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Patent strength, innovation, and CO2 emissions: evidence of non‐linear environmental impacts across economies
Get PDFThis study investigates the complex relationship among patent strength, innovation, and CO2 emissions by exploring a pathway through which the strength of patents influences environmental sustainability. Utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM), we examine data from a diverse set of OECD and non‐OECD countries over the period 1998–2017. Our results reveal a non‐linear, S‐shaped relationship between patent stringency and CO2 emissions, highlighting that while stronger patent protections can initially lead to increased emissions due to industrial activity, they may also encourage efficiency improvements and cleaner practices after reaching a certain threshold. However, excessively stringent patents may revive emissions by reducing competition and innovation. The findings emphasize the need for nuanced patent policies that consider both economic growth and environmental sustainability.Business Strategy & Developmen
Polarimetry for sparse multistatic 3D SAR
Get PDFRadar trajectory coordinates will be made available on the CORD repository. Synthetic aperture radar data are the subject of ongoing research but may be made available on request to the corresponding author or the Cranfield GBSAR group.There is significant interest in multistatic SAR image formation, due to the increased development of satellite constellations and UAV swarms for remote sensing applications. The exploitation of the finer resolution and wider coverage of these geometries has been shown to reduce the often‐impractical data collection requirements of 3D SAR imagery; this offers advantages such as improved target identification and the removal of layover artefacts. This paper presents a novel polarimetric generalisation of the SSARVI algorithm, which was previously developed to exploit sparse aperture multistatic collections for 3D SAR image formation. The new algorithm presented here, named the PolSSARVI algorithm, combines polarimetrically weighted interferograms for determining the 3D scatterer locations from sparse aperture polarimetric collections. The bistatic generalised Huynen fork polarimetric parameters are then determined for the multistatic PolSSARVI 3D SAR renderings. This new approach was tested on both simulated and experimental data. Experimental imagery was formed using measurements from the Cranfield GBSAR laboratory.This study was funded by Dstl.IET Radar, Sonar & Navigatio
Safety evaluation of fermented and nonfermented Moringa oleifera seeds in healthy albino rats: biochemical, haematological, and histological studies
Get PDFFermentation preserves and enhances food properties, but consuming locally fermented foods can cause health issues like flatulence, gastrointestinal disorders, kidney stones, and sometimes death. This study evaluated the biochemical, haematological, and histological effects of supplementing diets with fermented Moringa oleifera seed (FMS) and nonfermented Moringa oleifera seed (NFMS) in healthy albino rats. Male rats were fed diets containing 10%, 20%, and 30% FMS and NFMS for 14 days. No significant changes were observed in body weight or organ/body weight ratios. However, platelet count increased significantly (p < 0.05) at higher supplementation levels, suggesting enhanced haemostatic activity. While haematological parameters remained stable, NFMS at 20% and 30% increased urea and creatinine levels, indicating potential renal stress. Histological analysis showed mild alterations at higher supplementation levels, more pronounced in NFMS‐fed rats. Fermentation mitigated antinutrient effects, enhancing safety. FMS and NFMS are safe up to 20% inclusion, with potential applications in human nutrition and functional food development.International Journal of Food Scienc
Development and validation of a transient gas turbine simulation tool for shaft-failure modelling
No full textNew civil engines must demonstrate, either by testing or analysis, that a shaft failure event will not result in hazardous engine effects. Without an accurate method of predicting levels of turbine overspeed, disk design tends to be pessimistic which leads to a weight penalty. This paper presents an alternative approach based on a highly integrated, multi-disciplinary, dynamic whole-engine simulation tool capable of predicting a gas turbine engine’s behaviour following the failure of a shaft. It describes the methodology and validation of a 1D through-flow compressor model capable of post-stall simulation, coupled with a transient combustor model and a quasi-steady turbine solver for overspeed modelling. The individual components are integrated aerodynamically and mechanically to produce a transient whole-engine model which is resolved at timesteps ranging from 1 to 100 