Key Issues Research Articles

The phenomenon of the loss of vacations

ABSTRACT This study explores the phenomenon of the loss of vacations in the broader context of the transition from student life, which is characterized by longer and more predictable breaks, to the world of work, whereas holidays are typically shorter duration and less predictable. The research aims to investigate the impact of the transition from student life to the professional world on individuals’ perceptions of holidays. Key issues include understanding the experience of this transition, the modifying factors influencing the perceived loss of vacations, and the extent to which holidays compensate for this loss. Utilizing a qualitative method of understanding interviews with eight respondents from Czech Republic and subsequent interpretive phenomenological analysis, the research provide nuanced insights into these aspects of transition. Additionally, the results delineate the factors that influence the experience of the loss of vacations. These encompass employment, habit, acceptance of a new role, activity versus passivity, and value orientation, with implications for time planning, characterizing holidays as an imaginary but only partial substitute for the vacations.

Identifying Key Issues in Integration of Autonomous Ships in Container Ports: A Machine-Learning-Based Systematic Literature Review

Background: Autonomous ships have the potential to increase operational efficiency and reduce carbon footprints through technology and innovation. However, there is no comprehensive literature review of all the different types of papers related to autonomous ships, especially with regard to their integration with ports. This paper takes a systematic review approach to extract and summarize the main topics related to autonomous ships in the fields of container shipping and port management. Methods: A machine learning method is used to extract the main topics from more than 2000 journal publications indexed in WoS and Scopus. Results: The research findings highlight key issues related to technology, cybersecurity, data governance, regulations, and legal frameworks, providing a different perspective compared to human manual reviews of papers. Conclusions: Our search results confirm several recommendations. First, from a technological perspective, it is advised to increase support for the research and development of autonomous underwater vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, establish safety standards, mandate testing of wave model evaluation systems, and promote international standardization. Second, from a cyber–physical systems perspective, efforts should be made to strengthen logistics and supply chains for autonomous ships, establish data governance protocols, enforce strict control over IoT device data, and strengthen cybersecurity measures. Third, from an environmental perspective, measures should be implemented to address the environmental impact of autonomous ships. This can be achieved by promoting international agreements from a global societal standpoint and clarifying the legal framework regarding liability in the event of accidents.

Artificial Intelligence and Inequality: Challenges and Opportunities

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into various aspects of society has sparked both excitement and concern regarding its potential impact on inequality. This abstract provides an overview of the key issues surrounding AI and inequality, exploring the challenges and opportunities arising from the widespread adoption of AI systems. Firstly, we examine how AI technologies have the potential to exacerbate existing inequalities across various domains, including labor markets, education, healthcare, and access to services. AI-driven automation may lead to job displacement and wage polarization, widening the gap between high-skilled and low-skilled workers. Moreover, algorithmic biases embedded in AI systems can perpetuate discrimination and inequity, particularly against marginalized communities. However, alongside these challenges, AI also presents opportunities to address inequality and promote inclusivity. AI-powered innovations have the potential to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and affordability in sectors such as healthcare, education, and financial services, thereby reducing disparities in access to essential resources and opportunities. Additionally, initiatives focused on ethical AI development and responsible AI governance can mitigate the negative impacts of AI on inequality by promoting fairness, transparency, and accountability in algorithmic decision-making processes. In conclusion, while AI has the potential to both exacerbate and mitigate inequality, its ultimate impact depends on the choices we make in designing, deploying, and governing AI systems. By prioritizing equity, social justice, and human welfare in AI development and implementation, we can harness the transformative power of AI to create a more equitable and inclusive society.

Analysis of Multinational Builders’ Corruption Based on Evolutionary Game from the Perspective of International Reputation

Transnational cooperation in international corporations has become an important force in promoting the economic development of countries, and corruption in cross-cultural business has an important impact on the sustainable development of international cooperation. Based on the construction field, this study applies evolutionary game theory to the microlevel to investigate the corrupt behavior of international corporations from reputation perspectives, taking into account their reputation and cooperation behaviors. The findings indicate that the sensitivity of each party involved in the corruption behavior differs concerning international reputation, and a heightened reputation of the supervisory company can effectively curb the corrupt behavior of subcontracting. Additionally, the behavior of the general contracting company shows a sense of inertia, while the three main parties—general contracting company, supervisory company, and subcontracting company—exhibit multistage decision-making characteristics as their international reputation gradually improves. Through the lens of multinational enterprise cooperation and the development of the construction industry, this study aims to address the constraints faced by the construction industry in various countries and identify potential solutions. Furthermore, it provides insights into key issues related to international engineering corruption governance.

