Search results

Financial performance has been paid attention at an unprecedented level, which can be confirmed as a fact that the quantitative expansion of financial performance evaluation work. The purpose of this study is to propose a more appropriate model for financial performance evaluation under the unbalanced development.

This paper introduces the differentiation criteria to eliminate the deviation caused by the same principle for multiple performance evaluation objects whose development are unbalanced; Then the generalized grey number is adopted to describe the value of performance evaluation index; and the information entropy weight is used to obtain the index weight to reduce the artificial judgment error; Finally, the generalized grey information entropy weight TOPSIS evaluation model is constructed.

Empirical research shows that in the new evaluation model, the differentiated possibility function effectively eliminates the deviation caused by the same principle, the application of information entropy weight reduces the human judgment error, and the value of generalized grey number further enhances the closeness of the results. Moreover, it is also found that in different scenarios, an adaptive performance evaluation model should be selected to match scientifically reasonable results.

The proposed model offers a solution for financial performance evaluation considering unbalanced development among cities. It can be realized by determining the differentiation possibility function matrix, and then the information entropy weight TOPSIS evaluation model can be constructed. This model reflects the actual situation, improves the performance evaluation accuracy, and can be used under similar conditions.

Despite the global resolves to curtail fossil fuel consumption (FFC) in favour of clean energies, several countries continue to rely on carbon-intensive sources in meeting their energy demands. Financial constraints and limited knowledge with regards to green energy sources constitute major setbacks to the energy transition process. This study therefore aims to examine the effects of financial development and human capital on energy consumption.

The empirical analysis is based on the system generalised method of moments (SGMM) for a panel of 134 countries from 1996 to 2019. The SGMM estimates conducted on the basis of three measures of energy consumption, notably fossil fuel, renewable energy as well as total energy consumption (TEC), provide divergent results.

While financial development significantly reduces FFC, its effect is positive though non-significant with regards to renewable energy consumption. Conversely, financial development has a positive and significant effect on TEC. Moreover, the results reveal that human capital development has an enhancing though non-significant effect on the energy transition process. In addition, the results reveal that resource rents have an enhancing effect on the energy transition process. However, when natural resources rents are disaggregated into various components (oil, coal, mineral, natural gas and forest rents), the effects on energy transition are divergent. Although our findings are consistent when the global panel is split into developed and developing economies, the results are divergent across geographical regions. Contingent on these findings, actionable policy implications are discussed.

The study complements extant literature by assessing nexuses between financial development, human capital and energy transition from a global perspective.

The purpose of this paper was prepared a Ni-based superhydrophobic coating on the surface of copper to enhence its corrosion resistance. The superhydrophobic coating (SHPC) has proven to be an effective surface treatment in corrosion protection. In this paper, a Ni-based SHPC was prepared on the surface of copper (Cu) to enhance its corrosion resistance.

The coating was prepared through a two-step electrodeposition process. The first step involves the formation of a micro-nano structure Ni layer formed by an electrodeposition process. Subsequently, the polysiloxane layer was deposited on the Ni surface to create an SHPC. The morphology, composition, structure, wettability and corrosion resistance of the coating were characterized and discussed.

The results show that the water contact angle of the as-prepared coating reaches 155.5°±1.0°. The corrosion current density (i_corr = 3.90 × 10⁻⁹ A·cm⁻²) decreased by three orders of magnitude compared to the substrate, whereas |Z|_{f = 0.01 Hz} (2.40 × 10⁶ Ω·cm²) increased by three orders of magnitude. It indicated that the prepared coating has excellent superhydrophobicity and high corrosion resistance, which can provide better protection for the substrate.

The prepared coating provides long-lasting protection for Cu and other metals and offers valuable data for developing SHPCs.

A switching depth controller based on a variable buoyancy system (VBS) is proposed to improve the performance of small autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). First, the requirements of VBS for small AUVs are analyzed. Second, a modular VBS with high extensibility and easy integration is proposed based on the concepts of generality and interchangeability. Subsequently, a depth-switching controller is proposed based on the modular VBS, which combines the best features of the linear active disturbance rejection controller and the nonlinear active disturbance rejection controller.

