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Smart retail technology adoption models are largely focused on consumer perceptions of the technology and the characteristics of digital technologies. However, the impact of the prior-to-use knowledge of consumers on the adoption of the technologies has been understudied. This research examined to what extent social acceptance and consumer learning can facilitate consumer adoption of digital grocery shopping (DGS).

This paper builds on the innovation–decision model to develop a framework to examine the impact of social acceptance and consumer learning on DGS. The research tested a structural model based on data collected from 611 North American participants.

This study found that the social acceptance of DGS directly and consumer learning indirectly affects the appeal of grocery shopping to consumers and consequently increases their intention to adopt this new shopping method. Furthermore, the results indicated that both hypothesised directions are parallelly mediated by digital convenience, the consumer’s digital readiness and digital trust.

This study extends the understanding of consumer adoption of DGS by highlighting the influence of consumer knowledge about DGS on their behavioural intention. Several important theoretical and practical implications are provided to help retail managers to develop service strategies.

This study aims to acquire the influence mechanism of gas film adaptive adjustment (GFAA) acted on the dynamic characteristics of spiral groove dry gas seal (S-DGS) and then propose a sealing stability enhancement measure.

The gas film dynamic stiffness and damping of S-DGS are obtained by numerically solving the transient Reynolds equation based on perturbation method and finite difference method. The dynamic coefficients in GFAA model and constant gas film thickness (CGFT) model are compared and analyzed.

There is the risk to misestimate the instability of DGS with rotational speed or medium pressure grows under the condition of CGFT assumption. Based on GFAA model, increasing balance ratio B properly is an effective measure to improve the stability of DGS. The balance ratio can stimulate the sensitivity of gas film dynamic coefficients to the variation of rotational speed. Increasing medium pressure in small balance ratio range will be conducive to reducing the risk of angular instability.

The influence mechanism of GFAA on S-DGS dynamic characteristics is analyzed. The interactions between rotational speed and balance ratio, medium pressure and balance ratio acted on gas film dynamic characteristics are explored based on the GFAA model.

The purpose of this paper is to enhance film stiffness and control seal leakage of conventional spiral groove dry gas seal (S-DGS) at a high-speed condition by introducing a new type superellipse surface groove.

The steady-state performance and dynamic characteristics of superellipse groove dry gas seal and S-DGS are compared numerically at a high-speed condition. The optimized superellipse grooves for maximum steady-state film stiffness and dynamic stiffness coefficient are obtained.

Properly designed superellipse groove dry gas seal provides remarkable larger steady-state film stiffness, dynamic stiffness coefficient and lower leakage rate at a high-speed condition compared to a typical S-DGS. The optimal values of first superellipse coefficient for maximum steady and dynamic stiffness are 1.3 and 1.4, whereas the optimal values of second superellipse coefficient for which are 1.4 and 2.0, respectively.

A new type of molded line, namely, superellipse curve, is proposed to act as the boundary lines of surface groove of dry gas seal, as an alternative of typical logarithm helix. The conclusions provide references for surface groove design with larger stiffness and lower leakage rate at a high-speed condition.

The financial crisis that hit countries worldwide in 2007 tested and tried deposit guarantee schemes (DGSs) and their ability to protect consumers’ bank deposits. The crisis also served as a reality check for regulators, institutions and the general public alike. Against this backdrop, there was a significant rationale by governments and regulators to protect consumers and at the same time maintain financial stability through expansion of coverage offered in existing DGS arrangements or setting up such a scheme where this was not already in place.

Consumers need other possible safety net in addition to the already set-up lender-of-last resort facilities provided by central banks, banking supervision regulations, assistance granted by international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank and also the recently enacted EU Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD).

In this chapter the authors evaluated whether the launch of a European Deposit Insurance Scheme (EDIS) as a single deposit guarantee in Europe which is now being recognised as one of the three main pillars, together with the single supervisory and resolution mechanisms, would enhance depositors’ protection in times of banking crisis and also reinforce financial stability in the EU as part of the proposed Banking Union.

The chapter made reference to academic literature and also recent EDIS political dossier to outline the developments. Apart from political insensitivity to the proposed EDIS, the chapter also concluded that the introduction of EDIS raises questions about moral hazard amongst banks in the EU, issues on bank’s contributions during the transition period and difficulty in comparing banks across EU countries through banks’ deposits and risk profiles.

