INSPEC

Machine learning models have been used to precisely forecast emissions from diesel engines, specifically examining the impact of various fuel types (HVO10, HVO 30, HVO40, HVO50) on the accuracy of emission forecasts. The research has revealed that models with different numbers of perceptrons had greater initial error rates, which subsequently reached a stable state after further training. Additionally, the research has revealed that augmenting the proportion of Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) resulted in the enhanced precision of emission predictions. The use of visual data representations, such as histograms and scatter plots, yielded significant insights into the model’s versatility across different fuel types. The discovery of these results is vital for enhancing engine performance and fulfilling environmental regulations. This study highlights the capacity of machine learning in monitoring the environment and controlling engines and proposes further investigation into enhancing models and making real-time predictive adjustments. The novelty of the research is based on the determination of the input interface (a sufficient amount of input parameters, including chemical as well as technical), which characterizes the different regimes of the diesel engine. The novelty of the methodology is based on the selection of a suitable ANN type and architecture, which allows us to predict the required parameters for a wide range of input intervals (different types of mixtures consisting of HVO and pure diesel, different loads, different RPMs, etc.).

An experimental study was performed to investigate the effect of macrogeometric parameters of the mating surface forms on the strength of the cylindrical interference fit joint: taper, bow, barrel, and ovality. Fifteen couplings were made with a nominal diameter of 60 mm and a mating surface length of 70 mm. The bushings had a regular cylindrical form, and the CNC machining of shafts caused the geometry error. The relative geometric accuracy of the form was assumed to be the maximum allowable and was up to 60% of the tolerance zone. During modeling, the minimum allowable interference fit in the coupling Ø60 H8/u8 was assumed to be 0.04 mm to enhance the effect of form geometry errors. Ranked assembly was used to compensate for the interference fit in joints. The joints were assembled using thermal assembly. The strength was determined by axial pressing on the press with the press diagram recorded. The experiment results showed that form geometry error with maximum allowable values significantly affects the strength of the cylindrical interference fit. The taper reduces the strength to 0.87, barrel to 0.8, bow to 0.59, and ovality to 0.79 of coupling with perfect cylindrical surface geometry. Comparison of experimental results with those previously obtained by finite element modeling showed good agreement, within 10%. It is recommended that for critical couplings, a stricter limitation of the geometric error of the mating surfaces shall be provided.

The study aims to improve the quality of the thermal assembly technology of engineering elements by introducing a methodology for determining the size of the closing link in the calculation of assembly dimensional chains, taking into account the influence of temperature gaps. The presented analysis of the technological preparation of production revealed the need to include the calculation of dimensional chains as one of the elements of dimensional analysis, which is determined by a set of calculation and analytical procedures carried out during the development and analysis of structures and technological processes. The effectiveness of dimensional chain calculation using the probabilistic method largely depends on the extent to which the influence of random factors on the values of the component links and the closing link is considered. Studies have confirmed that the calculation of the nominal value of the closing link does not meet the requirements set forth when compared with the results obtained during the calculation without considering the influence of temperature gaps. However, the practical assembly of the feed pump rotor, taking into account the influence of temperature gaps, can lead to an improvement in the axial assembly accuracy by 5% to 13% and a decrease in the gap between the ends of the rotor wheel and the discharge disk by 6% to 10% without the need to use additional technological equipment.

In the modern world, digital technologies play a key role in all spheres of life, including education. This article examines the impact of digitalization on the human right to education in different countries around the world. This study offers a comparative analysis of legislation and practice on the use of digital technologies in education in order to identify common trends and differences in different jurisdictions. It examines the role of digitalization in ensuring access to education for all groups of people, and identifies factors that influence the successful integration of digital technologies into educational processes. The paper also analyzes the challenges and obstacles that may arise in the process of digitalization of education and offers recommendations on how to optimally use digital tools to ensure quality and access to education. The conclusions and recommendations of this article may be useful for legislators, policy makers, educational experts, and practitioners interested in improving education systems through the use of digital technologies.

In recent decades, humanity has had a significant negative impact on the environment. This problem can be solved only by establishing a rational environmental management policy and ensuring an effective financial policy in the context of balancing emissions and expenditures on environmental protection measures. The purpose of this article is to analyze the efficiency of financing environmental protection measures by determining the dependence of pollutant emissions on environmental protection expenditures in Ukraine and the European Union. The following methods were used for the study: analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, specification, and statistical and graphical methods. The statistical information was systematized on the basis of open data from the Open Budget web portal, the State Statistics Service, and Eurostat. This study identified the dynamics of revenues from environmental taxes in Ukraine; taxes on air emissions prevail. Most of the expenditures are made from the state budget. According to the functional classification, environmental expenditures are mainly aimed at preventing and eliminating environmental pollution. The dynamics of capital investments in environmental protection were also studied. To assess the effectiveness of the state policy in the field of environmental protection, we analyzed the dependence of pollutant emissions in Ukraine, Poland, and Romania on the amount of environmental expenditures and investments in this area and revenues from environmental tax. In Ukraine, the amount of pollutants released into the atmosphere depends mostly on investments in this area; in Poland—on revenues from environmental taxes; and in Romania—on expenditures on environmental protection. It has been established that the obtained models are adequate and can be used to build future forecasts of pollutant emissions. Directions for the development of financial and environmental policy are proposed. Post-war restoration of the environmental situation should be carried out on the basis of sustainable development, focusing on the European Green Deal A triple-task approach should be implemented, including environmental restoration, the minimization of negative climate change and balanced use of resources, and the expansion of powers of the relevant ministry with a focus on the strategic goals of the state policy. It is necessary to develop methodological recommendations according to international standards to assess the real state of the environment.

