In today’s manufacturing sector, high-quality materials that satisfy customers’ needs at a reduced cost are drawing attention in the global market. Also, as new applications are emerging, high-performance biocomposite products that complement them are required. The production of such high-performance materials requires suitable optimization techniques in the formulation/process design, not simply mixing natural fibre/filler, additives, and plastics, and characterization of the resulting biocomposites. However, a comprehensive review of the optimization strategies in biocomposite production intended for infrastructural applications is lacking. This study, therefore, presents a detailed discussion of the various optimization approaches, their strengths, and weaknesses in the formulation/process parameters of biocomposite manufacturing. The report explores the recent progress in optimization techniques in biocomposite material production to provide baseline information to researchers and industrialists in this field. Therefore, this review consolidates prior studies to explore new areas.

Urban mobility in Grand Lomé is affected by several negative externalities, including road congestion, insecurity and environmental pollution. Traffic jams cause considerable economic losses, estimated at more than 13,000 CFA francs per month for some public officials, and represent a financial drain of several million CFA francs per day on the Togolese economy. These challenges are accentuated by rapid urbanization and a dizzying increase in the number of vehicles, especially motorcycle taxis. These factors not only cause economic losses, but also to the deterioration of the quality of life of the inhabitants. On average, motorists lose up to 49.5 min per day in traffic jams, with fuel and time costs estimated at hundreds of thousands of CFA francs per year for each user of the main boulevards. Through an in-depth analysis of the impacts of these negative externalities on mobility and sustainable development, this study reveals that traffic congestion, combined with the lack of road infrastructure, generates considerable economic and environmental costs. These traffic jams also worsen air pollution, making the transport sector responsible for 80% of greenhouse gas emissions. These proposed solutions include: 1) The modernization of road infrastructure, culminating in the construction of new lanes entirely dedicated to public and non-motorized transport. 2) The regulation of motorcycle taxis, inspired by regional examples, to improve safety and efficiency. 3) The introduction of rapid transit systems, such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), to make travel more fluid. 4) The implementation of strict environmental standards and regular technical controls to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These proposals aim to reduce social and economic costs, while promoting sustainable mobility and a better quality of life for residents.

The effective drainage radius of coal seam is an important basis for the spacing of pre-drainage gas boreholes. To quickly and accurately determine the effective drainage radius, a new method was proposed. For the coal face where the desorbable gas content before mining has met the standard, the compliance of mine gas drainage rate was used as the basis to determine the effective drainage radius. The fluid-structure interaction model was constructed, numerical simulation of coal seam gas drainage was carried out by using COMSOL software, and the model was validated by combining the field test results. The results show that the new method has the advantage of short cycle. With the extension of drainage time, the increase of effective drainage radius gradually decreases, and finally reaches a relatively stable limit value, which conforms to the Langmuir function. The average error between numerical simulation and field test values of effective drainage radius is 4.9%, which proves that the model is reliable. This model can accurately predict the effective drainage radius under different coal seam gas contents and drainage times. The research results provide a new mean for determining the effective drainage radius of coal seam and the layout of gas drainage boreholes.

Catastrophes, like earthquakes, bring sudden and severe damage, causing fatalities, injuries, and property loss. This often triggers a rapid increase in insurance claims. These claims can encompass various types, such as life insurance claims for deaths, health insurance claims for injuries, and general insurance claims for property damage. For insurers offering multiple types of coverage, this surge in claims can pose a risk of financial losses or bankruptcy. One option for insurers is to transfer some of these risks to reinsurance companies. Reinsurance companies will assess the potential losses due to a catastrophe event, then issue catastrophe reinsurance contracts to insurance companies. This study aims to construct a valuation model for catastrophe reinsurance contracts that can cover claim losses arising from two types of insurance products. Valuation in this study is done using the Fundamental Theorem of Asset Pricing, which is the expected present value of the number of claims that occur during the reinsurance coverage period. The number of catastrophe events during the reinsurance coverage period is assumed to follow a Poisson process. Each impact of a catastrophe event, such as the number of fatalities and injuries that cause claims, is represented as random variables, and modeled using Peaks Over Threshold (POT). This study uses Clayton, Gumbel, and Frank copulas to describe various dependence characteristics between random variables. The parameters of the POT model and copula are estimated using Inference Functions for Margins method. After estimating the model parameters, Monte Carlo simulations are performed to obtain numerical solutions for the expected value of catastrophe reinsurance based on the Fundamental Theorem of Asset Pricing. The expected reinsurance value based on Monte Carlo simulations using Indonesian earthquake data from 1979–2021 is Rp 10,296,819,838.

In this paper, a classification of low-dimensional nanomaterials is given, and new type of these nanomaterials — subnanophase coatings are proposed. Experimental results on the formation of a wetting layer of a transition metal on a silicon substrate by physical deposition in vacuum and results of this layer identification by the EELS method are given. Based on these results, a new approach to the formation of subnanophase coatings has been proposed by creation of an interface stresses structuring WL. The possible properties and application prospects of subnanophase coatings are considered.