Significant losses of managed honey bees (Apis mellifera) have been documented in recent years, driven by multiple stressors including parasites, pesticide exposure, and environmental change. To mitigate escalating hive losses, some beekeepers in Southern California collect and propagate locally occurring, free-living colonies, often referred to as "survivor" or "Californian" honey bees, that persist with limited human intervention. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of beekeepers managing colonies in Southern California to compare management practices and reported outcomes across stock types. Beekeepers clustered into 3 groups: those managing only commercial colonies (35.3%), only Californian colonies (29.4%), or a mixture of both (35.3%). Respondents indicated that management practices had been adapted when keeping Californian honey bees and reported reduced expenditures associated with queen replacement and disease management. These bees were widely perceived to possess beneficial traits, including greater colony persistence and potential climate resilience. However, quantitative analyses did not detect significant differences in reported parasite prevalence among stock types, highlighting the importance of distinguishing perception from measured outcomes. Additional studies are needed to evaluate characteristics such as defensiveness, productivity, and seasonal survival using standardized approaches. Overall, our findings suggest that Californian stock may represents a viable and potentially cost-effective component of sustainable apiculture. Further research is required to clarify the ecological, genetic, and physiological mechanisms underlying beneficial key life-history traits, which may involve tolerance, resistance, or their interaction. Such knowledge would provide a foundation for future breeding efforts aimed at developing honey bee populations that are robust to multiple ecological stressors.

Introduction. In the context of rapid urbanization and increasing environmental requirements for urban transport, the transition to environmentally friendly types of rolling stock is becoming particularly relevant. Moscow, as a megacity with a high population density and intensive traffic flow, faces the need to reduce pollutant emissions and improve the quality of the urban environment. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the feasibility of replacing buses with internal combustion engines (ICE) with electric buses as the main type of surface urban public transport (UPT). Materials and Methods. The study is based on a multicomponent methodology combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. The informational basis consists of official data from the State Unitary Enterprise “Mosgortrans,” including operational statistics and information on the maintenance of rolling stock. Data collection included a survey of two target groups (UPT passengers and drivers). A comparative technical and operational analysis of key performance parameters of ICE buses and electric buses was carried out (energy consumption/fuel consumption, maintenance costs, CO₂ emissions). Results . The study provides evidence of the economic and environmental feasibility of using electric buses in the Moscow metropolitan area. A positive social effect was identified, manifested in increased passenger comfort. Significant investments required for the construction of modern charging infrastructure and for maintaining the necessary fleet of vehicles were noted. Discussion. Despite existing limitations, the analysis confirmed the prospects of electric buses as a core element of Moscow’s urban public transport. The main recommendations relate to the gradual introduction of electric buses, with an emphasis on the development of charging station networks and the creation of incentive mechanisms for manufacturers and transport service operators. Conclusion. The findings are of interest to the Moscow city administration, transport companies, and public organizations concerned with ensuring a comfortable and safe urban environment. The novelty of the study lies in its in-depth examination of how technologies influence the lives of a large number of people and in the interaction between engineering solutions and social perception.

The article presents a comprehensive study of capacity reserves on bottleneck railway routes–key export-oriented corridors of Russian Railways (RZD). The primary focus is on analyzing the impact of suburban passenger services on the efficiency of mixed traffic, particularly the slowdown of overall train flow caused by prolonged dwell times of electric trains at stops equipped with low platforms. The study formulates and tests the hypothesis that a significant portion of railway line capacity can be unlocked not through costly infrastructure expansion, but by modernizing suburban transport technologies. To verify this hypothesis, a detailed analysis of scheduled train timetables was conducted on sections of the East Siberian and Trans-Baikal Railways, where suburban train traffic reaches up to 20 train pairs per day alongside intensive freight operations. Using tabular calculations and visualized train diagrams, time losses were quantified: on the Irkutsk–Slyudyanka section, the travel time difference between a suburban and a freight train reaches 18.5 minutes, directly resulting in the displacement of 2–3 freight trains per day. Additionally, passenger boarding-alighting times were segmented based on platform height and rolling stock type. Based on these findings, a scenario involving the deployment of electric trains with variable floor height was modeled, demonstrating a potential reduction in dwell times by 30–50%. The results indicate that substantial increases in line capacity on bottleneck corridors are achievable without constructing new tracks or stations. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for rolling stock modernization, phased transition to high platforms, and optimization of suburban train stopping patterns.

