Search Results (2,238)

The main objective of the current work is to evaluate the effect of adding biochar obtained by pyrolysis of a mixture of greenhouse waste to agricultural soil, measuring its effectiveness as an amendment. A mixture of broccoli, zucchini, and tomato plant residues was pyrolyzed in a lab-scale reactor at 450 °C, obtaining a biochar yield of 35.6%. No carrier gas was used in the process. A thorough characterization of the biochar obtained was performed, including elemental and proximal analysis, density, pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, surface area, and metal content. Since the raw material had a high percentage of ash (approximately 20%), the resulting biochar contained around 50% inorganic matter, with potassium and calcium being the major metals detected (10–11%). This biochar had a 29% fixed carbon content, a high heating value of 11.5 MJ kg⁻¹, a cation exchange capacity of 477 mmol kg⁻¹, and an electrical conductivity of 16 mS cm⁻¹.The biochar was mixed with greenhouse soil and fertilizer to form a substrate to grow bean seeds, the crop selected for the study. Different experiments were carried out, varying the biochar, fertilizer, and soil percentages. By adding 0.5% biochar to a substrate containing 1% fertilizer, the bean production was increased by 24.5%. It is worth noting that by adding only 0.5% biochar to soil, the bean production reached higher values than when adding 1% fertilizer. Biochar produced from the studied biomass improved the productivity of agricultural soils. The avoidance of selective collection by farmers as well as the non-use of carrier gas in the pyrolysis process made the implementation of the pyrolysis system in situ easier. Consequently, this research has great potential for practical application in modest agricultural areas. Full article

Social media-based content entrepreneurship is evolving rapidly and emerging as a significant and growing form of employment. Generative AI (GenAI) offers content entrepreneurs a powerful tool for content creation; however, the technology can be abused to produce deepfakes, rumors, plagiarism, and other injurious content. This triggers value co-destruction across the creator economy and society, making it particularly crucial to enhance content entrepreneurs’ compliance with GenAI policies. Aiming to develop an effective governance framework, this study adopts a mixed-methods approach, beginning with exploratory interviews to uncover factors affecting GenAI policy compliance intention. Subsequently, it employs confirmatory quantitative research with a survey to validate the proposed research model. The results indicate that both the deterrence triad (i.e., perceived sanction certainty, severity, and celerity) and perceived social norm strengthen GenAI policy compliance intention. Meanwhile, perceived social norm weakens the impact of perceived sanction certainty on policy compliance intention. Furthermore, peer communication enhances policy compliance intention by increasing perceptions of sanction certainty and celerity as well as social norm. These findings contribute to the sustainable development of content entrepreneurship and effective GenAI governance, fostering a symbiotic creator economy. Full article

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials are increasingly used in the construction and transportation industries, generating growing volumes of waste. This study applied a machine learning model to predict the compressive strength of eco-friendly concrete incorporating recycled glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) waste. Based on 119 laboratory mixes, the model achieved a good prediction accuracy (R² = 0.8284 on the test set). The analysis indicated that compressive strength tends to decrease at higher GFRP dosages, with relatively favorable performance observed at low contents. The two most influential factors were the water-to-cement ratio and the total GFRP content. The physical form of the recycled material was also important: powders and fibers generally showed positive effects, while coarse aggregate replacement was less effective. This machine learning-based approach offers preliminary quantitative guidance on mix design with GFRP waste and highlights opportunities for reusing industrial by-products in more sustainable concretes. Full article

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) has become an innovative pedagogical strategy that promotes the internationalization of curricula and the development of transversal competencies. In architecture, its implementation is particularly relevant because there is a growing need to train professionals capable of leading and collaborating in global and interdisciplinary contexts. However, evidence of COIL’s impact during the early stages of higher education in Latin America remains limited. This study analyzed the experience of 39 architecture students from the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa (Peru), who collaborated with peers from Mexico in a five-week COIL project focused on design methodologies for vulnerable populations. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study assessed students’ competencies in leadership, self-regulation in virtual learning, and emotional intelligence and teamwork through pre- and post-experience questionnaires complemented with open-ended questions. Findings indicate that although students’ self-perceptions of their competencies remained at medium-to-high levels overall, changes occurred differently among groups: students with initially low self-assessment scores showed improvements, whereas those with initially high scores tended to moderate their self-assessment. Qualitative analysis highlighted barriers such as limited communication, time zone differences, and unequal participation. Overall, the results suggest that the COIL experience not only supported the development of competencies but also fostered critical reflection and a more realistic self-assessment of students’ competencies in virtual and intercultural contexts. Full article

