Utah Valley University

Owing to the higher-integration of renewable energy generators (REGs), conventional coal-based synchronous generators are being decommissioned from generation fleets, resulting in system strength and reliability concerns. Along with the increasing load demand, deficiency of system strength can be a huge risk to system stability and can eventually lead to blackouts by disconnecting REGs from grid systems. In the literature, researchers and power engineers have proposed to deploy synchronous condensers (SynCons) as a mitigation strategy to address the system strength and reliability challenges. SynCons are, however, expensive and require investigation for higher reliability results before installation. To address the concerns, SynCons’ optimal sizes, placement and reliability assessment are investigated in this paper. The proposed solution is achieved by modeling an optimization problem and retaining SynCons-related costs low while maintaining short circuit ratio and minimizing loss of load probability, measurement indexes of system strength and reliability analysis of a grid above a satisfactory level respectively. A hybrid data-driven gated recurrent unit (GRU)-classical optimization framework is developed for data processing and achieving the optimization results. The implemented learning model is capable of achieving higher accuracy 99.691% and lower computation time 0.023 sec when compared with the existing learning models. Additionally, the obtained results, such as transient stability and economic analysis of SynCons-conducted weak-grid present that the proposed solution can significantly perform 21.581% cost minimization and 6.391% reliability enhancement.

ABSTRACT This paper argues that Chinese state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) operate within a functional hierarchical structure that allows the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to direct strategic behavior from atop while granting operational flexibility below. This approach challenges the conventional dichotomy that frames SOEs as either profit‐driven firms or mere extensions of the state, offering a more nuanced explanation of how SOEs contribute to China's grand strategic aims—especially in the Xi Jinping era. It shifts the unit of analysis from individual, public‐facing SOEs to the corporate group level, where Party oversight, cadre management, and strategic integration are more visible. Through case studies of two central SOEs—China COSCO Shipping Corporation and the State Grid Corporation of China—the article demonstrates how the CCP translates broad political goals into coordinated global economic activity. This study contributes to the literature on state capitalism and reveals how the CCP mobilizes corporate actors to extend geopolitical influence.

This paper presents findings from two related studies investigating the relationship between evolution knowledge and various influencing factors, notably religious affiliation, religiosity, and evolution acceptance. Utilizing a nationwide survey study and a focused classroom study, we explored the differences in evolution knowledge agreement among individuals with different religious identifications. The nationwide study sampled 827 respondents from the United States, comprising those who identified with a Judeo-Christian religion and those who identified as agnostic/atheistic. Agnostic/atheistic respondents demonstrated notably higher evolution knowledge agreement compared to their Judeo-Christian counterparts. Structural equation modeling confirmed that evolution knowledge agreement significantly predicted acceptance within both groups. Aiming to further investigate this phenomenon, the classroom study involved non-major introductory biology students in a religiously homogeneous institution. Altering survey question wording to mitigate potential conflict revealed a substantial increase in measured evolution knowledge agreement among highly religious Christian students simply by prefacing questions with “according to science.” This finding suggests that the gap between their endorsement of evolution knowledge and acceptance may be partly due to respondents intentionally or unintentionally masking their true understanding to align with their religious beliefs. Overall, this study presents evidence suggesting that evolution knowledge may be conflated with acceptance, highlighting the importance of nuanced approaches to addressing evolution acceptance within diverse communities.

This paper presents findings from two related studies investigating the relationship between evolution knowledge and various influencing factors, notably religious affiliation, religiosity, and evolution acceptance. Utilizing a nationwide survey study and a focused classroom study, we explored the differences in evolution knowledge agreement among individuals with different religious identifications. The nationwide study sampled 827 respondents from the United States, comprising those who identified with a Judeo-Christian religion and those who identified as agnostic/atheistic. Agnostic/atheistic respondents demonstrated notably higher evolution knowledge agreement compared to their Judeo-Christian counterparts. Structural equation modeling confirmed that evolution knowledge agreement significantly predicted acceptance within both groups. Aiming to further investigate this phenomenon, the classroom study involved non-major introductory biology students in a religiously homogeneous institution. Altering survey question wording to mitigate potential conflict revealed a substantial increase in measured evolution knowledge agreement among highly religious Christian students simply by prefacing questions with "according to science." This finding suggests that the gap between their endorsement of evolution knowledge and acceptance may be partly due to respondents intentionally or unintentionally masking their true understanding to align with their religious beliefs. Overall, this study presents evidence suggesting that evolution knowledge may be conflated with acceptance, highlighting the importance of nuanced approaches to addressing evolution acceptance within diverse communities.