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This paper reports on research into co-creation labs as a tool for exploring environmental communication. Co-creation labs are novel spaces for experimentation, social learning, and trans-disciplinary as well as cross-sectoral collaboration for sustainability transformations. This paper examines the approach taken by researchers to theorising, via a repurposing of the 2×2 scenario matrix, a series of "labs" that represent diverse spaces in which to explore co-creative convergence through transformative learning processes. In addition, examples from work done to date are offered to illustrate progress in implementing these labs and testing the strengths and weaknesses of these co-creative spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical macroeconomics has highlighted the existence of technology clubs in the world. Are such clubs converging in terms of technological progress, and if so, at what speed? And, what is the role of technology convergence in output convergence? To answer these research questions, we here propose a pragmatic nonparametric test. Using a sample of 81 countries over the 1965–2014 period, we find that the 'Advanced' technology club defines the best practice technology in the world, and that the club of the 'Followers' but not the 'Marginalized' one shows technology convergence. Only in the 'Followers' indeed is technology convergence related to output convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy intensity convergence can be used to assess the effectiveness of policies in reducing energy intensity. This study analyzes the energy intensity convergence in Indonesia based on panel data of 33 provinces from 2010 to 2018. Spatial econometrics techniques are used in the estimation of beta convergence to measure the spatial dependence of energy intensity. Empirical results show that there is evidence of both absolute and conditional beta convergences with no evidence of sigma convergence. From the results, this study found that other variables, such as provincial income, the role of manufacturing industries, the role of international trade, FDI, and population density, might encourage energy intensity convergence. From the estimation results, several policy recommendations are derived to increase energy efficiency: First, using a more efficient industrial technology. Second, attracting foreign investment to non-industrial sectors. Third, developing exports from sectors that use less energy to increase energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide the rigorous convergence analysis of the chemotaxis system { ∂ n ϵ ∂ t = Δ n ϵ − ∇ ⋅ (n ϵ ∇ c ϵ) , τ 1 ∂ c ϵ ∂ t = Δ c ϵ − c ϵ + w ϵ , τ 2 ∂ w ϵ ∂ t = − w ϵ + n ϵ in a smoothly bounded planar domain Ω as τ 1 → 0 and (or) τ 2 → 0. Precisely, we reveal that actually the indirect signal properties are strong enough to allow for a uniformly global-in-time convergence in terms of τ 1 = τ 2 = ϵ ↘ 0 and τ 1 = 1 , τ 2 = ϵ ↘ 0 for ∫ Ω n ϵ (⋅ , 0) < 4 π , which correspond to the classical Keller-Segel systems with direct signal production, and of τ 1 = ϵ ↘ 0 , τ 2 = 1 for suitable small initial data. As a byproduct, we show that for any p ≥ 2 , the L p -norm of n ϵ blows up if ∫ Ω n ϵ (⋅ , 0) ∈ (4 π , ∞) ∖ 4 π N , which improves the existing results that the solution is unbounded in the sense of L ∞ -norm of n ϵ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper considers the problem of convergence for the optimal linear filter with time‐correlated fading channel and channel noise (TCFCCN) proposed in Liu et al. A novel time‐varying random vector is defined where the vector includes the state error, the innovation, the fading state error and a small portion of the new measurement's noise. Based on studying the convergence of the time‐varying matrix obtained from the defined random vector, the optimal linear filter's convergence conditions are established. It is pointed out that, under proper conditions, the optimal linear filter is convergent and a set's each element converges to a unique fixed point. Two numerical examples are given to demonstrate the obtained theoretical results's effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of the study is the process of convergence of educational technologies as an imperative for the development of innovative cooperation under the conditions of circular transformation. The central element of circular transformations is a person who must quickly react and adapt to changes in the external environment and solve management problems through systematic professional growth. This can be achieved thanks to the introduction of high-quality modern educational technologies, which require both special knowledge of the theory and practice of management, as well as personal development qualities. To achieve a state of sustainable development, managers making management decisions must quickly respond and adapt to changes in the external environment to solve various management problems. This requires systematic professional growth through the transition to high-quality new educational technologies. Combining the principles of global cooperation, defining the key imperatives of sustainable development and finding innovative measures of cooperation under the renewed conditions of the circular economy must be based on education. The main generally accepted indicator of the level of development of any country in the world is GDP. But under conditions of uncertainty and change, the real state of development and progress can be determined using the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), which is an integral indicator. One of the main issues is the determination of the level of sustainable development in the context of circular transformations, taking into account the influence of the level of education and existing approaches to its assessment. If we take into account that the conditions for cyclical transformations must occur, including through raising the level of education and the constant transfer of education into practice, then the inclusion of the Index of the level of education is necessary to calculate the real state of development of any country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Zhejiang University (Science Edition) is the property of Journal of Zhejiang University (Science Edition) 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.)

Based on the β-convergence method, this paper studies whether there is innovation convergence in Chinese cities as a whole, and analyzes the reasons why cities within urban agglomerations show significant innovation convergence. We find that:(i) Empirical regression based on β convergence theory indicates that there is significant innovation convergence at the city level in China. The analysis based on σ convergence theory also supports this result. (ii) The speed of innovation convergence of cities within urban agglomerations is significantly higher than that of cities outside urban agglomerations. (iii) Human capital spillover and market interaction can significantly affect the level of urban innovation growth, which is the main reason for the innovation convergence difference inside and outside the urban agglomeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's innovation development relies heavily on government and enterprises' large investments in R&D activities, but regional sustainable innovation efficiency (RSIE) remains low in most areas of China. The economic and social development in China is facing continuously strengthened constraints of energy and environment. Sustainable innovation