Prospects for the Development of Transport in Poland during the Energy Crisis

Recent years have been times of crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian attack on Ukraine. Energy markets have seen dynamic increases in commodity prices, which have continued to this day. The prices of oil, whose rise fuels inflation are particularly important for the world economy. The paper presents an overview and per-prospects for the development of transport in Poland during the energy crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. The analysis carried out on the example of Poland clearly shows that in the near term there is no chance to reduce fuel prices in Poland, which would result in a decrease in transport costs. It seems that the only chance for companies to reduce transport costs is to change their supply and inventory management strategies to take advantage of economies of scale and maintain high inventory levels. On the other hand, in world markets, oil prices will fall only if the war in Ukraine finishes. © 2023, Econjournals. All rights reserved.

Deploying the Minimum Number of Rechargeable UAVs for a Quarantine Barrier

To control the rapid spread of COVID-19, we consider deploying a set of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to form a quarantine barrier such that anyone crossing the barrier can be detected. We use a charging pile to recharge UAVs. The problem is scheduling UAVs to cover the barrier, and, for any scheduling strategy, estimating theminimum number of UAVs needed to cover the barrier forever. We propose breaking the barrier into subsegments so that each subsegment can be monitored by a single UAV. We then analyze two scheduling strategies, where the first one is simple to implement and the second one requires fewer UAVs. The first strategy divides UAVs into groups with each group covering a subsegment. For this strategy, we derive a closed-form formula for the minimum number of UAVs. In the case of insufficient UAVs, we give a recursive function to compute the exact coverage time and give a dynamic-programming algorithm to allocate UAVs to subsegments to maximize the overall coverage time. The second strategy schedules all UAVs dynamically. We prove a lower and an upper bound on the minimum number of UAVs. We implement a prototype system to verify the proposed coverage model and perform simulations to investigate the performance.

Study on the Comparison of Three Typical Gas Flow Standards for Calibrating Low Gas Flowmeter

A gas flowmeter for measuring low flow rate has been widely used in the field of medical, health, environmental protection, energy industry, aerospace, etc. To against Covid-2019, the requirement on the low flow rate has been increasing dramatically. At present, the typical standard devices for calibrating low gas flowmeter mainly include standard bell provers of gas flow, standard piston provers of low gas flow and standard laminar of low gas flow. Different measuring principles are adopted among these typical standard devices. To ensure the consistency of these typical standard devices, a comparison test is performed. The standard devices used in the comparison are of the same accuracy grade, with an extended uncertainty of 0.2%(k=2). The piston-type gas flow calibrator of grade 1.0 is selected as the transfer standard, and three flow points with high flow rate, medium flow rate and low flow rate are selected for test. The consistency of measurement results is evaluated by normalized deviation En. The comparison results are acceptable which show that three typical standard devices are accurate and reliable. © FLOMEKO 2022.All rights reserved

Building back better: Granular energy technologies in green recovery funding programs

Summary Granular energy technologies with smaller unit sizes and costs deploy faster, create more jobs, and distribute benefits more widely than lumpy large-scale alternatives. These characteristics of granularity align with the aims of fiscal stimulus in response to COVID-19. We analyze the technological granularity of 93 green recovery funding programs in France, Germany, South Korea, and the UK that target £72.9 billion for low-carbon energy technologies and infrastructures across five emissions-intensive sectors. We find that South Korea's "New Deal” program is the most technologically granular with strong weighting toward distributed renewables, smart technologies, electric vehicle charge points, and other relatively low unit cost technologies that are quick to deploy. The UK has the least granular portfolio, concentrating large amounts of public money on small numbers of mega-scale energy projects with high implementation risks. We demonstrate how technological granularity has multiple desirable characteristics of green recovery: jobs, speed, and distributed benefits.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy based analysis of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding to ACE2 receptor