μs. Control and aerodynamic effects impacting turbine overspeed predictions include changes in handling bleeds, fuel supply, turbine capacity reduction due to overspeed, frictional torque and variable geometry malschedule. The modelling of a gas turbine engine’s response following a surge event is required for overspeed modelling which is achieved using compressor characteristics defined from normal operation to reverse flow. The whole engine simulation tool is validated against a 3-spool experimental gas turbine engine which experienced a shaft failure event on a test stand. The simulation model correctly predicted the turbine’s terminal speed within a 4% error margin and blowdown rate following a surge event until recovery.Rolls-Royce plcASME Turbo Expo 2025: Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Expositio
Bridging physical and virtual world using new digital twin approach for 6G UAV performance
No full textAs 6G networks continue to advance, they cater to various new key use cases, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) communications being one of them. However, integrating UAV systems into these networks still faces the significant challenge of maintaining ultra-reliable, low-latency connections. This study investigates how Digital Twins (DTs) can evaluate the performance of the UAV network within the 6G environment by leveraging Unreal Engine as a tool to replicate real-world conditions. The paper centers on developing a UAV communication digital twin, enabling the assessment and enhancement of critical Quality of Service (QoS) factors—namely latency, signal strength, path loss and carrier-to-noise ratio —across urban landscapes. Through the exploration of QoS monitoring using the raytracing method, the paper underscores the potential of Digital Twins to provide a transformative solution for designing and deploying robust, next-generation aerial networks, offering vital insights for researchers and industry professionals.National Cancer Center, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilThis work has been partially funded by the EPSRC CHED DAR Project (Communications Hub for Empowering Distributed Cloud Computing Applications and Research) under grant numbers EP/X040518/1 and EP/Y037421/1.IEEE INFOCOM 2025 - IEEE Conference on Computer Communications Workshops (INFOCOM WKSHPS
Multi-agent path planning in dynamic environment with communication disruptions
No full textIn this research, we present an innovative pathplanning strategy specifically designed for a cooperative group of interconnected agents that are navigating in a synchronized formation through diverse environments, which include both stationary and moving obstacles that could hinder their progress. This strategy is developed by integrating Distributed Nonlinear Dynamic Inversion (DNDI) based leader-follower formation tracking control with the dynamic autorouting capabilities derived from the Interfered Fluid Dynamical System (IFDS). The proposed method exhibits a remarkable ability to effectively address the challenges posed by the absence of communication among agents, as well as the difficulties encountered when facing dynamic obstacles, all while ensuring that a safe distance is consistently maintained between all agents throughout their flight.2025 International Conference on Control, Automation and Diagnosis (ICCAD
A new blockchain and IoT based architecture of food safety system for confectionery supply chain in Industry 4.0 era
No full textThe major challenges faced by confectionery supply chain are lack of information, traceability, managing the ownership of goods across supply chains, inability to track vendors in real-time. Blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) in Industry 4.0 era help organisations to overcome these challenges by guaranteeing authentic information, real-time visibility, and transparency across the supply chain management. The extant literature has revealed that blockchain and IoT technologies are in their early stages of information management for the supply chain. This study explores the potential opportunities available with Blockchain and IoT in the confectionery supply chain. Utilising the inputs from the survey and interviews, the article identifies to present the gaps in the supply chain and proposes a new blockchain and IoT-based architecture of the food safety system for the confectionery supply chain. Typical blockchain architecture is designed for a food safety system, and the technical specifications required to implement blockchain are evaluated. Further, blockchain-assisted distribution information management is proposed to bring more visibility to the shipment of goods. Implications of deploying blockchain and IoT in the supply chain from a management perspective are discussed. The study distinguishes itself from existing literature in two ways: first, by introducing a tailored blockchain and IoT architecture specifically designed for food safety in the confectionery supply chain; and second, by demonstrating its practical implications in addressing real-time traceability, transparency, and operational efficiency in line with Industry 4.0 goals. This integrated approach helps organisations make informed decisions, reduce supply chain risks, and improve regulatory compliance across the confectionery value chain.The work was partially funded by FORCE (Center for food system resilience) at Lund University, Sweden and Area of Advance (Transport) at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.Applied Food Researc