Optimal Integration of Optical and SAR Data for Improving Alfalfa Yield and Quality Traits Prediction: New Insights into Satellite-Based Forage Crop Monitoring

Global food security and nutrition is suffering from unprecedented challenges. To reach a world without hunger and malnutrition by implementing precision agriculture, satellite remote sensing plays an increasingly important role in field crop monitoring and management. Alfalfa, a global widely distributed forage crop, requires more attention to predict its yield and quality traits from satellite data since it supports the livestock industry. Meanwhile, there are some key issues that remain unknown regarding alfalfa remote sensing from optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. Using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite data, this study developed, compared, and further integrated new optical- and SAR-based satellite models for improving alfalfa yield and quality traits prediction, i.e., crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD). Meanwhile, to better understand the physical mechanism of alfalfa optical remote sensing, a unified hybrid leaf area index (LAI) retrieval scheme was developed by coupling the PROSAIL radiative transfer model, spectral response function of the desired optical satellite, and a random forest (RF) model, denoted as a scalable optical satellite-based LAI retrieval framework. Compared to optical vegetation indices (VIs) that only capture canopy information, the results indicate that LAI had the highest correlation (r = 0.701) with alfalfa yield due to its capacity in delivering the vegetation structure characteristics. For alfalfa quality traits, optical chlorophyll VIs presented higher correlations than LAI. On the other hand, LAI did not provide a significant additional contribution for predicting alfalfa parameters in the RF developed optical prediction model using VIs as inputs. In addition, the optical-based model outperformed the SAR-based model for predicting alfalfa yield, CP, and NDFD, while the SAR-based model showed better performance for predicting ADF and NDF. The integration of optical and SAR data contributed to higher accuracy than either optical or SAR data separately. Compared to a traditional embedded integration approach, the combination of multisource heterogeneous optical and SAR satellites was optimized by multiple linear regression (yield: R2 = 0.846 and RMSE = 0.0354 kg/m2; CP: R2 = 0.636 and RMSE = 1.57%; ADF: R2 = 0.559 and RMSE = 1.926%; NDF: R2 = 0.58 and RMSE = 2.097%; NDFD: R2 = 0.679 and RMSE = 2.426%). Overall, this study provides new insights into forage crop yield prediction for large-scale fields using multisource heterogeneous satellites.

Perspectives on the twin transition: Instrumental and institutional linkages between the digital and sustainability transitions

A rich academic understanding of the relation between e-governance and sustainable development is crucial for studying the current ‘twin transition’, i.e. the connection between the digital and sustainability transition. An analysis of current literature highlights that there is a strong emphasis on the question how e-governance can be an instrument for realizing sustainable development. This research is important but does not cover all relevant problem areas. Our conceptual analysis extends the dominant focus on the digital and sustainable transitions to include destructive connections – the environmental costs of e-government – and an institutional perspective on e-governance. Developing multiple perspectives on the twin transition is crucial since the current, seemingly unconditional, faith in the power of technology, may hamper a fundamental debate on the contribution of e-governance to sustainable development. This paper concludes with a research agenda that stresses the need to study three key issues: (1) green e-governance as mitigating the environmental costs of e-governance, (2) e-governance as a barrier for the sustainability transition, and (3) the ecology logic as a basis for shaping the twin transition.

An Occupational Perspective on Psychedelic Therapy: A Scoping Review.

