Coastal zones, although vital for human livelihoods and environmental services, are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, especially communities dependent on marine ecosystems. These areas face significant threats from urbanization, population growth, and climate impacts, leading to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Recognizing these challenges, the United Nations declared 2021--2030 the Decade for Ecosystem Restoration, led by the UNEP and FAO, with the aim of restoring degraded ecosystems to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). The link between healthy ecosystems and disaster risk reduction (DRR) has gained global prominence, especially through the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), which emphasizes the importance of ecosystems in mitigating risks. Despite this, many tools for assessing risks in different ecosystem scenarios remain inaccessible to key stakeholders in disaster management. Advances in spatial modelling have supported ecosystem management, policy-making, and ecosystem health assessment, particularly following the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. These models have been applied in regions such as the Great Bahamas, Haiti, and the Republic of Congo, helping shape ecosystem-based approaches to development. Improving access to spatial tools and models is crucial to enabling effective ecosystem-based DRR and climate adaptation strategies.

Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) can help to achieve multiple Water-Ecosystem-Food Nexus Do-main Objectives & Nexus Resilience Qualities, facilitating the transition to more resilient agrifood systems and providing an evidence base for a broader Nexus policy dialogue. This paper de-scribes the stepwise methodology developed in the EU-funded LENSES project to carry out a comprehensive analysis of NBSs in 6 pilot areas in 5 Mediterranean countries, and presents the results of NBSs implementation in 4 pilot areas, highlighting obstacles and opportunities. The methodology includes the development of an analytical evaluation framework and of a com-prehensive catalogue of Nexus-related NBSs, whose suitability needs to be assessed at the local level to achieve better use of protected/natural ecosystems, increase the sustainability and mul-tifunctionality of managed ecosystems and design and manage novel ecosystems. Subsequently, in a collective learning process which supported the operationalisation of the WEF Nexus, NBSs were identified that address specific contextual vulnerabilities, improve water distribution and enhance food security, while preserving ecosystems and supporting adaptation to climate change. The added value of the proposed methodology lies in the multi-stakeholder participatory approach to gain in-depth knowledge of local agri-food systems, including their main WEF-related challenges, and to facilitate overcoming barriers to NBS implementation.

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have rapidly been gaining traction across the research, policy, and practice spheres, touted as transformative actions to jointly address biodiversity loss and climate change. However, there are multiple, alternative ways to imagine NbS in those three spheres. To inform the NbS discourses across these three spheres, we critically reflect on the prevailing framing of NbS and consider the potential of a different framing of NbS to support transformations towards regenerative relationships between humans and nature. Such reflection is urgently needed to ensure that research, policy, and practice delivers on the transformative ambitions of NbS. We propose a novel “core framing” of NbS, charting two pathways for how such a framing can support a human value-based transformation – first through influencing individual beliefs and values, and second through the communication and application of the NbS concept in research, policy, and practice. We argue that for NbS to support transformation, it must support a reframing of human-nature relationships, one where the interdependencies between people and nature are recognized as essential for social and environmental well-being. We elaborate on how such a framing is key to support inclusivity and collaboration between diverse research perspectives, policy objectives across scales, and implementation practices, to deliver successful NbS.

Urbanization and climate change have increased the need for stormwater management and nature-based solutions. Decisions made at project level impact the emergence of systemic traits of the stormwater network and the functionality of the catchment areas in urban planning. To that end, it is vital to introduce the decision-making tools for analyzing both the utilities and amenities of nature-based solutions (NBS) to increase their adoption to reduce the peak loads in the stormwater system, and to that end, mitigate the impacts of climate change. This paper demonstrates a workflow using drone-based photogrammetry, 3D modeling, and simulation software to generate visual and functional models assisting in informed decision-making in the design of stormwater systems as functional landscape architecture. Using aerial data from drones and modeled design solutions, the proposed workflow simulates rain events, infiltration, evaporation, water flow, and accumulation of stormwater in a way that allows the visual and quantified analysis of detailed landscape architecture designs. The paper provides an example of a rooftop site simulation demonstrating the infiltration and flow of water to the drainage. The visual decision-making method provided can aid in investment decisions for functional landscape design in support of stormwater management.

The study focuses on solving urban challenges such as temperature reduction, urban stormwater management, noise reduction, air quality improvement, and CO2 concentrations reduction, and suggests terrestrial and freshwater habitat types (HTs) found in Europe, as innovative forms of nature-based solutions (NBS) for them. Establishment of native HTs in different urban environments to solve urban challenges would enhance biodiversity at different levels and integrate this aspect in urban planning. This contribution builds on the recognition that surfaces of vegetated terrain are the most versatile NBS in addressing the broadest range of environmental problems in urban areas and that the processes running within these green spaces offer the key to socio-ecological improvements of such areas. Employing narrative literature review, qualitative content analysis, and interdisciplinary expert discussion this paper defines why and how native HTs of unchanged nature can be implemented as NBS in the urban environment, indicate potential HTs for specific urban challenges and presents an approach to the inclusion of HTs as NBS into spatial planning documents at national, regional, and local levels. The proposed planning approach attributes added value to HT, and by linking the concepts of NBS and HT integrates them into urban planning.

The Asia-Pacific region contains almost half of the planet’s coastal carbon-sequestering (blue carbon) environments (mangroves, salt marshes, seagrasses). These habitats are highly valuable to sequester carbon and mitigate climate change, but are under threat throughout the region, due in significant part to an insufficient policy environment to protect, restore, or create new coastal wetlands/blue carbon environments. Using a systematic evidence synthesis we reviewed the existing literature on blue carbon policy, and found that gaps and challenges fall under three themes, “Land Tenure and Ownership”, “Funding and Protecting Blue Carbon Habitat”, and “Conflicting Priorities and Jurisdictions”, with two overarching issues, the inconsistent recognition of rights of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) and women, and sea-level rise. This study makes recommendations to ensure high-quality blue carbon projects through improving equitable outcomes, particularly for women and IPLCs, and to reduce barriers to implementing blue carbon projects. These recommendations include gender sensitive and participatory mapping along with a registry of ownership with extensive gender equitable IPLC consultation to resolve ownership uncertainties. Recommendations for community level and gender equitable benefits beyond individual land owners are important to address the inequity of land ownership. Where land ownership changes under sea-level rise and intentional barrier removal, carbon rights should be retained by the landowner; otherwise, there is little incentive to undertake blue carbon projects. Due to the limited income that results from some carbon credit payments, other crediting and non-market methods can be considered to supplement landowners’ incomes and encourage habitat protection. Conflicting priorities between authorities responsible for managing coastal wetlands can be resolved through systematic restructuring/streamlining and collaborative workshops. Some will require changes to policies and amending delegated legislation.

This manuscript reviews three case studies from Brazil, Panama, and Portugal that illustrate Nature-based Solutions. The Tijuca Forest in Rio de Janeiro is a remarkable story of centuries of forest management that today is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Panama Canal Watershed produces water for Canal operations, electricity generation, and drinking water for half the country´s population. Traditional windmills and weirs near streams in the Alentejo Region, Portugal, have largely been abandoned due to the damming of the Guadiana River. Yet today, weirs are increasingly recognized for their important contribution to water provisioning in this dry region. All have a primary goal related to water provisioning, yet their ecosystem benefits are multiple. The cases offer important lessons for adaptation to climate change, cultural benefits from traditional human activities, and concerns about social equity.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognised for their potential to address both the climate and biodiversity crises. These outcomes are interdependent, and both rely on the capacity of NbS to support and enhance the health of an ecosystem: its biodiversity, the condition of its abiotic and biotic elements, and its capacity to function normally despite environmental change. However, while understanding of ecosystem health outcomes of nature-based interventions for climate change mitigation is growing, the outcomes of those implemented for adaptation remain poorly understood with evidence scattered across multiple disciplines. To address this, we conducted a systematic review of the outcomes of 109 nature-based interventions for climate change adaptation using 33 indicators of ecosystem health across eight broad categories (e.g. diversity, biomass, ecosystem functioning and population dynamics). We showed that 88% of interventions with positive outcomes for climate change adaptation also reported measurable benefits for ecosystem health. We also showed that interventions were associated with a 67% average increase in local species richness. All eight studies that reported benefits in terms of both climate change mitigation and adaptation also supported ecosystem health, leading to a triple win. However, there were also trade-offs, mainly for forest management and creation of novel ecosystems such as monoculture plantations of non-native species. Our review highlights two major limitations of research to date. First, only a limited selection of metrics are used to assess ecosystem health and these rarely include key aspects such as functional diversity and habitat connectivity. Second, taxonomic coverage is poor: 67% of outcomes assessed only plants and 57% did not distinguish between native and non-native species. Future research addressing these issues will allow the design and adaptive management of NbS to support healthy and resilient ecosystems, and thereby enhance their effectiveness for meeting both climate and biodiversity targets.

Salt marshes in the southern North Sea are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Wadden Sea, the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world. They provide a very high nature value while significantly contributing to coastal flood and erosion risk management as a nature-based element of flood and erosion risk management systems for the densely populated coastal area. Climate change-induced sea-level rise is a significant concern: An integrated approach to salt marsh management adapted to the effects of climate change necessitates a understanding of the impact of different management strategies. This review commences with a description of the biogeomorphological conditions and processes in salt marshes for a better understanding of the natural dynamics and how they are influenced by management and climate change. In a second step, the impact of salt marshes on hydrodynamic processes and their role as nature-based element of flood and erosion risk management is presented. Management options and implementation methods are discussed and analysed concerning coastal flood management and nature conservation requirements. In conclusion, a targeted salt marsh management needs to consider the initial conditions and the development aims of the specific site integrated in a conceptual framework. Salt marshes have the potential to adapt to sea-level rise, thereby contributing to the long-term protection of coastal areas.

This paper investigates women’s empowerment and their active involvement in governance aimed at promoting sustainable development. The study focuses on examining the roles and processes of co-creation of nature-based solutions (NBS) for water management in Milan. Three research directions were explored: 1) to determine gender-based roles within local governance; 2) to detect semantic groups of NBS based on stakeholders' gender; c) to analyze gender-based linguistic and conceptual patterns of NBS. To achieve our objectives, we converted a sample of audio-video interviews of local stakeholders into textual data along with metadata indicating speakers' roles and gender. Descriptive statistics were applied to explore the governance's roles. We employed a combination of textual analysis and network analysis to identify thematic groups of NBS, and applied a word embedding approach to uncover linguistic patterns indicative of semantic sub-structures. The findings revealed significant demographic diversity. Male stakeholders perceive sustainable development as a process driven by the circular economy and the coordination of territorial authorities, while female stakeholders envision a transformative approach rooted in science, culture, and collaboration. The semantic sub-structure analysis highlighted a tendency among male governance to emphasize specialized skills, whereas female governance placed greater emphasis on problem definition rather than resolution.

Changes in hydrology from aridification in the U.S. Southwest have led to tension at the urban-rural divide about conservation and land management strategy. Strain on multi-generational agricultural livelihoods and a nearly 150-year-old Colorado River water adjudication system presents an opportunity for multidisciplinary solutions and symbiotic partnerships. In this study, producers in a small San Juan River headwater community in southwestern Colorado participated in a convergence research study developed collaboratively with community partners, prioritizing local objectives and policy needs. Acknowledging the historic and sometimes perceived role of academic institutions as representing urban interests, our goal was to highlight how research could support rural governance and identify rural interests. Respondents identified water availability and climate changes as the factor that most negatively affects operations. Respondents had interest in nature-based agroforestry methods like windbreak trees and drought-resistant crop species. Community members identified cost as the leading perceived barrier to implementing nature-based agricultural solutions, with over half of respondents indicating that programs to subsidize or eliminate cost would improve willingness to try nature-based methods. Analyses identified that satisfaction with community resources was positively correlated with scale of production, satisfaction with irrigation equipment, and familiarity with water rights. Further, our results outline barriers to perceptions about nature-based solutions on rural landscapes. We hope to contribute this model for wider applications in other regions to uncover place-based solutions to resource challenges and contribute to addressing stress at the urban-rural divide.

: This Systematic Review focused on the use of Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium breve in neurodegenerative diseases. The study of metabolomics has demonstrated the relationship between dysbiosis and neuronal death. The modulation of the gut microbiota in the intervention of these pathologies has become a promising area of study, showing beneficial results such as the improvement of synaptic function, the reduction of neuroinflammation, as well as the improvement of associated neuropsychiatric symptoms. Several studies have addressed the administration of Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium breve, alone, in conjunction or in combination with other strains, in the intervention of neurodegenerative diseases. This Systematic Review includes the results of 17 research articles (n=5 in humans and n=12 in animal models) and the main result was that the use of these Bifidobacterium strains, alone, in conjunction or in combination with other strains, produced improvements in neurodegenerative disease-related symptomatology and degenerative cellular processes. However, some studies shown neutral results in certain variables. These data suggest that the use of these probiotics has a neuroprotective effect that may delay the progression of the disease. This research provides relevant and updated information on the use of these Bifidobacterium strains in neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Over 130 countries have committed to reaching net-zero CO2 or GHG emissions by 2050, yet this ambition is rarely underpinned by robust policies. By applying a detailed integrated assessment modelling approach for Brazil, we assess, for the first time, the extent to which the existing and planned local policies could put Brazil on the path to its net zero pledge. This includes quantifying the role of nature-based solutions, such as protection and restoration, and engineered solutions, such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). We show protection is the single most important climate mitigation measure at relatively low costs, whereas relying heavily on engineered solutions would jeopardise Brazil’s chances of achieving its net zero pledge. We also show that the mismatch between Brazil's short- and long-term climate targets reflects current weak environmental governance. Our analysis reinforces the urgent need for Brazil to eliminate illegal deforestation and go beyond to help fight climate change whilst curbing biodiversity loss.