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is still a challenge because of its diversity and mutations. The binding interactions of the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and the spike protein are relevant for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to enter the cell. Consequently, it is important and helpful to analyze binding activities and the changes in the structure of the ACE2 receptor and the spike protein. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy is able to analyze small concentrations of the proteins without contact, non-invasively and label-free. In this work, we present a SERS based approach in the visible wavelength range to analyze and study the binding interactions of the ACE2 receptor and the spike protein. SERS measurements of the ACE2 receptor, the spike protein and the ACE2-spike complex were performed. Additionally, an inhibitor was used to prevent the spike protein from binding to ACE2 and to compare the results. The analysis of the measured SERS spectra reveals structural differences and changes due to binding activities. Thus, we show that the performed SERS based approach can help for rapid and non-invasive analysis of binding interactions of the ACE2-spike complex and also of protein binding in general. © 2023 SPIE.

The Intersections of Energy and Housing Justice: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected working class and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, who have been more likely to contract and die from the virus. These inequalities in part stem from higher rates of comorbidities such as asthma, which can be connected to local built environments. One area where these inequalities are starkest is in energy generation and distribution, where marginalized communities are both more likely to be exposed to hazards from energy production, whereas at the same time more likely to struggle to afford that energy, leading to difficult trade-offs with other necessities. In turn, many of these inequalities can be tied to spatial patterns of residential segregation, such as redlining, which cut off BIPOC communities in from the prevailing wealth generating mechanisms of the past century, leading to the patterns of divestment and hazard exposure seen today. In this article, we explore the connections between public health, energy production and consumption, and redlining, using Milwaukee, WI as a case study. Using data from March to June 2020, we perform quartile regressions to assess the relationship between positive COVID cases, local demographics, and the local energy environment. We find that low-income and BIPOC communities were more likely to contract COVID, while also facing higher energy burdens and exposure to respiratory hazards, as well as a statistically significant relationship between COVID rates and redlining policy. We argue these results call further research into the connections between energy insecurity and other forms of injustice that manifest within racial capitalism.

Competitiveness-the engine that boosts economic growth and revives the economy

Competitiveness is a concept that shows up in all aspects of human life, both at the micro level, in personal, social, and professional life, and at the macro level, linked to organizational and national competitiveness with long-term effects on global competitiveness. In this paper, we aim to address competitiveness in Romania in the current context, before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting its role in reviving the economy. While until the onset of the pandemic Romania's competitiveness performance was growing, more recently, because of the global health crisis, it dropped a few places, according to the Global Competitiveness Index report. In order to have a clear picture of the degree of competitiveness in Romania, we have presented a series of statistical data for the most relevant macroeconomic indicators for our study for the 2017-2022 timeframe: the global competitiveness index, the minimum wage, labor productivity, the evolution of real labor productivity per employed person, the economic growth rate, the unemployment rate, the inflation rate, the European innovation index, gross domestic expenditure on research and development, export of goods and services as a share of GDP, etc. The methodology used involves the use of quantitative techniques, performing an econometric analysis, and correlating how the most important macroeconomic indicators can influence the degree of competitiveness at both the national and international level. For the post-pandemic timeframe, the analysis switches focus, just as the economic reality did, looking at energy costs and energy use as determinants of competitiveness. Since notions like circular economy and sustainable development correlate being energy-efficient with being competitive, however, at the same time, the high cost of investments necessary for individual businesses and countries to switch from polluting energies to clean energies impedes or at the very least heavily impacts their ability to compete with entities that don't make that same switch, it becomes apparent that the energy market impacts competitiveness metrics. Competitiveness promotes valuable contributors and underpins performance at group and company level, and the effects from the micro level will propagate, with an emission effect, to the entire national economy with obvious implications at the international level, through real growth in macroeconomic indicators, increased labor productivity, increased economic performance (market share, export share, return on capital), raising living standards and economic and social wellbeing (life expectancy index, human development index, poverty rate), education (skills, knowledge, abilities, managerial and marketing skills, corporate culture), competitive potential (innovation, R&D, promotion), and in raising the Global Competitiveness Index by focusing on factors of production, efficiency, and innovation, etc.

