Search Results (341)

Sizing charging infrastructure for battery electric bus (BEB) fleets requires an accurate estimate of per-trip energy demand before capital is committed. Accurate sizing is itself a sustainability decision in resource-constrained settings: undersized infrastructure delays the shift away from diesel fleets, while oversized infrastructure diverts capital that could otherwise fund a wider electrification programme. Yet most pre-investment planning still relies on a single fleet-average consumption rate that cannot capture how route, operating conditions, and climate interact. This paper presents a rolling stock digital twin for the Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) electric fleet at the Arrowgate depot in Cape Town, South Africa, one of the first large BEB fleets in sub-Saharan Africa. A LightGBM gradient-boosted model is trained on 596 trips drawn from two five-day measurement periods in different seasons (winter and early spring) to predict the per-trip consumption rate (kWh/km) from route-geometry and operating-condition features derived from GPS traces, duty schedules, and public weather data, requiring no vehicle specification beyond a single usable-battery-capacity figure. Under two grouped cross-validation schemes representing known and genuinely unseen routes, the model predicts the per-trip state-of-charge drop, and hence arrival state of charge given a known departure SoC, to within 2.95 and 3.46 percentage points, respectively. SHAP analysis shows that departure time window and ambient temperature, rather than route geometry, dominate the prediction, and the model removes a structured time-of-day bias that the flat rate cannot represent: a roughly 4% underestimate of the morning peak and a 6–7% overestimate of midday and afternoon demand. Independent OCPP charging records corroborate the reconstructed depot demand profile. By replacing an assumed consumption figure with a validated, empirically grounded one, this work supports capital-efficient, lower-risk electrification pathways for transit operators in the Global South, where infrastructure budgets are especially constrained. The twin supplies an empirically grounded, transferable demand layer for depot-level pre-investment planning in resource-constrained operating contexts. Full article

The basins of former mill ponds are a common element of the cultural landscape, while soil science studies focusing on mill pond sediments remain relatively rare. One of the key properties relevant to the sustainable management of these sites is the content and stocks of organic carbon in the soils developed from the mill pond sediments. Therefore, the study aimed to analyze the total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen content, as well as its stocks in the studied soils, the share of the labile fractions of these compounds in relation to the environmental factors influencing these properties and finally their potential changes over time (stability). The obtained results confirmed that the studied soils (mostly classified as Gleyic Fluvisols and Fluvic Phaeozems) are characterized by a high amount of TOC. This manifests in the large TOC stocks in the upper 50 cm (mean = 18.1; min = 8.35; max = 35.5 kg m⁻²) and in the whole soil profiles (mean = 43.7; min = 10.6; max = 93.6 in kg m⁻²). The dissolved organic carbon share in TOC content was slightly over 1% on average (mean = 1.06; min = 0.19; max = 4.75) and the specific UV absorbance averaged about 2.40 L mg C⁻¹ m⁻¹, indicating the relatively large proportion of recalcitrant organic fractions and low potential for further degradation. Full article

Bone stock preservation in young and active patients undergoing hip arthroplasty is the principal determinant of reconstructive complexity at revision, an event that national registry data identify as more likely for most young individuals, with a lifetime revision risk up to 35%. Standard diaphyseal stems, despite their proven longevity in elderly cohorts, produce predictable proximal stress shielding that depletes the metaphyseal envelope over time, narrowing the surgical options available at every subsequent intervention. Two femoral strategies have evolved in response: hip resurfacing arthroplasty and short-stem total hip arthroplasty. Each addresses proximal bone loss through distinct biomechanical principles and with different patient selection criteria, complication profiles and revision implications. Although acetabular bone preservation has been comparatively less studied in the literature, it remains clinically relevant because it may affect bone stock quality at the time of revision. We synthesize the available evidence on both femoral and acetabular bone-sparing strategies, with respect to patient selection, surgical technique, survivorship, patient-reported outcomes, complications and revision implications. Our goal is to provide a structured clinical reference for implant selection in this demanding patient population. A comprehensive literature review was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar (October 2000–May 2026) and 99 peer-reviewed studies were included and synthesized using a structured narrative approach. Full article

