Using the parametrically designed battery pack in Grasshopper, a Voronoi grain-based discrete element model was established in the three-dimensional distinct element code, incorporating progressively increasing grain equivalent diameters. A grain-based stress corrosion model, enhanced with an improved stress corrosion theory, was further proposed to simulate both the direct shear characteristics and shear creep behaviour of unsaturated sandstone under varying normal stresses. The mesoscopic parameters, including the contact properties between grains and the stress corrosion parameters, were then calibrated. This ensured that the model could accurately reproduce the mechanical properties of sandstone observed in laboratory tests. The modelling results indicated that tensile cracks were the dominant cracks generated during the shear process under various saturations and normal stresses, along with a few shear cracks. A significant negative correlation was observed between the joint roughness coefficient (JRC) and the ratio of long-term to peak shear strength. Additionally, increased normal stress or decreased saturation were both found to accelerate the time-dependent failure process, leading to a shorter time-to-failure under constant shear loading. We summarize that the proposed model effectively characterizes the direct shear and creep behaviour of unsaturated sandstone at varying roughnesses and normal stresses.
Lina Kurniawati, Guntur Kusuma Wardana, Muhammad Riza Hafizi
Sharia banking in Asia has experienced rapid asset growth and has become a major contributor to the global Islamic finance industry. However, this asset growth has not always been accompanied by stable profitability due to high operating costs and financing risks. This study aims to examine the FDR, DAR, CAR, CIR, and NPF on ROA in Islamic banking in Asia. This study uses a descriptive quantitative approach with panel data regression analysis. The results show that, partially, the variables FDR, DAR, and CAR do not have a significant effect on ROA, while the variables CIR and NPF have a significant negative effect on ROA in Islamic banks in Asia. Simultaneously, all independent variables have a significant effect on ROA in Islamic banks in Asia. This study explains that asset efficiency and quality are important factors that affect the profitability of Islamic banking in Asia. The implication of this study is the need to strengthen financing risk management and improve operational efficiency to maintain the financial performance of Islamic banking.
Farhad Jahangiri, Abolfazl Danaei, Mahsa Akbari
et al.
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Abstract</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The purpose of this research is to design a model of the role of social media in the resilience of the digital supply chain in critical situations. In the qualitative phase of the current research, the data were collected from a purposive sample of 10 experts. Given the limited number of qualified individuals, the entire population of experts was included in the study. In the quantitative phase, the target population comprised 500 employees of MAPNA Company. Using Cohen's table for sample size determination, a sample of 189 participants was selected. This research employs a fundamental-applied approach and follows an exploratory mixed-methods design, integrating both qualitative and quantitative data. The data collection method was based on survey research and the data collection instuments included interviews and questionnaires, the content validity of which was confirmed by experts, and their reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. In the qualitative part of the study, meta-composite method and foundation data were used, through which 118 open codes, 43 central codes and 13 selective codes have been extracted in five general categories: causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies and consequences. Causal conditions include 2 selected codes, 8 concepts and 21 open codes, contextual conditions include 3 selected codes, 10 concepts and 25 open codes, intervening conditions include 2 selected codes, 7 concepts and 21 open codes, strategies include 2 selected codes, 7 concepts and 19 open codes, and consequences include 4 selected codes, 11 concepts and 32 open codes, which are the components of the paradigm model regarding the role of social media in the resilience of the digital supply chain in critical conditions. Based on the output of the structural equations of the initial research model, its validity has been confirmed and the prioritization of the components of the mentioned model has been determined by a radar diagram of the research model. In this regard, technology risk tolerance was ranked first, liquidity cycle was ranked second, and collaboration and outsourcing were ranked third.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Key Words:</strong> resilient supply chain, digital supply chain, social media</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>1.Introduction</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Social media has dramatically changed the way organizations interact and communicate with customers. Digital media and the provision of cheap access to social networks have brought many opportunities and achievements for businesses. Undoubtedly, with reducing the cost of accessing audiences and customers, increasing the speed, accuracy and quality of communication, providing the possibility of more accurate measurement of the effectiveness of activities, the possibility of better and more effective management of crises, and in general, increasing the power of businesses in the fields of work, providing opportunities for taking ownership of a media can be very useful and effective in the success of today's organizations and businesses, and without a doubt, social networks and similar channels have provided them with a variety of tools, applications, and developers in order to advance the supply of various tools. Considering the significant impact that social media has on life and business processes in the third millennium and the rapid and impressive developments of information and communication technology in recent decades, significant and in some cases fundamental changes have been made in various relationships of today's societies.