Medium-carbon steel is commonly used for the rail, wire ropes, tire cord, cold heading, forging steels, cold finished steel bars, machinable steel and so on. Its fatigue behavior analysis and fatigue life estimation play an important role in the machinery industry. In this paper, the estimation of fatigue life of medium-carbon steel with different surface roughness using established S-N and P-S-N curves is presented. To estimate the fatigue life, the effect of the average surface roughness on the fatigue life of medium-carbon steel has been investigated using 75 fatigue tests in three groups with average surface roughness (Ra): 0.4μm, 0.8μm, and 1.6μm respectively. S-N curves and P-S-N curves have been established based on the fatigue tests. The fatigue life of medium-carbon steel is then estimated based on Tanaka-Mura crack initiation life model, the crack propagation life model using Paris law, and material constants of the S-N curves. 6 more fatigue tests have been conducted to validate the presented fatigue life estimation formulation. The experimental results have shown that the presented model could estimate well the mean fatigue life of medium-carbon steel with different surface roughness

Livestock farming plays a crucial role in agriculture and is important in meeting people's needs for a better life in the new era. However, due to China's "double carbon" target, the development of animal husbandry has been affected by the level of carbon emissions. To study the spatial dis-tribution and dynamic evolution of livestock carbon emissions in Shandong Province, we used panel data from 16 prefecture-level cities in Shandong Province from 2001 to 2022 to determine the spatial differentiation of livestock carbon emissions in Shandong Province and their dynamic evolution by combining spatial and non-parametric estimation methods based on livestock carbon emissions and livestock emission intensity measured by city. The results of the study show that the distribution of carbon emissions from animal husbandry in Shandong Province is in a "dis-persed-aggregated" pattern, and the intensity of carbon emissions shows a gradual downward trend, with a ladder-like distribution characterized by high in the west and low in the east. Through the analysis of the dynamic evolution of nuclear density, we observe that the regional differences of animal husbandry carbon emissions in Shandong Province are expanding, showing the characteristics of polarization. The difference of carbon emissions in the peninsula is gradually narrowing, and the phenomenon of polarization is weakening. The carbon emissions of animal husbandry in the central and western regions of Shandong are polarized.

The possibility of increasing the resource of steel fingers working in tandem with bronze bushings by plasma-electrolytic nitrocarburizing of the surface of medium carbon steel is shown. The phase composition, microhardness, morphology and surface roughness were studied. Tribological tests were carried out under dry friction conditions according to the shaft-pad scheme. It has been established that plasma-electrolytic nitrocarburizing of the surface of medium carbon steel at a temperature of 700 °C for 5 minutes leads to a decrease in a friction coefficient by 2.3 times, weight wear of steel by 24.9 times, and bronze counterbody by 5.9 times. At the same time, the contact stiffness increases 2.6 times. The type of wear is fatigue with dry friction and plastic contact. Changes in tribological characteristics are associated with the high hardness of the hardened steel surface together with the influence of dispersed nitrides and iron carbonitrides distributed in it.

The effect of filling velocity on positive macrosegregations in large size steel ingots was studied. Macrosegregation and macro-/micro-structure were characterized on the hot-tops and a portion of the upper section of two ingots. The measurements revealed that segregation features in the two ingots varied as a function of the alloying elements, and that the severity of positive macrosegregation in the casting body was reduced when the filling rate was increased. It was also found that at the higher filling rate, grain morphologies in the first solidified zones of the ingot changed from columnar to equiaxe, and secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) became slightly smaller in the intermediate and final solidified zones. The experimental findings were analyzed in the framework of diffusion and convection controlled solidification, as well as liquid metal flow theories. The solute dependence of segregation features was related to the difference in solid-liquid partition coefficient and diffusion capability of each element in the liquid iron. Calculation of Reynolds numbers (Re) during the filling process, for both ingots, showed that higher filling velocity caused more instable movement of the liquid metal in the initial solidification stage, resulting in the modification of grain morphology, as well as accelerated solidification rate.

Temper embrittlement is a major challenge encountered during the heat treatment of high-performance steels for large forgings. This study investigates the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of Cr-Ni-Mo-V thick-walled steel, designed for new large forgings with a tensile strength of 1500 MPa, under different tempering cooling rates. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) were employed to analyze the microstructural features. The results demonstrate that the embrittlement occurring during air cooling after tempering is attributed to the concentration of impurities near Fe3C at the grain boundaries. The low-temperature impact toughness at -40°C after water quenching reaches 29 J due to the accelerated cooling rate during tempering, which slows down the diffusion of impurity elements towards the grain boundaries, resulting in reduced concentration and dislocation density, and increased stability of the grain boundaries, thereby enhancing toughness. the bainite content decreases and the interface between martensite and bainite undergoes changes after water quenching during tempering. These alterations influence the crack propagation direction within the two-phase microstructure, further modifying the toughness. These findings contribute to the understanding of temper embrittlement and provide valuable guidance for optimizing heat treatment processes to enhance the performance of high-performance steels in large forgings.

Low carbon cities are increasingly forming a distinct strand of sustainability literature. Models have been developed to measure the performance of low carbon cities. The purpose of this paper is to formulate a strategy-based model to evaluate current performance and predict future conditions of low carbon cities. It examines the dynamic interrelationships between key performance indicators (KPIs), induces changes to city plan targets and then instantly predicts the outcome of these changes. Designed generic and flexible, the proposed model shows how low carbon targets could be used to guide the transformation of low carbon cities under four strategies: (1) passive intervention, (2) problem solving, (3) trend modifying and (4) opportunity seeking. Further, the model has been applied to 17 cities and then tested on 5 cities: London, New York, Barcelona, Dubai and Istanbul. The paper concludes with policy implications to realign city plans and support low carbon innovation.

Carbon concrete PAN/lignin-based CF composites are a new promising material class for the building industry. The replacement of the traditional heavy and corroding steel reinforcement by carbon fiber (CF) based reinforcements offers many significant advantages: a higher protection of environmental resources because of lower CO2 consumption during cement production, a longer lifecycle and thus muss less damage in structural components and a higher degree of design freedom because lightweight solutions can be realized. However, due to cost pressure in civil engineering, completely new process chains are required to manufacture CF based reinforcement structures for concrete. The article describes the necessary process steps in order to develop CF reinforcement: (1) the production of cost-effective CF using novel carbon fiber lines, (2) the fabrication of CF rebars with different geometry profiles. It was found that PAN/lignin-based CF is currently the most promising material in order to meet the future market demands. However, significant research needs to be undertaken in order to improve the properties of lignin-based and PAN/lignin-based CF, respectively. The CF can be manufactured to CF-based rebars using different manufacturing technologies which have been developed on prototype level in this study.

Abstract: Efforts for carbon emission reduction have been identified as a major climate change mitigation target in the Paris Agreement. The 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change highlighted the worldwide effort for cleaner and greener mining, urging the mineral industry to embrace greener operational emissions reduction technologies and strategies. Ghana pledged at the Paris Conference to reduce CO2 emissions by 15% and increase renewable energy share to 10% of the national energy mix. Here the fundamental question is how Ghana’s mining industry can contribute to CO2 emission reduction efforts. This paper investigates barriers to low-carbon emission policy implementation among mining companies in Ghana. The questionnaire survey was conducted among Ghana’s four large-scale gold mining companies. As the sample number of available companies is limited, we used a descriptive analysis to assess the responses. The results show that the companies expressed widely different ways to respond to the issues of cost, a government policy/regulations for carbon emission reduction, and the adoption/acquisition of low-carbon technologies. Those companies that are relatively less prepared for this endeavor emphasized the uncertainties of securing sufficient energy in case of using low-carbon technologies. They also expressed a need for more trained workers to handle low-carbon technologies. All companies agreed with a expected high cost of adopting low-carbon options. There was a communication gap with the relevant government ministry about low-carbon mining options where the government should be able to facilitate the involvement of othe low technology providers, such as solar PV installation.

Concrete being one of the most frequently used construction materials in the field of construction. The use of concrete has increased with the passage of time as the more and more construction activities are taking place around the globe. Different materials have been added in to the concrete mix to provide the concrete more strength and make it more durable and long lasting. This paper looks into a detailed comparison of concrete strength when casted with in the presence of carbon fibers, steel fibers and glass fibers. The compressive strength for cubes and cylinder with carbon fibers is the highest as compare to steel fibers as well as glass fibers. The compressive strength of concrete is measured on 3 day, 7 day, 14 day and 28 day strength. The compressive strength of cube on 28th day strength is 37.52 MPa for carbon fiber steel, for steel fiber it is 34.22 MPa and with glass fiber the strength is 29.335 MPa whereas the compressive strength of cylinder with carbon fibers the 34.88 MPa, with steel fiber it is 34.22 MPa and with glass fiber the strength is 27.447 MPa. For the cubes the maximum difference between different fibers inducted concrete sample is 28% approximately and for cylinder it is 27%, respectively. On the other hand, the tensile strength of concrete was also gained with the carbon fiber. It was determined that carbon fiber provided about 16% and 12.8% tensile strength higher than glass and steel fibers respectively.

A medium-Mn steel was processed by a route involving twin-roll strip casting, hot-rolling and quenching and partitioning with different quenching temperatures. The effects of quenching temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties were studied. It was found primary martensite and retained austenite (RA) were obtained at the quenching temperature of 140–180 °C, while primary martensite, RA and secondary martensite were obtained when the quenching temperature was 220–300 °C. With increase in quenching temperature from 140 to 260 and to 300 °C, RA fraction first increased from 15.4% to 31.8% and then decreased to 16.6%. The sample at quenching temperature of 220 °C yielded the mechanical properties with yield strength of 992 MPa, tensile strength of 1159 MPa and total elongation of 20.4%. The superior mechanical properties were achieved by an optimum combination of high RA fraction (26.5 vol%), appropriate mechanical stability of RA and a small amount of secondary martensite.

Nitride and carbide are the second phases which play an important role in the performance of bearing steel, and their precipitation behavior is complicated. In this study, TiN-MC_x precipitations in GCr15 bearing steels were obtained by non-aqueous electrolysis, and their precipitation mechanisms were studied. TiN is the effective heterogeneous nucleation site for Fe₇C₃ and Fe₃C, therefore, MC_x can precipitate on the surface of TiN easily, its chemistry component consists of M₃C and M₇C₃ (M = Fe, Cr, Mn) and Cr₃C₂. TiN-MC_x with high TiN volume fraction, TiN forms in early stage of solidification, and MC_x precipitates on TiN surface after TiN engulfed by the solidification advancing front. TiN-MC_x with low TiN volume fraction, TiN and MC_x form in late stage of solidification, TiN can not grow sufficiently and is covered by a large number of precipitated MC_x particles.

The optimization design of buildings is very important the energy consumption, carbon emissions ,and sustainable development of buildings. The low-temperature granary has low grain storage temperature and high energy consumption indexes. The design scheme of roof insulation for low-temperature granary should be determined in actual building design processes by considering economy, carbon emissions, and outdoor climate, comprehensively. In this paper, the low-temperature granary roof insulation for different ecological grain storage zones in China are optimized by using a new low-carbon optimization design method. The low-carbon optimization design method can response to the economical issue, emission reduction issue, and outdoor climate issue, simultaneously. The application results of the optimization design method in ecological grain storage zones in China indicate that outdoor climate has significant impacts on the economic performance and carbon reduction effect of roof insulation. The considering of carbon emission cost can apparently increase economic efficiency of roof insulation. The optimal economic thickness of expanded polystyrene (EPS) in Urumqi, Harbin, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Guiyang and Haikou cities is 0.025 m, 0.037 m, 0.085 m, 0.097 m, 0.072 m and 0.148 m, respectively. The different outdoor climates of seven ecological grain storage areas in China have important influences on the comprehensive economic performances of low-temperature granary roof insulation. The design of low-temperature granary roof insulation in Haikou city has the best economic performances among the seven ecological grain storage zones in China.

