Search Results (927)

The mainstreaming of remote work has catalyzed the rise of the new tribe, the kinetic elite, a demographic comprising digital nomads and workationers who utilize technology to separate work from geography. Yet, this apparently free lifestyle often leads to a freedom trap, where the collapsing boundaries between work and leisure necessitate intense self-discipline within spaces originally architected for tourism. Drawing on an integrated framework of quality of destination features, service, and experience, this study investigates the antecedents of satisfaction and loyalty for this niche market of mobile workforce. Data were collected from 325 international digital nomads and workationers in Thailand using a purposive sampling approach. The proposed integrated model was empirically tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The analysis challenges the hardware-first paradigm of destination development. Findings indicate that while digital infrastructure (connectivity) and geoarbitrage (value) are non-negotiable baselines, they employ limited influence on ultimate satisfaction. Instead, human infrastructure, specifically the quality of staff and host–community interactions, emerges as the primary determinant in converting a location from a travel stop into a functional home base. These results advocate for a strategic plan toward precision niche marketing, moving beyond a homogenous view of the sector to target the community-seeking segment. Furthermore, the study frames community integration as a core practice of social sustainability, suggesting that for destinations to evolve into vibrant knowledge ecologies, Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) must prioritize community facilitation and smart policies that mitigate the social isolation inherent in nomadic life. Full article

This paper addresses voltage fluctuation issues in distribution networks under high penetration of renewable energy. It proposes a collaborative voltage regulation method for multi-microgrid systems considering operational economy. To mitigate voltage violations and fluctuations caused by intermittent distributed generation such as photovoltaics, this paper develops a bi-level coordinated optimization framework with bidirectional feedback. At the upper level, the distribution network acts as the global regulator, suppressing voltage fluctuations by optimizing the active power output of microgrids while dynamically issuing voltage constraints and power exchange boundaries. At the lower level, each microgrid serves as a local response agent. While complying with the regulation requirements from the upper level, it coordinates its internal distributed resources, including PV, energy storage, and electric vehicles, and optimizes electricity market purchases to minimize its own operating cost. The framework moves beyond traditional one-way command models, achieving bidirectional coordination between global optimization and local autonomy. Simulations based on a modified IEEE 33-bus system show that the proposed method maintains all node voltages within the allowable range, significantly reduces voltage fluctuations, and lowers the total electricity purchase cost of the microgrids by approximately 11%, thereby enhancing both voltage stability and economic efficiency of the system. Full article

Digital infrastructure in rural China acts as a significant temporal intervention, yet its impact on social sustainability remains under-explored. Adopting the “timescape” lens, this study examines the interaction between linear algorithmic time and cyclical agricultural rhythms. Focusing on Qing Village, a hollowed-out settlement in the Wuling Mountains, we employed a mixed-methods approach combining ethnography, time-use surveys, and logistics trace data. The findings depict a transforming rural timescape characterized by specific temporal tensions: (1) digital connectivity tends to permeate the interstices of agricultural labor, blurring the traditional boundaries between work and recovery; (2) the “digital nanny” phenomenon emerges as a temporal trade-off, where caregivers utilize devices to manage labor pressure, modifying the sequence of intergenerational interaction; and (3) logistics systems facilitate a loose re-synchronization of consumption, and villagers further demonstrate behavioral elasticity by leveraging natural interruptions to reclaim social time. We suggest that digital intervention reconfigures the local temporal order. Consequently, achieving genuine social sustainability requires moving beyond coverage metrics to establish a resilient “ecology of social time” that respects diverse rural temporalities. Full article

This paper presents a comparative analysis of direct expansion solar-assisted heat pumps (DX-SAHP) with and without photovoltaic cells (PVT-DX-SAHP). Two sets of experiments were conducted to validate the mathematical model: one with PVT-DX-SAHP and another with DX-SAHP. The mathematical model used in this study is based on physical equations using energy, mass, and entropy balance. The heat exchangers were modeled using the moving boundaries technique. The compressor and photovoltaic cells were modeled using a black box model with equations for the efficiencies of these components. The low-global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerant R290 (propane) was used in this study. Two independent sets of experimental data were used to validate the model, with a mean absolute deviation of 4.8%. The results indicated that PVT-DX-SAHP had a higher season performance factor (SPF) and a lower total equivalent warming impact (TEWI) compared to DX-SAHP, with an average SPF increase of 81% and a TEWI reduction of 30%. The findings also showed that PVT-DX-SAHP had a 24% higher longer payback period than DX-SAHP. Full article