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>2.Literature Review</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In today's world, changes in the economy and industry are happening at a faster rate than in the past. Due to globalization, countries are ingreasingly experiencing heightened levels of competition. Given the importance of supply chains and their effective management in creating competitive advantages, it is often said that competition between organizations has been replaced by the competition between supply chains. As a result, organizations are trying to improve their supply chain management to gain sustainable competitive advantages (Lee et al., 2018). Achieving this requires a fundamental transformation within the organization. Given the importance of conducting this research, coupled with the instability of conditions and significant changes in work processes, it is necessary for organizations to adapt the scope of their supply chain so that they can develop optimal strategies to stay at the top of the competition in volatile conditions.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Therefore, it is necessary for them to maintain their resilience in the mentioned conditions and be equipped with working methods suitable for the age of technology and new technologies (Singh et al., 2017). In other words, considering the significant impact that social media has on the processes of life and business in the third millennium and the rapid and impressive developments of information and communication technology in recent decades, there have been significant and in some cases fundamental changes in various relationships of today's societies (Labafi, 2018); Organizations and their communications have changed and the demands and expectations of customers have undergone many changes. Knowing the fact that the use of digital technologies in processes creates competitive advantages for businesses and organizations (Samizadeh, 2020), we can conclude that the implementation and use of the digital supply chain is undoubtedly a significant option for organizations and businesses. This work aimed to minimize financial and time costs while enhancing productivity in the production process until the final delivery of goods and services to customers (Azer & Khorrami, 2021). By comparing the key features of the digital supply chain with the traditional supply chain, it can be seen that the results of the presence of digital technologies in the supply chain processes for organizations and businesses will be brilliant and efficient beyond imagination (Mehrabi, 2016). The smallest disruption in the process of a supply chain can be likened to a fault. A fault whose gap and depth can increase moment by moment (Manogran et al., 2018).</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>3.Methodology</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In the present study, the researcher sought to provide a model for the role of social media in the resilience of the digital supply chain in critical conditions. In this research, the metacomposite method has been used to present the model. In the qualitative part of the study 10 experts participated through the whole number selection, and the quantitative part included 500 employees of MAPNA company, based on Cohen's sample size table. The investigation began with an extensive review of the related existing literature (referring to documents and five non-Iranian databases of ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, Emerald, and three Iranian databases CIVILICA, Magiran and SID). The total number of articles found considering the input criteria was 163 studies (Persian and English). After reviewing all the studies and evaluiating them based on content criteria and accessibility, the final results were extracted from 19 studies (14 English studies and 5 Persian studies) which were reviewed and analyzed. Then, in order to confirm the extracted factors, an interview was arranged with the relevant experts (including experts and specialists of the digital supply chain and social media and top managers of MAPNA Company) and the importance coefficient of each factor was determined.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>4.Result</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">According to the results, 118open codes, 43 central codes and 13 selective codes were extracted. Thirteen selective codes of the study were placed in five general categories including causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies and consequences. Causal conditions include 2 selected codes, 8 concepts and 21 open codes, contextual conditions include 3 selected codes, 10 concepts and 25 open codes, intervening conditions include 2 selected codes, 7 concepts and 21 open codes, strategies include 2 selected codes, 7 concepts and 19 open codes, and the consequences include 4 selected codes, 11 concepts and 32 open codes, which are the components of the paradigm model regarding the role of social media in the resilience of the digital supply chain in critical conditions. Based on the output of the structural equations of the initial research model, its validity has been confirmed and the prioritization of the components of the mentioned model has been determined by a radar diagram of the research model. In this regard, technology risk tolerance was ranked first, liquidity cycle was ranked second, and collaboration and outsourcing were ranked third.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>5.Conclusion</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">According to the obtained results and the importance of the topic under study, the role of social media and the implementation of digital transformation in organizations as an undeniable competitive advantage has been noticed by senior managers of organizations and businesses. Digitalization of the supply chain will bring revolutionary changes. New technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things can help solve these problems. In fact, digitization can enhance supply chain visibility and the use of advanced digital technologies enables modularization, simplicity and standardization of products and processes. Companies must recognize the benefits of innovative business models that add value to their product portfolio and create new demand channels for more digital customers. In fact, investing and deploying new technologies by increasing access to information, reducing costs, improving product quality, and increasing responsiveness and collaboration capabilities provide a long-term competitive advantage for business supply chains even in critical situations.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Conflict of interest: none</strong></p>
Dong Trong Nguyen, Christian Lindahl Elseth, Jakob Rude Øvstaas
et al.
