Increasing number of smart cities, the rise of technology and urban population engagement in urban management, and the scarcity of open data for evaluating sustainable urban development determines the necessity of developing new sustainability assessment approaches. This study uses passive crowdsourcing together with the adapted SULPiTER (Sustainable Urban Logistics Planning to Enhance Regional freight transport) methodology to assess the sustainable development of smart cities. The proposed methodology considers economic, environmental, social, transport, communication factors and residents’ satisfaction with the urban environment. The SULPiTER relies on experts in selection of relevant factors and determining their contribution to the value of a sustainability indicator. We propose an alternative approach based on automated data gathering and processing. To implement it, we build an information service around a formal knowledge base that accumulates alternative workflows for estimation of indicators and allows for automatic comparison of alternatives and aggregation of their results. A system architecture was proposed and implemented with the Astana Opinion Mining service as its part that can be adjusted to collect opinions in various impact areas. The findings hold value for early identification of problems, and increasing planning and policies efficiency in sustainable urban development.

This research investigates the impact of modern technological methods of knowledge management (KM) and total quality management (TQM) on the performance of faculty members in educational colleges in Jordan. Drawing on a survey conducted with 306 faculty members, the study examines the influence of technology on teaching methodologies and academic quality within the Jordanian higher education context. The study utilizes the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to back up the modern technological methods of knowledge management (KM) and total quality management (TQM) models. The findings reveal a generally positive perception among respondents regarding the beneficial effects of modern technological tools on teaching effectiveness, collaboration, and innovation. Additionally, technology-enhanced TQM practices were found to contribute to improvements in curriculum design, student engagement, and administrative processes. Regression and correlation analyses support significant relationships between technology-enabled KM and TQM practices and faculty performance, highlighting the transformative role of technology in shaping the future of higher education in Jordan. Recommendations are provided for educational institutions to enhance the integration of technology and foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement among faculty members.

It is critical for urban and regional planners to examine spatial relationships and interactions between a port and its surrounding urban areas within a region’s spatial structure. This paper seeks to develop a targeted framework of causal relationships influencing the spatial structure changes in the Bushehr port-city. Hence, the study utilizes Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs), a computational technique adept at analyzing complex decision-making processes. FCMs are employed to identify concepts that act as drivers or barriers in the spatial structure changes of Bushehr port-city, thereby elucidating the causal relationships within this context. Additionally, the study evaluates these concepts’ relative significance and interrelationships. Data was collected through interviews with ten experts from diverse backgrounds, including specialists, academics, policymakers, and urban managers. The insights from these experts were analyzed using FCMapper and Pajek software to construct a collective FCM, which depicts the influential and affected concepts within the system. The resulting collective FCM consists of 16 concepts, representing the varied perspectives and expertise of the participants. Among these, the concepts of management and planning reform, economic growth of the city-port, and port development emerged as the three most central concepts. Moreover, the effects of all influential concepts on the spatial structure change in Bushehr port-city were evaluated through simulations conducted across four different scenarios. The analysis demonstrated that the system experiences the most significant impact under the fourth scenario, where the most substantial changes are observed in commercial and industrial growth and the planning of port-city separation policies.

We report a method for effectively and homogeneously incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the form of double-wall (DWCNTs) and multi-wall (MWCNTs) structures into commercial paints without the use of additives, surfactants, or chemical processes. The process involves the physical mixing of the nanotubes and polymers using the cavitation energy of an ultrasonic bath. It is a simple, fast method that allows for uniform distribution of carbon nanotube bundles within the polymer for direct application. Due to the hydrophobic properties of the carbon nanotubes as grown, we used paint samples containing 0.3% by mass of both types of CNTs and observed an improvement in waterproofing through wettability and water absorption through immersion tests on the samples. Different solvents such as water, formaldehyde, and glycerin were used, and the results showed an increase in paint impermeability of 30% and 25% with the introduction of DWCNTs and MWCNTs, respectively. This indicates a promising, economically viable, and revolutionary method for applying nanotechnology in the polymer industry.

Adult vocational training of higher education institutes has great potential to help workforce coping with uncertainties of the fast-changing Labor market in the era of Industrial Revolution 4.0. However, the lack of clarity regarding strategies for effectively establishing adult vocational training in higher education institutes may hinder progress. The aim of this study was to develop agreed strategies of adult vocational training for higher education institutes in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. The 3-round Delphi method used semi-structured interviews and questionnaires to explore and reach an agreement on the future direction of the strategies. The semi-structured interview was used in the first round to explore the ideas in relation to such strategies. the questionnaires were used in the second and the third rounds to explore further and reach the consensus on expert opinions defined at interquartile range (IQR) ≤ 1. Besides that, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methods were used to calculate the weights of each consented statements. Through Delphi method, the comprehensive strategies have been articulated with the highlights of 1 vision, 6 goals and 40 actionable strategies. furthermore, the experts commonly highlighted that the vision of future adult vocational training shall prioritizes cultivating skilled professionals with industrial needs, offering everyone accessible opportunities for career development. Besides that, the result also showed that reskilling and upskilling and extending the leaners’ interpersonal networks have been ranked as the two most important goals for future adult vocational training in higher education institutes.