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In the present study, a steel lifting lug is replaced with a composite (carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy [CFRP]) lifting lug made of a carbon/epoxy composite. The purpose of this paper was to obtain a composite lifting lug with a higher level of strength that is capable of carrying loads without failure.

The vibration and static behaviors of steel and composite lifting lugs have been investigated using finite element analysis (FEA), ANSYS software. The main consideration in the design of the composite (CFRP) lifting lug was that the displacement of both steel and composite lugs was the same under the same load. Hence, by using the FEA displacement result of the steel lifting lug, the thickness of the composite lifting lug is determined using FEA.

Compared to the steel lifting lug, the composite (CFRP) lifting lug has much lower stresses and much higher natural frequencies. Static behavior was experienced by the composite lifting lug, showing a reduction in von Mises stress, third principal stress and XZ shear stress, respectively, by 48.4%, 34.6% and 89.8%, respectively, when compared with the steel lifting lug. A higher natural frequency of mode shape swaying in X (258.976√1,000 Hz) was experienced by the composite lifting lug when compared to the steel lifting lug (195.935√1,000 Hz). The safe strength of the design composite lifting lug has been proven by FEA results, which showed that the composite (CFRP) lifting lug has a higher factor of safety in all developed stresses than the steel lifting lug. According to von Mises stress, the factor of safety of the composite lifting lug is increased by 76% when compared to the steel lifting lug. The von Mises stress at the edge of the hole in the composite lifting lug is reduced from 23.763 MPa to 20.775 MPa when compared to the steel lifting lug.

This work presents the designed composite (CFRP) lifting lug, which will be able to carry loads with more safety than a steel one.

The well-being of employees in distributed work has never been of more importance. This study aims to investigate the factors that empower or undermine the connectivity agency of teleworkers. Connectivity agency is an important form of autonomy for managing work–home boundaries, recuperation from work and psychological detachment. With this in mind it becomes vital to understand how connectivity agency is shaped by various contextual factors.

This qualitative study draws upon data collected from 27 teleworkers representing a variety of industries and roles. We employed a semi-structured interview protocol and analysed the data using Tracy’s (2013) iterative coding technique.

Factors that influence one’s likelihood or capacity to exercise connectivity agency exist at the individual, group or organisational level. Our data elucidate factors such as the provision of home and technological resources, the state of team norms and shared expectations and the level of organisational (dis)trust as having significant influence on whether a teleworker exercises connectivity agency, or whether attempts to do so fail altogether.

Whilst we have a comprehensive understanding of types of connectivity agency behaviours, it is unclear how one’s agency may be influenced by contextual factors. The originality and key contribution of our study is in enriching our understanding of connectivity agency to appreciate it as a dynamic phenomenon that is shaped by various contextual factors. This presents a variety of important insights for professionals leading, implementing or partaking in distributed work.

This article highlights the recipient of the Exemplary PDS Award given by the National Association of School–University Partnerships. In 2024, the University of North Carolina Wilmington's Watson College of Education (WCE) PDS School–University Partnership with Isaac Bear Early College (IBEC) and Southeast Area Technical (SEA-Tech) High School were recognized for their collaborative work. This article highlights the structures and major activities involved in a longstanding, successful PDS partnership.

The article is derived from the award proposal and written in an informative, narrative style, embedding references to each of the NAPDS 9 Essentials to assist in highlighting key aspects of the partnership.

Due to the nature of this piece, there are no research findings.

This article draws additional attention to various aspects of this exemplary partnership and may inspire future nominations.

The article aims to provide an accurate and efficient numerical algorithm for viscous flows in power-law fluids under various thermal boundary and partial slip conditions.

We are conducting a numerical investigation using the Taylor–Galerkin/pressure correction finite element method, which builds upon the work of previous researchers. Here, attention is therefore given to the interplay of various thermal boundary and stick-slip conditions and their impact on non-isothermal inelastic fluid.

The results demonstrate the influence of the Prandtl, Brinkman and Reynolds numbers on the flow’s thermal and hydrodynamic behavior, concentrating on the impact of slip at the wall. Furthermore, we have presented the effects of these dimensionless parameters on the detailed local and average Nusselt numbers, illustrated the high accuracy we obtained for numerical convergence, and compared our results with those of previous papers, observing excellent agreement.

We have successfully tested the code under the presented industrial conditions. Future research directions on this topic aim for efficient and robust solvers for non-Newtonian thermal rheological models; this algorithm can be used for that purpose.

This algorithm has never been used for numerical analysis of such a problem previously.

The theoretical landscape surrounding the contribution of digital transformation to sustainability in higher education institutions is lacking in literature. Blended learning has gained popularity and poises for further growth as a sustainable and inclusive mode of learning that will shape the future of education. This study aims to investigate the organizational critical success factors that ensure high-quality blended learning opportunities.

Data was collected through an online student survey and semistructured interviews with academic leaders and faculty members.

Exploratory factor analysis and multiple linear regression revealed five main contributing factors to a successful overall hybrid experience, namely, faculty support, cognitive flexibility, learner self-actualization, student engagement and sense of belonging. In the results, students were satisfied with their gained skills, knowledge and engagement, and have succeeded in developing cognitive flexibility, self-actualization and sense of belonging. Faculty support was the strongest determinant. The presence of certain organizational dynamics, comprising management support of those with sustainability mindset, effective communication, blended leadership qualities and adequate faculty personality traits, presents as a major predictor to quality learning opportunities.

