Search Results (33)

To address the issue of reduced fuel efficiency in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) caused by differences in driving styles, this paper proposes a personalized, self-learning energy management strategy (EMS) that integrates multi-feature driving style analysis with the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG). The study focuses on incorporating driving-style information into energy-management decisions. Firstly, based on CAN bus data, a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) is constructed using the expectation-maximization estimation method. By using weighted aggressive scores and preset thresholds, driving behaviors are classified into conservative, moderate, and aggressive types, thereby establishing personalized driving style representations. Second, a longitudinal dynamics model of the hybrid electric vehicle is established, incorporating the Pacejka tire model and a braking system model. Finally, a reward function is designed to minimize fuel consumption while penalizing excessively low battery state of charge (SOC). The driving-style code is included in the controller state, and DDPG jointly determines motor torque and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) ratio. Gaussian noise is added to the Actor output during training to explore the action space. A rule-based control strategy is adopted as a comparison strategy, and the proposed strategy is evaluated using the MATLAB (R2024b) platform. Over the 1980’s composite driving trajectory, equivalent fuel consumption decreases from 0.853 liters (L) to 0.705 L, a reduction of 17.34%. These results support the feasibility of the integrated strategy under the evaluated simulation conditions. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) overconfidence and earnings management in non-financial companies listed on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) from 2018 to 2024. Using 686 firm-year observations from 98 firms in markets where measures of executive stock options are unavailable or inappropriate for researchers, we create a formative principal component composite (OC_COMPOSITE) comprising an excess investment residual, a relative compensation ratio, and a 3-year acquisition frequency index. The composite meets pre-specified validation criteria for pairwise correlations, variance inflation factors, eigenvalues, and factor loadings. CEO overconfidence is positively associated with absolute discretionary accruals and aggregate real earnings management in both firm- and year-fixed-effects regressions and System Generalised Method of Moments (GMM). Based on the preferred System GMM specifications, the estimated coefficients associated with a one-standard-deviation increase in OC_COMPOSITE are equivalent to approximately 38% of the sample mean of absolute discretionary accruals and 44% of the sample mean of aggregate real earnings management; these are mean-relative effect-size benchmarks, not literal percentage changes in the dependent variables. Big Four audit engagement attenuates the overconfidence–accrual association but does not significantly moderate the real-activities relationship, whereas ownership concentration strengthens the association across both earnings-management channels, particularly for real activities. The gender interaction is interpreted as suggestive because female-led firm-years are rare in the sample. A pre-/post-2021 comparison further indicates attenuation of the overconfidence–earnings management association in the later period, although the observational design and gradual temporal pattern preclude causal attribution to the 2021 reforms. The study extends behavioural corporate finance and upper echelons theory to a concentrated-ownership emerging-market setting and develops a transferable three-proxy approach to measuring CEO overconfidence in institutional environments where conventional option-based measures are unavailable. Full article

A new method of structural decomposition of FPGA-based Moore finite state machines (FSMs) is proposed, together with the resulting architecture of the FSM circuit. The main aim of the proposed method is to improve the spatial characteristics of FPGA-based Moore FSM circuits based on twofold state assignment (TSA). The main idea of this method is to divide the set of FSM outputs into two disjoint sets. Each set determines a block of the FSM circuit. For one block, the generated outputs depend on maximum binary state codes (MBCs). For the other block, the generated outputs are functions of partial state variables. These variables are necessary for creating partial state codes that determine partial input memory functions. Under certain conditions, the proposed method improves the spatial characteristics of FSM circuits. As in the case of TSA, each FSM state has two codes. The first is a maximum binary code with the minimum possible number of bits, while the second is a partial state code representing a state as an element of a class of compatible states. The method can be applied to improve the spatial characteristics of Moore FSMs based on look-up table (LUT) elements. To improve the characteristics of the resulting FSM circuits, classes of compatible states are used; this allows us to reduce the number of literals in sum-of-products representations of partial input memory functions. An example of synthesis is presented. The experiments are conducted using a known library of benchmark FSMs. For the fourteen FS-FSM benchmarks requiring decomposition, the proposed method reduces the LUT count by 7.57% compared with equivalent TSA-based Moore FSM circuits, while the propagation time increases by 5.06%. Full article

