One of the major concerns in structural health management (SHM) is the early detection of a growing crack. Using this, future damage due to crack propagation can be mitigated or eliminated by implementing proper repair and maintenance. Acoustic Emission (AE) is a non-destructive testing (NDT) method with potential applications for locating and monitoring fatigue cracks. The research presented in this paper focuses on SHM using AE. A novel AE signal analysis approach was proposed in order to detect crack initiation and assess small crack lengths. Experimental investigation indicated that initiation of a crack could be identified through the statistical analysis of the resulting features of the AE signals. A probabilistic AE-based model for small fatigue crack sizing was developed and the uncertainties of the model were estimated. In addition, a probabilistic model validation approach was implemented to confirm accurate estimation of the results. The outcome of this research can be used to evaluate the integrity of structures under fatigue loading. The proposed approach can also be applied as an approach to manage health and assess prognosis of structures.

Individuals residing in more deprived areas have a lower diet quality. While several studies have shown that individuals with a lower diet quality have a higher mortality risk, a low quality diet might also lead to poor health in highly deprived areas. We aimed to examine the association between deprivation within an area and all-cause mortality risk according to diet quality. Methods: We conducted a population-based prospective study on 27994 men and 33273 women aged 45–75 years. Neighborhood deprivation was assessed using the Japanese areal deprivation index (ADI). Dietary intakes were assessed using a validated 147-item food frequency questionnaire. Subsequently, Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top scores were calculated. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of mortality were calculated according to tertiles of ADI by diet quality score. Results: Individuals residing in the most deprived area had the lowest dietary scores. During the 16.7-year follow-up, compared to individuals with a high quality diet residing in the least deprived area, individuals with a low quality diet had a higher risk of mortality according to increment of ADI (P trend = 0.02); the multivariate adjusted HR (95% CI) was 1.07 (1.00-1.15), 1.15 (1.07-1.24), and 1.18 (1.08-1.29) in those residing in the lowest through the highest third of ADI, respectively. However, individuals with a high quality diet had no significant association between ADI and mortality (P trend =0.87). Conclusion: A well-balanced diet may prevent early death associated with neighborhood socioeconomic status among those residing in highly deprived areas.

Evaluating aviation emissions and examining the dispersion properties of contaminants are crucial for understanding atmospheric pollution. To more properly assess the pollutant emissions and dispersion of aircraft during the landing and take-off (LTO) cycle, and to more effectively address air pollution surrounding the airport resulting from flight operations, this study assessed emissions throughout the LTO phase utilizing Quick Access Recorder (QAR) data in conjunction with the first-order approximation method. An improved Gaussian diffusion model for mobile point sources is employed to examine the diffusion characteristics of contaminants. Additionally, CFD calculation outcomes for various exhaust velocities and wind speeds were utilized to validate the trustworthiness of the improved Gaussian model. The discussion also encompasses the influence of diffusion time, wind direction, wind speed, temperature gradient, and particle deposition on the concentration distribution of contaminants. The findings indicated that the Gaussian diffusion model aligned with the results of the CFD calculations. The diffusion distribution of contaminants around airports varies over time and is significantly influenced by atmospheric environmental factors, including wind direction, wind speed, and atmospheric stability.

Aluminium dross is the industrial waste from aluminium refining industry and accordance with toxic waste materials, it’s also recognized as a by-product of aluminium production, has historically posed significant environmental challenges due to its toxic and reactive nature. However, recent advancements in technology have revealed the potential of transforming aluminium dross into a valuable source of white hydrogen. This review paper explores the methodologies, benefits, and challenges associated with this transformation. By analysing current research and industrial practices, our review highlighted the potential of this innovative approach to mitigate waste and contribute to sustainable energy solutions. In addition, the utilization of Aluminium dross can be considered as innovative and advancement in sustainable waste management strategy instead of direct disposal, and hot springs use advances in direct utilization. Our experimental work achieved white hydrogen maximum flowrate at 600 sec. with 120ºC.

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory condition that can affect multiple organ systems and is characterized by the formation of non-caseating granulomas in various organs, including heart. Due to suboptimal diagnostic rates, the true prevalence and incidence of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) remain to be determined. In patients with suspected CS, initial examination should include 12-lead ECG or ambulatory ECG monitoring, as well as echocardiography with the estimation of LV, RV function and strain rate. In patients with confirmed extracardiac sarcoidosis and with high clinical suspicion for CS, sophisticated imaging modalities, including cardiac MRI and PET are indicated. Typical patterns of inflammation and myocardial scarring should pose a high suspicion for CS. In patients without diagnosed extracardiac sarcoidosis and high clinical suspicion, although with low diagnostic porobability, endomyocardial biopsy should be considered to establish the diagnosis of definite isolated cardiac sarcoidosis. Timely diagnosis enables the initation of therapy and close monitoring of adverse cardiac events that can be life-threatening, including sudden cardiac death, ventricular tachycardia, high-degree AV block, and heart failure. Implementation of biomarkers in correlation to cardiac imaging can determine the disease severity and progression, but also be helpful in following the treatment response. The formation of larger global registries can be helpful in the identification of independent predictors of adverse clinical events and development of specific diagnostic algorithms to reduce the overal risk of this serious condition.

One of the important air pollutants is ammonia, which is mainly emitted from the agriculture sector. This sector is responsible for over 81% of global ammonia emissions. The main threat related to ammonia emissions is water eutrophication and soil acidification. The aim of the research was a preliminary assessment of the implementation status of methods for reducing ammonia emissions on farms and to learn the views and awareness of agricultural producers on reducing emissions of pollutants into the air. The research was conducted using a survey questionnaire that was made available to farmers in various ways. Based on the results of pilot surveys, it can be concluded that farmers have general knowledge of environmental protection and generally agree that people have an impact on the state of the environment. Low-emission practices to reduce ammonia emissions from agricultural sources are not widely used. The best situation is regarding reduction practices in the storage of natural fertilizers and the use of low-emission fertilizer application techniques. Some reduction activities are not obligatory, therefore it is difficult to determine the scope of application of these practices. Therefore, such periodic research will allow monitoring the activity of agricultural producers in implementing reduction methods.

Climate change continues to be a problem that is being discussed in various parts of the world. The hottest issue of concern is carbon emissions. The increase in carbon emissions was reported by the SAINS Global Carbon Project team in the Earth Systematic Science Data Journal. Disclosure of carbon emissions is part of sustainability reporting. Although several studies have revealed the determinants of carbon emission disclosure in companies, it is still not fully disclosed, one of the determinants of carbon emission disclosure is media exposure. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap with the intention of revisiting the factors that influence carbon emission disclosure with the main focus on exploring the role of media exposure and disclosure practices. This study uses the SLR method with the help of Watase-Uake to search for relevant articles. The 43 articles deemed relevant were systematically reviewed to fill the gaps of previous research. The results show that the role of the media in encouraging disclosure of corporate carbon emissions information is mixed and inconsistent. The results also indicate that stakeholder pressure, good corporate governance, and the unique characteristics of each company are key factors that can influence voluntary disclosure of carbon emission information by companies.

Emission trading schemes (ETSs) have become vital tools in striving toward global emission reduction objectives and promoting a sustainable economy. This paper empirically investigates the impact of market conditions on interconnectedness within precious metals, clean energy, green bonds, and carbon markets, focusing on China and the EU ETSs as the study subjects. A TVP-VAR-based asymmetric connectedness approach is adopted to capture the evolving relationships between the variables of interest in the time–frequency domain. The empirical findings reveal that: First, time-varying asymmetric connectedness and spillover effects among clean energy, precious metals, green bonds, and carbon markets are identified in both time and frequency domains under diverse market conditions, with long-term connectedness asymmetry being particularly sensitive, although spillovers exhibit variations. Second, the role and intensity of net transmitters or receivers vary across market conditions and frequency domains, indicating the complex and nuanced nature of market interactions. The EU ETS demonstrates a higher level of connectivity with global markets for clean energy, precious metals, and green bonds when compared to the Chinese ETS. However, it also shows greater susceptibility to fluctuations in market conditions. These results have significant implications for both investors striving to build sustainable diversified portfolios and regulators endeavoring to craft effective policies for risk regulation and sustainable development.

This study examines if enterprises’ digital transformation enhances their sustainable development capabilities and reduces carbon emissions, thus enhancing carbon neutrality performance and implementing the "dual-carbon" strategy. It specifically explores the impact of Chinese firms’ digital transformation on carbon neutrality performance in 30 provinces and municipalities in China from 2011 to 2021. Based on the Difference-in-Difference method and spatial econometric modeling, this study finds a U-shaped relationship between enterprise digital transformation and carbon performance, with spatial spillover effects. It also finds that converting environmental charges into taxes can significantly improve carbon performance. In terms of the mechanism of action, digital transformation affects carbon performance by influencing energy use efficiency and adjusting the level of industrial structure advancement and rationalization. In terms of heterogeneity, this U-shaped relationship exists only in the eastern and central regions, and the significance is more substantial in the east; in addition, the impact of enterprise digital transformation on carbon performance is more evident in regions with higher R&D intensity and higher economic development levels. These findings imply that the government should further encourage and guide enterprise digital transformation, monitor the effects of environmental protection policies and select and implement carbon emission reduction strategies according to local conditions to improve carbon performance.

κ Draconis is a binary system with a classical Be star as the primary component. Its emission-line spectrum consists of hydrogen lines, notably the Hα line with a peak intensity ratio (V/R) variations phase-locked with the orbital period P = 61.55 days. Among binaries demonstrating the Be phenomenon, κ Dra stands out as one of a few systems with a discernible mass of its secondary component. Based on more than 200 spectra obtained in 2014 − 2023, we verified the physical parameters and constructed the mass function. We used part of these data obtained in 2014 − 2021 to investigate regions in the circumstellar disk of the primary component that emit the Hα line using the Doppler tomography method. The results show that the disk has a non-uniform density distribution with a prominent enhancement at Vy≈ 99 km s−1 and Vx≈−6 km s−1 that corresponds to a cloud-like source of the double-peaked Hα line profile. We argue that this enhancement’s motion is responsible for the periodic variations of the Hα V/R ratio, which is synchronised in orbital phase with the radial velocity (RV) of absorption lines from the atmosphere of the primary component.

The mechanisms of formation of induced intrinsic and impurity radiative states, which consist of intrinsic and impurity electron-hole trapping centers in irradiated Ca2P2O7-Mn and Ca2P2O7 phosphates, were investigated using thermoactivation and vacuum-ultraviolet spectroscopy methods. These centers are excited at photon energies of 4.0 eV and 4.5 eV, which are within the matrix's transparency region. New radiative induced states at 3.06 eV and 2.92 eV are demonstrated to be generated upon the excitation of anions by photons with energies of 5.0 and 5.64 eV. This process is due to charge transfer from the ion to the impurities, specifically Mn^2+ O^2- Mn^2+ and the neighboring ion O^2- (P2O7)^4-. Furthermore, upon the excitation of matrix anions with photon energies exceeding the band gap (8.0 - 8.25 eV), electron trapping by impurities such as Mn^2+ and (P2O7)^4- ions results.

This study investigates the influence of adding hydrogen as an additive to gasoline in a four-stroke engine, utilizing a comprehensive thermodynamic comparative analysis conducted with self-developed engine model. The research aims to assess the performance, emissions, and efficiency of the engine when using gasoline-hydrogen blends, and to provide insights into the potential benefits of this approach. First the engine performance and emissions under different hydrogen blending levels were examined. A range of different air-to-fuel ratios (rich to lean) and varying percentages of hydrogen were considered. This systematic variation allowed for a detailed evaluation of the influence of hydrogen content on combustion efficiency, power out-put, and emissions characteristics. The analysis results included key parameters such as indicated specific fuel consumption and mean effective pressure. Additionally, the study focused on range prediction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, which are a critical environmental concern asso-ciated with internal combustion engines. The analysis of pressure and temperature profiles throughout the engine cycle shed light on the combustion characteristics and efficiency im-provements associated with hydrogen addition. In terms of emissions, the study projected that all emissions were reduced except NOx, which is highly dependent on hydrogen percentage, and it might be reduced in some cases, but with higher temperatures and pressures associated with hydrogen addition in most cases there is actually NOx increase, especially at higher engine loads.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is enforcing increasingly stringent regulations on ship carbon emissions, The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been implementing progressively strict regulations on ship carbon emissions, leading to the adoption of the virtual arrival (VA) method by many vessels to reduce their carbon footprint. However, the effectiveness of the traditional VA method often varies in busy ports with complex traffic organization scenarios. To address this, our study presents a novel, comprehensive model that integrates vessel scheduling with the VA approach. This model is designed to achieve a dual objective: reducing carbon emissions through Virtual Arrival and simultaneously minimizing vessel waiting times. In addition to these goals, it incorporates essential aspects of safety, efficiency, and fairness in port management, utilizing the NSGA-2 algorithm to find optimal solutions. This model has been tested and validated through a case study at Ningbo-Zhoushan port, employing its dataset. The results demonstrate that our innovative model and algorithm significantly outperform traditional scheduling methods, such as First-Come-First-Serve (FCFS) and Virtual-Arrival Last-Serve (VALS), particularly in terms of operational efficiency and reduction in vessel carbon emissions.

