Search Results (38)

Climate finance has become a major means of fostering sustainability in the construction industry, which encounters higher pressures to mitigate its environmental footprint without sacrificing economic viability. In line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this study employs a hybrid approach, integrating a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis, to provide a comprehensive overview of the role and mechanisms of climate finance for sustainable practices in the construction industry. From 2019 to 2025, 176 papers were identified in the Scopus (73) and Web of Science (103) databases. The SLR enables both systematic collection and qualitative analysis of financial instruments, policy frameworks, and sustainability performance metrics, and bibliometric analysis provides a report of publication behavior, geographic distribution, and thematic network. Findings suggest intense clustering of research in countries, with India, China, and the United States as key focus areas, and that construction firms predominantly accessed climate finance on instruments including green bonds, sustainability-linked loans, public–private partnerships, and multilateral climate funds. Sustainability performance is commonly assessed using indicators such as carbon emissions, energy efficiency, lifecycle costs, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics. The findings also highlight the critical role of public policies, such as green procurement, carbon pricing, and fiscal incentives, in enabling sustainable construction practices. From a theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the understanding of how financial mechanisms, policy frameworks, and sustainability metrics interact to drive sectoral transformation. Future research should focus on standardizing sustainability metrics, evaluating financing impacts, and expanding studies in emerging economies. Full article

This review aggregates the latest reports on the role of environmental factors in the male reproductive system and cancer development. We analyzed environmental pollution-related studies and disorders of mechanisms responsible for defense against the impact of xenobiotics on prostate cancer. We focused on polymorphisms that, when exposed to environmental stressors, might exacerbate an organism’s defense mechanisms against the effects of xenobiotics. It is well known that environmental factors, such as toxic heavy metal pollution, xenobiotic exposure, and undue and differentiated stressors, affect the human reproductive system. There were many studies suggesting an association between these factors and prostate cancer development, but there are still no unambiguous or conclusive results. Investigations of specific marker changes that occur in response to varied environmental stressors are also critical to mutual relations. They focus on the influence of chemical element destabilization and heavy metal pollution on organisms and the environment. Simultaneously, antioxidant enzymatic mechanisms in conditions of anthropogenic impact and the influence of polymorphisms in genes involved in genetic material damage under stress conditions were also studied. This review aims to provide essential data suggesting the role of environmental factors in the initiation and development of carcinogenic processes in the male reproductive system based on prostate cancer cases. It further clarifies this field’s current needs and research directions. It is possible to conclude that there is a relationship between the studied polymorphisms and antioxidant mechanisms, lipoperoxidation, and trace element concentrations in the blood of men with prostate cancer. The results indicate the need to consider environmental factors as necessary in assessing the risks resulting from exposure to oxidative stress in prostate cancer patients. Available data suggest the existence of interactions between exposure to environmental stressors and increased susceptibility to cancers, including male reproductive system cancers. Differentiated chemical elements introduced into the body may play a significant role. Individuals with cancer have a disturbed antioxidant enzyme status, which could be a basis for decreased defense against carcinogenic factors or the effect of disturbed body balance caused by the carcinogenic process. In turn, studies of repair gene polymorphism may indicate disorders of proteins needed for the organism’s defense against xenobiotics. The analysis presented provides data for conclusive population-based studies of the impact of environmental factors on the carcinogenic process in the male reproductive system. This review provides a basis for constructing current needs and the research direction in the discussed field of knowledge. This will allow for a precise study of the explanation of possible multilateral interactions between exposure to varied environmental stressors and the increased incidence of male reproductive system cancer at present. Full article

With the rapid development of integrated energy systems (IES) towards integration and marketization, the collaborative planning of multi-energy entities has become a research hotspot. However, in real-world market environments, various energy entities often face information asymmetry and competitive interests, posing significant challenges to the optimal scheduling of the system. To address the incomplete information and competitive constraints among multiple energy hubs (EH) within IES, this paper constructs a multi-entity game planning model that accounts for environmental costs and carbon trading mechanisms. The model employs Bayesian game methods to handle the incomplete information among EH and analyzes the dynamic interactive behaviors of market entities under different strategies through multilateral incomplete information evolutionary game theory. Meanwhile, this paper incorporates carbon trading mechanisms along with the coupling technologies of power-to-gas (P2G) and carbon capture systems (CCS) to balance the economic efficiency and environmental protection. Additionally, in response to investment uncertainty, the real options theory is utilized for evaluation, and then a multi-entity incomplete information planning model is constructed, which is solved by using a nested algorithm proposed in this paper. This approach balances the interests of various entities and enhances the comprehensive long-term investment returns considering options. Simulation results demonstrate that the model effectively reflects the game behaviors among multi-energy entities under incomplete information, yielding optimized scheduling solutions that closely align with real-world scenarios. It improves economic benefits while reducing environmental pollution, providing theoretical foundations and methodological support for the planning of integrated energy systems involving multiple entities in electricity market environments. Full article