Climate change has become a global nightmare, and the awareness of the causes of carbon emissions have resulted in rigorous studies. These studies linked the increase in global warming with booming economic growth. Since global warming has become more apparent, researchers have explored ways to decouple economic activities from carbon growth. Economic and carbon growth must be decoupled to achieve a low-carbon economy to support the carbon growth plan or emission reduction strategy. The world is transitioning towards a carbon-neutral and green ecosystem, so finding ways to decouple carbon emissions from economic activities is an exciting topic to explore. The study reviews current information on the importance of decoupling energy from economic growth innovative techniques that thoroughly examine the challenges and constraints of low-carbon energy systems. This review revealed that decarbonization and dematerialization had been achieved without declining global economic growth. It also provides information on energy use and economic activities leading to global carbon emissions and alternative solutions to the global challenge of climate change. The decoupling methods commonly used to determine the impact of energy decarbonization on economic growth are explored. All suggested that economic growth is a primary mover of global carbon emission increase and must be separated to achieve a carbon environment.

In order to obtain the good match between yield strength and low-temperature toughness, the short-time partial austenitization (SPA) process was employed for V-microalloying 0.22C-5.24Mn steel. The initial microstructure after intercritical tempering was dual-phase ferrite and reversed austenite (RA), while the final microstructure was consisted of ferrite, RA and secondary martensite (SM) after subjected to SPA process. (V, Mo)C with disc-like morphology mainly precipitated during intercritial tempering, and the aspect ratio of particle decreased, leading to the appearance of near-spherical morphology. After subjected to SPA process, the resultant multiphase hierarchical microstructure (three layers: out layer of ferrite, interlayer of SM and inner layer RA) enabled high yield strength of 1097 MPa, total elongation of 14%, and impressive impact energy of 33.3 J at -20 °C. The strengthening contribution of (V, Mo)C precipitation was estimated about 108 MPa.

Increasing the loading density of nanoparticles on carbon support is essential for making Pt-alloy/C catalysts practical in H2-air fuel cells. The challenge lies in increasing the load-ing while suppressing the sintering of Pt-alloy nanoparticles. This work presents a 40% Pt-weighted sub-3 nm PtCo/C alloy catalysts via a simple incipient wetness impregnation method. By carefully optimizing the synthetic conditions such as Pt/Co ratios, calcination temperature and time, the size of supported PtCo alloy nanoparticles is successfully con-trolled below 3 nm, and a high electrochemical surface area achieves of 94 m2/g is achieved, which is 2.8 times of commercial PtCo/C-TKK catalysts. Demonstrated by elec-trochemical oxygen reduction reaction, PtCo/C alloy catalysts present an enhanced mass activity of 0.45 A/mg at 0.9 V vs. RHE, which is 1.7 times that of PtCo/C-TKK catalyst. Therefore, the developed PtCo/C alloy catalyst can potentially be a highly practical cata-lyst for H2-air fuel cells.

The acoustic emission (AE) technique was applied to monitor the pitting corrosion of carbon steel in NaHCO₃ + NaCl solutions. The open circuit potential (OCP) measurement and the corrosion morphology in-situ capturing using optical microscope were conducted during AE monitoring. The corrosion micromorphology was characterized with scanning electron microscope (SEM). The propagation behavior and AE features of natural pitting on carbon steel were investigated. After the performing of signal processing including pre-treatment, shape preserving interpolation and denoising for raw AE waveforms, three types of AE signals can be classified in the correlation diagrams of new waveform parameters. Finally, a 2D pattern recognition method was established to calculate the similarity of different continuous AE graphics, which is quite effective to distinguish the localized corrosion from uniform corrosion.

Electrochemical deposition of silicon at room temperature is problematic due to intrinsically low conductivity of the deposits. This study reports the photoelectrochemical (PEC) deposition of silicon (Si) and silicon–carbon (Si–C) layers from an ionic liquid at temperature 40 oC using silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4) as a silicon precursor. Amorphous layers are deposited on p-type silicon (p-Si), p-type gallium arsenide (p-GaAs), and aluminum–copper alloy AA2024. The semi-conductor substrates are activated by white LED illumination, which generated photoelectrons, thereby making the substrate conductive with respect to the cathodic reaction. Photoresponsive-ness of the deposits is proven by the light-induced photocurrents on an optically inactive substrate made of the alloy AA 2024. The proposed method paves the way for the electrochemical modifica-tion of semiconductors and metals with Si and Si–C structures, which are applicable in various fields, such as; batteries, anti-corrosion coatings, photovoltaics, or PEC electrodes for hydrogen production.

Herein, we evaluated the electrophoretic deposition of nanohydroxyapatite/superhydrophilic multiwalled carbon nanotube composites (nHAp/MWCNT) onto stainless steel biomedical alloys for applications in bone tissue engineering. First, nHAp/MWCNT composites were dispersed into 0.042 mol L⁻¹ of Ca(NO₃)₂·4H₂O + 0.025 mol L⁻¹ NH₄H₂PO₄ electrolytes (pH = 4.8) at two different concentrations. Next, a voltage of −2 V was applied using 316L stainless steel as a working electrode and (0.27 cm²), a high-purity platinum coil wire as the auxiliary electrode, and an Ag/AgCl(3 M) electrode was used as the reference electrode. The nHAp/MWCNT composites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The deposited nHAp and nHAp/MWCNT films were characterized by profilometry, scanning electron microscopy, X-Ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy. Human osteoblast cells were cultivated with the different materials, and in vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. The osteogenesis process was evaluated by mRNA levels of the three genes that are directly related to bone repair: Alkaline Phosphatase, Osteopontin and Osteocalcin. We showed that rough, crystalline apatite thin films containing phases of nHAp were successfully deposited onto 316L stainless steel alloys. Also, we noticed that nHAp/MWCNT thin films deposited onto 316L stainless steel alloys upregulated the expression of important genes related to bone mineralization and maturation. Our results strongly support the possibility of this new alternative to modify the surface of metallic biomedical alloys to promote bone tissue regeneration.

Logistics industry has been found to be among the key sources of carbon emission. In Vietnam logistics industry, there is a considerable difference between the number of foreign and Vietnamese firms as well as the proportion of markets that they are taking. This study is to research the low-carbon emission measures conducted by domestic and foreign invested logistics service providers (LSPs) and compare the results of the two groups. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches are applied. Literatures in relevant fields are reviewed and expert opinions are taken for structuring a questionnaire which was later distributed to 279 LSPs, with 166 returned and 159 being valid for data calculation. The results imply that there are differences in extension of applications of low-carbon practices between foreign and domestic firms. Except for transport mode switch and energy-saving lighting, the other practices witness that adoption levels of foreign LSPs are higher than their counterparts, which is possibly thanks to their global operation, more comfortable capital resources and awareness level of green initiative necessity. In conclusion, a comparison between the application conducted by foreign-invested firms and domestic ones, which has not been investigated before, was made.

Under the "dual carbon" target in China, virtual power plants (VPPs) play an important role in improving grid security and promoting clean and low-carbon energy transformation. VPPs can integrate and control distributed resources to participate in the energy market and make full use of distributed resources. However, the intermittency and volatility of renewable energy and the "heat-driven" working mode of CHP units create contradictions that seriously affect the peak-shaving ability of VPPs and lead to high carbon emissions. To solve these problems, this paper aggregates CHP units, wind power, photovoltaics, carbon capture, hydrogen energy storage, and electric boilers into a new type of virtual power plant. The "hydrogen energy storage-electric boiler" joint decoupling CHP working mode is used to strengthen the coupling relationship between electric-thermal-hydrogen load. At the same time, a tiered carbon trading mechanism is considered, with the net profit of the VPP as the optimization objective, balancing economic and environmental considerations. A low-carbon economic dispatch model for VPPs is established, and a genetic algorithm is used for optimization. Three different scheduling strategies are set, and simulations are conducted in three different seasonal scenarios. The results show that the net profit in the cooling season increased by 50.4%, and carbon emissions decreased by 42.3%. In the transitional season, the net profit increased by 39.2%, and carbon emissions decreased by 44.9%. In the heating season, the net profit increased by 19.4%, and carbon emissions decreased by 43.4%. Overall, the proposed dispatch strategy can improve the new energy consumption capacity and total revenue of VPPs while achieving the goal of reducing carbon emissions.

As a major coal country, China faces the issue of significant gas emissions during the coal mining process. This study aims to improve the utilization efficiency of mine gas, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote the low-carbon and green transformation of the coal industry. A 10kW gas regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) experimental system was constructed. The effects of initial methane concentration, low-temperature flue gas proportion, and operating load on combustion temperature, methane oxidation rate, high-temperature flue gas energy, and system thermal efficiency were studied. The results show that when the combustion temperature is below 600°C, the CH4 combustion reaction cannot proceed effectively, and the system temperature continuously decreases and cannot be maintained stable. The experiment determines the stable operating methane concentration range of RTO. In this experimental system, the lower limit of the initial methane concentration is 0.28%, corresponding to an 86% methane oxidation rate. As the initial methane concentration decreases, the combustion temperature also decreases, and the methane oxidation rate follows suit. The higher the low-temperature flue gas proportion, the higher the combustion temperature, and the system thermal efficiency and output heat decrease with the increase of the low-temperature flue gas proportion. This experiment explores multiple factors affecting regenerative thermal oxidation, providing an basis for ensuring the safe and stable operation of the system and optimization. Improving the thermal insulation and heat exchange performance of the storage body can expand the lower limit of the initial methane concentration, thereby increasing the stability and thermal efficiency of the system.

With technological transformations such as big data, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing, digital techniques are penetrating the field of finance. Digital finance is a resource-saving and environmentally friendly innovative financial service. It shows great green attributes and can drive the flow of financial resources towards environmentally friendly enterprises, thereby promoting green and low-carbon development. This paper investigates the effects of digital finance on green and low-carbon cyclic development and the mechanism. First, the level of green and low carbon cyclic development in China is estimated from multiple aspects based on the panel data of 31 provinces by using the spatio-temporal range entropy weight method. Then, the working mechanism of digital finance on green and low carbon cyclic development is revealed by performing empirical tests based on panel regression models, mediating effect models, and threshold models. Finally, the effects of digital finance and conventional variables on green and low-carbon cyclic development are investigated by using a random forest model and a CatBoost model in based on the machine learning. The results show that digital finance has significant positive effects on green and low-carbon cyclic development, and technological innovation plays a key role in the effects of digital finance on green and low-carbon cyclic development; meanwhile, the driving effect of digital finance on green and low carbon cyclic development shows nonlinear features with increasing “marginal effect”; besides, both digital finance and conventional factors have significant impacts on green and low carbon cyclic development. This study provides an empirical basis and path reference for digital finance to achieve “carbon peak, carbon neutralization” in China.

One of the key issues in sustainable tourism research is the gap between tourists' expressed friendly attitudes towards sustainable behaviors and their actual behaviors. Although many "low-carbon" themed restaurants have emerged during the low-carbon transformation of the Chinese tourism industry, low-carbon food services have not been significantly improved. This study takes food as the entry point to explore tourists' behavior and attitudes towards low-carbon tourism in relation to food. We conducted two interviews. The first interview was a semi-structured contextual interview with 120 tourists who had experiences in food streets, aim-ing to identify the core user group: low-carbon attitude-friendly tourists with high-carbon food behaviors. The second interviews was an in-depth interview based on grounded theory with 29 core users, analyzing the four main reasons for their high-carbon food behaviors and their re-quirements for low-carbon food services in tourism. Based on this, we extracted four design ele-ments for low-carbon tourism food services: low-carbon information show service, low-carbon service product attractiveness improvement, low-carbon food environment atmosphere creation, and service providers' low-carbon behaviors. Through these four service elements, we constructed a low-carbon tourism food service design framework based on the core users' needs, discussed the mechanism of service elements, and provided service design suggestions accordingly. The re-search results serve tourism providers, low-carbon tourism researchers, and designers.

Emerging countries in Southeast Asia are facing considerable challenges in addressing rising motorisation and its negative impact on air quality, traffic, energy security, liveability, and greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, even as initial policies to address these issues are being agreed and implemented, current trends are incompatible with sustainable development and long-term climate change targets. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the approach and status of sustainable, low-carbon transport policy in ASEAN countries and identifies differences and similarities, with the aim of helping assessment of feasibility of future policies and informing future studies on policy innovations and cross-country learning. The methodology is based on the taxonomy of policy components developed by Howlett and Cashore, and our data on comprehensive country studies for Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam and interviews. We find that each country has a specific set of goals, objectives and targets that support sustainable transport, and, directly or indirectly, climate change mitigation. In terms of specific instruments and calibrations, which we analyse based on the Avoid-Shift-Improve approach, there are notable differences between the countries, for example in fuel economy policy.