A Small Beautiful Example of Sustainability in the Heart of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has diligently started pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations in 2015. While making progress and being aware of it, will be a shot in the arm, with success breeding more success, the journey may seem daunting at times. However, the journey – sustainable development towards the targets set – is what matters more than the final destination, as philosophers and savants often remind us. This article, while dwelling on sustainable development in this southern-African landlocked country in general, presents a beautiful example of a collaborative venture, undertaken by dedicated and determined international partners, and predicated on SDG#4 (Quality Education) and SDG#5 (Gender Equality), and harnessing the complementarities and synergies with the other SDGs, which set root during the COVID-pandemic, in Mwenezi in southern Zimbabwe. The pandemic while being a scourge, tended to have some silver linings to it, as it gave birth to many collaborations and made human beings realise that one's own happiness is dependent to a very great extent on that of others. This venture emphasizes girls' education and skills-development, which open the doors, synergistically, to sustained growth, development and progress. Education, indisputably, is a key component of the freedom necessary to live a life of value. To quote Nelson Mandela, "It is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”. © 2023, Scientific Publishing House of the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University. All rights reserved.

Global commodity and equity markets spillovers to Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper examines the connectedness among 12 African equity markets and the global commodity, developed equity markets, paying particular attention to their evolution during the COVID-19 pandemic's peak period. We find that whilst African equity markets connect weakly to these markets, the levels of connectedness among these markets improved significantly during the pandemic. In addition, the energy market dominates the transmission of shocks in the system with commodity markets. Regarding the system with equity markets, the French and South African equity markets transmit the highest spillover in the full sample and during the pandemic's peak period, respectively. • Examines the connectedness among African equity and the global equity and commodity markets. • Examines the evolution of connectedness among these markets during the COVID-19. • African equity markets are weakly integrated with the global commodity and equity markets • During the COVID-19 peak period, however, the level of integration among these increased significantly. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Emerging Markets Review is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Research on the Optimal Energy Saving and Emission Reduction Path for Promoting High-Quality Industrial Development in Hubei Province

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus broke out in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, and, as the center of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, the economy and production throughout Hubei Province suffered huge temporary impacts. Based on the input–output and industrial pollution emissions data of 33 industrial industries in Hubei from 2010 to 2019, this article uses the non-parametric frontier analysis method to calculate the potential production losses and compliance costs caused by environmental regulations in Hubei's industrial sector by year and industry. Research has found that the environmental technology efficiency of the industrial sector in Hubei is showing a trend of increasing year-on-year, but the overall efficiency level is still not high, and there is great room for improvement. The calculation results with and without environmental regulatory constraints indicate that, generally, production losses and compliance costs may be encountered in the industrial sector in Hubei, and there are significant differences by industry. The potential production losses and compliance costs in pollution-intensive industries are higher than those in clean production industries. On this basis, we propose relevant policy recommendations to improve the technological efficiency of Hubei's industrial environment, in order to promote the high-quality development of Hubei's industry in the post-epidemic era.

The effect of consumer lockdown on the relationship between environmental beliefs and pro-environmental behaviors

