Search Results (1,190)

District heating is critical for low-carbon urban energy systems, yet most networks remain centralized in both heat generation and data ownership, fossil-dependent, and poorly integrated with digital, customer-centric, and market-responsive solutions. While artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and automation offer transformative opportunities, their adoption raises complex challenges related to business models, regulation, and consumer trust. This paper addresses the absence of a comprehensive synthesis linking technological innovation, business-model evolution, and institutional adaptation in the digital transformation of district heating. Using the PRISMA-ScR methodology, this review systematically analyzed 69 peer-reviewed studies published between 2006 and 2024 across four thematic domains: digital technologies and automation, business-model innovation, customer engagement and value creation, and challenges and implementation barriers. The results reveal that research overwhelmingly emphasizes technical optimization, such as AI-driven forecasting and IoT-based fault detection, whereas economic scalability, regulatory readiness, and user participation remain underexplored. Studies on business-model innovation highlight emerging approaches such as dynamic pricing, co-ownership, and sector coupling, yet few evaluate financial or policy feasibility. Evidence on customer engagement shows increasing attention to real-time data platforms and prosumer participation, but also persistent barriers related to privacy, digital literacy, and equity. The review develops a schematic conceptual framework illustrating the interactions among technology, business, and governance layers, demonstrating that successful digitalization depends on alignment between innovation capacity, market design, and institutional flexibility. Full article

Afforestation plays a vital role in reshaping land systems and enhancing carbon sequestration, particularly in ecologically fragile regions. However, the carbon implications and spatial dynamics of large-scale planted-forest (PF) expansion in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) remain insufficiently understood. Focusing on the YRB, this study integrates multi-source land-use, forest type, and carbon datasets to evaluate land-use transitions (2000–2020) and quantify changes in total ecosystem carbon (TEC), aboveground carbon (AGC), and PF-derived AGC (PF-AGC) from 2005 to 2020 under the IPCC-based accounting framework. The results show cumulative land-use conversion of 118,481 km², with forest land expanded to 11.89% of the basin, mainly due to afforestation efforts in the middle reaches. TEC followed a rise–decline–rebound trajectory, yielding a net gain of 1.96 × 10⁸ t, while AGC increased by 4.37 × 10⁸ t. With the expansion of PF, PF-AGC contributed 1.60 × 10⁸ t (36.61% of AGC gains), primarily sourced from grassland (40.51%), natural forests (35.15%), and cropland (23.56%). PFs were dominated by young stands (≤40 years), spatially clustered in the middle–lower reaches, and exhibited higher carbon sink potential than natural forests. Spatially, AGC and PF distributions underwent staged reconfiguration. Standard deviational ellipse and centroid analyses revealed eastward shifts and axis changes in AGC, and southwestward migration of PFs, indicating PF expansion as a major driver of carbon redistribution. These findings clarify the forest age–land-use–carbon nexus and highlight the spatial impact of afforestation, offering critical insights for region-specific low-carbon strategies and sustainable land governance in the YRB. Full article

This study examined the effects of phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄), polyimide (PI), and lubricants (MoS₂, graphite) on the phase stability, microstructure, and magnetic performance of Fe-5.0 wt.%Si soft magnetic composites (SMCs). Warm compaction (≤550 °C) and annealing at 700 °C were applied to samples prepared under a full factorial design. X-ray diffraction confirmed stable α-Fe(Si) phases without secondary phases. SEM and TEM–EDS revealed interfacial insulating layers mainly composed of Si-O, with localized phosphorus and carbon. Additive composition strongly influenced magnetic and physical properties. Increasing H₃PO₄ and PI reduced the density from 7.50 to 7.27 g/cm³ and lowered the permeability (from 189 at 1 kHz to 156), due to thicker interparticle layers that restricted metallic contact and domain wall motion. In contrast, Q-values rose significantly with frequency: for H₃PO₄ 0.25 wt.% + PI 0.25 wt.% + graphite 0.3 wt.%, Q increased from 0.39 (1 kHz) to 2.91 (10 kHz), reflecting effective eddy current suppression. Lubricant type further influenced performance: graphite consistently outperformed MoS₂, with 0.3 wt.% graphite providing the best balance of high density, permeability, and a frequency-stable Q-value. Overall, Fe-5.0 wt.%Si performance is governed not by bulk phase changes but by the trade-off between densification and insulation at particle interfaces. The optimal combination of low H₃PO₄ and PI with 0.3 wt.% graphite offers practical guidelines for designing high-frequency, high-efficiency motor materials. Full article

