Search Results (41)

Land use transformation directly affects the stability and sustainability of regional ecosystems. Clarification of the trade-off/synergy dynamics among ecosystem services (ESs) provides a theoretical foundation to understand the transition of ES interactions from trade-offs to synergies, thereby facilitating the achievement in ecological sustainability in the ecoregion. This study, taking Jiangxi Province, China, as an example, utilized the InVEST model, Theil–Sen estimator, Mann–Kendall test, bivariate spatial autocorrelation, ecosystem service bundles (ESBs), and Random Forest (RF) models to conduct such an ecosystem-focused integrated analysis. According to land use changes from 1980 to 2020, the time-series spatiotemporal patterns of water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC), habitat quality (HQ), and carbon storage (CS) were analyzed. Differences in ES trade-off/synergy relationships and their underlying motivating factors were examined using a 3 km spatial grid framework. Compared with previous studies that mainly focused on typical subregions and of which driver analyses often remained at the individual ES level, this study introduced an explainable RF-SHAP framework based on the cooperative game theory at the grid scale, to quantitatively characterize the relative contributions of every motivating factor to ES trade-off/synergy relationships. The results indicate that from 1980 to 2020, forests and croplands constituted the predominant land use types, taking up 88% of the studied area. Throughout this period, forests, croplands, and grasslands decreased markedly, while built-up areas expanded notably, with a rise of 2876.65 km². Over the same time span, WY increased on average by 0.50% whereas SC, HQ, and CS declined by 0.50%, 0.98%, and 1.30%, respectively. Overall, these ESs demonstrated a geographical distribution characterized by low levels in SC, HQ and CS in the central area and high levels towards the provincial boundary. At the grid scale, the four ESs demonstrated predominantly a synergistic relationship while WY&HQ and WY&SC pairs were characterized by trade-offs. The constraint effect analysis revealed U-shaped relationships for SC&HQ, WY&HQ, and WY&SC, and inverted U-shaped relationships for SC&CS and HQ&CS, with clear threshold effects among these ES pairs. Based on self-organizing maps, the study area is partitioned into six ESBs, and the trade-off/synergy linkages of ESs are affected by the interplay of natural and societal forces. Elevation, slope, and rainfall emerge as the primary driving variables accompanied by population density and proximity to urban centers. These results are anticipated to offer reference to governments for their sustainable management in environmental resources to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 (Life on Land: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems). The methods used in this paper provide a replicable framework for exploring ES interactions and driving mechanisms in other ecologically sensitive regions in the world. Full article

Quantum computing threatens widely deployed public-key cryptosystems, accelerating the adoption of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) in practical systems. Beyond asymptotic security, the feasibility of PQC deployments depends on measured performance on real hardware and on implementation-level overheads. This paper presents an experimental evaluation of five post-quantum digital signature schemes (CRYSTALS-Dilithium, HAWK, SQISign, SNOVA, and SPHINCS+) and three key encapsulation mechanisms (Kyber, HQC, and BIKE) selected to cover multiple PQC design families and parameterizations used in practice. We implement a TCP client–server testbed in Python that invokes C implementations for each primitive—via standalone executables and, where provided, in-process dynamic libraries—and benchmarks key generation, encapsulation/decapsulation, and signature generation/verification on two Windows 11 commodity processors: an AMD Ryzen 7 4000 (8 cores, 16 threads, 1.8 GHz) and an Intel Core i5-1035G1 (4 cores, 8 threads, 1.0 GHz). Each operation is repeated ten times under a low-interference setup, and results are aggregated as mean (with 95% confidence intervals) timings over repeated runs. Across the evaluated configurations, lattice-based schemes (Kyber, Dilithium, HAWK) show the lowest computational cost, while code-based KEMs (HQC, BIKE), isogeny-based (SQISign), and multivariate (SNOVA) signatures incur higher overhead. Hash-based SPHINCS+ exhibits larger artifacts and higher signing latency depending on the parameterization. The AMD platform consistently outperforms the Intel platform, illustrating the impact of CPU characteristics on observed PQC overheads. These results provide comparative evidence to support primitive selection and capacity planning for quantum-resistant deployments, while motivating future end-to-end validation in protocol and web service settings. Full article