As aquaculture expands to meet global food demand, it remains dependent on manual, costly, infrequent, and high-risk operations due to reliance on high-end Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). Scalable and autonomous systems are needed to enable safer and more efficient practices. This paper proposes a cost-effective autonomous inspection framework for the monitoring of mooring systems, a critical component ensuring structural integrity and regulatory compliance for both the aquaculture and floating offshore wind (FOW) sectors. The core contribution of this paper is a modular and scalable vision-based inspection pipeline built on the open-source Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) and implemented on a low-cost Blueye X3 underwater drone. The system integrates real-time image enhancement, YOLOv5-based object detection, and 4-DOF visual servoing for autonomous tracking of mooring lines. Additionally, the pipeline supports 3D reconstruction of the observed structure using tools such as ORB-SLAM3 and Meshroom, enabling future capabilities in change detection and defect identification. Validation results from simulation, dock and sea trials showed that the underwater drone can effective inspect of mooring system critical components with real-time processing on edge hardware. A cost estimation for the proposed approach showed a substantial reduction as compared with traditional ROV-based inspections. By increasing the Level of Autonomy (LoA) of off-the-shelf drones, this work provides (1) safer operations by replacing crew-dependent and costly operations that require a ROV and a mothership, (2) scalable monitoring and (3) regulatory-ready documentation. This offers a practical, cross-industry solution for sustainable offshore infrastructure management.
Mechanical engineering and machinery, Electronic computers. Computer science
Dear Authors and Readers,The closing issue of “Zeszyty Teoretyczne Rachunkowości” (ZTR, “The Theoretical Journal of Accounting”) for 2025, vol. 49, number 4, once again provides an engaging and multidimensional review of contemporary research trends in accounting. This Special Issue, titled Contemporary challenges, conditions and directions of development of accounting, gathers 13 studies that explore the ongoing transformation of the accounting discipline driven by technological advancements, sustainability demands, and evolving expectations from professionals and educators. The featured articles reflect a diverse range of approaches, from theoretical modelling and comparative analysis to bibliometric synthesis and empirical evaluation, offering a comprehensive perspective on the accounting field as it advances into a new digital and regulatory era.At the intersection of behavioural finance and accounting communication, Adeel Ali Qureshi and Mateusz Lemańczyk present a comprehensive literature review in their paper Attention metrics and stock market reactions to accounting events: A literature review. By combining bibliometric analysis with the TCCM frame- work, they investigate how investor attention, measured by media coverage, online search activity, and textual complexity, influences market reactions to accounting disclosures. Their findings highlight the increasing significance of behavioural insights and data analytics in understanding how financial information is perceived, processed, and priced.The paper by Mateja Brozović, Sanja Sever Mališ, and Dominik Piršić, titled Financial accounting analysis of leverage and profitability: Evidence from Croatian SMEs, expands the discussion to corporate financial performance. Using key financial ratios from small and medium-sized enterprises in Croatia, the authors analyse the relationship between leverage and profitability, providing empirical evidence that enhances understanding of the financial resilience and risk structures of SMEs, a vital yet often overlooked segment of the European economy.Renáta Hornická and Renáta Pakšiová examine the development of non-financial disclosure in their paper Scope of sustainability reporting in the largest companies in Slovakia in 2017 and 2022. By analysing textual data from the annual and sustainability reports of major Slovak firms, they document a noticeable growth in the scope and depth of ESG reporting following the introduction of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive. Their findings offer timely insight into how regulatory pressure drives increased corporate accountability and the institutionalisation of sustainability reporting in Central and Eastern Europe.A broader institutional and regulatory perspective on sustainability assurance is examined by Tanja Laković, Daniel Zdolšek, and Milica Vukčević in their paper Development of the regulatory framework for sustainability assurance: A comparative analysis of the transition from NFRD to CSRD in Slovenia and Montenegro. This comparative study highlights the challenges and opportunities of implementing the new EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive in Montenegro, a non-EU member state. It highlights differences in readiness and institutional adaptation between EU member and candidate countries.From a theoretical perspective, Serhii Lehenchuk and Viktoriia Makarovych offer an innovative conceptual discussion in Theoretical foundations of accounting for intellectual