Abstract: Two centuries after Carnot defined thermodynamics as a scientific discipline based on work by engineers like James Watt, can we learn more from Carnot’s perceptive analysis of maximum power from heat engines? Using action mechanics, the rate of work in Carnot’s heat engine cycle can be integrated as external pressure-volume work, sustained by internal quantum field work, equal to changes in Gibbs free energy that was called caloric by Carnot. His treatise of 1824 even gave equations that express the work potential as a function of temperature and the logarithm of the change in volume. To answer this question, we apply Carnot’s principle defined by Clausius as entropy, to atmospheric heat-work cycles, such as in anticyclones. We show using Lagrange’s virial theorem how Carnot’s thermodynamic states as Gibbs potential become entangled with gravitational potential states. The effective capacitance of greenhouse gases for energy in the troposphere enable recycling of heat emitted from the Earth’s hot surface, thermally setting tropospheric air masses in action. By delaying irreversible emission of long wavelength quanta to space, this recycling process extends the residence time of solar energy in the troposphere as work, maximising troposphere entropy to the tropopause. The virial theorems of Lagrange and Clausius, governed on the principle of least action, provide a more accurate lapse rate in temperature with temperature in the atmosphere, replacing the paradigm of adiabatic expansion. Reversible 4-stage Carnot cycles, based on Lagrangian least variation in action, raise surface temperature and pressure from turbulent heat release, sustaining the weight of the atmosphere. New lessons for understanding climate dynamics are emerging from this virial-action analysis.

Abstract: Determining match pairs among disordered images is a prerequisite for constructing tie points and control networks for the bundle adjustment of planetary remote sensing images. The efficiency and accuracy of determining image match pairs greatly affect the performance of generating planetary mapping products and three-dimensional models. However, existing methods for determining image match pairs in the field of planetary mapping generally use exhaustive methods (such as the USGS ISIS software), which are extremely inefficient when processing a large number of images. This paper proposes an efficient method of image overlapping relationship analysis based on the spatial index of KD tree fast search for disordered and large-scale asteroid images. The algorithm first calculates the three-dimensional coordinates of the image center point, constructs a KD tree data structure based on the three-dimensional coordinates of each image center, and then uses the KD tree fast search algorithm to quickly find the image overlapping relationships within the spec-ified spatial range. For situations where the entire celestial body only occupies a local area of the remote sensing image during the approach stage of asteroids, the center of the effective pixels in the image is calculated by the ray intersection of sampling points. In this study, the image data from asteroid exploration missions such as Bennu, Vesta, and Ryugu are used for experiments, and the proposed image match pairs determination algorithm is systematically compared with the corre-sponding modules of USGS ISIS in order to evaluate its performance in terms of efficiency and accuracy. The results show that when processing more than a thousand images, the proposed method is two to three orders of magnitude higher in efficiency than the corresponding module in USGS ISIS while ensuring the correctness of the image overlapping relationships and the accuracy of bundle adjustment, with the advantage becoming clearer as the amount of data increases. At the same time, according to the obtained image match pairs, images that meet the requirements of Stereo Photoclinometry can be quickly and preferably selected, effectively improving the quality of 3D reconstruction models of asteroid images.

Abstract:

Recent advances in emissions accounting present a new understanding of climate change drivers. These advances are unconventional but promise a more consistent and inclusive accounting of greenhouse gases. We apply these advances, namely: consistent gross accounting of CO₂ sources; linking land use emissions with sectors; using Effective Radiative Forcing (ERF) rather than Global Warming Potentials (GWPs) to compare emissions; and inclusive accounting of heating and cooling emissions. This approach boosts perceived carbon emissions from deforestation, and finds agriculture, the most extensive land user, to be the leading emissions sector and to have caused 60% (44%-86%) of global surface air temperature (GSAT) change from 1750 to 2020. We also find that fossil fuels are responsible for 23% of warming, a reduced contribution due to masking from cooling co-emissions. We test the validity of this accounting and find it useful for determining sector responsibility for present-day warming and for framing policy response, while recognising the dangers of assigning value to cooling emissions, due to health impacts and future warming.

