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A review of lunar communications and antennas: assessing performance in the context of propagation and radiation
Get PDFYesOver the previous two decades, a notable array of space exploration missions have been initiated with the primary aim of facilitating the return of both humans and robots from Earth to the moon. The significance of these endeavors cannot be emphasized enough as numerous entities, both public and private, from across the globe have invested substantial resources into this pursuit. Researchers have committed their efforts to addressing the challenges linked to lunar communication. Even with all of these efforts, only a few of the many suggested designs for communication and antennas on the moon have been evaluated and compared. These designs have also not been shared with the scientific community. To bridge this gap in the existing body of knowledge, this paper conducts a thorough review of lunar surface communication and the diverse antenna designs employed in lunar communication systems. This paper provides a summary of the findings presented in lunar surface communication research while also outlining the assorted challenges that impact lunar communication. Apart from various antenna designs reported in this field, based on their intended usage, two additional classifications are introduced: (a) mission-based antennas-utilized in actual lunar missions-and (b) research-based antennas-employed solely for research purposes. Given the critical need to comprehend and predict lunar conditions and antenna behaviors within those conditions, this review holds immense significance. Its relevance is particularly pronounced in light of the numerous upcoming lunar missions that have been announced.This work is part of the “Performance Evaluation of Lunar Rashid Rover Communication System” research project, supported by the University of Dubai
Life cycle sustainability assessment of alternative green roofs - A systematic literature review
Get PDFYesThere is general agreement on the importance of green roofs as ways of reducing GHG emissions, reducing overall costs and improving sustainability in urban areas. This systematic literature review highlights life cycle sustainability assessment as an essential criterion to evaluate green roofs. A bibliometric analysis was used to quantitatively review relevant literature. The Scopus database was chosen as a bibliographic database of academic publications. Thes period of search started from 2003 and final search was conducted on February 15, 2023. Based on further in-depth reading, 88 publication records which met the selection criteria, including 74 papers and 14 conference papers. Researchers from the United States contributed almost 31 % of the documents. We evaluated leading studies in this field and discussed assessment method, system boundaries and research gaps through a critical literature review and a systematic search review. Finally, we propose a framework and identify a gap and future research. The environmental aspect of green roofs have received more attention than economic issues. We found that most economic evaluations of green roofs are limited to their construction stage. As yet there is no comprehensive social study on green roofs. We considered a unified study of the economic, environmental impact and social evaluation of green roofs to be warranted. Additionally, various measurement methods should be used to assess the economic profitability of green roofs over the long term. In summary, this study provides a deeper understanding of the environmental, social, and economic performance of green roofs and identifies research gaps as well as future research directions.There is general agreement on the importance of green roofs as ways of reducing GHG emissions, reducing overall costs and improving sustainability in urban areas. This systematic literature review highlights life cycle sustainability assessment as an essential criterion to evaluate green roofs. A bibliometric analysis was used to quantitatively review relevant literature. The Scopus database was chosen as a bibliographic database of academic publications. Thes period of search started from 2003 and final search was conducted on February 15, 2023. Based on further in-depth reading, 88 publication records which met the selection criteria, including 74 papers and 14 conference papers. Researchers from the United States contributed almost 31 % of the documents. We evaluated leading studies in this field and discussed assessment method, system boundaries and research gaps through a critical literature review and a systematic search review. Finally, we propose a framework and identify a gap and future research. The environmental aspect of green roofs have received more attention than economic issues. We found that most economic evaluations of green roofs are limited to their construction stage. As yet there is no comprehensive social study on green roofs. We considered a unified study of the economic, environmental impact and social evaluation of green roofs to be warranted. Additionally, various measurement methods should be used to assess the economic profitability of green roofs over the long term. In summary, this study provides a deeper understanding of the environmental, social, and economic performance of green roofs and identifies research gaps as well as future research directions
