Search Results (10,718)

Power-quality resilience is an important component of sustainable industrial electricity use, as voltage sag events can cause production interruptions, equipment damage, and inefficient allocation of mitigation costs and benefits among stakeholders. However, high initial investment costs and the lack of a viable commercial operation scheme have hindered the large-scale deployment of mitigation devices. To support sustainable power-quality governance, this study proposes an integrated framework that connects the technical compensation performance of the mitigation device with the economic foundation of a tripartite commercial operation model. First, an adaptive switching compensation strategy dynamically shifts between different modes based on the real-time voltage sag depth, establishing a mapping relationship with avoided-loss benefits. Then, a bi-level Nash bargaining model is constructed to allocate costs and benefits among the government, the enterprise, and the user, deriving closed-form analytical solutions for both the upper- and lower-level games. Through pilot operations at a large public service facility, economic losses of 480,000 CNY caused by a single voltage sag can be effectively avoided. Meanwhile, under the proposed scheme, all three parties achieve positive net present values. Compared to the user self-funding mode, the user’s NPV increases by 21.9%. Furthermore, unlike bilateral or equal-sharing alternatives, the Nash bargaining solution ensures all parties remain within the strong feasible region. The government and enterprise recover their costs within 4.14 and 6.20 years, respectively. These results indicate that the proposed framework can enhance the economic sustainability of power-sensitive users, encourage shared public–private investment in power-quality improvement, and support more resilient and efficient industrial electricity use. Full article

With the rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy generation, Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology has emerged as a promising approach for transforming EVs from passive charging loads into flexible distributed energy storage resources. By enabling bidirectional power exchange between EV batteries and the power grid, V2G can support renewable energy accommodation, peak shaving, demand response, ancillary services, and local grid balancing. This review provides a systematic synthesis of recent advances in V2G systems for renewable energy integration, with particular emphasis on coordinated scheduling, economic mechanisms, battery degradation, and user engagement. First, the technical foundations of V2G are introduced, including Vehicle-to-Everything operating modes, bidirectional charging architecture, aggregation mechanisms, grid-support services, and renewable accommodation pathways. Second, major scheduling strategies are reviewed, including price-based, load-based, renewable-forecast-driven, centralized, distributed, and hybrid approaches. Third, the economic feasibility of V2G is examined from the perspectives of revenue streams, pricing mechanisms, business models, battery aging costs, and compensation schemes. In addition, user participation barriers, such as range anxiety, battery lifetime concerns, loss of control, uncertain financial returns, and data privacy, are discussed. Key challenges related to communication standards, interoperability, cybersecurity, market access, policy design, and pilot-scale validation are also summarized. Finally, future development directions are identified, including AI-based scheduling, aggregator platforms, fleet-scale V2G, degradation-aware optimization, carbon-aware electricity markets, and user-centered participation mechanisms. This review highlights that large-scale V2G deployment requires the integrated coordination of technical scheduling, economic incentives, battery health protection, and user acceptance in renewable-rich power systems. Full article

Potato is a globally important staple, but postharvest diseases such as dry rot, caused by Fusarium spp., threaten production and lead to major economic losses and food safety risks. Limited resistant cultivars highlight the need for phenotypic screening and integration with genomic tools to improve resistance and breeding efficiency. A total of 336 potato genotypes, including 295 commercial varieties and 41 breeding clones, were evaluated under post-harvest conditions following artificial inoculation. Tubers were inoculated with Fusarium sambucinum, and lesion penetration measured to classify susceptibility. Overall, this study provides one of the most comprehensive phenotypic evaluations of dry rot resistance in potato germplasm to date. While no variety was fully resistant, the identification of both moderately susceptible and highly susceptible cultivars offers valuable insights for breeding programs and contributes to the development of more resilient potato production and storage systems. In addition, this phenotypic screening can be integrated with genomic tools to accelerate breeding for improved resistance and postharvest performance. Full article

