance and grid integration

This study addresses the optimization of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, focusing on enhancing performance and grid integration through a comprehensive simulation approach. By employing advanced simulation tools in Simulink® and MATLAB®, alongside electrical installation planning with SIMARIS®, we meticulously analyze the charging process, infrastructure requirements, and their implications on the power grid. Our results demonstrate significant improvements in charging station efficiency and reliability, highlighting the effectiveness of our proposed control strategies and harmonic mitigation techniques. Notably, the integration of renewable energy sources emerges as a pivotal factor in reducing operational costs and carbon emissions, furthering the sustainability of EV charging solutions. The research delineates the environmental benefits, emphasizing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and enhancement of urban air quality, pivotal in the global shift towards cleaner transportation modes. This work contributes valuable insights into the design and grid integration of EV charging stations, offering a scalable model for future infrastructure development. It serves as a critical resource for engineers, policymakers, and stakeholders in the realm of electric mobility, advocating for a strategic transition to EVs supported by robust and efficient charging infrastructure.

A hydrogeological conceptual model of aquifers in catchments headed by temperate glaciers

Abstract. For reliable forecasting of the evolution of critical water resources, as well as of potential flood and landslide hazards and their response to climate change, it is necessary to improve the understanding and quantification of unknown aquifer systems in glacierized catchments. We focus on four southeastern outlet glaciers of the main Icelandic ice cap, Vatnajökull. A multidisciplinary approach is carried out, including the acquisition of new in situ data to characterize aquifers and their groundwater dynamics. Moreover, the recharge to aquifers from glacial melt and effective rainfall is estimated. From a detailed analysis of all available data and the determination of the dynamic characteristics of the aquifers, a hydrogeological conceptual model of glacierized catchments is constructed: (i) two distinct aquifers, their hydraulic conductivities and their hydrodynamic responses to climate forcing are identified; (ii) a comprehensive water balance for the whole catchment is obtained; (iii) the subglacial recharge to the aquifers is shown to be 4 times higher than in the proglacial area; and (v) the importance of the impact of the glacial melt recharge on the groundwater system is demonstrated. Thus, we highlight the major role that the groundwater component has in the hydrodynamic functioning of glacierized catchments.

EXPRESS: Zooming in on the Very Early Days: The Role of Trademark Applications in the Acquisition of Venture Capital Seed Funding

New ventures are essential for developing innovations and generating economic and societal value, but they depend on external resources, especially from venture capitalists, who provide seed funding to make necessary advances in the development and commercialization of their innovative products. From the marketing discipline’s perspective, the question is whether marketing actions play a role in this early acquisition of critical resources. Building on organizational legitimacy theory, we argue that trademark applications are important from day one, as they send important information cues to venture capitalists (e.g., on marketing-related professionalism) that foster the acquisition of venture capital (VC) seed funding. We build a dataset using Crunchbase and USPTO data that follows 5,370 ventures founded between 2007 and 2010 over several years up to 2018. We find that new ventures that file trademark applications have an increased likelihood of acquiring VC seed funding compared to firms that do not file trademark applications. This association is strongest during the first 100 days and diminishes about 1,000 days after foundation. The effect is particularly pronounced in industries characterized by low technological uncertainty and when new ventures do not operate from a location with a cluster of startups, such as Silicon Valley.

Customer enrollment and participation in building demand management programs: A review of key factors

Increasing the efficiency and flexibility of electricity demand is necessary for ensuring a cost-effective and reliable transition to zero-carbon electricity systems. Such demand-side management (DSM) resources have been procured by utilities for decades via energy efficiency and demand response programs; however, the key drivers of program enrollment and customer participation levels remain poorly understood — even as governments and grid planners seek to scale up the deployment of DSM assets to meet climate targets. Here we systematically review the evidence on multiple factors that may influence customer enrollment and participation in building DSM programs, focusing primarily on residential and commercial buildings. We examine the contexts in which relationships between DSM factors and outcomes are most often explored and with which methods; we also score the strength, direction, and internal consistency of each factor's reported impact on the enrollment and participation outcomes. We find that studies most commonly assess the effects of economic incentives for load flexibility on program participation levels, often using simulation-based methods in lieu of measured data. Few studies focus on program enrollment outcomes or regulatory drivers of either enrollment or participation, and gaps are also evident in the coverage of emerging DSM opportunities like load electrification. Removal of structural barriers (e.g., the lack of controls infrastructure) and the use of third party services (e.g., load aggregators) are the factors with the largest positive impacts on DSM outcomes, but no single factor emerges as clearly most impactful. For a given factor, the range of reported impacts typically varies widely across the relevant studies reviewed. Our findings provide a snapshot of the state of knowledge about building DSM and customer decision-making, and they expose key gaps in understanding that must be filled if building DSM is to expand as a critical resource for operating clean power grids.

