bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crisis Management Performance of Upscale Hotels in the Greater Bay Area, China: A Comparative Study in a Complex Institutional Situation
Authors: Zhang Yang , Zhang Su , Hsu Fu-Chieh
Published: March 2023

This study explores upscale hotel crisis management from the institutional environment perspective. Integrating the institutional and resource dependence theories, this study established a framework to investigate and compare the organizational crisis performance of state-owned and private-owned hotels in China. Specifically, data were collected in the Greater Bay Area. The hotels from Macau represent the private-owned samples (n = 247), while the hotels from Guangzhou and Shenzhen are the state-owned samples (n = 225). The results showed that the institutional environment significantly influences upscale hotels’ organizational crisis performance. For example, the organizational climate has more effect on crisis performance in SOHs than POHs, while dynamic capability has more impact on the POHs than SOHs. Moreover, the results also showed that the path from an organization’s commitment to their crisis performance illustrated the most significant difference between those two samples. This study provided a novel perspective to explore two different social systems (socialism vs. capitalism) in upscale hotel crisis performance and management. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.
The Economic Impacts of Using Renewable Energy Technologies for Irrigation Water Pumping and Nanoparticle Fertilizers on Agri-Food Production in Iraq
Authors: Al-Rubaye Shayma A. , Price Edwin C.
Published: March 2023

While traditional energy sources such as oil, coal, and natural gas drive economic growth, they also seriously affect people’s health and the environment. Renewable energies (RE) are presently seen as an efficient choice for attaining long-term sustainability in development. They provide an adequate response to climate change and supply sufficient electricity. The current situation in Iraq results from a decades-long scarcity of reliable electricity, which has impacted various industries, including agriculture. There are diverse prospects for using renewable energy sources to address the present power crisis. The economic and environmental impacts of renewable energy systems were investigated in this study by using the solar pumping irrigation system and nanoparticle fertilizers on agri-food production with the Farm Simulation FARMSIM model. The results show that using all REs with Carefree Water Conditioner for water treatment resulted in the highest net present value and profit compared to other scenarios. The findings, however, indicate that the All RE scenario (using a solar irrigation system with a nanoparticle fertilizer system, a low-cost technology) is the most feasible and has the highest benefit–cost ratio. Due to high initial investment costs, all traditional approaches (using traditional irrigation and fertilizer systems) had a lower benefit–cost ratio than the other scenarios. According to simulation results, all four scenarios are profitable and feasible for implementation.
An Incentives Planning Framework for Residential Energy Retrofits: A Life Cycle Thinking-Based Analysis under Uncertainty
Authors: Prabatha Tharindu , Hewage Kasun , Sadiq Rehan
Published: March 2023

Building energy retrofits can reduce emissions and increase cost savings. Some retrofits that can deliver higher emissions savings are not popular due to a lack of economic justifications. Financial incentives can be used to change buyer perception around such retrofits. This study proposes a framework to identify the best-performing retrofit strategies for a given building cluster and the optimal incentive amounts to promote the chosen strategies, accounting for uncertainties, stakeholder priorities, and budget constraints. The proposed framework was demonstrated using a case study complemented with policy insights. Life cycle cost savings and capital cost significantly impact retrofit purchase decisions. Case study results showed that retrofitting houses heated with electricity can produce significant cost savings. However, adopting energy-conscious behaviours in houses heated with natural gas and injecting renewable natural gas into the gas supply can produce two times more emissions savings achieved by any retrofit strategy applied to an electrically heated house. This indicates the need for adopting performance-based incentives over the prescriptive approach to reward occupant efforts in addition to asset performance. Despite potential life cycle cost savings, incentives must be complemented with low-interest loans to promote retrofit strategies carrying higher capital costs.
Effects of Land-Use Types on Topsoil Physicochemical Properties in a Tropical Coastal Ecologically Fragile Zone of South China
Authors: Ou Yuduan , Quiñónez-Barraza Gerónimo , Wang Chubiao
Published: March 2023

Understanding the effects of land use on soil structure and nutrients is important for soil and water conservation in an ecologically fragile zone. This study was carried out to examine the variability of physicochemical properties in three different land use types: abandoned land (AL), eucalyptus plantation (EP), and road lawn (RL) sites at soil depths of 0–10 and 10–20 cm in the Leizhou Peninsula, a tropical coastal ecologically fragile zone of South China. Soil physicochemical property patterns exhibited extremely significant differences among the three land uses (p < 0.001) at both soil depths. Soil nutrients, natural water content, and total porosity, from high to low, in the different land use types were RL, AL, and EP, while the bulk density, from high to low, was EP, AL, and RL. Soil total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, available potassium, exchangeable calcium, exchangeable magnesium, and natural water content exhibited significant differences (p < 0.05) among the three land use types at soil depths of 0–10 and 10–20 cm, while no significant changes were detected regarding soil organic carbon, available phosphorus, and total porosity. The correlation between physical and chemical properties at the 10–20 cm depth (R = 0.97, p < 0.001) was closer and more significant than that at the 0–10 cm depth (R = 0.95, p < 0.01). Overuse of land (EP) without a rest in the ecologically fragile zone leads to soil erosion and compaction. Compared with natural restoration (abandoned land), artificial restoration (road lawn) can improve soil nutrient and water status more quickly, but cannot modify the soil organic carbon and porosity in the short term.
Investigation on Seismic Performance of the Fully Assembled Steel Frame Applying Beam-Column Joints with Replaceable Energy-Dissipating Elements
Authors: Zhang Dawei , Li Yuanqi , Huang Binhui
Published: March 2023