As global super-large open-pit mines expand in scale and extraction depth, conventional single-stage planning cannot meet the combined demands of productivity and resource recovery, making the shift to underground block caving inevitable. This study outlines the systemic challenges of block-scale extraction and the rationale for adopting multi-level spatial design decision-making. Four core model categories are briefly proposed: ultimate pit limit optimization, gravity flow simulation for draw strategy, long-term production scheduling for large-scale computation, and probabilistic frameworks addressing geological and market uncertainty. A Bayesian network-based block decision model is then proposed and decoupled into three physical decision tiers. The first tier incorporates energy prices, transport costs, and ore prices to establish an economic boundary rating robust to market volatility. The second tier aggregates mining units with discrete-event perturbations to produce a reliability-oriented production rating. The third tier integrates rock mechanics parameters with in situ monitoring data to derive a physics-informed safety rating. The three ratings are synthesized via Bayesian inference and evaluated within a multi-attribute utility function encompassing net present value, safety index, downside risk, and information risk. A feedback module quantifies the economic benefit of uncertainty reduction, yielding a closed-loop intelligent system spanning macroeconomic boundary definition to operational safety alerting. Finally, the main conclusion of this study is that integrating macro-economic volatility with rock mechanics through a dynamic Bayesian framework is essential for managing the open-pit to underground transition. The results indicate that leveraging the Value of Information for real-time risk diagnosis significantly reduces conservative design losses, providing a quantifiable and robust decision-making paradigm for super-large mining systems. Full article

Equine osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of lameness and economic loss in horses. While platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has clinical potential, the biological effects of fresh PRP (F-PRP) and freeze-dried PRP (FD-PRP) remain insufficiently defined. This pilot study compared 25% and 50% F-PRP and FD-PRP in an interleukin-1β-induced equine cartilage-synovium explant co-culture model. PRP treatments reduced inflammatory responses, with significant downregulation of COX-2 and PGE2 expression, and 25% F-PRP showed the most consistent inhibition of nitric oxide production. PRP also significantly reduced glycosaminoglycan release and altered matrix-related gene expression; however, FD-PRP significantly upregulated MMP13, indicating a potential pro-catabolic response. Untargeted LC/MS metabolomics showed that F-PRP and FD-PRP were associated with changes in glucose, purine, amino acid, lipid, and nucleotide metabolism. Growth factor analysis further showed lower PDGF and TGF-β1 concentrations in FD-PRP than in F-PRP. Overall, F-PRP showed more consistent anti-inflammatory and matrix-protective effects, whereas FD-PRP requires further optimization and safety validation before clinical application. Full article

Insects are continuously exposed to diverse microorganisms, including symbionts and pathogens, and rely on pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) to initiate innate immune responses. Gram-negative bacteria-binding proteins (GNBPs) constitute an important class of the pivotal PRRs in insect immunity. However, whether GNBPs participate in immune responses against taxonomically distinct pathogens remains poorly understood. Red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a notorious stem-boring insect pest that has caused huge economic loss worldwide. Our preliminary data indicated that the expression of RfGNBP5 could be induced dramatically upon the challenge of non-entomopathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Here, it has been found that RfGNBP5 only possesses two conserved domains, a signal peptide and an intact glycoside hydrolase 16 (GH16) domain, but without the canonical carbohydrate-binding module (CBM39), implying that it might mediate insect immunity via its hydrolytic activity. RT-qPCR revealed that RfGNBP5 was expressed at the highest level in the hemolymph compared with other tissues and was significantly upregulated after exposure to pathogens, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Beauveria bassiana. Furthermore, the knockdown of RfGNBP5 potentiated the clearance efficiency of hemolymph against the invading pathogenic bacteria and fungi by increasing the expression level of two antimicrobial peptide genes, including RfAttacin in fat body and RfColeoptericin in gut, and augmenting the phenoloxidase (PO) activity in hemolymph. Taken together, these results suggested that RfGNBP5 acts as a negative regulator of RPW immunity, and it might be a potential candidate for further evaluation in RNAi-based pest management. Full article