In the mid to late Tang Dynasty, the compilation and reproduction of the tripiṭaka (Tripitaka) was directly intervened and controlled by the authorities, surpassing its own religious function and becoming an important political expression form with Buddhist elements. In the 10th century, with the collapse of the Tang Empire, the Liao, Song, and Western Xia coexisted within its original territory. At the same time, the political situation in the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam has undergone drastic changes. Within this period, the Song and Liao empires formed a dual core pattern, and the printing and issuing of the Tripitaka with strong political attributes became an important means of competition between the two sides. From the end of the 10th century to the early 11th century, the Song was the first to complete the Kaibao Canon, maintaining the monopoly of the printed Tripitaka during this period and taking it as an important way to establish the world order dominated by the Song and consolidate its relationship with neighboring political powers. Japan, which was not part of the tribute system dominated by the Song, became a target that Emperor Taizong of Song vigorously sought. Under the guidance of this political logic, the Song court, which advocated Daoism, also wanted to voluntarily issue the newly printed Daoist Canon to Vietnam, to exert its religious and political influence. After the mid-11th century, with the establishment of the Khitan Canon, the competition began between the Liao and Song dynasties over the printing and distribution of the Tripitaka. As one of the dual core patterns, the Liao attempted to challenge the monopoly position of the Song’s Kaibao Canon and the cultural hegemony behind it. In this situation, Goryeo, which was wavering between the Liao and Song, became the battlefield of competition between the two empires, presenting complex changes in terms of whether to accept the Tripitaka and their reception standards. In the late 11th century, the Goryeo and the Western Xia almost coincidentally embarked on the so-called “third path”—the construction of their own independent Tripitaka. Due to their limited positions in the political landscape of East Asia at that time, these Tripitakas were not granted to neighboring regimes outside their borders after completion, and therefore did not have international significance. It should be noted that although the positioning of the Goryeo Canon was different from that of the Song and Liao editions, it still belonged to the competition among the same language; the emergence of the Tangut Canon marked a new possibility and opened the way for future Tibetan and Manchu Canons. Briefly, the printed Tripitaka was deeply involved in the multilateral interactions of political powers in East Asia from the 10th to the 13th Century. Full article

This paper presents a comprehensive review and theoretical analysis of integrating Cyclic Solvent Injection (CSI) with multilateral well (MLW) technologies to enhance heavy oil recovery. Given that many MLW configurations inherently exhibit symmetrical geometries, CSI–MLW integration offers structural advantages for fluid distribution. CSI offers a non-thermal mechanism for oil production through viscosity reduction, oil swelling, and foamy oil behaviour, but its application is often limited by poor sweep efficiency and non-uniform solvent distribution in conventional single-well configurations. In contrast, MLW configurations are effective in increasing reservoir contact and improving flow control but lack solvent-based enhancement mechanisms. In particular, symmetrical MLW configurations, such as dual-opposing laterals and evenly spaced fishbone laterals, can facilitate balanced solvent distribution and pressure profiles, thereby improving sweep efficiency and mitigating early breakthrough. By synthesizing experimental findings and theoretical insights from the existing literature, laboratory studies have reported that post-CHOPS CSI using a 28% C₃H₈–72% CO₂ mixture can recover about 50% of the original oil in place after six cycles, while continuous-propagation CSI (CPCSI) has achieved up to ~85% OOIP in 1D physical models. These representative values illustrate the performance spectrum observed across different CSI operational modes, underscoring the importance of operational parameters in governing recovery outcomes. Building on this foundation, this paper synthesizes key operational parameters, including solvent composition, pressure decline rate, and well configuration, that influence CSI performance. While previous studies have extensively reviewed CSI and MLW as separate technologies, systematic analyses of their integration remain limited. This review addresses that gap by providing a structured synthesis of CSI–MLW interactions, supported by representative quantitative evidence from the literature. The potential synergy between CSI and MLW is highlighted as a promising direction to overcome current limitations. By leveraging geometric symmetry in well architecture, the integrated CSI–MLW approach offers unique opportunities for optimizing solvent utilization, enhancing recovery efficiency, and guiding future experimental and field-scale developments. Such symmetry-oriented designs are also central to the experimental framework proposed in this study, in which potential methods, such as the microfluidic visualization of different MLW configurations, spanning small-scale visualization studies, bench-scale experiments on fluid and chemical interactions, and mock field setups with pipe networks, are proposed as future avenues to further explore and validate this integrated strategy. Full article

