Search Results (17,877)

The internet of things (IoT) has rapidly evolved into a ubiquitous communication paradigm for enabling the deployment of autonomous wireless networks across diverse application domains. However, the limited energy storage capacity and computational resources of IoT devices (IoTDs) pose a serious concern to their long-term sustainability and the expected quality of service delivery. Moreover, in the foreseeable era of the internet of everything, centralised network resource management is likely to constrain network scalability. To tackle these challenges in the current and next-generation communication networks, the adoption of adaptive and lightweight computational frameworks coupled with energy-efficient transmission strategies is essential. To demonstrate this, we exploit the concept of cooperative communication and radio frequency-based energy-harvesting to improve the network throughput while maintaining power supply to the IoTDs. Furthermore, to intelligently and autonomously perform resource allocation, we employ the reinforcement learning frameworks, particularly state–action–reward–state–action (SARSA) and Q-learning. Based on key performance evaluation metrics, we compare our findings with the baseline methods, including the equal, random, and greedy power level selection schemes, with SARSA exhibiting the most favourable performance trade-offs. Full article

The decarbonization of maritime and inland waterway transport requires implementation pathways that go beyond fuel substitution and address energy, water, safety, infrastructure, and lifecycle constraints. This study proposes a sustainable technical pathway for hydrogen implementation in small-scale maritime and inland waterway vessels, using Colombia as a territorial case study. The methodology integrates technological surveillance, national energy-transition assessment, sectoral and territorial analysis, hydrogen pathway selection, water-resource management, safety and regulatory review, lifecycle criteria, and progressive validation under Technology Readiness Level principles. The results identify compressed gaseous hydrogen combined with Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells and hybrid battery support as the most feasible short-term configuration for small vessels due to its modularity, operational flexibility, and compatibility with decentralized applications. The framework also shows that hydrogen production must be designed as a coupled water–energy–hydrogen system, prioritizing treated wastewater, rainwater, desalinated water, or other non-potable sources to avoid pressure on community and agricultural water demand. Laboratory and prototype validation demonstrated a progressive route from didactic hydrogen systems to small-vessel maquettes and scaled prototypes. The proposed pathway provides an implementation-oriented framework for safe, sustainable, and territorially adapted hydrogen deployment in small maritime systems. Full article

Microalgae-based regulation is increasingly recognized as an eco-friendly strategy for improving water quality and nutrient management in intensive aquaculture systems. Although its effects on bacterial communities have been extensively investigated, its ecological impacts on higher trophic levels—particularly eukaryotic plankton communities across different size fractions—remain poorly understood. In this study, two indigenous microalgae species, Nannochloropsis oculata and Thalassiosira weissflogii, were inoculated into shrimp rearing water to elucidate the dynamics and interactions among microalgae, nutrient factors, and eukaryotic plankton communities across the small-sized (0.22–3 μm) and large-sized (>3 μm) fractions. The results revealed significant differences in the composition and diversity of both plankton size fractions under different microalgae treatments. Partial least squares path modeling indicated that microalgae influenced plankton communities both directly and indirectly through nutrient-mediated pathways. According to the neutral community model, microalgae inoculation was associated with an increased contribution of deterministic processes to community assembly. Variance partitioning further revealed that the large-sized community was primarily governed by microalgae, whereas the small-sized community was mainly shaped by rearing time, indicating size-dependent assembly mechanisms. The average variation degree and coefficient of variation, combined with effect-size analyses, indicated that N. oculata inoculation was associated with higher short-term community stability, an effect most pronounced in the large-sized fraction. Overall, these findings demonstrate that microalgal inoculation modulates the structure, assembly processes, and short-term stability of eukaryotic plankton communities, providing new insights into size-dependent, microalgae-driven assembly mechanisms and their potential to stabilize plankton communities for sustainable aquaculture management. Full article