Abstract: This study addresses the pressing need for standardized methodologies to quantify microplastics within the fine fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW), often overlooked despite its potential en-vironmental impact. Five extraction protocols were evaluated to identify the most effective method for isolating microplastics in fine waste. These were specifically applied to samples from the Uni-versidad Autónoma Metropolitana and one transfer station in Mexico City. A potassium hydroxide digestion protocol with subsequent flotation and centrifugation steps achieved optimal results, ensuring complete organic matter degradation and high microplastic recovery. Subsequent analyses revealed notable concentrations of microplastics, primarily fragments and fibers, with higher abundance at the university site. Statistical tests confirmed significant differences between sample sites. These findings highlight the vulnerability of MSW fine fractions to microplastic contamination and underline the importance of targeted waste management strategies. This research contributes to understanding microplastic behavior in waste management systems and emphasizes the need for mitigation efforts to prevent environmental contamination.

Abstract: In countries such as Italy, there is a notable skewing of the population pyramid toward older age groups and individuals with chronic health conditions. This demographic shift is anticipated to result in increased social costs. It would be advantageous to enhance the physiological conditions and socialization opportunities for the elderly, as this may lead to improved overall well-being and a reduction in healthcare expenditures. It can be reasonably argued that there is a substantial potential for the ecosystem services provided by forest and woodland ecosystems to benefit this particularly vulnerable population. Due to its distinctive territorial configuration, Italy presents a multitude of opportunities for implementing restoration policies. A crucial step is to evaluate the actual welfare benefits that natural areas can offer. To this end, an experimental campaign was conducted in the Parma area of northern Italy, which aimed to assess the positive impact of ecosystem services in comparison to urban environments. The results of this study lend support to the notion that policies which encourage the temporary residency of the elderly in forested and wooded areas may facilitate physiological recovery.

Abstract: Month-long and seasonally persistent apparent tilts in atmospheric radar scatterers have been measured with a network of 6 windprofiler radars over a periods of two and more years. The method used employs cross-correlations between vertical winds and horizontal winds measured with the radars. It is shown that large-scale apparent tilts which persisted for many weeks and months were not uncommon at many sites, with typical tilts varying from horizontal to 2o from horizontal. The azimuthal and zenithal alignment of the tilts depend on local orography as well as local seasonal atmospheric conditions. It is demonstrated that these apparent tilts are not true large-scale phenomena, but rather are a manifestation of coordinated motions within turbulent radar-scattering structures at scales of a few metres and tens of metres, with these structures themselves being defined by larger-scale and longer-term physical processes. Implications for interpretation of the nature of turbulent eddies, the accuracy of vertical wind measurements, and the nature of layering and scattering in the real atmosphere, are discussed. For the first time, a method which allows accurate measurement of the mean off-horizontal alignment of anisotropic turbulent eddies is introduced.

Abstract: What are the shapes of diversity with respect the shapes of the city? How those shapes can inform about the ecological fitness and guide the enhancement of a city? Can we detect sentinels for the ''wing of change''? Eco-climatically sensitive species carry information of envionmental change in their distribution, fitness, and preferential gradients of the habitat suitability that is largely linked to the hydrological stress. Conversely, environmental features outside of these species' niche convey information of potential extreme climate to mitigate. Here we propose a model, as a proof of concept and paradigm, to extract the multivariable functional networks and their attraction basins carrying the signature of compounding hydroclimatic pressure on species fitness. Specifically, we consider butterflies and their habitat suitability (HS) to infer maximum suitability gradients that are meaningful of potential species flows with the least resistance within an ecosystem and sentinels of climate stress. These flows are compared to the distribution of urban parks to identify their ecological attractiveness for species, observed and potential connectivity, and park potential to reduce hydroclimatic impacts. Results are shown for the city of Shenzhen that is one the most quickly developing and green cities per population size worldwide. Ecoflow networks are much more extended, scale-free, and clustering for low HS gradient areas populated by large reservoirs that act as sources of ecological corridors ''draining'' into urban parks. Parks have higher HS and gradients, and small-world connectivity that does not overlap with hydrological networks. We find diverging patterns of abundance and diversity increasing and decreasing with HS where the latter is largely determined by temperature and precipitation of the coldest quarter, and seasonality, which are critical fetaures of the hydrologic cycle that is worrisomely changing worldwide. Interestingly a U-shape pattern is found between abudance and diversity, similarly to the one in natural ecosystems. Additionally, both abundance and diversity are mildly associated with park area according to a power function, unrelated to longitude but related to the degree of urbanization/park centrality (due to isolation in rich parks) counterintuitively. Ecological patterns such as the Preston plot and abundance rank can reflect the stationarity of ecological communities (and their divergence) but cannot be informative about the community connectivity and fitness. The maximum HS gradients are meaningful of potential species flows and eco-change. Those, within their attraction basins, can inform about the collective function of ecological communities, like parks in cities. More importantly, flows as distributed stress-response of species are the blueprint for the design of ecotone networks along hydrologic corridors, regulating temperature and evapotranspiration, connecting communities and mitigating climate-driven eco-shifts locally and butterfly effects at larger scales.

