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Although ceramic materials exhibit excellent thermal stability, high melting points, and chemical inertness, their intrinsic brittleness restricts their application across various fields. To address this challenge, ceramic fibers possessing the flexibility and functionality demanded by advanced applications have emerged. This review provides an overview of recent progress in ceramic fibers, emphasizing four major spinning techniques, including melt spinning, electrospinning, solution blow spinning, and wet spinning, along with their underlying fabrication mechanisms and process–structure relationships. The fibrous architectures (including aerogels, textiles, and membranes) demonstrate exceptional performance in thermal protection, extreme environment, wave absorption, thermoelectric energy conversion, and wearable electronic textiles and high-temperature catalysis. Despite these advancements, challenges remain in scalable continuous production, long-term stability under realistic service conditions, multifunctional integration, and cost-effective sustainability. This review provides a roadmap for translating laboratory innovations into practical, large-scale deployment in aerospace, energy, and electronic systems. Full article

The development of efficient photocatalysts for hydrogen production is a key challenge for sustainable energy technologies. In this study, strontium titanate (SrTiO${}_3$) was synthesized via a citrate-assisted sol-gel method and subsequently modified by deposition-precipitation using nominal HAuCl${}_4$ precursor concentrations of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mM. The resulting materials were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, SEM with EDS, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Au incorporation did not produce detectable changes in the SrTiO${}_3$ crystalline phase or its optical band gap, which remained at 3.19–3.20 eV. The additional absorption band centered near 550 nm was consistent with the localized surface plasmon resonance of metallic Au nanoparticles. Microscopy indicated increasing surface coverage and aggregation at the highest nominal precursor concentration. Under irradiation with a low-pressure Hg lamp, all Au-containing materials presented substantially greater H${}_2$ evolution than pristine SrTiO${}_3$, whereas the comparatively small differences among the Au-modified samples indicated an apparent activity plateau across the evaluated concentration range. Because the Au-associated absorption band near 550 nm lies outside the main 254 nm emission of the lamp and the SrTiO${}_3$ band gap remained mostly unchanged, the enhanced H${}_2$ evolution is consistent with improved interfacial charge separation in the Au/SrTiO${}_3$ system. A Schottky-junction-mediated pathway is proposed based on the observed activity trends and the electronic properties reported for Au/SrTiO${}_3$ interfaces, rather than to a plasmonic or band-gap-tuning effect. The selected STO/Au 2.0 mM material retained approximately 97% of its initial apparent H${}_2$ evolution rate after three consecutive cycles, indicating favorable short-term activity retention. Overall, this comparatively simple synthesis route provides a practical baseline for investigating the influence of nominal Au precursor concentration on H${}_2$ evolution over SrTiO${}_3$. Full article

Hydrogen is considered one of the most promising energy carriers for sustainable and carbon-neutral energy systems. However, the large-scale deployment of hydrogen technologies is limited by the lack of efficient, safe, and cost-effective hydrogen storage methods. This review examines current hydrogen storage technologies and the physical and chemical mechanisms underlying hydrogen adsorption. Traditional storage approaches, including compressed gas and liquid hydrogen, are briefly analyzed with respect to their advantages, limitations, safety concerns, and energy requirements. Special focus is given to solid-state hydrogen storage systems based on metal hydrides, which offer high storage capacities and enhanced operational safety. Recent advances in intermetallic hydrides, magnesium-based materials and complex hydrides are discussed, along with challenges related to thermodynamic stability, sorption kinetics, thermal management, and cycling durability. This review also highlights recent developments in nanoporous carbon materials and the role of the hydrogen spillover mechanism in improving adsorption performance. Experimental studies reporting hydrogen adsorption capacities above 7 wt.% and up to 11.2 wt.% are analyzed. Based on the reviewed literature, key research directions are identified for optimizing the adsorption properties of advanced materials and accelerating the development of efficient and sustainable hydrogen storage technologies for future energy applications. Full article

The Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) framework provides a useful tool for representing the complex interdependencies involved in wastewater treatment selection, particularly when social, ecological, climatic, and economic criteria are considered simultaneously. In this study, the FCM approach was applied to compare two wastewater treatment approaches in Ahvaz, Iran: constructed wetlands (CWs) as a nature-based solution and energy-based wastewater treatment plants. The developed model included 30 components and 127 causal links, and was used to examine four scenarios representing CWs, energy-based treatment, a hybrid approach, and direct wastewater discharge. The results showed that both CWs and energy-based solutions had similar effects on public health, while the hybrid scenario produced the greatest improvement. CWs had a positive effect on ecosystem restoration and showed better performance in heavy metal removal, whereas energy-based solutions had a greater negative influence on environmental conditions and climate-related components. In addition, the economic results indicated that CWs were more favorable in terms of capital cost, energy consumption, and operational cost. Sensitivity analysis using ±10% variations in causal weights showed that the main scenario-response patterns remained generally unchanged. Overall, the findings suggest that CWs and energy-based systems each have specific advantages and limitations, while the hybrid approach offers the most balanced performance across the evaluated criteria. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the FCM approach for supporting wastewater management decisions and for identifying trade-offs among treatment alternatives in sustainable water resource planning. Full article

Photovoltaic–thermal (PVT) collectors coupled to thermochemical energy storage (TCES) can turn intermittent low-grade solar heat into a dispatchable service, but solar intermittency poses a closed-loop control problem. A companion study established the feedback-only lower bound: a 937 kJ accumulated exergy-delivery-deficit benchmark under optimally tuned proportional–integral–derivative (PID) flow control. The corresponding upper bound is quantified here by means of a deliberately idealised search-based predictive controller that, at each 10 s step, enumerates 51 candidate pump rates, predicts the reactor-inlet temperature by a single forward-Euler step, and is granted perfect future irradiance. On the experimentally validated shared plant (matched to the companion baseline), against an optimally tuned PID, the perfect-foresight advantage is marginal: +0.96% daily exergy on synthetic days and +0.07–0.24% on two measured Walailak University monsoon days, all controllers tracking within 6–13 K on the measured days. Under tropical-monsoon irradiance, the 95 °C desorption setpoint is rarely sustained, so the delivered exergy is nearly controller-independent: the perfect-foresight upper bound lies just above the feedback-only lower bound, and together the two results bracket the exergy envelope available to any flow-rate controller of this system. A horizon sweep localises the bottleneck to internal-model fidelity, not anticipation depth. The eight-node plant is validated against measured module temperature (root-mean-square error 3.5 °C, coefficient of determination R² = 0.89) and a copper-tube PVT prototype (1.5 °C; peak hot water up to 79 °C). The central contribution is therefore a rigorously defined, experimentally grounded upper bound showing that, at this scale and latitude, deployability rather than anticipation is the effective design lever. Full article

In the context of the global shift toward sustainable energy systems and circular economy strategies, anaerobic digestion is a well-established biotechnology for the valorisation of organic residues, the production of biogas as a renewable energy carrier, and the generation of nutrient-rich digestate. This study aimed to evaluate the stability and methane yield of a two-stage co-digestion process using a substrate mixture developed based on the actual feedstock composition of a full-scale agricultural biogas plant. The daily feed mixture consisted of maize silage (8.2%), sugar beet pulp (4.9%), cellulose pulp (6.6%), distillery stillage (38.6%), corn syrup (6.4%), cattle slurry (22.5%) and sterilised animal by-products (12.8%). Digestate was recirculated separately as part of the reactor operation. Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted in a two-stage anaerobic digestion system operated at 42 °C and 50 °C. The physicochemical properties of the substrates and digestate were determined, biogas quantity and composition were monitored, and the microbial community structure was assessed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The process remained stable throughout the experimental period, with pH values ranging from 8.23 to 8.53, alkalinity between 2600 and 2940 mg CaCO₃/dm³, and a VFAs/alkalinity ratio of 0.17–0.93. Despite ammonium nitrogen concentrations reaching 4346 mg N-NH₄⁺/L, no clear concurrent reduction in gas or methane production was observed. Methane accounted for approximately 70–80% of the biogas produced. The overall specific methane yield reached 346.4 NL CH₄ kg⁻¹ VS added. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed a diverse microbial community containing taxa previously associated with hydrolysis, fermentation and syntrophic interactions, including Proteiniphilum and Syntrophaceticus. The results demonstrate stable process performance and methane production in this site-specific laboratory-scale case study based on the feedstock composition and process configuration of a full-scale agricultural biogas plant. Full article

