Journals
2026 EN
Tunç Cemil · Tunç Osman
Abstract We study a nonlinearψ − $$ \psi - $$ Hilfer fractional‐order delay integro‐differential equation ( ψ − $$ \psi - $$ Hilfer FrODIDE) that incorporatesN − $$ N- $$ multiple variable time delays. Utilizing theψ − $$ \psi - $$ Hilfer fractional derivative ( ψ − $$ \psi - $$ Hilfer‐FrD), we investigate the Ulam–Hyers––Rassias (U–H–R), semi‐Ulam–Hyers–Rassias (semi‐U–H–R) and Ulam–Hyers (U–H) stability of the consideredψ − $$ \psi - $$ Hilfer FrODIDE through the fixed‐point method. Throughout this work, using Banach's fixed‐point theorem and the Bielecki norm, we establish three new theorems related to these qualitative concepts. The theorems presented in this work are novel and contribute to the existing literature on the Ulam‐type stability ofψ − $$ \psi - $$ Hilfer FrODIDEs.
Journals
2026 EN
Liu Huiwen · Jiao Xiaohong
Abstract Aiming at the adaptability and the ability to coordinate different control objectives of the adaptive cruise control (ACC) system in complex urban driving environments, this paper proposes a novel ACC strategy based on model predictive control (MPC) with fuzzy variable weight coefficients of multi‐objective optimization. First, according to the requirements of vehicle performance indicators under different driving conditions, the weight coefficients in the MPC framework are updated online by a fuzzy control algorithm to adjust the priorities of safety, economics, and car‐following ability. Then, considering that quadratic programming (QP) may fall into a local optimum, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to solve the optimal control policy online. The effectiveness and reliability of the proposed control strategy are validated on the PreScan/MATLAB/Simulink co‐simulation platform and the driver hardware in the loop platform (DHIL) compared to other existing control strategies.
Journals
2026 EN
Lambauer Vera · Hagenbuchner Clemens · Graber Maximilian
+5 more
ABSTRACT Cultivating hydrogen‐oxidizing bacteria (HOB), such as Cupriavidus necator, usingH 2,CO 2, andO 2offers a promising route forCO 2valorization into chemicals and materials. To enhance cultivation efficiency in a lab‐scale gas fermenter lacking a gas recycling system, an automated gas supply strategy based on real‐timeCO 2andO 2monitoring was developed. Fine‐tuning gas delivery is essential to ensure an adequate supply for cellular growth while minimizing excess gas, particularlyH 2, that leaves the bioreactor unused, to improve process economics. In the absence of ATEX‐compliantH 2sensors, a soft sensor was implemented to estimate dissolvedH 2concentrations fromO 2uptake rates and growth phase identification. Total gas flow was controlled according to theO 2requirements of the cells. This strategy reduced overall gas andH 2consumption by 67%. In addition, a high‐cell‐density medium was formulated by integrating published recipes with Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy and nutrient inhibition testing. The optimized medium increased biomass yield from 15 g/L to 53 g/L, with 75% of the dry weight consisting of the bioplastic poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate), without requiring nutrient addition or pH control. Together, these strategies improve the scalability, efficiency, and sustainability ofCO 2‐based cultivation of hydrogen‐oxidizing bacteria.
