Search Results (1,250)

For agricultural films, spectral matching, UV protection, and environmental durability are essential for efficient crop production. A self-cleaning silane-crosslinked red/blue dual-emission carbon dot/polyvinyl alcohol composite film (KH/RB-CQDs/PVA) was fabricated via a covalent anchoring strategy. RB-CQDs were synthesized by a two-step hydrothermal method using o-phenylenediamine: initial blue-emitting carbon cores formed, then phosphoric acid-assisted secondary treatment covalently bridged residual precursor-derived red fluorophores onto cores through pyrophosphate bonds, as evidenced by TEM, XPS, ³¹P NMR, HPLC-MS and DFT. This rigid bridging suppressed excessive core growth and energy transfer while spatially separating dual emission, endowing excellent photostability (>95% fluorescence retention after 50 min UV and 30 d storage). Subsequently, KH-560 was employed to construct a robust covalent crosslinked network anchoring RB-CQDs in PVA and forming rough Si-O-Si surface structures, confirmed by SEM and XPS. The resulting film exhibited 16.16% quantum yield, 291% tensile strength enhancement, 95% UV shielding, and <1% contaminant residue. Chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics, gas-exchange analyses, and photosynthetic response curves demonstrated that KH/RB-CQDs/PVA increased the potato net photosynthetic rate by 55.46% and tuber yield by 76% through synergistic optimization of photosystem II electron transport and RuBisCO-mediated carbon assimilation. This work provides a molecular design principle for high-performance intelligent agricultural films. Full article

As a clean and renewable energy source, wind energy offers lower development and utilization costs than solar energy, making it the most promising renewable option. However, the carbon footprint of offshore wind power and its external impacts on cross-regional carbon emissions have not been investigated sufficiently. Using the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu as case studies, this study employs socioeconomic and environmental statistical data. It applies the environmentally extended multi-regional input–output (EE-MRIO) method to quantify cross-regional environmental spillover effects associated with offshore wind power development. The findings show that China’s power structure has been continuously optimized, with offshore winds achieving leapfrog growth since 2010. Through a “local consumption” model, offshore wind power in Guangdong and Jiangsu has effectively replaced coal-fired generation, substantially reducing carbon emissions locally and in neighboring areas. Jiangsu has reduced CO₂ emissions by 16.72 million tons annually, and Guangdong by about 7.23 million tons annually. Furthermore, offshore wind development drives the green transformation of upstream industries (e.g., steel, non-ferrous metals, and chemicals). It extends carbon-reduction benefits to resource-rich regions such as the Northwest and North China. As major manufacturing hubs, both provinces lowered the embodied carbon intensity of their export products by using clean electricity, thereby indirectly reducing the national carbon footprint through cross-regional trade. This study offers scientific insights to help policymakers optimize offshore wind layouts, facilitate coordinated regional emission reductions, and advance sustainable energy transitions. Full article

Agrivoltaics is an important pathway for promoting the coordinated development of clean energy production and agricultural utilization. However, the structural characteristics of flexible agrivoltaic (AV) systems may significantly alter field light and thermal conditions, while their effects on crop growth and yield formation remain unclear. To address this issue, a flexible AV system in Sihong County, Jiangsu Province, was selected as the study site, and continuous field monitoring combined with crop measurements was used to evaluate changes in microclimate, wheat physiological responses, and yield performance. The results showed that the flexible AV system significantly changed the field microclimate. During the wheat growing season, the monthly average solar radiation intensity under and between PV panels decreased by 62.0% and 56.9%, respectively, compared with that in the open field. The array also showed a certain thermal regulation effect, with heat preservation during the overwintering stage and cooling during the later growth stage. Shading reduced wheat net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance, but adaptive responses such as increased leaf area and chlorophyll content were observed. Wheat yield within the flexible AV system was significantly lower than that in the open field, with reductions of 43.4% and 47.2% in 2024 and 41.8% and 44.6% in 2025 for the areas under and between PV panels, respectively. Overall, light reduction under high coverage conditions remained the main factor limiting wheat yield. These results provide a theoretical basis for structural optimization and crop selection in flexible AV systems. Full article

