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Found 6515 publications
Effect of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash on the sustainable performance of hot-mix asphalt: A case study of experimental and numerical analysis
Publication Name: Case Studies in Construction Materials
Publication Date: 2026-07-01
Volume: 24
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The growing demand for sustainable road infrastructure has intensified the interest in alternative mineral fillers that reduce natural resource consumption and environmental impacts. This study investigates the use of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (SBA), an abundant agricultural by-product in sub-Saharan Africa, as a partial replacement for conventional mineral fillers in hot-mix asphalt (HMA). Unlike previous studies that considered SBA primarily as a minor additive, this study provides a systematic evaluation across a wide replacement range (0–16 %), combined with experimental testing and numerical validation. Marshall and indirect tensile strength (ITS) tests were conducted on HMA mixtures produced using locally sourced Nigerian aggregates and 60/70 penetration-grade bitumen. A three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) of the ITS configuration was developed to corroborate the experimental response and identify stress concentration zones. results indicate that SBA improves both mechanical and volumetric performance within an optimal replacement range of 6–10 %, with peak performance of approximately 8 % SBA. Within this range, Marshall stability increased from 7.6 kN to 9.0 kN, the Marshall quotient reached 3.3 kN/mm, bulk density increased to 2.51 g/cm³, and air voids decreased from 4.9 % to 3.5 %, remaining within standard design limits. Microstructural analyses confirmed the predominance of amorphous silica and porous SBA morphology, which promoted enhanced filler–binder interactions and mixture densification. FEM predictions of peak tensile stress agreed with laboratory ITS results within 10 % and successfully reproduced observed crack initiation zones. Excessive SBA content (> 10 %) led to reduced stability and density owing to over-filling effects. The findings demonstrate that 6–10 % SBA is a technically viable and sustainable filler replacement for HMA, particularly in sugarcane-producing regions, offering improved performance alongside waste valorization and reduced reliance on quarry-derived fillers.
Open Access: Yes
A Study of High-Emission Industries: How Policy, Strategy, and Technology Shape Corporate Social Responsibility Toward Carbon Neutrality
Publication Name: Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management
Publication Date: 2026-07-01
Volume: 33
Issue: 4
Page Range: 5630-5651
Description:
The extant carbon neutrality (CN) literature largely offers macro- or meso-level analyses, providing limited insights into implementation experiences that could inform granular policymaking and industry strategies. To address this gap, we examine the lived CN experiences of firms in the transportation, energy, manufacturing, and construction sectors. Using multi-wave qualitative data analyzed through Gioia's approach, we identify policy, strategic practices, carbon-offsetting technologies, and emission-reduction approaches as key drivers of CN implementation. Notably, we establish the microfoundations of CN implementation by uncovering the nuanced roles of strategic, managerial, and operational levels as bridging mechanisms that translate policy mandates into firm-level decisions. Furthermore, we extend the theoretical understanding of the dual role of policy at the firm level, acting both as an enabling driver and a constraining factor. Finally, we propose the STEP framework, which conceptualizes CN implementation as a dynamic ecosystem of interacting forces operating within a feedback loop for continuous improvement and recalibration.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.1002/csr.70438
Audit quality in the mandatory joint audit setting: a comparative analysis between the developed and developing economies
Publication Name: Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting
Publication Date: 2026-06-19
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 1-33
Description:
Purpose – This paper aims to examine and compare the quality of mandatory joint audits among six joint audit pair types within and across listed nonfinancial companies in the European Union (France) and the MENA region (Morocco and Tunisia). Design/methodology/approach – A multivariate regression model examines variations in audit quality across six auditor-pair categories using a sample of 440 nonfinancial firms from 2014 to 2023, yielding 4, 400 firm-year observations: 3, 590 from France, 510 from Morocco and 300 from Tunisia. Findings – The analysis indicates that there are no statistically significant differences in the quality of mandatory joint audits between most joint audit pair categories within and across countries. These results indicate that mandatory joint auditing may reduce variation in audit quality across pairs, both within and across countries. An additional analysis of the effect of audited firm size shows consistent outcomes for small, medium and especially larger firms. In addition, including at least one industry-specialized auditor in most joint audit pairs does not significantly affect audit quality. Practical implications – This study provides valuable insights for regulators, policymakers, audit firms and companies by offering clear evidence on how auditor-pair composition, firm size and industry specialization affect the quality of mandatory joint audits within and across countries, thereby supporting the development of effective regulations in both developed and developing markets. Originality/value – To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is among the first to examine and compare the quality of mandatory joint audits across joint audit pairs in developed and emerging economies, using a six-category pairwise classification, recent data and analysis of firm size and industry specialization.