Currently, the development of technical standards and functional operating standards of specific fuel and power consumption for railway traction on the railways of the Russian Federation and the CIS countries is carried out using methods developed back in the 60s of 20th century. The use of modern methods of data mining in calculating standards involves a preliminary study and selection of factors that have a significant impact on the amount of fuel and energy resource consumption. The study is aimed at identifying differences in the nature of the impact of locomotive’s operation indicators, such as sectional and technical speed, train weight, axle load, on the amount of specific energy consumption for railway traction for various types of railway cargo rolling stock. Particular attention in the article is paid to determining the nature of the influence of factors on the specific energy consumption of container trains. The work uses the Student’s t-test statistical data processing method used to determine the homogeneity of the studied samples, and the Pearson correlation analysis method for determining the coefficients of correlation between the specific energy consumption for railway traction and the factors that presumably affect the value of this consumption. The multiple linear regression method is used to build regression models describing the dependence of the specific energy consumption for train traction on the influencing factors under consideration. The article contains the results of checking the homogeneity of the studied samples of specific energy consumption in the form of Student’s t-test values, scatter diagrams of the specific energy consumption depending on the value of the influencing factors, a description of the values of the calculated correlation coefficients for each studied group of cargo trains. The study also focuses on possible reasons entailing difference in the nature and degree of influence of factors for different types of cargo rolling stock. The study argues for the need to develop a methodology for standard setting regarding consumption of fuel and energy resources for train traction, which allows considering the influence of train composition using modern data analysis methods.

This study empirically analyzes the factors influencing the rates of return by stock type in enterprise-led rental housing REITs. The South Korean government introduced the New Stay REIT program to enhance housing stability and expand private-sector participation. However, previous studies have not sufficiently reflected the structural characteristics of the system, particularly the heterogeneity in return structures across different stock types. Accordingly, this study examines 79 New Stay REITs approved as of the end of 2021, using the returns of overall shareholders, preferred stocks, and common stocks as dependent variables. The independent variables include business characteristics (metropolitan area location, public land bidding, construction type, and capital gain ratio) and financial characteristics (total project cost, private interest rate, and lease period). The results show that the capital gain ratio has a significantly positive effect across all models, while the private interest rate has a significantly negative effect on the returns of overall shareholders and common stocks. Construction-type projects significantly reduce common stock returns, whereas public land bidding positively affects only common stocks. These findings suggest that risk–return structures differ across stock types. To promote the sustainable development of enterprise-led rental housing REITs, investment structures should be redesigned according to investors’ risk preferences and investment horizons, financing costs should be reduced, and capital gain analyses should be refined to enhance investment efficiency.

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is one of the most widespread and economically important coniferous species in the Northern Hemisphere. However, its regeneration success has recently been increasingly affected by global climate change (GCC), particularly through increasing mortality. This research aimed to evaluate the early establishment success of 30 400 bare-root and containerised Scots pine seedlings and saplings of different height classes, planted at various times on acidic and gleyed sites (479–610 m a.s.l.) across four locations in the Czech Republic. On acidic sites, seedlings exhibited 16% higher height growth and 11% lower mortality compared to gleyed sites. Containerised planting stock achieved significantly (P < 0.05) greater height growth (by 83%) and lower mortality (by 36%) than bare-root stock. For containerised material, spring plantings showed superior growth and vitality compared to autumn plantings. Planting stock height class had a stronger influence on height growth than on mortality. Based on the results, planting containerised saplings of 26–35 cm or 36–50 cm height in April is recommended for optimal establishment success of Scots pine under GCC.