Public housing stock, called Social Housing, in Italy developed between the 1950s and the 1980s. As of today, the first residential developments are almost nearing their end-of-life age, in need of urgent and intensive renovation. The European Commission, with the Renovation Wave, has set a goal of doubling the rate of building renovation over the next 10 years, reducing emissions, improving energy performance, and promoting decarburization. Renovation interventions, including structural, functional, energy, plant upgrading, etc., are to be preferred over integral demolition and reconstruction interventions, which have significant repercussions in terms of managerial and social discomfort. The case studies examined concern renovation interventions aimed at energy efficiency, functional adaptation of housing as well as facade restyling. The design variants analyzed were evaluated in terms of CO2e emissions, according to LCI (Life Cycle Inventory) and EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) approaches. This approach has a twofold purpose: to propose design guidelines, with low CO2e emissions, through hypotheses of variants to the case studies, and to propose, to the Economic Operators, economically advantageous bidding scenarios, in the procurement process.

This paper studies the use of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) synthesized using an extract of convolvulus leaves and expired ZnCl₂, as an efficient inhibitor for carbon steel corrosion in 1M HCl solution. ZnO-NPs are characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) and UV–Vis analysis. The technique of weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has also been used to investigate the prevention of carbon steel corrosion in 1M HCl. The results showed that the efficiency of restraint increased when the concentration of ZnO-NPs was raised to 91% and that the inhibition efficiency is still high despite its decrease at high temperature, and it acts as a mixed-type inhibitor A sample of carbon steel with the protective inhibitor layer on top was immersed for 20 hours and observed; an increase in the charge transfer resistance (Rct) and stability of the inhibitor was noticed after 6 hours. Adsorption isotherm models demonstrated that the inhibitor adsorption mechanism on the carbon steel surface followed Langmuir, more than Freundlich and Temkin, behavior. The thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption process is a mixed adsorption, spontaneous, and exothermic. The results illustrated that the acid medium was a strong inhibitor of carbon steel corrosion. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the ZnO-NPs formed a good protective film on the carbon steel surface.

Low-dimensional carbon-based (LDC) materials have attracted extensive research attentions in electrocatalysis because of their unique advantages such as structural diversity, low cost, and chemical tolerance. They have been widely used in a broad range of electrochemical reactions to relief environmental pollution and energy crisis. Typical examples include hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR), and nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). Traditional “trial and error” strategies seriously slowed down the rational design of electrocatalysts for these important applications. Recent studies show that the combination of density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental research is capable of accurately predicting the structures of electrocatalysts, thus could reveal the catalytic mechanisms. Herein, current well-recognized collaboration methods of theory and practice are reviewed. The history of modern DFT, commonly used calculation methods, and basic functionals are briefly summarized. Special attention is paid to descriptors that are widely accepted as a bridge links the structure and activity, and the breakthroughs for high-volume accurate prediction of electrocatalysts. Importantly, correlating multiple descriptors are used to systematically describe the complicated interfacial electrocatalytic processes of LDC catalysts. In addition, machine learning and high-throughput simulations are crucial in assisting the discovery of new multiple descriptors and reaction mechanisms. This review will guide the further development of LDC electrocatalysts for extended applications from the aspect of DFT computations.

To provide carbon steel a long corrosion protection effect in NaCl solution with various pH, a pH-controlled intelligent inhibitor based on poly-acrylamide (PAM) and oleate imidazoline (OIM) was synthesized. SEM, FT-IR and TGA results indicating the OIM inhibitor was successfully loaded into PAM hydrogel with a very high content (39.64 wt%). The OIM release behavior from hydrogel structure have two stages, quickly release and sustained release. The pH of solution could affect the initial release kinetics of OIM inhibitor and the diffusion path in hydrogel structure. Weight loss measurement of L80 steel in different pH solution with OIM@PAM proved the inhibitor responsive release mechanism and an-ti-corrosion performance. The inhibition efficiency of OIM@PAM can maintain over 80% after long term immersion in harsh corrosive environment (pH 3), which is much higher than the inhibition efficiency of inhibitor in moderate corrosive solution.

If a lubricant contains structures capable of conducting energy, reactions involving zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) may take place both very close to and away from the solid surfaces, with this indicating that ZDDP can be a highly effective anti-wear (AW) additive. The central thesis of this article is that the tribocatalytic effect is observed only when the energy emitted by the solids is transmitted by ordered molecular structures present in the lubricant, e.g., graphene. The friction tests were carried out for 100Cr6 steel balls in a sliding contact with uncoated or a:C-H-coated HS6-5-2C steel discs in the presence of polyalphaolefin 8 (PAO 8) as the lubricant, which was enhanced with graphene and/or ZDDP. There is sufficient evidence of the interactions occurring between ZDDP and graphene and their effects on the tribological performance of the system. It was also found that the higher the concentration of zinc in the wear area, the lower the wear. This was probably due to the energy transfer resulting from the catalytic decomposition of ZDDP molecules. Graphene, playing the role of the catalyst, contributed to that energy transfer.

The built environment sector’s growing impact on climate change is becoming increasingly important due to its share in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Global efforts have been undertaken to design and develop residential dwellings that aim towards zero energy and carbon emission, but there remains a multitude of obstructions to efficient construction processes. This study is focused on the gaps and barriers that have emerged during the pre-construction phase of a low-environmental-impact Passive House in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The technical, management, regulatory, and supply chain obstacles to the construction of a new three-story residential Passive House are documented to engage knowledge transformation in the design and construction of sustainable buildings of interest to developers and property owners. Primary data are collected by direct observation as well as open-ended interviews and secondary data collected through a literature review to understand the barriers and gaps faced by different key actors during the pre-construction phase in different regions. This local study highlighted the lack of interest, knowledge, and experience in sustainable building design among professionals having a significant influence on the project goals and timeline and was mentioned by participants as a common barrier as well as the inconsistency and inadequacy of regulatory framework of existing building codes to implement sustainable building design. These barriers along with other identified barriers are discussed and recommendations to overcome these barriers are provided.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are increasing the interdependence of transportation policies and the electricity market. EMMEV (Electricity Market Model with Electric Vehicles) is an experimental agent-based model that analyses how carbon reduction policy in transportation may increase number of Electric Vehicles and how does that would influence on the electricity price. Agents are ESCOs (Energy Service Providers) which can distribute fuels and their objective is to maximize their profit. In this paper, EMMEV is used to analyze the impacts of the LCFS (Low Carbon Fuel Standard), a performance-based policy instrument, on electricity prices and EV sales. The agents in EMMEV/regulated parties in LCFS should meet a certain CI (Carbon Intensity) target for their distributed fuel. In case, they cannot meet the target, they should buy credit to compensate for their shortfall and if they exceed, they can sell their excess. The results, considering the assumptions and limitations of the model, show that the banking strategy of the agents contributing in the LCFS might have negative impact on penetration of EVs, unless there is a regular Credit Clearance to trade credits. It is also shown that the electricity price as result of implementing the LCFS and increasing number of EVs has increased between 2–3 percent depending on banking strategy.

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing process employed in many industries, for example for aerospace, automotive and medical applications. In these sectors, mainly nickel-, aluminum- and titanium-based alloys are used. In contrast, the mechanical engineering industry is interested in more wear-resistant steel alloys with higher hardness, both of which can be achieved with a higher carbon content, like in high-speed steels. Since these steels are susceptible to cracking, preheating needs to be applied during processing by LPBF. In a previous study, we applied a base plate preheating temperature of 500 °C for HS6-5-3-8 with 1.3 % carbon content. We were able to manufacture dense (p > 99.9 %) and crack-free parts from HS6-5-3-8 with a hardness > 62 HRC (as built) by LPBF. In this study, we investigate the influence of preheating temperatures up to 600 °C on hardness and microstructure dependent on part height for HS6-5-3-8. The microstructure was studied by light optical microscopy (LOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The analysis of hardness and microstructure at different part heights is necessary because state-of-the-art preheating systems induce heat only into the base plate. Consequently, parts are subjected to temperature gradients and different heat treatment effects depending on part height during the LPBF process.

Upon the implementation of the European Union Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), substantial challenges are anticipated to impact the international trade of Chinese steel products. To safeguard the competitiveness of Chinese steel products on the global stage, this paper establishes a tripartite evolutionary game model, involving large steel enterprises, small and medium-sized steel enterprises, and the government. The model integrates collaborative emission reduction and free-riding benefits among enterprises, along with the government's dynamic subsidies and penalties. The paper analyzes the evolutionary trends and stable states of the three parties during different stages of CBAM, including a sensitivity analysis of key parameters. The findings indicate that large enterprises demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to CBAM, while small and medium-sized enterprises are more significantly influenced by free-riding benefits. Government intervention should be strategically timed and incline towards passive management during the strengthening phase of CBAM. Additionally, the refinement of the Chinese carbon market emerges as an effective means to counter CBAM. This paper provides theoretical support for how steel enterprises and the government can respond to CBAM, aiding stakeholders in selecting optimal strategies during different implementation stages and mitigating the impacts of CBAM to the maximum extent possible.

Many corporations and governments aspire to become Net Zero Carbon Dioxide by 2030-2050. Achieving this goal requires understanding where energy is produced and consumed, the magnitude of CO₂ generation, and the Carbon Cycle. Many prior proposed solutions focus on reducing future CO₂ emissions from continued use of fossil fuels. Examination of these technologies exposes their limitations and shows that none offer a complete solution. For example, bioethanol is shown to be both carbon and energy inefficient. Direct Air Capture technologies are needed to reduce CO₂ already in the air. The most natural form of Direct Air Capture involves letting nature do the work of creating biomass via photosynthesis. However, it is necessary to break the Carbon Cycle by permanently sequestering that biomass carbon in “landfills” modified to discourage decomposition to CO₂ and methane. Tree leaves and biomass grown on-purpose, such as high yield switchgrass, are proposed as good biomass sources for this purpose. Left unsequestered, leaves decompose with a short Carbon Cycle time constant releasing CO₂ back to the atmosphere. While in any given year, leaves represent a small fraction of a tree’s above ground biomass, leaves can represent a substantial fraction of the total biomass generated by a tree when integrated over a tree’s lifetime. Understanding the chemistry of the distinct phases landfills undergo is the key to minimizing or eliminating decomposition. First, the compact cross-linked structure of cellulose and keeping water out will make it difficult for initial depolymerization to release sugars. Air ingress should be minimized to minimize Phase I aerobic decomposition. pH manipulation can discourage acid formation during Phase II. Lignocellulose is low in nutrients needed for anaerobic decomposition. Inhibitors can be added if needed. The goal is to move quickly to the dormant phase where decomposition stops. The cost for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) for growing and sequestering high yield switchgrass is estimated to be lower than CCS for steam reforming of methane hydrogen plants (SRM) and supercritical or combined cycle coal power plants. Thus, sequestration of biomass is a natural, carbon efficient, and low-cost method of Direct Capture. Biomass sequestration can provide CO₂ removal on giga tonnes per year scale and can be implemented in the needed timeframe (2030-2050).

Choosing new energy vehicles for travel, especially electric vehicles, is an important component of building a low-carbon urban transportation system. However, the charging need of electric vehicle users is still constrained by the unreasonable layout and insufficient supply of public charging piles in the city. Private charging pile sharing as an alternative policy tool can play a very good role in solving this problem. But it needs decision-makers in urban transportation to take corresponding measures to promote. This paper constructs an evolutionary game model to study the decision behavior of participants in private piles sharing platform. Through numerical simulation analysis, it is found that under most parameter conditions, the government tends to establish a shared charging pile platform based on public interests. Private charging pile owners are influenced by the relationship between the cost of supply modification and revenue, and they tend to join the shared platform when they expect to recover the modification cost. The research conclusions of this paper will provide support for exploring how participants make decisions to maximize overall benefits in the development of low-carbon urban transportation.