The brick manufacturing sector in Bangladesh is experiencing rapid growth, leading to notable environmental and health concerns. The primary objective of this research is to examine the Savar Upazila, a region of significant economic significance owing to its favorable brick manufacturing conditions and proximity to Dhaka city. Brick kilns, among other sources, constitute significant contributors to air pollution. The study utilized primary and secondary data to examine brick kiln emissions' effects on the surrounding area's environment and public health. The collection of primary data was conducted in multiple zones within Savar Upazila, which is home to a significant number of brick kilns. The utilization of secondary data provided valuable insights regarding the toxic pollutants discharged by these kilns and the corresponding health risks they pose. The participants provided accounts of various health ailments, such as dermatological conditions, optical difficulty, and respiratory complications, further aggravated by brick kilns' incidents. The prevalence of crop losses, soil degradation, and reduced agricultural yields was confirmed by 74% of the respondents. The trees and crops in the surrounding area experienced adverse effects due to the deposition of dust particles. During periods of inactivity, the concentrations of sulfur oxide (SOx) were between 6 and 9 times lower compared to periods of operation. Similarly, nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels were observed to be 4 to 6 times lower during non-operational phases. The degradation of water quality in adjacent bodies has been attributed to the deposition of dust and ash originating from brickfields, resulting in substantial repercussions on aquaculture. A significant proportion of participants indicated experiencing diverse health issues, notwithstanding the employment prospects generated by brick kilns, thereby underscoring the adverse consequences on both the environment and the local economy.

A layout of urban waste fired zero emission power plant is described in this paper. The principle of layout, which comes from similar coal-fired plants retrieved from the literature, integrates gasification with a power generation section, and implements two parallel conversion processes, one supplied by the heat of the gasifier consisting of a thermoacousticmagnetohydrodynamic (TAMHD) generator, while in the second one the syngas is treated in order to obtain almost pure hydrogen, which is fed to fuel cells. The CO2 deriving from the oxidation of Carbon base is stocked in liquid form. The novelty of the proposed layout lies in the fact that the entire conversion is performed without solid moving parts. The resulting plant avoids any type of emissions in the atmosphere, increases mechanical efficiency as compared to traditional plants, thanks to the absence of moving parts, nonetheless, resolving at its root the ever-increasing waste-related pollution problems.

In order to study the acoustic emission characteristics of sandstone under the action of the high temperature-water cooling cycle, the RMT-150B electro-hydraulic servo rock test system and the DS-5 acoustic emission detection and analysis system were used to conduct a single analysis of the sandstone after the high temperature-water cooling cycle. Experimental study on acoustic emission characteristics under axial compression, analyzing the deformation, strength and acoustic emission characteristics of sandstone under different temperatures and cycles. The results of the study show that the high temperature-water cooling action causes changes in the physical properties of the sandstone. The expansion rate of the rock sample decreases first and then increases when the temperature rises, and the strength first increases and then decreases. The number of cycles has little effect on the physical properties of the rock sample; sandstone acoustic emission ringing count increases with the increase of temperature and cycle times, acoustic emission activities become more frequent with the loading process; with the increase of cycle times and temperature, acoustic emission ringing counts and accumulative acoustic emission energy appear earlier The rock sample enters the elastic deformation stage ahead of schedule, the yielding period increases, and the rock sample presents a trend of transition from brittle failure to ductile failure; the ringing count and cumulative energy increase with the increase in temperature and cycle times, and the high-energy ringing count and cumulative energy increase. The simultaneous sharp increase of the rock sample is the harbinger of the failure and instability of the rock sample.

Logistics industry has been found to be among the key sources of carbon emission. In Vietnam logistics industry, there is a considerable difference between the number of foreign and Vietnamese firms as well as the proportion of markets that they are taking. This study is to research the low-carbon emission measures conducted by domestic and foreign invested logistics service providers (LSPs) and compare the results of the two groups. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches are applied. Literatures in relevant fields are reviewed and expert opinions are taken for structuring a questionnaire which was later distributed to 279 LSPs, with 166 returned and 159 being valid for data calculation. The results imply that there are differences in extension of applications of low-carbon practices between foreign and domestic firms. Except for transport mode switch and energy-saving lighting, the other practices witness that adoption levels of foreign LSPs are higher than their counterparts, which is possibly thanks to their global operation, more comfortable capital resources and awareness level of green initiative necessity. In conclusion, a comparison between the application conducted by foreign-invested firms and domestic ones, which has not been investigated before, was made.

In the pursuit of China’s dual carbon goals, identifying spatio-temporal changes in industrial carbon emission efficiency and their influencing factors in cities at different stages of development is the key to effective formulation of countermeasures to promote the low-carbon transformation of Chinese national industry and achieve high-quality economic development. In this study, we used balanced panel data of 270 Chinese cities from 2005 to 2020 as a research object: (1) to show spatio-temporal evolution patterns in urban industrial carbon emission efficiency; (2) to analyze the aggregation characteristics of industrial carbon emission efficiency in Chinese cities using Global Moran's I statistics; and (3) to use the hierarchical regression model for panel data to assess the non-linear impact of the digital economy on the industrial carbon emission efficiency of cities. The results show the following: (1) the industrial carbon emission efficiency of Chinese cities exhibited an upward trend from 2005 to 2020, with a spatial distribution pattern of high in the south and low in the north; (2) China's urban industrial carbon emission efficiency is characterized by significant spatial autocorrelation, with increasing and stabilizing correlation, and a relatively fixed pattern of spatial agglomeration; (3) there is a significant inverted-U-shaped relationship between the digital economy and the industrial carbon emission efficiency of cities. The digital economy increases carbon emissions and inhibits industrial carbon-emission efficiency in the early stages of development, but inhibits carbon emissions and promotes industrial carbon emission efficiency in mature developmental stages. Therefore, cities at all levels should reduce pollution and carbon emissions from high-energy-consuming and high-polluting enterprises, gradually reduce carbon-intensive industries, and accelerate the digital transformation and upgrading of enterprises. Western, central and eastern regions especially should seek to promote the sharing of innovation resources, strengthen exchanges and interactions relating to scientific and technological innovation, and jointly explore coordinated development routes for the digital economy.

In this study, three paddy harvesting systems; manual harvesting of paddy (MHP), reaper harvesting of paddy (RHP), and combine harvesting of paddy (CHP) were evaluated considering field capacities, field efficiencies, time and fuel consumption, mechanization indices, greenhouse gas emissions, straw availability, and direct and indirect costs. Field experiments were conducted in North central province of Sri Lanka. The effective field capacity, field efficiency and fuel consumption of the combine harvester were 0.34 hah-1, 60.8%, and 34.1 Lha-1, respectively, and those of the paddy reaper were 0.185 hah-1, 58.2%, and 3.8 Lha-1, respectively. The total time consumed by MHP, RHP, and CHP were 76.05 hha-1, 39.76 hha-1, and 2.94 hha-1, respectively. The highest energy utilization was recorded by the CHP, at 1851.09 MJha-1, while MHP recorded the lowest at 643.20 MJha-1. The direct cost of the MHP was 1.50 and 1.52 times higher than those of the CHP and RHP, respectively. MHP recorded the lowest greenhouse gas emissions (32.94 kgCO2eqha-1), while CHP recorded the highest (176.29 kgCO2eqha-1). The RHP exhibited an intermediate level in all aspects. Although the CHP has higher field performance and direct costs, it brings higher GHG emissions and indirect costs. Therefore, an optimum level of mechanization should be introduced for the long-term sustainability of both the environment and farming.

Data centres, though a necessary part of modern society, are being stigmatised for consuming vast amounts of electricity for their operational and cooling needs. Due to Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels to meet the increased energy demand of data centres, the data centres are contributing significantly to Ireland’s total carbon emissions. As much of this energy is expelled from data centres as waste heat energy, the potential for recycling some of this wasted heat energy was explored using environmentally friendly systems from recent publications. The recovered waste heat energy was applied in a vertical farming system, and the benefits of this waste heat to the vertical farm were analysed and quantified in two scenarios. Using conservative estimates, it was predicted that each vertical farm could be between 5-23% the size of the data centre and produce enough food to feed between 14-61 adults their daily calorie needs, and between 13-58 people their daily fresh produce requirements, depending on the scenario applied. For a more accurate prediction, each vertical farm would have to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. However, there was not enough data available on Irish data centres to perform these calculations.

The relation between CO2 emissions and atmospheric CO2 concentration has traditionally been treated with more or less complex models with several boxes. Our approach is motivated by the question of how much CO2 must necessarily be absorbed by sinks. Observations lead to the model assumption, that carbon sinks like oceans or biosphere are linearly dependent on CO2 concentration on a decadal scale. In particular this implies the falsifiable hypothesis that oceanic and biological CO2 buffers have not significantly changed in the past 50 years and are not saturated in the forseeable future. The simple model with 2 parameters explains very well the CO2 emission and historical CO2 concentration data. The model gives estimates of the natural emissions, the pre-industrial CO2 equilibrium concentration levels, the half-life time of an emission pulse, and the future CO2 concentration level from a given emission scenario. This is validated by an ex-post forecast of the last 20 years. The important result is that with the stated polices scenario of the IEA future CO2 concentrations will not rise above 475 ppm. The model is compared with the Carbon modul of the Bern model, mapping their complex IRFs to a single time variant parameter.

We fabricated the nano-aperture plasmonic platforms for single molecule detection and other various applications such as infrared thermal emission device. The nano-apertures including the nanopores on the pyramid, and the nano-slits on the Au flat membrane were fabricated using a Ga ion focused ion beam drilling technique, followed by high energy electron beam irradiations dependent upon the electron beam current density. The nanopores with a few nanometer size and the nanoslit array with order of ~ 100 nm width were fabricated. Optical characteristics for the various nanoslits were examined dependent upon the slit opening width and sample thickness. The broad emission spectra from the (7x 7) slit array are obtained from spp-mediated emission in the visible and infrared region. A sharp strong infrared emission peak is also obtained due to Au nanoparticle. The fabricated Au platform can be utilized as single molecule sensor and infrared thermal emission device.

Introduction. Strontium-82/Rubidium-82 (⁸²Sr/⁸²Rb) generators are used widely for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of myocardial perfusion. In this study, the ⁸²Rb isotope yield and production efficiency of two FDA-approved ⁸²Sr/⁸²Rb generators were compared.Methods. N=515 sequential daily quality assurance (QA) reports from 9 CardioGen-82® and 9 RUBY-FILL® generators were reviewed over a period of 2 years. A series of test elutions was performed at different flow-rates on the RUBY-FILL® system to determine an empirical correction-factor used to convert CardioGen-82® daily QA values of ⁸²Rb activity (dose-calibrator ‘maximum’ of 50 mL elution at 50 mL/min) to RUBY-FILL® equivalent values (integrated ‘total’ of 35 mL elution at 20 mL/min). The generator yield (⁸²Rb) and production efficiency (⁸²Rb yield / ⁸²Sr parent activity) were measured and compared after this conversion to a common scale. Results. At the start of clinical use, the system reported ⁸²Rb activity from daily QA was lower for CardioGen-82® vs RUBY-FILL® (2.3 ± 0.2 vs 3.0 ± 0.2 GBq, p<0.001) despite having similar ⁸²Sr activity. Dose-calibrator ‘maximum’ (CardioGen-82®) values were found to under-estimate the integrated ‘total’ (RUBY-FILL®) activity by ~24% at 50 mL/min. When these data were used to convert the CardioGen-82 values to a common measurement scale (integrated total activity) the CardioGen-82® efficiency remained slightly lower than the RUBY-FILL® system on average (88 ± 4% vs 95 ± 4%, p<0.001). The efficiency of ⁸²Rb production improved for both systems over the respective periods of clinical use.Conclusions. ⁸²Rb generator yield was significantly under-estimated using the CardioGen-82® vs RUBY-FILL® daily QA procedure. When generator yield was expressed as the integrated total activity for both systems, the estimated ⁸²Rb production efficiency of the CardioGen-82® system was ~7% lower than RUBY-FILL® over the full period of clinical use.

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emission has considerable impact on global warming and climate change. Since energy systems and their features noticeably influence on the amount of GHGs emission, it can be modeled based on the specifications of energy sources utilized by the countries. In addition, economic activity is another factor which should be considered in GHG emission modeling. In this work, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is used for estimating carbon dioxide emission, as one of the most abundant GHGs, on the basis of shares of various energy sources used as primary energy supply and GDP as an indicator for economic activities. Five countries including Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are considered as case studies. Comparing between the estimated data by the achieved model and actual quantities showed acceptable precision of the ANN model for prediction of carbon dioxide emission. The average absolute relative error and the R-squared values of the GMDH model are approximately 2.28% and 0.9998, respectively. The obtained values for the mentioned statistical criteria show the precision of the model in forecasting the emission of Co2.

