In the context of carbon neutrality and carbon peaking, in order to achieve low carbon emissions and promote the efficient utilization of wind energy, hydrogen energy as an important energy carrier is proposed to mix hydrogen and natural gas to form hydrogen enriched compressed natu-ral gas (HCNG). It is also injected into the natural gas pipeline network to realize the transmission and utilization of hydrogen energy. At the same time, the participation of demand response is considered, the load peak and trough period is adjusted, and large-scale consumption of renewa-ble energy and the reduction of carbon emissions are realized. First of all, a fine model of hydro-gen production and hydrogen use equipment is established to analyze the impact of adding hy-drogen mixing on the economy and low-carbon of the system. With green certificates and demand response, the utilization rate of hydrogen energy is improved to further explore the energy utiliza-tion rate and emission reduction capacity of the system. Secondly, on the basis of modeling, the optimal scheduling strategy is proposed with the sum of energy purchase cost, equipment opera-tion cost, carbon emission cost, wind curtailment cost and green certificate income as the lowest objective function. Considering the constraints such as hydrogen blending ratio and flexible load ratio of the pipeline network, a low-carbon economic scheduling model of hydrogen mixed natu-ral gas was established. The model was linearized and solved by using MATLAB and CPLEX solver. By comparing different scenarios, the superiority of the model and the effectiveness of the strategy are verified.

In the face of 21st-century environmental challenges, including climate change, migration pressures, and waste disposal issues, certain healthcare sectors, notably dentistry, pose a significant global environmental footprint with concerns about carbon emissions and waste production. This scoping review delves into the paradox that healthcare, while dedicated to safeguarding health, inadvertently contributes to environmental degradation through waste accumulation and disposal. The analysis of relevant pertinent literature emphasizes the imperative for an environmentally sustainable approach to dental waste measurement, disposal methods, and comprehensive education for stakeholders. Aligned with the World Conference on Sustainable Development and the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, the study adhered to PRISMA-ScR scoping review guidelines and Institute of Medicine's recommendations. The study utilized Medline/PubMed and international organization websites for data retrieval, employing Boolean operator queries in Medline. A systematic literature analysis identified six cross-sectional studies (2004-2018) highlighting variations in dental waste composition due to the lack of standardized identification methods. This heterogeneity underscores the need for a proposed research model, emphasizing comprehensive methodologies and healthcare staff training in waste management. The study advocates for environmentally conscious dental practices, contributing to broader sustainable healthcare goals through sharing of a research protocol for dental solid waste management.

The utilization of solar energy technology is crucial for generating hydrogen in sustainable energy systems. While traditional methods involving natural gas, coal, and oil have been employed for hydrogen production, this study aims to explore environmentally friendly techniques. Green hy-drogen, despite being a more expensive option compared to fossil fuel-derived hydrogen, has prompted engineers to develop affordable and low-carbon technologies. The microgrid model was developed to showcase a self-contained DC islanded system designed to supply power to an electrolyzer, capitalizing on both a solar array and an energy storage unit. This comprehensive model offers a versatile platform for evaluating the operational dynamics involved in the sustainable production of green hydrogen. Over a span of seven days, it permits the as-sessment of hydrogen generation characteristics through the utilization of solar energy, either di-rectly from a solar array or through an integrated system that incorporates energy storage. The model encompasses a multi-domain framework, encompassing electrical, thermal liquid, and thermal gas aspects, facilitating a holistic exploration of the intricate processes underlying the green hydrogen production system. Through this simulation, the feasibility and efficiency of harnessing renewable energy sources for hydrogen production in an off-grid setting can be comprehensively examined and optimized, contributing to the advancement of sustainable energy solutions.

Human Platelet lysate, a hemoderivative product rich in growth factors, holds significant promise in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, its practical utility in liquid or gel form is hampered by challenges such as limited stability and handling difficulties. This study aimed to engineer dry and porous aerogels from platelet lysate hydrogel using an environmen-tally friendly supercritical CO2-based shaping process customized for tissue engineering appli-cations. The resulting aerogels demonstrated remarkable mechanical robustness and improved manageability. Notably, they exhibited a high-water absorption capacity. Moreover, these aer-ogels exhibited a sustained and favourable biological response in-vitro. They demonstrated the ability to release functional growth factors, sustaining cellular metabolic activity similar to that of conventional culture conditions, even after prolonged storage. Furthermore, they supported the adhesion and proliferation of murine fibroblasts (BALB-3T3) and the migration of Human Um-bilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC). In addition to serving as excellent matrices for cell culture, these proposed aerogels also function as efficient growth factor delivery systems. This multi-functional capability positions them as promising candidates for various tissue regeneration strategies. Importantly, the elaborated aerogels can be conveniently stored and considered as ready-to-use products, enhancing their practicality and applicability in regenerative medicine

Olive trees have a unique reproductive pattern marked by biennial fruiting. This study delves into the repercussions of alternate fruit bearing on the water relations of olive trees and the associated ecophysiological mechanisms. The experiment spanned two consecutive years: the "ON" year, characterized by a high crop load, and the "OFF" year, marked by minimal fruit production. Key ecophysiological parameters, including sap flow, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic rate, were monitored in both years. Pre-dawn water potential was measured using continuous stem psychrometers and the pressure chamber technique. Biochemically, non-structural carbohydrate concentrations (starch, sucrose, and mannitol) and the carbon-stable isotope ratio (δ13C) in olive leaves were examined. Results unveiled heightened leaf gas exchange during the "ON" year, leading to increased water consumption and photosynthetic rates. This escalated water usage during the "ON" year significantly reduced leaf water potential. Sucrose and starch concentrations were notably elevated in the "ON" year, with no significant impact on mannitol concentration. Regarding the carbon stable isotope ratio, leaves from the "OFF" year exhibited significantly higher δ13C abundance, indicative of heightened resistance to the CO2 pathway from the atmosphere to carboxylation sites compared to the "ON" year plants.

Organic horticulture is a holistic management system which follows good production practices and should be considered as the cornerstone of mitigating climate change and to produce healthier fruits and vegetables. This agroecosystem practice not only benefits the green economy but promotes and enhances soil biological activity, biodiversity, and other biological cycles in the sphere. The last decade has observed a rise in the production and consumption of organically certified agricultural products due to their higher nutritional value, lowered risk of exposure to harmful chemicals and improved organoleptic properties. The aim of this review was to demonstrate the considerable impact of organic horticulture on mitigating climate change and simultaneously satisfy consumer needs. The outcome of this review demonstrates that there are still numerous research studies required to evaluate how different farming systems and pedoclimatic conditions can contribute to more efficient horticultural practices.

In this paper, corticosteroid–β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) inclusion complexes have been prepared by Supercritical AntiSolvent (SAS) precipitation to enhance the dissolution rate of dexamethasone (DEX) and prednisolone (PRED), which are poorly water-soluble drugs. The processing of the active principles in the absence of a carrier led to the almost complete extraction of the active principle (the small amount of obtained material precipitates in the form of crystals). The coprecipitation of the ingredients in the presence of β-CD was investigated at different concentrations, pressures, and molar ratios. For both the corticosteroids, the optimized operating conditions were 40 °C, 120 bar, an equimolar ratio, and a concentration in DMSO of 20 mg/mL; these conditions led to the attainment of microparticles with a mean diameter equal to 0.197±0.180 μm and 0.131±0.070 μm in the case of DEX and PRED, respectively. The Job’s method confirmed the formation of inclusion complexes in correspondence with the 1/1 mol/mol ratio. Compared to the pure ingredients, the obtained powders have an improved release rate, which is about 3 times faster in both cases.

The residual content of the only carbon source increases at the end of the exponential growth phase when P. putida BS3701 cells are cultured under nitrogen deficiency. Moreover, the mRNA quantity of some genes involved in carbon catabolism decreases. There are no available data on regulators capable of stimulating the target mRNA degradation in pseudomonads under nitrogen deficiency in the literature. We have applied both comparative genomics methods and a number of biomolecular ones to identify new small P. putida BS3701 RNAs. This is due to the fact that the formation of ncRNA-mRNA duplexes, recognized by RNases, is one of the main mechanisms for reducing the number of transcripts in a cell. We have used the following selection criteria: 1) the presence of the interest gene of the NtrC binding site and a sigma54-dependent promoter in the upstream area, 2) the conservative location of the interest gene in the P. putida and P. aeruginosa genomes, 3) increase in the product quantity of the interest gene in a cell under nitrogen deficiency on two different carbon sources (succinate and naphthalene), 4) the product detection of the interest gene in a fraction enriched with small RNAs. The expression of two new small RNAs has increased twice or more times under nitrogen deficiency on both succinate and naphthalene: expression of ng171 and ng379. ng379 contains narK RNA motif.

The improvement of agricultural low-carbon efficiency is an important path to promote the realization of the "double carbon" goal in the Yellow River Basin. In the context of rapid urbanization development, it is of great significance to explore whether the promotion of urbanization will affect the agricultural low-carbon efficiency. Based on the panel data of 75 cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2020, this paper uses super-DEA model, three-dimensional kernel density model and Markov chain model to measure and analyze the spatio-temporal evolution of agricultural low-carbon efficiency in the Yellow River Basin, on this basis, the panel Tobit model is used to analyze the relationship between urbanization and low-carbon efficiency in agriculture. The results show that: (1) The level of agricultural low-carbon efficiency in the Yellow River Basin is low and has not reached the effective state, showing a slow downward trend in general, among which, the agricultural low-carbon efficiency in the lower reaches is higher than that in the middle reaches, and the upper reaches is the lowest. (2) The agricultural low-carbon efficiency in the Yellow River Basin has a negative trend of transferring to the low level on the whole, and tends to maintain the original state level, and it is difficult to realize the leapfrog transfer between states. Agricultural low-carbon efficiency has obvious spatial spillover effect and "club convergence" phenomenon, high efficiency area has a positive driving effect on the neighborhood area, while low efficiency area has a negative impact on the neighborhood area. (3) The level of urbanization has a significant positive impact on the low-carbon efficiency of agriculture in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin, which plays an important role in promoting the green development of agriculture. Finally, based on the above research conclusions, relevant policy recommendations were put forward, in order to provide references for promoting the improvement of low-carbon agricultural efficiency and promoting high-quality agricultural development in the Yellow River Basin.

Intercropping of maize (Zea mays L.) and peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) (M||P) significantly enhances crop yield. In a long-term M||P field experiment with two P fertilizer levels, we examined how long-term M||P affects topsoil aggregate fractions and stability, organic carbon (SOC), available phosphorus (AP), and total phosphorus (TP) in each aggregate fraction, along with crop yields. Compared to their respective monocultures, long-term M||P substantially increased the proportion of topsoil mechanical macroaggregates (7.6–16.3%) and water-stable macroaggregates (>1 mm) (13.8–36.1%), while reducing the unstable aggregate index (ELT) and the percentage of aggregation destruction (PAD). M||P significantly boosted the concentration (12.9–39.9%) and contribution rate (4.1–47.9%) of SOC in macroaggregates compared to single crops. Moreover, the concentration of TP in macroaggregates (>1 mm) and AP in each aggregate fraction of M||P exceeded that of the respective single crops (P<0.05). Furthermore, M||P significantly increased the Ca2-P, Ca8-P, Al-P, and Fe-P concentrations of intercropped maize (IM) and the Ca8-P, O-P, and Ca10-P concentrations of intercropped peanuts (IP). The land equivalent ratio (LER) of M||P was higher than one, and M||P stubble improved the yield of subsequent winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) compared with sole-crop maize stubble. P application augmented the concentration of SOC, TP, and AP in macroaggregates, resulting in improved crop yields. In conclusion, our findings suggest that long-term M||P combined with P application, sustains farmland productivity in the North China Plain by increasing SOC and macroaggregate fractions, improving aggregate stability, and enhancing soil P availability.

In recent years, the genesis of natural gas and the definition of major gas source rocks in the Baiyun Sag of the Pearl River Mouth Basin have attracted extensive attention from scholars. There is still considerable controversy over the genesis and the main gas source rocks of natural gas. In this study, the chemical kinetics method of natural gas generation and carbon isotope fractionation was used to study the generation history and isotope evolution history of Paleogene natural gas in the Y5 well area located on the north slope of Baiyun Sag. And other geochemical discriminant methods were applied simultaneously to determine the type and source rocks of natural gas. The results show that the natural gas in the Y5 well area on the northern slope of Baiyun Sag is mainly kerogen degradation gas, mixed with a small amount of oil cracking gas. The mixture of kerogen degradation gas and a small amount of crude oil cracking gas caused the inversion of the carbon isotope sequence of ethane and propane. The natural gas in the Y5 well area mainly comes from delta–shallow lacustrine facies source rock. The high–quality reservoirs in the shallower strata accumulate natural gas generated in the early stage, and the tight reservoirs in the deeper strata mainly accumulate natural gas generated in the late stage.

In this study, graphite, the most stable form of carbon, was examined for its hexagonal crystalline structure with specific dimensions (ao=2.46 Ǻ; co=6.70 Ǻ). Its framework comprises parallel carbon atom planes forming regular hexagons (side length 1.415 Ǻ) and 120° angles between adjacent atoms. Two structural variations exist: hexagonal symmetry (1-2-1-2-1-2 planes) and rhomboidal symmetry (1-2-3-1-2-3 planes). The research aimed to produce high-density graphite utilizing carbonaceous raw materials. Graphite-based materials often exhibit high porosity, necessitating additional treatments. The study successfully obtained mesophase tar pitch (yield: 45%), a pivotal raw material, and high-density graphite. The resulting graphite underwent characterization for physical properties (apparent and real density, porosity and compression strength), demonstrating conformity with existing literature data.

