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Wireless Power Transfer Technologies, Applications, and Future Trends: A Review
Get PDFWireless Power Transfer (WPT) is a disruptive technology that allows wireless energy provisioning for energy- limited IoT devices, thus decreasing the over-reliance on batteries and wires. WPT could replace conventional energy provisioning (e.g., energy harvesting) and expand for deployment in many of our daily-life applications, including but not limited to healthcare, transportation, automation, and smart cities. As a new rising technology, WPT has attracted many researchers from academia and industry in terms of technologies and charging scheduling within a plethora of services and applications. Thus, in this paper, we review the most recent studies related to WPT, including the classifications, advantages, disadvantages, and main application domains. Furthermore, we review the recently designed wireless charging scheduling algorithms and schemes for wireless sensor networks. Our study provides a detailed survey of wireless charging scheduling schemes covering the main scheme classifications, evaluation metrics, application domains, advantages, and disadvantages of each charging scheme. We further summarize trends and opportunities for applying WPT at some intersections
Framework for the UK Construction Industry Transition to Net Zero Design: A Delphi Techniques and Structural Equation Model Approach
Get PDFThe shift towards net zero design for the construction industry poses complex challenges, which can be likened to a three-headed hydra embodying energy, water, and carbon emissions. The industry stakeholders have grappled with addressing the challenges due to an ineffective reductionist approach that targets each head (energy, water, and carbon) separately. Recognizing their interdependence, this study proposes a holistic panacea approach to facilitate the industry's transition to net zero design. This was achieved using a mixed (quantitative and qualitative) research methodology. The qualitative study was conducted using a three-stage Delphi technique involving 13 experts. Structural equation modeling was used for the quantitative involving 200 construction stakeholders selected randomly. The study discovered that net-zero design integrates sustainability concepts, such as net-zero energy, water, and carbon aimed at ensuring a sustainable built environment. Factors like innovation, organizational culture, and construction project management were identified as pivotal in steering the construction industry toward net zero design. The transition to net zero design can be impeded by poor cost management and restrictive organizational cultures. The study recommended that stakeholders in the construction industry should embrace a culture that supports the commitment to net zero design
Adaptive Mobile Chargers Scheduling Scheme based on AHP-MCDM for WRSN
Get PDFWireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are used to sense and monitor physical conditions in various services and applications.However, there are a number of challenges in deploying WSNs, especially those pertaining to energy replenishment. Using the current solutions, when a significant number of sensors need to replenish their energy, this would be costly in terms of time, efforts and resources. Thus, this paper aims to solve this problem by efficiently deploying wireless power transfer technologies and scheduling Mobile Charging Vehicles (MCVs) in WRSN. The proposed method deploys multi-criteria decision-making (i.e., Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)) to schedule the charging tasks. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to depend solely on AHP in MCVs scheduling. The paper demonstrates the validity of the proposed method by illustrating that the matrices that are created are within the accepted values of consistency ratio. In addition, the paper proposes a method of partitioning the values of our criteria to avoid the problem of different criteria having different measurement units. Unlike existing works, the paper aims to schedule an MCV for charging based on both the distance and residual energy of the sensor. The proposed method exhibits superiority in terms of the average remaining energy available in the system, having the shortest queue length, shorter MCV response time, shorter charging duration, and shorter queue waiting time against the state-of-the-art methods. Our study paves the way for next generation efficient charging and MCV scheduling
Improving And Enhancing Scenario Planning: Futures Thinking
No full textThis book presents a contemporary view of the approaches and theories informing global scenario planning and foresight science. The collection of chapters details new and broader views of futures thinking, scenario methodologies, innovative developments, and practical applications that reflect the evolution of the field into the 21st century. The collection of insights is not exhaustive, but rather serves as a bridge from last century’s foundations into this century’s innovations. Our global team of authors span multiple generations and demographics, representing industry leaders, award winning scientists, consultants, and emerging researchers. The chapters are divided across six sections that reflect the path of scenario development, from foundation to validation. This book is best viewed as the latest addition to the robust library of existing volumes in scenario planning and foresight science. The purpose of the book is to provide insights with guidance for practitioners and support for academics
English as a Lingua Franca: Intercultural Interaction in an Asian 'Third Space' Context
Get PDFIn many studies on English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), the prevailing perspective has primarily focused on ELF as the use of English for communication among speakers who do not share English as their first language. However, recent scholarship has emphasized the significance of intercultural communication within ELF interactions. Despite this development, the predominant focus in both ELF research and pedagogy has remained primarily linguistic in nature. This paper argues for a paradigm shift in our understanding, approach, and teaching of ELF, advocating for its recognition as a form of intercultural interaction.By drawing on vignettes extracted from ELF interactions in an English Conversation Club at a Thai University, we illustrate how participants from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds engage in intercultural communication while maintaining a commitment to English language accuracy. We delineate the advantages of reorienting our perception of ELF interactions in this manner, underscoring the implications for students, instructors, and researchers alike
The Value of Being Greener: Untangling the Relationship between Environmental Investment and Firms’ Access to Trade Credit
Get PDFThis study investigates the relationship between corporate environmental performance, as captured by environmental investment, and firms’ access to trade credit. Using data from Chinese listed firms in heavy pollution industries, we find that corporate environmental performance significantly increases firms’ access to trade credit. The positive effect of environmental investment appears more pronounced for firms with stronger internal incentives to conduct eco‐friendly practices, lower external regulatory pressure and located in regions with higher economic growth rates. Two factors – namely, increased information transparency and reduced exposure to environmental risk – are found to be channels through which environmental investment affects trade credit. This paper provides a nuanced understanding of how a supplier as a stakeholder plays a significant role in financing environmental sustainability. The results are robust to alternative proxies, model specifications, sample compositions and endogeneity concerns
