Search Results (4,008)

Life cycle cost (LCC) analysis has become a key tool for evaluating the long-term economic and environmental performance of built assets, yet its application in marinas and marine infrastructure remains underdeveloped. This review provides the first structured attempt to apply LCC to marina infrastructure, addressing the lack of sector-specific models for pontoons, mooring systems, and marina operations. It also synthesizes research on LCC methodologies, challenges, and emerging trends relevant to coastal facilities, with a particular focus on pontoons, mooring systems, and marina management practices. Studies reveal persistent barriers to effective implementation, including fragmented data systems, inconsistent regulations, and limited sector-specific tools. Existing models, largely adapted from other construction contexts, often overlook the unique technical, environmental, and operational demands of marine assets. The review critically examines international standards, procurement frameworks, and methodological approaches, highlighting opportunities to integrate sustainability considerations and address gaps in cost forecasting. It also identifies the need for standardized data collection practices and risk-based maintenance strategies tailored to harsh marine environments. By mapping current knowledge and methodological limitations, this work provides a foundation for developing more accurate, sector-specific LCC models and guidance. This literature review contributes to the advancement of sustainable coastal infrastructure planning by consolidating scattered research, emphasizing knowledge gaps, and outlining priorities for future studies, supporting policymakers, practitioners, and researchers seeking to optimize investment decisions in marinas and related facilities. Full article

This article focuses on the negative evaluation losses resulting from consumers’ dissatisfaction with the traceability level in agricultural product logistics activities. Based on the supply chain (SC) under the “agricultural product cooperative + live-streaming e-commerce” model, and in accordance with previous research, combined with the differences in the dominant role and the bearers of profit and loss in the SC. By applying Stackelberg game theory, different types of decisions are analyzed and solved. The research results show: (1) Centralized decision-making has advantages in terms of traceability level and SC profit performance. (2) In non-centralized decision-making models, when manufacturers bear negative evaluation losses and retailers act as the leaders of the SC, the overall decision-making effect is more ideal. When manufacturers or retailers act as the leaders of the SC and both bear the traceability costs, the decision-making effect is basically the same. (3) The traceability level sensitivity coefficient and the traceability level effect on traceability both have positive effects on the growth of SC profits and the improvement of the traceability level. (4) The maximization of profits for both parties can be achieved through the coordination of contracts. This study can enhance the traceability level of the agricultural product SC, encourage SC members to increase their investment in the traceability, reduce the profit impact from negative evaluations, and provide a reference for the sustainable development of the agricultural product SC. Full article

To address the global challenge of sustainable energy transition in cities, there is a growing demand for innovative solutions to provide flexible, low-carbon, and socio-economically profitable energy systems. In this context, there is a need for holistic evaluation frameworks for the prioritization and economic optimization of interventions. This paper provides a literature review on sustainable planning and economic impact assessment of innovative urban areas, such as Positive Energy Districts (PEDs), to analyze research trends in terms of evaluation methods, impacts, system boundaries, and identify conceptual and methodological gaps. A dedicated search was conducted in the Scopus database using several query strings to conduct a systematic review. At the end, 57 documents were collected and categorized by analysis approach, indicators, project interventions, and other factors. The review shows that the Cost–Benefit Analysis (CBA) is the most frequently adopted method, while Life Cycle Costing and Multi-Criteria Analysis result in a more limited application. Only in a few cases is the reduction in GHG emissions and disposal costs a part of the economic model. Furthermore, cost assessments usually do not consider the integration of the district into the wider energy network, such as the interaction with energy markets. From a more holistic perspective, additional costs and benefits should be included in the analysis and monetized, such as the co-impact on the social and environmental dimensions (e.g., social well-being, thermal comfort improvement, and biodiversity preservation) and other operational benefits (e.g., increase in property value, revenues from Demand Response, and Peer-To-Peer schemes) and disposal costs, considering specific discount rates. By adopting this multi-criteria thinking, future research should also deepen the synergies between urban sectors by focusing more attention on mobility, urban waste and green management, and the integration of district heating networks. According to this vision, investments in PEDs can generate a better social return and favour the development of shared interdisciplinary solutions. Full article