Cadmium(II) contamination in the environment is an emerging problem due to its acute toxicity and mobility, so it is very urgent to remove this species from industrial wastewater before it is discharged into the environment. Thus, a starch-based activated carbon (AC) with a specific surface area of 1600 m2g-1 is used as an adsorbent for the capturing of toxic cadmium(II) ions from synthetic solutions. The sorbent is characterized by BET, SEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR, TGA, and zeta potential. The maximum uptake (284 mg g-1) of Cadmium(II) ion is obtained at pH 6. The thermodynamic parameters like ∆G, ∆H, ΔS are found to be -17.42 kJmol-1, 6.49 kJ mol-1, and 55.66 Jmol-1K-1 respectively, revealing that the adsorption mechanism is endothermic, spontaneous, and feasible. The experimental data follows the D-R and Langmuir models well. The mass transfer is controlled by pseudo 2nd order kinetics. Furthermore, the density functional theory simulations demonstrate that the activated carbon strongly interacted with the Cd(II) ion through its various active sites. The adsorption energy noted for all interactive sites is highly negative (-0.45 eV to -10.03 eV), which shows that the adsorption process is spontaneous and stable which is in agreement with the experimental thermodynamics analysis.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become the preferred battery system for portable electronic devices and transportation equipment because of their high specific energy, good cycling performance, low self-discharge and no memory effect. However, too low ambient temperature will seriously affect the performance of LIBs, almost cannot discharge at -40~-60 ℃. There are many factors affecting the low temperature performance of LIBs, among which the electrode material is an important factor. Thus it is urgent to develop electrode materials or modify existing materials with excellent low temperature LIBs performance. Carbon-based anode is a kind of LIBs candidate. In recent years, it has been found that the diffusion coefficient of lithium ion in graphite anode decreases more obviously at low temperature, which is one of the important bottlenecks limiting its low temperature performance. However, the structure of amorphous carbon materials is complex, amorphous carbon materials have good ionic diffusion properties, and its grain size, specific surface area, layer spacing, structural defects, surface functional groups and doping elements may have a greater impact on the low temperature performance of the material. In this work, the low temperature performance of LIBs is obtained by modifying the carbon-based material from the perspective of electronic modulation and structural engineering.

Background: Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that storage of cooked rice at 4 °C for 24 h and reheating to 65 °C significantly reduced starch digestibility and postprandial glycaemic responses. Moreover, the effect was greater for parboiled rice compared to other rice varieties commonly consumed in New Zealand. This study aimed to evaluate consumer preferences of related sensory attributes and consumer acceptability of several rice varieties freshly cooked or reheated. Method: Sixty-four consumers volunteered and recorded on Visual Analoge Scales their preference and acceptability of freshly prepared or cold-stored and reheated medium grain white, medium grain brown and parboiled rice. Results: All six rice samples were accepted by participants (average 54%). Reheated parboiled rice and reheated medium grain brown rice were both accepted by participants as a preferred staple meal compared to other rice samples. Among all rice samples, the sweetness and the flavour of freshly cooked warm medium-grain white rice were less preferred (scored 42.1% and 45.0% respectively) compared with other samples (P = 0.05). Participants who prepared and consumed brown rice at home regularly (more than 10 times per month), preferred the reheated brown rice (73.8% (67.4, 80.2)) and reheated parboiled rice (74.3% (67.9, 80.7)) (P < 0.001). Conclusions: It is suggested that reheated parboiled rice, with the lowest starch digestibility and glycaemic impact (both in vitro glucose release and in vivo glucose response) could be accepted as a healthier alternative for the daily staple meal.

forging a resilient path towards a low carbon future, this research delves deep into the intricate dynamics of the petroleum and petrochemical industries. By uncovering the challenges posed by transitioning to a low carbon economy, this study emphasizes their transformative potential as catalysts for growth. Through an in-depth analysis of the oil and natural gas sector, it not only sheds light on the carbon footprint of Nigeria's petroleum and petrochemical industries but also identifies the opportunities for sustainable transformation within these sectors. Ultimately, this research aims to pave the way for a greener future by unraveling the complexities and intricacies of building a low carbon economy."By incorporating the unique attributes of the petroleum and petrochemical industries and considering the evolving domestic and global context, this research investigates the challenges and prospects associated with the shift towards a low-carbon economy. It delves deep into the complexities of the sector, taking into consideration the distinct characteristics of petroleum and petrochemical production. Through a comprehensive analysis, this study aims to uncover the potential barriers and opportunities that arise from the pursuit of a sustainable and low-carbon future within the petroleum and petrochemical industries. In addition, this research thoroughly examines the current global and local conditions, shedding light on the opportunities for growth and transformation within the petroleum and petrochemical sectors. By presenting insightful perspectives and recommendations, the study aims to provide valuable guidance for fostering the development of a low-carbon economy within these industries. Ultimately, the research seeks to drive positive change by offering actionable insights and strategies to propel the transition towards a sustainable future.

Maxwell equation for the electric field has been solved for any medium by suggesting the wavenumber and angular frequency be complex quantities. This accounts for the field decay by interaction with the medium.This expression for the time and special decay of the electric field in a medium is used to construct a new wave function sensitive to the medium physical properties. This new wave function, unlike the conventional one, differentiates between a beam of particles in a vacuum and that enters a medium which is an attenuated due to the scattering effect.Another expression for time decaying electric field was obtained using Newton’s laws for frictional medium. This expression shows that the electric field diminishes due to friction.Fortunately, this time decaying part of the electric field is typical to that derived from Maxwell’s equations. Finally, a new Schrodinger equation sensitive to the medium properties was derived. This equation, fortunately, describes some scattering processes for Protein scattering, scattering of x-rays, opto-acoustic phonons, and Raman scattering for some materials successfully .

The rapid advancement of technology has led to increased electronic consumption and a corresponding rise in e-waste generation. To address this issue, this study develops a low-carbon e-commerce closed-loop supply chain (LCE-CLSC) system with remanufacturer, platform, and the government as key stakeholders. An evolutionary game approach is employed to investigate the system's dynamics, analyzing the impact of stakeholder strategies on system equilibrium. Numerical simulations reveal important findings: Firstly, government initiatives promoting recycling, carbon taxes on traditional products, can incentivize remanufacturers to produce low-carbon items and encourage platform investment in recycling services. Secondly, higher sales revenues motivate remanufacturers to produce low-carbon products. Thirdly, consumer sensitivity to recycling services strengthens waste recovery when platforms increase investments in these services, leading to remanufacturers choosing low-carbon production. Lastly, government subsidies may become ineffective if the cost of remanufacturers' carbon reduction and platforms' recycling services exceeds their affordability. These findings offer insights for the sustainable development of obsolete electronic product recycling systems.

Speleothems have proven to be one of the most reliable terrestrial archives for palaeoclimate research. However, due to the complexity of karst systems, long-term monitoring and high-resolution analyses of the cave atmosphere and water geochemistry have become essential to better constrain the factors that control calcite growth and how geochemical palaeoclimate proxies are encoded into speleothems. While calcite precipitation incorporates the palaeoclimate signals into the speleothem fabric, certain conditions in caves can favour dissolution, which may form hiatuses or even destroy these signals. In extreme cases, in-cave dissolution by dripwater can form cup-shaped features (i.e., corrosion cups), which were the main focus of this study. The study site in Postojna Cave, Slovenia, was investigated through cave climate monitoring and drip and cup water sampling, which took place during 2017–2021. We found that the cups are fed by low calcium drips as the consequence of the thin vadose zone above the cave. Due to the specific configuration of airflow pathways, the study site accumulates high levels of CO2 (&gt;10,000 ppm), which shifts low calcium dripwater into undersaturation. This causes dissolution on rock surfaces and speleothems on the cave floor. The results of this study have broader significance in addressing the suitability of cave environments and speleothems used in paleoclimate research.

A linear stability analysis of the parallel uniform flow in a horizontal channel with open upper boundary is carried out. The lower boundary is considered as an impermeable isothermal wall, while the open upper boundary is subject to a uniform heat flux and it is exposed to an external horizontal fluid stream driving the flow. An eigenvalue problem is obtained for the two-dimensional transverse modes of perturbation. The study of the analytical dispersion relation leads to the conditions for the onset of convective instability as well as to the determination of the parametric threshold for the transition to absolute instability. The results are generalised to the case of three-dimensional perturbations.

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the development trend of hazardous chemical packaging towards low carbon economy from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. Four types of relatively small volume packaging with volume/weight less than 450L/400kg, respectively, and three intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), which are widely used for hazardous chemicals were studied to calculate the carbon footprint (CF) from cradle to grave using life cycle assessment (LCA) method and to predict the future carbon emission of hazardous chemical packaging in the next five years (2016-2020), based on the export data of Tianjin Port in China. Grey model (GM) was adopted in the prediction. The results showed that majority of IBCs have lower carbon footprint than other types when the packaging contained same amount of same hazardous chemical. With the development of international trading, the demand of hazardous chemicals will increase as well. As the result, carbon emission generated by hazardous chemical packaging will increase accordingly. However, based on GM simulation result, increasing the amount of IBC use will effectively reduce the relative amount of carbon emission.

Developing new energy is critical to China's green and low-carbon development. And the New Energy Demonstration City Policy (NEDCP) is a vital innovation policy that inspires the development of new energy. Is the NEDCP facilitating green and low-carbon development, if so, how? Employing unbalanced panel data from 2003 to 2017, the impact of NEDCP on green and low-carbon development was studied by using the "difference in difference" (DID) model. We find that this policy can take significantly role. After various robustness tests, our results are still valid. According to the heterogeneity analysis, non-resource and non-old industrial base cities have a greater positive impact from this policy. The mechanism analysis denotes that the positive policy effect works through upgrading the industrial structure and stimulating urban innovation. The substantial empirical evidence presented in this article supports the continued promotion and implementation of new energy demonstration cities.

The improvement of agricultural low-carbon efficiency is an important path to promote the realization of the "double carbon" goal in the Yellow River Basin. In the context of rapid urbanization development, it is of great significance to explore whether the promotion of urbanization will affect the agricultural low-carbon efficiency. Based on the panel data of 75 cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2020, this paper uses super-DEA model, three-dimensional kernel density model and Markov chain model to measure and analyze the spatio-temporal evolution of agricultural low-carbon efficiency in the Yellow River Basin, on this basis, the panel Tobit model is used to analyze the relationship between urbanization and low-carbon efficiency in agriculture. The results show that: (1) The level of agricultural low-carbon efficiency in the Yellow River Basin is low and has not reached the effective state, showing a slow downward trend in general, among which, the agricultural low-carbon efficiency in the lower reaches is higher than that in the middle reaches, and the upper reaches is the lowest. (2) The agricultural low-carbon efficiency in the Yellow River Basin has a negative trend of transferring to the low level on the whole, and tends to maintain the original state level, and it is difficult to realize the leapfrog transfer between states. Agricultural low-carbon efficiency has obvious spatial spillover effect and "club convergence" phenomenon, high efficiency area has a positive driving effect on the neighborhood area, while low efficiency area has a negative impact on the neighborhood area. (3) The level of urbanization has a significant positive impact on the low-carbon efficiency of agriculture in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin, which plays an important role in promoting the green development of agriculture. Finally, based on the above research conclusions, relevant policy recommendations were put forward, in order to provide references for promoting the improvement of low-carbon agricultural efficiency and promoting high-quality agricultural development in the Yellow River Basin.

The transportation sector stands out as California's primary contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating urgent action from government agencies to promote the adoption of low-carbon transportation (LCT) within the heavy-duty vehicles (HDV) and off-road equipment (ORE) sectors. This study conducts content analysis to delve into the impact of behavioral factors, specifically awareness and impression, on LCT adoption within these sectors. The analysis results are honed using a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool. Positive associations emerge between the potential for LCT adoption and awareness, as well as factors linked to LCT (government incentives, environmental considerations). Notably, the study reveals that financial barriers and incentives hold greater significance for small-fleet organizations compared to their large-fleet counterparts. These findings offer actionable insights for government agencies to formulate targeted strategies, including mandates and incentives, tailored to the unique needs of organizations within the HDV and ORE sectors.