In this work, the content of recycled polyethylene (rPE) and pigment (Cp), the antioxidant content (CAO) and ratio (RAO), and the peak internal air temperature (PIAT) of the rotational-molding cycle were optimized. Their combined influence on the mechanical, thermal, acoustic, and surface properties of the composites was studied by the probabilistic–deterministic planning method, which reduced the number of experiments from 3125 to 25. Internal stresses were monitored non-destructively through the third-harmonic amplitude (β) of the ultrasonic signal (mirror-shadow method), supported by mechanical testing, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and porosity characterization; weather resistance was assessed by accelerated ultraviolet (UV)-B aging for 333 and 666 h, treated as conditional 5- and 10-year service horizons for Northern Kazakhstan rather than as a literal calendar equivalence. The third-harmonic β was shown to be a sensitive correlational marker of internal stresses (R = 0.81 for the mean failure energy (MFE), Fisher-criterion validated), correlating with the elastic modulus, the impact strength, and the environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR), and tracking the transition between incomplete (ICS), normal (NS), and thermo-oxidative degradation (TDS) sintering; the correlational nature of this evidence is discussed. For products without UV exposure, the optimal formulation (rPE = 25%, PIAT ≈ 200 °C, Cp = 0.1–0.2%, CAO = 0.25–0.5%, RAO = 0.5–1.0) gave a minimum β (0.076–0.09), MFE ≈ 2.6 J/mm, and 2.5–3% porosity; for sun-exposed products, rPE = 25%, Cp = 0.5%, CAO = 0.5–0.75%, and RAO = 1.0 are recommended. An rPE content of up to 50% did not significantly impair thermal stability or surface hydrophobicity, and a nomogram CAO = f(β,rPE) was developed for rapid formulation selection and quality control. Full article

This single-plant, single-cycle study characterizes waste dynamics in export tomato packing and quantifies its embedded environmental footprint, contributing to SDG Target 12.3. In total, 196 daily records from six production plants at one Mexican facility were analyzed over an open-field cycle (March–May 2024). Waste composition was analyzed with compositional (long-ratio) methods, and daily magnitude was modeled with four predictive algorithms. Mean waste was 41.4 ± 6.0%, rising steadily across the cycle (+1.8 percentage points per week; 95% CI [1.59, 2.05], robust to serial correlation; r = 0.75). No overall change in waste composition was detected (p = 0.135), and discoloration showed the only positive trend, with no significance after correcting for multiple comparisons (p = 0.159), while equivalence tests were inconclusive for every category. Differences between fields were confounded with their operating windows and could not be separated. With only pre-sort variables, a parsimonious Gradient Boosting model was used to predict daily waste, with R² = 0.846, which is close to the value of 0.898 achieved through the incorporation of same-day grading data. Time-blocked validation showed that neither model outperformed the training mean, indicating interpolation rather than forecasting, with cycle day as the dominant predictor (73% relative importance). Monte Carlo propagation gave a footprint averaging 162 t CO₂eq (90% CI [50, 310]) and 141 million liters of water (90% CI [81, 209]). For the 1127 t discarded, closing the gap between the early and late phases would avoid roughly 21 t CO₂eq and 18 million liters. These findings identify cycle phase as the primary driver of waste and support the use of phase-targeted interventions to reduce both economic loss and environmental impact, contributing to SDGs 2 and 12. Full article

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Buses (FCEBs) are a promising solution for decarbonizing public transport. Their operational feasibility in developing countries depends on hydrogen-supply costs and infrastructure readiness. The Ministry of Energy has reported a 400% increase in imported natural-gas costs due to current geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran, exposing the strategic vulnerability of relying on imported diesel for public transport. This study assesses the operational hydrogen demand, fuel-cost implications, and avoided diesel tailpipe carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions associated with gradually integrating FCEBs into Jordan’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The baseline system consists of 64 diesel buses covering about 11 million kilometers annually, consuming around 3 million liters of diesel and emitting roughly 8108.3 tons of CO₂. Fleet transition scenarios are assessed for 2030, 2035, and 2040, with FCEB-integration ratios of 10%, 15%, and 25%. Under the reference assumption of equivalent-duty replacement, avoided diesel tailpipe CO₂ emissions increase with the diesel service displaced by FCEBs, reaching 25.7% at the highest penetration level. At the $6/kg reference hydrogen-price input, FCEB integration results in higher operational fuel costs than diesel-only operation. Under the constant diesel-price reference, mixed-fleet operation becomes cost-competitive at hydrogen prices of $1/kg and $2/kg, with operational fuel-cost savings of up to 16.97%. Within the operational fuel-cost boundary of this study, mixed-fleet competitiveness is influenced by both the assumed hydrogen fuel price and diesel-price trajectory. The results support gradual deployment, subject to the greenhouse-gas intensity of the hydrogen-production and delivery pathway and the readiness of hydrogen supply and depot infrastructure. Full article