Based on the application of a beam-column joint with replaceable energy-dissipating elements and hinged beam-column proposed by the author, the seismic performance of a fully assembled steel frame with this joint was investigated in this paper. Through two projects of a traditional steel frame (TSF) and an assembled steel frame applying beam-column joints with replaceable energy-dissipating elements (ASFWREE) and their numerical simulation calculation by SAP2000, the main structural design indicators such as natural vibration period, period ratio, mass participation coefficient, base shear force, inter-story displacement angle, rigid-weight ratio, and shear-weight ratio of two frames under frequent earthquake, and their influence factors were compared and analyzed. By carrying out the elastic–plastic dynamic time–history analysis of two projects under a rare earthquake, the maximum inter-story displacement angle, base shear force, stiffness between floors, maximum vertex displacement, and the occurrence sequence and distribution of plastic hinges of the two items were compared. The results show that the deformation of ASFWREE had the characteristics of the shear deformation of TSF and the deviation of the natural vibration period was less than 5% when the ratio of the linear stiffness of the energy-dissipating element to the steel beam was approximately 0.8, the ratio of horizontal length to span was about 0.25, which was close to the strength grade of the steel beam. The seismic performance under the rare earthquake was close to or higher to that of the TSF, can ensure that the beam and column are not damaged, and the structure does not collapse. The failure mode of the ASFWREE is consistent with the experimental research of the beam-column joints.
Reflection on Experiences of First-Year Engineering Students with Blended Flipped Classroom Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of the Mathematics Course in the Extended Curriculum Program
Authors: Basitere Moses , Rzyankina Ekaterina , Le Roux Pierre
Published: March 2023

The shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique challenge for higher education in developing countries such as South Africa, where resources are distributed unevenly. The Department of Chemical Engineering at a South African university of technology used a flipped classroom blended online learning approach in an engineering mathematics course. This study describes the transition of first-year engineering students from face-to-face learning to flipped classroom blended online learning. The Laurillard conversational framework for teaching learning was used to develop the five components of blended learning pedagogy, this allows students to discover, learn, practice, collaborate, and assess (DLPCA). The chosen assessment strategies made use of adaptive learning technology via the WebAssign platform to provide formative and summative assessments as well as timely feedback to each student. The authors examined the remote teaching and learning approach using three indicators: (i) learning—students’ learning experiences; (ii) assessment—students’ academic performance and integrity; and (iii) students’ challenges. The findings had a positive impact on students’ learning and performance in the mathematics course. The limitation to the study was that the data were collected only from one university of technology and were not compared with other universities in the country. The overall findings of this study indicate that students require time to adjust to online pedagogy to ensure a smooth transition.
Streamlined Social Footprint Analysis of the Nascent Bio-Pellet Sub-Sector in Zambia
Authors: Gannan Ismail , Kubaji Hussam , Siwale Workson , Frodeson Stefan , Venkatesh G.
Published: March 2023

Climate change concerns have goaded countries toward seeking renewable energy options (bio-energy being one of them) to replace/supplant the conventional fossil-fuel alternatives (coal, oil and natural gas) commonly used now. Fuel pellets—at the confluence of the forestry, agriculture, waste management and bio-energy sectors—when produced from biomass residues, serve the dual purpose of ensuring energy security and environmental sustainability. By valorizing more and more organic wastes to bio-energy products, one could, to use the old adage, ‘kill two birds with one stone’. Social LCA is a method used to analyze a very wide range of social issues associated with the stakeholders in a value chain—workers, local community dwellers, society, global consumers, banks, investors, governments, researchers, international organizations and NGOs. In this analysis, the authors commence with a highly focused, niche literature review on the social dimension of sustainability in the African energy/bio-energy sector. The streamlined social footprint analysis inspired by the relatively lesser number of such studies for this sector in Africa is not a novel addition per se to the S-LCA knowledge base. The purpose of the application is to shed light on something in Zambia that must be understood better so as to bring about much-needed alterations in the direction of sustainable development. While the questions addressed to four different groups of stakeholders encompass a clutch of sustainable development goals, gender equality (SDG 5) and the need for greater interest on the part of governments and investors (SDG 9) to look at sustainable alternatives to the status quo stand out as concerns that need to be tided over. This paper and the streamlined social footprint analysis carried out are all the more relevant and timely when one considers some key changes that have happened in Zambia over the last five years—the implementation of the National Energy Policy in 2019 and the creation of the Ministry of Green Economy in 2021. These are verily harbingers of positive change auguring well for future developments in the bio-energy (and bio-pellets) sector, not just in Zambia but, by way of emulating and learning, in other countries on the continent.
The Art of Not Being Freshened: The Everyday Politics of Infrastructure in the Mekong Delta
Authors: Gorman Timothy
Published: March 2023

