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This study aims to evaluate the effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the indoor and outdoor air quality in Kuwait due to vehicular traffic.

About 700 VOCs samples were collected from randomly selected residences within Kuwait. For simplicity, the study was divided into three areas: area A between the first and third ring roads, area B between the third and fifth ring roads and area C between the fifth and sixth ring roads. Hazardous Air Pollutants on Site (HAPSITE), a portable Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS), was used to gather air samples inside and outside of the residences selected in the study area for a period of three months during 2008.

Median indoor air quality levels in the study area were similar to the outdoor levels. Indoor/outdoor ratios varied from 0.5 to 8 for most compounds, suggesting that the indoor air quality was less than the outdoor air quality. It was found that none of the indoor VOC concentrations measured exceeded the upper limits of the indoor air quality set by the Kuwait Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA), with the exception of only one residence where the benzene concentration was observed to be in excess of 17 per cent of the KEPA limit. Moreover, the indoor air quality for the study areas was found to be in accordance with level 1 set by KEPA, indicative of very good air quality.

This is the first study conducted in Kuwait to collect VOCs samples and to explore the air quality inside and outside of residential buildings.

The shadow economy (SE) has been a serious issue with varied dimensions in all countries that significantly affect economic growth. Therefore, all countries have made an effort to tackle the SE by pursuing several measures. This study aims to investigate the impact of financial markets (stock and bond) in reducing the SE while considering the role of country risk (political, economic and financial) in N-11 countries.

The study employed first-generation methodological techniques, including a unit root test to identify stationarity in the series, a panel cointegration test and panel autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) to estimate long-run and short-run relationships. Finally, the Granger causality is applied to determine the direction of the causal relationship.

The study explored that country risk factors are crucial in reducing the size of the SE. Moreover, the significant moderating role of country risk factors in the financial market development and SE nexus suggests that by controlling the country's risk, financial market development can negatively affect the SE.

Due to the availability of data, the study used data, ranging from 1995 to 2015, because the tax burden data is available from 1995 while the maximum data for the SE is available till 2015, using Medina and Schneider's (2019) data estimates for the SE.

The previous studies have focused explicitly on the role of financial institutions' development in the SE. To the best of the author's knowledge, no previous study is attempted to investigate the role of financial markets (bonds and stock) in the size of the SE. Furthermore, previous studies have ignored the important role of country risk factors in the size of the SE. This study investigates the impact of country risk on the SE and the moderating role of country risk in the development of financial markets and the SE nexus.

This study aims to assess the oxidative stability of avocado oil (AO) at various temperatures, using butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as an artificial antioxidant and different concentrations of ultrasonic extract of Chlorella vulgaris.

Extracts of C. vulgaris were obtained using four solvents: water, acetone, ethanol and 80% ethanol-aqueous. Standard techniques were used to conduct qualitative phytochemical screening of the extracts. The extracted samples were analyzed for total phenolics, total flavonoids, antioxidant activity and phenolic compound fractionation. Some physicochemical parameters of AO treated with various concentrations of C. vulgaris ultrasonic extract compared to a 200 ppm BHT and exposed to different temperatures were measured.

The highest phenolic, flavonoids content and antioxidant activity was achieved by 80% ethanolic extract of C. vulgaris . The results showed that exposure of AO to high temperatures led to significant changes in the oil's physicochemical properties. These changes increased as the temperature increased. On the other hand, adding 80% ethanolic extract of C. vulgaris into AO reduced the effect of heat treatment on the change in physicochemical properties.

Adding 80% ethanolic extract of C. vulgaris into AO can potentially reduce the impact of heat treatment on the alteration of physicochemical properties.

The Chinese capital markets are divided into two segments comprising of A-shares (traded by domestic investors) and B-shares (traded by foreign investors). Firms issuing A-shares are required to produce accounting reports under the Chinese Accounting Standards (CAS) and firms issuing B-shares are required to report under the International Accounting Standards (IAS). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the comparative value-relevance of accounting information in the Chinese capital markets, in particular whether the value-relevance associated IAS exceeds that of CAS.

This study undertakes a capital market research approach. Two statistical models are employed to test the value-relevance of competing accounting information on share prices: the Price Model and the Return Model. This study takes advantage of the parallel reporting frameworks governing the A-share and B-share markets buy using the same firms which issue both A-shares and B-shares.

The analysis supporting the study demonstrates that both CAS and IAS information is value relevant to investors in the Chinese capital markets but that IAS provide more useful information. Additionally it is observed that reconciliation variables (representing the discrepancy between IAS- and CAS-based accounting figures) are not significant in explaining market valuation or returns on stock.

This study provides evidence of value-relevance of accounting reports on the Chinese capital markets for the period of 1999-2005. The period under investigation captures the significant development in China's accounting regulations which took place in 1998 and 2001. The recent shift in accounting regulations in China from CAS to IAS is expected to improve the dissemination of financial information by publicly listed Chinese firms.