This study evaluates the environmental impacts of shipbuilding materials through life cycle assessment (LCA) and assesses potential exposure under the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Three representative vessel types, a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC), a bulk carrier, and a container ship, were analyzed across scenarios reflecting different steelmaking routes, recycling rates, and regional energy mixes. Results show that structural steel (AH36, EH36, DH36, A/B grades) overwhelmingly dominates embedded emissions, while aluminium and copper contribute secondarily but with high sensitivity to recycling and energy pathways. Coatings, polymers, and yard processes add smaller but non-negligible effects. Scenario-based CBAM cost estimates for 2026–2030 indicate rising liabilities, with container vessels facing the highest exposure, followed by bulk carriers and PCTCs. The findings highlight the strategic importance of steel sourcing, recycling strategies, and verifiable supply chain data for reducing embedded emissions and mitigating financial risks. While operational emissions still dominate the life cycle, the relative importance of construction-phase emissions will grow as shipping decarbonizes. Current EU-level discussions on extending CBAM to maritime services, together with recognition of domestic carbon pricing as a potential pathway to reduce liabilities, underscore regulatory uncertainty and emphasize the need for harmonized methods, transparent datasets, and digital integration to support decarbonization. Full article

Microplastic pollution is an escalating environmental and public health issue. Defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, microplastics have been found in oceans, rivers, food, drinking water, air, and even human tissues. While scientific research on microplastics has expanded significantly, public understanding and behavioral change remain limited. This literature scan synthesizes global findings on public awareness, perceptions, and responses to microplastics, drawing from surveys, focus groups, and online behavioral data collected by existing studies. It explores the following: (1) general knowledge and perceived environmental and health risks; (2) trust in scientific and governmental sources; (3) willingness to adopt behavioral changes; (4) attitudes toward policy and corporate responsibility. Public concern is high, especially regarding marine life and food safety, but varies across populations based on education, socioeconomic status, and media exposure. Despite growing concern, psychological distance and persistent knowledge gaps hinder meaningful action. Communication strategies such as school programs, media campaigns, and eco-labels show mixed success, while regulatory interventions like plastic bags or microbead bans are more effective when supported by clear public messaging. This literature scan highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to close the knowledge–behavior–policy gap and strengthen public engagement, particularly in urban settings where consumption and waste generation are concentrated. Full article

Background: currently, there is a growing trend toward multifunctional cosmetics, which combine several active ingredients in a single product to enhance efficacy and user convenience. As ingredients may influence one another, it is important to study the behavior of mixing multiple compounds in complex formulations, especially regarding their interaction with the skin. Piceatannol, for instance, is a naturally occurring stilbene recognized for its in vitro potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging activities, making it a promising candidate for dermocosmetic use in suncare. But despite its beneficial biological activities, its cutaneous permeation remains poorly understood, particularly when delivered from complex formulations containing multiple ingredients. Objectives: in this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the in vitro skin diffusion profile of piceatannol from a passion fruit seed extract (P_ext) incorporated into a topical base (B_em) or an organic sunscreen emulsion (O_em), with or without a spilanthol-rich Acmella oleracea extract (J_ext) used as a natural permeation enhancer. Methods: due to ethical and variability issues with human and animal skins, the Strat-M™ synthetic membrane was chosen as a standardized model for the in vitro skin permeation assays. Piceatannol localization within membrane layers was examined by confocal Raman microscopy (CRM), while compound identification in donor and receptor compartments was performed via UHPLC-DAD. Results: piceatannol from B_em was detected up to 140 µm from the Strat-M™ surface and exceeded 180 µm in depth when J_ext and organic sunscreens were included in the formulation. Notably, formulations containing J_ext and those based on O_em promoted enhanced accumulation in both the stratum corneum and deeper skin layers, suggesting an improved delivery potential in lipid-rich vehicles. Conclusions: even though some instability issues were observed, piceatannol penetration into Strat-M™ from the proposed formulations was confirmed, and the results provide a foundation for further research on its topical delivery, supporting the rational development of formulations capable of harnessing its demonstrated biological properties. Full article