Traditional grazing maintains essential ecosystem services, yet this activity is rapidly disappearing across Europe. Understanding the geobotanical features of traditionally grazed areas is critical for predicting biodiversity shifts driven by pastoral decline. This study provides a geobotanical characterisation of traditional sheep farms in north-western Spain. We integrated bioclimatic, phytosociological, and biogeographical approaches with spatial autocorrelation analyses, including global Moran’s I, Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA), and join-count tests, to assess spatial patterns in vegetation richness and plant community organisation. The results indicate that 28.22% of the studied farms were located in the Castilian Duero sector, 93.45% within the supramediterranean thermotype, and 75.46% within the subhumid ombrotype. A high diversity of vegetation was recorded, with 111 plant communities identified. These include several priority habitats of community interest within the European Union, notably belonging to the phytosociological classes Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, Festuco-Brometea, and Poetea bulbosae. This spatial approach characterises the vegetation mosaics within a fixed buffer around the holdings, although it does not directly measure actual forage use. As a key scientific novelty, this work provides, for the first time, a macro-regional and quantitatively validated integration that explicitly links broad environmental filters with localized pastoral vegetation mosaics. By providing a statistically robust diagnosis of landscape aggregation and segregation, this geobotanical characterisation serves as a fundamental tool for land managers and shepherds, contributing directly to the conservation and sustainable management of endangered traditional pastoral landscapes under changing environmental conditions. Full article

Optimizing nitrogen (N) management is essential for sustaining rice productivity and improving soil N retention in paddy ecosystems, yet whether long-term fertilizer postponing (FP) regulates bacterial community assembly and microbial N-cycling potential in a compartment-dependent manner remains unclear. Using soils from an 11-year field experiment, we investigated bacterial communities and eight N-cycling genes in bulk and rhizosphere soils across three rice growth stages. Compared with conventional fertilization (CF), FP significantly increased grain yield, plant N accumulation, soil NH₄⁺-N (8.1%), microbial biomass N (MBN, 4.3%), and urease activity (30.3%). N-cycling genes showed pronounced temporal variation, generally peaking at the heading stage. FP increased the abundance of genes involved in N fixation, nitrification, and denitrification in bulk soil but reduced most N-cycling genes in the rhizosphere. Although bacterial α-diversity was unchanged, FP significantly altered bacterial community composition. Network and redundancy analysis further showed that bacterial community assembly and N-cycling potential were closely associated with soil C and N status. These findings indicate that long-term FP improves rice productivity by enhancing soil N availability and reshaping bacterial community assembly and microbial N-cycling potential in a compartment-dependent manner, providing new insights into the microbial mechanisms underlying sustainable N management in paddy soils. Full article

Persistent urban–rural inequality remains a major challenge for sustainable regional development, especially in countries where rural communities still face limited access to markets, employment, and public services. This study examines whether rural road network density promotes inclusive regional growth in China. Using county-level panel data from 2013 to 2024, we construct an inclusive regional growth index that combines economic output, nighttime-light-measured economic activity, rural income, and the urban–rural income gap. rural road network density is measured by the length of county, township, and village roads per 100 square kilometers. Two-way fixed-effects models, mechanism tests, robustness checks, instrumental-variable estimation, and heterogeneity analysis are employed. The results show that rural road network density significantly improves inclusive regional growth. Dimensional analysis indicates that higher rural road network density increases real GDP per capita, strengthens nighttime-light-measured economic activity, raises rural income, and reduces the urban–rural income gap. Mechanism analysis shows that these effects operate through labor mobility, market access, and non-agricultural industrial development. The results remain robust to alternative road measures, lagged specifications, outlier treatment, sample restrictions, and instrumental-variable estimation. Heterogeneity analysis further shows that the effects are larger in central-western counties, low-accessibility counties, and less-developed counties. These findings suggest that rural road network density is not only a transport infrastructure indicator but also a key spatial condition for promoting sustainable and inclusive regional development. Full article