Biophoton emission has been experimented for decades. The photo-genic origin of biophoton has also been attributed to the oxidative stress or free radical production. However, there are considerable gaps in quantitative understanding of biophoton emission. In this work, I propose an analytical hypothesis for interpreting a few patterns of steady-state biophoton emission of human, including the dependency on age, the diurnal variation, and the geometric asymmetry associated with serious asymmetrical pathological conditions. The hypothesis is based on an alternative form of energy state, termed vivo-nergy, which is associated with only metabolically active organisms that are also under neuronal control. The hypothesis projects a decrease of the vivo-nergy in human during growth beyond puberty. The hypothesis also proposes a modification of the vivo-nergy by the phases of systematic or homeostatic physiology. The hypothesis further postulates that the deviation of the physiology-modified vivo-nergy from the pre-puberty level is deteriorated by acquired organ-specific pathological conditions. A temporal differential change of vivo-nergy is hypothesized to proportionally modulate oxidative stress that functions as the physical source of biophoton emission. The resulted steady-state diffusion of the photon emitted from a photo-genic source in a human geometry simplified as a homogeneous spherical domain is modeled by photon diffusion principles incorporating an extrapolated zero-boundary condition. The age and systematic physiology combined determines the intensity of the centered physiological steady-state photo-genic source. An acquired pathology sets both the intensity and the off-center position of the pathological steady-state photo-genic source. When the age-commemorated, physiology-commanded, and pathology-controlled modifications of the steady-state photo-genetic sources are implemented in the photon diffusion model, the photon fluence rate at the surface of the human-representing spherical domain reveals the patterns on age, the temporal variation corresponding to systematic physiology, and the geometric asymmetry associated with significant asymmetric pathological condition as reported for spontaneous biophoton emission. The hypothesis, as it provides conveniences for quantitative estimation of biophoton emission patterns, will be extended in future works towards interpreting the temporal characteristics of biophoton emission under stimulation.

In this paper, we present an improved 100CMM regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) designed for low-emission combustion, capable of processing over 95% of volatile organic compound (VOC) gas emissions at generating sites. The existing RTO system features a cylindrical drum structure that cyclically introduces and discharges VOC gas into a rotating disk, achieving excellent energy efficiency with a heat recovery rate exceeding 95%. However, the driving force exerted on the rotating disk in the RTO combustion chamber causes increased wear around the rotating shaft, leading to untreated gas being released through the outlet due to the channeling phenomenon. Additionally, prolonged use can result in operational issues such as rotation stoppages or explosions caused by pollutant discharge, dust accumulation, and thermal expansion at high temperatures of up to 800°C. To address these challenges, we designed an enhanced rotating plate drive unit while ensuring the stable operation of the RTO combustion chamber. Considering that the combustion chamber can reach temperatures of up to 920°C when processing high-concentration VOC gas, the gas burner has been designed with a diameter of 125 mm, and the outlet dimensions are set to 650 mm x 650 mm to effectively discharge high-temperature waste heat. The heat storage material in the combustion chamber is configured with a ceramic block thickness, and the outer diameter and height of the combustion chamber are set at 250 mm, 2,530 mm, and 1,875 mm, respectively, to optimize the gas residence time and the insulation material thickness. Empirical experiments were conducted to analyze changes in VOC removal efficiency, nitrogen oxide emission concentration, and total hydrocarbon (THC) concentration, ultimately evaluating the economic performance of the 100CMM RTO.

This study proposes and validates a novel combustion control system for Oil-Fired Boilers aimed at reducing air pollutant emissions through flame image prediction. The proposed system is easily applicable to existing ships. Traditional proportional combustion control systems supply fuel and air at fixed ratios according to the set steam load, without considering the emission of air pollutants. To address this, a stable and immediate control system is proposed, which adjusts the air supply to modify the combustion state. The combustion control system utilizes oxygen concentration predictions from flame images via SEF+SVM as control inputs, and applies Internal Model Control (IMC)-based Proportional-Integral (PI) control for real-time combustion control. Due to the complexity of modeling the image-based system, IMC parameter tuning through experimentation is essential for achieving effective control performance. Experiments conducted on a 3000 kg/h marine oil-fired boiler in actual operation optimized the controller parameters for stability and responsiveness, and validated their effectiveness. The results demonstrate the potential of the proposed system to improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions of air pollutants. This study provides a feasible and effective solution for enhancing the environmental performance of marine oil-fired boilers. Given its ease of application to existing ships, it is expected to contribute to sustainable air pollution reduction across the maritime environment.

In this paper, a 100CMM regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) system based on a high heating device for low-emission combustion is implemented at a volatile organic compound (VOCs) gas generation workplace. Existing RTO has a structure that repeats the inflow and discharge of VOCs gas into a cylindrical drum-type rotating disk and has excellent energy efficiency with a heat recovery rate of 95% or more. However, when used for a long time, there is a problem that rotation stops or explodes due to the discharge of pollutants due to dust and thermal expansion due to high temperature of 800℃. To overcome this, a RTO based on a high heating device was developed to reduce low-emission combustion emissions and energy use. Through 177 hours of demonstration time, the oxidation efficiency of VOCs was 98.87%; the waste heat recovery rate was reduced by 95.78%, the fuel consumption was reduced by 21.95%, and the nitrogen oxide concentration was 3.9 ppm

This study investigated the characteristics of radio-frequency middle-pressure argon plasma used in the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2O3 films. Based on the electrical characteristics, that is current, voltage, and phase shift between them, and stability of plasma plume, the optimum plasma power, allowing reliable switching on the plasma for any step of an ALD cycle, was determined. Spectral measurements were performed to determine the gas temperature and reactive species that could be important in the ALD process. The density of metastable argon atoms was estimated using tunable laser absorption spectroscopy. It was concluded that plasma heating of substrates did not affect film growth and proposed that the crystallization-enhancing effect of plasma was due to the action of OH radicals, produced in the plasma.

In this paper, a 100CMM regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) system based on a high heating device for low-emission combustion is implemented at a volatile organic compound (VOCs) gas generation workplace. Existing RTO has a structure that repeats the inflow and discharge of VOCs gas into a cylindrical drum-type rotating disk and has excellent energy efficiency with a heat recovery rate of 95% or more. However, when used for a long time, there is a problem that rotation stops or explodes due to the discharge of pollutants due to dust and thermal expansion due to high temperature of 800℃. To overcome this, a RTO based on a high heating device was developed to reduce low-emission combustion emissions and energy use. Through 177 hours of demonstration time, the oxidation efficiency of VOCs was 97.87%; the waste heat recovery rate was reduced by 95.78%, the fuel consumption was reduced by 21.95%, and the nitrogen oxide concentration was 3.9 ppm

Abstract: Background: Aging is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and con-vincing data has shown that chronic low-grade inflammation, which develops with advanced age, contributes significantly to cardiovascular risk. Objectives: The present study aimed to use ¹⁸F-FDG/¹⁸F-NaF-PET/CT imaging to respectively gauge arterial inflammation and microcalcifi-cation in healthy elderly and to assess the potential benefits of a tyrosol- and hydroxytyrosol-rich diet on these two markers of atherosclerotic plaque fragility. Methods: Eleven healthy partici-pants (mean age 75 ± 5.67 years) were supplemented for 6 months with high polyphenol-rich extra virgin olive oil (HP-EVOO), extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), or refined olive oil (ROO). The partic-ipants underwent PET/CT imaging with ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-NaF radiotracers at baseline and after 6 months. ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-NaF uptakes were quantified using standardized uptake values (SUV) and were categorized based on artery calcification and olive oil type. Results: A total of 324 slices of the aortas of the imaged participants were analyzed for arterial inflammation and 327 slices were analyzed for microcalcification. 18F-FDG uptake was significantly higher in the non-calcified segments than in the calcified segments (SUVmax = 2.70  0.62 and SUVmax = 2.54  0.44, respectively, p<0.042). Conversely, the non-calcified segments displayed significantly lower 18F-NaF uptake than the calcified segments (SUVmax = 1.90 0.37 and 2.09  0.24, respec-tively, p<0.0001). The 6-month supplementation with HP-EVOO induced a significant reduction in 18F-FDG uptake in both the non-calcified (2.93  0.23 to 2.75  0.38, p<0.004) and calcified seg-ments of the aortas (2.25  0.29 to 2.15  0.19, p<0.02). 18F-NaF uptake was also significantly low-er in patients supplemented with HP-EVOO (SUVmax = 1.98  0.33 at baseline compared to 1.85  0.28, after the 6-month supplementation, p<0.004), whereas no significant effect was observed with EVOO. Conversely, participants supplemented with ROO displayed a significant increase in 18F-NaF uptake (SUVmax = 1.78  0.34 to 1.95  0.34, p<0.0001). Conclusion: The present study confirmed that ¹⁸F-FDG/¹⁸F-NaF-PET/CT imaging is a valuable approach for assessing age-related arterial damage and demonstrated that a phenolic compound-rich diet reduces both arterial inflammation and atherosclerotic lesion microcalcification.

RNA, as an important substance for regulating biological growth and development, has significant implications for visualization research. However, many spontaneously fluorescent substances in plants greatly interfere with the effectiveness of plant bioimaging. Aggregetion- induced emission luminogens (AIEgens), due to their luminescent properties, tunable molecular size, high fluorescence intensity, good photostability, and low cell toxicity, have been widely applied in the animal and medical fields. We have found that AIEgens have great potential as RNA fluorescent probes for efficient imaging in plants. In this review, we first introduce several common RNA labeling forms and point out their pros and cons. We briefly describe the development of AIEgens and the AIE mechanism, and then present various practical applications of AIEgens, including detailed examples of their use as biological markers. To further promote the application of AIE in the field of RNA, we suggest the use of AIEgens to modify target RNA via techniques such as click chemistry or CRISPR/Cas, to achieve RNA visualization in plants. highly possible to modify target RNA with AIEgens in vivo for RNA visualization.

When disposing of waste metal resources in landfills, environmental issues such as soil contamination may arise. Recycling these resources not only recovers valuable metals but also mitigates environmental pollution. Platinum (Pt), a valuable metal used in fuel cells for its high water production activity, will see increased future demand as a fossil fuel alternative. This study analyzes the environmental and resource reduction effects of recycled Pt, considering the growing emphasis on its recycling for stable supply and demand of Pt. The environmental impact and resource consumption of recycled Pt with primary Pt (from natural mines) were compared and analyzed using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) technique. Results revealed that resource consumption for primary Pt was 8.25E+01 kg Sb-eq./kg, significantly more than the 5.45E+00 kg Sb-eq./kg for recycled Pt. This represents an environmental reduction effect of approximately 93%. In the case of greenhouse gas emissions, primary Pt emitted 1.35E+04 kg CO2-eq./kg, while recycled Pt emitted 6.94E+02 kg CO2-eq./kg, resulting in an environmental reduction effect of approximately 95%. In conclusion, recycling Pt, compared to primary extraction, offers substantial environmental and resource reduction benefits. This study underscores the significance of recycling and highlights the potential environmental improvements achievable through sustainable practices.

Rice cultivation is the main agricultural activity in Asia, and it results in an enormous amount of agricultural waste, that are usually disposed-off by burning, causing serious environmental health and climate problems. Pakistan is the tenth largest producer in the world and the fourth exporter of rice in the world. To date, there are no studies targeting Pakistan’s profile monitoring its contribution in open burning emissions from rice straw waste. This study presents the characterization of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs emissions from three samples of rice straw collected from the main rice cultivation regions of Pakistan (Punjab, Sindh and Azad Jammu and Kashmir) in relation to the role of metal-based agricultural additives. PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs emissions were quantified using a fixed grid system biomass plant and measuring the macro-pollutants online and sampling the organic micro-pollutants and metals in isokinetic mode, followed by ISO and CEN standards methods. In addition, role of agrochemicals was monitored in terms of metal catalysis resulted in POPs emissions. This study provides the characterization of most relevant group of pollutants (metals, PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs) as a result of agricultural waste combustion. The rice straw samples from AJK showed high values of organochlorine micro-pollutants compared to the values followed by samples from Punjab and Sindh, i.e., respectively, ∑PCDD/F (2594>1493>856 pg/Nm³) and ∑PCB (41>38>30 pg/Nm³). Whereas the organic micro-pollutants ∑PAH, indicators of incomplete combustion (PICs), were recorded high in the samples from Sindh followed by Punjab and AJK. This study supports the idea that the phenomena that lead to the formation of PCDD/F and PCB are influenced not only by poor combustion but also by the presence of metal catalysts or precursors in the burned fuel.

This study explores into a comprehensive examination of an optical cavity system that integrates Raman and Yb-doped gain media, with a focus on understanding their interactions. The research implies a characterization of each gain medium within the cavity while subjecting them to diverse co-pumping conditions with the other. When the Raman-lasing cavity is co-pumped by exciting the Yb-doped section, the resulting composite laser exhibits significant threshold reductions and there is an optimal co-pumping regime that enhances energy transfer from pump to Stokes. As for the complementary cavity, where the Yb-doped gain is influenced by the co-pumped Raman gain, at moderate pump powers a light-controlling-light behavior phenomenon arises. Within this regime, the 1064-nm signal suppresses the Yb-generated 1115-nm signal, suggesting potential applications in intracavity optical modulation. For higher pump levels, a cooperative effect emerges whereby both lasers mutually enhance each other. Minor variations in the primary 974-nm pump power, even by just a few milliwatts, result in significant capabilities for switching or modulating the Stokes signal. Under these conditions of mutual enhancement, the hybrid optical system validates notable improvements regarding energy transfer efficiency and threshold reduction. This research provides valuable insights into the intricate dynamics of optical cavity systems and reveals promising avenues for applications in advanced optical modulation technologies.

