Search Results (3,780)

For the design of stormwater pumping stations, there is often uncertainty regarding the selection of an appropriate rainfall event to determine the required pumping capacity and temporary storage volume for managing extreme events of a given magnitude. To account for the risk of system failure, the return period is considered, as recommended based on the size of the catchment’s drainage area or other considerations, depending on the local regulations of a country. This study focused on analysing the direct runoff volume from the catchment, the storage volume required for the operation of the pumping system, and the order of magnitude of the design flow rate. The results indicate that a rainfall event with a duration of at least twice the time of concentration should be used. The design flow rate should range between 50% and 70% of the peak discharge, and designing for flow rates near the peak is not advisable, as it can lead to intermittent pump operation and result in an oversized installed capacity. The methodology developed in this research was applied to the Coastal Protection Project located in the city of Cartagena, Colombia, which includes a 2045.6-m-long box culvert with a cross-sectional area of 2 × 2 m, and three pumping stations, each equipped with three pumps rated at 0.75 m³/s, for a total installed capacity of 6.75 m³/s. Full article

Reliable spatio-temporal rainfall prediction is a key element in disaster mitigation and water resource management in dynamic tropical regions such as the Bengawan Solo River Watershed. However, high climate variability and data limitations often pose significant challenges to the accuracy of conventional prediction models. This study introduces an innovative approach by applying ensemble stacking, which combines machine learning models such as Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Support Vector Regression (SVR), Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Light Gradient-Boosting Machine (LGBM) and deep learning models like Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), Temporal Convolutional Networks (TCN), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and Transformer architecture based on monthly Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) data (1981–2024). The novelty of this research lies in the systematic exploration of various model combination scenarios—both classical and deep learning and the evaluation of their performance in projecting rainfall for 2025–2030. All base models were trained on the 1981–2019 period and validated with data from the 2020–2024 period, while ensemble stacking was developed using a linear regression meta-learner. The results show that the optimal ensemble scenario reduces the MAE to 53.735 mm, the RMSE to 69.242 mm, and increases the R² to 0.795826—better than all individual models. Spatial and temporal analyses also indicate consistent model performance at most locations and times. Annual rainfall projections for 2025–2030 were then interpolated using IDW to generate a spatio-temporal rainfall distribution map. The improved accuracy provides a strong scientific basis for disaster preparedness, flood and drought management, and sustainable water planning in the Bengawan Solo River Watershed. Beyond this case, the approach demonstrates significant transferability to other climate-sensitive and data-scarce regions. Full article

Launched in 2013, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was originally devised to link East Asia and Europe through a network of physical and digital infrastructure. This article analyses the BRI’s development in the European context by offering a comparative analysis of 727 BRI and BRI-like projects within 46 European countries from 2005 to 2021. The analysis considers projects’ location, typology, status, and the main enterprises involved in each project. According to our results, there is a “two-speed Europe”. Indeed, while the vast majority of projects are included in the Digital Silk Road (e.g., telecommunication, transfer technology, data centre, 5G, fintech) and are located in North-Western Europe, traditional investments in infrastructure (e.g., ports, roads, railways, SEZ) are concentrated in South-Eastern Europe and the Balkan countries. While North-Western Europe is particularly concerned about cyber security and data protection issues, various South-Eastern European countries look favorably upon the development opportunities offered by the BRI. The BRI is clearly different from the Western approach to development (based on competition and economic liberalism) and integration (based on treaties). The BRI approach—including its platform, leveraging political flexibility, economic pragmatism, ability to mobilize resources, and ability to create synergies between state and business—could take advantage of the flaws of the European integration process. The BRI, with its strengths as well as weaknesses, represents an opportunity for the EU to understand the need for greater economic and political foresight, social cohesion, and economic flexibility to meet the development needs of its member countries. China, too, can draw inspiration from cooperating with EU countries on how to improve the reception of its investment initiatives by focusing on reciprocity, security guarantees, and protection of rights and the environment. Full article

This study presents the design and performance assessment of suction anchor foundations for an integrated offshore wind–solar–aquaculture system located in Jiangsu Sheyang, China. The project represents one of the first practical demonstrations of coupling renewable energy production with large-scale marine aquaculture on a shared floating platform. Using three-dimensional numerical simulations in FLAC3D and ABAQUS, the study evaluates the anchors’ bearing capacity, structural safety, and fatigue performance under ultimate (ULS), accidental (ALS), and fatigue (FLS) limit states. The analysis incorporates site-specific geotechnical conditions, seabed scour, and installation deviations, providing a realistic framework for foundation design in layered coastal sediments. Results confirm that the suction anchor system meets international safety requirements (DNV, CCS) and maintains robust performance throughout its service life. The findings demonstrate that scour depth and installation accuracy are critical factors governing anchor reliability and offer practical insights for updating offshore foundation design standards in future multifunctional renewable–aquaculture developments. Full article