Against the backdrop of global agricultural transformation, rural China faces the critical challenge of reconciling economic development with environmental conservation and social well-being. This study, grounded in the rural revitalization strategy, investigates the internal mechanisms, level measurement, and sustainable development paths of rural industrial integration based on the “Triple Integration of Production, Livelihood and Ecology” (PLE) philosophy. Firstly, we discussed the suitability and the mechanisms of this philosophy on China’s rural industrial integration. Secondly, based on a textual corpus extracted from academic journals and policy documents, we employed an LDA topic model to cluster the themes and construct an evaluation indicator system comprising 29 indicators. Then, utilizing data from the China Statistical Yearbook and the China Rural Statistical Yearbook (2013–2022), we measured the level of China’s rural industrial integration using the entropy method. The composite integration index displays a continuous upward trend over 2013–2022, accelerating markedly after the 2015 stimulus policy, yet a temporary erosion of “production–livelihood–ecology” synergy occurred in 2020 owing to an exogenous shock. Lastly, combining the system dynamics model, we simulated over the period 2023–2030 the three sustainable development scenarios: green ecological development priority, livelihood standard development priority and production level development priority. Research has shown that (1) the “Triple Synergy of Production, Livelihood and Ecology” philosophy and China’s rural industrial integration are endogenously unified, and they form a two-way mutual mechanism with the common goal of sustainable development. (2) China’s rural industrial integration under this philosophy is characterized by production-dominated development and driven mainly by processing innovation and service investment, but can be constrained by ecological fragility and external shocks. (3) System dynamics simulations reveal that the production-development priority scenario (Scenario 3) is the most effective pathway, suggesting that the production system is a vital engine driving the sustainable development of China’s rural industrial integration, with digitalization and technological innovation significantly improving integration efficiency. In the future, efforts should focus on transitioning towards a people-centered model by restructuring cooperative equity for farmer ownership, building community-based digital commons to bridge capability gaps, and creating market mechanisms to monetize and reward conservation practices. Full article

This study analyzes the impact of research and development (R&D) investment on economic growth in Panama, an emerging economy with structural challenges in its innovation system. Using a multivariate econometric approach that included elastic net regularization and fixed-effect panel data estimation, the analysis incorporated key explanatory variables such as public education expenditure, inflation, infrastructure investment, population growth, and exports. The results indicated that both R&D and education spending have a positive and statistically significant effect on GDP growth, while inflation has a negative impact and exports show no significant effect. To ensure robustness, the study applied the augmented Dickey–Fuller test for stationarity, nonparametric bootstrapping (1000 replications), and multiple diagnostic tests, including RMSE, adjusted R², Durbin–Watson statistic, and White’s test. Scenario-based projections suggest that gradual and sustained increases in R&D investment, supported by stronger institutional coordination and absorptive capacity, could enhance Panama’s long-term productivity and innovation outcomes. The findings underscore that improving R&D funding alone is not sufficient; effective governance and coherent science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies are essential. This research contributes empirical evidence to a relatively underexplored area in the development literature and offers strategic insights for policymakers seeking to build more integrated and sustainable STI ecosystems in emerging economies. Full article

Maintaining a high-quality urban environment remains a critical yet challenging issue in modern cities, particularly in densely built and historically significant central areas. In response, the European Green Deal initiative aims to promote sustainable urban development. This study presents a multi-criteria assessment methodology for evaluating urban environments, with a focus on prioritizing thermal renovations of buildings to achieve substantial environmental improvements. The research adopts a centrifugal strategy, targeting buildings with the poorest energy performance for phased renovation efforts. Using the model city of Gubin, Poland, as a case study, the assessment proceeds through five stages: evaluating technical wear (Stages I–II), estimating replacement values and renovation costs (Stages III–IV), and finally, quantifying environmental benefits from energy efficiency upgrades (Stage V). Findings reveal that buildings in the lowest energy class (Class G) require investments of 111–193% of their replacement value but can deliver CO₂ emissions reduced to 1/6.2 of the original level (an approximate 84% reduction). The primary contribution of this paper is the development and application of a novel multi-criteria assessment methodology for evaluating urban environments, specifically designed to prioritize thermal renovations in central urban areas to achieve significant environmental and economic benefits. The study provides valuable economic and environmental indicators that can guide the formulation of pro-environmental urban policies and support strategic decision-making in cities with dense populations and aging infrastructure. Full article