investment property: Towards standard setting. Their paper develops a framework for recognising and measuring intellectual investment property, bridging gaps between traditional accounting and emerging forms of intangible capital. By proposing theoretical principles for potential standardisation, the study adds a significant perspective to debates on accounting for knowledge-based assets in the digital economy.The linguistic and communicative aspects of accountability are examined in Raili Lilo, Elina Paemurru, and Ülle Pärl’s paper, Accountability through linguistic features: A holistic theoretical framework for sustainability reports. Through a meta- -analysis of previous empirical studies, the authors incorporate insights from legitimacy, stakeholder, signalling, and institutional theories to illustrate how language can both promote and conceal accountability in sustainability reporting. Their comprehensive framework offers a valuable basis for analysing how textual choices such as tone, clarity, and structure can influence stakeholders’ perceptions of corporate responsibility and transparency.The public sector perspective is presented by Diana Papradanova and Ventsislav Vechev in their paper An evaluation of the accounting model for reporting public sector entities’ revenues in Bulgaria in the context of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards. The authors carry out a detailed comparative analysis of Bulgarian regulations and IPSAS provisions, highlighting conceptual differences and gaps that impede transparency and comparability. Their findings offer practical recommendations for aligning public-sector accounting practices with international standards and fiscal accountability principles.The human factor and digital transformation in accounting are central themes in Katarzyna Prędkiewicz and Krzysztof Biegun’s article, Factors that influence accountants’ acceptance of Artificial Intelligence: An extended Technology Acceptance Model, which incorporates technology anxiety and experience. The authors empirically expand the Technology Acceptance Model by including variables related to technological anxiety and professional experience, offering fresh insights into how accountants view, accept, and adopt AI tools in their work. Their findings emphasise both the opportunities and psychological barriers in the move towards automation and intelligent systems in accounting practice.The contribution by Ana Rep Romić, Marzena Remlein, and Sanja Sever Mališ, titled Information technology in accounting education: A bibliometric-systematic literature review (2006–2025), focuses on the intersection of pedagogy and digitalisation. Drawing on a bibliometric and systematic literature review spanning two decades of research, the authors map global trends in the integration of IT into accounting education. Their study identifies emerging competencies, evolving educational technologies, and the changing role of educators in developing digitally literate accounting professionals capable of responding to sustainability and AI-driven challenges.Kristina Rudžionienė, Aušrinė Tamulevičiūtė, and Aurelija Kustienė’s study, The relationship between CSR and earnings management in Lithuanian listed companies, explores how sustainability efforts relate to financial behaviour in a small, transitional economy. Contrary to prior expectations, their results indicate a positive link between corporate social responsibility and both accrual- and real-activity earnings management. This surprising outcome suggests that, in some cases, CSR initiatives might be strategically used to hide opportunistic actions. The study offers new empirical insights into ethical authenticity and transparency in financial reporting across Central and Eastern Europe.The intersection of family business and accounting research is explored in Amin Soheili’s paper Family business and accounting research: A structured literature review. Through a systematic review of seventy peer-reviewed papers published between 2000 and 2024, the author maps the theoretical and methodological development of accounting research within family business contexts. Using a SWOT framework, the study highlights the underrepresentation of socioemotional and qualitative dimensions. The review advocates a broader investigation into private and emerging-market family firms, emphasising the need for interdisciplinary approaches that account for the behavioural and relational dynamics of family-owned enterprises.Gintarė Špogienė, Daiva Tamulevičienė, and Kristina Rudžionienė analyse five leading Lithuanian retail chains in their paper Integrating corporate social responsibility into internal decision-making in leading retail chains in Lithuania: A responsibility accounting perspectiveThey highlight a gap between publicly disclosed CSR and the information that genuinely influences managerial decisions. To reduce “informational noise” and enhance accountability, they suggest adapting responsibility accounting and reporting (RAR) to incorporate stakeholder-impact assessment and to categorise decisions as financial, philanthropic, or socially responsible, aligning internal controls with public CSR commitments and fostering more transparent, ethics-based governance.Finally, considering preparedness for the EU’s sustainability regime, Aleksandra Sulik-Górecka, Marzena