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Hybrid Simulation-Based Algorithm Tuning for Production Speed Management System as a Stand-Alone Online Digital Twin
Full text linkOne of the primary in-built components of smart, continuous manufacturing lines is the production speed management system (PSMS). In addition to being overly cautious, the decisions made in these systems may center on making local adjustments to the manufacturing process, indicating a major drawback of such systems that prevents them from acting as proper digital twins. This study delves into hybridizing the continuous and discrete event simulation, DOE, and V-graph methods to redefine PSMS's internal decision algorithms and procedures, giving it an aerial perspective of the line and turning it into a stand-alone online digital twin with decisions at a system level. The proposed approach is applied to a practical case from the food and beverage industry to validate its effectiveness. Numerical results demonstrated an intelligent, dynamic balancing of the production line, a substantial increment in productivity, and up to 37.7 % better resiliency against new failure and repair patterns
Coherent forecasts for tourism demand with automated immutability constraints
Full text linkThis study tackles key challenges in tourism demand forecasting within a hierarchical time series framework. To ensure coherence across aggregation levels and improve forecasting performance, we incorporate immutability constraints that preserve forecasts for strategically important nodes. Two automated selection methods are proposed to identify such nodes: (i) a clustering-based approach that ensures dispersion across levels, and (ii) a penalized optimization approach that selects immutable nodes based on data-driven criteria. Through Monte Carlo simulations, and two empirical applications, we demonstrate that the proposed methods improve forecast accuracy, robustness and flexibility while preserving interpretability. The framework is model-agnostic with respect to base forecasts and provides tourism managers with a scalable, data-driven tool to focus on critical segments, improve resource allocation, and support strategic planning in tourism management
ITSEF:Inception-based two-stage ensemble framework for P300 detection
Full text linkTo address the problems of low signal-to-noise ratio, significant individual differences between subjects, and class imbalance in P300-based brain-computer interface (BCI), this paper proposes a novel Inception-based two-stage ensemble framework (ITSEF) to improve detection accuracy. Firstly, an Inception-based convolutional neural network (ICNN) is designed to extract multi-scale features and conduct cross-channel learning. In addition, a two-stage ensemble framework (TSEF) combined with a pre-training and fine-tuning strategy is developed, aiming to enhance the classification performance of the minority class and improve the generalization ability of the model. The framework comprises a conventional learning branch and a re-balancing branch, each based on an ICNN pre-trained with a different loss function. The prediction results of both branches are dynamically weighted by a cumulative learning strategy, so that the model gradually shifts its learning focus from the majority class to the minority class, comprehensively improving the identification ability for both classes. Experimental results on two datasets, Dataset II of BCI Competition III and BCIAUT-P300, demonstrate that the proposed ITSEF achieves state-of-the-art performance in the P300 classification task, with average classification accuracies of 86.16 % and 92.13 %, respectively. Compared with the existing state-of-the-art methods, the ITSEF achieves improvements of 4.61 % and 1.01 % on the two datasets, respectively. Furthermore, it exhibits significant improvements compared to baseline models and widely used class re-balancing strategies. The proposed ITSEF method provides an innovative deep learning framework for P300 signal analysis and has application potential in the field of P300-BCI.</p
ESG Risk, Political Ideology, and the Syndicated Lending Relationship
Full text linkPurpose – This study examines how Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) scores affect both the matching process between borrowers and lenders and the terms of syndicated loans. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis concentrates on a comprehensive sample of syndicated loans to US firms. We estimate a set of linear models relating the borrower's ESG ratings to the bank's ESG ratings and to the loan conditions. Findings – We find that firms with higher ESG scores are more likely to secure loans from banks that also have strong ESG ratings, especially in politically liberal states. Such firms also benefit from more favorable loan terms, including lower interest rates and a reduced number covenants. Originality/value – This study highlights the dual role of ESG in influencing both borrower–lender matching and loan contracting outcomes. It also demonstrates that local political ideology amplifies the alignment between borrowers and lenders in terms of ESG, as well as the pricing of ESG ratings in loan contracting.</p
Does preferred technique influence how kinematics change during a run to exhaustion?—A cluster based approach
Full text linkFatigue-related changes in running technique may depend on a runner’s preferred style. Understanding these changes can inform targeted training to enhance performance. In previous work, we identified two technique-based clusters of runners: the “neutral pelvis” and the “tilted pelvis” clusters. This follow-up study examined whether fatigue induces cluster-specific technique adaptations. Sixty runners (neutral pelvis, n = 32; tilted pelvis, n = 28) completed a treadmill run to exhaustion at 5% above their individual lactate threshold speed. Stride frequency, duty factor, trunk and lower limb kinematics were compared between clusters at the start, middle, and end of the run using a 2-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). All runners reached exhaustion in ∼20 minutes, covering ∼5 km. Runners from the tilted pelvis cluster consistently showed greater trunk-to-pelvis extension, more pelvic anterior tilt and greater hip flexion, and a smaller duty factor compared with the neutral pelvis cluster throughout the run. Fatigue-related adaptations were similar across clusters: reduced stride frequency, increased duty factor, greater trunk flexion during stance, increased plantar flexion, and higher coordination variability (trunk-to-pelvis–hip, hip–knee, knee–ankle) during swing. Although fatigue affected both groups similarly, the underlying technique differences suggest these adaptations may have distinct mechanical or performance consequences. Understanding such cluster-specific responses can help coaches tailor training and fatigue management strategies to individual running styles
Does Agglomeration Enhance Property Value?