Nature Based Solutions (NBS) are becoming increasingly important in both the EU and individual countries' political agendas, as a sustainable means to reduce the risk posed by hydrometeorological hazards. However, as the use of NBS is increasing, a number of barriers regarding their practical implementation also becomes apparent. A number of review studies have summarized and classified barriers, mainly in urban settings. PHUSICOS is a H2020 Innovation Action to demonstrate the use of NBS in rural and mountain landscapes. Large scale demonstrator case sites with several sub-projects are established in Italy, Norway and in the French and Spanish Pyrenees. The present paper describes the project's NBS measures, and their experienced barriers, some of which have resulted in full cancellation of the planned interventions. Many of the barriers experienced in rural settings have the same root causes as the ones described from urban areas, and the main barrier-creating mechanisms are institutional factors, resistance among stakeholders and technical and economic issues. The key element, however, is lack of knowledge about the ability of NBS to deliver a series of co-benefits in addition to their risk-reducing effects, and that long-term thinking is required to see the effect of many of these co-benefits.

Ecosystems are not merely vulnerable to climate change but, if sustainably restored and protected, are a major source of human resilience. Not only is the evidence-base for the importance of these “Nature-based Solutions” (NbS) growing rapidly, but NbS are featuring with increasing prominence in global climate change policy. Here we report on the prominence of NbS in the 141 adaptation components of the 167 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that were submitted to UNFCCC by all signatories of the Paris Agreement. In total, 103 nations include NbS in the adaptation component of their NDC, 76 nations include them in both their adaptation and mitigation component, and an additional 27 include them as part of their mitigation plans only. In other words, 130 nations—or 66% of all signatories to the Paris Agreement—have articulated intentions of working with ecosystems, in one form or another, to address the causes and consequences of climate change. However, commitments rarely translate into robust science-based targets. As climate pledges are revised in 2020, we urge the ecosystem science community to work closely with policymakers to identify meaningful adaptation targets that benefit both people and the ecosystems on which they depend.

Environmental responsibility is crucial in both consumption and production processes. Increasing environmental concerns of societies require eco-innovative and nature-based solutions (NBS) for entrepreneurs. Young people's intentions as potential innovators and entrepreneurs on eco-entrepreneurship with mediating effects have not been investigated is a shortcoming in the literature. This study was conducted with 920 respondents from a public university (Düzce University) students to determine the underlying motivations of eco-entrepreneurship intentions using structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrap methodology. SEM results show that environmental concerns have a positive direct effect (β=0.62) on students’ eco-entrepreneurship intention. This study can serve the several sustainable development goals (SDGs) making suggestions for the efficient and effective use of production factors in terms of environmentally responsible behavior. Study results provide data for sustainable business applications and eco-innovative thinking. Study results intend the direction of modern environmental governance, policy makers and SEM developers.

There is growing awareness that “Nature-based Solutions” (NbS) can help to protect us from climate change impacts whilst slowing further warming, supporting biodiversity and securing ecosystem services. However, the potential of NbS to provide the intended benefits has not been rigorously assessed. There are concerns over their reliability and cost-effectiveness compared to engineered alternatives, and their resilience to climate change. Trade-offs can arise if climate mitigation policy encourages NbS with low biodiversity value, such as afforestation with non-native monocultures. This can result in maladaptation, especially in a rapidly changing world where biodiversity-based resilience and multifunctional landscapes are key. Here we highlight the rise of NbS in climate policy—focussing on their potential for climate change adaptation as well as mitigation—and discuss barriers to their evidence-based implementation. We outline the major financial and governance challenges to implementing NbS at scale, highlighting avenues for further research. As climate policy turns increasingly towards greenhouse gas removal approaches such as afforestation, we stress the urgent need for natural and social scientists to engage with policymakers. They must ensure that NbS can achieve their potential to tackle both the climate and biodiversity crisis while also contributing to sustainable development. This will require systemic change in the way we conduct research and run our institutions.

The NP method was used to elucidate the contributions of vehicles and coal combustion to seasonal and long-term atmospheric PM-bound Pyr and 1-NP concentrations in Kanazawa, Kitakyushu, Shenyang, and Shanghai in the Western Pacific region from 1997 to 2021. Among the four cities, Kanazawa demonstrated the lowest Pyr concentration. The contribution of vehicles to Pyr before and after 2010 were 35% and 5%, respectively. The 1-NP concentration reduced by a factor of more than 1/10. These changes can be attributed to the emission control from vehicles. Kitakyushu revealed the second lowest Pyr and the lowest 1-NP concentrations. Coal combustion was found to be the main contributor to Pyr, while its contribution to 1-NP increased from 9% to 19%. The large contribution of coal combustion is attributed to iron manufactures. Shenyang demonstrated the highest atmospheric Pyr concentration with its largest seasonal change. Vehicles are the largest contributors to 1-NP. However, coal combustion, including winter coal heating, contributed 97% or more to Pyr and more than 14% to 1-NP. Shanghai revealed the second highest Pyr and 1-NP concentrations, but the former was substantially lower than in Shenyang. Coal combustion was the major contributor, but the contribution of vehicles to Pyr was larger before 2010 similar to Kanazawa.

The current focus on afforestation in climate policy runs the risk of compromising both longterm carbon storage and human adaptation. It also works against efforts to stem the tide of biodiversity loss. We outline why an emphasis on diverse, intact natural ecosystems—as opposed to tree plantations with fast-growing exotic species—will help nations deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement and much more.

Debates on climate change challenges around the world are moving in favour of nature-based solutions (NBS) as potential mitigation and adaptation options. Mangroves and associated blue carbon ecosystems are nature-based solutions against sea level rise and other coastal hazards. As such, protecting the existing mangrove forests and restoration of the degraded areas is integral in this aspect. However, conventional mangrove restoration approaches in high-energy areas result in poor performance due to the removal of seedlings by waves. Here, we assessed the efficacy of using modified Riley Encasement Methods in the restoration of eroding intertidal areas of Gazi Bay, Kenya. Vegetation and soil baseline data were collected in 49 square plots of 100m2; established along belt transects perpendicular to the waterline. The following mangrove vegetation data was collected; species composition, tree height (m), and stem diameter (cm); from which the importance value index (IV), basal area and standing density (stems/ha) were derived. Sediment cores were made in the center of each square plot for carbon and grain size analysis. Mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata) planting adopted a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in which the planting area was divided into three blocks (A, B, C). Within each block, treatments (bamboo and different-sized PVC pipes) were randomly assigned locations. Results show that seedlings grown within PVC encasements had high survival and growth rates, surpassing bamboo and control groups. This implies that PVC pipes offer better protection from external factors. These findings are critical in highlighting potential enhancements for the effectiveness of PVC pipes in mangrove restoration. They also reinforce on the need to consider the incorporation of PVC encasements as an alternative mangrove restoration technique in high-energy locations.

In the last five years, European research and innovation programmes have prioritised the development of online catalogues and tools (handbooks, models, etc.) to facilitate the implementation and monitoring of Nature Based Solutions (NBS). However, only a few catalogues and toolkits within European programmes are directly related to mainstreaming of NBS for food production (i.e., edible NBS). Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to present existing NBS tools through the eyes of productive urban landscapes. We reviewed 32 projects related to NBS and 50 tools were identified and characterised. Then, the 6 tools already available, and providing indicators, were further analysed in terms of their format and knowledge domains. Our main conclusion demonstrates that there is a lack of tools capable of supporting users for planning and implementing edible NBS, calculating the food potential of the city and/or of individual edible NBS, including the needed resources for implementation and operation (water, nutrients, energy), and assessing their urban design value, environmental and socio-economic impacts. And when they do exist, there is a resistance to share the models and equations behind the tools to allow other projects to reuse or validate them, fact which is contrary to Open Science principles stood up by many research public agencies.

The need to address climate change and establish sustainable urban environments has driven increased efforts in Europe to develop climate-neutral cities. This study highlights the importance of integrating solar energy technologies and nature-based solutions as key strategies to achieve climate neutrality. By examining current practices, emerging trends, and case examples, it explores the benefits, challenges, and prospects associated with the integration of solar energy and nature-based solutions in urban contexts. The study presents a pioneering approach to assess the urban heat and climate change mitigation benefits of combining building-integrated photovoltaics and nature-based solutions specifically within the European context. The results emphasize the synergistic relationship between nature-based components and solar conversion technology, identifying effective combinations for different climatic zones. In warmer regions of Southern Europe, strategies like rooftop photovoltaics on cool roofs, photovoltaics shadings, green walls, and urban trees have demonstrated effectiveness. Conversely, mid- and high-latitude European cities have seen positive impacts through the integration of rooftop photovoltaics and photovoltaics facades with green roofs and green spaces. As solar cell conversion efficiency improves, the environmental impact of photovoltaics is expected to decrease, facilitating their integration into urban environments. The study emphasizes the importance of incorporating water bodies, cool pavements, spaces with high sky-view factors, and effective planning in urban design to maximize resilience benefits. It also highlights the significance of prioritizing mitigation actions in low-income regions and engaging citizens in the development of social photovoltaics positive energy houses, resilient neighbourhoods, and green spaces. By adopting these recommendations, European cities can lead the way in creating climate-neutral urban environments that prioritize clean energy, nature-based solutions, and the overall well-being of residents. The findings underscore the need for a multidisciplinary approach that combines technological innovation, urban planning strategies, and policy frameworks to effectively achieve climate neutrality in European cities.

In the context of global changes, Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) increasingly draw attention as a possible way to reduce disaster risk associated with extreme hydro-meteorological events while providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits at the same time. The PHUSICOS platform is dedicated to gather and analyse relevant NBSs used to reduce disaster risk associated with extreme hydro-meteorological events in mountainous and hilly lands. To design the platform, an in-depth review of 11 existing platforms has been performed. The platform currently references 152 literature NBS cases and is continuously enriched with demonstrator sites through the contribution of NBS community. The platform also proposes a qualitative assessment of the NBSs collected according to 15 criteria related with five ambits: disaster risk reduction, technical and economical feasibility, environment, society and local economy. This paper presents the structure of the platform and a first analysis of its content.

Asymmetric lithium salts, such as Lithium (difluoromethanesulfonyl)(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiDFTFSI), have been demonstrated to surpass traditional symmetric lithium salts with improved Li+ conductivity and the capacity to generate stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) while maintaining compatibility with aluminum (Al0) current collector. However, the intrinsic reductive mechanism through which LiDFTFSI influences battery performance remains unclear and under debate. Herein, the detailed SEI reactions of LiDFTFSI-based electrolytes were investigated by combining density functional theory and molecular dynamics, aiming to clarify the formation process and atomic structure of SEI. Our results show that asymmetric DFTFSI– weakens the interaction between carbonate solvents and Li+, and substantially alter the solvation structure, exhibiting a well-balanced coordination capacity to bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI–). Nanoseconds hybrid molecular dynamics simulation further reveals that the preferential decomposition of LiDFTFSI produces sufficient LiF and Li2O to facilitate a robust SEI. Moreover, the abundant F– generated from LiDFTFSI decomposition accumulates on the Al surface and subsequently combines with Al3+ from the current collector to form AlF3, potentially inhibiting corrosion of the current collector. Overall, these findings elucidate how LiDFTFSI regulates the solvation sheath and SEI structure, advancing the development of high-performance electrolytes compatible with current collector.

The rapid convergence of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), autonomous drones, and applied robotics presents a transformative opportunity for many sectors. However, this advancement also raises critical ethical and existential questions, particularly in warfare. This paper explores the concept of entropy as a metaphor for the potential disorder introduced by these increasingly complex technologies. We examine the risks of AGI surpassing human control in conflict situations, where autonomous decision-making could have disastrous consequences. We then analyze autonomous drones, scrutinizing their impact on warfare tactics and the ethical dilemmas surrounding independent, real-time decision-making. Finally, we investigate applied robotics in military operations, focusing on the delicate balance between enhanced capabilities and the potential for uncontrollable systems. Through a multidisciplinary lens, drawing on technology ethics, military strategy, and AI safety, this paper utilizes the concept of entropy to highlight the need for caution in developing these technologies. We propose a scientifically grounded and ethically sound framework to guide policymakers, technologists, and ethicists in navigating the path between innovation and global stability. This framework concludes with recommendations for responsible development and deployment strategies that can mitigate the risks associated with these powerful tools.