The controller design and endurance of tiny AUVs are challenging because of their low environmental adaptation, limited energy resources and nonlinear dynamics. Traditional and single linear controllers cannot solve these problems efficiently. Although the VBS can improve the endurance of AUVs, the current VBS is not extensible for small AUVs in terms of the differences in individuals and operating environments.

The switching controller’s performance was examined using simulation with water flow and external disturbances, and the controller’s performance was compared in pool experiments. The results show that switching controllers have greater effectiveness, disturbance rejection capability and robustness even in the face of various disturbances.

A high degree of standardization and integration of VBS significantly enhances the performance of small AUVs. This will help expand the market for small AUV applications.

This solution improves the extensibility of the VBS, making it easier to integrate into different models of small AUVs. The device enhances the endurance and maneuverability of the small AUVs by adjusting buoyancy and center of gravity for low-power hovering and pitch angle control.

This study examines the impact of debt maturity structure on stock price crash risk (SPCR) in Asian economies and the moderating effect of firm age on this relationship.

The study utilized annual data from 432 nonfinancial firms publicly listed in six Asian countries: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Pakistan and India. The observation period covers 14 years, from 2007 to 2020. The sample was categorized into three groups: the entire sample and one group each for developing and developed Asian economies. A generalized least squares panel regression method was employed to test the research hypotheses.

The results suggest that long-term debt has a significant negative influence on SPCR in Asian economies, indicating that firms with high long-term debt experience lower future SPCR. Moreover, firm age negatively moderates this relationship, implying that older firms may experience a more pronounced reduction in SPCR due to high long-term debt. Finally, firms in developed Asian economies with high long-term debt are more effective in mitigating the risk of a significant drop in their stock prices than firms in developing Asian economies.

This study contributes to the literature in several ways. To the best of the researcher’s knowledge, this is the first of such efforts to investigate the relationship between debt maturity structure and crash risk in Asia. Additionally, it reveals that long-term debt influences SPCR directly and indirectly in Asia through the moderating role of firm age. Lastly, it is likely one of the first studies by a research team in Asia to compare the nonfinancial markets of developed and developing Asian countries.

Previous research provides adequate evidence on performance management (PM) for hospitals and healthcare providers; however, less is known about their individual and PM appraisal process. Additionally, there is limited research exploring PM in the Middle Eastern context. This study investigates PM practices in the Middle Eastern healthcare industry.

This study adopts the qualitative research methodology through semi-structured interviews of healthcare professionals in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Thematic analysis was adopted for analyzing this qualitative data.

The main findings have uncovered different facets of appraisal challenges for both the appraiser (i.e. manager) and the appraisee (i.e. employee). These challenges include communication deficits, lack of goal setting standards and regular meeting updates in order to ensure employee satisfaction and motivation in the workplace.

This study has significant implications for policymakers in Middle Eastern hospitals in terms of implementing PM for their staff. Moreover, future studies can conduct in-depth analysis and provide comparison between public and private sectors in the Gulf countries.

This study is one of the first to portray challenges involved in conducting PM in the Middle East healthcare sector specifically in the UAE and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), both from the perspectives of the appraiser and appraisee.

This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of the interdisciplinary literature on drones in last-mile delivery (LMD) to extrapolate pertinent insights from and into the logistics management field.

Rooting their analytical categories in the LMD literature, the authors performed a deductive, theory refinement SLR on 307 interdisciplinary journal articles published during 2015–2022 to integrate this emergent phenomenon into the field.

The authors derived the potentials, challenges and solutions of drone deliveries in relation to 12 LMD criteria dispersed across four stakeholder groups: senders, receivers, regulators and societies. Relationships between these criteria were also identified.

This review contributes to logistics management by offering a current, nuanced and multifaceted discussion of drones' potential to improve the LMD process together with the challenges and solutions involved.

The authors provide logistics managers with a holistic roadmap to help them make informed decisions about adopting drones in their delivery systems. Regulators and society members also gain insights into the prospects, requirements and repercussions of drone deliveries.

This is one of the first SLRs on drone applications in LMD from a logistics management perspective.

