Search Results (118)

Sewage sludge management remains a critical challenge in Greece, where increasing regulatory pressure, environmental constraints, and limited stakeholder participation complicate regional decision-making. In particular, the revision of regional Waste Management Plans requires decision-support approaches that are both technically robust and socially legitimate. This study develops and applies a participatory, data-driven multi-criteria decision analysis framework to evaluate sustainable sewage sludge management strategies in the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. The framework combines structured stakeholder participation with quantitative performance assessment, enabling transparent, reproducible, and systematic comparison of alternative sewage sludge management options. Four realistic sludge management alternatives—composting fr agriculture, forestry use, land restoration, and thermal drying with energy recovery were assessed against fifteen economic, environmental, and social sub-criteria. Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to forty-four representatives from five stakeholder groups: utilities (water and sewerage service providers), local authorities, scientists/experts, end-users, and citizens. Group preferences were aggregated using equal group weighting to ensure balanced representation. The results show that environmental and economic criteria outweigh social aspects. The highest mean weights were assigned to compliance with environmental requirements for products derived from the disposal method (0.105) and compliance with stricter national environmental legislation (0.104), followed by energy intensity (0.097), installation cost (0.065), and operation and maintenance (O&M) cost (0.061). Overall rankings identified composting and thermal drying as the most preferred options, followed by land restoration and forestry use; sensitivity analysis (±10% variation in sub-criterion weights) confirmed ranking stability. The proposed framework enhances decision transparency by embedding measurable criteria and stakeholder inputs within a structured analytical process. From a policy perspective, it addresses participation gaps in Greek waste planning and offers a transferable decision-support tool for future regional planning. Further extensions may include integration with life cycle assessment and cost–benefit analysis to support adaptive updates under circular economy objectives. Full article

Several shale oil intervals, including those in offshore China, were deposited in paralic lacustrine basins that experienced marine incursions. Marine incursions could be either favorable or unfavorable for the accumulation of organic matter (OM) and shale oil. However, the influence and specific mechanisms of seawater on OM accumulation require further in-depth investigation. During the deposition of the Triassic Chang 7 Member in the Ordos Basin, seawater from the Paleo-Tethys Ocean intruded into the basin. Taking this interval as a case study, this paper employs comprehensive analyses to reveal the influence of marine incursion on water column conditions and OM accumulation. Under humid climatic conditions, the water body was fresh to brackish, characterized by high productivity and oxic–dysoxic conditions. The OM is primarily derived from algae, and its accumulation was jointly controlled by primary productivity, redox conditions, and terrigenous input. OM accumulation is controlled by fluctuations in the relative water level (RWL) associated with third-order sequences. During the period of high RWL, seawater incursions enhanced water column productivity and reduced conditions by increasing nutrient supply and salinity, resulting in the highest OM content. During the early and late periods of the RWL, as seawater receded, OM production declined while consumption and dilution increased, resulting in a gradual decrease in its content. The RWL fluctuations at the fourth-order scale also significantly influence OM accumulation. These results can enhance the understanding of OM accumulation in paralic lacustrine basins with a history of seawater incursion. While promoting shale oil exploration in the Ordos Basin, they can also serve as a research analog for shale oil exploration in basins with similar geological backgrounds, such as the Bohai Bay Basin. Full article

The second member of the Paleogene Funing Formation (E₁f₂) in the Gaoyou Sag, Subei Basin, is a promising shale oil target, yet its organic matter (OM) enrichment mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study integrates petrological and multi-proxy geochemical analyses to investigate lithofacies, paleoenvironmental evolution, and OM enrichment of the E₁f₂ shale. Seven lithofacies types transition upward from laminated (submembers III to V) to blocky structures (submembers I to II). TOC and hydrocarbon potential increase stepwise from bottom to top, with Type II OM dominant. The paleoenvironment evolved from arid, saline, and semideep lacustrine with strong terrigenous input (V); through semiarid to arid, brackish to saline, and semideep to deep lacustrine with peak productivity (III to IV); to humid to semiarid, fresh to brackish, and deep lacustrine with minimal terrigenous input (I to II). Anoxia persisted throughout. OM enrichment is jointly controlled by paleoclimate, water depth, paleosalinity, and terrigenous input, with paleoproductivity subordinate and redox conditions insignificant. Critically, terrigenous input exerts a non-linear dual control, defining an optimal window where nutrient supply, dilution, and oxidation are balanced. The highest OM enrichment in submembers I to II results precisely from terrigenous input falling within this window. This challenges productivity/preservation-dominant paradigms and provides a new framework for shale oil sweet-spot prediction in saline lacustrine basins. Full article