Why Black Teachers Matter

Black teachers are critical resources for children and schools. In experimental data, I document large effects of Black upper-elementary teachers on the self-efficacy (0.9 SD) and classroom engagement (0.7 SD) of their Black but not non-Black students, potentially driven by role modeling. Black teachers also benefit the test scores (0.2 SD) and absences (over 20% decrease) of all students—no matter their race/ethnicity—that often persist years later in high school. Furthermore, Black teachers bring unique mindsets and practices to their work (differentiated instruction, growth mindset beliefs, well-organized classrooms) that mediate a moderate to large share of effects on student outcomes. These findings help bridge the quantitative race/ethnicity-matching literature with theoretical discussion and qualitative exploration on why Black teachers matter.

Editorial for Special Issue “Rare Metal Ore Formations and Rare Metal Metallogeny”

Rare metals (usually defined as including elements such as Li, Rb, Cs, Be, Sn, Nb, Ta, Zr, Y, U, and rare-earth elements) are included in the list of “critical mineral resources” by major economies around the world [...]

Hybrid AI-based 4D trajectory management system for dense low altitude operations and Urban Air Mobility

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has emerged as a promising solution to address some of the challenges of transportation congestion and associated pollution, especially in large cities. However, the development of drone transportation and UAM services is limited by the capacity of the low altitude airspace where these new vehicles will operate. Without suitable regulatory advancements and associated traffic management systems, air traffic in the densest low-altitude sectors may incur congestion, which, in addition to affecting operational efficiency, can increase systemic risk and fuel emergency occurrences, thereby affecting the safety of people and property in the air and on the ground. To address these challenges, this study aims to develop an intelligent Uncrewed Aircraft Traffic Management (UTM) system that leverages the complementary strengths of metaheuristic and machine learning algorithms for an effective management of dense low altitude airspace. The UTM system determines time-based three-dimensional airspace Demand-Capacity Balancing (DCB) solutions by processing real-time data updates and dynamically replanning flight paths and DCB decisions in any given context, while also providing UAM operators with relevant inputs for autonomous decision-making. Simulation-based verification activities in representative conditions show that the proposed UTM system has the ability to effectively resolve overload instances and minimize potential conflicts in low-altitude airspace, with an operationally acceptable running time. We conclude that the proposed hybrid algorithm can support a successful implementation of UAM services in and around cities, and it has high potential to address critical airspace resource constraints also in traditional Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM).

LGBTQ+ Faculty Members' Perceptions of Diversity Policies and Practices in Higher Education

Problem The career development and professional growth of LGBTQ+ faculty members in higher education is an under researched topic in the field of human resource development (HRD); particularly as it relates to ways that exclusionary diversity policies and practices can hinder well-being and perpetuate marginalization of this group. While current diversity policies and practices in higher education acknowledge and address race and ethnicity, gender identity and sexuality have tended to receive far less attention. This issue is particularly problematic within the HRD career development paradigm. The reinforcement of cisheteronormativity leads to feelings of marginalization and exclusion among LGBTQ+ faculty members, highlighting systemic barriers that hinder their professional growth. Solution The purpose of this study was to explore six LGBTQ+ faculty members’ perceptions of diversity policies and practices at their respective institutions, investigating how the language and implementation of them contribute to a sense of marginalization and exclusion. The role of critical human resource development (CHRD) in challenging the social injustices emanating from exclusionary diversity policies and practices is discussed. Implications for positive career development outcomes from implementing and enforcing inclusive diversity policies and practices are highlighted. Stakeholders The stakeholders are higher education institutions (HEIs), human resource development (HRD) practitioners who may work with them, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) executives.