With the growing threat of climate change, states are increasingly turning to large-scale infrastructure projects in order to control environmental conditions, especially in coastal areas. These projects are often planned and implemented in a centralized, top-down manner and sometimes fail to achieve their stated objectives in the face of “everyday resistance” from local residents and farmers. This study draws on interviews and secondary research to examine the contentious everyday politics of infrastructure in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, focusing specifically on how small-scale, surreptitious acts of “counter-infrastructuring” on the part of farmers, such as the construction of illicit wells and shrimp ponds, have undermined the top-down policy of “freshening” the coastal zone through the construction of large water-control works (namely, the Ba Lai dam). By elucidating the motives for farmer resistance, which are primarily economic rather than explicitly political, and the covert and largely uncoordinated means farmers employ to resist and subvert state infrastructure, this study contributes to our understanding of environmental politics in Vietnam and more broadly, with implications for the future viability of large-scale infrastructure projects, such as those aimed at adapting to climate change and sea-level rise in coastal regions.
Biomass–Coal Hybrid Fuel: A Route to Net-Zero Iron Ore Sintering
Authors: Reis Sam , Holliman Peter J. , Martin Ciaran , Jones Eurig
Published: March 2023

The global steel industry uses fossil fuels to produce millions of tonnes of iron ore sinter each year. Sintering is an energy-intensive process that fuses iron ore and flux to produce material that balances a high mechanical strength at a sufficient particle size to ensure a macroporous burden in the blast furnace to enable rapid gas flow. As significant CO2 greenhouse emissions are emitted, the defossilisation of these CO2 emissions is vital to net-zero carbon targets. Two iterations of a new biomass–coal hybrid fuel (ecoke®(A) and ecoke®(B)) were compared with coke breeze and an anthracite coal using oxygen bomb calorimetry, simultaneous thermal analysis (STA) combining thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry, and isoconversional kinetic modelling and pyrolysis–GCMS to study the volatile matter. The calorific values of both ecoke®(A) and (B) were marginally higher than that of the coke breeze: 27.9 MJ/kg and 27.8 MJ/kg, respectively, compared with 26.5 MJ/kg for the coke breeze. A proximate analysis revealed both ecoke® samples to have higher volatile matter contents (ca. 12–13%) than the coke breeze (7.4%), but less than the anthracite coal (ca. 14%). The thermogravimetric analysis of the burnout kinetics of the fuels heated up to 1000 °C, at heating rates from 5 to 25 °C/min, showed that that the coke breeze and anthracite coal had higher ignition and burnout temperatures than the ecoke® samples. Kinetic analysis using the Freidman and Ozawa methods found that the ecoke® samples showed comparable maximum mass loss rates to the coke breeze but lower activation energies. From these results, both ecoke® samples have the potential to replace some of the coke breeze in the sintering process or EAF processes to help achieve net zero by offsetting up to 30% of the CO2 emissions.
Speculative Exploration on Future Sustainable Human-Machine Interface Design in Automated Shuttle Buses
Authors: Yan Ming , Lin Zijun , Lu Peng , Wang Mansu , Rampino Lucia , Caruso Giandomenico
Published: March 2023

Automated Shuttle buses (ASB) are considered an essential and sustainable direction for the future application of autonomous driving technology in public transportation. As the driver’s role gradually decreases and disappears, the Human–Machine Interface (HMI) for information exchange and communication between users and ASB takes a more prominent role and progressively becomes a hotspot in research. However, the unpredictability and complexity of autonomous driving, an exceptionally fast-growing technology, have hindered its future study. This work first reviewed related literature in three categories: internal, external, and station of the ASB. Secondly, the importance of systemic and speculative design is affirmed by exploring existing HMI designs for ASB. Thirdly, the concepts for ASB resulting from three parallel workshops were analyzed. Finally, online questionnaires and interviews completed the critical reflection and discussion. The results show that the introduction of tools and methods related to systemic and speculative design into the design process of the HMI for ASB may help designers to think critically about the future uncertainty of ASB and to deal with the complexity of the system.
Sharing Is Caring: An Economic Analysis of Consumer Engagement in an Electric Vehicle Sharing Service
Authors: Briguglio Marie , Formosa Glenn
Published: March 2023

