Search Results (7,553)

Industrial ecology (IE) offers a territorial approach to sustainable development by promoting resource efficiency, waste valorization, and coordinated interactions among industrial actors. However, empirical evidence on the structural factors shaping IE implementation in North African industrial ecosystems remains limited, particularly in Tunisia, where economic, technical, institutional, and organizational conditions may constrain the development of industrial symbiosis. This study aims to (1) identify the main enabling and constraining factors associated with the implementation of IE in Tunisian industrial ecosystems and (2) examine the structural influence and dependence relationships among these factors in order to identify strategic priorities for territorial governance. The study applies the MICMAC (Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification) method to two systems comprising 18 variables: 11 enabling variables and 7 constraint variables. Expert-informed direct influence matrices were constructed and analyzed to classify variables according to their levels of influence and dependence. The results identify public incentives for environmental protection (X10) and investment stimulation (X9) among the most structurally influential variables in the enabling system, while recycling recovery (X1), human commitment (X8), and emission minimization strategies (X11) also occupy strategic positions. In the constraint system, economic (Y2), technical and energy (Y1), and human-dimension constraints (Y7) emerge as particularly important relay factors. These findings suggest that the development of industrial ecology in Tunisia depends not only on technical capabilities but also on the institutional, economic, and organizational conditions shaping territorial coordination. The study contributes an exploratory structural perspective on Tunisian industrial ecosystems and provides evidence-based priorities for policymakers and industrial stakeholders while recognizing the contextual and expert-dependent nature of the analysis. Full article

Climate change poses significant threats to water availability, energy security, and food production in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), undermining sustainable development and increasing the vulnerability of communities that are dependent on climate-sensitive resources. In response, the Water–Energy–Food (WEF) nexus has emerged as an integrated framework for addressing the interdependencies among these critical sectors while enhancing climate resilience. This study mapped and synthesized existing evidence on WEF nexus approaches to climate change adaptation in SSA through a scoping review. Guided by the Arksey and O’Malley framework and reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, the review involved a systematic search of Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Wiley Online Library, Google Scholar, and relevant grey literature sources. The findings revealed a growing body of research on WEF nexus-based adaptation, with studies predominantly concentrated in Southern Africa, particularly South Africa. Major integrated resource management approaches identified include climate-smart agriculture, integrated water-resources management, renewable energy integration, nexus-based planning, governance and policy integration, and community-based adaptation. Reported outcomes include enhanced climate resilience; improved water, energy, and food security; strengthened livelihoods; increased resource-use efficiency; and improved institutional coordination. However, implementation remains constrained by fragmented governance systems, limited financing, inadequate data, technical capacity deficits, and weak stakeholder engagement. Key enabling factors include policy coherence, institutional collaboration, technological innovation, climate finance, and capacity-building. The review concludes that the WEF nexus provides a valuable framework for advancing climate adaptation and sustainable resource management in SSA. Full article

Material removal rate and material removal per unit energy are key indicators for evaluating EDM efficiency. By studying the relationship between these indicators and EDM discharge parameters, it is possible to improve machining efficiency and material removal performance. Taking the EDM structure with magnetic-levitation micro-motion compensation as the research object, this paper combines the dynamic levitation position of the moving electrode with the formula of the gap between electrodes and establishes a mathematical model among the macroscopic feed position of the spindle, the dynamic compensation position of the moving electrode, the pulse energy and the heat flux density of the workpiece. It also analyzes the conversion process of single-pulse energy and the Gaussian heat flux density on the workpiece surface. By combining the response surface method, the mapping relationship between electrode discharge parameters and material removal rate, as well as the material removal amount per unit energy, was obtained. Finite-element simulations and single-factor continuous machining experiments show that the MRR is more sensitive to the low-voltage current and pulse interval, whereas the material removal per unit energy exhibits a non-monotonic dependence on the discharge parameters. Specifically, it shows a decreasing trend followed by an increasing trend with increasing low-voltage current and pulse width, whereas the opposite trend is observed with increasing high-voltage current and pulse interval. These results suggest that a moderate low-voltage current, a relatively high-voltage current, a short pulse width, and an appropriate pulse interval are favorable for magnetic-levitation micro-motion-compensated EDM to achieve both high MRR and high material removal per unit energy. Full article