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key half-reaction in electrocatalytic water splitting. Large-scale water electrolysis is hampered by the commercial precious metal-based OER electrocatalysts owing to their high cost and slow kinetics. To address these issues, we present a facile one-pot room-temperature coprecipitation method to quickly synthesize carbon nanotubes-interconnected amorphous NiFe-layered double hydroxides (NiFe-LDH@CNT) as low-cost, efficient and stable OER electrocatalyst. NiFe-LDH@CNT hybrid catalyst delivers outstanding OER performance with a low onset overpotential of 255 mV and a small Tafel slope of 51.2 mV dec-1, as well as outstanding long-term stability. The terrific catalytic capability of NiFe-LDH@CNT can be associated with the synergistic effects of its room-temperature synthesized amorphous structure, bi-metallic modulation, and conductive CNT skeleton. The room-temperature synthesis can not only offer economic feasibility, but also obtain amorphous NiFe-LDH without crystalline boundaries, facilitating long-term stability during OER process. The bi-metallic nature of NiFe-LDH guarantees a modified electronic structure, providing additional catalytic sites. Simultaneously, the highly conductive CNT network fosters a nanoporous structure, facilitating electron transfer, O2 release and enriching catalytic sites. This study presents a strategy to purposefully design nanoarchitecture and facilely synthesize amorphous transition metal-based OER catalysts, ensuring the cost effectiveness, production efficiency, and long-term stability.

The subtropical forest soil plays a pivotal role in terrestrial carbon (C) cycling. Although global warming is expected to influence subtropical soil C cycling, a consensus on its impact on soil C dynamics remains elusive. Given the significant response of soil microbial respiration to temperature in subtropical soils, understanding its behavior under varying temperature regimes is critical for predicting soil organic C (SOC) responses to climate warming. We conducted a short-term laboratory soil warming incubation experiment, sampling both warmed and un-warmed soils from a subtropical plantation in southeastern China, incubating them at 20 °C, 30 °C, and 40 °C. Our aim was to study the SOC mineralization response to increasing temperatures. Our findings revealed that the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of SOC mineralization to short-term experimental warming varied between the warmed soil and the un-warmed soil. The Q10 of the un-warmed soil escalated with the temperature treatment (20-30 ℃: 1.31, 30-40℃: 1.63). Conversely, the Q10 of the warmed soil decreased (20-30 ℃:1.57, 30-40 ℃:1.41). Increasing temperature treatments enhanced hydrolytic enzyme activity but decreased soil substrate availability in both un-warmed and warmed soil. The Q10 of un-warmed soil was positively correlated with the response ratio of DOC. Additionally, soil microbial biomass exhibited a significant decline, leading to a reduced total amount of PLFAs and a decreased abundance of bacteria, fungi, and Gram-negative bacteria (GN). The changes in temperature also considerably altered the composition of the warmed soil microbial community. A drop in the microbial quotient coupled with a rise in the metabolic quotient indicated that warming amplified microbial respiration over microbial growth. The differential Q10 of SOC mineralization, in response to temperature across varying soil, can largely be attributed to shifts in soil nutrients, C-degrading enzyme activities, and microbial communities (the ratio of fungal to bacterial PLFAs).

The effect of high temperature (HT) stress on nicotine biosynthesis in Nicotiana attenuata was examined. Nicotine content was measured in mature leaves, young sink leaves and in roots from well-watered plants grown at 25 °C as controls and from plants exposed to 38 °C and 43 °C temperatures applied for 24, 48, 72 and 96-hr duration. At 38 °C, all leaf nicotine levels were significantly less than control plants for up to 72-hr exposure but rose sharply thereafter to levels significantly greater than controls with 96-hr exposure. In contrast, plants exposed to 43 °C never exhibited a reduction in leaf nicotine content and showed a significant increase in content with just 48-hr exposure. When radioactive 11CO2 was administered to plants, HT stress significantly reduced fixation. Furthermore, radiocarbon flux analysis revealed that ‘new’ C partitioning (as 11C) into the [11C]-amino acid pool was significantly reduced with HT stress as were yields of [11C]-aspartic acid, an important amino acid in nicotine biosynthesis, and its beta-amido counterpart [11C]-asparagine significantly reduced. In contrast, [12C]-aspartic acid levels appeared unaffected at 38 °C but were significantly elevated at 43 °C relative to controls. Additionally, [12C]-asparagine levels were significantly elevated at both stress temperatures. Finally, leaf total soluble protein (TSP) was reduced 39% with long exposures to both stress temperatures. However, Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) which was 41% TSP appeared unaffected by HT stress. Altogether, these results support the theory that plant proteins other than Rubisco degrade at elevated temperatures freeing up essential amino acids supporting the nicotine biosynthetic machinery, and while feedback might downregulate de novo amino acid synthesis from ‘new’ C resources, more than likely plant C/N rebalancing caused by HT reductions in C input restricted N uptake, which in turn, limited this process.

Upcycling recycled carbon fibers recovered from waste carbon composites can reduce the price of carbon fibers while improving disposal-related environmental problems. This study assessed and characterized recycled carbon fibers subjected to sizing treatment using N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APS) chemically coordinated with polyamide 6 (PA6) and polypropylene (PP) resins. Sizing treatment with 1 wt.% APS for 10 s yielded O=C-O on the surface of the carbon fiber, and the -SiOH in the APS underwent a dehydration-condensation reaction that converted O=C-O (lactone groups) into bonds of C-O (hydroxyl groups) and C=O (carbonyl groups). The effects of C-O and C=O on the interfacial bonding force increased to a maximum, resulting in an oxygen-to-carbon ratio (O/C) of 0.26. The polar/surface energy ratio showed the highest value of 32.29% at 10 s, and the interfacial bonding force showed the maximum value of 32 MPa at 10 s, which is about 15% better than that of commercial carbon fiber (PA6-based condition). In 10-s resizing treatments with 0.5 wt.% 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS), C-O, C=O, and O=C-O underwent a dehydration-condensation reaction with -SiOH, which broke the bonds between carbon and oxygen and introduced a methacrylate group (H2C=C(CH3)CO2H), resulting in a significant increase in C-O and C=O, with an O/C of 0.51. The polar/surface free energy ratio was about 38% at 10 s, with the interfacial bonding force increasing to 27% compared to commercial carbon fiber (PP-based conditions). The MPS exhibited a superior interfacial shear strength improvement, two times higher than that of APS, with excellent coordination with PP resin and commercial carbon fiber, although the interfacial bonding strength of the PP resin was significantly lower.

Building carbon footprint analysis is a key instrument for assessing the impact of different constructions on climate change. Several standards and methodologies are available to calculate the footprint of buildings, including standards and norms, life cycle assessment (LCA), and dedicated software tools. The use of BIM software for these calculations is both scientifically justified and very practical. This scientific publication focusses on the application of a BIM-based research methodology for the analysis of the carbon footprint of a single-family house. The research process included the following steps: (i) design of a single-family house with timber frame construction using Archicad BIM software, (ii) simulation of the building energy performance using the EcoDesigner Star plug-in, (iii) life cycle assessment (LCA) using the plug-in for Archicad, (iv) preparation of a second model with traditional masonry construction for comparison, and (v) comparative analysis of the single-family house models with timber frame and masonry construction. Analysis of the results highlights significant differences in CO2e emissions between masonry and timber buildings and the varying impact of individual elements on the total CO2e emissions of the buildings studied. These findings are relevant for future work on sustainable building design and construction, which aims to minimise negative environmental impacts. The goal of minimising the cumulative carbon footprint of buildings is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and combating climate change.

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.

Conductive nanocomposites play a significant role in tissue engineering by providing a platform to support cell growth, tissue regeneration, and electrical stimulation. In this present study, a set of electroconductive nanocomposite hydrogels based on gelatin (G), chitosan (CH) and conductive carbon black (CB) was synthesized with the aim to develop novel biomaterials for tissue regeneration application. Incorporation of conductive carbon black (10, 15 and 20 wt %) significantly improved electrical conductivity and enhanced mechanical properties with the increased CB content. We employed an oversimplified unidirectional freezing technique to impart anisotropic morphology with interconnected porous architecture. An investigation into whether any anisotropic morphology affects the mechanical properties of hydrogel was conducted by performing compression and cyclic compression tests in each direction parallel and perpendicular to macroporous channels. Interestingly, nanocomposite with 10 % CB produced both anisotropic morphology and mechanical property, whereas anisotropic pore morphology diminished at higher CB concentration (15 and 20 %) imparting denser texture. Collectively, the nanocomposite hydrogels showed great structural stability as well as good mechanical stability and reversibility. Under repeated compressive cyclic at 50 % deformation, the nanocomposite hydrogels showed preconditioning, characteristic hysteresis, nonlinear elasticity, and toughness. Overall, the collective mechanical behavior resembled the mechanics of soft tissues. Electrical impedance associated to the hydrogels was studied in terms of modulus and phase in dry and wet condition. The electrical properties conducted in wet conditions, which is more physiologically relevant, showed low impedance at high frequencies due to capacitive currents. Overall, impedance of the nanocomposite hydrogels decreased with increased CB concentrations. These gelatin-chitosan–carbon black nanocomposite hydrogels show great promise for use as conducting substrates for the growth of electro-responsive cells in tissue engineering.

Gas turbine power plants have important roles in the global power generation market. The examines thermodynamically the impact of steam injection for a combined cycle including a gas turbine cycle with a two-stage turbine and carbon dioxide recompression. The combined cycle is compared with the simple case without steam injection. Steam injection’s impact is observed on important parameters such as energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, and output power. It is revealed that steam injection reduces exergy destruction in components compared to the simple case. The efficiencies for both cases are obtained. The energy and exergy efficiencies respectively are found to be 30.4% and 29.4% for the simple case, and 35.3% and 34.1% for the case with steam injection. Also, incorporating steam injection reduces emissions of carbon dioxide.

Shrubland and forestland covers are highly prone to fire. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) has been widely used for biomass quantitative assessment. This study aims were the following: (1) to compute the NDVI annual curve for two types of land cover eucalypts and shrubland areas; (2) to collect field data in these two types of land cover to estimate aboveground biomass (AGB); and (3) to produce AGB maps for eucalypts and shrubland areas by modelling AGB with NDVI and validate them with other data sources. A study area in the central inland Portugal was considered. The Sentinel-2 MSI imagery for the year of 2022 and 2023 were used to compute the NDVI. The NDVI annual curve for 2022 showed a minimum observed between July and August, in accordance with the climatological data, and allowed differentiating eucalypts from shrubland areas. Spectral signatures also confirmed this differentiation. The fitted linear models for AGB prediction using the NDVI imagery showed good fitting performances (R2 of 0.76 and 0.69). The AGB maps provide a relevant decision support tool for forest management and for fire hazard and fire severity mitigation. Further research is needed using more robust data sets for models’ independent validation.

Polymer-based composites represent a separate class of materials in demand by the industry. In comparison with other polymers, UHMWPE is characterized by exceptionally high wear and impact resistance. In this work, compacts were produced from UHMWPE GUR 4120 powder with the addition of Nanoscale Detonation Carbon (NDC) and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) on a hydro-pneumatic impact device by the Cyclic Impact Compaction (CIC) technique. The obtained samples were subjected to wear resistance test, their hardness and tensile strength were measured. Studies have shown that the addition of NDС and SWCNTs in UHMWPE leads to an increase in hardness by 6.4 and 19.6%, to a decrease in wear by 11.5 and 38.5% and a decrease in the coefficient of friction by 10 and 20%, respectively. However, the tensile strength of UHMWPE decreases by 11.7 and 40.4% and elongation decreases by 11.9 and 30.1% with the addition of NDС and SWCNTs, respectively.

This paper presents the results of the study of carbon films deposited on substrates of quartz, mica and silicon by the method of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). This study has identified the dependences of the intensities of the EPR signal, the g- factor, and the line width on the temperature of carbon films on various substrates with perpendicular and parallel arrangement of the sample plane relative to the orientation of the magnetic field are presented. The results of this study show that the dependence of the line width on temperature measurements does not change under both conditions for recording the EPR spectra. The research has also shown that with increasing temperature, the normalized intensity of the EPR signal line increases when carbon is deposited on various substrates (quartz, mica, and silicon) by the method of plasma decomposition of a mixture of CH4 and H2.

With the current increase in the demand from animal and agricultural products, management of agrowaste has become critical to avoid greenhouse gas emissions. The present article investigates the applicability of ammonium bicarbonate synthesis via flash distillation to valorize and stabilize several types of anaerobic digestate produced from individual fermentations of amino acids. Prior to the development of the model in Aspen Plus v12, the description of the system aqua-ammonia-carbon dioxide provided by the electrolyte non-random two-liquid property method was validated with empirical data available in the literature. The content of CO₂ in the digestate was found to be responsible of the OH alkalinity (0.4 equivalents of acid/kg digestate), while the partial and total alkalinities (0.8 eq/kg digestate) were essentially derived from the content of NH₃. The most suitable conditions for the flash distillation were 95 ⁰C and 1 bar with the condensation occurring at 25 ⁰C. However, in order to attain the precipitation of NH₄HCO₃ in the distillate, it was necessary to consider digestates with a moisture content of 50 wt.%, since the minimum levels of inorganic nitrogen and inorganic carbon were not attained otherwise. Even under these conditions, few amino acids (i.e. arginine, glycine, and histidine) were able to provide an anaerobic digestate, upon fermentation, that would be suitable for NH₄HCO₃ stabilization. Despite alanine digestate and glutamine digestate presented sufficient concentrations of inorganic nitrogen and inorganic carbon, the NH₄HCO₃-stabilization was not feasible due to the limited volatilization of NH₃. The process of stabilization with a capacity of a tonne of digestate per hour was improved by adding hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide at rates 44 kg/h, leading to production of 34 kg NH₄HCO₃/h. The economic viability of this process needs to be investigated considering not only the market value of the isolated inorganic fertilizer but the carbon credits saved, resulting from handling a more stabilized organic manure. Furthermore, given the role of the volatile elements of the biogas as endogenous stripping agents, it is recommended to use a fresh and saturated digestate as feed for the flash distillation.