A growing population and increasing consumer demand have created unprecedented pressures on the environment and natural resources. The private vehicles market, one of the largest markets in the world, is associated with considerable environmental costs. Sharing electric vehicles, where consumers can enjoy the benefits of a greener vehicle without owning it, has emerged as an innovation that can reduce some of the environmental costs of ownership. However, uncertainty around the determinants of participation remain. This study employs an econometric model using survey and experimental data that were collected at the initial stages of the roll-out of an electric-vehicle-sharing service in Malta, in order to identify the psychological factors that determine the willingness to use and to pay for such a service, the propensity to walk to a car-sharing station, as well as the likelihood of scrapping a privately owned vehicle. The findings suggest that engagement in the car-sharing market is more likely to take place among those who have a lower psychological attachment to the private car, are already using multiple transport methods and are sharing a car with other household members. A large number of cars per household and a high use are negatively associated with uptake. The results also suggest that consumers who care about the environment are more likely to engage in car sharing.
Smart City Logistics on the Basis of Digital Tools for ESG Goals Achievement
Authors: Barykin Sergey , Strimovskaya Anna , Sergeev Sergey , Borisoglebskaya Larisa , Dedyukhina Natalia , Sklyarov Igor , Sklyarova Julia , Saychenko Lilya
Published: March 2023

The development of modern logistics systems requires state-of-the-art solutions for simultaneously achieving sustainable development goals and ambitious business targets. On this issue, the challenge of implementing digital technologies in social life, in particular in smart cities, deserves special attention. The diversified application of Industry 4.0 doctrine and digital shadow penetration to all fields of socioeconomic systems highlights the gaps in the design, control, and efficiency assessment of digital tools in the logistics of smart cities. Another challenge concerns the need to consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles amid the deployment of harmonic digital tools within urban territories. All these issues require a complex methodological approach toward understanding the role of IT in the modern economy through an ESG prism. The article contains a contemporary literature review on the related topic and the conceptual framework of city logistics digitalization under ESG perspectives and constraints. The mathematical model proposed by the researchers enables a multidimensional design of digital solution applications within smart city logistics performance. The designed discrete stochastic model is eligible for scaling toward and the further development of variables other than the key ones mentioned above. The mathematical formalization of the proposed model considers the distribution of the limited budgeting of administrative branches within city logistics, highlighting the research relevance in connection with the ESG principles.
Investigating the Factors That Determine the ESG Disclosure Practices in Europe
Authors: Helfaya Akrum , Morris Rebecca , Aboud Ahmed
Published: March 2023

The increased focus on environmental (E), social (S), and governance (G) (ESG) disclosure has become a necessary step toward the integration of sustainability practices into firms’ culture to meet the expectations of stakeholders. The social and environmental implications of firm activities on the environment and surrounding communities have led to the growing demand for useful non-financial information. This paper investigates the impacts of the board’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and CSR orientation, GRI, and the country–cultural dimensions, based on Hofstede’s measures of ESG disclosure practices within Europe. Using a European dataset from Bloomberg and Refinitiv Eikon, this paper adopts a quantitative research methodology to test the research hypotheses through a statistical analysis of 7840 observations from European companies to analyze the extent of the relationship between micro- and macro-variables and the disclosure of company ESG. Our findings suggest that both board CSR orientation and strategy and the GRI have positively and significantly affected the overall disclosure of ESG practices within Europe. When examining country–cultural dimensions, we find that individualism and feminine cultures are positively associated with increased levels of ESG disclosure. Our findings shed light on factors affecting ESG disclosure practices within Europe and could be of interest to companies, policy makers, and other stakeholders.
Changes in Impervious Surfaces in Lhasa City, a Historical City on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Authors: Wang Sishi , Tan Xin , Fan Fenglei
Published: March 2023

Impervious surface cover reflects the urban environment and urban expansion. Lhasa City is a historical city and one of the most populous on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, and has been experiencing rapid urbanization in recent years. Analyzing the impervious surface distribution can reveal urban development characteristics and provide data for sustainable urban planning to protect the heritage. This study explored the spatial and temporal changes and expansion patterns of impervious surfaces in different zones of Lhasa City. Impervious surface maps (2014 and 2021) were extracted from Gaofen-1 images with a high spatial resolution (2 m) using an object-based image analysis method. Next, a gravity center, standard deviational ellipses and landscape indices were used to characterize impervious surface expansions in different zones. The result indicated that the impervious surface in Lhasa expanded from 51.149 km2 in 2014 to 63.299 km2 in 2021. The growth rates of impervious surfaces inside the Environmental Coordination zone were lower than in the zones outside. From 2014 to 2021, the impervious surface of Lhasa expanded in the southeast direction. Infilling and consolidation were the primary impervious surface development patterns. The expansion of the impervious surface was related to topography, population, and economic and policy factors.
Numerical Simulation of an Indirect Contact Mobilized Thermal Energy Storage Container with Different Tube Bundle Layout and Fin Structure
Authors: Kang Zhangyang , Zhou Wu , Qiu Kaijie , Wang Chaojie , Qin Zhaolong , Zhang Bingyang , Yao Qiongqiong
Published: March 2023

