Search Results (14,671)

Industrial waste heat recovery is an important approach for improving energy utilization efficiency and reducing environmental impacts. Thermoelectric devices can directly convert waste heat into electricity, but their practical application is limited by relatively low output power. Active water cooling can enhance the power generation performance of thermoelectric devices, but the pumping power may reduce the net output power. In this study, a water-cooling thermoelectric device is investigated under constant heat input conditions using three-dimensional numerical simulations and a semi-analytical prediction model. The effects of cooling water inlet temperature and flow rate on the thermal response, electrical output, heat transfer behavior, and net output power are systematically analyzed. The results show that increasing the cooling water flow rate increases the gross electrical power but also increases pumping power, resulting in an optimal flow rate of approximately 3 m/s to maximize the net output power. At inlet temperatures of 24 °C, 28 °C, and 32 °C, the maximum net output powers are 51.46 W, 49.89 W, and 48.68 W, respectively. A prediction model for cooling water input conditions is further developed based on energy balance and convective heat transfer correlations, and the predicted velocities agree with the numerical results with relative errors below 2%. Full article

In embodied-intelligence Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), multi-AGV intelligent warehousing requires continuous processing of latency-sensitive tasks, such as environmental perception, inventory monitoring, and anomaly detection. Due to limited onboard computing capability and energy capacity, purely local execution can hardly satisfy real-time requirements, whereas fully cloud-based processing may incur excessive transmission delay and backhaul overhead. To address this issue, this paper investigates the joint optimization of AGV service-point migration and task offloading under a cloud-edge-end collaborative architecture. Considering the impact of service-point selection on wireless access, MEC resources, movement delay, and energy consumption, as well as the effect of offloading decisions on transmission, computation, and AGV-side energy cost, a dual-time-scale optimization model is formulated to minimize the long-term accumulated system delay while satisfying task latency and AGV energy constraints. To solve the resulting mixed discrete problem, a DPSO-MAPPO algorithm is proposed, where DPSO searches service-point plans satisfying movement and conflict constraints at the slow time scale, and MAPPO learns coordinated multi-AGV offloading policies at the fast time scale. The delay and energy feedback further enables coordination between the two types of decisions. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm converges stably, reduces system delay by 13.55% compared with benchmark algorithms, and improves total energy consumption and energy-violation control. Full article

This study evaluates the ecological impacts of seawater desalination discharge on coastal marine ecosystems through a sequential analytical framework linking systematic literature synthesis, field-monitoring evidence, spatial analysis, and predictive ecological modeling. The novelty of the study lies in combining multi-regional evidence from Mediterranean coastal zones, Persian Gulf waters, and Pacific coastal environments with threshold-based ecological risk assessment, thereby linking discharge-related environmental stressors with biological responses and ecosystem-function alterations. The systematic review first retained 750 studies published between 2004 and 2024 for qualitative synthesis. On this basis, 59 high-quality references with sufficient numerical information were selected for the main quantitative meta-analysis, while field-monitoring data were used to support the interpretation of distance-based discharge gradients. Spatial interpolation and hierarchical modeling were then applied to evaluate exposure–response patterns and ecological threshold behavior. The results showed that desalination facilities generated measurable ecological impacts mainly within 50–200 m of discharge points, with a critical transition distance of approximately 127 m where hypersaline conditions, typically 1.5–2.0 times ambient seawater levels, were associated with marked changes in marine community structure. Benthic assemblages showed taxon-specific responses, with mollusks and echinoderms exhibiting greater sensitivity than polychaetes and small crustaceans. Marine vegetation declined strongly under combined salinity, thermal, and chemical stress, while phosphonate-based antiscalants accumulated in filter-feeding organisms and produced bioaccumulation factors up to 42.1 times ambient levels. Ecosystem-function indicators, including microbial community composition and sediment organic matter processing, remained altered up to 300 m from discharge points, indicating that functional impacts may extend beyond the primary hypersaline plume. The predictive modeling framework further demonstrated that ecological risk decreased nonlinearly with distance and varied according to discharge intensity, local hydrodynamics, and biological sensitivity. These findings indicate that conventional uniform buffer-based assessment may underestimate the ecological footprint of desalination discharge. Sustainable desalination management should therefore adopt site-specific monitoring, species-sensitive protection thresholds, improved brine-management technologies, and adaptive mitigation strategies based on real-time environmental feedback. Full article

