Search Results (48,767)

This work reviews the strategic valorization of industrial by-products as sustainable sources of biopolymers and bioactive compounds, promoting a circular economy through the efficient use of renewable resources and reducing waste generation. These strategies contribute to lowering the carbon footprint of conventional packaging and plasticulture while supporting more resilient and diverse agriculture systems. Special emphasis is placed on processing roots and tubers as renewable raw materials for the production of biodegradable films for agronomic applications as eco-friendly alternatives to petroleum-based plastics and contributing to soil and ecosystem protection. Additionally, the incorporation of by-products from yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) demonstrate significant potential as both matrix-forming and filler materials in biodegradable composites while also providing antioxidant activity and pH-sensing capacity. This sustainable framework is further expanded through the utilization of non-traditional species like rosehip (Rosa rubiginosa), Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis), and topinambur (Helianthus tuberosus), which provide versatile functional matrices and bioactive compounds. Finally, the development of active and intelligent food packaging is addressed. Extracting natural pH-sensitive pigments from red cabbage and topinambur flowers enables the formulation of eco-friendly inks for real-time freshness monitoring. Ultimately, integrating these waste streams drives technological disruption, scaling sustainable, tailored solutions for global industry needs. Full article

Global population growth, climatic extremes and rising resource pressures necessitate innovative agricultural methods to boost food, feed, fibre and fuel production sustainably. Seed enhancement technologies (SETs), such as seed coating and priming, have emerged as effective strategies to improve seed viability and vigour, seedling establishment and overall crop yield. Conventional seed treatments include seed coating (film coating, encrusting, pelleting) and seed priming (hydro-, osmo-, halo- bio-, nutri-, hormonal-, chemical- and solid matrix priming). They offer advantages such as improved seed handling, uniform germination and promotion of early growth. However, they also have significant drawbacks, including on soil health and off-target pollution from synthetic polymers and pesticides, seed longevity issues from re-drying and outcomes that can vary among different crops, soils and environments. To tackle these issues, new non-traditional SETs are being investigated, including nanotechnology, novel biodegradable coatings and agrichemical-free biostimulants, such as plant growth promoting microorganisms. These innovative methods demonstrate great promise in enhancing active and crop performance while minimising environmental impacts by providing alternatives to materials derived from fossil fuels and that contribute to waste and pollution. This review critically examines both conventional and novel SETs, discusses their pros and cons and outlines strategic research and industry directions to enhance agricultural sustainability and productivity in light of global food and resource security challenges. Full article

The transition to a hydrogen-based economy requires efficient and sustainable technologies to convert waste into clean energy carriers. This study investigates the production of hydrogen-rich gas through the integrated pyrolysis steam reforming (PSR) and integrated pyrolysis (PYR) and catalytic steam reforming (PCSR) of real municipal solid waste (MSW). PCSR experiments were conducted in a two-stage series reactor system: an initial pyrolysis stage at 500 °C followed by a catalytic steam reforming stage at 900 °C over a commercial Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst (9.8 wt.% Ni). Three real MSW samples from the Serra Gaúcha region (Brazil) were evaluated: organic-rich (A), polymeric-rich (B), and a mixed real collection fraction (C). Gas yields from PYR to PCSR increased from 0.44 to 1.18 Nm³·kgMSW⁻¹, from 0.66 to 1.54 Nm³·kgMSW⁻¹, and from 0.35 to 1.50 Nm³·kgMSW⁻¹ for (A), (B), and (C) samples, respectively. Hydrogen concentrations of PCSR were between 32% and 39% volume for all samples, with a marked reduction in CH₄ and CO levels due to the promotion of water–gas shift and methane reforming reactions over the nickel active sites. The PCSR process using a Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst proves to be a highly effective route for maximizing hydrogen production from real MSW, offering a robust technological solution for energy valorization and carbon footprint reduction. Full article

Existing industrial buildings represent a critical but under-addressed field for operational carbon emission reduction, as retrofit decisions are constrained by production continuity, limited investment capacity, and heterogeneous technical options. This study developed a decision support framework integrating the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods to evaluate and prioritize operational phase decarbonization retrofit schemes for existing industrial buildings. The framework was applied to the Thyssenkrupp S Plant in eastern China, where ten candidate schemes were identified through an energy audit, on-site investigation, and expert consultation. The results show that heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) operational control and temperature set-point optimization ranked first, followed by lighting operational management and automatic control. These management-based measures offer strong near-term applicability because of their low investment, short payback periods, limited implementation disturbance, and immediate emission reduction benefits. Their sustained effectiveness, however, requires standardized procedures, staff education, energy monitoring, and appropriate automation. Rooftop photovoltaics provide the largest annual carbon reduction but have a lower short-term priority because of their high upfront investment. Expert-consistency testing and sensitivity analyses, including criterion weight perturbation, preference scenarios, and Monte Carlo simulation, support the robustness of the leading ranking pattern. The findings support staged retrofit planning that prioritizes durable management measures in the short term, equipment-level efficiency improvements in the medium term, and renewable energy deployment in the long term. Full article