Commercial building demand response can support sustainable grid operation by providing demand-side flexibility for renewable-rich power systems; however, baseline-based measurement and verification usually report only event-period gross load reduction. Post-event rebound from heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and lighting controls can cause gross-only reporting, resulting in overstating the net reduction at the building–grid interface. Standard baseline estimators have not been systematically evaluated in the post-event window. This study formulates a rebound-aware net-reduction accounting framework that reports the event-period gross reduction, post-event rebound, and rebound-adjusted net effect under the same eligible-day baseline structure. The framework was evaluated on the paired ComStock 2025 Release 2 Actual Meteorological Year 2018 profiles for commercial buildings in California, Texas, and New York with five baseline estimators and three rebound-window definitions. In a balanced 3960-building sample, the median true gross reduction was 62.7 kWh and the 2 h rebound was 5.49 kWh. The pooled median post-minus-event mean absolute error was −0.209 kWh per 15 min interval. The material gross-as-net reporting risk affected 70.9% of building-event-method cases, but rebound-aware net reporting was conditionally valuable rather than uniformly superior. These results show that rebound diagnostics can improve transparent and auditable demand response reporting for sustainable grid-interactive building programs. Full article

As urban renewal shifts toward existing stock, historic-district regeneration requires evaluation methods that address material conditions, governance, and lived experience. Conventional physical metrics often miss subjective perceptions of access, management, and lived experience. Drawing on Lefebvre’s spatial triad, this study develops an operational, case-specific framework using user-generated content from Google Maps and Xiaohongshu. The analysis combines frozen BERT representations and K-means clustering for Gran Clariana, Barcelona (N = 876), with deterministic lexicon matching and corpus-specific sentiment procedures for two Shanghai historic districts (N = 522) and Het Westerpark, Amsterdam (N = 1310). In Shanghai, Spatial Practice was the most frequent dominant dimension, whereas Representational Space had the highest within-category positive sentiment share. For Gran Clariana, K = 3 was the most stable solution tested (mean ARI = 0.974), while Landscape Perceived Value was the leading profile discriminator (Welch F = 48.98, p < 0.001). In Westerpark, Spatial Practice was most lexically prominent, and Representational Space showed the largest, though weak, positive association with VADER sentiment (r = 0.138, p < 0.001). Taken together, these case-specific, exploratory mappings lack external validation but complement post-occupancy evaluation by interpreting platform-visible, inclusion-relevant perceptions rather than measuring demographic representation, affordability, accessibility compliance, or distributive justice. Full article

Under full straw return, changes in cropland management may be reflected first in the vertical distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) rather than in total SOC stock. However, how tillage practices and nitrogen application are related to SOC profile distribution and associated biological processes remains unclear. Based on a five-year field experiment in the brown soil region of Northeast China, this study compared no-tillage/deep tillage rotation (NPT), continuous deep tillage (PT), and continuous rotary tillage (RT) under two nitrogen rates: 150 kg N ha⁻¹ (LN) and 240 kg N ha⁻¹ (HN). SOC, total nitrogen (TN), labile C and N fractions, microbial biomass, and enzyme activities were measured in the 0–5, 5–15, and 15–30 cm soil layers. After five years of treatment application, total SOC stock in the 0–30 cm profile did not differ significantly among treatments (p > 0.05), whereas SOC and TN stocks showed distinct vertical distribution patterns. PT and RT were associated with higher SOC, TN, and labile C and N levels mainly in the 0–15 cm layer, whereas NPT showed an advantage for SOC and TN retention in the 15–30 cm layer. The highest SOC stock in the 15–30 cm layer occurred under NPT-LN, reaching 25.91 Mg ha⁻¹ and exceeding other treatments by 12.5–44.1%. High nitrogen application increased dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and TN stock, but did not further increase the total SOC stock. Biological indicators showed clear depth-dependent responses, and RDA combined with exploratory SEM suggested that SOC-associated pathways shifted from management and inorganic N-related associations in the surface layer to stronger coupling among input position, labile C–N status, microbial processing, and retention conditions in the 15–30 cm layer. Overall, under five years of full straw return, tillage and nitrogen treatments were associated with SOC distribution patterns within the plough layer rather than a significant increase in total SOC stock. NPT combined with low nitrogen application may represent a favorable management option for enhancing SOC retention in the 15–30 cm lower plough layer. Full article