Realistic atomistic modeling of mineral and soil systems requires chemically meaningful representations of organic matter (OM). Bulk ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data have been proposed as compositional inputs for stochastic generation of OM structures, and prior studies using nonnegative multivariate curve resolution (MCR) suggested that bulk ¹³C NMR spectra of OM may be represented as mixtures of only a few components. However, these studies typically relied on single-block decompositions and did not explicitly assess decomposition uniqueness. The objective of this work was to examine whether a quantitative and chemically interpretable nonnegative MCR decomposition of OM can be obtained while explicitly evaluating (1) residual rotational ambiguity controlling the uniqueness of components, and (2) the variance captured by the decomposition. Using a dataset of International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) humic acids, fulvic acids, and aquatic OM, we applied single- and multi-block nonnegative MCR–alternating least squares (ALS) analyses integrating ¹³C NMR spectra, elemental composition (C, H, O, N, S), and titratable carboxylic and phenolic group contents. The multi-block approach effectively narrowed the feasible solution space and enriched the chemical characterization of the resulting MCR components. Across all analytical blocks, two chemically distinct components, an aromatic-rich and an aliphatic-rich motifs, consistently emerged, together explaining ~97–98% of the total variance and exhibiting near-zero residual rotational ambiguity. These findings support that diverse OM types can be represented quantitatively as mixtures of a small set of unique recurring compositional motifs. These motifs serve as ensemble-level averages whose underlying molecular diversity may vary substantially across materials. They provide quantitative, chemically justified inputs for molecular modeling of mineral–OM systems, which could contribute to chemical interpretability of modeling and provide better mechanistic insights into OM variation across diverse sample series. Full article

Ultra-high heat input welding offers high efficiency for large-scale offshore engineering, but excessive heat input can degrade low-temperature toughness. This study investigates the microstructural evolution and impact toughness of EH36 ship steel under high heat inputs (300–500 kJ/cm) using Gleeble-3500 thermal simulation, Charpy impact tests, and multi-scale characterization (OM, SEM, EBSD). Results show that impact toughness peaks at 400 kJ/cm, with surface and core energies reaching 343.33 J and 215.18 J, respectively. The optimal toughness is attributed to the formation of acicular ferrite and a high fraction of high-angle grain boundaries (up to 48.7%), which effectively inhibit crack propagation. These findings provide a practical basis for selecting heat input to balance welding efficiency and mechanical performance in marine steel fabrication. Full article

Driven by global initiatives to mitigate climate change, the offshore wind power industry is experiencing rapid growth. Personnel transfer between service operation vessels (SOVs) and offshore wind turbines under complex sea conditions remains a critical factor governing the safety and efficiency of operation and maintenance (O&M) activities. This study establishes a fully coupled dynamic response and control simulation framework for an SOV equipped with an active motion-compensated gangway. A numerical model of the SOV is first developed using potential flow theory and frequency-domain multi-body hydrodynamics to predict realistic vessel motions, which serve as excitation inputs to a co-simulation environment (MATLAB/Simulink coupled with MSC Adams) representing the Stewart platform-based gangway. To address system nonlinearity and coupling, a composite control strategy integrating velocity and dynamic feedforward with three-loop PID feedback is proposed. Simulation results demonstrate that the composite strategy achieves an average disturbance isolation degree of 21.81 dB, significantly outperforming traditional PID control. Validation is conducted using a ship motion simulation platform and a combined wind–wave basin with a 1:10 scaled prototype. Experimental results confirm high compensation accuracy, with heave variation maintained within 1.6 cm and a relative error between simulation and experiment of approximately 18.2%. These findings demonstrate the framework’s capability to ensure safe personnel transfer by effectively isolating complex vessel motions and validate the reliability of the coupled dynamic model for offshore operational forecasting. Full article