The combination of e-commerce and the green economy allows enterprises to distribute their green products directly to consumers through Internet channels. This paper investigates the impact of service spillovers on emission reduction and channel decisions in a two-echelon supply chain,in which the supplier is a Stackelberg leader and the retailer is a follower.By comparing the equilibrium outcomes of the single-channel and dual-channel supply chain in a setting with and without retail services, we observe that the supplier prefers to encroach on the market when services that retail locations provide largely spillover to and benefit the direct sales channel. Contrary to popular belief, a higher degree of service spillovers is beneficial for the retailer to get more returns under the dual-channel structure, whereas supplier encroachment will lead to a decline in the service level if the spillover degree is relatively low. In addition, the emission reduction level of products under supplier encroachment is always higher than that employed in the single-channel structure if consumers have both low-carbon preference and high degree of service sensitivity. Furthermore, we extend the equilibrium decisions under a carbon cap-and-trade (CCT) mechanism; the results fully verify the above conclusions. Interestingly, the implementation of a carbon price not only motivates carbon emission abatement and supplier encroachment, but also helps achieve a win-win outcome for supply chain members when service spillovers happen.

Building on the carbon reduction targets agreed in the Paris Agreements, many nations have renewed their efforts toward achieving carbon neutrality by the year 2050. In line with this ambitious goal, nations are seeking to understand the appropriate combination of technologies which will enable the required reductions in such a way that they are appealing to investors. Around the globe, solar and wind power lead in terms of renewable energy deployment, while carbon capture and storage (CCS) is scaling up toward making a significant contribution to deep carbon cuts. Using Japan as a case study nation, this research proposes a linear optimization modeling approach to identify the potential contributions of renewables and CCS toward maximizing carbon reduction and identifying their economic merits over time. Results identify that the combination of these three technologies could enable a carbon dioxide emission reduction of between 55 and 67 percent in the energy sector by 2050 depending on resilience levels and CCS deployment regimes. Further reductions are likely to emerge with increased carbon pricing over time. The findings provide insights for energy system design, energy policy making and investment in carbon reducing technologies which underpin significant carbon reductions, while identifying potential regional social co-benefits.

Esterases are hydrolases that catalyze the hydrolysis of esters into the corresponding acids and alcohols. The development of fluorescent probes for detecting esterases is of great importance due to their wide spectrum of biological and industrial applications. These probes can provide a rapid and sensitive method for detecting the presence and activity of esterases in various samples, including biological fluids, food products, and environmental samples. Fluorescent probes can also be used for monitoring the effects of drugs and environmental toxins on esterase activity, as well as to study the functions and mechanisms of these enzymes in several biological systems. Additionally, fluorescent probes can be designed to selectively target specific types of esterases, such as those found in pathogenic bacteria or cancer cells. In this review, we summarize the recent fluorescent probes described for the visualization of cell viability and some applications for in vivo imaging. On the other hand, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a nuclear-based molecular imaging modality of great value to study the activity of enzymes in vivo. We provide some examples of PET probes for imaging acetylcholinesterases and butyrylcholinesterases in brain, which are valuable tools for diagnosing dementia and monitoring the effects of anticholinergic drugs on the central nervous system.

Nonconventional luminescent materials (NLMs) that do not contain traditional aromatic chromophores are of great interest due to their unique chemical structures, optical properties and their potential applications in various areas such as cellular imaging and chemical sensing. However, most reported NLMs show weak or no emission in dilute solutions, severely limiting their applications. In this work, the dynamic hydrogen bonds were utilized to design NLMs with efficient emission in dilute solutions. To further validate the results, polymers P1 and P2 were successfully prepared and investigated. It was found that luminescence quantum efficiency of P1 and P2 at concentration of 0.1 mg/mL in water solution is 8.9 and 0.6%, respectively. The high efficiency can be attributed to the fact that polymer P1 has more intra- or intermolecular dynamic hydrogen bonds and other short interactions than P2 in dilute solutions, allowing P1 to achieve the through-space conjugation effect to increase the degree of system conjugation, restrict molecular motion, and decrease non-radiative transitions, which can effectively improve luminescence. In addition, polymer P2 exhibits the characteristics of clustering-triggered emission, excitation wavelength-dependent and concentration-dependent fluorescence properties, excellent photobleaching resistance, low cytotoxicity and selective recognition of Fe3+. This work is a preliminary study of the luminescence properties of NLMs in dilute solutions via modulating dynamic hydrogen bonds, which can be used as a semi-empirical method to design and construct novel NLMs in future.

This study assesses the biomethane (CH4) generation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from municipal solid waste landfilling in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with a focus on the impact of fugitive CH4 emissions and operation processes in four landfilling scenarios: simple dumping (S1), improved management with leachate treatment (S2), engineered landfill with flaring (S3), and engineered landfill with energy recovery (S4). The study also considered the environmental benefits of carbon sequestration and landfill gas utilization. The LandGEM and IPCC FOD models were used to calculate CH4 generation over the period of 2009-2022, and it was found that approximately 18 and 21 M kg/year of CH4 are released, respectively. The energy potential from CH4 recovery was 51–61 GWh/year. Overall GHG emissions in S2 were the highest, amounting to 409–509 M kg CO2-eq/year, while S1 had lower emissions at 397–496 M kg CO2-eq/year. Flaring captured CH4 in S3 could reduce GHG emissions by at least 55%, and using captured CH4 for electricity production in S4 could mitigate at least 83% of GHG emissions. Electricity recovery (S4) could avoid significant amounts of GHG emissions (˗104.5 kg CO2-eq/tMSW). The study suggests that landfill gas-to-energy could significantly reduce GHG emissions.

The near-infrared (NIR) organic dyes with strong ultrafast nonlinear optical (NLO) activities are of importance for various applications. However, such kinds of dyes are still scarce. In this work, we have compared the NLO properties of two NIR Aza-BODIPY derivatives, in which the strong electron-donating groups, namely 4-(N, N-dimethylamino) phenyl and 1-ethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline groups, are connected with the cores of Aza-BODIPY. Z-Scan experimental results show that two Aza-BODIPY derivatives exhibit strong saturation absorption and large modulation depth under the excitation of femtosecond pulses at 800 nm. Under 1300 nm excitation, two derivatives exhibit strong nonlinear refraction. In addition, the Aza-BODIPY derivatives also display effective two-photon excited fluorescence emission in the wavelength range of 1200-1600 nm. Based on the experimental results, it is found that 1-ethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline group can more effectively enhance the NLO properties of Aza-BODIPY derivatives compared with the 4-(N, N-dimethylamino) phenyl group, thus providing new possibilities for the design and development of NIR NLO materials.

Spherically symmetric solution in 4D Einstein--Gauss--Bonnet gravity coupled to modified logarithmic nonlinear electrodynamics (ModLogNED) is found. This solution at infinity possesses the charged black hole Reissner--Nordstr\"{o}m behavior. We study the black hole thermodynamics, entropy, shadow, energy emission rate and quasinormal modes. It was shown that black holes can possess the phase transitions and at some range of event horizon radii black holes are stable. The entropy has the logarithmic correction to the area law. The shadow radii were calculated for variety of parameters. We found that there is a peak of the black hole energy emission rate. The real and imaginary parts of the quasinormal modes frequencies were calculated. The energy conditions of ModLogNED are investigated.

Emissions from wood burning for heating in secondary homes or cabins is an important aspect for the development of high-resolution emission inventories in specific areas. Norway is used as case study as the national wood consumption for heating in cabins is around 20% of the total. Our study shows first a method to estimate emissions from cabins based on traffic data to derive cabin occupancy, which combined with heating need allows for the spatial and temporal distribution of emissions. The combination of residential (RWC) and cabin wood combustion (CWC) emissions shows large spatial and temporal differences, and a temporally “cabin population” can in areas be orders of magnitude larger than the registered population. While RWC emissions have been steadily reduced, CWC have kept relatively constant or even increased, which results on an increase in the cabin share to total heating emissions up to 25-35%. When comparing with regional emissions inventories, our study shows that the gradient between rural and urban areas is not well represented in regional emissions inventories, which resembles a population-based distribution and does not allocate emissions in cabin municipalities. At last, our study shows that CWC emissions may become an increasing environmental concern as higher densification trends in mountain areas are observed.

In this paper, industrial structure distortion, two-way FDI and carbon emission intensity are brought into a unified research framework, and based on China's panel data from 2011 to 2020, empirical tests are conducted employing Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA), spatial econometric model and intermediary effect test. The results show the following. Firstly, China's industrial structure distortion index shows a downward trend. The industrial structure distortion index is the highest in the west, followed by the middle, and the lowest in the East. Secondly, the relationship between carbon emission intensity and economic development shows a "decoupling" effect and keeps decreasing year by year. The spatial disparity is remarkable, showing the pattern of "the east leading, the middle catching up and the west lagging ". At the provincial level, except in Xinjiang province, the carbon emission intensity of other provinces showed different degrees of decline. In terms of spatial distribution, the polarization characteristics of carbon emission intensity are significant, and the traditional spatial distribution pattern has been broken. Thirdly, there is a positive spatial correlation between China's industrial structure distortion, two-way FDI and carbon emission intensity. The distortion of industrial structure will not only lead to the increase of local carbon emission intensity but also produce reverse spillover to adjacent areas. IFDI and OFDI provide a strong driving force for the decline of carbon emission intensity. IFDI promotes the decline of carbon emission intensity in adjacent areas, while OFDI will increase the carbon emission intensity in surrounding areas. The interaction of IFDI and OFDI can significantly reduce the carbon emission intensity of local and adjacent areas. Fourthly, the results of intermediary effect analysis show that two-way FDI is the two channels of industrial structure distortion affecting carbon emission intensity. Industrial structure distortion can affect the transmission mechanism of carbon emission intensity by affecting two-way FDI.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) surrounding tumor cells is a complex and highly dynamic system that promotes tumorigenesis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are key elements in TME playing a pivotal role in cancer cells’ proliferation and metastatic spreading. Considering the high expression of the fibroblast activation protein (FAP) on cell membrane, CAFs emerged as appealing TME targets, namely for molecular imaging, leading to a pan-tumoral approach. Therefore, FAP inhibitors (FAPis) have been recently developed for PET imaging and radioligand therapy, exploring the clinical application in different tumor sub-types. The present review aimed to describe recent developments on radiolabeled FAP inhibitors and evaluate the possible translation of this pan-tumoral approach in clinical practice. At present, the application of FAPi-PET has been explored mainly in single-center studies, generally performed in small and heterogeneous cohorts of oncological patients. However, preliminary results were promising, in particular in low FDG-avid tumors such as primary liver and gastro-entero-pancreatic cancer, or in regions with unfavorable tumor-to-background ratio at FDG-PET/CT (i.e. brain), as well as in radiotherapy planning of head and neck tumors. Further promising results have been obtained in the detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis, especially in ovarian and gastric cancer. Data regarding the theranostics approach are still limited at presents, and definitive conclusion about its efficacy cannot be drawn at present. Nevertheless, the use of FAPi-based radio-ligand to treat the TME has been evaluated in first-in-human studies and appears feasible. Although the pan-tumoral approach in molecular imaging showed promising results, its real impact in day-to-day clinical practice has yet to be confirmed, and multi-center, prospective studies powered for efficacy are needed.

To explore the spatial network structure characteristics and driving effects of carbon emission intensity in China's construction industry, the investigation combined the modified gravity model and social network analysis method to deeply analyze the spatially associated network structure characteristics and driving effects of carbon emission intensity in China's construction industry, based on the measurement of carbon emission data of China's construction industry from 2006 to 2017. The results show that the regional differences of carbon emission of construction industry are significant, and the carbon emission intensity of construction industry show a fluctuation trend. The overall network of carbon emission intensity shows an obvious “core-edge” state, the hierarchical network structure is gradually broken. Economically developed provinces generally play a leading role in the network, and play an intermediary role to guide other provinces to develop together with them. Among the network blocks, most of the blocks play the role of “brokers”. The block with the leading economic development has a strong influence on the other blocks. The increase of network density, the decrease of network hierarchy and network efficiency will reduce the construction carbon emission intensity.

The logarithmic correction to Bekenshtein$-$Hawking entropy in the framework of 4D Einstein - Gauss - Bonnet gravity coupled with nonlinear electrodynamics is obtained. We explore the black hole solution with the spherically symmetric metric. The logarithmic term in the entropy has a structure similar to the entropy correction in the semi-classical Einstein equations which mimics the quantum correction to the area low. The energy emission rate of black holes and energy conditions are studied. The quasinormal modes of a test scalar field are investigated. The gravitational lensing of light around BHs was studied. We calculated the deflection angle for some model parameters.

The paper presents the results of energy and environmental analysis of geothermal CHP plant operation in Polish conditions. As the most favorable, for the geothermal conditions prevailing in Poland, the variant of CHP plant based on Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) has been taken into consideration. As the case study the existing geothermal well located in the town of Konin in the Wielkopolska voivodship has been chosen. The conceptual design of CHP plant has been proposed and evaluated from energy and environmental point of view. As energy performance criteria the non-renewable primary energy consumption has been chosen. In case of environmental performance carbon dioxide emission has been taken as evaluation criteria. The analysis has been performed for different operating conditions and three working fluids.