This research investigates the potential for valorizing submerged arc welding (SAW) slag as a partial substitute for Portland cement in eco-efficient mortars. The research focuses on microstructural characterization, mechanical performance, and, innovatively, resistance to microbial adhesion by Escherichia coli. The residue was processed by grinding and incorporated at substitution levels of 5%, 10%, and 15% by weight. The mechanical results demonstrate that the 5% substitution (AM5%) showed the best performance, reaching 47.55 MPa at 28 days, an increase of approximately 20% compared to the reference sample. This improvement is attributed to the pozzolanic effect with the filling and refinement of the pore structure, in the production of the secondary C-A-S-H phase. In the bioreactor biological assay, the AM5% sample demonstrated a significant reduction in bacterial colonization adhering to the material’s surface, with values of 9.4 × 10¹ CFU/cm². Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses revealed that the denser surface, with lower porosity, hindered the anchoring of E. coli and the formation of biofilm. The study concludes that the use of 5% SAW slag not only improves the structural properties of mortars but also increases their durability in environments prone to biological contamination, such as sanitation systems, promoting a sustainable alternative for the management of industrial waste in civil construction. Full article

Certified seed purity is a prerequisite for sustaining the agronomic performance and commercial value of Khao Dawk Mali 105 (KDML-105), Thailand’s premium aromatic rice; however, conventional inspection methods are destructive, labour-intensive, and poorly suited to high-throughput operations. This study developed a non-destructive purity inspection system integrating five-band MSI acquired using a MicaSense RedEdge-MX sensor with three machine learning classifiers: Extra Trees (ET), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The system was evaluated systematically across four illumination levels (360.90–13,188.46 lx) to discriminate KDML-105 from three morphologically similar contaminating varieties: Chainat-1, RD-6, and RD-15. Two-way ANOVA confirmed that classifier type was the dominant performance determinant (η² = 0.847). Under optimal illumination (L4, 13,188.46 lx), ET achieved the highest accuracy (88.8%), recall (86.6%), and F1-score (88.4%) with a training time of 0.098 s. External validation confirmed model generalisability: KDML-105 seeds were identified with 90.6% accuracy and 95.6% recall, while Chainat-1 and RD-6 yielded accuracies of 85.1% and 90.6%, respectively; RD-15 remained challenging (62.9%; 67.4%) owing to spectral proximity to KDML-105. These findings establish MSI combined with ET classification as a viable, cost-effective approach for automated seed purity screening in certified rice production. Full article

Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) kernels are a sustainable plant material suitable for human consumption. This study analyzes the impact of moistening and roasting (thermal treatment) beech kernels on the development of novel edible oils. Crude beech kernels (CBKs) and thermal-treated beech kernels (TTBKs) were analyzed for their chemical and bioactive compound compositions to assess the influence of thermal treatment prior to different extraction methods (cold pressing, cold solvent extraction—Folch, and hot extraction—Soxhlet). The predominant phenolic compounds found in beech kernels belong to the flavanol group, with the most abundant being kaempferol-rutinoside (773.34 µg/g in CBK and 714.77 µg/g in TTBK). Lutein was the most significant carotenoid present in the oils (384.80 µg/g in crude oil and 456.21 µg/g in thermal-treated oil), and its concentration increased due to kernel conditioning. Thermal treatment had a minimal impact on the overall fatty acid composition, while the majority of these acids are predominantly mono- and polyunsaturated. Cold-pressed oils have higher viscosity than oils extracted using Folch’s technique. Overall, beech kernels represent a sustainable plant material, while seed conditioning through moistening and roasting enhanced bioactive compound transfer to extracted oils. Full article