Taiwan has set an ambitious target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, relying heavily on offshore wind capacity of 13.1 GW by 2030 and 40–55 GW by 2050. Floating offshore wind (FOW) is expected to play a central role in meeting these targets, particularly in deep-water areas where fixed-bottom technology is technically constrained. This study combined S-curve modeling for capacity projections, learning curves for cost estimation, and input–output analysis to quantify economic and environmental impacts under three deployment scenarios. Our findings indicate that FOW development provides substantial economic benefits, particularly under the high-growth scenario. During the construction phase through 2040, total output is projected to exceed NTD 1.97 trillion, generating more than NTD 1 trillion in gross value added (GVA) and over 470,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. By 2050, operations and maintenance (O&M) output is expected to reach approximately NTD 50 billion, supporting roughly 14,200 jobs and about NTD 13.8 billion in income. Annual CO₂ reduction could reach up to 10.4 Mt by 2050 under the high-growth scenario, or about 6.86 Mt under the low-growth case, demonstrating the potential of FOW to drive industrial development while advancing national decarbonization. Full article

The role of soil microbial communities in soil organic matter (OM) decomposition, transformation, and the global nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) cycles has been widely investigated. However, a comprehensive understanding of how specific agricultural practices and OM inputs shape microbial-driven processes across different European pedoclimatic conditions is still lacking, particularly regarding their effectiveness in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This systematic review synthesizes current knowledge on the biotic mechanisms underlying soil C sequestration and GHG reduction, emphasizing key microbial processes influenced by land management practices. A rigorous selection was applied, resulting in 16 eligible articles that addressed the targeted outcomes: soil microorganism biodiversity, including microbiome composition and other common Biodiversity Indexes, C sequestration and non-CO₂ GHG emissions (namely N₂O and CH₄ emissions), and N leaching. The review highlights that, despite some variations across studies, the application of OM enhances soil microbial biomass (MB) and activity, boosts soil organic carbon (SOC), and potentially reduces emissions. Notably, plant richness and diversity emerged as critical factors in reducing N₂O emissions and promoting carbon storage. However, the lack of methodological standardization across studies hinders meaningful comparison of outcomes—a key challenge identified in this review. The analysis reveals that studies examining the simultaneous effects of agricultural management practices and OM inputs on soil microorganisms, non-CO₂ GHG emissions, and SOC are scarce. Standardized studies across Europe’s diverse pedoclimatic regions would be valuable for assessing the benefits of OM inputs in agricultural soils. This would enable the identification of region-specific solutions that enhance soil health, prevent degradation, and support sustainable and productive farming systems. Full article

The long-term monoculture of Eucalyptus plantations in southern China has raised ecological concerns, prompting a shift towards mixed-species plantations as a sustainable alternative. This study investigates the mechanisms by which companion tree species enhance soil functionality in subtropical red soil regions. A field experiment compared a pure Eucalyptus (CK) plantation with three mixed-species plantations: Eucalyptus × Mytilaria laosensis (A × M), Eucalyptus × Magnolia hypolampra (A × H), and Eucalyptus × Michelia gioii (A × X). Comprehensive soil analyses were conducted at three soil depths (0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, and 40–60 cm) to assess chemical properties, enzyme activities, and humus components, and soil organic carbon (SOC) molecular structure was characterized by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), with the relationships quantified using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test predefined causal hypotheses. The results showed that A × H significantly boosted topsoil fertility (e.g., OM: 46.61 g/kg), while A × M enhanced the recalcitrant organic carbon (ROC: 35.29 g/kg), indicating superior carbon sequestration potential. The FTIR analysis revealed species-specific alterations in SOC chemistry, such as increased aromatic compounds in A × H/A × X. The SEM analysis demonstrated that the latent variable “Humus” (reflected by LOC and ROC) directly and positively influenced the latent variable “Soil Fertility” (reflected by pH, OM, and AP; path coefficient: 0.62). In contrast, the latent variable “Organic Components” (reflected by specific FTIR functional groups) exhibited a significant direct negative effect on “Soil Fertility” (−0.41). The significant pathway from “Organic Components” to “Enzymatic Activity” (0.55*) underscored the role of microbial mediation. The study concludes that mixed plantations, particularly with Mytilaria laosensis (A × M), improve soil health through an “organic input–microbial enzyme response–humus formation” pathway, offering a scientific basis for sustainable forestry practices that balance productivity and ecological resilience. Full article