The great development of energy storage technology and energy storage materials will make an important contribution to energy saving, reducing emissions and improving energy utilization efficiency. Mobile thermal energy storage (M-TES) technology finds a way to realize value for low-grade heat sources far beyond the demand side. In this paper, an indirect-contact M-TES container is studied using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. By optimizing the heat exchange tube bundle layout and the installed fin structure of the shell and tube type M-TES container, a method of enhancing the charging and discharging efficiency is identified. The peripheral distribution mode of the heat exchanger tubes improves the efficiency of heat charging by 12.6% compared with the traditional uniform layout. The installation of the Y-shaped fins can improve the heat charging efficiency by 8.3%, better than straight fins. Compared with the horizontal installation of Y-shaped fins, the vertical installation of Y-shaped fins is preferred to improve the heat charging efficiency of the M-TES container.
Indicators as a Foundation of Eco-Labelling of Baked Clay Construction Products in the Republic of Serbia
Authors: Knežević Suzana , Prokić Dunja
Published: March 2023

Construction products based on brick clay have been intensively used for the construction of buildings in the Republic of Serbia. The basic raw material for the manufacture of these products is brick clay, which is a natural mineral resource. However, the natural origin of clay provides no guarantees as to whether this group of construction products is eco-friendly. The production of baked clay construction products significantly affects the environment and cannot be neglected. The existing eco-labels used for this group of products are not uniform, in the world or in Serbia. The aim of this paper is to present a new approach to eco-labelling of construction products based on baked clay in the Republic of Serbia. Eco-labels can be given to products which meet certain authentic criteria. The criteria is based on an innovative set of 24 indicators which connect the production of construction products and the impact on the environment. Indicators were defined for the most commonly used construction products—facade brick, standard block and energy block. The research was conducted on leading producers of baked clay construction products in three regions—Northern Serbia, Western Serbia and South Pomoravlje. The obtained results indicate that one of the producers meets the criteria for innovative eco-labelling. The remaining two producers do not meet the requirements for the eco-label at the moment because there is not enough available data on the grounds of which certain indicators could be valued in a more complete manner. The data are unavailable to third parties because they are treated as a trade secret. Further research and an upgrade of the indicator set would create an opportunity to expand the number of baked clay construction products which could obtain the eco-label based on indicators.
Innovation Capabilities as a Mediator between Business Analytics and Firm Performance
Authors: Alaskar Thamir Hamad
Published: March 2023

Although business analytics (BA) play an important role in improving firm performance, various firms struggle to deliver their full benefits. Many researchers have investigated the capabilities required to achieve better value through BA, but none have addressed the impact of innovation capabilities as a contextual variable mediating the effects on firm performance. By adopting the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, this study suggests a model to evaluate the impact of BA capabilities on firm performance and addresses the mediating role of innovation capabilities. A quantitative approach was adopted for data collection and analysis. Based on 386 surveys of BA experts at Saudi Arabian firms and the use of PLS-SEM to test and validate the model. The results show that organizational factors have a highly significant impact on firm performance. While IT infrastructure and information quality as technological factors showed no significant and positive effect. Furthermore, the findings revealed that innovation capabilities positively mediate the link between IT infrastructure and information quality and firm performance as it affects directly and indirectly firm performance. The findings of this study contribute to the literature by addressing the research gap in BA in the Saudi Arabia context. Moreover, the study result stressing about the role of innovation capabilities on the BA capabilities and the importance of considering the interaction between TOE factors. However, research was carried out within one developing country (Saudi Arabia), which might restrict the findings’ generalizability of the study, and the results must be generalized with care to avoid issues such as structural and cultural variances between developed and developing countries.
The Reliability of Stored Water behind Dams Using the Multi-Component Stress-Strength System
Authors: Haj Ahmad Hanan , Ramadan Dina A. , Mansour Mahmoud M. M. , Aboshady Mohamed S.
Published: March 2023

Dams are essential infrastructure for managing water resources and providing entry to clean water for human needs. However, the construction and maintenance of dams require careful consideration of their reliability and safety, specifically in the event of extreme weather conditions such as heavy rainfall or flooding. In this study, the stress-strength model provides a useful framework for evaluating the reliability of dams and their ability to cope with external stresses such as water pressure, earthquake activity, and erosion. The Shasta reservoir in the United States is a prime example of a dam that requires regular assessment of its reliability to guarantee the safety of communities and infrastructure. The Gumbel Type II distribution has been suggested as a suitable model for fitting the collected data on the stress and strength of the reservoir behind the Shasta dam. Both classical and Bayesian approaches have been used to estimate the reliability function under the multi-component stress-strength model, and Monte Carlo simulation has been employed for parameter estimation. In addition, some measures of goodness-of-fit are employed to examine the suitability of the suggested model.
A Numerical Solution of Symmetric Angle Ply Plates Using Higher-Order Shear Deformation Theory
Authors: Javed Saira
Published: March 2023