This investigation explores the potential of enhancing aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) through the introduction of a novel cathode material, NH4V4O10 (NVO), combined with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Utilizing Density Functional Theory (DFT), it was hypothesized that the incorpora-tion of rGO would increase the interlayer spacing of NVO and diminish the charge transfer in-teractions, thus promoting enhanced diffusion of Zn2+ ions. These theoretical predictions were substantiated by experimental data acquired from hydrothermal synthesis, which indicated a marked increase in interlayer spacing. Significantly, the NVO-rGO composite exhibits remarkable cyclic durability, maintaining 95% of its initial specific capacity of 507 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at a current density of 5 A g−1. The electrochemical performance of NVO-rGO not only surpasses that of pristine NVO but also outperforms the majority of existing vanadium oxide cathode materials reported in the literature. This study underscores the effective integration of theoretical insights and experimental validation, contributing to the advancement of high-performance energy storage technologies.

This study explores the enhancement of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) using ammonium-enhanced vanadium oxide cathodes. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations reveal that NH₄⁺ incorporation into V₆O₁₆ lattices significantly facilitates Zn²⁺ ion diffusion by reducing electrostatic interactions, acting as a structural lubricant. Subsequent experimental validation using (NH₄)₂V₆O₁₆ cathodes synthesized via a hydrothermal method corroborates the DFT findings, demonstrating remarkable electrochemical stability with a capacity retention of 90% after 2000 cycles at 5 A g⁻¹. These results underscore the potential of NH₄⁺ in improving the performance and longevity of AZIBs, providing a pathway for sustainable energy storage solutions.

This study presents the synthesis and electrochemical evaluation of nitrogen-doped vanadium oxide (N-V2O3/C) as a cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs), using a hydrothermal method. Compared to undoped V2O3/C, N-V2O3/C exhibits enhanced electrical conductivity, capacity, and electrochemical kinetics, attributed to the incorporation of pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen. Initial charge-discharge cycles indicate phase transitions to amorphous vanadium oxides, enhancing conductivity. N-V2O3/C shows a high specific capacity of 168.4 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1 and remarkable reversibility, highlighted by the transient existence of intermediate species during cycling. Optimal electrochemical performance is achieved with a vanadium to nitrogen molar ratio of 2:3, indicating the significant impact of nitrogen doping concentration on the material’s efficiency. This work underscores the potential of N-V2O3/C as a superior cathode material for AZIBs.

Using density functional theory (DFT), the density of states of NH4V3O8 (NVO) was analyzed pre and post-oxygen defects (Od) formation. The findings revealed a reduced bandgap in NVO after Od introduction, emphasizing the role of Od in enhancing conductivity of the material, thus improving its electrochemical attributes. Through the water bath method, both NVO and its oxygen-deficient counterpart, (NH4)2V10O25⸱8H2O (NVOd), were synthesized as potential cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Experimental outcomes resonated with DFT predictions, highlighting the beneficial role of oxygen defects in boosting electrical conductivity. Notably, the refined material displayed a remarkable capacity of 479.3 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, underscoring its promise for advanced energy storage solutions.

Spectral characteristics of CDOM in water column are a key parameter for bio-optical modeling. Knowledge of CDOM optical properties and spatial discrepancy based on the relationship between water quality and spectral parameters in Yinma River watershed with in situ data collected highly-polluted waters are exhibited in this study. Seasonal field data sets collected over a period of 2 months in 2015 in Yinma River Watershed. Based on the comprehensive index method, the riverine waters showed serious contamination, especially the COD, Fe, Mn, Hg and DO were out of range contamination warning. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total suspended matter (TSM) with prominent non-homogenizing were significantly high in the riverine waters, but chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) was opposite. Ternary phase diagram showed that non-algal paritcles absorption played an important role in total non-water light absorption (>50%) in most sampling locations, and mean contribution of CDOM were 13% and 22% in summer and autumn respectively. Analysis of ratio of absorption at 250-365 nm (E_250:365) and spectral slope (S_275-295) indicated that CDOM had higher aromaticity and molecular weight in autumn than in summer, is consistent with the results of water quality and relative contribution. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the environmental variables OSM had a strong correlation with CDOM absorption, followed by heavy metal, e.g., Mn, Hg and Cr⁶⁺. However, for the specific UV absorbance (SUVA₂₅₄), the seasonal values showed opposite results compared with the reported literature. The potential reasons were the more UDOM (uncolored Dissolved Organic Matter) from human source (wastewater effluent) existed in waters. Terrigenous inputs simultaneously are in relation to the a_CDOM(440)-DOC relationship with the correlation coefficient was 0.90 in summer (2-tailed, p<0.01), and 0.58 in autumn (2-tailed, p<0.05). Spatial distribution of CDOM parameters exhibited that the downstream regions focused on dry land have high CDOM molecular weight and aromatic hydrocarbon. Partial sampling locations around the cities or countries generally showed abnormal values due to terrigenous inputs. As a bio-optical model parameter, spectral characteristic of CDOM is helpful in adjusting the derived algorithms in highly-polluted environments. The study on organic carbon and pollutants in highly-polluted waters had an important contribution to global carbon balance estimation and water environment protection.

China promotes nature-based solutions (NbS) as key approaches to addressing climate change, ecosystem damage, and biodiversity loss. However, indigenous and local knowledge (ILK), which is recognized by international scholars as an essential element of successful NbS, has not been thoroughly studied in the Chinese context. By conducting a comprehensive review of Chinese central governmental policies and semi-structured interviews with typical cases, this study finds out diversified sources of ILK and five pathways of ILK integration, including education, supervision, participation, knowledge preservation, and knowledge adoption. An increasing emphasis on community engagement has been driven by central policies such as the ecological civilization, carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. From a practical perspective, consistent core ideas of ILK exist in selected typical Chinese cases and studies in other countries, namely co-existence and reciprocity with nature. While supportive central policies can set the scene, ILK integration could not be realized without local governmental endorsement, context-based implementation, and long-term multi-stakeholder participation. Furthermore, this study also figures out a potential deficiency in terms of realizing effective ILK integration in mainstream and conventional practices, which can be further investigated by future studies.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have gained global attention for addressing societal challenges, benefiting biodiversity, and promoting human well-being. NbS have been increasingly recognized for their role in mitigating climate change impacts, such as coastal flooding. However, despite their integration into policy frameworks in Europe and parts of Africa, there remains limited empirical evidence regarding their effectiveness. This study seeks to address this gap by exploring the factors influencing perceptions and awareness of the effectiveness of NbS in coastal communities. A structured survey questionnaire was administered in three coastal communities—Kula, Oyorokoto, and Bonny—examining how perception, knowledge, and socio-economic factors affect the effectiveness of NbS. Results show that socio-economic factors such as age, education, and occupation significantly influence the perceived effectiveness of NbS. Additionally, awareness was found to have a stronger impact on effectiveness than perception. The study concludes that awareness-raising initiatives, particularly those focused on the protective benefits of mangroves, are crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of NbS. Conservation, afforestation, and restoration of coastal ecosystems are recommended as key strategies for promoting NbS and their role in climate resilience.

Dermal injections of hyaluronic acid gel for aesthetic skin rejuvenation are increasingly popular nowadays. Although these products are classified as medical devices, the regulations on their administration by licensed practitioners are still weak, whereas their manufacturers increasingly highlight and advertise the cellular effects that underpin the efficacy of these injections. In this re-view, we discuss all current knowledge on the mode of action of dermally injected hyaluronic acid and the potential toxicological implications especially from crosslinked gels in conjunction with the current global regulations. We conclude that dermal injections of hyaluronic acid have several therapeutic implications that warrant further research, and that strict regulations must be applied on their manufacture/quality control and the required qualifications of licensed aesthetic injectors.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) - working with and enhancing nature to address societal challenges - are increasingly being featured in climate change adaptation policy and plans. While there is growing evidence that NbS can reduce vulnerability to climate change impacts in general, there is a lack of understanding on the mechanisms through which this can be achieved, particularly in the Global South. To address this, we analyse 85 nature-based interventions in rural areas across the Global South, and factors mediating their effectiveness, based on a systematic map of peer-reviewed studies encompassing a wide diversity of ecosystems, climate impacts, and intervention types. We develop and apply an analytical framework of people’s social-ecological vulnerability to climate change, in terms of six pathways of vulnerability reduction: social and ecological exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Most cases (95%) report a reduction in vulnerability, primarily by lowering ecosystem sensitivity to climate impacts (73% of interventions), followed by reducing social sensitivity (52%), reducing ecological exposure (36%), increasing social adaptive capacity (31%), increasing ecological adaptive capacity (19%) and/or reducing social exposure (14%). An analysis of mediating factors shows that social dimensions are equally important as technical factors in NbS to achieving equitable and effective outcomes. Attention to the distinct social and ecological pathways through which vulnerability is reduced helps to harness the multiple benefits of working with nature in a warming world.

Monitoring the status and dynamics of desertification is one of the most important parts of combating desertification. In this study, 30m high-resolution information on land desertification and restoration in the HRB was extracted from the land cover database. The results indicate that land desertification coexists with land restoration in the HRB. At different periods, the area of land restoration is much larger than the area of land desertification in the HRB, and the HRB has been in a process of land restoration. Upstream of the HRB, there is a continuing trend of increasing land desertification associated with overgrazing in a context where climate change favors desertification reversal. In the middle and lower reaches, although both climate variability and human activities favor land desertification, the process of land desertification in the middle and lower reaches is still being reversed and land restoration dominates. The implementation of the Eco-Environmental Protection Project and desertification control measures, especially the EWDP, is contributing to the reversal of desertification in the middle and lower reaches of the HRB. However, the EWDP has indirectly led to the lowering of the water table in the middle reaches, resulting in local vegetation degradation. Therefore, there is therefore an urgent need to transform the economic structure of the middle reaches to cope with water scarcity and land desertification.

Mangrove forests provide a wide range of goods and services that sustain communities around the world. This paper explores utilization patterns of extractable mangrove resources by communities within the proposed Kenya – Tanzania Transboundary Conservation Area (TBCA). Some 152 household surveys and 12 Nominal Group Technique discussions were carried out. At least 16 direct use products were reported to be extracted from the mangroves, with 90% of households found to use mangrove products. Changing patterns of mangrove use in the areas and accessibility point towards unsustainable utilization and promote illegal activities. Overharvesting of mangrove wood products was reported to be the major threat facing the forests. Patterns of mangrove use in the study site reveal a high level of mangrove-dependence by communities for their livelihood. There is a need to address the problems of open access through capacity building and awareness creation, development and implementation of harvest plans as well as introduction of alternative livelihood options to the communities in the area.

This paper presents MADS (Multi-Agents for Data Science), an innovative and simple open-source multi-agent framework designed for systemic pipeline execution in applied supervised machine learning. By leveraging the capabilities of multi-agent systems (MAS), we introduce a universal approach to optimize and streamline machine learning pipelines. Our framework highlights the differences between various types of agents, such as reinforcement learning (RL) agents and large language model (LLM) agents, and their distinct contributions to the process. While we currently employ LLM agents to automate and enhance machine learning tasks, we acknowledge the potential of incorporating RL agents in future iterations to further improve performance and adaptability. The primary objective is to enhance the efficiency, scalability, and adaptability of supervised learning applications across various domains. This integration addresses the complexity and manual effort typically associated with machine learning workflows, paving the way for more automated, robust, and scalable solutions. Our approach demonstrates significant improvements in task automation, reduced human intervention, and enhanced model performance. The MADS framework, which will soon be available as an open-source implementation, represents a pivotal contribution to the field of machine learning, promising to facilitate broader adoption and collaborative advancement.

Climate and land-use changes have been contributing to increase the occurrence of extreme wild-fires, shifting fire regimes and driving desertification, particularly in Mediterranean-climate regions. However, few studies have researched the effects of land-use change on fire regimes and carbon storage at the broad national scale. To address this gap, we used spatially explicit data from annual burned areas in mainland Portugal to build a typology of fire regimes based on the accumulated burned area and its temporal concentration (Gini index) between 1984 and 2019, which was combined with 2018 carbon stock data (above- and below-ground), and a landscape typology re-sulting from cluster analysis over land-use composition, diversity and configuration, to explore relationships between landscape types and the two major ecosystem services at stake: wildfire reduction and carbon stock. Cross tabulations, logistic and linear regressions were performed on these data and results revealed a strong relationship between landscapes dominated by maritime pine and eucalypt forest plantations and high-hazardous fire regime but hold the highest carbon stock. Shrubland-mixed landscapes were associated with lower carbon stocks but less hazardous fire regimes. Specialized agricultural landscapes, as well as mixed native forests and mixed agro-forestry landscapes, were the least associated with wildfires. In the case of agricultural landscapes however, this good wildfire performance is achieved at the cost of the poorest carbon stock, de-noting land degradation, whereas native forests and agroforestry landscapes strike the best trade-off between carbon stock and fire regime. Our findings support how nature-based solutions promoting wildfire mitigation and carbon stock ecosystem services may prevent and revert land degradation harming Mediterranean regions.