Port shipping collaboration is vital to greener, more resilient trade, yet decisions remain siloed and uncertain. This study develops a Bayesian network model grounded in empirical data from major Chinese ports, aiming to systematically analyze and enhance port shipping collaborative capacity. The methodology integrates expert knowledge and structural learning algorithms to construct a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG), representing complex multi-stakeholder interactions among port enterprises, shipping companies, customers, and governmental bodies. Through forward and backward probabilistic inference, the study quantifies how coordinated improvements yield substantial synergistic benefits. Five leverage points stand out: customer engagement in green supply chains, perceived service quality, port digital information integration, multilateral trading maturity, and strict policy enforcement. A newly revealed feedback loop between digital integration and enforcement extends Emerson et al.’s collaborative governance framework, highlighting “digital-era connectivity” as a critical governance dimension and offering managers a focused, evidence-based action agenda. Full article

Draining wetland landscapes accelerates climate change, and multilateral support is therefore needed to speed up the transition to new land uses. This paper examines perceptions of ecosystem services (ES) in wetland areas in scientific and civic assessments. The case study area is Denmark’s largest drained wetland system, which is notable for its carbon sequestration potential. The area’s transformation efforts involving public participation offer a unique chance to examine differences between scientific and civic perceptions of ES. This exceptional case is ideal for revealing contextual differences, trade-offs, and controversies between scientific and civic perceptions of ES. Millennium ES Assessment and CICES are used as a conceptual framework for understanding and mapping human–nature interactions in a nature park. However, these systems are, in practice, not sufficiently developed to identify how citizens understand and value ES in real life. Therefore, we analyse perceptions using interviews, collaborative mapping, and media analysis. We compare these to scientific ES mappings based on local data, literature reviews, and fieldwork. The paper concludes that (1) scientific ES asymmetries are important; (2) environmental blind spots in scientific ES are due to its approach to knowledge collection; (3) citizens’ blind spots are due to their everyday life focus and tabooing the issue of local climate mitigation; and (4) science-based ES assessments and accounts are disconnected from local ES controversies. We argue that identifying ES controversies through various scientific methods may improve climate mitigation and restoration efforts if community planning becomes involved. Full article

This study explores creative tourism strategies in community-based tourism for sustainable development, focusing on the millennium-old Ban Chiang UNESCO World Heritage site in Thailand. It aims to uncover how creative tourism strategies support community-based tourism by optimizing development through cultural preservation, heritage revitalization, and sustainable outcomes. The research investigates how creative tourism approaches foster community-based tourism and how a community achieves sustainable socio-economic growth using the Community Capitals Framework (CCF). Using a qualitative case study approach, this research employs in-depth interviews, participant and non-participant observation, and document analysis to explore the interactions between creative tourism, community-based tourism, and sustainability. The findings reveal that creative tourism strategies can promote environmental conservation, cultural preservation, economic empowerment, and social well-being in Ban Chiang. This study highlights the successful development of strategies and collaborative actions by Ban Chiang’s community enterprise network for creative tourism progression, emphasizing multilateral stakeholder collaboration in enhancing community capital. The research proposes a model for creative tourism strategy and community capital development aimed at sustainability. It provides valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and local communities aiming to leverage creative tourism for sustainable development. By emphasizing the synergies between creative tourism and community-based tourism, it offers practical guidance for enhancing destination management, fostering community engagement, and promoting cultural and environmental conservation. This study bridges a critical gap in the literature by demonstrating how the CCF can be implemented to create positive impacts on creative tourism in heritage destinations such as Ban Chiang, presenting novel insights into its potential as a driver for positive transformation. Full article

