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Found 6674 publications
Adoption of unmanned, cashierless retail technology in Croatia: A study on student perceptions
Publication Name: Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review
Publication Date: 2024-12-01
Volume: 12
Issue: 4
Page Range: 115-133
Description:
Objective: The objective of the article is to examine the technology acceptance of unmanned, cashierless technology. Since 2015, several startups have developed a new technology innovation called unmanned, cash-ierless technology, which has been steadily spreading globally over the past nine years. This study presents an analysis of user acceptance of this innovation among students in higher education institutions in Croatia. Research Design & Methods: We examined factors influencing attitudes towards cashless transactions within the framework of the unified theory of technology acceptance and use (UTAUT2). We developed seven hypotheses based on previous literature and research models. We conducted the research through an online survey of Croatian students (n=406). We applied variance-based structural equitation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse the primary database. Findings: The new trend in smart retail could help retailers to find a new way to improve their competitiveness. Based on our results, most UTAUT2 predictors such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social in-fluence, hedonic motivation, and price sensitivity significantly influence behavioural intention. Implications & Recommendations: This study offers implications for existing research on the new technology acceptance and contributes to relevant literature on customer behaviour. Given the importance of customer per-ception to improve business performance, the current study has some implications for marketers and retailers. Contribution & Value Added: Investigating the adoption of unmanned, cashless technology, particularly among Generation Z, is an important and actual topic. This research can guide stakeholders and policymakers who are planning to introduce this cashierless technology. Based on the factors analysed, we can identify important and less important factors influencing consumers’ intentions. In this way, we can identify certain preferences of the target group analysed and use it as a basis for targeting them (e.g., in a campaign) when opening new stores.
Open Access: Yes
Multi-Solution Heat Exchanger Network Synthesis for Turbo-Expander-Based Cryogenic CO2 Capture Technology
Publication Name: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
Publication Date: 2025-01-22
Volume: 64
Issue: 3
Page Range: 1664-1679
Description:
Cryogenic separation of CO2 is a potential technology that can benefit from energy efficiency improvements. However, the current conventional and emerging cryogenic technologies face challenges in terms of high utility consumption. The high utility requirement leads to increasing operational costs and emissions due to the production of required utilities from external energy sources. This issue can be solved if the heat recovery potential of the technology can be realized. Heat recovery enables further improvement in energy efficiency that is required to elevate the feasibility of cryogenic separation. This paper explores heat recovery opportunities between hot and cold streams in a novel cryogenic CO2 capture technology known as Turbo-Expander-based Cryogenic Distillation (CryoDT). This is achieved using P-HENS, a P-graph-based heat exchanger network synthesis tool where multiple feasible heat exchanger network configurations are generated to determine the options that effectively recover process heat to reduce utility consumption. Moreover, the solutions generated by P-HENS are benchmarked with other tools like Aspen Energy Analyzer, by comparing the number of required heat exchangers, along with the associated capital and operating costs. For the predefined hot and cold process streams of the novel technology, the total number of heat exchangers present in the network was lower in the recommended design using P-HENS (i.e., 9 heat exchangers) as opposed to Aspen Energy Analyzer (16 heat exchangers) while maintaining similar energy consumption levels. This indicates that there is a further opportunity to reduce capital costs as a result of less heat exchangers. The CryoDT configuration that is integrated with a heat exchanger network offers significant economic advantages as opposed to other existing cryogenic processes in the market such as the Ryan Holmes and Controlled Freeze Zone (CFZ) processes. Despite its high capital cost, the CryoDT process demonstrates significantly lower operating cost relative to the other two processes. Hence, while the initial investment is substantial, the CryoDT process is much more cost efficient to operate. The low operating cost is attributed to its higher energy efficiency and minimal energy penalties, with only 0.26 GJ/tonne of CO2 compared with 0.82 GJ/tonne of CO2 for the CFZ process and 2.33 GJ/tonne of CO2 for Ryan Holmes. In contrast, the Ryan Holmes process, despite its low capital cost, incurs extremely high annual operational costs, rendering it less economic in the long term. The CFZ process, with its moderate operating cost, presents a balance between capital cost and operational efficiency.