Journals
2026 EN
Baig Mirza Muhammad Bilal · Rehman Hakeem Ur · Chudhery Muhammad Adnan Zahid
+2 more
ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to examine the complex interrelationships between environmental uncertainty (EU), supply chain integration (SI), supply chain transparency (ST), sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP), and overall organizational performance (OP). A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from manufacturing firms in Punjab, Pakistan. Analysis techniques such as factor loadings, concept quality, convergent validity, and discriminant validity were evaluated using structural equation modeling (SEM). Transaction Cost Economics and Agency Theory theoretically supported the research. The findings revealed that supply chain transparency has a significant positive impact on sustainable supply chain performance and SI. Furthermore, sustainable supply chain performance acts as a significant mediator between both supply chain transparency and supply chain integration and organizational performance, indicating partial mediation. Specifically, supply chain transparency and supply chain integration positively affect sustainable supply chain performance, which in turn positively impacts organizational performance. Additionally, environmental uncertainty was found to moderate the relationship between supply chain transparency and sustainable supply chain performance negatively and the relationship between supply chain integration and sustainable supply chain performance positively. This research offers new perspectives on prioritizing and assessing various sustainability factors by examining manufacturing sector‐specific possibilities and problems. By introducing environmental uncertainty as a moderator, this study extends the existing literature on sustainable supply chain management. It emphasizes the need for advanced performance measurements considering economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
Journals
2026 EN
Dang Thang Ngoc · Nandy Monomita · Lodh Suman
+1 more
ABSTRACT Biodiversity‐related financial risk is increasingly recognized not only as a market concern but as an ethical and systemic imperative for businesses and financial institutions. This systematic literature review synthesizes 103 peer‐reviewed studies to examine how biodiversity risk is conceptualized, measured, and integrated within financial research. While awareness of biodiversity as a systemic financial risk is expanding, the field remains theoretically fragmented and methodologically uneven. Four dominant themes emerge: financial materiality, visibility and recognition, governance and accountability, and levels of analysis. Building on these findings, the review introduces an eco‐financial transmission framework that connects biodiversity loss to financial exposure through valuation, governance, and disclosure channels. It further underscores the moral responsibility of financial actors to embed biodiversity into investment practices, ESG strategies, and regulatory design. By integrating ecological economics with ethical finance, this review advances a conceptual foundation for a financial system that not only mitigates biodiversity risk but also supports long‐term ecological resilience.
Journals
2026 EN
Khatun Nasima · Lacombe Donald · McCoy Megan
ABSTRACT This study examines the association between objective financial literacy and perceived change in financial well‐being using nationally representative cross‐sectional data from the 2022 Survey of Household Economics and Decision Making (SHED), administered by the Federal Reserve Board ( N = 8643). Grounded in the Human Capital Theory (Gary Becker 1962), the study employs an ordered probit model to assess how financial literacy is associated with individuals' perceived change in financial well‐being over the past year. Among the three objective financial literacy measures, inflation knowledge, interest rate knowledge, and risk diversification knowledge, only inflation knowledge shows a statistically significant association with perceived change in financial well‐being. Respondents who correctly answered the inflation item were more likely to report being financially worse off compared to 12 months earlier. This association is consistent with the high‐inflation environment of 2022, during which greater awareness of rising prices may have coincided with heightened perceptions of financial strain. Interest rate knowledge and risk diversification knowledge do not exhibit statistically significant associations. Socio‐demographic characteristics show consistent associations with perceived change in financial well‐being. Higher levels of education, full‐time employment, and greater household income are associated with a higher likelihood of reporting being financially better off relative to 12 months earlier, whereas older age is associated with a lower likelihood of reporting being financially better off. Overall, the results suggest that objective financial literacy is not uniformly associated with perceived change in financial well‐being and that these associations vary across knowledge domains and socioeconomic characteristics. While awareness of inflation may coincide with greater perceptions of financial strain during periods of rising prices, socioeconomic resources such as education, employment, and income are associated with a higher likelihood of reporting positive perceived change in financial well‐being relative to 12 months earlier. For practitioners, these results emphasize the importance of contextualizing financial education and tailoring guidance to clients' circumstances. Financial planners and financial therapists may draw on this evidence to tailor their guidance to individuals navigating structural economic conditions and personal financial decisions.
Journals
2026 EN
Bertau Martin · Steiner Gerald
Abstract Climate change is typically attributed to the amount of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere. Here we propose a different view, which takes into account the climate‐effecting gas concentration but recognizes human overpopulation and the associated energy production as the real underlying cause. For the chemical industry, there is a lever to change things by replacing existing processes with more efficient ones and by recovering low caloric heat. In this way, the chemical industry can play the role of a driver, a pioneer in the fight against climate change, which underlines the importance of the chemical industry in industrialized countries.