Engaging with Psychology Students to Find New Ways of Improving Behaviour in Libraries
Get PDFIn the period following the pandemic, we observed that poor student behaviour was increasingly becoming a problem in our library. We decided to take a novel approach to try and discover new ways of encouraging positive use of the university library using existing resources and ensuring the inclusion of student voices to gather rich critically evaluated feedback to inform our service improvements
The systematic literature review process: a simple guide for public health and allied health students
Get PDFYesA literature review is a key part of all academic research that informs researchers of the existing body of knowledge. Reviews conducted systematically are becoming more appealing to the researcher about two reasons. Firstly, they are robust, strong, comprehensive and reproducible and can appropriately serve the review of any primary research. Secondly, they are qualified to be a stand-alone piece of academic work that contributes to the scientific body of knowledge. Although researchers and students in higher education who wish to write their dissertations are informed about the need for generating a literature review for primary research, when it comes to conducting a full systematic review, they may have some confusion and doubt on the distinction between a traditional literature review and a systematic review. This paper aims to clarify what a systematic review entails and take the readers' attention through the practical steps in conducting a systematic review. So, more of a practical step-by-step guide, rather than theoretical discussion of content, has been included. This paper would benefit early-career researchers, undergraduate students and many post-graduate students who wish to write their papers or dissertations based on a systematic review
Peer effects in the online peer-to-peer lending market: Ex-ante selection and ex-post learning
No full textYesThis study investigates peer effects in the online peer-to-peer (P2P) lending market using data from a Chinese online lending platform, Renrendai. The empirical results indicate that both the borrowers' success rate in obtaining loans and the default rate after loans are deemed non-coercive among their peers, referred to as the peer effects of lending and peer effects of default, respectively. The peer effect of lending is more pronounced in high-risk cities, whereas the peer effect of defaulting is more pronounced for borrowers with more difficulty obtaining loans, indicating ex-ante selection and ex-post learning mechanisms, respectively. The peer effects of lending promote P2P lending market efficiency, and the peer effects of defaulting inhibit market efficiency. Collectively, our results suggest that both lenders and borrowers follow peer effects to reduce information asymmetry in P2P lending markets
The impact of geopolitical risk on CO2 emissions inequality: Evidence from 38 developed and developing economies
Get PDFYesThis paper analyses the impact of geopolitical risk on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions inequality in the panel
dataset of 38 developed and developing economies from 1990 to 2019. At this juncture, the empirical models
control for the effects of globalisation, capital-labour ratio, and per capita income on CO2 emissions inequality.
The panel cointegration tests show a significant long-run relationship among the related variables in the
empirical models. The panel data regression estimations indicate that geopolitical risk, capital-labour ratio, and
per capita income increase CO2 emissions inequality. However, globalisation negatively affects CO2 emissions
inequality in the panel dataset of 38 developed and developing countries. The pairwise panel heterogeneous
causality test results align with these benchmark results and indicate no reverse causality issue. Potential policy
implications are also discussed.The authors acknowledge the grant from the Major Project of Philosophy and Social Science Research in Colleges (Grant Number: 2023SJZD027)
Study of Linkage between Indoor Air Quality along with Indoor Activities and the Severity of Asthma Symptoms in Asthma Patients
Get PDFAsthma, a chronic respiratory disease affecting millions of people worldwide, can vary in severity depending on individual triggers such as Carbon Dioxide, Particulate Matter, dust mites, tobacco smoke, and indoor household activities such as cooking, cleaning, use of heating, and window opening, which can have a negative impact on indoor air quality (IAQ) and exacerbate asthma symptoms. Investigating the relationship between IAQ and asthma severity, a case study was conducted on five asthmatic participants from Bradford, UK. IAQ was measured using IoT indoor air quality monitoring devices. Indoor activities were recorded using a daily household activities questionnaire, and asthma severity was assessed using the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ). Machine learning prediction models were used to analyse various IAQ parameters, such as particulate matter, carbon dioxide, and humidity levels, to identify the most significant predictors of asthma severity with IAQ. The study aimed to develop targeted interventions to improve IAQ and reduce the burden of asthma. Results showed that higher asthma severity scores were associated with increased indoor activity and higher levels of indoor air pollution. Some interventions were implemented to improve ventilation hours, significantly improving IAQ and reducing asthma symptoms, particularly those with more severe asthma. The findings indicate that interventions targeting IAQ, and indoor activities can effectively reduce asthma severity, with up to a 60% reduction in symptoms for asthma patients