is an efficient way to achieve green development of economy, energy and environment. Previous studies on innovation efficiency did not pay attention to the undesirable outputs and did not study the convergence of innovation efficiency. This research empirically evaluates the sustainable innovation efficiency on regional level based on a slack-based measurement (SBM) model considering energy consumption and environmental pollutions. Furthermore, this research analyses the convergence of regional sustainable innovation efficiency. Results show that sustainable innovation efficiency in central, western regions and the entire country is slowly increasing. Provinces with high levels of technological innovation and environmental protection, pollutant emissions reduction and energy consumption have higher sustainable innovation efficiency. In addition, obvious δ and absolute β convergence trends exist in sustainable innovation efficiency, indicating that the regional differences among the three regions are shrinking. Regions with backward technological innovation are catching up with advanced regions. Controlled variables have a significant influence on the β convergence, whereas the convergence factors in the eastern, central and western regions are different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education for sustainable development (ESD) refers to education on the values and behaviors necessary for a sustainable future and society where everyone receives high-quality benefits. In the era of the fourth industrial revolution, convergence thinking is emphasized as a method of ESD. Therefore, this study aims to derive a model for developing open convergence subjects for ESD. The idea for this model was derived by combining the process of establishing a Convergence Department at Rey Juan Carlos University in Spain and the unit activities of Kyoto University in Japan. The challenges of failing to achieve the original goal and purpose of convergence due to emphasizing specific majors were solved by defining requirements for the model. Convergence subjects that meet the requirements are developed by following the order of the proposed model. In the future, a convergence subject pilot model will be applied using the proposed model to present and operate a course development process called "technology and future are seen through the window of currency". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite much research on the interdisciplinarity of the publications across subject categories, few studies analyze the interdisciplinarity of the technological knowledge flow among research entities (i.e., patent assignees, inventors, and countries). In this article, we propose a framework to identify the roles of the research entities by measuring the interdisciplinarity of the technological knowledge flow. Research entities are positioned on the two-dimensional maps based on the integration index, diffusion index, and specialization index, which are used to measure the degree of the interdisciplinarity of different research entities in knowledge flow. In order to explore the role of the research entities in knowledge flow, we put forward four kinds of research entities: diverse knowledge provider, active mediator of diverse knowledge flow, diverse knowledge consumer, and negative mediator of diverse knowledge flow. The case study related to synthetic biology indicates that this method is valid and could explore effectively, the roles of the research entities to further guide the creation of new inventions by converging prominent technologies beyond technology field boundaries in facilitating active technology flow and support technological competitive evaluation and policy decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent paper in this journal examines the presence of convergence or divergence in terms of institutional quality among the Eurozone countries over the period 2008–17. Convergence is a long-term process. Furthermore, it may not follow a smooth and stable course since it can be affected by major episodes such as the recent crisis and the recession that afflicted Eurozone countries. Better insights can be drawn with the use of timeseries spanning over a longer period and by allowing for structural shifts in the process caused by important episodes and major events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present and assess the labor productivity changes that have occurred in Poland's rural sectors since the country became a member of the European Union. The study is linked with the concept of convergence, which is one of the key goals of European integration. Convergence is when two or more things, ideas, or processes become similar. In an economic sense, convergence is the reduction of development disparities between countries, regions, or economic sectors. The aim of the work was to study the convergence of labor productivity in Poland's rural economic sectors between 2003 and 2019. Since 2004, when Poland became a member of the European Union, the country has benefited from funds distributed via EU regional policies, aimed at economic and social cohesion, and attaining regional convergence of economic effects in the economies of rural areas. The theoretical background and research methodology of this article are based on the topic's literature. Two forms of convergence (sigma convergence and beta convergence) were analyzed. Sigma convergence means a decrease in the dispersion and differentiation of labor productivity over time, and the essence of beta convergence is the faster development of less-developed regions, which results in catching up with the better-developed regions. The economic results of convergence processes, measured by the gross value added of agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fisheries, as well as the number of employed persons in these sectors, were obtained from the Local Data Bank. The distribution dynamics (of the gross value added per person working in a Polish rural sector) were assessed for 2003–2019 as well as for selected years and sub-periods. Statistical methods describing the state of differentiation of regions and the function of regression were used for analysis. The results are presented in figures and maps. The flows between the productivity groups of regions in five sub-periods were evidenced. The research confirmed the partial occurrence of labor productivity convergence in Poland's rural sectors between 2003 and 2014—the period of a sizable flow of European Funds offered to rural areas in Poland, during the first two European Union financial perspectives. In the following years, the convergence process diminished due to different natural and socioeconomic reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies the meta-frontier Data Envelopment Analysis and the main concepts of convergence from the economic growth literature (β-convergence and σ-convergence) to analyze integration and convergence both in efficiency and in technology gap of European Union (EU) insurance markets. We evaluate 10 EU life insurance markets over the 17-year-period 1998–2014. Results show convergence in cost/revenue efficiency among major EU life insurance markets during the sample period. These findings indicate that the least efficient countries in 1998 have shown a higher improvement in cost/revenue efficiency than the most efficient countries in the same year as well as that the dispersion of the mean efficiency scores among EU life insurance markets decreased over the sample period. We also find convergence in cost/revenue technology gap among these markets, suggesting