Search Results (339)

As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) accelerates its transition toward smart mobility under Vision 2030, establishing a robust digital infrastructure is paramount for the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs). High-definition (HD) maps serve as a critical foundation for this infrastructure, yet their deployment is severely bottlenecked by extreme operational costs, massive data processing payloads, and rapid environmental variations across vast highway networks. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a comprehensive, localized national strategy structured around three key tasks. First, it establishes a unified national HD map standard to guarantee seamless interoperability and data sharing among competing AV manufacturers and government transport authorities. Second, it implements an AI-powered baseline workflow using Mobile Mapping Systems (MMS) for high-fidelity static map construction, anchored and validated within designated pilot zones, including the King Abdulaziz University campus and key sectors in the Kingdom. Third, it deploys a decentralized, vision-based crowdsourcing system that leverages active public and commercial vehicle fleets for real-time map maintenance. By integrating a sovereign edge-cloud AI infrastructure that respects local Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), this framework bridges the gap between high-accuracy baseline mapping and long-term economic sustainability, offering an actionable technical roadmap for scaling a resilient digital transport layer across the Kingdom. Full article

Intercropping systems are beneficial for resource utilization; however, the spatial proximity of companion species leads to competition for shared resources, particularly light. A walnut–potato intercropping model was established to understand the photosynthetic and physiological mechanisms underlying yield and marketability responses. Three intercropping treatments were established based on the number of potato ridges between walnut tree rows: B1 (three ridges), B2 (five ridges), and B3 (seven ridges). All intercropping and monoculture (CK) plots used an identical double-row planting pattern per ridge. Results showed that ridge density induced significant physiological changes and yield impacts. Compared to CK, B3 significantly reduced soluble protein content, net photosynthesis (Pn), and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT), while B1 and B2 showed intermediate, non-significant reductions. Peroxidase (POD) activity increased progressively with ridge number (B3 > B2 > B1 > CK), indicating dose-dependent shade stress. Intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci) was significantly elevated under all intercropping treatments, suggesting a predominantly non-stomatal, biochemical limitation on photosynthesis rather than water stress. Yield was highest in CK, followed by B1 and B2—which were statistically comparable to CK—while B3 yielded the least due to severe shading. Marketability declined sharply in B3, with fewer than half of tubers reaching commercial grade. Multivariate analysis showed distinct clustering of yield-associated variables (Pn, protein, marketability) separate from shade-stress indicators (POD, Ci) across treatments. These findings provide practical and scientific evidence to optimize walnut–potato intercropping configurations under the arid conditions. Full article

This study examines the interconnectedness of the Philippine banking system across three contagion channels: interbank loans, interbank deposits, and payment systems. Using network data from 481 banks supervised by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the study applies topology-based measures to assess the structure and strength of interbank linkages. It introduces two metrics: the Overall Interconnectedness Index (OII), which measures the level of connectedness of the network, and the Core Connectivity Index (CCI), which identifies robustly linked banks within the system. The results show that payments are more interconnected than loans and deposits, but the overall interconnectedness remains very low across all channels. For the full banking system, OII values range from 0.06 to 0.65%, indicating a sparse network structure. In the core network of universal and commercial banks, loans and deposits show modestly higher interconnectedness, while payments display a much stronger core–periphery pattern. The CCI results are consistent with these findings, confirming weak connectedness in the loans and deposits networks and relatively stronger connectedness in the payments network. These findings suggest that the Philippine interbank network has limited potential for contagion through small shocks, but its sparse structure may also reduce risk-sharing capacity and weaken the system’s ability to absorb larger shocks. The proposed measures offer a useful framework for monitoring systemic risk and identifying banks that contribute most to interconnectedness. They also provide policy implications for financial regulators, like BSP, in strengthening financial stability through improved market access, payment system participation, and macroprudential surveillance. Full article