This study examines whether gas is emitted from the materials used in the fabrication of metal vacuum panels or not and if emitted, their degree as time goes by. As experimental materials, metal sheets, foamed concrete as a core material, and polymer materials as a sealing material between metal sheets were selected. Experiments on the type and the degree of bending of metal materials showed that aluminum’s vacuum reaching time of 0.001 torr was at least 40 sec to 90 sec in its flat plate, but its vacuum reaching time increased from 3 times to 4.5 times in case of 90 ° and 135 ° bending state. For this reason, it is judged that stainless steel or steel material is suitable because aluminum is inadequate in terms of processability at the time of fabricating the metal vacuum panel. Also, vacuum arrival times and weight changes with increasing foam content of inorganic foamed concrete increased from 22,000 sec to 42,000 sec with increasing foaming rate and also, the weight change increased from 1.7% to 8%. Also, the experimental results on the type of honeycomb materials, the PE (polyethylene) with a vacuum reaching time of 30,000 sec and with a weight change of 0.5% and the PTFE (Poly-tetrafluoro ethylene) with a vacuum reaching time of 29,000 sec and with a weight change of 2.2% showed the optimum value.

An important aspect of PET imaging in clinical application is the localization and detection of tumors and lesions by administering a predetermined amount of radiotracer. This allows for example, a detailed view of what is going inside the patient body in cellular level. The quality of PET image is strongly dependent on the amount of administrated radiotracer and the patient’s body parameters. As the amount of injection radiotracer increases, the quality of resulting image increases and the lesion detection efficiency increases. The PET examiner society recognizes that any dose of radiotracer is associated with some possible radiation risks. It can harmful to the patient if essential PET imaging session is not made due to fear of radiation risk. In order to ensure the highest quality diagnosis and the smallest radiation risk, the patient should receive the smallest amount of radiotracer that provide image with sufficient quality. Our study is focused on proposing an efficient PET simulation tool that predict the smallest possible amount of administrated radiotracer to provides the appropriate diagnostic information based on significant patient’s body parameters (weight, age) at fixed scanning to improve the clinical diagnostic process in term of tumor detecting and localization. We have built a model of particular PET scanner and model of patient based on real MRI image and digital anthropomorphic phantom of our region of interest (brain). We have performed Monte Carlo simulation for whole PET procedure with special parameter In evaluating stage, a dataset of 60 patient is used and 11 independent dose prediction simulation for each patient are performed. We conclude that our simulator perform a desirable and efficient prediction of injection radiotracer amount that optimizes the current clinical amount up to 28%. In addition, we found that the total injected radiotracer dosage for adult patients are mostly affected when considering patient weight rather than patient age.

Decomposition of natural and synthetic polymeric materials (peat, humates, biochar, strongly swelling hydrogels and other soil conditioners) in a biologically- and chemically- active soil environment inevitably leads to their degradation and ability to improve the structure, water-retention, absorptive capacity and actual fertility of artificial soil constructions in urbanized ecosystems and agro landscapes (constructozems). Quantitative assessment of the biodegradation process using field and laboratory incubation experiments, as well as mathematical modeling, showed the possibility of significant (up to 30-50% per year) losses of organic matter of constructozems and a corresponding deterioration in their quality. Incubation experiments with the analysis of carbon dioxide emission for polymeric materials under given thermodynamic conditions allow to estimate the potential rates of their decomposition (half-life) and their dependence on the dose of inhibitors of microbial activity. Special nomographs provide an opportunity to determine the optimum depth of the arrangement of organic components in soil constructions to ensure their stable functioning during a fixed operating time in urban conditions. The results of the study are useful for geo-engineers and landscaping practitioners.

This study inscribes itself in the global discussion on the nurturing of pro-environmental behaviors among young people for a sustainable future. Here we focus on students' interest in Ecosystem Services and Sustainability to explain their awareness and optimism about the environmental issues of air pollution, water shortage and green gas emission in 50 countries around the world. To this end, we use the cross-sectional survey data of the OECD's Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015, along with seemingly unrelated bi-variate weighted ordered Probit modeling with country specific effects. The results show that in addition to factors such as age, gender, immigration status, and economic, social and cultural status, interest in the biosphere is a significant determinant of students' environmental awareness and optimism. In fact, a one level increase in students' interest in ecosystem services and sustainability raises on average their awareness level by 15.3% for the issue of air pollution, 15.7% for the issue of water shortage, and 24.6% for the issue of green gas emission. Although students' interest in the biosphere seems to not have a significant effect on their expectations about the issue of green gas emission, it does however raise their level of optimism by 0.8% for the issue of air pollution, and 0.2% for the issue of water shortage. Furthermore, every one level increase in students' environmental awareness leads to 17.3% more optimism about the issue of air pollution, 15.8% more optimism about the issue of water shortage, and 17.4% more optimism about the issue of green gas emission. Therefore, relying on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), our results imply that governments and policy makers can successfully leverage young people interests in the biosphere to effectively achieve their goals for sustainability.

Current progress in the prediction of mechanical behavior of solids requires understanding of spatiotemporal complexity of plastic flow caused by self-organization of crystal defects. It may be particularly important in hexagonal materials because of their strong anisotropy and combination of different mechanisms of plasticity, such as dislocation glide and twinning. These materials often display complex behavior even on the macroscopic scale of deformation curves, e.g., a peculiar three-stage elastoplastic transition, the origin of which is a matter of debates. The present work is devoted to a multiscale study of plastic flow in α-Ti, based on simultaneous recording of deformation curves, 1D local strain field, and acoustic emission (AE). It is found that the average AE activity also reveals three-stage behavior, but in a qualitatively different way depending on the crystallographic orientation of the sample axis. On the finer scale, the statistical analysis of AE events and local strain rates testifies to an avalanche-like character of dislocation processes, reflected in power-law probability distribution functions. The results are discussed from the viewpoint of collective dislocation dynamics and are confronted to predictions of a recent micromechanical model of Ti strain hardening.

Sanitation, water supply and their governance remain major challenges in many Pacific Island Countries. National sustainable development strategies (NSDSs) are promoted throughout the Pacific as overarching improved governance instruments to identify priorities, plan solutions and fulfill commitments to sustainable development. Their relevance to local village-level development priorities is uncertain. The Kingdom of Tonga provides opportunities to compare both. Tonga’s Strategic Development Frameworks (TSDFI 2011-2014 and TSDFII 2015-2025) were developed to focus government and its agencies on national outcomes. From 2007 to 2016, 136 villages throughout Tonga’s five Island Divisions (IDs) formulated Community Development Plans (CDPs) involving separately 80% of women, youth and men in each village. Censuses in 2006 and 2016 show linked improvements in water supply and sanitation systems but reveal IDs with continuing challenges. Sanitation and water are prominent in TSDFI but absent from the current TSDFII. In contrast, CDPs show in one ID, 53% of villages ranked sanitation as a priority with marked differences between IDs and between women, youth and men. CDPs’ sanitation priorities in IDs mostly correspond to sanitation and water metrics in the Censuses, but some reflect impacts of natural disasters. Explanations for differences in sanitation priorities between national and local development plans, as well as suggestions for improving NSDS processes in island countries, are advanced.

The state of the grinding wheel in the grinding process directly affects the surface quality of the workpiece. The monitoring of the wear state of the grinding wheel can effectively identify the wear information of the grinding wheel and timely and effectively repair the grinding wheel. In this paper, a multi-sensor fusion precision grinding wheel wear intelligent monitoring system is established for typical difficult-to-machine aerospace material titanium alloy, and a multi-eigenvalue fusion algorithm based on improved support vector machine (SVM) is proposed. The extracted sound emission signal wavelet packet decomposition coefficient mean square value, force signal grinding force ratio, and vibration signal effective value are used as the input of the improved support vector machine, and the identification strategy is adjusted by the entropy weight evaluation method. The results show that the monitoring system established in this paper can effectively identify the wear state of the grinding wheel, and the monitoring accuracy can reach more than 92%.

This research project aimed to address the growing concern about methane emissions from seaweed by developing a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model capable of accurately predicting these emissions. The study used PANDAS to read and analyze the dataset, incorporating statistical measures like mean, median, and standard deviation to understand the dataset. The CNN model was trained using the ReLU activation function and mean absolute error as the loss function. Model performance was evaluated through MAPE graphs, comparing the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) between training and validation sets and between true and predicted emissions, and analyzing trends in yearly greenhouse gas emissions. The results demonstrated that the CNN model achieved a high level of accuracy in predicting methane emissions, with a low MAPE between the expected and actual values. This approach should enhance our understanding of methane emissions from Sargassum, contributing to more accurate environmental impact assessments and effective mitigation strategies.

We introduce a series of twisted donor-acceptor (D-A) carbazole-benzophenone based electroactive bipolar derivatives that were synthesized through the reaction of 4-fluorobenzophenone with various partially alkylated 3,3’-bicarbazoles. The comprehensive structural characterization of these compounds is provided. These amorphous materials exhibit suitable glass transition temperatures ranging from 57 to 102 °C and demonstrate high thermal stability, with decomposition temperatures reaching 400 °C. Moreover, the developed materials exhibit elevated photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) of up to 75.5% and favorable HOMO-LUMO levels, along with suitable triplet-singlet state energy values. Due to their good solubility and suitable film-forming properties, all the compounds were evaluated as blue emitters dispersed in 4,4’-bis(N-carbazolyl)-1,10-biphenyl (CBP) host for the fabrication of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in concentration dependent experiments. Among these experiments, the device containing 15 wt% of the guest 4-(9’-{2-ethylhexyl}-[3,3’]-bicarbazol-9-yl)benzophenone demonstrated the best characteristics, achieving maximum brightness of 3581 cd/m2, current efficiency of 5.7 cd/A, power efficiency of 4.1 lm/W and external quantum efficiency of 2.7%.

The electrification of process industries is one of the main challenges when building a low-carbon society since they consume huge amounts of fossil fuel generating different emissions. Heat pumps are one of the instruments to perform industrial sector of carbon-neutral market players. This paper proposes an approach to improve the economic feasibility of heat pumps within the process plants. Initial energy targeting with Grand Composite Curves was used and supplemented with the detailed design of the evaporator and compressor for different condensation and evaporation pressures. The trade-off between the capital cost of the heat pump and the electricity cost was investigated and optimal configurations were selected. The case study investigates the gas fractioning unit of a polymer plant where three heat pumps were integrated into distillation columns. The results demonstrated that the heat recovery is 174 MW and requires an additional 37.9 MW of electricity to reduce hot utility by 212 MW. The selection of evaporation and condensation pressure of heat pumps allows saving of 21.5 M€/y for 7 years of plant operation.

Right heart masses are usually suspected during a routine examination by transthoracic echocardiography or due to cardiac symptoms. Although very important, sometimes it may be a challenge to differentiate between normal structures (variants) and aberrant or pathologic masses regarding the right heart cardiac tumors. In the last entity, the majority of primary cardiac tumors in adults and children are benign; however, they may have a malignant counterpart. Right heart tumors might involve not only the walls (myocardium, endocardium and pericardium), but also valves and cardiac chambers. Cardiac tumors exhibit altered signal intensity and enhancement characteristics, requiring the use of several imaging methods following a multimodality-imaging algorithm that culminates in the excision or biopsy of the tumor formation. Therefore, various imaging modalities, including echocardiography, computer tomography, positron emission tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, scintigraphy or, even, invasive angiography, can be useful during their diagnosis. Echocardiography is the first-line non-invasive imaging modality used in the evaluation of the right heart tumors. Before the other diagnosis imaging modalities it is essential for defining morphology, assessing size, observing dynamic appearance, and evaluating functional abnormalities and hemodynamic consequences,. However, all imaging methods have frequently a complementary role; therefore, an integrated imaging approach is recommended.

In the last ten years, plasma waste treatment has gained increasing prominence as a technology in response to growing challenges in waste disposal and the recognition of opportunities for generating valuable by-products. The efficiency and outcomes of this process are intricately linked to the characteristics of the plasma involved, such as plasma enthalpy and heat flux. We employed an experimental radio frequency inductively coupled plasma (RF-ICP) torch operating at atmospheric pressure to generate plasma. Utilizing optical emission spectroscopy (OES), we measured plasma parameters, specifically the effective electron temperature (Teff) and plasma density (ne), while varying argon gas flow rates and RF powers. Our investigations revealed that both flow rate and RF power exert significant control over plasma parameters, and we observed an unusual phenomenon within this range of discharge pressures. Consequently, both the plasma's enthalpy and the heat flux it generates are influenced by variations in both flow rate and RF power.

The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of the developed real-time controlled bio-liquor circulation system (BCS) on a farm-scale to optimize bioreactor operation for manure treatment, and to subsequently reduce both manure-related malodor and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from slurry pits. The BCS was operated sequentially as per swine manure inflow (anoxic, aerobic, and settling) circulation to the slurry pit. The duration of each operational phase was self-adjusted in real-time using a novel algorithm for detecting the control point on the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and pH (mV)-time profiles, the nitrogen break point (NBP), and the nitrate knee point (NKP) in the aerobic and anoxic phases, respectively. The NH₄-N in the slurry manure was thoroughly removed (100%) in the bioreactor, optimizing the duration of each operational phase by accurately detecting real-time control points. The newly-developed real-time BCS decreased the nitrogen and organic matter content in the slurry pit manure by > 70%, and the potential ammonia and methane emissions by 75% and 95%, respectively. This study highlights that the this improved BCS that utilizes ORP tracking and pH (mV)-time profiles can effectively optimize BCS operation, and thereby reduce malodor and GHG emissions from swine farms.