that they become more technologically homogeneous during the sample period. However, results show that the global financial crisis has led to a slowdown in the progress of integration and convergence in efficiency and technology gap of EU life insurance markets in terms of cost efficiency but not in terms of revenue efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convergence is a collaborative activity in which members of group focus on what they consider the most promising or important contributions resulting from an ideation activity. Convergence is critical in helping a group focus their efforts on issues that are worthy of further attention. In the current study, we further research in this area by exploring and characterizing the effects of a particular convergence intervention, the FastFocus technique, in the context of a crowdsourcing project. We conducted an exploratory case study of artifacts generated by a crowd of managers addressing a real problem identification and clarification task in a large financial services organization. Using an online crowdsourcing tool, a professional facilitator led participants during preset periods through a convergence activity that focused on the brainstorming contributions that had been generated prior. To better understand the effects of the convergence technique on the group's ideas, we compared the raw problem statements to the final output of the convergence activities in terms of the number of unique ideas present, as well as the ambiguity of the ideas. Using the FastFocus convergence technique reduced the number of concepts by 76%. Ambiguity was reduced from 45% in the set of problem statements to 3% in the converged set of problem statements. We demonstrate with these findings that the outcomes of group convergence processes in real settings can be measured, enabling future research which seeks to evaluate and understand convergence in groups. Aspects of brainstorming instructions were also identified that may make it possible to reduce the ambiguity of problem statements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In times of crisis, the vulnerability of global financial markets can be considered as an element in the analysis of economic stability and sustainable development, which also indicates significant differences in the recognition of economic capital. We aimed to analyse the convergence of accounting systems within a global context under the influence of economic crises and uncertainty, which was based on an observational study of the major financial markets in Paris, New York and Shanghai during the period of 2015–2022. A dedicated database was built using official information. The main objective of the study was to develop a volatility matrix of the gravity development model in relation to the characteristics of the accounting systems on which economic capital recognition is based. The proposed model highlights regional disparities according to relevant statistical grounds and quantifies the volatility issues that are induced by the application of economic capital recognition rules on the global model. The methods that were used consisted of a critical study of the literature to substantiate the research hypotheses and an application of analytical procedures to define, test and validate the proposed statistical model. The usefulness of the model is all the more important because its development took into account the pandemic period and the outbreak of the military conflict in Ukraine, which helped to create pragmatic tools to ensure the faster convergence of accounting systems and limit the spread of vulnerabilities through open transactions on the global market. The results of the research can support decision makers in accessing regional financial markets and achieving a better convergence of accounting information. The study and its approach were new and original and the results represent a good base for accounting policy adjustments from a global perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study is to identify influential factors of travel intention under the context of highly developed IT society today. Due to the development of IT and diversified ways of technology convergence, individual travelers become highly efficient in travel-related information processing. As predicted, the results of both Korean and Chinese samples show that acquaintance recommendation, autonomy, relatedness, and technology self-efficacy are significantly related with the travel information acquisition and travel intention. In this study, smartPLS, which is widely used in social science, was used. PLS is a useful analytical tool for determining causality between variables. The present study will make practical contributions by enhancing the accuracy of travel recommendation services from the perspective of technology convergence. The results of this study are expected to provide guidelines for travel-related companies to develop personalization and customization services through big data and artificial intelligence techniques when they want to design travel recommendation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Mathematics, Mechanics & Computer Science is the property of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University 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.)

We analyze the behavior of inflation in the era of fast pace information thanks to technological advances, especially internet. Owing to readily available information, prices/inflation should quickly converge under perfect competition. To this end, we explore the possibility of price convergence in regional inflation in the USA including the permanency of such a phenomenon if observed, a concern for monetary policy makers. Empirically, we analyze standard deviation of regional inflation with special attention to technology. We show that standard deviation of inflation is not constant over time, but not necessarily ever-declining. Technology seems to help reduce price dispersion across regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates whether convergence or divergence of robot densities in the manufacturing industries of 24 EU countries occurred over the period from 1995 to 2015. An answer to this question permits immediate conclusions with regard to the success of convergence of labour productivities within the manufacturing industries of the EU, since it is expected that the use of robots will contribute to the growth of labour productivity. The empirical analysis is based on the robot data of the International Federation of Robotics and uses the convergence testing approach proposed by Rodrik (Q J Econ 128(1):165–204, 2013). Taking all results together, empirical evidence points to non-convergence of robot densities for a first period from 1995 to 2005, while there is relatively fast conditional as well as unconditional convergence for the second period from 2005 to 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed, consensus-based algorithms have emerged as a promising approach for the coordination of distributed energy resources (DER) due to their communication, computation, privacy and reliability advantages over centralized approaches. However, state-of-the-art consensus-based algorithms address the DER coordination problem in independent time periods and therefore are inherently unable to capture the time-coupling operating characteristics of flexible demand (FD) and energy storage (ES) resources. This paper demonstrates that state-of-the-art algorithms fail to converge when these time-coupling characteristics are considered. In order to address this