The Chishui River Basin, a core production area for Chinese sauce-aroma Baijiu (exemplified by Moutai), supports sorghum cultivation critical to the liquor’s distinctive quality. The soil environment quality within this region, therefore, directly impacts the safety and quality of both raw material and the final distilled spirit. To underpin the safe production and sustainable development of this iconic beverage, it is essential to assess soil heavy metal contamination in the soils and quantify the contributions from various sources. In this study, 172 surface soil samples were collected from typical sorghum planting bases in the Renhuai area. Concentrations of eight heavy metals (loids) (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined. The contamination status was evaluated using the geostatistical inverse distance weighting interpolation, the Nemerow pollution index (P_N), and the potential ecological risk index (RI). Source identification and quantification were performed using the positive matrix factorization receptor model (PMF). Results revealed significant enrichment of Cd and Hg in the soil, with mean concentrations 2.07 times and 2.54 times the soil background values for Guizhou Province, respectively. Pollution index results (P_i, P_N) indicated that soil Cd contamination is relatively severe, whereas contamination from other elements is minimal. Overall, approximately 86.5% of the study area was classified as clean or only slightly polluted. Cd poses a moderate ecological risk and was the primary contributor to the total ecological hazard. Other elements exhibited lower risk, resulting in a slight overall potential ecological risk. The soil environmental quality in certified organic sorghum bases was generally favorable. PMF analysis identified three principal sources: historic industrial emissions and traffic-related sources (contributing 46%), weathering of carbonate rocks combined with agricultural activities (37%), and natural background coupled with organic fertilizer application (17%). In conclusion, while the overall soil heavy metal pollution level in the sorghum planting areas is low, the notable enrichment and higher ecological risk of Cd necessitate enhanced dynamic monitoring and targeted risk control measures to ensure long-term soil health and product safety. Full article

Fine particulate matter with a diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM_2.5) pollution poses a global public health crisis, demonstrating significant threats to human health. This study focused on the strategically important Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle in western China, systematically comparing the toxic effects of urban and rural PM_2.5 across five levels. PMF and regression analysis were used to identify source contributions, dual-omics to pinpoint key molecules, and epidemiological data with a GAM model to assess health risks. Findings demonstrate that rural PM_2.5 possesses greater biotoxicity than its urban counterpart. Cytotoxicity in urban and rural PM_2.5 originated from road dust/vehicle emissions and biomass burning, respectively. Subsequently, integrated omics and molecular biology analyses identify kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A) as a shared key target, which mediates toxicity induced by both urban and rural PM_2.5. Finally, epidemiological analysis reveals that females and ≥65 years old exhibit relatively high sensitivity to urban PM_2.5 exposure trends, with rhinitis showing a comparatively higher impact among various related diseases. The novelty of this work lies in its pioneering application of a multi-tiered investigative approach. This approach spans “environmental samples-cellular mechanisms-population health” within the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle context, systematically elucidating common and distinct respiratory health risk of urban and rural PM_2.5. This work offers a vital scientific foundation for advancing region-specific, precise air pollution prevention and control measures. Full article

Disentangling the coupled, nonlinear impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities on vegetation dynamics is critical yet challenging for global change research. The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP), a highly climate-sensitive and ecologically strategic region, serves as a vital arena for examining such complex socio-ecological attributions. Based on multi-source environmental datasets from 2000 to 2020, this study developed an integrated, spatially explicit framework coupling residual trend analysis (RESTREND) and GeoDetector to quantify individual drivers and nonlinear climate–human interactions. The QTP exhibited a significant, widespread greening trend during 2000–2020, featuring prominent spatial clustering with “High–High” clusters in the southeast and “Low–Low” clusters in the northwest. Attribution modeling revealed that vegetation dynamics were governed not by isolated variables, but by multifaceted, nonlinear synergies among precipitation, temperature, topography, vegetation type, and land-use change. Key interactive pairs, particularly elevation–temperature and slope–precipitation, dramatically increased explanatory power over single-factor models. Crucially, climate–human synergies explained substantially more variance than climate variables alone, bounded by a distinct elevational threshold: human activities dominated vegetation dynamics at mid-elevations (2500–3500 m), while climate factors took over as the primary controller at high altitudes (above 3500 m). Quantitatively, human activities induced vegetation improvement across 38.6% of the plateau, maintained stability in 35.8%, and caused degradation in 25.6%. By successfully merging trend decomposition with spatial stratified heterogeneity analysis, this study provides a transferable approach to uncoupling complex environmental interactions. These insights highlight the intensifying human footprint on alpine ecosystems and advocate for zone-specific adaptive management: mitigating human disturbances at mid-elevations and fostering climate adaptation in higher zones to preserve plateau resilience. Full article

