Search Results (20,215)

As China advances high-quality agricultural development, promoting green production among farmers has become an important policy priority. Using survey data from 1787 rice farmers in seven major rice-producing provinces in southern China, this study examines whether enterprise-led contract farming can promote farmers’ green production behavior. Green production behavior is measured by a composite index based on six practices, including green control technology, soil testing and formulated fertilization, organic fertilizer substitution, water-saving irrigation, agricultural film recycling, and straw return. Empirical analysis results show that enterprise-led contract farming can significantly promote farmers’ green production behavior. Further analysis suggests that food safety certification, planting technology training, and lower perceived price volatility are important pathways through which contract farming is linked to green production practices. The promoting effect is weaker among older farmers, stronger for farmers cultivating land with medium soil fertility, and more pronounced among small-scale rice farmers. These findings highlight the role of enterprise-led contract farming in promoting farmers’ green production and offer policy implications for encouraging wider participation in green production practices. Full article

Silicon carbide (SiC) power devices are emerging as an alternative for electrical transportation systems to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, increase power density, and enable long-term cost savings throughout the product life cycle. Thus, a fair comparison with state-of-the-art Silicon (Si) technology is required to justify the productization of SiC devices. This work performs a systematic investigation of both technologies at the device and system levels for distinct power module voltage classes (3.3 and 6.5 kV) and circuit topologies. Initially, experimental characterization of state-of-the-art power modules is performed, followed by energy efficiency characterizations at the power converter level. Then, an electrothermal simulation model was built and validated based on experimental results. Accurate system simulations of commercial two- and three-level traction topologies were developed, focusing on efficiency over the entire load range, loadability, potential energy savings under realistic train drive cycles, and a financial comparison of inverter prices per kW. SiC exhibits lower loadability degradation at high switching frequencies (>500 Hz) than Si technology. Energy-saving potentials of 40–70% in the traction inverter with a guaranteed return on investment during the converter’s lifetime are achieved by substituting Si with SiC inverters. In addition, massive energy savings of up to 200 MWh per inverter lifetime can effectively reduce the carbon footprint of railway systems (up to ~76 t CO₂-eq saved during the inverter lifetime). This paper provides essential information for distinct stakeholders to support the decision-making process and design considerations for future railway power conversion technologies. Full article

Offshore industries depend solely on diesel-based power generation systems or mainland grids, which are expensive and carbon-intensive. The demand for renewable energy-based offshore DC microgrids (MGs) has significantly increased due to rising fuel prices, high costs of fuel transportation and storage, extreme operation and maintenance expenses, and associated carbon emissions. This research study optimises the size of an offshore DC MG that integrates wave, solar, energy storage, and diesel, utilising real-world data from a specific geographical location (latitude −33.525587 and longitude 114.772211), thereby accurately representing the availability of renewable energy sources. An algorithm is designed to optimise the utilisation of highly variable renewable sources via battery-based energy management, resulting in optimal energy dispatch. Utilising economic performance metrics, such as levelised cost of energy (LCoE) and net present value (NPV), this research aims to minimise the energy, operating, and greenhouse gas emission costs while maximising the economic feasibility of the system. A sensitivity analysis is performed to determine the impact of fuel prices, discount rates, and system lifespans on the feasibility of the system. The findings demonstrate that the proposed renewable-based offshore DC MG can substantially reduce fuel consumption (93%), operational expenses (77.56%), and carbon emissions (89.50%) compared with a diesel-only system for offshore platforms, while improving the sustainability and reliability of power supply for aquaculture and marine activities. In addition, the proposed renewable-energy-based offshore DC MG achieves a lower LCoE (0.5649 $/kWh) and a higher NPV (2.987 × ${10}^4$ $) than a conventional diesel-based power generation system for offshore industries. The results provide a decision-making framework for the design and implementation of renewable energy-based offshore DC MGs. Full article