This research aims to provide the numerical analysis solution of symmetric angle ply plates using higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT). The vibration of symmetric angle ply composite plates is analyzed using differential equations consisting of supplanting and turning functions. These supplanting and turning functions are numerically approximated through spline approximation. The obtained global eigenvalue problem is solved numerically to find the eigenfrequency parameter and a related eigenvector of spline coefficients. The plates of different constituent components are used to study the parametric effects of the plate’s aspect ratio, side-to-thickness ratio, assembling sequence, number of composite layers, and alignment of each layer on the frequency of the plate. The obtained results are validated by existing literature.
A Novel Row Index Mathematical Procedure for the Mitigation of PV Output Power Losses during Partial Shading Conditions
Authors: Zeeshan Muhammad , Islam Naeem Ul , Faizullah Faiz , Khalil Ihsan Ullah , Park Jaebyung
Published: March 2023

Energy demand forecasted for the next several years has been bench marked due to the massive need for electrical energy. Solar power plants have earned a great marketplace position in recent years, but also face challenges in terms of power dissipation due to the frequent occurrence of shade. As a result, the per unit solar electricity price increases drastically. There is an immense need to ensure the maximum dependable power conversion efficiency of Photovoltaic (PV) systems by mitigating power output losses during partial shading conditions. The reconfiguration of PV arrays is a useful, effective, and promising approach in this context. Though several reconfiguration techniques have been developed in recent years, their applicability to real-time power plants is debatable due to the requirement of many physical relocations, long interconnecting ties, and complexity. This research work proposes a novel row index mathematical procedure followed by a technique in which the reconfiguration matrix indexes are filled with a unique number so that no row number repeats in the same row and column. Additionally, the proposed approach uses small number of switches that reduce the cost as well as the computational complexity. To strengthen the analysis, very recent techniques such as Sudoku, Total Cross Tied (TCT), Chess-Knight, and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based reconfiguration are compared against five different shading patterns. It has been observed that approximately 68% power loss is mitigated in TCT configuration. It is worth noting that it results in higher PV output power than the existing latest reconfiguration techniques such as PSO, Chess-Knight, Sudoku, and others.
Repeated Lung Ultrasound versus Chest X-ray—Which One Predicts Better Clinical Outcome in COVID-19?
Authors: Spogis Jakob , Fusco Stefano , Hagen Florian , Kaufmann Sascha , Malek Nisar , Hoffmann Tatjana
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether changes in repeated lung ultrasound (LUS) or chest X-ray (CXR) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients can predict the development of severe disease and the need for treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this prospective monocentric study, COVID-19 patients received standardized LUS and CXR at day 1, 3 and 5. Scores for changes in LUS (LUS score) and CXR (RALE and M-RALE) were calculated and compared. Intra-class correlation was calculated for two readers of CXR and ROC analysis to evaluate the best discriminator for the need for ICU treatment. A total of 30 patients were analyzed, 26 patients with follow-up LUS and CXR. Increase in M-RALE between baseline and follow-up 1 was significantly higher in patients with need for ICU treatment in the further hospital stay (p = 0.008). Both RALE and M-RALE significantly correlated with LUS score (r = 0.5, p < 0.0001). ROC curves with need for ICU treatment as separator were not significantly different for changes in M-RALE (AUC: 0.87) and LUS score (AUC: 0.79), both being good discriminators. ICC was moderate for RALE (0.56) and substantial for M-RALE (0.74). The present study demonstrates that both follow-up LUS and CXR are powerful tools to track the evolution of COVID-19, and can be used equally as predictors for the need for ICU treatment.
Optical Soliton Perturbation with Parabolic Law Nonlinearity
Authors: Arnous Ahmed H. , Samir Islam , Biswas Anjan , González-Gaxiola Oswaldo , Moraru Luminita , Iticescu Catalina , Moldovanu Simona , Alghamdi Abdulah A.
Published: March 2023

This paper recovers a broad spectrum of optical solitons for the perturbed nonlinear Schrödinger’s equation having a dual-power law of nonlinearity. The perturbation terms are from inter-modal dispersion and self-frequency shift. The integration scheme is the improved extended tanh function approach. The parameter constraints that naturally emerge are also enumerated.
Dynamic of Mayaro Virus Transmission in Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus Mosquitoes, and a Mice Model
Authors: Krokovsky Larissa , Lins Carlos Ralph Batista , Guedes Duschinka Ribeiro Duarte , Wallau Gabriel da Luz , Ayres Constância Flávia Junqueira , Paiva Marcelo Henrique Santos
Published: March 2023