While hybridity has been extensively studied within bounded organizations, hybrid forms of organizing beyond formal organizational structures remain undertheorized. Hybrid organizationality, the concept introduced in this article, refers to a mode of organizing in which multiple institutional logics are sustained through coordinated action without crystallizing into a formal organization. The concept is developed through a qualitative case study of the Large-scale Agrifood Communal Trade Network (LACTN), a large-scale direct-to-consumer agricultural network linking farmers, volunteer-run distribution hubs, and consumers in Israel during successive periods of crisis. We show how LACTN loosely couples commercial and communal logics while preserving the autonomy of its constituent actors. Hybrid organizationality, we argue, becomes possible through the convergence of three conditions: the coexistence of autonomous commercial and communal actors, shared moral commitments that bridge these domains, and digitally mediated infrastructures that enable decentralized coordination at scale. The analysis further demonstrates how socio-economic sustainability may emerge in practice through large-scale, socially embedded market coordination, even in the absence of an explicit ideological sustainability agenda. By examining a network built largely upon conventional agricultural production and market logics, yet organized through volunteer mediation, communal coordination, and morally inflected exchange, the article complicates the conventional distinction between “alternative” and “conventional” food systems that has long structured scholarship on alternative agri-food networks. More broadly, the case illustrates how sustainability-oriented organizing can emerge through loosely coupled alignments among markets, communities, and digital infrastructures beyond the boundaries of formal organizations. Full article

The rapid advancement of payment technologies and potential disintermediation pressure make it important to monitor how actively commercial banks participate in payment and settlement systems. This study conceptualizes bank participation as a multidimensional construct and develops a Bank Payment Participation Index (BPPI or ANR BPPI) using publicly available Reserve Bank of India data for 2011–2012 to 2022–2023. BPPI integrates Financial Capacity (FC), Technological Readiness (TR), Payment Performance (PI), and a PPI-based Technological Advancement/Disintermediation proxy (TAD). TAD, measured as the share of PPI transactions in total payment volumes, enters the index as (1−TAD) because rising non-bank payment penetration reduces banks’ intermediation share; a higher TAD represents a structural drag on bank payment participation, and (1−TAD) converts this drag into a participation-compatible scale. The index applies min–max normalisation, equal-weighted sub-index aggregation, and geometric mean composition with lagged input dimensions. Computations show that the four-component BPPI rises from 230.794 in 2013–2014 to 797.453 in 2022–2023, indicating a strong long-run increase in banking-system participation. The BPPI remains strongly associated with GDP over the 2013–2014 to 2022–2023 sample, with R Square = 0.906 and adjusted R Square = 0.894. Diagnostic tests indicate that the validation is best interpreted as association-based evidence rather than causal proof. The BPPI is proposed as a decomposable monitoring and diagnostic framework that equips regulators and banks to track participation trends and detect structural vulnerabilities over time, subject to future refinement using fixed policy goalposts, bank-level data, and CBDC-specific transaction data. In its present form, the BPPI constitutes a model-stage prototype framework subject to future operationalisation with fixed expert-determined benchmarks and bank-level disaggregated data. Full article

This study investigates whether the optimal utilization of the biomass potential contained in municipal solid waste (MSW) can support the implementation of circular economy (CE) principles and contribute to climate policy objectives, particularly the reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the waste management sector. The analysis evaluates whether waste-to-energy recovery can support the objectives of the European Green Deal, including a 55% reduction in GHG emissions by 2035 and the achievement of climate neutrality by 2050. The assessment was conducted for two MSW streams generated in a Polish municipality: separately collected biowaste and residual MSW remaining after meeting European reuse and recycling targets. The study summarizes the results of detailed experimental investigations of the physicochemical and fuel properties of these waste streams. Proven and commercially available energy recovery technologies, including anaerobic digestion (AD) of biowaste and incineration of residual waste, were analyzed. GHG emissions were assessed using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, taking into account both direct emissions and avoided emissions resulting from the substitution of conventional energy and fertilizer production. The experimental results revealed significant variability in the biodegradability and energy potential of individual biowaste fractions, with the highest biogas yields observed for kitchen waste. Residual waste exhibited a considerable calorific value and a significant share of renewable energy due to its biomass content. The results indicate that the share of renewable energy in electricity generated from waste is expected to increase from 46.1% in 2025 to 49.9% in 2040. In relation to the total electricity demand of the analyzed city, energy recovered from waste accounts for 1.8 ± 0.3% in 2025 and 1.3 ± 0.2% in 2040. Scenario-based modeling demonstrated that the target system, maximizing energy recovery from both biowaste and residual waste, achieves a consistently negative GHG emission balance throughout the analyzed period (2025–2040), ranging from −72 ± 15 kg CO₂-eq/ton in 2025, through the most favorable value of −81 ± 17 kg CO₂-eq/ton in 2035, to −57 ± 12 kg CO₂-eq/ton in 2040, expressed per ton of total managed biowaste and residual waste. Full article

