Search in Publications
Found 6278 publications
Complex pattern of nexus between global mining consortiums and sustainability in the Middle East and North Africa region
Publication Name: Resources Policy
Publication Date: 2024-10-01
Volume: 97
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This research investigates the intricate interplay between major global mining entities and sustainability initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as a key part of Global South countries. The study conducts a comprehensive analysis of the global mining industry at five distinct levels: mining, mining cap-weighted, mining coal exclusion, global gold mining tracker, and global electrification minerals mining. The objective is to comprehend the multi-fractal patterns and implications of their interconnectedness with sustainability and conventional investments. By employing a time-varying parameter vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) approach to identify the degree of nexus between each pair consisting of a mining index and sustainability or conventional investments, and utilizing the generalized Hurst exponent of a multiscale multi-fractal analysis (MMA) from September 18, 2017, to July 3, 2023, the study reveals that none of the bi-variate interconnectedness adheres to a random walk process, thereby confirming their inefficient behavior. The level of efficiency among pairs varies, demonstrating heterogeneity across the connections. The analysis indicates a relatively lower level of inefficiency in pairs of pairwise connectedness indices (PCIs) related to sustainable investments compared to conventional investments. Generally, conventional investments exhibit more distinct trends or predictability over various time scales, suggesting a less complex and unpredictable pattern compared to sustainable investments. Additionally, the persistence level in PCIs linked to conventional sustainable investments is higher than that of sustainable investments, implying that conventional investments have more predictable associations with mining consortiums. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamic relationships between global mining entities and sustainability initiatives in the MENA region, with implications for investors, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. The clarity observed in connectivity patterns with conventional investments presents strategic opportunities for investors, potentially influencing regulatory adjustments for sustainable resource governance. The identified inefficiencies create opportunities for refining risk management tools and optimizing investment strategies. Furthermore, the study highlights the stability of connections between conventional sustainable investments and mining consortiums over time, providing guidance for long-term planning and risk mitigation.
Open Access: Yes
Algorithms in judicial decision making - Why can (not) AI be used in judging?
Publication Name: Rechtskultur
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 499-513
Description:
This paper examines the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models (LLMs), into judicial decision-making. It highlights the linguistic complexity of adjudication, where judges must interpret ambiguous legal texts and resolve nuanced dilemmas. While LLMs show promise in supporting tasks like document analysis and precedent identification, their limitations in moral reasoning and context sensitivity are evident. Case studies of tools like LexisNexis, COMPAS, and Prometea demonstrate how AI can enhance efficiency but cannot replace human judges. As homo semioticus, judges are indispensable creators of meaning and interpreters of law. The paper concludes that AI’s role in the judiciary should focus on collaboration, ensuring technology supports rather than substitutes human decision-making.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.36213/01-24
Novel α-divergence measures on picture fuzzy sets and interval-valued picture fuzzy sets with diverse applications
Publication Name: Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence
Publication Date: 2024-10-01
Volume: 136
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Currently, many studies have developed distance or divergence measures between intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) and interval-valued fuzzy sets (IvFSs). As a generalization of IFSs, picture fuzzy sets (PFSs) provide a more nuanced representation of uncertain and ambiguous information. Interval-valued picture fuzzy sets (IvPFSs) combine the concepts of IvIFSs and PFSs, providing a highly effective means of representing and processing uncertain, ambiguous and incomplete information. How to better measure the differences between PFSs and IvPFSs is still an open issue. This paper proposes some novel α-divergence measures for PFSs and IvPFSs, respectively. We demonstrate the basic properties of the proposed divergence measures, including non-negativity, non-degeneracy and symmetry. Besides, we analyze some special cases of the proposed divergence measures that degenerate into or are related to several well-known divergences. Then, we construct some numerical examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed measures concerning existing measures. Finally, the proposed α-divergence measures are applied to pattern recognition, multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) and clustering, demonstrating that these measures possess a high confidence level and can produce trustworthy results, especially in comparable situations.
