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The lubrication system supplies lubrication and cleans the rotating parts and contacting machinery during the operation of an aero-engine. It is crucial to maintain an adequate amount of lubricant by predicting and analyzing the consumption rate to ensure endurance and maintenance programs are effective. This paper examines the combination of temporal and non-temporal data that impact the characteristic parameters of lubricant consumption rate in aero-engines. Our study focuses on the merging of LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) + LightGBM (Light Gradient Boosting Machine) + CatBoost, and uses KPCA dimensionality reduction optimization, along with Stacking for the fusion of a multi-feature regression prediction algorithm. On the one hand, this study utilizes integrated learning to fuse feature extractions from LSTM for temporal information and non-temporal information by GDBT (Gradient Boosting Decision Tree). This approach considers the trend and distribution of feature samples to develop a more robust feature extraction method. On the other hand, the integrated learning framework incorporates multi-decision making and feature importance extraction to strengthen the mapping relationship with the predicted output of lubrication oil consumption rate, enabling regression prediction. The algorithm for regression prediction has been executed and the results indicate a final regression prediction MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) of less than 3%. MSE and RMSE reached 1.28% and 1.33%, the results are in an ideal state. The algorithms used in this paper will be applied in the future to aero-engine lubricant systems and eventually to engines in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate prediction of China's energy consumption and CO2 emissions is important for the formulation of energy and environmental policies and achieving carbon neutrality. This paper proposes a new weighted error evaluation criterion that emphasizes the importance of new data, thereby enabling more accurate capture of the variation characteristics of new data and reflecting the principle of new information priority. By optimizing the development coefficient, grey action, and parameters in the time response formula of the traditional GM(1,1), a novel optimized model, OGMW(1,1), is constructed. The accuracy of the new model is verified by three cases from the literature. The future trends of primary energy, oil, and coal consumption and CO2 emissions in China are predicted over the next five years. The conclusions are as follows: First, the new weighted error evaluation criteria are effective and reasonable and can indicate whether a grey model can reliably use the most recent information for modeling. Second, based on the new error evaluation criteria, the development coefficient, ash action, and parameter C in the time response function can be optimized. The results show that the optimization method is reasonable. Third, compared with the traditional models GM, GMO, and ARIMA, the OGMW(1,1) provides better simulation and prediction accuracy, and new information can be prioritized more effectively. Fourth, the forecasting results indicate that China will increase its consumption of primary energy, oil, and coal, as well as its CO2 emissions. Notably, the growth rates of primary energy and oil consumption are high at approximately 22.7% and 25%, coal consumption will increase slightly, and CO2 emissions will increase by approximately 11%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we employ the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity-mixed data sampling (GARCH-MIDAS) framework to forecast the daily volatility of state-level stock returns in the United States (US) based on structurally decomposed four monthly oil shocks associated with oil supply, global economic activity, oil consumption and oil inventory. We find that over the daily period of (February) 1994 to (December) 2022 and various forecast horizons, in 46 out of the 50 states, the GARCH-MIDAS model with at least one oil shock can outperform the benchmark, i.e., the GARCH-MIDAS-Realized Volatility (RV), with 24 states depicting the importance of all the four shocks. In general, oil market-specific shocks, whether supply or demand, tend to matter more than a global economic impact driving the oil market in forecasting volatility of regional stock returns across with better forecasting performances related to states with higher CO2 emissions based on underlying energy consumption data. Our findings have important implications for investors and policymakers, with the observations for the former group depicted by an analysis of economic significance, i.e., utility gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A high circulating total cholesterol (TC) concentration increases the risk for atherosclerosis in the domestic dog. Intake of marine foods is associated with a lowering effect on circulating TC concentration in humans and rodents, but the reported effects of marine ingredients on the TC concentration in domestic dogs has not yet been reviewed. The main aim was to investigate the effects of consuming marine ingredients on the TC concentration in domestic dogs. A systematic literature search was performed using the databases PubMed, Web of Science and Embase, structured around the population (domestic dogs), intervention (source and type of marine ingredients, dose, duration), comparator (control diet) and the primary outcome (circulating TC). Articles were assessed for risk of bias using the SYRCLE's tool. A meta‐analysis was conducted in Review Manager v. 5.4.1 (the Cochrane Collaboration), comprising 12 articles with 243 dogs. Consumption of marine oils resulted in a significantly lower circulating TC concentration relative to comparator groups (mean difference −0.70 mmol/L, 95% CI (−1.21, −0.18), p = 0.008), with high statistical heterogeneity (I2 = 78%). The risk of bias is unclear since few of the entries in the SYRCLE's tool were addressed. We did not identify any studies using marine proteins or marine organisms other that fish. To conclude, intake of marine oils results in a lower TC concentration in dogs, thus reducing an important risk factor for atherosclerosis in canines. This study was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/ as CRD42023396943. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tropical oils such as palm and coconut oils are renowned for their high saturated fat content and culinary versatility. However, their consumption has sparked debate regarding their health benefits and production concerns. The purpose of this review was to map existing evidence on the health benefits and challenges associated with the consumption of tropical oils. Method: The recommendations for conducting a scoping review by Arksey and O'Malley were followed. PubMed, Dimensions AI, Central, JSTOR Google, Google Scholar, and ProQuest databases were searched for relevant papers. The predetermined keywords used were Consumption" AND "Tropical oil," as well as "Health benefits" OR "Health challenges" AND "Tropical Countries." Peer-reviewed and grey literature published in English were eligible for this review. Result: Tropical oils, such as palm and coconut oils, provide health benefits including essential vitamins (A and E) that enhance ocular health, boost immunity, and support growth. They are also recognised for their role in managing high blood sugar, obesity, and cholesterol levels, while offering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These oils have wound-healing abilities and are commonly used in infant nutrition and traditional cooking. Nevertheless, prolonged and repeated use of tropical oils to high temperature can degrade vitamin E, whereas excessive intake may result in overdose. Health concerns include oxidative risks, diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and acrylamide formation due to production challenges excessive consumption. Additional issues include obesity, suboptimal oil production, misconceptions, regulatory obstacles, and preferences for alternative fats. Conclusion: This review suggest that tropical oils provide essential health benefits, including vitamins and antioxidant properties, but pose significant health risks and production challenges, particularly when exposed to high temperatures and through excessive intake. Guidelines on the consumption of tropical oils in the tropical regions are necessary to regulate their consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The G7 countries, which represent a significant portion of global energy consumption and have a major impact on the World economy, consider energy to be of utmost importance. These advanced economies have a significant influence on global oil dynamics. Oil will continue to be a significant component of the global energy system, with an anticipated consumption of 70-80 million barrels per day by 2035. This study aims to investigate the causal relationship between oil consumption and economic growth in G7 countries from 1990 to 2022 using panel data analysis methods. The analysis employed Gengenbach et al.'s (2016) cointegration test and Emirmahmutoğlu and Kose's (2011) causality methods. The results indicate a cointegration relationship and a positive effect of oil consumption on economic growth. However, no causality relationship was detected between the variables, which supports the neutrality hypothesis in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Experimental Technology & Management is the property of Experimental Technology & Management Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This work focuses on the evolution of lubrication wedge shaping in internal combustion piston engines, taking into account liquid microflows on curved surfaces and coating microgeometries. It introduces a new approach to the analysis of friction losses by simulating the microflow of lubricating oil between the surfaces of piston rings cooperating with the cylinder surface. The models used take into account three types of microgeometry and material expansion. Key results indicate that microirregularities with a stereometry of 0.1–0.2 µm significantly influence the distribution of oil film thickness in the phase of maximum working pressure, which is critical for the functioning of the seal ring. The innovation of the work consists of demonstrating that, despite small changes in the friction force and power in the piston rings, changes in the minimum values of the oil film thickness are significant. The work highlights the failure to take into account microgeometry parameters in friction models, which leads to significant errors in the simulation results, especially in terms of oil film continuity and the contribution of mixed friction. The simulations also indicate that advanced geometric models with high mesh resolution are necessary only for the assessment of changes in oil film thickness during the highest pressure increase in the combustion chamber and taking into account various mixed friction conditions. The results suggest significant progress in engine design and performance, confirming the importance of advanced fluid and mixed friction models in piston engine lubrication research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the measurement of oil quantity in aviation engine lubrication systems is susceptible to multiple parameters, it is difficult to calculate and predict oil consumption rates. We propose an improved method for extracting oil quantity data and predicting oil consumption rates. Engine data are cleansed using density-based clustering algorithms, including density based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN), to obtain stable oil quantity data during steady flight conditions. By the least squares method, oil consumption rates are derived with an average fitting goodness of 0.86. Subsequently, a multi-layer perception (MLP) is employed to establish the relationship between oil consumption rates and flight status parameters, resulting in a predicted average absolute percentage error of 1.15%, compared to actual values. The proposed method meets practical engineering requirements, providing a reliable reference for assessing the health status of aviation engine lubrication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a comprehensive approach to trim optimization as an energy efficiency improvement measure, focusing on reducing fuel consumption for one RO-RO car carrier. Utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, the methodology incorporates artificial neural networks (ANNs) to develop a mathematical model for estimating key parameters such as the