This paper examines downstream firms’ incentives to accept equity participation by an upstream supplier in a vertically related market. We develop a multi-stage model in which the upstream firm offers an equity stake and sets input prices under price discrimination, while downstream firms subsequently compete à la Cournot. We show that upstream equity ownership induces the upstream firm to lower input prices by partially internalizing downstream profits. This mechanism generates a positive market-expansion effect for downstream firms through lower input costs, while equity ownership simultaneously creates a negative equity-dilution effect by reducing the share of profits retained by downstream firms. When products are homogeneous, the equity-dilution effect dominates the market-expansion effect, leading downstream firms into a Prisoner’s Dilemma. In contrast, under product differentiation, when the ownership share is sufficiently small, the market-expansion effect dominates the equity-dilution effect, resulting in higher downstream profits. In this case, accepting equity participation can be individually optimal for downstream firms, even though mutual acceptance may reduce their retained profits. Full article

The agricultural sector is increasingly confronted with numerous challenges, including declining prices for agricultural products, escalating production costs, intensified globalization, rapid industrialization, urban expansion and growing competition in global markets. To promote rural development and improve farmers’ livelihoods through diversified sources of income, agritourism has been identified as a viable alternative strategy. This study aims to determine the factors influencing farmers’ willingness to participate in agritourism in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Primary data were collected from November 2022 to June 2023 using a structured questionnaire and a simple random sampling technique to select 100 farmers. A logistics regression model was used to analyse data. The findings revealed that profitability, non-farm employment, the number of labourers, and access to information positively influence WTP. Age also positively influenced WTP, while marital status showed a negative but significant effect. The findings imply that farmers with stronger financial capacity, labour availability and access to information are more likely to consider agritourism as a diversification strategy. The study suggests strengthening extension services, improving farm profitability and enhancing access to information to increase readiness to engage in agritourism. Full article

Sustainable forklift technologies have become essential in modern industrial logistics due to increasing environmental regulations, rising energy costs, and heightened occupational safety requirements. Given the complexity and variety of sustainable forklift options, selecting the most appropriate one has become a critical multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem for companies. This study aims to determine the most appropriate sustainable forklifts by considering multiple qualitative and quantitative criteria that play a critical role in the forklift selection process of companies. To this end, meetings are conducted with managers possessing expertise in sustainability and logistics at companies operating in Turkey. Based on these insights, ten forklift alternatives and six evaluation criteria are identified. This is the first time, in this study, sustainability criteria such as sustainability in occupational health and safety, sustainability in agility, sustainability in ergonomics, durability and material sustainability, sustainability in load lifting capacity and sustainability in price are incorporated into the evaluation. To the best of our knowledge, no study in existing literature has specifically focused on sustainable forklift selection, incorporating the comprehensive sustainability-oriented criteria considered in this study. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is employed to determine the weight of each criterion. Subsequently, forklift alternatives are ranked using the Multi-objective Optimization by Ratio Analysis (MOORA) ratio approach, the Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS), and the Elimination and Choice Translating Reality (ELECTRE) methods. Moreover, weights derived based on different subjective and objective weighting schemes, specifically FUCOM, BWM, and Entropy, as well as the resulting ranking outcomes are comparatively examined to assess the impact of varying weighting structures on the robustness and consistency of the final decision results. The proposed methodology is applied within manufacturing and logistics companies in Turkey to assess its practical effectiveness. As a result of this study, the most appropriate sustainable forklifts for the companies are identified. Furthermore, the outcomes of the applied methods yield consistent/similar results. The results emphasize that managers should place greater importance on the criteria of sustainability in occupational health and safety—identified as the most critical factor—followed by durability and material sustainability, and sustainability in load lifting capacity when selecting forklifts. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the method yields consistent and effective results. Moreover, it demonstrates the robustness and accuracy of the forklift evaluations. In this context, this study serves as a guided reference for companies in the selection of sustainable forklifts. Full article

