Search Results (1,248)

Currently, less attention is paid to zinc–carbon batteries, although they are still widely used and are among the major types of batteries collected and recycled. The recycling technologies currently in use do not allow the complete recovery of resources, are not self-sufficient and require additional financing. Therefore, this paper aims to study the possibility of complete recycling of waste zinc–carbon batteries and to suggest the practical use of the final products generated in the recycling process. The possibility of complex processing of spent zinc–carbon batteries using mechanical separation and processing of the battery’s components (steel case, zinc electrode, graphite electrode, polypropylene and paper insulators) is justified. The separation of spent electrolytes from other components of batteries with hydrochloric acid was studied. It was shown that the extraction of Zn²⁺ and NH⁴⁺ cations takes place following the addition of an equivalent amount of Na₃PO₄ solution and water-insoluble NH₄ZnPO₄ salt sedimentation. Waste agglomerate (mixture of MnO₂, MnO(OH), and graphite) was regenerated to its initial composition (MnO₂, graphite) at a temperature of 300–325 °C; manganese (III) hydroxide was oxidized to manganese (IV) dioxide. Thermal destruction of polypropylene and paper insulators with additional introduction of polyethylene into the primary mixture produced pyrolysis liquid, pyrocarbon and pyrolysis gas as products. The practical use of the products obtained and compliance with the environmental requirements of the suggested method of waste batteries recycling were shown. Full article

Health tourism, a sector that has gained increasing global attention, particularly in the context of sustainable development, is poised for significant growth even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the challenges faced by the health tourism sector in a small Mediterranean country, focusing on sustainable recovery strategies. The current study aims to determine managerial implications post-COVID-19, emphasizing sustainability in operational practices and long-term demand growth. We conducted in-depth interviews with 32 health tourism managers and experts, and the qualitative content analysis with Leximancer identified key themes such as sustainable demand management, organizational adaptation, and crisis recovery. This study revealed eight critical themes related to managerial survival and the demand for sustainable practices in health tourism, namely “demand”, “hotel”, “tour operators”, “employees”, “crises”, “social media”, “word of mouth”, and “time”. These findings underscore the importance of integrating sustainability into tourism recovery strategies, ensuring long-term resilience for the industry. This study, which provides theoretical and practical insights into the sustainable growth of health tourism amidst global crises, serves as a valuable reference for stakeholders seeking sustainable development solutions, inspiring them to contribute to the sector’s growth. Full article

Agricultural droughts in South Africa, particularly in the Amahlathi Local Municipality (ALM), significantly impact socioeconomic activities, sustainable livelihoods, and ecosystem services, necessitating urgent attention to improved resilience and food security. The study assessed the interdecadal drought severity and duration in Amahlathi’s agricultural potential zone from 1989 to 2019 using various vegetation indicators. Landsat time series data were used to analyse the land surface temperature (LST), soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and standardized precipitation index (SPI). The study utilised GIS-based weighted overlay, multiple linear regression models, and Pearson’s correlation analysis to assess the correlations between LST, NDVI, SAVI, and SPI in response to the agricultural drought extent. The results reveal a consistent negative correlation between LST and NDVI in the ALM, with an increase in vegetation (R² = 0.9889) and surface temperature. LST accuracy in dry areas increased to 55.8% in 2019, despite dense vegetation and a high average temperature of 40.12 °C, impacting water availability, agricultural land, and local ecosystems. The regression analysis shows a consistent negative correlation between LST and NDVI in the ALM from 1989 to 2019, with the correlation between vegetation and surface temperature increasing since 2019. The SAVI indicates a slight improvement in overall average vegetation health from 0.18 in 1989 to 0.25 in 2009, but a slight decrease to 0.21 in 2019. The SPI at 12 and 24 months indicates that drought severely impacted vegetation cover from 2014 to 2019, with notable recovery during improved wet periods in 1993, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2008, and 2013, possibly due to temporary drought relief. The findings can guide provincial drought monitoring and early warning programs, enhancing drought resilience, productivity, and sustainable livelihoods, especially in farming communities. Full article

