This study explores the factors that affect consumer adoption of reusable packaging in South Korea’s food delivery market. Adopting a mixed-method that includes interviews and an online survey of 137 consumers aged 18 to 30, the analysis, using an ordered probit model, reveals key drivers of the likelihood of switching to food delivery services using reusable packaging. Positive influences include environmental concerns, intention to take action on disposable packaging, willingness to pay extra, and awareness that reusable packaging does not require washing. However, challenges such as hygiene concerns and higher delivery fees deter consumers from switching to reusable package option. Demographic factors like living arrangements and gender show minimal impact. In response to the findings, the study suggests strategic solutions, including a pilot program, to overcome barriers and effectively demonstrate the benefits of reusable containers.

This study systematically examines the literature of electric vehicle (EV) purchase intention and consumer behavior using a bibliometric method to unveil three main research questions: 1) identifying influential publications, authors, and journals; 2) analyzing the thematic evolution of research over time; and 3) identifying emerging research directions. The main objective is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of knowledge and to guide future research in this evolving field. A comprehensive bibliometric analysis was conducted, using Scopus statistics analysis, R-Studio Biblioshiny and VOSviewer, comprising 687 publications authored by 1743 researchers representing 34 different countries with the dataset sourced from the Scopus database from 2010 to 2023. To achieve a nuanced understanding of the research landscape, a multifaceted approach was adopted, including detailed citation analysis, author co-citation analysis, keyword analysis, and thematic mapping. Through meticulous analysis, this study identifies the most influential publications, authors, and journals in the domain of EV purchase intentions and consumer behaviors. It also traces the evolution of themes over time and identifies emerging research directions, providing valuable insights into the trajectory and future avenues of inquiry within this field. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamics shaping research in the realm of EVs. The insights gained contribute significantly to advancing knowledge in this crucial domain, offering theoretical insights and practical implications for policymakers, businesses, manufacturers, and academics.

Global energy agencies and commissions report a sharp increase in energy demand based on commercial, industrial, and residential activities. At this point, we need energy-efficient and high-performance systems to maintain a sustainable environment. More than 30% of the generated electricity has been consumed by HVAC-R units, and heat exchangers are the main components affecting the overall performance. This study combines experimental measurements, numerical investigations, and ANN-aided optimization studies to determine the optimal operating conditions of an industrial shell and tube heat exchanger system. The cold/hot stream temperature level is varied between 10 ℃ and 50 ℃ during the experiments and numerical investigations. Furthermore, the flow rates are altered in a range of 50–500 L/h to investigate the thermal and hydraulic performance under laminar and turbulent regime conditions. The experimental and numerical results indicate that U-tube bundles dominantly affect the total pumping power; therefore, the energy consumption experienced at the cold side is about ten times greater the one at the hot side. Once the required data sets are gathered via the experiments and numerical investigations, ANN-aided stochastic optimization algorithms detected the C10H50 scenario as the optimal operating case when the cold and hot stream flow rates are at 100 L/h and 500 L/h, respectively.

The rapid growth of e-commerce in South Africa has increased the demand for efficient last-mile delivery. Motorcycle delivery drivers play a crucial role in the last-mile delivery process to bridge the gap between retailers and consumers. However, these drivers face significant challenges that impact both logistical efficiency and their socio-economic well-being. This study critically analyzes media narratives on the safety and working conditions of motorcycle delivery drivers in the e-commerce sector in South Africa. The thematic analysis of newspaper articles identified recurring themes. This study reveals critical safety and labor vulnerabilities affecting motorcycle delivery drivers in South Africa’s e-commerce sector. Key findings include heightened risks of violence, hijackings, and road accidents, exacerbated by inadequate infrastructure and safety gear. Coupled with low wages, job insecurity, and limited benefits, these conditions expose drivers to significant precarity. Policy interventions are urgently needed for driver safety and sustainable logistics. By integrating insights from multiple disciplines, this study offers a comprehensive understanding of the complex challenges within this rapidly growing sector.

In Côte d'Ivoire, the government and its development partners have implemented a national strategy to promote agroforestry and reforestation systems as a means to combat deforestation, primarily driven by agricultural expansion, and to increase national forest cover to 20% by 2045. However, the assessment of these systems through traditional field-based methods remains labor-intensive and time-consuming, particularly for the measurement of dendrometric parameters such as tree height. This study introduces a remote sensing approach combining drone-based Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) with ground-based measurements to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of tree height estimation in agroforestry and reforestation contexts. The methodology involved two main stages: first, the collection of floristic and dendrometric data, including tree height measured with a laser rangefinder, across eight (8) agroforestry and reforestation plots; second, the acquisition of ALS data using Mavic 3E and Matrice 300 drones equipped with LiDAR sensors to generate digital canopy models for tree height estimation and associated error analysis. Floristic analysis identified 506 individual trees belonging to 27 genera and 18 families. Tree height measurements indicated that reforestation plots hosted the tallest trees (ranging from 8 to 16 m on average), while cocoa-based agroforestry plots featured shorter trees, with average heights between 4 and 7 m. A comparative analysis between ground-based and LiDAR-derived tree heights showed a strong correlation (R2 = 0.71; r = 0.84; RMSE = 2.24 m; MAE = 1.67 m; RMSE = 2.2430 m and MAE = 1.6722 m). However, a stratified analysis revealed substantial variation in estimation accuracy, with higher performance observed in agroforestry plots (R2 = 0.82; RMSE = 2.21 m and MAE = 1.43 m). These findings underscore the potential of Airborne Laser Scanning as an effective tool for the rapid and reliable estimation of tree height in heterogeneous agroforestry and reforestation systems.

This study explores the marginalization of a poor fishing community in Gwadar, Pakistan. The study provides an insight into how different levels of power, such as hidden, visible/pluralist, and invisible ideological powers, are used in policy arenas to hinder fishers’ access to participatory spaces, decision-making, and resource use. By employing Gaventa’s power cubes analytical model, we analyze fishers’ experiences and prevailing scenarios. Qualitative research methods were used to collect data, including in-depth interviews and participant observation. The finding shows that the interests of the fishing community in fishery policies and ongoing development projects are excluded both with intention and unintentionally. The exclusion of the local fisher community from key spaces brings interruptions and transformations that influence their lives. Due to this, they are induced to join insurgent groups to confront exclusion-based policies in Gwadar, Pakistan.