Blockchain technology (BCT) has the potential for sustainable development, enhancing business efficiency, reducing costs, and strengthening data security. Despite its potential, adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is low due to the need for significant changes in technology infrastructure and the challenge of interoperability. A cross-sectional survey was done with 226 Hong Kong SMEs. The PLS-SEM results highlighted favorable transformation conditions as the most critical factor for SMEs considering the adoption of BCT. These conditions address both internal and external readiness for adopting the disruptive strategy. Other contributing factors to BCT adoption include trust in BCT developers, perceived usefulness and ease of use, government support, and perceived security. The research results contributed to the literature on disruptive technology acceptance, adoption, transformation conditions, technology readiness, and SMEs’ technology adoption. Government-supported policies and initiatives can promote BCT adoption, including educational programs, case studies, and resources for readiness. Financial support and regulatory frameworks can further encourage adoption. BCT developers can demonstrate the value of their systems, effectively communicate potential ROI and cost savings, and provide user-friendly interfaces to increase SMEs’ intention to adopt BCT.

Natural astaxanthin is a precious substance obtained from some organisms such as microalgae. This plant has many benefits for humans, so research into its cost-effective and economical production has recently increased. For this purpose, some methods such as the use of different culture media, gene engineering, different stresses, nanoparticles, bio acids, and phytohormones are important. Accordingly, this review study was conducted to demonstrate the effect of the factors mentioned above for the high production of astaxanthin in microalgae, especially Haematococcus pluvialis (H.p).

The X-ray emission from a supernova remnant (SNR) is a powerful diagnostic of the state of the shocked plasma, and, given a model, can be used to determine the energy of the explosion, the age of the SNR and the density of the surrounding medium. Observed properties are shock radius, electron temperature (kTe) and emission measure (EM) of the shocked-gas. The standard and XSPEC definitions have an important difference. The XSPEC definition is superior for SNRs, which have components with low hydrogen abundance. SNR model calculations are based on hydrodynamic solutions for fluid variables of density, pressure and velocity. The relations between fluid variables and kTe or EM depend on composition, ionization state and electron-ion temperature ratio (Te/TI). Here the effects of composition, ionization and Te/TI on standard and on XSPEC versions of kTe and EM are investigated.

Near-neutral pH and low redox potentials (EH) are considered favorable conditions for radionuclides immobilization in deep repository systems in clay geological formations. Cigeo is a future Industrial Centre for Geological Disposal for Nuclear Waste (NW) for high-level and intermediate level long-lived radioactive waste, to be built in France, at 500 m depth within the Callovo-Oxfordian clay formation. Deep knowledge of the mechanisms and kinetics of corrosion occurring at the external surface of tubings made of API 5L X65 carbon steel (CS-X65) in contact with COx pore water, is essential for a reversible NW management of the Cigeo site. By using robust handmade electrodes and electrochemical and gravimetric techniques, this work aimed to determine the corrosion phenomenology and kinetics of CS-X65 in contact with COx pore water flowing continuously through a Multi-Parameter Probe (MPP) device, placed at 500 m depth, for more than 180 days. It also aimed at demonstrating the reliability and the robustness of the measurement methodology for the corrosion evaluation of the metallic liner of the future nuclear waste disposal site. Two iron oxidants were encountered, oxygen, who was depleted, and proton, who was accompanied by hydrogen sulfide. Corrosion mechanisms and kinetics were well established for two CS-X65, electrochemically perturbed and not. The corrosion thickness loss rates stand between 0.016 and 0.032 mm/y.

We explore the deflection angle in the framework of improved Schwarzschild Black hole utilizing the most advance geometrical path adopted by Gibbon-Werner. To investigate deflection angle of the photon ray by weak gravitational lensing for this black hole, we derive the optical curvature and perform the application of Gauss-Bonnet theorem on the optical metric. Moreover, we study the impacts of the plasma medium in context of the weak gravitational lensing in relate to this black hole. Further, we also study the graphical analysis of the deflection angle in both the plasma and non-plasma mediums. Also, we find the rigorous bound base upon the greybody factor for improved Schwarzschild black hole. A while later, we contrast our conclusions about deflection angle with the deflection angles of Schwarzschild black hole within plasma and non-plasma mediums.

Carbon farming is a capable strategy for more sustainable production of food and other related products. It seeks to produce the diverse array of natural farming methods and marketable products simultaneously. In agroforestry system, carbon sequestration is done by incorporating carbon dioxide (CO2) into plant biomass via photosynthesis. Carbon is, thus, stored in reserves of above-ground biomass, such as timber or branches, and below-ground biomass such as roots, or organic carbon in the soil. In addition to the significance of carbon sequestration in climate change mitigation, soil organic carbon (SOC) is an imperative indicator for the soil health as well as fertility. The change in SOC can explain whether the land use pattern degrades or improves the soil fertility. SOC, found in the soil in the form of soil organic matter (SOM), helps to improve soil health either directly or indirectly. Its direct consequence is related to the process of mineralization. Further, agroforestry is highly capable of generating huge amounts of bio-mass. In fact, agroforestry is believed to be particularly suitable for replenishment of SOC. Therefore, efforts should be made to convince farmers for their resource-use efficiency and soil conserving ability in order to get maximum benefits out of agriculture. According to food and agriculture organization (FAO,) agriculture, forestry, and other land use practices account for 24% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and total global livestock emissions of 7.1 gigatons of CO2-equivalent per year, representing 14.5% of total anthropogenic GHG emissions. Agroforestry system that deliberately integrates trees and crops with livestock in the agricultural production could potentially increase carbon sequestration and decrease GHG emission from the terrestrial ecosystems, thus, helping in global climatic change mitigation. This study, therefore, aimed at clarification about carbon farming, modifications in carbon cycle and carbon sequestration during agricultural development in addition to benefits of agroforestry.

In the process of climate change mitigation and adaptation, the focus on climate risk driven by transition innovations has received widespread attention from governments, regulators, and investors. Based on the identification of low-carbon patents through the Green and Low-carbon Technology Inventory in China, this study constructs low-carbon innovation measurements of listed firms in China from 2015 to 2021. Then, an empirical model is used to investigate the impact and mechanism of climate transition innovations on the default risk. The baseline regression model shows that low-carbon innovations can mitigate the default risk of listed firms. Moreover, our findings are supported by instrumental variable regressions that use the time costs of innovation. Finally, the mediation effect demonstrates that investor attention, total factor productivity, and technology spillovers are paths through which transition innovations can affect the default risk. This study reveals that low-carbon technological advances have a positive effect on climate transition risks.

With the development of energy internet, integrated energy system can effectively reduce carbon emissions and improve the utilization of renewable energy. In this paper, a low-carbon optimal scheduling model of integrated energy system considering heat loss of heat network pipeline is proposed. Based on the study of concentrating solar power (CSP) plant and heat storage tank (HS), an optimal scheduling model is established, which takes system operation cost, environmental pollution and penalty cost of abandoning wind and solar energy as objectives. Through the analysis of example results, it is proved that the model proposed in this paper can achieve the goal of reliable, low-carbon and economic operation of the system. At the same time, it shows that CSP unit can reduce the operation cost of system and increase energy coupling and utilization.

: Low-temperature growth of diamond films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method is not so widely reported and especially its initial periods of nucleation and growth phenomenon are of particular interest to the researchers. Four sets of substrates were selected for growing diamond films by linear antenna microwave plasma enhanced CVD (LA-MPCVD). Among them, silicon and sapphire substrates were pre-treated with detonation nanodiamond (DND) seeds before diamond growth for enhancement of its nucleation. On the other hand, carbon nanotube (CNT) films on Si substrates were also used as another template for LA-MPCVD diamond growth. In order to enhance the diamond nucleation during CVD growth, some of the CNT films were again pre-treated by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of diamond nanoparticles. All these substrates were then put inside the LA-MPCVD chamber for growing diamond films under variable processing conditions. Microwave input powers (1100 – 2800 W), input power modes (pulse or continuous), antenna to stage distances (5 - 6.5 cm), process gas recipes (with or without CO2), methane gas percentages (3 - 5%), deposition times (11 – 120 minutes) were altered to investigate their effect on the growth of diamond film on the pre-treated substrates. The substrate temperatures were found to vary from as low as 170oC to a maximum of 307oC during the alteration of the different processing parameters. Contrary to the conventional MPCVD, it was observed that during the first hour of LA-MPCVD diamond growth, DND seeds or the nucleating structures, do not coalesce together to make a continuous film. Deposition time was the most critical factor in fully covering the substrate surfaces with diamond film, since the substrate temperature could not become stable during the first hour of LA-MPCVD. CNT was found to be oxidised rapidly under LA-MPCVD plasma conditions; therefore, a CO2-free process gas recipe was used to reduce CNT burning. Moreover, EPD-coated CNT was found to be less oxidised by the LACVD plasma during diamond growth.

Nowadays, bioeconomy and nanotechnology trends push food packaging sector in the re-placement of food additives by biobased antioxidant/antibacterial compounds and their inclusion in nanocarriers to control their release. Herein by following this trend, a rich in thymol-(TO) activated carbon (AC) nanostructure (TO@AC) was prepared and physiochemically characterized with various technics. This TO@AC nanostructure as well as pure AC were extruded with low density polyethylene (LDPE) to develop novel active packaging LDPE/TO@AC and LDPE/AC films. X-ray diffractometry, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy measuraments shown high dispersity and capability of both AC and TO@AC in LDPE matrix which was resulted in enhanced tensile and water/oxygen barrier properties of obtained LDPE/AC and LDPE/TO@AC films. LDPE/TO@AC films shown higher elongation at break values and water/oxygen barrier than LDPE/AC films and significant antioxidant activity. TO release kinetics studies shown that by increasing TO@AC content the total TO amount released increased and the constant release rate decreased. Pork fillets wrapped with the optimum active film containing 15 wt.% TO@AC and succeed to prevent lipid oxidation and heme iron loss during storage. Estimation of microbial population of pork fillets shown that this active film could ex-tend the microbiological shelf-life of pork fillets by 2 days

An initial-boundary value problem is considered for one-dimensional isothermal equations of the dynamics of viscous compressible multicomponent media, which are a generalization of the Navier--Stokes equations. We prove the stabilization of the solution to the initial-boundary value problem while the time tends to infinity, without simplifying assumptions for the structure of the viscosity matrix, except for the standard physical requirements of symmetry and positive definitenes.

In recent decades, particularly intense changes have occurred in Spanish urban areas. This is the result of demographic and urbanizing transformations that have led to a change in the city model. The predominance of compact forms has been replaced by the growing prominence of urban sprawl. Structures are now more extensive, characterized, in turn, by fragmentation and notable consumption of land in the peripheries. In medium-sized cities, the municipalities bordering the central cities have concentrated the processes of suburbanization and periurbanization. This paper addresses the process of change for 34 cities and their urban areas located in inland Spain. A proposal is made for the delimitation and characterization of urban areas, taking the municipality as the unit of analysis. At the methodological level, six variables are used, analyzed by means of multicriteria statistical techniques combined with the use of GIS tools. An Urban Transformation Index (ITU) has been developed that synthesizes urbanizing, demographic and socioeconomic dynamics. In the territorial area, the 20-minute isochrone is used as a reference. In the temporal domain, the period of analysis addresses the events of the first two decades of the twenty-first century.

The accumulation of process waste in the production line causes fluctuations, bottlenecks, and increased inventory in workstations disrupting process flow. In this paper, the aim is the use a simulated value stream mapping (SVSM) as a lean assessment tool for decision-making in the continuous improvement process to influence and provide consideration and consistency on productivity improvement in the production system. The proposed methodology applied discrete event simulation for production process operations improvement to eliminate non-value adding times and provides good quality products at the lowest cost and highest efficiency. The results are the analysis of the current state of the production system in a South African truck manufacturing industry small and medium enterprise (SMEs) as a potential solution for the production system future state. The identified non-value adding times in the 6 most critical workstations was eliminated by SVSM which resulted in a productivity improvement of 4%, most importantly bringing the productivity to 95% and total cycle time improvement to 451 for small units and 466 for large units. The results proposed combined VSM and Simulation techniques which enhance the LEAN application by DES to increase productivity and performance improvement to remain competitive in the global economy.