The growing demand for reliable long-term traffic forecasting has become increasingly critical in the development of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). However, capturing both strong periodic patterns and long-range temporal dependencies presents a significant challenge, and existing approaches often fail to balance these factors effectively, resulting in unstable or suboptimal predictions. To address this issue, we propose MixModel, a novel hybrid framework that integrates TimesNet and Informer to leverage their complementary strengths. Specifically, the TimesNet branch extracts periodic variations through frequency-domain decomposition and multi-scale convolution, while the Informer branch employs ProbSparse attention to efficiently capture long-range dependencies across extended horizons. By unifying these capabilities, MixModel achieves enhanced forecasting accuracy, robustness, and stability compared with state-of-the-art baselines. Extensive experiments on real-world highway datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our model, highlighting its potential for advancing large-scale urban traffic management and planning. To the best of our knowledge, MixModel is the first hybrid framework that explicitly bridges frequency-domain periodic modeling and efficient long-range dependency learning for long-term traffic forecasting, establishing a new benchmark for future research in Intelligent Transportation Systems. Full article

Intensive pig production practices may shape cognition and behavior. We evaluated whether repeated regrouping (mixing) and gender (gilts vs. barrows) affect social interactions, fear-related responses, and affective state. A total of 96 growing pigs were separated into two treatments: control—pigs that were mixed once during the growing–finishing period; and social stress—pigs that were mixed thrice during the growing–finishing period. Social and non-social behaviors were directly noted, and four behavioral tests were conducted: open field, novel object, couples, and judgment bias tests. The statistical analysis compared gender and treatment, and p-values ≤ 0.05 were considered significant. Females stayed longer in the test pen entrance area during the novel object test and barrows spent more time at the feeder and defecated more during the couples’ test. With regard to the judgment bias test, females took longer to be considered trained in the discriminatory learning task and presented a “pessimistic judgment” during the ambiguous cue. Our results suggest that gender influences judgment bias in pigs and can influence social and non-social behavior, which may reflect a negative affective state with implications for their welfare and management. Full article

Electrical grids are currently facing new demands due to increased power consumption, growing interconnections, and limitations regarding transmission capacity. These factors introduce considerable challenges for the dispatch and operation of large-scale power systems, often resulting in congestion, energy losses, and high operating costs. To address these issues, this study presents a transmission line switching strategy, which is formulated as an optimal power flow problem with binary variables and solved via mixed-integer nonlinear programming. The proposed methodology was tested using MATLAB’s MATPOWER toolbox version 8.1, focusing on power systems with five and 3374 nodes. The results demonstrate that operating costs can be reduced by redistributing power generation while observing the system’s reliability constraints. In particular, disconnecting line 6 in the 5-bus system yielded a 13.61% cost reduction, and removing line 1116 in the 3374-bus system yielded cost savings of 0.0729%. These findings underscore the potential of transmission line switching in enhancing the operational efficiency and sustainability of large-scale power systems. Full article

Plastic waste, particularly polyethylene terephthalate (PET), poses a growing environmental challenge. This study investigates the feasibility of incorporating recycled PET into clay bricks as a sustainable alternative in construction. Bricks were fabricated with 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% PET content. Clay characterization included particle size distribution, Atterberg limits, and moisture content. Physical and mechanical tests evaluated dimensional variability, void percentage, warping, water absorption, suction, unit compressive strength ($f_b^{\prime }$), and prism compressive strength ($f_m^{\prime }$). Statistical analysis (Shapiro–Wilk, p < 0.05) validated the results. PET addition improved physical properties—reducing water absorption, suction, and voids—while slightly compromising mechanical strength. The 15% PET mix showed the best overall performance ($f_b^{\prime }$ = 24.00 kg/cm²; $f_m^{\prime }$ = 20.40 kg/cm²), with uniform deformation and lower absorption (18.7%). Recycled PET enhances key physical attributes of clay bricks, supporting its use in eco-friendly construction. However, reduced compressive strength limits its structural applications. Optimizing PET particle size, clay type, and firing conditions is essential to improve load-bearing capacity. Current formulations are promising for non-structural uses, contributing to circular material strategies. Full article

