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Vertical handoff mechanism (VHO) becomes very popular because of the improvements in the mobility models. These developments are less to certain circumstances and thus do not provide support in generic mobility, but the vertical handover management providing in the heterogeneous wireless networks (HWNs) is crucial and challenging. Hence, this paper introduces the vertical handoff management approach based on an effective network selection scheme.

This paper aims to improve the working principle of previous methods and make VHO more efficient and reliable for the HWN.Initially, the handover triggering techniques is modelled for identifying an appropriate place to initiate handover based on the computed coverage area of cellular base station or wireless local area network (WLAN) access point. Then, inappropriate networks are eliminated for determining the better network to perform handover. Accordingly, a network selection approach is introduced on the basis ofthe Fractional-dolphin echolocation-based support vector neural network (Fractional-DE-based SVNN). The Fractional-DE is designed by integrating Fractional calculus (FC) in Dolphin echolocation (DE), and thereby, modifying the update rule of the DE algorithm based on the location of the solutions in past iterations. The proposed Fractional-DE algorithm is used to train Support vector neural network (SVNN) for selecting the best weights. Several parameters, like Bit error rate (BER), End to end delay (EED), jitter, packet loss, and energy consumption are considered for choosing the best network.

The performance of the proposed VHO mechanism based on Fractional-DE is evaluated based on delay, energy consumption, staytime, and throughput. The proposed Fractional-DE method achieves the minimal delay of 0.0100 sec, the minimal energy consumption of 0.348, maximal staytime of 4.373 sec, and the maximal throughput of 109.20 kbps.

In this paper, a network selection approach is introduced on the basis of the Fractional-Dolphin Echolocation-based Support vector neural network (Fractional-DE-based SVNN). The Fractional-DE is designed by integrating Fractional calculus (FC) in Dolphin echolocation (DE), and thereby, modifying the update rule of the DE algorithm based on the location of the solutions in past iterations. The proposed Fractional-DE algorithm is used to train SVNN for selecting the best weights. Several parameters, like Bit error rate (BER), End to end delay (EED), jitter, packet loss, and energy consumption are considered for choosing the best network.The performance of the proposed VHO mechanism based on Fractional-DE is evaluated based on delay, energy consumption, staytime, and throughput, in which the proposed method offers the best performance.

The governments of different nations implemented various policy measures in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. These policy measures had a negative impact towards freight transportation. Further, the shock and ripple effect on the other supply chain complicates the recovery process of freight transportation. The transformation of freight transportation in the post-COVID-19 world was reported to be unsustainable. Thus, emerged the requirement to formulate the recovery measures in the context of freight transportation. This study aims to identify and model the recovery measures for sustainable freight transportation (SFT).

In this study, 13 critical recovery measures are established from the literature and finalized with the help of an expert panel. An integrated Grey Decision-Making trial and evaluation laboratory is used to prioritize and establish the cause-effect relationships among the identified critical recovery measures. Further, sensitivity analysis is performed to ensure the robustness of the proposed model.

The present study reflects that Efficient traffic management (M13), sustainability focused policies (M2), sensitization of stakeholders (M10), financial support (M9) and adoption of 4 R practices (M12) are the top five critical recovery measures for SFT. The results highlight that the transport sector needs to retain the learning from the COVID-19 period to operate under low workforce availability. Further, the emerging economies are suggested to promote local manufacturing to reduce the lead time and risk of unavailability. The study findings reflect that attaining sustainability without considering the social dimension of sustainability is impossible. Also, the results shed light on the controllable and uncontrollable recovery measures.

The findings from the study would assist policymakers and practitioners in re-formulating the recovery measures for freight transportation considering the aspect of sustainability.

The transportation sector is frequently criticized for its adverse environmental impacts. Industrial managers and decision-makers in the transportation sector have difficulty embracing sustainable transportation. Taking this difficulty into consideration, this study intends to locate and evaluate the enablers of sustainable transportation.

Using the Pareto analysis, the study finalized 20 enablers from the list of 25 enablers. The finalized enablers are prioritized, and their causal inter-relationships are revealed using the grey-decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (grey-DEMATEL) method. A sensitivity analysis is performed to determine the influence of experts' weight in the final results.