The industrial sector accounts for a significant share of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, making the optimal operation of industrial parks a key pathway for sustainable energy transition. This study proposes a day-ahead coordinated optimal scheduling framework for a multi-sector Industrial Park Energy Hub (IPEH) that integrates electricity, heating, and cooling systems with renewable generation and multi-energy storage. The model captures sectoral diversity across industrial, commercial, residential, and administrative sectors, enabling coordinated inter-sector operation through electricity and heating energy sharing. The scheduling problem minimizes total operating cost, including penalties for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and for power curtailment from photovoltaics (PV) and wind turbines (WT), while considering the physical constraints of the heating network and power tie-lines. The optimization problem is solved using the CPLEX solver in MATLAB. Results under three scenarios show that, compared with independent operation, electricity sharing alone reduces operating cost by 3.22% and renewable curtailment by 58.19%. Coordinated electricity and heat exchange further improves system performance, achieving a 6.95% reduction in operating cost, a 58.19% decrease in renewable energy curtailment, and emission reductions of 18.11% for CO₂, 23.80% for SO₂, and 38.42% for NO_x. 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 increase in small satellites demands the integration of commercial components to reduce costs and development time. However, the lack of standardized system-level methodologies to mitigate radiation-induced degradation limits their adoption. Although majority-carrier technologies such as MOSFET transistors dominate space power electronics, modern commercial off-the-shelf BJT transistors present a robust and cost-effective alternative. This paper evaluates the viability of the new-generation commercial off-the-shelf BJT transistors in space radiation environments by analyzing their response to total ionizing dose (measured at the circuit level) and single-event effects (inferred from component-level data). A fault-tolerant design methodology is proposed based on the strict definition of the safe operating area: the collector-emitter voltage is limited to safe values to mitigate single-event burnout, and an overdrive margin, specifically a 5× worst-case factor, is applied to compensate for the parametric degradation of the current gain. These strategies are empirically validated through two circuits: a voltage clamp and a proportional base driver operating in the 5 W to 40 W range. Experimental tests on the voltage clamp demonstrate stable operation up to one hundred kilorads, exceeding the 50 krad mission requirement by 100%. This indirectly supports the proportional base driver through shared mitigation principles, which rely on base current over-dimensioning to compensate for TID degradation. In conclusion, by applying appropriate derating rules, commercial off-the-shelf BJT transistors constitute a viable and robust alternative for small satellite power systems, mitigating the need for expensive radiation-hardened components. Full article