To meet gas turbines’ growing demand for high-performance thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), this study addresses the limitations of traditional single-layer 8% Y₂O₃-stabilized ZrO₂ (YSZ) coatings in high-temperature corrosive environments. Atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) was used to fabricate the double-ceramic TBCs with (Sm_0.2Gd_0.2Dy_0.2Er_0.2Yb_0.2)₂(Zr_0.7Hf_0.3)₂O₇ (RHZ) as the outer layer and YSZ as the inner layer; thermal cycling corrosion tests (1000 °C, Na₂SO₄ + V₂O₅ molten salt) were conducted to compare its performance with traditional single-layer YSZ. The results showed that the YSZ corrosion products were m-ZrO₂ and YVO₄, while RHZ/YSZ produced rare-earth vanadates, m-(Zr,Hf)O₂, and t′-(Zr,Hf)O₂, and corrosion degree was positively correlated with salt concentration (which was more impactful) and the number of cycles. Both coatings failed via molten salt penetration, thermochemical reaction, and crack-induced spallation. The corrosion mechanism between the RHZ/YSZ coating and the mixed salt can be explained based on the Lewis acid–base theory and the optical basicity. The RHZ layer on the surface of RHZ/YSZ coatings indeed hinders the penetration of corrosive molten salts into the underlying YSZ layer to some extent. Full article

Cyberattacks on pipeline operational technology systems pose growing risks to energy infrastructure. This study develops a physics-informed simulation and optimization framework for analyzing cyber–physical threats in petroleum pipeline networks. The model integrates networked hydraulic dynamics, SCADA-based state estimation, model predictive control (MPC), and a bilevel formulation for stealthy false-data injection (FDI) attacks. Pipeline flow and pressure dynamics are modeled on a directed graph using nodal pressure evolution and edge-based Weymouth-type relations, including control-aware equipment such as valves and compressors. An extended Kalman filter estimates the full network state from partial SCADA telemetry. The controller computes pressure-safe control inputs via MPC under actuator constraints and forecasted demands. Adversarial manipulation is formalized as a bilevel optimization problem where an attacker perturbs sensor data to degrade throughput while remaining undetected by bad-data detectors. This attack–control interaction is solved via Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) reformulation, which results in a tractable mixed-integer quadratic program. Test gas pipeline case studies demonstrate the covert reduction in service delivery under attack. Results show that undetectable attacks can cause sustained throughput loss with minimal instantaneous deviation. This reveals the need for integrated detection and control strategies in cyber–physical infrastructure. Full article

This study investigates the economic role of wine tourism in Nemea, Greece, a prominent Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) wine-producing region. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines interviews with local stakeholders and a structured post-wine-tasting visitor survey to assess wine tourism’s contribution to local development. A two-step multivariate analysis, incorporating Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, reveals five distinct visitor profiles differing in spending behaviour, familiarity with the destination, and engagement patterns. While high-spending visitors support winery revenues, their limited local integration reduces their broader developmental impact. Conversely, younger and repeat domestic visitors offer more dispersed economic benefits through overnight stays, gastronomy, and cultural participation. In addition, local stakeholders highlight the region’s viticultural identity and growing tourism interest as strengths but also note persistent weaknesses such as inadequate infrastructure, limited coordination, and underdeveloped visitor services. The study concludes that visitor segmentation offers actionable insights for enhancing wine tourism’s developmental role. Targeted strategies tailored to specific visitor types are essential for improving integration with the local economy. These findings contribute to ongoing discussions on how wine tourism can act as a lever for inclusive, sustainable rural development in traditional wine regions. Full article

Background/Objectives: While immigrants represent 21% of Canada’s total population, they represent 30% of the country’s older population. Sociocultural and economic barriers to the Canadian healthcare system have been frequently reported among older adult immigrants. These barriers are intricately linked to a vastly understudied phenomenon-transnational health practices (THP), which may involve travelling to home countries for healthcare, accessing medicine and health-related information and resources linked to home countries. This study aimed to explore the relationships among local healthcare experiences in Canada, individual characteristics and use of THP among older adult immigrants. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used combining statistical, spatial and qualitative methods to analyze group patterns of THP and its influencing factors. Primary data was collected through surveys and focus groups of older Mainland Chinese and older South Korean immigrants residing in Toronto. They are the two largest East Asian groups in Canada, with documented transnational ties with their home country. Results: The study found that THP were sought by both groups but were more prevalent among older Chinese immigrants. By integrating quantitative and qualitative analyses, the study revealed complex relationships between THP and barriers in local healthcare access relating to wait times, cost, language, availability, spatial accessibility and quality of care, for different types of care including primary, specialist, eye and dental care. Conclusions: The study generates new knowledge on THP in Canada and adds to the growing body of literature on transnational healthcare practices and behaviours among migrants across different countries and regions. It provides implications to inform health policy and deliver care for older adult immigrants as their populations continue to increase. Full article