fundamental limitation, a novel consensus-based algorithm is proposed which includes additional consensus variables. These variables express relative maximum power limits imposed on the FD and ES resources which effectively mitigate the concentration of the FD and ES responses at the same time periods and steer the consensual outcome to a feasible and optimal solution. The convergence and optimality of the proposed algorithm are theoretically proven while case studies numerically demonstrate its convergence, optimality, robustness to initialization and information loss, and plug-and-play adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to provide theoretical explanations for the belief propagation ( BP) algorithm often appear as non-convergence in the propositional formulas with more complex structure, this paper proposed the community discovery algorithm (WPLPA) based on warning propagation. It used the WPLPA algorithm to divide the community structure of the factor graph corresponding to the proposition formula by the message iteration strategy on the graph in BP algorithm, and established twodimensional structure entropy measurement model of the proposition formula with the help of the related theory and technology of two-dimensional structure entropy. It analyzed the relationship between the convergence of the BP algorithm and the two-dimensional structure entropy through this model, and gave the convergence judgment of the BP algorithm. It systematically analyzed the convergence of BP algorithm. Experimental analysis proves that the method is effective and feasible, and it can provide theoretical support for the follow-up research of information dissemination algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ingenius, Revista Ciencia y Tecnología is the property of Universidad Politecnica Salesiana 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 paper analyzes renewable energy efficiency in Latin American countries (LAC) and investigates the efficiency convergence. Based on the data of the period 2005–2014, Super-efficient Slack-Based Measure (S–U-SBM) model is applied to measure the total factor efficiency of renewable energy, and Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index (ML) is applied to detect the changing trend of efficiency. The S–U-SBM results show that the average value of the total factor efficiency of renewable energy in LAC is 0.808 and has an upward trend, and for individual country, the efficiency value ranges from 0.262 to 1.302 with an unbalanced development and utilization of renewable energy. The ML results show that the average of the total factor efficiency of renewable energy change index is 1.014, and the technical efficiency change is the main factor that drives the growth of the ML in LAC. For two sub-regions, South America, Central-North America and Caribbean, the main factor is technological progress change and technological efficiency change respectively. There are significant conditional convergences in the total factor efficiency growth of renewable energy in the whole Latin American region and the two sub-regions. Technological innovation is the key for Latin American countries to improve the total factor efficiency of renewable energy at this stage. • This article measures total factor efficiency of renewable energy using S–U-SBM model. • Technical efficiency generate more strong impacts on total factor efficiency. • Convergence test is carried out to explore the differential characteristics of ML growth. • There is significant conditional convergence in Latin American countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: More and more multinational corporations (MNCs) based in East Asia are adopting international social media to communicate messages on corporate social responsibility (CSR), but little research has investigated their content qualitatively. Literature review: I reviewed the literature related to the convergence and divergence of corporate behaviors under the framework of the institutional theory. Comparative studies on web-based CSR communication (CSRC) were also addressed, and CSR development in China and Korea was described as the research context to develop hypotheses and research questions. Research questions: 1. How do Chinese and Korean CSRCs resemble each other in international social media? 2. What are the differences between Chinese and Korean CSRCs in international social media? Research methodology: I selected six Chinese companies and six Korean firms from the 2019 Forbes 2000 world's-largest-corporations ranking, and analyzed the content of their English-language Facebook accounts using “Leximancer,” a powerful textual analysis software package. Results: Results indicated that the CSR messages of Chinese and Korean firms resembled each other at a macrolevel but differed at a microlevel. In addition, the CSR messages of Chinese companies were more likely to reflect national strategic agendas, while Korean firms placed greater emphasis on short-term events and legal compliance. Conclusions: Chinese and Korean corporations have adopted an approach of “global topics, native framing” in their CSRCs to achieve a balance between internal and external legitimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in the number of optimization objectives, balancing the convergence and diversity in evolutionary multiobjective optimization becomes more intractable. So far, a variety of evolutionary algorithms have been proposed to solve many-objective optimization problems (MaOPs) with more than three objectives. Most of the existing algorithms, however, find difficulties in simultaneously counterpoising convergence and diversity during the whole evolutionary process. To address the issue, this paper proposes to solve MaOPs via multistage evolutionary search. To be specific, a two-stage evolutionary algorithm is developed, where the convergence and diversity are highlighted during different search stages to avoid the interferences between them. The first stage pushes multiple subpopulations with different weight vectors to converge to different areas of the Pareto front. After that, the nondominated solutions coming from each subpopulation are selected for generating a new population for the second stage. Moreover, a new environmental selection strategy is designed for the second stage to balance the convergence and diversity close to the Pareto front. This selection strategy evenly divides each objective dimension into a number of intervals, and then one solution having the best convergence in each interval will be retained. To assess the performance of the proposed algorithm, 48 benchmark functions with 7, 10, and 15 objectives are used to make comparisons with five representative many-objective optimization algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the retail industry has been increasingly demanding information technology convergence and utilization to respond to various external environmental threats such as COVID-19 and to be competitive using AI technologies, but there is a very lack of research and application services. This study is a CCTV video data-driven AI application case study, using CCTV image data collection in retail space, object detection and tracking AI model, time series database to store real-time tracked objects and tracking data, heatmap to analyze congestion and interest in retail space, social access zone. We present the orientation and verify its usability in the direction designed through practical implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The minimum residual HSS (MRHSS) method is proposed in [BIT