Board gender diversity in municipally owned corporations: A resource dependence perspective

The increasing use of municipally owned corporations (MOCs) to provide vital public services has drawn attention to the representation of women on MOC boards of directors. Resource dependency theory suggests that board composition is likely to be shaped by linkages to critical resources within an organization's environment. This paper presents an analysis of the organizational determinants of board gender diversity in 802 MOCs in England and Wales for the period 2009–2019. The findings suggest that public ownership, nonprofit legal form, board size and a human services focus are positively related to board gender diversity, but that inter-municipal ownership and a technical services focus are all negatively related to such diversity. The findings highlight the impact that organizational characteristics associated with critical resource dependencies can have on gender equality (GE) in corporatized public services. Points for practitioners Evidence on the determinants of gender board diversity in MOCs can help policy-makers to understand the role that organizational characteristics play in shaping GE within corporatized public services. This paper highlights that the ownership structure, board size and legal form of MOCs all affect the prevalence of women directors on MOC boards. It is also important to recognize how service area can influence GE on MOC boards.

Combinatorial Separation of Cd and Te from CdTe via Chemical Vapour Transport with Sulfur and Air/Methane Treatment for the Recovery of Critical Resources from Thin Film Solar Cells.

Elemental Te and Cd are successfully recovered from CdTe via a combinatorial process involving chemical vapor transport (CVT) using sulfur as transport agent giving elemental Te being deposited. Separation is successfully enabled by the first process for CVT of Te starting with CdTe. Cd is subsequently recovered by an oxidation of the formed CdS to CdO followed by reduction to Cd metal with natural gas, in which Cd can also be separated via the gas phase. Hereby, the process addresses the main critical elements of the active material in thin film CdTe solar cells regarding both, scarcity and toxicity. Both, closed and open systems were investigated displaying more or less thermodynamic control of the system. Transport rates were determined for the closed system as well as for an open system working with sulfur vapour at moderate temperatures below and close to the boiling point of sulfur. Excellent purity of tellurium was achieved already by the initial transport, leading to low Cd2+ concentrations in the obtained Te being below the quantification limit of microwave plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES) (≪0.05 wt %).

Leveraging community health workers for COVID-19 response in Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda: roles, barriers, and facilitators

BackgroundThe Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic overwhelmed health systems and disrupted the delivery of health services globally. Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a critical role in linking communities to health systems, supporting the prevention and control of diseases in many low- and middle-income countries. However, their roles, barriers, and facilitators in the response and control of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been well documented. We described the roles of CHWs in the COVID-19 response, including the barriers and facilitators.MethodsA cross-sectional study design was used to assess the COVID-19 response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda. This involved 110 key informant interviews with policymakers, health facility managers, district health managers, and CHWs to understand the role of CHWs in the COVID 19 response, selected purposively. The total sample size was based on information saturation in each of the countries. A document review on the COVID-19 response was also conducted. We searched Google, Google Scholar, and PubMed for published and grey literature. Data from the selected documents were extracted into a Google master matrix in MS Excel and analyzed thematically.ResultsIn COVID-19 Control, CHWs supported community-based surveillance, contact tracing, risk communication, community mobilization, and home-based care. To support the continuity of other non-COVID-19 services, the CHWs conducted community mobilization, sensitizations, outreaches, referrals, and patient follow-ups. CHWs were challenged by movement restrictions, especially in the initial stages of the lockdown, inadequate PPE, increased workload, low allowances, and motivation. CHW were facilitated by trainings, the development of guidelines, development partners’ support/funding, and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and tools.ConclusionCHWs supported both the COVID-19 control and continuity of non-COVID-19 health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. CHWs are a critical resource that must be adequately supported to build resilient health systems.