Strojek-Filus, and Daniel Iskra, in their article Assessment of Polish companies’ preparedness for ESG reporting in the context of its determinants as evaluated by report preparers, explore Polish companies’ readiness through a nationwide survey and non-parametric inference. Most respondents rated themselves as only moderately prepared, with preparedness significantly linked to firm size (but not industry), about 70% viewing ESG reporting as complex, and they highlight a need for investment in personnel and reporting technologies. The study places these findings in the context of the roll-out of CSRD/ESRS and presents them as a baseline for more in-depth quality analysis.Taken together, the articles in this Special Issue reflect the complexity of modern accounting as a discipline that is simultaneously technological, behavioural, regulatory, and ethical. The contributions show how accounting continues to broaden beyond its traditional financial scope, including data analytics, artificial intelligence, linguistic transparency, and sustainability assurance. Each paper not only advances academic discussion but also provides valuable insights for practitioners, educators, and policymakers, enhancing the quality, relevance, and integrity of accounting information.The Editorial Team extends its gratitude to all authors and reviewers for their valuable contributions and diligent work in preparing this issue. We also thank our readers for their continued interest and engagement with the journal. We hope that the studies presented here will inspire further discussion, research, and innovation in the ever-evolving field of accounting.Marzena Remlein* Ana Rep Romić**The Editorial Team of ZTR is pleased to announce that in ZTR’s 49th year of publication, its four quarterly issues contained 39 articles: 25 in English and 14 in Polish. Their authors come from eleven countries (Bulgaria, Estonia, Croatia, Montenegro, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Ukraine). We thank all the authors for their cooperation with the Editorial Team and the reviewers of their articles. The manuscripts submitted to ZTR were reviewed in 2025 by 73 reviewers, including 52 from Poland and 21 from abroad. The Editorial Team would like to thank all specialists who provided anonymous reviews and insightful feedback. The list of Polish and foreign reviewers is included in this issue of ZTR and on our journal’s website at https://ztr.skwp.pl/ cms/reviewers. We encourage authors and readers to visit ZTR’s website at https://ztr.skwp.pl/, which contains extensive information about ZTR, including its presence in databases (including Scopus, Web of Science, BazEkon, EBSCO Business Source Ulti-mate, Erich Plus, CEEOL, Cejsh, CROSSREF, DOAJ, and ICI Journals Master List), as well as an invitation to a thematic issue of ZTR in 2026 titled Accounting’s Expanded Horizon: Redefining Internal Practices for Organizational Flourishing (for more, see Call for papers published in ZTR, Vol. 49, No. 2 and at https://ztr.skwp.pl/cms/CMS:647). On behalf of the entire ZTR Editorial Team, I wish all authors, reviewers, members of the Editorial Board, and readers of ZTR a lot of health, happi-ness, and peace, as well as numerous professional successes in 2026. Yours sincerely,Anna Szychta
The purpose of this study is to thoroughly evaluate the difficulties Tanzanian microfinance institutions (MFIs) encountered when putting group lending concepts into practice. It specifically aims to pinpoint the main obstacles associated with trust concerns, group dynamics, operational complexity, and legal limitations. The study uses a mixed-methods research methodology to collect data from borrowers and MFI staff through qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys. While semi-structured interviews were held with MFIs, surveys were given to clients taking part in group lending programs. For context and historical patterns, secondary data were also gathered from previously published studies, scholarly works, and regulatory papers. According to the study, trust and group dynamics are crucial to the success of group lending initiatives. There are issues with resolving conflicts, free rider issues, uneven participation, and eroding confidence. MFIs emphasized operational problems, such as the difficulty of complying with regulations, technological constraints, and the complexity of handling repayments. Capacity building, technological advancements, regulatory authority collaboration, risk management, and a client-centered approach are among the recommendations. The study admits its shortcomings, including the fact that it only focused on two MFIs in Mwanza and that survey results may have been biased. The results, however, lay the groundwork for future studies on the changing opportunities and difficulties in group lending and give useful insights for practitioners and policymakers in Tanzania’s microfinance industry. This study fills a clear vacuum in the literature by offering a comprehensive analysis of the difficulties MFIs in Tanzania encountered when implementing group lending models. The study’s uniqueness and practical worth are enhanced by the inclusion of theoretical frameworks, a mixed-methods approach, and practical recommendations. As such, it is a great resource for those involved in the microfinance and financial inclusion scene.