This study examines green investment and emission reduction strategies in a two-tier supply chain under dual-carbon regulation that combines a carbon tax with a cap-and-trade mechanism. A multi-stage dynamic game model is developed, in which the manufacturer reduces emissions through recycling efforts and investments in green technology. We compare optimal decisions under centralized, decentralized, and coordinated structures, and propose an enhanced bilateral cost-sharing contract to improve collaboration. Numerical experiments validate the theoretical results, and sensitivity analyses provide further insights. The results show that while both carbon tax and permit trading increase emission reduction, the carbon tax may lower manufacturer profit, underscoring the need for coordinated policy design. Benchmarking proves more effective than grandfathering in stimulating green investment, particularly under high carbon prices and strong consumer environmental preferences. The proposed contract alleviates free riding, enhances overall supply chain profitability, and improves emission reduction performance. Policy implications highlight the importance of prioritizing benchmark allocation, promoting consumer environmental awareness, and encouraging firms to integrate carbon asset management with technological innovation. This research provides both theoretical and practical insights for designing effective carbon policies and collaborative mechanisms in green supply chains. Full article

Introduction: Despite global improvements in immunization, major gaps persist. By 2024, an estimated 14.3 million infants, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), remained zero-dose (ZD), never having received even the first DTP vaccine. In 2022, 33 million children missed their measles vaccination (22 million missed the first dose, 11 million missed the second dose), highlighting entrenched structural, behavioral, and systemic barriers that continue to exclude marginalized populations. Addressing these inequities requires innovative, context-adapted approaches that strengthen primary health care (PHC) and extend services to the hardest-to-reach populations. Objectives: This study aims to document and synthesize implementation research (IR) projects on immunization programs in LMICs, identifying key enablers and effective strategies that reduce inequities, improve outcomes, and support efforts to reach ZD children. Methods: We conducted a retrospective multiple-case study of 36 IR projects across 13 LMICs, embedded within an evidence review framework and complemented by policy analysis. Data were drawn from systematic document reviews and validation discussions with project leads. A total of 326 strategies were extracted, coded using a structured codebook, and mapped to the WHO–UNICEF PHC Levers for Action. Descriptive analysis synthesized patterns across service delivery and policy outcomes, including coverage gains, improved microplanning, community engagement, and system integration. Results: Of the 326 immunization strategies identified, most (76.1%) aligned with operational PHC levers, particularly monitoring and evaluation (19.3%), workforce development (18.7%), and models of care (12%). Digital technologies (11.7%) were increasingly deployed for real-time tracking and oversight. Core strategic levers comprised 23.9% of strategies, with community engagement (8.9%) and governance frameworks (7.7%) emerging as critical enablers, though sustainable financing (4%) and private-sector engagement (0.9%) were rarely addressed. While the majority of projects focused on routine immunization (n = 32), only a few directly targeted ZD children (n = 3). Interventions yielded improvements in both service delivery and policy outcomes. Improvements in microplanning and data systems (23.5%) reflected the increased uptake of digital dashboards, GIS-enabled tools, and electronic registries. Community engagement (16.2%) emphasized the influence of local leaders and volunteers in building trust, while health system strengthening (15.7%) invested in cold chain, supervision, and workforce capacity. Coverage gains (10.6%) were achieved through delivery innovations, though sustainable financing remained a critical problem (3.4%). Conclusions: Reaching ZD children requires equity-driven strategies that combine digital innovations, community engagement, and resilient system planning. Sustained progress depends on strengthening governance, financing, and research. Embedding IR in immunization programs generates actionable evidence, supports context-specific strategies, and reduces equity gaps, offering practical insights that complement health system research and advance the Immunization Agenda 2030. Full article

This article examines the growing potential of low-emission hydrogen as an innovative solution supporting the decarbonization of the agricultural sector. It discusses its potential applications on farms, including as an energy source for powering agricultural machinery, producing fertilizers, and storing energy from renewable sources. Within the European context, it considers actions arising from the European Green Deal and the “Fit for 55” strategy, which promote the development of hydrogen infrastructure and support research into low-emission technologies. The article also discusses global initiatives and trends in the development of the hydrogen economy, pointing to international cooperation, investment, and the need for technology standardization. It highlights the challenges related to cost, infrastructure, and scalability, as well as the opportunities hydrogen offers for a sustainable and energy-efficient agriculture of the future. Full article