Housing markets display geographical linkages that contravene conventional regression assumptions; yet, Central and Eastern European towns are markedly underrepresented in spatial econometric research. This study provides a systematic spatial econometric analysis of Zagreb’s housing market. It looks at both asking sale and rental prices throughout the city’s 17 administrative districts. There are five model specifications used in the analysis: Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Spatial Lag of X (SLX), Spatial Autoregressive Model (SAR), Spatial Error Model (SEM), and Spatial Durbin Model (SDM). The findings demonstrate significant positive spatial autocorrelation in both markets: Global Moran’s I = 0.29 (p = 0.007) for sales and 0.42 (p < 0.001) for rents. LISA analysis finds important groups of high-priced homes in the center districts and lower-priced homes on the edges. Spatial models significantly surpass OLS: SLX exhibits AIC enhancements of 9.90 (sales) and 20.20 (rentals), but SAR and SEM yield no enhancements, suggesting that local spillover effects from adjacent characteristics prevail over global spatial diffusion or correlated shocks. The higher Moran’s I and AIC gains in rental markets show that there are different spatial processes for different types of tenure. These results address a significant empirical deficiency in post-socialist housing research, illustrate that neglecting spatial dependencies may lead to biased estimates and reduced model performance, and furnish methodologically sound evidence that spatial econometric techniques are essential for accurate modeling for precise urban housing analysis in intermediate-sample scenarios. Policy implications stress the need to use spatial approaches in choices about property value, forecasting, and urban planning. Full article

Rapid urbanization and population growth in West Africa are intensifying pressure on natural resources and reconfiguring telecoupled supply chains, especially for essential household fuels like charcoal and firewood, here collectively referred to as woodfuel, that link urban consumers to distant production landscapes. However, these cross-regional linkages remain poorly understood. This study, therefore, investigates how urban dynamics structure telecoupled woodfuel flows in Benin, based on quantitative and qualitative surveys of roadside charcoal and firewood traders along the country’s major long-distance roads RNIE#2 and RNIE#3. Collected data included sources, destinations, quantities, pricing, and organizational aspects, combined into a system analysis of fuelwood trading across sending, receiving, and corridor (spillover) areas. Results show consumers growing reliance on charcoal, which in our study amounted to 35,770 t year⁻¹ (97% of the total surveyed flow) to urban areas. Roadside trading depends heavily on connectivity, traffic, and regional trade links, with RNIE#2 emerging as the main corridor, channeling 30,960 t year⁻¹ (84% of the total surveyed flow). Contrary to assumptions that woodfuel sources reflect vegetation density, distances to reported sources were short, with supply shadows averaging 11.3 km (SD = 14.5). Urban demand shapes woodfuel flows by concentrating most trade in major cities—especially the Cotonou–Porto-Novo area, which received 83% (28,770 t year⁻¹) of charcoal and 84% (850 t year⁻¹) of firewood traded along the surveyed flow axes of Benin, with market reach distances varying between 1 and 390 km. Full article

Background/Objectives: Physical restraints and seclusion remain ethically contested interventions in psychiatric care, raising significant concerns regarding patient safety, dignity, and therapeutic impact. Despite growing international momentum towards restraint-reduction strategies, their use persists across the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), an area that has been the subject of limited systematic attention. This review synthesises evidence on the knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of nurses and individuals with mental illness regarding these practices in EMR psychiatric settings. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42023383751), we systematically searched nine electronic databases for studies published up to June 2023, supplemented by backward and forward citation searching. Multiple reviewers independently screened records against predefined eligibility criteria, with disagreements resolved through consensus. Methodological quality was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal tools, and reporting quality was evaluated using an adapted CROSS checklist; these two appraisal dimensions were conducted and reported independently. Findings were integrated through narrative synthesis. Results: From 4634 identified records, 19 studies conducted across 11 EMR countries met the inclusion criteria. Nursing knowledge deficits were identified across multiple settings, and attitudes towards restraint practices were predominantly negative. Individuals with mental illness consistently described restraint as humiliating, punitive, and physically distressing. Recurrent challenges identified across studies included inadequate staff training, chronic understaffing, and limited access to restraint-reduction alternatives. Conclusions: Substantial gaps in nursing knowledge and training persist across the EMR. The findings of this review, while derived predominantly from cross-sectional studies with convenience samples, suggest that evidence-based education programmes, standardised restraint-reduction policies, and patient-centred care frameworks warrant prioritisation to safeguard the rights, safety, and dignity of individuals with mental illness in this region. Longitudinal and experimental research is needed to confirm these directions and establish their effectiveness within EMR contexts. Full article