Desertification is an ever-growing global ecological and environmental problem. With the implementation of various ecological restoration initiatives, vegetation cover in many desert regions has increased substantially. Consequently, it is essential to understand the dynamics of ecosystem services (ESs) in desert ecosystems to better inform environmental management. This study integrates the InVEST model, RWEQ model, Spearman correlation analysis, trade-off and synergy coefficient method, and the Partial Least Squares Path Model (PLS-PM) to systematically assess the spatio-temporal dynamics and underlying driving mechanisms of five key ESs in the Kubuqi (KBQ) Desert, northern China. Specifically, the application of PLS-PM enables the identification of latent pathways, indirect effects, and multi-step causal relationships, which traditional correlation-based methods fail to capture. The results show that the KBQ Desert underwent substantial land use changes from 2000 to 2020: sandy land decreased by 2697.83 km², grassland increased by 1864.15 km², and cropland and urban land expanded by 519.15 km² and 257.74 km², respectively. ESs exhibited divergent trajectories. habitat quality (HQ), carbon sequestration (CS), soil conservation (SC), and water yield (WY) all showed overall increases, with WY and SC increasing particularly strongly, whereas Sand-fixation service (G) displayed a fluctuating trend. Over the past two decades, HQ–CS, HQ–G, and CS–G have shown moderately strong synergies, while CS–WY has exhibited a pronounced trade-off, and SC–G and SC–CS have displayed relatively weaker trade-offs. The spatial distribution results of trade-off and synergy relationships show that the KBQ Desert is dominated by a synergy relationship, and the main synergy relationship combinations are CS–HQ, CS–SC, and HQ–SC. The correlation coefficients between other ES pairs are generally low. Additionally, this study identifies key pathways through the PLS-PM method, such as PRE → NDVI → ES and LU → NDVI → ES, revealing the complex interactions between precipitation (PRE), land use (LU), and vegetation dynamics. The findings show that land use (LU) consistently exerts a strong negative impact on CS, while PRE and NDVI have a significant positive effect on WY. These pathways deepen our understanding of how climate and anthropogenic factors affect ESs, particularly the influence of temperature (TEMP) on evapotranspiration (ETP), which in turn affects WY. Additionally, the impact of NDVI on wind–sand fixation (G) and SC varies over time, with vegetation dynamics playing a particularly enhanced role in 2010 and 2015. These findings highlight the impact of ecological restoration and land management on regional ESs changes. A comprehensive understanding of the interactions between climate factors, LU, and vegetation dynamics will help in developing more effective intervention strategies. Full article

Cut flowers of Matthiola incana ‘Mera’ are widely used in floristics but because of wilting, premature leaf yellowing, and flower/inflorescence drying their ornamental value quickly drops. The postharvest performance of this valuable cut flower in terms of symptoms of wilting, relative water content (RWC), carbohydrate content, enzyme activity, and free proline content was studied in relation to the different preservative added to the vases with flowers. The tested preservatives were based on two biocides: 200 mg/L 8-hydroxyquinoline citrate (8-HQC) and nanosilver (NS) in two concentrations, 1 and 5 mg/L, with the addition of 2% sucrose (S). Control inflorescences were kept in distilled water alone. The above preservatives did not prolong vase life, but, on the contrary, decreased it, so flowers placed in distilled water lasted the longest. The contents of both total soluble and reducing sugars increased during flower senescence, reaching the highest level in flowers held in the solution of 5 mg/L NS plus 2% S. Similarly, the content of free proline increased, especially in flowers held in the 8-HQC with 2% S (standard preservative). The contents of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) varied in flowers from different solutions; however, they kept increasing during senescence in flowers from all the treatments. The highest activity of the antioxidative enzymes was found in flowers placed in water. Full article

Evaluating the potential chronic health risks posed by pesticides to consumers is essential for ensuring food safety and protecting public health. An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method coupled with modified QuEChERS extraction was developed to simultaneously determine 26 pesticide residues in wheat grain and bran. Samples were extracted with acetonitrile with 2% (v/v) acetic acid and cleaned up using C₁₈ sorbent. Method validation demonstrated excellent linearity, accuracy, and precision. When applied to 48 wheat grain and 24 bran samples collected from major wheat-growing regions in China, 12 and 21 pesticides were detected at concentrations ranging from <0.005 to 1.785 mg kg⁻¹ and <0.01 to 2.188 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Chronic hazard quotients (HQc) and acute hazard quotients (HQa) for all pesticides for grain and bran were far below the safety threshold of 100%. These results indicate that pesticide residues in wheat grain and bran present negligible chronic dietary risks to consumers across all age groups. Full article