brake power, daily fuel oil consumption (DFOC) and propeller speed. The complex ANN model is then integrated into a user-friendly software tool for practical engineering applications. The research outlines a seven-phase trim optimization process and discusses its potential extension to other types of ships, aiming to establish a universal methodology for CFD-based engineering analyses. Based on the trim optimization results, the biggest DFOC goes up to 10.5% at 7.5 m draft and up to 8% for higher drafts. Generally, in every considered case, it is recommended to sail with the trim towards the bow, meaning that the ship's longitudinal center of gravity should be adjusted to tilt slightly forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restructuring energy supply and demand is one of the essential measures to realize the carbon emissions reduction target. To explore the impact of the restructuring of energy supply and demand on fossil fuel demand under the carbon emissions reduction target, takes China as an example, obtains a data set, and utilizes the elasticity analysis, incremental contribution method, weighted moving average method and scenario analysis to forecast the structure of energy demand and the consumption of fossil fuels. The study results show that the projected values of China's total energy consumption demand in 2030 and 2035 will be 6300.19-6419.82 million tons of standard coal and 6955.92-7175.29 million tons of traditional coal, respectively. The shares of coal, oil, and natural gas in total energy consumption in 2030 will be 45.68-46.35%, 17.95-18.27%, and 10.71-10.89% respectively; by 2035 the energy structure will be further optimized, and the shares of coal, oil, and natural gas in the total energy consumption will be 39.71-40.53%, 18.07-18.56% and 11.86-12.15%, respectively. Further forecasts of gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and fuel oil consumption in 2030 and 2035 are analyzed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Uluslararasi Ekonomi ve Yenilik Dergisi is the property of Karadeniz Technical University, Depertmant of Economics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This comprehensive bibliometric analysis investigates energy-saving strategies in petroleum extraction, shedding light on key research areas, trends, and collaborations. The analysis covers 98 research articles spanning from 2003 to 2024, sourced from the Web of Science (WOS) database and analyzed using the Bibliometrics R package v.4.1.3, including descriptive statistics, network analysis, and factorial analysis. Findings reveal significant contributions from China, Canada, Russia, and the USA, with notable collaborations and thematic clusters identified. Top journals, prolific authors, and leading institutions are highlighted, showcasing global efforts in advancing sustainability in the oil industry. Institutions like the University of Calgary and authors such as Gates ID, Ren SR, and Zhang L play significant roles in advancing knowledge in this domain. Keyword analysis underscores prevalent themes such as optimization, simulation, and energy efficiency. Technological innovations, process optimization, and organizational strategies emerge as crucial avenues for reducing electrical energy consumption in oil extraction operations. However, limitations include database constraints and language bias. Overall, this study offers valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, informing future research directions and policy initiatives for enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability in petroleum extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, companies have employed numerous methods to lower expenses and enhance system efficiency in the oilfield. Energy consumption has constituted a significant portion of these expenses. This paper introduces a normalized consumption factor to effectively evaluate energy consumption in the oilfield. Statistical analysis has been conducted on nearly 45,000 wells from six fields in China. Critical factors such as lifting method, daily production, pump depth, gas–oil ratio (GOR), and well deviation angle were evaluated individually. Results revealed that higher production could lead to lower normalized consumption for beam pumps, progressive cavity pumps, and electric submersible pump systems, thus enhancing system efficiency. Additionally, a higher GOR might result in lower normalized consumption for the beam pump system, while the deviation angle of the well showed negligible impact on the normalized consumption factor. This manuscript offers a method to assess the impacts of artificial lift methods on production and discusses suggestions for reducing consumption associated with each lifting method in the oilfield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is stepping forward to a carbon-neutral economic system in response to the rising issues caused by climate change. Fossil fuel combustion is the primary source of increased carbon emissions, energy mix adjustment is critical to climate change mitigation and the carbon neutrality goal. This study investigates the different responses to energy sources' economic growth and environmental sustainability using balanced panel data from 34 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries during 1995–2019. This study uses oil, natural gas, and renewable energy to represent traditional, emerging alternative fossil, and green energy sources, respectively. Results show that renewable energy, oil, and natural gas all impose impacts on economic growth, however, renewable energy contributes more than oil and natural gas. Furthermore, there is a significant inverse relationship between the amount of renewable energy produced and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. While both natural gas and oil have a positive effect on CO2 emissions, the effect of natural gas is much smaller than that of oil. Furthermore, the causality investigation reveals that renewable energy, oil, and natural gas all show impacts on carbon emissions but do not contribute to economic growth. These findings suggest that increasing investment in renewable energy, with natural gas playing the role of a transitional replacement for oil, will contribute to the "carbon neutrality" process of these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy revolution