Evaluating the irritant factors of silicone and hydrocolloid skin contact adhesives using trans-epidermal water loss, protein stripping, erythema, and ease of removal
Get PDFYesA composite silicone skin adhesive material was designed to improve its water vapor permeability to offer advantages to wearer comfort compared to existing skin adhesive dressings available (including perforated silicone and hydrocolloid products). The chemical and mechanical properties of this novel dressing were analyzed to show that it has a high creep compliance, offering anisotropic elasticity that is likely to place less stress on the skin. A participant study was carried out in which 31 participants wore a novel silicone skin adhesive (Sil2) and a hydrocolloid competitor and were monitored for physiological response to the dressings. Trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured pre- and postwear to determine impairment of skin barrier function. Sil2 exhibited a higher vapor permeability than the hydrocolloid dressings during wear. Peel strength measurements and dye counter staining of the removed dressings showed that the hydrocolloid had a higher adhesion to the participants' skin, resulting in a greater removal of proteins from the stratum corneum and a higher pain rating from participants on removal. Once the dressings were removed, TEWL of the participants skin beneath the Sil2 was close to normal in comparison to the hydrocolloid dressings that showed an increase in skin TEWL, indicating that the skin had been highly occluded. Analysis of the skin immediately after removal showed a higher incidence of erythema following application of hydrocolloid dressings (>60%) compared to Sil2, (Medical Research Council Confidence in Concept grant (MC_PC_19030); Trio Healthcare Ltd; Royal Society of Chemistry Research Enablement Grant (E21-8346952505)
Challenges for regionalism in South Asia: The role of institutions and human development
No full textYesA large body of literature exists in the area of trade integration in various regions of the world (for instance Mongelli, Dorrucci & Agur 2005 for EU; Chen and Nory 2011 for EU; Bouet, Cosnard & Laborde, 2017 for Africa, Athukorala & Yamashita 2006 for East Asia; Bussiere, Fidrmuc and Schnatz 2005 for Central and Eastern European countries). However, not much literature is available on South Asia trade and economic integration.
Intra-regional trade just formed only 5% (in absolute terms 23$ billion) of South Asia’s total trade in comparison with the ASEAN region (25%) (World Bank). This is indeed perplexing as the countries within the region even
though heterogeneous in terms of size and governed by different political ideologies, yet share similar cultural and historical closeness, high level of poverty and low level of human development (Arora and Ratnasari 2014).
Among the factors influencing low formal intra-regional trade are high trade barriers, high level of mistrust among the countries leading to several conflicts especially between India and Pakistan. This chapter examines some of
these issues and especially examines the association between low human development, institutional development and regional integration
The role of the COVID-19 pandemic in time-frequency connectedness between oil market shocks and green bond markets: Evidence from the wavelet-based quantile approaches
Get PDFYesThis study contributes to the existing literature on the relationship between oil market shocks and the green bond market by investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their dynamic correlation. We first decompose the oil market shocks into components using a time-frequency framework. Then, we combine wavelet decomposition and quantile coherence and causality methods to discuss changes during the COVID-19 era. We observe positive effects of both supply-driven and demand-driven oil shocks on the green bond market at most quantile levels. However, supply-driven oil price changes play a major role. The results also indicate that long-term changes have a greater impact than short-term changes on the connection between oil and green bond markets. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the nature of the causal relationship, as we observed no relationship under extreme market conditions during the pandemic era. We argue that the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have left investors focusing on the short-term substitution between oil and green bond markets.This research was supported by the Major Projects of the National Natural Science Fund of China [NO. 71991483], the Natural Science Fund of Hunan Province [NO. 2022JJ40647] and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Central South University [NO. 2022ZZTS0353]