Sewage sludge is a useful raw material for the production of renewable energy due to its stable annual output. In this study, the enhancement of mesophilic anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge through heat pretreatment at 95 °C for 30 min was tested in an anaerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (hAMBBR). The sludge retention time was set at 20, 15, 10, and 5 days during 300 days of operation and compared to a traditional anaerobic continuous stirred tank reactor (AnCSTR) without pretreatment. Results of this research indicate that the digestion ratio of volatile soluble solids in the hAMBBR process could be improved by 50%, and the average conversion ratio of methane could be increased by 45%. When the sludge retention time (SRT) was shortened to 5 days, the methane production approached twice that of the contrast reactor. The expanded anaerobic digestion model, including activated sludge models, was utilized for operation simulation. The effect of sludge retention time (SRT) shortening on volatile suspended solids (VSS) digestibility and methane production was well reproduced with simulations. The research conclusion reveals the impact of pretreatment and reactor types on anaerobic digestion and provides the scientific basis for improving methane production and process efficiency in anaerobic digestion. Full article

In recent years, China has put forward comprehensive land consolidation projects to solve problems in rural areas, such as cultivated land fragmentation, scattered spatial pattern of construction land and ecological environment pollution, and boost the rural revitalization strategy. Constructing ecological networks is important for maintaining ecological security. This study built an ecological network using morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), spatial principal component analysis (SPCA) method and minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR) models to analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics and ecological security pattern. Finally, it was optimized by analyzing ecological network indices and using two methods of adding additional ecological sources and stepping stones. The results show that ecological sources and ecological corridors for three phases are located in the central and northern parts with an uneven distribution. In fact, adding new ecological sources is more efficient in balancing the ecological pattern of a study area. The ecological network indices α, β, γ and C values increased by 15.3%, 8.4%, 8.5% and 3.3%, respectively. Constructing and optimizing an ecological network is expected to provide scientific basis for small-scale landscape design, provide theoretical reference for spatial pattern optimization of comprehensive land consolidation projects and coordination of regional development and ecological protection. Full article

The Web of Things is an improvement on the Internet of Things (IoT) that incorporates smart objects into both the web architecture (application) and the internet (network). WoT applications are inescapable in residential homes and communities. The intent behind WoT applications is to increase sustainable development for reducing resource consumption. The Web of Things (WoT) aims to create a decentralized Internet of Things. Edge computing addresses IoT computing demands by reducing the escalation in resource congestion situations. In edge computing data is placed closed to the end users which diverts computation load from the centralized data centers. Furthermore, the dispersed structure balances network traffic and minimizes traffic peaks in IoT networks. Therefore, resulting in reducing transmission delays between edge servers and end users which improves response times for real-time WoT applications. Low battery supply to nodes with enough power resources can increase the lifespan of the individual nodes by moving processing and communication overhead from the nodes. This paper integrates WoT and edge computing and compares their functionalities. In addition, it demonstrates how edge computing enhances WoT performance and concentrates on transmission, storage, and computation aspects. Furthermore, for performance evaluation it categorizes edge computing based on different architectures. Moreover, the challenges of Web of Things and edge computing have been discussed in terms of bandwidth, latency, energy, and cost. Finally, advantages of the Web of Things and edge computing have been discussed. Full article

Salinity is one of the outstanding abiotic stress conditions that a significant part of the world faces. In recent years, beneficial microorganisms started to be utilized in plants to overcome several abiotic factors, including salinity. The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) mixture on growth and enzymatic responses in basil under salt stress were investigated using saline doses of 0 mM (Control), 150 mM, and 300 mM. Results showed that AMF enhanced all growth parameters, but only the leaf number was statistically significant. However, antioxidant enzymes, such as ascorbate peroxidase (APX) by 25%, catalase (CAT) by 25%, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) by 5%, significantly enhanced. At the same time, the accumulation of oxidative enzymes, like hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA), was reduced, from 12.05 μmol g⁻¹ fw (control) to 11.17 μmol g⁻¹ fw (AMF) and from 14.29 μmol g⁻¹ fw to 10.74 μmol g⁻¹ fw, respectively. AMF also significantly alleviated the chlorophyll loss caused by increasing saline doses. Multivariate analyses revealed the co-occurrence of stress metabolism enzymes as well as the proximate effect of AMF inoculation on basil yield and enzymatic activity. As a result, AMF was considered an appropriate tool for increasing growth and reducing salt stress under both stress-free and saline conditions. Full article