Abstract: Ginkgo biloba, a "living fossil" with immense medicinal and conservation value, is a nationally first-class protected wild plant. However, many Ginkgo populations are under threat from habitat destruction, human exploitation, and over-harvesting, which has limited their numbers and range. Using an optimized MaxEnt model in R, this study analyzed Ginkgo distribution points and 22 ecological factors in China to explore the key environmental factors affecting its geographical distribution. The study also predicted the spatial distribution patterns and centroid changes of potential suitable areas under three different carbon emission pathways: current conditions, 2021-2040 (2030s), 2041-2060 (2050s), and 2061-2080 (2070s). The findings are as follows: (1) The optimal model parameter combination (RM = 3.2, FC = LPH) resulted in the lowest complexity and overfitting, while achieving very high prediction accuracy. (2) The key environmental factors influencing Ginkgo growth include precipitation in the driest month (20–175 mm), minimum temperature in the coldest month (-4 to 3°C), precipitation in the hottest quarter (450–2500 mm), and a temperature seasonal variation deviation greater than 580. (3) Under the three future climate scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585), the potential suitable habitat area for Ginkgo biloba in China is expected to increase, with the distribution range migrating to higher latitudes. This study is highly significant for the ecological protection of Ginkgo, aiding in the rational planning of potential suitable areas, enhancing the monitoring of key conservation areas, and developing effective protection strategies in a timely manner.

Abstract: Nanomaterials used can significantly improve the analytical performance of optical sensors to environmental pollutants. Two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) exhibits some unique physicochemical properties such as strong light-matter interaction, bandgap tunability, and high carrier mobility, which are beneficial for constructing flexible optoelectronic devices. In this Review, the principle and classification of 2D MoS2-based photodetectors (PDs) are introduced, followed by a discussion about the physicochemical properties of 2D MoS2, as well as structure-property relationships of 2D MoS2-based photoactive materials for PDs to understand the modulation strategies for enhancing the photodetection performance. Furthermore, we discuss significant advances in the surface modification and functionalization of 2D MoS2 for developing high-performance PDs, particularly focusing on synthesis pathways, modification strategies, and underlying physiochemical mechanisms for enhanced photodetection capabilities. Finally, conclusions and research perspectives on resolving significant bottlenecks or remaining challenges are offered based on recent developments in 2D MoS2-based PDs.

Abstract: Miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus) and Willow (Salix spp.) are promising bioenergy crops due to their high biomass yields and adaptability to diverse climatic conditions. This study applies the MiscanFor/ SalixFor models to assess the sustainability of these crops under current and future climate scenarios, focusing on biomass productivity, carbon intensity (CI), and energy use efficiency (EUE). Under present conditions, both crops show high productivity in tropical and subtropical regions, with Miscanthus generally outperforming Willow. Productivity declines in less favourable climates, emphasizing the crops' sensitivity to environmental factors at the regional scale. The average productivity for Miscanthus and Willow was 19.9 t/ha and 10.4 t/ha, respectively. Future climate scenarios (A1F1 and B1) project significant shifts, with northern and central regions becoming more viable for cultivation due to warmer temperatures and extended growing seasons. However, southern and arid regions may experience reduced productivity, reflecting the uneven impacts of climate change. Miscanthus and Willow are predicted to show productivity declines of 15% and 8%, and 12% and 7% under A1F1 and B1, respectively. CI analysis reveals substantial spatial variability, with higher values in industrialized and temperate regions due to intensive agricultural practices. Future scenarios indicate increased CI in northern latitudes due to intensified land use, while certain Southern Hemisphere regions may stabilize or reduce CI through mitigation strategies. Under climate change, CI for Miscanthus is projected to increase by over 100%, while Willow shows increase of 64% and 57% for A1F1and B1, respectively. EUE patterns suggest that both crops perform optimally in tropical and subtropical climates. Miscanthus shows a slight advantage in EUE, though Willow demonstrates greater adaptability in temperate regions. Climate change is expected to reduce EUE for Miscanthus by 10% and 7%, and for Willow by 9% and 6%. This study underscores the need for region-specific strategies to optimize the sustainability of bioenergy crops under changing climate conditions.