Malassezia species are fastidious and slow-growing yeasts whose isolation from polymicrobial samples is hampered by fast-growing microorganisms. Malassezia selective culture media are needed because Malassezia are resistant to cycloheximide, but some fungi, including the chief human commensal Candida albicans resist to this compound. This study aimed to test whether the macrolide rapamycin could be used in combination with cycloheximide to develop a Malassezia-selective culture medium. Rapamycin susceptibility testing was performed via microdilution assays in modified Dixon against M. furfur and five Candida spp. The MIC was the lowest concentration producing 90% growth inhibition. Rapamycin medium ± cycloheximide 500 mg/L was also added to FastFung solid and yeast suspensions were inoculated and incubated for 72h. Rapamycin MICs against Candida spp. ranged from 0.5 to 2 mg/L, except for C. krusei whose MIC was &gt;32 mg/L. M. furfur stains were rapamycin resistant. Rapamycin and cycloheximide supplementation of the FastFung medium effectively inhibited the growth of non-Malassezia yeast, including the cycloheximide-resistant C. albicans and C. tropicalis. Based on our findings, we recommend using this “MalaSelect” medium for Malassezia isolation and culture from polymicrobial samples.

There are four commercial pathways to make grill charcoal from wood. These have been modelled to calculate a carbon intensity (CI) for each. Results are presented along with discussion of the sensitivities: biogenic carbon; quality of the charcoal; classification of products, wastes and residues; and division of burden. Grill charcoal’s CI ranges greatly, depending on the pathway by which it is produced. Wood distillation, a commercial process that once was common but now is rare, has a CI 50+% lower than that of the next-lowest commercial process, Kilns. Earth mounds/pits and external-fuelled Retorts have CIs considerably higher still. The carbon efficiency (CE) of Wood distillation is more than twice that of the next-best, again Kilns. CE is defined as normalised, total carbon emitted. This is not the same as CI, it is not usually considered in studies such as this, yet it is important for climate impact. CE could be a useful measure in assessments (such as this) where biogenic carbon is significant.

Propagation of electromagnetic (EM) waves inside and on the surface of the human body is the subject of active research in area of biomedical applications. This research area is the basis for wireless monitoring of biological object parameters and characteristics. Much attention has been paid to radio-frequency identification systems, which are intended for biomedical applications. Solutions to the following problems are crucial to achieve the stated goals in the area of wireless monitoring: EM wave propagation inside regular and multilayer biological media, through the interface between different media, and on-body surface wave propagation. The biological object monitoring is based on a consideration of the followingprocesses: a) propagation of the EM wave in a biological medium considered as the dielectric with a high dielectric permittivity and substantial conductivity; b) penetration of the EM wave through the biological medium–air interface (wave reflection and refraction); c) propagation of the EM wave in a multi-layer biological medium; d) propagation of the EM wave along the plane or curved surface of biological objects.

Sperm capacitation involves biochemical and physiological changes that enable sperm to fertilize the oocyte. It can be induced in vitro under controlled conditions that simulate the environment of the oviduct. While extensively studied in mammals, its approach in lizards remains absent. Understanding the mechanisms that facilitate reproduction is essential for advancing the implementation of assisted reproductive technologies in this group. Fifteen males of Sceloporus torquatus were collected during the early stage of the reproductive season. The sperm were isolated from the seminal plasma and then diluted up to a volume of 150 μl using BWW medium to incubate with 5% CO2 at 30 °C for a maximum duration of 3 hours. A fraction was retrieved hourly for ongoing sperm assessment. We found that total motility is maintained up to 2 hours post-incubation, after which it decreased. However, sperm viability remained constant. From that moment on, we observed a transition to a deeper and less symmetrical flagellar bending in many spermatozoa. The chlortetracycline assay indicated a reduction in the percentage of sperm showing the F pattern and an increase in those exhibiting the capacitated (B) and reactive (RA) patterns, accompanied by an elevation in the percentage of damaged acrosomes as revealed by the lectin binding assay. In mammals, these changes are often associated with sperm capacitation. These observations support the notion that this process may also occur in saurian.

The paper presents the results of modeling the problem of injecting liquid sulfur dioxide into a porous reservoir initially saturated with methane and ice. The model presented in the paper assumes the formation of three different regions, namely, the near one, saturated with liquid SO2 and its hydrate; the far one, containing methane and ice, and the intermediate one, saturated with methane and water. The effects of various parameters of the porous medium and injected SO2 on the nature of the course of the hydrate formation process have been studied. It is shown that with a decrease in reservoir permeability or injection pressure, the length of the intermediate region decreases, which in the limiting case means the formation of SO2 hydrate in the mode without the formation of an extended region saturated with methane and water. It is shown that such a regime is also typical for the case of high initial injection pressures, as well as low values of the initial reservoir temperature and injection temperature.

The study of a flexible body immersed in a flowing medium is one of best way to find its aerodynamic shape. This Letter revisited the problem first studied by Alben, Shelley and Zhang (Nature 420, 479-481, 2002). The aerodynamic shape of the fibre is found by simpler approach and universal drag scaling laws of the flexible fibre in flowing medium are proposed by using dimensional analysis. The Alben scaling laws is being generalized and confirmed to be universal. Our study show that the Alben number is a measurement of maximum curvature of the fibre forced by dynamic pressure. A complete Maple code is provided for finding aerodynamic shape of the fibre in the flowing medium.

Candida auris is an emerging multidrug resistant yeast causing nosocomial infections and associated with high mortality in immunocompromised patients. Rapid identification and characterisation is necessary for its diagnosis and containing spread. In this study, we present a selective culture medium for all C. auris clades. This medium is sensitive with a limit of detection of 102 CFU/ml. The 100% specificity of SCA (Specific C. auris) medium is confirmed on a set of 134 Candida strains, 50 bacterial species and 200 human stool samples. Thus, this medium specifically selects for C. auris isolation from clinical samples, and allows studying its phenotypic profile.

It is a theoretical exportation for mass transpiration and thermal transpiration of Casson nanofluid over an extending cylindrical surface. The Stagnation point flow through porous matrix is influenced by magnetic field of form strength. Appropriate similarity functions are availed to yield the transmuted system of leading differential equations. Existence for the solution of momentum equation is proved for various values of Casson parameter β, magnetic parameter M, porosity parameter Kp and Raynolds number Re in two situations of mass transpiration (suction/injuction). Moreover, uniqueness results are discussed and for skin friction factor are established to attain accuracy for large injection values. Thermal and concentration profiles are delineated numerically by applying Runge-Kutta method and shooting technique.

Metal foams are widely studied as possible tools for the enhancement of heat transfer from hot bodies. The basic idea is that a metal foam tends to increase significantly the heat exchange area between the hot solid body and the external cooling fluid. For this reason, this class of porous materials are considered as good candidates for an alternative to finned surfaces, with different pros and cons. Among the pros, we mention the generally wider area of contact between solid and fluid. Among the cons is the difficulty of producing different specimens with the same inner structure, with the consequence that their performance may be significantly variable. This paper will offer a survey of the literature with a focus on the main heat transfer characteristics of the metal foams. Then, a numerical simulation of the heat transfer at the pore scale level for an artificial foam with a spatially periodic structure will be discussed. Finally, these numerical results will be employed to assess the macroscopic modelling of the flow and heat transfer in a metal foam.

Forests are crucial natural resources in Indonesia, storing significant biodiversity and providing essential benefits for both the environment and people's livelihoods. They contribute significantly to the country's economy, support local communities, and play a vital role in mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration. This study examines the carbon storage valuation in tree forests of Telaga Warna National Park, Indonesia, highlighting the importance of preserving forests for carbon sequestration and climate resilience. The data was collected within a subplot measuring 10x10 meters, and for trees within a plot measuring 20x20 meters. The study focuses on pole and tree species. Based on the data obtained, it is found that the dominant vegetation in Telaga Warna National Park is Riung Anak / Casitanopsis javanica, with a potential carbon value of US$ 2.96 per Ha for pole species and US$ 98.49 for tree species.

In a globalised economy, metropolises seem to have an ‘extra gear’ compared to other urban centres: they attract the most skilled businesses, drive innovation in many fields and can count on material and immaterial assets that foster greater resilience to adverse events of various kinds. Against this backdrop, what lies ahead for medium-sized cities (MSCs)? This paper focuses on the case of Northern Italy and explores employment trends between 2012 and 2020 in 189 MSCs with a population of between 20,000 and 200,000 inhabitants. Using a descriptive approach, we investigate the evolutionary trajectories of these cities and their varying specialisations, over a period marked by a moderate recovery of the Italian economy following the Great Recession and by a further setback caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In general, in terms of employment performance, the 189 cities in question were less dynamic than the metropolises, but it is nevertheless necessary to look at their individual circumstances in detail. Furthermore, the work shows significant differences between the MSCSs of the North-West and North-East in evolutionary trajectories and specialisation profiles. The most problematic situations also relate to cities with hub status in the wider context and are not focused only where there is a production structure linked to industry.

Medium-deep Borehole Heat exchanger (MBHE) has been widely paid attention for building heating. In order to avoid the thermal interference of adjacent MBHEs, temperature distribution characteristics of medium-deep rock-soil was investigated in this work. The evolution on maximum rock-soil thermal affected radius (MTAR) in full life cycle was further analyzed. The results showed that the rock-soil thermal affected area (RTAA) continuously expands in both radial and vertical directions during a heating season. Several factors of thermal extraction load, fluid velocity, geothermal gradient and pipe length have main impacts on the RTAA in vertical direction. Rock-soil thermal conductivity affects the RTAA in both radial and vertical directions. In non-heating season, temperature difference of rock-soil in radial direction dominates the temperature recovery in the first year while geothermal flow nearly dominates temperature recovery after 20 years. The thermal affected radius (TAR) in the 30 th year could be determined as an effective MTAR in full life cycle. In order to decrease installed distance of adjacent MBHEs, a new well layout form by deflecting borehole was proposed. The recommended deflection angle is equal to or larger than 4 times TAR angle. This work provides scientific reference for promoting application of multiple MBHE arrays.

: This work introduces the instrument design of the medium energy proton detector (MEPD, detection range: 30keV-5MeV) mounted on the Chinese Fengyun-4B (FY-4B) satellite. Compared with the similar detector on the Fengyun-3E (FY-3E) satellite, the instrument has undergone significant changes due to the different orbital radiation environment and solar lighting conditions. Based on the calculation of radiation model AP8, the geometry factor is reduced to 0.002 cm2sr, while the MEPD on FY-3E satellite is 0.005 cm2sr. Another difference is that sensors in some directions is exposed to direct sunlight for 80 minutes every day on this orbit, depending on the attitude angle of the satellite, which is much worse than that on FY-3E satellite. According to the calculation results of permeability of photons through different materials, a 100 nm thickness nickel film is added in front of sensors in order to eliminate light pollution completely. The experiment on the solar simulator shows that the measure is effective and the detector has no error counts when the solar irradiance coefficient is 1.0. In addition, Geant4 software is applied to simulate particle transportation process under complete machine condition so that to check the contamination of electrons on sensors among all directions after magnetic deflection. Data obtained in orbit shows that the instrument works properly, and the data is in good agreement with the AP8 model. The observations of the MEPD on board the FY-4B satellite can provide important support for the safety of the spacecraft and the theoretical research related to space weather.

This research focuses on exploring gravitational lensing of the wormhole in Einstein-bumblebee gravity with an antisymmetric tensor. The Gibbons and Werner technique based on the Gauss-Bonnet theorem is utilized to calculate the bending angle of light. The effects of non-plasma and plasma medium on the bending angles are investigated. Furthermore, we examine the deflection angle $\Tilde{\alpha}$ in relation to the impact parameter $\sigma$ and minimal radius $r_{0}$ in both non-plasma and plasma mediums. Our findings indicate that the deflection angle is positively correlated with $r_{0}$, meaning that larger values of $r_{0}$ result in larger deflection angles and smaller values of $r_{0}$ result in smaller deflection angles. On the other hand, the deflection angle $\Tilde{\alpha}$ is inversely related to the impact parameter $\sigma$.