Reconstruction of acoustic relaxation absorption curve is a powerful approach to ultrasonic gas sensing, but requires known of a series ultrasonic absorption at various frequencies around effective relaxation frequency. Ultrasonic transducer is a most widely deployed sensor for ultrasonic wave propagation measurement and works only at a fixed frequency or specific environment like water, so a large number of ultrasonic transducers operating at various frequencies are required to recover an acoustic absorption curve with a relative large bandwidth, which cannot suit for large-scale practical applications. This paper proposes a wideband ultrasonic sensor using a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) fiber laser for gas concentration detection through acoustic relaxation absorption curve reconstruction. With a relative wide and flat frequency response, the DBR fiber laser sensor measures and restores a full acoustic relaxation absorption spectrum of CO2 using a decompression gas chamber between 0.1 and 1 atm to accommodate the main molecular relaxation processes, and interrogates with a non-equilibrium Mach-Zehnder (M-Z) interferometer to gain a sound pressure sensitivity of -45.4 dB. The measurement error of the acoustic relaxation absorption spectrum is less than 1.32%.

Climate change has become a major concern for developing countries given the risk that it posses on energy and food independence, and on general productivity. Despite having an energy system with low carbon intensity when compared to other Latin American countries, Colombia is already facing climate change impacts and requires urgent efforts to mitigate them. As a developing country, the challenge is bigger as policies for economic growth should be in line with the global commitment of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With the aim of contributing to the design of climate policies, this study assesses the impact of economic development on the environment by examining the validity of the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis for Colombia. Statistically validated and stable autoregressive distributed lag models are estimated for three different environmental indicators: carbon dioxide emissions, methane emissions, and ecological footprint. Moreover, the effects of other variables such as urbanization, foreign direct investment, value added of agricultural and industrial sectors, and energy use are analyzed with dynamic simulations. Empirical evidence supports a long-run equilibrium relationship among investigated variables and the existence of an inverted U-shaped EKC relationship between Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and methane emissions, and GDP and ecological footprint. Shifting to renewable energy sources and leveraging the use of cleaner technologies in agricultural and industrial sectors are found to be key for economic growth without harming the environment.

With global warming, arable land in boreal regions is tending to expand into high latitude regions in the northern hemisphere. This entails certain risks; such that inappropriate management could result in previously stable carbon sinks becoming sources. Agroecological models are an important tool for assessing the sustainability of long-term management, yet applications of such models in boreal zones are scarce. We collated eddy-covariance, soil climate and biomass data to evaluate the simulation of GHG emissions from grassland in eastern Finland using the process-based model DNDC. We simulated gross primary production (GPP), net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and ecosystem respiration (Reco) with fair performance. Soil climate, soil temperature and soil moisture at 5 cm were excellent, and soil moisture at 20 cm was good. However, the model overestimated NEE and Reco following crop termination and tillage events. These results indicate that DNDC can satisfactorily simulate GHG fluxes in a boreal grassland setting, but further work is needed, particularly in simulated second biomass cuts, the (>20 cm) soil layers and model response to management transitions between crop types, cultivation, and land use change.

The interfacial interface between the fibers and the matrix plays a key role for epoxy matrix composites and short recycled randomly arranged fibres. This study used short recycled carbon fiber (RCF) as a filler. Plasma treatment was used for carbon fiber surface treatment. This treat-ment was performed using radio (RF) and microwave (MW) frequencies at the same pressure and atmosphere. Appropriate chemical modification of the fiber surfaces helps to improve the wettability of the carbon fibers and, at the same time, allows the necessary covalent bonds to form between the fibers and the epoxy matrix. The effect of the plasma treatment was analyzed and confirmed by XPS analysis, Raman microscopy, SEM, TEM and wettability measurements. Composite samples filled with recycled carbon fibers with low concentrations (1 wt%, 2.5 wt% and 5 wt%) and high concentrations (20 wt% and 30 wt%) were made from selected treated fi-bers. The mechanical properties (impact toughness, 3PB) were analyzed on these samples. It was found that the modulus of elasticity and bending stress increase with the increasing content of recycled carbon fibers. A more significant change in impact strength occurred in samples with low concentration.

Economic development and population growth lead to increased production of chicken manure (CM), which is a problematic organic waste for its amount, environmental threats, and moisture content. There are different ways of CM, namely anaerobic digestion, composting, combustion, and direct land spreading. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is another emerging way, however. In this study, the HTC of CM was performed to produce energy-rich material called hydrochar (HC). The effects of HTC temperature (180, 240, 300 C) and process time (30, 90, 180 min) were summarized. Proximate and ultimate analysis, as well as heating values (HHV, LHV), have been performed both on raw CM and derived HC. Additionally, the process performance has been examined. The obtained results show that HTC is a feasible method for CM disposal and valorization. Although process time did not influence considerably fuel properties of CM, higher temperature led to significantly higher HHV, reaching 23,880.6734.56 Jg-1 at 300 C and 180 min with an improvement of 8,329 Jg-1 compared with raw CM (15,551.67 Jg-1). The process conducted at 240 C in 30 min has been specified as the most favorable, due to the highest energy gain of HC and relatively low energy consumption.

Blackcurrant juice (Ribes nigrum L.) was subjected to supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCD) at 10, 30 and 60 MPa for 10 min at 45°C as well as thermally treated at 45°C and 85°C for 10 min to determine the stability, antioxidant capacity (AC) and bioaccessibility (BAc) of vitamin C, total anthocyanins and their individual monomers. An in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model completed with dialysis was used to assess BAc. The use of SCCD at each of the pressures applied improved the stability of vitamin C, total anthocyanins, and AC before in vitro digestion. As a result of digestion, L-ascorbic acid was oxidized to L-dehydroascorbic acid, and finally, the total content of vitamin C, anthocyanins, and AC decreased. SCCD did not significantly improve the BAc of vitamin C and total anthocyanins. The highest BAc of vitamin C was noted in fresh juice (FJ) (40%) and after mild heat treatment at 45°C (T45) (46%). The highest BAc of total anthocyanins was also noted in the FJ (4.4%). The positive effect of the application of SCCD on the BAc of the delphinidin-3-O-glycosides was observed compared to T45 and thermal pasteurization at 85°C (T85). Moreover, cyanidins were generally more bioaccessible than delphinidins in all samples. AC after digestion was higher in SCCD samples compared to thermally treated measured using ABTS+• and DPPH• assays, whereas in dialysate similar trends were observed only for AC measured using the ABTS+• assay. This phenomenon was justified by the formation of individual metabolites detected by UPLC-PDA-MS / MS in the model experiment with delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside. The protocatechuic acid which is well known as a strong antioxidant was detected in the model experiment after digestion. Further research is needed to better understand the metabolic pathway of anthocyanins and the possible uses of SCCD to improve the health properties of fruit products.

The clinical significance of carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) for adenocarcinoma (AC) of the uterine cervix has been assessed in several single-institutional studies. To validate the significance, we conducted a multi-institutional survey of CIRT for locally advanced AC (LAAC) of the uterine cervix. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcomes of patients with stage IIB–IVA LAAC of the uterine cervix who underwent chemo-CIRT or CIRT alone between April 2010 and April 2016. Patients received 74.4 Gy (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]) in 20 fractions of CIRT or 55.2 Gy (RBE) in 16 fractions of CIRT plus 3 sessions of brachytherapy. Patients aged ≤70 years with adequate bone marrow and organ function were administered cisplatin weekly (40 mg/m2 per week for up to 5 weeks). Fifty-five patients were enrolled in this study. The median follow-up period was 67.5 months. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and local control (LC) rates were 68.6% and 65.2%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the initial tumor response within 6 months was significantly associated with LC and OS. The present study represents promising outcomes of CIRT or chemo-CIRT for LAAC of the uterine cervix, especially in the cases showing initial rapid regression of the tumor.

A gold nanostructured film modified glassy carbon electrode (Au_film/GCE) was developed for the determination of chromium (VI) in water sample. GCE was immersed into HAuCl₄ solution (10^-3M) and electrodeposition of thin gold layer was conducted at –0.4 V (vs Ag/AgCl) for 10 min. The strong affinity between Au and Cr species resulted with increasing of Cr (VI) signal, compared with the bare glassy carbon electrode. The electrodepositing time, type of supporting electrolyte, pH, the scan rate, modulation amplitude, and modulation time were optimized using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DP-ASV). The calibration graph using accumulation time of 120 s was linear from 10 to 120 µgL^-1 with a sensitivity 1.3 x 10^-2 µA/µgL^-1. Under optimum experimental conditions, a good correlation coefficient R²=0.9971, and a low detection limit 5.5 µg/L Cr (VI) was obtained. The signal was reproducible with a relative standard deviation ±4.5 %. The developed Au_film/GCE sensor was applied for the Cr (VI) determination of in sewage water samples.

The influence of the type and amount of oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), and/or phosphorus (P) heteroatoms on the surface of carbon nanotube (CNT) on stability and catalytic activity in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was investigated in alkaline media. It is shown that the functionalization of CNT leads to the growth of the electrochemically active surface and to an increase in the activity in ORR. At the same time, a decrease in stability is observed after the functionalization of CNT under accelerated corrosion testing in an alkaline media. These results are most significant on CNT after functionalization in HNO3 due to the formation of a large number of structural defects. However, the subsequent doping by N and / or P atoms provides a further activity increase and enhances the corrosion stability of CNT. Thus, as shown by the studies of characteristic parameters (SEAS, E1/2, corrosion stability), CNT doped with N and NP are a promising catalytic system that can be recommended for use as fuel cell cathodes. An important condition for effective doping is the synthesis of carboxyl and carbonyl oxygen containing group on the surface of CNT.

The development of hybrid rockets offers excellent opportunities for the practical education of students at universities due to a high safety and a relatively low complexity of the rocket propulsion system. During the German educational program STERN, students of the Technische Universität Braunschweig obtain the possibility to design and launch a sounding rocket with a hybrid engine. The design of engine HYDRA 4X is presented and results of first engine tests are discussed. Results for measured regression rates are compared to results from literature. Furthermore, the impact of the lightweight casing material CFRP on the hybrid engine mass and flight apogee altitude is examined for rockets with different total impulse classes (10 to 50 kNs). It is shown that the benefit of a lightweight casing material on engine mass decreases with an increasing total impulse. However, a higher gain on apogee altitude, especially for bigger rockets with a comparable high total impulse is shown.

Phosphorus (P) is an important element in a complete and balanced fertility program that can improve crop P use efficiency and ultimately productivity and profitability. Phosphatic fertilizers use without organic fertilizers leads to gradual decline in soil organic matter, native nutrient status and ultimately reduction in agricultural productivity and economic growth. The objectives of this was to evaluate P efficiencies with incorporation of peach sources, beneficial microbes and P application. From sustainability points of view, alternative use of different sources and forms of organic sources alone or in combination with inorganic P and beneficial microbes possess potential for improving productive capacity of the soil. Separate field experiments (one each on maize and soybean as a test crop) were conducted at Agriculture Research Institute Mingora Swat (ARI) for two consecutive years in summer season of 2016 (year one) and 2017 (year two). For the first time such a study were conducted to utilize peach leftovers and biomass (leaves, twigs, fruits, stones and barks partially decomposed, its compost and biochar) along with three phosphorus (P) levels (50, 75, 100 kg P ha-1) and two beneficial microbes (PSB and Trichoderma) on such a way to enhance soil sustainability and P use efficiency of soybean and maize. The results revealed that organic sources had significant effect on soybean and maize P use efficiency (PUE), P agronomic efficiency (PAE), partial factor productivity (PFPp) and soil P concentration. In experiment 1 among the organic sources, peach residues increased soil P (12.0 mg kg-1) as compared to peach compost and biochar (8.6 & 11.7 mg kg-1). Soil P concentration was maximum (12.1 mg kg-1) with PSB than Trichoderma (9.5 mg kg-1). Application of P at 100 kg ha-1increased soil P contents (16.9 mg kg-1) as compared to 50 and 75 kg P ha 1 (5.9 & 9.6 mg kg-1) respectively. P concentration was increased drastically in year 2 (12.4 mg kg-1) than year one (9.1 mg kg-1). PUE in both crops (soybean and maize) was maximum (25.6 & 28.4%) with peach biochar than compost and residues along with Trichoderma (21.7 & 27.8%). Highest PUE in soybean was recorded with 75 kg P ha-1(22.2%) however in maize maximum PUE was noted with 50 kg P ha-1(33.5%). PAE and PFPp in both crops was maximum with biochar and soil application of Trichoderma than other organic sources and PSB. Among the P levels highest PAE in soybean and maize was recorded with 75 kg ha-1whereas PFPp in soybean was maximum with 75 kg P ha-1 and interestingly in maize it was noted with 50 kg ha-1. Conclusively soybean and maize PAE, PFPp and PUE was higher with biochar, soil incorporation of Trichoderma and P at the rate of 75 kg ha-1 and can improve soybean and maize yield and soil productivity on sustainable basis.

Residential dust is recognized as a major source of environmental contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phthalic acid esters (PAEs). To characterize the thoracic dust fraction (PM10), a sampling campaign was carried out with an in-situ resuspension chamber in three rooms (kitchen, living room and bedroom) of four Spanish houses. Two samples per room were collected with, at least, a one-week interval. The PM₁₀ samples were analyzed for their carbonaceous content by a thermo-optical technique and, after solvent extraction, for 20 PAHs, 8 phthalate plasticizers (PAEs) and one non-phthalate plasticizer (DEHA) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In general, higher dust loads were observed for parquet flooring compared with tile. The highest dust loads were obtained for rugs. Total carbon accounted for 9.3 to 51%wt of the PM₁₀ mass. Plasticizer mass fractions varied from 5 µg g-1 to 17 mg g^-1 PM₁₀, whereas lower contributions were registered for PAHs (0.98–116 µg g^-1). The plasticizer and PAH daily intakes for children and adults via dust ingestion were estimated to be 3–4 orders of magnitude higher than those via inhalation and dermal contact. Potential carcinogenic and negligible non-carcinogenic risks arising from exposure to PAHs were found.