Open Access: Yes
Environmental regulation, digital inclusive finance and green technology innovation: a dynamic knowledge management perspective
Publication Name: Journal of Knowledge Management
Publication Date: 2026-06-16
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 1-21
Description:
Purpose – This study aims to investigate how environmental regulation breaks the low-end knowledge lock-in of resource-based cities and promotes green technology innovation through knowledge management mechanisms, and to examine the important role of digital inclusive finance (DF) as a knowledge acquisition infrastructure. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on dynamic knowledge management theory, this study uses a DID approach and uses panel data from 264 prefecture-level cities in China from 2014–2023, taking the Environmental Protection Tax Law (EPTL) as a quasi-natural experiment, to examine the effect of the EPTL on green technology innovation in resource-based cities, the mediating mechanisms of knowledge search and knowledge integration and the moderating mechanism of DF. Findings – The EPTL significantly promotes green technology innovation in resource-based cities, a result robust to a series of tests. Mechanism analyses reveal that the EPTL facilitates green innovation by enhancing knowledge search and knowledge integration. DF strengthens both mediating pathways. Heterogeneity analyses show that the positive effect is more pronounced in cities with weaker legal systems and those experiencing severe resource depletion. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to conceptualize environmental regulation as a knowledge governance mechanism that breaks low-end knowledge lock-in in resource-dependent regions. It extends dynamic knowledge management theory by identifying knowledge search and integration as micro-foundations of the Porter effect, and reveals DF as a knowledge management infrastructure that lowers search costs and enhances integration efficiency.
Open Access: Yes
Development and experimental evaluation of single-port substrate integrated waveguide resonator with dual-parameter sensitivity for non-invasive blood glucose monitoring
Publication Name: Measurement Journal of the International Measurement Confederation
Publication Date: 2026-06-16
Volume: 278
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Current Blood Glucose (BG) monitoring techniques are invasive or semi-invasive and can impose financial and practical burden on patients. In this study a compact, non-invasive and single port Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) loaded with X-shape has been present. The sensor resonant at 1.7 GHz, a dual parameter employed to evaluate the sensor by tracking the shift of resonance frequency in (MHz) and the reflection coefficient (dB) to detect glucose-induced changes in tissue permittivity. The device is designed using full-wave electromagnetic simulations with multilayer tissue models and validated experimentally on five human volunteers under controlled fasting and post-glucose conditions. Across the physiological range of 20–200 mg/dL, the sensor exhibits sensitivities up to 0.310 MHz per mg/dL and 0.333 dB per mg/dL, demonstrating consistent responsiveness to glucose variations. The results indicate that the proposed resonator can track glucose-related dielectric changes using a simple contact-based configuration. However, the measurements are influenced by subject-specific variability and sensor placement conditions, which currently limit generalization and repeatability. Further work is required to improve robustness, calibration, and validation on larger cohorts before practical deployment.
Open Access: Yes
Collaborative precise modeling of fuel cells based on adaptive Huber loss function and wild horse optimizer with critical statistical analysis
Publication Name: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Publication Date: 2026-06-15
Volume: 242
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Precise estimation of fuel cell parameters is critical for optimizing performance and developing energy systems. However, experimental data are often affected by outliers stemming from inaccurate measurements, transient operating conditions, or environmental variations. In this line, this study proposes a robust approach for estimating proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) parameters. This study focuses on the steady-state current–voltage (I–V) characteristics and performs parameter extraction for a semi-empirical model. The proposed estimation framework employs the collaboration of the Huber loss function (HLF) in conjunction with adaptive hyperparameter and the metaheuristic Wild Horse Optimizer (WHO) to compute seven unknown PEMFC parameters. The impact of different hyperparameter (δ) values is examined on the performance of the HLF while estimating key fuel cell parameters. The sensitivity of the estimating process to the δ-value is explored using measured and estimated datasets, including accuracy, convergence rate, and resilience. The WHO-based approach is adopted to address and mitigate issues such as premature convergence and entrapment in local optima, which are common challenges in existing optimization strategies. The proposed model has been tested and verified through three test samples of standard commercial PEMFC units as benchmarks. The simulation results demonstrate that the WHO exhibits robust performance across the three benchmark PEMFC systems. Furthermore, the proposed model's generalization capability is validated under a range of operating conditions using polarization curves generated at different temperatures and cathode stoichiometries. A single globally specified parameter set reliably predicts fuel cell performance across these diverse conditions, as evidenced by its consistent ability to deliver high-quality solutions with an extraordinary level of precision under predefined experimental conditions. The proposed estimation framework outperforms three commercial PEMFC units (NedStack-PS6, Horizon-500 W, and BCS-500W), achieving Huber loss values of 1.03277845, 0.00562094, and 0.00584889, respectively. The adaptive HLF with hyperparameter (δ) ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 efficiently tackles outliers and improves convergence speed. While the hyperparameter (δ) in previous studies was kept constant, δ = 1. The proposed estimation framework closely matches the experimental data and offers significantly higher accuracy compared to existing competing methods in the literature. The results reveal that the suggested HLF enhances the robustness and immunity of the WHO optimizer, and it outperforms traditional approaches such as steady-state error.
