2025-12-11
Fabien Schultz
This paper investigates the potential of a concept for the commercial utilization of surplus intermittent wind-generated electricity for municipal district heating based on the development of an electric-driven heat storage. The article is divided into three sections: 1. A review on energy storage systems; 2. Results and calculations after a market analysis based on electricity consumption statistics covering the years 2005-2013; and 3. Technology research and the development of an innovative thermal energy storage (TES) system. The review of energy storage systems introduces the basic principles and state-of-art technologies of TES. The market analysis describes the occurrence of excess wind power in Germany, particularly the emergence of failure work and negative electricity rates due to surplus wind power generation. Based on the review, an innovative concept for a prototype of a large-scale underwater sensible heat storage system, that is combined with a latent heat storage system, was developed. The trapezoidal prism-shaped storage system developed possesses a high efficiency factor of 0.98 due to its insulation, large volume, and high rate of energy conversion. Approximate calculations showed that the system would be capable of supplying about 40,000 people with hot water and energy for space heating, which is equivalent to the population of a medium-sized city. Alternatively, around 210,000 inhabitants could be supplied with hot water only. While the consumer´s costs for hot water generation and space heating would be lowered by approximately 20.0%-73.4%, the thermal energy storage would generate an estimated annual profit of 3.9 million Euros or more (excluding initial costs and maintenance costs).
2025-11-28
Michal Kubovics, Peter Murár
The aim was to explore the relationships between selected demographic and digital citizenship factors and public trust and citizens' willingness to accept content generated by advanced technological innovations (AIGC) in social infrastructure. AIGC is defined as a proposition of social infrastructure that includes digital public services, education, and public administration, where its implementation has direct political and regulatory implications. The sample consisted of 1,308 respondents. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationships between the ordinal variables. To assess the differences between groups of respondents, a one-way analysis of variance was used, during which multiple linear regression analysis was used to confirm the predictive power of awareness and experience of AI-generated content in relation to the propensity to accept such content. The study confirmed a statistically significant but weak negative relationship between the age of respondents and their willingness to accept AIGC, with younger age groups showing slightly higher acceptance rates. Respondents' attitudes towards the use of personal data through AI and their overall awareness of technological trends had a more significant impact on acceptance. The findings show that respondents who are open to data collection through AI technologies show significantly higher levels of acceptance of automatically generated content. Similarly, respondents who rate the current quality of AIGC positively also have higher expectations regarding the future transformation of marketing strategies and media practices. The decisive factors in the social infrastructure for AIGC acceptance are not so much the age of respondents, but rather their awareness, technological literacy and level of trust in the technology itself. We recommend introducing regulatory frameworks to ensure the transparency of AIGC in public infrastructure and supporting educational programmes focused on digital literacy and accessibility of AI-based services, which would increase citizens' trust in AIGC in digital public services. The results have direct implications for policy-making, digital citizenship and the setting of rules for fair access to AIGC within the social infrastructure.
2025-11-26
Michael Ogbe
This research examines data from 1989 to 2022 across 48 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries using a novel panel data regression approach to uncover how conflict undermines economic stability. The study identifies the destruction of infrastructure, disruption of human capital development, and deterrence of investment as primary channels through which conflict negatively impacts economies. These findings support the hypothesis that armed conflict severely hampers economic performance in SSA, highlighting the urgency for effective conflict resolution strategies and robust institutional frameworks. The negative impacts extend beyond immediate losses, altering income growth trajectories and perpetuating poverty long after hostilities cease. Regional spillover effects emphasize the interconnectedness of SSA economies, where conflict in one country affects its neighbors. The research provides innovative insights by disaggregating impact pathways and employing a robust methodology, revealing the complexity of conflict's economic consequences. It underscores the need for comprehensive policy interventions to foster resilience and sustainable development in conflict-prone regions. While there is evidence of potential post-conflict growth, the overall net effect of armed conflict remains profoundly negative, diminishing economic prospects. Future research should focus on strengthening long-term resilience mechanisms and policy measures to enhance the peace dividend. Addressing the root causes of conflict and investing in peace-building efforts are essential for transforming SSA's economic landscape and ensuring sustainable growth and development.
2025-11-25
Tadele Tesfaye Labiso
The aim of this study was to assess the challenges of rural landholding rights of women in Boloso sore Woreda. The population that used as source of data were sample womenfrom four kebeles,Kebele land administration committee members,Woreda women,youth and children office head,Woreda women’s association president,Woreda agriculture office head and Woreda agriculture office rural land administration desk experts.four kebeles from 28 rural kebeles selected by using systematic random sampling. Data gathered using questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS where descriptive and inferential were used for the purpose. Secondary data were collected from different relevant literatures such as reports, research results documents and publications. As to the findings,women landholding trend in the study area was highly contrasts legally ensured equal holding and using rights of women with men.The community including women themselves perceive women independent landholding as taboo and prohibits it.Even if they hold by different means,the plot of land they got or held was small in size and not conducive for agriculture and house construction. The awareness of women on rural land registration and certification benefit was also poor. Thus,rural women should be initiated to organize and struggle for their equal landholding and administering rights.
