Search Results (88,157)

The electrification of public transport, particularly Bus Rapid Transits (BRT), is a significant step toward achieving sustainable urban mobility and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. However, rapid adoption of Electric Vehicles Smart Charging (EVSC) infrastructure presents grid stability, economic and environmental concerns. The rising demand for electric cars, particularly in developing nations such as Nigeria, highlights the urgent need for a sustainable hybrid renewable energy charging infrastructure for BRT systems. This study presents a techno-economic assessment of an off-grid hybrid systems that use photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines (WTs), hydrogen (H₂), fuel cell (FC) and battery technologies to power Electric Vehicles Smart Charging within Bus Rapid Transits networks. The Lagos BRT charging system at City Mall Station (CMS) serves as a case study, with hourly renewable resources obtained from National Aeronautics and Space Administration database (NASA). Using the HOMER pro-optimization tool, a multi-criteria analysis is performed to evaluate system viability, with special focus on key metrics such as levelized cost of energy (LCOE), net present cost (NPC), renewable energy fraction (REF), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The simulation results demonstrate that the hybrid PV/wind/FC/battery configuration is exceptionally economical, with an LCOE as low as $0.222/kWh, $2.03M NPC, 51.3% REF, and 159,209 kg of carbon dioxide emissions per year compared to grid-dependent charging. The study shows that integrated renewable-hydrogen systems are not only financially feasible, but also provide significant insights for policymakers, transportation authorities, and energy planners seeking to accelerate the transition to green public transportation infrastructure through innovative hybrid energy schemes. Full article

Recently, an anti-inflammatory effect of no-ozone cold plasma (NCP) has been reported, but the direct use of NCP for treating muscle inflammation is very difficult since NCP is a form of gas. In this study, we tested whether the anti-inflammatory effect of the NCP could be delivered through conductive metal needles to reduce muscle inflammation. C2C12 mouse muscle cells were treated with TNFα to induce muscle inflammation and then treated with NCP and a conductive metal needle separately or in combination. The effects of NCP and a needle were monitored by performing RT‒PCR and Western blot analysis. As a result, NCP effectively suppressed the TNFα-mediated expression of the TNFα, IL1β, and FasL genes, but this effect weakened as the distance between the cells and the NCP increased. On the other hand, treatment of cells with a plasma-needle (PN) had an anti-inflammatory effect regardless of distance, and the anti-inflammatory effect of the PN was maintained under conditions where the gas flow of NCP was not delivered to the cells. It is believed that the PN-mediated activation of media plays a pivotal role in the anti-inflammatory effect of the PN. Finally, this study also showed that electroacupuncture can inhibit TNFα-induced inflammatory gene expression in a manner like a PN. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that the anti-inflammatory effect of NCP can be delivered through metal needles, suggesting that PN may be useful for treating inflammatory muscle pain. Full article

Offshore pipeline landfall sections in tropical coastal zones are often exposed to dynamic hydrodynamic forcing, which may induce seabed erosion and wave-driven liquefaction and thereby affect burial stability. This study presents an integrated assessment of seabed stability for an offshore gas pipeline along the Sarawak coast of the South China Sea, aiming to support burial-depth design in the nearshore surf zone. A multi-model framework was applied to simulate regional hydrodynamics, sediment transport, storm-induced seabed morphodynamics, and wave-induced liquefaction. Model performance was evaluated using field observations, bathymetric survey data, and laboratory experimental results. The results indicate that the seabed remains generally stable under normal environmental conditions, whereas extreme storm-wave forcing may induce localized surf-zone erosion and shallow seabed weakening. Under the 100-year storm-wave scenarios, the maximum simulated erosion depth reaches approximately 0.82 m, and the potential liquefaction response is mainly confined to the upper approximately 1.0 m of the seabed. These results suggest that storm-induced morphodynamic cover loss and wave-induced degradation of near-surface soil support should be evaluated jointly. Based on this integrated process envelope, a minimum burial depth of 2 m is recommended as a conservative engineering requirement for the examined landfall conditions. This process-integrated assessment workflow offers an applicable reference for the design and risk mitigation of analogous offshore pipeline projects in tropical coastal zones. Full article