Background. Interest in the use of psychedelics for mental health therapy is burgeoning. Qualitative research methods are increasingly used to understand patient's experiences; however, there is a lack of literature that explores psychedelic use from an occupational perspective. Purpose. To conduct a scoping review of qualitative literature on the experiences of psychedelic use for the purpose of mental health therapy, through an occupational lens. Key Issues. Wilcock's occupational perspective of health was employed to analyze the use of psychedelics in mental health from an occupational perspective. Despite heterogeneous therapy contexts and substances used, patients reported comparable benefits regarding occupational engagement, such as increased mindfulness and autonomy in doing, a renewed sense of being, greater motivation to grow and become, and an improved sense of connection and belonging. Implications. This review demonstrates how psychedelic use in the context of mental health support can be experienced as a meaningful occupation and may contribute to overall health. In turn, this review highlights the utility of an occupational perspective for "non-sanctioned" or stigmatized occupations like psychedelic use, as well as the need for more research on psychedelic use from an occupational perspective. Using an occupational perspective of health can help to de-stigmatize psychedelic use as a meaningful occupation, rather than a deviant one, and shed light on how psychedelics may also positively impact one's participation in everyday life and overall health.

AI Ethics

Artificial intelligence (AI) ethics has emerged as a burgeoning yet pivotal area of scholarly research. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the AI ethics literature over the past two decades. The analysis reveals a discernible tripartite progression, characterized by an incubation phase, followed by a subsequent phase focused on imbuing AI with human-like attributes, culminating in a third phase emphasizing the development of human-centric AI systems. After that, they present seven key AI ethics issues, encompassing the Collingridge dilemma, the AI status debate, challenges associated with AI transparency and explainability, privacy protection complications, considerations of justice and fairness, concerns about algocracy and human enfeeblement, and the issue of superintelligence. Finally, they identify two notable research gaps in AI ethics regarding the large ethics model (LEM) and AI identification and extend an invitation for further scholarly research.

Land use land cover change intensity analysis for sustainable natural resources management: The case of northwestern highlands of Ethiopia

Various studies conducted in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia from 2001 to 2020 indicated two contrasting directions of change in land use land cover. One direction is the expansion of farmlands at the expense of the natural vegetation, and the other direction is expansion of plantation forest on farm and grazing lands. But, the net effect of land use land cover change is not as such clear. A clear understudying of such dynamics in land use land cover and the net effect of the change helps design effective land use planning policy, which enhances sustainable natural resources management. Accordingly, the study analyzed intensity of land use land cover change for three-time periods (1990–2000; 2000–2010 and 2010–2020). The findings of this study can be applicable to different parts of the globe where two contrasting directions of change in land use land cover exist. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods, which were specifically applied through carrying out step-by-step: satellite image acquisition, preprocessing, classification, accuracy assessment, and intensity analysis. Result of the analysis indicated that land use land cover change over the three intervals showed considerable variation where intensity was consistently increasing from the first (1990–2000) interval to the subsequent (2000–2010) interval, and it was fast (8.24%) during the third interval (2010–2020). The analysis also indicated considerably high transition from bare land to grazing land and bush land during the third interval, especially on areas where the community practiced controlled management of grazing lands (zero grazing) and protection of bush lands. From the total bare land cover in 2010, 21% converted to grazing land and 17% converted to bush land. LULC transition from bush land to cultivated land was rising due to encroachment of bush lands by farming. Transition from bush land to cultivated land increased by 4%, 16% and 50% in the period 1990–2000, 2000–2010, and 2010–2020, respectively. On the other hand, transition from cultivated land to forest land was considerably high during the third interval. From the total cultivated land cover in 2010, 25% converted to forest land, where the change is mainly associated to the introduction of woodlot plantation on individual farmland holdings. In general, the finding suggests that controlled management of grazing lands; comparing environmental and economic benefits of quarry/stone extraction sites; and plantation of economically viable and environmentally sound tree species are key policy issues which needs due attention in land use planning and management practices.