Mandarin peel (MP) has gained attention as a feedstock for flavonoid recovery via the extraction process based on the biorefinery concept, but residues remain after the extraction. Toward an integrated biorefinery concept, this study aimed to valorize extracted MP (eMP) by using it in bioethanol production. For efficient fermentable sugar production, the effect of enzymatic hydrolysis conditions on sugar conversion from eMP was investigated, and the results showed that combining cellulase and cellobiase resulted in a higher enzymatic glucose conversion (78.2%) than the use of the individual enzymes (37.5% and 45.6%). Pectinase played an essential role in enhancing enzymatic arabinose conversion, and the optimal conditions were determined to be pH 4 and 90 units of the three enzymes. Under optimal conditions, the sugar yield was 199 g glucose and 47 g arabinose/kg eMP, and the hydrolysate was used in bioethanol fermentation. The results showed that the bioethanol production was 3.78 g/L (73.9% yield), similar to the control medium (3.79 g/L; 74.2% yield), although the cell growth of the yeast was slightly delayed in the eMP hydrolysate medium. This study highlights the potential of eMP as a low-cost feedstock for sugar and bioethanol production. Full article

Background and Objectives: The radial forearm free flap (RFFF) is the most commonly used flap for head and neck reconstruction. However, complications at the donor site are its major drawbacks. We aimed to identify the patient comorbidities and factors that predict donor site complications after RFFF. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review of consecutive patients who underwent RFFF reconstruction for head and neck cancer between 2015 and 2022 was performed. Demographic variables, clinical processes, and postoperative complications were assessed. All variables were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Sixty-seven patients underwent RFFF reconstruction, and all received a split-thickness skin graft at the donor site. Twenty-five patients experienced delayed skin graft healing, whereas nine experienced sensory changes at the donor site. Hypertension and age had statistically significant negative effects on wound healing. The incidence of hand swelling was related to graft size, and the occurrence of paresthesia was significantly higher in diabetic patients and significantly lower in those with acellular dermal matrix (ADM). Conclusions: Patients with hypertension had a higher risk of prolonged wound healing after RFFF than their normotensive patients. Clinicians should pay particular attention to wound healing strategies in patients with hypertension. Additionally, better neuropathy care is recommended to achieve sensory recovery after RFFF in patients with diabetes. Using a skin graft with ADM could be a method to alleviate neurological symptoms. Full article

Recently, transformers have demonstrated notable improvements in natural advanced visual tasks. In the field of computer vision, transformer networks are beginning to supplant conventional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) due to their global receptive field and adaptability. Although transformers excel in capturing global features, they lag behind CNNs in handling fine local features, especially when dealing with underwater images containing complex and delicate structures. In order to tackle this challenge, we propose a refined transformer model by improving the feature blocks (dilated transformer block) to more accurately compute attention weights, enhancing the capture of both local and global features. Subsequently, a self-supervised method (a local and global blind-patch network) is embedded in the bottleneck layer, which can aggregate local and global information to enhance detail recovery and improve texture restoration quality. Additionally, we introduce a multi-scale convolutional block attention module (MSCBAM) to connect encoder and decoder features; this module enhances the feature representation of color channels, aiding in the restoration of color information in images. We plan to deploy this deep learning model onto the sensors of underwater robots for real-world underwater image-processing and ocean exploration tasks. Our model is named the refined transformer combined with convolutional block attention module (RT-CBAM). This study compares two traditional methods and six deep learning methods, and our approach achieved the best results in terms of detail processing and color restoration. Full article

The Pendjari Biosphere Reserve is one of the protected areas of Benin where biodiversity conservation policies intertwine with the economic development of local populations. It is located in the Atacora region in northern Benin, which has a high prevalence of poverty and food insecurity among households. Agriculture and livestock farming are the primary activities of the local communities in the villages surrounding the reserve. However, wild animals sometimes cause damage to people’s fields or livestock. To deal with the damage caused by wild animals, local populations have developed several mitigation measures that may not be effective, leading them into a vulnerable situation. Vulnerability is often associated with the impacts of natural disasters and their management, anticipation, and recovery. In the context of human–wildlife conflict, vulnerability refers to the level of risk farmers face from issues such as crop raiding, livestock depredation, and human injury caused by wildlife, as well as farmers’ ability to cope with such damage. To assess the vulnerability of households, we used the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI). Data were collected from July to December 2019 through questionnaires and interviews. We surveyed 320 households to collect data on their socio-demographics, livelihoods, social networks, natural capital, food and water security, and the incidence and severity of human–wildlife conflicts. The results showed that farmers around the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve are highly sensitive to human–wildlife conflicts, with a low adaptive capacity, revealing their vulnerability. More precisely, farmers are vulnerable in terms of major components of the LVI such as water, food, social networks, and livelihoods. Conservation policies are expected to pay more attention to local populations’ vulnerability to human–wildlife conflicts in order to improve their tolerance towards wildlife and guarantee the success of conservation efforts. Full article