Each financial market carries a unique “fractal signature” with its own distinct risk and return pattern. This study comparatively deciphers these fractal signatures of the leading stock market indices of the Emerging Seven (E7) countries (Turkey, India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, China, Indonesia), using Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MFDFA) with data covering the 2021–2025 period. The findings reveal that all examined markets deviate from the classical random walk model and exhibit distinct multifractal characteristics. However, significant differences were observed among these signatures: in contrast to Russia’s chaotic structure, which showed extreme fragility to geopolitical shocks, the Chinese and Mexican markets presented a more stable and homogeneous risk profile. In all indices, it was found that small-scale fluctuations carry a strong long-memory effect (stable trends), while large-scale fluctuations assume a more random character (sudden shocks). This asymmetric behavior confirms the heterogeneous nature of investor expectations. For example, the generalized Hurst exponents H(q) ranged from 0.22 (RTS, Russia) to 0.73 (BIST100, Turkey), and the spectrum width Δα varied between 0.10 (Mexico) and 0.45 (Russia), confirming significant heterogeneity in market complexity. Turkey’s BIST100 index, with its structure encompassing both predictable and sudden-shock-prone dynamics, occupies a balanced position within this spectrum. Consequently, the study confirms that understanding these unique fractal signatures of emerging markets is a fundamental prerequisite for formulating effective risk management strategies and achieving global portfolio diversification. Full article

Broiler meat is an important source of protein with a balanced essential amino acid profile; however, the environmental stress associated with a high stocking density can reduce its nutritional value. Adaptogen supplementation represents a promising strategy to mitigate this negative impact. This study aimed to evaluate the amino acid composition of the breast and thigh muscles of Smena-9 broiler chickens under a high stocking density and dietary supplementation with an adaptogens complex (dihydroquercetin + vitamins E and C). The experiment was conducted on 120 broilers allocated to four groups: recommended stocking density (negative control), high stocking density (positive control), high stocking density with adaptogens from day 21, and high stocking density with adaptogens from day 1 of the experiment. The stocking density changed as the bird grew. On day 21, the bird stocking density in the S(-)CON group was 38 heads per 1 m², in the other groups it was increased by 10% and amounted to 42 heads per 1 m². Each week, the stocking density changed and amounted to 32 and 35 heads per 1 m² in 28–35 days, 21 and 23 heads per 1 m² in 35–42 days, and 17 and 19 heads per 1 m² in 43 days and until the end of fattening, respectively. The amino acid profile was determined by ion-exchange chromatography with post-column derivatization using ninhydrin. Age was the primary factor influencing the amino acid composition, followed by muscle type and stocking density. Sex-related effects were less pronounced and were observed at 24 days of age. Breast meat exhibited higher amino acid content than thigh meat (82.4–89.9 vs. 65,8–77.8 g/100 g dry matter for total amino acids, respectively). Under a high stocking density, the most notable changes were observed in the thigh muscle at early ages. By day 52, the birds receiving the adaptogen complex from day 1 showed an increase in the sum of essential amino acids in the breast meat (+2.4%, p < 0.05), with the most pronounced improvements observed for methionine (+5.9%, p < 0.001) and lysine (+3.9%, p < 0.05) compared with the recommended-density control group (S(-)CON). Additionally, early adaptogen administration preserved the levels of flavor-related amino acids between days 34 and 52, whereas a decline was observed in other groups, indicating maintained sensory quality with age. Thus, the early administration of the adaptogen complex appears to mitigate for high stocking density negative effects and contributes to preserving the nutritional value of broiler meat, although the underlying mechanisms remain hypothetical and require further. Full article

Biomass oxy-fuel combustion based on circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology is one of the important pathways to achieving carbon neutrality due to its potential in carbon capture and negative carbon emissions. Combining biomass, as a substitute for coal, with oxy-fuel combustion technology can enrich CO₂ while helping to control NOx emissions and carbon stock. In this study, a three-dimensional numerical model of a 20 t/h biomass CFB boiler was established based on the computational particle fluid dynamics (CPFD) method. Under an oxy-fuel atmosphere of 30% O₂/65% CO₂/5% H₂O, the combustion characteristics of three typical biomass fuels—corn straw, rice husk, and poplar wood—were systematically compared, with emphasis on the furnace temperature distribution and the formation and emission of CO, NO_X, and SO₂. The results show that the axial temperature profiles all exhibit a rapid increase to a peak, followed by a gradual decrease. The peak temperatures in descending order are poplar wood (1091 K), corn straw (1084 K), and rice husk (1047 K), and the differences are mainly attributed to variations in volatile content, ash content, and calorific value. CO is primarily concentrated in the dense phase zone; it increases first and then decreases along the furnace height. CO generated from poplar wood combustion has the highest concentration at the furnace outlet, while the steady-state outlet mass fraction of NO is the lowest for poplar wood. Corn straw combustion yields the highest NO emission. Overall, the carbon stock of the three fuels is very low, and total CO emission is extremely low. NO concentration is jointly regulated by fuel nitrogen content and CO reduction, while SO₂ emission is directly related to fuel sulfur content—corn straw and rice husk show significantly higher SO₂ emission than poplar wood due to their higher sulfur content. In summary, fuel characteristics play a decisive role in the temperature field and pollutant formation during oxy-fuel combustion. This study provides a theoretical basis for the fuel selection and operational optimization of biomass oxy-fuel CFB boilers. Full article