This study investigates the reporting requirements on the Chinese capital markets during a period in which accounting reporting requirements underwent a significant change as part of the internationalization of accounting standards. Both A- and B-share markets were investigated simultaneously in order to provide an objective analysis and avoid sampling selection bias present in other studies.

The recent shift in accounting regulations in China from CAS to IAS is expected to improve the dissemination of financial information by publicly listed Chinese firms.

This paper extends previous research on value-relevance of accounting reports in the Chinese capital markets by capturing the period in which the reporting requirements had experienced significant change. This paper also takes advantage of the dual reporting framework in order to mitigate potential sampling bias present in previous studies and employs a reconciliation variables not previously used.

Consumers and businesses are becoming increasingly conscious of sustainable business practices and are often willing to pay a premium for responsibly sourced and manufactured products. Many countries and organizations have implemented regulations and standards for sustainability and companies face penalties or are barred from exporting for not meeting the requirements. Rooted in the resource-based view theory, this study aims to test a moderated mediation model to improve the sustainability performance of exporting firms.

Textile firms generating more than 25% of export revenues were targeted for this research. The data collected from 245 middle management-level employees were tested for reliability and validity. The structural equation modelling in AMOS 26 was used to test hypotheses.

Organizational readiness for green innovation (ORGI) has a direct positive effect on sustainability performance. The mediation analysis implies that ORGI translates into sustainability performance through improvement in green innovation performance. The moderating effect of knowledge integration highlights the importance of being prepared internally and actively seeking and incorporating external knowledge to improve green innovation performance.

The findings offer a solid foundation for informed decision-making, policy development and strategies to improve sustainability performance while aligning with the global nature of the textile industry and its inherent challenges. The proposed model and practical implications guide policymakers and managers of exporting firms to foster a culture of green innovation to leverage the effect of their readiness for green innovation on sustainability performance.

This study aims to investigate the influence of requirement engineering (RE) on project performance (PP) in the context of NEOM* in Saudi Arabia. The study also aims to examine the relationship between three components of RE, evolving market needs (ECN), market changes (MC) and technological advancements (TA), on PP, through the mediating influence of effective communication (EC), change readiness (CR) and stakeholder engagement (SE). Further, the study aims to examine the moderating effect of team cohesion (TC) on the RE–PP relationships.

A research framework is developed by drawing on the resource-based theory and with the support of empirical evidence and rational arguments to propose a set of hypotheses relating to the constructs in the framework. The hypotheses are tested through survey data collected from individual employees working on different projects across NEOM. A total of 336 useable responses were collected that were analyzed through covariance-based structural equation modeling using AMOS v.28.

The results show although ECN and TA both have a positive impact on PP, MC had no significant relationship with PP. In terms of the mediation hypotheses, EC, CR and SE all partially mediate the relationships between ECN and TA with PP. However, there was no mediating effect in the relationship between MC and PP. Moreover, EC, CR and SE themselves have a significant positive influence on PP. Finally, TC proved to be a significant moderator between ECN and PP and TA and PP, but not in the case of MC and PP.

This study makes three novel contributions. First, most prior empirical studies examined the overall impact of RE on PP; however, the current study provides a more nuanced insight into the relationships between the three components of RE (i.e. ECN, MC and TA) and PP. Second, the mediating roles of EC, CR and SE between components of RE and PP present a finer-grained understanding of how project resources are linked to project success goals through features of the project team. Third, moderating influence of TC with regard to a higher possibility of success for projects are highlighted through this discovery.

The purpose of this current investigation is to evaluate the effect of adding different levels of cheeseweed Malva parviflora L. mallow leaves powder (MPLP) on the nutritional and quality characteristics of bread.

Wheat flour was partially replaced with MPLP at 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5% levels to obtain the wheat– MPLP composite flour. Chemical composition, phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant activity by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl of wheat flour and MPLP were determined. Physicochemical and sensory characteristics of bread enriched with various levels of MPLP were evaluated.

MPLP contains 23.9% of protein, 10.1% of crude fiber and 9.8% of ash, respectively. MPLP had a significantly higher concentration of micronutrients than wheat flour. The content of total phenolics, flavonoids as well as free radical scavenging activity of MPLP were 17.6, 38.2 and 6.0 fold, respectively, higher compared to wheat flour. Protein content in bread samples increased with the addition of the MPLP in a range of 1.2%–6.6%. The increasing replacement of MPLP in the composite flours resulted in progressively higher dietary fiber and ash contents for fortified bread samples. The higher level of MPLP reduced the specific volume of fortified breads. The highest scores for the sensory attributes were noted for bread samples fortified with 2% and 3% of MPLP, whereas the lowest scores for bread samples fortified with 4% and 5% MPLP.

Supplementation of wheat bread with different levels of MPLP resulted in significant increases in macro and microelements of fortified breads.

Supplementation of wheat bread with different levels of cheeseweed Mallow (Malva parviflora L.) leaves powder resulted in significant increases in macro and microelements of fortified breads.