We consider the problem of optimizing rolling stock operations, including preventive maintenance, to enhance technical availability. Our approach accounts for various types of rolling stock and their multi-level maintenance schedules, integrating both time-based and distance-based cycles, a combination seldom explored in existing literature. Given the complexity of this problem, we focus on short-term planning, as it provides decision makers with implications for practice regarding current operational challenges and may also influence strategic decisions. We proposed a branch-and-bound approach to derive optimal solutions for rolling stock operations, addressing limitations in traditional manual planning commonly used in business practice. Additionally, we developed an efficient heuristic to find a satisfactory solution in the short time. Simulations for real data show that our algorithms can provide feasible rolling stock schedules that significantly improve fleet availability (...)

Abstract Context Archaeological and historical evidence attest that transhumance was commonplace across Ireland during the last millennium. This largely involved the movement of people and their cows to upland pastures for the summer months to create space in the lowlands for arable farming. Significant gaps in understanding remain relating to the timing of and motivations for seasonal settlement, the activities that herders engaged in and the impact of land-use on the local environment. Objectives Here, we use a palaeoecological approach to produce records of past land-use and settlement history that will resolve extant questions regarding the timing of transhumance, the activities of settlers and their impacts on the landscape. Methods We collected blanket peat sequences from the immediate vicinity of two transhumant sites in the Mourne Mountains, County Down, Northern Ireland. We analysed sequences for pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs to understand the landscape history of both sites. Cryptotephra analysis was employed to robustly date these palaeoenvironmental records. Results We date the commencement of land-use activity at occupation sites studied in the Mournes to the mid- to late twelfth century CE, and show that people grazed livestock and grew cereals in these localities. These findings question the long-held view that occupation reflects summer herding, and highlight that transhumance may have emerged from a longer tradition of permanent upland settlement. We also find that the impact of these activities was largely local, with no discernible impact on the surrounding heath-dominated landscape. Results place the demise of activity during the early nineteenth century CE, probably due to change in favoured stock type from cattle to sheep. Conclusions Results shed new light on upland settlement in Ireland during the last millennium, showing that settlers took part in a more diverse array of farming activities than was previously believed. In addition, our results challenge current interpretations of the history of transhumance practices in Ireland finding that its origins may stem from the demise of permanent upland settlement, and demonstrate the resilience of past populations in what are today regarded as ‘marginal’ environments.

The amount of deadwood is a subject of heated debate regarding biodiversity conservation and carbon (C) storage as an instrument for climate change mitigation in north-eastern Europe. In the region, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) are among the principal forestry species providing a significant pool of stable deadwood, especially in overmature forests. Deadwood C stocks are highly variable, and regional deadwood estimates can be biased; thus, local data is vital, and accurately quantified deadwood C stocks, particularly in overmature stands on different soil types, are essential. The study aims to characterise deadwood C stock, modes (standing or lying), and decay classes in hemiboreal overmature coniferous forest stands on dry mineral, drained, and wet organic soils. C stock in deadwood and forest inventory parameters were estimated in 95 overmature (aged 122 to 218 years) coniferous stands using the sample plot method, taking into account the form of deadwood standing, decomposition class and soil type. Mean deadwood C stock (deadwood with a diameter ≥ 6.1 cm) in coniferous stands ranged from 4.59 C t ha–1 to 11.25 C t ha–1 in spruce stands on wet organic soil and pine stands on mineral soil, respectively. However, the amount of deadwood showed large spatial variability; at the same time, a statistically significant relationship between deadwood carbon stock and soil type, basal area, and the mean stand diameter at breast height, explaining a limited effect and maintaining high uncertainties. This suggests that the dynamics of deadwood were complex, driven by ageing, natural disturbances and any past management, perhaps carried out decades ago; for these reasons, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to the potential legacy effect of any disturbances in some stands. Nevertheless, the results highlight the crucial role of large-sized coniferous deadwood as a stable carbon store, contributing to both carbon storage and maintaining biodiversity, in the hemiboreal region. Keywords: carbon stock; coarse woody debris; decay stage; organic soils; Norway spruce; Scots pine

The rapid growth of investment in the Indonesian capital market has sparked an increasing interest in both sharia-based and conventional stocks. This study aims to analyze and compare the level of risk and return rate between sharia stocks that are members of the Jakarta Islamic Index 70 (JII70) and conventional stocks in the LQ45 index in the 2019–2023 period. This study uses a quantitative approach with a comparative descriptive method. The data analysis technique was carried out using the calculation of return and standard deviation as risk indicators, as well as a difference test using an independent sample t-test to determine the significance of the difference between the two types of stocks. The results of the study show that there is a significant difference between sharia stocks and conventional stocks in terms of return and risk. In general, sharia stocks show a higher rate of return and lower risk compared to conventional stocks. These findings serve as an important reference for investors in considering investment alternatives that are not only financially competitive, but also in accordance with ethical and sustainability principles.

