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1 – 10 of over 1000
Article
Publication date: 28 March 2024

Hatice Merve Yanardag Erdener and Ecem Edis

Living walls (LWs), vegetated walls with an integrated growth layer behind, are being increasingly incorporated in buildings. Examining plant characteristics’ comparative impacts…

Abstract

Purpose

Living walls (LWs), vegetated walls with an integrated growth layer behind, are being increasingly incorporated in buildings. Examining plant characteristics’ comparative impacts on LWs’ energy efficiency-related thermal behavior was aimed, considering that studies on their relative effects are limited. LWs of varying leaf albedo, leaf transmittance and leaf area index (LAI) were studied for Antalya, Turkey for typical days of four seasons.

Design/methodology/approach

Dynamic simulations run by Envi-met were used to assess the plant characteristics’ influence on seasonal and orientation-based heat fluxes. After model calibration, a sensitivity analysis was conducted through 112 simulations. The minimum, mean and maximum values were investigated for each plant characteristic. Energy need (regardless of orientation), temperature and heat flux results were compared among different scenarios, including a building without LW, to evaluate energy efficiency and variables’ impacts.

Findings

LWs reduced annual energy consumption in Antalya, despite increasing energy needs in winter. South and west facades were particularly advantageous for energy efficiency. The impacts of leaf albedo and transmittance were more significant (44–46%) than LAI (10%) in determining LWs’ effectiveness. The changes in plant characteristics changed the energy needs up to ca 1%.

Research limitations/implications

This study can potentially contribute to generating guiding principles for architects considering LW use in their designs in hot-humid climates.

Originality/value

The plant characteristics’ relative impacts on energy efficiency, which cannot be easily determined by experimental studies, were examined using parametric simulation results regarding three plant characteristics.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2024

Niloofar Solhjoo, Maja Krtalić and Anne Goulding

While exploring the information experience within multispecies families, the subjective nature of humans and non-human entities, living beings and non-living objects becomes…

Abstract

Purpose

While exploring the information experience within multispecies families, the subjective nature of humans and non-human entities, living beings and non-living objects becomes evident. This paper aims to reveal the underlying significance of information within socio-physical living environments shared among humans, cats and dogs as companions.

Design/methodology/approach

Gaining inspiration from the information experience approach and posthumanism, this is a phenomenological paper. Empirical material related to lived experiences of participating families were gathered through multispecies ethnography methods, followed by phenomenological reflections. The paper has been written based on excerpt-commentary-units and the inclusion of videos and images as an approach to convey the richness of the lived experiences and multiple perspectives.

Findings

Findings are organised into three main sections, each capturing lived experiences of information and its utilization from various frames. The paper shows how living beings, both human and animal, use their physical, sensual and moving bodies to acquire and convey information to and from each other. Moving beyond the living beings, the study discusses how non-living objects in the physical environment of a multispecies family also shape information. Material objects, spatial locations and even plants became sources of information for the family members. Lastly, the paper delves into the social environment of the family, where all members, human and animal, are actively shaped by information within their social interactions and companionship.

Originality/value

Considering information distributed across species and material objects in a shared, more-than-human environment, the article suggests implications for an information experience approach. It emphasizes how information shapes the in-between humans, animals and their environment, highlighting their reliance on each other for understanding and living a good shared life. There is a need for future research to explore the information experience within the internal subjective minds of members of multispecies families, bridging the gap in the understanding of these external information and their internal information processes.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 January 2024

Tamer Refaat and Marwa El-Zoklah

This study aims to formulate a user-friendly pre-design model that could be a decision support tool for green wall systems to assist designers in selecting an optimal green wall…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to formulate a user-friendly pre-design model that could be a decision support tool for green wall systems to assist designers in selecting an optimal green wall system aligned with specified performance criteria while concurrently addressing project requirements linked to social and economic parameters. This approach seeks to enhance overall project satisfaction for the designer and the owner.