Understanding the evolution of ecosystem services (ESs) is crucial for sustainable development in rapidly urbanizing regions. This study quantifies the spatiotemporal evolution of habitat quality (HQ), water yield (WY), and carbon storage (CS) in the Chang-Zhu-Tan City Cluster (CZTCC) of China from 2000 to 2020. Results showed that rapid urbanization—where construction land expanded from 2.78% to 7.40% of the area—was the primary driver of ES degradation. Specifically, low-quality habitat (HQ) areas expanded by 162%, and total carbon storage (CS) declined by 1.83% (11.78 Tg C), while regional WY fluctuated with precipitation. Inter-service relationships also became more conflictual: the trade-off between HQ and WY intensified (Pearson’s R strengthened from −0.696 to −0.735), a persistent trade-off between WY and CS was observed (e.g., R = −0.607 in 2020), while the HQ-CS synergy remained stable and strong (R > 0.88). These findings highlight escalating ecological conflicts and offer a robust scientific basis for optimizing land use to manage ES trade-offs and promote sustainable development. Full article

The emergence of quantum computing presents a significant threat to classical cryptographic primitives, particularly those employed in securing internet communications via widely used protocols such as Transport Layer Security (TLS). As conventional key exchange mechanisms will become increasingly vulnerable in the post-quantum era, the integration of post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms into existing security protocols is of utmost importance. This study investigates the impact of incorporating PQC key encapsulation mechanisms—specifically, the recent standards CRYSTALS-Kyber and HQC, in conjunction with the candidate standard BIKE—into the TLS 1.3 handshake. A comprehensive experimental evaluation was conducted to measure handshake latency under emulated network conditions with varying packet loss probabilities. The findings offer useful insights into the performance trade-offs introduced by PQC integration and further highlight the necessity of a timely transition to post-quantum cryptographic standards. Full article

Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is an important cut flower on the flower market. The process of forcing shrub is crucial for lilac availability for floristry for six months of the year: from November to April. In this study, the vase life and certain biochemical processes occurring during senescence of cut lilacs ‘Andenken an Ludwig Spaeth’ induced to flower between March and May were investigated. Additionally, the effect of standard preservative (8-HQC + 2% S) and biocide (8-HQC) was analyzed. The vase life in water was relatively short (4 d), although it lengthened with the season and the standard preservative improved it. This solution enhanced florets’ fresh weight, water uptake, and transpiration rate, also caused an increase in the electroconductivity of the cell sap. Several other senescence-associated parameters such as carbohydrate, soluble protein and free proline contents were affected by the preservative whose effects were comparable to those found earlier in the winter forced lilacs. A highly efficient antioxidant enzyme system including catalase (CAT), peroxidases (POX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) was present in developing inflorescences but the enzyme activity decreased in senescing florets. The hydrogen peroxide content and catalase activity were the highest in the biocide-treated flowers. Generally, in cut lilacs induced to bloom in April the changes in senescence-associated phenomena under study were occurring as in the flowers forced for November–December sales. Research shows the significant importance of sugar as a component of the cut flower preservatives whose use was essential for a proper bud development and good postharvest quality of cut lilacs. Full article

Conventional methods for testing steroids and hormones (SHs) in environmental samples are exhaustive, complex, and score poorly in sustainability matrices. Therefore, this study evaluates the automated sample preparation approach using the modular Biomek i7 Workstation for the analysis of 27 SHs in wastewater. Method development involved optimizing Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) parameters, preparing wastewater matrix blank, and assessing extraction efficiency using three solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges. Extraction efficiency trials showed suitability in the order of Hydrophilic–Lipophilic Balance (HLB) > Mixed-Mode Cation Exchange (MCX) > Mixed-Mode Anion Exchange (MAX). The method demonstrated specificity for all targeted SHs, with Cholesterol showing a maximum interfering peak of 17.71% of the quantification limit (LOQ). The method met matrix effect tolerance of ±20% for 26 SHs, while Epi Coprostanol (34.92%) showed signal enhancement >20%. The 8-point calibration curve plotted using automated extraction demonstrated acceptable linearity across the tested range. Spiked studies at low (LQC), middle (MQC), and higher (HQC) quality control (QC) levels (n = 6, repeated on three separate occasions) demonstrated % RSD values within 20% and recoveries ranging from 71.54% to 115.00%. The method met validation criteria, showing reliability in Intra-Laboratory Comparison (ILC) and Blind Testing (BT). The method outperformed the conventional approach in greenness assessment (Complex Modified Green Analytical Procedure Index) and practicality evaluation (Blue Applicability Grade Index), offering an effective and sustainable protocol for environmental testing laboratories. Full article