in Saudi Arabia has accelerated significantly since 2016, driven by the National Vision 2030. Significant changes to energy subsidies took place, and the renewable energy sector has seen rapid growth. The paper presents an empirical analysis of the Saudi energy transition by emphasizing the drivers of fuel consumption in KSA. It primarily attempts to explore the long-run (LR) connection between oil consumption and several economic variables such as economic growth, crude oil prices, investment, and the labor force in Saudi Arabia (KSA) from 1991 up to 2021. The paper implemented the vector error correction model (VECM) and performed different diagnostic tests to provide more evidence about the validity and robustness of the tests. The empirical findings highlighted how important the labor force, savings, GDP, and crude oil price are in determining oil consumption for KSA. The law of demand is significantly present, which negatively affects oil consumption for KSA as an oil exporting country. The results also supported the existence of a long-term direct correlation between the variables and oil consumption. Furthermore, the short-term estimation highlighted that only saving has a negative impact on oil consumption for a single lagged period. Our findings provide governments and regulators with further incentive to slow the expansion in oil consumption, as a larger labor force is demanding more oil to attain the target, faster economic growth, and increased savings are all contributing factors. Our findings are significant because they can assist policymakers, investors, and regulators in generating more efficient oil substitutes and making them affordable for the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using historical data on energy from (Malanima 2020) and GDP from the Maddison Project Database, this paper investigates the energy-growth nexus in a less-studied region, mainly Australia and New Zealand, since 1870. The long annual series allow meaningful application of recently developed time-varying and quantile Granger causality analysis. Results indicate that there is a bi-directional Granger causal relationship between economic growth and energy, coal, and oil consumption at both ends of the distribution, and during various time periods over the past 150 years. Little evidence is found on the Granger causal relationship from gas consumption to economic growth, but some evidence on the direction from economic growth to gas consumption. The Granger causal relationships between electricity consumption and GDP change over time, but results suggest much closer links between the two in most recent decades, and big (positive and negative) changes in electricity consumption significantly Granger causes economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind propulsion systems (WPS) for commercial ships can be a key ingredient to achieving the IMO green targets. Most WPS installations will operate in conjunction with propellers and marine engines in a hybrid mode, which will affect their performance. The present paper presents the development of a generic, fast, and easy tool to predict the propeller and engine performance variation, along with the cost, as a function of the wind power installed in two operation conditions: fixed ship speed and constant shaft speed. Specific focus is directed toward showing generic trends and trade-offs that inform economic decision-making. To this end, a key feature of the presented work is the ability to assess the cost–benefit of both controllable pitch propellers and fixed pitch propellers (CPPs and FPPs). This provides advice on when, in terms of WPS installation size, it is worthwhile to install which kind of propeller. CPPs are found to be more suitable for newly built wind-powered ships (>70% wind power), while a conventional FPP is satisfactory for wind-assisted ships (<70% wind power) and retrofitted installations. The results for a 91,373 GT bulk carrier showed that a WPS unloads the propeller and the engine, which leads to an increase in the propulsive efficiency and a detrimental rise of the engine specific fuel oil consumption. However, propeller gains are found to be greater than engine losses, which result in extra savings. Thus, not only does a WPS save fuel and corresponding pollutant emissions, but it also increases the entire propulsive efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is the international organization with the function of coordinating and unifying the petroleum policies of its member countries. It centrally controls much of the world's oil supply. While this is generally accepted, it is not well understood how OPEC exercises this broad function, what drives its decision-making. The article closes this gap in the literature through a close study of the published OPEC production policies for the period of 2019–2022. The article finds that internally predicted demand was the primary driver, over external factors that could also have affected production decisions, such as sanctions on OPEC or OPEC+ members, the rise of US shale oil, or climate change mitigation. It follows that consumer states can most effectively influence OPEC petroleum production decision-making by reducing their own oil consumption. The article finally places these findings into a broader context of the law of international organizations, where organizations have a responsibility to exercise their functions within evolving international law. Their decision-making can then be assessed through the three vector-matrix that this article proposes, comprising internal drivers, external factors, and the position of third states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India, with its rapidly growing economy, has an increasing demand for energy consumption. This study thus adds to the energy-economic growth literature by exploring the effect of renewable (hydro and nuclear) and non-renewable (coal and oil) energy consumption by different sources on the economic growth of India, spanning from 1985 to 2021. The ARDL estimator is used to assess the short- and long-run growth effectiveness of the explanatory variables, while the variance decomposition analysis (VDA) is employed to examine the degree to which one variable can explain the change in variance of another variable. Among the renewable energy sources, hydro-energy consumption is found to be