Full text linkDoes agglomeration within a building and/or neighborhood enhance or weaken property value? The valuation impact is unclear ex-ante, given that agglomeration trades-off enhanced productivity at the expense of a more concentrated tenant base. We find that a value premium exists only when agglomeration at both the building and neighborhood levels consists of firms in the same industry. This premium represents capitalized knowledge spillover externalities. Additionally, we show the stock market rewards REITs that transact specialized buildings. The valuation consequences arising from agglomeration in the underlying real estate market are thus consistent with the public real estate market
Marine soundscapes of the Arctic and human impacts:going beyond the “shipping bands”
Full text linkIn the Arctic, amplified climate change enables increased human activity, adding to sounds in the ocean. Future guidelines need to know local baselines and how best to measure anthropogenic impacts. The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive uses “shipping bands”, third-octave bands centred on 63 Hz and 125 Hz. Addressing the lack of measurements, acoustic models often use satellite recordings of ship tracks, We investigate sound levels in Cambridge Bay (Nunavut, Canada) between 2015 and 2024, comparing May (full ice cover, no shipping) and August (little to no ice, shipping activity). We show “shipping bands” should include frequencies up to several kHz and sounds include snowmobiles, aircraft and small vessels untracked by satellites. This will need addressing in future guidelines. This is particularly important because of the development of Arctic shipping routes, increasing resource exploration and tourism, amplified by current plans for the expansion of mining, drilling and other geostrategic pressures
A comparison of cost-sharing models in horizontal cooperative routing
Full text linkWe develop and compare several cost-sharing models for cooperative vehicle routing problems formulated under various objectives and constraints. Our study is motivated by a real-world case involving smallholder farmers in the Province of Quebec. We examine the issues of fairness and stability in cooperative routing, and we show that coalitions served by single routes are sufficient to impose stability conditions. To evaluate equity, we use the Gini coefficient to measure the dispersion of individual savings. Hence we can analyze the trade-offs between fairness and stability. We demonstrate that widely used fairness proxies do not necessarily yield equitable outcomes. We test our methodology on randomly generated instances and on a Quebec-based case study
Does Agglomeration Enhance Property Value?
Full text linkDoes agglomeration within a building and/or neighborhood enhance or weaken property value? The valuation impact is unclear ex-ante, given that agglomeration trades-off enhanced productivity at the expense of a more concentrated tenant base. We find that a value premium exists only when agglomeration at both the building and neighborhood levels consists of firms in the same industry. This premium represents capitalized knowledge spillover externalities. Additionally, we show the stock market rewards REITs that transact specialized buildings. The valuation consequences arising from agglomeration in the underlying real estate market are thus consistent with the public real estate market
Tertiary phosphane-modified Ni(II) 1,3-Benzothiazol-2-ylacetonitriledithiolates:Tuning heterogeneous OER electrocatalysis through phosphane denticity, steric modulation, and chelate ring-size variation
Full text linkDeveloping robust and active transition metal-based electrocatalysts for the generation of oxygen is crucial for enhancing the performance of numerous energy conversion systems. In this study, syntheses and characterization of three new heteroleptic Ni(II) dithiolate complexes: [(Bzdt)Ni(PPh3)2] (NiBz1), [(Bzdt)Ni(dppe)] (NiBz2), and [(Bzdt)Ni(dppf)] (NiBz3), (where Bzdt2-, PPh3, dppe, and dppf represents 1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylacetonitriledithiolate, triphenylphosphine, 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, and 1,1ʹ-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene, respectively) have been presented. These complexes have been characterized using several spectroscopic techniques, FESEM-EDX, and for NiBz2 using single crystal X-ray diffraction. Structural investigations reveal that Ni(II) center in NiBz2 is coordinated to two S atoms from dithiolate ligand and two P atoms from dppe ligand forming a distorted square planar geometry. Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates the presence of key non-covalent interactions, including C-H···S, C-H···C, C-H···Ni, and C-H···N, which support the stability of the supramolecular framework. Electrochemical investigations of these complexes as OER electrocatalysts in alkaline media reveal that all three show notable activity (j > 46.11 mA.cm-2 at 10 mV·s-1), with NiBz2 standing out due to its lowest overpotential (η = 354 mV at j = 10 mA.cm-2) and Tafel slope (53 mV.dec‑1). This performance places NiBz2 among the best heterogeneous Ni(II)-dithiolate based OER electrocatalysts so far reported. Its outstanding activity is attributed to a combination of favorable electronic properties, such as a reduced charge-transfer gap and charge transfer resistance, which facilitate efficient electron transfer during catalysis. Overall, this study showcases that phosphine-derived steric and electronic tuning enables charge-transfer gap engineering within Ni(II)-dithiolate frameworks, and establishes a clear correlation between ligand-dependent electronic structure and OER performance.</p
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