The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) is located in the mid-latitude and high-cold regions, and the ecological environment in most areas is fragile. Studying its surface vegetation coverage can identify the ecosystem’s development trends and provide a specific contribution to global environmental change. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) can better reflect the coverage of surface vegetation. Therefore, based on remote sensing data with a resolution of 1 km², air temperature, precipitation, and other data in the same period in the study area from 1998 to 2019, this paper uses trend analysis, F-significance tests, the Hurst index, and the Geodetector model to obtain the spatial distribution, change characteristics, and evolution trends of the NDVI in the TAR in the past 22 years. At the same time, the quantitative relationship between natural and human factors and NDVI changes is also obtained. The study results show that the NDVI in the southern and southeastern parts of the TAR is higher, with mean values greater than 0.5 showing that vegetation cover is better. The NDVI in the western and northwestern parts of the TAR is lower, with mean values less than 0.3, indicating vegetation cover is worse. NDVI in the TAR showed an overall increasing trend from 1998 to 2019 but a decreasing trend in ridgelines, snow cover, and glacier-covered areas. The areas where NDVI values show a trend of increasing and then decreasing in the future account for 53.69% of the total area of the TAR. The most crucial factor affecting NDVI changes in the TAR is soil type, followed by influencing factors such as vegetation cover type, average annual air temperature, and average annual precipitation. The influence of natural elements is generally more significant than anthropogenic factors. The influencing factors have synergistic effects, and combining anthropogenic factors and other factors will show mutual enhancement and non-linear enhancement relationships. This study provides a theoretical basis for natural resource conservation, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable human development strategies in the TAR. Full article

Office-based environmental control systems are centralized and designed to control entire spaces, ignoring use dynamics and requirements, and despite being regulated by standardized comfort models, they fail to satisfy real occupants, mainly due to their varied individual characteristics. This research is field-based with a quantitative approach and correlational design. Its objective is to empirically demonstrate that open-plan design, where different users share the same space and generalized environmental conditions, lacks a holistic view of IEQ criteria and the integration of other factors that affect health and well-being. Four buildings are chosen in different Chilean cities, measuring temperatures and CO₂ levels at different desks, and applying a survey, which was designed as part of the research to analyze the estimation of relationships between variables and to reveal the factors that cause differences among occupants. The results show that people’s satisfaction is multivariable and depends on other factors that positively or negatively stimulate their sensations and perceptions, such as, for example, the option to personally control their environmental conditions. Likewise, it is evident that to achieve comfort, health is being affected while in the building. Full article

Marine development and eco-environmental management have received increasing attention over the past two decades, however, no effective universal approach has been established to achieve marine development without destroying marine ecosystems. This study discusses the integrated ocean management (IOM) for meeting the sustainable development goal (SDG14) through the following four aspects: the marine eco-environment foundation, market mechanism, management support, and space consideration. Our findings highlight how to enhance the coastal and marine areas management efficiency to achieve ecological and socioeconomic values for sustainable development through the benign interaction of marine ecosystem and socioeconomic systems. The presented case study examines the IOM framework for achieving SDG14 in the Bohai Sea. Furthermore, content analysis and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The framework is theoretically and empirically explored in light of the Bohai Sea’s management, focusing on the role of the government and incentive. Further, issues preventing effective IOM are highlighted and a framework for optimizing the IOM implementation to better balance the interests of various industries is suggested. When implementing the IOM framework, each region should fully play to its own advantages and push forward with some focused aspects first. The long-term effect of the Bohai Sea’s management may need time to be verified, and the role of the market mechanism and multi-interest coordination mechanism need more special attention for the Bohai Sea in the future. Full article

To date, direct interactions between pests and natural enemies are often considered in biocontrol programs. Recently there has been an increase of evidence for the importance of third-party mediated indirect interactions in determining the population dynamics of insects. Predicting the strength of such interactions remains a central challenge in biocontrol assessments. Here, two field experiments were performed in two years to investigate to which extent Dysaphis plantaginea Passerini, Aphis pomi De Geer, and Myzus cerasi Fabricius might indirectly interact through shared natural enemies and ants. We first studied the population dynamics of target insects in isolated orchards of apples and cherries. Secondly, we investigated how the spatial coexistence of aphid-infested cherries can indirectly affect the population dynamics of apple aphids via natural enemies and ants. In the first experiment, nine parasitoid species were recorded on apple and cherry aphids, among them were three species in common. Six predatory families were found on cherry and apple aphids, while only one ant species, Lasius niger L., was found associating with these aphids. In the second experiment, temporal variation in the natural enemy-mediated apparent competition between M. cerasi and apple aphids was found. The cherry aphid is likely to be an important source of natural enemies that attack apple aphids early in the season. Significantly reduced numbers of ants associating with apple aphids in the intercropping habitat were found. Our results emphasize the importance of considering indirect interactions in the designing of pest management strategies. Full article

Introduction: This paper will build on existing scholarly assets, addressing how the avoidance of rural-to-urban labour migration as a solution to mitigate the challenges faced by left-behind children is pragmatically infeasible. As an alternative, this paper will engage in the discussion about the relevant policy development and existing policy gaps the Chinese Government has implemented and has been subject to, respectively, in order to locate the problems of how left-behind children continue to be exposed to emotional and psychological vulnerabilities, despite the Chinese Government’s interventions. Methods: Bibliographic databases, Google Scholar and PubMed were searched. A combination of words ((“left-behind children” OR “LBC”) AND (“China” OR “Chinese”) AND (“human rights” OR “mental health” OR “well-being”) AND (“policy” OR “policies” or “policymaking”)) was input into the search engines. A total of 38 papers deemed eligible and relevant were chosen non-systematically, studied and summarised. Results: Local rural governments lack any concrete measures designated for left-behind rural children to specifically support their mental health needs. Additionally, medical care coordination within the Chinese Government and across counties, respectively on improving the emotional and psychological well-being of left-behind rural children is disorganised. Moreover, there is a very limited collection of up-to-date and available datasets examining left-behind children’s development and well-being. Discussion: This paper suggests, in detail, how the Chinese Government can strategically apply policies and interventions for the redistribution of resources and opportunities to left-behind children in rural China. This paper recognises the existing interventions initiated and implemented by the Chinese Government for resource redistribution and, simultaneously, recommends that the Government follow two localised American models for further resource redistribution per se that are designed for benefitting left-behind rural Chinese children. Full article