The paper presents the results of experimental studies aimed at assessing thermal conductivity, compressive strength, water absorption and capillary action of samples in the form of ordinary concrete (reference sample—B1) and lightweight concrete with the addition of a biocomponent (C100) in the range of 3–31.2% porosity with varied morphology. Gas permeability studies were conducted for porous materials with an anisotropic structure. The measurement results indicate a significant effect of the type of material on thermal conductivity for B1, which is 3.05 W·(m·K)⁻¹ and C100 equal to 0.09 W·(m·K)⁻¹. On the other hand, the highest water absorption is demonstrated by C100, which is 99%, and the lowest by B1 equal to 2%. Tests were conducted for different gas permeability conditions using oxygen (O₂), nitrogen (N₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). The basis for assessing gas permeability through porous beds is the gas flow resulting from the overpressure forcing this flow. The highest gas permeability coefficient at a flow resistance of 6 kPa for B1 was 2.7·10⁻⁷ m², and for C100, 2.1·10⁻⁷ m² at CO₂ flow. The following issues were identified: scientific, identifying the lack of research on gas permeability testing for anisotropic concrete structures; application, identifying reports of premature failure of concrete structures in livestock buildings due to the effects of toxic substances. The novelty in the article is the indication of the gas permeability model and the performance of a comparative analysis (multi-criteria analysis) based on diagnostic features. In the hierarchical decision-making structure, gas permeability was used as one of the evaluation criteria, which can be assessed as a stimulant or destimulant depending on the climatic zone. The permeability of gas media is one of the features that allow for assessing the suitability of materials, among others, for small-sized prefabricated wall systems—the durability of both the element itself and any reinforcing inserts depends on permeability. The aim of this article was to compare the physical and functional properties of materials, such as thermal conductivity, water absorption, capillarity and gas permeability, in relation to the material composition. The research was of an application and engineering nature, focusing on macroscale functional parameters that are important from the point of view of the practical application of the tested building composites. The scientific problem is to indicate the lack of scientific research on the study of gas permeability in anisotropic concrete structures in livestock building conditions. The engineering use of hempcrete indicates its usefulness in various structural elements of livestock buildings. Full article

Achieving a circular and climate-neutral bioeconomy by 2050 requires not only high-quality recycling but also the large-scale integration of renewable carbon from biomass and atmospheric CO₂ into material systems. Plastics represent the world’s largest and most rapidly growing carbon sink, positioning them as a critical intervention point for replacing fossil-based feedstocks with renewable alternatives. Because plastic packaging is one of the most visible material streams encountered by consumers in daily life, a transition toward sustainable, recyclable bioplastics has the potential to deliver both meaningful environmental benefits and strong societal impact, accelerating public awareness and acceptance of renewable carbon solutions. Poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF)—a fully bio-based polyester synthesized from plant-derived 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and monoethylene glycol (MEG)—offers a promising pathway toward more sustainable packaging due to its superior mechanical strength and gas-barrier performance relative to polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This study presents a cradle to grave life cycle assessment (LCA) of PEF resin production and PEF bottle applications, using industrially relevant, at-scale process data covering biomass feedstock conversion, polymer synthesis, packaging manufacture, use phase, and end of life. Bottle applications were selected as a focal point due to their technical maturity, commercial relevance, and suitability for direct comparison with incumbent PET systems. The results indicate that PEF can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 71% and fossil resource depletion by 26% compared to PET at the resin level when biogenic carbon uptake is included. Moreover, the material’s enhanced functional properties enable lightweight, recyclable bottle designs with carbon footprint reductions of up to 88% for 500 mL formats under a baseline recycling rate scenario of 72%, with the remaining share directed to municipal solid-waste incineration with energy recovery. Sensitivity analyses reveal that virgin PEF maintains environmental advantages over PET even when PET incorporates high levels of recycled content, highlighting the complementary roles of renewable carbon and circular material strategies. Prospective scenario modeling underscores the importance of sustainable feedstock selection and process electrification, with sucrose-based routes offering the largest potential for further decarbonization. Overall, the findings demonstrate that PEF is a scalable biopolymer capable of delivering substantial climate benefits while supporting circularity objectives. By targeting a highly visible consumer application—plastic packaging—this transition amplifies the societal impact of adopting renewable carbon materials. The study provides actionable insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and sustainability practitioners working to advance a more resilient, renewable, and consumer-recognizable plastics economy. Full article