Purpose: The increasing elderly patient population is contributing to the rising worldwide load of cervical spinal disorders, which is expected to result in a global increase in the number of surgical procedures in the foreseeable future. Cervical rehabilitation plays a crucial role in optimal recovery after cervical spine surgeries. Nevertheless, there is no agreement in the existing research regarding the most suitable postsurgical rehabilitation program. Consequently, this review assesses the ideal rehabilitation approach for adult patients following cervical spine operations. Materials and Methods: This review covers activities of daily living and encompasses diverse treatment methods, including physiotherapy, specialized tools, and guidance for everyday activities. The review is organized under three headings: (1) historical perspectives, (2) patient-reported functional outcomes, and (3) general and disease-specific rehabilitation. Results: Rehabilitation programs are determined on the basis of patient-reported outcomes, performance tests, and disease prognosis. CSM requires strengthening of the neck and shoulder muscles that have been surgically invaded. In contrast, the CCI requires mobility according to the severity of the spinal cord injury and functional prognosis. The goal of rehabilitation for CCTs, as for CCIs, is to achieve ambulation, but the prognosis and impact of cancer treatment must be considered. Conclusions: Rehabilitation of the cervical spine after surgery is essential for improving physical function and the ability to perform daily activities and enhancing overall quality of life. The rehabilitation process should encompass general as well as disease-specific exercises. While current rehabilitation protocols heavily focus on strengthening muscles, they often neglect the crucial aspect of spinal balance. Therefore, giving equal attention to muscle reinforcement and the enhancement of spinal balance following surgery on the cervical spine is vital. Full article

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious condition accompanied by severe adverse events that affect several aspects of the patient’s life, such as motor, sensory, and functional impairment. Despite its severe consequences, definitive treatment for these injuries is still missing. Therefore, researchers have focused on developing treatment strategies aimed at ensuring full recovery post-SCI. Accordingly, attention has been drawn toward cellular therapy using mesenchymal stem cells. Considering their wide availability, decreased immunogenicity, wide expansion capacity, and impressive effectiveness in many therapeutic approaches, adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) injections in SCI cases have been investigated and showed promising results. In this review, SCI pathophysiology and ADSC transplantation benefits are discussed independently, together with SCI animal models and adipose stem cell preparation and application techniques. The mechanisms of healing in an SCI post-ADSC injection, the outcomes of this therapeutic approach, and current clinical trials are also deliberated, in addition to the challenges and future perspectives, aiming to encourage further research in this field. Full article

The effective management of waste-activated sludge (WAS) presents a significant challenge for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), primarily due to the sludge’s high content of organic matter, pathogens, and hazardous substances such as heavy metals. As urban populations and industrial activities expand, the increasing volume of WAS has intensified the need for sustainable treatment solutions. Conventional approaches, such as landfilling and anaerobic digestion, are frequently ineffective and resource-intensive, particularly when dealing with the protective extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that render WAS resistant to biodegradation. Thermal pretreatment methods have gained attention due to their ability to enhance the biodegradability of sludge, improve dewaterability, and facilitate resource recovery. These processes function by breaking down complex organic structures within the sludge, thereby increasing its accessibility for subsequent treatments such as anaerobic digestion. The integration of thermal treatment with chemical methods can further optimize the management process, resulting in higher biogas yields, reduced pathogen content, and lower environmental risks. While thermal disintegration is energy-intensive, advancements in energy recovery and process optimization have made it a more viable and environmentally friendly option. This approach offers a pathway to more sustainable and efficient sludge management practices, which align with the goals of reducing waste and complying with stricter environmental regulations. Full article

With growing concerns about building energy consumption, thermoelectric generators (TEGs) have attracted significant attention for their potential to generate clean, green, and sustainable power. This comprehensive review explores the applications of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) in building systems, focusing on recent advancements from 2013 to 2024. The study examines TEG integration in building envelopes, including façades, walls, windows, and roofs, as well as non-integrated applications for waste heat recovery and HVAC systems. Key findings highlight the potential of TEGs in energy harvesting and thermal management, with façade-integrated systems generating up to 100.0 mW/m² and hybrid LCPV/T-TEG systems achieving overall efficiencies of 57.03%. The review also identifies critical parameters affecting TEG performance, such as solar intensity, thermoelectric arm length, and PCM melting temperature. Despite promising results, challenges remain in improving overall system efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. Future research directions include developing more efficient thermoelectric materials, optimizing system designs for various climatic conditions, and exploring integration with smart building management systems. This review provides valuable insights for researchers and practitioners working towards more energy-efficient and sustainable building designs using TEG technology. Full article