Omar Djoukbala, Salim Djerbouai, Saeed Alqadhi
et al.
Soil erosion significantly impacts dam functionality by leading to reservoir siltation, reducing capacity, and heightening flood risks. This study aims to map soil erosion within a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) framework to estimate the siltation of the K'sob dam and compare these estimates with bathymetric observations. Focused on one of the Hodna basin’s sub-basins, the K'sob watershed (1477 km2), the assessment utilizes the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) integrated with GIS and remote sensing data to predict the spatial distribution of soil erosion. Remote sensing data were pivotal in updating land cover parameters critical for RUSLE, enhancing the precision of our erosion predictions. Our results indicate an average annual soil erosion rate of 7.83 t/ha, with variations ranging from 0 to 224 t/ha/year. With a typical relative error of about 13% in predictions, these figures confirm the robustness of our methodology. These insights are crucial for crafting mitigation strategies in areas facing high to extreme soil loss and will assist governmental agencies in prioritizing actions and formulating effective soil erosion management policies. Future studies should explore the integration of real-time data and advanced modeling techniques to further refine these predictions and expand their applicability in similar environmental assessments.
The multidisciplinary approach outlined in this paper aims to assess the correlation between geophysical and social vulnerability for disaster risk reduction. To achieve this, two multi-criteria methods based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques have been integrated to assess the risk to natural hazards in the North-East Development Region. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was utilized to conduct a comprehensive hazard analysis, including floods, landslides, and earthquakes. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method was applied to examine the spatial distribution of social vulnerability at the Local Administrative Unit (LAU level), utilizing 24 variables to generate 6 principal components. Based on these results a Regional Risk Index (RRI) was developed using the bivariate method, combining the multi-hazard distribution with social vulnerability. The results showed that the north-eastern part of the region presents the highest risk, encompassing 10.68% of administrative units. These results can contribute to the design of risk reduction programs and policies.
In the current digital era, telecommunications industry technology is growing rapidly, impacting the demands for innovation in the telecommunications operator business. One of them is the change in the size of the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card model, which is getting smaller, and the use of embedded SIM (eSIM) technology on smartphones. This study aims to identify operational risk factors from the change in SIM card technology to eSIM. The research method used is the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method. This study documents and reviews scientific journal papers from scientific databases published from 2015 to 2022 on risk management in the information technology field, following this research's objectives. The results obtained from this study showed that there were 43 journals studied, of which four had the theme of technology-embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM), and 13 discussed risk operations technology
Uncertainties arising from extreme climate events and human activities pose a challenge to the efficient allocation of water resources. In this study, a type-2 fuzzy chance-constrained linear fractional programming (T2F-CCLFP) is developed to support the water resource management system under uncertainty by incorporating type-2 fuzzy sets, chance-constrained programming, and fractional programming into a comprehensive multi-objective optimization framework. The model enables the trade-off between economic, social, and environmental sustainability and provides water supply solutions associated with different levels of fuzzy uncertainty and risk of violating constraints. The T2F-CCLFP model is applied to Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China, to support its water resource management. Results reveal that: (i) the industrial structure is transitioning toward diverse industries from energy and heavy industry dominance; (ii) external water transfer will be the major water-supply sources for the city in the future, accounting for 55 and 50% of the total water supply in 2025 and 2030, respectively; (iii) the water-supply security of the city is enhanced by provoking the utilization of reclaimed water (the annual growth rate is 13.9%). The results are helpful for managers in adjusting the current industry structure, enhancing water supply security, and contributing to the sustainable development of socio-economic and water systems.