The degradation of soil structure and organic carbon in the black soil region of Northeast China threatens sustainable crop production, and straw return combined with appropriate tillage may offer an effective strategy for soil restoration. However, the depth-dependent mechanisms by which straw management–tillage systems regulate aggregate stability, labile carbon distribution, and soil quality under long-term straw return remain unclear. Based on a seven-year field experiment established in 2018 in eastern Inner Mongolia, this study compared conventional tillage with straw removal (CT) and four straw-return practices: deep tillage with straw return (DTS), deep harrowing with straw return (DHS), rotary tillage with straw return (RTS), and no-tillage with straw mulching and direct seeding (NTS). Soil aggregate stability, soil organic carbon (SOC), SOC stock, labile organic carbon fractions, microbial biomass carbon, carbon-acquiring enzyme activity, available nutrients, and soil quality index (SQI) were evaluated across the 0–60 cm soil profile. Straw return combined with tillage improved soil structure, carbon accumulation, nutrient availability, and SQI, with stronger responses observed under NTS and DTS. NTS mainly increased macroaggregate formation and the accumulation of SOC, light fraction organic carbon (LFOC), and particulate organic carbon (POC) in the 0–20 cm layer and was associated with the highest SOC stock in the whole profile. In contrast, DTS showed greater increases in SOC stock, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), readily oxidizable organic carbon (ROC), available nutrients, and SQI in the 20–40 cm layer, likely related to deeper straw incorporation. Partial least squares (PLS) path modeling indicated that labile carbon pools were closely associated with the relationship between aggregate stability and soil quality improvement. These results suggest that NTS appears promising for surface soil conservation, whereas DTS may be beneficial for improving subsoil fertility and carbon sequestration in black soil farmland. Full article

This article analyses trading-performance patterns in a stock market simulation conducted with 134 second-year students at the University of Mons (Belgium) on 11 December 2025. Participants had a virtual capital of 100,000 euros and were free to trade CAC 40 securities without any restrictions on the number or volume of transactions. An academic incentive scheme, combining a participation bonus and bonuses for the three best portfolios, created a tournament-style environment with continuous ranking feedback. This feature is considered as part of the experimental context rather than as a separately identified causal mechanism. We estimate a quadratic model linking performance to activity, measured by the number of mean-centered transactions to reduce the collinearity between the first-degree term and its square, and control exposure via the average percentage of cash in the portfolio, portfolio variability (measured as the standard deviation of portfolio value) and the average trade size. Breusch–Pagan and White tests indicate heteroscedasticity, justifying a robust inference. The results highlight a convex relationship between activity and performance: the marginal association is initially negative but becomes positive above a model-implied upper-tail level corresponding to approximately 46 transactions. This value should not be interpreted as a behavioral level or as a trading rule. The percentage of cash in the portfolio and the average trade size are negatively associated with performance, while the portfolio variability does not show a statistically significant association with performance. Overall, the results indicate heterogeneous trading patterns rather than a single activity–performance profile. Full article

The Tonglushan ore field is an important component of the polymetallic mineralization belt in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China. The skarn-type Cu, Fe, Au, and Mo molybdenum deposits are mainly developed in the contact zone between the rock mass and the strata, as well as in the contact zone between residual and capturing bodies in the rock body. The distribution of ore bodies is controlled by faults and strata, but there is a lack of large-scale geophysical information on the contact relationship between the ore-forming geological body and the host rock and on the deep spatial morphology of the ore-forming structure and intrusion rock. The study uses the JS-WEM2 wide-field electromagnetic instrument and the RS230 spectrometer to conduct the ground frequency domain electromagnetic and radiometric spectrometry measurements on four profiles. The measurement results indicate that the fault distribution in the Tonglushan ore field is predominantly in the NW-trending and NE-trending directions. The NW-trending Tonglushan–Lijiashan fault (F2) is a steeply dipping fault; the NE-trending faults are minor, with steep dips, generally extending no deeper than −1000 m. The Tonglushan stock exhibits the northeastward uplift, characterized by southward overlap and southeastward dip. The deep resistivity is greater than 3000 Ω·m, while the resistivity below −1000 m is less than 2000 Ω·m due to the fault influence. The ore bodies are mainly distributed along the contact zones where variations in the occurrence of the rock intersect with the strata. On resistivity profiles, these zones show the gradient variation in resistivity and the distorted shape of the resistivity contour line. The radioactive element contents of wall rock above the ore bodies are characterized by high U, high Th, and low K. The Wide-Field Electromagnetic Method (WFEM) can effectively detect the distribution and morphology of rocks and faults, and combined with the radioactive characteristics of geological bodies, it can effectively identify concealed faults and the favorable mineralization target areas. Novelty: The study combines the WFEM with radiometric measurements to reduce uncertainty in exploration compared to using only one method. It improves the detection accuracy and target identification ability of deep hidden ore bodies, providing the new technical method for deep mineral exploration in complex structural areas. Full article