The construction business is widely recognised for its inherent complexity and dynamic nature, which stems from the nature of the job involved. The industry is often regarded as one of the most challenging industries globally in terms of implementing environmental, health and safety (EHS) practices. However, in the absence of EHS, the construction industry cannot be considered sustainable. Therefore, this study aims to identify the trends, knowledge gaps and implications of EHS research to enhance construction activities and knowledge.

The study adopted a science mapping approach involving bibliometric and scientometric analysis of 407 construction EHS publications from the Scopus database with the VOSviewer software. The study is based on journal articles from the Scopus database without restriction to any time range.

The main focus of construction EHS research identified in the study includes sustainability-related studies, risk-related, environmental issues, EHS management, integrated management systems studies, health and safety related and EHS in the construction process. Some emerging areas also identified include productivity, design, culture, social sustainability and machine learning. The most influential and productive publication sources, countries/regions and EHS publications with the highest impact were also determined.

Documents published in the Scopus database were considered for analysis because of the wider coverage of the database. Journal articles written in English language represent the inclusion criteria, whereas other documents were excluded from the analysis. The study also limited the search to articles with the engineering subject area.

The research findings will enlighten stakeholders and practitioners on the focal knowledge areas in the EHS research domain, which are vital for enhancing EHS in the industry.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this review-based study is the first attempt to internationally conduct a science mapping on extant literature in the EHS research domain through bibliometric and scientometric assessments.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of surface texture on the subsurface characteristics of contact interfaces under elastohydrodynamic lubrication condition. As a typical contact form of gears and bearings, the optimization of friction characteristics at the elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) interface has attracted the attention of scholars. Laser surface texturing is a feasible optimization solution, but there have been concerns about whether the surface texture of high-pair parts will affect their fatigue life.

To examine the impact of texture preparation on the subsurface characteristics of high-pair interfaces under EHL conditions, a point contact EHL model is developed that takes into account the effect of textured surface topography. The pressure and thickness of the oil film are calculated as input parameters under different loads and entrainment velocities. The finite element method is used to simulate the impact of textures with varying diameters, densities and depths on the subsurface characteristics of the elastohydrodynamic interface. According to ISO 25178, analyze the relationship between 3D topography parameters and subsurface characteristics and study the trend of friction characteristics and subsurface characteristics based on the results of the ball on disc friction tests.

The outcomes suggest that under different rotational velocity and load conditions, the textured surfaces exhibit improved friction reduction effects; however, the creation of textures can result in significant subsurface plastic deformation and local peeling. The existence of texture makes the larger stress zone in the subsurface layer closer to the surface, leading to fatigue failure near the surface. Reasonable design parameters can help enhance the attributes of the subsurface. A smaller Sa and a Str greater than 0.5 can achieve ideal subsurface properties on the textured surface.

This paper investigates the influence of surface texture on the friction and subsurface characteristics of EHL interfaces and analyzes the impact of surface texture on interface contact performance while achieving lubrication improvement functional characteristics. The results provide theoretical support for the optimization design and functional regulation of surface texture in EHL interfaces.

The peer review history for this article is https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-10-2023-0324/

With rapid urbanization, cities are facing various ecological and environmental problems. Living in harmony with nature is more important than ever. This paper aims to evaluate the ecosystem and ecological features of Azheke village, a key component of the Hani Rice Terraces World Cultural Heritage in China. The focus is on exploring effective ways to improve the relationship between humans and the natural environment through urban design in order to create a livable and sustainable city that can promote the development of sustainable smart urban ecology design.

This study conducted a systematic literature review to answer the following research questions: (1) How does Azheke design achieve harmony between humans and nature? (2) What are the effective approaches to improve the relationship between humans and nature within urban ecosystems? (3) How can urban design learn and integrate from Azheke’s ecological features to improve the relationship between humans and nature?

Azheke sustains long-term human-nature harmony through traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and efficient natural resource use. By incorporating biophilic design and nature-based solutions from Azheke, along with biodiversity-friendly urban planning, we can boost urban ecosystem health and create unique Azheke-inspired urban designs.

This research primarily focuses on the human-nature relationship, exploring design strategies based on biodiversity without delving into the interactions between other components of urban ecosystems, such as social-cultural and economic components.

This paper provides a new perspective and strategies for developing sustainable and smart urban ecology design. These findings can provide theoretical references for urban planners, designers and decision-makers.