Climate change threatens Tetraclinis articulata, a Mediterranean plant endangered by habitat loss, logging, and aridification. This study used the MaxEnt model to analyze factors affecting its distribution under current and future climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6 to SSP5-8.5) for 2040–2100, highlighting its vulnerability to drought and urgent conservation needs. Results showed that: (a) the model demonstrated excellent predictive power with an AUC of 0.92; (b) the highly suitable habitat for T. articulata is projected to expand by 6.5%–6.7% (5.24–5.38 million km²) by 2100 under SSPs 2-4.5, 3-7.0, and 5-8.5, compared to current conditions (6.1%, 4.92 million km²); (c) the centroid of suitable habitats shifts from northwest Algeria (1.394° N, 33.538° E) to various locations under future climate scenarios: west Morocco (SSP1-2.6, −3.429° S, 33.588° E), east Tunisia (SSP2-4.5, 11.091° N, 32.501° E), northwest Morocco (SSP3-7.0, −1.947° S, 34.098° E), and southwest Morocco (SSP5-8.5, −2.985° S, 34.707° E); (d) key environmental variables influencing T. articulata distribution include annual precipitation (bio12, 41.7%), mean annual temperature (bio1, 27.9%), and precipitation during the driest month (bio14, 16.1%). This study concluded that climate change significantly influenced the distribution of T. articulata in the Mediterranean, highlighting the urgent need for conservation strategies to mitigate the risk of local extinction driven by both anthropogenic activities and climate impacts. Full article

Water conveyance channels, as critical components of water diversion projects, feature numerous structures, complex configurations, and intensive operational management requirements, making them vulnerable to multiple risks, such as extreme flooding, channel blockage, structural failures, and management deficiencies. To ensure an accurate assessment of the operational safety risk, this study proposes a comprehensive risk assessment framework that integrates risk probability and risk loss. The former is quantified using the Consequence Reverse Diffusion Method (CRDM), which systematically identifies and categorizes key factors of primary dike failure modes into four domains: hydrological characteristics, channel morphology, engineering structures, and operational management. The latter is assessed by integrating socioeconomic impacts, including population exposure, infrastructure investment, and industrial and agricultural production. A structured assessment framework is established through systematic indicator selection, justified weight assignment, and standardized scoring criteria. Application of the framework to Yangtze-to-Huaihe Water Diversion Project (Henan Reach) reveals that the risk probability across four segments falls within the (1, 3) range, indicating a generally low to moderate risk profile, while channel morphology shows greater spatial variability than hydrological, structural, and management indicators, driven by local differences in crossing structure density, sinuosity, and regime coefficients. Meanwhile, the segments along the Qingshui River face higher risk losses owing to their upstream location and large-scale water supply capacity, resulting in a relatively higher comprehensive risk level. Full article

This study investigates the mechanisms of hazardous gas outbursts in geologically complex non-coal tunnels. This is a critical safety concern during excavation, particularly at specific locations and during time-sensitive periods. To address this, a gas–solid coupled numerical model is established to simulate gas seepage processes under such conditions. The simulations systematically reveal the spatiotemporal evolutionary patterns of the velocity and direction of the gas seepage and elucidate the migration mechanism driven by excavation-induced pressure gradients. The model specifically analyzes how geological structures, such as rock joints and fractures, control the seepage pathways. The model also demonstrates the dynamic variations in and enrichment behavior of the gas escape velocities near these discontinuities. Field measurements obtained from the Hongdoushan Tunnel validated the simulated emission patterns along jointed fissures. The findings clarify the intrinsic relationships between the outburst dynamics and key factors that include pressure differentials, geological structures, and temporal effects. This work provides a crucial theoretical foundation and practical strategy for the prediction and prevention of hazardous gas disasters in analogous tunnel engineering projects, thereby enhancing overall construction safety. Full article

A new tunnel undercrossing an existing tunnel not only affects the deformation and stress response of the existing tunnel but also triggers ground settlement due to secondary excavation disturbances. By combining the equivalent layer method with the mirror method and incorporating corrections from numerical simulations based on actual intersection projects, a novel prediction model is developed to consider the impact of the existing tunnel on estimating ground settlement caused by a new tunnel that undercrosses it in an orthogonal manner. The influence of geological conditions, tunnel dimensions, and spatial layout on ground settlement patterns was investigated. The elastic moduli of smaller strata correlate with greater surface settlement. Larger existing tunnel diameters result in reduced settlement within a 15 m area near the new tunnel axis. Conversely, new larger tunnel diameters yield more pronounced settlement. A consistency assessment method was introduced to quantitatively measure the consistency between the prediction model and numerical simulations. The results indicate that the prediction model exhibits high consistency (CI > 0.9) under various conditions. Based on an actual engineering case, indoor similarity model tests were designed. When the new tunnel is directly located beneath the existing tunnel, ground settlement begins, with a maximum settlement of 0.17 mm. After the new tunnel traversed the existing one, ground settlement continued to increase within approximately 50 m on both sides of the new tunnel’s axis, ultimately reaching a value of about 0.765 mm. The CI between the predictive model and the model test results reached 0.8, confirming the model’s robust predictive capability. Full article