HIGHLIGHTS
Complexities due to multi-objective functions, fractional non-linearity, chance-constraint, and type-2 fuzzy uncertainties are solved.;
Economic efficiency, fairness, and sustainability of the water-resource allocation system are balanced.;
T2F-CCLFP has superior ability to express uncertainty, compared with CCLFP.;
With the increase of harmful substances and greenhouse gases that need to be discharged from the traditional thermal power in industrial production in China, the phenomenon of climate warming is becoming more and more prominent. Clean energy will continue to increase in China's future energy consumption structure and market share, hydropower, nuclear power, and other energy as China's main clean energy, the future in China still has a huge market development and use of space. The new policies further adopted by the central bank of China include: continuously optimizing the structure of reasonable credit fund allocation and risk fund application for electric power enterprises to enhance the return rate of assets of electric power enterprises; continuously supporting the development of smart grid and strengthening the linkage between network and electric power; reasonably and categorically guiding the source of clean utilization of electric power, actively supporting large hydropower generation and solar and nuclear power generation, and investing funds in a controlled manner to support large thermal power generation, promote the upgrading of the thermal power generation industry structure, cautiously guide funds into large biomass power generation, wind power generation and small and medium-sized micro-hydro power, strictly control small and medium-sized thermal power, as soon as possible to withdraw from the implementation of the national preferential policies for small and medium-sized power industry management system, energy conservation and reduction of harmful emissions of environmental gases of enterprises is not possible to meet the standards and there are financial risks business efficiency situation Small and medium-sized electric power enterprises that continue to seriously deteriorate.
Remote sensing provides crucial support for building damage assessment in the wake of hurricanes. This article proposes a coupled deep learning-based model for damage assessment that leverages a large very high-resolution satellite images dataset and a flexibility of building footprint source. Convolutional Neural Networks were used to generate building footprints from pre-hurricane satellite imagery and conduct a classification of incurred damage. We emphasize the advantages of multiclass classification in comparison with traditional binary classification of damage and propose resolving dataset imbalances due to unequal damage impact distribution with a focal loss function. We also investigate differences between relying on learned features using a deep learning approach for damage classification versus a commonly used shallow machine learning classifier, Support Vector Machines, that requires manual feature engineering. The proposed model leads to an 86.3% overall accuracy of damage classification for a case event of Hurricane Michael and an 11% overall accuracy improvement from the Support Vector Machines classifier, suggesting better applicability of such an open-source deep learning-based workflow in disaster management and recovery. Furthermore, the findings can be integrated into emergency response frameworks for automated damage assessment and prioritization of relief efforts.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has changed the human lifestyle just like a disaster in 2020. Many people died throughout the world due to its severe attack. Lockdown is the most common term used in today's life to prevent the adverse effect of COVID-19. However, during the lockdown period, a significant improvement in the urban environment was noticed in almost every part of the world. During the lockdown period, the decrease in the number of running vehicles and moving people on the road lowers the pollution level and it has a direct positive impact on the urban environment. The study examines the changes found in land surface temperature (LST) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) during the lockdown period in Raipur city, India with the earlier periods (2013–19) to compare the environmental status. The results indicate that the LST is reduced and NDVI is increased significantly during the lockdown period, and the negativity of the LST-NDVI correlation is increased remarkably. The study also shows a better ecological status of the city during the lockdown period. The study is useful for environmental strategists and urban planners.