Numerical Mathematics, 59 (2019) 299{319] and its convergence analysis is proved under a certain condition. More recently in [Appl. Math. Lett. 94 (2019) 210{216], an alternative version of MRHSS is presented which converges unconditionally. In general, as the second approach works with a weighted inner product, it consumes more CPU time than MRHSS to converge. In the current work, we revisit the convergence analysis of the MRHSS method using a different strategy and state the convergence result for general two-step iterative schemes. It turns out that a special choice of parameters in the MRHSS results in an unconditionally convergent method without using a weighted inner product. Numerical experiments confirm the validity of established results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationship between Absorptive Capacity (AC) and Knowledge Appropriation (KA), two significant domains in technology transfer, knowledge management, and innovation. While there is an inherent connection between these fields, there remains a gap in understanding their comprehensive convergence. To address this, we reviewed 3412 AC and 368 KA articles, employing techniques such as life-cycle, changepoint, and advanced keyword analyses. We also introduced innovative methods like the H-index, CAGR, and a unique approach comparing keyword frequency over time between AC and KA, spotlighting key convergence areas: innovation, entrepreneurship, and knowledge spillover. Our analysis revealed a parallel evolution of AC and KA, as demonstrated by their shared timelines, thematic overlaps, and mutual influences in the realm of innovation. The life-cycle analysis showed a faster evolutionary pace for AC than for KA but highlighted their shared roots in management during the late 80s. Furthermore, we identified foundational building blocks, including patents, R&D, and knowledge management, that underpin their convergence. Interestingly, some divergent areas were also pinpointed, such as the emphasis on organizational learning in AC but its absence in KA. In summary, this study provides a clear picture of the intertwined relationship between AC and KA, presenting a refined methodology to explore convergence between academic fields, setting the stage for further research in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation and adaptation of renewable energy technologies significantly reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and increase energy efficiency. Understanding the convergence patterns in renewable energy innovation will enable policymakers to design policies to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy consumption and reduce CO2 emissions. This paper applies the convergence algorithm proposed by Philips and Sul to assess the convergence in renewable energy innovation for 90 countries covering the period between 1993 and 2018. This paper also examines the determinants/factors driving the convergence clubs of the countries using Probit and Logit regression. The convergence analyses suggest that there is no global convergence in renewable energy innovation. Findings highlight two convergence clubs: i) a club comprising more innovative countries and ii) another club that includes less innovative countries. We find that countries with higher income per capita, CO2 emissions per capita, research and development (R&D) investment, better environmental regulations and stronger institutional settings are more likely to be part of the innovative club. Countries should increase their R&D investment and environmental regulations and improve their institutional quality to increase their likelihood of belonging to a more innovative club. Furthermore, less innovative countries could promote policies to transfer renewable energy technologies from innovative countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wide applications of virtualization and service-oriented principles in various emerging networking technologies introduce a trend of network cloudification that enables network systems to be realized based on cloud technologies and allows network services to be provisioned following the cloud service model. Network cloudification together with the critical role of networking in the latest cloud/edge computing technologies leads to the convergence of networking and cloud/edge computing, which calls for a holistic vision across the fields of networking and computing that may shape relevant technology developments. in this article, we attempt to sketch a big picture to reflect the current status of on-going research toward network-cloud/edge convergence. We first describe the notion of such convergence and present an architectural framework for converged network-cloud/edge systems. Then, we survey the state of the art of enabling technologies for network-cloud/edge convergence by reviewing recent progress in relevant standardization and technology developments in representative research projects. We also discuss challenges that must be fully addressed for realizing the convergence of networking and cloud/ edge computing and identify some opportunities for future research in this exciting interdisciplinary field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-innovations comprise new or modified processes, techniques, practices, systems and products allowing environmental harms to be avoided or reduced. They are employed in order for specific social and environmental objectives to be achieved, hence their environmental, social, and institutional significance relating to the achievement of long-term sustainable growth patterns. As a consequence, eco-innovation has great amount of focus from many countries. Adding to the current literature which focuses mainly on the drivers and effects of eco-innovation in the context of developed and developing countries, this paper tries to find an answer to the question about the absolute ß-convergence of eco-innovation. We also consider the spillover effects in the analyses. Our sample consists of 38 countries and relates to the years 2012-2017. We apply the spatial panel models to verify the research hypotheses. The results confirm that there is the absolute ß-convergence in the sample countries. Moreover, we find evidence of positive spillovers of eco-innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The livestreaming of terror, its co-production through live consumption and the massacre of lives as 'entertainment' propelled us into another long abyss of ethical challenges in the case of the xenophobic terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019. Livestreaming, as part of the convergence of technologies, enables narration in 'real' time, dragging us into a new 'banalisation of evil' where terror and torture can be co-produced by inviting audiences to consume through the vantage point of the perpetrator. This article examines the Muslim 'body' through JanMohamed's notion of the 'death-bound subject' where the continual threat of death foreshadows the Muslim body, imbricating it within a political and ideological archaeology wherein both its possibility of death and the performance of death enter into a realm of theatrics of production incumbent upon invoking new moralities around consumption and its residues as a screen image. The 'wretched of the Earth' and their residues as immaterial matter online as the 'wretched of the screen' connote a new architecture of violence conjoining the temporalities of liveness with the sharing features of 'semiotic capitalism'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article applies a systematic and political approach in exploring