The onset of the thermal instability is investigated in a porous channel with plane parallel boundaries saturated by a non–Newtonian shear–thinning fluid and subject to a horizontal throughflow. The Ellis model is adopted to describe the fluid rheology. Both horizontal boundaries are assumed to be impermeable. A uniform heat flux is supplied through the lower boundary, while the upper boundary is kept at a uniform temperature. Such an asymmetric setup of the thermal boundary conditions is analysed via a numerical solution of the linear stability eigenvalue problem. The linear stability analysis is developed for three–dimensional normal modes of perturbation showing that the transverse modes are the most unstable. The destabilising effect of the non-Newtonian shear–thinning character of the fluid is also demonstrated as compared to the behaviour displayed, for the same flow configuration, by a Newtonian fluid.

The article is devoted to issues related to the propagation and transformation of vortexes in the optical range of frequency. Within the framework of the traditional and modified model of slowly varying envelope approximation (SVEA), the process of converting vortex beams of the optical domain into vortex beams of the terahertz radio range based on nonlinear generation of a difference frequency in a medium with a second-order susceptibility is considered. The modified SVEA splits a slowly varying amplitude into two factors, which makes it possible to more accurately describe the three-wave mixing process. The theoretical substantiation of the rule of vortex beams topological charges conversion is given – the topological charge of the output radio-vortex beam is equal to the difference between the topological charges of the input optical vortex beams. A numerical simulation model of the processes under consideration has been implemented and analyzed.

This studies the plasmonic properties of the bimetallic quantum dot Ag@Au core-shell nanostructures embedded in the non-absorbent host medium. Local field enhancement factor and coefficient of absorption of Ag-core and Au-shell are primarily studied based on quasi-static approximation of classical electrodynamics for 6-10 nm composite radius. In this quantum dot geometry, two set of plasmonic resonances in visible spectral region are observed: the first resonance associated with inner interface of gold (Ag@Au) and the second resonance associated with outer interface of gold (Au@medium). The two plasmonic resonances are close each other and enhanced when the size of composite decreased for a fixed core size while shifted to in opposite direction and the amplitude of peak decreased when the core size is increased for a fixed composite size. For the optimized size of core/composite or shell thickness and other parameters to the desired values, such type of composites are recommended for various applications like; photocatalysis, biomedical, nano-optoelectronics.

The technique of superposition of motions in the space of Lagrange variables is described, which allows us to obtain the equations of combined motion by replacing the Lagrange variables of superimposed (external) motion with Euler variables of nested (internal) motion. The components of velocity and acceleration in the combined motion obtained as a result of differentiating the equations of motion in time coincide with the results of vector addition of the velocities and accelerations of the particles involved in the superimposed motions at each moment of time. Examples of motion and superposition descriptions for absolutely solid and deformable bodies with equations for the main kinematic characteristics of motion, including for robot manipulators with three independent drives, pressing with torsion, bending with tension, and cross– helical rolling, are given. For example, given the fragment of calculation of forces in the kinematic pairs shown the advantages of the description of motion in Lagrangian form for the dynamic analysis of lever mechanisms, allows to determine the required external exposure when performing the energy conservation law at any time in any part of the mechanism.

Teaching through English Medium Instruction (EMI) has been a strategic move in some European and Asian countries as part of their educational internationalisation. A large number of studies on EMI teaching have appeared in the last decade. The majority of these report on issues and concerns at macro-level including: the lack of structured policy guidance, EMI lecturers and students’ low level of English proficiency, and a shortfall of research informed training programs for EMI lecturers. Up to date, there is little research into EMI in-class teaching and learning. Lived experience in EMI in-class practice has been largely ignored. To fill this gap, this research explored a group of academics’ in-class EMI practice in a Chinese university. Their teaching process through EMI was observed and recorded, with data analysed through a multiple theoretical lens. Data reveal that EMI teaching is a complicated issue and can be neither standardised nor prescribed. It needs to be addressed as a pedagogy responding to and influenced by local context, driven by language, culture and education systems. This research is expected to provide insight for the development of localised institutional guidelines for EMI teaching and lecturers’ professional development in EMI teaching.

A scientific consensus is emerging on the benefits of dc distribution in medium voltage power systems of ships and cities. At least 50% space savings and increased power transfer capacity are estimated with enhanced voltage dc operation of electric cables. The goal of this research is to contribute to developing the empirical knowledge on the insulation performance in order to validate the feasibility of such anticipated gains of dc versus ac, and to determine the comparative impact of different operational conditions from a component engineering point of view. The partial discharge (PD) activity in cables is measured under ac and dc conditions as an indicator of insulation performance. Specifically, PDs in defects at the semicon-insulation interface are studied in terms of inception voltage, repetition rate and discharge magnitude. Empirical understanding is drawn for operating voltage and frequency dependence of the discharge behavior in such voids in the range of 10 to 20\,kV and 0 to 0.1\,Hz, respectively. The change in PD activity with void evolution is explored.

In this paper, the methods and their analysis for estimating the location of three dimension (3-D) single source buried in lossy medium are presented with uniform circular array (UCA). The mathematical model of the signal in the lossy medium is proposed. Using location information in the covariance matrix obtained by sensors’ output, the equations of the source location (azimuth angle, elevation angle and range) are obtained. The phase and amplitude of the covariance matrix function are used to process these equations respectively. Then, the phase and amplitude of the covariance matrix function are used to process the source localization in the conductive medium together. By analyzing the characteristics of the proposed methods and MUSIC method, the computational complexity and the valid range of these methods are given. From the results, whether the loss is known, we can choose the appropriate method to process the issues (localization in lossless medium or lossy medium).

This review contains a popular presentation of the history of carbon nanostructure discovery, a short description of the main approaches to production and investigation of such objects and consideration of the most perspective ways of their applied usage.

Forest plantations can substantially contribute to carbon sequestration and greenhouse gases (GHG) mitigation at the country and global scale. Forest fires (specially when combined with droughts) may significantly reduce such carbon sequestration capability. IPCC has global scale estimates for such losses, but they can vary widely depending on crops, climate, topography and management, among others. IPCC defines a factor for biomass loss as a consequence of forest fires, expressed as a fraction of total biomass. This methodology implies using aggregated data and the default emission factor, being only recommended for countries where wildfires are not a key category. In Chile, and over the last decade, there are between 5,000 to 8,000 wildfires annually (average 6,398 for the period 2011-2020), burning an average of 122,328 hectares each year. Countries may progress in the refinement of such factors depending on the availability and reliability of local values. This paper aims at estimating C_f values for the main forest plantation species in Chile: Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus nitens, and Eucalyptus globulus, across different age-classes and forest fire severities. To this aim we assessed the biomass loss after forest fires for a stratified sample of forest plots for the season 2018-2019. We fitted a model to predict the amount of biomass loss during fires, and in this way, predict the emissions associated to wildfires. The model employs very simple predictive variables, age and species, because statistics for burnt areas in plantations are only provided by age-classes and species, without details about productivity or management.

Banana plantation is an important type of agro-ecosystem in the tropics, and it is important to carry out a quantitative assessment of the carbon footprint of the banana growing process for the development of low-carbon agriculture to cope with global warming. The carbon footprint of two banana cultivation processes was assessed using the life cycle assessment method through field trials and farmer surveys in Chengmai County, Hainan Province, China. The results showed that: (1) N2O emissions caused by the application of nitrogen fertilizers and compound nitrogen fertilizers were the largest source of carbon emissions from banana plantation farmland, and the production and transportation of common compound fertilizer were the second largest source of carbon emissions. Banana fruits and plants were the main contributors to carbon fixation in banana plantation ecosystems, with about 24.72 t CO2 eq hm-2 for Musa paradisiaca AA, and 34.66 t CO2 eq hm-2 for M. AAA Cavendish var. Brazil. (2) The annual carbon emissions of Musa paradisiaca AA and M. AAA Cavendish var. Brazil farmland systems were 35.40 t CO2 eq·hm-2 and 43.83 t CO2 eq·hm-2, respectively, and the annual carbon fixation was 38.23 CO2 eq·hm-2 and 48.17 CO2 eq·hm-2, respectively. The banana plantations had a negative carbon footprint per unit area, showing a net carbon sink function. (3) Banana is a plant with high carbon emission and strong carbon fixation capacity. Scientific management in the field can achieve the decrease of agricultural inputs, high quality and abundant agricultural products, and the reduction of carbon footprint of farmland.

With the changes in the spatial structure of China's economic development, urban clusters have become the primary carriers of China's regional economy and green growth. The article uses annual data from 2010 to 2021 to study the carbon emission characteristics and carbon reduction pathways of 36 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region. Firstly, cities in the Yangtze River Delta region are divided into six carbon emission types based on decoupling elasticity coefficient and carbon intensity indicators. Then, the STIRPAT model is used to regress the panel data of different carbon emission types for 11 years, analyze the driving factors of carbon emissions, and develop differentiated carbon emission reduction paths for cities with six carbon emission types. According to the results, the city of Type I needs to accelerate low-carbon technology innovation, Type II needs to improve energy efficiency and strengthen low-carbon technology research and development, Type V needs to suppress foreign investment in high energy consumption and high emission projects in the local area, Type VI needs to accelerate the process of new urbanization and optimize industrial structure. Types III and IV have not received effective emission reduction paths, and further research is required on other emission reduction policies and measures.

Energy-related greenhouse gas emissions dominate the carbon footprints of most product systems, and petroleum is one of the main types of energy sources. This is consumed as a variety of refined products – most notably diesel, petrol (gasoline) and jet fuel (kerosene). Refined product carbon footprints are of great importance to regulators, policymakers and environmental decision-makers. For instance, they are at the heart of legislation such as the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive or the United States’ Renewable Fuels Standard. This study identified 14 datasets that report footprints for the same system, European petroleum refining. For the main refined products – diesel, petrol and jet fuel – footprints vary by at least a factor of three. For minor products, the variation is even greater. Five different organs of the European Commission have estimated refining footprints: for main products these are relatively harmonic; for minor products much less so. The footprint variation is due mainly to differing approaches to refinery modelling, especially regarding the rationale and methods applied to assign shares of the total burden from the petroleum refinery operation to the individual products. Given the economic/social importance of refined products, a better harmony of their footprints would be valuable to their users.

Many corporations aspire to become Net Zero Carbon Dioxide by 2030-2050. This paper examines what it will take. It requires understanding where energy is produced and consumed, the magnitude of CO2 generation, and the Carbon Cycle. Reviews are provided for prior technologies for reducing CO2 emissions from fossil to focus on their limitations and to show that none offer a complete solution. Both biofuels and CO2 sequestration reduce future CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. They will not remove CO2 already in the atmosphere. Planting trees has been proposed as one solution. Trees are a temporary solution. When they die, they decompose and release their carbon as CO2 to the atmosphere. The only way to permanently remove CO2 already in the atmosphere is to break the Carbon Cycle by growing biomass from atmospheric CO2 and sequestering biomass carbon. Permanent sequestration of leaves is proposed as a solution. Leaves have a short Carbon Cycle time constant. They renew and decompose every year. Theoretically, sequestrating a fraction of the world’s tree leaves can get the world to Net Zero without disturbing the underlying forests. This would be CO2 capture in its simplest and most natural form. Permanent sequestration may be achieved by redesigning landfills to discourage decomposition. In traditional landfills, waste undergoes several stages of decomposition, including rapid initial aerobic decomposition to CO2, followed by slow anaerobic decomposition to methane and CO2. The latter can take hundreds to thousands of years. Understanding landfill chemistry provides clues to disrupting decomposition at each phase.

Mangrove forests store and sequester large area-specific quantities of blue carbon (C_org). Except for tundra and peatlands, mangroves store more C_org per unit area than any other ecosystem. Mean mangrove C_org stock is 738.9 Mg C_org ha⁻¹ and mean global stock is 6.17 Pg C_org, which equates to only 0.4–7% of terrestrial ecosystem C_org stocks but 17% of total tropical marine C_org stocks. Seagrasses sequester more C_org per unit area than mangroves (179.6 g C_org m⁻²·a⁻¹) but twice the C_org sequestered by mangroves globally (15 Tg C_org a⁻¹). Mangroves sequester only 4% (range 1.3–8%) of C_org sequestered by terrestrial ecosystems, indicating that mangroves are a minor contributor to global C storage and sequestration. CO₂ emissions from mangrove losses equate to 0.036 Pg CO₂-equivalents a⁻¹ based on rates of C sequestration but 0.088 Pg CO₂-equivalents a⁻¹ based on complete destruction for conversion to aquaculture and agriculture. Mangrove CO₂ emissions account for only 0.2% of total global CO₂ emissions but 18% of CO₂ emissions from the tropical coastal ocean. Despite significant data limitations, the role of mangrove ecosystems in climate change mitigation is globally insignificant but may be more significant and effective at the national and regional scale.