Based on the Flashing Ratchet Potential (FRP) and Electro-Spectroscopy detection techniques, a new detection method was experimentally examined. This method allows the detection of sub-micro particles in the human exhaled air such as viral particles and other biological agents. The detection signal created by this method is carried out by electron current buildup forming an Electric Current-Spectrum (ECS) distinguishing the contents of the exhaled air samples. The detection method was developed based on FRP and a beam of free charges passing through the electrodes of the FRP. The ECS is characterized by low-energy free charges interacting with the medium through which they pass, where numerous free charges are scattered (delayed) as a result of these interactions. The resulting ECS is characterized by FRP's capacity to drift back the delayed free charges to their original starting positions. By comparing the ECS of two exhale air samples, this new technology can be utilized to identify the presence of viral and microorganisms’ particles. The time-escalating ECS difference quickly indicates the presence of such particles. Moreover, the FRP's optimal operating settings was experimentally defined, in addition to the experimental evaluation of its functionality to confirm the FRP's promising sensing capabilities, which were statistically examined several times to ensure the reproducibility of the results.

Carbon (C) cycle n inland waters, including its concentrations and carbon dioxide (CO2) emis-sions from water surfaces are at the forefront of biogeochemical studies, especially in the re-gions, strongly impacted by on-going climate change. Towards better understanding of C stor-age, transport and emission in Central Asian mountain regions, extremely poorly studied until now, here we carried out systematic measurements of dissolved C and CO2 emissions in 15 riv-ers and 5 lakes located along a macro-transect of various natural landscapes in the Sayan-Altai mountain region, from high mountains of the Western Sayan in the northwest of Tyva to arid (dry) steppe and semi-deserts in intermountain basins of the southeast of Tyva, the border with Mongolia. New data on major hydrochemical parameters, CO2 fluxes by floating chambers, dis-solved organic and inorganic carbon concentrations collected over four main hydrological sea-sons allowed to assess the current C biogeochemical status of these water bodies in order to judge possible future changes under climate warming. We further tested the impact of perma-frost, river watershed size, lake area and climate parameters as well as ‘internal’ biogeochemical drivers (pH, mineralization, organic matter quality and bacterial population) on CO2 concentra-tion and emissions in lakes and rivers of this region, and compared them with available data on other subarctic and mountain settings.

Ever since oil was discovered in the Persian Gulf Region in the 1920s, the oil and gas industries have been dominant in the area. These countries are responsible for generating approximately 35 percent of the world's natural gas and 25 percent of its crude oil, making them the largest crude oil producers globally. The release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere is directly linked to the use of fossil fuels. CO2 accounts for 58.8 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities and has a detrimental impact on urban residents through the urban heat island effect. A significant portion of these emissions can be attributed to residential buildings. Some nations exacerbate the problem by relying excessively on fossil fuels. Oil-rich countries provide energy subsidies to the public in order to lower energy costs for their citizens. However, this policy can have negative consequences, including wasteful energy usage in countries like Iran.

This study examined if people who reside in different regions of South Korea exhibit different WTP for the mitigation of PM2.5 emissions from coal power plants by restricting the operation of such plants during the winter and spring when air pollution becomes severe. A contingent valuation method combined with a double bounded dichotomous choice was used to derive people’s WTP for the mitigation of PM2.5 emissions. Sample group was divided into central, western, eastern, and southern regions. It is known that the eastern region is affected by northwesterly winds in the winter and spring seasons, so air pollutants in the eastern areas fly to the eastern sea. According to the estimation results, respondents who live in eastern regions showed significantly lower WTP than the average WTP. We suggest that the mitigation policy on PM2.5 emissions should consider regional differences in the contributions of coal power plants to PM2.5 emissions.

Femtosecond laser-induced fluorescence (FLIF) and femtosecond laser-induced optical breakdown spectroscopy (FIBS) are important tools for remote diagnostics of atmospheric aerosols using LiDAR techniques. They are based on light emission excitation in disperse medium via the multiphoton nonlinear processes in aerosol particles induced by high-power optical pulses. To date, the main challenge restraining the large-scale application of the FLIF and FIBS in atmospheric studies is the lack of valued theory of the stimulated light emission in liquid microparticles with sufficiently broad range of sizes. In this paper, we fill this gap and present the theoretical model of dye water droplets emission under high-intense laser exposure that adequately simulates the processes of multiphoton excited fluorescence and optical breakdown plasma emission in microparticles and gives quantitative estimates of the angular and power characteristics of the nonlinear emission. The model is based on the numerical solution to the inhomogeneous Helmholtz equations for the stimulating (primary) and nonlinear (secondary) waves provided by the random nature of molecule emission in particles. We show that droplet fluorescence stimulated by the multiphoton absorption generally becomes more intensive with increasing particle size. Moreover, far-field plasma emission from liquid particles demonstrates larger angular diversity when changing droplet radius in comparison with the multiphoton excited fluorescence, which is mainly due to the excitation of the internal optical field resonances in spherical particles.

Lubricated tribosystems such as main-shaft bearings in gas turbines have been successfully diagnosed by oil sampling for many years. In practice, the interpretation of wear debris analysis results can pose a challenge due to the intricate structure of power transmission systems and the varying degrees of sensitivity among test methods. In this work, oil samples acquired from the fleet of M601T turboprop engines were tested with optical emission spectrometry. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with interaction analysis and post hoc tests were carried out on measurement data from the whole fleet of the M-601T turboprop engines to study the impact of aluminum and zinc concentration on iron concentration. Finally, the developed model was used to evaluate the oil testing results for two specific engines of this type. Thanks to ANOVA, the assessment of engine health is based on a statistically proven correlation between the values of the dependent variable and the classifying factors.

The literature has well established prestressing in concrete beams and its calculation procedures. However, its use in composite steel-concrete beams has increased despite main normative codes lacking a specific approach for it. Designers must, in most cases, combine the available criteria to calculate the standards of steel and reinforced concrete structures. This study aimed to formulate this optimization problem and analyze CO2 emissions for the optimal design of composite steel-concrete beams with external prestressing. The design variables for the optimization problem include cross-section of laminated or welded profiles, slab height, characteristic strength of concrete to compression, and number of tendons. We obtained a solution for the optimization problem via a genetic algorithm (GA) and a particle swarm optimization one (PSO). Comparative analysis with experimental example and with optimization problem of prestressed steel beam are performed. An parametric analysis to several spams is performed, which enabled to evaluate the factors that most impact CO2 emissions. According to results, the chosen algorithms effectively obtained solutions for the problem, and PSO usually provided better results than GA. Regarding the final solution composition, steel contributes the most to emissions, welded profiles provided better solutions than laminated ones, and laminated spans of up to 17.5m and welded ones up to 27.5m dispensed with tendons.

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (18F-FDG PET-CT) is increasingly used in the diagnosis, prognosis, staging, and treatment monitoring of many tumor types. However, only a small number of studies have reported the use of 18F-FDG PET-CT in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). This study aimed to examine the accuracy of tumor staging in ICC by using 18F-FDG PET-CT. Between January 2009 and December 2020, patients with suspected ICC were retrospectively enrolled in the study and underwent imaging. The sensitivity and specificity of 18F-FDG PET-CT, CT, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting tumors, satellite focus, vascular invasion, and lymph node metastases were analyzed. The efficacy of 18F-FDG PET-CT for tumor staging was evaluated. Of the 110 patients who were enrolled in the study, 52 underwent surgical treatment and 45 were histologically diagnosed with ICC. When compared with CT or MRI, 18F-FDG PET-CT had similar sensitivity and specificity values for diagnosing satellite focus and vascular and bile duct invasion; however, PET-CT showed higher accuracy in diagnosing regional lymph node metastases. The accuracy of tumor staging by 18F-FDG PET-CT was higher than that by CT/MRI. Thus, 18FDG PET-CT may support tumor staging in ICC.

This interdisciplinary work communicates identification and quantification of elements responsible for the bioactive potency of leaves from pointed gourd, trichosanthes dioica,using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Calibration-free LIBS determines the presence of various trace and major elements, their concentrations, and ratios in which they are present in the leaves. The presence of specific elemental ratios of magnesium/sodium and magnesium/potassium could be promising for managing diabetes mellitus. Variable doses of 500, 750, 1000, and 1250 mg per kg body weight of aqueous extract from trichosanthes dioica leaves are administered. A dose of 1000 mg per kg body weight is found to be the most effective. Based on encouraging results, the extract could be harvested to serve as anti-diabetic medication for diabetes and associated symptoms.

Atmospheric corrosion of aluminum aircraft structures occurs due to numerous reasons. A typical phenomenon leading to corrosion is the deliquescence of contaminants such as salts due to changes in relative humidity (RH) caused by aircraft operation at different altitudes and climate zones. Currently, corrosion of aircrafts is controlled by scheduled inspections. In contrast, the present contribution aims for a continuous monitoring approach by using the acoustic emission (AE) method to detect and further evaluate atmospheric corrosion. The AE method is frequently used for corrosion detection at typically immersion-like conditions or for corrosion types where stress-induced cracking is involved. However, it has not yet been demonstrated for atmospheric corrosion at unloaded aluminum structures. To address this question, the present investigation uses small droplets of a corrosive sodium chloride (NaCl) solution to induce atmospheric corrosion on aluminum alloy AA2024-T351. Operating conditions of an aircraft are simulated by a controlled variation in RH. In addition, videos of the corrosion site are recorded to visually observe the corrosion process. Pitting corrosion is generated and clearly measurable AE signals are detected. An automatic video processing algorithm looking for sudden changes on the corrosion site mainly detects hydrogen bubbles formed when aluminum reacts with aqueous solutions. A clear correlation between the observed pitting corrosion, the AE and the hydrogen bubble activity and the RH, i.e., the electrolyte present at the aluminum surface, is found. Thus, the findings demonstrate the applicability of the AE method for monitoring atmospheric corrosion of aluminum aircraft structures by today’s measurement equipment. Numerous potential effects that can cause measurable AE signals are investigated and discussed. Among these, bubble activity is clearly considered to be the most emissive one.

Uganda possesses natural rainforests that serve enormous environmental ecosystems and biodiversity services. Moreover, the country is known for its various tropical rainforest hardwoods, birds, and animal species. Over the years, the trend in the natural forest land has declined at an alarming rate; hence need to investigate the possible drivers. The loss of such biodiversity and ecosystems risks desertification and extreme climatic condition. As the world moves towards Zero Deforestation 2030, understanding the determinants of deforestation and forest degradation is paramount. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to understand the impact and relationships between net forest conversion, energy emission, agriculture, and forest production of Roundwood. We used data from FAO for the period 2004-2016. Using the ADF and KPSS test, we checked for the unit root presence in the variables. Also, the study used two different regression models: multiple linear regression and dynamic linear model. To analyze the determinants of deforestation, we used net forest conversion in Uganda. There was 94 % variation in the dependent variable (Net Forest conversion). The outcome of the dynamic linear regression showed that agriculture and energy emission positively impact net forest conversion. Based on our findings, this study recommended the modernization of agriculture by the government of Uganda to stop cutting down the forests on a big scale. Also, the study suggested that the government strictly legislate Roundwood and wood fuels/charcoal and firewood to reduce huge dependency on forests toward Zero-Deforestation by 2030. If well-structured and implemented, government policies could solve the unnecessary over dependency on the rainforest, the heart of the region's climatic conditions.

A right frontoparietal neoplastic lesion was found in a young-aged patient with analgesic refractory headache. Surgical resection was performed, and the pathologist analysis turned out a cellular ependymoma with signs of anaplasia. In the follow-up, a MRI showed a suspicious lesion, so a [18F]Fluorocholine PET/CT was performed. An increased uptake was described in the right parietal region on the margin of residual cystic lesion. The patient got a complete resection which was confirmed later by MR. In the pathology analysis, a focally congestive cerebral parenchyma with a central histiocytic reaction to foreign body area was described. Foreign body reaction in brain tissue is a very rare immune response that has not been well studied. Haemostatic material has been reported as a possible trigger of this response in other organs and could be detected by [18F]FDG PET/CT. Following the experience of the current case report, [18F]Fluorocholine PET/CT could also show a false positive related to foreign body reaction.

The interpretation of optical spectra requires thorough comprehension of quantum mechanics, especially understanding the concept of angular momentum operators. Suppose now that a transformation from laboratory-fixed to molecule-attached coordinates, by invoking the correspondence principle, induces reversed angular momentum operator identities. However, the foundations of quantum mechanics and the mathematical implementation of specific symmetries assert that reversal of motion or time reversal includes complex conjugation as part of anti-unitary operation. Quantum theory contraindicates sign changes of the fundamental angular momentum algebra. Reversed angular momentum sign changes are of heuristic nature and are actually not needed in analysis of diatomic spectra. This work addresses sustenance of usual angular momentum theory, including presentation of straightforward proofs leading to falsification of the occurrence of reversed angular momentum identities. This review also summarises aspects of a consistent implementation of quantum mechanics for spectroscopy with selected diatomic molecules of interest in astrophysics and in engineering applications.