This study reports on the development of bio-based hydrophobic coatings for packaging papers through deposition of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) particles in combination with nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and plant wax. In a first approach, PHB particles in micrometer range (PHB-MP) were prepared through a phase-separation technique providing internally nanosized structures. The particles were transferred as a coating by dip-coating filter papers in the particle suspension, followed by sizing with a carnauba wax solution. This approach allowed partial to almost full surface coverage of PHB-MP over the paper surface resulting in static water contact angles of 105° to 122° and 129° to 144° after additional wax coating. In a second approach, PHB particles with submicron sizes (PHB-SP) were synthesized by an oil-in-emulsion (o/w) solvent evaporation method, and mixed in aqueous suspensions with 0 to 7 wt% NFC. After dip-coating filter papers in PHB-SP/NFC suspensions and sizing with a carnauba wax solution, static water contact angles of 112° to 152° were obtained. The intrinsic properties of the particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy, indicating higher crystallinity for PHB-SP than PHB-MP. The chemical interactions between the more amorphous PHB-MP particles and paper fibers were identified as an esterification reaction, while the morphology of the NFC fibrillar network was playing a key role as binding agent in the retention of more crystalline PHB-SP at the paper surface, hence contributing to higher hydrophobicity.

The human-readable simplicity with which the CSV format was devised, together with the absence of a standard that strictly defines this format, has allowed the proliferation of several variants in the dialects with which these files are written. The latter has meant that the exchange of information between data management systems, or between countries and regions, requires human intervention during the data mining and cleansing process. This has led to the development of various computational tools that aim to accurately determine the dialects of CSV files, in order to avoid data loss at data loading stage in a given system. However, the dialect detection is a complex problem and current systems have limitations or make assumptions that need to be improved and/or extended. This paper proposes a method for determining CSV file dialects through table uniformity, a statistical approach based on table consistency and records dispersion measurement along with the detection of data type over each field. The new method has a 100\% accuracy on a dataset with 148 CSV files composed of samples coming from a data load testing framework and some others added as verification of the parsing routines. In tests on truly messy data, the proposed solution outperforms the state-of-the-art tool by achieving an improvement of about 10\% in the accuracy with which dialects are detected. Furthermore, the proposed method is accurate enough to determine dialects by reading only ten records, requiring more data to disambiguate those cases where the first records do not contain the necessary information to conclude with a dialect determination.

Cities are especially vulnerable to heavy rainfall events and the associated flooding. Urban drainage systems are not dimensioned to handle extreme heavy rainfall events, there is a need to enhance the resilience of those systems. Nature-based solutions (NBS) have the potential to retrofit existing urban drainage systems by providing, among other benefits, storage volume. This study presents an approach for including NBS with different degrees of implementation in a 1D/2D model and investigates their potential for flood mitigation in a study area in Berlin. The analyzed NBS are infiltration systems (e.g. infiltration swales) dimensioned to return periods of T = 5 and 100 years, various green roofs and tree locations (e.g. tree trenches). The NBS are represented by SWMM LID elements. The results show that overall the mitigation effect of NBS declines with increasing rainfall intensities. However, infiltration systems dimensioned to T = 100 years achieve almost three times the flood reduction compared to systems dimensioned to T = 5 years, even during extreme heavy rainfall events (100 mm), resulting in a reduced total flood volume of 15.1% to 25.8%. Overall, green roofs (excluding extensive green roofs) provide the greatest flood reduction (33.5%), while tree locations have the least effect.

Oncomelania Hupensis is the exclusive intermediary host of Schistosoma japonicum in China. The alteration of its habitat and population distribution directly affects the safety of millions of individuals residing in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB), and the ecological stability. Therefore, it is crucial to analyse the influence of climate change on the distribution of O. Hupensis in order to achieve accurate control over its population. This study utilised the MaxENT model to forecast possible snail habitats by utilising snail distribution data obtained from historical literature. The subsequent outcomes were achieved: The primary ecological factors influencing the distribution of O. Hupensis are elevation, minimum temperature of coldest month, and precipitation of wettest month; Furthermore, future climate scenarios indicate a decrease in the distribution area and a northward shift of the distribution centre for O. hupensis; Specifically, those in the upstream will move northeast, while those in the midstream and downstream will move northwest; These changes in suitable habitat area, the average migration distance of distribution centers across different climate scenarios, time periods, and sub-basins within the YREB, resulting in uncertainty. This study offers theoretical justification for the prevention and control of O. hupensis along the YREB.

Most existing coal-fired power plants were designed for sustained operation at full load to maximize efficiency, reliability, and revenue, as well as to operate air pollution control devices at design conditions. Depending on plant type and design, these plants can adjust output within a fixed range in response to the plant operating or market conditions. The need for flexibility driven by increased penetration of variable and non-dispatchable power generation such as wind and solar is shifting the traditional mission profile of thermoelectric power plants in three ways: more frequent shutdowns when market or grid conditions warrant, more aggressive load ramp rates (rate of output change), and lower minimum sustainable load, which provides a wider operating range and helps avoid costly plant shutdowns. Recent studies have shown that flexibility of a coal-fired power plant can be improved by energy storage. The objective of this work was to analyze a set of energy storage options and determine their impact on flexibility and economics of a representative coal-fired power plant. The effect of three energy storage systems integrated with a coal power plant on plant flexibility and economics was investigated. The results obtained in this project show that Energy Storage Systems integrated with a thermal power plant improves plant flexibility and participation in the Energy and Ancillary Services markets which improves plant financial performance. The study was funded by the U.S. Department Office of Fossil Energy FE-1 under Award Number DE-FE0031903.

This work presents a novel approach for the study of the movement of droplets on inclined surfaces under the influence of gravity and chemical heterogeneities. The developed numerical methodology uses data-driven modeling to extend the applicability limits of an analytically derived reduced-order model for the contact line velocity. More specifically, while the reduced-order model is able to capture the effects of the chemical heterogeneities to a satisfactory degree, it does not account for gravity. To alleviate this shortcoming, datasets generated from direct numerical simulations are used to train a data-driven model for the contact line velocity, which is based on the Fourier neural operator and corrects the reduced-order model predictions to match the reference solutions. This hybrid surrogate model, which comprises of both analytical and data-driven components, is then integrated in time to simulate the droplet movement, offering a speedup of five orders of magnitude compared to direct numerical simulations. The performance of this hybrid model is quantified and assessed in different wetting scenarios, by considering various inclination angles and values for the Bond number, demonstrating the accuracy of the predictions as long as the adopted parameters lie within the ranges considered in the training dataset.

As a member of smart materials, electrorheological elastomers (EREs) formed by pre-treating active electrorheological particles are attracting more and more attention. In this work, four Mg-doped strontium titanate particles with spherical, dendritic, flake-like and pinecone-like morphorlogies were obtained by hydrothermal and low-temperature co-precipitation. XRD, SEM, Raman and FT-IR were used to characterize the obtained products. The results showed that the sizes of Mg-doped strontium titanates are about 1.5‒2.0 μm, and the phase structure are dominated by cubic crystal. These Mg-doped strontium titanates were dispersed in a hydrogel composite elastic medium. Then, Mg-doped strontium titanate/glycerol/gelatin electrorheological composite hydrophilic elastomers were obtained with or without electric field. The electric field response properties of Mg-doped strontium titanate composite elastomers were investigated. It concluded that dendritic Mg-doped strontium titanate composite elastomers is high-performance EREs. And the maximum value of energy storage modulus of Mg-doped strontium titanate composite elastomers has achieved 8.70 MPa. This high electrorheological performance of the products is helpful for their applications in vibration control, force transducers, smart structures, dampers, and other fields.

Fingerprints are essential for human identification and are valuable tools in criminal investigations. The pursuit of new materials for digital printing is expanding, with increasing interest in natural compounds such as bixin, sourced from annatto seeds. Despite its traditional use as a natural dye with medicinal properties, the potential of bixin in papilloscopy remains largely untapped. In this study, we meticulously extracted bixin from annatto seeds and meticulously developed composites incorporating zinc carbonate (bixin/ZnCO3) and kaolinite (bixin/kaolinite). UV-visible spectroscopy was used for characterization, and the extracted bixin showed absorption peaks at 429, 453, and 481 nm, which were very similar to standard peaks at 429, 457, and 487 nm. The two samples also had the same retention times (7.07 min) according to further liquid chromatography analysis. Sweat pores were easier to detect thanks to the effectiveness of the bixin/ZnCO3 and bixin/kaolinite composites in creating high contrast sebaceous and natural latent fingerprints. These results highlight the composites’ potential as novel and fascinating instruments for papilloscopy applications, which might also improve forensic investigations.

This paper numerically investigates a 3D mesh independency study of a straight blade horizontal axis tidal turbine modelled using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The solution was produced by employing two turbulence models, the standard k-ε model and Shear Stress Transport (SST) in ANSYS CFX. Three parameters were investigated: mesh resolution, turbulence model, and power coefficient in the initial CFD, analysis. It was found that the mesh resolution and the turbulence model affect the power coefficient results. The power coefficients obtained from the standard k-ε model are 15% to 20% lower than the accuracy of the SST model. It can also be demonstrated that the torque coefficient increases with the increasing Tip Speed Ratio (TSR), but drops drastically after TSR = 5 and k-ε model failing to capture the non-linearity in the torque coefficient with the increasing TSR.

Wear simulation aims to assess wear rates and their dependence on factors like load, kinematics, temperature, and implant orientation. Despite its significance, there's a notable gap in research concerning advancements in simulator control systems and the testing of clinically relevant waveforms. This study addresses this gap by focusing on enhancing the conventional proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller used in joint simulators through the development of a fuzzy logic-based controller. Leveraging a single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) fuzzy logic control system, the study aimed to improve displacement control, augmenting the traditional Proportional-Integral (PI) tuning approach. Implementation and evaluation of a novel Fuzzy-PI control algorithm were conducted on the Leeds spine wear simulator. The study also included testing of daily-living (DL) profiles, particularly from the hip joint, to broaden the scope of simulation scenarios. While both the conventional PI controller and the Fuzzy-PI controller met ISO tolerance criteria for the spine flexion-extension (FE) profile at 1Hz, the Fuzzy-PI controller demonstrated superior performance at higher frequencies and with DL profiles due to its real-time adaptive tuning capability. The Fuzzy-PI controller represents a significant advancement in joint wear simulation, offering improved control functionalities and a more accurate emulation of real-world physiological dynamics.

Sustainable continuous cover forestry is defined and analyzed in several ways. The differential equation representing growth of the basal areas of individual trees, motivated by fundamental biological production theory by Lohmander (2017a), is analyzed and extended in different directions. From the solution of the differential equation, the basal area and the tree diameter are obtained as explicit functions of time. The diameter is a strictly increasing function of time. In the absence of competitors, the diameter increment is shown to be a strictly decreasing function of time. Hence, the diameter increment can also be interpreted as a strictly decreasing function of the diameter. Alternative forms of adjustment of the differential equation, with consideration of competition, are defined. If the competition is strong, with large trees in the vicinity of a particular tree, then the basal area increment, and the diameter increment, are reduced. The growth of a large tree is less sensitive than the growth of a small tree, to competition from other trees. Under strong competition, the basal area increment, and the diameter increment, are strictly concave functions of the size of the tree. The unique maximum of the diameter increment occurs at a higher diameter, if the competition increases. In dynamic equilibrium, the tree size frequency distribution is stationary. If natural tree mortality can be avoided via the harvest strategy, the tree size frequency distribution is a function of the size and competition dependent growth function, and the harvest strategy. Empirical tree size frequency data are used to simultaneously estimate parameters of a size and competition dependent growth function and the applied harvest strategy, via nonlinear optimization. The properties of the estimated growth function are consistent with the corresponding properties of the production theoretically motivated hypothetical function, and the properties of the estimated harvest strategy confirm the corresponding hypotheses. The R2 of the nonlinear regression exceeds 0.97. With access to an empirically estimated equilibrium tree size distribution, it is possible to: 1. Estimate size frequency relevant parameters of tree size and competition dependent growth functions for individual trees. 2. Estimate the applied harvest strategy. 3. Explain and reproduce the empirically estimated tree size equilibrium distribution.

Over the past few decades, synthetic petroleum-based packaging materials have increased, and the production of plastics has surpassed all other man-made materials due to their versatility. However, the excessive usage of synthetic packaging materials has led to severe environmental and health-related issues due to their nonbiodegradability and their accumulation in the environment. Therefore, biobased packages are considered alternatives to substitute synthetic petroleum-based packaging material. Furthermore, the choice of packing material in the food industry is a perplexing process as it depends on various factors, such as the type of food product, its sustainability, and environmental conditions. Interestingly, due to proven mechanical, gas and water vapor barrier properties and biological activity, polysaccharide-based bioplastics show the potential to expand the trends in food packaging, including edible films or coatings and intelligent and active food packaging. This review discusses the structure, properties and recent developments in polysaccharide-based bioplastics as green and sustainable food packaging materials.