Geopolitical disruptions of natural gas supply have repeatedly forced importing countries to reorganize their electricity systems, yet it remains unclear whether such disruptions are followed by movement of structurally different economies toward comparable energy-security and sustainability outcomes. This study compares Germany, a high-income economy exposed to the 2022 curtailment of Russian pipeline gas, with Jordan, a developing import-dependent economy exposed to the repeated sabotage of the Arab Gas Pipeline after 2011, using harmonized generation-mix and carbon intensity data for Germany over 1985–2024 and Jordan over 2000–2022, supplemented by weekly German market data. The generation fuel mix concentration is measured with a Herfindahl-based Supply Concentration Index (SCI), structural change is estimated with segmented interrupted time series (ITS) regressions inferred through Newey–West heteroskedasticity- and autocorrelation-consistent standard errors, and the joint security–sustainability position of each country is summarized with a newly proposed Energy Vulnerability–Transition Index (EVTI) that combines diversification, renewable penetration, and carbon intensity performance. The results show that Jordan’s 2011 disruption was associated with a baseline estimated change in its carbon intensity trajectory from +3.32 to −12.63 gCO₂/kWh per year and with renewable growth of +2.39 percentage points per year from a near-zero base, while Germany’s 2022 disruption was associated with a temporary carbon intensity shock, visible in a coal reactivation index that peaked at 1.26 and a sixfold wholesale price increase, followed by a policy-supported return to the pre-existing decarbonization pathway. The Germany–Jordan EVTI ratio narrowed from 6.5× in 2014 to 1.8× in 2022, and this convergence is robust to alternative component weightings. The findings indicate that geopolitical gas disruptions, despite their high short-run costs, were followed in both contexts by measurable movement toward more diversified and lower-carbon electricity systems, with direct implications for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7. Full article

The long-term durability of repair systems combining normal concrete (NC) and ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) in marine environments depends on the response of the near-interface composite region to sequential carbonation and seawater exposure. However, the effects of seawater immersion following pre-carbonation remain insufficiently understood. This study compared an unexposed reference (REF), specimens carbonated for 28 d (C28), and specimens carbonated for 28 d and then immersed in simplified artificial seawater for 60 d (C28-SW60) using X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, backscattered electron imaging with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Pre-carbonation promoted portlandite consumption, carbonate formation, and pore refinement. Subsequent seawater immersion further enhanced calcite-related diffraction and carbonate decomposition signals, while no typical crystalline salt-attack product was detected as dominant. The initial Ca-rich-to-Si-rich gradient from the NC side through the overlay transition zone to the UHPC side was accompanied by marked Cl accumulation and further S and Mg enrichment and redistribution. After seawater immersion, the measured total intrusion volume increased from 0.026 to 0.043 mL/g, the volume-based median pore-entry diameter increased from 27.49 to 58.42 nm, and the >1000 nm pore-volume fraction reached 39.82%, a change consistent with a shift toward coarser mercury-accessible pore entries. Together, the results link the initial heterogeneity of the NC–Overlay transition zone (OTZ)–UHPC region to a sequence-dependent response in which carbonate enrichment coexisted with multi-ion redistribution and transport-relevant defects, distinguishing carbonate accumulation from sustained near-interface refinement. Full article

Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) is a promising large-scale storage technology for supporting the sustainable integration of intermittent renewable electricity into power grids, particularly when electricity storage is combined with waste-heat valorization, cryogenic cold recovery, and reduced exergy degradation. In this thermodynamic sense, the present study proposes a sustainability-oriented framework for the comparative and parametric exergetic analysis of LAES systems, integrating the liquefaction and discharge stages within a unified analysis. The assessment focuses on thermodynamic resource efficiency and exergy performance rather than on a complete economic, environmental, or life-cycle evaluation. The objective is to identify the components and operating parameters that most strongly influence performance and to quantify the reductions in exergy destruction and losses achieved through configuration changes and parameter variation. Three Linde–Hampson-based liquefaction configurations are compared, including arrangements with external and intermediate auxiliary pre-cooling. Improved heat-exchanger integration and temperature matching increase the structural liquefaction exergetic indicator from 7.95% in the baseline configuration to 19.28% in the two-RHX configuration. The discharge stage is assessed parametrically with respect to cryogenic pumping pressure, turbine inlet temperature, and expansion architecture. Single-stage and two-stage adiabatic expansions are compared with an ideal isothermal benchmark. The adiabatic configurations provide mechanical-work recovery together with recoverable cooling potential, whereas the isothermal case gives the highest work-recovery benchmark. Under the reference conditions, using the aggregated compressor representation adopted for the main parametric analysis, the two-stage adiabatic configuration reaches a global exergetic efficiency of 15.92% for the improved Linde–Hampson-based chain and 24.87% for the selected Claude–Heylandt reference block. Full article