Open Access: Yes
Tracing knowledge diffusion trajectories in the research field of cyberbullying
Publication Name: Heliyon
Publication Date: 2025-01-15
Volume: 11
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
In today's digital age, cyberbullying has emerged as a pervasive issue that affects individuals across various social media platforms and digital communication channels. This review explores the developmental trajectory of cyberbullying as an interdisciplinary academic field, employing a unique combination of co-word analysis and main path analysis (MPA) across a substantial body of 5183 documents. This integrated methodological approach allows for a nuanced examination of the evolution of themes and influential works within the realm of cyberbullying research. The findings highlight a complex landscape where initial focus areas, such as the behavioral and psychological triggers of cyberbullying, progressively expand towards exploring effective preventive measures and intervention strategies. Key themes identified include the impact of digital literacy, the dual role of social media as both a vector and a tool against cyberbullying, and the potential of technological advancements in detecting and mitigating cyberbullying. This comprehensive mapping and analysis deepens our understanding of cyberbullying and highlights the dynamic nature of this field, suggesting new directions for future research and practical applications to effectively address cyberbullying across various social and technological contexts. This study represents a pioneering effort in synthesizing a broad spectrum of research to offer detailed insights into the changing dynamics of cyberbullying, marking a significant contribution to both academic knowledge and practical approaches to handling cyberbullying.
Open Access: Yes
Nexus Between Life Expectancy, Education, Governance, and Carbon Emissions: Contextual Evidence from Carbon Neutrality Dream of the USA
Publication Name: Journal of the Knowledge Economy
Publication Date: 2024-12-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 4
Page Range: 18987-19018
Description:
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association between energy use, life expectancy, and governance related factors on the environmental quality of the USA. In this regard, the authors discuss the carbon neutrality target and sustainable development goals of the USA. For empirical analysis, the authors employ the US data for the period of 1996 to 2019. Using the Zivot-Andrews structural break unit root test, linear ARDL, and dynamic simulated ARDL, this study obtained the empirical results for diagnostic examination and long-run coefficients. The empirical findings explained how the education, life expectancy, and energy use induce the carbon emissions. Whereas, the instruments of governance have heterogenous impact on the environmental quality of the country. Based on the detailed empirical findings, the study draws the conclusions about the affirmative contributions to carbon emissions. The current research eventually suggests some energy related findings and implications to further reduce the environmental issues and to achieve neutrality targets of the USA.
Open Access: Yes
Quantifying the overlooked groundwater component in the water budget of a shallow soda lake in Hungary amidst climate change concerns
Publication Name: Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies
Publication Date: 2024-12-01
Volume: 56
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Study region: Lake Velence. Study focus: Soda lakes are extreme habitats whose special hydrochemical characteristics can partly be explained by groundwater inflow. The relationship between groundwater and Lake Velence has never been properly investigated. A significant decrease in the lake's level in recent years urged an evaluation of the components of the lake's water budget, including groundwater as well. A 3D transient numerical groundwater flow simulation, using Visual MODFLOW, was performed between 1990 and 2021 to evaluate the lake's relationship with groundwater and quantify the groundwater discharge into the lake. To assess future lake level changes until 2050, six lake level simulations were run based on three different regional climate models and two global warming scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5). New hydrological insights for the region: Our results showed that groundwater inflow accounts for up to 12 % of the total annual inflow into Lake Velence. It has been numerically shown that precipitation and evaporation are the primary drivers of lake level changes, meaning that the variation of these two parameters will impact the lake's future. As for the future lake level changes, the RCP2.6 scenario resulted in an increase of 11 cm, while the RCP8.5 scenario led to a decrease of 30 cm compared to the observed annual average lake level until 2050. Our results emphasize the importance of integrating soda lakes into topography-driven groundwater flow systems to develop climate change adaptation strategies.