Mayaro virus (MAYV) is transmitted by Haemagogus spp. mosquitoes and has been circulating in Amazon areas in the North and Central West regions of Brazil since the 1980s, with an increase in human case notifications in the last 10 years. MAYV introduction in urban areas is a public health concern as infections can cause severe symptoms similar to other alphaviruses. Studies with Aedes aegypti have demonstrated the potential vector competence of the species and the detection of MAYV in urban populations of mosquitoes. Considering the two most abundant urban mosquito species in Brazil, we investigated the dynamics of MAYV transmission by Ae. aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus in a mice model. Mosquito colonies were artificially fed with blood containing MAYV and infection (IR) and dissemination rates (DR) were evaluated. On the 7th day post-infection (dpi), IFNAR BL/6 mice were made available as a blood source to both mosquito species. After the appearance of clinical signs of infection, a second blood feeding was performed with a new group of non-infected mosquitoes. RT-qPCR and plaque assays were carried out with animal and mosquito tissues to determine IR and DR. For Ae. aegypti, we found an IR of 97.5–100% and a DR reached 100% in both 7 and 14 dpi. While IR and DR for Cx. quinquefasciatus was 13.1–14.81% and 60% to 80%, respectively. A total of 18 mice were used (test = 12 and control = 6) for Ae. aegypti and 12 (test = 8 and control = 4) for Cx. quinquefasciatus to evaluate the mosquito–mice transmission rate. All mice that were bitten by infected Ae. aegypti showed clinical signs of infection while all mice exposed to infected Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes remained healthy. Viremia in the mice from Ae. aegypti group ranged from 2.5 × 108 to 5 × 109 PFU/mL. Ae. aegypti from the second blood feeding showed a 50% IR. Our study showed the applicability of an efficient model to complete arbovirus transmission cycle studies and suggests that the Ae. aegypti population evaluated is a competent vector for MAYV, while highlighting the vectorial capacity of Ae. aegypti and the possible introduction into urban areas. The mice model employed here is an important tool for arthropod–vector transmission studies with laboratory and field mosquito populations, as well as with other arboviruses.
Study on the Effect Mechanism of Inlet Pre-Swirl on Pressure Pulsation within a Mixed-Flow Centrifugal Pump
Authors: Ma Xiaogang , Bian Mengying , Yang Yang , Dai Tingting , Tang Lei , Wang Jun
Published: March 2023

This article explores the impact of inlet pre-swirl on pressure pulsation in a mixed-flow centrifugal pump through a combination of numerical simulations and experimental verification. Firstly, the mixed-flow centrifugal pump’s performance was initially determined through both numerical calculations and experiments. The comparison between them indicated the high accuracy of the numerical method adopted in this paper. Next, the flow pattern within the pump at various inlet pre-swirl angles was carefully compared and analyzed. It was found that positive impulse angle and inlet displacement could lead to circumferential inhomogeneity of the flow field within the impeller, while inlet pre-swirl can significantly counteract the effect of positive impulse angle. The impact of inlet pre-swirl on the flow pattern near the blade inlet will change the intensity of the secondary flow within the impeller passage. Variations in the intensity of the secondary flow can directly affect the strength of the wake and jet in the chamber. Then, the pressure pulsations within the chamber were compared and analyzed for various inlet pre-swirl angles. The results revealed that as the inlet pre-swirl angle increased, the intensity of pressure pulsation decreased significantly. This discovery sheds light on the influence mechanism of inlet pre-swirl on pressure pulsation within mixed-flow pumps, potentially serving as a theoretical foundation for enhancing the operational stability of mixed-flow centrifugal pumps.
Review of Experimental Investigations of Dam-Break Flows over Fixed Bottom
Authors: Aureli Francesca , Maranzoni Andrea , Petaccia Gabriella , Soares-Frazão Sandra
Published: March 2023

Laboratory experiments of dam-break flows are extensively used in investigations of geophysical flows involving flood waves, to provide insight into relevant aspects of the physics of the process and collect experimental data for validating numerical models. A dam-break flow is a typical example of a highly unsteady free surface flow with high reproducibility. Indeed, dam-break experiments can be repeated several times under the same test conditions obtaining large amounts of different types of data (possibly using various measuring techniques) that can be combined in a single rich dataset. Moreover, laboratory tests on dam-break flows are widely considered a valuable benchmark for the validation of numerical models, since field data from historical events are scarce, sparse, and highly uncertain. However, no systematic review of laboratory investigations of dam-break flows and existing related datasets are available in the literature to provide a comprehensive overview of the test conditions considered, the measuring techniques used, and the experimental data collected. This review article aims to fill this gap, focusing on laboratory tests in schematic and idealized setups with a fixed, non-erodible bed. In particular, this review aims to help researchers and modelers to: (a) select the most appropriate laboratory tests for validating their numerical models; (b) facilitate access to databases by indicating relevant bibliographic references; (c) identify specific challenging aspects worthy of further experimental research; and (d) support the development of new or improved technologies for the mitigation of the impact of dam-break flood waves. The references reviewed are organized into tables according to the purposes of the laboratory investigation, and comprehensive information is provided on test conditions, datasets, and data accessibility. Finally, suggestions for future experimental research on dam-break flows are provided.
Optimizing Structural Parameters of PEMFC Based on Taguchi Method
Authors: Yan Wei , Wang Jichuan , Li Jiaqi , Wang Guihua
Published: March 2023