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators (PAs) are devices used to control airflow. DBD actuators generate an electric field that accelerates ionized air particles, inducing localized flow modifications. Among other applications, they are particularly effective for enhancing cooling, for aerodynamic drag reduction, and for lift enhancement, therefore capable of improving stall characteristics. In addition, they offer several distinct advantages, such as rapid response time, low power consumption, and no moving parts. The present review paper aims to summarize the main governing equations associated with the most common phenomenological PA Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models, Shyy and Suzen-Huang, as well as highlight the major applications to flat plates, wind turbine airfoils and entire wind turbines. The application of DBD plasma actuators on individual wind turbine blades, as well as dynamic horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines, is reviewed, drawing from key numerical and experimental investigations. The simulated performance of various configurations of single and multiple PAs on representative airfoils at different chordwise locations is discussed. The overall findings indicate that the chordwise location of the actuators on airfoils and their optimum spanwise placement on small and large wind turbine blades, along with the geometry and excitation parameters of the actuators, play a crucial role in their performance, affecting the boundary layer and the flow pattern. The reader shall obtain an overall idea of the most recent aerodynamic applications of PAs as well as their expected efficiency. Full article

This study develops an analytical description of the motion of dilute solid particles in the boundary layer of laminar horizontal flows subjected to weak transverse pulsations. The analysis is formulated for dilute spherical solid particles subjected to transverse velocity pulsations in a laminar boundary-layer flow. A coupled matrix representation of the governing equations is formulated, and closed-form solutions are obtained using Laplace transformation. The analytical expressions capture transient evolution, forced oscillations, resonance effects, and long-term behaviour for particles with different density ratios. Numerical evaluation shows that light particles migrate toward faster regions of the boundary layer and accelerate longitudinally, while heavy particles move toward slower layers and decelerate. Transverse pulsations generate oscillatory trajectories whose amplitude increases near resonance. Impulsive perturbations superimposed on the continuous motion lead to discontinuous transitions consistent with the linear matrix system. The results provide a unified physical interpretation of particle redistribution mechanisms in boundary layers and offer a compact analytical tool for dilute multiphase flow modelling. Full article

Metropolitan governance in the U.S. has taken shape over generations and is still evolving. The U.S. territory is literally covered by a myriad of institutions responsible for influencing the country’s physical destiny, cultural identity, and digital representations. Due to their growing complexity, metropolitan areas require adequate institutional mechanisms capable of steering the physical, socio-economic, ecological, and digital transformations within their jurisdictional boundaries. The research question at the core of this article is the following: Where does knowledge concerning land management for metropolitan governance in the U.S.A. come from? This paper aims to review metropolitan governance’s evolution, state of the art, and current challenges in the U.S. at the beginning of the 21st century. The methods consisted mostly of reviews of specialized literature as well as an analysis of two metropolitan archetypal case studies on opposite ends of the country: the sprawling Southwest (Phoenix, Arizona) and the shrinking Northeast Rust Belt (the Albany Capital Region of upstate New York). It is argued that although the Councils of Government (COGs) and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are invaluable in producing land cover and land use change atlases and toolkits of their territories, fragmented units of government within metropolises intensify economic and fiscal disparities and can potentially undermine regional competitiveness and efficiency. The article’s key findings revolve around the current and most pressing challenges and strategies with the potential to move metropolitan governance institutions toward greater regional cooperation and planning. Full article

The Ugandan Asian expulsion of 1972 was a landmark moment in postcolonial politics, but the people at the centre of it have often been a footnote in Idi Amin’s story. This paper explores the strengths, if not essential nature, of bringing a critical family history and life-writing lens to this history of migration, within the boundaries of genealogy, as the family is central to both the experience of exodus and understanding the origins of South Asians in East Africa. Moving to a ‘history from below’ spotlighting underrepresented voices privileging gender, caste and class is a vital step in democratising this history. Through an examination of the methodologies of the author’s testimony and memoir-led history of the exodus, The Exiled: Empire, Immigration and the Ugandan Asian Exodus, this work reflects on personal scholarship, objectivity and positionality, showing the significance of an intimate and marginalised approach. It demonstrates how reclaiming this history among next-generation diaspora requires challenging revisionism, self-serving success narratives, and increasing politicisation in service of anti-immigration narratives, moving beyond the nostalgic view of empire invoked by some retellings towards a more nuanced living history of the expulsion. Full article