Since the implementation of the Grain-for-Green Program (GGP), vegetation across the Loess Plateau (LP) has substantially recovered. However, whether the associated increase in ecosystem carbon gain was accompanied by a proportional increase in water consumption and whether groundwater storage changed synchronously remain unclear. This study integrated multi-source remote sensing products, GLDAS-Noah land-surface assimilation data, GRACE/GRACE-FO satellite gravimetry, irrigation water-use data, provincial water-use statistics, and coal-resource information to examine long-term changes in gross primary productivity (GPP), evapotranspiration (ET), water-use efficiency (WUE), soil moisture (SM), and groundwater storage anomaly (GWSA) during 2002–2023. GPP increased significantly by 10.67 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ ($p<0.01$), whereas ET increased more modestly by 1.97 mm yr⁻¹ ($p<0.05$). The relative growth rate of GPP (1.66%) was approximately 3.5 times that of ET (0.47%), and WUE increased by 0.018 g C m⁻² mm⁻¹ yr⁻¹ ($p<0.01$). In the XGBoost–SHAP models for 2004–2019, LAI showed the strongest model-based association with GPP and WUE, whereas ET was associated more broadly with LAI, air temperature, and precipitation. SM declined during 2002–2015 but showed an increasing tendency during 2016–2023, particularly in the middle and deep layers. The long-term GWSA slopes derived from CSR and JPL were −8.707 and −9.505 mm yr⁻¹, respectively, and the averaged CSR–JPL GWSA series showed a Sen’s slope of −9.131 mm yr⁻¹. GWSA declined during 2002–2020 and showed only a short-term, nonsignificant increase during 2020–2023 (4.110 mm yr⁻¹, $p>0.05$). These contrasting trajectories indicate that increases in surface carbon uptake and improvements in soil-water conditions were not accompanied by synchronous regional groundwater recovery. Overall, the ecological-restoration period was accompanied by increased carbon gain and WUE without a proportional increase in regional ET, while groundwater storage followed a distinct trajectory. These findings provide regional-scale evidence and a quantitative basis for coordinating sustainable water-resource management with ecological-restoration optimization on the LP. Full article

As China’s dominant urban housing form, gated residential communities deploy layered spatial access controls governing who may enter and move through neighbourhood space. While neighbourhood social sustainability has attracted substantial scholarly attention, how micro-spatial governance arrangements affect the inclusiveness of residential built environments toward essential service workers remains underexplored. Drawing on Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space, this study uses food delivery riders—who navigate gated community access controls dozens of times daily—as an analytical lens to evaluate how neighbourhood spatial governance shapes social inclusiveness. Vignette-based survey data from 445 riders across 157 cities in 27 Chinese provinces were analysed using structural equation modeling. Results show that cumulative anxiety from procedural delays, detours, and elevator waiting is the dominant pathway through which spatial governance undermines riders’ perceived spatial inclusion—operationalised through occupational dignity indicators—with elevator-based spatial stratification identified as a concrete, low-cost intervention target within the spatial-channeling mechanism. Technology-mediated access partially mitigates face-to-face exclusion but leaves underlying spatial inequalities intact. Demographic invariance across all tested variables confirms that diminished inclusion arises from the governance regime itself. The findings position neighbourhood spatial governance as a measurable dimension of urban social sustainability—one concretely testable through the experience of essential service workers—and identify low-cost built-environment interventions for inclusive residential design. While the study focuses on riders as a single user group, the analytical framework is transferable to evaluating how residential built environments accommodate diverse non-resident populations. Full article

The combined elasticity, processability, and recyclability of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) has enabled their widespread adoption across diverse industrial sectors. In particular, TPEs have emerged as attractive alternatives to chemically crosslinked elastomers, contributing to extended product lifetimes and reduced waste generation. Their performance arises from the presence of physical, reversible crosslinks, which allow the integration of elastomeric behaviour with thermoplastic reprocessability. This review provides an overview of recent advances in ABA thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) design, focusing on three major classes: styrenic block copolymers, acrylic-based TPEs, and emerging bio-based systems, with particular emphasis on the latter. Special attention is given to structure–property relationships and the influence of molecular architecture on thermomechanical behaviour. Styrenic block copolymers remain the most established class, offering well-defined phase-separated morphologies and tuneable mechanical properties. Acrylic-based TPEs have attracted increasing interest owing to their superior thermal and oxidative stability and versatile molecular design. We also discuss recent progress in bio-based TPEs derived from renewable resources, which aim to reduce reliance on fossil feedstocks without compromising performance. Finally, we examine current challenges and future perspectives, highlighting the need for sustainable synthetic strategies and advanced TPEs with lower environmental impact. Full article