The increasing share of renewable energy, such as solar and wind energy, in the energy mix implies a demand for sustainable energy storage systems for the mitigation of the intermittency of these energy sources. One option, therefore, is stationary batteries based on abundant sodium, stored in hard carbon (HC) anodes. In this work, following the sustainable by design principle, HCs were synthesized from cotton-based textile waste using three different thermochemical routes: hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) followed by pyrolysis under nitrogen atmosphere (HC-250-N), HTC followed by pyrolysis under a water vapor stream (HC-250-W), and direct pyrolysis (HC-direct-N). The impact of the synthesis method on the physicochemical properties and electrochemical performance of the HCs was thoroughly investigated. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and gas adsorption analyses revealed that the HTC pre-treatment significantly enhanced the carbon content, microporosity, and degree of structural graphitic order. HC-250-N exhibited the highest graphitic character and more uniform microstructure, while HC-250-W showed the largest specific surface area and broader micropore distribution. Electrochemical evaluation in sodium-ion half-cells indicated that HC-250-N delivered the most balanced performance, with a reversible capacity of 335 mAh g⁻¹ and good cycling stability. These findings confirm the potential of textile waste-derived HCs as promising and sustainable anode materials for sodium-ion batteries and highlight the importance of tailoring synthesis parameters—such as HTC treatment and pyrolysis conditions—to optimize their structural and electrochemical properties. Full article

The growing demand for reliable, real-time detection of ammonia (NH₃) has accelerated the development of chemiresistive gas sensors, while conventional semiconductors employed as sensing materials in chemiresistive sensors remain constrained by limited selectivity and high operating temperatures (typically 200–400 °C). Among the emerging porous materials, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted significant attention as room-temperature NH₃ sensing materials owing to their structural tunability, enabling precise control over pore chemistry, functionality, and metal centers. However, a comprehensive study specifically focused on MOF-based chemiresistive NH₃ sensors operating at room temperature remains limited. This review critically targets the investigation of pristine MOFs, conductive MOFs, and MOF-based composites for NH₃ sensing, with an emphasis on sensing mechanisms, structure–property–performance relationships, stability, selectivity, and environmental effects. Furthermore, rational design strategies and prospects are discussed to provide guidelines for the development of next-generation high-performance room-temperature NH₃ chemiresistive sensors. Full article

Electrically driven compressors are a primary energy consumer in natural gas storage facilities. Formulating an optimal gas injection allocation strategy considering their nonlinear characteristics and time-of-use (TOU) electricity prices is crucial. However, single-model optimizations struggle with this due to high dimensionality and strongly coupled variables. To overcome these challenges, we propose a two-stage “instantaneous load allocation—day-ahead scheduling” framework. Stage I employs a hybrid algorithm (ICSA-WOA) to optimize load allocations across various flow rates, generating a lookup table that effectively decouples the underlying physical model. Stage II utilizes this table alongside TOU prices to perform rapid day-ahead scheduling via dynamic programming (DP). Results demonstrate that ICSA-WOA achieves superior comprehensive performance compared to seven classical swarm intelligence algorithms. Furthermore, joint optimization of the pressure ratio and load via ICSA-WOA reduces the total power consumption by 9.7–10.9% relative to traditional fixed-ratio modes. Most significantly, while rigorously ensuring daily injection targets and safety, the proposed method reduces daily electricity costs by 3.3–14.2% compared to single-model approaches, providing a reasonable strategy for economic gas storage operations. Full article

Oil shale in situ conversion provides an important pathway for developing medium- to deep-buried, low-grade, and thin oil shale resources. Among the available approaches, the in situ conversion technology triggered by the topochemical reaction method, hereafter referred to as the TSA method, induces local oxidation reactions of pyrolysis residuals, fixed carbon, and reactive organic matter through preheating and oxygen-containing gas injection. The released in-formation heat then supports continued kerogen cracking and reaction-front propagation. This review summarizes the TSA method from a process-oriented perspective, linking reaction mechanisms, engineering controls, geochemical process identification, pilot tests, economic–environmental constraints, and scale-up evaluation. Existing studies indicate that the TSA method has formed a technical chain involving reaction initiation, heat/reaction-front propagation, oil and gas recovery, and process monitoring. Pilot tests provide evidence for operational feasibility, but not yet for full commercial feasibility. Thermal simulation results show that oil and gas generation and expulsion become significant above ~350 °C, and that 375–425 °C can be used as an important reference window for temperature control rather than a fixed optimum for all oil shale reservoirs. Geochemical indicators can provide complementary constraints for identifying reaction progress, especially when calibrated with produced oil and gas. Further development should focus on fracture-network control, heat-transfer enhancement, oxygen-supply regulation, multi-well coordination, equipment reliability, economic evaluation, groundwater protection, and CO₂ emission accounting. These issues are critical for advancing the TSA method toward larger-scale, low-carbon, and well-regulated application. Full article