Building inclusive, high-density cities requires understanding vulnerable groups’ public space usage. While green exposure significantly impacts urban health, existing research frequently overlooks females’ specific needs regarding streetscape visual quality, green space structures, and daily travel experiences. To address this, the study investigates spatial disparities in Suzhou’s historic district. Utilizing multi-source data and mixed modeling strategies, including Partial Least Squares and Ordinary Least Squares (PLS-OLS) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), the research analyzes how streetscape perceptions and green space characteristics affect female life satisfaction and expressed sentiment. Results indicate three main findings. (1) Streetscape visual features fundamentally drive subjective evaluations. Safe significantly enhances well-being, whereas boring and lively negatively impact life satisfaction, reflecting females’ acute sensitivity to environmental oppressiveness during daily travel. (2) Park diversity elevates expressed sentiment, while patch density positively influences life satisfaction, demonstrating the vital value of fragmented greenery for daily public space usage. (3) Boring precipitously diminishes life satisfaction after surpassing a specific threshold, while park diversity elevates expressed sentiment only after crossing a critical interval. The study establishes an integrated analytical framework linking visual perception, green space structure, emotional response, and satisfaction. These findings provide targeted strategies for enhancing inclusive urban design and optimizing green space allocation to improve streetscape safety and alleviate visual oppressiveness, thereby advancing gender social justice for vulnerable groups in historic districts. Full article

Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being) aims to ‘ensure healthy lives and promote well-being at all ages’. Therefore, in today’s world, shaping children’s sustainable and healthy eating choices is crucial in terms of directly impacting their long-term health, supporting environmental sustainability, and strengthening social and economic development. In this manner, the purpose of the present study was to examine whether greenhouse-based education improves students’ sustainable and healthy eating choices. An educational design-based research model was followed in the current study. The research was conducted with 20 third-grade students from a private school in Istanbul, Türkiye. Greenhouse-based education that includes activities focused on sustainable agriculture and healthy nutrition was implemented for 6 weeks. The data were collected with semi-structured interviews before and after instruction. In the data analysis, the content analysis was used. The findings revealed that greenhouse-based instruction developed students’ sustainable and healthy eating choices. After greenhouse-based education, the majority of students have started to adopt healthier eating habits like consuming environmentally friendly foods, such as more fresh/seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, local organic foods, nutrient-dense foods, foods that are good for their health, reusing food waste, etc. Therefore, the results showed that greenhouse-based instruction can have the potential to transform eating choices, instill lifelong healthy habits, and cultivate a generation that is both nutritionally conscious and environmentally responsible. Full article

Heat stress occurs when total environmental and metabolic heat production is greater than an animal’s ability to dissipate that heat. Heat stress negatively impacts feeder cattle performance and welfare. Limited research has been conducted to determine if feeding cattle in the evening, thereby shifting their metabolic heat production to a cooler period of the day, can help mitigate heat stress. This pen-level randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of evening feeding (PM; feedings at 2000, 2300, and 0200 h; n = 24 pens) versus morning feeding (AM; feedings at 0500, 0800, and 1200 h; n = 24 pens) on terminally sorted steer performance in a commercial feedyard in the Pacific Northwest. Data collection included feed delivery, water consumption, health events, open mouth breathing prevalence, and carcass traits. Linear and generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to determine potential differences between treatment group and temperature-humidity index (THI; <80 versus ≥80). Only 14% of the total study days had a THI ≥ 80, indicating little to no heat stress impacts. There were no differences found between PM and AM for any outcome (p < 0.05). Regardless of treatment group, water consumption tended (p = 0.07) to increase, and open mouth breathing significantly (p < 0.05) increased on days with THI ≥ 80. Further research is warranted to assess evening feeding as a heat stress mitigation strategy in a feedyard setting. Full article