Body temperature is an important physiological parameter that influences the performance of working dogs. The main cooling mechanism in dogs is panting to support evaporative cooling, which reduces the dog’s ability to detect scents. In this study, we investigated the general body condition of four detection dogs searching for cheetah scats in a hot environment in northern Kenya. We evaluated the effect on the dog’s body temperature post-work in the short term (within hours) and long term (12–24 h). The fecal consistency and mean body temperature of the investigated dogs differed significantly between individuals but not between locations (moderate Nairobi and hot Samburu). On the morning after fieldwork, the dogs showed a significantly increased body temperature (37.9 ± 0.8 °C) compared to resting days (37.5 ± 2.2 °C). In the short term, on the first day of fieldwork, the dog’s body temperature (n = 2) decreased after 10 min of rest. On the second consecutive day of fieldwork, the 10-min recovery period was too short, and the body temperature did not decrease significantly. Our data showed that the use of detection dogs in hot conditions is possible and useful but requires increased attention to prevent heat-related illness. Full article

Given the current highest demand in history for raw materials, there is a growing demand for the recovery of key metals from secondary sources, in order to prevent metal depletion and to reduce the risk of toxic discharges into the environment. This paper focuses on the current nature-based solutions (i.e., biomining and bioleaching) applied to resource recovery (metals) from solid matrices. Biomining exploits the potential of microorganisms to facilitate the extraction and recovery of metals from a wide range of waste materials as an interesting alternative, replacing primary raw materials with secondary material resources (thus improving metal recycling rates in the context of the circular economy). Special attention was paid to the analysis of metal biomining from a process sustainability perspective. In this regard, several supporting tools (e.g., life cycle assessment, LCA), developed to assist decision-makers in the complex process of assessing and scaling-up remediation projects (including biomining), were discussed. The application of LCA in biomining is still evolving, and requires comprehensive case studies to improve the methodological approach. This review outlines the fact that few studies have focused on demonstrating the environmental performance of the biomining process. Also, further studies should be performed to promote the commercial opportunities of biomining, which can be used to recover and recycle metals from solid matrices and for site remediation. Despite some important disadvantages (poor process kinetics; metal toxicity), biomining is considered to be a cleaner approach than conventional mining processes. However, implementing it on a large scale requires improvements in regulatory issues and public acceptance. Full article

This work primarily reviewed the response mechanism of fluorescent probes for H₂S detection in foodstuffs in recent years, as well as the methodologies employed for detecting foodstuffs. Firstly, the significance of studying H₂S gas as an important signaling molecule is introduced. Subsequently, a review of the response mechanism of the scientific community on how to detect H₂S in foodstuffs samples by fluorescent probe technology is carried out. Secondly, the methods commonly used for detecting foodstuffs samples are discussed, including the test strip method and the spiking recovery methods. Nevertheless, despite the significant advancements in this field, there remain some research gaps. Finally, the article identifies the remaining issues that require further attention in current research and proposes avenues for future investigation. More importantly, this work identifies the current limitations of research in this field and proposes future applications of fluorescent probes for H₂S in assessing food freshness and determining food spoilage. Therefore, this review will provide robust technical support for the protection of consumer health and the advancement of the sustainable development of the food industry and also put forward some new ideas and suggestions for future research. Full article

Flexible, wearable pressure sensors offer numerous benefits, including superior sensing capabilities, a lightweight and compact design, and exceptional conformal properties, making them highly sought after in various applications including medical monitoring, human–computer interactions, and electronic skins. Because of their excellent characteristics, such as simple fabrication, low power consumption, and short response time, capacitive pressure sensors have received widespread attention. As a flexible polymer material, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is widely used in the preparation of dielectric layers for capacitive pressure sensors. The Young’s modulus of the flexible polymer can be effectively decreased through the synergistic application of sacrificial template and laser ablation techniques, thereby improving the functionality of capacitive pressure sensors. In this study, a novel sensor was introduced. Its dielectric layer was developed through a series of processes, including the use of a sacrificial template method using NaCl microparticles and subsequent CO₂ laser ablation. This porous PDMS dielectric layer, featuring an array of holes, was then sandwiched between two flexible electrodes to create a capacitive pressure sensor. The sensor demonstrates a sensitivity of 0.694 kPa⁻¹ within the pressure range of 0–1 kPa and can effectively detect pressures ranging from 3 Pa to 200 kPa. The sensor demonstrates stability for up to 500 cycles, with a rapid response time of 96 ms and a recovery time of 118 ms, coupled with a low hysteresis of 6.8%. Furthermore, our testing indicates that the sensor possesses limitless potential for use in detecting human physiological activities and delivering signals. Full article