In this paper, carbon nanotubes modified screen-printed electrode (CNTs/SPE) was prepared and the CNTs/SPE was employed for the electrochemical determination of antioxidant substance Chlorogenic acids (CGAs). A pair of well-defined redox peak of CGA was observed at the CNTs/SPE in 0.10 mol∙L^-1 acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer (pH 6.2) and electrode process is adsorption-controlled. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method for the determination of CGA were proposed based on the CNTs/SPE. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed method exhibited linear ranges from 4.73×10^-7 to 4.45×10^-5 mol∙L^-1, the linear regression equation was Ipa(µA) = 4.1993 C (mol∙L^-1)+1.1039 (r = 0.9976) and the detection limit for CGA could reach 3.25×10^-6 mol∙L^-1. The recovery of matrine was 94.74~106.65% (RSD = 2.92%) in coffe beans. The proposed method is quick, sensitive, reliable, and can be used for the determination of CGA.

Children are inherently curious about everything they encounter, making the early years a perfect time for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) investigations. An outdoor learning environment can influence STEAM concept formation of preschoolers with intentional design that offer STEAM learning affordances. Despite the rising interest in early STEAM education, there is still limited literature on how the outdoor environment may influence STEAM learning behaviors of preschoolers (3-5 years old). This scoping review intends to evaluate the existing knowledge regarding the physical factors that contribute to STEAM learning affordances in an outdoor environment for children aged 3 to 5. The review included studies from the last twenty years. This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the criteria outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). For this scoping review, 843 citations were discovered across four databases (JSTOR, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and Web of Science), ProQuest, and Google Scholar, and 31 articles were considered eligible for inclusion. Through the synthesis of information from those 31 studies, a list of STEAM learning behaviors of children and STEAM activity-supportive settings were identified that may positively influence preschoolers' STEAM concept development.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA) is a malignant epithelial neoplasm characterized by biliary differentiation within the liver. ICCA is molecularly heterogeneous and exhibits a broad spectrum of histopathological features. It is a highly aggressive carcinoma with high mortality and poor survival rates. ICCAs are classified into two main subtypes: small duct type and large duct types. These two tumor types have different cell origins and clinicopathological features. ICCAs are characterized by numerous molecular alterations, including mutations in KRAS, TP53, IDH1/2, ARID1A, BAP1, BRAF, SAMD4, and EGFR, and FGFR2 fusion. Two main molecular subtypes–inflammation and proliferation–have been proposed. Recent advances in high-throughput assays using next-generation sequencing have improved our understanding of ICCA pathogenesis and molecular genetics. The diagnosis of ICCA poses a significant challenge for pathologists because of its varied morphologies and phenotypes. Accurate diagnosis of ICCA is essential for effective patient management and prognostic determination. This article provides an updated overview of ICCA pathology, focusing particularly on molecular features, histological subtypes, and diagnostic approaches.

Background: Circulating rare cells participate in breast cancer evolution as systemic components of the disease and thus, are a source of theranostic information. Exploration of cancer-associated rare cells is in its infancy. We determined the validity of a rare-cell detection platform and demonstrated the usefulness of a certain rare cell subset as a novel approach to characterize the breast cancer system. Methods: Linearity of the Rarmax® platform was established using a spike-in approach. The platform includes red blood cell lysis, leukocyte depletion and high-resolution fluorescence image recording. Rare cell analysis was conducted on 28 samples (before and after surgery) from 14 patients with breast cancer, 20 healthy volunteers and 9 non-cancer control volunteers. In-depth identification of rare cells, including circulating tumor cells, endothelial-like cells, erythroblasts and inflammation-associated cells, was performed using a phenotype and morphology-based classification system. Results: The platform performed linearly over a range of 5-950 spiked cells, with an average recovery of 84.6%. Circulating epithelial and endothelial-like cell subsets have been demonstrated to be associated with or independent of cancer with tumor presence. Furthermore, certain cell patterns may be associated with treatment-related adverse effects. The sensitivity in detecting tumor-presence and cancer-associated abnormality before surgery was 50% and 85.7%, respectively and the specificity was 100% and 96.6%, respectively. Conclusion: The present study supports the idea of a cancer-associated rare cell abnormality to represent tumor entities as well as systemic cancer. The latter is independent of the apparent clinical cancer.

This study focuses on the optimal deployment problem, and determines the optimal size of a military force to send to the battle field. The decision is optimized, based on an objective function, that considers the cost of deployment, the cost of the time it takes to win the battle, and the costs of killed and wounded soldiers with equipment. The cost of deployment is modeled as an explicit function of the number of deployed troops and the value of a victory with access to a free territory, is modeled as a function of the length of the time it takes to win the battle. The cost of lost troops and equipment, is a function of the size of the reduction of these lives and resources. An objective function, based on these values and costs, is optimized, under different parameter assumptions. The battle dynamics is modeled via the Lanchester differential equation system based on the principles of directed fire. First, the deterministic problem is solved analytically, via derivations and comparative statics analysis. General mathematical results are reported, including the directions of changes of the optimal deployment decisions, under the influence of alternative types of parameter changes. Then, the first order optimum condition from the analytical model, in combination with numerically specified parameter values, is used to determine optimal values of the levels of deployment in different situations. A concrete numerical case, based on documented facts from the Battle of Iwo Jima, during WW II, is analyzed, and the optimal US deployment decisions are determined under different assumptions. The known attrition coefficients of both armies, from USA and Japan, and the initial size of the Japanese force, are parameters. The analysis is also based on some parameters without empirical documentation, that are necessary to include to make optimization possible. These parameter values are motivated in the text. The optimal solutions are found via Newton- Raphson iteration. Finally, a stochastic version of the optimal deployment problem is defined. The attrition parameters are considered as stochastic, before the deployment decisions have been made. The attrition parameters of the two armies have the same expected values as in the deterministic analysis, are independent of each other, have correlation zero, and have relative standard deviations of 20%. All possible deployment decisions, with 5000 units intervals, from 0 to 150000 troops, are investigated, and the optimal decisions are selected. The analytical, and the two numerical, methods, all show that the optimal deployment level is a decreasing function of the marginal deployment cost, an increasing function of the marginal cost of the time to win the battle, an increasing function of the marginal cost of killed and wounded soldiers and lost equipment, an increasing function of the initial size of the opposing army, an increasing function of the efficiency of the soldiers in the opposing army and a decreasing function of the efficiency of the soldiers in the deployed army. With stochastic attrition parameters, the stochastic model also shows that the probability to win the battle is an increasing function of the size of the deployed army. When the optimal deployment level is selected, the probability of a victory is usually less than 100%, since it would be too expensive to guarantee a victory with 100% probability. Some of many results of relevance to the Battle of Iwo Jima, are the following: In the deterministic Case 0 analysis, the optimal US deployment level is 66200, the time to win the battle is 30 days and 14000 US soldiers are killed or wounded. If the marginal cost of the time it takes to win a victory doubles, the optimal deployment increases to 75400, the time to win a victory is reduced to 26 days, and less than 12000 soldiers are killed or wounded. In the stochastic Case 0 analysis, the optimal US deployment level is 65000, the expected time to win the battle is 46 days and almost 25000 US soldiers are expected to be killed or wounded. If the cost per killed or wounded soldier increases from 0 to 5 M $US, the optimal deployment level increases to 75000. Then, the victory is expected to appear after 35 days and 19900 US soldiers are expected to be killed or wounded.

The recent global calamity of sea level rise and flooding is a major disaster. Some settlements on Java Island, Indonesia, have been reported to be sinking. Bedono Village is one village on the Central Java Coast that is vulnerable to sea level rise. Aside from the possibility of sea level rise, the calamity in this village is linked to prior mangrove degradation and fish pond expansion. This tragedy has displaced 78.63% of the population over a decade, and the remaining population is still surviving in the remaining lands. This study aims to investigate the effects of sea-level rise-related permanent inundation on the lives of the remaining residents in Bedono Village, with a focus on their adaptation and resilience methods. The results disclosed that remaining populations have taken active initiation by adopting multiple strategies that include structural prevention measures and nature based solution through mangrove reforestations. As a result based on mangrove assessment using Geographic Information Systems, mangrove cover increased from 1 ha in 2010 to 9.5 ha in 2012. This achievement has provided an alternative income through mangrove ecotourism. Women and multi stakeholder participation have also contributed to the implementation of adaptation strategy. Despite those significant achievements, the adaptation and resilience was challenged by lack of education and awareness towards sea level rise issues and their confounding disasters. The nature-based solution and local wisdom in Bedono Village is an example that is in line with GPDRR UNDRR 2022, the Sendai Framework, and The Bali Agenda for Resilience that ensures a whole-of-society approach to sea-level rise by ensuring that no one is left behind, creating an inclusive environment, and promoting gender.

Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations are employed to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution of vesicles (polymersomes) by the self-assembly of randomly distributed amphiphilic BAB triblock copolymers with hydrophilic A and hydrophobic B blocks in an aqueous solution. The vesiculation pathway consists of several intermediate structures, such as an interconnected network of copolymer aggregates, a cage of cylindrical micelles and a lamellar cage. The cage-to-vesicle transition occurs at a constant aggregation number and practically eliminates the hydrophobic interfacial area between the B block and solvent. Molecular reorganization under-lying the sequence of morphology transitions from a cage-like aggregate to a vesicle is nearly isentropic. The end-to-end distances of isolated copolymer chains in solution and those within a vesicular assembly follow log normal probability distributions. This is attributed to the pre-ponderance of folded chain configurations in which the two hydrophobic end groups of a given chain stay close to each other. However, the probability distribution of end-to-end distances is broader for chains within the vesicle as compared to that of a single chain. This is due to the swelling of the folded configurations within the hydrophobic bilayer. Increasing the hydropho-bicity of the B block reduces the vesiculation time without qualitatively altering the self-assembly pathway.

A new two-step method for developing a nanocomposite of polypropylene (PP) decorated with photocatalytically active TiO2 nanoparticles (nTiO2) is proposed. This method involves low-temperature plasma functionalization of polypropylene followed by ultrasound-assisted anchoring of nTiO2. The nanoparticles, polymeric substrate, and resultant nanocomposite were thoroughly characterized using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), microscopic observations (SEM, TEM, EDX), spectroscopic investigations (XPS, FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTA), and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites was evaluated through the degradation of methyl orange. The individual TiO2 nanoparticles ranged from 2-6 nm in size. Oxygen plasma treatment of PP generated surface functional groups (mainly -OH and -C=O), transforming the surface from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, which facilitated efficient deposition of nTiO2. Optimized plasma treatment and sonochemical deposition parameters resulted in an active photocatalytic nTiO2/PP system, degrading 80% of methyl orange under UVA irradiation in 200 minutes. The proposed approach is considered versatile for the functionalization of polymeric materials with photoactive nanoparticles and, in a broader perspective, can be utilized for the fabrication of self-cleaning surfaces.

Approximately 20% of the world's population resides in coastal areas at risk of rising sea levels due to climate change. This could lead to severe weather events and ecological impact on critical infrastructure. To combat the effects of water-based environmental forces on the land, hard engineering methods such as seawalls have been utilized. However, a more sustainable solution is emerging in nature-based engineering, which involves growing vegetation. This approach can help extend the lifespan of existing technology and provide climate change adaptation and resilience for coastal and riverine communities. The following paper will review seaweed farms as an advanced nature-based mitigation approach. The paper also outlines the findings of experiments at RWTH Aachen University's hydraulic laboratory. These tests involved using seaweed as a natural solution to dampen waves in a model system to test a hypothesis. One result involving a system with two lines of seaweed revealed 15 percent wave damping. Using seaweed as a nature-based solution, a gentle engineering approach to designing future vegetated protection systems can extend the design life of existing coastal infrastructure. This can also provide protection against climate-induced sea level rise, promote coastal risk mitigation, restore ecosystems, and foster blue bio-economic development.

We interviewed 48 people including local communities, ex hunters and protected area management professionals. The purpose of the interviews was to understand the motivations for, and the nature of, illegal hunting of prey species of iconic predators - tigers and leopards - in the northern section of Bardia National Park. Participants reported that hunting of prey species occurs mostly in spring and autumn and is less common during the summer. In the past, hunting was primarily for the purposes of obtaining meat for household consumption. Since the introduction of a road network in the region, opportunities to sell wild meat at ad-hoc ‘highway markets’ have developed. The purported medicinal properties of wild meat was also cited as a driver for illegal hunting. Mostly, locally hand-made guns are used for hunting and the use of dogs in hunting was often reported. Protected area managers informed that illegal hunting problems in the study area are associated with a lack of presence of park authorities, remoteness and underdevelopment and poverty of the community. Our study suggested that skills development training for local community members might reduce dependency on wild meat for household consumption and earning thereby reducing illegal hunting.

Enclosed public spaces are the hotspots for airborne disease transmission. To measure and maintain indoor air quality in terms of airborne transmission, an open source, low cost and distributed array of Particulate Matter Sensors has been developed and named as Dynamic Aerosol Transport for Indoor Ventilation or DATIV system. This system can use multiple Particulate Matter Sensors (PMS) simultaneously and can be remotely controlled using a Raspberry Pie based operating system. The data acquisition system can be easily operated using the GUI within any common browser installed on a remote device such as a PC or Smartphone with corresponding IP address. The software architecture and validation measurements are presented together with possible future developments.