Conventional methods for detecting pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in environmental samples are complex, resource-intensive, and not sustainable. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate an automated sample preparation approach using the Biomek i7 Workstation to analyze 69 PPCPs in wastewater, with the objective to improve monitoring of public health and environmental protection. The method underwent extensive development, including optimization of UPLC-MS/MS parameters, preparation of wastewater matrix blank sample and assessment of extraction efficiency using three types of SPE cartridges. Extraction efficiency trials revealed that the order of suitability for SPE cartridges is Mixed-Mode Anion Exchange (MAX) > Mixed-Mode Cation Exchange (MCX) > Hydrophilic–Lipophilic Balance (HLB). The method demonstrated specificity for all targeted PPCPs, with the max interfering peak for 1, 7 Dimethylxanthine reaching 14.79% of the response at the target limit of quantification (LOQ). The method met ±20% matrix effect tolerance for 63 PPCPs, while 6 PPCPs showed signal enhancement. The 8-point procedural calibration curve prepared using automated robotic extraction has demonstrated linearity across the tested range. A spiking study at low (LQC), medium (MQC), and high (HQC) quality control levels (n = 6), repeated on three separate occasions, showed % RSD values within 20% and % recovery between 80 and 120%. The method met validation requirements, showed reliability in Intra-Laboratory Comparison, Blind Testing (BT) and received high ratings for greenness (Green Analytical Procedure Index, Analytical GREEnness) and practicality (Blue Applicability Grade Index). Full article

The advent of quantum computers poses a significant threat to the security of classical cryptographic systems. To address this concern, researchers have been actively investigating the development of post-quantum cryptography, which aims to provide encryption schemes that remain secure even in the face of powerful quantum adversaries. To address this serious problem, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a body of the US government, has been working on the selection and standardization of cryptographic algorithms through competitive and rigorous evaluation on different fronts. NIST has selected different candidate algorithms to standardize public-key encryption, including key establishment algorithms and digital signature algorithms. This paper reviews some selected cryptosystems, mainly based on lattice- and code-based cryptosystems. These include digital signature algorithms, such as CRYSTALS-Dilithium, code-based cryptosystems, such as McEliece, and key encapsulation methods, specifically, Classic McEliece, BIKE and HQC. We will review these algorithms and discuss their security aspects and the current state-of-the-art in the development of these algorithms post NIST 3rd finalized selection. We will also touch briefly on the differences and practical applications of each of these schema. This review is intended for engineers and practitioners alike. Full article

Complex optimization problems, such as traffic routing and electric vehicle (EV) charging scheduling, are becoming increasingly challenging for intelligent transportation systems (ITSs), in particular as computational resources are limited and network conditions evolve frequently. This paper explores a quantum computing approach to address these issues by proposing a hybrid quantum-classical (HQC) workflow that leverages the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE), an algorithm particularly well suited for execution on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) hardware. To this end, the EV charging scheduling and traffic routing problems are both reformulated as binary optimization problems and then encoded into Ising Hamiltonians. Within each VQE iteration, a parametrized quantum circuit (PQC) is prepared and measured on the quantum processor to evaluate the Hamiltonian’s expectation value, while a classical optimizer—such as COBYLA, SPSA, Adam, or RMSProp—updates the circuit parameters until convergence. In order to find optimal or nearly optimal solutions, VQE uses PQCs in combination with classical optimization algorithms to iteratively minimize the problem Hamiltonian. Simulation results exhibit that the VQE-based method increases the efficiency of EV charging coordination and improves route selection performance. These results demonstrate how quantum computing will potentially advance optimization algorithms for next-generation ITSs, representing a practical step toward quantum-assisted mobility solutions. Full article

Hybrid quantum–classical (HQC) computing refers to the approach of executing algorithms coherently on both quantum and classical resources. This approach makes the best use of current or near-term quantum computers by sharing the workload with classical high-performance computing. However, HQC algorithms often require a back-and-forth exchange of data between quantum and classical processors, causing system bottlenecks and leading to high latency in applications. The objective of this study is to investigate novel frameworks that unify quantum and reconfigurable resources for HQC and mitigate system bottleneck and latency issues. In this paper, we propose a reconfigurable framework for hybrid quantum–classical computing. The proposed framework integrates field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) with quantum processing units (QPUs) for deploying HQC algorithms. The classical subroutines of the algorithms are accelerated on FPGA fabric using a high-throughput processing pipeline, while quantum subroutines are executed on the QPUs. High-level software is used to seamlessly facilitate data exchange between classical and quantum workloads through high-performance channels. To evaluate the proposed framework, an HQC algorithm, namely variational quantum classification, and the MNIST dataset are used as a test case. We present a quantitative comparison of the proposed framework with a state-of-the-art quantum software framework running on a server-grade CPU. The results demonstrate that the FPGA pipeline achieves up to $8\times$ improvement in runtime compared to the CPU baseline. Full article