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has become one of the new energy vehicle powertrains due to its special advantages, such as no pollution to the environment, high energy efficiency and power density. In order to improve the performance, a three-dimensional simulation model of the actual PEMFC is constructed. Combined with the mathematical models such as the electrochemical model and current conservation model, the model is calibrated by experiments. When the working voltage is 0.64 V, the error of the simulation results is 0.73%, compared with the experimental data. Then, the Taguchi method is used to design a multi-factor and multi-level orthogonal experimental scheme of PEMFC. Based on the orthogonal experimental table, the effects of different anode wave channel distortion, gas diffusion layer thickness and gas diffusion layer porosity on the current density are studied with a simulation experiment. The influence of the above factors on the orthogonal experiment results is analyzed by the signal-to-noise ratio. The regression equation is obtained by calculating the orthogonal experimental data. The t-test results are greater than 3.49, which indicates that each independent variable in the regression equation is important. R2 test is 0.915, and the F test is 53.508, indicating that the regression equation is significant and the optimal and worst structural parameter combinations are predicted. The current density reaches 14,190.18 A/m2 under the optimal structure combination, which is 6.14% higher than the calibrated model. Single factor experiments are carried out on these three different structural parameters to verify the effectiveness of the Taguchi method, and the best combination of structural parameters is obtained.
Economic importance of international tourism
Authors:   Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education Russian University of Economics G. V. Plekhanov, Naboko A. I.
Published: March 2023

At the present stage of development of the world economy, a large place in foreign economic activity is occupied by the service sector. In turn, among all types of services in recent years, tourism has received tremendous development, primarily international, which makes it one of the most promising sectors of the economy. Moreover, tourism along with this has an impact on the development of other key industries: hotel industry, transport, communications, trade, construction, etc. The article discusses the role of international tourism in the modern economy.
Analysis of the region’s food supply
Authors:   Academy of Labor and Social Relations,Department of Labor Economics and Personnel Management of the ATiSO, Dusaev H. B. , Dusaeva A. Kh. ,   VNIOPTUSKH — branch of the FGBNU FNC VNIIESH
Published: March 2023

The article presents an analysis of the procurement and consumption of feed in the livestock industries of the Orenburg region for 2009–2018 and assesses the state of the fodder base of regional agricultural production, the main factors aff ecting the productivity of cattle and pigs due to the imbalance in the nutritional and energy value of feed. The trends in the development of feed production are systematized and measures are proposed to improve the state of feed production, ensuring sustainable development of agricultural production in the region. Based on the analysis of the state of feed production and the provision of animal husbandry industries with feed, the factors of dependence of animal productivity on the level of feeding and feed quality are scientifically substantiated; for the effective development of feed production, which affects the productivity and efficiency of production in animal husbandry, it is necessary to change the structure of crops and the eff ective use of natural hayfi elds and pastures; the identifi ed trends in feed production allowed us to substantiate and propose a set of priority measures for improving and improving the feed base, increasing the production and technical potential of feed production in the region.
Shelf life extension of Oncorhynchus aguabonita fillets based on Trachyspermum copticum essential oil nanoemulsion coating during storage at 4°C
Authors: Hassanpour Mohammadjavad , Partovi Razieh , Shahavi Mohammadhassan
Published: March 2023

This study investigated the effects of Trachyspermum copticum essential oil nanoemulsion (TCEO-NE) coating on chemical, microbial and sensory changes of Oncorhynchus aguabonita fillets during storage at 4 °C. The components of T. copticum EO were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. TCEO-NE was prepared by ultrasonic method and its properties were determined. Fresh O. aguabonita fillets were immersed in TCEO-NE and stored at 4 °C. Chemical (pH, TVB-N, peroxide and TBARS), microbiological (total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, psychrotrophs, Enterobacteriaceae, lactic acid bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus) and sensory analyses (color, odor and taste) of fish fillets were evaluated on days 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 11. Thymol, limonene, and alpha-terpinene were the major compounds in T. copticum EO. The droplet size of TCEO-NE was 127.6 nm and PDI was 0.210. The control group exceeded the peroxide limit on day 6, while TCEO-NE 500.00 and 666.66 did so on day 8. The TBARS value in fish fillets was 0.57 mg MDA/kg on day zero which reached 4.76 mg MDA/kg in the control group and 2.90 mg MDA/kg in TCEO-NE 666.66 after 11 days at 4 °C. Aerobic mesophilic count in the control group exceeded the permissible level on day 6 and, in TCEO-NE 500.00 and 666.66, on day 8, therefore the shelf life of fish fillets was improved by two days. On the grounds of the favorable properties of TCEO-NE and its positive effects on chemical, microbial and sensory changes in fish fillets, it can be used as a natural food additive.