Search Results (25,262)

The growing need to improve the management of end-of-life vehicle (ELV) waste and mitigate its environmental impact is a global concern. One promising approach to enhancing the recyclability of these vehicles is leveraging synergies between the automotive and construction industries as part of a circular economy strategy. In this context, ELV waste emerges as a valuable source of secondary raw materials, enabling the development of sustainable innovations that capitalize on its physical and mechanical properties. This paper aims to develop and evaluate construction industry composites incorporating waste from ELV carpets, with a focus on maintaining or enhancing performance compared to conventional materials. To achieve this, an experimental program was designed to assess cementitious composites, specifically subfloor mortars, incorporating automotive carpet waste (ACW). The results demonstrate that, beyond the physical and mechanical properties of the developed composites, the dynamic stiffness significantly improved across all tested waste incorporation levels. This finding highlights the potential of these composites as an alternative material for impact noise insulation in flooring systems. From an academic perspective, this research advances knowledge on the application of ACW in cement-based composites for construction. In terms of managerial contributions, two key market opportunities emerge: (1) the commercial exploitation of composites produced with ELV carpet waste and (2) the development of a network of environmental service providers to ensure a stable waste supply chain for innovative and sustainable products. Both strategies contribute to reducing landfill disposal and mitigating the environmental impact of ELV waste, reinforcing the principles of the circular economy. Full article

Every year, a billion tires are discarded worldwide, with only a small percentage being recycled. This leads to significant environmental hazards, such as fire risks and improper disposal. Silty sand also presents technical challenges due to its poor shear strength, susceptibility to erosion, and low permeability. This study explores the incorporation of crumb rubber derived from waste tires into silty sand to enhance its mechanical properties. Crumb rubber particles of varying sizes (3–6 mm, 5–10 mm, and 10–20 mm) were mixed with silty sand at 0%, 3%, 6%, and 9% percentages, respectively. Triaxial compression tests of unconsolidated and consolidated undrained tests with cell pressures of 100, 300, and 500 kPa were conducted. The deviatoric stress, shear stress, and stiffness modulus were investigated. The results revealed that the addition of crumb rubber significantly increased the deviatoric and shear stresses, especially at particle sizes of 5–10 mm, with contents of 3%, 6%, and 9%. Additionally, the stiffness modulus was notably reduced in the mixture containing 6% crumb rubber tire. These findings suggest that incorporating crumb rubber tires into silty sand not only improves silty sand performance but also offers an environmentally sustainable approach to tire waste recycling, making it a viable strategy for silty sand stabilization in construction and geotechnical engineering performance. Full article

Enhancing the real-world performance of sustainably designed and certified green buildings remains a significant challenge, particularly in hot climates where efforts to improve thermal comfort often conflict with energy efficiency goals. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), even newly constructed facilities with green building certifications present opportunities for retrofitting and performance optimization. This study investigates the energy and thermal comfort performance of a LEED Gold-certified, mixed-use university campus in Dubai through a calibrated digital twin developed using IES thermal modelling software. The analysis evaluated existing sustainable design strategies alongside three retrofit energy conservation measures (ECMs): (1) improved building envelope U-values, (2) installation of additional daylight sensors, and (3) optimization of fan coil unit efficiency. Simulation results demonstrated that the three ECMs collectively achieved a total reduction of 15% in annual energy consumption. Thermal comfort was assessed using operative temperature distributions, Predicted Mean Vote (PMV), and Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfaction (PPD) metrics. While fan coil optimization yielded the highest energy savings, it led to less favorable comfort outcomes. In contrast, enhancing envelope U-values maintained indoor conditions consistently within ASHRAE-recommended comfort zones. To further support energy reduction and progress toward Net Zero targets, the study also evaluated the integration of a 228.87 kW rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system, which offset 8.09% of the campus’s annual energy demand. By applying data-driven thermal modelling to assess retrofit impacts on both energy performance and occupant comfort in a certified green building, this study addresses a critical gap in the literature and offers a replicable framework for advancing building performance in hot climate regions. Full article

