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The purpose of this paper is to compare the numerical laminar two‐dimensional unsteady natural convection in a partial sector‐shaped enclosure submitted respectively to a constant heat flux density q1 and a uniform temperature T1 on the inner cylindrical wall. The numerical model performed in this paper is applied more particularly for high Grashof numbers, in order to point out the advent and the development of pre‐turbulent flows. Results of numerical runs are presented. The mean Nusselt number on active walls is represented as a function of the Grashof number Gr and the aspect ratio F_r. The results may be correlated very well with an expression of the form \overlineNu = k1 Gr₁^k2, for technical calculations.

The purpose of this paper is to study the transient natural convection of a Newtonian fluid which develops in a closed spherical annulus delimited by two vertically eccentric spheres by using a bispherical coordinates system. The inner sphere is heated by a heat flux of constant density and the outer one is maintained isothermal.

The transfer equations are written by using a bispherical coordinates system. The Navier‐Stokes equations are solved and coupled with the energy equation by using the alternating direction implicit (ADI) and the successive over relaxation (SOR) methods.

The study of the stream function and the Nusselt number shows that the convection motion is reinforced for the geometries characterized by positive values of the eccentricity with heat exchange increasing. The Nusselt number increases with the modified Rayleigh number. The heat exchange increases with the radius ratio. The results show that the steady state is reached faster when the modified Rayleigh number increases and the influence of the eccentricity is very low on the establishment of the steady state. The fluids flow depends strongly on the eccentricity and the modified Rayleigh number.

Simulations are performed for modified Rayleigh numbers ranging from 10³ to 10⁶, for eccentricities varying between –0.6 and +0.6 and for radius ratio between 1.5 and 2.

The results of eccentricity and modified Rayleigh number effects in transient natural convection between vertically eccentric spheres have been displayed.

In this chapter, I utilize insights from symbolic interaction to analyze the identity work processes of larp subculture participants to construct and perform their in-game identities. I extend the research on larp subcultures in two ways. First, I place larping within the larger context of leisure subcultures and society by arguing that larping is representative of changes in leisure and subcultures in postmodern society. Second, I draw upon ethnographic data collected among the New England Role-playing Organization (NERO) to analyze larpers character identity performances. RPG and Larp researchers have developed several theories about the relationship between larp participants and their character performances. While these concepts provide a helpful framework for understanding the participant-character relationship, they undertheorize the in-game constructed performance of identity. Using symbolic interaction theory, I analyze the identity work processes larpers use to construct and perform their larp identities extending our understanding of the similarities between everyday identity and larpers' character identity performances.

Energy consumption in transportation accounted for over 29% of total final consumption (TFC) of energy and 65% of global oil usage, and it is highly connected to mobility. Mobility is essential for access to day-to-day activities such as education, leisure, healthcare, business activities, and commercial and industrial operations. This study examines the energy consumption for the transport industry, and the level of renewable energy development in some selected Sub-Saharan African (SSA) nations. This study relied on previous publications of government, reports and articles related to the subject matter. Vehicle ownership is fast increasing, particularly in cities. Still, it begins at a relatively low level because the area is home to countries with the lowest ownership rates worldwide. In its current state, the energy sector faces significant challenges such as inadequate and poorly maintained infrastructure, dealing with increasing traffic congestion in cities, large-scale imports of used vehicles with poor emission standards that affect air quality in cities, a lack of safe and formally operated public transportation systems, and inadequate consideration for women and disabled mobility needs. Motorcycle and tricycle are dominating the rural areas, accounting for a substantial amount of this growth. Aviation is the largest non-road user of energy, and this trend is predicted to continue through 2040 as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grows and urbanisation expands. This study revealed the energy consumption for the transport industry, and the level of renewable energy development in some selected SSA. Rail and navigation lag behind current global levels. The usage of biofuel and rail transport was recommended.

Increasingly, how well organisations innovate is becoming the single most important issue in determining their ultimate success. Referencing a variety of cases primarily drawn from governmental organisations, this paper argues that the key to successful innovation implementation rests on the convergence of three different factors. First, an innovation must be properly framed in terms of stakeholders’ expectations. Secondly, a good internal innovation environment must be present. Finally, the pros of specific attributes of innovations must outweigh their cons. The Eight other conditions, in which one or more of these factors is not positive, result in differing degrees of success and failure, with different implications for organisational outcomes. These eight conditions, and their associated propositions, are discussed in terms of their heuristic value for bridging gaps in differing parties’ understanding of innovation processes and future directions for research, including the interaction of power and type of innovation.

The growth of both the informal sector and illicit financial outflows necessitated this study, in order to investigate how countries in Africa respond to these realities in terms of mobilization of domestic resources. These are the main motivation for the current study to the extant literature in conjunction with the adoption of employing second-generation econometric techniques which take into account cross-sectional dependence and country-specific heterogeneity.

This study therefore examined the capacity of Africa to mobilize domestic resources amidst rising illicit financial outflows and informal sector size in selected African countries between 2000 and 2018. Second-generation econometric techniques such as cross-sectional dependence tests, slope homogeneity tests, Westerlund (2007) long-run co-integration tests, Eberhardt and Teal (2010) augmented mean group estimations and Kónya (2006) panel causality testing were employed.

Findings revealed the existence of cross-sectional dependence and slope homogeneity in the data series. Findings also supported the existence of depressing long-run impacts of IFOs and ISS on domestic savings. Causality test results were not uniform across variables among countries. Policy recommendations favour formalizing the largely informal African economies through budgetary policy adjustments and commitment to building stronger institutions.