The rational design and fabrication of semiconductor photocatalysts possessing high intrinsic activity are pivotal for the remediation of tetracycline (TC)-contaminated aqueous streams. Herein, we synthesized a LaVO₄/Bi₂O₂S heterostructure and comprehensively interrogated its physicochemical attributes through a synergistic suite of techniques—X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), field-emission scanning and transmission electron microscopy (FE-SEM/TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), steady-state photoluminescence (PL), and photoelectrochemical measurements. These analyses collectively revealed that the LVO/BOS composite with an equal mass ratio of LaVO₄ and Bi₂O₂S manifested pronounced visible-light harvesting, markedly suppressed charge-carrier recombination, and accelerated interfacial charge transfer, as evidenced by enhanced photocurrent response and reduced PL intensity relative to the constituent LaVO₄ and Bi₂O₂S phases. Consequently, under simulated solar irradiation, LVO/BOS achieved a TC degradation efficiency of ≈89% within 90 min, outperforming bare LaVO₄ (41%) and Bi₂O₂S (44%). The corresponding apparent first-order rate constant (k ≈ 0.0214 min⁻¹) exceeded those of LaVO₄ (0.0031 min⁻¹) and Bi₂O₂S (0.0053 min⁻¹) by factors of 6.90 and 4.04, respectively. Radical-scavenging assays coupled with electron-spin-resonance (ESR) spectroscopy identified superoxide (•O₂⁻) as the dominant reactive oxygen species driving TC mineralization. Guided by the experimentally determined band alignments and the observed preferential preservation of high-potential holes in LaVO₄ and high-energy electrons in Bi₂O₂S, an S-scheme (step-scheme) heterojunction mechanism was postulated to rationalize the superior photocatalytic performance. This work underscores the strategic merit of S-scheme LaVO₄/Bi₂O₂S heterostructures as robust, visible-light-driven platforms for the abatement of refractory organic pollutants. Full article

Chlorogenic acid (CA), the principal bioactive constituent of honeysuckle, is conventionally extracted by time-consuming methods using toxic organic solvents, which carry the risk of thermal degradation. This study provides a rapid and efficient microwave-assisted deep eutectic solvent (DES-MAE) method for CA extraction and elucidates its mechanism at the molecular level. Eight DESs were systematically screened, and extraction parameters were optimized via single-factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to reveal the DES-CA interaction mechanism. Benzyltrimethylammonium chloride–ethylene glycol with 40% water content was identified as optimal. Under the optimized conditions (640 W, 78 s, and 9.35 mg/mL), the quadratic model (R² = 0.9879) predicted a CA yield of 39.851 mg/g, which was consistent with the experimental value of 39.431 ± 0.068 mg/g (1.1% relative deviation). DFT calculations revealed four hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking between DES1 and CA, with a binding energy of −25.641 kcal/mol, which far exceeded those of water (−5.277 kcal/mol) and ethanol (−8.946 kcal/mol). The DES-MAE method achieved the highest extraction yield within merely 78 s, compared with 60 min for HRE and 30 min for the pharmacopoeial method. This work provides a rapid, efficient, and mechanistically validated strategy for extracting bioactive compounds from traditional Chinese medicinal materials. Full article

Natural gas distributed energy systems can have energy-saving and emission reduction applications when using a stepped supply of combined cooling, heating and power. However, as a new form of clean energy supply, the reasonable benefits of the process need to be estimated. In this paper, a comprehensive evaluation of the applicability of a natural gas distributed energy system was carried out based on economic and environmental factors, an applicability evaluation indicator system was built, and the semantic classification of the evaluation levels was determined. Then, the weight of each indicator was calculated using the analytic hierarchy process, and the applicability level was determined by the set pair analysis theory. Finally, a hotel in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, was taken as an example for evaluation, and the results were compared with traditional energy supply methods. The following research results were obtained. First, the comprehensive evaluation result indicates high applicability, and the economy and the environment are the key influencing factors for the applicability of the natural gas distributed energy system. Second, compared with the traditional energy supply method, the efficiency of energy conservation and emission reduction is remarkable, and the advantages of clean energy and the stepped supply method are reflected. Third, the distributed energy system has obvious economic applicability, especially in low-price areas of natural gas. It is concluded that the research results provide a more scientific decision-making method and reference for the promotion and application of the natural gas distributed energy system. Full article