Open Access: Yes
Sustainable HRM in onboarding: the role of tacit knowledge transfer in global and hybrid work environments
Publication Name: Journal of Management Development
Publication Date: 2026-06-12
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 1-28
Description:
Purpose – This study reviews recent publications on the informal, experience-based transfer of tacit knowledge within onboarding processes, focusing on the mechanisms, conditions, and barriers influencing this process. It also aims to identify research gaps that require further investigation. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using the PRISMA method. A total of 865 publications identified in Scopus and Web of Science were filtered to English-language journal articles published between 2016 and 2025. After screening titles and abstracts, 53 articles were reviewed in detail, of which 46 were found relevant. Findings – The reviewed studies emphasise that tacit knowledge transfer enhances individual and organizational performance, supports commitment, and reduces knowledge loss and turnover. While many papers discuss tacit knowledge transfer in various industries and contexts, only a limited number directly address onboarding among knowledge workers. Research limitations/implications – The study does not distinguish between organizational size, sector, or job function, despite potential contextual differences in tacit knowledge transfer. Moreover, while the search used major international databases, the limited number of relevant studies indicates the value of extending future searches to additional sources. Originality/value – This study highlights tacit knowledge as a key factor in individual and organizational performance and points to onboarding as a critical yet underexplored setting for its transfer. By synthesising recent findings, it underscores the need for further research on onboarding-related tacit knowledge transfer.
Open Access: Yes
Exploring the perceptions of athletes and DCOs on the remote sampling procedure in anti-doping testing: shifting control to burden
Publication Name: Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
Publication Date: 2026-06-04
Volume: 8
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Introduction – The approach of remotely collecting anti-doping samples from athletes by utilizing a Remote Sampling System (RSS) presents a technological innovation in anti-doping work, offering a potential solution to the logistical limitations of traditional in-person testing. Even though the implementation decision obliges Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs), successful implementation hinges on whether athletes as the key stakeholders of anti-doping work perceive an RSS as legitimate. Furthermore, the perceptions of DCOs who are the key users operating an RSS and having to adapt to new sample collection procedures are largely unexplored. This study adopted an exploratory qualitative design to investigate the perceptions of athletes and DCOs. Methods – We conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 elite athletes and 22 professional DCOs. Data were analyzed using template analysis to identify their key themes and considerations associated with procedural steps of remote sampling applied in anti-doping testing. Results – Our findings reveal challenges in user-system integration, which we conceptualize as a shift from DCO control to athlete burden. For athletes, the transfer of specific sample-handling responsibilities inherent to the remote sampling procedure is perceived as an unjust burden of personal risk, logistical effort, and procedural anxiety. Key concerns include the management of test kits and the liabilities associated with taking responsibility for unobserved sample shipment. Conversely, DCOs interpret this transfer as a critical loss of control over procedural integrity and professional oversight, focusing on the inability to uphold an unbroken chain of custody. Discussion – The study concludes that RSS implementation is not merely a technological challenge but one of trust management that must consider user perceptions and concerns on how remote sampling can be designed as a legitimate procedure of anti-doping work. It must reconcile the shift from control to burden by simultaneously mitigating the athletes' burden while empowering DCOs with reliable tools, enabling them in their role as guarantors of anti-doping testing's procedural integrity. These insights provide actionable recommendations for anti-doping organizations to pilot new remote sampling protocols that are not only efficient but also perceived as legitimate, trustworthy, and effective.
Open Access: Yes
Persistence of Asbestos-Containing Friction Materials in the Hungarian Waste Stream Twenty Years After the European Union Ban
Publication Name: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Publication Date: 2026-06-01
Volume: 23
Issue: 6
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Although asbestos has been banned in the European Union since 2005, asbestos-containing materials, such as brake pads and clutch linings, may still occur in waste streams due to the long service life of vehicles, legacy equipment, and international trade in spare parts. The persistence of these materials raises environmental and occupational health concerns, particularly in waste management systems. This study aims to assess the presence, temporal trends, and sectoral distribution of asbestos-containing friction materials in the Hungarian waste management system two decades after the EU ban, and to evaluate the associated regulatory and occupational risk implications. The analysis is based on national hazardous waste datasets classified under EWC code 16 01 11* (asbestos-containing brake pads), with a specific focus on this waste category rather than on the full range of asbestos-related waste streams recorded in the national database. The results indicate that asbestos-containing friction materials are still present in the waste stream, with measurable quantities recorded annually. Despite regulatory control, identification challenges and potential misclassification may contribute to underreporting. The continued occurrence of asbestos-containing materials highlights the persistence of legacy hazardous materials within circular economy systems. Strengthened monitoring, improved identification protocols, and enhanced occupational safety measures are necessary to mitigate residual exposure risks. The findings underline that asbestos is not merely a historical issue but remains a contemporary environmental and public health challenge.
Open Access: Yes