The science on the anthropogenic airborne aerosols impacting upon the World Heritage marble monument, the Taj Mahal, at Agra has been studied in the light of modern physico-chemical approaches. The study is an effort to understand yet unrecognized airborne species which were found on the surface of the Taj Mahal monument. These species have been analyzed in the light of current analytical methods to impart characterization features and their possible impacts on the surface of the marble. Chemical constituents of these substrates which were incorporated over the top surface of the monument have been identified. Interestingly, the carbon particulates which were thought in the micro level, popularly called “particulate matters” has now been identified even in the nano domain entity, which are chemically more reactive, have been found on the surface of the monument. Because of their high chemical activity these nano carbons do play newer chemistry in the presence of air and sunlight generating several reactive oxygen species (ROS).These ROS are capable to respond to complicated chemical reactions on the surface of the marble in association with deposited cyanophyceae and other deposits of plant origin causing rapid degradation. This study provides the nature of onslaught borne out by such monument exposed under the prevalent smoggy environmental scenario.

In the U.S. 44% of low-income households struggle to pay their utility bills, affecting their ability to afford necessities such as food and health expenses. Several government and utility funded energy efficiency programs exist to assist those experiencing energy insecurity. In Salt Lake City, Utah, there is a high demand for, but low availability of, energy efficiency services in underserved neighborhoods creating an opportunity for creative community-based programs to fill this inherent gap. This pilot project, involving the exchanging of LED bulbs in Salt Lake City, highlights the development of a community-based energy efficiency program that aims to bring energy savings to a uniquely targeted portion of the city and determines its feasibility in addressing energy insecurity at a larger scale. Through the 8-month project duration, 1,432 bulbs were exchanged at 23 events reaching 181 households in low-income areas. Through a year of use, these bulbs are estimated to save residents approximately 18,219 USD in electricity bills and reduce CO2 emissions from power plants by 122.23 metric tons, in addition to a savings of 4,400 USD in social cost of carbon as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Since this pilot reached less than 1% of households, we extrapolated a reach of 2%, 5%, and 7.5% and found substantial potential decreases in power plant emissions and financial savings. As this project is ongoing and being expanded, we discuss relevant findings that will help shape future community-based models so that they are appropriately deployed and more effective in alleviating local energy insecurity.

This panel study investigates the relationship between green logistics indices, economic, environmental, and social factors in the perspective of Asian emerging economies. This study adopted FMOLS and DOLS methods to test research hypothesis, catering the problem of endogenity and serial correlation. The results suggest that logistics operations, particularly LPI2 (efficiency of customs clearance processes), LPI4 (quality of logistics services) and LPI5 (trade and transport-related infrastructure), are positively and significantly correlated with per capita income, manufacturing value added and trade openness. While, greater logistics operations are negatively associated with social and environmental problems including, climate change, global warming, carbon emissions, and poisoning atmosphere. In addition, human health is badly affected by heavy smog, acid rainfall, and water pollution. The findings further extend and reveal that political instability, natural disaster and terrorism are also a primary cause of poor economic growth and environmental sustainability with poor trade and logistics infrastructure. Further, the application of renewable energy resources and green practices can mitigate negative effects on social and environmental sustainability without compromising the performance of economic growth. There is very limited empirical work presented in literature using renewable energy and green ideology to solve macro-level social and environmental problems, while this study will assist the policymakers and researchers to understand the importance of green concept in improving countries’ social, economic and environmental performance.

The UK Government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80% by 2050. Buildings are responsible for 37% of the total GHG emissions in the UK and the need to reduce their emissions has resulted in more stringent building regulations in the recent past. The regulations, energy rating systems and voluntary guidelines — all are primarily aimed at reducing the need for heating and associated energy use by increasing insulation and air-tightness. However, future climates are projected to be warmer than the present day. Internal gains dominated non-domestic buildings will likely overheat, the adaptation to which will require energy-intensive cooling solutions, thus defeating the purpose of heating-focused regulations. This research investigated the effects of warming climate on overheating, and energy use and resulting emissions in representative urban office spaces in London in the present-day and future climates using hourly dynamic thermal simulations. Findings suggest that more airtight and highly—insulated office buildings designed for heating—dominated temperate UK climate will overheat in the 2050s. Heating demand reduces but electricity consumption increases by 121% when hybrid cooling is adopted to ameliorate overheating. Despite the rise, adopting a mixed-mode ventilation strategy was one of the ways of achieving overall energy efficiency while meeting benchmark overheating and carbon emissions target in present and future climatic contradictions. Current heating-focused legislations need to be urgently re-evaluated to account for the effects of climatic variability and overheating risks.

Carbon nanotubes have been attracting considerable interest among material scientists, physicists, chemists and engineers for almost 30 years. Owing to their high aspect ratio, coupled with remarkable mechanical, electronic and thermal properties, carbon nanotubes have found application in diverse fields. In this review, we will cover the work on carbon nanotubes used for sensing applications. In particular, we will see examples where carbon nanotubes act as main players in devices sensing biomolecules, gas, light or pressure changes. Furthermore, we will discuss how to improve the performance of carbon nanotube-based sensors after proper modification.

Fluorescent carbon dots (C-dots) were synthesized by one pot hydrothermal treatment of garlic juice at 180 °C for 7h. The as-prepared C-dots with an average diameter of 2.13±0.71 nm can be well dispersed, and show absinthe fluorescence with a quantum yield of 8.9% in water. The C-dots were fully characterized by TEM, XPS, XRD, and FTIR, respectively. Additionally, the as-prepared C-dots reveal nearly nontoxic to SW480 cells and can be used for cell imaging. The water solution of C-dots show sensitivity to pH values and metal ions, and also have a high selectivity to the Hg²⁺ ion among other transition metal ions, and achieve a high sensitive detection with the detection limit of 0.45 μM. The fluorescent C-dots are expected to be useful for the evaluation of mercury ions in environmental water system.

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the development trend of hazardous chemical packaging towards low carbon economy from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. Four types of relatively small volume packaging with volume/weight less than 450L/400kg, respectively, and three intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), which are widely used for hazardous chemicals were studied to calculate the carbon footprint (CF) from cradle to grave using life cycle assessment (LCA) method and to predict the future carbon emission of hazardous chemical packaging in the next five years (2016-2020), based on the export data of Tianjin Port in China. Grey model (GM) was adopted in the prediction. The results showed that majority of IBCs have lower carbon footprint than other types when the packaging contained same amount of same hazardous chemical. With the development of international trading, the demand of hazardous chemicals will increase as well. As the result, carbon emission generated by hazardous chemical packaging will increase accordingly. However, based on GM simulation result, increasing the amount of IBC use will effectively reduce the relative amount of carbon emission.

Computer vision technology for automatic recognition and geometric characterization of carbon fibers was proposed in this paper. A two-stage pipeline was used, in the first stage the fundamental neural network model of segmentation SAM(Segment Anything Model) was used, in the second stage the segmentation results were improved by using a trained neural network model DeepLabv3+. Both manually labeled carbon fiber images and generated synthetic images were used for training. It is shown that additional use of synthetic data in training of neural network models improves the quality of segmentation by IoU and Pix Acc metrics from 0.943 and 0.949 to 0.953 and 0.959, i.e. by 1% on average. The total processing time averaged 0.95 seconds for a single fiber image. Based on the segmentation results, an automatic calculation of geometric characteristics and statistics that can be used to evaluate material properties was realized.

Peroxydisulfate activation has garnered a lot of interest due to its benefits of broad adaptability, strong anti-interference ability, and powerful oxidation capacity. Due to their low cost and potent action, carbon materials are new green catalysts that have garnered interest. In order to effectively degrade organic contaminants in water by activating peroxydisulfate, carbon compounds are currently commonly used. Better metal ions for activating peroxydisulfate include Fe2+ and Co2+, and these metal ions can be encapsulated in carbon compounds made by calcinating metal organic framework（MOFs ）as precursors. The synthesis of carbon compounds from MOF precursors as well as their effectiveness and mechanism in reducing organic pollutants in peroxydisulfate systems. The following are the specific research contents: NH2-MIL-101 (Fe/Co) bimetallic MOFs material was synthesized by hydrothermally altering the Fe3+ to Co2+ ratio, followed by the carbonization of Fe/Co-CNs. XRD, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, and XPS were used to analyze the materials' morphology, structure, and chemical make-up. The results demonstrate that Fe/Co-CNs-2 (Co2+ doping concentration approaches 20%) has a stable three-dimensional carbon structure and effectively incorporated Co ions into the carbon material. The simultaneous encapsulation of both Fe and Co metals by the three-dimensional carbon skeleton ensures material stability and reaction activity. Tetracycline hydrochloride was reported to degrade more quickly in Fe/Co-CNs-2 than in other Co2+ doping concentrations within 30 minutes of peroxymonosulfate（PMS） activation. The degradation rate of Fe/Co-CNs-2 for 20 mg/L TC was determined to be 93.34% within 30 minutes under the following conditions: Fe/Co-CNs-2 concentration of 0.1 g/L, PMS concentration of 0.2 g/L, and pH of 7.33. The catalyst also demonstrates good stability. Last but not least, the Fe/Co-CNs-2 free radical quenching experiment revealed that singlet oxygen (1O2) is the primary active species in the reaction system, and a potential mechanism was examined by combining degradation and XPS analysis.

Buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of global energy consumption, putting pressure on the construction industry to mitigate its environmental impact. Therefore, there is an urgent need for innovative solutions to reduce power consumption, particularly in lighting systems. The study’s primary objective was to investigate novel integrated lighting solutions that significantly reduce energy use and they explore their enhancement through Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to further improve energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint in buildings. Hence, this literature review aimed to examine energy-saving actions, retrofitting practices and interventions across a range of multi-use buildings worldwide over the past six years. The objective was to diagnose the goals being undertaken and ultimately validate new actions and contributions to minimise energy consumption. First, daylight harvesting and retrofitting solutions were examined in conjunction with the latest technologies, also referred to the external shadings. In consequence of this matter, comes the lack or unappropriated coordination, and so waste of energy, between daylight and electrical lighting. Secondly, how the integration of BIM facilitates the design process, providing a complete overview of all the variables of the building, thus improving indoor daylight performance and proper lighting with energy analysis. Lastly, the review addresses the role of IoT in providing real-time data from sensor networks, allowing for continuous monitoring of building conditions. This systematic literature review explores the integration of the fields to address the urgent need for innovative strategies and sustainability in the built environment. Furthermore, it thoroughly analyses the current state of the art, identifying best practices, emerging trends and concrete insight for architects, engineers, and researchers. The goal is to promote the widespread adoption of low-carbon systems and encourage collaboration among industry professionals and researchers to advance sustainable building design.

The fast fashion industry has a significant impact on the environment at every stage of the product life cycle. There is a lack of research in the literature on the impact of fast fashion on the environment through logistics and transport. In this area, the greatest environmental impact is caused by air emissions, which is very important from the point of view of climate change. Therefore, this article deals with the analysis of the carbon footprint resulting from the fast fashion logistics process. The identification and assessment of fast fashion companies' sustainability efforts in the area of transport-related emissions and sustainable transformation strategies was conducted using a case study method for selected brands (H&M Group; Inditex, Shein). The study uses secondary data available in non-financial reports from 2023. After analyzing the data and content in non-financial reports on transport-related emissions, sev-eral important conclusions emerge. As a dominant practice, companies emphasize their reliance on external frameworks and standards, in particular the Global Reporting Initiative and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. Companies prioritize reducing emissions from significant factors, such as production processes. The data disclosed in the reports (scope 1, 2, 3) are not clearly formulated, but they can be used to calculate the level of CO2 emission reduction/increase. The ar-ticle contains recommendations for companies to improve their reporting by including additional indicators expressing the efficiency of transport-related emissions.

Dispatching goods is becoming more difficult to manage in the field of logistics due to the high demand for order shipments. This is relative to the increasing popularity of the use of e-commerce platforms among consumers, where delivery of products is required as compared to buying in physical stores. Dispatch management is one of the critical components in a supply chain since it covers the coordination tasks among stakeholders from warehouse up to the consumer’s doorstep. In this study, the authors intend to propose a framework leveraging geographic information to sustain the logistics operations, specifically in terms of managing last-mile delivery and return trip orders. This includes scheduling, communications, and inventory of goods shipment. A mobile application built on this framework was integrated with a waypoint order optimization algorithm considering the entire route traversing all the required pick-up and delivery points. It was pilot tested with an actual dispatch operation of a logistics company yielding a decrease of 87% in total shipment time, 79% in operations cost, and 3% in carbon footprint per vehicle. With the adoption of this framework, the study aims to contribute to the overall efficiency and sustainability of logistics operations in a wider geographic range.

Apartment buildings, which make up 83% of all structures in Jordan, play a crucial role in the country's construction sector. This study examines the main barriers that are preventing the implementation of low-carbon emission techniques in these buildings. It uses the Fuzzy Delphi Method to collect ideas from 14 housing investors. The results suggest that a major obstacle is the insufficient knowledge among end-users regarding environmental concerns, along with financial limitations, resulting in a lack of enthusiasm for low-carbon construction initiatives. Moreover, insufficient cooperation between consultants and contractors leads to subpar constructability, which is worsened by the prevailing conventional procurement method that prioritizes cost and schedule above environmental consequences. To further investigate, it is advisable to examine the utilization of contemporary procurement methods, such as Design-Build and Construction Management, in the housing industry of Jordan. These alternative methods have the potential to solve the current difficulties by promoting more effective and environmentally friendly building practices. This will help increase the use of low-carbon emission solutions and improve the overall sustainability of Jordan's construction sector.