The carbon dioxide spillover effects and influencing factors of the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) in African countries must be assessed to evaluate the effectiveness, promote low-carbon transmissions in African countries, and provide recommendations for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This novel study employs carbon dioxide emission intensity (CEI) and per capita carbon dioxide emissions (PCE) as dual indicators to evaluate the spatial spillover effects of 54 BRI African countries on their neighboring countries’ carbon emissions from 2007 to 2023. It identifies the key factors and mechanisms affecting these spillover effects using the spatial differences-in-differences (SDID) model. Results indicate that since the launch of the BRI, the CEI and PCE of BRI African countries have significantly increased, largely due to trade patterns and industrialization structures. Greater trade openness has further boosted local economic development, thereby increasing carbon dioxide’s spatial spillover. Government management and corruption control levels show some heterogeneity in the spillover effects, which may be attributed to long-standing issues of weak institutional enforcement in Africa. Overall, this study reveals the complex relationship between BRI African economic development and environmental outcomes, highlighting the importance of developing sustainable development strategies and establishing strong differentiated regulatory regimes to effectively address environmental challenges. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between the dynamic capabilities of university administration and students’ awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) tools within a higher education context. Drawing on data from 139 students at the College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, the research employed two validated instruments, one measuring the dynamic capabilities of university administration and another assessing students’ awareness and perception of AI tool use. Understanding this relationship is critical, as universities increasingly face pressure to guide responsible and effective AI use among students. Findings reveal significant correlations between the university administration’s dynamic capabilities, particularly technological agility, and students’ engagement with AI tools. Notably, technological dynamic capabilities within the administration significantly predicted two specific dimensions of student awareness: effectiveness of using AI tools and perceived faculty members’ efficiency in AI. These results highlight the critical role of institutional leadership in promoting equitable and sustainable integration of AI in education. The study contributes to the broader discourse on AI for sustainable development by illustrating how institutional strategies can enhance innovation, inclusion, and student readiness in support of SDG 4. Full article

With deepening global higher education reforms, outcome-based education has emerged as the core paradigm for teaching model innovation. This study investigates the structural dependencies and teaching effectiveness of the Environmental Design curriculum at Hubei Engineering University in medium-sized cities, China, addressing challenges of enrollment decline and market contraction critical for urban sustainability. Using network analysis, we construct curriculum support and contribution networks and course temporal networks to assess structural dependencies and teaching effectiveness, revealing structural patterns and optimizing the OBE-based Environmental Design curriculum to enhance educational quality and student competencies. Analysis reveals computer basic courses as knowledge transmission hubs, creating a course network with a distinct core–periphery structure. Technical course reforms significantly outperform theoretical course reforms in improving student performance metrics, such as higher average scores, better grade distributions, and reduced performance gaps, while innovative practice courses show peripheral isolation patterns, indicating limited connectivity with core curriculum modules, which reduces their educational impact. These findings provide empirical insights for curriculum optimization, supporting urban sustainable development through enhanced professional talent cultivation equipped to address environmental challenges like sustainable design practices and resource-efficient urban planning. Network analysis applications introduce innovative frameworks for curriculum reform strategies. Future research expansion through larger sample validation will support urban sustainable development goals and enhance professional talent cultivation outcomes. Full article

The growing demand for sustainable materials has led to increased interest in biodegradable polymer fibers and nonwoven mats due to their eco-friendly characteristics and potential to reduce plastic pollution. This review highlights how mechanical properties influence the performance and suitability of biodegradable polymer fibers across diverse applications. This covers synthetic polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), polycaprolactone (PCL), polyglycolic acid (PGA), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), as well as natural polymers including chitosan, collagen, cellulose, alginate, silk fibroin, and starch-based polymers. A range of fiber production methods is discussed, including electrospinning, centrifugal spinning, spunbonding, melt blowing, melt spinning, and wet spinning, with attention to how each technique influences tensile strength, elongation, and modulus. The review also addresses advances in composite fibers, nanoparticle incorporation, crosslinking methods, and post-processing strategies that improve mechanical behavior. In addition, mechanical testing techniques such as tensile test machine, atomic force microscopy, and dynamic mechanical analysis are examined to show how fabrication parameters influence fiber performance. This review examines the mechanical performance of biodegradable polymer fibers and fibrous mats, emphasizing their potential as sustainable alternatives to conventional materials in applications such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, medical implants, wound dressings, packaging, and filtration. Full article

This mini-review emphasizes the potential of biomass-derived materials as sustainable components for next-generation electrochemical energy storage systems. Biomass obtained from abundant and renewable natural resources can be transformed into carbonaceous materials. These materials typically possess hierarchical porosities, adjustable surface functionalities, and inherent heteroatom doping. These physical and chemical characteristics provide the structural and chemical flexibility needed for various electrochemical applications. Additionally, biomass-derived materials offer a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to traditional components, promoting green chemistry and circular resource utilization. This review provides a systematic overview of synthesis methods, structural design strategies, and material engineering approaches for their use in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs), and supercapacitors (SCs). It also highlights key challenges in these systems, such as the severe volume expansion of anode materials in LIBs and the shuttle effect in LSBs and discusses how biomass-derived carbon can help address these issues. Full article

