In this paper, an improved mathematical model for flashover behavior of polluted insulators is proposed based on experimental tests. In order to determine the flashover model of polluted insulators, the relationship between conductivity and salinity of solution pollution layer of the insulator is measured. Then, the leakage of current amplitude of four common insulators versus axial, thermal conductivity and arc constants temperature was determined. The experimental tests show that top leakage distance (TLd) to bottom leakage distance (BLd) ratio of insulators has a significant effect on critical voltage and current. Therefore, critical voltage and current were modeled by TLd to BLd ratio Index (M). Also, salinity of solution pollution layer of the insulators has been applied to this model by resistance pollution parameter. On the other hand, arc constants of each insulator in new model have been identified based on experimental results. Finally, a mathematical model is intended for critical voltage against salinity of solution pollution layer of different insulators. This model depends on insulator profile. There is a good agreement between the experimental tests of pollution insulators obtained in the laboratory and values calculated from the mathematical models developed in the present study.

Starting from the ‘90s, there has been a significant increase in PPP use in the public sector in Europe, benefiting the implementation of infrastructure projects. In Italy, PPP is still much more limited than in such countries as the UK and France: the projects funded are smaller and the sectors involved are less appropriate. Based on the economic literature, European initiatives and international comparisons, the paper examines aspects of regulations that could encourage the appropriate use of PPP and considers the problems with the Italian regulations, while proposing some corrective measures. The main limitations involve: i) the absence of adequate preliminary assessments about the advantages of using PPP rather than the traditional procurement, ii) the relative lack of attention to the contract terms, iii) inadequate safeguards to ensure the bankability of the projects, and iv) limited information transparency and accessibility.

This quantitative survey was non-experimental and had two goals. An evaluation of predictor variables of empowerment, motivation, teamwork, interpersonal skills, and training and development in project environments was one goal to help explain the industry’s high project failure rate. Second, this research tested Bandura’s social learning theory and tested the hypothesis that empowerment and motivation boost performance. Using a survey-based questionnaire, the data was collected from 212 employees working in different IT companies in Pakistan. The results revealed that empowerment, motivation, teamwork, and training and development have a significant impact on project performance. Using the results, this study proposes theoretical implications for the researchers and managerial implications for the organizations.

Studies show that the COVID-19 crisis may threaten to attain sustainable development goals connected with shelter in developing countries, including Malaysia. Low-cost housing provision has been identified as one tool for achieving sustainability goals via synergistic operations. However, studies about post-COVID-19 housing and sustainable development goals integration are scarce in Malaysia. The study investigated the state of post-COVID-19 housing and developed a framework to integrate Goals in housing provision in Malaysia. The study covered four major cities in Malaysia via qualitative research to achieve the study’s objectives. The researchers engaged forty participants via semi-structured virtual interviews, and saturation was achieved. The study utilized a thematic analysis for the collated data and honed them with secondary sources. Findings show that COVID-19 reduced the possibility of low-income earners becoming homeowners. This is because the low-income groups were real losers of COVID-19 economic changes. Also, findings reveal that achieving four Goals from the 17 Goals will improve housing provision in Malaysia’s post-COVID-19 era. The study encourages key housing stakeholders to improve housing delivery, especially for the low-income earners across Malaysia in the post-COVID-19 era. This will imply contributing to achieving four Goals because of the correlation, as part of the study’s implications.

China-Africa economic integration generally looks lucid, as evidenced by rising bilateral trade, as well as Chinese FDI, aid, and debt financing for infrastructure development in Africa. The engagement, however, appears to be strategically channeled to benefit China’s resource endowment strategy. First, Chinese FDI in Africa is primarily resource-seeking, with minimum manufacturing value addition. Second, China has successfully replicated the Angola model in other resource-rich African countries, and most infrastructure loans-for-natural resources barter deals are said to be undervalued. There is also a resource-backed loan arrangement in place, in which default Chinese loans are repaid in natural resources. Third, while China claims that its financial aid is critical to Africa’s growth and development processes, a significant portion of the aid is spent on non-development projects such as building parliaments and government buildings. This lend credence to the notion that China uses aid to gain diplomatic recognition from African leaders, with resource-rich and/or institutionally unstable countries being the most targeted. The preceding arguments support why Africa’s exports to China dominate other China’s financial flows to Africa, and consist mainly of natural resources. Accordingly, this study aims to forecast China-Africa economic integration through the lens of China’s demand for natural resources and Africa’s demand for capital, both of which are reflected in Africa’s exports to China. The study used a MODWT-ARIMA hybrid forecasting technique to account for the short period of available China-Africa bilateral trade dataset (1992–2021), and found that Africa’s exports to China are likely to decline from US$ 119.20 billion in 2022 to US$ 13.68 billion in 2026 on average. This finding coincides with a period in which Chinese demand for Africa’s natural resources is expected to decline.

In a rapidly evolving digital economy, cyberpreneurship has emerged as a pivotal force driving innovation and economic growth. The study applies the Theory of Planned Behaviour in predicting entrepreneurial intention in the context of Malaysia, where the government has actively championed digital entrepreneurship. Drawing from a sample of 473 final-year university students in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia, the study investigates the impact of Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation (IEO) dimensions, namely innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness, on the intention to engage in cyberpreneurship within the context of Digital Free Trade Zones (DFTZ). The study further examines the moderation effect of psychological characteristics incorporating visionary thinking, self-efficacy, opportunism, and creativity to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing cyberpreneurial intentions. With the moderating variable, the paper presents a comprehensive model to investigate the IEO and psychological characteristics contributing to cyberpreneurship intentions and its impact on engagement in DFTZ. An empirical examination of data and hypotheses found that risk-taking (RISK) and proactiveness (PRO) are significantly related to cyberpreneurial intention. Psychological characteristics significantly proved its moderating role in its interaction with innovatiness (INNO), risk-taking (RISK), and proactivness (PRO) in influencing cyberpreneurial intentions (CYBER_PI). Innovativeness (INNO) without the influence of the moderating variable is not significantly related to cyberpreneurial intentions. Engagement with the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) through the mediating role of cyberpreneurial intentions (CYBER_PI), the innovativeness (INNO) did not succeed. On the other hand, risk-taking (RISK) and proactiveness (PRO) are found to be significant. The paper contributes to the landscape of e-commerce and digital trade literature by advancing our understanding of the factors driving individuals’ intentions to participate in cyberpreneurship and engage in DFTZ. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and entrepreneurs alike.