The literature analysis did not indicate any studies on fluorination tests of carbon nanocomposite coatings doped with transition metals of the nc-MeC/a-C type. This was the motivation for undertaking research in this area. As a model coating to investigate the effect of fluorination in a tetrafluoromethane (CF4) atmosphere, a nano-composite carbon coating doped with chromium nc-CrC/a-C produced by magnetron sputtering from graphite targets and the use of a Pulse-DC type medium frequency power supply was chosen [6]. After deposition of the gradient CrCN adhesive sublayer, fluorination of the main coating was conducted in a reactive mode in an (Ar+CF4) atmosphere at various CF4 contents. It was observed that the presence of CF4 in the atmosphere resulted in a reduced amount of chromium carbides formed in favor of chromium fluorides. So far, this is an observation that seems unnoticed by the carbon coatings researchers. Fluorine was assumed to bond much more readily to carbon than to chromium, due to the stability of tetrafluoromethane (CF4). The opposite seems to be true. The mechanical properties (nano-hardness and Young's modulus) and tribological properties in the 'pin-on-disc' friction pair are presented, along with the analysis of bonds occurring between chromium, carbon, and fluorine (XPS).

The benthic matrix acts as a key natural archive where the memory of long-term timescale environmental changes is recorded. Some ecological and chemical features of fjord sediments were explored during the AREX cruise carried out in the Svalbard archipelago in summer 2021. The activity rates of the enzymes leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), beta-glucosidase (GLU) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) and community-level physiological profiles (CLPP) were studied with the aim of determining the functional diversity of the benthic microbial community, while bacterial isolates were screened for their susceptibility to antibiotic molecules in order to explore the role of these extreme environments as potential reservoirs of antibiotic resistance. Enzyme activity rates were obtained by fluorogenic substrates, CLPP by Biolog Ecoplates; antibiotic susceptibility assays were performed through the standard disk diffusion method. Spatial trends observed in the functional profiles of the microbial community suggested the variability in the microbial community composition, presumably related to the patchy distribution of organic substrates. Complex Carbon sources, carbohydrates and amino acids were the organic polymers preferentially metabolized by the microbial community. Multiple resistance to ampicillin, clindamycin and gentamycin was detected in all the sampled sediments, excepting in the southern Hornsund area, stressing the role of sediments as a potential reservoir of chemical wastes ascribable to antibiotic residuals. This study provides new insights on the health status of fjord sediments of West Spitsbergen applying a dual ecological and biochemical approach. Microbial communities in the fjord sediments showed globally a good functional diversity, suggesting their versatility to rapidly react to changing conditions.

Promoting sustainable consumer behavior is now an obligation under new European legislation, requiring Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for accurate environmental impact evaluation. Portugal is a key textile producer, edge in competitiveness in sustainable textile production, driven by electricity-reduced carbon footprint and closed-loop manufacturing. Additionally, while simple spreadsheets can estimate a product's carbon footprint, openLCA software, combined with ecoinvent database, greatly enhances environmental footprint calculations by integrating diverse impact categories, otherwise difficult to estimate. In this study, openLCA is used to evaluate the environmental footprint of a white T-shirt made in Portugal, with 50% recycled cotton from post-industrial wastes combined with 50% organic cotton from Turkey, to assist the design of environmental key performance indicators (KPI). The RECIPE and EF method (adapted) are used to calculate the environmental impacts and allow aggregation in a single score. The KPI related to the global warming impact is validated using a spreadsheet calculator. We propose an “Envi-Score” based on an A to E classification for benchmarking and better communication with the buyers. E is set as the normalized environmental impact of the European benchmark for a mixture material T-shirt encompassing cradle-to-gate boundaries. The introduction of recycled cotton proves to be environmentally beneficial over organic and conventional cotton. Organic cotton proves to be beneficial in comparison with conventional cotton for most environmental categories, except to the ones affected by the lower production yield, for example Land Use. The hotspots for the main impact categories are identified and finally proposed a labelling scheme, to clearly inform about the environmental performance of the products and avoid greenwashing, with the “Envi-Score” rate, carbon footprint, land use and water depletion.

In the global carbon cycle, atmospheric carbon emissions, both ‘natural’ and anthropogenic, are balanced by carbon uptake (i.e. sequestration) that mostly occurs via photosynthesis, plus a much smaller proportion via geological processes. Since the formation of the Earth about 4.54 billion years ago the ratio between emitted and sequestered carbon has varied considerably with atmospheric CO₂ levels ranging from 100,000 ppm to a mere 100 ppm. Over this time, a huge amount of carbon has been sequestered due to photosynthesis and essentially removed from the cycle, being buried as fossil deposits of coal, oil and gas. Relatively low atmospheric CO₂ levels were the norm for the past 10 million years, and during the past million years they averaged about 220 ppm. More recently, the Holocene epoch, starting ~11,700 years ago, has been a period of unusual climatic stability with relatively warm, moist conditions and low atmospheric CO₂ levels of between 260 and 280 ppm. During the Holocene, stable conditions facilitated a social revolution with domestication of crops and livestock leading to urbanisation and development of complex technologies. As part of the latter process, immense quantities of sequestered fossil carbon have recently been used as energy sources, resulting in a particularly rapid increase in CO₂ emissions after 1950 CE to the current value of 424 ppm, with further rises to >800 ppm predicted by 2100. This is already perturbing the previously stable Holocene climate and threatening future food production and social stability. Today, the global carbon cycle has been shifted such that carbon sequestration is no longer keeping up with recent anthropogenic emissions. In order to address this imbalance it is important to understand the roles of high-capacity carbon sequestration systems, such as natural forests and tropical croplands, and to devise strategies to facilitate net CO₂ uptake.

This study evaluates the viability of n-octanol as an alternative fuel in a direct-injection diesel engine, aiming to enhance sustainability and efficiency. Experiments employed varying blends of n-octanol (10%, 30%, and 50% by volume) with pure diesel, analyzing impacts on engine performance and emissions. The methodology involved testing each blend in a single-cylinder engine, measuring engine performance parameters such as brake torque and brake power under full load conditions across an engine speed range from 1400 to 2500 rpm. Comparative assessments of performance and emission characteristics at a constant engine speed of 1700 rpm were also conducted with varying loads. Results indicated that while n-octanol blends consistently improved brake thermal efficiency, they also increased brake specific fuel consumption due to the lower energy content of n-octanol. Consequently, while all n-octanol blends reduced nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions compared to pure diesel, they also significantly decreased carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and smoke opacity, presenting a comprehensive reduction in harmful emissions. However, the benefits came with nuanced trade-offs: notably, higher concentrations of n-octanol (especially the 50% blend) led to a relative increase in NOx emissions as the octanol ratio increased. The study concludes that n-octanol significantly improves engine efficiency and reduces diesel dependence, but optimizing the blend ratio is crucial to balance performance improvements with comprehensive emission reductions.

Eelgrass meadows have attracted a lot of attention not only for their ability to maintain marine ecosystems as feeding grounds for marine organisms, but also for their potential to store atmos-pheric and dissolved CO2 as blue carbon. This study comprehensively evaluated the bacterial and chemical composition data obtained from eelgrass sediments of different scales along the coast of Japan to investigate the sediment effect on the acclimatization of eelgrass. Regardless eelgrass habitat, approximately 1% Anaerolineales, Babeliales, Cytophagales, and Phycisphaerales were present in the bottom sediment. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were present at 3.69 % in eelgrass sediment compared to 1.70 % in bare sediment. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) were present at 2.81% and 1.10% in the eelgrass and bare sediment, respectively. Bacterial composition analysis and linear discriminant analysis revealed that sulfur-oxidizing bacteria detoxified H2S in the eelgrass meadows and that the larger-scale eelgrass meadows had a higher diversity of sul-fur-oxidizing bacteria. Our result indicated that one of the following systems detoxifies the H2S in eelgrass meadows microbial oxidation by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, oxidation by O2 perme-ated by the physical diffusion of benthos. This study indicated the issues of maintaining sustain-able conservation of the eelgrass bed.

In this study, a carbon fiber microelectrode (CF) was applied for the investigation of electrochemical behavior and determination of natural antioxidant, apocynin (APO). Given the limited solubility of APO in water, a mixture of anhydrous acetic acid (AcH) with 20%, v/v acetonitrile (AN) and 0.1 mol L-1 sodium acetate (AcNa) was used. The electrochemical properties of APO were examined through linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The anodic oxidation of APO, which is the basis of the method used, proved to be diffusion-controlled and proceeded with a two-electron and one proton exchange. Both radicals and radical cations, arising from the first and second step of electrode reactions, respectively, underwent subsequent chemical transformations to yield more stable final products (EqCiEiCi mechanism). Using optimized DPV conditions, the anodic peak current of APO at potential of 0.925 V vs Ag/AgCl showed a good linear response within the concentration range of 2.7×10-6 – 2.6×10-4 mol L-1. The detection and quantification limits were determined as 8.9×10-7 and 2.7×10-6 mol L-1, respectively. The developed DPV method enabled the successful determination of APO in herbal extracts and in dietary supplements. It should be noted that this is the first method of voltammetric determination of APO.

In order to achieve global climate goals, it is necessary to estimate greenhouse gases (GHG) fluxes from ecosystems. To obtain a comprehensive assessment of CO2, СН4, N2O natural fluxes for the Russian Federation we used the "bottom-up" method according to [1]. We updated estimates for forest ecosystems based on State Forest Inventory data and satellite monitoring of forest disturbances. For grassland ecosystems, it was based on the correct distribution of areas between steppe and non-steppe zones. The estimated net uptake of natural ecosystems of Russia was 1.1 ± 1.8 billion tons of CO2-eq./year. The study shows that if only CO2 is taken into account, the net absorption of terrestrial ecosystems in Russia corresponds to more than -2.5 billion tons of CO2 (35% of forests’ contribution). However, given the emissions of non-CO2 GHGs, total net absorption in Russia’s natural ecosystems is reduced to about -1 billion tons of CO2-eq (with the forests’ contribution increasing to 80%). With regard to anthropogenic fluxes, the overall balance of GHGs in Russia corresponds to net-emissions of 1 billion tons of CO2-eq/year into the atmosphere. To improve reporting under the Paris Agreement, countries should aim to include only anthropogenic ("manageable") GHG fluxes on managed land.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the debonding behavior of the interface between continuously and discontinuously fiber reinforced thermoplastics using the climbing drum peel test. The study emphasizes the importance of considering different climatic boundary conditions due to the properties of thermoplastics. Specimens with varying moisture contents are prepared and tested. It is observed that an increase in moisture content initially results in a higher fracture surface energy being required to separate the two materials, but a further increase results in a decrease of the required energy. The study presents an explanatory model of increasing plasticization of the polymer due to increased polymer chain mobility, which results in more deformation energy being required to propagate the crack. The experiment is also modeled numerically for the first time with cohesive surfaces, which successfully reproduces the force-displacement curve in the experiment.

In the face of escalating climate concerns and the push for sustainable development, the global shift towards renewable and decentralized energy systems presents new challenges and opportunities. This study investigates integrating decentralized energy production, particularly photovoltaic (PV) systems, into national energy planning, aiming to optimize energy strategies that balance local production and consumption with national objectives. By analyzing the Swiss energy model, the research employs the EnergyScope and REHO models to assess the strategic implications of decentralized versus centralized energy systems. Results show that a decentralized approach can significantly reduce PV installation needs to 35 GW, about 23% of potential capacity, and decrease annual system costs by 10% to CHF 1230 per capita. This strategy emphasizes local consumption, minimizes grid reinforcement demands, and leverages economic advantages while addressing overproduction challenges through effective energy storage and grid management. Conclusions underline the strategic value of combining centralized and decentralized methods for resilient and sustainable energy planning. The study contributes to the discourse on energy policy and infrastructure planning, advocating for a hybrid model that accommodates both local conditions and broader energy objectives, urging further research into climate impacts and technology integration for a comprehensive energy future.

Providing simultaneously autotrophic and heterotrophic carbon sources is a promising strategy to overcome the limits of autotrophic syngas fermentations. D-xylose and L-arabinose are particularly interesting as they can be obtained by the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass. The individual conversion of varying initial concentrations of these pentoses and D-fructose as reference was studied with C. autoethanogenum in fully-controlled stirred-tank reactors with a continuous syngas supply. All mixotrophic batch processes showed increased biomass and product formation compared to an autotrophic reference process. Simultaneous CO and D-xylose or L-arabinose conversion was observed in contrast to D-fructose. In the mixotrophic batch processes with Larabinose or D-xylose, the simultaneous CO and sugar conversion resulted in high final alcohol to acid ratios of up to 58 g g-1. L-arabinose was superior as a mixotrophic carbon source because biomass and alcohol concentrations (ethanol and 2,3-butanediol) were highest, and significant amounts of meso-2,3-butanediol (>1 g L-1) in addition to D-2,3-butanediol (>2 g L-1) were solely produced with L-arabinose. Furthermore, C. autoethanogenum could not produce meso-2,3 butanediol under purely heterotrophic conditions. The mixotrophic production of meso-2,3-butanediol from Larabinose and syngas, both available from residual lignocellulosic biomass, is very promising for use as a monomer for bio-based polyurethanes or as an antiseptic agent.

The new energy structure needs to balance energy security and dual carbon goals, which has brought major challenges to coal-fired power plants, the pollution reduction and carbon emissions reduction of coal-fired power plants will be a key task in the future. This article proposes an optimization operation of electrostatic precipitators(ESP), based on the working mechanism and historical data of ESP, voltage-current characteristic model and outlet dust concentration prediction model are constructed by deep learning algorithm, Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO) is used to achieve the optimal energy consumption while ensuring stable outlet dust concentration. By training with historical data collected on site, accurate prediction of secondary current and outlet dust concentration of ESP has been achieved, the Mean Absolute Percentage Error(MAPE) of secondary current is less than 1.5%, and the MAPE of outlet dust concentration of ESP on the test set is less than 5.2%. Finally, the optimization experiment is carried out in a 330MW coal-fired power plants, the results showed that the fluctuation of the outlet dust concentration is more stable, and the energy saving is about 43% after optimization, according to the annual operation of 300 days, the annual average carbon reduction is approximately 2621.34 tons. This method is effective and can be applied widely.