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of native ground-grown perennials in floral compositions as cut greenery. The easily available plant materials that can replace some exotic species include Hosta leaves and the leafy shoots of Polygonatum multiflorum. Their vase life should be at least as long as that of the flowers, with which they are combined. In order to prolong the vase life of cut greenery, the conditioning of cut plant material in solutions of plant hormones (GA3 and BA) and commercial conditioning substances (8HQC and Chrysal Clear 2) is most commonly performed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different conditioning solutions on vase life and parameters indicating the progression of the senescence of plant materials. Cut Hosta leaves and leafy shoots of Polygonatum multiflorum were conditioned immediately after cutting for 24 h in aqueous solutions of benzyladenine (BA) and gibberellic acid (GA₃), 8HQC standard medium with the addition of 2% sucrose and 1% Chrysal Clear 2 solution. The post-harvest storage and physiological senescence parameters of the plant materials were analyzed using the following indicators: the vase life, the relative water content (RWC), electrolyte leakage (E_L), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and pigment contents (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, and anthocyanins). Conditioning Hosta leaves in a BA solution at 100 mg L⁻¹ immediately after cutting more than doubles their post-harvest vase life. The longevity of P. multiflorum shoots can be effectively extended by storage in a BA solution of 400 mg L⁻¹, for 24 h. Both the plant materials responded to the progressive aging process with the disruption of water management, a reduction in cytoplasmic membrane integrity, and a decrease in the plant pigment content. Tissue water retention in the Hosta leaves was most favorably affected by conditioning in the GA₃ solution at a concentration of 400 mg L⁻¹. The P. multiflorum shoots responded with tissue water retention to conditioning in 1% Chrysal Clear 2 solution. The conditioning of Hosta leaves in BA solution at 400 mg L⁻¹ stabilized the cytoplasmic membranes and inhibited E_L most effectively. In P. multiflorum, the lowest E_L level was found as an effect of conditioning the shoots in GA₃ solution at 200 mg L⁻¹. The degradation of assimilation pigments was prevented by conditioning the Hosta leaves in GA₃ solution at 200 mg L⁻¹ and the P. multiflorum leafy shoots in GA₃ solution, regardless of the concentration used. Although the prolongation of the vase life of the cut leaves and the shoots by up to 30 days was achieved, along with an improvement in the appearance of the plant materials, it was not possible to identify a single conditioner that had a positive effect on all the parameters studied. Full article

In-depth analysis of the evolution of ecosystem services (ESs) in the basin at different spatial scales, scientific identification of ecosystem service clusters, and revelation of their spatial and temporal characteristics as well as coupling mechanisms of interactions are the key prerequisites for effective implementation of ES management. This paper assessed the spatial and temporal changes of six key ESs covering food provisioning (FP), water yield (WY), soil retention (SR), water conservation (WC), habitat quality (HQ), and carbon sequestration (CS) in the Xijiang River Basin (XRB), China, between 2000 and 2020. Given that the scale effects of ESs and their spatial heterogeneity in the XRB are still subject to large uncertainties, a combination of Spearman correlation analysis and geographically weighted regression (GWR) modelling systematically revealed the trade-offs and synergistic relationships between ESs and the scale effects from a grid, watershed, and county perspective. Additionally, we applied the self-organizing mapping (SOM) method to identify multiple ecosystem service bundles (ESBs) and propose corresponding sustainable spatial planning and management strategies for each cluster. The results reveal the following key findings: (1) Spatial distribution and heterogeneity: The six ESs demonstrated pronounced spatial variability across the study area during the two-decade period from 2000 to 2020. The downstream areas had higher levels of ESs, while the upstream regions showed comparatively lower levels. This trend was particularly evident in areas with extensive arable land, higher population density, and more developed economic activity, where ESs levels were lower. (2) Trade-offs/synergies: The analysis highlighted the prevalence of synergistic effects among ESs, with food provisioning-related services exhibiting notable trade-offs. Trade-off/Synergistic effects were weaker at the grid scale but more pronounced at the sub-basin and county scales, with significant spatial heterogeneity. (3) Identification of ESBs: We identified five distinct ESBs: the HQ-CS synergy bundle (HCSB), the integrated ecological bundle (IEB), the agricultural bundle (AB), the key synergetic bundle lacking HQ (KSB), and the supply service bundle (SSB). These clusters suggest that the overall ecological environment of the study area has significantly improved, the supply functions have strengthened, and ecosystem vulnerability has been effectively mitigated. Building upon the identified multi-scale spatiotemporal heterogeneity patterns of ESBs in the XRB, this study proposes an integrated framework for territorial spatial planning and adaptive land management, aiming to optimize regional ecosystem service provisioning and enhance socio-ecological sustainability. Full article