Fire ants are known for their aggressive behavior, omnivorous diet, and construction of mounds on the soil surface. Their dispersal is facilitated by trade and habitat fragmentation, which have led to negative impacts on biodiversity, public health, and agriculture in many countries. In Brazil, information about their impacts is scarce and mostly limited to reports from the North Region. In the Atlantic Forest, a biome where most of Brazil’s population resides, there are no records of impacts associated with fire ants. This study examined farmers’ perceptions of the impacts of fire ants in the Atlantic Forest. A questionnaire was administered to collect information on respondents’ profiles, property characteristics, perceived impacts of fire ants, management practices, and health-related issues. Most respondents reported the regular presence of fire ants on their properties, although the perceived impacts on agricultural productivity were generally low to moderate, and control costs were typically less than $17. Widespread use of pesticides for fire ant control is reported by most farmers. Regarding stings, 85.1% of farmers reported having been stung, but only 0.6% required hospitalization. The most common reaction was itching. This pioneering study revealed that, although fire ants are present on many properties within the Atlantic Forest, the reported economic and health impacts are lower than expected, with most farmers experiencing minimal losses. Overall, the results for our sample suggest that the presence of fire ants does not result in significant economic losses for farmers. Nevertheless, fire ants are not overlooked, as non-conservationist control methods are employed. Such practices may lead to colony fragmentation, increasing their abundance and potentially negatively affecting local biodiversity. Full article

As a member of the Alphavirus genus, Getah virus (GETV) has become an emerging pathogen posing severe threats to animal health and public health security. In recent years, GETV has caused increasing outbreaks in swine herds, leading to substantial economic losses in the pig industry in China. Here, we report continuous GETV outbreaks on pig farms across southeastern China between September 2024 and December 2025. A total of 185 clinical samples were examined, among which 27 were positive (14.6%). Subsequently, five GETV strains were successfully isolated and subjected to whole-genome sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all the 5 isolated strains belonged to genotype III(GIII), with two strains (GETV-AHX2024 and GETV-JS2024) forming a distinct GIII variant clade. Notably, multiple specific amino acid mutations were identified in the nsp3, C, E2, 6K, and E1 proteins and 3′UTR of these GIII variant strains. Pathogenicity in mice revealed that mice infected with the GIII variant strain GETV-JS2024 exhibited a longer viral shedding period compared with other strains. These findings highlight the emergence of GETV GIII variant strains in southeastern China and suggest their altered pathogenic performance in mice. These results supplied critical data for molecular surveillance and subsequent pathogenic analysis of GETV in China. Full article

The purpose of this paper is to present a techno-economic methodology for assessing the economic sustainability of offshore wind energy development within the Romanian exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Black Sea. The methodology illustrates nine key cases in this area that are grouped into three classes, each positioned at a greater distance from the Romanian coast and thus generating different environments given the water depth and wind climate. The data used for the analysis came from the ERA5 database and covered a 20-year span. Six types of wind turbines with capacities ranging from 5 to 9.5 MW were considered. In determining the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), the turbine with the highest production was considered, which turned out to be the Seimens Gamesa 8 MW, and for the economic model, the components related to both capital and operating costs were considered. Following the analysis, it was observed that the B2 site presents the best wind resources, also leading to the highest energy production of x. Regarding the LCOE analysis, values between 66.86 EUR/MWh and 87.39 EUR/MWh were obtained if the entire energy production is considered. Following the simulation with losses, the LCOE increases to values between 92.19 EUR/MWh and 121.85 EUR/MWh. Finally, an optimization calculation was also performed for the site with the highest LCOE considering another foundation time, after which the LCOE decreased to approximately 111.09 EUR/MWh, if we refer to energy production with losses. The results contribute to the economic sustainability evaluation of offshore wind projects in the Romanian Black Sea and influence future investment plans, sustainable energy planning, and renewable energy infrastructure development. Full article