To present a national profile of developments in higher education for sustainable development in the Philippines and to analyse a new initiative to accelerate environmental education for sustainable development (EESD) within academic institutions.

This is an evaluative review that examines the design and piloting of an innovative scheme within the Philippine education system. The analysis is situated in relation to the approaches taken by prior initiatives and framed in order to draw out significant challenges, developments, and prospects for EESD at the organizational level.

The paper finds that EESD in the Philippines has an official base in the National Environmental Education Action Plan, which provides a framework to guide higher education. Two national networks promote environmental education, while environmental training and curriculum projects have been supported by government agencies and academic institutions, but without explicit policy support for more widespread changes. In contrast, the Dark Green Schools (DGS) program offers a distinctive “whole institution” approach and accreditation system devised in line with the principles of EESD for coherent systemic change. The design and pilot year of the DGS program shows positive potential for “greening” academic institutions and the issues that arise in seeking curriculum change, future funding, and formal support at sector level.

The DGS is an innovative program to promote “whole institution” change for EESD in the Philippines. Whilst similar approaches have been developed in some countries at the level of school education, such initiatives are rare at the level of higher education. This paper therefore includes lessons and findings that help to inform global debate in this important area of EESD in higher education.

The demand for electricity supply increases day by day due to the rapid growth in the number of industries and consumer devices. The electric power supply needs to be improved by properly arranging distributed generators (DGs). The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology for optimum placement of DGs using novel algorithms that leads to loss minimization.

In this paper, a novel hybrid optimization is proposed to minimize the losses and improve the voltage profile. The hybridization of the optimization is done through the crow search (CS) algorithm and the black widow (BW) algorithm. The CS algorithm is used for finding some tie-line systems, DG locations, and the BW algorithm is used for finding the rest of the tie-line switches, DG sizes, unlike in usual hybrid optimization techniques.

The proposed technique is tested on two large-scale radial distribution networks (RDNs), like the 119-bus radial distribution system (RDS) and the 135 RDS, and compared with normal hybrid algorithms.

The main novelty of this hybridization is that it shares the parameters of the objective function. The losses of the RDN can be minimized by reconfiguration and incorporating compensating devices like DGs.

The use of power sectionalizers in electric power distribution networks as disconnecting devices for optimum network configuration is indispensable. Major reasons to use sectionalizers, here manual sectionalizers, is their lower installation and operating prices compared to other types of disconnecting devices and that most of conventional realistic electric power distribution systems are still using manual sectionalizers due to their ease of procurement. However, in case of failure for these switches, power supply interruptions are unavoidable unless optimum solutions are used for configuration (and possibly reconfiguration) of sectionalizers. Thus, in this research, binary exchange market algorithm (BEMA) as a novel evolutionary metaheuristic is used to meet the maximized customer satisfaction by optimized configuration of sectionalizers within electric power distribution networks in the presence of distributed generations (DGs). To solve the problem, BEMA is used on sectionalizing switch placement problem, which has only two open and close (0/1) states. A novel multi-objective optimization problem has been formulated as a function of two aspects, namely, improved reliability index (for customer benefit) and minimized sectionalizing switch costs (for utility benefits). Simulations are carried out in three different case studies to validate the effectiveness of the BEMA both in theory and practice: Standard IEEE 33-bus test system, practical feeder-8 of MeshkinShahr Town’s electric power distribution network in northwest of Iran; and Roy Billinton test system Bus 4 (RBTS-Bus 4). The obtained results are compared with those of the previously validated ant colony optimization (ACO) technique in RBTS-Bus 4.

The optimum configuration of sectionalizers in the presence of DGs has been formulated as a multi-objective function consisting of two conflicting objectives. First objective is to improve the power distribution network reliability indices. Second objective is to fulfill the first objective with a minimized sectionalizing switch cost. The latter is probably obtained by reducing the number of installed sectionalizers. The obtained results by BEMA have been compared with those of ACO technique.

In this paper, optimal configuration of sectionalizers has been performed based on a multiobjective function by binary exchange market algorithm. By simulations carried out on two standards and one practical test systems, the proposed algorithm effectiveness was confirmed and the obtained results were compared to ACO algorithm. Changing weighting factors shows that better satisfaction can be obtained when difference between the weighting factors is relatively greater. In other words, the reliability membership function is more than switch cost membership, and thus, if the values of two weighting factors are close enough, the satisfaction level reduces. The number of installed sectionalizing switches by BEMA and ACO techniques in different scenarios were performed.