The successful 2020 launch and 2021 landing of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Perseverance Mars rover initiated the first phase of the NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign. The goal of the MSR campaign is to collect scientifically interesting samples from the Martian surface and return them to Earth for further study in terrestrial laboratories. The MSR campaign consists of three major spacecraft components to accomplish this objective: the Perseverance Mars rover, the Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL) and the Earth Return Orbiter (ERO). Onboard the ERO spacecraft is the Capture, Containment and Return System (CCRS). CCRS will capture, process and return to Earth the samples that have been collected after they are launched into Mars orbit by the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), which is delivered to Mars onboard the SRL. To facilitate the processing of the orbiting sample (OS) by CCRS we have designed and developed a vision system to determine the OS capture orientation. The vision system is comprised of two cameras sensitive to the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and two illumination modules constructed from broadband light emitting diodes (LED). Vision system laboratory tests and physics-based optical simulations predict CCRS ground processing will be able to correctly identify the OS post-capture orientation using only a single vision system image that is transmitted to Earth from Mars orbit.

Breast cancer remains a major public health concern, and early detection can result in more treatment options, which are crucial for improving survival rates. Metabolomics offers the potential to develop blood-based screening and diagnostics tools that are less invasive and more cost-effective. However, the inherent complexity of metabolomic datasets makes identifying the most diagnostically relevant biomarkers a difficult task, with multiple studies demonstrating lim-ited agreement on the specific metabolites and pathways involved. This study aims to identify a set of biomarkers for early diagnosis of breast cancer using metabolomics data. Plasma samples from 185 breast cancer patients and 53 controls (CHTN) were analyzed. We utilized univariate Naïve Bayes, L2-regularized Support Vector Machines, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), along with feature engineering techniques, to select the most informative features. Multiple ma-chine learning models, including Support Vector Machines, Multidimensional Scaling, Logistic Regression, and Ensemble Learning were utilized for classification. The best-performing feature set comprised 4 biomarkers and 2 demographic variables, achieving an accuracy of 98%, demon-strating the potential for a robust, cost-effective, non-invasive breast cancer screening and diagnostic tool.

Despite Low Power Wide Area Networks’ ability to offer an extended range, it might still encounter challenges with coverage blind spots in the network. This article proposes an innovative energy-efficient nature-inspired relay selection algorithm for LoRa-based LPWAN networks, serving as a solution for challenges related to poor signal range in areas with limited coverage. A behavior swarm-inspired approach has been utilized to select the relays’ localization in the network, providing network energy efficiency and radio signal extension. These relays help bridge communication gaps, significantly reducing the impact of coverage blind spots by forwarding signals from devices with poor direct connectivity with the gateway. The proposed algorithm considers critical factors for the LoRa standard, such as the Spreading Factor or device energy budget analysis. The simulation experiments validate the proposed scheme’s effectiveness in terms of energy efficiency under diverse multi-gateway topology scenarios involving thousands of devices. Specifically, it has been verified that the proposed approach outperforms the reference method in preventing the battery depletion of relays, which is vital for battery-powered IoT devices. Furthermore, for some large-scale problems, the proposed heuristic method achieves over twice the speed of the exact method with a negligible accuracy loss of less than 2%.

In this paper, inspired by Jleli and Samet [journal of inequalities and applications 38 (2014) 2 1–8] we introduce two new classes of auxiliary functions and utilize the same to define (q, y)R-weak 3 contractions. Utilizing (q, y)R-weak contractions, we prove some fixed point theorems in the setting 4 of relational metric spaces. We employ some examples to substantiate the utility of our newly proved 5 results. Finally, we apply one of our newly proved results to ensure the existence and uniqueness of 6 solution of a Volterra-type integral equation.

Numerous innovative advancements in dressing technology for wound healing have emerged. Among the various types of wound dressings available, hydrogel dressings, structured with a three-dimensional network and composed of predominantly hydrophilic components, are widely used for wound care due to their remarkable capacity to absorb abundant wound exudate, maintain a moisture environment, provide soothing and cooling effects, and mimic the extracellular matrix. Composite hydrogel dressings, one of the evolved dressings, address the limitations of traditional hydrogel dressings by incorporating additional components, including particles, fibers, fabrics, or foams, within the hydrogels, effectively promoting wound treatment and healing. The added elements enhance the features or add specific functionalities of the dressings, such as sensitivity to external factors, adhesiveness, mechanical strength, control over the release of therapeutic agents, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, and tissue regeneration behavior. They can be categorized as natural or synthetic based on the origin of the main components of the hydrogel network. This review focuses on recent research on developing natural polysaccharide-based composite hydrogel wound dressings. Their preparation and composition, the reinforcement materials integrated into hydrogels, and therapeutic agents are also explored. Furthermore, their features and the specific types of wounds where applied are discussed as well.

With online wildlife trade increasing and viral videos increasing demand, the trade in primates on TikTok is becoming more prevalent. Despite wildlife trade being banned on most social media platforms, the trade in primates persists. TikTok’s policies ban the sale of live animals, and specific terms related to wildlife trade are banned; however, these search term bans are easy to get around, and sellers are still prolific on the site. This study documented primates for sale on TikTok using the search term “for sale monkey” over a four-month period (from mid-July to mid-November 2023) with the aim of determining how widespread primate trade is on TikTok, the legality of advertisements, and which countries advertise the most primates for sale. 42 individual advertisements were identified, spanning 6 different genera of primates and 5 different countries. Spider monkeys, rhesus macaques, and common marmosets were found to be the most commonly advertised species on TikTok. All spider monkeys were advertised from the USA, while the majority of the marmosets were advertised from the UK, and all of the rhesus macaques were advertised from Pakistan. The USA was the only country identified in this study that advertised a range of species, and the only species found in this study that was not advertised in the USA was the mona monkey. 44% of all species recorded were classified as either Endangered or Critically Endangered, and it was found that endangered species were more frequently sold illegally than non-endangered species. The findings of this study underline a need for stricter primate legislation and wildlife law enforcement, especially if the UN’s sustainable development goals are to be achieved by 2030. They also show a need for TikTok to broaden their restrictions on wildlife trade on their app.

With the rapid development of new energy vehicles and the digital electronics industry, the demand for lithium has surged, necessitating advanced lithium extraction technologies. Electrochemical methods, noted for their high selectivity and efficiency in extracting target ions from liquid sources in an environmentally friendly manner, have become increasingly vital. These methods are versatile, applicable in scenarios such as lithium extraction from saline lakes, mother liquor separation, and lithium enrichment. They include electrochemical deintercalation, electrochemical ion pumps, and electrodialysis, each offering unique benefits and challenges depending on the application context. This review provides a detailed exploration of the research progress in lithium extraction using electrochemical methods and discusses future prospects for these technologies, emphasizing their potential to meet the growing demand for lithium.

AFM nanoindentation showed variation in stiffness (Elastic modulus) due to heterogenous nature of the collagen fibres. The S values varied from 5 N/m to 11.11 n/m corresponding to an E change of 2.25 to 1.38 GPa. The variation in effective modulus (Eff) with respect to displacement indicated crossing the parabolic limit. A softening index n was proposed due to the heterogenous behaviour of the biomaterials

Abstract Introduction Exercise is an effective component in rehabilitation of a range of chronic conditions. There is a growing interest in the use of exercise-based nature interacted rehabilitation (EBNIR), but an overview of current evidence is missing. To provide an informed base for future work within this field of EBNIR, the objective of this scoping review was to map existing exercise-based rehabilitation interventions conducted with incidental or intentional nature interaction focusing on its populations, types of outcomes, and theoretical rationale for people with physical and mental disabilities. Methods This scoping review identified peer-reviewed publications, registered upcoming trials and grey literature. To map all available knowledge, we performed a comprehensive search of selected databases (MEDLINE; EMBASE; CINAHL; Cochrane; Web of Science; Pedro) from inception to October 2022. Data was synthesised in a thematic presentation guided by TIDieR, supplemented by a checklist developed for this study accounting nature incidental or intentional interaction by measuring all nature elements implemented in the intervention. Results Twelve studies including 856 participants met the inclusion criteria. 11 were completed trials and 1 was registered in clinicaltrials.gov to be run in 2023. A total of 856 patients were enrolled in the 12 studies (range 18-262, median 50). The included studies were different in terms of design (observational n=4, qualitative n=1, RCT=7), intervention dosage and frequency, control intervention, diagnosis, number of patients, and outcomes included. The used exercise-based interventions consisted of outdoor walks, neck exercises and surfing interventions in patients with physical or mental health conditions. The interventions were incidental or intentional interacted with nature to a varying degree. Conclusion This scoping review presents an overview of limited and diverse evidence within the field of exercise-based rehabilitation incidental or intentional interacting with nature, in patients with physical or mental health conditions. Our review provides an overview that will be helpful in the design of future EBNIR trials.

Continuing the investigation already started (See Farcaş, A.-A.; Bende, A. PCCP 2024, 26, 14937), the light absorption and charge-transfer properties of the dopamine (DA), dopamine zwitterion (called as dopamine-semi-quinone or DsQ) and dopamine-o-quinone (DoQ) adsorbed on the graphene nanoparticle surface have been investigated using the ground state and linear-response time-dependent density functional theories, considering the B97X-D3BJ/def2-TZVPP level of theory. In terms of the strength of molecular adsorption on the surface, the DsQ form has 50 % higher binding energy than that for the DA or DoQ cases (-20.24 kcal/mol vs. -30.41 kcal/mol). The results obtained for electronically excited states and UV-Vis absorption spectra show that the photochemical behavior of DsQ is more similar to DA than that observed for DoQ. Of the three systems analyzed, the DsQ-based complex showed the most active CT phenomenon, both in terms of the number of CT-like states and the amount of charge transferred. Of the first thirty electronically excited states computed for the DsQ case, eleven are purely CT-type and nine are mixed CT and localized (or Frenkel) excitations. By varying the adsorption distance between the molecule and the surface vertically, the amount of charge transfer obtained for DA decreases significantly as the distance increases, for DoQ it remains stable, while for DsQ there are states for which little change is observed, while for others there is a significant change. Furthermore, the mechanistic compilation of the electron orbital diagrams of the individual components cannot describe in detail the nature of the excitations inside the complex.

Carpels are a reproductive feature restricted to angiosperms, therefore they are a focus of many botanical studies. However, there are controversies over the nature of carpels. A reason underly-ing these controversies is mixing implications given by conflicting interpretations on fossil carpels in early fossil angiosperms from the Cretaceous. These controversies hinder a clear understanding of angiosperm evolution and systematics. A key to these questions is older fossil fruits bearing concerned information. Here we report a new fossil fruit, Xenofructus dabuensis gen. et sp. nov, from the Middle Jurassic of Liaoning, China. Unlike previously reported fruits of early angio-sperms that were interpreted as bearing seeds either on adaxial or abaxial margin by various au-thors, our fossil demonstrates clearly that the seeds in Xenofructus are neither borne on the adaxial nor abaxial margin of the fruit, instead the seeds of Xenofructus are borne on an axis positioned between two margins. This new feature implies that a placenta in carpels is an ovule/seed-bearing axis, a carpel is a composite organ comprising an enclosing leaf (fruit wall) and an axis (placenta). The adaxial or abaxial position of ovules/seeds frequently seen in fossil and extant angiosperms is a consequence derived through long time evolution (coalescence of placenta with either margin of fruits). Carpels can be taken as foliar structures enclosing their associated ovulate branches.

In this paper we introduce a computational model for the simulation of hypervelocity impact (HVI) phenomena which is based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM). Our paper constitutes the first application of DEM to the modeling and simulating of impact events for velocities beyond 5 kms⁻¹. We present here the results of a systematic numerical study on HVI of solids. For modeling the solids, we use discrete spherical particles that interact with each other via potentials. In our numerical investigations we are particularly interested in the dynamics of material fragmentation upon impact. We model a typical HVI experiment configuration where a sphere strikes a thin plate and investigate the properties of the resulting debris cloud. We provide a quantitative computational analysis of the resulting debris cloud caused by impact and a comprehensive parameter study by varying key parameters of our model. We compare our findings from the simulations with recent HVI experiments performed at our institute. Our findings are that the DEM method leads to very stable, energy–conserving simulations of HVI scenarios that map the experimental setup where a sphere strikes a thin plate at hypervelocity speed. Our chosen interaction model works particularly well in the velocity range where the local stresses caused by impact shock waves markedly exceed the ultimate material strength.

In this paper, we extend the KdVSKR equations in (1+1)-dimension and (2+1)-dimension to fractional KdVSKR equations with modified Riemann-Liouville derivative. The (2+1)-dimensional KdVSKR equation, which is a recent extension of (1+1)-dimensional KdVSKR equation, can model the resonances of solitons in shallow water. By means of the Hirota bilinear method, finite symmetry group method and consistent Riccati expansion method, many new interaction solutions have been derived. Soliton-cnoidal interaction solution of the (1+1)-dimensional fractional KdVSKR equation has been derived for the first time. For the (2+1)-dimensional frac-tional KdVSKR equation, two-wave interaction solutions and three-wave interaction solutions, including dark-soliton-sine interaction solution, bright-soliton-elliptic interaction solution, and lump-hyperbolic-sine interaction solution, have been derived. Impact of the fractional order on the shapes of these solutions has been illustrated by figures. Three-wave interaction solutions of fractional systems have not been reported in the existing references. The research idea in this paper can be applied to other fractional differential equations.