Soil conservation technologies are widely studied for their effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) preservation, yet their impact on the composition of soil organic matter (SOM) remains underinvestigated. This study evaluated the effects of two non-inversion tillage systems, MP and NT, on agro-physical and chemical properties and SOM composition (including water-extractable matter) in Haplic Chernozem Pachic. After 12 years, non-inversion tillage showed no significant differences in SOC, WEOC, and soil structure condition compared to MP. Only NT treatment distinctly enhanced the coefficient of soil structuring (K_str) and mean diameter of water-stable aggregates (MWD_WSA), by 1.5 and 2 times, respectively. Differences in SOM composition were clearly pronounced between treatments in the 0–10 cm layer. Non-inversion tillage favored microbial-derived stable SOM, whereas NT enriched SOM with fresh plant material. Our findings revealed that non-inversion tillage shifts the composition of SOM toward recalcitrant components even more than MP due to limited fresh OM input and enhanced mineralization of unprotected SOM during tillage. This poses carbon loss risks. Periodic moldboard plowing may be a way to improve carbon retention in non-inversion tillage, as it allows plant residues to be incorporated into the soil profile and replenish organic matter. Full article

Understanding how soil organic matter (SOM) responds to agricultural management at the molecular scale remains a central challenge, particularly in semi-arid Mediterranean systems where long-term monitoring is limited, and soils face marked seasonal fluctuations, salinity constraints, and sustained cultivation pressure. In this study, lignin and lipid biomarkers were combined to provide complementary views of SOM dynamics in the agricultural soils of Oued Rhiou (Algeria), enabling the simultaneous assessment of plant-derived inputs, microbial processing, and stabilization pathways under cultivation and subsequent rest periods. Depth-dependent patterns showed that lignin indicators responded strongly to shifts between crop residue inputs and root-derived material, while lipid proxies captured changes in microbial activity, biosynthesis, and OM stabilization. Surface soils exhibited enhanced microbial turnover during cultivation, whereas deeper layers were characterized by selective preservation of recalcitrant compounds. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) further highlighted these processes by distinguishing vegetation-driven variability from microbial reworking patterns, with subset analyses (lignin-only and lipid-only) providing clearer explanatory power than the combined dataset. Collectively, the findings underscore the importance of integrating rest periods into agricultural cycles to promote SOM stabilization, highlight the complementarity of lignin and lipid proxies for deciphering SOM transformation pathways, and offer molecular-level insights that can guide sustainable soil management strategies aimed at balancing productivity, soil resilience, and long-term carbon sequestration. Full article

Accurate quantification of regional ET is essential for agricultural water management. Upscaling methods based on flux tower observations have been widely applied in large-scale ET estimation. However, the coarse spatial resolution of existing upscaling approaches limits their utility in field-scale management. Therefore, this study proposes an integrated upscaling framework that combines data fusion and machine learning, enabling spatiotemporally continuous ET estimation at the field scale (30 m × 30 m). First, daily 30 m resolution land surface temperature (LST) and vegetation indices were generated by fusing MODIS, Landsat, and China Land Data Assimilation System (CLDAS) datasets. These variables, along with meteorological data and the footprint model, were used as inputs for machine learning. The upscaled ET was evaluated under varying surface heterogeneity using optical-microwave scintillometers (OMS). The results show that a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D CNN) using both remote sensing and meteorological data performed best in relatively homogeneous croplands, achieving a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.90, a bias of −0.14 mm/d, a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.46 mm/d, and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.66 mm/d. In contrast, for heterogeneous urban-agricultural landscapes, the 1D CNN using only remote sensing data outperformed other models, with R, bias, MAE, and RMSE of 0.93, −0.14 mm/d, 0.66 mm/d, and 0.88 mm/d, respectively. Furthermore, SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) revealed that LST and the two-band enhanced vegetation index (EVI2) were the most influential drivers in the models. The framework successfully enables ET modeling and spatial extrapolation in heterogeneous regions, providing a foundation for precision water resource management. Full article