Radiant porous burners are favored in household and industrial applications for their high flexibility, minimal emissions, and excellent fuel adaptability. Enhancing heating temperature uniformity improves the heat transfer efficiency and heating quality. This work presents a two-dimensional numerical study on the non-uniformity of the heating temperature (i.e., solid temperature at the burner exit) in a cylindrical porous burner. The root mean square (RMS) of the heating temperature ($T_{\mathrm{s},\mathrm{rms}}$) is used to quantify the non-uniformity. From the numerical results, the cylindrical porous burner exhibits a non-uniform heating temperature and a non-uniform mass flow rate of flue gas at the sub-outlets. The surface emissivity and equivalence ratio have minor effects on the $T_{\mathrm{s},\mathrm{rms}}$. However, increasing the volumetric flow rate and solid temperature leads to a more uniform distribution of heating temperature. The $T_{\mathrm{s},\mathrm{rms}}$ decreases from 40 K to 4.4 K as the volumetric flow rate increases from 26.75 slm (standard liters per minute) to 87 slm at an equivalence ratio of 0.96 and emissivity of 0.85. Meanwhile, the results demonstrate that increasing the thermal conductivity of the porous shell improves the heating temperature uniformity. This study presents guidelines for enhancing the uniformity of heating temperature for the cylindrical porous burner. Full article

Soil water availability can become one of the decisive factors for crop production. The technology of coinoculation with plant growth-promoting bacteria capable of performing biological nitrogen fixation and producing plant hormones may be an alternative that minimizes the effects of variations in soil water availability. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the phytometric and productive characteristics of cowpea coinoculated with Azospirillum brasilense and Bradyrhizobium japonicum subjected to soil water availability stress. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse in a completely randomized block design with four replications in a 4 × 4 factorial arrangement: not inoculated; inoculated with B. japonicum; and coinoculated with B. japonicum + A. brasilense and N fertilizer, associated with soil water tensions of 15, 30, 45, and 60 kPa. Statistically, the lowest soil water tension, 15 kPa, and the coinoculated and nitrogen fertilizer treatments resulted in greater development of plant height, stem diameter, and number of leaflets. The shoot dry mass was significantly different for only the soil water stress treatments, which showed a decrease in mass accumulation from 15 kPa to 50.22 kPa. Regarding the SPAD index, soil water tension showed a decreasing linear adjustment 24 days after plant emergence (DAEs), with the lowest value of 51.38 at a tension of 60 kPa. At 39 DAEs, the adjustment was polynomial, with the lowest tension index of 59.62 kPa, corresponding to 44.14. The treatments with the use of inoculants had a significant effect on the SPAD index, in which coinoculation with Bradyrhizobium and Azospirillum brasilense resulted in values equal to those of nitrogen fertilizer and greater than those of uninoculated treatments or those inoculated with Bradyrhizobium. Water tension influenced the total water consumption, and at a tension of 18.13 kPa, the lowest accumulation occurred, equivalent to 2.20 g of dry matter for each liter of irrigated water. Statistically, the lowest soil water tension, 15 kPa, resulted in higher numbers, lengths, and widths of pods. In relation to the length of pods, the uninoculated, inoculated with Bradyrhizobium, and coinoculated with Bradyrhizobium and A. brasilense treatments were superior to nitrogen fertilization. Coinoculation and nitrogen fertilization influenced phytometric characteristics. The productive characteristics of cowpea decreased as the soil water tension increased. These results highlight the importance of leveraging biological solutions, such as coinoculation, to mitigate the adverse effects of water stress on crop yields. In addition, by optimizing these practices, farmers ensure greater resilience in bean production, thereby guaranteeing food security in the face of changing environmental conditions. Full article