Renewable energy is a central component of global sustainable energy development, with solar energy experiencing substantial growth over recent decades. Solar power is widely regarded as one of the most accessible routes to clean energy generation. However, high upfront costs remain a major barrier to adoption. Many potential users are reluctant to invest in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems because of the longer payback period. To address this financial constraint, a range of business models has been developed. This study used a systematic literature review to examine existing and emerging business models for promoting Solar PV solutions. The review included peer-reviewed journal articles published in English from 2020 to 2026. In total, 39 articles were critically evaluated considering their characteristics. Nine potential business models were identified, several of which are commonly used internationally and have shown positive results that could also be applied in the UK. Importantly, Community Energy Models have shown success in Europe, Sub-Saharan and Asian regions. This has been widely supported by the government due to sustainability and climate change targets. The UK has set their target to achieve net-zero in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Beyond financial barriers, reliance on weather conditions and the mismatch between energy demand and supply remain substantial barriers to wider solar PV deployment. Full article

Life expectancy is a key indicator of public health and sustainable development in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, where rapid economic growth, urbanization, and fossil-fuel dependence create environmental and health challenges. This study examines the determinants of life expectancy in six Gulf Cooperation Council countries from 2000 to 2023, focusing on death rates, renewable energy consumption, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita growth, government health expenditure, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. The empirical strategy combines cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity tests, second-generation panel unit root tests, panel cointegration analysis, and a dynamic System Generalized Method of Moments (System GMM) estimator, with Driscoll–Kraay fixed-effects estimates used for robustness. The results show that higher death rates significantly reduce life expectancy, whereas renewable energy consumption and government health expenditure improve longevity. GDP per capita growth has a modest positive effect, while CO₂ emissions negatively affect life expectancy, confirming the adverse public health consequences of environmental degradation. Robustness checks support the reliability of the main findings. Overall, the evidence highlights the need for integrated policies that combine clean energy transition, stronger environmental regulation, preventive healthcare investment, and sustainable urban development to improve long-term health outcomes in resource-dependent economies in the region. Full article

Enhancing energy transition efficiency (ETE) is vital for sustainable development and climate mitigation. This study measures national ETE from 2008 to 2022 using the Super-SBM model and analyzes its spatiotemporal patterns. The GML index is decomposed to isolate the effects of technological progress and technical efficiency changes on ETE. The Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) examines how green finance and high-quality development interact across regions. Results show that the national average ETE increased with fluctuations over the study period, exhibiting a spatial pattern of relatively higher efficiency in the west and lower efficiency in parts of the east and north, mainly driven by large-scale clean energy deployment in western provinces. GML decomposition indicates that ETE growth stems primarily from technological advancement, whereas technical efficiency contributes marginally. HQD shows a significant positive association with ETE, yet its spatial spillover remains weak nationally. Conversely, green finance generates notable negative externalities with pronounced regional heterogeneity; resource competition or policy misalignment may erode efficiency in adjacent areas. These findings underscore the need for coordinated regional green finance strategies and balanced clean energy transition policies. Full article

Soil cadmium (Cd) pollution has emerged as one of the key environmental issues threatening the safety of agricultural products worldwide, yet clean and low-cost intervention strategies that reduce Cd accumulation in edible crops without disrupting agricultural production remain scarce. Grafting onto tolerant rootstocks represents an emerging clean agronomic technology that achieves in situ Cd risk reduction within a single growing season. However, the molecular mechanisms by which rootstocks regulate scion phenotypes remain poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as critical long-distance signals in plants, yet their roles in rootstock-mediated growth promotion and Cd reduction remain largely unclear. In this study, we used Solanum torvum as rootstock and purple eggplant (Solanum melongena) as scion to investigate growth, fruit quality, Cd accumulation, and miRNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms. Grafting significantly increased plant height (by 18%), stem diameter (by 12%), and yield without obvious effects on fruit quality. Under Cd stress, the Cd content in grafted eggplant fruits was reduced by 76%, whereas leaf potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) contents were elevated by 21%, 17%, and 10%, respectively. High-throughput sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction identified five key differentially expressed miRNAs, including miR164a and miR166b, four of which were related to Cd stress. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyzes that their target genes were mainly involved in hormone signal transduction and ion transport. Further validation suggested that grafting improved growth and reduced Cd accumulation by regulating genes of the NAC, SPL, and HD-ZIP III families. These results suggested that suitable rootstocks can enhance crop productivity and reduce toxic metal accumulation in edible parts through miRNA-mediated regulation. Full article