Nowadays business processes in industrial companies are undergoing significant changes under the influence of the trends of the fourth industrial revolution, and the pace and scale of the spread of digital technologies has significantly accelerated due to the coronavirus pandemic. The technological basis for the digital transformation of industrial companies is the industrial Internet of things, cloud computing and blockchain, the collection of big data and their subsequent analytics, machine learning technologies, digital twins, human-machine interaction, including virtual and augmented reality, robotics and automation.Even though the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution can transform the activities of enterprises and increase their efficiency, today most of the projects do not move from the pilot stage to widespread implementation in the company. The purpose of this study is to identify and assess the main barriers that impede the successful implementation of digital technology implementation projects.At the first stage of the study based on a review of domestic and foreign literature, as well as in-depth interviews with experts, groups of barriers were identified and verified that impede the implementation of digital technologies in industrial companies: economic and financial, managerial, competence, regulatory and technological barriers. Also, questionnaires were developed for the quantitative stage of the study.At the second stage of the study, a quantitative assessment of the strength of the influence of barriers was carried out. The barriers with the greatest influence are lack of funds, the need to attract large amounts of funding, and insufficient support from the organization’s management. According to the analysis, the least significant barriers for companies include the complexity of introducing new technologies and the need to change the company’s business model.At the end of the work, a list of proposals was developed to overcome the barriers to the transition from the stage of pilot implementation of technologies of the fourth industrial revolution to widespread implementation.
Saru Arifin, Sonny S. Wicaksono, Slamet Sumarto
et al.
This article will address the disaster resilience village (DRV) approach as a disaster preparedness method in Indonesia. This scheme became operational in 2012, exactly 5 years after disaster management legislation was passed in 2007. This DRV strategy is a component of the central government’s decentralisation of disaster management to local governments. Using a method of doctrinal legal review, this study argues that the DRV approach to disaster preparedness at the village level is inefficient. That is because the village apparatus is the central player in this DRV, but residents of disaster-prone areas are regarded as an afterthought when it comes to disaster management. Consequently, efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness for residents in disaster-prone areas will be harmed. As a result, it is unsurprising that whenever a disaster occurs in Indonesia, the death toll and damage to property remain high. This is because people who live in disaster-prone areas lack a framework for transforming knowledge and scientific experience with disasters. In addition, this DRV strategy opposes previous disaster experts’ community-based and transformative approaches. However, direct field research on communities living in disaster-prone areas is needed to obtain empirical evidence of the DRV approach’s shortcomings.
Simona Loperte, Mariarosaria Calvello, Mariapia Faruolo
et al.
The increasingly intensive use of natural resources with consequent environmental impacts has generated numerous social conflicts over the years, for whose solution it is necessary to build up an innovative territorial governance model based on sustainable and resilience thinking. At the international level, the problems associated with oil and gas extraction activities have been tackled by recognizing scientific research as a strategic role aimed at guaranteeing a more in-depth knowledge of environmental issues, the creation of collaboration networks between the various stakeholders and the whole usability of environmental data. This article presents the commitment made by the National Research Council of Italy – Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis – CNR-IMAA to make the Val d’Agri community, an area affected by mining activities, less vulnerable and more resilient. Through the combined use of different scientific research methodologies, a multidisciplinary approach was developed which contributed to increasing the overall knowledge of the environmental problems of Val d’Agri as well as providing concrete indications for the development of more effective territorial management tools. Other activities, complementary to those of research, were aimed at ensuring correct and detailed environmental data information and communication and a broaden participation and involvement of citizens.
Leonid Katranzhy, Oleksandr Podskrebko, Vitaliy Krasko
The purpose of the article is to develop scientific and methodological recommendations for modelling the dynamics of the level of capital adequacy for ensuring the financial balance of the bank, sufficient controllability and increasing the efficiency of its activities. The article explores peculiarities of banking regulation and supervision in the process of capital formation. It is shown that the issue of formation of capital by banking institutions is actualized in the context of management reform and target tasks of the development of the banking industry of Ukraine. Given the state of the banking services market and its development trends, the unsettled problem of the capitalization of banks, it becomes important to improve the mechanism of capital formation. In order to improve the efficiency of bank regulation and management of capital formation, recommendations are proposed for modelling the dynamics of the adequacy of regulatory capital on the basis of determining the forecast values of its components. Research methodology: the feasibility of using predictive models with the use of artificial neural networks is substantiated. In contrast to the classic trend, discussed in the article, the models with the architecture of the multilayer perceptron proved to be the most adequate and accurate. In addition to a point forecast of the dynamics of regulatory capital, the overall risk and the amount of the net foreign exchange position, their pessimistic and optimistic forecasts were constructed. The author’s proposals are formalized by appropriate calculation algorithms. Modelling the dynamics of the adequacy of regulatory capital and its components in practice will allow more efficiently manage systemic and individual banking risks.