Organizations increasingly deploy artificial intelligence (AI) in human resource (HR) decision processes to improve efficiency and strategic execution, yet ethical failures persist when principles remain decoupled from everyday workflow enactment. This paper addresses AI-ethics in HR practice by advancing a behavior-first premise: AI-ethics becomes durable organizational practice only when ethical intent is translated into observable routines and cues that employees can interpret as legitimate and consistently enforced. We introduce the Socially Aware Framework for Ethical AI (SAFE-AI), which integrates normative ethical reasoning (consequentialist and deontological logics), social information processing, and socially informed heuristics as a practical translation layer for HR workflows. SAFE-AI specifies three stages of implementation—moving in (initiation), moving through (navigation), and moving out (culmination)—to guide scoping and constraints, feedback-driven interpretation management, and institutionalized accountability. Because enactment depends on the organizational cue environment, leadership behaviors (ethical intent-setting, resourcing, sensegiving transparency, and enforceable accountability) function as necessary conditions for sustained implementation beyond HR-local governance. We conclude with implications for practice and a testable agenda for research focused on implementation fidelity, cue-consistency mechanisms, and boundary conditions across organizational contexts. Full article

Holistic teacher education calls for nurturing the ‘whole teacher’, yet often omits the foundational themes of life and death, particularly within cultural contexts where they are potent taboos. This Grounded Theory study investigates how Chinese university educators’ perceptions of their preparation in life and death education can inform more holistic teacher training. Data from eight educators reveal a core phenomenon of constantly Negotiating the Personal & Professional in the Shadow of a Taboo. Our resulting theoretical model illustrates this negotiation: educators’ practices are shaped by personal realms of experientially formed understanding, constrained by professional realms of perceived risk and rigid role definitions, which in turn generate a systemic gap in support. This analysis moves beyond identifying a training deficit to propose a tripartite solution. Educators envision a holistic teacher education that is awareness-based, creating space to explore personal journeys, one that is boundary-conscious, equipping them with practical skills for triage and referral rather than counseling, and one that is systemically minded, integrating teacher development within a robust institutional well-being ecosystem. We conclude that by addressing all three realms of the model, personal, professional, and systemic, teacher education can begin to fill the existential void at its heart, fostering the resilience and compassion essential for educating the whole person. Full article

Background/Objectives: Safe placement of sacral vertebra 1 (S1) screws is essential in lumbosacral instrumentation and iliosacral fixation. Existing anatomical safe zones are largely based on averaged geometry and do not provide quantitative probability estimates for permissible deviations from an ideal entry point. This study aims to develop a probabilistic, computed tomography–based (CT-based) safe zone model for S1 screw placement. Methods: This retrospective imaging-based anatomical modeling study will analyze 1000 anonymized lumbosacral CT scans. A reproducible reference entry point will be defined on the lateral S1 projection, and bilateral offset-based virtual screw trajectories will be evaluated. Two independent raters will classify each trajectory as intraosseous or extraosseous. Probabilistic safety maps will be generated by aggregating binary classifications across offsets and directions. Interobserver reliability will be assessed using Cohen’s kappa, and anatomical influences will be analyzed using multivariable regression models. Results: The study is expected to generate continuous probabilistic safety maps illustrating the likelihood of intraosseous S1 screw placement across predefined offset distances and directions from the reference entry point. These maps are anticipated to demonstrate a gradual transition from high to low safety probabilities rather than a binary safe–unsafe boundary, and to identify anatomical factors influencing screw containment. Conclusions: This protocol describes a CT-based probabilistic modeling approach to S1 screw placement that aims to provide a more nuanced and quantitative definition of anatomical safe zones. If successful, the proposed method may improve preoperative planning and intraoperative decision-making by moving beyond averaged geometric constraints toward probability-informed screw placement. Full article