Wind power forecasting is essential for improving renewable energy exploitation and maintaining power system stability. However, influenced by factors such as the velocity and orientation of the wind and atmospheric pressure, wind power exhibits strong variability and uncertainty. Moreover, raw data often contains missing values, shutdown periods, and anomalies, which can degrade forecasting performance. Aiming at solving these challenges, this study develops a wind power forecasting approach integrating data cleaning with a hybrid prediction model. In the preprocessing stage, correlation analysis is employed to select meteorological variables strongly associated with power output as input features, thereby reducing redundancy and improving model effectiveness. Subsequently, missing values and shutdown records are removed, and an improved DBSCAN method is applied to detect anomalous samples. These outliers are then corrected using least squares regression, enhancing data quality while preserving continuity. In the forecasting stage, a hybrid model integrating TCN, BiLSTM, and the Plant Root Growth Optimization (PRGO) algorithm is developed. Specifically, TCN serves to capture local temporal features, while BiLSTM extracts bidirectional temporal dependencies. The PRGO serves to globally optimize model architecture parameters and key hyperparameters, improving convergence efficiency and generalization performance. Experiments on real wind farm data demonstrate that the proposed TCN-BiLSTM-PRGO model consistently outperforms all baselines (TCN, LSTM, TCN-BiLSTM, TCN-Transformer, and TCN-BiLSTM-WOA) across 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h horizons. At 12 h, it achieves a mean R² of 0.942, NMAE of 6.014%, and NRMSE of 7.539% over five runs, improving R² by 0.008–0.123 and reducing NMAE by 0.37–4.57 percentage points compared to other models. It also attains the highest R² at 24 h (0.791) and 48 h (0.833). Statistical significance (p < 0.05) and chronological split tests (R² = 0.940) further confirm their robustness and generalization. The proposed method offers a reliable solution for high-precision wind power forecasting. Full article

Background: While equine patient-mediated introduction of A. baumannii into hospital settings has been documented, its environmental dissemination and the risk of hospital-acquired surgical site infection remain poorly understood. Objective: Therefore, this descriptive observational study examined (a) the environmental distribution of Acinetobacter spp. in an equine university hospital, (b) the impact of the implementation of new hygiene protocols, (c) the specification of resistance patterns, and (d) the evaluation of the presence of Acinetobacter spp. in hospital-acquired wound infections. Methods: During three sampling periods, environmental samples of the stables, the treatment, and surgery areas were collected before and after cleaning and disinfection. After sampling period 1 (December 2021), the cleaning routines were optimized by reviewing the cleaning and disinfection process, as well as including further surfaces in the cleaning schedule for January 2022). This was followed by a second (February 2022) and a third (June 2022) sampling period. During sampling periods 1 and 2, 76 surfaces were sampled; in sampling period 3, only 21 critical surfaces were examined. Samples were cultured on selective agar plates and incubated at 37 °C, with bacterial growth evaluated after 24–48 h. Wound swabs were enriched in broth before culturing. Bacteria were identified using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. During the first sampling period, antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using broth microdilution according to CLSI-vet standards. Results: During each sampling period, Acinetobacter spp. was detected in at least one sample in each of the different areas; however, there was a reduced detection rate from sampling period 1 throughout sampling period 3. The isolates were highly resistant against beta-lactam and macrolide antibiotics but mostly sensitive to fluroquinolones (enrofloxacin, 2.2% resistance; marbofloxacin, 0.0% resistance), aminoglycosides (gentamicin, 6.5% resistance; kanamycin, 8.7% resistance), and tetracyclines. Acinetobacter spp. was not detected in surgical site infections. Conclusions: Environmental persistence of Acinetobacter spp. in an equine clinical setting does not necessarily translate into surgical site infections. Through prudent antibiotic use, the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates may be perceived. Full article