As a critical tool for low-carbon urban transportation, improper disposal of waste batteries from electric bicycles could significantly hinder sustainable development progress. To enhance resource cycling efficiency, this study constructs a sustainable supply chain model involving battery owners, recyclers, and the government, comparing equilibrium outcomes under two subsidy schemes: subsidizing battery owners versus directly subsidizing recyclers. Key findings reveal that when environmental governance costs exceed a critical threshold, subsidies significantly increase recycling volumes while reducing government expenditure. Direct subsidies to recyclers generate stronger price signals, more effectively incentivizing battery owners’ participation and achieving superior policy outcomes. This research provides a quantitative foundation for optimizing environmental governance efficiency and circular economy policies in e-bike battery recycling, demonstrating that targeted subsidies can simultaneously promote ecological sustainability and fiscal effectiveness. Full article

The transition toward sustainable energy systems remains challenging as conventional energy still dominates despite environmental and security concerns. Integrated Energy Services (IES) provide a promising mechanism by optimising energy planning, operation, and delivery through integrated solutions. While previous studies have emphasized technological or policy aspects of IES, little is known about how consumers’ cognition and perceptions shape their acceptance of IES. This study investigates how awareness of conventional energy drawbacks and recognition of IES advantages influence acceptance by surveying 450 households in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai. Descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation, and mediation analysis were employed to identify key behavioral pathways. Results reveal that planning and design influence service performance through operation and maintenance, and service efficiency affects price acceptance through perceived service quality. City-level analysis shows that Beijing residents emphasize reliable planning and operations, Tianjin respondents focus on efficiency and responsiveness, while Shanghai consumers place the greatest importance on service quality and fairness. These findings provide new insights into the consumer-level mechanisms of IES acceptance and offer practical guidance for tailoring city-specific strategies to enhance IES implementation and support China’s low-carbon transition. Full article

This study investigates the role of government subsidies in fostering sustainable development among 69,525 Chinese manufacturing companies, with a focus on product quality and production efficiency. We examine how subsidy effects vary across companies with different ownership types, export orientations, and market competition intensities. Our results indicate that subsidies generally enhance both product quality and production efficiency, albeit with a time lag. These improvements are primarily driven by increased R&D investment and the adoption of upgraded equipment, contributing to sustainable operational practices. We find that subsidies are particularly effective in promoting sustainability outcomes in non-state-owned and non-exporting companies, though their suitability remains context-dependent. Specifically, subsidies more significantly improve product quality in low-competition, export-oriented companies, while they exert a stronger influence on production efficiency in companies operating in highly competitive environments. For management, aligning government subsidies with corporate strategy is crucial to enhancing product quality and efficiency. For policymakers, the heterogeneous treatment effects support moving away from one-size-fits-all grants toward tiered support that channels R&D-intensive subsidies to leading industries and efficiency-oriented subsidies to highly competitive industries. These findings directly inform China’s Dual-Carbon strategy and offer an exportable evaluation framework for emerging economies seeking to align industrial policy with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