Since 2005, continuous research has been dedicated to unraveling the relationship between the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) life cycle and fatty acid profiles. This mini review synthesizes the key findings of these investigations, transitioning from a chronological overview to a thematic approach focused on the utility of fatty acids as multifaceted biomarkers. Specifically, this work examines their application in identifying population and stock structures, decoding trophic ecology across ontogenetic stages, and tracking feeding strategies during the marine phase. Finally, the role of fatty acids in modulating cellular and physiological responses to environmental stressors—such as elevated salinity and pollutants—is addressed, highlighting the challenges lamprey juveniles overcome during their downstream trophic migration to the ocean. Full article

Forest stand composition can regulate soil nutrient cycling by altering aggregate formation, nutrient partitioning and microbial extracellular enzyme activity. Here, we examined pure Pinus tabuliformis forest (YS), pure Quercus acutissima forest (ML) and mixed coniferous–broadleaved forest (HJ) in the Ziwuling forest region of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Soil aggregate composition, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and extracellular enzyme activities were quantified across different aggregate-size fractions in the 0–100 cm soil profile. Except for the >5 mm aggregate fraction, the proportions of all other aggregate-size classes followed the order ML > HJ > YS, with ML and HJ showing increases of 19.94%–66.98% and 8.76%–35.01%, respectively, relative to YS. Mixed forest significantly promoted SOC content, with SOC contents 46.9% and 76.1% higher than those in YS and ML, respectively. In contrast, TN content was highest in YS and was 20.3% higher than that in HJ, whereas TP showed only small differences among forest types. SOC and TN were mainly enriched in smaller aggregate fractions, accounting for 49.7%–79.1% and 44.7%–81.3% of their total stocks, respectively, while TP was preferentially associated with larger aggregates, accounting for 54.9%–82.1%. Compared with YS, HJ increased EG, LAP, NAG and ACP activities by 42.2%, 14.9%, 18.0% and 42.5%, respectively. Compared with ML, HJ also showed generally higher extracellular enzyme activities, indicating that mixed forest favored the enhancement of most enzyme-mediated nutrient acquisition processes. Overall, forest stand type regulated extracellular enzyme activity by reshaping soil aggregate composition and aggregate-associated nutrient distribution. These findings help improve our understanding of aggregate-associated nutrient cycling processes in restored forest soils on the Loess Plateau and may provide a reference for future comparative studies on restoration effects among different forest types. Full article

Opportunistic bacterial and fungal infections from surface wounds remain a persistent threat to aquaculture, resulting in significant economic losses and reduced stock welfare. Topical wound sealants are widely employed in recreational aquaculture applications, yet no market regulation or efficacy data exist to support their usage. The broader biological/environmental impacts of these products also remain poorly characterized. This study provides the first quantitative assessment of the antibacterial, antifungal and cellular toxicity of a panel of commercially available topical ‘carp care’ formulations. Our data highlights highly variable to no functional growth inhibition or killing of microbial pathogens, significant inherent cyprinid cellular toxicity, and lack of submerged wet adhesion in all products tested. We show for the first time that commercial propolis solutions are ineffective against the four main pathogenic microorganisms affecting carp. Propolis formulations were also found to induce apoptosis and ROS generation in cyprinid cells in vitro, and permeabilise intact carp skin, questioning the foundation of propolis formulations in topical wound-care treatments for carp rearing/angling. We show improved efficacies can be attained through natural compound implementation, with increased antibacterial and antifungal effects, inherent regenerative benefits to cyprinid fibroblasts, and improved human and environmental safety profiles. This research demonstrates the widespread lack of efficacy in currently commercially available wound sealants for carp; of those tested here, many popular formulations are in fact inherently toxic to carp cells, and also have a permeabilizing effect on intact carp skin due to carrier solvent effects, providing a route for secondary infection; most show no activity against any common carp pathogens; and all uniformly lacked wet adhesion. This work provides a framework standard for the future development of topical wound-care formulations for carp and highlights the need for better dialogue between trade and academia when designing novel wound-care products. Full article