impeding economic growth, while nuclear energy is found to be inducing India's economic growth in the long run. Furthermore, among the non-renewable energy sources, oil consumption is found to be impeding the economic growth, while coal consumption is observed to be augmenting India's economic growth in the long run significantly. The findings reveal that non-renewable energy use plays a crucial role in the economic growth of India; thus, from a policy standpoint, this study recommends the government to invest more in the advancement of the renewable energy sector in order to balance the energy mix and achieve sustainable economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming very popular nowadays to reduce the consumption of oil and environmental pollution. The use of battery and super-capacitor is increasing as the power-source of EVs. The bi-directional DC-DC converter is essential to integrate the battery and super-capacitor with the motor of the vehicle. However, a conventional second-order bi-directional DC-DC converter cannot give very high/low output voltage due to its efficiency reduction at extreme duty cycles, which is prerequisite for EVs. The problems of achieving high efficiency in wide-input-wide-output (WIWO) voltage range bidirectional operation using a conventional bidirectional converter are summarized in this paper. Additionally, the available converters from the literature for WIWO voltage range operation are discussed in detail. The various wide voltage range DC-DC converters are classified into different categories based on their operating principle. Additionally, the advantage and disadvantages of these various wide voltage range converter topologies are explained for the EV application. Finally, a general conceptual solution to achieve a WIWO converter with high efficiency is proposed. It is essential to change the voltage level of the motor input as per the speed requirement. Hence, this paper presents a clear idea for the WIWO bi-directional converters for EV application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the prediction of rate cuts in 2024 by Fed Chairman Powell, indicating a potential slowdown in the US economy. Topics discussed include projections of GDP growth, unemployment rates, and interest rate decreases, suggesting cautious consumer spending and potential risks in the commercial real estate market.

India is among the largest and fastest-growing economies in the world. To continue its growth, energy is and will continue to be one of its most important considerations. With a population of over one billion, India is the third largest consumer of petroleum on the globe. To maintain this ranking, India imports a large percentage of its total oil consumption. Given India's current position as a large importer of oil, how does oil price volatility affect the Indian economy? This paper examines the effect of oil price volatility on inflation, economic growth, and the stock market in India. Statistical tests suggest that the overall price level, the real effective exchange rate, and oil prices are negatively related to aggregate output in the long run. Granger causality test results derived from a vector error correction model support bidirectional causality between oil prices and aggregate output, indicating that a change in oil prices also affects aggregate output in the short run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the changing world, oil continues to be important in energy production. Using monthly data from 1965 to 2022, the permanency of oil consumption fluctuations was investigated. Fourier-based Granger causality tests were used to examine cause-and-effect relationships between variables. Long-term relationships were estimated using Fourier-based Engle Granger cointegration tests. Unlike previous research, this study considers the long and short-term effects of countries that consume the most and least oil, as well as on a global scale, from different perspectives, examining oil price fluctuations together, and estimating these analyzes using the Fourier approach. Oil consumption fluctuations appear temporary in New Zealand and Luxembourg but permanent in all other countries. Oil consumption and prices share a causal relationship in the US, Japan, New Zealand, and Luxembourg, but no relationship elsewhere. A long-term relationship exists between oil consumption and prices in the US, India, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, and Estonia. In other countries, no long-term relationship is found between these two variables. Error correction model estimation shows only the equation for Japan can be interpreted based on statistical significance. A one-unit deviation between oil consumption and prices can reach equilibrium in 20 months.

This work focuses on the evolution of lubrication wedge shaping in internal combustion piston engines, taking into account liquid microflows on curved surfaces and coating microgeometries. It introduces a new approach to the analysis of friction losses by simulating the microflow of lubricating oil between the surfaces of piston rings cooperating with the cylinder surface. The models used take into account three types of microgeometry and material expansion. Key results indicate that microirregularities with a stereometry of 0.1–0.2 µm significantly influence the distribution of oil film thickness in the phase of maximum working pressure, which is critical for the functioning of the seal ring. The innovation of the work consists of demonstrating that, despite small changes in the friction force and power in the piston rings, changes in the minimum values of the oil film thickness are significant. The work highlights the failure to take into account microgeometry parameters in friction models, which leads to significant errors in the simulation results, especially in terms of oil film continuity and the contribution of mixed friction. The simulations also indicate that advanced geometric models with high mesh resolution are necessary only for the assessment of changes in oil film thickness during the highest pressure increase in the combustion chamber and taking into account various mixed friction conditions. The results suggest significant progress in engine design and performance, confirming the importance of advanced fluid and mixed friction models in piston engine lubrication research.