Apple pomace, a by-product from the production of concentrated juice, is a major contributor to global food waste. Despite its beneficial nutritional profile, apple pomace is predominantly disposed of in landfills. Rapid fermentation and spoilage caused by microorganisms are compounding factors in this demise, despite significant research into upcycling strategies. Thus, there is an unmet need for economical approaches that allow for the preservation of pomace during storage and transportation to centralized processing facilities from regional hubs. To address this challenge, we investigated the potential of different preservatives for preventing microbial growth and the spoilage of apple pomace, including antimicrobials (natamycin and iodine), polysaccharides (chitosan and fucoidan), and acetic acid. Spread plates for total microbial and fungal counts were employed to assess the effectiveness of the treatments. High concentrations (10,000 ppm) of chitosan were effective at reducing the microbial load and inhibiting growth, and in combination with antimicrobials, eliminated all microbes below detectable levels. Nevertheless, acetic acid at an equivalent concentration to commercial vinegar displayed the highest economic potential. Apple pomace submerged in 0.8 M acetic acid (3 kg pomace per liter) resulted in a five-log reduction in the microbial colony-forming units (CFUs) out to 14 days and prevented fermentation and ethanol production. These results provide a foundation for the short-term storage and preservation of apple pomace that could contribute to its upcycling. Full article

Specialty coffee commercialization has experienced a consistent upward trend over the past several years. The prevalence of specialty coffee consumption has increased considerably, particularly among younger demographics and people who engage in physical activities. Sellers are actively involved in the development of innovative formulas and modifications to maintain the competitiveness of their product in the market. Here, we propose a naturally infused caffeine drink with cascara extract as an alternative social beverage. This beverage was formulated using extracts derived from Arabica Ethiopia coffee beans and coffee cherry shells. The final cascara-infused caffeine drink comprises a 50% Ethiopian Arabica coffee infusion and a 50% coffee cherry shell infusion. This beverage is characterized by an average caffeine content of 0.28 mg/mL, a caffeic acid content of 0.24 mg/mL, and a chlorogenic acid content of 0.13 mg/mL. Furthermore, 100 mL of the cascara-infused coffee drink is enriched with polyphenol compounds at an amount of 80.6 mg of Gallic Acid Equivalents per liter (mg GAE/L), including 67.6 mg of catechin equivalent per liter (mg CAE/L) flavonoids. The formulation of the infused caffeine drink contains natural sugars such as glucose, sucrose, and fructose, in amounts of 0.17 mg/mL, 0.97 mg/mL, and 1.66 mg/mL, respectively. The developed procedure has the potential to enhance the coffee-sale market. Full article

Conventional hydrogen production processes, which often involve fossil raw materials, emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This study critically evaluates the feasibility of using sugarcane biomass as an energy source to produce green hydrogen. In the 2023/2024 harvest, Brazil, the world’s largest sugarcane producer, processed approximately 713.2 million metric tons of sugarcane. This yielded 45.68 million metric tons of sugar and 29.69 billion liters of first-generation ethanol, equivalent to approximately 0.0416 liters of ethanol per kilogram of sugarcane. A systematic literature review was conducted using Scopus and Clarivate Analytics Web of Science, resulting in the assessment of 335 articles. The study has identified seven potential biohydrogen production methods, including two direct approaches from second-generation ethanol and five from integrated bioenergy systems. Experimental data indicate that second-generation ethanol can yield 594 MJ per metric ton of biomass, with additional energy recovery from lignin combustion (1705 MJ per metric ton). Moreover, advances in electrocatalytic reforming and plasma-driven hydrogen production have demonstrated high conversion efficiencies, addressing key technical barriers. The results highlight Brazil’s strategic potential to integrate biohydrogen production within its existing bioenergy infrastructure. By leveraging sugarcane biomass for green hydrogen, the country can contribute significantly to the global transition to sustainable energy while enhancing its energy security. Full article