Moving beyond passive legal compliance is a critical challenge for the global shipping industry in protecting seafarers’ rights. Drawing on interviews with 32 Chinese shipping executives, this study conceptualizes Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy not merely as a disclosure tool, but as a critical “governance translation” mechanism. We propose a theoretical model where external accountability pressures drive the institutionalization of seafarers’ rights protection (SRP), mediated effectively by corporate ESG engagement. We find that this process is positively moderated by three boundary conditions: the localization of international conventions, the intensity of Port State Control (PSC) enforcement, and the maturity of organizational governance. Practically, the findings suggest that policymakers should prioritize the clear localization of international standards to reduce ambiguity. For managers, the study demonstrates that embedding SRP into board oversight and digital monitoring systems is essential for transforming labor rights from a cost center into a sustainable strategic advantage. Full article

Background/Objectives: Melanoma remains one of the most malignant types of skin cancer with rising incidence numbers, despite the progress made in the prevention and management of the disease. Recent technological advancements, such as developments in the field of molecular biology, imaging, and artificial intelligence (AI), have led to a paradigm shift in the diagnosis, assessment, and management of melanoma. The current review aims to integrate current research on melanoma, moving beyond the boundaries of conventional histological analysis. Methods: This is a critical appraisal narrative review that focuses on recent studies in the areas of translation research and digital health with regard to melanoma. This research particularly targeted recent studies within the last five years, with landmark studies implicated when appropriate. Evidence was synthesized within the major categories that include epidemiology, early diagnosis, histopathology, predictive biomarkers, genetic/epigenetic changes, AI-assisted diagnostic platforms, and novel therapeutic platforms & targets. Results: Early detection techniques, innovative imaging, and biomarker-guided risk adjustment can improve diagnostic accuracy and prognostic stratification. The potential of AI in dermoscopy, digital pathology, and decision analytical systems is evident, although validation, bias, and integration issues need to be addressed. Advances in immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and novel molecular/immunological targets are expanding and facilitating integrated and personalized management. Conclusions: There is a trend in melanoma research to shift towards an integrated diagnostic platform that involves the use of AI, molecular characterization, and clinical inputs to enable more accurate and personalized diagnoses. To realize this potential, there is a need to validate, collaborate, and address ethics and implementation. Full article

Established in 1917, the Spiritual Society (Lingxuehui 灵学会) centered its activities on spirit-writing (fuji 扶乩), constructing a sacred discourse through the Spiritual Chronicles (Lingxue Congzhi 灵学丛志) that blended Confucian ethics, Buddhist–Daoist notions of reincarnation and karmic causality, and the terminologies of modern science. This synthesis aimed to restore moral order and epistemic legitimacy amid intense social upheaval. Beginning in 1918, however, New Youth—the flagship journal of the New Culture Movement—launched sustained critiques against Spiritualism (Lingxue 灵学). Moving beyond a historical narrative, this article draws on Weber, Foucault, and Abbott to analyze this confrontation as a contest for exclusive jurisdiction over “explaining the world” and “healing society.” New Culture intellectuals labeled fuji as “superstition” through the lenses of scientism and psychology, linking it to imperial residues and anti-modern ideologies. Scientific discourse, by deploying the label of “superstition”, secured epistemological orthodoxy and systematically marginalized indigenous spiritual traditions. The confrontation between the “divinity–medium–text” structure and the modern logic of “science–rationality–nation” reveals a deeper struggle over knowledge boundaries and legitimacy, while also illuminating the tensions and negotiations that shaped China’s trajectory toward modernity. Full article

How do survivors mourn when violence controls movement, speech, and public grief? This article reads lament as a political–theological practice that keeps the dead publicly addressable under forced (im)mobilities—conditions in which some are deported, disappeared, or killed while others are compelled to remain amid ruins, surveillance, and stigma. Through a comparative reading of Lamentations and Han Kang’s Human Acts, this study develops “fourth-person lament” to name a ruin-saturated address (“you”) that is relayed through multiple voices and across the boundary of death, refusing to resolve responsibility into a single speaker or a finished story. The analysis shows how lament is mediated through bodies that remain—hunger, wounds, exhaustion, unburied dead—and through spaces turned into archives of violence, so that catastrophe cannot be sealed into closure or denial. By tracing struggles over memory and affect—over who may move, who must stay, and whose deaths can appear as grievable—this article argues that lament operates as resistant passage within enforced (im)mobility: a communal and public insistence that memory, mourning, and responsibility remain open to contestation. Full article