the convergent nature of the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the related exponential, synergistic and emergent changes that occur at all levels of the surrounding world. This approach is driven by the understanding that nothing today can be separated into separate logics, fields, theories, because everything around us is becoming more interconnected, and this is the driving mechanism of the synergistic and emergent changes in technologies and, through them, in economy and societies. The enormous volume of this type of research is the reason it has been divided into two parts in order to broadly cover the object of the research, which is related to the convergent nature of modern technologies, as well as its subject, related to the disclosure of the scale of the ongoing changes. In order to achieve these goals, the first part focuses on the various technological revolutions and the growth of interconnection, because interconnectivity itself is inseparable from technological development. It also analyzes the convergent nature of several types of technologies – digital, nano-, bio- and cogni-, which interact with each other and this leads to emergent and exponential characteristics of change. This second part discusses the change in scientific knowledge and its increasingly convergent nature; the convergence between technologies and humans, their increasing interconnectivity and interdependence; the emergence of digital ecosystems and new forms of value generation; and finally the consequences for politicoeconomic systems and the need for systematic changes in them, through which to respond to the challenges dictated by technological convergence, by its emergent and synergistic characteristics, and through them, to the exponential changes at all levels of societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering government and market failure of environmental regulation to combat increasing GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, green innovation can mitigate pollution through production processes and clean production. This paper aims to investigate endogenous green innovation efficiency and its convergence across China's 30 provinces from 2004 to 2014. Due to factor endowment heterogeneity, it is important to explore the convergence of green innovation efficiency among China's different regions, which can compare green innovation efficiency spatially and propose scientific policy implications for regions with relatively weaker green innovation efficiency. Green innovation efficiency is evaluated through epsilon-based measure (EBM) global Malmquist-Luenberger (ML) in order to overcome the demerits of radial model and slacks-based measure (SBM). Panel unit root test is implemented to explore the convergence of green innovation efficiency across different provinces of China, which addresses the invalid inference of conventional β convergence. The empirical analysis revealed that green innovation efficiency in the east is the highest among four regions of China. Unit root test of panel data revealed that the northeast had the highest convergence among China's four regions. It is important to enhance green innovation capacity, and expand knowledge spillover of green innovation technology in order to mitigate GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the contradiction between economic development and resource and environmental sustainability has become increasingly acute in China. Improving the quality of the ecological environment has become an important strategic goal for China's national economic and social development. In this paper, we used the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 1986 to 2016 to measure the eco-efficiency and its decomposition indexes based on a non-radial metafrontier Malmquist-Luenberger data envelopment analysis model. The results showed that the eco-efficiency grows at an annual rate of 0.7% on the whole, with the technical efficiency decreasing at an annual rate of 0.6%, the innovation effect increasing at an annual rate of 2.3%, and the technical leadership effect decreasing at an annual rate of 1%. In the sample study period, the cumulative growth rates of eco-efficiency change index, technical efficiency change index, innovation effect, and technical leadership effect were 20.4%, − 19.4%, 70.5%, and − 30.7%, respectively. It was also found that regional eco-efficiency decreased from east to west. Furthermore, convergence test results showed that there were four convergence clubs and three divergent individuals in terms of eco-efficiency. Areas with high eco-efficiency tended to converge with areas with high eco-efficiency and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze convergence in relative income using a technology diffusion model allowing for spatial interdependence among 11 Asian countries from 1970 to 2014. We compute impulse responses (absolute or conditional convergence) to stochastic productivity shock through sensitivity analysis using a two-country model. We then conduct spatial panel model estimation, decomposing marginal effects into direct (own country) and indirect (spillover) effects for a multicountry empirical model. Technology stock is measured according to the total factor productivity of the Asian country relative to that of the leader country, the USA. Through sensitivity analysis, we find that the results support both the absolute and conditional convergence hypotheses in the technology diffusion model. The dynamic spatial Durbin panel regression results with the Schumpeterian technological diffusion model and the extended neoclassical growth model support the conditional convergence hypothesis among Asian countries since the total effect on the lagged relative income is significant and negative. The total effects of human capital investment rate, total factor productivity, and trade on relative income growth are positive and significant, and most technology shock is transferred by absorption capacity in combination with trade in Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement of green innovation efficiency (GIE) in the Yangtze river economic belt (YREB) is beneficial to China's green transformation and upgrading because of its economic and ecological position. Therefore, based on the slacks-based measure of super-efficiency (Super-SBM) model, the paper studies the GIE and its spatial-temporal variation characteristics in the YREB during the period 2003–2015, and analyzes the spatial correlation and spatial-temporal convergence of GIE with the exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) method and convergence analysis method. The results show that the GIE in the YREB shows an "U-shaped" change pattern in time and an extremely unbalanced development pattern in space. The areas with high GIE contribute to the improvement of overall GIE, whereas they do not exert a radiation and driving effect on areas with low GIE. Accordingly, because of the short board effect, the convergent speed of the GIE is decreasing. To be specific, the GIE keeps converging in the upper and lower reaches, except for the year 2010 when GIE in the middle reaches changed from being convergent to being non-convergent. Even though environmental policy exerts great impacts on the improvement of GIE, the lack of collaborative environmental governance leads to the non-convergent and unbalanced development of the GIE. Therefore, green coordinated development of the YREB is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lifelong topic model (LTM), an emerging paradigm for never-ending topic learning, aims to yield higher-quality