This study investigates the disruptive effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on the relationship between environmental beliefs and pro-environmental behaviors. We used a survey conducted in the four major cities of Colombia before COVID-19 arrived in December 2019 and then repeated it in October 2020, after most of the major restrictions on mobility and economic activity had been lifted. The survey captured ecocentric and anthropocentric beliefs using the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) and Pro Environmental Behaviors (PEBS) using 18 questions about energy and water savings, recycling, and sustainable purchasing. In the 2020 survey, we included a measure of the severity of the individual's experience of disruption, including economic, family, and health-related aspects. Controlling for demographic variables, we analyzed (1) descriptive changes in NEP and PEBS, (2) the moderating effect of the disruption on the effect of NEP on PEBS, (3) the direct effect of disruption severity on PEBS, and (4) the moderating effect of severity on the effect of NEP on PEBS in 2020. We found that disruption caused by the lockdown crisis decreased anthropocentric beliefs and slightly increased ecocentric beliefs. This disruption also modified the effects of NEP on PEBS, thereby ameliorating the capacity of NEP to activate PEBS. The severity of experience moderated most of these effects. We discuss the implications of our results for the theory of environmental beliefs and pro-environmental behaviors and offer recommendations to reverse the potential negative effect of the COVID-19 crisis on the promotion of sustainable consumption.

Prospects and Challenges of the Machine Learning and Data-Driven Methods for the Predictive Analysis of Power Systems: A Review

The use of machine learning and data-driven methods for predictive analysis of power systems offers the potential to accurately predict and manage the behavior of these systems by utilizing large volumes of data generated from various sources. These methods have gained significant attention in recent years due to their ability to handle large amounts of data and to make accurate predictions. The importance of these methods gained particular momentum with the recent transformation that the traditional power system underwent as they are morphing into the smart power grids of the future. The transition towards the smart grids that embed the high-renewables electricity systems is challenging, as the generation of electricity from renewable sources is intermittent and fluctuates with weather conditions. This transition is facilitated by the Internet of Energy (IoE) that refers to the integration of advanced digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI) into the electricity systems. It has been further enhanced by the digitalization caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that also affected the energy and power sector. Our review paper explores the prospects and challenges of using machine learning and data-driven methods in power systems and provides an overview of the ways in which the predictive analysis for constructing these systems can be applied in order to make them more efficient. The paper begins with the description of the power system and the role of the predictive analysis in power system operations. Next, the paper discusses the use of machine learning and data-driven methods for predictive analysis in power systems, including their benefits and limitations. In addition, the paper reviews the existing literature on this topic and highlights the various methods that have been used for predictive analysis of power systems. Furthermore, it identifies the challenges and opportunities associated with using these methods in power systems. The challenges of using these methods, such as data quality and availability, are also discussed. Finally, the review concludes with a discussion of recommendations for further research on the application of machine learning and data-driven methods for the predictive analysis in the future smart grid-driven power systems powered by the IoE.

Going Green Post COVID-19: Employer Perspectives on Skills Needs

Achieving a just transition to a low carbon economy and society, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, is arguably one of the greatest policy challenges facing governments. It is also of deep concern to businesses, employees and the organisations that represent them. Much of the focus, particularly at policy level, has been on the potential of this transition to create new jobs especially through the growth of renewable energy and clean technology. In this paper, we argue that this focus on ‘green jobs', and in particular new green jobs, grossly underestimates the skills needs of a future workforce able to deliver a transition to a more sustainable low-carbon economy. The focus of this study is to gain an understanding of what skills are required to support the transition beyond these sectors. It critically reports on the results of a series of in-depth interviews with senior managers in key organisations within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, UK. It sheds a light on the significant employment transitions taking place in organisations who are not specifically focused on delivering ‘green' products or services. It finds widespread acknowledgement of the importance of a green recovery, albeit predicated by economic growth. The key skills needs reported, at all levels were likely to be ‘soft' transferrable skills rather than ‘hard' technical skills. COVID-19 was recognised as both a disrupter and as a catalyst for a green transition.

