Conversion of the ocean’s vertical thermal energy gradient to electricity via OTEC has been demonstrated at small scales over the past century. It represents one of the planet’s most significant (and growing) potential energy sources. As described here, all living organisms need to derive energy from their environment, which heretofore has been given scant serious consideration. A 7th Law of Thermodynamics would complete the suite of thermodynamic laws, unifying them into a universal solution for climate change. 90% of the warming heat going into the oceans is a reasonably recoverable reserve accessible with existing technology and existing economic circumstances. The stratified heat of the ocean’s tropical surface invites work production in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics with minimal environmental disruption. TG is the OTEC improvement that allows for producing two and a half times more energy. It is an endothermic energy reserve that obtains energy from the environment, thereby negating the production of waste heat. This likewise reduces the cost of energy and everything that relies on its consumption. The oceans have a wealth of dissolved minerals and metals that can be sourced for a renewable energy transition and for energy carriers that can deliver ocean-derived power to the land. At scale, 31,000 one-gigawatt (1-GW) TG plants are estimated to displace about 0.9 W/m² of average global surface heat into deep water, from where, at a depth of 1000 m, unconverted heat diffuses back to the surface and is available for recycling.

Many questions of control theory are well studied for systems which satisfy to the relative degree definition. If this definition is fulfilled then there exists linear state-space transform reducing system to a very convenient canonical form where zero dynamics is a part of system’s equations. Algorithms of such reduction are well-known. However, there exist systems which don’t satisfy this definition. Such systems are the subject of investigation in the presented paper. To investigate their properties here we suggest to consider an analogue of the classical relative degree definition – the so-called column-wise relative degree. It turned out that this definition is satisfied in some cases when classical relative degree doesn’t exist. We introduce this notion here, investigate it properties and suggest algorithm for reducing systems to the column-wise relative degree compliant form if possible. It is possible to show that systems with column-wise relative degree also can be reduced to a convenient canonical form by a linear state-space transformation. Some problems arise from the fact that some systems which do not have relative degree can be reduced to a form with it using linear inputs or outputs transform. Here we show that this is an interesting mathematical problem, which can be solved with the help of properties of relative degree, formulated and proved in this paper.

This paper is devoted to the discussion of dynamical properties of anisotropic dark energy cosmological model of the universe in a Bianchi type-V space time in the framework of scale covariant theory of gravitation formulated by Canuto et al.(phys.Rev.Lett.39:429,1977).A  dark energy cosmological model is presented by solving the field equations of this theory by using some physically viable conditions. The dynamics of the model is  studied  by computing the cosmological parameters, dark energy density, equation of state(EoS) parameter, skewness parameters, deceleration parameter and the jerk parameter. This being a scalar field model gives us the quintessence model of the universe which describes a significant dark energy candidate of our accelerating universe. All the physical quantities discussed are in agreement with the recent cosmological observations.

This study critically examines the multifaceted dynamics of foreign employee integration within the Czech Republic, with a specific focus on the Mladá Boleslav region. Conducted prior to the Ukrainian crisis, this research serves as a crucial baseline for understanding integration in a pre-crisis context and provides comparative insights into the evolving challenges and opportunities amid the subsequent migration movements. The study explores various aspects of integration and inclusion, drawing upon migration theories, economic factors, and sociological perspectives to understand the motivators and challenges faced by foreigners, particularly in light of the majority society’s perception, which often leans towards skepticism and negativity. The research methodology builds on grounded theory and integrates both quantitative and qualitative approaches, utilizing surveys and semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of foreign nationals, with an emphasis on immigrant women. A key finding of the study is the significant role of employers in facilitating integration. The paper discusses how businesses, through inclusive policies and practices, can profoundly influence the integration experience. Cooperation between employers, local integration centers, and other relevant organizations emerges as vital, providing additional resources and support systems to enhance the integration process. The study concludes by emphasizing the critical role of various stakeholders, particularly employers, in shaping sustainable human resources practices that foster a more inclusive and harmonious society.

The use of geotechnologies combined with remote sensing has become increasingly essential and important for efficiently and economically understanding land use and land cover in specific regions. The objective of this study was to observe changes in agricultural activities, particularly agriculture/livestock farming, in the North Forest Zone of Pernambuco (Mata Norte), a political-administrative region where sugarcane cultivation has historically been the backbone of the local economy. The region's sugarcane biomass also contributes to land use and land cover observations through remote sensing techniques applied to digital satellite images, such as those from Landsat-8, which was used in this study. This study was conducted through digital image processing, allowing the calculation of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and the Leaf Area Index (LAI) to assess vegetation cover dynamics. The results revealed that sugarcane cultivation is the predominant agricultural and vegetation activity in Mata Norte. Livestock farming areas experienced a significant reduction over the observed decade, which, in turn, led to an increase in agricultural and forested areas. The most dynamic spatiotemporal behavior was observed in the expansion and reduction of livestock areas, a more significant change compared to sugarcane areas. Therefore, land use and land cover in this region are more closely tied to sugarcane cultivation than any other agricultural activity.

Delay is the leading challenge in completing Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects. Delay can cause excess costs, which reduces company profits. The relationship between subcontractors and the main contractor is a critical factor that can support the success of an EPC project. The problematic financial condition of the main contractor can cause delay in payments to subcontractors. This research will set a model that combines the system dynamics and earned value method to describe the impact of subcontractor advance payments on project performance. The system dynamics method is used to model and analyze the impact of interactions between variables affecting project performance, while the earned value method is applied to quantitatively evaluate project performance and forecast schedule and cost outcomes. These two methods are used complementarily to achieve a holistic understanding of project dynamics and to optimize decision-making. The designed model selects the optimum scenario for project time and costs. The developed model comprises project performance, costs, cash flow, and performance forecasting sub-models. The novelty in this research is a new model for optimizing project implementation time and costs, adding payment rate variables to subcontractors and subcontractor performance rates. The designed model can provide additional information to assist project managers in making decisions.