Agri-food systems are increasingly exposed to environmental, economic, and social challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and growing territorial inequalities. In this context, agroecology is increasingly recognised as a transformative paradigm integrating ecological, economic, social, cultural, and political dimensions within broader processes of food-system transition. Within the PRIMA AgrEcoMed project, 24 Italian agroecological initiatives led by women and young farmers were analysed to explore their contribution to agroecological transition processes in Mediterranean rural areas. The study adopts a qualitative multiple-case study approach and evaluates the selected initiatives through the framework of the 13 Principles of Agroecology proposed by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition, organised into three operational axes: improving resource efficiency, strengthening resilience, and ensuring social responsibility and fairness. The results show that the analysed initiatives combine ecological farming practices with processes of multifunctionality, territorial networking, knowledge co-creation, short supply chains, and community engagement. The findings suggest that several initiatives move beyond input-reduction strategies associated with “weak agroecology” and display characteristics consistent with stronger agroecological pathways based on territorial embeddedness, collective learning, and the reorganisation of relationships between production, consumption, and local communities. The paper highlights the relevance of agroecology not only as an environmentally sustainable farming approach, but also as a broader socio-ecological and territorial transition process, as well as the importance of policy frameworks to support territorial agroecological systems. Full article

Aluminum corrosion in acidic media leads to accelerated material degradation and significant economic losses. This study evaluated the aqueous extract of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) as a green inhibitor for aluminum corrosion in 0.5 M HCl at temperatures (298–323 K) and extract concentrations (1%, 2.5%, and 5% v/v). The extract was characterized by FTIR, and its inhibitory performance was assessed using weight loss measurements, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and contact angle analysis. Gravimetric results showed a decrease in corrosion rate with increasing extract concentration, reaching a maximum inhibition efficiency of 94% at 308 K and 5% v/v. The increase in activation energy in the presence of the inhibitor suggested the formation of an energy barrier associated with adsorption on the aluminum surface. Polarization studies indicated that the extract behaves as a mixed-type inhibitor, while EIS revealed an increase in charge transfer resistance and the formation of a protective adsorbed film. SEM images confirmed reduced corrosion damage, and contact angle measurements indicated increased surface hydrophobicity. The inhibition mechanism followed Langmuir adsorption behavior, suggesting adsorption of organic species at the aluminum–solution interface. These findings demonstrate that yerba mate extract is an effective corrosion inhibitor. Full article

Accurate quantification of ecological losses in estuarine environments is often hindered by the mismatch between coarse-resolution biological surveys and fine-scale physical disturbances from engineering activities. While numerical models can simulate high-resolution environmental shifts, the inherent sparsity of ecological monitoring points limits the precision of spatial impact assessments. This study develops an integrated spatial-downscaling framework to transform sparse monitoring data into a high-resolution spatial continuum. A three-tiered modeling approach was used: first, the estuarine domain was partitioned into five eco-hydrodynamic zones using an entropy-weighted Support Vector Machine (SVM); second, localized chained Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) were established within each zone using MIKE-simulated hydrodynamic and water-quality data as proxy drivers; and third, these localized response functions were propagated across the study area to quantify multi-trophic biomass and economic losses. The framework revealed substantial spatial non-stationarity. Dredging operations locally altered the estuarine hydrodynamic regime. In northern channels, decreases in flow velocity were statistically associated with phytoplankton biomass to decline by 5.0% to 23.42%. Conversely, southern velocity increases enhanced water exchange and plankton growth. Using silt curtains as a mitigation strategy reduced the loss of phytoplankton by 11.4% and zooplankton by 9.6%. As a result, the total economic loss decreased from 26.54 million CNY to 25.34 million CNY, equivalent to a 4.5% reduction in economic loss. These results indicate that the proposed downscaling method can generate spatially explicit biological estimates. By offering a systematic pathway for impact evaluation and compensation in data-limited coastal regions, this framework supports more ecologically sustainable dredging operations. Nevertheless, the framework remains dependent on the representativeness of sparse monitoring stations, and future applications should integrate cross-estuary validation to improve transferability and uncertainty control. Full article