Design/methodology/approach

A correlation between the green wall context and design requirements and its performance on the buildings have been defined by considering its social and economic parameters, which represented the owner preferences to ensure the most satisfaction from installation as it achieves the required performance that is defined by the designer such as maximizing thermal insulation, improving indoor air quality, reducing the needed heating and cooling loads, etc. and also to achieve the satisfaction in social and economic requirements defined by the owner such as system installation cost, system maintenance cost, adding beauty value, etc.

Findings

The research developed an easy pre-design model to be a tool for green wall system decision-making for the most suitable system, which contains three main steps: the first one is defining the required performance of the green wall (designer requirements), the second step is limiting the context of the project which is made by designer and the owner requirements and finally the third step is choosing the system components that ensures achieving the requirements of both owners and designer, related to the building and climate context.

Originality/value

The added value lies in developing a green wall decision-making tool, essentially a pre-design model. This model considers the correlation between the project’s context, encompassing climate and building conditions. It provides a structured approach for decision-making in the early stages of green wall design. It offers valuable insights into the optimal choices related to system type, installation methods and plant characteristics. This enhanced decision-making tool contributes to more informed and efficient design processes, considering each project’s specific needs and conditions.

Details

Open House International, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 April 2024

Shilpi Aggarwal

Everyone is extremely concerned about environmental protection and health safety due to the rise in living standards. Plant-derived natural dyes have garnered much industrial…

Abstract

Purpose

Everyone is extremely concerned about environmental protection and health safety due to the rise in living standards. Plant-derived natural dyes have garnered much industrial attention in food, pharmaceutical, textile, cosmetics, etc. owing to their health and environmental benefits. The present study aims to focus on the elimination of the use of synthetic dyes and provides brief information about natural dyes, their sources, extraction procedures with characterization and various advantages and disadvantages.

Design/methodology/approach

In producing natural colors, extraction and purification are essential steps. Various conventional methods used till date have a low yield, as these consume a lot of solvent volume, time, labor and energy or may destroy the coloring behavior of the actual molecules. The establishment of proper characterization and certification protocols for natural dyes would improve the yielding of natural dyes and benefit both producers and users.

Findings

However, scientists have found modern extraction methods to obtain maximum color yield. They are also modifying the fabric surface to appraise its uptake behavior of color. Various extraction techniques such as solvent, aqueous, enzymatic and fermentation and extraction with microwave or ultrasonic energy, supercritical fluid extraction and alkaline or acid extraction are currently available for these natural dyes and are summarized in the present review article.

Originality/value

If natural dye availability can be increased by the different extraction measures and the cost of purified dyes can be brought down with a proper certification mechanism, there is a wide scope for the adoption of these dyes by small-scale dyeing units.

Details

Pigment & Resin Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0369-9420

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 February 2019

Steffen Lehmann

Climate change is occurring around us and impacting on our daily lives, meaning that we have to deal with our cities in a different way. There is also increasing awareness of the…

Abstract

Climate change is occurring around us and impacting on our daily lives, meaning that we have to deal with our cities in a different way. There is also increasing awareness of the need for daily contact with green spaces and the natural environment in order to live a happy, productive and meaningful life.

This reflective essay tells the narrative of how urbanisation has been disconnecting humans from nature. Non-sustainable, non-resilient patterns of urbanisation, along with the neglect of inner-city areas, have resulted in fragmentation and urban decline, led to a loss of biodiversity, and caused the deterioration of ecosystems and their services. Urban regeneration projects allow us to “repair” and restore some of this damage whilst enhancing urban resilience. Connecting existing and enhanced ecosystems, and re-establishing ecosystems both within cities and at the peri-urban fringe is vital for strengthening ecosystem resilience and building adaptive capacity for coping with the effects of climate change.

Cities worldwide need to look for suitable solutions to increase the resilience of their urban spaces in the face of climate change. This essay explores how this can be achieved through the integration of nature-based solutions, the re-greening of neighbourhoods and by correctly attributing value to natural capital. Transforming existing cities and neighbourhoods in this way will enable ecosystems to contribute their services towards healthier and more liveable cities.