Global warming has progressed into a pressing global concern, primarily driven by human activities. To address this issue, it is vital to identify the key drivers of ecological quality and develop effective policies in response. Consequently, this study seeks to empirically examine the causal effect of financial globalization, economic growth, economic policy uncertainty, and oil consumption on the load capacity factor (LF) in Brazil. The analysis utilizes quarterly data spanning from 1990 to 2021. In this pursuit, the study introduces an array of quantile-based methodologies, encompassing quantile ADF, PP, and KPSS tests, as well as the innovative Quantile-on-Quantile Granger Causality (QQGC) approach. The QQGC represents a notable advancement beyond traditional quantile Granger causality (QGC) methods, as it accounts for the conditional distribution of dependent and independent variables. This study bridges a critical gap in the existing literature by introducing the QQGC to capture the causal influence of the regressors on LF. The findings derived from the QQGC analysis indicate that financial globalization, economic growth, economic policy uncertainty, and oil consumption significantly predict LF across all quantiles. These results offer valuable insights that can inform the formulation of effective policies and strategies aimed at addressing ecological quality and mitigating the impacts of global warming.

This article explores the potential for renewable energy sources in Iraq, given the country's current reliance on fossil fuels. It discusses the economic challenges facing Iraq, including the dominance of state-owned firms, strict laws, limited access to finance, a shortage of skilled labor, and poor infrastructure. The article highlights the need for diversification in the economy and decreased dependence on crude oil export revenues. It also discusses the challenges and obstacles to investment in renewable energy projects in Iraq, emphasizing the importance of transitioning to renewable energy sources and the potential benefits they can provide to communities. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the effect of sesame oil (SO) on fatigue and mental health status in women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) undergoing a weight-loss diet. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 60 women with NAFLD were randomly assigned to receive 30 g/day of either SO (n = 30) or sunflower oil (n = 30). All the patients received a hypocaloric diet (−500 kcal/day) for 12 weeks in a double-blinded controlled trial. Anthropometric indices, dietary intake, physical activity, fatigue and mental health status were measured at the baseline and the trial cessation. Findings: In total, 53 participants completed the intervention. Significant reductions in anthropometric indices were observed in both groups (p-value = 0.001). Following SO, fatigue (p-value = 0.002), anxiety (p-value = 0.011) and depression (p-value = 0.013) scores were significantly reduced, while no significant changes were observed in stress scores. Originality/value: In summary, the present study was conducted to assess the efficacy of SO consumption on fatigue and mental health status among patients with NAFLD. The results revealed SO consumption significantly reduced fatigue, anxiety and depression scores in comparison with the control group, but not for stress scores. Further clinical trials, different doses, with a longer duration of intervention, in different groups, are necessary to confirm the veracity of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Once a cornerstone of the U.S. economy, crude oil production now experiences a paradigm shift, abundant for domestic consumption and export, signaling a lasting global oil price transformation. Despite a surge in U.S. hydrocarbon production and weakening oil prices, imports from Nigeria dramatically dropped from 1.5 million barrels per day in 2006 to 0.2 million in 2013, ceasing entirely by early 2014. Consequently, Nigeria faced a sudden depletion of trade surpluses and reduced foreign reserves. This study delves into the immediate and long-term challenges confronting Nigeria, particularly examining the impact of recent oil and gas price fluctuations on key macroeconomic factors. Findings highlight the balance of payments' high elasticity to oil price shifts and low elasticity to money supply changes with a coefficient of determination of 78.69%. Additionally, the exchange rate shows low elasticity to oil price changes and moderate elasticity to money supply variations with a coefficient of determination of 82.80%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the impact of the global economic activity, oil supply, oil-specific consumption demand, and oil inventory demand shocks on the expected aggregate skewness of the United States (US) economy, obtained based on a data-rich environment involving 211 macroeconomic and financial variables in the quarterly period of 1975:Q1 to 2022:Q2. We find that positive oil supply and global economic activity shocks increase the expected macroeconomic skewness in a statistically significant way, with the effects being relatively more pronounced in the lower regime of the aggregate skewness factor, i.e., when the US is witnessing downside risks. Interestingly, oil-specific consumption demand and oil inventory demand shocks contain no predictive ability for the overall expected skewness. With skewness being a metric for policymakers to communicate their beliefs about the path of future risks, our results have important implications for policy decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the maritime industry, optimizing vessel fuel oil consumption is crucial for improving energy efficiency and reducing shipping emissions. However, effectively utilizing operational data to advance performance monitoring and optimization remains a challenge. An XGBoost Regressor model was developed using a comprehensive dataset, delivering strong predictive performance (R2 = 0.95, MAE = 10.78 kg/h). This predictive model considers operational (controllable) and environmental (uncontrollable) variables, offering insights into complex FOC factors. To enhance interpretability, SHAP analysis is employed, revealing 'Average Draught (Aft and Fore)' as the key controllable factor and emphasizing 'Relative Wind Speed' as the dominant uncontrollable factor impacting vessel FOC. This research extends to further analysis of the extremely high FOC point, identifying patterns in the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. These findings provide region-specific insights, guiding energy efficiency improvement, operational strategy refinement, and sea resistance mitigation. In summary, our study introduces a groundbreaking framework leveraging machine learning and SHAP analysis to advance FOC understanding and enhance maritime decision making, contributing significantly to energy efficiency and operational strategies—a substantial contribution to a responsible shipping performance assessment under tightening regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the effect of oil price shocks on China's consumer and entrepreneur sentiment using a novel Bayesian inference structural vector autoregression model. Interestingly, we find that oil supply and demand shocks that raise oil prices have significantly positive effects on both consumer and entrepreneur sentiment. These effects are more significant on entrepreneur sentiment than on consumer sentiment. Furthermore, oil price shocks promote consumer sentiment mainly by increasing their satisfaction with current income and their expectation of future employment. Oil price shocks would change consumers' saving and consumption decisions but not their plans to buy cars. Meanwhile, the effect of oil price shocks on entrepreneur sentiment differs across different types of enterprises and industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Egypt suffers from a large food gap in vegetable oils due to the increased demand for them as a result of the continuous increase in population on the one hand, and the decrease in local production Cultivated with oil crops, where it reached by about 28.22 thousand tons during the study period on the other hand, as well as the decrease in the area of agricultural land, It reached about 28.25 thousand acres on average during the period (2001-2020, and the research aims to study the current situation of production and consumption of vegetable oils by identifying the development of the amount of local production of vegetable oils, the amount of pure food, and the size of the oil gap from soybean oils and sunflower oils. The most important results were found to be a decrease in the amount of local oil production by 30.7 thousand tons at an annual rate of 6% of the average total amount of local production of oils by 670 thousand tons. The cultivation of soybeans was also concentrated in the Minya Governorate by 74.6% of the total cultivated area in Egypt. Then Beni Suef Governorate came in second place in terms of soybean crop cultivation with a rate of 10.4%, then Assiut Governorate came in third place with 5% of the total area of the governorates planted with soybeans, and sunflower crop cultivation was concentrated in Nubaria Governorate with a rate of 26.5% of the total cultivated area. In Egypt, then Beheira Governorate comes in second place in terms of sunflower cultivation with a rate of 24.3%, then Fayoum Governorate comes in third place with a rate of 17.2% of the total area of the governorates cultivated with sunflower crops. The amount of pure food made from vegetable oils also increased by 56.49 thousand tons, at a rate of 5.4% of the average total amount of pure food, estimated at about 1114.7 thousand tons. The import of sunflower oil to Egypt from Russia ranked first and represented about 40% of the import values of sunflower oil out of the total. Countries from which Egypt imports Ukraine comes in second place and represents about 36% of the amount of sunflower oil imported, then comes the country of Argentina and represents about 20.51% of the amount of sunflower oil imported, and imports of soybean oil from the country of Argentina are also concentrated and are It ranks first in terms of importing soybean oil with a rate of 79%, then Brazil comes in second place and represents about 18.8% of the amount of imported soybean oil out of the total number of countries in the world, then the United States comes in third place and represents about 8.18% of the amount of imported soybean oil. Of the total countries in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amending the definition of energy land, this paper calculates and analyzes China's energy ecological footprint, energy biocapacity, energy ecological deficit or surplus, energy ecological footprint efficiency, and energy ecological footprint index based on the carbon cycle. Meanwhile, this paper applies the ARIMA model to predict China's energy ecological footprint. The results show that the per capita energy ecological footprint continues to rise and the per capita energy biocapacity continues to decline. In 2010, the growth of China's energy ecological footprint exceeds energy biocapacity for the first time and becomes an unsustainable state. Energy ecological footprint efficiency continues to increase and is in an ecological deficit and economically developed zone after 2010. From a structural point of view, China's energy ecological footprint mainly consists of row coal, coke, and crude oil consumption. The main reason for the increase in energy ecological footprint is the rapid increase in row coal and crude oil consumption while energy efficiency can mitigate this impact. From 2020 to 2030, China's energy ecological footprint will increase from 1.2207 to 1.3573 ha/cap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to analyze the oil and petroleum products markets in Ukraine and tendencies in meeting the country’s needs for motor fuel. To achieve