This study addresses the integration of sustainability-oriented analytics and decision support in CNC milling through a hybrid information system combining structured data management, sustainability KPIs, rule-based expert reasoning, and machine learning models. The proposed framework is evaluated using the publicly available NASA Ames Milling Tool Wear Dataset. Sustainability indicators related to operational energy demand, tool degradation, and vibration/acoustic-emission response are computed from machining parameters and sensor-derived features. Random Forest and Support Vector Machine models are used for tool wear classification. The expert system applies deterministic rules to identify operational risks, which are combined with machine learning predictions through a hierarchical decision-fusion strategy. Under case-wise cross-validation, the Random Forest achieved a mean classification accuracy of 73.8%, while the Support Vector Machine achieved 68.8%. The expert system most frequently identified elevated vibration-index and acoustic-emission conditions, while critical clean-production risks occurred rarely. Overall, the results demonstrate the feasibility of integrating expert knowledge, sustainability KPIs, and data-driven models into a hybrid information system for decision support in CNC milling environments. The proposed framework provides a foundation for future research on hybrid information systems supporting sustainable manufacturing and intelligent decision making. Full article

Sustainable supply chains carry a cost premium that can make their demand base fragile when economic shocks tighten household budgets, because the more expensive environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-aligned product is often among the first that consumers forgo. We propose extending resilience thinking to the downstream, demand-side node of the supply chain: we frame premium-tolerant ESG consumption as a conceptual indicator of demand-side resilience—an absorptive buffer that may help keep sustainable supply chains viable through disturbance—and draw on signaling theory to model how it is formed. Using a nationally structured, quota-controlled survey of 3000 Korean consumers collected by the Korea Consumer Agency, we estimate a moderated-mediation structural equation model in which ESG signal trust is associated with resilient sustainable consumption through perceived ESG legitimacy, conditioned by income and perceived greenwashing. Because the data are cross-sectional, we report associations rather than causal effects. Trust was positively associated with perceived legitimacy, which in turn was associated with resilient sustainable consumption, so that legitimacy is the proximal correlate linking trust to resilience. Income moderated this conversion only modestly—the sustainability–resilience trade-off is statistically present but small in magnitude—while perceived greenwashing did not attenuate it, and its unexpected positive coefficient proved unstable across specifications and is not interpreted. A multi-group comparison indicated that the pattern of associations differs with the perceived credibility of the ESG signal environment: when third-party signals were perceived as credible, the trust–legitimacy–consumption route was more pronounced, whereas when they were not, trust was associated with consumption more directly. Consumers also expected ESG far more of large firms than of micro-enterprises. No supply-chain-level outcome was measured; the cross-level link is advanced as a proposition for future work. The study reframes supply chain resilience as partly demand-side, potentially sustained by credible, independently verified ESG signals rather than by firms’ own disclosure. Full article

Ensuring the long-term sustainable utilisation of supplemented cropland has become a critical challenge for implementing China’s requisition–compensation balance of farmland (RCBF) policy, particularly in the fragmented hilly and mountainous regions of Southwest China. Existing studies generally evaluate land suitability and utilisation performance separately, making it difficult to identify mismatches between theoretical suitability and actual utilisation and thereby limiting targeted regulation. To address this limitation, this study proposes a suitability–utilisation deviation identification (SUDI) framework, which integrates four sequential analytical components: three-dimensional suitability assessment, suitability–utilisation deviation identification, driving mechanism analysis, and sustainable regulation. Taking Beibei District of Chongqing as a case study, supplemented cropland parcels were identified using the 2020–2024 land change survey data. A three-dimensional suitability evaluation system incorporating production, ecological, and utilisation attributes was established to quantify theoretical land suitability. Actual utilisation performance was characterised using the land economic utilisation coefficient, and suitability–utilisation deviation was identified through residual analysis between theoretical suitability and utilisation intensity. A Bayesian-optimised Extreme Gradient Boosting-SHAP (XGBoost-SHAP) model was subsequently employed to reveal the nonlinear effects and interaction mechanisms of the driving factors. The results indicate the following: (1) supplemented cropland in Beibei District is predominantly characterised by medium-to-high suitability, with high-suitability patches exhibiting a mosaic spatial pattern of local aggregation and overall dispersion; (2) suitability–utilisation deviation is dominated by under-utilised plots, whereas well-matched and over-intensified plots account for substantially smaller proportions, indicating that insufficient realisation of land suitability is the prevailing utilisation pattern; and (3) the land economic utilisation coefficient is the dominant factor driving suitability–utilisation deviation, while high-standard farmland construction and plot area exhibit significant mitigating effects. Moreover, significant interaction effects between utilisation intensity and location-related variables reveal that unfavourable spatial conditions amplify deviation risk under intensive land use. The proposed SUDI framework extends conventional suitability assessment by explicitly linking suitability evaluation with utilisation performance, driving mechanism analysis, and differentiated regulation. It provides a transferable analytical framework for diagnosing suitability–utilisation mismatch and supports dynamic management and sustainable utilisation of supplemented cropland in fragmented hilly and mountainous regions. Full article