Details

Emerald Open Research, vol. 1 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-3952

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 January 2023

Deepak Choudhary

As the number of devices that connect to the Internet of Things (IoT) has grown, privacy and security issues have come up. Because IoT devices collect so much sensitive…

Abstract

Purpose

As the number of devices that connect to the Internet of Things (IoT) has grown, privacy and security issues have come up. Because IoT devices collect so much sensitive information, like user names, locations, phone numbers and even how they usually use energy, it is very important to protect users' privacy and security. IoT technology will be hard to use on the client side because IoT-enabled devices do not have clear privacy and security controls.

Design/methodology/approach

IoT technology would be harder to use on the client side if the IoT did not offer enough well-defined ways to protect users’ privacy and security. The goal of this research is to protect people's privacy in the IoT by using the oppositional artificial flora optimization (EGPKC-OAFA) algorithm to generate the best keys for the ElGamal public key cryptosystem (EGPKC). The EGPKC-OAFA approach puts the most weight on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard for MAC, which is the most important part of the standard. The security field is part of the MAC header of this standard. In addition, the MAC header includes EGPKC, which makes it possible to make authentication keys as quickly as possible.

Findings

With the proliferation of IoT devices, privacy and security have become major concerns in the academic world. Security and privacy are of the utmost importance due to the large amount of personally identifiable information acquired by IoT devices, such as name, location, phone numbers and energy use. Client-side deployment of IoT technologies will be hampered by the absence of well-defined privacy and security solutions afforded by the IoT. The purpose of this research is to present the EGPKC with optimum key generation using the EGPKC-OAFA algorithm for the purpose of protecting individual privacy within the context of the IoT. The EGPKC-OAFA approach is concerned with the MAC standard defined by the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, which includes the security field in its MAC header. Also, the MAC header incorporates EGPKC, which enables the fastest possible authentication key generation. In addition, the best methodology award goes to the OAFA strategy, which successfully implements the optimum EGPKC selection strategy by combining opposition-based (OBL) and standard AFA ideas. The EGPKC-OAFA method has been proved to effectively analyze performance in a number of simulations, with the results of various functions being identified.

Originality/value

In light of the growing prevalence of the IoT, an increasing number of people are becoming anxious about the protection and confidentiality of the personal data that they save online. This is especially true in light of the fact that more and more things are becoming connected to the internet. The IoT is capable of gathering personally identifiable information such as names, addresses and phone numbers, as well as the quantity of energy that is used. It will be challenging for customers to adopt IoT technology because of worries about the security and privacy of the data generated by users. In this work, the EGPKC is paired with adversarial artificial flora, which leads in an increase to the privacy security provided by EGPKC for the IoT (EGPKC-OAFA). The MAC security field that is part of the IEEE 802.15.4 standard is one of the areas that the EGPKC-OAFA protocol places a high focus on. The Authentication Key Generation Protocol Key Agreement, also known as EGPKCA, is used in MAC headers. The abbreviation for this protocol is EGPKCA. The OAFA technique, also known as the combination of OBL and AFA, is the most successful method for selecting EGPKCs. This method is recognized by its acronym, OAFA. It has been shown via a variety of simulations that the EGPKC-OAFA technique is a very useful instrument for carrying out performance analysis.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 19 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 8 December 2023

Stavros Stavrou

My research is a personal effort to understand the experiences that have shaped my work, practice, and living of teaching mathematics. From the boy storied as being smart in…

Abstract

My research is a personal effort to understand the experiences that have shaped my work, practice, and living of teaching mathematics. From the boy storied as being smart in mathematics to the man who was tasked in finding ways to Indigenize school mathematics, I have composed stories to live by that share the tensions, conflicting stories, and mis-educative experiences that have shaped who I am as a White Euro-Western mathematician in a Canadian prairie province. My research wonder serves a practical justification as I “attend to the importance of considering the possibility of shifting, or changing practice” (Clandinin, 2013, p. 36) in the context of cross-cultural teaching and learning. Much of the research around Indigenous mathematics education is shaped by misconceptions of Indigenization and inconsistent practices of how this is taken up by practitioners – topics that I analyzed during my doctoral studies. Through my inquiry described in the chapter, I hoped to achieve a nuanced understanding of how the experiences of diverse lives shape the learning of school mathematics.