Thunderstorm disasters are one of the major meteorological disasters in China, causing significant human casualties and economic losses each year. Traditional loss compensation insurance is confronted with difficulties such as inspection and assessing, causing low claim processing efficiency, while index insurance can effectively overcome these deficiencies by triggering payment through objective indices. This paper is based on satellite remote sensing monitoring data, using a combination of principal component analysis, random forests, and fuzzy mathematical theory to construct a lightning risk index and design a complete index insurance product. Experimental validation based on historical satellite monitoring data has shown that the risk indices constructed in this paper can effectively capture the temporal and spatial variability of lightning activity. Random forest models have a relatively low fitting error of training labels, and the SHAP values reveal a characteristic weight of importance consistent with physical perception. The insurance product has a reasonable distribution of amount and compensation, and premium pricing balances actuarial fairness with market acceptability. The present methodology provides a transportable design path to monitor and transfer the lightning risk using multi-source remote sensing data, with some outreach value in the field of lightning and other natural disasters. Full article

Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids offer a cost-effective solution for adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, whereas their market penetration remains low despite regulatory support and technological advancements. In this paper, we analyze OTC hearing aid patients’ behavior and experiences of integrating them into sustainable healthcare logistics across China. As an econometric toolkit, we use multiple linear regression models for the purpose of predictive modeling and hearing aid policy formulation. The focus is on patient awareness and attitudes towards the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in shaping sustainable purchase decisions. This study also examines the challenges related to insufficient Chinese hearing-impaired patients’ understanding of some trusted sales channels (TSCs) like digitization-driven platforms. The outcomes show that CSR initiatives increase purchase intention. In contrast, we observe that reliance on non-traditional TSCs may be associated with failure to build patient confidence in comparison with hospital-recommended brands of OTC hearing aids. From a strategic healthcare economic perspective, we highlight the potential of the healthcare market with a growing aging population and rising demand for equitable hearing solutions. The transferable framework provides insights for policymakers regarding healthcare accessibility and affordability in China to bridge the gap between market offerings and patient needs. Full article

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) continues to undergo genetic evolution and remains a major etiological agent of enteric disease in swine, causing significant economic losses worldwide. This study investigated the molecular epidemiology and genetic characteristics of PEDV circulating in Chongqing, China, between 2022 and 2024. A total of 296 diarrheic piglet samples collected from nine regions were screened using RT-qPCR, of which 48.31% (143/296) tested positive for PEDV. A subset of positive samples was subjected to S gene amplification and sequencing, yielding 15 complete sequences. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all sequenced strains clustered within the G2c lineage and showed high nucleotide similarity (93.37–94.09%) to the classical CV777 strain. Recombination analysis indicated potential recombination events among field strains involving S-INDEL and G2b-like parental lineages, although these findings are based on a limited number of sequences. Sequence analysis identified multiple amino acid substitutions within the COE antigenic region, while other neutralizing epitopes (SS2, SS6, and 2C10) remained largely conserved. In addition, variation in predicted N-glycosylation sites was observed among some strains. Structural modelling suggested that these changes may influence spike protein conformation and antigenic properties; however, these interpretations are based on in silico analysis and require experimental validation. Overall, the findings indicate ongoing genetic evolution of PEDV in Chongqing and suggest circulation of G2c-associated variants in diarrheic piglets. However, given the limited and non-random nature of sequencing, these results may not fully represent the broader viral population. Continued large-scale molecular surveillance and functional studies are needed to better understand PEDV evolution and to support the development of improved control strategies and vaccines. Full article