Cyclic plasticity behavior and deformation mechanism of 1Cr18Ni10Ti pressure pipe subjected to in-service loadings

Fatigue performance and durability application have always been the key issues impeding the understanding of aero-engine pressure pipe due to its non-standardized shape, making tests more challenging. This paper constructs an optimized testing system to elucidate the plastic shakedown and ratcheting behavior of 1Cr18Ni10Ti pressure pipe subjected to in-service loadings. Moreover, microstructural evolution's role in regulating the cyclic plasticity behavior is qualitatively established. Experimental results indicate that the pipe deformation exhibits compressive ratcheting behavior in plastic shakedown state, and the initial cyclic hardening followed by cyclic saturation occurs during the whole cyclic response. This corresponds to a decreasing ratcheting displacement rate followed by a steady state appears. Except for the first two similar deformation stages mentioned above, the abrupt cyclic softening and the resultant increasing ratcheting displacement rate are obtained at the final fracture stage of the pipe deformation in ratcheting state. A series of detailed microstructural characterizations, including optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and acoustic emission (AE) are combined to reveal the underlying microstructural mechanisms during cyclic deformation. The volume fraction of austenite and ferrite and the average grain size change during different stages of plastic shakedown and ratcheting deformation. The synergistic effects of dislocation structure multiplication, destruction, and dissolution at different stages of plastic shakedown and ratcheting deformation dominate the cyclic plasticity behavior.

W obronie historii. Piotr Kowalewski Jahromi rozmawia z Antoonem De Baetsem

In this interview, conducted at the XXIII International Congress of Historical Sciences in Poznan, Antoon De Baets (emeritus professor of History, Ethics and Human Rights at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands) addresses key issues for historians and other produ-cers of history. His remarks about the scientific status of historiography and the range of different threats to history seem particularly important. He talks not only about the most direct crimes against historians and history, but also about issues like hindsight bias and fake news. The professional duties of historians and the issue of ethical codes for historians are also discussed.

Philosophy of Egek Culture from the Moi Tribe of Papua in Exposing the Concept of Environmental Accounting: A Phenomenological Study

Recent sustainability concerns have extended their influence into the realm of accounting. Previously, annual financial reporting held primary importance for companies, but now, in response to these concerns, a settlement report has been introduced, reflecting the emergence of environmental accounting. Researchers employed the Egek Culture from Moi Tribe phenomenological philosophy study method to uncover how green accounting is rooted in cultural values. Data analysis involved interviews with seasoned experts in environmental accounting to gather insights from informants. The selection of divided methods reveals the values of indigenous Papua culture in the concept of environmental accounting. The study found that green accounting has not received serious optimal development in Indonesia. To apply green accounting effectively, there is a need to align the proposed concept with existing international guidelines. The Egek philosophy offers insights into resolving key issues in green accounting since it strives to fulfill the social and environmental responsibilities of an entity to the utmost extent possible. Applying green accounting via the phenomenological approach of Egek philosophy enhances understanding comprehensively

Developing cellulose nanofibrils/Na-montmorillonite composite air filter with efficient filtration ability for PM2.5 and adsorption of formaldehyde

Indoor and outdoor air treatment is one of the key issues that people focus on. However, developinggreen air filtration materials withhigh filtration efficiency (FE), low pressure drops (ΔP) and good mechanical propertiesis still intractable challenges. In this study, we designed a green compositeaerogel air filter with double filtration mechanism, where Na-montmorillonite (NMMT) was exploited in the adsorption ability for PM2.5 due to its unique layered structure, high specific surface area, and negative charge. In the system, cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) as the structure materials were mixed with HCl acidified modified Na-montmorillonite (HMMT) as the functional particles, followed by freeze-drying to obtainCNF/HMMT compositeaerogel air filter. The resultingaerogel air filter showed excellent capture ability to PM2.5 (up to 96.5 %) and adsorption performance for formaldehyde (81.97 mg/g). This was mainly due to both the mechanical interception of the three-dimensional network constructed by CNF and the surface electrostatic adsorption of HMMT.After hydrophobic modification with methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS), the samples displayed good water resistance, recycling performance and mechanical properties. In view of its features of environment-friendly, wide source and low cost, the aerogel air filter has the possibility of wide application.