Eco-friendly lubricant manufacturing focuses on using biodegradable, renewable base oils, such as waste oil, and green-synthesized nanomaterials, such as agricultural residue-based nanoparticles, in order to replace conventional toxic lubricants with biodegradable alternatives and reduce environmental impact. These nanolubricants are produced through low-energy methods like mechanical, microwave, or chemical-free synthesis that can result in improvement in their performance. The produced lubricants exhibit enhanced tribological properties, including reduced friction and wear. Several formulations also raise the thermal degradation onset above that of their mineral benchmarks, although oxidative stability remains the weakest property of bio-based systems. This approach addresses industrial demands for sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally compliant lubrication technologies. Our study reviews sustainable, eco-friendly synthesis methods for producing high-performance nanolubricants from different waste oils, including cooking and mineral oils. In addition to the incorporation of residue-based nanoparticles (e.g., eggshell) in waste oils, the performance and properties of bio-based lubricants with engineered nanoparticles, such as metal nano-oxides and carbon-based nanomaterials, are also reviewed for comparison purposes. Within bio-based fluids at moderate contact severity, residue-derived additives are found to match their engineered counterparts in terms of friction and wear, while engineered two-dimensional lamellar additives retain an advantage under extreme-pressure conditions where residue-derived particles have not yet been evaluated. Neither class has been assessed by life cycle or biodegradation testing as a finished formulation. Full article

The increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally synthesis routes has driven significant interest in biogenic precursors for nanomaterial fabrication. Among these, egg-derived materials—including eggshell, eggshell membrane (ESM), egg white, and egg yolk—have emerged as versatile, low-cost, and multifunctional resources for green nanotechnology. This review provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of the physicochemical properties and functional roles of egg-derived components in nanomaterial synthesis. A comparative evaluation of egg-derived and conventional synthesis methods is presented, highlighting the trade-off between environmental sustainability and control over physicochemical parameters. Egg-derived approaches offer reduced toxicity, lower energy consumption, and intrinsic functionalization, but remain limited by compositional variability, reduced reproducibility, and challenges in process scalability. Furthermore, an application-oriented framework is proposed for selecting appropriate egg-derived precursors based on material type, targeted functionality, and processing constraints. The review also identifies key limitations, including mechanistic uncertainties, organic residue formation, and regulatory considerations, and outlines future research directions focused on process standardization, in situ characterization, and hybrid synthesis strategies. Full article

Valorizing peach pruning residues into alternative feed is a potentially sustainable strategy. In this study, we evaluated the effects of extrusion puffing (EX) and white-rot fungi (Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Irpex lacteus, and Phlebia acerina) on the lignocellulose composition of peach branches. We selected I. lacteus as the best-performing fungus for subsequent investigations of its effects on enzyme activities, in vitro rumen fermentation, and metabolomic analyses. Compared with the control, EX alone reduced the concentrations of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin by 27.3%, 22.4%, and 9.0%, respectively. The EX combined with I. lacteus (EI) treatment showed high selectivity for lignin degradation relative to cellulose degradation and increased β-glucosidase activity in the middle stage (days 14 and 21) compared with I. lacteus treatment (p < 0.05). Through metabolomic analysis, we identified organic acids and their derivatives (mainly carboxylic acids) as the most abundant superclass. On day 28, betaine and L-leucine were enriched in the fermented samples, and their abundances appeared to be descriptively associated with the enzyme activity patterns observed at this time point. In conclusion, the EI treatment represents a potential approach for altering the composition of peach branches; however, its practical benefits must be weighed against the energy input required and the complexity of the process. In this work, we provide a theoretical foundation for feed-oriented valorization of orchard pruning residues. Further studies are needed to assess economic feasibility and scale-up performance. Full article