Recently, a strain of Streptococcus agalactiae serotype Ia sequence type 7 clonal complex 1 (SaIa ST7 CC1) has emerged in Latin American tilapia aquaculture as an international threat. This study evaluated outbreaks of acute streptococcosis occurring between 2021 and 2025 on commercial Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) farms in six Latin American countries, aiming to integrate molecular, clinical, pathological, and environmental data. In total, 360 moribund or recently dead fish at various production stages (larvae/fry, pre-grow-out, and grow-out) were examined, and 25 S. agalactiae isolates were serotyped and subjected to real-time PCR analysis, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), virulence and antimicrobial resistance gene profiling, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. All isolates belonged to SaIa and shared the same ST7 CC1 MLST profile, forming a highly homogeneous cluster with reference SaIa ST7 CC1 strains previously isolated from tilapia farms in Asia. These results are consistent with the regional spread of a single clonal line. At the larval and fry stages, SaIa ST7 CC1 was associated with hyperacute septicemia, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and frequent intestinal intussusception, whereas in pre-grow-out and grow-out fish, neurological signs were more prominent, followed by ocular signs, systemic hemorrhages, and coelomic lesions. Histopathological examination showed profuse colonization of the brain, spleen, liver, and intestine by Gram-positive cocci, accompanied by marked acute circulatory and inflammatory lesions and few chronic granulomatous responses, consistent with a rapidly progressing, highly aggressive infectious process. All outbreaks occurred during extended periods of warm water (>32 °C), with large day–night thermal gradients and reduced dissolved oxygen, suggesting that thermal stress may exacerbate disease expression in affected systems. All SaIa ST7 CC1 strains exhibited phenotypic susceptibility to florfenicol and amoxicillin, whereas 84% (21/25) and 100% (25/25) exhibited intermediate susceptibility to oxytetracycline and enrofloxacin, respectively. In total, 5 of the 21 isolates (23.8%) with intermediate susceptibility to oxytetracycline carried tetracycline resistance genes (tetM, tetO). These findings identify SaIa ST7 CC1 as a clinically significant emerging threat associated with thermally facilitated and geographically expanding streptococcosis in tilapia production in Latin America. Immediate priorities include screening imported broodstock using MLST or whole-genome sequencing (WGS), harmonized regional molecular surveillance, climate-adaptive farm management practices, prudent antimicrobial use, and serotype-matched vaccination and breeding strategies that improve both disease and heat resilience. Full article

In today’s world, renewable energy sources (RESs) are crucial. Their role is growing year by year, for commercial enterprises, public institutions, and individuals alike. The aim of this study was to examine the competitiveness of solid biomass compared to other renewable energy sources in the opinion of entrepreneurs participating in the acquisition and processing of biomass. We did the research in 2024–2025. The number of companies participating in the research and involved in the production and sale of solid biomass was 37. The largest number of companies focus on two key stages of the biomass value chain: the acquisition and processing of biological raw materials. The most frequently indicated strategy is concluding long-term contracts with suppliers, which was chosen by 13 respondents. In total, 25 companies (representing approximately 68%) declared active investment in pro-ecological solutions and 12 companies (approximately 32%) indicated no such activities. The most noticeable factor influencing the sector was the development of regulations and certification at the European Union (EU) level, including the Renewable Energy Directives (RED II and RED III) and ESG requirements, as indicated by 10 respondents. The largest number of respondents (13 responses) indicated a moderate increase in the share of solid biomass. The most frequently cited barrier was high transportation and logistics costs, highlighted by as many as 13 companies. The increasing environmental awareness of customers, especially institutional ones, is fostering an increase in demand for certified biomass. The vast majority of companies confirmed that transportation costs pose a significant challenge, highlighting the importance of logistics in the biomass value chain. Maintaining and strengthening its market position requires overcoming the identified barriers and systemic political and economic support. Full article

To achieve low-carbon and cost-effective operation of multi-park electricity–heat–hydrogen integrated energy systems (EHHSs), this paper proposes a low-carbon dispatch framework based on federated safe reinforcement learning. First, a multi-park EHHS dispatch model is established by considering heterogeneous park characteristics, electricity–heat–hydrogen coupling, stepped carbon trading, and peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading. Then, to address the coupled challenges of privacy preservation, operational coupling, and safety constraints, the dispatch problem is formulated as a constrained Markov decision process (CMDP). On this basis, a federated safe proximal policy optimization algorithm (FedSafePPO) is developed by integrating PPO, Lagrangian-based safety constraint handling, and federated parameter aggregation. The proposed method enables each park to learn a local dispatch policy from private data while sharing global knowledge without exchanging raw operational data. In addition, an actor–dual-critic architecture is adopted to jointly evaluate economic returns and constraint costs, thereby improving convergence stability and dispatch feasibility. Case studies involving three heterogeneous parks—industrial, commercial, and residential—demonstrate that the proposed method effectively reduces total operating costs and carbon emissions while satisfying system constraints. Compared with PPO, FedPPO, and SafePPO, the proposed FedSafePPO achieves superior low-carbon economic performance, greater training stability, and better adaptability to heterogeneous operating conditions. The results verify the effectiveness and engineering applicability of the proposed method for the low-carbon dispatch of multi-park EHHSs. Full article