Proposal of a novel multi-objective function for finding optimal location of sectionalizers in the presence of DGs with binary exchange market algorithm whose merit over the other heuristics is to consider all the problem specifications only in one multi-objective function. Despite previously reported works that have used various high-priced protective devices for achieving the enhanced reliability this research only utilizes inexpensive manual sectionalizers with the least possible cost in the presence of DGs. Two standard test cases IEEE 33-bus test system and RBTS-Bus 4 and one realistic test case feeder-8 of MeshkinShahr Town power distribution network in northwest of Iran are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique in theory and real-world applications. Thus, utilities may take the advantage of the proposed method for configuration of sectionalizers in their own local power distribution systems throughout the country.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence rule and mechanism of three degrees of freedom film thickness disturbance on the transient performance of spiral groove, upstream pumping spiral groove dry gas seal (UP-SDGS) and double-row spiral groove dry gas seal (DR-SDGS).

The transient performance of spiral groove, UP-SDGS and DR-SDGS are obtained by solving the transient Reynolds equation under different axial and angular disturbance coefficients. The transient and steady performance of the above-mentioned DGSs are compared and analyzed.

The film thickness disturbance has a remarkable impact on the sealing performance of DGS with different structures and the calculation deviations of the leakage rate of the UP-DGS will increase significantly if the film thickness disturbance is ignored. The axial and angular disturbance jointly affect the film thickness distribution of DGS, but there is no significant interaction between them on the transient sealing performance.

The influence mechanism of axial disturbance and angular disturbance on the transient performance of typical SDGSs behavior has been explained by theory. Considering small and large disturbance, the interaction between axial disturbance and angular disturbance on the transient performance have been studied.

The purpose of this article is to explore the export of new public management (NPM) to developing countries and to describe and evaluate the introduction of these initiatives in very different environments from their origins.

The article traces the introduction of performance agreements into the public service of Vanuatu. Performance agreements are identified as an initiative typically promoted by NPM. The Vanuatu case is set within a review of the origin, use and record of performance agreements in countries such as Australia, the UK and the USA.

The adoption of performance agreements has been slow and has enjoyed limited success. Among the difficulties encountered are suspicion, lack of incentives, an unreceptive environment, and possible identification as being donor‐driven. It is difficult to see performance agreements in their current form making an impact on performance improvement in the Vanuatu public service.

NPM initiatives must be carefully considered before being transferred to other countries. They may offer benefits but what has worked in one environment will often need considerable modification, certain preconditions and lengthy lead‐in time to be effective in another environment.

There are few case studies of attempts to transfer NPM‐style reforms to developing countries and none on performance agreements, yet many countries in the Pacific and elsewhere are becoming interested in this mode of performance management. This case study helps to fill this gap through description and analysis of the Vanuatu experience and provides practical lessons for others considering policy transfer of NPM initiatives such as performance agreements.

This paper aims to introduce a new type of analysis method to seek the actual working performance of the regulatable dry gas seal, including equilibrium film thickness, stiffness-leakage ratio and so on. Additionally, a parametric optimization of the hydrostatic structure is completed for this kind of seal.

From the point of axial force balance based on gas lubrication theory, a new analysis method, the Gas Film Divided Method, has been introduced. A four-factor and three-level hydrostatic structural parameters test scheme is designed by means of Central Composite Design test and then the hydrostatic structural parameters of regulatable dry gas seal were optimized. Three types of regulatable dry gas seal have been designed and manufactured to verify the theoretical analysis by measuring the equilibrium film thickness and inward leakage.

The results indicate that the numerical values of the Gas Film Divided (GFD) method agree well with the experimental ones. Test proves that the Central Composite Design test could achieve optimized hydrostatic structural parameters of regulatable dry gas seal effectively.

For validating the correctness of the GFD method, an experiment study of the regulatable dry gas seal is being carried out where atmosphere is selected as the lubricant for the sake of safety. Soon after, the author will discuss the application in the new paper.

The introduction of the GFD method proffers important insights to seek the performances of regulatable dry gas seal under the actual working conditions. The detailed optimal values of the hydrostatic structural parameters were given by the theoretical research which may be helpful for the design of regulatable dry gas seal.