Mechanical force offers a distinctive nonequilibrium mode of energy input for lignocellulosic biomass valorization through localized, transient action. This review systematically examines the multiscale physicochemical effects of mechanical force, its synergistic coupling with chemical pretreatments, and its role in enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis. The principal contribution of mechanical force is not merely particle-size reduction, but the exposure of active sites and improvement in substrate accessibility at the molecular level. Coupling mechanical force with chemical pretreatment enables the efficient component fractionation under mild conditions while mitigating irreversible lignin condensation. In high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis, a periodic mechanical energy input can tear fiber bundles, release constrained water, and renew reaction interfaces, thereby allowing enzymes to sustain a high catalytic efficiency at extremely low liquid-to-solid ratios and reducing the dependence on large amounts of free water. An economic analysis indicates that feedstock and enzyme costs dominate the overall process economics. Accordingly, mechanical-force strategies should prioritize the maximized sugar yield and reduced enzyme loading under a controlled energy input. Future research should focus on continuous operation, the balance between mechanical deconstruction and lignin structural integrity, and multidimensional evaluation frameworks that integrate the energy consumption, sugar yield, enzyme dosage, and full-process energy balance. Full article

Background: Alcohol-related conditions may influence both injury patterns and in-hospital management in orthopaedic trauma. This study evaluated the clinical characteristics, injury mechanisms, treatment patterns, and hospital outcomes of adults with acute orthopaedic trauma and documented alcohol use, with particular attention to geriatric vulnerability and alcohol withdrawal. Methods: This retrospective single-centre cohort included adults admitted between January 2018 and December 2025 with acute musculoskeletal trauma and an alcohol-related diagnosis during the same hospitalisation. Patients were classified according to their predominant recorded alcohol-related presentation. Geriatric patients, defined as those aged 65 years or older, were compared with younger adults. Injury mechanisms, comorbidities, operative treatment, intensive care unit involvement, hospital length of stay, mortality, and recorded hospitalisation costs were analysed. Results: The final cohort comprised 294 patients, including 87 geriatric patients. Geriatric patients more frequently sustained same-level or low-energy falls than younger adults (46.0% versus 25.6%; Holm-adjusted p = 0.005) and had a higher prevalence of proximal femoral fractures (40.2% versus 21.7%; OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.41 to 4.16). Any recorded ICU involvement was more frequent among geriatric patients, although prolonged ICU stays of 24 h or longer did not differ significantly between age groups. Alcohol withdrawal was documented in 46 patients and was associated with longer hospitalisation and a longer admission-to-surgery interval. In-hospital mortality occurred in 5 of 46 patients with documented withdrawal (10.9%) and 5 of 248 without withdrawal (2.0%; unadjusted OR 5.93, 95% CI 1.64 to 21.37; p = 0.010). Conclusions: Orthopaedic trauma patients with documented alcohol use represent a clinically heterogeneous population. Geriatric patients showed greater vulnerability to low-energy trauma, proximal femoral fracture, comorbidity, and intensive care involvement, while alcohol withdrawal identified patients with a more complex hospital course. Early recognition of withdrawal risk and enhanced inpatient safety measures may improve orthopaedic care. These findings support careful assessment of alcohol-related risk, early recognition of withdrawal, and heightened inpatient safety precautions. Full article

The transition towards smart megacities has deeply integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) with power–transport networks. While AI empowers complex operations like multi-network coordinated dispatch and emergency rescue, current algorithm-centric perspectives largely ignore its massive physical energy costs. Accordingly, this Perspective examines the dual role of AI, considering it not only as an intelligent decision-support tool but also as a potential source of additional stress on physical infrastructure. First, through a structured synthesis of the representative literature, we deconstruct the functional dependencies between algorithms and physical infrastructures, identifying how AI reshapes the operational paradigms of power, ground transport, and aerial networks under routine and emergency scenarios. We then introduce the concept of the “Computation–Energy Paradox.” Integrating conceptual analysis with a quantitative case study of a typical community, we illustrate a plausible failure mechanism: during extreme disasters, intensified AI invocation for emergency management generates surging computational loads, which paradoxically exacerbate power shortages and reduce the operating margin of already weakened systems. In addition, we analyze core engineering bottlenecks, including spatiotemporal computation–energy mismatches and physical constraints in extreme edge environments. To address these challenges, we outline a prospective roadmap encompassing lightweight emergency AI and computation–power-coordinated offloading mechanisms. Finally, the sustainable development of such systems suggests a paradigm shift: AI must evolve from a purely virtual algorithm into a physical component of an integrated compute–power–transport system. Full article