In arid regions, the soil degradation from salinization, low organic matter content, and compaction severely limits agricultural productivity. Leguminous perennials such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) have the potential to restore soil quality, but their long-term effects remain underexplored in North African drylands. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of long-term (7–8 years) alfalfa cultivation on soil fertility and salinity in the Ziban region of Algeria. Ninety topsoil samples (0–30 cm) from cultivated and adjacent uncultivated plots were collected and analyzed, determining organic matter (OM), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil nitrogen stock (SNS), electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), pH, major cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺), sulfate (SO₄²⁻), bulk density (BD), and texture. Compared with uncultivated soils, alfalfa cultivation increased OM by 82.26%, SOC by 78.38%, and SNS by 102.99%, while reducing EC by 40.36%, SAR by 28.94% and BD by 6.16% (p < 0.05), indicating significant improvements in fertility, structure and reductions in sodicity. PCA revealed distinct gradients separating fertility–salinity parameters from compaction–sodicity in cultivated and uncultivated soils. These results confirm that alfalfa systems enhance nutrient cycling, reduce salt stress, and improve structural stability in arid agroecosystems through reduced bulk density and increased organic matter in arid agroecosystems. Integrating alfalfa into land management strategies could promote sustainable restoration of degraded soils in drylands. Further research should optimize irrigation and organic inputs to maximize these benefits under climate-stress conditions. Full article

Occupant modeling has emerged as a critical component in human-centric building design and operation, offering detailed insights into energy performance, comfort optimization, and behavior-driven control strategies. This study systematically examines occupant modeling (OM) in building design through a review of 312 articles, highlighting critical gaps between theoretical frameworks and real-world applications. Key dimensions of occupant modeling, including methodological classification, data frameworks, application scenarios and model selection strategies, are examined. The interpretability, advantages and disadvantages of 5 modeling methods are demonstrated, and the tools, algorithms and applications are analyzed. In addition, common input, output and application scenarios are sorted out and the data streams are presented. Results have shown that hybrid models represent breakthroughs but require validation beyond idealized scenarios. Meanwhile, with 88.7% of output derived from simulated results, risking self-reinforcing biases despite empirical inputs. Standardized protocols for model validation and hybrid modeling frameworks are urgently needed. To support model selection, a decision-oriented framework is proposed, integrating modeling goals, data characteristics, behavioral complexity, and platform interoperability. Future priorities include merging high explanatory methods with powerful predictive methods, advancing BIM-IoT symbiosis for adaptive digital twin, expanding to interdisciplinary projects, and establishing ethical data governance to align technical advancements with equitable, occupant-centric design. Full article

The Xujiahe Formation (FM) is a significant source rock layer in the Sichuan Basin. In recent years, a growing number of scholars believe that the shale gas potential of the Xujiahe Formation is equally substantial, with the first member of the formation being the richest resource. The deposition of Member (Mbr) 1 of Xujiahe FM represents the first and most extensive transgression event within the entire Xujiahe Formation. This study investigates the sedimentary environment and organic matter (OM) enrichment mechanisms of the dark mud shales in the Mbr1 of Xujiahe FM on the southeastern margin of the Sichuan Basin, utilizing methods such as elemental geochemistry and organic geochemistry analyses. The results indicate that these dark mud shales possess a relatively high OM abundance, averaging 2.20% and reaching a maximum of 6.22%. The OM is primarily Type II₂ to Type III. Furthermore, the paleoclimate during the Mbr1 period in the study area was warm and humid with lush aquatic vegetation. Intense weathering and ample precipitation transported large amounts of nutrients into the lacustrine/marine basin, promoting the growth and reproduction of algae and terrestrial plants. Correlation analysis between the Total Organic Carbon (TOC) content and various geochemical proxies in the Mbr1 mud shales suggests that OM enrichment in the study area was primarily controlled by the climate and sedimentation rate; substantial OM accumulation occurred only with abundant terrigenous OM input and a relatively high sedimentation rate. Redox conditions, primarily productivity, and terrigenous detrital input acted as secondary factors, collectively modulating OM enrichment. Event-driven transgressions also played an important role in creating conditions favorable for OM preservation. Synthesizing the influence of these multiple factors on OM enrichment, this study proposes two distinct composite models for OM enrichment, dominated by climate and sedimentation rate. Full article