The 4.2 ka BP event in western Anatolia: Tracing the impact of climatic change

Climatic change has been called for as an explanation on many occasions of societal change. The way climatic deterioration affects societies appears to be straightforward; it causes such alterations in the environment that critical subsistence resources are not anymore available in sufficient abundance. Nevertheless, it is not clear how these alterations can be identified and verified in the archeological record, and there is not an easy way to clarify if modifications observed in subsistence patterns are the consequences of climatic change or other agents. Additionally, there is a number of problems related to paleoenvironmental data that measure the climatic fluctuations, mostly concerning the exact timing of events and their intensity which may not have been the same universally. In this research, we examine the 4.2 ka BP climatic event and its possible effects on western Anatolian societies through a set of published data. We discuss the information we have about the event from available paleoenvironmental data and the gaps in this kind of research. We examine the agropastoral economy from Troy, Küllüoba, Kanlıgeçit, and Karataş-Semayük for possible changes according to a set of criteria that we consider as indicators of responses to aridification. We found diverging strategies that may relate to the different local environments or varying societal structures unique to each site. We consider a partial turn to nomadic pastoralism as an adaptation strategy based on changes in settlement patterns. Finally, we evaluate our findings against other possible explanations since the observed patterns could have had multiple explanations.

Conventional water resources associated with climate change in the Southeast Mediterranean and the Middle East countries

Conventional water sources in the Southeast Mediterranean and the Middle East play a crucial role in driving the socio-economic progress of the region. This study aims to address the uncertainties, discrepancies, and gaps in knowledge regarding how to combat the climate crisis and extreme weather events impacting traditional water sources. These sources encompass rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and groundwater reservoirs that are vital for agriculture, industry, and daily household needs. The availability and upkeep of water resources in this area are influenced by factors like climate change, population growth, and competing demands from different sectors. The methodology involved an extensive review of research literature curetted from a wide array of international scientific studies and reports, drawing data from sources such as PubMed, EBSCO, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and UNESCO, WHO databases. The findings underscore the importance of traditional water sources in these regions, underscoring their significance for agricultural, industrial, and domestic applications. The accessibility of water resources varies among nations, with some grappling with water scarcity issues. This research delves into the condition of traditional water sources in the Southeast Mediterranean and the Middle East, shining a spotlight on concerns like water scarcity, pollution, and governance, offering valuable insights into these critical resources.

A FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGEMENT OF LEAKS AND EQUIPMENT FAILURE IN OIL WELLS

Oil is a precious and critical natural energy resource that is used in numerous ways to drive various industries worldwide. The extraction of oil from underground reservoirs is a complex process that requires a lot of planning, careful execution, and risk management. In this paper, CNN is employed to extract relevant features from sensor primary data collected from various wells. Detecting undesirable events such as leaks and equipment failure in oil wells is crucial for preventing safety hazards, environmental damage and financial losses, making it challenging to identify issues in a timely and accurate manner. This dissertation describes a hybrid model for detecting undesirable events in oil and gas wells using a combination of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) techniques. The CNN architecture enables effective information extraction by applying convolutional layers and pooling operations to identify patterns and spatial dependencies in the data. The extracted features are then fed into an LSTM network, which can capture temporal dependencies and learning long-term patterns. By utilizing LSTM, the model can effectively analyse the time series data and detect the occurrence of undesirable events, such as abnormal pressure, fluid leakage, or equipment malfunction, in oil and gas wells. The hybrid model leveraging CNN for feature extraction and LSTM for detecting undesirable events in the oil and gas industry presents a comprehensive approach to enhance well monitoring and prevent potential hazards. Achieving high accuracy rates of 99.8% for training and 99.78% for testing demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed model in accurately identifying and classifying undesirable events in oil and gas wells.

Design, construction, and validation of obstetric risk classification systems to predict intensive care unit admission.