In recent years, an essential approach for promoting and implementing efficient sustainable construction practices has been considered through the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA). The introduction of OpenBIM, which is characterized by its collaborative and interoperable nature, offers an ideal framework to enhance this integration. This paper conducts a systematic review of the literature concerning the practices applied to integrate BIM and LCA, focusing on the present trends, challenges, and opportunities as well as on how the concept of OpenBIM can be applied to tackle the identified issues and gaps. Based on an intense review of the literature to identify the ways currently used to exchange data, this paper proposes a robust framework to create Information Delivery Specifications (IDS) as a solution to the identified gaps to attain an effective implementation, ultimately contributing to sustainable buildings’ practices and enhancing the integration of OpenBIM and LCA. OpenBIM emphasizes interoperability and collaboration by using open standards like Industry Foundation Classes (IFCs), which, when combined with LCA, offer a powerful method for the practice of sustainable building and provide a transparent evaluation of the environmental impacts of building materials and processes. This paper explores the definitions, key concepts, types of the exchanged data, and methods of integration and therefore provides insights into their potential in addressing the gaps that the construction industry is currently facing. The framework of integrating OpenBIM and LCA will be developed as a tool; therefore, it will combine an automated validation option by using IDS, create an enriched IFC file(s), dynamically map the data to an external LCA repositories, and incorporate feedback and reporting mechanisms. All those will be combined to address the most persistent shortcomings in the reviewed studies related to the integration of BIM and LCA. The framework will promote a holistic approach covering the early design benchmark to the detailed Whole Building LCA (WBLCA), including the operational and end-of-life phases. This next-generation workflow will align closely to the principles of OpenBIM, leading to improvement in the efficiency, accuracy, and deeper understanding of the environmental impacts by stakeholders over the construction lifecycle of buildings. Full article

The global obesity epidemic is expanding at an alarming rate, posing significant health risks for women of reproductive age due to immediate pregnancy complications and adverse long-term effects on offspring. Consequently, several non-pharmacological strategies have been proposed to mitigate these impacts. Therefore, we hypothesized that the combined application of the probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and enriched environment (EE) will result in improved metabolic and histopathologic findings within a model of maternal obesity, surpassing the efficacy of individual therapeutic strategies. Using nulliparous Wistar rats, LGG was administered before, during, and after gestation, while EE was implemented during pregnancy and lactation. LGG supplementation and an enriched environment separately improved blood triacylglycerols. The enriched environment was more effective in reducing the effects of maternal obesity, even lessening liver damage observed in obese subjects in the form of vacuolar infiltrates. The results obtained suggest a potential functional interaction in this combined model, and the findings indicate that LGG may have influenced the modulation of enriched environment effects on metabolic parameters. Diet, probiotic supplementation, and environmental setting during the perinatal period have specific effects on biochemical and tissular parameters, establishing their descriptive role as non-pharmacological intervention strategies and underscoring the need for mechanistic studies to elucidate the biological pathways underlying these effects. Full article

The quality of rice grain impacts milling yield, market acceptance, and product value. Physical quality is determined by many traits, such as chalkiness, whiteness, vitreous whiteness, caryopsis length, and width. Breeding for these traits is challenging due to their quantitative nature, environmental effects, and time and labor requirements to evaluate these traits. The digital grain analyzer (S21) equipment determines rice grain physical quality by image-based analysis; however, its use remains restricted. Thus, here we aimed to evaluate S21 efficiency to determine the physical quality of rice grains and estimate the genetic diversity of the trait using a Brazilian panel of 152 irrigated rice genotypes as a working model. We accessed total whiteness, vitreous whiteness, chalkiness degree, chalky grain rate, white belly, grain length, width, and length/width ratio. Our results demonstrated that S21 allowed the characterization of the genotypes according to physical traits, facilitating grouping and separation of accessions and correlation analyses between quality traits. It was also possible to estimate the heritability of quality traits. S21 was efficient in characterizing the physical quality of rice grains and determining their genetic diversity. The equipment is an effective tool exhibiting potential application by breeder programs. Full article