Understanding interactions among ecosystem services (ESs) is vital for ecological conservation and governance. As a newly established national-level New Area in China, Xiong’an New Area holds significant ecological importance. This study first explores its long-term spatiotemporal changes in ESs using an “assessment-attribution-correlation-zoning” framework. Results show that net primary productivity (NPP) remained stable from 1990 to 2023; soil conservation (SC) and habitat quality (HQ) improved from 2018 to 2023; carbon storage (CS) declined significantly from 2010 to 2015; and water yield (WY) decreased continuously from 1990 to 2023. Rainfall was the key natural driver, while GDP and road network density were critical anthropogenic factors. Correlations among the five ESs weakened: synergies between soil conservation–water yield, soil conservation–carbon storage, soil conservation–habitat quality, water yield–carbon storage, and habitat quality–carbon storage diminished, and the water yield–habitat quality synergy turned into a trade-off. Spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed significant spatial heterogeneity in ESs. Carbon storage–habitat quality, carbon storage–soil conservation, habitat quality–soil conservation, net primary productivity–habitat quality, water yield–soil conservation, and net primary productivity–water yield showed low-low clustering; net primary productivity–carbon storage, net primary productivity–soil conservation, and water yield–habitat quality exhibited low-high clustering; and water yield–carbon storage showed high-high clustering. Finally, ESs were classified into six bundles via self-organizing maps, with the carbon–ecology maintenance bundle being the largest. These findings provide a basis for scientific ecosystem management and sustainable development in Xiong’an. Full article

The development of sustainable concrete capable of trading off the mechanical performance and cost remains a persistent scientific and engineering challenge. Although previous research has employed multi-objective optimization for binary and ternary cement blends, the simultaneous optimization of quaternary-blended systems, incorporating multiple supplementary cementitious materials, has received little systematic attention. This study addresses this gap by introducing an interpretable artificial intelligence (AI)-driven approach that integrates the Category Boosting (CatBoost) algorithm with the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) to model and optimize the compressive strength (CS) and total cost of quaternary-blended concretes. A curated database of 810 experimentally documented mixtures was used to train and validate the model. CatBoost achieved superior predictive performance (R² = 0.987, MAE = 1.574 MPa), while Shapley additive explanations identified curing age, water-to-binder ratio, and Portland cement content as the dominant parameters governing CS. Multi-objective optimization produced Pareto-optimal elite mixtures achieving CS of 51–80 MPa, with a representative 60 MPa mix requiring approximately 62% less cement than conventional designs. The findings establish a scientifically grounded, interpretable methodology for data-driven design of low-carbon, high-performance concretes and demonstrate, for the first time, the viability of AI-assisted multi-criteria optimization for complex quaternary-blended systems. This framework offers both methodological innovation and practical guidance for implementing sustainable construction materials. Full article

Shifting urban land from planned to marketed allocation is an essential aspect of China’s economic market reform. However, its impact on carbon emissions has not been directly examined. Using prefecture-level urban panel data from 1997 to 2017, we empirically test the effect and mechanism of land transfer marketization (LTM) on carbon emissions. The results show that the LTM can significantly reduce urban CO₂ emissions. Specifically, a unit increase in the degree of LTM can decrease total urban CO₂ emissions by 3% and carbon intensity by 2.4%. The main transmission mechanism is attributed to three effects of land transfer: (1) Structural effect. LTM increases the supply of commercial service land and reduces that of industrial land, thereby reducing the total urban carbon emissions. (2) Resource allocation effect. LMT will screen out efficient enterprises and promote the reduction of carbon emissions. (3) Financing effect. By enhancing the ability of governments and businesses to finance, LTM can facilitate the introduction of green industries and improve the research of low-carbon technologies of enterprises, thus reducing carbon emissions. The above conclusions have passed a series of robustness tests. They also show that the impacts of the LMT are heterogeneous and stronger in the Centre and West in cities with lower economic development levels and larger populations. This study validates the efficacy and underlying mechanism of LTM in significantly reducing urban carbon emissions. Consequently, it offers a framework for the formulation of policies aimed at reducing urban carbon emissions through land market reform. Full article