The theoretical landscape surrounding the contribution of digital transformation to sustainability in higher education institutions is lacking in literature, which emphasizes the novel aspects of this study. In particular, it contributes by determining the overall level of research on the subject, theoretical stances in this area and potential avenues for further investigation.

Scuba diving tourism is reputed to be a potential low-impact recreational activity that allow environmental conservation and socioeconomic benefits for local communities. Few studies have addressed the issue of sustainability of scuba diving tourism through the simultaneously investigation on the economic and socio-cultural aspects and its implications for tourism development. This study aims to examine the scuba diving tourism in three under-explored North African tourism destinations with high ecotourist potential. The authors present an exploratory picture of scuba diving tourist demand, divers' preferences, motivations for recreational diving experiences and their propensity towards conservation.

The authors developed a case study research strategy collecting profile data on 123 divers. Furthermore, regression analysis was performed to investigate the divers' preferences, motivations and propensity towards conservation.

The divers' limited number, the presence of mainly local seasonal tourists and a moderate propensity towards conservation influence the potential of the diving tourism segment to generate significant socioeconomic benefits for local sustainable development in these destinations. However, establishing a marine protected area (MPA) could foster the development of a long-term strategy for scuba diving tourism, improve conservation awareness and increase divers' satisfaction.

Diverse profiles, preferences and motivations can provide tools to sustainably manage and preserve coastal and marine biodiversity, while also maximising the quality of the recreational experience. One of the most effective site-based strategies to orient the diving sector towards sustainability involves the design and strengthening of MPAs.

The research provides an original contribution to the debate on sustainable tourism strategies by demonstrating how the study of economic and socio-cultural aspects of scuba diving could provide guidelines to orient the tourism development of marine and coastal areas towards the principles of sustainability (also through the establishment of MPAs). The findings present an overview of the sustainability of the scuba diving tourism segment by investigating the preferences, motivations and inclination towards conservation among tourists for whom the diving experience is not a core holiday activity.

This study aims to investigate how the effectiveness of green advertising can be improved by matching benefit appeals (self vs other) and message sidedness (one-sided vs two-sided) in consumer evaluations of green products.

Four scenario experiments and one field experiment were conducted to investigate the interaction effects of benefit appeals and message sidedness on green consumption. It aims to verify the psychological mechanisms that promote green consumption when benefit appeals and message sidedness are matched and to explore the persuasiveness of this matching on consumers with different power states engaging in green consumption.

Studies 1 and 4 provide evidence that when advertising conveys self-benefit appeals (vs other-benefit appeals), two-sided messages (vs one-sided messages) positively promote green consumption. Importantly, Study 2 concluded that perceived manipulative intent was the psychological mechanism underlying the interaction effects of green advertising benefit appeals and message sidedness. Studies 3 and 5 confirm that the power state plays a moderating role in these effects.

This study contributes to the growing research on green marketing, especially green advertising, and advances the theoretical knowledge of how to match benefit appeal with message sidedness to promote green consumption effectively.

This study provides a more comprehensive understanding of consumer evaluations of green products under the influence of benefit appeals and message sidedness. The match between benefit appeal and message sidedness can promote green consumption. These findings can help marketers and policymakers promote green consumption by designing advertisements that match benefit appeal with message sidedness. When considering the power state’s impact, marketers should consider consumers’ high- or low-power states when selecting appropriate advertisement designs. Alternatively, they can manipulate the power state to optimise the effectiveness of advertisements.

Although previous research has focused on the difference in persuasiveness between self-benefit and other appeals, little is known about how to match green benefit appeals and message sidedness to heighten the persuasiveness of green advertising to consumers. Therefore, in this study, this paper attempts to fill this research gap by exploring how green benefit appeals and message sidedness match and how green advertising may produce better persuasion effects on green consumption.

This study aims to reexamine the moderating role of human capital on the effect of extended financial inclusion (FI) for entrepreneurship, using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for a sample of 42 countries from 2006 to 2017.

This study distinguished between actual and perceived human capital. Actual human capital was measured through formal education while perceived human capital was captured by self-perceived capabilities for business start-ups. The moderating role of human capital was captured by the interaction terms between FI and human capital to investigate how the effects of FI on entrepreneurship vary with levels of human capital. The estimation used the panel-corrected standard error estimators and the two-step system generalized method of moments estimators.

Higher levels of formal education decrease the positive effect of extended FI on entrepreneurial activities. Individuals with high levels of self-capability do not leverage FI for entrepreneurial activities as much as those with lower levels of perceived capability. The results are robust to different estimation methods and different forms of actual human capital.

Both financial and human capital matter for new business formation worldwide. The findings suggest that FI policies must account for the decreasing effect in response to high levels of human capital. Future research should explore different measures of entrepreneurial performance, various types of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship across gender groups to gain deeper insights into strategies for promoting entrepreneurship.

Education strategies should focus on specific types of education, such as entrepreneurship education with financial literacy, rather than traditional academic curriculum, to foster entrepreneurship knowledge, skills and creativity. Likewise, entrepreneurship support schemes should aim to nurture and share appropriate levels of self-efficacy, avoiding excessively high self-efficacy, which is deleterious to the benefits of FI for entrepreneurial activities.

This study offers novel evidence of the decreasing effects of FI on entrepreneurial activities in response to increased actual and perceived human capital.