Regarding to the influence of chloride and fluoride ions on the corrosion resistance, the electrochemical behavior of Ti alloys has been deeply studied. In this work, the main goal was to investigate the electrochemical behavior of cp-Ti and Ti-Mo alloys containing 6, 10 and 15 wt% of Mo concentrations. All the samples were immersed in different solutions, such as 0.15 mol L-1 Na2SO4, 0.15 mol L-1 Ringer, 0.15 mol L-1 Ringer plus 0.036 mol L-1 NaF and 0.036 mol L-1 NaF. Simulating the commercial fluorinated gels, the NaF solutions naturally-aerated were prepared with 1450 ppm of fluoride ions. The electrochemical techniques applied in this work were the open-circuit potential, cyclic voltammetry, besides the technique for chemical identification, which was X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The formation and growth of TiO2 and MoO2 were identified, without pitting corrosion. The electrochemical stability and the corrosion resistance of the Ti-Mo alloys decreased in the solutions containing chloride and fluoride ions, with an appreciative decrease especially in the fluorinated medium. The Ti-Mo alloy with higher Mo content concentration was the material with higher corrosion resistance. Therefore, it is a promising candidate as a biomaterial, once the osseointegration needs a satisfactory corrosion resistance for being achieved.
Classical photography, aesthetic beauty, and scientific analysis are related. This article explores composition, light manipulation, and emotion to examine the aesthetic components that characterize classical traditions. Pioneers like Julia Margaret Cameron are revealed from a historical perspective, and Ansel Adams' landscapes are the pinnacle of harmony and majesty. Scientific discoveries illuminate the psychology of authenticity and engagement in the digital age while promoting visual literacy. The timeless influence of artistry in the visual narrative is underscored by classic aesthetics, which connect the past, present, and resound through great works.
The Malaysian government’s efforts to promote solar photovoltaic (PV) usage among households face a challenge due to its low adoption rate. This study delves into the factors influencing the exponential adoption of solar PV electricity generation among landed residential property owners in Malaysia. The research aims to comprehensively examine the predictors influencing the adoption of solar PV systems among Malaysian households. Hence, the study employs an enhanced Theory of Planned Behavior framework, integrating sustainable energy security dimensions such as availability, affordability, efficiency, acceptability, regulation, and governance. The sample comprised 556 Malaysian residents who owned and resided in the landed properties. The home locations where at least one solar PV installation existed within a residential street. Snowball sampling was employed through referrals, leveraging social and community networks. Collected data was analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling. Attitude, affordability, and acceptability emerged as pivotal factors significantly impacting the intention to use solar PV systems among Malaysian households. This research not only enriches academic discourse but also offers practical implications for policymakers, guiding the formulation of targeted strategies to promote sustainable energy practices and facilitate the widespread adoption of solar PV systems in Malaysia.
This study examines factors associated with an increasingly poor perception of the novel coronavirus in Africa using a designed electronic questionnaire to collect perception-based information from participants across Africa from twenty-one African countries (and from all five regions of Africa) between 1 and 25 February 2022. The study received 66.7% of responses from West Africa, 12.7% from Central Africa, 4.6% from Southern Africa, 15% from East Africa, and 1% from North Africa. The majority of the participants are Nigerians (56%), 14.1% are Cameroonians, 8.7% are Ghanaians, 9.3% are Kenyans, 2% are South Africans, 2.1% are DR-Congolese, 1.6% are Tanzanians, 1.2% are Rwandans, 0.4% are Burundians, and others are Botswana’s, Chadians, Comoros, Congolese, Gambians, Malawians, South Sudanese, Sierra Leoneans, Ugandans, Zambians, and Zimbabweans. All responses were coded on a five-point Likert scale. The study adopts descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, and binary logistic regression analysis for the data analysis. The descriptive analysis of the study shows that the level of ignorance or poor “perception” of COVID-19 in Africa is very high (87% of individuals sampled). It leads to skepticism towards complying with preventive measures as advised by the WHO and directed by the national government across Africa. We adopted logistic regression analysis to identify the factors associated with a poor perception of the virus in Africa. The study finds that religion (belief or faith) and media misinformation are the two leading significant causes of ignorance or poor “perception” of COVID-19 in Africa, with log odd of 0.4775 (resulting in 1.6120 odd ratios) and 1.3155 (resulting in 3.7265 odd ratios), respectively. The study concludes that if the poor attitude or perception towards complying with the preventive measures continues, COVID-19 cases in Africa may increase beyond the current spread.
The objective of this paper is to analyze the impact of infrastructure financing on economic growth in emerging markets through the application of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. In this study, the research will employ both primary and secondary data to investigate the impact of different structures of infrastructure financing on the performance of the economy through interviews with the stakeholders and policy documents alongside quantitative data from the World Bank and the IMF. The quantitative analysis employs the econometric models to establish the effect of infrastructure investment on the GDP growth of the selected countries, India, China, Brazil, and Nigeria. Additional secondary qualitative data obtained from interviews with policymakers and financial specialists from Brazil, India, and South Africa offer more practical information regarding the efficiency of the discussed financing approaches. This paper is therefore able to conclude that appropriate management of infrastructure investments, particularly those that involve the PPP, are central to the development of the economy. However, certain drawbacks such as the lack of regularity of data and the disparity in the effectiveness of financing instruments by the regions are pointed out. The research provides policy implications to policymakers and investors who wish to finance infrastructure in the emerging economy to enhance economic growth in the long run.
Environmental regulation is globally recognized for its crucial role in mitigating environmental pollution and is vital for achieving the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. There is a current gap in the comprehensive overview of the significance of environmental regulation research, necessitating high-level insights. This paper aims to bridge this gap through an exhaustive bibliometric review of existing environmental regulation research. Employing bibliometric analysis, this study delineates publication trends, identifies leading journals, countries, institutions, and scholars. Utilizing VOSviewer software, we conducted a frequency and centrality analysis of keywords and visualized keyword co-occurrences. This research highlights current hotspots and central themes in the field, including “innovation”, “performance”, “economic growth”, and “pollution”. Further analysis of research trends underscores existing knowledge gaps and potential future research directions. Emerging topics for future investigation in environmental regulation include “financial constraints”, “green finance”, “green credit”, “ESG”, “circular economy”, “labor market”, “political uncertainty”, “digital transformation”, “exports” and “mediating effects”. Additionally, “quasi-natural experiments” and “machine learning” have emerged as cutting-edge research methodologies in this domain. The focus of research is shifting from analyzing the impact of environmental regulation on “innovation” to “green innovation” and from “emissions” to “carbon emissions”. This study provides a comprehensive and structured understanding, thereby guiding subsequent research in this field.
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