2025-11-21
Alaa Alqudah, Ayman Abu-Haija, Mohammad Azzam, Laith Aryan
The aim of this study was to elucidate the expected moderating effect exerted by institutional owners on the intricate correlation between the characteristics of boards of directors and the issue of earnings management, as gauged by the loan loss provisions. The sample encompassed all the banks listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) over the period between 2010 and 2022, representing a total of 182 observations. The results derived from the examination clearly demonstrate that the institutional owners have a key impact on augmenting the monitoring tasks and responsibilities of the boards of directors across the study sample. The results revealed the fundamental role of such owners in strengthening the supervisory tasks carried out by boards of directors in Jordan. A panel data model has been used in the analysis. The results of this study show that the presence of the owner of an institution has a discernible moderating role in the banks' monitoring landscape. Indeed, their presence strengthens the monitoring tasks of the banks’ boards by underscoring the quest to restrict the EM decisions. Interestingly, the results support the monitoring proposition outlined by agency theory, which introduced CG recommendations as a deterrent tool to reduce the expectation gap between banks' owners and their representatives.
2025-11-20
Aklilu Abera, Desalegn Wana, Alemayehu Temesgen
Farm households in developing countries are often involved in a variety of livelihood income-generating activities to achieve basic needs and enhance food security. While some studies have examined this relationship, gaps still remain—such as conflicting findings, limited context-specific analyses, or a lack of focus on the study region.. This study explored the nexus between livelihood diversification and Agricultural Land Management (ALM) practices in the Southern Ethiopian Highlands. Data for this study were gathered through a structured questionnaire, interviews, and focus group discussions. A total of 423 sample respondents were selected by using multistage random sampling techniques. The data were analyzed using the Inverse Herfindahl Hirschman Diversity Index (IHHDI), the multinomial logit model (MNL), and the probit regression model. The findings of the study revealed that on-farm income activities are the most dominant livelihood income strategies (69.1%), followed by non-farm (21%) and off-farm (9.64%). The multinomial logit model analysis demonstrated that variables such as sex, education, family size, distance to market, land size, extension contact, membership in cooperatives, and household income were the major drivers of farmers income diversification activities ( p <0.05). The results of the probit analysis indicated that income from crop production, daily labor work, rents from farmland, and farm assets have a positive and significant effect on households' decisions to implement ALM practices. In contrast, incomes from remittance and migrant sources have a negative but statistically significant impact on the adoption of ALM measures. The farm household sources of income-generating strategies substantially affected the adoption intensity of ALM measures. Income generated from the on-farm sector alone cannot be considered a core income-generating activity for households or a means of achieving food security. Therefore, land management policies and program implementations should consider farmers’ livelihood diversification and income-generating strategies. In addition, such interventions need to promote sustainable farming practices, enhance innovation, and related measures for the adoption of ALM measures to ensure land sustainability.
2025-11-11
Eric Blanco Niyitunga, Mohammed Iqbal Jahed
The effects of aid dependency on preventing the achievement of sustainable development in Africa have not been given appropriate academic attention. Aid dependency in Africa is undoubtedly among the most factors that have promoted poverty and underdevelopment. Aid dependency which hindered the growth of local innovation, promoted divisions that have affected good governance for sustainable development. Aid dependency has promoted chronic poverty, mental laziness and unstable health and well-being. It has ignited unhealthy conditions that have created a perpetual vicious cycle of poverty that prevents the achievement of sustainable development. The study found that planning diplomacy can serve as a solution to aid diplomacy and address its effects thus promoting the achievement of sustainable development. Planning diplomacy was found to have critical links with Africa’s communalism theory, thus making it an ideal approach to addressing the effects of aid dependency in Africa. Planning diplomacy was found to promote local business in a collective manner. It is through this collective approach that sustainable development can be achieved in Africa. Planning diplomacy was found to be key for sustainable development because it makes good use of foreign aid and promotes local ownership, thus strengthening sustainable economic growth and development that makes sustainable development achievable. Planning diplomacy was equally important as a remedy to aid dependency because it enhances knowledge and skills transfer. Knowledge and skills transfer promotes sustainable development because it facilitates sharing of skills that brings innovation and technologies to local citizens in a collective manner. The study adopted a qualitative research methodology with the use of secondary data collected from existing literature published in the public domain. Collected data was analyzed and interpreted through document analysis techniques.