Open Access: Yes
Testing output variables for sensitivity study of nonlinear vibration systems
Publication Name: Pollack Periodica
Publication Date: 2020-08-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 2
Page Range: 70-81
Description:
In this study the detailed One-at-a-Time sensitivity analysis of nonlinear massspring- damper systems is carried out with numerical simulation. The degree of sensitivity was measured with a sensitivity index and based on its sensitivity Fuzzy-sets were established. The sensitivity of a parameter then can be expressed by the membership to the Fuzzy-sets. In this study the root mean square of acceleration, the maximum amplitude of acceleration and the peak frequency were chosen as output variables to measure sensitivity. With this research it was proven, that the root mean square of acceleration and the peak frequency can be used for sensitivity study of nonlinear vibration systems effectively.
Open Access: Yes
On combination of wavelet transformation and stabilized KH interpolation for fuzzy inferences based on high dimensional sampled functions
Publication Name: Studies in Computational Intelligence
Publication Date: 2018-01-01
Volume: 758
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 31-42
Description:
A new approach for inference based on treating sampled functions is presented. Sampled functions can be transformed into only a few points by wavelet analysis, thus the complete function is represented by these several discrete points. The finiteness of the teaching samples and the resulting sparse rule bases can be handled by fuzzy rule interpolation methods, like KH interpolation. Using SHDSL transmission performance prediction as an example, the simplification of inference problems based on large, sampled vectors by wavelet transformation and fuzzy rule interpolation applied on these vectors are introduced in this paper.
Open Access: Yes
Role of the Transcription Factor CREB in Ethanol-Induced Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Apoptosis in PC12 Cells
Publication Name: Biology
Publication Date: 2025-09-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 9
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Ethanol is a known neurotoxic agent that induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis in nerve cells. The transcription factor CREB is crucial for cell survival under stress; however, its involvement in ethanol-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress remains poorly understood. We examined the effects of ethanol on wild-type PC12 cells and CREB-overexpressing PC12-CREB cells. Cell viability was evaluated by ATP assays, apoptosis was detected by Hoechst staining, and key proteins involved in ER stress and apoptotic signaling were analyzed by Western blot analysis. Ethanol treatment decreased cell viability and increased apoptosis in wild-type PC12 cells in a time-dependent manner. In contrast, PC12-CREB cells-maintained viability and showed significantly lower apoptotic cell numbers. Ethanol activated markers of ER stress (BiP, CHOP, ATF6) and pro-apoptotic pathways (phosphorylation of JNK and p38 MAPK) in wild-type cells. In CREB-overexpressing cells, CHOP induction and JNK activation were decreased, while the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 was increased. CREB overexpression protects against ethanol-induced ER stress and apoptosis. This protective effect is mediated through modulation of unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling and regulation of pro-and anti-apoptotic gene expression. These findings underscore a potential role for CREB in attenuating ethanol-induced neurotoxicity.
Open Access: Yes
Interpretation of disruptive innovation in the era of smart cities of the fourth industrial revolution
Publication Name: Deturope
Publication Date: 2018-01-01
Volume: 10
Issue: 1
Page Range: 53-70
Description:
The exponential development of information technology and, in this context, the latest generation of open innovation systems result in revolutionary changes in almost every industry as well as in other areas of life. From the automotive industry to the energy sector and to tourism, newcomers emerge everywhere, building on the tools of disruptive innovation, which with earlier unprecedented speeds transform their previous industry power. The essence of the smart city approach is to put the latest tools of technological advancement in serving the social, economic and ecological sustainability of cities' lives for the inhabitants as well as for the enterprises of the city. Industry 4.0 is an imagined future, which in our opinion - in direct or indirect ways - would have a fundamental influence on smart cities and their environment and regions, given that their primary goal is to improve a country's competitiveness. In our study, we review the relevant literature on the definition of and approach to innovation as well as the smart city concept in this new revolutionary age, we demonstrate relevant correlations between the concepts of disruptive innovation, smart city and Industry 4.0.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: DOI not available