Late-Life Divorce and well-being of older people: A systematic review
Get PDFBackground As the global population of older people continue to increase, Late-Life Divorce has emerged as an important public health concern. This systematic review aimed to explore the impact of Late-Life Divorce on the well-being of older people. Methods The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. Five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO were searched for articles published between January 1, 2005, and July 31, 2024. Both quantitative, qualitative and mixed method studies were included in the review. The findings were synthesized using Schlossberg's transition theory as a framework. Results The search for literature yielded 468 papers. Seven studies conducted in four countries among 13,878 older people were included in this review. Late-Life Divorce had a significant impact on older people across multiple domains. Women were disproportionately affected, particularly regarding financial losses and economic insecurity. The coping strategies adopted varied among men and women. Women engaged in problem-focused techniques, while men engaged in maladaptive strategies. Social support emerged as an important factor in mitigating the negative effects of divorce, though those facing estrangement or health issues experienced greater challenges in accessing support. Conclusion There is the need for gender-sensitive interventions, financial counselling, and expanded social support services to promote post-divorce well-being of older people. Further research is required to understand the experiences of older divorced men, and individuals in Lower- and Middle-Income settings, where cultural norms and economic systems may shape different outcomes
Is videoconference pulmonary rehabilitation associated with improvements in knowledge in people living with COPD? A propensity-matched service-evaluation
Get PDFIntroduction: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) services are increasingly using alternative programme delivery modes, for example telerehabilitation strategies including videoconferencing, to improve patient choice and accessibility. Although telerehabilitation results in improvements in core outcomes, the effect on knowledge attainment is not known. Aim: To observe the real-world responses of patients choosing to undergo videoconference PR to a matched control group choosing to undergo in-person PR, in terms of knowledge attainment. Methods: Using propensity score matching, 25 people with COPD who completed videoconference PR were matched 1:1 with a control group of 25 people with COPD who completed in-person PR. Knowledge attainment was measured using the Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (LINQ). Results: There was a statistically and clinically significant improvement in LINQ score in both groups (mean (95%CI): videoconference −3.2 (−4.7 to −1.6); in-person −3.0 (−4.5 to −1.4)), with no significant between-group difference (mean (95%CI): 0.2 (−2.0 to −2.4)). 76% and 80% of participants achieved the minimal important difference of the LINQ in the videoconference and in-person PR groups respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, this real-world service evaluation indicates that videoconference PR may be associated with similar improvements in knowledge attainment as in-person PR, but this requires corroboration due to the small sample size
Rheological Behavior of Bitumen Modified by Synthesized Polyurethane Based on MDI–PPG Reactive Prepolymers
No full textBitumen without modification is prone to suffer from damage under extreme temperature and traffic conditions, leading to distress such as rutting, fatigue cracking, and thermal cracking. Polyurethane-modified bitumen can effectively be prepared at lower temperatures and combine low-carbon and environmental-protection concepts. The resulted polyurethane can also improve the in-service performance of bitumen, such as rutting resistance. In this study, a polyurethane prepolymer (PU) based on polypropylene glycol (PPG) and diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) as the soft and hard segments and 3,3’-dichloro-4,4’-diaminodiphenylmethane (MOCA) as a chain extender was synthesized and used to modify the viscoelastic behavior of bitumen. The interaction between the PU prepolymer and unreacted MDI and the polar groups present on the base bitumen provides a route to enhancing the miscibility between the blend components. The rheological behavior of the bitumen, with varying PU content, was investigated from strain sweep and time sweep measurements, with particular attention given to the analysis of Lissajous-Bowditch (LB) curves and the normalized third relative intensities (3/1). Three different methods based on strain sweep tests were employed to determine the critical strain at which the viscoelastic behavior transitions from the linear to nonlinear regime. The distinct rheological behavior observed for bitumen with different PU content was supported from observations of the blend morphology and confirmation of interactions between blend components from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. This study reveals that the rheological behavior of a PU-modified bitumen is closely related to the combined effects of interfacial interaction, phase morphology, and phase distribution of the blend components. Illustrating this relationship can enable the design of tailored bituminous materials with excellent in-service performance
Scaling to new heights: methodological insights for uplifting research on grassroots digital innovation
Get PDFThe Covid-19 pandemic has further evidenced the potential of grassroots actors as initiators of digital innovations, in the form of open-source applications, platform cooperatives, and other crowdsourced digital artifacts. These innovations played a crucial role in mitigating the impact of lockdown measures, specifically serving the needs of communities often neglected by commercial offerings from large tech companies. Grassroots digital innovations (GDIs) have long been recognized by scholars and policymakers as potential remedies to market distortions and social iniquities within digitalization processes. Nevertheless, these initiatives have historically struggled to become sustainable. Recent evidence confirms that many GDIs developed in response to the global health crisis are now facing financial issues that threaten their survival. In this commentary, we reflect on this challenge and assert that GDI literature exhibits several shortcomings that contribute to undermining the long-term stability of these initiatives and their capacity to foster more inclusive, just, and sustainable digitalization processes. We examine how these shortcomings can be addressed to enhance both GDI research and practice. Our discussion focuses on three major methodological and conceptual limitations: a tendency towards theory-devoid empiricism, a bias towards successful cases, and a dearth of longitudinal, multi-site analyses. We discuss the causes of each shortcoming and illustrate how they impact both the theoretical and practical development of GDIs. Drawing on this critical examination, we identify four priorities to advance future GDI research: leveraging methodological pluralism, applying theoretical sampling, enhancing qualitative longitudinal research, and strengthening methods for data collection and archival. These priorities aim to inform the agendas of academic communities, funding bodies, and policy institutions dedicated to harnessing the potential of GDIs for more sustainable and inclusive digitalization processes
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