topics as time passes through knowledge accumulated from the past yet learned for the future. In this paper, we propose a novel lifelong topic model based on non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), called Affinity Regularized NMF for LTM (NMF-LTM), which to our best knowledge is distinctive from the popular LDA-based LTMs. NMF-LTM achieves lifelong learning by introducing word-word graph Laplacian as semantic affinity regularization. Other priors such as sparsity, diversity, and between-class affinity are incorporated as well for better performance, and a theoretical guarantee is provided for the algorithmic convergence to a local minimum. Extensive experiments on various public corpora demonstrate the effectiveness of NMF-LTM, particularly its human-like behaviors in two carefully designed learning tasks and the ability in topic modeling of big data. A further exploration of semantic relatedness in knowledge graphs and a case study on a large-scale real-world corpus exhibit the strength of NMF-LTM in discovering high-quality topics in an efficient and robust way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the challenge of broadcast and unicast convergence by proposing a PHY/MAC (Physical Layer/Medium Access Control) architecture for 5G New Radio (NR). The solution is based on Power domain Non Orthogonal Multiple Access (P-NOMA). The main PHY/MAC configuration parameters have been analyzed theoretically and their impact on the service configurations is presented in this manuscript. The system concept has been translated into a prototype model and different evaluation tests are presented. First, simulations show that the PHY layer performs better than Time Division Multiplexing/Frequency Division Multiplexing (TDM/FDM) choices of current broadband access systems. Second, performance tests using a network simulation tool are described. The results for capacity, latency and reliability demonstrate that the proposed solution offers an excellent broadcast/unicast convergence choice with significant gain values with respect to legacy PHY/MAC alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: Organizations are consistently seeking innovative strategies and novel pathways to enhance business processes and create differentiation. The global business ecosystem is changing and there is growing demand for multi-modal digital technologies, big data consolidation and data analytics to harness a cost-competitive agile system. Technological convergence and integration of digital systems is one of the preferred methodologies that facilitates new and effective workflows and revives business processes. The progressive interlinking of digital technologies with business operations leads to the convergence and blending of management disciplines, devices and applications. The growing inconsistencies in managerial understanding regarding the benefits of convergence prompts a comprehensive examination of digital convergence pathways, identifying the impacts on converging entities and business objectives. The State bank of India (SBI) mega-merger case study was selected to investigate the pragmatic framework of digital convergence and to understand the impacts on interlinked entities such as: business operations, strategic management, project team that support value creation and competitive differentiation. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the phenomena of techno-fusion of emerging technologies creating new opportunities, business models and unique strategies for global banking and financial service organizations. Design/methodology/approach: This study applies the qualitative, inductive research method using critical reflection of before and after the implementation of convergence and digital integration strategies. The SBI case study employs this research strategy based on the premise that banks must stay agile and highly responsive to the changing environment to enhance its value proposition and competitive differentiation objectives. The study methodology incorporates cooperative inquiry and multiple levels of analysis using data collection techniques of exhaustive review of archives, informal interviews, questionnaires and observations to identify the synergistic process improvement pathway. The study is grounded on the concept that the convergence of diverse business pathways involves innovative and interlinked project, strategic and information technology (IT) workflows that results in open innovative systems. Findings: The studies identify that organizational innovation and creative solutions are a result of ecosystem turbulence, environmental force diversity, competitive pressure and the need for differentiation. Organizations that harness the power of digital fusion and convergence of management, systems and data generate a competitive advantage. The technological convergence strategy pulls multiple business and technology processes (project, strategic, IT, Cloud, AI and business process management) at the organizational, divisional or functional level generating new opportunities and threats, new business models and unique growth strategies for global banking and financial services organizations. Organizations that fully integrate techno-fusion of business and digital strategies produce synergistic effects and enhance adaptability, innovation and resiliency in the face of competitive challenges. Research limitations/implications: Additional areas that can be explored further as an extension of this study are listed below: identifying factors to improve the speed of convergence; the current results are limited to large size organizations where formal management and technology functions are distinctive. Similar studies on smaller organizations are warranted. Originality/value: This study focuses on the evolving field of technology innovation, which is increasingly being intertwined with business operations. Innovative digital technology is enabling the convergence of the disciplines of management, digital devices and applications. This facilitates the creation of a pragmatic framework that supports convergence of business operations, strategic management and digital fusion which leads to value creation and competitive differentiation. The techno-fusion of emerging technologies and digital strategies generates new opportunities and threats, new business models and unique growth strategies for organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new prediction-based dynamic multiobjective optimization (PBDMO) method, which combines a new prediction-based reaction mechanism and a popular regularity model-based multiobjective estimation of distribution algorithm (RM-MEDA) for solving dynamic multiobjective optimization problems. Whenever a change is detected, PBDMO reacts effectively to it by generating three subpopulations based on different strategies. The first subpopulation is created by moving nondominated individuals using a simple linear prediction model with different step sizes. The second subpopulation consists of some individuals generated by a novel sampling strategy to improve population convergence as well as distribution. The third subpopulation comprises some individuals generated using a shrinking strategy based on the probability distribution of variables. These subpopulations are tailored to form a population for the new environment. The experimental results carried out on a variety of bi- and three-objective benchmark functions demonstrate that the proposed technique has competitive performance compared with some state-of-the-art algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term