Segregating the scavenging processes from the lubrication methodology is a very effective way of improving two-stroke cycle engine durability. The application of stepped or twin diameter pistons is one such method that has repeatedly shown significantly greater durability over comparable crankcase scavenged engines together with an ability to operate on neat fuel without any added oil. This research study presents the initial results observed from a gasoline/indolene fuelled stepped piston engine ultimately intended for Hybrid Electric Vehicle and/or Range Extender Electric Vehicle application using hydrogen fuelling. Hydrogen fuelling offers the potential to significantly reduce emissions, with near zero emission operation possible, and overcoming the serious issues of range anxiety in modern transport solutions. The low environmental impact is discussed along with results from 1-d Computational Fluid Dynamic modelling. The engine type is a low-cost solution countering the financial challenges of powertrain duplication evident with Hybrid Electric and Range Extender Electric Vehicles.

Communicative language is an important part of daily communication, and mastering its usage proficiently can leave a good impression on people. There are significant differences in the greetings between China and Japan. These  differences also reflect the different cultures of the two countries. Focusing on the greetings of the first meeting in daily life, this paper selects TV plays with more daily exchanges, collects language materials of TV play types related to social life, friendship, schools, companies, etc., and makes a comparative analysis of the performance and functions of Japanese and Chinese greetings, and makes a study of Sociolinguistics.

Biomass energy is abundant, clean, and carbon dioxide neutral, making it a viable alternative to fossil fuels in the near future. The release of syngas from biomass thermochemical treatments is particularly appealing since it may be used in a variety of heat and power generation systems. When a syngas with low tar and contaminants is required, downdraft gasifiers are usually one of the first gasification devices deployed. It is time-consuming and impractical to evaluate a gasification system's performance under multiple parameters, using every type of biomass currently available, which makes rapid simulation techniques with well-developed mathematical models necessary for the efficient and economical use of energy resources. This work attempts to examine, through model and experimentation, how well a throated downdraft gasification system performs when using pretreatment biomass feedstock that has been characterized. For the analyses, peanut shell (PS), a biomass waste easily obtained locally, was used. The producer gas generated with 9 mm PS pellets had a composition of 17.93% H2, 24.43 % CO, 12.47 % CO2, and 1.22% CH4 on a wet basis at the value of 0.3 equivalency ratio and 800 °C gasification temperature. The calorific value was found to be 4.96 MJ/Nm3. The biomass feedstock PS is found to be suitable for biomass gasification in order to produce syngas.

This study investigates the viability and sustainability of proposed landfill sites based on the uncapacitated facility location problem framework utilising the SmartPLS4 Structural Equation Modelling. Investigating the Cape Coast Metropolis, a stratified sampling method selected 400 samples out of which 320 valid respondents were used as the basis for the analysis. Through statistical analysis, significant correlations were identified among community acceptance, environmental impact, facility accessibility, site sustainability, and operational efficiency. However, no significant correlation was found between economic viability and site sustainability. Furthermore, the proposed indirect mediation pathway from operational efficiency to site sustainability via facility accessibility was also statistically insignificant. Employing the use of SmartPLS4 approach in studying the application of uncapacitated facility location problem framework, deepens the understanding of landfill viability and sustainability dynamics. This research contributes to the environmental sciences and sustainability by providing insights into landfill management strategies and emphasising the importance of community engagement and environmental performance in achieving sustainable outcomes. Future research could refine the model by including additional variables like technological advancements and regulatory frameworks, conducting longitudinal studies to track landfill dynamics over time, and undertaking comparative studies across different geographical regions. This could provide insights into management approaches’ applicability. Interdisciplinary collaborations are recommended to address the multifaceted challenges of landfill sustainability.

In this study, the effect of roasting and boiling on the yield and oxidative stability of soya bean oil was investigated. The oil was soxhlet extracted and the oxidative stability was determined by the free fatty acid value, acid value and peroxide value. The results showed that the oil yield, free fatty acid value, acid value and peroxide value were significantly affected by roasting, boiling, and the thermal treatment time. The percentage oil yield in the control oil sample was 18.51%, which increased to 20.24% and 20.73% after boiling and roasting respectively, at 40mins. The corresponding free fatty acid and the peroxide value of the control oil sample were 0.14% and 2.04 meqO₂/kg, which increased to 0.82% and 6.60 meqO₂/kg by roasting, and 0.47% and 5.62 meqO₂/kg by boiling respectively. Thus the oil yield, free fatty acid value, peroxide value, and acid value increased with increasing roasting and boiling time.
The results indicate that roasting provides a higher oil yield than boiling, but boiled oil has higher oxidative stability than roasted oil.

Effective small and medium enterprise (SME) leadership demands creative solutions to ensure organisations survive and thrive during the turbulent times that COVID-19 continues to bring. This paper explores how SME leaders (in micro and small organisations) prioritise and access the skills and development needed to provide effective and sustainable leadership to organisations, focusing on the role of resilience and the benefits it provides. Participants were selected through purposive and snowballing sampling. Online surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted and provided qualitative data that contributes to an understanding of the role of resilience and the view of participants as to what is needed to effectively respond to a dynamic environment. Evidence shows that SME leaders prioritise learning and development opportunities that provide demonstrable benefits throughout the organisation. Building business resilience remains a fuzzy concept; however, viewing resilience as a multi-level construct offers benefits when designing and delivering development opportunities. It has been found that networking, partnerships, and relationship building promote resilience and may offer a solution to how to embed resilience building into development opportunities that SME leaders value and wish to engage with. This article contributes by illustrating and exploring leadership development within SMEs during a period of unexpected and untested uncertainty. The pandemic caused major shock waves within business communities, and SMEs were significantly affected. The research is limited in that it is expected to be a once-in-a lifetime event, and as such conditions may not be replicable, learning opportunities for other ‘shock’ events are possible. The findings of this paper have relevance to practice in that, while the event may be one-off, shocks to the business environment are not.