UNIGE Lecture on Impact Investing 29 Nov 2021

Academia Engineering, 2023

Greening the environment can improve soundscapes by reducing unwanted sounds and introducing sounds that are generally considered more desirable. This review concentrates on the physics by which increasing the area of natural ground cover and vegetation can reduce sound levels. Most naturally occurring ground surfaces are porous. If a source of sound and a listener are close to a porous ground surface, the sound reflected from the surface combines with sound travelling directly to the listener such that the phase difference due to path length difference adds to the phase change during reflection at the surface. At the listener, the two components will partly cancel each other, in other words the direct and reflected waves interfere destructively, and there is a reduction in the total sound level over a range of frequencies. Also, viscous drag and heat exchange at leaf surfaces adds to sound attenuation. Measurements and predictions show that the viscous and thermal processes and ‘soft’ ground effect are the most important contributors to sound attenuation through crops and densely planted trees and contribute to the acoustical influences of roof top gardens and vegetated façades. Although widely used schemes for predicting outdoor noise allow for porous ground effect and for attenuation through foliage, they are not sufficiently accurate either to explore the potential for noise reduction from ‘greening’ or to be useful in devising plans to exploit it. Improved prediction schemes are key to realising the potential of greening for noise reduction.

2024

Revista do Gelne, 1999

2005

2016

Energy saving has become an important aspect of every business activity as it is important in terms of cost savings and greenhouse gas emission reduction. This study aims to develop a comprehensive artificial intelligence model for reducing energy consumption in the mining industry. Many parameters influence the fuel consumption of surface mining haul trucks. This includes, but not limited to, truck load, truck speed and total haul road resistance. In this study, a fitness function for the haul truck fuel consumption based on these parameters is generated using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). This function is utilised to generate a multi-objective model based on Genetic Algorithm (GA). This model is used to estimate the optimum values of the haulage parameters to reduce fuel consumption. The developed model is generated and tested using real data collected from four large surface mines. It is found that for all four mines considered in this study, the haul truck fuel consumption...

Asinag 15, 2020

This paper deals with a progressive, total assimilation process in the Tamazight dialect of Ayt Sgougou. Two aspects of the process, which involves coronal consonants only, are examined within Optimality Theory: sonorant-stop assimilation, triggered by l and n and sonorant-sonorant assimilation, triggered by r and l. Various faithfulness constraints are at play, most of which are dominated by ASSIM(ilation). The process interacts closely with ə-epenthesis and spirantization. Underapplication of ə-epenthesis feeds assimilation, and underapplication of assimilation feeds spirantization, which creates a certain degree of opacity.

project

Book, 2022

Today's organisations face challenges from many directions. From small and medium-sized enterprises to family-run businesses and large multinationals, the problems of leadership and management are often a reaction to the same market trends. We have an ever-expanding toolkit to help you develop the best organisational responses. The authors of this book have undertaken to take a selection from a rich range of management tools and present a case study in which they have been applied. Kaizen, Artifical Intelligence, Denison`s model, High Performance Organizational Model, Kapferer`s Brand Identity Prism, CSR - to mention only the most important ones. The main aim of our volume remains to build a bridge between science and practice, so that it can be used by professionals in academia and managers in business alike.