This paper presents a design-optimization technique for cascadable spin-torque majority gate (C-STMG) that eliminates the need for carry regeneration, which has been a key limiting factor in conventional C-STMG-based arithmetic circuits. In conventional C-STMG adders, a carry-regeneration block was required to access the carry information generated two stages earlier, resulting in additional power and area overhead. Our proposed structure removes this requirement by enabling direct carry propagation without the carry-regeneration block, thereby reducing device count and energy consumption. To demonstrate the effectiveness and scalability of the proposed design technique, 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit full adders were designed using the carry-regeneration-free C-STMG structure. For the 8-bit implementation, our proposed design reduces dynamic power by 9.68% compared to the conventional C-STMG with carry regeneration. For the 16-bit implementation, the proposed design reduces dynamic power by 9.46% compared to the conventional C-STMG with carry regeneration. A similar reduction trend is observed in the 32-bit full adder (10.02% power reduction), confirming that the structural advantage of eliminating carry regeneration is consistently maintained as the adder bit-width increases. By reducing hardware overhead while preserving the inherent advantages of C-STMGs, the proposed design technique can significantly improve area and energy efficiency. Therefore, our proposed carry-regeneration-free C-STMG architecture provides an effective solution for scalable spintronic arithmetic circuits. Full article

This study investigates whether water efficiency (WE) can be represented as a candidate system-level leverage variable within a System Dynamics (SD) framework for green building rating systems (GBRSs). The framework represents WE and its proposed interactions with Energy and Atmosphere (EA), Sustainable Sites, Indoor Environmental Quality, Materials and Resources, Innovation, and Regional Priority categories may not be fully visible from the static point-weighting structure of certification systems. The method includes: (1) developing a System Dynamics (SD) framework based on stock-and-flow architecture, causal-feedback loop formalization, leverage-point theory and saturation concept, identifying four reinforcing and three balancing feedback loops, (2) dashboard-based simulation, and (3) cross-case-study validation and statistical evaluation. Four case studies were selected to demonstrate quantitative directional agreement between the model-generated category responses and documented project characteristics. The results demonstrate structural consistency for the primary WE-centered mechanism (ΔWE ≈ 0), while the downstream category responses provide the principal basis for directional evaluation. It is noted that the model does not capture all of the building and site-specific factors responsible for the difference in point accrual in other sustainable categories, especially, those related to EA—which was defined in all studied case-study projects as the dominant secondary sustainability category, following WE. The manuscript explicitly frames the framework as exploratory and it is positioned as a sustainability interaction simulator for investigating potential cross-category feedbacks rather than as a predictive certification-score model, and the validation is primarily structural and directional. This novel contribution is useful to inform feedback-informed design strategy and to propose water efficiency as a potential leverage point in integrated building performance. Full article

The growing demand for green hydrogen has driven the development of efficient and grid-compatible power electronic converters for electrolyzer systems. In this context, this work provides a comprehensive overview of ac-dc and dc-dc converter topologies applicable to electrolyzers. Conventional multipulse rectifiers remain dominant in large-scale plants due to their robustness and low cost, although traditional 12-pulse rectifiers typically exhibit a current total harmonic distortion (THD) around 15%, failing to meet power-quality standards. Alternative solutions include hybrid and active front-end (AFE) rectifiers, which can improve power quality and controllability, with AFE configurations achieving near-unity power factor and current THD below 5% in the reviewed studies, enabling flexible operation and integration with renewable energy sources. Furthermore, non-isolated high step-down dc-dc converters can extend the conversion range and mitigate low-frequency current ripple. They can reduce dc-current ripple from typical values above 10% in six-pulse rectifiers to below 1% in AFE-based configurations, thereby enhancing electrolyzer lifetime and efficiency. A comparative analysis highlighting trade-offs among cost (ranging from approximately 85 to 160 €/kVA across the reviewed case studies), complexity, and performance is presented. In addition, emerging trends such as modular multilevel structures, interleaved topologies, and wide-bandgap semiconductor devices are identified as key enablers for future systems. Full article