Waste-to-energy (WtE) systems are frequently proposed as complementary waste-management strategies; however, their climate performance depends on the interaction between thermodynamic efficiency, material circularity, and electricity-system characteristics. Existing life-cycle assessments generally provide static comparisons between landfill and WtE but rarely identify the operating conditions under which WtE remains environmentally competitive. To address this gap, a parametric life cycle–energy framework was developed by integrating attributional LCA with an analytical energy model capable of evaluating critical efficiency thresholds under varying recovery rates and electricity-grid conditions. Four representative thermoplastics (PET, HDPE, PP, and LDPE) were evaluated using ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) in SimaPro under Mexican electricity conditions ($E{F}_{\mathrm{grid}}=0.444$ kg CO₂eq/kWh). Results indicate that total life-cycle climate impacts are dominated by upstream polymer production, whereas end-of-life management contributes only marginally to overall GWP. Critical-efficiency analysis revealed strong sensitivity to both recovery rate and electricity-grid carbon intensity. For PET, the minimum efficiency required for WtE to outperform landfill increased from 13.1% to 73.5% across the evaluated scenarios, whereas HDPE remained competitive at efficiencies below 1.3%. Monte Carlo simulations (10,000 realizations) further demonstrated that avoided emissions decline systematically with increasing recovery rates, with LDPE exhibiting the highest mean avoided emissions (1735 kg CO₂eq) and PET the lowest (811 kg CO₂eq). These results demonstrate that WtE climate performance is governed primarily by residual waste availability and electricity-system evolution rather than thermodynamic efficiency alone. Consequently, WtE should be interpreted as a transitional residual-waste management strategy whose long-term climate relevance decreases as material circularity and electricity-grid decarbonization advance. Full article

Fulfilling corporate ESG responsibilities enhances a firm’s sustainable development capabilities but also comes at an economic cost. This study investigates whether firms should invest heavily in ESG or maintain moderate ESG practices to balance cost efficiency and resilience. Using a sample of A-share listed companies in China from 2012 to 2024, we employ OLS regression models to explore the impact of ESG responsibility fulfillment on cost stickiness and the factors that influence this relationship. The study finds that (1) there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between corporate ESG responsibility fulfillment and cost stickiness; (2) the turning point lies between the B and CCC Huazheng ESG rating levels. Below this level, ESG responsibility fulfillment reduces cost stickiness, while above it, excessive ESG fulfillment increases cost stickiness; (3) environmental sensitivity, managerial overconfidence, and state ownership amplify this non-linear effect, making the reduction or increase in cost stickiness more pronounced. This paper deepens the understanding of the drivers of cost stickiness from the perspective of ESG responsibility fulfillment, offering new insights for future research on cost behavior and providing valuable guidance for firms seeking to optimize cost management through ESG strategies. Full article

Surface mining represents a significant intervention into the natural environment, negatively affecting air, water, soil and local ecosystems. In cement production, these impacts are closely connected to occupational health and safety risks, particularly in processes involving blasting operations. The aim of the article is to design, implement, and empirically verify an integrated model for assessing occupational and environmental risks in the cement production process, with an emphasis on the surface mining of raw materials stage, which will enable a comprehensive assessment of the interrelationships between risks, increase the accuracy of their evaluation, and support effective decision-making in OSH management and the environmental performance of the enterprise. The research was conducted as a case study using a combination of scientific quantitative methods focused on designing and verifying the integrated IMORM model in the cement industry. The methodological approach included an analysis of the requirements of ISO standards, methodological recommendations of EU-OSHA, comparison of approaches, expert interviews, observation in practice, application of a checklist, point-based method, risk catalogue, synthesis of knowledge, modelling, and verification. The application of an integrated approach to risk management demonstrated higher effectiveness compared to traditional approaches, whereby all unacceptable OSH risks were reduced to an acceptable level after the implementation of measures. In the environmental area, the risk score decreased significantly by 52.9%, and in the OSH area, the risk index decreased by 31%. At the same time, the model’s ability to effectively prioritize measures and identify cross-cutting solutions with a high impact was confirmed. The contribution of the article lies primarily in expanding knowledge in the field of integrated risk management and in proposing a practically applicable model that reflects the requirements of management systems according to the standards ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 31000. The IMORM model represents a tool applicable to enterprises with a high level of occupational and environmental risks, particularly in the mining and processing industries. The model also supports more comprehensive decision-making in the field of OSH and environmental management and contributes to improving the safety and environmental performance of the enterprise. Full article