evolution (LTE) and wireless local area network (WLAN) are often presented as opposing technologies. Hence, efficient partitioning of the spectrum resources carries critical importance for achieving the coexistence of these on the unlicensed spectrum band. In this paper, we firstly develop an online spectrum partitioning algorithm, which needs little signal transmission and exchange between coordination manager and networks. Then, we focus on the convergence analysis of the online spectrum partitioning algorithm, which is difficult due to the time-varying wireless channels. To overcome this challenge, we model the algorithm and network dynamics as the stochastic differential equations (SDE) and show that the algorithm convergence is equivalent to the stochastic stability of a virtual stochastic dynamic system constructed by the SDEs. Then, we give the sufficient condition about the algorithm convergence and the upper bound on the tracking error of the spectrum partitioning algorithm under exogenous variations of time-varying channel state information (CSI). Based on the insights of the impact of time-varying CSI on algorithm convergence, an online compensative spectrum partitioning algorithm is developed to offset the tracking error caused by the disturbance of time-varying CSI. Through performance evaluation, we show that the coexistence performance efficiency will come at low expense of algorithm complexity and signal overhead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a distributed resource allocation problem is investigated based on a continuous-time algorithm in the presence of time-varying communication delays. The considered delays are allowed to take both “large” and “small” delay values in an alternating manner. The “small” delays refer to a class of delays that guarantee the exponential convergence to the optimal solution; otherwise, they are called “large” delays. The existence of “large” delays may affect the behavior of the optimal allocation solution, and the existing algorithms with delays may not be applicable to this kind of “large” delays. To address “large” delay cases, a switched algorithm is first proposed based on switching techniques, and then, such an algorithm is modeled as switched delay systems. Second, by adopting the Lyapunov functional theory, the upper bound of delays is first derived to guarantee the exponential convergence to the optimal solution under “small” delays, and then, a delay-dependent sufficient condition is obtained to ensure exponential convergence of the proposed algorithm based on some restrictions on “large” delays. Finally, we adopt an IEEE 118-bus practical example to show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to identify the new possibilities of contents and technologies of digital books as communication and informational tools of last generation within the ICT. In addition, the position and receptivity of the new formats within the university publishing world in Colombia is evidenced. The process begins with a historical-contextual analysis for the comprehension of the book and the impact of the electronic format, passing through proactive methods to approach real approximations from the characteristics of the contents, typology of devices, specifications and developments for the screen-mediated reading to the hermeneutic reading of the different sources selected for the process: Interviews and conversations with editors, producers, designers and university publishing funds. From the instruments, surveys were designed for 25 editorial groups and 9 unstructured interviews with production companies and an in-depth interview model for university librarians. It is clarified that these instruments are part of a macro research, which also reviewed the role of the electronic book in the Colombian commercial sector, accompanied by 1,500 surveys throughout the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on non-radial directional distance function, this paper measures the provincial total factor energy efficiency in China during the period from 2000 to 2015. And then, this paper analyzes the stage characteristics and driving forces of energy efficiency convergence based on the improving of traditional beta-convergence model. The empirical results confirm that there is a significant absolute beta-convergence trend of energy efficiency from 2000 to 2015 in China. However, the convergence trend of energy efficiency has obvious stage characteristics. Before 2006, energy efficiency has a significant convergence trend, but it is characterized by divergence after 2006. Technological progress significantly promotes the convergence of regional energy efficiency before 2006. During the period from 2006 to 2015, the industrial restructuring accelerates the speed of energy efficiency divergence. Conclusively, this paper offers pieces of objective and reasonable policy advice according to the conclusions mentioned above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmission–distribution coordinated energy management (TDCEM) is recognized as a promising solution to the challenge of high distributed energy resource (DER) penetration, but there is a lack of a distributed computation method that universally and effectively works for the TDCEM. To bridge this gap, this paper presents a generalized master–slave-splitting (G-MSS) method. This method is based on a general-purpose transmission–distribution coordination model called G-TDCM, which enables the G-MSS to be applicable to most of the central functions of the TDCEM. In this G-MSS method, a basic heterogeneous decomposition (HGD) algorithm is first derived from the heterogeneous decomposition of the coupling constraints in the optimality conditions of the G-TDCM. Its optimality and convergence properties are proved. Then, inspired by the sufficient conditions for convergence, a modified HGD algorithm that utilizes the subsystem's response function is developed and demonstrated to converge faster. The distributed G-MSS method is then demonstrated to successfully solve a series of central functions of the TDCEM, e.g., power flow, contingency analysis, voltage stability assessment, economic dispatch, and optimal power flow. The severe issues of over-voltage and erroneous assessment of the system security that are caused by DERs are thus resolved by the G-MSS method with modest computation cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of evolutionary algorithms can be seriously weakened when constraints limit the feasible region of the search space. In this paper we present a constrained multi-objective optimization algorithm based on adaptive ε-truncation (ε-T-CMOA) to further improve distribution and convergence of the obtained solutions. First of all, as a novel constraint handling technique ε-truncation technique keeps an effective balance between feasible solutions and infeasible solutions by permitting some excellent infeasible solutions with good objective value and low constraint violation to take part in the evolution, so diversity is improved, and convergence is also coordinated. Next, an exponential variation is introduced after differential mutation and crossover to boost the local exploitation ability. At last, the improved crowding density method only selects some Pareto solutions and near solutions to join in calculation, thus it can evaluate the distribution more accurately. The comparative results with other state-of-the-art algorithms show that ε-T-CMOA is more diverse than the other algorithms and it gains better in terms of convergence in some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]