Details

Smudging Composition Lines of Identity and Teacher Knowledge
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-742-6

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 13 April 2023

Salim Ahmed, Khushboo Kumari and Durgeshwer Singh

Petroleum hydrocarbons are naturally occurring flammable fossil fuels used as conventional energy sources. It has carcinogenic, mutagenic properties and is considered a hazardous…

1965

Abstract

Purpose

Petroleum hydrocarbons are naturally occurring flammable fossil fuels used as conventional energy sources. It has carcinogenic, mutagenic properties and is considered a hazardous pollutant. Soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons adversely affects the properties of soil. This paper aim to remove pollutants from the environment is an urgent need of the hour to maintain the proper functioning of soil ecosystems.

Design/methodology/approach

The ability of micro-organisms to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons makes it possible to use these microorganisms to clean the environment from petroleum pollution. For preparing this review, research papers and review articles related to petroleum hydrocarbons degradation by micro-organisms were collected from journals and various search engines.

Findings

Various physical and chemical methods are used for remediation of petroleum hydrocarbons contaminants. However, these methods have several disadvantages. This paper will discuss a novel understanding of petroleum hydrocarbons degradation and how micro-organisms help in petroleum-contaminated soil restoration. Bioremediation is recognized as the most environment-friendly technique for remediation. The research studies demonstrated that bacterial consortium have high biodegradation rate of petroleum hydrocarbons ranging from 83% to 89%.

Social implications

Proper management of petroleum hydrocarbons pollutants from the environment is necessary because of their toxicity effects on human and environmental health.

Originality/value

This paper discussed novel mechanisms adopted by bacteria for biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons, aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation pathways, genes and enzymes involved in petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation.

Details

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, vol. 42 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-9899

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2023

Awes Asghar, Ruba Asif, Naeem Akhtar and Tahir Islam

Hotel servicescapes have been extensively examined in the literature; however, there has been less attention on green servicescapes that attract consumers to visit green hotels…

Abstract

Purpose

Hotel servicescapes have been extensively examined in the literature; however, there has been less attention on green servicescapes that attract consumers to visit green hotels. This model explores the relationship among green servicescapes – green items, green surfaces, natural environment, green consumerism and their outcomes, including intentions to return and green evangelism with a moderating role of green perceived quality.

Design/methodology/approach

The multi-wave method was utilized to gather data from China's major cities, Beijing and Shanghai. A total of 462 responses were received over three waves. Subsequently, the data were analyzed employing structural equation modeling (SEM) in Smart PLS 4.

Findings

The findings indicated that green servicescape – green items, green surfaces and natural environment – have a positive impact on green consumerism. The authors have discovered that green consumerism leads to positive intentions among consumers to return and engage in green evangelism. Green perceived quality significantly moderated the relationship between green servicescape and green consumerism.

Research limitations/implications

The study offers insightful contributions to academia and managerial fields, encompassing consumer psychology, consumer behaviour, the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework and servicescapes. Additionally, it assists hotel managers in addressing challenges stemming from the competitive environment and creating a more environmentally friendly atmosphere.

Originality/value

The research focused on the innovative reflective model of green consumerism model and adopted a pioneering approach to examine green servicescapes within the hotel industry. This study enhances understanding of consumer intentions to return and the influence of green consumerism on green evangelism, while also quantifying the significance of green perceived quality.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9792

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 October 2019

Rasha Kamal El-Deen El-Mallah, Alia Abd el Hamid Aref and Sherifa Sherif

The purpose of this paper is as follows: First, understanding the nature of the relationship between corporate adoption of the concept of societal responsibility [availability of…