An organizational analysis of how managers must understand the mental health impact of teleworking during COVID-19 on employees

PurposeThe unimagined workplace disturbance caused by the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has made many organizations virtual or telework driven workplaces, often without the infrastructure and systems in place to support employees facing these sudden workplace changes (Burrell, 2020). Many stressors accompanied this transition, to include lack of childcare, home-school responsibilities and layoffs and business closings. These stressors have perpetuated concerns for the job and financial security for all workers (Fox, 2020), leading some employees to struggle with the work-life balance out of concern for being laid off due to perceived low productivity (Fox, 2020). This study aims to explore those manifestations.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative research case study explores the impact COVID-19 induced telework has on their job satisfaction, mental well-being and aspects of organizational commitment to fill a gap in the literature concerning emerging workplace dynamics due to COVID-19 for small real estate businesses in the USA.FindingsThe results of this qualitative research case study provide knowledge and information about the need for small businesses to be resourceful and resilient in the way that they support and engage remote workers. This qualitative research case study explores the impact COVID-19-induced telework has on their job satisfaction, mental well-being and aspects of organizational commitment for small real estate businesses. The analysis of current work-life structures through a qualitative lens provides trends among workers to gain a greater perspective of the current accelerators and barriers to worker success in a COVID-19 teleworking environment.Originality/valueThis qualitative research case study explores the impact COVID-19 induced telework has on their job satisfaction, mental well-being and aspects of organizational commitment to fill a gap in the literature concerning emerging workplace dynamics due to COVID-19 for small real estate businesses. The value of this research is that majority of the participants were African-Americans, which represents a participant group that is highly under researched.

Ensuring self-sustainability in decentralized communities through solar cookers combined with food dryers

In the background of the COVID 2019 pandemic, the importance of developing realistic and efficient decentralized energy solutions is one of the essential requirements. This paper presents the performance of a small-scale solar box cooker cum dryer (SBCD) for decentralized communities and domestic scale applications. The drying process in SBCD uses a simple and effective method for moisture removal. It enables de-moisturization of the cooker interior, allowing efficient use of SBCD for the simultaneous dual-mode operation of cooking and drying. Cooker Opto-thermal Ratio (COR) as a thermal performance parameter and glycerin as a test load enable cooking process analysis. COR-based objective parameters (OPs) realistically comment on the cooker performance in the dual-mode operation. Drying kinetic studies describe the drying performance of the device. The levelized cost of cooking meals (LCCM) allows understating of the economics of SBCD. The mean value of COR for the cooker is 0.104 ± 0.0028 (m2·°C)/W with a percentage standard deviation of 2.69%. The experimental values of OPs, reference cooking time, and maximum achievable load temperature varies between 74 and 86 min and 103–111 °C, respectively. Thus, SBCD cooks in approximately 80–90 min and dries ∼ 100 g of food products simultaneously with 70–80 % moisture removal. The LCCM for SBCD is $ 0.0174 per meal. Thus, SBCD depicts a realistic solution for ensuring self-sustainability in decentralized communities.

A survey of automatic contact tracing approaches using bluetooth low energy

To combat the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, many new ways have been proposed on how to automate the process of finding infected people, also called contact tracing. A special focus was put on preserving the privacy of users. Bluetooth Low Energy as base technology has the most promising properties, so this survey focuses on automated contact tracing techniques using Bluetooth Low Energy. We define multiple classes of methods and identify two major groups: systems that rely on a server for finding new infections and systems that distribute this process. Existing approaches are systematically classified regarding security and privacy criteria.Copyright © 2021 ACM.

The Relationship of SEDS, Food Intake and Work Engagement among Telecommuting Employees of the Education Sector during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Method Study

Due to COVID-19, the shift to telecommuting became a widely used work set-up to maintain economic balance. This work set up is associated with risks to employees' wellness. As prevention to the risks, employees must be provided with ways to understand the telecommuting attributes. In relation, this study targets in understanding the links between the socio-economic demographic status, work engagement, and food intake of the education sector's tele-employees. The 110 samples are gathered from the Senior High school Department using convenience sampling, an online survey, and the mixed method. ANOVA and multi-linear regression are used as statistical treatments. The study found that the older generation with higher Income is more likely linked with higher work engagement. The younger generation, low-income earners, and males are inclined more toward unhealthy foods as compared to their counterparts. Low-income earners perceived that their work engagement falls under the category that energy to work is at a bare minimum level. The participants' education attainment revealed significance with energy-giving or carbohydrate-source foods. The qualitative data highlighted job position was perceived with a link to food intake and work engagement. Unhealthy food consumption is perceived with a beneficial association with work engagement, although it is suggested for further investigation. With these findings, the education sector's stakeholders, nutrition, mental health professionals, and future researchers would mainly benefit from this study for intervention generation. © 2023 ACM.