In this paper, a resonant system that produces a movement of low amplitude and ultrasonic frequency is used to achieve the vibration assistance in a ball-burnishing process. A full vibration characterization of this process performed in a lathe was done. It is carried out by a new tool designed in the research group of the authors. Its purpose is to demonstrate that the machine and the tool do not have any resonance problem during the process and to prevent possible failures. The analysis of this dynamic behaviour permits to validate the suitability of the tool when it is anchored to a numerical control lathe. This is very important for its future industrial implementation. It is also intended to confirm that the system adequately transmits vibrations through the material. To do this, a methodology to validate the dynamic tool behaviour was developed. Several techniques that combine the usual and ultrasonic vibration ranges through static and dynamic measurements were merged: vibration and acoustic emission measurements. An operational deflection shape (ODS) exercise has been also performed. Results show the suitability of the tool used to transmit the assistance vibrations, and that no damage is produced in the material in any case.

We present in this work a method for estimation of plasma bubble mean zonal drift velocities using keograms generated from images of the OI 6300.0 nm nightglow emission collected from an equatorial station -- Cariri (7.4$^\circ$S, 36.5$^\circ$W), and a mid-latitude station -- Cachoeira Paulista (22.7$^\circ$S, 45$^\circ$W), both in the Brazilian sector. The mean zonal drift velocities were estimated for 239 events recorded from 2000 to 2003 in Cariri, and for 56 events recorded over Cachoeira Paulista from 1998 to 2000. It was found that plasma bubble zonal drift velocities are smaller ($\sim$60 ms$^{-1}$) for events occurring later in the night compared to those occurring earlier ($\sim$150 ms$^{-1}$). The decreasing rate of the zonal drift velocity is of $\sim$10 ms$^{-1}$/h. We have also found that, in general, bubble events appearing first in the west-most region of the keogram are faster than those appearing first in the east-most region of the keograms. Larger zonal drift velocities occur from 19 LT to 23 LT in a longitude range from 37$^\circ$ to 33$^\circ$. The method of velocity estimation using keograms compares favorably against the mosaic method developed by \cite{Arruda:2005}, but the standard deviation of the residuals for the zonal drift velocities from the two methods is $\sim$15 ms$^{-1}$

CASBEE-City tool determines the city’s Built Environment Efficiency (BEE) by calculating the improvement of Quality of Life (Q) over human activities’ Environmental Load (L) within the city’s hypothetical boundary. A total of 58 variables (57 Q indicators and one variable for L) are used in the worldwide version of CASBEE-City which were grounded using ISO 37120:2014 Sustainable Development of Communities and 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations (UN). This paper examines the application of CASBEE-City for Malaysian cities using the case of Johor Bahru City and identifies assessment indicators which are customised based on the data availability, reliability and suitability through focus group discussions (FGDs) which involved 36 respondents (researchers, urban planners and stakeholders). This paper reveals Johor Bahru with moderate score B+ in 2010 and 2025. Consensus were also achieved from the 36 FGD respondents for the practicability and future potential of CASBEE-City and BEE framework in Johor Bahru.

Hydroiodic acid (HI) treated - reduced graphene oxide (rGO) ink/conductive polymeric composites are considered as promising cold cathodes in terms of high geometrical aspect ratio and low field emission (FE) threshold devices. In this study, four simple, cost-effective, solution-processed approaches for rGO-based field effect emitters were developed, optimized and compared; rGO layers were coated on a) n+ doped Si substrate, b) n⁺-Si/P3HT:rGO, c) n⁺-Si/PCDTBT:rGO and d) n⁺-Si/PCDTBT:PC₇₁BM:rGO composites, respectively. The fabricated emitters were optimized by tailoring the concentration ratios of their preparation and field emission characteristics. In a critical composite ratio, FE performance was remarkably improved compared to the pristine Si, as well as n⁺-Si/rGO field emitter. In this context, the impact of various materials, such as polymers, fullerene derivatives, as well as different solvents on rGO function reinforcement and consequently on FE performance upon rGO-based composites preparation was investigated. The field emitter consisted of n⁺-Si/PCDTBT:PC₇₁BM(80%):rGO(20%)/rGO displayed a field enhancement factor of ∼2850, with remarkable stability over 20h and low turn-on field in 0.6V/μm. High-efficiency graphene-based FE devices realization paves the way towards low-cost, large-scale electron sources development. Finally, the contribution of this hierarchical, composite film morphology was evaluated and discussed.

In this work, the parameters of plasma (electron temperature (T_e), electron density n_e, plasma frequency (f_p) , Debye length (λ_D) and Debye number (N_D)) have been studied by using the spectrometer that collect the spectrum of Laser produce Cadmium telluride plasma at different energies. The results of electron temperature for CdTe range 0.93-1.18 eV also the electron density 5 × 10¹⁰ – 3.8 × 10¹¹ cm^-3 have been measured under vacuum reaching 2.5 × 10^-2 mbar .Optical properties of CdTe were determined through the optical transmission method using ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer within the range 190 – 1100 nm.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures have been studied extensively in the past years due to the novel electronic, photonic, mechanical and electrochemical properties. Recently, more attention has been paid to assemble nanoscale building blocks into three dimensional (3D) complex hierarchical structures, which not only inherit the excellent properties of the single building blocks but also provide potential applications in the bottom-up fabrication of functional devices. This review article focuses on 3D ZnO hierarchical nanostructures, and summarizes major advances in the solution phase synthesis, applications in environment, and electrical/electrochemical devices. We present the principles and growth mechanisms of ZnO nanostructures via different solution methods, with an emphasis on rational control of the morphology and assembly. We then discuss the applications of 3D ZnO hierarchical nanostructures in photocatalysis, field emission, electrochemical sensor, and lithium ion batteries. Throughout the discussion, the relationship between the device performance and the microstructures of 3D ZnO hierarchical nanostructures will be highlighted. This review concludes with a personal perspective on the current challenges and future researches.

Dynamic tribochemical processes for dicationic ionic liquid containing a germinal imidazolium cation head groups bridged by a poly(ethylene glycol) and bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion were studied using time-resolved Mechanically Stimulated Gas Emission Mass-Spectrometry (MSGE-MS). In comparison with similar monocationic imidazolium ionic liquids with short alkylic or long polyether side chains the dicationic ionic liquid had lower coefficient of friction on Ti6Al4V alloy and smoother behaviour. The analysis of volatile decomposition products suggested multiple tribochemical reactions in which both anionic and cationic moieties are involved. Tribochemical degradation of cations was mainly through detachment of the side and bridging chains from the imidazolium head groups. Absence of volatile products containing nitrogen implies that imidazole group remained unchanged. Hydrogen and water desorption were attributed to the reactions of hydrogen fluoride being a product of anion degradation with titanium and titanium oxide.

In this study the effects of three different main preparatory tillage operations [ploughing at 0.4 m (P40) and 0.20 m (P20) depth and minimum tillage at 0.20 m depth (MT) each of them carried out at two different soil water contents (WC) [low, 58% (LH) and high, 80% (HH) of field capacity] were investigated. The results obtained in this research show high values of soil strength in term of Penetration resistance (CI) and shear strength (SS) particularly in deeper soil layers at lower water content. Fossil-fuel energy requirements both for P40 LH and P20 LH were 25 and 35% higher with respect to the HH treatments and tractor slip were very high (P40 LH = 32.4%) with respect to the P40 HH treatment (16%). Therefore soil water content had significantly influenced tractor performance during soil ploughing, particularly at 0.40 m depth while MT was not influenced at all. A significant correlation between grain yield and soil penetration resistance was found highlighting how soil strength may be good indicator of its productivity. Obtained results during these field tests allowed considering MT and P20 treatments more suitable for this type of soil in climate change scenarios.

This review focuses on the pivotal role of radiotracers in breast cancer imaging, emphasizing their importance in accurate detection, staging, and treatment monitoring. Radiotracers, labeled with radioactive isotopes, are integral to various nuclear imaging techniques, including positron emission tomography (PET) and positron emission mammography (PEM). The most widely used radiotracer in breast cancer imaging is 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG), which highlights areas of increased glucose metabolism, a hallmark of many cancer cells. This allows for the identification of primary tumors, metastatic sites, and assessment of tumor response to therapy. In addition to 18F-FDG, this review will explore newer radiotracers targeting specific receptors, such as estrogen receptors or HER2, which offer more personalized imaging options. These tracers provide valuable insights into the molecular characteristics of tumors, aiding in tailored treatment strategies. By integrating radiotracers into breast cancer management, clinicians can enhance early disease detection, monitor therapeutic efficacy, and guide interventions, ultimately improving patient outcomes. Ongoing research aimed at developing more specific and sensitive tracers will also be highlighted, underscoring their potential to advance precision medicine in breast cancer care.

This paper reports results of analysis of field ion emission mechanism from tungsten-epoxy composite emitters that are compared to tungsten nano-field emitters. In this context, the mechanism of emission from this type of emitters is described based on a theory of induced conductive channels. The tungsten emitters were prepared using the electrochemical polishing technique and coated with a layer of the epoxy resin. Field ion microscope (FIM) analyses are reported including the study of the emission-ion density distributions from both the uncoated and coated emitters. Two forms of emission patterns have been observed in the ion emission microscopy technique describing the differences in the emission mechanism of both types of emitters. The observed results show: (a) the expected crystalline surface atomic distribution images of the field ion microscopy in the case of uncoated tungsten tips, and (b) randomly distributed emission spots that describe the locations of the induced conductive channels inside the resin coating layer.

Buildings can play an important role in reducing GHG emissions through increased energy efficiency. The European Commission issued a proposal in 2021 suggesting that all new buildings should be “zero-emission Buildings” (ZEB), aiming at a zero GHG emission building stock by 2050.The extent to which ZEB can contribute to reduced GHG emissions, however, varies between countries, due to different energy systems. It is also important to consider other environmental effects to avoid that climate benefits come with unintended consequences.Here, we explore the life-cycle environmental performance for a ZEB in a case where electricity and heating is largely fossil-free. The assessment concentrates on i) environmental impact of the use stage in relation to the product stage, ii) the interrelation between different energy sources, with attention on household electricity, and iii) the performance for more impact categories than primary energy use and climate change. While our results generally support the use of ZEBs from an environmental perspective, they also show that the climate benefit in this setting is marginal. However, given that energy systems are connected and energy savings in one place can reduce the demand for fossil energy elsewhere, the climate benefit of ZEBs is likely underestimated. Besides methdological implications for future studies, this indicates that current EU policy is promising, as incentives for implementation of ZEBs is unaffected by domestic effects.

This research is aimed to develop the method for damage degree evaluation in metals and alloys during their deformation and destruction based on acoustic emission (AE) technique. Experimental studies were carried out on tensile specimens of high-strength steel with simultaneous registration of AE signals in tested material. It was shown that the time-dependent AE primary parameters, such as the AE signal maximum amplitudes and AE activity, do not have a clear relationship with the material damage degree. This fact makes it difficult to use standard methods for assessing the damage degree of acoustic signal sources, including defects. It was proposed to use the Kolmogorov-Smirnov criterion to differ the processes of metal plastic deformation and crack propagation during the rupture. The possibility of estimating the material damage degree by high-energy AE hits share was shown. Besides, a particular expression was obtained for evaluating the damage degree for the material under study.

This paper consists of two parts. In part I some new relations for a field theory with time intervals are derived. One concept of field theory evaluated is complementarity, another is field operators both defined within a time interval description. Part II includes specific results and commentary. Discussed are time interval dependent wave propagation surfaces for star source emission waves and derived is a metric propagation surface area requirement. The results allow to consider one same field that like gravitation within General Relativity applies to both non zero and zero mass. The associated field energy is space time dependent for non zero mass, and is related to a space time dependent metric tensor for zero mass wave particles. Defined is internal energy transfer where wave particle numbers increase linearly and mass and momentum diminish, decrease inversely with the distance from the wave emission source. The commentary are applications related to cosmological overall volume and temperature dependence.

Proposed as a response to the increasing global need for environmental protection, a green port balances economic vibrancy and environmental protection. However, because exhaust emissions (e.g., CO2 or sulfide) are difficult to monitor in and around ports, data on such emissions are often incomplete, which hinders research on this topic. To remedy this problem, this study aimed to formulate a method for collecting CO2 emissions data at their source; this method was applied to collect real-world operating data from a large container-handling company in Taiwan. Specifically, to account for undesirable outputs, we formulated a method that combines (1) data envelopment analysis based on a modified slack-based measure and (2) a multichoice goal programming approach. We found that rubber-tired gantry cranes are the greenest and should be used. Our findings aid port managers in selecting port equipment that best balances between environmental protection and profitability.

Effectively avoiding gas accident is vital to the security of mineral manufacture, and the coal mine gas accident is often caused by gas concentration overrun. The prediction accuracy of gas emission quantity in coal mine is the key to solve this problem. To maintain concentration of gas in a secure range，grey theory and neural network model increasingly diffusely used in forecasting gas emission quantity in coal mine critically. Nevertheless, the limitation of the grey neural network model is that researchers merely bonded the conventional neural network and grey theory. To enhance accuracy of prediction, a modified grey GM(1,1) and RBF neural network model is proposed combined amended grey GM(1,1) model and RBF neural network model. Then the proposed model was put into simulation experiment which is built based on Matlab software. Ultimately, conclusion of the simulation experiment verified that the modified grey GM(1,1) and RBF neural network model not only boosts the precision of prediction, but also restricts relative error in a minimum range. This showed that the modified grey GM(1,1) and RBF neural network model achieves effectiveness in precision of prediction much better than grey GM(1,1) model and RBF neural network model.