Climate change poses significant challenges to urban infrastructure, particularly semi-outdoor stadiums, which are highly susceptible to climate-related hazards. The current research community has gradually recognized this issue but lacks systematic insights into the capacity and methods for stadiums to cope with climate change. This review assesses the vulnerability and climate performance of semi-outdoor stadiums and identifies adaptation strategies to enhance resilience. A systematic literature review was conducted using Web of Science and Scopus databases. Key themes included thermal comfort, wind comfort, and rain protection. Thermal comfort and CFD emerged as the most dominant research focus. This review highlighted the importance of long-term climate adaptation strategies, including the use of sustainable materials, improved ventilation, and renewable energy systems. The results also indicate a lack of research on tropical climates and that more comprehensive adaptation strategies are needed. The core contribution is a structured vulnerability framework that transforms scattered evidence into an integrated knowledge structure, identifying not only dominant themes and missing links but also cross-cutting trade-offs. These findings provide actionable insights for urban planners, architects, and policymakers aiming to enhance stadium resilience and contribute to sustainable urban development goals. Full article

Low-Earth-orbit (LEO) megaconstellations are transforming satellite communications from sparse, ground-controlled infrastructures into dense, dynamic, and increasingly autonomous space networks, while their global coverage capability is fundamentally enabled by large-scale symmetric orbital structures distributed across multiple planes and shells. As these systems expand to tens of thousands of satellites, maintaining such orbital symmetry under continuous perturbations, changing communication topologies, and varying onboard resources becomes a fundamental operational challenge. Future space systems must therefore manage, coordinate, and sustain large constellations for which their orbital configurations, communication topologies, and onboard resources vary continuously. Here, we review the management and configuration-maintenance problems of megaconstellations through a Starlink-informed perspective. We first summarize the multi-shell deployment architecture, satellite platform evolution, and dominant orbital perturbations that shape constellation behavior. We then examine hierarchical and cluster-based management strategies designed to reduce the burden on ground control and improve scalability. We further discuss in- and out-of-plane configuration maintenance. Finally, we identify open challenges in distributed autonomy, multi-shell coordination, dynamic topology management, and intelligent orbit control. This review highlights that the long-term viability of megaconstellations will depend not only on launch capacity and satellite manufacturing but also on scalable decision-making, autonomous coordination, and sustainable orbital operations. Full article

Continuous cropping obstacles (CCOs) severely disrupt the soil physical structure, nutrient cycling, and microbial community balance, leading to decreased crop productivity. However, the effects of soil amendment interventions on bacterial, fungal, and archaeal communities in foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauvois.) systems are not well comprehended. Selected physical, chemical, biological soil amendment and crop rotations were evaluated for their effects on rhizosphere soil microbial diversity, composition, network characteristics, community assembly processes, niche breadth, and multi-functionality. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS regions demonstrated that earthworm castings significantly enhanced archaeal Chao1, Shannon diversity, and multi-functionality. Meanwhile, Bacillus mucilaginosus enhanced fungal diversity, and B. subtilis promoted bacterial network complexity. In continuous cropping soil alone, microbial communities exhibited low diversity and were predominantly governed by ecological drift. In contrast, soil amendment treatments shifted assembly toward deterministic processes, including homogeneous and heterogeneous selection. However, the analysis demonstrated greater complexity and niche width in bacterial communities than in fungal or archaeal communities, with keystone modules driven by Actinomycetota, Ascomycota, and Halobacteriota. Structural equation modeling indicated that soil physicochemical properties directly mediated rhizosphere soil microbial alpha diversity, which in turn positively influenced multi-functionality. Overall, organic amendments and microbial inoculants were associated with increases in microbial diversity, network stability, and functionality in this pot experiment, suggesting that such practices may help mitigate CCOs and sustainably improve foxtail millet productivity in dryland agricultural systems. Full article

Sustainability literacy encompassing environmental knowledge, systems thinking, and communication competence remains underdeveloped in higher education despite its critical importance for environmental advocacy. This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study examined associations between technology-mediated genre writing development, integrated with infographic design, and changes in sustainability literacy. Drawing on sociocultural activity theory and genre-based writing pedagogy, the study examined 320 students across 3 timepoints using structural equation modeling and qualitative interviews. Findings reflect an association and a statistically significant growth in Sustainability Literacy (2.91 to 3.54, p < 0.001), with Communication Competence showing the largest gain. Structural equation modeling reflects that Technology Integration was associated with Sustainability Literacy both directly and indirectly through Genre Writing Competence. Qualitative analysis identified three mechanisms: digital tools visualizing sustainability systems, genre awareness developing through audience-focused design, and communication efficacy fostering environmental values. The study’s novelty lies in showcasing that when students integrated infographic design with genre writing instruction, there was reported growth in students’ self-rated multidimensional sustainability literacy experience; not merely knowledge accumulation but also communication competence and systems thinking requisite for authentic environmental action. Full article