Challenges and Opportunities for the Energy Sector in the Face of Threats Such as Climate Change and the COVID-19 Pandemic—An International Perspective

New threats such as the COVID-19 pandemic have brought forth not only threats to human health but also changes to many other sectors of the global economy. Despite strict lockdowns, the highest annual number of global renewable energy installations were completed in 2020, including onshore wind power stations and PV power stations. The development of these two types of renewables is increasing rapidly. Transformations in terms of renewable energy require both governmental and public support;thus, it is important to note that the pandemic did not weaken the public commitment to fight climate change. This article aims to evaluate the actual level of support for renewable energy sources in different countries of the world and how the pandemic has affected public opinion regarding this issue. Our analysis suggests that, regardless of the pandemic, public support for renewable energy remains strong in different regions of the world. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Energies (19961073) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Environmental Sustainability and Territorial Competitiveness: A Comparison between Italian Provinces

The emergence of globalisation and the removal of obstacles between markets have heightened rivalry between territorial areas. To have a competitive advantage, the regions have to be unique. As one of the tactics used to boost their reputation on a territorial level, territories are progressively adopting environmental policies for sustainable and shared prosperity. Indeed, effective management of urban growth depends heavily on sustainable development. In this regard, the literature occasionally refers to the "green branding” of cities, a strategy that makes use of environmental aspects to boost the allure of metropolitan environments. There is currently little consensus in the literature on the measuring of environmental performance, and no statistical study has been done to confirm the efficacy of these measures in terms of territorial competitiveness. Therefore, it is important to determine whether there is a relationship between a territory's level of sustainability and competitiveness in Italy. According to the statistical analysis of the Italian provinces, the Northeast, Northwest, Centre, and Islands are the four geographical regions with the highest average scores. This unquestionably indicates a basic comprehension and supports the notion that there is a relationship between the two variables. However, it also serves as a warning about how geographical disparities in Italy represent a major issue affecting the most diverse sectors. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic problem has drastically altered consumer demands and goals, leading consumers to seek out more sustainable travel and cities that are designed with citizens' requirements in mind. It will therefore become more and more important to research how public and private administrators, as well as policy makers, react to these changes.

The Russian coal industry in an uncertain world: Finally pivoting to Asia?

Despite the urgent need to reduce coal consumption to mitigate climate change, coal has received renewed interest as a source of energy due to the perfect storm of climate, health, geopolitical and energy crises. Post-COVID recovery boosted global coal production and Asian coal consumption. Because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, coal saw a rise in demand in Europe to replace sanctioned natural gas and oil. Combined with volatile prices, these developments highlight profound uncertainties for the world's coal exporters. This paper focuses on Russia, which so far has been the world's largest fossil fuel exporter and third-largest coal exporter and where the coal sector is the backbone of several regional economies and local communities. Using the Triple Embeddedness Framework (TEF), the paper reviews internal and external pressures on the Russian coal industry and evaluates its capacity to adapt to the rapidly changing socio-political and techno-economic environment. Russian coal exporters have attempted to accelerate their shift to the East following the European Union's sanctions over the war in Ukraine and the Russian coal infrastructure is being expanded to serve the Asia-Pacific market. The analysis concludes that the Russian coal industry is not preparing for more long-term changes in international coal markets, and this exacerbates the magnitude of risks for local communities and regional economies within Russia as well as for global decarbonisation.