A common challenge in traditional three-dimensional grid-free localization is the struggle to balance computational efficiency with localization accuracy. To address this trade-off, a Bayesian grid-free framework with global optimization (BGG) for three-dimensional acoustic source imaging is proposed. In this method, a Bayesian inference model is established based on equivalent source theory, where the negative log-posterior of the equivalent source positions serves as the fitness function. This function is minimized using a global optimization algorithm to estimate the source locations. Subsequently, the source strengths and noise variances are inferred via fixed-point iteration and projection-based estimation. Through both simulations and experiments with spatially distributed sources, a superior balance of computational efficiency and localization accuracy is demonstrated by the proposed BGG algorithm when compared to other state-of-the-art grid-free approaches. Full article

The tilapia sector is advancing due to breakthroughs in aquaculture techniques and genetic enhancements. Comprehending sensory qualities is crucial for producers striving to meet market demands efficiently. As consumer preferences play a significant role in shaping the market, enhancing the sensory attributes of both farmed and wild red tilapia will be key to ensuring their success in the competitive aquaculture industry. One of Malaysia’s most prominent aquaculture projects is the Como River Aquaculture Project located in Kenyir Lake, where tilapia fish farming, trademarked as Red Kenyir™, is conducted. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the nutrient analysis of raw and five sensory attributes (appearance, texture, smell, taste, overall quality) of filets from Red Kenyir™ and wild red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.). Red Kenyir™ were fed three different commercial diets (A, B, and C) from fingerling to adulthood, while wild tilapia (W) was sourced from the market. Proximate and nutritional analyses were conducted based on the standard food analysis protocol by AOAC/AOCS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively document the nutrient analysis of raw and consumer sensory perception of cooked Red Kenyir™ aquaculture tilapia in direct comparison with wild red tilapia. The sensory evaluation was conducted using a consumer preference test. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. Nutrient analysis showed that Red Kenyir™ tilapia had lower fat (0.25–1.37 g/100 g vs. 4.30 g/100 g) and lower energy (77.38–113.46 kcal/100 g vs. 132.79 kcal/100 g) levels. Protein levels varied across groups (19–26.54 g/100 g vs. 22.95 g/100 g). The tryptophan content of the Red Kenyir™ tilapia samples ranged between 0.13 and 0.23 g/100 g, while the wild tilapia contained 0.19 mg/100 g. Sensory evaluation with 36 panelists revealed no significant differences in appearance, texture, or smell (p > 0.05). However, wild tilapia scored slightly higher in taste (4.14) than Red Kenyir™ (3.54–3.71) for steamed preparation (p < 0.05). In conclusion, these findings suggest that variations in the nutritional composition of Red Kenyir™ do not affect the sensory experience for consumer acceptance, making it a sustainable alternative for customers. Full article

New renovation and expansion projects of intelligent substations may cause frequent changes in the internal configuration of intelligent electronic devices, making it difficult for on-site inspection personnel to verify their configuration files. Therefore, this paper proposes an intelligent substation renovation and expansion project bay configuration file verification method based on cyclic redundancy check dynamic verification. Firstly, the logical relationship of configuration description files involved in the renovation and expansion project was introduced in detail, and bay decoupling and secondary circuit identification techniques were used to assign secondary equipment to bays. Then, the cyclic redundancy check dynamic verification method is introduced for the online diagnosis of configuration files and to manage and locate the secondary circuits associated with the bay of the renovation and expansion project. Finally, the semantic recognition method was used to verify the correctness of the virtual circuit configuration information. The effectiveness of the method was verified using a 220 kV substation in the Heilongjiang power grid as an example, which can effectively meet the application needs of intelligent substation renovation and expansion projects. Full article

This paper presents the results of a research project on the use of stone in Roman architecture in Oderzo and Concordia Sagittaria, located between the Tagliamento and the Piave rivers (Italy). The study involved a documental survey, material sampling and analysis, provenance identification, and interpretation of results to reconstruct ancient stone trade routes. During sampling, 33 carbonate rock specimens were collected from archaeological sites and architectural elements in Oderzo, and 52 from Concordia Sagittaria. In both cities, these rocks were primarily used for architectural elements such as columns and capitals, whereas these lithotypes were less frequently employed in structures and infrastructures. The analysis revealed a significant reliance on regional limestones. Petrographic examinations (PLM-TL) identified six main limestone groups, many of which were linked to quarries located in the Aurisina and in the Triestine Karst region, as well as in the Prealps and Berici Hills. The study encountered several challenges: many analysed samples displayed petrographic characteristics consistent with multiple sources, complicating the precise identification of their extraction site. Despite a detailed understanding of the region’s geology, reference geological datasets often overlook outcrops that may have been exploited in antiquity. Consequently, when samples lacked distinctive features, tracing them to a particular quarrying basin proved difficult. In conclusion, the research underscores the extensive use of local limestones while acknowledging the challenges posed by limited petrographic reference data, which hinder the precise identification of the source basins of the materials used in Roman construction. Full article