How do microorganisms in litter and soil affect litter decomposition in a temperate forest? Here, we conducted an 18-month laboratory experiment to assess the decomposition of pure Robinia pseudoacacia, pure Platycladus orientalis, and mixed R. pseudoacacia–P. orientalis litters under four treatments, namely “no microbe” (NM), “litter microbes” (LM), “soil microbes” (SM), and “litter and soil microbes” (LM + SM). Results demonstrated that, compared with SM, LM significantly enhanced the litter weight-loss rate and elevated the potential activities of lignocellulolytic enzymes at 180 days, and this was accompanied by lower cellulose and hemicellulose contents. Structural equation modeling indicated that microorganisms may directly or indirectly influence weight mass loss, partly by regulating these potential enzyme activities that are associated with changes in the litter organic matter composition. Across three forest stands, microbial treatments significantly affected litter decomposition. The standardized direct path coefficients linking microorganisms to the litter-mass-loss rate from highest to lowest were LM + SM, LM, and SM, indicating a synergistic effect between LM and SM that promotes decomposition through coordination. Taxonomically, most bacterial genera differed significantly among microbial treatments, whereas most fungal genera did not. Notably, the standardized direct path coefficient linking bacteria to litter mass loss was larger than that for fungi in both the SM and LM + SM groups. Additionally, field decomposition was faster than in the laboratory, with distinct microbial communities, verifying the environmental modulation of decomposers and the home-field advantage. This study clarifies microbial mechanisms underlying litter decomposition and provides a theoretical basis for forest ecosystem stability and sustainable management. Full article

Agri-food systems are increasingly exposed to environmental, economic, and social challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and growing territorial inequalities. In this context, agroecology is increasingly recognised as a transformative paradigm integrating ecological, economic, social, cultural, and political dimensions within broader processes of food-system transition. Within the PRIMA AgrEcoMed project, 24 Italian agroecological initiatives led by women and young farmers were analysed to explore their contribution to agroecological transition processes in Mediterranean rural areas. The study adopts a qualitative multiple-case study approach and evaluates the selected initiatives through the framework of the 13 Principles of Agroecology proposed by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition, organised into three operational axes: improving resource efficiency, strengthening resilience, and ensuring social responsibility and fairness. The results show that the analysed initiatives combine ecological farming practices with processes of multifunctionality, territorial networking, knowledge co-creation, short supply chains, and community engagement. The findings suggest that several initiatives move beyond input-reduction strategies associated with “weak agroecology” and display characteristics consistent with stronger agroecological pathways based on territorial embeddedness, collective learning, and the reorganisation of relationships between production, consumption, and local communities. The paper highlights the relevance of agroecology not only as an environmentally sustainable farming approach, but also as a broader socio-ecological and territorial transition process, as well as the importance of policy frameworks to support territorial agroecological systems. Full article

Fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or smaller (PM2.5) is a major environmental health risk that threatens individuals’ health, quality of life, and sustainable well-being. In the digital era, protective behaviors are increasingly shaped by people’s ability to access, evaluate, and use health information from online sources. This cross-sectional descriptive correlational study examined the levels of health literacy, digital health literacy, and self-care behaviors for PM2.5 protection and examined their associations with self-care behaviors among adults in Mueang District, Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand. A proportionate stratified sample of 375 adults from 11 subdistricts completed structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. Most participants had moderate health literacy (55.2%), digital health literacy (52.0%), and self-care behaviors for PM2.5 protection (56.3%). The health literacy and digital health literacy dimensions jointly explained 28.1% of the variance in self-care behaviors. Using digital information for health decision-making showed the largest unique association with self-care behaviors (β = 0.31), followed by decision-making for PM2.5 protection (β = 0.26) and evaluation of information credibility (β = 0.24). Understanding PM2.5 information did not contribute independently after the other literacy dimensions were considered. PM2.5 risk communication should therefore move beyond information provision and strengthen credibility assessment, information appraisal, and action-oriented decision-making while addressing socioeconomic and digital-access barriers. Full article