The rapid development of electric vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and wearable electronic devices has led to a high interest in research related to the synthesis of graphene with a high specific surface area for energy applications. However, the problem of graphene synthesis scalability, as well as the lengthy duration and high energy intensity of the activation processes of carbon materials, are significant disadvantages. In this study, a reactor was developed for the green, simple, and scalable electrochemical synthesis of graphene oxide with a low oxygen content of 14.1 %. The resulting material was activated using a fast joule heating method. The processing of mildly oxidized graphene with a high–energy short electrical pulse (32 ms) made it possible to obtain a graphene–based porous carbon material with a specific surface area of up to 1984.5 m2/g. The low energy intensity, simplicity, and use of environmentally friendly chemicals render the proposed method scalable.

Soil moisture reserve is a key factor in maintaining soil fertility and all other related ecosystem services (including carbon sequestration, soil biodiversity, soil erosion control). In semiarid blown-sand areas under aridification water preservation is a particularly crucial task for agriculture. The international Diverfarming project (2017–2022) within the EU Horizon 2020 Program focused on the impacts of crop diversification and low-input practices in all pedoclimatic regions of Europe. In the three-year experiment conducted in the Pannonian region the impacts of intercropping asparagus with different herbs on some provisioning and regulating ecosystem services were evaluated in the Kiskunság sand regions. Relying on the findings based on a range of measured physical and chemical soil parameters and on crop yields and qualitative properties, advice was formulated for farmers. The message drawn from the experiment is somewhat ambiguous. The local farmer agrees that crop diversification improves soil quality, but he denies that it would directly influence farm competitiveness, which primarily depends on cultivation costs (such as fertilization, plant protection and labour). Further analyses are needed to prove the long-term benefits of diversification through enriching soil microbial life and the possible reduction of fertilizer use while water demand is kept at a low level and the same crop quality is ensured.

The concrete sector is known for its significant contribution to the CO2 emissions. There are two main contributing factors for this situation: the large amount of concrete consumed per year on the planet and the high CO2 released from Portland cement manufacture, the key binding agent in concrete. To face the consequent sustainability issues, diverse strategies have been explored on the carbon capture and storage potential of cementitious materials. This paper addresses the potential of storing CO2 in concrete during the curing stage, applied to the precast Portuguese industry. To this purpose, it was assumed that CO2 will become a waste that will require an outlet in the future, considering that carbon capture will become mandatory in many industries. This work concluded that the net benefit in terms of carbon retention is positive for the process of storing carbon in concrete during the curing stage. More specifically, it was demonstrated that the additional emissions from the introduction of this new operation are only 10% of the stored amount, returning a storage potential of 76 000 tonnes of CO2 yearly. Moreover, the overall net reduction in the concrete life cycle averages 9.4% and 8.8% for precast elements and only non-structural elements, respectively. When a low cement dosage strategy is coupled with carbonation curing technology, the overall carbon net reduction is estimated to be 45%.

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have a promising tribological application in green precision manufacturing, but their toughness represents a serious issue in the way of their application perspective. The film thickness is on the micrometer scale and makes conventional methods unsuitable for its toughness characterization. The absence of an accepted method for characterizing the DLC toughness has hindered the related research on the development of toughening methods and understanding the mechanism. This work intends to explore a relatively simple and acceptable characterization method to measure the film toughness. Moreover, toughening mechanisms of DLC films are proposed during the characterization to reveal the toughening mechanism. The toughness can be fully characterized through combining impact toughness and scratch toughness. The impact toughness can be obtained by observing the size of the indentation and the crack state around the indentation in the impact experiment. The scratch toughness could be assessed by combining the scratch morphology and Crack Propagation Resistance (CPRS). The improvement of film toughness should be carried out from two aspects: preventing microcrack initiation and suppressing crack propagation. Appropriate doping of non-carbide metal particles can effectively improve the toughness of the film, and there are seven main factors affecting the toughening of the film. Five toughening mechanisms of non-carbide metals from film preparation to test stage are revealed during the investigation of the change patterns.

The efficient extraction of phthalate acid esters (PAEs) is challenging due to their extremely low concentration, complicated matrices and hydrophilicity. Herein, hol-low microspheres, as an ideal coating, possesses significant potential for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) due to their fascinating properties. In this study, multi-walled carbon nanotubes hollow microspheres (MWCNTs-HMs) were utilized as a fiber coating for the SPME of PAEs from tea beverages. MWCNTs-HMs were ob-tained by dissolving the polystyrene (PS) cores with organic solvents. Interestingly, MWCNTs-HMs well maintain the morphology of the precursors MWCNTs@PS. The layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of MWCNTs on PS microsphere templates was ac-quired through electrostatic interactions. Six PAEs, di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), di-iso-butyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP), were se-lected as target analytes for assessing the efficiency of the coating for SPME. The stirring rate, sample solution pH and extraction time were optimized by using the Box-Behnken design. Under optimal working conditions, the proposed MWCNTs-HMs/SPME was coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spec-trometry (GC-MS/MS) to achieve high enrichment factors (118–2137), wide linearity (0.0004-10 μg L-1), low limits of detection (0.00011-0.0026 μg L-1) and acceptable recovery (80.2%-108.5%) for the detection of PAEs. Therefore, the MWCNTs-HMs coated fibers are promising alternatives in the SPME method for the sensitive detec-tion of PAEs at trace levels in tea beverages.

To study the heat and mass transfer characteristics of an evaporative cooler for cooling high-temperature working fluids such as supercritical carbon dioxide, an experimental device of the evaporative cooler was built, and a corresponding test system was constructed. Then, the experimental study was carried out based on the orthogonal test method, and the law and extent of the influence of water flow in the tube, spray water flow rate, inlet water temperature in the tube, and air flow rate on heat dissipation, cooling efficiency, and heat and mass transfer coefficients have been obtained. The correlation equations of the heat and mass transfer coefficients were obtained by fitting the orthogonal experimental data, and the validity of the correlation equations was confirmed by the verification experiment.

BACKGROUNDː The so-called Low Cardiac Output Syndrome (LCOS) is one of the most common complications in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease undergoing corrective surgery. LCOS requires high concentrations of inotropes to support cardiac contractility and improve cardiac output, allowing for a better systemic perfusion. To date, serum lactate concentrations and central venous oxygen saturation (ScVO2) are the most commonly used perfusion markers, but they are not completely reliable to identify a state of global tissue hypoxia. The study aims to evaluate whether the venoarterial carbon dioxide difference/arterial-venous oxygen difference ratio [P(v-a)CO2/C(a-v)O2] can be a good index to predict the development of LCOS in the aforemen-tioned patients, so as to treat it promptly. METHODSː This study followed a population of 98 children undergoing corrective cardiac surgery from June 2018 to October 2020 at the Department of Cardiac Surgery of University Hospital Inte-grated Trust and their subsequent admission at the Postoperative Cardiothoracic Surgery Intensive Care Unit. During the study, central arterial and venous blood gas analysis were carried out before and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) (pre-CPB and post-CPB), at admission to intensive care unit, before and after extubation and at any time of instability or modification of the patient’s clinical and therapeutic conditions. RESULTSː The data analysis shows that 46.9% of the children developed a LCOS (in line with the current literature) but that there is no statistically significant association between the P(v-a)CO2/C(a-v)O2 ratio and LCOS onset. Despite the limits of statistical significance, however, a 31% increase in the ratio emerged from the pre-CPB phase to the post-CPB phase when LCOS is present. CONCLUSIONSː This study confirms a statistically significant association between the most used markers in adult patients (serum lactate concentration, ScVO2 and oxygen extraction ratio-ERO2) measured in the pre-CPB phase and the incidence of LCOS onset, especially in patients with he-modynamic instability before surgery.

In this work,the wave behaviour propagation of single-walled fluid conveying carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) under longitudinal magnetic fields and elastic foundations is studied, based on the nonlocal strain gradients theory(NSGT). With considertion of surface effect, the governing differential equation are obtained utilising Timoshenko beam theory and Hamilton's variational principle. The influence of small-scale parameters, fluid density, magnetic flux, surrounding elastic medium and surface effects on wave behaviour characteristics of carbon nanotubes are discussed in detail. The numerical results illustrated that with the magnetic flux increase，the phase velocities of the carbon nanotube will increase. When the fluid effects inside the carbon nanotube, the wave frequencies of the system reduces with increase in the non-local coefficient, while promotes with increase in the strain gradient coefficient. In addition, fluid density, surrounding elastic medium and surface effects have meaningful influence on the phase velocity of the system.

We developed a transparent and flexible electrochemical sensor using a platform based on a network of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for the non-enzymatic detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) released from living cells. We decorated the SWCNT network on a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate with platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) using a potentiodynamic method. The PtNP/SWCNT/PET sensor synergized the advantages of a flexible PET substrate, a conducting SWCNT network, and a catalytic PtNP, and demonstrated good biocompatibility and flexibility, enabling cell adhesion. The PtNP/SWCNT/PET-based sensor demonstrated enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards H2O2 as well as excellent selectivity, stability, and reproducibility. The sensor exhibited a wide dynamic range of 500 nM to 1 M, with a low detection limit of 228 nM. In addition, Furthermore, the PtNP/SWCNT/PET sensor remained operationally stable even after bending at various angles (15°, 30°, 60°, and 90°) with no noticeable loss of current signal. These outstanding characteristics enabled the PtNP/SWCNT/PET sensor to be practically applied for the direct culture of HeLa cells and the real-time monitoring of H2O2 release by the HeLa cells under drug stimulation.

Among the explored solutions to reduce the environmental impact of the transport sector, Vehicle Integrated Photovoltaics. Thus, we developed a simulation tool of the distance covered by VIPV. It considers various usage patterns and vehicle types, several characteristics of the PV system and all the losses that may decrease energy yield. Focusing on passenger car, simulations indicate the order of influence of the parameters on the outputs of the model: geographic locality, shading, thresholds due to extra-consumption to charge the vehicle battery from PV and frequency of recharge with the grid. With projections of the technology in 2030, with 30 % shading, VIPV cover up to 1444 km yearly distance. This represents up to 12 % of the driven mileage. For the best month, it can get up to 14 km/day. For average Europe and worst-case conditions, VIPV cover only 293 km per year. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of solarized passenger car shows negative balance for low-carbon electricity mix and average solar irradiance. In favorable conditions, the carbon footprint is up to 489 kg CO₂-equivalent avoided emissions on 13 years lifespan. Beyond km and LCA focus, VIPV may provide useful functions in non-interconnected zones and for resilience in disaster zones.

In this paper, mesoporous electrodes consisted of Sb-doped SnO2 deposited onto Ti plates controlled corroded under acidic medium were synthesized by spin-coating method, and morpho structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrodes were electrochemical testing in the degradation/mineralization by electrooxidation (EO) of doxorubicin (DOX) as single-component and multi-component together with capecitabine (CCB)-from cytostatic class and humic acid (HA)-from natural organic matter (NOM) class in the absence/the presence of activated carbon (AC) as particulate electrode. The best mineralization efficiency of 67 % was achieved for DOX mineralization using Sb-doped SnO2 deposited onto Ti plate controlled corroded with oxalic acid in electrooxidation process. The presence of AC within the electrolysis process generated a synergy effect of 52.75 % for TOC parameter removal, which is in accordance and quite better than the result reported in the literature. The aspects related to the complex mechanism of DOX degradation and mineralization are discussed. The superiority of AC assisted electrooxidation, as electrochemical filtering (EF), was proved considering simultaneous degradation and mineralization of mixture of doxorubicin, capecitabine and humic acid.

Synthesis of a novel series of chromen-3-yl-pyridine moieties. IR, NMR, and MS spectroscopy were used to confirm the structure of these novel compounds and study of antitumor activity of these compounds. The structure activity relationship investigation demonstrated that 2,4-diamino-5-(3-methoxyphenyl)-7-(2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carbonitrile (16), was more effective and naphthyridine-3-carbonitrile derivatives 17, 18 and pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivative 12, while compounds 5a,b, 9c, 11, 13 and 14 were moderate activity for antitumor activities.

This work aims to investigate the influence of reaction time and catalyst-to-residual fat ratio by catalytic upgrading from pyrolysis vapors of residual fat at 400 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, on the yields of reaction products, physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value) and chemical composition of bio-oils, over a catalyst fixed bed reactor of activated carbon pellets impregnated with 10.0 M NaOH, in semi pilot scale. The experiments were carried out at 400 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, using a process schema consisting of a thermal cracking reactor of 2.0 L coupled to a catalyst fixed bed reactor of 53 mL, without catalyst and using 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% (wt.) activated carbon pellets impregnated with 10.0 M NaOH, in batch mode. Samples of liquid phase products were withdrawn during the course of reaction at 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 and 120 minutes in order to investigate the process kinetics. The physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value) of bio-oils were determined by official methods. The chemical composition of bio-oils determined by GC-MS. The thermal catalytic cracking of residual fat show bio-oils yields from 55.55 to 30.22 (wt.%), aqueous phase yields between 2.83 and 3.19 (wt.%), solid phase yields between 13.56 and 9.75 (wt.%), and gas yields from 27.89 to 55.60 (wt.%). The yields of bio-oil decreases from 74.41 to 30.22% (wt.) with increasing catalyst-to-Tallow kernel oil ratio, while that of gaseous phase increases from 12.87 to 55.60% (wt.). For all the thermal and thermal catalytic cracking experiments, the density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value of bio-oils decreases as the reaction time increases varying from 0.9266 to 0.8220 g/cm³, 8.10 to 2.24 mm²/s, and 144.14 to 2.37 mg KOH/g. The GC-MS of liquid reaction products identified the presence of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, ring-containing alkanes, ring-containing alkenes, and aromatics) and oxygenates (carboxylic acids, ketones, esters, alcohols, and aldehydes). For all the pyrolysis and catalytic cracking experiments, the hydrocarbon selectivity in bio-oil increases with increasing reaction time, while those of oxygenates decrease, reaching concentrations of hydrocarbons up to 95.35% (area.). The best results for the physicochemical properties density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value were 0.8220 g/cm³, 3.03 mm2/s, and 2.37 mg KOH/g, respectively, with a maximum hydrocarbon concentration of 97.194% (area.) and 2.806% ketones (area.) were obtained at 400 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, 80 minutes, without catalyst. For the catalytic cracking experiments, the maximum hydrocarbon content of 75.763% (area.) and 17.041% (area.) carboxylic acids, 4.702% (area.) ketones (area.), and 2.494% (area.) non-identified oxygenates was obtained at 400 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, 90 minutes, using a catalyst fixed bed reactor, with 10.0% (wt.) activated carbon pellets impregnated with 10.0 M NaOH as catalyst.