Open Access: Yes
Comparative analysis of daily global solar radiation prediction using deep learning models inputted with stochastic variables
Publication Name: Scientific Reports
Publication Date: 2025-12-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Photovoltaic power plant outputs depend on the daily global solar radiation (DGSR). The main issue with DGSR data is its lack of precision. The potential unavailability of DGSR data for several sites can be attributed to the high cost of measuring instruments and the intermittent nature of time series data due to equipment malfunctions. Therefore, DGSR prediction research is crucial nowadays to produce photovoltaic power. Different artificial neural network (ANN) models will give different DGSR predictions with varying levels of accuracy, so it is essential to compare the different ANN model inputs with various sets of meteorological stochastic variables. In this study, radial basis function neural network (RBFNN), long short-term memory neural network (LSTMNN), modular neural network (MNN), and transformer model (TM) are developed to investigate the performances of these algorithms for the DGSR prediction using different combinations of meteorological stochastic variables. These models employ five stochastic variables: wind speed, relative humidity, minimum, maximum, and average temperatures. The mean absolute relative error for the transformer model with input variables as average, maximum, and minimum temperatures is 1.98. ANN models outperform traditional models in predictive accuracy.
Open Access: Yes
Genetic Factors of Elite Wrestling Status: A Multi-Ethnic Comparative Study
Koichi Nakazato
Ildus I. Ahmetov
Seyrani Koncagul
Hirofumi Zempo
Mehmet A. Ergun
Andrey K. Larin
Naoki Kikuchi
Nikolay A. Kulemin
Hasan H. Kazan
Ryutaro Matsumoto
Ekaterina A. Semenova
Edward V. Generozov
Celal Bulgay
Mika Saito
Hiroki Homma
Ayumu Kozuma
Minoru Deguchi
Anıl Kasakolu
Shingo Matsumoto
Türker Bıyıklı
Giyasettin Baydaş
Takanobu Okamoto
Attila Szabo
Publication Name: Genes
Publication Date: 2025-08-01
Volume: 16
Issue: 8
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Background: In recent years, comprehensive analyses using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) have been conducted to identify genetic factors related to athletic performance. In this study, we investigated the association between genetic variants and elite wrestling status across multiple ethnic groups using a genome-wide genotyping approach. Methods: This study included 168 elite wrestlers (64 Japanese, 67 Turkish, and 36 Russian), all of whom had competed in international tournaments, including the Olympic Games. Control groups consisted of 306 Japanese, 137 Turkish, and 173 Russian individuals without elite athletic backgrounds. We performed a GWAS comparing allele frequencies of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between elite wrestlers and controls in each ethnic cohort. Cross-population analysis comprised (1) identifying SNPs with nominal significance (p < 0.05) in all three groups, then (2) meta-analyzing overlapped SNPs to assess effect consistency and combined significance. Finally, we investigated whether the most significant SNPs were associated with gene expression in skeletal muscle in 23 physically active men. Results: The GWAS identified 328,388 (Japanese), 23,932 (Turkish), and 30,385 (Russian) SNPs reaching nominal significance. Meta-analysis revealed that the ATP2A3 rs6502758 and UNC5C rs265061 polymorphisms were associated (p < 0.0001) with elite wrestling status across all three populations. Both variants are located in intronic regions and influence the expression of their respective genes in skeletal muscle. Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate gene polymorphisms associated with elite wrestling status in a multi-ethnic cohort. ATP2A3 rs6502758 and UNC5C rs265061 polymorphisms may represent important genetic factors associated with achieving an elite status in wrestling, irrespective of ethnicity.
Open Access: Yes
Finite Element Modeling and Laboratory Performance Evaluation of Lignin, Basalt and Polyester Fiber-Reinforced Asphalt Mixtures
Publication Name: Applied Sciences Switzerland
Publication Date: 2025-04-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 7
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The performance of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modified asphalt mixtures can be further improved by adding a variety of fibers available. Addition of fibers provides a cost-effective solution against increasing the dosage of SBS modified asphalt mixtures. Therefore, in this research three different types of fibers—basalt fiber, polyester fiber and lignin fiber—were added to SBS-7% bitumen binder and their performance was compared with SBS-7% mixture without any fibers. The performance was compared using laboratory tests, including indirect tensile strength tests and dynamic shear rheometer. Indirect tensile strength of all the mixtures was evaluated at various loading rates from 10 MPa/s to 70 MPa/s. Furthermore, stiffness moduli of mixtures were evaluated at frequency rages of 5 Hz, 3.5 Hz, 1.9 Hz and 1.2 Hz. Finite element simulations were conducted using the Burger’s logit model, and microstrain analysis was performed to evaluate rutting and fatigue damage. The results show increased performance in terms of gained tensile strength and complex shear modulus for fiber-modified mixtures. Among the fiber-modified mixtures, basalt fiber outperforms other mixtures. PF and LF exhibit almost similar performances. Basalt fiber mixture outperforms the SBS-7% mixture by 25% and 28% in terms of rutting and fatigue damage, respectively.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/app15073953