As an advanced form of community development, Future Communities (Weilai Shequ) is a policy-led urban initiative launched in Zhejiang, China, that prioritizes human-centered development. However, it is currently confronted with an inherent contradiction: the expansion of technological rationality is encroaching upon humanistic values. Centering on the core “technology–human” relationship, this study is dedicated to exploring development measures for Future Community that synergistically integrate technological empowerment and humanistic care. Using natural language processing techniques (LDA topic modeling), we conducted an exploration and analysis of the thematic characteristics and evolution of 40 policy documents related to future communities issued by the central and local governments of China from 2014 to 2024. The study identifies six core topics: Quality Enhancement, Technical Foundation, Intelligent Operations and Maintenance, Green and Low-Carbon, All-Age Friendliness, and Community Services. Analysis revealed that each theme embodies a dual connotation of both technological and humanistic dimensions. Furthermore, the study revealed that the evolution of policy semantics follows a three-stage developmental pattern: technology dominance and nascent human-centered values; human-centered rise and technology empowerment; and human-centered deepening and technological embeddedness. Based on the above findings, and grounded in a phenomenological perspective, this study integrates Alexander’s human-centered architectural philosophy with Ihde’s theory of technological mediation to propose a future community construction pathway jointly driven by “technological mediation” and “human presence.” Theoretically, this research transcends the binary narrative of technology versus humanism. In practice, it provides policymakers with tools to avoid technological pitfalls. It establishes fundamental principles for planners and designers to implement humanistic values, ultimately aiming to realize, at the community level, the vision of technology serving humanity’s aspiration for a better life. Full article

The world is far from meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement of limiting the rise of global temperature to below 1.5 °C, with dire consequences for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in particular. If SIDS are to address their climate vulnerabilities through policy-induced resilience building, they need to have a robust governance framework in place that coherently addresses climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. What would such a governance framework look like? To address this question, we carried out a systematic literature review of papers published between 1992 and 2023. Our review reveals that the governance around climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction is relatively weak in SIDS. However, the analysis of barriers and enablers unveils the contours of a proposed three-tiered governance framework, the application of which needs to be contextualised: Tier 1 comprises three key pillars: Policy Planning, Institutional Arrangements, and Laws and Regulations; Tier 2 identifies the principles of transparency, accountability, equity, legitimacy, and subsidiarity; the core pillars and the principles are nested within a broader Tier 3 comprising democratic processes (rule of law), religious and cultural values, and political commitment. In order for SIDS to fight the existential threat of climate change, the proposed framework will allow SIDS to better understand their climate governance framework and deliver low-carbon, climate resilient development within the broader ambit of sustainable development. This framework also addresses the weakness in previous studies, which consider dimensions, principles, and enabling an environment of good governance on equal footing. We illustrate this framework using the analogy of the lotus flower. Full article

Amidst the challenges posed by global climate change and China’s dual-carbon objectives, the advancement of low-carbon innovative development within urban renewal projects faces obstacles arising from the divergent interests of multiple stakeholders. This research identifies the government, social capital entities, and design research institutes as principal stakeholders and develops a tripartite evolutionary game model incorporating sixteen critical variables. The findings indicate that governmental incentive policies facilitate the system’s progression toward a stable equilibrium. Notably, when the intensity of incentives surpasses a specific threshold, a positive feedback mechanism emerges between social capital engagement and design quality. Consequently, the study proposes a collaborative framework characterized by “dynamic incentives, risk sharing, and mutual recognition of standards,” which underscores the co-evolutionary dynamics among system design, technological innovation, and market participation. This framework offers a novel approach to addressing prevalent challenges in urban renewal, including inadequate incentives, elevated risks, and low efficiency in outcome conversion. Full article