This study examines the impact of Japan’s energy policy on sustainable economic growth from 2005 to 2025. The analysis involved adding carbon externalities to a DSGE model to evaluate the effects of a carbon tax, a renewable energy subsidy, and energy-efficiency improvements. All policies are uniformly assessed within a unified, dynamic, micro-founded macroeconomic model that links energy use and emissions. According to the empirical findings, the carbon tax is the most effective policy for reducing emissions (6.8%). Nonetheless, this improvement incurs economic costs, as output and welfare fall by 0.85% and 0.35%, respectively. Renewable energy subsidies have no unbalanced effect. They reduce emissions by 3.2%. However, they support output by 0.42% and welfare by 0.28%. It occurs through substitution and investment effects. The most prominent outcomes of energy-efficient design are 1.2% increase in output, 0.75% increase in welfare, and 2.5% decrease in emissions. It also indicates the degree of decoupling. The carbon price is vital to achieving decarbonization; however, policies that support improved energy efficiency and clean energy could be accompanied by differential pricing. Findings indicate that a coordinated policy mix would be most effective for Japan in meeting emissions targets without harming growth or improving welfare. Full article

In gas drilling, the local annular contraction caused by a drillpipe tool joint can markedly reduce cuttings’ carrying capacity and increase the risk of localized blockage and sand bridging near the tool-joint region, thereby threatening hole cleaning and drilling safety. To investigate this problem, a three-dimensional CFD–DEM two-way coupling model was established by considering the geometric features of the drillpipe tool joint and gas–solid interaction. The effects of gas mass flow rate, solids feed rate, and particle diameter on local cuttings’ transport states and annular pressure-drop responses near the tool joint were systematically analyzed. The results show that three typical local transport states can develop near the tool-joint region, namely continuous passage, fallback, and clogging accompanied by sand-bridge formation. Fallback cases occur only within a finite interval around the critical gas mass flow rate for cuttings’ transport. Under the geometric and operating conditions considered in this study, localized clogging first appears when the particle diameter reaches approximately 10.5 mm, and the proportion of clogging cases increases rapidly with a further increase in particle diameter. Increasing the solids feed rate intensifies particle retention, accumulation, and collision near the tool joint, promotes earlier clogging, and markedly narrows the operating range of continuous passage; stable clogging is difficult to form when the solids feed rate is below 8 kg/s. Distinct annular pressure-drop histories correspond to different local transport states, with low amplitude fluctuation for continuous passage, repeated pulsation for fallback, and sustained growth in pressure difference magnitude for developing clogging accompanied by sand bridge formation. These results demonstrate a clear correspondence between local transport states near the tool joint and annular pressure-drop responses under the investigated geometry and operating window. They provide a mechanism-level basis for interpreting localized blockage near the drillpipe tool joint, while quantitative field application requires calibration for the specific annular clearance, monitoring interval, gas-injection condition, and cuttings’ loading condition. Full article

Tire Wear Particles (TWPs) are a major type of microplastics (MPs). However, previous studies have predominantly focused on TWP leachates rather than the particles, and their toxic effects on marine organisms remain limited. In this study, the mussels were exposed to TWPs and their leachates for 21 days, followed by a 7-day recovery period in clean conditions. The results showed that the leachates contained organic pollutants (predominantly PAHs) and metal ions (predominantly Zn²⁺). Growth inhibition was observed in exposure to TWPs, while leachate exposure showed no significant effect. As for the antioxidant system, high-concentration TWP and their leachate exposures provoked significant oxidative stress, accompanied by inhibited superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity as well as increased glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Exposure to high concentrations of TWPs significantly inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and trypsin (TRS) activities. Gut microbiota analysis indicated that exposure to TWPs and their leachates modified community structure with significantly reduced relative abundance of Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, potentially attributed to the bacteriostatic activity of released Zn²⁺. Integrated Biomarker Response (IBR) analysis indicated that TWPs elicited stronger integrated toxicity compared to their leachates. This study provides a comparative perspective on the ecological toxicology of TWPs and their leachates. Full article