In the Republic of Korea, the problems of low birth rate and population aging are accelerating population decline at the regional level, leading to the phenomena of local extinction and urban shrinkage. These phenomena, coupled with the projected nationwide population decline, pose a fundamental threat to the sustainability of essential infrastructure such as urban parks. The conventional growth-oriented paradigm of urban planning has shown clear limitations in quantitatively forecasting future demand, constraining proactive management strategies for the era of population decline. To address this gap, this study develops a policy-decision-support framework that integrates long-term population projections, grid-based population data, the DEGURBA urban classification system—a global standard for delineating urban and rural areas— and network-based accessibility analysis. For the entire Republic of Korea, we (1) constructed a 1 km resolution time-series population dataset for 2022–2072; (2) applied DEGURBA to quantify transitions among urban, semi-urban, and rural types; and (3) assessed changes in potential user populations within the defined service catchments. The results indicate that while population concentration in the Seoul Capital Area persists, under the low-variant scenario, a projected average decline of 40% in potential user populations by 2072 will lead to significant functional changes, with 53.6% of municipalities nationwide transitioning to “semi-urban” or “rural” areas. This spatial shift is projected to decrease the proportion of urban parks located in “urban” areas from 83.3% to 75.0%, while the total potential user population is expected to plummet from approximately 44.4 million to 25.8 million, a 42.0% reduction. This study underscores the need for urban park policy to move beyond quantitative expansion and toward quality-oriented management based on selection and concentration. By uniquely integrating long-term demographic scenarios, the Degree of Urbanization (DEGURBA), and spatial accessibility analysis, this study provides a foundational scientific basis for forecasting future demand and supports the formulation of sustainable, data-driven strategies for urban park restructuring under conditions of demographic change. Full article

Transition to electric vehicles has accelerated in diverse consumer sectors all over the world. Electric School Buses (ESBs) are a particular area of interest due to their environmental and financial potential benefits, including Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) synergies. Storing electricity in times of lower demand to supply the grid at optimal times can provide significant sustainability benefits, among them a reduction in new generation capacity and financial revenue for battery owners. ESBs, with their high-capacity batteries, have significant potential to supply the grid in V2G systems. There are more than half a million school buses in the US, with a wide geographical distribution, which have significant idle times during school days and holidays. This presents very attractive investment possibilities, providing school districts with additional revenue and supplying local communities with sustainable electricity at high-demand times. This study develops a framework to financially evaluate sustainability of ESB V2G schemes in the US. It applies data analytics, GIS, and Business Intelligence to integrate and assess publicly available data to provide stakeholders with decision-making tools in selecting optimal locations and operation times for these projects. Results indicate that revenue for these projects is significant in most schools, with some locations generating very high revenue potential. Geospatial analysis for most locations and time frames indicates very promising results, with schools potentially receiving significant income from these systems. The framework provides, therefore, relevant information for stakeholders to make sustainable decisions on the development of these projects. Full article

Background/Objectives: The global burden of spinal cord injury (SCI) is increasing due to aging populations and persistent regional disparities, highlighting an urgent need for updated epidemiological data. This study quantifies the global, regional, and national burden of SCI from 1990 to 2021 and projects its prevalence to 2050. Methods: Using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study, we estimated age-, sex-, and location-specific prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). Projections were developed using sociodemographic modeling, with analyses including Bayesian meta-regression (DisMod-MR 2.1) and Das Gupta decomposition. Results: In 2021, approximately 14.5 million people worldwide were living with SCI, including 7.30 million with neck-level and 7.22 million with below-neck-level injuries. The age-standardized prevalence per 100,000 people was 88 for neck-level SCI and 95 for below-neck-level SCI. Although age-standardized rates declined slightly from 1990 (−0.17% for neck-level and −0.18% for below-neck-level), the absolute burden increased substantially. This increase was particularly prominent in East Asia and low- and middle-income countries. The highest prevalence was observed in men aged 50–64 years. Projections indicate that global SCI cases will exceed 14.5 million by 2050. Conclusions: These findings underscore the growing absolute burden of SCI. Targeted prevention strategies, enhanced rehabilitation services, and equitable healthcare access are crucial to mitigate long-term disability and improve the quality of life for affected populations worldwide. Full article