To address the challenges associated with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) in mine backfilling, including high costs, the large carbon footprint, and performance limitations, a novel cementitious powder (CP) based on alkali-activated slag is developed in this work. The mechanical performance and microstructural strengthening mechanism of this CP as a substitute for OPC in cemented copper tailing backfill (CTB) were systematically evaluated. The effects of key parameters, including the solid content (SC), tailing-to-cement ratio (TCR), and curing age (CA), were investigated using uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The results demonstrate that the novel binder exhibits superior performance. At a solid content of 73%, the CTB prepared with CP at a TCR of 10 or 12 achieved a compressive strength comparable to or exceeding that of the OPC-based counterpart with a TCR of 8. This represents a 33% reduction in binder dosage without sacrificing performance. The UCS of the CTB increased significantly with a decreasing TCR and an increasing CA, with the most rapid strength development observed during the early curing stages (≤7 days). The stress–strain behavior transitioned from plastic yielding to strain-softening with prolonged curing, and the macroscopic failure was predominantly governed by tensile cracking. Microstructural analysis revealed that the strength development of the CTB originates from the continuous formation of hydration products, such as calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) gel and ettringite. These products progressively fill pores and encapsulate tailing particles, creating a dense and interlocking skeletal structure. A lower TCR and a longer CA promote the formation of a more integrated and compact micro-network, thereby enhancing the macroscopic mechanical strength. This study confirms the viability of the slag-based binder as a sustainable alternative to OPC in mining backfill applications, providing a critical theoretical basis and technical support for the low-cost, eco-friendly utilization of mining solid waste. Full article

The rapid expansion of island and reef infrastructure has intensified the demand for sustainable concrete materials, yet the scarcity of conventional aggregates and freshwater severely constrains their supply. More critically, the fundamental bonding mechanism between steel reinforcement and coral aggregate concrete (CAC) remains poorly understood due to the highly porous, ion-rich nature of coral aggregates and the complex interfacial reactions at the steel–cement–coral interface. Moreover, the synergistic effect of polyoxymethylene (POM) fibers in modifying this interfacial behavior has not yet been systematically quantified. To fill this research gap, this study develops a C40-grade POM-fiber-reinforced CAC and investigates the composition–property relationship governing its bond performance with steel bars. A comprehensive series of pull-out tests was conducted to examine the effects of POM fiber dosage (0, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0%), protective layer thickness (32, 48, and 67 mm), bar type, and anchorage length (2 d, 3 d, 5 d, and 6 d) on the interfacial bond behavior. Results reveal that a 0.6% POM fiber addition optimally enhanced the peak bond stress and restrained radial cracking, indicating a strong fiber-bridging contribution at the micro-interface. A constitutive bond–slip model incorporating the effects of fiber content and c/d ratio was established and experimentally validated. The findings elucidate the multiscale coupling mechanism among coral aggregate, POM fiber, and steel reinforcement, providing theoretical and practical guidance for the design of durable, low-carbon marine concrete structures. Full article

Football (soccer) is the world’s most widely played sport, but it carries a high incidence of traumatic injuries, particularly to the head, face, and lower limbs. Once regarded as a low-equipment discipline, the role of protective devices has expanded substantially in recent decades, both in injury prevention and in return-to-play strategies. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the historical evolution, typology, and materials of football protective equipment, with additional focus on regulatory frameworks, cultural acceptance, and illustrative cases from elite athletes. Shin guards remain the only mandatory device, yet the use of facial masks, headgear, braces, and orthoses is increasing, particularly following high-profile injuries. Advances in carbon fiber composites, thermoplastics, viscoelastic foams, and additive manufacturing have enabled lightweight, customized devices that balance protection with comfort and adherence. Beyond biomechanics, psychological reassurance, esthetics, durability, and hygiene strongly influence player compliance and perception. Despite this progress, critical challenges remain. Football lacks standardized testing protocols, clear certification pathways, and longitudinal studies on long-term outcomes. Evidence is particularly limited for youth athletes and newer categories of equipment. Looking ahead, the integration of wearable technologies, systematic hygiene and durability testing, and sustainable materials could transform protective gear into multifunctional tools for safety, monitoring, and performance optimization. Protective equipment in football has thus evolved into a multidisciplinary field at the intersection of medicine, engineering, psychology, and regulation. Future advances will depend on stronger collaboration between clinicians, researchers, governing bodies, and manufacturers to ensure safe, effective, and widely accepted protective solutions at all levels of the game. Full article