The teaching of human anatomy is experiencing significant transformation. Particularly in recent years, incorporating new digital technologies has drastically changed the approach to education. Our bibliometric study aims to investigate trends and issues from 2004 to 2024 related to digital technology in human anatomy teaching. The publication trend in the field has steadily increased over the years, peaking in 2022 and declining in 2023. Despite the limited statistics for 2024, we do not project an exponential increase in publications. Co-citation analysis identified notable references that significantly influenced the field, emphasizing modernization through innovative methodologies. Leading a significant portion of global collaboration, the United States promoted robust multilateral partnerships. Co-occurrence word analysis highlighted the merging of current technology with student-centered learning approaches, reflecting a shift towards more interactive and immersive learning experiences. Thematic map analysis identified distinct research areas with emerging or declining themes. The analysis of topic trends over the last five years revealed a persistent interest in terms like “palmar” and “carpal”, as well as innovative technologies like “cone beam computed tomography”, “augmented reality”, and “virtual reality”. Our bibliometric study revealed a sector in constant transformation, presenting a scenario where integrating technology with traditional teaching methods could enhance medical students’ comprehension of human anatomy. On the other hand, it also highlighted the anticipated challenges of ensuring equal access to cutting-edge technology, providing sufficient training for academic staff, and addressing emerging ethical issues. Full article

Hand gesture recognition (HGR) is a convenient and natural form of human–computer interaction. It is suitable for various applications. Much research has already focused on wearable device-based HGR. By contrast, this paper gives an overview focused on device-free HGR. That means we evaluate HGR systems that do not require the user to wear something like a data glove or hold a device. HGR systems are explored regarding technology, hardware, and algorithms. The interconnectedness of timing and power requirements with hardware, pre-processing algorithm, classification, and technology and how they permit more or less granularity, accuracy, and number of gestures is clearly demonstrated. Sensor modalities evaluated are WIFI, vision, radar, mobile networks, and ultrasound. The pre-processing technologies stereo vision, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), spectrogram, phased array, range-doppler-map, range-angle-map, doppler-angle-map, and multilateration are explored. Classification approaches with and without ML are studied. Among those with ML, assessed algorithms range from simple tree structures to transformers. All applications are evaluated taking into account their level of integration. This encompasses determining whether the application presented is suitable for edge integration, their real-time capability, whether continuous learning is implemented, which robustness was achieved, whether ML is applied, and the accuracy level. Our survey aims to provide a thorough understanding of the current state of the art in device-free HGR on edge devices and in general. Finally, on the basis of present-day challenges and opportunities in this field, we outline which further research we suggest for HGR improvement. Our goal is to promote the development of efficient and accurate gesture recognition systems. Full article

The relationship between natural resource development and sustainable development has long been a focus in academia. In the context of a new global economic cooperation system, many scholars argue that such cooperation can lead to a “resource curse” effect in partner countries, hindering their sustainable development. This study analyzed panel data from 64 countries from 2008 to 2020, using the Belt and Road Initiative as a representative of multilateral economic cooperation (MEC) policies. The aim was to examine the actual impact of multilateral economic cooperation on the sustainable development levels of partner countries and to explore the underlying mechanisms influencing these outcomes. First, we measured and identified the sustainable development index (SDI) under natural resource development schemes and the “resource curse” effect in these countries. Then, we employed a double machine learning approach to evaluate the policy effects of MEC on sustainable resource development. We constructed an interactive double machine learning model to examine and validate the specific mechanisms of resource development effects. The results indicate that the level of sustainable resource development in MEC countries is relatively low, and a “resource curse” effect already exists. However, participating in MEC suppresses this “curse” effect. By promoting innovation cooperation, institutional improvement, structural optimization, trade openness, and pollution reduction, MEC effectively enhances the sustainable development levels of partner countries. Full article