Beer is one of the oldest drinks consumed by humans. In 2023, a global production of 211.56 billion liters of this beverage was estimated. Beer production generates various wastes, bagasse being the most significant—equivalent to 31% of the raw material. The main waste is spent barley grains, which are used as animal feed or a soil improver or disposed of in landfills. An alternative for its revaluation is the recovery of compounds with biological activity from bagasse, such as ferulic acid; however, this type of compound can be thermolabile, and processes such as dehydration can affect the amount of bioactive compounds. Given the above, this work aims to compare the recovery of total phenolic compounds (TPCs), especially ferulic acid (FA), after applying different dehydration conditions on Stout-type and Session IPA-type brewing bagasse. TPCs and FA were determined via Folin–Ciocalteu and HPLC methods, respectively. Drying by freeze-drying and by a convective process was evaluated. The results show that after increasing the temperature from 60 °C to 80 °C in the convective process, there are no significant differences in the presence of TPCs or AF for the Stout matter, with average values of 967 and 108 mg/100 g, respectively. In the case of the Session IPA bagasse, a decrease in the presence of AF is observed with increasing temperature. On the other hand, when comparing the results with the freeze-drying process, the latter produces raw materials with a lower amount of TPCs, but with higher levels of AF, with values of up to 210 mg/100 g of raw material. The results presented allow us to conclude that the recovery of FA from brewing bagasse is feasible, and that the process variables have an important effect on its recovery. Full article

Each year, a substantial amount of food is discarded around the globe. A significant portion of this waste consists of by-products derived from Citrus fruits such as lemons. The purpose of this research is to examine the polyphenol extraction and the antioxidant ability of lemon peel using cloud point extraction (CPE), a sustainable approach. CPE was conducted using three steps with a 20% w/v concentration of Span 20 as the surfactant, which has a critical micellar concentration of 6.13 × 10⁻⁵ mol/L. The pH was set at 7 and a salt concentration of 20% was maintained at 45 °C for 20 min. The subsequent outcomes of the analysis were obtained: total polyphenol content (TPC): 526.32 mg gallic acid equivalents per liter; total flavonoid content (TFC): 90.22 mg rutin equivalents per liter; FRAP, DPPH, and hydrogen peroxide assays: 2.40, 2.68 and 1.03 mmol ascorbic acid equivalents per liter, respectively, and 168.63 mg/L ascorbic acid content. The quantification of the polyphenolic compounds through High-Performance Liquid Chromatography showed that the most abundant compounds in the lemon peels are eriocitrin (159.43 mg/L) and hesperidin (135.21 mg/L). The results indicate that the proposed CPE technique is successful in extracting antioxidant compounds from lemon peels. The generated extracts have the potential to be exploited as dietary additives to enhance human health and can also be utilized for nutraceuticals or pharmaceutical purposes. Full article

The record-setting winter of 2022–2023 came as an answer to both figurative and literal prayers for political leaders, policy makers, and water managers reliant on snowpacks in the Upper Colorado River Basin, a vital source of water for tens of millions of people across the Western United States. But this “drought-busting” winter was not well-predicted, in part because while interannual patterns of tropical ocean temperatures have a well-known relationship to precipitation patterns across much of the American West, the Upper Colorado is part of a liminal region where these connections tend to be comparatively weak. Using historical sea surface temperature and snowpack records, and leveraging a long-term cross-basin relationship to extend the timeline for evaluation, this analysis demonstrates that the 2022–2023 winter did not present in accordance with other high-snowpack winters in this region, and that the associative pattern of surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific, and snow water equivalent in the regions that stored and supplied most of the water to the Colorado River during the 2022–2023 winter, was not substantially different from a historically incoherent arrangement of long-term correlation. These findings suggest that stochastic variability plays an outsized role in influencing water availability in this region, even in extreme years, reinforcing the importance of other trends to inform water policy and management. Full article

With the increasing use of renewable energy resources for the power grid, the need for long-term storage technologies, such as power-to-gas systems, is growing. Biomethanation provides the opportunity to store energy in the form of the natural gas-equivalent biomethane. This study investigates a novel plug flow reactor that employs a helical static mixer for the biological methanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. In tests, the reactor achieved an average methane production rate of 2.5 $\frac{L_{{CH}_4}}{L_R\ast \mathrm{d}}$ (methane production [L_CH4] per liter of reactor volume [L_R] per day [d]) with a maximum methane content of 94%. It demonstrated good flexibilization properties, as repeated 12 h downtimes did not negatively impact the process. The genera Methanothermobacter and Methanobacterium were predominant during the initial phase, along with volatile organic acid-producing, hydrogenotrophic, and proteolytic bacteria. The average ratio of volatile organic acid to total inorganic carbon increased to 0.52 ± 0.04, while the pH remained stable at an average of pH 8.1 ± 0.25 from day 32 to 98, spanning stable and flexible operation modes. This study contributes to the development of efficient flexible biological methanation systems for sustainable energy storage and management. Full article