Creating new business models is crucial for the implementation of clean technologies for industrial decarbonization. With incomplete knowledge of market processes and uncertain conditions, assessing the prospects of a technology-based business model is challenging. This study combines business model innovation, system dynamics and exploratory model analysis to identify new business opportunities in a context of socio-technical transition and assess their prospects through simulation experiments. Furthermore, insights are visualized in a roadmap to coordinate action among the actors involved. This combination of methods is applied to the case of a business model aiming at ensuring stability of the electrical grid by centralizing the management of flexible loads in industrial companies. A system dynamics model was set up to simulate the diffusion of flexible electrification technologies. Through scenario definition and sensitivity analysis, the influence of internal and external factors on diffusion was assessed. Results highlight the central role of energy costs and customer perception. The chosen combination of methods allowed the formulation of concrete recommendation for coordinated action, explicitly accounting for the various sources of uncertainty. We suggest testing this approach in further business model innovation contexts.

This study aligns with the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals- 3 which aim to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. It contributes to the nascent literature stream on energy-health dynamics by introducing a holistic theoretical model to empirically examine the mediation effect of carbon emissions on the relationship between nonrenewable energy and infant mortality rates. Using an unbalanced panel data on 42 Asia and the Pacific countries from 2005 to 2015 and deploying the structural equation modeling approach, the empirical results are surmised as follows: (i) in regard to the full sample of countries, nonrenewable energy indirectly increases infant mortality rates through increasing carbon emissions. In other words, carbon emissions play a partial mediation role between nonrenewable energy and infant mortality rates; and (ii) for the different income groups, carbon emissions show varying mediation effects. For example, the mediation effects of carbon emissions in lower-middle and upper-middle income countries are found to be similar to those of the full sample of countries. Therefore, based on these findings, we conclude that nonrenewable energy is an essential determinant of infant mortality rates. Policy recommendations are put forward.

Pd-Pt catalysts supported on carbon preheated to 1600°C have been reinvestigated in CHFCl2 hydrodechlorination. An additionally adopted catalyst oxidation at 350-400°C produced an order of magnitude increase in the catalytic activity of Pd/C. This increase is not caused by changes in metal dispersion or possible decontamination of the Pd surface from superficial carbon, but rather by unlocking the active surface, originally inaccessible in metal particles tightly packed in the pores of carbon. Burning carbon from the pore walls attached to the metal changes the pore structure, providing easier access for the reactants to the entire palladium surface. As upon calcination the performance of the rest of the Pd-Pt/C catalysts changes less than for Pd/C, the relation between the turnover frequency and alloy composition does not confirm the Pd-Pt synergy invoked in our previous work. The use of even higher-preheated carbon (1800°C), completely free of micropores, results in a Pd/C catalyst that does not need to be oxidized to achieve high activity and excellent selectivity up to CH2F2 (>90%).

Air change rate is an important parameter for quantification of ventilation heat losses and also affects the indoor climate of buildings. Indoor air quality is significantly associated with ventilation. If air change isn't sufficient, trapped allergens, pollutants and irritants can degrade the indoor air quality and affect the well-being of a building's occupants. Many studies on ventilation and health have concluded that lower air change rates can have a negative effect on people’s health and low ventilation may result in an increase in allergic diseases. Quantification of air change rate is complicated, since it is affected by a number of parameters, of which the one of the most variable is the air-wind flow. This study aims to determination and comparison of values of the air change rate in two methods - by quantifying of aerodynamic coefficient Cp = Cpe - Cpi – so called aerodynamic quantification of the building and the methodology based on experimental measurements of carbon dioxide in the selected reference room in apartment building.

Creating new business models is crucial for the implementation of clean technologies for industrial decarbonization. With incomplete knowledge of market processes and uncertain conditions, assessing the prospects of a technology-based business model is challenging. This study combines business model innovation, system dynamics and exploratory model analysis to identify new business opportunities in a context of socio-technical transition and assess their prospects through simulation experiments. Furthermore, insights are visualized in a roadmap to coordinate action among the actors involved. This combination of methods is applied to the case of a business model aiming at ensuring stability of the electrical grid by centralizing the management of flexible loads in industrial companies. A system dynamics model was set up to simulate the diffusion of flexible electrification technologies. Through scenario definition and sensitivity analysis, the influence of internal and external factors on diffusion was assessed. Results highlight the central role of energy costs and customer perception. The chosen combination of methods allowed the formulation of concrete recommendation for coordinated action, explicitly accounting for the various sources of uncertainty. We suggest testing this approach in further business model innovation contexts.

Soil CO2 efflux (FCO2) plays a dominant role in the terrestrial carbon (C) cycle but interpreting constraints on local observations is impeded by challenges in disentangling belowground CO2 sources. Trees contribute most C to forest soils, so linking aboveground properties to FCO2 could open new avenues to study plant-soil feedbacks and facilitate scaling; furthermore, FCO2 responds dynamically to meteorological conditions, complicating predictions of total FCO2 and forest C balance. We tested for proximity effects of individual Acer saccharum Marsh. trees on FCO2, comparing FCO2 within 1 m of mature stems to background fluxes before and after an intense rainfall event. Wetting significantly increased background FCO2 (6.4±0.3 vs. 8.6±0.6 s.e. μmol CO2 m-2s-1), with a much larger enhancement near tree stems (6.3±0.3 vs. 10.8±0.4 μmol CO2 m-2s-1). FCO2 varied significantly among individual trees and post-rain values increased with tree diameter (with a slope of 0.058 μmol CO2 m-2s-1 cm-1). Post-wetting amplification of FCO2 (the ‘Birch effect’) in root zones often results from the improved mobility of labile carbohydrates and further metabolization of recalcitrant organic matter, which may both occur at higher densities near larger trees. Our results indicate that plant-soil feedbacks change through tree ontogeny and provide evidence for a novel link between whole-system carbon fluxes and forest structure.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in arable soils is a challenging goal for soil management. Multiple factors should be considered for the prediction of the soil capacity to fix atmospheric carbon. In this study, we focused on the effect of crop rotation and previous land use for future carbon sequestration on two experimental fields with identical soils (Retisols) and input of organic fertilizers. We analyzed the SOC dynamics and used the Roth C model to forecast SOC changes under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. Our experimental and modelling results indicated a consistent increase in SOC stocks and the stable fractions of soil organic matter (SOM). The increase in SOC was higher in the experiment with the crop-grassland rotation that in the experiment with a rotation of row crops and barley. With similar total SOC stocks, the efficiency of soil management differed as reflected by the contrasting composition of SOM, as fields with a long cultivation history showed higher SOM stability. The goal of 4‰ annual increase of SOC stocks may be reached under crop- grassland rotation in 2020-40 and 2080-90 when applying mineral or organic fertilizer system for scenario RCP4.5, and mineral fertilizer system in 2080-2090 for scenario RCP8.5.

With the development of energy internet, integrated energy system can effectively reduce carbon emissions and improve the utilization of renewable energy. In this paper, a low-carbon optimal scheduling model of integrated energy system considering heat loss of heat network pipeline is proposed. Based on the study of concentrating solar power (CSP) plant and heat storage tank (HS), an optimal scheduling model is established, which takes system operation cost, environmental pollution and penalty cost of abandoning wind and solar energy as objectives. Through the analysis of example results, it is proved that the model proposed in this paper can achieve the goal of reliable, low-carbon and economic operation of the system. At the same time, it shows that CSP unit can reduce the operation cost of system and increase energy coupling and utilization.

Biochar application to the soil can improve soil quality and nutrient leaching loss. Recent studies have reported that surficial application of biochar to stored swine manure can reduce emissions of odorous compounds and reduce the volatilization loss of ammonia. Our working hypothesis was that the biochar-treated manure application to the soil would decrease nutrient leaching from manure and increase plant-available nutrients. The study objectives were to evaluate the impact of biochar-treated swine manure on soil total C, N, and other major and minor nutrients. Three biochars (i) neutral pH red-oak (RO), (ii) highly alkaline autothermal corn (Zea mays) stover (HAP), and (iii) mild acidic Fe-treated autothermal corn stover (HAPE) were incubated with swine manure for a month. The biochar-manure mixture was applied in triplicate to soil columns with application rate determined by the P₂O₅-P content in manure or manure-biochar mixtures after the incubation. The ammonium (NH₄⁺), nitrate (NO₃^-), and reactive P concentrations in soil column leachates were recorded for eight leaching events. Soil properties and plant-available nutrients were compared between treatments and control manure & soil. Manure-(HAP&HAPE) biochar treatments significantly increased soil organic matter (OM) and increased soil total C, N, and improved soil bulk density. Concentrations of KCl-extractable NH₄⁺ and NO₃^- significantly increased in HAPE column leachates during this 4-week study and in the soil after the experiment. A significant reduction in soil Mehlich3 Cu was also observed for the manure-HAPE mixture compared with the control. Overall, the manure-biochar incubation enabled biochar to sorb nutrients from manure, and the subsequent manure-biochar mixture application to soil improved soil quality and plant nutrient availability in comparison to conventional manure application to soil. This proof-of-the-concept study suggests that biochars could be used to solve both environmental and agronomic challenges and further improve the sustainability of animal and crop production agriculture.

Bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS) is one strategy to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. To assess the potential scale and cost of CO2 sequestration from BECCS in the US, this analysis models carbon efficiencies and costs of biomass production, delivery, power generation, and CO2 capture and sequestration in saline formations. The analysis includes two biomass supply scenarios (near-term and long-term), two biomass logistics scenarios (conventional and pelletized), two generation technologies (pulverized combustion and integrated gasification combined cycle), and three cost accounting scenarios (gross cost, net cost after electricity revenues, and net cost after electricity revenues with avoided emissions from conventional power generation). Results show cost Mg-1 CO2 as a function of CO2 sequestered (simulating capture up to 90% of total CO2 sequestration potential) and associated spatial distribution of resources and generation locations for the array of scenario options. Under a near-term scenario using 222 million Mg yr-1 of biomass, up to 196 million Mg CO2 can be sequestered at scenario-average costs ranging from $60 to $158 Mg 1 CO2; under a long-term scenario using 823 million Mg yr-1 of biomass, up to 727 million Mg CO2 yr 1 can be sequestered at scenario-average costs ranging from $32 to $242 Mg-1 CO2. These costs are largely influenced by cost accounting scenario, and the CO2 sequestration potential may be reduced if future competing demand reduces resource availability. Results suggest there are multiple feedstock-logistics-generation pathways toward CO2 drawdown that could be incrementally trialed and monitored for environmental sustainability effects. Interactive visualization of results is available at [final link to be determined].

The sustainable production of food faces formidable challenges. Foremost is the availability of arable soils, which have been ravaged by the overuse of fertilizers and detrimental soil management techniques. As such, maintenance of soil quality, and reclamation of marginal soils, has become an increasingly important endeavor. Recently, there has been emerging interest in the use of biochar, a carbon rich, porous material thought to improve various aspects of soil performance. Biochar (BC) is produced through the thermochemical decomposition of organic matter at high temperature in an oxygen limited environment, in a process known as pyrolysis. Importantly, the source of organic material, or ‘feedstock,’ used in this process and different parameters of pyrolysis, especially temperature, determine the chemical and physical properties of biochar. Incorporation of BC impacts soil-water relations, tilth and nutrient status, pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and microbial activity. Soil amendment with BC has been shown to have an overall positive impact on soil health and crop productivity; however, initial soil properties need to be considered prior to the application of BC. There is an urgent need to understand the effects of long-term field application of BC and how it influences the soil microcosm. This knowledge will facilitate predictable enhancement of crop productivity and meaningful carbon sequestration.

What proportions should a thermally massive building have? How should the thermal mass be distributed? Should the "massing" change with the choice of material? This paper shows how to optimize the physical proportions of a building so that it synchronizes ambient heat exchanges in a natural feedback cycle. The internal mass is thermally coupled with buoyancy ventilation; the cycle is driven by the daily swing of outdoor temperature. Tripling up functions in this way—so that structural materials can reliably cool and power the ventilation for buildings—could help decarbonize the construction industry and provide an effective strategy for adapting to life-threatening heatwaves. Based on harmonic analysis, the method allows designers to thermally tune the form and mass of a building to meet chosen targets for temperature and ventilation in free-running mode. Once the optimal balance of exchange rates is known, design teams can proportionally vary the building height and ventilation openings against the surface area and thickness of an internal thermal mass. The possible permutations are infinite but parametrically constrained, allowing teams to fairly compare the functional and environmental credentials of different construction materials while they produce and evaluate preliminary options for organizing the exterior form and interior spaces of a building. An example study suggests that thin-shell structures of minimum weight, and even timber buildings, may be optimally tuned to produce ample ventilation and temperature attenuation.