Wall–stabilized arcs dominated by nozzle–ablation are key elements of self–blast circuit breakers. In the present study, high–current arcs were investigated using a model circuit breaker (MCB) in CO2 as gas alternative to SF6 and in addition a long polytetrafluoroethylene nozzle under ambient conditions for stronger ablation. The assets of different methods for optical investigation were demonstrated, e.g. high-speed imaging with channel filters and optical emission spectroscopy. Particularly the phase near current zero (CZ) crossing was studied in two steps. In the first step using high-speed cameras, radial temperature profiles have been determined until 0.4 ms before CZ in the nozzle. Broad temperature profiles with a maximum of 9400 K have been obtained from analysis of fluorine lines. In the second step, the spectroscopic sensitivity was increased using an intensified CCD camera, allowing single-shot measurements until few microseconds before CZ in the MCB. Ionic carbon and atomic oxygen emission were analyzed using absolute intensities and normal maximum. The arc was constricted and the maximum temperature decreased from &gt;18000 K at 0.3 ms to about 11000 K at 0.010 ms before CZ. The arc plasma needs about 0.5-1.0 ms after both the ignition phase and the current zero crossing to be completely dominated by the ablated wall material.

The outcomes of the 2015 Paris Agreement triggered a number of climate impact assessments, such as for floods and droughts, to focus on future time frames corresponding to the years of reaching specific levels of global warming. Yet, the links between the timing of the warming levels and the corresponding greenhouse gas concentration pathways to reach them, remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we compare projected changes of annual mean, extreme high and extreme low river discharges in Europe at 1.5°C and 2°C under scenarios RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 from an ensemble of Regional Climate Model (RCM) simulations. The statistical significance of the difference between the two scenarios for both warming levels is then evaluated. Results show that in the majority of Europe (>95% of the surface area for the annual mean discharge, >98% for high and low extremes), the changes projected in the two pathways are statistically indistinguishable. These results suggest that in studies of changes at specific warming levels the projections of the two pathways can be merged into a single ensemble without major loss of information. With regard to the uncertainty of the unified ensemble, findings show that the projected changes of annual mean, extreme high and extreme low river discharge are statistically significant in large portions of Europe.

We report the development of an extrinsic self-healing coating system that shows no fluorescence from the intact coating, yellowish fluorescence in cracked regions, and greenish fluorescence in healed regions, thus allowing the separate monitoring of cracking and healing of coatings. This fluorescence monitoring self-healing system consisted of a top coating, an epoxy matrix resin containing mixed dye-loaded in single microcapsule. The dye-loaded microcapsules consisted of a poly(urea-formaldehyde) shell encapsulating a healing agent containing MAT-PDMS and styrene, a photo-initiator and a mixture of two dyes, one that fluoresces only in the solid state (DCM) and a second that fluoresces dramatically increased in the solid than solution state (4-TPAE). A mixture of the healing agent, photo-initiator and the two dyes was yellow due to fluorescence from DCM. On UV curing of this mixture, however, the color changed from yellow to green and the fluorescence intensity increased due to fluorescence from 4-TPAE in the solid state. When a self-healing coating embedded with microcapsules containing the DCM/4-TPAE dye mixture was scratched, the damaged region exhibited a yellowish color that changed to green after healing. Thus, the self-healing system reported here allows the separate monitoring of cracking and healing based on changes in fluorescence color.

Abstract: Unusual methane emission and spontaneous combustion of coal induced by the air leakage are both hazards during mining. The most common practice has been to improve mine safety is sealing the mining fractures. In this paper, the methane and geology, coal spontaneous combustion characteristics and the coexistence of methane emission and spontaneous combustion of coal were analyzed. The preparation system of inorganic solidified foam (ISF) in field applications is studied and the working principle of generating device consists of foam generator and mixer was expounded. The technical plan of site construction is that the foam fluids was injected to respectively seal the mining fractures behind hydraulic supports, the cavities of air return corner, and the fractures nearby the coal pillar. After the foam fluids injection, the two stress values in the coal pillar eventually maintained above 15.5Mpa and 13Mpa, respectively. It indicated that the ISF can enhance the bearing stress ability of the coal pillar by transforming the stress state from two dimensional to three dimensional. The methane concentration in the air return corner and air return roadway declined significantly to 0.63% and 0.25%. The differential pressure inside and outside of the 4301(1) goaf fluctuated between -100pa to 150pa and the concentration of CO and O2 declined to 9ppm and 6%. The CO concentration in the air return corner finally reached a stable level of 6ppm. What that all means, the foam fluids can seal the air leakage and inhibit spontaneous combustion of coal effectively.

Environmental assessment is a concept that has been designed to facilitate the present generation to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs as well. Thus, this concept has drawn significant attention from various scholars, researchers and industrial practitioners around the world over the past three decades. Life Cycle Environmental Assessment (LCEA) is a widely metric used to assess the potential ecological impacts, which can be caused by electricity generating supply systems or by other systems than power production plants. However, the current LCEA model is biased and ineffective. Because, its omits factors that are increasingly contributing to the ecological degradation. This study has identified the omitted factors through a critical analysis of a set of previous journal articles conducted in the energy sector. In light of this, this study has developed a novel LCEA framework addressing those blind spots. The framework developed in this study is holistic in nature including all the life cycle stages of a power supply system such as Extraction of the Raw Material (ERM), Transport of Raw Material (TRM), Conversion of Raw into Electricity (CRE), and Transmission and Distribution of Electricity (TDE) to the end users. The novel developed LCEA model has been tested and applied to nine power generation plants such as coal, gas, nuclear, biomass, geothermal, hydro, solar thermal, wind onshore and wind offshore. The results have demonstrated that of conventional technologies including coal, gas, and nuclear, coal energy generating source has got the highest life cycle greenhouse gas Grid Emission Factor (GEF) of 2866 kg CO2e/MWh, followed by gas with 728 kg CO2e/MWh, and nuclear has got the least GEF of 35 kg CO2e/MWh. Whereas of renewable energy sources biomass has got the highest GEF of 1508 kg CO2e/MWh, followed by solar thermal with 46.6 kg CO2e/MWh, hydro 39 kg CO2e/MWh, wind offshore 25.25 kg CO2e/MWh, wind onshore 10.1 kg CO2e/MWh, and geothermal closes the ranking with 6.23 kg CO2e/MWh.

We take what we see, hear, smell and feel for the reality. However, as neuroscientists, we know that this reality, that is, our perceptual world, is in fact made up by the brain from the processing of the nerve impulses coming from receptors. Ancient Greeks used to think that this perceptual world, sometimes called our 3D movie (Chalmers), is emitted and has its own physical nature. Given how real the 3D movie looks to us, it is still difficult today to consider that all we would be dealing with would be patterns of brain activity The present study thus aimed at testing whether the perceptual world could have some physical existence in addition to that of the neural patterns responsible for it. To achieve that goal, we tried to see whether brains could be sensitive to the 3D movie of others. This, admittedly unusual, operational hypothesis was based on two assumptions. First, brains are sensitive to the 3D movie, as our experience includes reactions to our perceptual world. Second, the physicality at stake does not differ across individuals. We recorded the event-related brain potentials (ERPs) evoked by stimuli of the international affective picture system in pairs of closely-related participants. Most importantly, they could neither see the stimuli simultaneously presented to their partners nor their reactions to them. As in Bouten et al. (2015), around 400 ms after the onset of the stimuli, ERPs started being more positive in inconsistent conditions. Namely, when the two subjects of each pair were presented with the same stimulus whereas they were told it would be a different one and vice-versa (i.e., different-stimuli expected to be same). ERPs were less positive when the two subjects of a pair were presented with the same stimuli and were told they were the same and conversely (i.e., different-stimuli expected to be different). The same experiment was then run in pairs of strangers. No significant effect of consistency on ERPs was observed even though participants could, this time, see, in the very periphery of their visual field, the reactions of their partner to the stimuli. We thus use the results of both studies to support a new version of the emission theory of consciousness and to suggest that the sensitivity to the perceptual world of others may depend on their prior familiarity with it.

Accurate forest reference and emission level (FRL, FREL) with related policies and regulations are the key determinants in establishing sustainable forest ecosystem management programmes (e.g. REDD+). This fundamental is for promoting and sustaining climate smart agricultural practices in a changing climate. With the aim to deliver better knowledge to the scientific community and policy makers on regulations and existing tools for more rigorous scientific communication when it comes to FRL and FREL accountability and policies. Thus, this review investigates forest in the changing climate and policies and underlines the performance of land use transition and intensity analysis towards deforestation with some key examples and achievements (e.g. Togo). Simply put, (i) forest as break of greenhouse gas (GHGs) and ecosystem regulator, (ii) policies and REDD+ actions, (iii) potential drivers and (iv) transition and intensity analysis approach for their accountability are discussed. In sum, impressive studies, policies and regulations are under initiations and implementations regarding the role, place and evaluation of forest losses and its ecosystem functions and services. However, there are still some gaps when it comes to: the choice of the evaluation methods in the real context of a specific ecosystem as well as the firm implementations of formulating policies in developing countries. This paper concludes with some policy measures for forest sustainability, carbon enhancement and accountability.

As an important element of methane prevention in mining facilities, measurements of concentration serve to obtain information about methane hazards. Information about methane concentration must be linked to the place and time of its occurrence to create valuable data for ongoing hazard analysis. The article presents the results of a methane hazard analysis based on an airflow and methane concentration model, validated using measurement data. Subsequently, simulations of crew movement and the operation of individual methane detectors working according to the algorithms of the Methane Hazard Detection System were conducted based on this model.

The article considers the issues of ensuring operational performance and environmental sustainability of marine diesel engines by using biodiesel fuel. The research was conducted on 5S60ME-C8 MAN-B&W Diesel Group and 6DL-16 Daihatsu Diesel marine diesel engines, which were operated using RMG380 petroleum fuel and B10 and B30 biodiesel fuels. The efficiency of biofuel usage was assessed based on environmental (reduced nitrogen oxide concentration in exhaust gases) and economic (increased specific effective fuel consumption) criteria. It was found out that the use of B10 and B30 biofuels provides reduction of nitrogen oxides concentration in exhaust gases by 14.71–25.13 %, but at the same time increases specific effective fuel consumption by 1.55–6.01 %. Optimum fuel injection advance angles were determined that ensure the best thermal energy, economic and environmental performance of diesel engines. The optimum angle of biofuel supply advance is determined experimentally and should correspond to the limits recommended by the diesel engine operating instructions. It has been proven experimentally that the use of biofuel increases the environmental sustainability of marine diesel engines by 13.75–29.42 %. It increases the diesel engines environmental safety in case of emergency situations, as well as accidental and short-term emissions of exhaust gases with an increased content of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere - phenomena that are possible in starting modes of diesel engine operation, as well as in modes of sudden load changes. It is the increase in the environmental friendliness of marine diesel engines in the case of using biofuel that is the most positive criterion and contributes to the intensity of biofuel use in power plants of sea vessels.

Background and Objective: To examine the effect of ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) parameters on the quantitative image quality of cardiac SPECT images in two different frequently used SPECT cameras and determine the optimal settings for producing images of best diagnostic quality. Another objective was to assess if different cameras produced a significant change in optimal parameters and levels of detectability. Methods: The optimization of OSEM iterative reconstruction algorithm was carried out by comparing image quality metrics, namely, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and defect contrast across 12 OSEM subset-iteration combinations to find the best choice for cardiac perfusion SPECT images. Eight frames were reconstructed using the SIMIND Monte Carlo Simulation package. An activity of 370 MBq (10mCi) and projection acquisition interval of 20 seconds per projection were used. Attenuation (AC) and scatter corrections (SC) were performed in this study for all images. Results: The 16-2 subset-iteration combination yielded the highest CNR and defect contrast values for both cameras. The difference between CNR values for two cameras was found to be around 5% only. Conclusions: Monte Carlo simulations can be useful to investigate how quantitative image quality behaves with respect to reconstruction parameters and correction algorithms in a controlled environment. The found optimum is similar to values reported in previous findings. In this study, the use of different camera brands did not affect the optimum. The quantitative detectability measures were also very similar.

Kisspeptin (KISS1) and its cognate receptor (KISS1R) are implicated in the progression of various cancers. However, a theranostic radiopharmaceutical targeting the KISS1 receptor (KISS1R) has yet to be explored. A gallium-68 labelled kisspeptin-10 (KP10) has potential as a pan-tumor radiopharmaceutical for the detection of cancers. Furthermore, a lutetium-177 labelled KP10 could find therapeutic application in treating oncological diseases. We attached DOTA to the NH2-terminus of KP10 as we posited that this modification would not impair biological activity and showed that receptor stimulation of inositol phosphate accumulation in HEK293 transfected with the KISS1R gene was similar for KP10 and DOTA-KP10. We describe optimization of radiolabeling with gallium-68 and lutetium-177 and stability in serum, plasma, and whole blood. Pharmacokinetics was established with µPET/CT and ex vivo measurements. Dynamic studies with µPET/CT demonstrated that background clearance for the radiopharmaceutical was rapid with a blood half-life of 18 ± 3 minutes. DOTA-KP10 demonstrated preserved functionality at KISS1R and good blood clearance. These promising results advocate the further development of KP10 structures which have high binding affinity along with proteolytic resistance.