Findings reveal enhancement of cross-departmental cooperation, decision synchronization, technology cooperation, policy cooperation and route optimization as the five most critical enablers of sustainable transportation. Based on the results, the study proposes some policy implications for the decision-makers to proactively incorporate sustainability concepts.

This paper is the first of its kind to evaluate the enablers of sustainable transportation in the Indian leather industry. This paper proposes a comprehensive list of enablers of sustainable transportation and reveals their causal interrelationships using grey-DEMATEL. The weight of the provided enablers will help the industrial managers to more proactively take sequential actions to incorporate sustainable transportation.

COVID-19 pandemic interrupted global supply chains (SCs) affecting both developed and developing countries. In context of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous studies were conducted on sustainable supply chain (SSC) in emerging markets (EMs). However, the contributions of these studies require to be systematically reviewed to provide a platform of knowledge. The purpose of this review is to systematically explore the relevant literature on SSC management during the COVID-19 pandemic in EMs.

The authors applied Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to perform a systematic literature review. Scopus database was used to extract the relevant literature, and 51 journal articles along with 5 conference proceedings were included in the study.

This study identified the major contents along with four different themes, which are the impacts of COVID-19 on the SC, recovery strategies to alleviate the adverse impacts of COVID-19, sustainable practices to improve SC performance and resilience activities to assure firms' survivability. Furthermore, the research reveals that interview/survey/case study–based research and review articles focusing on various industries have dominated the field of SSC management in the context of EMs.

This research enriches the literature by providing an overall scenario of SSC during the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of emerging economies.

This paper aims to identify, analyze and evaluate the major enablers for the sustainable public distribution system (PDS) supply chain in India in lessening food insecurity by distributing essentials food grains at a subsidized rate.

The major enablers for the sustainable PDS supply chain were explored by conducting the literature survey and discussion with academic and warehouse experts. Then, the fuzzy-DEMATEL (decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory) technique was applied to develop a causal model that analyses the interaction among the identified enablers.

This study recognizes fifteen enablers through literature survey and experts' opinions. The present work concludes that “proper identification of the PDS beneficiaries” and “willingness and commitment of the top management and policymaker” are the two major enablers for the sustainable PDS supply chain.

This work would be helpful for profoundly understanding the major enablers, and how they are affecting the entire PDS supply chain. The study would be beneficial for the general people and the entire society straightforwardly by providing suggestions for food security.

Identifying and analyzing the major enablers for the sustainable PDS supply chain helps to visualize the problem more effectively and efficiently. Besides, the causal model explains a comprehensive perspective on the identified enablers.

The COVID-19 has had a diversified and dynamic impact on the food and agricultural sector, particularly in the agri-food value chain. Although a good number of articles were published in various countries and continents covering various aspects of the impact of COVID-19 on the agri-food value chain, no significant studies were found related to the mapping of published literature to know about the scenario and current trend research. The study aims to perform a systematic review and bibliographic mapping in the agri-food value chain to provide insights into the same.

Articles included in the Scopus database from January 1, 2020 to July 10, 2021 are considered. After initial screening and inclusion criteria, 41 articles have been selected to perform a systematic review which is published in the agri-food value chain. In addition to this, by considering the growth of the online food market, systematic mapping with the application of bibliometric analysis is performed to know the trend of the publications. Co-occurrence analysis with VOS viewer software version 1.6.16 is used for making network maps and supports the visualization of these maps.

The synthesis of the findings reveals that four broad themes recur in the articles: namely, food security and crisis during the pandemic, food price fluctuations, the impact of COVID-19 and disruption in the agri-food value chain and resilience strategies to strengthen the value chain. Alongside, the synthesis of the findings, this study describes the geographical coverage, methodologies used, sector/industry-specific context of the articles and scope of future research. In co-occurrence analysis with keywords, four clusters are identified related to the online food market and are categorized as “COVID-19 and Online food delivery services,” “Consumer satisfaction to online food delivery services,” “Food delivery system” and “Demographic impact on online food market.”

The study considers only the article from the Scopus database and article published between January 1, 2020 and July 10, 2021. Future studies are encouraged related to impact analysis studies of resilient strategies suggested by various authors by considering multiple databases.

This study will be beneficial for scholars and policymakers to know what is trending in the agri-food value chain and policymakers can implement various resilience strategies as discussed to mitigate the impact. The future research scope highlighted in this paper will encourage scholars and academicians to explore this area and will provide in-depth understanding.