As digital innovations rapidly penetrate aging populations, live-streaming e-commerce acts as a profound external disruption to the informal healthcare subsystem, fundamentally reshaping Health Shared Decision-Making in Elderly Households (HSDM-EH). This study investigates how the nested interplay of affective strategies and algorithmic mechanisms reconfigures this traditional socio-technical balance. Employing a directed content analysis, we conducted methodological triangulation with two complementary data sources: in-depth interviews and behavioral observations from a maximum-variation sample of 40 Chinese families. Our findings reveal a three-stage structural evolution: the de-bounding of the informal healthcare subsystem through the decentering of institutional and familial authority; the synergistic control of affect and algorithms that scales deprofessionalized trust; and the subsequent escalation of systemic friction, marking a failure of organizational resilience. Ultimately, we propose a Socio-Technical Nested Agency Model, demonstrating that algorithmic interventions effect a soft transfer of health authority away from familial oversight to commercial platforms. This socio-technical reconfiguration generates unintended policy feedback that undermines grassroots health initiatives, highlighting the urgent need for cross-sectoral regulatory frameworks to mitigate algorithmic risks and enhance the digital health inclusivity of aging populations. Full article

The ubiquitous use of electronic devices requires outdoor charging capabilities. A successful approach uses solar photovoltaic (PV)-powered picnic tables, but the existing designs share several limitations including proprietary designs that limit replication/modification and high costs. This study addresses these limitations by presenting the design of a novel open-source solar-powered picnic table fabricated from reused, decommissioned PVs and recycled plastic lumber. The open-source solar-powered picnic table acts as a conventional picnic table and provides electrical charging that supports learning and connectivity by providing outdoor power. The system integrates a 320 W PV module, maximum power point charge controller, and 12 V LiFePO₄ battery, enabling reliable off-grid power generation and storage. The device was validated under real outdoor operating conditions using everyday user loads, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops as individual and multiple connected devices at different times of the day and night. In addition to this functionality, the materials cost was <USD 450, 90–95% less than commercially available options. The system, built using recycled and repurposed components, further enhances sustainability while maintaining durability for outdoor deployment. These results indicate that open-source solar furniture can provide an affordable and replicable approach for expanding renewable-powered charging access in outdoor environments. Full article

A robust analysis of water use in major food production systems is crucial for improving their productivity and sustainability in water-scarce arid and semi-arid regions like Punjab (India) facing the depletion of groundwater resources. This study aimed to assess blue water use and blue water productivity in dairy farming systems across different farm sizes in Punjab. Comprehensive monitoring and assessment of water use over a full year (from July 2022 to June 2023) was conducted on 24 dairy farm sheds in Punjab, revealing significant variability in their blue water use (measured in L per adult animal per day) and blue water productivity quantified as kg of fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) produced per m³ of the blue water consumed. The variability was influenced by factors such as livestock species, farm size (medium with 15–25 livestock, large with 25–100 livestock, and commercial with >100 livestock), bathing and servicing routines, and energy use patterns. The average dairy livestock total blue water consumption varied from 112 ± 14 to 131 ± 19 L per adult animal per day, with 20–40% higher livestock drinking water and about six times higher livestock bathing and serving water used during the summer months. Interestingly, a large share (45%) of the average total blue water consumption is contributed by indirect water consumption via the use of energy (electricity and diesel) in dairy farm sheds. Dairy milk blue water productivity was quantified higher, ranging from 154 ± 11 to 225 ± 59 kg FPCM per m³ in buffalo- and crossbred cattle-based dairy farm sheds. However, indigenous cattle showed a lower blue water productivity ranging from 56 to 97 kg FPCM per m³, reflecting their lower milk yields and limited use of intensified management practices. The state-level water scarcity footprint (WSF) of Punjab dairy farm sheds was quantified at 4870 million m³ world-eq, which showed a significant spatial variation among Punjab districts. However, the results of this study offer novel seasonally and spatially disaggregated benchmarks of blue water consumption, blue water productivity, and the water scarcity footprint of Punjab’s dairy farming sheds. This new information is crucial for the development of locally calibrated and validated models for improving the water productivity and sustainability of dairy farming across Punjab and other similar arid and semi-arid regions in Southeast Asian countries. Full article