Financial technology is quickly developing, making the financial industry more accessible and encouraging individual investor engagement in the investing process. Generation Z, characterised by a high level of digital literacy, curiosity, and receptivity to innovation, tends to very quickly make decisions and rapidly consume. Since 2007, there has been an increase in the number of articles analysing investor behaviour, drawing on insights from financial and psychological theories. The purpose of this exploratory study is to categorise the behaviour of students surveyed by the type of their investments, while at the same time assessing their willingness to choose green investments. The survey used in the analysis not only aims at collecting data but also educates students on the importance of critical self-awareness and the identification of their emotions to make rational, responsible investment decisions and, at the same time, to form a responsible investor who understands that investing is not only a way to earn a return but also can make a positive impact on the world when green investments are chosen. This study shows that studying students tend to be very rational and interested in contributing to greening the world; however, they are still hesitant to put their theoretical skills into practise and are more likely to provide theoretical support for green investments rather than actually invest. Respondents are grouped according to their potential investment behaviour. The proportions of groups are assessed using statistical inference with a precision of 95% that allowed to propose the method of deriving confidence intervals for each group estimation and, thus, making estimates both reliable and available as statistical estimations.

Previous studies, to some extent, link creativity, well-being, and environmental concerns. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the associations between self-reported creativity, psychological well-being, and climate change concerns. This study was based on data derived from the European Social Survey’s 10th round and applied several items from sections H, B, and C. The findings revealed that creativity was positively linked to climate change concerns and psychological well-being, while psychological well-being was, to some extent, negatively related to climate change concerns. The SEM model demonstrated an acceptable fit, χ2 = 1627.862; Df = 7; CFI = 0.959; TLI = 0.876; NFI = 0.958; RMSEA = 0.078 [0.075–0.082]. Additionally, the findings indicated that more creative and happy individuals were also more concerned about climate change; they were more prone to believe that climate change is caused by human activity, they felt a higher personal responsibility to reduce climate change, and they were significantly more worried about climate change. This implies that as creative and happy individuals have a heightened sense of responsibility for climate change, these individuals may indeed play a key role in promoting climate change awareness and actions, including communication on sustainability, sustainability-related projects, and other activities; thus, tailored campaigns could be developed within the frames of citizen science. The findings also suggest implications for policy development: policymakers could consider the perspectives of creative and happy individuals when crafting climate policies, potentially leading to more effective and widely accepted solutions.

The concept of sustainable mobility and related green travel will play an increasingly important role in the development of tourism and climate policy in the European Union. Initiated by the European Commission, Erasmus+ green travel is a new initiative and not yet researched by EU institutions or in the literature. However, it fits in with the literature research on green mobility. The aim of this paper was to assess whether young tourists are interested in green mobility, whether they are willing to use means of low-emission transport when making trips, what factors play a role in their means of transport choices, and whether risk aversion influences their choices. For the purpose of this work, the authors conducted a survey in Poland among 36 Polish and foreign people from Generation Z studying in Poland and taking advantage of the green travel program in the Erasmus+ program and an economic experiment regarding their level of risk taking. Based on these data, it was examined whether young tourists are interested in green mobility, what factors play an important role when choosing a low-emission means of transport, and whether the level of risk taking influences their choices. The results of the survey indicated that young tourists tend to choose means of high-emission transport or a mix of high- and low-emission transport. However, if they receive a financial incentive, they are willing to use means of low-emission transport when travelling. The results of this study also indicated that environmental factors do not influence the propensity of young tourists towards specific means of transport, including low-emission transport, and economic and cognitive factors play an important role. It was also found that there is some positive relationship between the level of risk taking of the traveller and the propensity to green travel.

Hazelnut orchards are popular for cropping on sloped sites, which are often highly erodible. This study aimed to assess the impact of soil management and season in a hazelnut orchard on soil properties and hydrological response. Three treatments (Tilled, Straw, and Grass) were established in Munije (Croatia) on Stagnosol. In Spring, Summer, and Fall, a rainfall simulation was performed (intensity of 58 mm h−1 for 30 min). Results reveal higher water stable aggregate values were observed for the Straw treatment in all seasons. Higher soil organic matter (SOM) content was noticed for the Grass treatment in all seasons, while lower values were recorded for the Tilled treatment. Sediment loss in Summer was up to 650% and 1300% higher for the Tilled treatment compared with the Straw and Grass treatments. This study strengthens the comprehension of utilizing a permanent ground cover in hazelnut orchards as a sustainable practice, contributing to the mitigation of soil erosion processes and the improvement of soil properties. The Straw treatment is a viable option since it increases soil stability and SOM, consequently preventing high soil erosion.

Vinted is a free digital sharing economy platform where individuals buy and sell second-hand apparel. It is an example of industry 4.0 that promotes an innovative and successful business model while favoring sustainable fashion consumption. Gen Z consumers are concerned about climate change and social and ethical issues. Their environmental awareness is significant. Nevertheless, their values do not always translate into sustainable consumption behavior; their role as heavy consumers in the fast-fashion market is proof of this. The research aims to delve into the motivations of Gen Z towards sustainable fashion and their perception of the eco-friendly brand attributes in the case of Vinted. From the methodological point of view, the qualitative and quantitative approaches are combined through focus group sessions and a pilot study based on a questionnaire. The results confirm that Gen Z consumers recognize and appreciate the eco-friendly attributes of Vinted, although other types of brand attributes are the ones that mostly mobilize their behavior. Some participants claim that the representation of sustainable values in Vinted’s advertising campaigns is too soft. Among the conclusions, the opportunity to revise Vinted’s brand strategy stands out, giving a more explicit role to eco-friendly attributes pursuing an effective change in Gen Z consumption behavior.