Multi-access edge computing (MEC) has attracted the interest of the research and industrial community to support Internet of things (IoT) applications by enabling efficient data processing and minimizing latency. This paper presents significant contributions toward optimizing the resource allocation and enhancing the decision-making process in edge computing environments. Specifically, the TRUST-ME model is introduced, which consists of multiple edge servers and IoT devices, i.e., users, with varied computing tasks offloaded to the MEC servers. A utility function was designed to quantify the benefits in terms of latency and cost for the IoT device while utilizing the MEC servers’ computing capacities. The core innovation of our work is a novel trust model that was designed to evaluate the IoT devices’ confidence in MEC servers. This model integrates both direct and indirect trust and reflects the trustworthiness of the servers based on the direct interactions and social feedback from other devices using the same servers. This dual trust approach helps with accurately gauging the reliability of MEC services and ensuring more informed decision making. A reinforcement learning framework based on the optimistic Q-learning with an upper confidence bounds action selection algorithm enables the IoT devices to autonomously select a MEC server to process their computing tasks. Also, a multilateral bargaining model is proposed for fair resource allocation of the MEC servers’ computing resources to the users while accounting for their computing demands. Numerical simulations demonstrated the operational effectiveness, convergence, and scalability of the TRUST-ME model, which was validated through real-world scenarios and comprehensive comparative evaluations against existing approaches. Full article

This paper introduces the INFLUTRUST framework that is designed to address challenges in trust-based influencer marketing campaigns on Online Social Networks (OSNs). The INFLUTRUST framework enables the influencers to autonomously select products across the OSN platforms for advertisement by employing a reinforcement learning algorithm. The Stochastic Learning Automata reinforcement algorithm considers the OSN platforms’ provided monetary rewards, the influencers’ advertising profit, and the influencers’ trust levels towards the OSN platforms to enable the influencers to autonomously select an OSN platform. The trust model for the influencers incorporates direct and indirect trust, which are derived from past interactions and social ties among the influencers and the OSN platforms, respectively. The OSN platforms allocate rewards through a multilateral bargaining model that supports competition among the influencers. Simulation-based results validate the INFLUTRUST framework’s effectiveness across diverse scenarios, with the scalability analysis demonstrating its robustness. Comparative evaluations highlight the INFLUTRUST framework’s superiority in considering trust levels and reward allocation fairness, benefiting both the influencers and the OSN platforms. Full article

How do global multilateral arrangements such as the United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization (WHO), vital to post-pandemic recovery, connect to the public understanding of multilateralism? The Citizen Worldview Mapping Project (CWMP) conducted in England, Scotland and Sweden examines how the degree of migration–mobility interacts with worldviews. CWMP asked participants (N = 24) to rule the world using an online interactive world mapping tool. Citizens were first interviewed on their migration–mobility, then invited to draw or remove borders on the world to manage human mobility. Citizens then engaged in a dialogue with António Guterres’ 2018 address to the United Nations General Assembly on multilateralism. Dialogical analysis showed how, when empowered to rule the world, the majority of participants, irrespective of the degree of migration–mobility, expressed an ideal of a border-free world, even if they then went on to construct borders around the world. We understand this as a democratic dialogical ideal of a border-free world. Participants articulated rich narratives and social representations of international relations, yet did not have a formal understanding of the reified concept of multilateralism. Bridging this gap between the consensual sphere of the public’s ideals based on social representations of cooperation and conflict and the reified sphere containing political narratives of multilateralism is a key step to longer-term post-pandemic recovery. A first step will be further studies into how an ideal of a border-free world can reconfigure political resistance to xenophobic populist re-bordering. Full article

The spatial political logic of the construction of Chinese metropolitan areas (CMAs) is unique and complex, involving the interaction of power, spatial production, and the construction of political rationality between multiple scales. Taking the representative Nanjing metropolitan area as an example, we use the “material–organizational–discursive” analytical framework of politics of scale theory to analyze the construction logic of CMAs. This study finds the following: (1) In general, the CMA is a high-quality spatial construction resulting from multi-city negotiation, inter-provincial collaboration, and central–territory linkage, and has generally undergone a process of increasing the power of subjects, nested power relations, frequent scale interactions, and complex interest games; among them, planning is not only a scale tool for competing for power, but also an important representation of the results of multiple power games. (2) In terms of the construction of material space, both the delineation of boundaries and the cross-border connection of infrastructure represent rational thinking and stand as two-way choices of the two power subjects in the MA based on the maintenance and expansion of their own spatial development rights. (3) In terms of organizational space construction, CMAs mainly adopt flexible means, with bilateral and multilateral cooperation at the horizontal level, while there is a certain power inequality at the vertical level. (4) In the construction of discursive space, CMAs have experienced increasing construction significance, escalating scale subjects, and overlapping discourse narratives, and the contrast of power relations has also changed. The contribution of this paper is an expansion of the analytical framework of politics of scale based on the division of spatial dimensions, which provides a new perspective for understanding the construction of CMAs, and also helps us to picture Chinese city–regionalism. Full article