Background: The clinical translation of cell-based therapies for knee articular cartilage repair is fundamentally restricted by the severe biological unpredictability of autologous cell sources, inherent manufacturing bottlenecks, and the rapid phenotypic dedifferentiation of cells expanded in conventional 2D monolayers. To overcome these translational hurdles, this study engineered a scaffold-free, 3D formulation of highly characterized allogeneic FE002-Cart chondroprogenitor spheroids. Methods: We systematically investigated the specific microenvironmental cues and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) formulation parameters required to direct functional chondrogenesis. The structural and biochemical performance of this allogeneic formulation was benchmarked against multiple primary adult autologous chondrocyte types. Finally, we evaluated the phenotypic resilience of the microtissues in simulated osteoarthritic (OA) environments and investigated both short-term liquid storage and advanced terminal preservation strategies to establish off-the-shelf logistical viability. Results: Precise microenvironmental regulation proved to be a critical biological prerequisite. The synergistic combination of physiological hypoxia (2% O₂) and stringent glucocorticoid limitation (10 nM dexamethasone) induced robust glycosaminoglycan (GAG) deposition and a > 200-fold upregulation of ACAN and COL2, while suppressing the terminal hypertrophic drift observed in adult chondrocytes. Benchmarking revealed that the allogeneic FE002-Cart formulation substantially mitigates the profound morphological and biochemical unpredictability inherent to adult autologous cell sources. Furthermore, the scaffold-free spheroid geometry yielded a 10-fold increase in GAG production per cell compared to traditional matrix-seeded (MACI) platforms. Transitioning to a GMP-compatible manufacturing process revealed extreme cellular sensitivities; excipients within standard pharmaceutical-grade dexamethasone severely aborted chondrogenic differentiation, emphasizing the necessity of rigorous raw-material qualification. Functionally, the 3D architecture acted as a protective physical shield, sustaining high cellular viability when subjected to severe inflammatory stress and 100% OA patient synovial fluid. Logistically, the viable spheroids maintained matrix integrity and inter-spheroid fusion potential for up to 7 days at ambient temperature in transport medium. Finally, advanced spheroid preservation via lyophilization and high-dose gamma irradiation eliminated biological viability but successfully transitioned the microtissues into highly organized, terminally irradiated matrices capable of heterologous in vitro structural merging. Conclusions: These findings define the critical biological thresholds for manufacturing, demonstrate the enhanced in vitro biosynthetic efficiency of 3D allogeneic microtissues compared to specific autologous and matrix-dependent baselines, and establish a highly practical, off-the-shelf logistical framework for the regenerative treatment of large knee chondral defects. Full article

Cryptomeria japonica var. sinensis Miquel (Chinese cedar) is an ecologically and economically vital evergreen conifer endemic to China. Renowned for its rapid growth and superior timber quality, the species has evolved from a traditional forestry resource into a multifaceted model species for phytochemistry and biotechnology. This review synthesizes recent advancements in its biology, chemical profiling, industrial utilization, and molecular breeding. Taxonomically and morphologically distinct from the Japanese variety, Chinese cedar exhibits robust physiological plasticity and complex transcriptomic responses to abiotic stresses. Phytochemically, the tree is a prolific reservoir of volatile essential oils, complex terpenoids, and flavonoids. These bioactive secondary metabolites demonstrate potent antimicrobial, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties, driving broad applications in modern pharmacology and sustainable agrochemicals. Industrially, the timber is increasingly utilized in the fabrication of advanced engineered structural composites and circular bioenergy production. Concurrently, breakthrough biotechnological platforms including a chromosome-level reference genome assembly, multi-omics, somatic embryogenesis, and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing have advanced molecular breeding, accelerating the targeted development of climate-resilient and non-pollen-producing (hypoallergenic) elite cultivars. However, as global climate change and historical habitat fragmentation severely threaten ancient wild populations, this review advocates for integrated in situ and ex situ conservation strategies. By identifying critical research gaps in translational pharmacology, precision gene editing, and comparative genomics, this review provides a comprehensive foundation for understanding the biology, phytochemistry, biotechnology, and utilization of this invaluable botanical resource, offering a strategic roadmap for its sustainable management and commercial valorization. Full article