This study details the synthesis of YVO₄:Eu³⁺ phosphor and three distinct phosphor-in-glass (PiG) composites, which were developed using borosilicate (by Corning), Gorilla^® Glass, and boron-calcium invert glass matrices. Analysis of luminescence characteristics reveals that the phosphor follows the expected transitions of the Eu³⁺ ion, producing a high purity red emission, centered at 619 nm. Its emission spectrum consists of four primary bands located at 595, 619, 652, and 700 nm, due to the ⁵D₀ energy level to the ⁷F_J (J = 1, 2, 3, or 4) Eu³⁺ states. PiGs maintain chromatic purity while offering significantly enhanced luminescent intensity and quantum yield compared to YVO₄:Eu³⁺ phosphor. This performance is attributed to a combination of factors, including the intrinsic improvement in the crystallinity of the phosphor upon the 800 °C treatment and the protective role of the glass matrix. Additionally, the partial migration of Eu³⁺ ions to sites within the glass network may contribute to more efficient light emission. Many phosphor/glass ratios were tested, finding that 60% phosphor and 40% glass maximized luminescent output across all glass systems, while over 60% phosphor resulted in a clear loss of structural integrity producing fragile materials, establishing this ratio as the functional limit. Ultimately, the data indicate that the improvement in the final optical performance of PiG systems is fundamentally dictated by the specific chemical environment and nature of the glass host utilized in the synthesis. Full article

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) enhances C₃ photosynthesis and often improves intrinsic water-use efficiency, yet the extent to which this physiological potential translates into durable agronomic and ecological benefits remains uncertain. This review integrates evidence from controlled environments, free-air CO₂ enrichment experiments, field studies, and modelling to evaluate the mechanisms, constraints, and applications of CO₂ fertilization. We synthesize this evidence within a cascade-filtering framework that follows carbon gain from leaf photosynthesis through whole-plant allocation, resource limitation, environmental stress, and belowground processes to realized outcomes. Three major conclusions emerge from this review. First, leaf-level photosynthetic gains are progressively attenuated by photosynthetic acclimation, source–sink limitation, nutrient shortage, and water and heat stress, so biomass and harvestable-yield responses are smaller and more variable. Second, yield gains can coincide with lower protein, iron, and zinc concentrations, making nutrient yield as important as mass yield. Third, greater carbon input belowground does not guarantee persistent soil-carbon storage because allocation, turnover, and rhizosphere priming determine retention. In controlled-environment agriculture, enrichment is most effective when CO₂ supply is coordinated with light, climate, water, nutrients, crop load, energy use, and gas delivery. Future progress requires multi-factor, multi-year, genotype-resolved studies that link physiology with nutritional quality, soil processes, modelling, life-cycle impacts, and economics. Full article

Photosynthesis is the ultimate source of energy for crop productivity, and leaf morphology as well as chlorophyll content are traditional, indirectly related traits of photosynthesis. However, the genetic basis of these traits remains unexplored in sugarcane. In this study, we conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify loci controlling nine photosynthesis-related traits, including four leaf morphological traits (leaf length, leaf width, leaf ratio, and leaf area) and five chlorophyll-related traits (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, chlorophyll a/b ratio, total chlorophyll, and SPAD value). The analysis was performed using whole-genome resequencing data from 219 elite, globally diverse sugarcane materials evaluated at two locations across two years (four environments). Based on 5,964,084 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we identified 308 GWAS-significant SNPs (p ≤ 1.5 × 10⁻⁶) that were consistently detected in two or more environments, defining 97 GWAS-associated intervals across 30 chromosomes. Within these intervals, 98 putative genes were predicted, of which 20 genes in 16 intervals were potentially associated with leaf photosynthesis based on functional annotation and literature mining. These candidates are primarily involved in pathways related to ADP-ribosylation factors, ATP-dependent Clp protease proteolytic subunits, protein kinases, F-box proteins, MYB and WRKY transcription factors, UVR8, pentatricopeptide repeat-containing (PPR) proteins, Aux/IAA proteins, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) synthase, Orange (OR) proteins, PsbP domain-containing (PPD) proteins, and chloroplast stem-loop binding proteins of 41 kDa b (CSP41b). Ten genes were prioritized for future functional validation. Notably, these photosynthesis-related structural and pigment traits represent a different regulatory layer from direct gas exchange parameters (e.g., net photosynthetic rate), and their associations with actual photosynthetic efficiency require further validation. Nevertheless, this study provides novel candidate genes and molecular markers to assist marker-assisted breeding aimed at improving the photosynthetic structure and light-harvesting capacity of sugarcane. Full article