Workshop report: Workshop on psychiatric prescribing and psychology testing and intervention in children and adults with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

This workshop aimed at summarising knowledge and key issues in psychiatric prescribing and psychological testing in children and adults with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). It comprised clinicians and patient representatives from the UK and the Netherlands. The following topics were discussed: a model for capturing the range of non-motor problems in the domains of cognition, learning, emotion and behaviour; psychosocial screening tools for use with children and adults; assessing neurocognitive functioning in children and adults; parent and teacher perspectives on psychosocial needs; and psychopharmacological treatment for affective disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and insomnia. Some key considerations included: the need for tools used to assess behavioural and psychosocial functioning to consider motor aspects in DMD; to understand more about working memory performance; the need for early interventions for automatisation problems, which affect reading and arithmetic; appropriate selection of tests for neuropsychology assessments; in schools, acknowledging the range of psychosocial risks and gathering evidence of psychosocial needs; the suitability of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for mood and anxiety disorders; the use of stimulant medications for ADHD; melatonin use for insomnia; the cautious use of benzodiazepines; and the need for improving pathways for psychosocial care.

Key Issues and Solutions in the Study of Quantitative Mechanisms for Tropical Islands Zero Carbon Buildings

Faced with the challenges of global climate change, zero-carbon buildings (ZCB) serve as a crucial means to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, particularly in the development of tropical island regions. This study aims to establish a ZCB technology system suitable for the unique climatic conditions of tropical islands. By employing methods such as energy flow boundaries, parametric design, and data-driven optimization algorithms, the research systematically analyzes the integrated mechanisms and optimization solutions for energy utilization, energy conservation, energy production, and intelligent systems. The study identifies and addresses key technical challenges faced by ZCB in tropical island regions, including the accurate identification of system design parameters, the precise quantification of the relationship between design parameters and building performance, and the comprehensive optimization of technical and economic goals for zero-carbon operational design solutions. The research results not only provide a comprehensive theoretical framework, promoting the development of architectural design theory, but also establish a practical framework for technology and methods, advancing the integration and application of ZCB technology. The study holds significant practical implications for the green transformation of the tropical island construction industry and the realization of national dual-carbon strategic goals. Future research should further explore the applicability of the technology system and the economic feasibility of optimized design solutions, promoting continuous innovation and development in ZCB technology.

Teaching Academic English with the Production-Oriented Approach: A Case Study

This paper aims to explore how to apply POA to EAP teaching in China and test its effectiveness through a case study. Three key issues are discussed: the design of the course structure of EAP under the guidance of POA, the implementation of POA in teaching academic English and the effectiveness of POA in increasing of students’ academic English proficiency. It is found that the ideal framework of Academic English consisted of integrated modules, instead of a linear arrangement of the units. Three key factors in the POA teaching process include: motivating tasks in an academic setting with both communicative and linguistic challenges, enabling tasks with corresponding scaffolding and evaluating strategies, and a combination of teacher’s evaluation and peer review with co-produced rubrics for assessment. The results of the study demonstrate the efficacy of the production-oriented approach in enhancing students’ academic English proficiency, specifically in the areas of speaking and writing.

The Impact of Internet Use on Land Productivity: Evidence from China Land Economy Survey

Enhancing land productivity is a crucial strategy for addressing key sustainable development issues, such as poverty reduction and ensuring food security. Farmers’ Internet use behavior offers the potential to improve land productivity. However, relatively little is known about the association between Internet use and land productivity. To fill this void, this study examines the impact of Internet use on land productivity and its mechanisms. The results indicate that farmers’ use of the Internet has a positive impact on improving agricultural land productivity. Internet use increases land productivity by 12.3%, and the conclusion still holds after a series of robustness tests and endogeneity tests. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that Internet use significantly enhances land productivity in the central and northern parts of Jiangsu Province, while it does not have the same effect in the province’s southern regions. Without the addition of county fixed effects, the central sample regression results show that the coefficient for Internet use is 0.165 and significant at the 10% confidence level. When county fixed effects are added, the coefficient decreases to 0.117 and is not significant. The coefficient on Internet use for the northern sample is 0.128 and is significant at the 5% confidence level. Mechanistic analyses demonstrate that Internet use also enhances land productivity primarily by expanding the cultivated land area, facilitating mechanized production, and strengthening farmers’ social networks. The results of the study indicate that the positive effects of Internet use in improving land productivity should be fully released by strengthening the communication infrastructure, further enhancing farmers’ Internet use capacity, improving the land transfer system, upgrading the socialized service level of agricultural machinery, and strengthening agricultural financial support.