Early-career teachers (ECTs) entered the profession during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that introduced unique stressors to an already-demanding career phase. This systematic review examines empirical studies published between 2020 and February 2025 to explore how the pandemic influenced ECT wellbeing, with particular attention to stressors and protective factors impacting long-term retention and professional sustainability. Guided by PRISMA protocols, databases including Web of Science, ERIC, Google Scholar, and Scopus were searched, screening 470 records and identifying 30 studies that met inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed, empirical, focused on early-career teachers (within the first five years), and situated in or explicitly addressing the pandemic and its ongoing impacts. The results of Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis (2006) revealed that pandemic-related challenges such as increased workload, professional isolation, disrupted induction processes, and emotional strain have persisted into the post-pandemic era, contributing to sustained risks of burnout and attrition. Regardless, protective factors identified during the pandemic—including high-quality mentoring, structured induction programmes, collegial support, professional autonomy, and effective individual coping strategies—continue to offer essential support, enhancing resilience and professional wellbeing. These findings underscore the necessity of institutionalising targeted supports to address the enduring effects of pandemic-related stressors on ECT wellbeing. By prioritising sustained mental health initiatives and structural supports, education systems can effectively mitigate long-term impacts and improve retention outcomes for early-career teachers in a post-pandemic educational landscape. Full article

In China’s Loess Plateau, sustainable agricultural end products are affected by an insufficiency of water resources. Rising crop water use efficiency (WUE) through field management pattern improvement is a crucial plan of action to address this issue. However, there is no agreement among researchers on the most appropriate field management practices regarding WUE, which requires further integrated quantitative analysis. We conducted a meta-analysis by quantifying the effect of agricultural practices surrounding nitrogen (N) fertilizer management. The two experimental cultivars were Yunhan–20410 and Yunhan–618. The subplots included nitrogen 0 kg·ha⁻¹ (N0), 90 kg·ha⁻¹ (N90), 180 kg·ha⁻¹ (N180), 210 kg·ha⁻¹ (N210), and 240 kg·ha⁻¹ (N240). Our results show that higher N rates (up to N210) enhanced water consumption during the node-flowering and flowering-maturity time periods. YH–618 showed higher water use during the sowing–greening and node-flowering periods but decreased use during the greening-node and flowering-maturity periods compared to YH–20410. The N210 treatment under YH–618 maximized water use efficiency (WUE). Increased N rates (N180–N210) decreased covering temperatures (T_max, T_min, T_aver) during flowering, increasing the level of grain filling. Spike numbers rose with N application, with an off-peak at N210 for strong-gluten wheat. The 1000-grain weight was at first enhanced but decreased at the far end of N180–N210. YH–618 with N210 achieved a harvest index (HI) similar to that of YH–20410 with N180, while excessive N (N240) or water reduced the HI. Dry matter accumulation increased up to N210, resulting in earlier stabilization. Soil water consumption from wintering to jointing was strongly correlated with pre-flowering dry matter biological process and yield, while jointing–flowering water use was linked to post-flowering dry matter and spike numbers. Post-flowering dry matter accumulation was critical for yield, whereas spike numbers positively impacted yield but negatively affected 1000-grain weight. In conclusion, our results provide evidence for determining suitable integrated agricultural establishment strategies to ensure efficient water use and sustainable production in the Loess Plateau region. Full article

This study investigates the role of Big Data Analytics Capabilities (BDACs) in ambidexterity explorative innovation (EXPLRI) and exploitative (EXPLOI) innovation for achieving a sustainable performance (SP) in the manufacturing sector of a resource-constrained developing economy. While a BDAC has been widely linked to innovation in developed economies, its effectiveness in developing contexts shaped by indigenous innovation practices like Jugaad remains underexplored. Anchored in the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capabilities (DC) theory, we propose a model where the BDAC enhances both EXPLRI and EXPLOI, which subsequently leads to an improved sustainable performance. We further examine the Jugaad capability as a cultural moderator. Using survey data from 418 manufacturing firms and analyzed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), results confirm that BDA capabilities significantly boost both types of innovations, which positively impact sustainable performance dimensions. Notably, Jugaad positively moderates the relationship between EXPLOI and financial, innovation, and operational performance but negatively moderates the link between EXPLRI and innovation performance. These findings highlight the nuanced influence of culturally embedded innovation practices in BDAC-driven ecosystems. This study contributes by extending the RBV–DC framework to include cultural innovation capabilities and empirically validating the contingent role of Jugaad in enhancing or constraining innovation outcomes. This study also validated the Jugaad capability measurement instrument for the first time in the context of Pakistan. For practitioners, aligning data analytics strategies with local innovative cultures is vital for sustainable growth in emerging markets. Full article

Coupled grey and green infrastructure (CGGI) offers a promising pathway toward sustainable stormwater management in historic urban environments. This study compares CGGI and conventional grey infrastructure (GREI)-only strategies across four degrees of layout centralization (0%, 33.3%, 66.7%, and 100%) in the Quanzhou West Street Historic Reserve, China. Using a multi-objective optimization framework integrating SWMM simulations, life-cycle cost (LCC) modeling, and resilience metrics, we found that the decentralized CGGI layouts reduced the total LCC by up to 29.6% and required 60.7% less green infrastructure (GI) area than centralized schemes. Under nine extreme rainfall scenarios, the GREI-only systems showed slightly higher technical resilience (Tech-R: max 99.6%) than CGGI (Tech-R: max 99.1%). However, the CGGI systems outperformed GREI in operational resilience (Oper-R), reducing overflow volume by up to 22.6% under 50% network failure. These findings demonstrate that decentralized CGGI provides a more resilient and cost-effective drainage solution, well-suited for heritage districts with spatial and cultural constraints. Full article