This study develops a risk-informed pricing framework for maintenance contracts in the trucking industry. We apply a comprehensive methodology combining statistical segmentation, cost analysis, and Value at Risk (VaR) modeling to a dataset of nearly 2000 contracts. Contracts were grouped by duration and truck usage, and distributions were fitted to estimate costs and compute risk premiums. Two pricing models are proposed: a traditional VaR-based approach and an adaptive model that incorporates distribution tail heaviness. Results show that the adaptive model resolves the counterintuitive decline in prices at higher risk levels and yields more stable, flexible premiums. These findings underscore the importance of tail-risk metrics in contract pricing to better capture cost uncertainty. The approach supports more accurate risk management and sustainable pricing strategies for maintenance services. Full article

This study re-examines the monetary “black box” in India by investigating whether monetary-policy transmission is state-dependent across different interest-rate environments. Using quarterly data spanning 1993Q1–2024Q2, it constructs a Taylor rule-based monetary-policy shock to mitigate the endogeneity of raw policy rates and estimates dynamic discrete-threshold regressions with endogenously determined regimes. The results provide strong evidence of nonlinearity and structural instability in India’s transmission process. For real output, the weighted average call money rate (WACR) emerges as the more informative threshold variable, while wholesale price inflation is more effectively segmented by the 91-day Treasury bill yield. The findings show that the contractionary effect of monetary policy on output is most evident in the intermediate-rate regime, whereas low- and high-rate regimes exhibit weaker or counterintuitive short-run responses, consistent with crisis accommodation, delayed pass-through, and state-specific frictions. For inflation, monetary tightening is associated with a short-run price puzzle in low- and intermediate-yield regimes but produces the expected disinflationary effect in the high-yield regime. Across channels, the credit and asset-price channels matter selectively for output, while the exchange-rate channel is the most relevant for inflation only in the intermediate regime. Overall, the evidence suggests that monetary-policy transmission in India is regime-dependent and that policy assessment should distinguish between operating-rate conditions and broader market-rate regimes. Full article

Educational equality is essential for achieving social justice and sustainable development. Accurately predicting the trend of educational inequality is important for improving education systems and ensuring equitable resource allocation. In this paper, the Educational Gini (E-Gini) index is calculated based on the population aged 6 and above in China from 2002 to 2024, quantifying educational inequality. To forecast the future trend in the E-Gini index, a hybrid prediction framework based on the grey prediction model (GM(1,1)) and Cuckoo search-support vector regression (CS-SVR) model is proposed. This framework incorporates three influencing factors, including government budget spending on education, per capita consumption expenditure on education, and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for education. The results show that the E-Gini of China generally declines from 2002 to 2024 with fluctuations. The proposed approach predicts the E-Gini value of 2024 as 0.220130, while the actual value is 0.2206, corresponding to an absolute error of 0.000470 and a relative error of 0.213%. In the benchmark comparison, the proposed model outperforms the linear trend model, the univariate GM(1,1), the naive persistence model, ARIMA, and the standard SVR model. The comparative analysis demonstrates that the proposed framework effectively captures the inherent patterns of educational inequality and reveals its trends. The proposed framework serves as a valuable tool for forecasting trends in educational inequality and informing policy decisions. Full article