“Blue carbon”, apart from marine humus, includes the carbon (C) stock of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, marshes, and seagrass meadows, which have been overlooked until recently. Information about the role of coastal wetlands in C sequestration and providing other ecosystem services is still insufficient. In the present study, we assessed the C reserves of soils and vegetation biomass in two complex coastal landscapes (tombolos) located on the coasts of the White and Baltic seas. The soil and plant C stocks were slightly higher at the plot at the Baltic Sea (93.4 ± 46.7 Mg C·ha-1 and 5.22 ± 2.51 Mg C·ha-1, respectively) than at the plot on the White Sea (71.4 ± 38.2 Mg C·ha-1 and 3.95 ± 2.42 Mg C·ha-1, respectively). We attributed the higher values of the C reserved to a warmer climate and less saline water at the plot on the Baltic Sea. Both soil and plant C showed high heterogeneity due to geomorphological complexity and differences in vegetative communities. The Phragmites australis community showed the highest plant biomass and, in some places, high soil C reserves. Allochthonous C contributed to the soil C stock at the site on the White Sea. Though P. australis sequestered more C than other communities, its effect on ecosystem services was mostly negative because the invasion of reeds reduced the biological diversity of the marshes.

Carbon dioxide, CO₂ accounts for most of the emission from all the types of greenhouse gasses in the world. The ability of CO₂ to remain longer than other greenhouse gases and the convenience of producing CO₂ has resulted in its high projection in a yearly manner. The prime factor for the emission of CO₂ are from the actions of human beings. One such human act is the concrete industry. Total emissions from the concrete industry could therefore contribute as much as 8% of global CO₂ emissions. Sequestered CO₂ in concrete can provide an impact on reducing the carbon footprint and is also able to improve the compressive strength of concrete. During this process, the sequestered carbon dioxide chemically reacts with cement to produce a mineral, trapping carbon dioxide gas in the concrete. Hence, sequestering carbon dioxide gas in concrete does not only on a bigger scale reduces carbon footprint, but it also reduces the impact the construction industry has on the environment. This paper presents a detailed review on the chemical reaction that takes place during the sequestration of carbon dioxide and the research published on the effects of carbon dioxide sequestered concrete on its properties. The impact this process has on the concrete industry and the environment is discussed in this paper.

The questions on who is entitled to benefit from REDD+ transactions remains one of the most controversially debated issues around cooperative efforts to reduce deforestation in developing countries. REDD+ has been conceived as international framework for voluntary efforts of developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon removals from forest activities. Designed as international framework under the UNFCCC that calculates emission reductions and removals (ERRs) at the national -and as an interim step on the subnational level – REDD+ is primarily a creature of international law. However, in defining forest-carbon ERRs the international framework competes with national emission trading systems and domestic REDD+ legislation as well as private standards that define units traded on the voluntary carbon market. The definition of various carbon units is closely linked to the question on who is entitled to participate in REDD+ and benefit from the sale of ERRs under results-based payment schemes or carbon market transactions. This paper applies a legal lens to the various claims to participate in REDD+ transactions. It tries to disentangle the various rights to ERRs, various carbon credits, and payments that come with REDD+ and that almost always create confusion and not seldom conflict around REDD+ implementation. The definition of carbon rights and the legal nature of carbon credits depends on local law and differs between countries. However, there are a number of legal considerations that apply and certain underlying concepts are relevant for the understanding of REDD+ transactions and the allocation of benefits and burdens of conservation activities.

The establishment of low carbon assessment initiatives is a crucial task especially at the city level. The determination of which source of carbon contributed more require robust data set and strategic approach. Hence, by using the campus as a small city approach, the establishment of carbon assessment and its’ reduction initiatives was required to keep track of the hotspot of the carbon source. The substantial amount of carbon source from campus operations such as energy consumption in the building, waste generation, and water consumption were identified. Moreover, as institutions of higher education, the execution of low carbon campus was initiated structurally involves the triangulation of research activities, teaching & learning and as well as campus operations or known as campus living lab approach. The application of low carbon cities framework, LCCF and assessment system enables to strategize the low carbon campus initiatives through the use of carbon footprint concept and the LCCF carbon track.

In order to improve the yield of the therapeutic agent N-methylsansalvamide (SA), optimization of stationary liquid fermentation conditions was carried out on an endophytic strain, Fusarium sp. R1, at flask level. Using a One-Factor-At-a-Time approach, the fermentation conditions for SA production were determined as follows: fermentation time of 13 d, 24 oC, initial pH of 6.5, seed age of 24 h, inoculum size of 5.0% (v/v), loading volume of 50% (v/v), 20.0 g/L salinity, and sucrose, tryptone, and yeast extract were found to be the best sources of carbon and nitrogen. Using response surface methodology, the optimal medium compositions consist of 22.5 g/L sucrose, 16.5 g/L tryptone, and 0.024 g/L yeast extract. Verification tests suggested that the SA yield under these optimal conditions reached up to 536.77 ± 2.67 mg/L, which was increased by almost ten times the initial yield (54.05 ± 3.45 mg/L). The findings indicate that a high SA production yield can be achieved by static culture of strain R1 under the proper fermentation conditions using a low-cost medium. This study paves the way towards industrial-scale SA production by strain R1 for new drug development.

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), strongly sustained by the European Community as a viable way to fasten low carbon transition, slowly develop in Italy for regulatory . This study delves into the framework of RECs and explores the perspective of the specifically small and medium industries in the Lombardy region of Italy through a survey. Our findings reveal that while SMEs exhibit interest in RECs, there is a notable gap in knowledge and engagement. We argue that the active involvement of Public Administration Bodies (PABs) is crucial in disseminating information about RECs and highlighting their benefits. The survey results, elaborated through a non-parametric test (Mann-Whitney U test) indicate that PABs play a pivotal role in influencing SMEs' perceptions and willingness to participate in RECs. The data suggest that more direct and effective communication strategies by PABs could significantly enhance SMEs' understanding and involvement in RECs. This research underscores the need for targeted and strategic efforts by PABs to foster a more informed and proactive approach among SMEs towards renewable energy initiatives. Such endeavors could be instrumental in accelerating the adoption of RECs, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient energy future.

The study focuses on the impact of new methods for inhibiting malolactic fermentation in white wines on their analytical and sensory properties. Enological preparations with different mecha-nisms of effect were tested: fumaric acid, chitosan, Estaan (a preparation based on tannin inhibi-tion), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), sulphur dioxide and a control variant where malolactic fermentation (MLF) was performed. The samples underwent analysis through HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) to determine concentrations of malic and lactic acid, as well as biogenic amines. GC (gas chromatography) analysis was used to monitor volatile sub-stances, alongside sensory evaluation. The study demonstrated a significant influence of indi-vidual enological preparations on the aromatic profile of the examined wines. The SO2 and MCFA variants exhibited the highest concentrations of volatile substances within the esters group, spe-cifically isoamyl acetate, 1-hexyl acetate and phenylethyl acetate. Conversely, the fumaric acid and Estaan variants displayed the lowest concentrations of these esters. The most notable disparities were observed in acetoin concentration, with the MCFA variant exhibiting the lowest values. Additionally, the chitosan variant showed higher concentrations of putrescine and spermidine compared to the MCFA and fumaric acid variants, which presented the lowest levels.

Castanea sativa Mill., an indigenous species of the mountainous Gabala region of Azerbaijan, where its local variety is now facing the danger of extinction. The preservation of this variety of European chestnut requires the development of effective strategies for reliable in vitro regeneration systems as an alternative to traditional methods, which has become the main objective of this study. In solving this problem, the generally accepted technique of micro-multiplication of axillary shoots was mainly used. First, a phased sterilization of was carried out using liquid soap, Previkur fungicide and mercury (II) chloride. DKW (Driver and Kuniyuki Walnut) nutrient medium was used for germination of explants, into which growth stimulants BAP (Benzilamunapurine), IBA (Indole - 3 butyric acid), IAA (Indole Acetic acid), NAA (Naphthalene Acetic Acid) and GA3 (Gibberelic acid) were introduced in various combinations and quantities. The test of the above-mentioned sterilization model revealed significant shortcomings in terms of the acceptability of the results obtained (16-77%). It was also found that the germination of explants takes 14 days and it is better to conduct it in a DKW environment containing hormones BAP (0.6 mg), IBA (0.1 mg) and GA3 (0.1 mg) / 1 L DKW. A mixture of BAP (0.1mg) + IBA (0.35 mg) is more suitable for the reproduction of grown explants + GA3 (0.2 mg) / 1 l DKW (the result is 3 new micro-plants for each explant), and for good root formation (it takes 30 days) – a mixture of IBA 1.0 mg + NAA 0.5 mg + IAA 0.5 mg / l L DKW. After the shoots have acquired a certain length (at least 1.5 cm), it is required to transfer them for 22 days to a DKW medium containing IBA (1 mg), IAA (0.5 mg) and NAA(0.5 mg) / l L DKW so that the root splitting process begins and ends.

Einstein’s theory of general relativity describes the gravitational field around massive objects ( like Earth) as a curvature in the spacetime. But it leaves the following question unanswered; why is the spacetime curved by a mass? Through a theory that has been introduced recently, regarding a medium for a light propagation, a simple answer is introduced. It depends on redefining the rest energy for a massive object ( like a planet) as new form of kinetic energy. For a static and spherically symmetric object, with a specific radius(

The narrow process window during intercritical annealing and discontinuous yielding have limited the commercialisation of medium Mn steels. In this study, a double annealing process based on the commercial continuous annealing line is proposed. The cold-rolled medium Mn steels were first fully austenitized and quenched during the first annealing, followed by the intercritical annealing for reverted austenite transformation. The microstructure of duplex lath-shaped austenite and ferrite is produced and the steel exhibit a desirable continuous yielding during tensile deformation. Al is added into the medium Mn steel to enlarge the process window and to improve partitioning efficiency of Mn. The produced steel is more robust with temperature fluctuation during the industrial process due to the enlarged intercritical region. Mn partitioning is more efficient owing to elevated annealing temperature, which results in the improvement of ductility in the Al-added steel with increased austenite stability.

This study investigated the roles of transactions cost in MSMEs access to finance. This was done by investigating the impact of transactions cost on access to credit from both MSMEs and financial institutions (commercial banks and microfinance banks). From the MSMEs’ side, borrowing experience, decision lag, firm size and borrowers’ distance to the loan office were investigated. On the financial institution’s side, the costs of information gathering, loan administration, monitoring and loan enforcement were investigated. We used the questionnaire survey method, in-depth interviews and case studies, as well as the annual financial statements of the banks. We identified interest rate and collateral value as constraints to access to finance for MSMEs. We also found financial institutions’ attitude to MSMEs access to credit was not friendly. Financial institutions need to do more to bring down transaction cost of lending. This hopefully can be achieved by investing more in agent banking which would lower operating costs, as well as spreading risk, and ultimately increase credit intermediation to small businesses.

The most massive and fast-eroding thaw slump of the Northern Hemisphere located in the Yana uplands of northern Yakutia was investigated to assess in detail the cryogenic inventory and carbon pools of two distinctive Ice Complex stratigraphic units and the uppermost cover deposits. Differentiating into modern and Holocene near-surface layers (active layer and shielding layer), highest total carbon contents were found in the active layer (18.7 kg m-2), while the shielding layer yielded much lower carbon content of 1.8 kg m-2. The late Pleistocene upper Ice Complex contained 10.4 kg m-2 total carbon, and the mid-Pleistocene lower Ice Complex 17.7 kg m-2. The proportion of organic carbon from total carbon content is well above 70% in all studied units with 94 % in the active layer, 73% in the shielding layer, 83% in the upper Ice Complex and 79% in the lower Ice Complex. Inorganic carbon is low in the overall structure of the deposits.