This paper presents the design, implementation, and assessment approach of the Blended Intensive Program (BIP) “Towards Enhanced Pedestrian Safety”, developed under the Erasmus+ framework at the University of Beira Interior in collaboration with four partner universities from Slovenia, Poland, and Croatia. The study applies the EPIC framework (Embedded, Pluralistic, Internationalized, and Connected) to the design and evaluation of a short-term, hybrid, and international learning format in Civil Engineering, addressing a gap in the literature regarding the limited availability of structured and empirically grounded approaches for the design and assessment of Blended Intensive Programs in engineering education. The research presents an applied case study design in higher education supported by a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data from a cohort of 25 participants across different academic levels. Data collection includes performance-based assessment (tests and project evaluation), structured surveys, and qualitative feedback. The program combined digital technologies, including GIS, machine learning, and video image analysis, with problem-based and collaborative learning in a hybrid format comprising 7 h online and 35 h in person. The BIP fostered both technical competences, such as road safety diagnosis and data-driven modelling, and transversal skills, including teamwork, communication, leadership, and intercultural competence. Results from student assessment and satisfaction surveys indicate high levels of engagement, motivation, and learning achievement. The findings provide empirical support for the applicability of the EPIC framework in the design and implementation of BIPs, demonstrating its adaptability to short-term, hybrid, and international learning contexts. The study highlights the pedagogical value of integrating international collaboration, digital tools, and active learning strategies, while aligning with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Full article

Toxoptera aurantii is a globally distributed piercing-sucking pest that severely threatens tea production. While the direct damage caused by aphid feeding is well documented, the systemic effects of infestation on plant-associated and soil microbial communities remain poorly understood. Here, we employed full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted metabolomics to investigate the influence of T. aurantii infestation on the microbiota of tea plants (Camellia sinensis) and rhizosphere soil across four sample compartments: aphid bodies, healthy leaves, aphid-infested leaves, and root-zone soil. Our results revealed pronounced niche-specific microbial assembly patterns. The aphid microbiome exhibited the lowest diversity and was dominated by obligate endosymbionts, including Buchnera aphidicola and the secondary symbiont Serratia symbiotica. Soil harbored the highest microbial diversity with a balanced phylum-level structure. Aphid infestation significantly reduced phyllosphere microbial diversity (Shannon index) and shifted community composition, with a decline in a sequence putatively assigned to Methylobacterium brachiatum and a modest increase in a taxon assigned to the opportunistic plant pathogen OTU assigned to Dickeya chrysanthemi. This pattern suggests a hypothesis that aphid infestation may create conditions permissive for such opportunistic pathogens, although experimental validation is required. Concurrently, infestation was associated with profound metabolic reprograming in tea leaves, including upregulation of defense-related flavonoids and terpenoids and downregulation of several primary metabolites. Notably, the phyllosphere of infested leaves showed reduced microbial diversity and an increased relative abundance of a 16S rRNA sequence assigned to Dickeya chrysanthemi, while certain plant-derived antimicrobial metabolites were decreased. These patterns suggest a possible association between aphid infestation, altered antimicrobial metabolite profiles and increased relative abundance of Dickeya-assigned sequences. These findings demonstrate that T. aurantii infestation triggers a systemic response in the aboveground compartments (aphid and leaf), while the soil compartment maintains a distinct and highly diverse microbial community that serves as a potential reservoir. The study characterizes microbial communities across these three compartments without inferring infestation-driven soil remodeling. This study advances our understanding of tripartite interactions in tea ecosystems and provides a basis for developing microbiome-based strategies for sustainable pest management. Full article