To develop and validate a support tool for healthcare providers, enabling them to make precise and critical decisions regarding intensive care unit (ICU) admissions for high-risk pregnant women, thus enhancing maternal outcomes. This retrospective study involves secondary data analysis of information gathered from 9550 pregnant women, who had severe maternal morbidity (any unexpected complication during labor and delivery that leads to substantial short-term or long-term health issues for the mother), collected between 2009 and 2010 from the Brazilian Network for Surveillance of Severe Maternal Morbidity, encompassing 27 obstetric reference centers in Brazil. Machine-learning models, including decision trees, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), were employed to create a risk prediction tool for ICU admission. Subsequently, sensitivity analysis was conducted to compare the accuracy, predictive power, sensitivity, and specificity of these models, with differences analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. The XGBoost algorithm demonstrated superior efficiency, achieving an accuracy rate of 85%, sensitivity of 42%, specificity of 97%, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 86.7%. Notably, the estimated prevalence of ICU utilization by the model (11.6%) differed from the prevalence of ICU use from the study (21.52%). The developed risk engine yielded positive results, emphasizing the need to optimize intensive care bed utilization and objectively identify high-risk pregnant women requiring these services. This approach promises to enhance the effective and efficient management of pregnant women, particularly in resource-constrained regions worldwide. By streamlining ICU admissions for high-risk cases, healthcare providers can better allocate critical resources, ultimately contributing to improved maternal health outcomes.

Towards a Sustainable Structure of an Urban Water–Energy–Food Nexus: Based on Network and Hierarchy Analysis

Water, energy, and food (WEF) are critical resources to sustain urban development, which requires a sustainable structure of the urban WEF nexus to address trade-offs and achieve synergies. Although interactions in the WEF nexus are widely explored, its sustainable structure has largely been ignored. This study constructs a framework of WEF nexus sustainability factors. Based on a literature review and expert opinions, 21 factors influencing urban WEF nexus sustainability were extracted and their interrelationships determined. We used social network analysis (SNA) and interpretive structural modeling (ISM) to analyze the structure of the urban WEF network. The results indicate that technological investment and industrial added-value energy consumption are the most critical and fundamental factors for promoting the sustainable development of the urban WEF nexus. Additionally, the balance of water supply and demand and the comprehensive management of waste pollutants are also driving and supporting factors for the sustainability of the urban WEF nexus. The results of this study complement the interaction mechanism research of the urban WEF nexus and provide practical references for sustainable decision-making in urban WEF nexus practices.

Development for Empowerment: Mobilising Online and Digital Micro-Credentials for Refugees

Development for empowerment focuses on leveraging education via digital technologies and micro-credentials for training and education as part of the integration, social inclusion and capacity building for displaced persons. Development for empowerment builds upon the previous concepts of development including Amartya Sen’s ‘development as freedom,’ the core concept of education and learning as development, and the use of digital technologies for building human capacity so people can make their own choices and pursue the lives they wish to lead. Development for empowerment for refugees broadens the construct of development and is integral to promoting and nurturing ‘equity, access and success’ amongst refugee populations. The authors highlight critical resources that support the basic tenets of human empowerment such as the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights, the UN’s Basic Needs Approach to Refugees, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and the key strategies of online delivery and micro-credentials development. Moreover, the authors emphasise that the integration, social inclusion and integration of refugees is a highly complex construct to implement and sustain, thus reflecting the constant tension of refugees’ emotional desire to return home versus rebuilding a new life in a new country. In the final analysis, ‘development for empowerment’ + open and distance learning + digital micro-credentials create a powerful synergy for serving refugees and fulfilling the spirit of preserving human rights through education and the pursuit of one’s chosen life as a precious human ideal.

Thermodynamic assessment of evaporation during molten steel testing onboard the International Space Station

Evaporation control is a critical facility resource during solidification experiments that limits processing time and must be tracked to ensure facility health. A thermodynamic analysis was performed on a ternary FeCrNi sample processed onboard the International Space Station (ISS) using ESA Electromagnetic Levitation (EML) facility in a microgravity environment. A non-ideal solution-based mathematical model was applied for the overall sample mass loss prediction during this study. The overall sample mass loss prediction is consistent with the post-flight mass loss measurements. The species-specific findings from this study were validated using post-mission SEM-EDX surface evaluations by three different facilities. The bulk composition prediction was validated using SEM-EDX and wet chemical analysis. The non-ideal solution model was then applied to predict the composition of the dust generated during EML testing. The thicknesses of the deposited layer on the EML coil at various locations were also calculated using the geometry of the facility and results were validated with near-real-time dust layer predictions from toxicity tracking software developed by the German Space Center (DLR) Microgravity User Support Center (MUSC).