Nanoparticles of platinum-group metals (PGM) on carbon supports are widely used as catalysts for a number of chemical and electrochemical conversions on laboratory and industrial scale. The newly emerging field of single atom catalysis focuses on the ultimate level of metal dispersion, i.e. atomically dispersed metal species anchored on the substrate surface. However, the presence of single atoms in traditional nanoparticle-based catalysts remains largely overlooked. In this work we use aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope to investigate four commercially available nanoparticle-based PGM/C catalysts (PGM = Ru, Rh, Pd, Pt). We show that in addition to nanoparticles, single atoms are also present on the surface of carbon substrates. These observations raise questions about the role that single atoms play in conventional nanoparticle PGM/C catalysts. We critically discuss the observations with regard to the quickly developing field of single atom catalysis.

Sustainability in material purchasing is a growing area of research. Goods purchasing decisions strongly affect transportation path flows, vehicle consolidation, inventory levels and related obsolescence costs. Within a global sourcing context, companies experience the need of new decision making approaches capable to consider a large variety of factors, also linked with society and environment. Environmental impact assessment has become a key requirement for materials purchasing and transportation decisions since global warming is a rising concern both in academic and industrial researches. In fact, it is well known that the freight transport industry is responsible for large amounts of carbon emissions contributing to global warming. In this paper, we initially analyse and compare the environmental economic policies established by the International Governments in relation to the carbon trading systems adopted. Then, we develop a multi-objective lot sizing approach useful in practice to define the sustainable quantity to purchase when a Cap and Trade mitigation policy is present. We further analyse the model behaviour according to different carbon price values by demonstrating that carbon prices are still far too low to motivate managers towards sustainable purchasing choices.

A potassium bromide KBr material, which has been widely used as the key element in the Fourier spectrometers and as the output window of the IR-lasers, has been studied with good advantage via applying the carbon nanotubes in order to modify the potassium bromide surface. The laser oriented deposition method has been used to place the carbon nanotubes at the matrix material surface in the vertical position at the different electric field varied from 100 to 600 V×cm-1. The main idea of the improvement of the spectral properties of the potassium bromide structure is connected with the fact that the refractive index of the carbon nanotubes is substantially less than the refractive index of the studied material, and the small diameter of the carbon nanotubes allows one to embed these nano-objects in the voids of the lattice of the model matrix systems. Moreover, the mechanical characteristics and wetting features of the potassium bromide structures have been investigated under the condition mentioned above. Analytical and quantum-chemical simulations have supported the experimental results.

A new type of low cost, environmentally friendly wood-plastic composites (WPC) containing carbon nanotubes(CNT)of low content 0%, 0.05wt%, 0.1wt% and 0.15wt%, wood fibers of 14wt% and polymer PES of 86wt% was manufactured by the selective laser sintering (SLS) approach of 3D printing. The experimental results showed that the incorporating of CNTs could obviously increase the mechanical properties of the wood/PES composites material. The tensile strength, bending strength and elasticity modulus were 76.3%, 227.9% and 128.7% higher with 0.1wt% CNTs than without CNTs. And the mechanical properties of specimens firstly increased and then decreased with the increasing contents of CNTs. The SEM results of the specimens’ fracture morphology indicated that the preferable bonding interfaces between wood flour grains and PES grains were achieved by adding CNTs to the composites. There are two reasons to explain why the composites possessed the superior mechanical properties: CNTs could facilitate the laser sintering process of wood plastic composites due to their thermal conductivities; also, CNTs could directly reinforce the WPC composites as reinforcement.

The moist Afromontane forest of Ethiopia plays a crucial role in carbon storage and mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To guide effective conservation policies, it is essential to understand the relationship between species diversity and carbon storage in this unique ecosystem. Therefore, this study, aimed to evaluate the response of above-ground carbon (AGC) to species and functional diversity, and their effects on AGC in the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve (YCFBR). Using different plot sizes, we collected vegetation data from the core, buffer, and transitional zones of the reserve. We selected traits related to plant-life strategy, competition ability, response to disturbances, and climate change. Structural Equation Models (SEM) were employed to assess the effects of species diversity, functional diversity, and functional dominance on AGC. Data analysis was conducted using R software. Our results revealed that the effects of species richness on AGC were mediated through functional diversity and functional dominance, as demonstrated by both the full mediation and partial mediation models. This suggests that the selection effects and niche complementarity are mutually exclusive yet equally important for predicting AGC. The findings further indicate that functional diversity and functional dominance together accounted for a significant predictors of the AGC by 21% in the YCFBR. From a practical standpoint, findings highlight the importance of conserving species diversity as a means to maintain higher AGC in the tropical moist Afromontane forests. In conclusion, this research significantly contributes to scientific literature by providing valuable insights into the complex relationship between species diversity and carbon storage. The results emphasize the crucial role of functional diversity and dominance in predicting AGC, underscoring the importance of biodiversity conservation for climate mitigation efforts. These findings have practical implications for the development of effective conservation policies tailored to protect and sustain the carbon storage potential of this unique ecosystem.

The central aim of this paper is to present the Green Web Meter software which is designed to support the measurement of digital sustainability performance of websites and web apps, as well as providing sound based analytic tools for improving their overall quality. We analyzed scientific literature and specifically selected three quality assessment models (E-S Qual, Sitequal, Webqual 4.0) which we used as a starting point for identifying the most crucial aspects for the monitoring activities. A consistent set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) suitable for automated tracking has been provided. We finally developed model-based software able to deliver solutions for real-time website performance analysis and reports. We structured the model to offer accurate references for digital sustainability reporting by aggregating the KPIs into an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework and computing a comprehensive score for its pillars.

Graphene was synthesized through a two-step pyrolysis method using waste candlenut (Aleurites moluccanus) shells as the precursor. Cerium (Ce)/graphene composites were prepared via an impregnation technique. The resulting graphene and Ce/graphene were characterized using various analytical methods, including Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), and Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV). The bio-carbon produced predominantly exhibited a graphene structure with flat carbon morphology and an interlayer distance of 0.33 nm. This structural information is supported by XRD data, which shows a broad and weak peak at 2θ = 26° corresponding to the C (002) plane, indicative of graphene presence. FTIR, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy further confirmed the presence of graphene through the detection of Csp2 aromatic bonds and the characteristic D, G, and 2D peaks. Notably, the performance of cerium can be enhanced by the incorporation of graphene, attributed to the large surface area and chemical interactions between Ce and graphene. Consequently, candlenut-derived graphene shows potential as a supportive material for modifying the properties of cerium, thereby opening avenues for various advanced applications, such as sustainable and high-performance energy storage systems.

While the simple model of the total atmospheric carbon sink effect as a linear function of concentration has provided excellent prediction results, several problems remained to be investigated and solved. The most obvious open issue is the correct treatment of land use change emssions. It turns out that the model improves by mostly neglecting them after 1959. This effectively implies that land use change emissions have been constant and small since then. The key investigation starts with the observation, that the total carbon sink has a short term component which be explained by temperature changes commonly known as El Nin˜o. The apparent paradox is analysed and explained, why contrary to the short term changes no temperature caused trend can be detected in the model, despite the fact that several contributing processes exhibit temperature dependency. The result of this analysis leads to the model extension, where the total effect of sinks and natural emissions are a linear function of concentration and temperature. This model not only explains current measurements but also paleo climate from ice-core time series.

Reducing CO2 emissions is urgently needed to slow down the impacts of climate change. CO2 capture using an amine solution has been developed and implemented on pilot and commercial scales. However, amine scrubbing, in particular, produces a lot of degraded solvent as waste and is energy intensive. Solid sorbents have been called to overcome those drawbacks. In this work, waste biomass-derived carbon materials were developed and tested for CO2 capture and conversion. Advanced thermal chemical processes i.e. hydrothermal and pyrolysis were applied to produce materials from agri-food waste such as soybean and okara. It was found that the number of functional groups (-C=O and -OH) in activated carbon appears in the synthesized materials, implying the generation of surface oxygenated groups. Preliminary results showed that the synthesized activated carbons are obtained with good yields, and a relatively high surface area, which may be applied as CO2 adsorption materials to solve the CO2 emission problems.

The main source of electricity worldwide stems from fossil fuels, contributing to air pollution, global warming, and associated adverse effects. This study explores wind energy as a potential alternative. Nevertheless, the variable nature of wind introduces uncertainty in its reliability. Thus, it is necessary to identify an appropriate machine learning model capable of reliably forecasting wind speed under various environmental conditions. This research compares the effectiveness of artificial neural networks (ANN) and convolutional neural networks (CNN) in predicting wind speed across three locations in South Africa, characterised by different weather patterns. Empirical results show that CNN outperforms ANN in accurately forecasting wind speed under different weather conditions. This superiority is likely due to the inherent architectural attributes of CNNs, including feature extraction capabilities, spatial hierarchy learning, and resilience to spatial variability. These results could be useful to decision-makers in the energy sector.

The impact of long-term soil and crop management practices on soil biological and chemical properties in oilseed brassica-based production systems were deliberated for holistic soil health improvement in the present study. Different tillage, crop residue re-cycling and cropping systems were studied for 5-years in 0-15 and 15-30 cm soil profiles. No-till permanent beds with crop residue (PB+R) noticeably improved soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), enzymes [dehydrogenase (DHA) and alkaline phosphatase (AlP)], nitrogen fractions (available, nitrate and total), and available phosphorus and potassium content in both the soil layers compared to conventional tillage without crop residues. Though, the plow soil layer (0-15 cm) showed higher concentration of soil carbon, enzymes, N fractions and available P than in the sub soil (15-30 cm). The dynamic soil biological and chemical properties were also varied with the crop stage, and recorded higher MBC at 30 days, SOC and enzymatic activities at 60 days, and N fractions and available P and K at harvest of mustard crop. Green gram-mustard rotation showed higher values of biological and chemical parameters. Thus, the legume-based mustard crop rotation following no-till permanent beds and residue re-cycling found holistic in improving soil health, and nutrient cycling.

Hybrid materials derived adsorbents have showed a great applicable efficiency in various fields including industrial uses and environmental remediation. Herein, the zinc oxide nanoparticles anchored carbon (ZnO-C) is fabricated and utilized for wastewater treatment by adsorption of Zn(II), Cd(II), Co(II) and Mn(II). The surface and structural characteristics are examined by TEM, SEM, XRD, FTIR, EDS and BET surface area. The Kinetics and equilibrium investigations are applied to optimize the adsorptive removal of Zn(II), Cd(II), Co(II) and Mn(II) onto ZnO-C. Results indicated formation of ZnO-C in crystalline spherical granules with nano-size between 29.3 and 48.8 nm. In addition, the spherical granules are gathered to form clusters. The FTIR indicated that the ZnO-C surface is rich with OH groups and ZnO. The adsorption capacity is reported as 212, 209, 200 and 230 mg/L for Zn(II), Cd(II), Co(II) and Mn(II) respectively. The optimum condition for maximum adsorption were pH between 5 and 6, contact time of 180 min and adsorbent dose of 0.1 g/L. The adsorptive removal data modeling for uptake of Zn(II), Cd(II), Co(II) and Mn(II) onto ZnO-C showed agreement with the assumption of pseudo 2nd order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm suggesting fast adsorption rate and multilayer mechanism. The achieved adsorption capacity using the prepared ZnO-C is more effective compared to ZnO, carbon, Fe3O4 and Fe3O4-C. Real wastewater samples are applied including valley water, industrial wastewater and rain wastewater and evaluated for applicable uptake of Zn(II), Cd(II), Co(II) and Mn(II) using ZnO-C and Fe3O4-C with high efficiency.

Matter grows and self-assembles to produce complex structures such as virus capsids, carbon fullerenes, proteins, glasses, etc. Due to its complexity, performing pen-and-paper calculations to explain and describe such assemblies is cumbersome. Many years ago, Richard Kerner presented a pen-and-paper path integral approach to understand self-organized matter. Although successfully addressed many important problems including the yield of fullerene formation, the glass transition temperature of doped chalcogenide glasses, the fraction of boroxol rings in B2O3 glasses, the first theoretical explanation for the empirical recipe of window and Pyrex glass and the understanding of virus capsid self-assembly, still is not the primary choice when tackling similar problems. The reason lies in the fact that it diverges from mainstream approaches based on the energy landscape paradigm and non-equilibrium thermodynamics. In this context, a critical review is presented, demonstrating that the Richard Kerner method is, in fact, a clever way to identify relevant configurations. Its equations are simplified, common physical sense versions to those found in the energy landscape kinetic equations. Subsequently, the utilization of equilibrium Boltzmann factors in the transition Markov chain probabilities is analyzed within the context of local two-level energy landscape models kinetics. This analysis demonstrates that their use remains valid when the local energy barrier between reaction coordinate states is small compared to the thermal energy. This finding places the Richard Kerner model on par with other more sophisticated methods and, hopefully, will promote its adoption as an initial and useful choice for describing the self-agglomeration of matter.

We propose a silviculture with a purely biological logic that takes soil into account. The article is divided into three parts: 1) presentation of the issue in the context of biodiversity and forest pro-tection; 2) impact of the soil functioning on forestry; 3) possible implementation of soil functioning in forestry practice, to support and protect a non-or minimally anthropized evolution of the forest. The first chapter illustrates the importance of the forest for the future of the planet and our human species, referring to recently published works on the topic of climate warming and biodiversity. The second illustrates the aspects that link soil dynamics to the silvogenetic cycle, focusing on the humipedon (organic and organo-mineral surface horizons, approximately the first 30 cm of forest soil), and more significant carbon storage in old forests since up to 2/3 is found in the soil. In the third chapter we consider the possibility of lengthening the forestry cycle, to allow the return of nutrients to the soil. Theoretical graphs and distribution models of the number of trees as a func-tion of diameter and age are reported, with examples of logging in uneven Alpine forests, with reference to Swiss fir-beech forests published on the Pro-Silva website.