this aim, an analysis of the state of the oil and gas condensate market in Ukraine was carried out; the dynamics of oil and gas condensate consumption in Ukraine is studied; the main consumers and producers of motor fuel in Ukraine are identified; the dynamics of oil and gas condensate refining volumes is analyzed. The article also examines the dynamics of exports and imports of oil and gas condensate in Ukraine. The demand for crude oil and gas condensate in Ukraine is analyzed and it is determined that the dependence of domestic producers of light oil products on imported oil supplies significantly affects the oil market of Ukraine. The tendencies of oil and gas condensate production in Ukraine have been studied and their steady decline in recent years has been noted. The results of the study of the current state and trends in the development of the oil products market in Ukraine are presented. The dynamics of consumption and production, as well as the features of demand for motor fuel both in general and for its types in particular – motor gasoline, diesel fuel and liquefied natural gas (LNG) – are analyzed. The geographical structure of motor fuel imports by its individual types is analyzed. Their main importers in the Ukraine have been identified. The balance of the market for the main types of motor fuel has been studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concern regarding increasing oil consumption that originates from the high rolling resistance of automobiles has led to the development of green tires. The key enabling technique for preparing green tires involves the utilization of elastomer–silica nanocomposites. Elastomer–silica nanocomposites usually show low rolling resistance because of the intrinsic lubrication characteristics of siloxane and the excellent elastomer‐modified silica interfacial interaction, making them ideal raw materials for a green tire. It is supposed that the comprehensive properties of rolling resistance can be further improved via continually optimizing the microstructures of elastomer–silica nanocomposites. Regulating silica dispersion, understanding the interface between elastomer and silica and building the quantitative correlation between the microstructure and the static/dynamic macro‐mechanical properties are crucial in designing high‐performance elastomer–silica nanocomposites. This review aims to summarize the recent progress of elastomer–silica nanocomposites from the point of view of silica dispersion, the elastomer–silica interface and the microstructure–mechanical connection, combining simulation and actual experimental findings. A short conclusion and an outlook on the current limitations and possible future research directions for constructing high‐performance elastomer–silica nanocomposites for low‐energy green tires are also presented. © 2022 Society of Industrial Chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the consumption of alkanes, Alcanivorax borkumensis will form a biofilm around an oil droplet, but the role this plays during degradation remains unclear. We identified a shift in biofilm morphology that depends on adaptation to oil consumption: Longer exposure leads to the appearance of dendritic biofilms optimized for oil consumption effected through tubulation of the interface. In situ microfluidic tracking enabled us to correlate tubulation to localized defects in the interfacial cell ordering. We demonstrate control over droplet deformation by using confinement to position defects, inducing dimpling in the droplets. We developed a model that elucidates biofilm morphology, linking tubulation to decreased interfacial tension and increased cell hydrophobicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization and production of biodiesel have seen a significant increase in recent years due to its numerous advantages over other biofuel products. Biodiesel can be produced through various methods, including transesterification, direct mixing, microemulsion, and pyrolysis. Among these, transesterification is the most commonly employed method and utilizes three types of catalysts: enzymatic, homogeneous, and heterogeneous. While enzymatic and homogeneous catalysts are effective, they also present drawbacks, such as costly purification steps and high water and oil consumption. Heterogeneous catalysts, on the other hand, are more favorable as they mitigate these negative aspects. Some challenges still exist with heterogeneous catalysts, but they can be overcome by manipulating their structure. The use of heterogeneous catalysts not only reduces the overall cost of the reaction but also renders the process more environmentally friendly. The present study provides a comprehensive overview of biodiesel, including its characteristics, production methods, and specifically, the use of heterogeneous catalysts and their supports in biodiesel production. In addition, it examines the impact of these catalysts on the production process and the parameters that affect the yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. In agricultural production, not only solar energy is used efficiently in the photosynthesis process, but also energy is used directly as fuel or electricity and indirectly due to energy consumption in the production processes of agricultural machinery, fertilizers or pesticides. The energy consumption per unit production area by the tractor and irrigation pump engines used during agricultural production processes is calculatedregarding the diesel fuel and engine oil consumptions. During the operation of tractors and other engine-powered equipment, carbon (C) in the fuel is converted into carbon dioxide (CO2) released in the engine exhaust. The fuel-based CO2 emission calculation method is the preferred approach, as data on fuel consumed is generally more reliable. In this study, the methods used to determine energy consumption and CO2 emissions related to fuel consumption in agricultural mechanization applications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]