Portfolio diversification is the practice of spreading investments across different types of stocks or sectors to reduce overall risk. The basic principle is that the poor performance of one stock asset can be offset by the satisfactory performance of another stock asset. This study uses the Bees Algorithm for portfolio optimization problems, aiming to discover the combination of stock proportions in a portfolio that maximizes stock returns and minimizes risk. Then, the Sharpe ratio value is calculated and compared with conventional methods. The expected return, risk, and Sharpe ratio values for the portfolio generated using the Bees algorithm are 0.178007%, 2.353956%, and 0.0663484322, respectively. According to the results, the Bees Algorithm had better results and performance than conventional methods. As a result, the Bees Algorithm outperforms conventional approaches.

This study examines the rolling stock that currently employs or could be equipped with plug-in hybrid traction systems. Existing methodologies for selecting energy storage systems often limit their applicability, which creates certain constraints when choosing a solution for hybrid traction systems. As a result of the study, a well-founded preliminary selection of an energy storage system based on expert evaluation and the Harrington desirability function was carried out. Engaging experts in relevant fields makes it possible to obtain up-to-date information on technology development and assess whether parameters meet specific requirements. The application of methods for evaluating expert consensus provides a foundation for using the results in subsequent calculations. Harrington desirability function makes it possible to combine parameters with varying units of measurement and other differences, yielding a single value that can simplify decision-making. Using expert-derived evaluations, weighting coefficients for various parameters were calculated for the defined types of rolling stock. In the current research, three types of energy storage systems were selected for locomotives and multiple-unit rolling stock, meeting the specified conditions. These include battery, supercapacitor-based and flywheel-based storage systems, with overall desirability scores (without weighting coefficients) of 0.638, 0.636, and 0.573, respectively. Modifying the set of parameters, introducing additional constraints, and adjusting weighting coefficients in conjunction with motion optimization tasks makes it possible to adapt the methodology to the requirements for specific projects for constructing or upgrading rolling stock with plug-in hybrid traction systems

This study’s object is the process that organizes and plans the work of a transport enterprise when transporting general, dangerous, and oversized cargo along international roads. The task addressed is the need to compile recommendations for determining the required number of personnel and the duration of rendering transport services depending on the type of cargo received for service. A simulation model of the work of a transport enterprise when organizing international road transportation has been built and implemented in the GPSS World simulation modeling automation package. The model involves determining the duration of transport service and planning the personnel support for a transport enterprise according to the functional division of labor. When building the model, the duration of the types of work provided by specialists of the transport enterprise when transporting general, dangerous, and oversized cargo was taken into account. In addition, the model takes into account the probability of errors and delays at each stage of service. The average duration of the delay in the event of errors is also determined, which could make it possible to set additional time for engaging a separate specialist to eliminate them. The application of the devised model in practice would allow owners of transport enterprises to organize business processes depending on the available type of rolling stock. It could also make it possible to determine the optimal number of specialists of various profiles required for organizing transport services for the customer. At the same time, the duration of transport services for the delivery of various types of cargo will be reduced by 8–14% while the number of specialists of the transport enterprise – by 10–15%; in turn, the throughput will increase by 7–16%