Ambient concentrations of PM10, PM10-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals in an urban site of Győr, Hungary
Publication Name: Air Quality Atmosphere and Health
Publication Date: 2015-04-01
Volume: 8
Issue: 2
Page Range: 229-241
Description:
An assessment of the air quality of Győr (Hungary) was performed by determining the ambient concentrations of PM10 , PM10 -bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and regulated heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As and Ni) in the period of 2008−2012. The PM10 concentrations ranged from 7.90 to 119.14 μg/m3 with the mean value of 34.94 μg/m3. On average, the total PAHs (sum of the concentrations of 18 individual PAH compounds) and the four metals contents in the PM10 fraction amounted to 0.04 and 0.06 %, respectively. The total PAH concentrations ranged from 0.29 to 88.30 ng/m3, which were predominated by intermediate and high molecular weight PAHs. Higher concentrations of both PM10 and PAHs were detected in samples collected in the heating seasons. The mean metallic concentrations calculated for the 5-year sampling period were found in decreasing order of Pb (14.47 ng/m3), Ni (3.73 ng/m3), As (0.64 ng/m3) and Cd (0.60 ng/m3). Very little seasonal variation was observed in metal concentrations. Moreover, the comparison of the PM10 , bezo[a]pyrene (BaP) and heavy metal concentrations determined with other Hungarian and European urban sites and the limit or target values for health protection has revealed that the air quality of Győr and other Hungarian cities for the above pollutants generally corresponds to the EU average. It is important to reduce PM10 and BaP pollution to concentrations lower than those specified in current legislation. However, the Hungarian cities have excellent air quality with respect to heavy metals.
Open Access: Yes
SELECTION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT SALES CHANNELS USING FUZZY DOUBLE MEREC AND FUZZY RAWEC METHOD
Publication Name: Agriculture and Forestry
Publication Date: 2024-09-30
Volume: 70
Issue: 3
Page Range: 45-58
Description:
When selling food products, it's important to choose the appropriate sales channel. These channels connect producers with consumers. The aim of this study was to select a channel for the sale of cabbage to end customers. In this paper, six different sales channels that are used in the Semberija region for the sale of cabbage were observed. These sales channels were evaluated using 11 different criteria. In order to choose the sales channel that best meets the set objectives, a fuzzy set approach was used. This approach was chosen because qualitative criteria were used and expert ratings were in the form of linguistic values. Based on the input of seven experts who are professors at agricultural faculties in Bijeljina, it was found that consumer habits were the most important criterion, followed by the criterion compliance with environmental standards, while the smallest weight value was given to the criterion delivery method. Using the RAWEC (Ranking of Alternatives with Weights of Criterion) method, it was shown that online sales yield the best results, after that follows Producer-sales agent-consumer, while according to experts, the sales channel is the best rated Producer-wholesaler-retailer-consumer. This is because various tools can be utilized on the Internet for selling agricultural products. Based on the conducted research, the contribution of this study lies in the selection of sales channels using the integration of the MEREC and RAWEC methods.
Open Access: Yes
Penetration capability of 0.177 (4.5 mm) air gun pellet and the characteristics of the entrance wound at various impact energies between 3.28 - 15.64 J on porcine skin. An experimental study
Publication Name: Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine
Publication Date: 2025-04-01
Volume: 111
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Air guns generate a large number of shot injuries, while pellets can produce life-threatening or lethal injuries by penetrating deep tissue. The assessment of air gun injuries include determining the direction and the distance of the shot, the type of arm, and the penetration capability of the pellet. Answering these questions can be challenging since air gun injuries have received less attention in scientific studies. This study aimed to determine skin and soft-tissue penetration capabilities and wound characteristics of air guns at different impact energies. Test shots were conducted on porcine tissue and ballistic gel with 0.177 caliber air guns from different shooting distances between impact energies of 3.28 and 15.71 J (111 m/s to 243.5 m/s). Entrance wound appearance, size, and penetration depth were compared. The penetration capabilities of the pellet with different impact energies are assessed and discussed. No difference was found in the entrance wound shape and appearance between shots from different distances and impact energy. The results indicate that 0.177 caliber air guns above 7.5 J of muzzle energy can easily penetrate deep into soft tissue, thus able to cause severe, life-threatening injuries. An air gun with a muzzle energy below 7.5 J muzzle energy can still cause severe injury up to 20–30 m as the projectile has enough energy to create several centimeter-deep penetrations.
Open Access: Yes