The human landscape transforming activity contributes to the global change of vegetation in different forms. Hunting is one of the most ancient human landscape-shaping activities. Feeders for hunting are particularly disruptive to vegetation. In the present study, we conducted a vegetation survey in these highly disturbed places. We are investigating the vegetation dynamics over several years in in the turkey oak–sessile oak zone, in two areas with different moisture and shade conditions (forest and clearing). One important background factor is changes in precipitation and temperature. The novelty of our present study lies in the fact that the observation takes place with continuous disturbance, where the human influence is very large. Our results confirm that the weed infestation be detectable at bait sites over a long period, and the interannual changes were typical in every year, according to the fact that in August, more weed species are usually present with a greater cover at the bait sites. The main meteorological factors played a role in the degree of weed infestation in each year. There was a higher proportion of vegetation regeneration in wetter years, while dry periods do not favor successional processes. With the drying of the climate, the disturbed areas are constantly losing their natural value, but wetter weather is not an automatic solution either. A more precise understanding of vulnerable systems and careful planning of treatment interventions is necessary.

Hydrogen is the lightest atom and composes roughly half of the atomic content in macromolecules, yet their location can only be inferred or predicted in most macromolecular structures. This is because hydrogen can rarely be directly observed by the most common structure determination techniques (such as X-ray crystallography and electron cryo-microscopy). However, knowledge of hydrogen atom positions, especially for enzymes, can reveal protonation states of titratable active site residues, hydrogen bonding patterns, and the orientation of water molecules. Though we know they are present, this vital layer of information, which can inform a myriad of biological processes, is frustratingly invisible to us. The good news is that, even at modest resolution, neutron crystallography (NC) can reveal this layer and has emerged this century as a powerful tool for elucidating enzyme catalytic mechanisms. Due to its strong and coherent scattering of neutrons, incorporation of deuterium into the protein crystal amplifies the power of NC. This is especially true when solvation and the specific participation of key water molecules are crucial for catalysis. Neutron data allow the modeling of all three atoms in water molecules and have even revealed previously unobserved and unique species such as hydronium (D3O+) and deuteroxide (OD-) ions as well as lone deuterons (D+). Herein, we briefly review why neutrons are ideal probes for identifying catalytically important water molecules and these unique water-like species, limitations in interpretation, and four vignettes of enzyme success stories from disparate research groups. One of these groups was that of Dr. Chris G. Dealwis, who died unexpectedly in 2022. As a memorial appreciation of his scientific career, we will also highlight his interest and contributions to the neutron crystallography field. As both the authors were mentored by Chris, we feel we have a unique perspective on his love of molecular structure and admiration for neutrons as a tool to query those structures.

This study introduces a robust methodology utilizing Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) combined with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to repurpose abandoned hydrocarbon fields for energy storage, supporting the transition to renewable energy sources. We use a geostatistical approach integrated with Python scripting to analyze reservoir parameters—including porosity, permeability, thickness, lithology, temperature, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity—from a decommissioned hydrocarbon field in Southeast Hungary. Our workflow leverages stochastic simulation data to identify potential zones for energy storage, categorizing them into high, moderate, and low suitability scenarios. This innovative approach provides rapid and precise analysis, enabling effective decision-making for energy storage implementation in depleted fields.

Biodiversity loss and nature degradation are pressing issues with huge impacts on our society and economy. Businesses, investors, and regulators focus on corporate efforts to support biodiversity and nature positive actions. This review provides a comprehensive overview about the importance of biodiversity in businesses, the materiality of biodiversity and the role of mandatory and non-mandatory regulations on corporate environmental reporting and sustainability disclosure frameworks. The review also discusses descriptive information on the evolution of sustainability frameworks with a comparison of most prominent sustainability frameworks with a key focus on the materiality approach and biodiversity-related disclosure recommendations. Further, we provide suggestions for more holistic approaches to improve the future sustainability frameworks focusing on the biodiversity impact while showing the necessity of more focus on the decision-making paradigm. Further research on measuring biodiversity impact and innovative trends in sustainability reporting are required to better reflect nature-positive outcomes in corporate sector businesses.

This paper discusses devastating urban floods in the year 2019 that caused human and socioeconomic losses in many countries, including Iran. The main question addressed by this paper is the choice between two flood management models, namely, the optimal and nature-based flood management or the existing hazardous situation that damage the ecosystem and natural resources. The analysis of this paper will find the main responsible factors in the mentioned floods in Iran. For this reason, it examines the impacts of the existing flood management that neglects the ecosystems, environmental components, and nature. The method of this research includes theoretical studies, case studies with the help of structured interviews, and observations. A benchmarking technique compares the two alternatives. The comparisons use seven indicators abstracted from successful global experiences and local knowledge. Finally, this research presents a model for optimal flood management that is applicable everywhere in the world.

Why are simple, regular, and symmetric shapes common in nature? Many natural shapes arise as solutions to energy minimisation or other optimisation problems, but is there a general relation between optima and simple, regular shapes and geometries? Here we argue from algorithmic information theory that for objective functions common in nature --- based on physics and engineering laws --- optimal geometries will be simple, regular, and symmetric. Further, we derive a null model prediction that if a given geometry is an optimal solution for one natural objective function, then it is a priori more likely to be optimal or close to optimal for another objective function.

Use of MS Excel as a platform for teaching simple iterative solution of partial differential equations runs into issues of reliability of the computation because of the large number of calculations required. This article documents the problem and an empirical solution. The cause of this unreliability was found by detailed examination of the numerical results from three simultaneous iterations. Computers of several types from different manufacturers were found to fail occasionally in updating variables in the numerical iteration. A simple work-around is suggested and was tested on several platforms.

A method for accurately determining the chemical composition of deposits at the bottom of pores during the electrocoloring (e-coloring) of aluminum anodic oxide (AAO) layers in tin-based solutions is developed. The aluminum samples were AC e-colored after DC sulfuric anodization. Free-standing, tin e-colored aluminum oxide film was obtained by selective dissolution of the metallic aluminum from the AAO in copper chloride solution to access the deposit directly at the bottom of the pore. This allowed us to take XPS analysis directly from the deposits at pore bottoms without any interference from the base material or insulating barrier layer. The results revealed the presence of a mixture of tin oxide and metal in the deposits, which were richer in oxide content. Furthermore, a cyclic voltammetry experiment mimicking real polarization conditions during AC conditions was optimized and used to gain a deeper understanding of the electrochemical reactions that occur during AC electrocoloring. The comparison of CV results in tin-free and tin-containing electrolytes indicated that the tin deposited during a cathodic cycle is oxidized in the anodic cycle. The formation of tin based deposits radically changed the CV behavior. The XPS and cyclic voltammetry results consistently show that the deposits formed during e-coloring comprised a mixture of metallic and oxidic tin species richer in oxide content.

This study highlights the importance of quantifying groundwater resources for the Monahans and Kermit dune fields in the northern Chihuahua Desert, West Texas USA as potential contributors to the regional Pecos Valley Aquifer (PVA). Sedimentary architecture models of these dune fields show perched aquifers with water tables 1-10m below the surface and southwestward groundwater flow sub-parallel to a Pleistocene/Pliocene aquitard. Sinkhole-like features into the top of the aquitard are infilled with the thickest occurrences of aeolian sand. Groundwater recharge occurs from the enhanced capture of precipitation on mostly bare active dunes where infiltration rates >250mm/hr. The deuterium and oxygen isotopic ratios for groundwater from the Kermit and Monahans dune fields show pronounced evaporative isotopic depletion and less isotopic variability than corresponding rainfall, particularly for deuterium values. Groundwater from a shallow central well in the Kermit dune field yielded contemporary 14C activity (Fm =1.02), indicating contributions from recent precipitation. In contrast, more evolved 14C values at the western margin (FM=0.84) and at 30m below the surface (FM=0.76), similar to proximal Fm values from the PVA (0.89-0.82), may indicate dissolution of older (&gt; 100 ka) DIC from buried playa-lake sediments and carbonate-soils with groundwater flux to the southwest, and less direct atmospheric influence. The perched aquifers of the Monahans and Kermit dune fields contain water volumes > 0.1 km3 and may contribute up to 9% of the total annual recharge to the PVA.

Molten salt electrolysis stands as an indispensable technique for the production of rare earth metals, where the judicious distribution of the electric field within the electrolytic cell is paramount for ensuring the seamless operation of the electrolysis process. This study introduces a pioneering approach by integrating the Nernst-Planck equation with the Butler-Volmer equation, thereby devising a holographic electric field model tailored for the electrolysis of the NdF3-LiF molten salt system. The paper presents pioneering experimental measurements concerning the potential distribution and voltage drop characteristics within a 6kA rare earth electrolytic cell, elucidating the interplay between decomposition voltage and current density, which substantiates the model's precision. Our findings unveil that, under operational conditions of 4010 amperes, the 6kA electrolytic cell incurs a total voltage drop of 6.3 volts, delineating a melt voltage drop of 4.43 volts, an ohmic voltage drop of 0.248 volts, and an interfacial voltage drop of 1.622 volts at the electrode-electrolyte junction. The discrepancy in error is confined to within 0.3% of the actual measured voltage of 6.28 volts.The simulation outcomes from the holographic electric field model have been confirmed to precisely and comprehensively reflect the characteristics of the electric field distribution during the rare earth molten salt electrolysis process, offering valuable theoretical insights for practical manufacturing applications.

Private Set Intersection (PSI) is a cryptographic method in secure multi-party computation that allows entities to identify common elements in their datasets without revealing their private data. Traditional approaches assume similar-sized datasets and equal computational power, overlooking practical imbalances. In real-world applications, dataset sizes and computational capacities often vary, particularly in the Internet of Things and mobile scenarios where device limitations restrict computational types. Traditional PSI protocols are inefficient here, as computational and communication complexities correlate with the size of larger datasets. Thus, adapting PSI protocols to these imbalances is crucial. This paper explores unbalanced PSI scenarios where one party (the receiver) has a relatively small dataset and limited computational power, while the other party (the sender) has a large amount of data and strong computational capabilities. It introduces three innovative solutions for unbalanced PSI: unbalanced PSI protocol based on Cuckoo filters, unbalanced PSI protocol based on single cloud assistance, and unbalanced PSI protocol based on dual cloud assistance, each addressing the shortcomings of the previous solution. These protocols primarily optimize database computational load, storage capacity, protocol execution time, and security. Depending on performance and security needs, different protocols can be employed for applications such as private contact discovery.

The manuscript presents the use of three novel technologies for the implementation of wireless green battery-less sensors that can be used in agriculture. The three technologies, namely additive manufacturing, energy harvesting, and wireless power transfer from airborne transmitters carried from UAVs, are considered for smart agriculture applications. Additive manufacturing is exploited for the implementation of both RFID based sensors and passive sensors based on humidity sensitive materials. A number of energy-harvesting systems at UHF and ISM frequencies are presented which are in position to power platforms of wireless sensors, including humidity and temperature IC sensors used as agriculture sensors. Finally, in order to provide the wireless energy to the soil-based sensors with energy harvesting features, wireless power transfer (WPT) from UAV carried transmitters is utilized. The use of these novel technologies can facilitate the extensive use and exploitation of battery-less wireless sensors which are environmentally friendly and thus “green”. Additionally, it can potentially drive precision agriculture in the next era, through the implementation of a vast network of wireless green sensors which can collect and communicate data, to airborne readers so as to support with data the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning based, decision making platforms.

The adoption of cloud-based supply chain management (SCM) solutions represents a transformative shift in how organizations manage their supply chains, offering significant advantages in terms of cost efficiency, flexibility, real-time data access, and the integration of advanced technologies. This study explores the multifaceted impacts of cloud-based SCM systems, focusing on both their benefits and the challenges encountered during their implementation. Through an in-depth analysis of interview and case study data, the research reveals that cloud-based solutions enable organizations to reduce capital and operational expenditures substantially while providing the scalability necessary to adapt to fluctuating demands. Real-time access to data enhances visibility and decision-making, and the incorporation of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning improves predictive analytics and process optimization. However, the study also identifies several critical challenges associated with the adoption of cloud-based SCM solutions. Key issues include data security concerns, integration difficulties with legacy systems, and the complexities of managing organizational change. Effective implementation requires meticulous planning, comprehensive training, and strategic vendor management to address these challenges successfully. The research highlights the importance of robust security measures, thorough integration strategies, and effective change management practices in overcoming these obstacles. The strategic outcomes of adopting cloud-based SCM solutions include improved operational efficiency, enhanced inventory management, and increased customer satisfaction. Additionally, organizations gain a competitive edge through better supplier coordination and greater responsiveness to market changes. Overall, the study demonstrates that while cloud-based SCM solutions offer substantial benefits, their successful adoption hinges on effectively managing associated challenges and leveraging their transformative potential.