Purpose This paper aims to examine how geopolitical risks impact the performance of Islamic stock returns in Indonesia, focusing on the Jakarta Islamic Index (JII) and the Indonesia Sharia Stock Index (ISSI). Design/methodology/approach The study applies a quantitative approach, utilizing the dynamic conditional correlation model with the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) framework. Daily stock return data from May 2011 to June 2022 are analyzed alongside first-differenced geopolitical risk indices (GPR Acts and GPR Threats). Stationarity is confirmed through augmented Dickey–Fuller tests, and the robustness of results is validated using out-of-sample Theil’s U statistics. Findings Findings reveal that GPR Threats significantly and negatively affect both JII and ISSI returns, reflecting increased investor risk aversion during periods of uncertainty. GPR Acts negatively impact JII returns but positively influence ISSI returns, suggesting sectoral diversification and defensive reallocation effects within the broader Islamic equity market. Research limitations/implications The study highlights the importance of integrating geopolitical risk assessments into investment strategies and calls for adaptive regulatory frameworks to strengthen the resilience of Islamic financial markets. Future research could extend this analysis by incorporating macroeconomic variables and behavioral dimensions to further enrich understanding. Originality/value This study contributes to the limited literature on geopolitical risk and Islamic finance, offering new insights into how different types of geopolitical uncertainty affect Islamic stock markets in emerging economies.

Purpose The sale and purchase of financial commodities has gained importance in recent years, leading to a growing and diverse interest in shipping companies’ investment. However, due to the shipping sector’s idiosyncratic features, investors and researchers constantly seek novel and more accurate forecasting techniques. Design/methodology/approach This research involves comparing a traditional econometric model, ARIMA, with decision tree regression, random forest model and an LSTM neural network model to predict stock prices for six maritime companies. Additionally, it proposes a hybrid ARIMA-LSTM model that leverages the strengths of both approaches. Findings The LSTM model outperforms the ARIMA model in all six cases, based on MAE, MSE and MAPE metrics. In addition, ARIMA dominates decision tree regression and random forest models, in the majority of cases. It also demonstrates the superiority of the proposed model. The study demonstrates that models can conduct highly accurate predictions of maritime stocks using only their past values despite their strong dependence on macroeconomic factors. Research limitations/implications The findings extend the application of LSTM models and artificial neural networks to the prediction of an asset type that has been underexplored in the literature. Additionally, the proposed model can be applied to the prediction of other types of stocks. Originality/value We highlight the type of connection between a maritime stock and its past values. Additionally, we propose a new hybrid model for predicting the daily prices of maritime stocks and a strategy for selecting a forecasting model based on user requirements for accuracy and preparation time.

Due topast human activities, Abies alba Mill. (European silver fir) now covers only 0.7% ofthe forest area inthe Sudety Mountains. Alarge-scale restitution program has been launched toproduce, plant, and effectively protect over 200 million seedlings. This study aims tovalidate commonly used seedling stock types and provide critical insights into identifying the most effective one. Three-year-old bareroot seedlings were produced inthe open-canopy nursery (3/0) orunder-canopy nurseries inScots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) (3/0 Sp) orNorway spruce [Picea abies (L.) H. Karst] (3/0 Ns) stands. Two stocks were produced in a greenhouse and transplanted to an open-canopy nursery (2/1) after the second year or into containers designed by Kosterkiewicz (2/1 K). Seedlings have been planted in four regions in the Sudety Mountains. Two performance characteristics have been measured: height and survival rate. Our findings demonstrate a clear gradient in sapling performance among seedling stock types (survival rate): 2/1 K (81%), 3/0 (73%), 3/0 Sp (73%), 2/1 (70%), 3/0 Ns (62%). This paper has shown that under favourable environmental conditions, bareroot seedlings can sufficiently achieve stable regeneration. Containerised seedlings perform better in harsher and more challenging microclimatic or trophic conditions. Kosterkiewicz's method presents a relatively low-cost and environmentally friendly alternative for silver fir restitution.