Refined kinetic mechanism for modeling ammonia combustion in air assisted by nanosecond discharged plasma
No full textThis study explores the effects of Nanosecond Pulsed Discharge Plasma (NSPD) on the ignition and flame propagation characteristics of ammonia (NH3)/air mixtures at low and intermediate temperatures under atmospheric pressure. A newly developed and validated plasma-assisted kinetic mechanism is proposed to evaluate both Ignition Delay Time (IDT) and Laminar Flame Speed (LFS) across a range of temperatures and equivalence ratios. Results show that plasma significantly reduces IDT and enhances LFS by generating excited species and radicals, such as H, O, OH, NH2, and O(1D), that accelerate reaction pathways and enable earlier chain-branching. The effect is most pronounced at low temperatures (T < 950 K), where thermal chemistry is limited, and plasma-induced kinetics play a dominant role. Sensitivity analyses reveal that reactions involving NH2 and H atoms are the most impactful in reducing IDT, with NH2 + NO ⇌ NNH + OH emerging as the key pathway, especially under plasma conditions. The role of H atoms also becomes up to three times more significant in the presence of plasma. For LFS, the chain-branching reaction H + O2 ⇌ OH + O is consistently the most influential, with plasma further amplifying its contribution. The maximum LFS is observed at Φ ≈ 1.1, for both plasma and non-plasma cases, however, plasma-induced enhancements are more evident at lean equivalence ratios (Φ = 0.8), where the additional radicals generated by NSPD have the greatest relative impact. At stoichiometric and rich conditions (Φ ≥ 1.0), thermal activation prevails and the plasma effect becomes marginal. Overall, the study demonstrates that NSPD is a promising strategy to enable and control low-temperature ammonia combustion by actively modulating ignition chemistry and flame dynamics.European Commission, Ministry of Education, Universities and ResearchThis work was supported by the project Intermingle: Mild-Oxidation and Plasma Roadmaps for Hydrogen/Ammonia Energy Vectors (Project ID: P20229WXJP_001), funded under the PRIN PNRR 2022 call by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, Mission 4, Component 1 (CUP: F53D23009670001). Additional support was provided by the project ROADMAP funded under the PRIN 2022 call by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, Mission 4, Component 1 (CUP: F53D2300151 0006).Applied Thermal Engineerin
The impact of AI service failure on human employee behavior and customer service performance
Get PDFPurpose:
This study aims to investigate how and when artificial intelligence (AI) service failure stimulates employees’ differentiated work behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach:
A multi-wave, multi-source survey involving 284 employee-supervisor pairs was conducted across 15 four-star and five-star hotels in Guangzhou, China. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings:
Findings suggest that AI service failure induces schadenfreude toward the organization among employees with low perceived insider status, which then leads to procrastination behavior; however, it triggers sympathy toward the organization among employees with high perceived insider status, which further results in proactive customer service performance (PCSP).
Practical implications:
Their work offers practical insights for tourism and hospitality companies on promoting PCSP and reducing procrastination behaviors among service employees in response to AI service failures.
Originality/value:
By incorporating perceived insider status as a moderator, and examining the mediating roles of schadenfreude and sympathy toward the organization, this research enhances the theoretical understanding of AI service failure and its consequences from the employee perspective.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Managemen
Warmer ecosystems save their breath
No full textLand stores vast amounts of carbon, and how much of it is released as temperatures rise could accelerate climate change. Now research shows ecosystems are more adaptable to climate warming than previously thought, potentially reducing future carbon–climate feedbacks.Nature Climate Chang