Vehicle speed affects exposure to a dynamic wireless charging (DWC) lane and propulsion demand. This study develops an analytically tractable homogeneous-lane model that separates received electrical energy, wheel work, drivetrain losses, and auxiliary demand. Under an explicitly assumed affine speed–efficiency relation, net DC-terminal energy per unit distance reduces to a three-coefficient expression. The derivative identifies monotonic speed dependence and interior stationary points; the latter represents reduced depletion rather than positive charging. A convexity argument establishes a constant-speed upper bound for a homogeneous quasi-steady segmented formulation at fixed traversal time. Energy-neutral power and coverage thresholds and deadline- and energy-target-dependent feasible-speed intervals are derived. Numerical calculations evaluate hypothetical 300 and 700 m lanes using an idealized baseline and explicitly assumed non-ideal drivetrain and auxiliary-load scenarios. For the 50 kW reference extension, a 700 m traversal with a 0.5 kWh net-energy target and a 60 s deadline permits approximately 11.667–15.221 m/s. Feasibility can be lost within a deterministic six-factor stress box. Component-wise and reduced-form calculations agree within 8.9 × 10⁻¹⁶ kWh across the verification cases. These results provide a reproducible analytical screening baseline with explicit assumptions; they constitute software verification, not experimental validation or a deployment-ready speed controller. Full article

This paper studies the “one-ladle” technique at the “blast furnace–converter interface” in long steel production and proposes an optimization scheme based on laminar-flow operation to reduce energy consumption from long hot-metal ladle turnover and large temperature drops. A representative steel plant was analyzed using a simulation model coupling hot-metal flow, temperature, and time factors, reflecting typical transfer paths. Flexsim (version 2024.2.2) software was used to examine the effects of ladle quantity, railcar capacity, and operating schemes on temperature drop and turnover time. Results show that optimizing transport routes, standardizing cross-area operations, and balancing crane workloads significantly reduce cross-interference and waiting, lowering the maximum hot-metal temperature drop by 29 °C and shortening ladle turnover time by 29 min. This approach enhances interface efficiency and offers simulation-based guidance for optimizing the blast furnace–converter interface in similar steel enterprises. Full article

Cooling load prediction is essential for energy-efficient HVAC operation and building energy management. In multifunctional buildings, heterogeneous load characteristics across functional zones increase the complexity of total cooling load prediction. Although decomposition–prediction methods can alleviate this problem, conventional full-sequence decomposition may introduce future information, leading to overly optimistic performance evaluation, whereas strictly causal rolling decomposition often suffers from unstable decomposition results. This study proposes a non-negative matrix factorization and Kalman-filter-based rolling decomposition method (NMF-KFRD). Constrained NMF extracts functional-zone load templates, while a rolling decomposition framework is constructed in which Kalman filtering recursively estimates contribution weights to improve decomposition continuity and stability. Prediction models are subsequently developed for the decomposed functional-zone loads, and the total cooling load is reconstructed from their predicted values. A case study using hourly cooling load data from a multifunctional building in Guangzhou, China, is conducted. With a back-propagation neural network (BP), NMF-KFRD achieves an RMSE of 227.49 kW, an MAE of 127.83 kW, and a MAPE of 9.59%, reducing these metrics by 23.2%, 31.5%, and 41.8% versus direct prediction, and by 13.9%, 20.0%, and 22.0% versus conventional rolling decomposition prediction. Overall, NMF-KFRD improves prediction accuracy while avoiding future-information leakage and maintaining decomposition stability, providing a reference for HVAC system optimization. Full article