The purpose of this research is to examine and analyze the influence of Current Ratio (CR), Return On Assets (ROA), and Devidend Payout Ratio (DPR) on Stock Price in the Trade and Investment Services Sector Financial Companies Listed On Indonesia Stock Exchange 2017 -2021. The stock price is the closing price of the stock market during the observation period for each type of stock sampled and its movements are constantly observed by investors. One of the basic concepts is financial management is that the goal that financial management wants to achieve is to maximize the value of the company. The study aims to determine if Current Ratio has partial significance to Stock Price, Return on Assets has partial significance to Stock Price, Devidend Payout Ratio has partial significance to Stock Price, and Current Ratio, Return on Assets, and Devidend Payout Ratio has significance simultaneous to Stock Price. The sample used is the Trade and Investment Services Sector Financial Companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange 2017 – 2021 period. The population is 12 companies and after the selection process for sample by purposive sampling method making them 6 companies with 5 years observations. The research using the quantitative approach and the data used as secondary from the annual report of companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange and used the Stock Price to measure the quality of the company’s performance. The results of hypothesis testing partially state that the Current Ratio, Return on Assets, Devidend Payout Ratio has a significant effect on the Stock Price. Meanwhile, simultaneous hypothesis testing states that the Current Ratio, Return On Assets, and Devidend Payout Ratio have a significance simultaneous effect on the Stock Price.

In this paper, we present a continuous review lost sales inventory system in which both the items stocked and the size of demands may not take integer values, indicating that the stock type is fluid, such as oil, flour etc. We assume that the arrival times of demands form a Poisson process and that the demand sizes have i.i.d. exponential distribution. We assume an (s, S) ordering policy to replenish the inventory with random lead times. Using system point method of level crossing, we derive the stationary distribution of the on-hand inventory level in a continuous review inventory system with exponential and Erlang distributed lead times. After deriving some system performance measures, we computed the total expected cost rate. For the exponential lead time model, we provide some analytical properties of the cost function. Using numerical results, an optimal cost analysis is performed and some remarks are made as to the optimality of cost function with respect to each of decision variables.

Material stocks in long-lived products require over half of the annual global resource extraction for their construction and maintenance, and lock in energy use through their technical and geospatial characteristics. A thorough understanding of material stocks is therefore essential to inform sustainable resource use strategies. However, despite substantial advances in material stock research in recent decades, their robust quantification remains challenging and bears considerable uncertainties. We assess the (dis)agreement of material stock estimates from 32 recent studies across global, national, and urban scales, and propose recommendations for future work. Overall, we observe medium to high divergences between studies estimating the same material stocks. For end-use categories that aggregate multiple material stocks (e.g., buildings), most global-level estimates show divergences within 140 %. At the national level, most estimates for the USA diverge by <210 %, while those for China by <550 %. At the urban level, most estimates for Beijing fall within 90 %, and for Vienna, within 70 %. For low-income countries, non-residential buildings, and individual materials, the differences are often substantially higher, highlighting the need for an improved scientific basis for policy and planning. These disparities arise from differences in system boundaries, methodology, data sources, definitions, and lack of data to capture the diversity of material stock types. To robustly inform sustainable resource use strategies, the scientific community and practitioners should systematically assess and report sensitivity and uncertainty, and reduce the latter through transparent documentation, model intercomparisons, consensus and open-access databases, enhanced data collection, and comprehensive quantification of material stocks.

Although The Female Quixote (1752) is widely regarded as a cornerstone of quixotism studies, a retrospective analysis of Arabella’s antecedents is crucial to understanding its evolution until the end of the eighteenth century. Dating back to the first quarter of the seventeenth century, female quixotism, as a topos, was considered and employed as a means of laughter and a light-hearted subject for the readers. The first examples of women quixotes were identified with the habit of excessive romance reading Don Quixote had originated. Early poetic depictions, such as Thomas Overbury’s Characters (1615) and Wye Saltonstall’s Picturæ Loquentes (1635), feature maids aspiring to be lady-errants. Later, William Cartwright’s The Lady-Errant (1651) and Richard Steele’s The Tender Husband (1705) reinforce comic stereotypes, emphasizing absurd expectations and linguistic misunderstandings. Until Lennox’s Arabella as “the” female quixote, these pioneering characters function as the preliminary elements defining the contours of the stock type, soon be a character. Within the context of the development of a character that peaked in the eighteenth century, this study aims to trace back this progress to study the cultural and literary evolution that enabled the birth of a heroine. It offers a comprehensive insight into how a conventional stock type evolved into more complex female characters, ultimately leading to the development of more multifaceted and unconventional heroines.