Land use/land cover (LULC) change is a key driving factor influencing the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystem carbon storage. In high-groundwater-level coal resource-based cities (HGCRBCs), the interplay of urban expansion, mining disturbances, and land reclamation makes the carbon storage evolution process more complex. This study takes Jining, Zaozhuang, and Heze cities in Shandong Province as the research area and constructs a coupled analytical framework of “mining–reclamation–carbon storage” by integrating the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS), Probability Integral Method (PIM), InVEST, and Grey Multi-Objective Programming (GMOP) models. It systematically evaluates the spatiotemporal characteristics of carbon storage changes from 2000 to 2020 and simulates the carbon storage responses under different development scenarios in 2030. The results show that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the total carbon storage in the region decreased by 31.53 Tg, with cropland conversion to construction land and water bodies being the primary carbon loss pathways, contributing up to 89.86% of the total carbon loss. (2) Among the 16 major LULC transition paths identified, single-process drivers dominated carbon storage changes. Specifically, urban expansion and mining activities individually accounted for nearly 70% and 8.65% of the carbon loss, respectively. Although the reclamation path contributed to a recovery of 1.72 Tg of carbon storage, it could not fully offset the loss caused by mining. (3) Future scenario simulations indicate that the ecological conservation scenario yields the highest carbon storage, while the economic development scenario results in the lowest. Mining activities generally lead to approximately 3.5 Tg of carbon loss, while post-mining reclamation can restore about 72% of the loss. Full article

Investment decision-making is often characterized by uncertainty and the subjective weighting of criteria. This study aims to develop a more robust decision support framework by integrating the Generalized Interval-Valued Hesitant Intuitionistic Fuzzy Soft Set (GIVHIFSS) with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to objectively weight criteria and handle multi-evaluator hesitancy. In the proposed GIVHIFSS-AHP model, the AHP is employed to derive mathematically consistent criterion weights, which are subsequently embedded into the GIVHIFSS structure to accommodate interval-valued and hesitant evaluations from multiple decision-makers. The model is applied to a numerical case study evaluating five investment alternatives. Its performance is assessed through a comparative analysis with standard GIVHIFSS and GIFSS models, as well as a sensitivity analysis. The results indicate that the model produces financially rational rankings, identifying blue-chip technology stocks as the optimal choice (score: +2.4). The comparative analysis confirms its superiority over existing models, which yielded less-stable rankings. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis demonstrates the robustness of the results against minor perturbations in criterion weights. This research introduces a novel and synergistic integration of the AHP and GIVHIFSS. The key advantage of this approach lies in its ability to address the long-standing issue of arbitrary criterion weighting in Fuzzy Soft Set models by embedding the AHP as a foundational mechanism for ensuring validation and objectivity. This integration results in mathematically derived, consistent weights, thereby yielding empirically validated, more reliable, and defensible decision outcomes compared with existing models. Full article

Blue fescue (Festuca glauca) is a widely used ornamental grass worldwide. Drought is an important limiting factor for the growth and development of blue fescue; therefore, cultivating new strains of blue fescue with a strong drought tolerance is of great significance for its production practice. To investigate the drought tolerance mechanism of ds-1, this study subjected both ds-1 and “Festina” to a natural drought treatment and measured their physiological and biochemical indicators. A transcriptomic analysis was also conducted to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. The results showed that, after the drought treatment, the relative water content (RWC), water use efficiency (WUE), and photosynthetic rate (Pn) of ds-1 leaves were significantly higher than those of “Festina”; in addition, the contents of H₂O₂ and O₂⁻, the relative electrical conductivity (REC), the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, the gas conductance (Gs), and the transpiration rate (Tr) were significantly lower than those of “Festina”. The peroxidase (POD) activity of ds-1 was significantly higher than that of “Festina”, while the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of ds-1 was significantly lower than that of “Festina”. The transcriptome data analysis showed that there were a total of 9475 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ds-1 and “Festina”. A Venn plot analysis showed 692 DEGs between ds-1—8d vs. “Festina”—8d and ds-1—16d vs. “Festina”—16d. A KEGG enrichment analysis showed that these 692 genes were mainly enriched in 86 pathways, including those related to the photosynthesis antenna protein, plant hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling, starch and sucrose metabolism, and arginine and proline metabolism. Further screening identified genes that may be associated with drought stress, including PYL, PP2C, SnRK2, ABF, BRI1, JAZ, MYC2, Lhc, and MPK6. The qRT-PCR results indicated that the expression trends of the DEGs were consistent with the transcriptome sequencing results. Our research results can provide a basis for exploring candidate genes for drought tolerance in blue fescue. In addition, our research results provide valuable genetic resources for the development of drought-resistant ornamental grass varieties, which can help reduce water consumption in cities and decrease labor and capital investment. Full article