The effects of incorporation of Locusta migratoria (LM) powder at different levels (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5%) on nutritional, qualitative and sensory properties of baked breads were investigated.

Chemical composition, mineral elements and functional properties of wheat flour, LM powder and their binary mixture systems were determined. The breads were assayed for proximate composition, minerals, amino acids profile, physical characteristics and sensorial properties.

LM powder have relatively high levels of protein (51.97% db), fat (23.15% db) and fibers (13.76% db). LM powder presented significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater water absorption capacity (WAC), oil absorption capacity(OAC), emulsion activity (EA) and foam capacity (FC) as compared to wheat flour. Blending wheat flour with various levels of LM powder significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved the functional properties of binary mixture systems. Protein, fat, fiber and ash contents of bread samples significantly increased with the addition of LM powder. No significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were recorded in specific volume between control breads and those breads containing LM powder up to 2%. Breads fortified with LM powder contained higher values of essential amino acids than the limits of FAO/WHO pattern, with exception of lysine. Sensory evaluation results showed that bread samples with the addition of LM powder at levels 1–4% had high overall acceptability.

Limitations of our study are the lack of approved and professional programs about management, collection, harvesting, processing, marketing and consumption of edible insects; therefore, these results should be generalized implications for industry. This present study, therefore, provides useful data to support public health nutrition aimed at improving the nutritional health of populations through the promotion of bakery products enriched with LM powder.

The main findings of this study indicated that the addition of 1–4% of LM powder into wheat flour enhanced sensory and nutritional properties of produced breads.

It is concluded that the addition of LM powder improves the nutritional and sensorial properties of the produced bread when the wheat flour is substituted with 1–4% of LM powder.

The purpose of this study is to monitor the surface cooling of the photovoltaic (PV) panel and the effect of the dust accumulated on the panel surface on the electrical efficiency remotely and instantaneously.

An autonomous system has been designed that can measure and record the PV surface temperature, the amount of dust on the surface, current, voltage and power values at certain intervals. It can also perform surface cooling and cleaning with water cycle when the temperature and dust amount reach certain threshold values and transmit these values to the user via global system for mobile communications module, Bluetooth module and graphically with a touchscreen liquid crystal display panel. Thus, it is aimed to benefit from PV at the maximum level, and it was installed in Kahramanmaras Sütçü Imam University Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.

An increase in power was observed for PV surface cooling and surface dust removal by 3.78% and 45.99%, respectively.

This system is of vital importance in terms of time and energy-saving, especially for solar plants far from the city center, which are difficult to access because of climatic conditions. In other hand for future studies, it is foreseen that more efficiency gains can be achieved by using artificial intelligence and image processing techniques.

In this paper, the authors investigate that the increasing level of fossil fuel combustion in the industrial sector has been considered the prime cause for the emissions of greenhouse gas. Meanwhile, the research focusing on the impact of fossil fuel consumption on the emission of CO₂ is limited for the developing countries containing Vietnam. This study applied the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach with structural breaks presence, and the Bayer–Hanck combined cointegration method to observe the rationality of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in the dynamic relationship between the industrialization and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission in Vietnam, capturing the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and the fossil fuel consumption over the period of 1975–2019. The outcomes revealed the confirmation of cointegration among the variables and both short and long-run regression parameters indicated the evidence for the presence of a U-shaped association between the level of industrial growth and CO₂ emission that is further confirmed by employing the Lind and Mehlum U-test for robustness purpose. The results of Granger causality discovered a unidirectional causality from FDI and fossil fuel consumption to CO₂ emission in the short run. For the policy points, this study suggests the use of efficient and low carbon-emitting technologies.

In order to test for consistency and robustness of the cointegration analysis, this study also applied the ARDL bound testing method to find out long-run association among variables with the existence of the structural break in the dataset. The ARDL method was preferred to other traditional cointegration models; because of the smaller dataset, the results obtained from the ARDL method are efficient and consistent and equally appropriate for I(1) and I(0) variables.

The short-run and long-run causal associations among variables have been observed by employing the error correction term (ECT) augmented Granger-causality test that revealed the presence of the long-run causality among variables only when the CO₂ emission is employed as a dependent variable. The outcomes for short-run causality indicated the presence of unidirectional causality between consumption of fossil fuel and CO₂ emission, where the fossil fuel consumptions Granger-cause CO₂ emission. Industrial growth has also been found to have an impact on fossil fuel consumptions, however not the opposite. This advocates that the policies aimed at reducing the fossil fuel consumptions would not be harmful to industrial growth as other energy efficient and cleaner technology could be implemented by the firms to substitute the fossil fuel usage.

The study explored the dynamic relationship among FDI, consumption of fossil fuel, industrial growth and the CO₂ emission in Vietnam for the time period 1975–2019. The newly established Bayer–Hanck joint cointegration method and the ARDL bound testing were employed by taking into account the structural breaks in the dataset.