The fragility of the African countries economy and its macroeconomic indicators is suggestive for more policy construction.

This economic reality about the nature of the informal sector is one that has negated the traditional view which holds that economic reforms would make the informal sector shrink as it transits to formal sector. Experiences from Latin America and Africa in fact indicate that the informal sector is actually on an expansionary path in the wake of adjustment and policy reforms. It is often called the unobserved, unorganized or unprotected economy. With this sector growing in size, the possibility of a reverse may not be in sight, owing to the increasing poverty levels and unemployment prevalent in most African countries. Uncertain foreign investment and aid inflows coupled with lower export revenues and high levels of indebtedness have created new impetus to examine the capacity of Africa's fiscal policy regime to mobilise domestic resources for the development of the region. Surprisingly, the last decade witnessed continued rise in Africa's illicit financial outflows amidst large informal sector size (ISS).

THE Conference of the Library Association may be described as one without a press. The greatest dailies had the barest references to it, a fact which is surprising and lends us matter for reflection. If an admittedly national service, almost universal in application, can be completely ignored in its annual gatherings, what is to be thought? Is it that libraries are now so normal a part of the social landscape that they may be taken for granted? Are they so insignificant that they do not merit notice? Alternatively, were our proceedings too dull for the dramatic necessities of the reporter? Or, finally, was it because the general publicity of the L.A. is not aggressive, is indeed inert? These questions every librarian and library authority may ask and have a right to the answer.

Rice is the main cereal in Senegal. Despite efforts to improve the sector, consumers still prefer imported rice. Only one previous study conducted by the authors analyzed these preferences using a sensory analysis approach (Mané et al., 2021). This initial study showed that local rice can compete with imported rice if processing is improved. Based on these results, this study aims to identify the physicochemical parameters responsible for the sensory quality identified in Senegalese consumers.

In this context, the physicochemical and cooking properties of 12 rice samples were analyzed and the correlations between these physicochemical and sensory properties were studied.

The results showed that imported rice had a higher 1000-kernel weight, grain length and transparency values, whereas local rice had higher water uptake, swelling ratios, gelatinization temperature and iron and magnesium contents. Correlations have shown that positive descriptors such as “beautiful,” “white color,” “good taste,” “fragrant,” “fine grains,” “typical rice odor,” well-cooked” and “scattered” were correlated with varietal and technological criteria such as high 1000-grain weight, grain length, whiteness, transparency and absence of impurities in rice. In contrast, negative sensory descriptors such as “pasty” and “sticky texture” were associated with water uptake ratio, gelatinization temperature, rice breakage and cooking time.

These results show how to improve the quality of new rice varieties in the country based on the physicochemical parameters associated with the positive sensory properties cited above by consumers.

This paper aims to propose, for the very first time in Burkina Faso, a “no regret” reference tool to improve policies and processes which could strengthen agricultural water resilience under climate risks and change for sustained food security. Such a framework consists of five pillars derived from the agricultural water vulnerability analysis.

The method combined a new designed tool “ClimProspect”, adapted to the Sahelian climatic context, participatory and analogue approaches.

Innovative “no regret” framework to overcome current and future climate risks on agricultural water requirements has been built.

The paper proposes a new way to assess vulnerability and build resilience for a given system and brings climate and disaster risks together. In fact, in the country, disaster and climate risks are closely associated.

The proposed measures will reinforce water security under climate variability and change and disaster risks, boost the farmers’ participation in water governance and secure the adaptation investment for the long term.

Implementing the proposed measures should provide farmers with agricultural water needs at any time over the year, having access to social protection and sustainably increase their food security.

Method used explicitly allows for paying attention, at the same time, to climate variability and change, disaster risks and social issues. The “no regret” framework is a practical secured tool for policy makers and planners, and it gives them a new way to secure sustainable water requirements.

The purpose of the present paper is to provide a systematic overview of dimensions that need to be enfolded or considered in microfinance policies and strategies designs as well as impact studies aiming to empower or assess the empowerment of a specific category of women, namely women entrepreneurs. Afterward, the study aims to suggest some directions for future studies.

To meet its purpose, the paper applies the systematic review approach. The applied methodology follows guidelines for systematic reviews of social and economic interventions as set out by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). More specifically, the authors examine 87 empirical papers from 6 databases investigating the impact of microfinance institutions on the empowerment of women entrepreneurs.

Overall, findings of the study suggest that dimensions of the empowerment of women entrepreneurs are formed and conditioned by normative, cognitive and regulative institutional logics. Additionally, the systematic review suggests key research avenues and calls for more inclusive empirical studies in terms of geographical coverage, microfinance services/products assessed and method designs applied.

Findings of the current review provide clear theoretical contribution and useful practical implications in the field of microfinance and the empowerment of women entrepreneurs. On the one hand, the study suggests to scholars key avenues for future studies likely to bring new insights in terms of theory, context and methods. On the other hand, this study extents the understanding of microfinance practitioners on the concept of women empowerment as the field of female entrepreneurship is concerned. This implication is likely to enable the design of appropriate microfinance strategies and policies, allowing women entrepreneurs to achieve an overall empowerment.

The present paper contributes to the debate around the multidimensionality of the concept, “women empowerment.” The multidimensional nature of the addressed concept is well established in the existing literature. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has provided a conceptual analysis of empowerment dimensions of a particular category of women, namely women entrepreneurs. Unlike most of the studies assuming that all women face identical challenges, the present paper brings new insights on the topic as it is built on a different assumption. The paper takes ground from the institutional theory and applies it to the specific case of female entrepreneurship.