This study investigates the multifaceted impact of digitalization on economic performance across the 27 European Union member states from 2017 to 2023. Using a comprehensive panel dataset, the analysis moves beyond aggregate metrics to dissect how specific digital levers contribute to trade performance and national income. A two-way fixed effects (FEs) regression model is employed to rigorously control for unobserved country-specific heterogeneity and common time-based shocks, with diagnostic tests confirming the suitability of this specification. The results reveal a complex and often counter-intuitive set of relationships. One key finding is a statistically significant negative association between the EU’s headline Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) and goods exports, a paradox that emerges in the model once specific business-level digital tools are accounted for. This suggests that composite indices can be misleading for granular policy analysis. The marginal benefit of cloud adoption diminishes significantly in countries with higher levels of public investment in Research and Development (R&D), indicating a substitution rather than a complementary relationship between these two innovation channels. Full article

The integration of multimedia technologies is transforming teaching and learning in higher education, offering innovative ways to improve student engagement and learning outcomes. Although numerous studies investigate the impact of multimedia, there is still a clear need for a synthesis that brings together the latest evidence from a variety of disciplines and contexts. To address this need, this systematic review aims to summarize the empirical evidence and provide a clearer understanding of how multimedia is applied in higher education, to outline how educators can effectively design and the implications for curriculum design. This article focuses on three key research questions: (1) How does the integration of multimedia in higher education classrooms influence student engagement and learning outcomes? (2) How does the use of multimedia affect the development of specific skills? (3) What are the challenges and opportunities to integrate multimedia technologies into higher education? Relevant studies were systematically retrieved and screened from major academic databases, including ScienceDirect, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, Wiley Online Library, Springer, Taylor & Francis, and Google Scholar. In total, 48 studies were selected from these sources for detailed analysis. The findings showed that multimedia tools enhance student engagement, motivation, and performance when integrated with clear pedagogical strategies. In addition, multimedia helps to develop skills such as creativity, digital literacy, and independent learning. However, challenges such as technical limitations, uneven infrastructure, and the need for ongoing teacher training remain significant difficulties in fully exploiting the benefits in higher education. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated institutional support, investment in professional development, and careful alignment of multimedia tools with pedagogical goals. Full article

Research Problem and Gap: Live streaming sales rely heavily on streamers, with both genuine and AI-generated virtual streamers gaining popularity. However, these streamer types possess contrasting capabilities. Genuine streamers are superior at building trust and reducing product valuation uncertainty but have limited reach, while virtual streamers excel at broad audience engagement but are less effective at mitigating uncertainty, often leading to higher product return rates. This trade-off creates a critical strategic gap; that is, brand firms lack clear guidance on whether to invest in genuine or virtual streamers or adopt a hybrid approach for their live channels. Objective and Methods: This study addresses this gap by developing a theoretical analytical model to determine a monopolistic brand firm’s optimal streamer strategy among three options: using only a genuine streamer, only a virtual streamer, or a combination of the two (hybrid approach). The researchers model consumer utility, factoring in uncertainty and the streamers’ differential impact on reach, to derive optimal decisions on pricing and streamer selection. Results and Findings: The analysis yields several key findings with direct managerial implications. First, while a hybrid strategy leverages the complementary strengths of both streamer types, its success depends on employing high-quality streamers; in other words, this strategy does not justify settling for inferior talent of either type. Second, employing a virtual streamer requires a moderate price reduction to compensate for higher consumer uncertainty and prevent high profit-eroding return rates. Third, a pure strategy (only genuine or only virtual) is optimal only when that streamer type has a significant cost advantage. Otherwise, the hybrid strategy tends to be the most profitable. Moreover, higher product return costs directly diminish the viability of virtual streamers, making a genuine or hybrid strategy more attractive for products with expensive return processes. Conclusions: The results provide a clear framework for brand firms—that is, the choice of streamer is a strategic decision intertwined with pricing and product return costs. Firms should pursue a hybrid strategy not as a compromise but as a premium approach, use targeted pricing to mitigate the risk of virtual streamers, and avoid virtual options altogether for products with high return costs. Full article