Acorns (Quercus spp.) are an underutilized forest resource with recognized nutritional and bioactive potential, making them promising candidates for the development of sustainable plant-based functional foods. This study aimed to valorize acorns through the formulation of two novel acorn-based products, a plant-based beverage, and a pudding, and to assess their nutritional properties, sensory acceptability, and, for the beverage, refrigerated shelf-life stability. The beverage was optimized as a neutral-flavored milk alternative, using sodium alginate as a natural clean-label stabilizer to enhance emulsion stability and physicochemical properties. The final formulation exhibited low energy density and a lipid profile rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, contributing to its nutritional and functional value. Throughout 63 days of storage at 4 °C, sodium alginate effectively prevented phase separation and supported the retention of antioxidant capacity, as evidenced by stable ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and total phenolic content, although ABTS radical scavenging activity declined over time. No microbial growth was detected during storage, confirming the adequacy of the applied thermal treatment and aseptic filling procedures applied. The acorn-based pudding, developed by adapting a traditional egg-based recipe, functioned as a proof of concept illustrating the technological versatility of acorns across distinct plant-based matrices, exhibiting a nutritional profile comparable to commercial counterparts and high consumer acceptability. Overall, this work demonstrates the technological feasibility and versatility of incorporating acorns into plant-based food matrices, supporting their potential as sustainable ingredients for the development of innovative value-added foods and contributing to the valorization of forest resources. Full article

Ground engaging tool (GET) wear monitoring is important for mining excavator maintenance, but progressive multi-tooth wear estimation remains insufficiently explored. This study presents a vibration-based framework for GET wear estimation during operations using modal analysis, finite element (FE) modelling, and machine learning as a supporting evaluation tool. A laboratory-scale mining bucket surrogate with detachable attached masses was used to represent progressive tooth wear through controlled mass-loss conditions. Experimental impact hammer tests under approximately free-free boundary conditions were conducted to validate the FE modal model through natural-frequency comparison and qualitative mode correspondence. The validated FE model was then used to generate a broader dataset of multi-tooth wear scenarios, from which the first ten natural frequencies were extracted as modal features. Linear Regression (LR) was adopted as a simple and interpretable baseline to evaluate both overall wear estimation and individual tooth wear estimation. High accuracy was obtained for overall wear estimation for both the non-symmetric and symmetry-augmented datasets, with R² values of 0.9983 and 0.9976, respectively. In contrast, individual tooth prediction was more challenging, and the symmetry-augmented results showed that mirrored tooth locations can produce non-unique frequency-based signatures. An additional asymmetric FE sensitivity study further confirmed that structural symmetry can limit local wear identifiability when only global natural frequencies are used. These findings demonstrate the potential of FE-derived modal frequency features for laboratory-scale GET wear assessment, while also highlighting the limitations of frequency-only features for unique local wear localisation in symmetric structures. This is a promising approach for wear estimation during mining operations. Full article

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are natural high-molecular-weight polymers secreted extracellularly during growth. They possess unique rheological properties and emulsifying stability and may exhibit prebiotic-related functionalities. In food systems, EPSs exhibit multiple functional values. In recent years, driven by the global “Clean Label” movement and increasing consumer demand for natural and healthy foods, EPSs, as safe and traceable natural food-grade prebiotics, have attracted extensive attention in the dairy industry. This review summarizes EPSs’ structure, properties, and mechanisms in dairy systems. It focuses on their functional effects and mechanisms in typical dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, and ice cream, and analyzes the technical bottlenecks limiting large-scale production, including low yield, high cost, and challenges in separation and purification. This review further outlines several promising research directions for EPS research. These include strain modification via synthetic biology strategies, fermentation optimization using high-throughput screening technologies, and targeted application based on structure–function relationships. It aims to provide systematic theoretical references and practical guidance for the efficient development and innovative application of EPSs in the food industry. Full article