The author would like to make the following corrections about the published paper [...] Full article

Agriculture is facing several very important challenges. Population growth means that more food must be produced to meet nutritional needs. However, this is putting excessive pressure on natural resources, such as water and land, which are heavily used for agricultural practices. For these reasons, we carried out a systematic review of existing studies in the scientific literature to better understand how innovative strategies can decrease water consumption in agriculture. It was performed following PRISMA guidelines, using the Scopus database to select papers that have investigated the link between water consumption and the main agriculture strategies, such as controlled-environment agriculture, hydroponics, and precision farming for field crops, in the last ten years. Data relating to the water requirements of the selected crops were estimated to provide a framework for evaluating possible solutions. The results showed that these innovative strategies have the potential to decrease water consumption, but more research is needed to fully understand their effectiveness and potential trade-offs. Therefore, both exogenous and endogenous crop factors should be considered to maximize water savings. The results will form the basis for a framework for assessing the sustainability of agricultural strategies and how they can be applied in a real-life case study. Full article

This study’s primary intent was to investigate the effect of extreme conditions, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic, by examining nurses’ perceptions of authentic leadership, meaningful work, and job meaning, and to compare this with the nurses’ perceptions from before the outbreak. In the study, 458 responses for both periods were analyzed and compared statistically by using the Mann–Whitney U test. The findings showed that nurses’ perception of line managers’ authenticity decreased during the outbreak. Therefore, in extreme conditions, leadership behaviors can be affected negatively by the context. During the outbreak, nurses attributed more meaning to their work. They felt more self-worth because of working for the greater good, and found greater meaning through the work during the COVID-19 outbreak compared to before the pandemic. The findings suggest that extreme conditions in a challenging environment can help nurses to find more meaning at work. For nurses, during the COVID-19 outbreak the purpose and meaning of their jobs remained the same as before the pandemic. Nursing requires different skills, talents, and opportunities for self-development, and it is challenging in nature. Full article

Climate change will challenge California agriculture, requiring producers (i.e., farmers and ranchers) to adopt climate-adaptive management practices to sustain production. Agricultural technical assistance providers (TAPs) play a significant role in supporting producers’ efforts to adopt climate-smart management practices. It is therefore important to understand current TAP perceptions of climate change, TAP recommendations for climate adaptation, and the barriers to adopting climate-smart practices. To understand these issues, we held four focus group discussions with small groups of TAPs from across the state and evaluated transcripts from the discussions to identify common themes and concepts. The TAPs that participated in the focus groups understood climate change and its impacts on California agriculture, with climate extremes and water-related issues being the most frequently cited climate-related challenges. Focus group discussions and subsequent evaluation revealed that while TAPs recommend science-backed practices for adapting California agriculture to climate change, producers may not be accepting of some recommendations. Critically, the TAP focus groups cited insufficient monetary support—both for themselves and for producers—and insufficient information and messaging around climate-adaptive practices as key barriers to practice adoption. This improved understanding of the intersection of TAPs’ work on climate change and climate adaptation in California agriculture is useful for the development of information and resources that can bridge these identified barriers. Full article

The study aims to prioritise investment projects of local Korean governments through priority analysis and provide basic data to secure sustainability by measuring the operational performances of these projects. We utilised the AHP technique to draw relative weight, followed by their correction, thereby deriving priorities across all 14 fields; the most important ones being social welfare (0.110), healthcare (0.108), fire prevention (0.097), environmental hygiene (0.092), and cultural tourism (0.088). Important areas prioritise balance and equity and their operational efficiency and productivity were based on statistical annual reports of 17 cities and provinces in Korea and Kosis data obtained from the National Statistical Office. For the measurement, we used six years of time series data from 2015 to 2020 and single point-in-time and annual trend analyses. The input factors were the amount of revenue and the number of public officials, and the output factors included the water and sewage supply rate, the number of tourists travelling for free, and the number of hospitals, welfare facilities, and rescue cases. These selections were appropriate to draw conclusions by analysing operational performance with detailed items in the priority field. Results revealed that the operating performance was excellent. However, to secure additional operational efficiency and productivity, technological innovation is needed. Full article

This article presents a review of research trends in gastronomic tourism. The objective is to identify the main lines of research of this type of tourism based on the scientific production published in the last five years in three scientific databases. It is an exploratory, descriptive, and analytical study based on a comprehensive narrative review and content analysis methodology. The results show the evolution in the scientific research of gastronomic tourism and the current state of knowledge within each line of research identified as a basis for future research. Full article