Rapid urbanisation and city expansion worldwide have significantly increased impervious surfaces such as roads, buildings, and pavements. These impervious surfaces impede water infiltration into the ground, resulting in escalated surface runoff during rainfall. This has been exacerbated by climate change and heightened precipitation levels, resulting in recurrent annual flooding. Conventional drainage systems are now insufficient to cope with the amplified surface runoff, contributing to the escalating flood occurrences. Sustainable urban drainage systems such as green roofs, swales, and permeable pavements were developed as modern flood control techniques to replace the traditional drainage system approach by optimising resource utilisation and developing novel and more productive technologies. While most SUD techniques are sustainable in design, construction, and operation, permeable pavements are considered one of the least sustainable SUD techniques. This has garnered considerable attention from researchers who have been studying the design of a more sustainable permeable pavement system by utilising sustainable and recycled materials. This paper reviews the performance of permeable pavements systems using findings from extensive reviews and analyses of scientific publications on permeable pavements. It introduces a future solution and design of permeable pavements using recycled materials. The study will consist of two permeable pavement systems, one incorporating recycled materials in its layers and the other using traditional construction materials. The data collected from both systems will be compared to determine their performance.

In this paper, a novel synthesis for a chemical precursor for nanocrystalline VO2 coatings is elaborated. The compatibility of the precursor towards the substrate is optimized for spin coating. This is done by subjecting multiple solvents to contact angle measurements. A suitable thermal treatment is developed to densify the coating and to induce crystallization. Afterwards the microstructure of the coating is investigated using X-Ray diffraction, electron microscopy and ellipsometry techniques. To assess the thermochromic properties of the fabricated device, optical transmission experiments were conducted both at room temperature and at elevated temperature. A correlation between these thermochromic properties and coating thickness was investigated in order to obtain an optimized thermochromic device, where both high visual transparency and prominent thermochromic switching abilities are aimed for. In this work, an optimal coating thickness is proposed for a thermochromic coating with high switching ability and solar modulation.

This paper presents an analysis of the power flow within the Northern Interconnected Grid of Cameroon. The Newton-Raphson method has been performed, known for its accuracy, under MATLAB software, to model and solve complex power flow equations. This study simulates a series of outage scenarios to evaluate the responsive-ness of the grid. The results obtained underline the crucial importance of reactive power management and highlight the urgent need to consolidate the grid infrastructure of North Cameroon. To increase grid resilience and stability, the paper recommends the strategic integration of renewables and the development of interconnections with other power grids. These measures are presented as viable solutions to meet cur-rent and future energy distribution challenges, ensuring a reliable and sustainable power supply for Cameroon.

Nanopore raw read accuracy has improved to over 99%, making it a potential tool for metabarcoding. For broad adoption, guidelines on quality filtering are needed to ensure reliable taxonomic unit recovery. This study aims to provide those guidelines for a fungal metabarcoding context and to apply them to a case-study of ectomycorrhizae in decaying bark of Fagus sylvatica.We introduce the eNano pipeline to test two standard metabarcoding approaches: (1) reference-based mapping leveraging the UNITE’s species hypothesis system (SH-approach) and (2) constructing 98% OTUs (OTU-approach). We evaluate these approaches using a mock and natural community. Our results demonstrate that both approaches are effective with Nanopore data. When using a reference database, we recommend strict mapping criteria rather than Phred-based filtering. For 98% OTUs, filtering reads at ≥Q25 is recommended. Our case-study reveals that the decay gradient is a primary determinant of community composition, and that specific mycorrhizal fungi colonize decaying bark. Complementing our metabarcoding results with root tip morphotypification, we identify Laccaria amethystina and Tomentella sublilacina as key ectomycorrhizae of saplings on decaying logs. These findings demonstrate that Nanopore sequencing can provide valuable ecological insights and support its broader use in fungal metabarcoding as read quality continues to improve.

The present manuscript describes the use of natural fibers as natural and sustainable reinforcement agents for advanced biobased composite materials for strategic sectors, such as construction. The characterization carried up have shown the potential of both hemp and linseed natural fibers and their composites to be used as insulation materials. Nevertheless, linseed shows better mechanical performance and hemp a higher fire resistance. Demonstrating that although natural fibers have similar properties each of them should be used specifically for a purpose. Besides the work also evaluates the use of bio matrixes in composites, demonstrating their feasibility and how they impact the properties of the final material, our bio resin enhances fire resistance and decrease the water absorption capacity of the natural fibers. Enabling the use of such composites as a final product. Therefore, it has been demonstrated that it is possible to manufacture a biocomposite with non woven natural fibers. In fact, for properties such as thermal conductivity, they are able to compete with current materials. Proving that biomaterials are a suitable solution for developing sustainable products fulfilling the requirements of the end user applications.

This paper introduces LUNARMINERS framework and applies it for lunar water-ice extraction in Shackleton Crater at the lunar South Pole. The LUNARMINERS combines artificial intelligence swarm robotics with biomimetic swarm behavior. In the proposed framework, the foraging behavior of ants, the light attraction behavior of fireflies, and the migratory flight strategy of wild geese have been comprehensively analyzed and applied to robotic swarms for lunar mining. This research takes into consideration important aspects of the lunar environment, such as permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) and communication limitations in lunar craters, by simulating them in Robot Operating System (ROS). The LUNARMINERS framework has advantages over other methods in that it allows for the survey of an area of 0.025 km2 per day while achieving 100% water-ice deposition effectiveness. Studies show that by applying the LUNARMINER framework, the exploration of the entire Shackleton Crater can be completed in 3.75 Earth years via 15 robots. Simulations of the implementation of the proposed LUNARMINERS framework have demonstrated reliable high-levels of extraction efficiency, with the framework producing 12.9 metric tons of water-ice per day, which potentially can support up to 1,990 people per day based on astronaut’s daily water requirements from NASA's Human Integrated Design Handbook (HIDH) and thus, establishing a sustainable benchmark for lunar habitation. The results from this study show that the advances in the proposed LUNARMINERS framework can contribute to future lunar exploration and ISRU, setting new standards for sustainable off-Earth mining.

Western countries are experiencing an increasing aging population, resulting in heightened disability and mobility issues. This trend is expected to escalate in the coming decades. Therefore, ensuring adequate accessibility in collective residential housing –where individuals spend much of their daily lives– is of paramount importance. This paper presents a case study focused on the accessibility of building entrances in collective residential housing in Southeast Spain, specifically in the Region of Murcia. In this region, 9.8% of the population has disabilities, and 15.75% were over 64 years old in 2020. The study began by compiling the relevant national and regional accessibility regulations for existing buildings. Subsequently, extensive fieldwork was conducted, analyzing 150 collective residential housing buildings. Based on this analysis, a set of recommendations to enhance accessibility was formulated for buildings not complying with the regulations. The results are presented and discussed in detail. The most frequent recommendation was the construction of accessible ramps, identified as the primary solution in over 40% of cases, either alone or in conjunction with other measures. In 54% of the cases, multiple interventions were necessary to achieve effective accessibility adaptation. The findings of this study could inform the development of public policies aimed at improving accessibility conditions in urban areas.

This paper applies a theoretical model to analyze the ways that widespread use of generative AIs (GAIs) in education and, more broadly, in contributing to and reflecting the collective intelligence of our species, can and will change us. The model extends Brian Arthur’s insights into the nature of technologies as the orchestration of phenomena to our use by explaining the nature of humans participation in their enactment, whether as part of the orchestration (hard technique, where our roles must be performed correctly) or as orchestrators of phenomena (soft technique performed creatively or idiosyncratically). Education may be seen as a technological process for developing the soft and hard techniques of humans to participate in the technologies and thus the collective intelligence of our cultures. Unlike all earlier technologies, by embodying that collective intelli-gence themselves, GAIs can closely emulate and implement not only the hard technique but also the soft that, until now, was humanity’s sole domain: the very things that technologies enabled us to do can now be done by the technologies themselves. The consequences for what, how, and even whether we learn are profound. The paper explores some of these consequences and concludes with theoretically informed approaches that may help us to avert some dangers while benefiting from the strengths of generative AIs.

This review examines additive manufacturing for refractory tungsten (W) and its alloys. It emphasizes the primary challenges and determining factors involved in additive manufacturing pure W, W alloys, and composites. Our focus in this regard extends to both process and alloying strategies designed to address critical issues such as densification, micro-cracking, and mechanical properties in tungsten-based components produced through additive techniques. Throughout the review, we organize existing knowledge and insights into convenient tables, serving as valuable resources for researchers embarking on a deeper exploration of these topics.

The needs for environmental reporting to include positive outcomes considering differences between creation of less harm, benefits and net benefits are explored. To become mainstream, nature-positive development needs positive messaging, measures and metrics to guide, plan and assess urban outcomes. With the accelerating climate crisis and negative messages getting the upper-hand, it’s important to avoid paralysis by bad news. Whilst striving for a nature-positive world, more effort should be on moving beyond zero to qualify and quantify benefits, gains, and regenerative outcomes instead of oscillating around damage and loss sticking points. Life Cycle Benefit Assessment (LCBA) is a method to measure gains in accelerating restoration and climate security. It enables a good news focus as its reach is to quantify and show positive gains beyond the negative and zero loss outcomes. The paper aims to clarify concepts, challenges and quantitative methods then review real-world third-party-certified case studies. Climate security, human wellness and resource viability gains inside safe operating space within planetary boundaries are quantified as positive benefits. Contrary to conventional Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) LCBA assigns damage and loss as negative debts and benefit as positive gains. It concludes that LCBA offers business and design a new environment assessment tool, with research needed on economic and other outcomes.

Origin, mechanics and properties of the Solar System are analysed in the framework of the Complete Relativity theory (by the same author). According to Complete Relativity, everything is relative. Any apparent absolutism (notably invariance to scale of dimensional constants, absolute elementariness, invariance to time) is an illusion stemming from limits imposed by [or on] polarized observers that will inevitably lead to misinterpretation of phenomena (another illusion) occurring on non-directly observable scales or even on observable but distant scales in space or time. If everything is relative, reference frames will exist where particles are planets and where planets are living beings. Earth is, therefore, analysed here in more detail, both as a particle and, as a living evolving being (of, hypothesized, extremely introverted intelligence). The analysis confirms the postulates and hypotheses of the theory (ie. existence of discrete vertical energy levels) with a significant degree of confidence. During the analysis, some new hypotheses have emerged. These are discussed and confirmed with various degrees of confidence. To increase confidence or refute some hypotheses, experimental verification is necessary. Main conclusions that stem from my research and are further confirmed in this paper are: universes are, indeed, completely relative; Solar System is a scaled (inflated, in some interpretations) Carbon isotope with a nucleus in a condensed (bosonic) state and components in various vertically excited states; life is common everywhere, albeit extroverted complex forms are present on planetary surfaces only during planetary neurogenesis; anthropogenic climate change is only a part (trigger from one perspective) of bigger global changes; major extinction events on a surface of a planet are relative extinctions, a regular part of transformation and transfer of life in the process of planetary neurogenesis.

Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol found in various plants and fruits such as blackberries, blueberries, currants, strawberries, peanuts, and most especially in grapes. It is also present in red wine, although its content varies greatly depending on its origin. It is a phytoalexin produced by plants in response to stress, aggression from pathogens such as bacteria or fungi, or physical damage such as injury. In addition to its involvement in plant defence responses, resveratrol has been the subject of research interest due to its potential health benefits, including antioxidant properties and potential positive effects on the cardiovascular system, among others. Initial interest in its research stemmed from the so-called 'French paradox', in certain regions of France, where despite high intakes of saturated fats there was a relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease. Science wondered the factor that might be protecting the French from inflammation, vascular damage and playing a role in their longer lifespan. Thus, in the 1990s, it was hypothesized that a component of wine could be the key element. Epidemiological studies began to suggest that moderate consumption of wine, especially red wine, was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. In vitro laboratory research supported this idea, demonstrating that resveratrol could inhibit processes involved in the development of atherosclerosis or the formation of arterial plaques, such as platelet aggregation in blood vessels and oxidative damage to LDL cholesterol. A plausible mechanism for heart protection thus emerged. Since then, an increasing number of in vitro and in vivo studies have been carried out to unravel the mechanism by which resveratrol can slow down the aging process.

The fracture strength was compared in a scratch test of coatings based on the ZrN system with the introduction of Ti, Nb and Hf, which were deposited on a titanium alloy substrate. The coatings were deposited using Controlled Accelerated Arc (CAA-PVD) technology. The comparison was carried out according to two parameters: adhesion strength to the substrate and overall coating strength. The (Zr,Hf)N coating showed better resistance to destruction, but had worse adhesion to the substrate. As a result, although the coating is retained directly in the scribing groove, a large area of delamination and destruction is formed around the groove. The (Ti,Zr,Nb)N coating, with its somewhat lower strength, has high adhesion to the substrate; no noticeable delamination is observed along the groove boundary.