Background: Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) in the United States face significant barriers to safe and equitable healthcare despite federal protections guaranteeing access to qualified interpreter services at no cost. Many patients with LEP remain unaware of these rights, relying instead on informal learning through clinical encounters and community networks which are unreliable pathways that may perpetuate language access disparities. Point-of-care educational interventions grounded in just-in-time and situated learning theory represent a promising but understudied approach to bridging this gap. Objective: The aim was to examine Spanish-speaking emergency department patients’ interpreter access patterns, baseline knowledge of federal language rights, and immediate responses to a brief multilingual point-of-care educational video intervention. Methods: A pre–post survey design was used with a convenience sample of 40 Spanish-speaking adult patients presenting to a large, level 1 trauma center ED in the Southeastern United States between February and April 2025. Participants completed a 22-item iPad-administered Spanish-language survey that included baseline knowledge questions, an embedded 2 min educational video about federal language access rights, and post-video response questions. Descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative data and thematic analysis was conducted for open-ended responses, with two independent coders achieving substantial inter-rater agreement (κ = 0.75, p < 0.001). Fisher’s exact tests examined associations between interpreter access mode and patient demographic characteristics. Results: Most participants (70%) accessed interpreters passively rather than by self-request, a pattern that did not vary significantly by patient status, age, or length of time in the United States. At baseline, 57.5% knew that federal laws prohibit language discrimination in healthcare and 77.5% knew they were entitled to a free qualified interpreter. Most participants (80%) reported learning something new from the video, with responses centering on rights awareness and anti-discrimination protections. Most participants (70%) reported that knowing their federal rights was helpful, describing increased confidence and reduced anxiety. All participants (100%) reported difficulty communicating without an interpreter and nearly all (97.5%) felt more confident asking questions when one was present. Conclusions: Significant knowledge gaps persist even among patients with some baseline rights awareness; a brief culturally appropriate point-of-care video may meaningfully increase awareness and confidence. The consistently passive pattern of interpreter access across all demographic subgroups underscores the need for proactive institutional practices and patient-facing education that empowers LEP patients to advocate for themselves in healthcare settings. Full article

The complex fracture networks, multiphase flow behavior, and nonlinear flow mechanisms induced by hydraulic fracturing in horizontal wells of shale oil reservoirs pose significant challenges to production evaluation. In this study, a semi-empirical productivity evaluation method for multiphase shale oil systems is developed by integrating production dynamics with flow mechanisms. Three-phase productivity equations for oil, gas, and water are established, explicitly incorporating the underlying flow mechanisms. A nonlinear flow index is introduced to characterize both the stress sensitivity of fractures and the threshold pressure gradient in the matrix. Key unknown parameters, including oil saturation, water cut, stimulated reservoir volume, and nonlinear coefficients, are determined through history matching of production data. The impacts of geological properties, fracturing parameters, operating conditions, and nonlinear flow parameters on oil–gas productivity are systematically investigated using the proposed multiphase semi-empirical model. The model is validated against production data from fractured horizontal wells in a field case, demonstrating its accuracy and applicability. Furthermore, the model enables reliable production forecasting based on the derived productivity relationships. The proposed approach provides a practical and efficient tool for rapid post-fracturing productivity evaluation in shale oil reservoirs. Full article

Despite Mozambique’s substantial natural gas reserves, most households rely on solid biomass for cooking, with serious consequences for public health, livelihoods, and the environment. The domestic use of these resources could improve energy efficiency, security, and sustainable development. This mixed-methods study uses household interviews, descriptive statistics, multinomial, and conditional logit models, analyzing data from a random survey of 434 households in energy-rich peripheries of northern Inhambane and Maputo City to ascertain the determinants of household cooking energy choice. Results reveal that rising income increases the odds of choosing electricity, LPG, and biomass over natural gas. In energy-rich peripheries, the odds of selecting biomass over natural gas are reduced by 96.2% compared to non-energy-rich regions. Educational and urban habitation are positively correlated with the adoption of electricity and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Price serves as a significant negative predictor of fuel selection (OR ≈ 0.000001), whereby each unit increase in price per GJ substantially diminishes the likelihood of opting for alternatives over domestic gas. Monthly fuel expenditure positively predicts electricity, LPG, and biomass adoption (OR = 1.0042), with effects accumulating meaningfully across realistic spending ranges. Households that experienced energy system incidents were more than twice as likely to switch away from natural gas (OR = 2.072), reflecting the critical role of infrastructure reliability in fuel choice. Given natural gas’s potential as a clean cooking transition fuel, the government should prioritize investment in gas infrastructure, expand domestic supply, and promote public awareness of the health and environmental benefits of clean cooking energy. Full article