Real-time high-precision baseline measurement of satellite formation flying based on GNSS

With the establishment of the Chinese space station, a series of space science missions will be conducted in its vicinity. One of the extended tasks for the in-orbit service of space station is the formation flying of small satellites centered around the space station. Satellite formations can perform simultaneous three-dimensional observations of the space station, generating three-dimensional images and monitoring and assessing the status of critical components of the space station. The real-time and accurate relative position measurement is one of the key issues in formation flying. It is a fundamental prerequisite for maintaining and reconfiguring formation configurations, collision avoidance and safety assurance. GNSS-based relative positioning is a low-cost and high-precision measurement method, which is not constrained by light, weather, or relative attitude of satellites. This study introduces a novel approach to determine the relative position of satellites based on single-epoch Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) carrier phase difference measurements. Unlike traditional methods, the proposed technique eliminates the need for precise ephemeris and clock bias files and does not require historical observation data. The algorithm avoids the complexity associated with full cycle ambiguity jumps, facilitating real-time, high-precision calculations of relative position baseline vectors. Special attention is given to the influence of Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites in the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), and measures are taken to mitigate their impact on measurement accuracy by adjusting their observation weights. Our newly developed GNSS-based real-time measurement module, designed for high-quality GNSS signal reception and data communication, was tested on terrestrial and simulated low-orbit platforms. Remarkably, over baselines ranging from 10 m to 9.3 km, while traditional pseudorange differential measurements showed errors up to 1.5571 m, our proposed method consistently held errors under 5 cm and ensured computational speeds within 0.1 s per epoch. High-dynamic zero-baseline tests further validated its potential, with errors less than 1 cm. The innovations encapsulated in this work, resonating with the evolving trends of miniaturized and scalable satellites, present a cost-efficient and real-time solution for inter-satellite relative position measurement. This promises a new horizon in satellite formation technology, with future endeavors focusing on on-orbit experiments.

The Path to Optimize the Authorized Legislative Power of Special Economic Zones

The authorized legislative system of China’s special economic zones has provided strong support for the successful implementation of reform and opening up. However, with the vigorous development of the special economic zone economy, the authorized legislative power of special economic zones also faces a series of opportunities and challenges, involving key issues such as power boundaries, legal frameworks, and scope definition. This study focuses on the legitimacy analysis of the authorization decisions made by the National People’s Congress and its Standing Committee, the legitimacy analysis of the authorization of the National People’s Congress to formulate regulations by the government of special economic zones, as well as the review and supervision of the authorized legislation of special economic zones. It explores the enhancement and prospects of legislative authority in Special Economic Zones, aiming to establish a theoretical foundation for the standardization of the legislative power of special economic zones in China, promote the establishment of legal frameworks and the sustained prosperity of special economic zones.

Collaborating to Innovate: Balancing Strategy Dividend and Transactional Efficiencies

When a firm collaborates with its suppliers, it expands its access to external know-how and thus can enhance its innovation performance. Such collaborations are common and argued to have significant impact on the firm's market outcomes. However, such collaborations also expose the firm to various transactional hazards, including knowledge spillovers and opportunism. This trade-off looms over the firm's commitment to a market positioning strategy and the functional capabilities it draws on to generate its strategy dividend. Recent accounts suggest that the verdict on supplier collaborations is noisy and that partner perceptions of these collaborations do not align on key issues of governance, strategy, and value generation. To investigate this, the authors study 202 formal codevelopment contracts of high-tech original equipment manufacturers that collaborated with suppliers from 1985 to 2016. Drawing on the governance value analysis framework, the authors show how misalignment between the firm's codevelopment contracts, capabilities, and market positioning strategy significantly erodes its innovation performance. Thus, blanket prescriptions for one type of contract or the other are misdirected, their effectiveness being a contingent outcome dependent on the firm's market positioning strategy and functional capabilities. This research presents one of the most complete tests of the governance value analysis framework to date.