This study investigates the impact of oil prices and exchange rates on the manufacturing output of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kazakhstan using data from the period 2000 to 2023, within the framework of the ARDL model. In the Kazakhstani economy, approximately 60% of SMEs operate in the wholesale and retail trade sectors, a factor that has been taken into consideration in interpreting the effects of macroeconomic variables on SME output. The results of the long-run analysis reveal that the exchange rate has a significant and strong positive effect on SME manufacturing output. Although oil prices do not directly exert a statistically significant influence on production output, the study identifies an indirect effect of oil revenues on SME output via the exchange rate channel. In the short-run findings, both exchange rates and oil prices are found to have significant effects on production output; in particular, oil prices exhibit a positive impact in the short term, which partially reverses in subsequent periods. The error correction term indicates a rapid adjustment back to equilibrium in the long run. These results highlight the high sensitivity of SME production performance in Kazakhstan to exchange rate fluctuations and underscore the indirect influence of oil prices through exchange rate movements. The study recommends enhancing the financial resilience of SMEs, minimizing exchange rate risks, and closely monitoring changes in energy prices. Furthermore, it suggests the development of policies aimed at promoting SMEs’ involvement in foreign currency-generating activities, as well as protecting enterprises in the wholesale and retail sectors against price volatility. In this context, the study makes a valuable contribution by providing a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of macroeconomic variables on SME manufacturing output. Full article

Background/Objectives: This regional case study evaluated the affordability and serving accuracy of a publicly available one-week DASH meal plan for single-woman households using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in central Kentucky. Methods: For each food item in the one-week plan, total grocery costs and per-serving costs were calculated using January 2025 prices from two national grocery chains commonly patronized in an urban area in central Kentucky. Calculated costs were compared to the average weekly food cost for women aged 20–50 years in a single household based on the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP). Servings for food groups and categories were calculated using MyPlate and American Heart Association guidelines to compare with those reported in the one-week plan. Results: The total grocery cost was $262.17, including staple foods expected to last more than a week. The adjusted per-serving cost of $82.90 was 21.19% higher than the average weekly food cost based on the January 2025 TFP. All food groups and categories except dairy showed differences of at least one serving between our calculations and the one-week plan. Conclusions: Findings from this case study on grocery costs suggest that the one-week plan may pose affordability challenges in this regional context and continued evaluation of whether SNAP benefit allotments based on TFP adequately reflect regional food cost variations may be warranted. Discrepancies in total servings highlight the need to improve the accuracy of publicly available DASH resources and to review these materials for consistency and accuracy. Full article

Ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems, while energy-efficient, often face persistent soil thermal imbalance in heating-dominated severe cold regions, which undermines their long-term performance and sustainability. This study proposes a TRNSYS-GenOpt framework for the life-cycle cost optimization of hybrid GSHP systems integrating electric boilers and geothermal regulation towers. A transient model for a 5650 m² fire station in Changchun was developed, employing the Hooke–Jeeves algorithm to co-optimize boiler capacity, borehole depth, and geothermal regulation tower airflow under constraints on heating supply temperature and soil thermal balance. Time-of-use electricity pricing was incorporated for realistic operational economics. The optimized configuration (148 m, 864.8 kW, 290,400 m³/h) achieved a minimum 20-year life-cycle cost of CNY 1.13 million. Sensitivity analysis revealed “rigid design, flexible cost” characteristics: optimal parameters remained invariant across discount rate variations (3.5–7.5%) and equipment costs (±20%), while life-cycle cost showed the highest sensitivity to electricity pricing and discount rates. The long-term simulation confirmed compliance with all physical constraints. This methodology demonstrates that thermodynamic constraints supersede economic trade-offs in severe cold climates, providing engineers with a reliable tool for sustainable hybrid geothermal system design. Full article