Internet of Things (IoT)-based solar insecticidal lamps (SIL-IoTs) offer an eco-friendly alternative by merging solar energy harvesting with intelligent sensing, advancing sustainable smart agriculture. However, SIL-IoTs encounter practical challenges, e.g., hardware aging, electromagnetic interference, and abnormal data patterns. Therefore, developing an effective fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) system is essential. In this survey, we systematically identify and address the core challenges of implementing FDD of SIL-IoTs. Firstly, the fuzzy boundaries of sample features lead to complex feature interactions that increase the difficulty of accurate FDD. Secondly, the category imbalance in the fault samples limits the generalizability of the FDD models. Thirdly, models trained on single scenarios struggle to adapt to diverse and dynamic field conditions. To overcome these challenges, we propose a multi-level solution by discussing and merging existing FDD methods: (1) a data augmentation strategy can be adopted to improve model performance on small-sample datasets; (2) federated learning (FL) can be employed to enhance adaptability to heterogeneous environments, while transfer learning (TL) addresses data scarcity; and (3) deep learning techniques can be used to reduce dependence on labeled data; these methods provide a robust framework for intelligent and adaptive FDD of SIL-IoTs, supporting long-term reliability of IoT devices in smart agriculture. Full article

This study aims to evaluate eco-innovative solutions in the fertilizer industry that allow for waste valorization in the context of a resource-efficient circular economy. A comprehensive reuse strategy was developed for low-rank peat and post-cultivation horticultural mineral wool, involving the extraction of valuable humic substances from peat and residual nutrients from used mineral wool, followed by the use of both post-extraction residues to produce organic–mineral substrates. The resulting products/semifinished products were characterized in terms of their composition and properties, which met the requirements necessary to obtain the admission of this type of product to the market in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development of 18 June 2008 on the implementation of certain provisions of the Act on fertilizers and fertilization (Journal of Laws No 119, item 765). Elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, and solid-state CP-MAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy suggest that post-extraction peat has a relatively condensed structure with a high C content (47.4%) and a reduced O/C atomic ratio and is rich in alkyl-like matter (63.2%) but devoid of some functional groups in favor of extracted fulvic acids. Therefore, it remains a valuable organic biowaste, which, in combination with post-extraction waste mineral wool in a ratio of 60:40 and possibly the addition of mineral nutrients, allows us to obtain a completely new substrate with a bulk density of 264 g/m³, a salinity of 7.8 g/dm³ and a pH of 5.3, with an appropriate content of heavy metals and with no impurities, meeting the requirements of this type of product. A liquid fertilizer based on an extract containing previously recovered nutrients also meets the criteria in terms of quality and content of impurities and can potentially be used as a fertilizing product suitable for agricultural crops. This study demonstrates a feasible pathway for transforming specific waste streams into valuable agricultural inputs, contributing to environmental protection and sustainable production. The production of a new liquid fertilizer using nutrients recovered from post-cultivation mineral wool and the preparation of an organic–mineral substrate using post-extraction solid residue is a rational strategy for recycling hard-to-biodegrade end-of-life products. Full article

Despite growing global momentum to reduce the number of children who never received a dose of any vaccine, i.e., zero-dose (ZD) children, persistent geographic and social inequities continue to undermine progress toward universal immunization coverage. In Madagascar, where routine vaccination coverage remains below 50% in most regions, the non-governmental organization Doctors for Madagascar and public sector partners are implementing the SOAMEVA program: a targeted community-based initiative to identify and reach ZD children in sixteen underserved districts in the country’s south. This paper outlines the equity-sensitive evaluation design developed to assess the implementation and impact of SOAMEVA. It presents a forward-looking evaluation framework that integrates both quantitative program monitoring and qualitative community insights. By focusing at the fokontany level—the smallest administrative unit in Madagascar—the evaluation captures small-scale variation in ZD prevalence and program reach, allowing for a detailed analysis of disparities often masked in aggregated data. Importantly, the evaluation includes structured feedback loops with community health workers and caregivers, surfacing local knowledge on barriers to immunization access and program adoption. It also tracks real-time adaptations to implementation strategy across diverse contexts, offering insight into how routine immunization programs can be made more responsive, sustainable, and equitable. We propose eight design principles for conducting equity-sensitive evaluation of immunization programs in similar fragile settings. Full article