49280

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is as follows: First, understanding the nature of the relationship between corporate adoption of the concept of societal responsibility [availability of environmental awareness, clear vision of the impact of societal responsibility on financial performance, managers informing employees of the latest developments in societal responsibility programs, managers' response to their corporate social responsibility (CSR) proposals] in the form of an annual report that supports the success of the company's objectives, the company's management encourages employees to participate collectively in societal responsibility programs and to protect the environment from pollution in the petrochemical industry. Second, understand the nature of the relationship between the dimensions of corporate social responsibility concept (cultural, social, economic, ethical and legal) and protect the environment from pollution in the petrochemical industry. Third, the research also seeks to show the role of societal responsibility and its application in the petrochemical companies to protect the environment from pollution in The Governorate of Alexandria – Egypt, and come out with results and recommendations that could help protect the environment from the forms of environmental pollution resulting from the production processes of this industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The researcher has relied on each of the following approaches: Case study methodology is a research strategy aimed at solving a problem or facing a particular situation. It is based on preliminary hypotheses through full analysis of all data collected and recorded. Which depends on the study of a limited number of cases or vocabulary in-depth comprehensive study through the study of all or a large number of variables overlapping and interrelated and influential on the problem under consideration. Thus, it provides a deep and rich understanding of what is going on around the research and the processes that are related to it, and not only the external or apparent description of the situation or phenomenon; it cares about the total description and looks at the particles, in relation to the whole. Quantitative approach: by giving a numerical description indicating the size or size of the phenomenon or the degree of association with the phenomenon. Other phenomena. Accordingly, the role of the petrochemical companies in Alexandria Governorate, and the social responsibility programs carried out within the governorate in terms of importance, growth and requirements, and the most important characteristics and constraints and components and methods of work and developments have been described. Thus, the researcher can analyze the relationship between CSR and environmental protection from pollution in Alexandria Governorate.

Findings

There is paucity in the studies that dealt with the relationship between CSR and environmental protection against pollution in public organizations. There is agreement among the sample on the importance and feasibility of adopting the concept of social responsibility and placing it at the top of the top management concerns, especially in the field of petrochemical companies. With the need to take concrete implementation measures to support social responsibility programs aimed at serving the community among all stakeholders. The effective implementation of the mechanisms for the implementation of meaningful social responsibility programs requires fundamental changes in management practices, existing organizational structures and the quality of personnel working in the relevant departments, in general, and the social responsibility group, in particular, which may be difficult for political and economic reasons.

Research limitations/implications

Time: The study period was set from 2015 to 2017. Place: The study focuses on the petrochemical companies operating in Alexandria. Humanity: The study focuses on the employees of the petrochemical companies operating in Alexandria Governorate.

Practical implications

The adoption of social responsibility positively affects the protection of the environment from pollution, and this effect shows that the adoption of the concept of corporate social responsibility is influenced by the following factors: increasing the participation of workers with healthy environmental contributions to the productive process; increasing the companies' economic and social activities toward protecting the environment from pollution; increasing the capacity of companies to pay greater costs to preserve the environment; increasing the awareness of green consumers with the products it offers Companies; development of continuous internal work environment companies; and clearly defined strategy followed in social responsibility programs.

Social implications

The social responsibility of the public organizations derives their strength through, first, the keenness of these organizations to analyze the variables of the ethical dimension of social responsibility and their availability, which will lead the organizations to provide their services with the highest quality and sincerity. That this analysis (ethics of individuals) as training members of the social responsibility team to solve problems using brainstorming and provide employees with official data related to improving work (ethics of leadership), such as the identification of business objectives through the participation of managers with subordinates, and the punishment of workers who exhibit immoral behaviors (ethics of productive processes) as a decision-making process to ethical standards regardless of the costs involved. When there is an immoral behavior and managers are responsible for implementing the changes needed to reach the targeted outcomes), second, promote partnerships with other relevant sectors for community service.

Originality/value

According to the results of the previous studies and the applied study results, the researcher would like to submit a mechanism to the directors and heads of the boards of directors of the Egyptian petrochemical companies under study.

Details

Review of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2356-9980

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 1000