Journals
2026 EN
Rao Chuntao · Tang Minan · Zhang Kaiyue
+7 more
Abstract Coal‐fired power plants remain a major source of global CO 2 emissions, posing urgent challenges for climate mitigation. This study proposes an AI‐enabled optimal control strategy for solvent‐based post‐combustion CO 2 capture (PCC), aiming to reduce energy consumption and enhance environmental performance. A deep learning model combining convolutional neural networks and long short‐term memory (CNN‐LSTM) is developed to predict multi‐step CO 2 capture rates. This model is integrated with a multi‐objective grey wolf optimizer (MOGWO)‐based economic model predictive controller (EMPC), which dynamically adjusts key operating variables. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed control scheme achieves a 12.4% reduction in capture cost and a 10.6% decrease in energy consumption, while maintaining a high CO 2 capture efficiency of 95.3%. These improvements not only optimize process economics while significantly lowering the environmental impact of carbon capture systems. These improvements contribute directly to carbon mitigation, offering a promising pathway for cleaner and more sustainable operation of coal‐based power generation under dynamic industrial conditions.
Journals
2026 EN
Xing Licong · Chau Ka Yin · Pan ShinHung
+1 more
ABSTRACT This research empirically determines the synergetic roles of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Block Chain Integration (BCI) and Internet of Things (IoT) in enhancing supply chain transparency (SCT) and circular supply chain performance (CSCP), with an integration of reverse logistics efficiency (RLE) as a moderator, within the context of China's platform‐based economies. Focusing on two emerging circular sectors, urban mobility services and consumer electronics rental and refurbishment, this research employs a rigorous cross‐sectional quantitative research design to collect data from 800 industry professionals 400 from each sector using a structured questionnaire with validated multi‐item Likert scales adapted from established literature. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) and multi‐group analysis (MGA) were applied via Smart‐PLS to examine direct, mediating, moderating, and moderated mediation effects. The outcomes reveal that BCI, AI and IoT significantly impact SCT, which positively affects CSCP, with RLE significantly moderating the impact of the analysis that reveals novel contextual variations: RLE and BCI are more impactful in urban mobility services, reflecting the reliance of the sector on securing data‐sharing for shared assets, while IoT puts a stronger direct effect on CSCP in consumer electronics, driven by real‐time product lifecycle tracking. The moderated mediation effects are more pronounced in the urban mobility sector, highlighting the contextual dependency of digital circular capabilities. The managers are being advised to adopt sector‐specific digital strategies, focusing on BCI in mobility and IoT in electronics and investing in reverse logistics as a strategic asset. The outcomes provide a groundbreaking perspective on leveraging digital technologies for sustainable supply chain transformation in platform‐based economics.
Journals
2026 EN
Tiwari Ruchi · Hellmanzik Francine · Gade Florian
+1 more
ABSTRACT Understanding how plants adjust to changing rainfall and intensified drought is vital, particularly in the Mediterranean region. The Leaf Economics Spectrum (LES) framework distinguishes fast‐growing plants with high specific leaf area (SLA) and low leaf dry matter content (LDMC) from resource‐conserving plants with opposite traits. In drier environments, plants can be expected to exhibit lower SLA and higher LDMC to minimize water loss and enhance drought resilience. However, it is unclear whether this expectation holds within species among locally adapted populations, and how it is modulated plastically by drought and competition. This study investigated SLA and LDMC in five Mediterranean annual plant species across a macroclimatic rainfall gradient (89–926 mm annual rainfall) and contrasting microclimates: more mesic north‐ and more arid south exposures. Seeds were collected at 15 sites along this gradient, and plants were grown under controlled greenhouse conditions with three experimental treatments: control, drought, and competition. Contrary to LES expectations, plants from drier macroclimates had mostly evolved higher SLA and lower LDMC, suggesting that drought escape strategies via rapid growth and early reproduction were favored over conservative resource use. Microclimatic variation in leaf traits was smaller than macroclimatic variation, although in two species it showed the same trend, with south‐exposure plants displaying lower SLA and/or higher LDMC. Plastic responses to drought consistently reduced SLA and increased LDMC, and vice‐versa under competition, thus countering the genetically‐based macroclimatic pattern. Interestingly, mesic populations showed stronger plastic shifts to competition. Our results show that evolution favored acquisitive leaves in drier sites, while plasticity modulated leaf traits in the opposite direction under drought stress and competition. These findings illustrate the interplay between evolutionary and plastic responses, underscoring the importance of considering both genetic differentiation and plasticity when assessing annual plant responses to future climate change.