The phase transition of the majority vote model with inertia has been investigated by means of extensive Monte Carlo simulations on directed Erdös–Rényi networks. Besides the usual average connectivity and local field that adds the opinion of the site itself, an additional term of inertia is considered. The relaxation time of the average opinion state of the network, together with the average opinion state fourth-order Binder cumulant and the corresponding opinion state susceptibility, have been analyzed for several different network sizes and local field and inertia parameter values, for average connectivity of 20 connections. The present results show that the phase transition of this model strongly depends on the inertia parameter, being quite different and richer than previous results of the same model on other regular networks. For inertia parameters between zero and 0.1 the system undergoes a continuous phase transition; for values in the range 0.1 and 0.2 no transition can be seen; for still larger values of inertia up to 0.5 a first-order phase transition takes place; finally, for values larger than 0.5 the dynamics is fully dominated by the inertia, and again no phase transition is observed. Full article

In mobile robot path planning, the conventional A* algorithm often suffers from redundant node expansion and excessive turning points, whereas the Dynamic Window Approach (DWA) is prone to local optima and deviations from the global path in dynamic environments. To address these issues, this paper proposes a hybrid algorithm, termed A*-GA-DWA, which combines an improved A* algorithm with a GA-optimized DWA method. In the global planning stage, a directional six-neighborhood search strategy, an obstacle-aware adaptive heuristic function, and a turning-point smoothing method are introduced to improve path quality and reduce redundant node expansion. In the local planning stage, genetic algorithm optimization is applied to the DWA evaluation weights to enhance obstacle avoidance adaptability in dynamic environments. In addition, key nodes extracted from the global path are used as sub-goals to strengthen the coordination between global guidance and local replanning. Simulation results on a 30 × 30 map with dynamic obstacles show that, compared with conventional A*-DWA, the proposed method reduces the path length by 14.07% and the navigation execution time by 45.98%; compared with M-A*-DWA, the path length and navigation execution time are further reduced by 0.32% and 21.23%, respectively. Additional experiments on a ROS-based mobile robot platform were conducted to further validate the deployability and obstacle-avoidance capability of the proposed framework. These results provide an effective solution for mobile robot path planning tasks. Full article

Battery-based electrification is increasingly recognised as a key pathway for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions in maritime transport, particularly for vessel segments characterised with short, predictable operation profiles. To ensure an environmentally sustainable transition, it is essential to quantify the potential environmental benefits of these solutions. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), standardised by ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, is the internationally recognised methodology for evaluating environmental impacts across the entire life cycle and for consistently comparing options providing the same function. This study presents a methodological review of LCA applications to battery-based ship electrification, with the objective of analysing key assumptions, comparability issues, and limitations across the existing literature. A systematic review was conducted on 24 studies, focusing on core methodological aspects, including product system definition, functional unit selection, system boundaries, life cycle inventory modelling, and impact assessment methods, while considering contextual elements such as fleet segmentation and propulsion configurations to support the interpretation of methodological choices. The analysis reveals significant methodological heterogeneity across studies, particularly in product-system definitions, functional unit selection, modelling detail, and impact category coverage, which limits cross-study comparability. This review also highlights a strong concentration of applications on short-route passenger ferries, while other vessel categories remain underrepresented, further constraining the generalisability of the findings. Although a direct quantitative comparison of results is not methodologically appropriate due to this heterogeneity, climate change mitigation consistently emerges as a key benefit across the analysed studies. At the same time, the multi-impact perspective of LCA highlights relevant trade-offs related to material use, toxicity, and resource depletion. Overall, the findings underline the need for more harmonised methodological approaches and a holistic life cycle perspective to support robust and comparable environmental assessments as battery-based solutions expand within the maritime sector. This review provides a structured interpretation of methodological variability and identifies priorities for future LCA applications. Full article