Search Results (1,530)

In the current energy context, enhancing the precision of wind power prediction serves as a key enabler for the stable development of the power grid. In the existing wind power prediction models, there are often problems of modal aliasing and noise residue, or the prediction accuracy of the model is not high. In an effort to solve the problem of short-term wind power forecasting, a wind power series decomposition and reconstruction method based on improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise-variational modal decomposition (ICEEMDAN-VMD) secondary decomposition is proposed. Using ICEEMDAN, wind power data (wind direction, wind speed, temperature, humidity, air pressure, etc.) is decomposed into several IMF sub-series, and these IMF sub-series are categorized into three different frequency components by combining sample entropy, Q statistics and sequence frequency. Secondly, the gray wolf optimization (GWO) is improved by using the empirical exchange strategy (EES), and the optimization performance of the EES-GWO proposed in this paper is verified by using 10 test functions. Finally, the EES-GWO-convolutional neural network–bidirectional gated recurrent unit–global attention (EES-GWO-CNN-BiGRU–Global attention) high-frequency component prediction model is constructed. Finally, we employ the XGBoost model to forecast the mid- and low-frequency components, thereby generating the corresponding forecasting results. The support vector machine (SVM) model nonlinearly integrates all the forecasting results to produce the final forecasting results. Through example analysis and comparison, the performance of the proposed model is verified from two perspectives. Full article

Background/Objectives: Chronic otitis media with effusion (OME) is the primary cause of conductive hearing loss in children. High recurrence rates following conventional surgery are often linked to incomplete nasopharyngeal clearance or persistent adenotonsillar biofilms. This study evaluates the long-term impact of endoscopic coblation adenotonsillotomy on middle ear clearance and disease recurrence compared to conventional curettage adenoidectomy. Methods: We conducted a prospective comparative study on 142 pediatric patients with persistent OME. Participants were allocated into Group A (Endoscopic Coblation Adenotonsillotomy, n = 72) and Group B (Conventional Curettage Adenoidectomy, n = 70). Groups were homogeneous regarding age, gender, and baseline audiological parameters (p > 0.05), all presenting with moderate conductive hearing loss and Type B/C tympanograms. Primary outcomes included tympanometric normalization (Type A conversion), auditory gain (Air–Bone Gap closure), and the rate of secondary ventilation tube (VT) insertion, monitored at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Results: At the 1-month follow-up, Group A showed a higher normalization rate than Group B (75.0% vs. 60.0%), though this was near the threshold of statistical significance (p = 0.058). However, at 3, 6, and 12 months, the coblation group demonstrated significantly higher recovery rates (p < 0.05). By 12 months, 94.4% of Group A maintained a Type A tympanogram compared to 78.5% in Group B. Group A achieved a significantly lower mean ABG at 12 months (8.2 ± 3.1 dB vs. 12.6 ± 5.4 dB, p < 0.001), reflecting a superior auditory gain (20.2 dB vs. 15.3 dB). Furthermore, the recurrence rate was significantly lower in Group A (4.1% vs. 15.7%, p = 0.021), resulting in a substantially lower requirement for secondary VT insertion compared to the conventional group (2.7% vs. 12.8%, p = 0.018). Conclusions: Endoscopic coblation adenotonsillotomy provides significant long-term clinical advantages over conventional curettage. By ensuring precise, atraumatic clearance of the Fossa of Rosenmüller and addressing the tonsillar biofilm reservoir, this technique achieves more stable middle ear aeration and superior auditory recovery, significantly reducing the necessity for secondary surgical interventions at one year. Full article

Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) is a well-established surgical technique for the treatment of endothelial dysfunction, in which intracameral gas tamponade plays a critical role in graft adherence. We report the case of a 67-year-old pseudophakic woman with advanced Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy and symptomatic pseudophakic bullous keratopathy in the right eye, who presented with progressive visual deterioration and underwent DSAEK using an 8.25 mm donor graft inserted with a Busin glide and tamponaded with a 25% sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas–air mixture. On the first postoperative day, slit-lamp examination suggested an appropriate anterior chamber configuration and satisfactory graft attachment. However, detailed multiplanar anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), defined here as assessment using vertical, horizontal, and rotational scan orientations, revealed subtle posterior migration of the gas bubble beneath the iris plane. This clinically occult finding indicated altered anterior segment anatomy associated with a risk of secondary angle-closure mechanisms and raised concern for malignant glaucoma. Prompt surgical re-intervention was undertaken on postoperative day one, involving decompression of the misdirected gas bubble and reinjection of a centrally positioned tamponade. This resulted in restoration of normal anterior chamber configuration and stable graft adherence. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved from 0.1 Snellen (1.0 logMAR) preoperatively to 0.7 Snellen (0.15 logMAR) at 2 weeks following surgery. This case highlights the added value of multiplanar AS-OCT in detecting clinically occult posterior gas migration after DSAEK, particularly when the abnormality is scan-orientation-dependent and not apparent on slit-lamp examination, thereby enabling timely intervention in the presence of a potentially sight-threatening postoperative configuration. Full article

Cooking-related emissions represent a major contributor to indoor air pollution in residential kitchens, producing complex mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), odor-causing gases, oil vapors, particulate matter (PM_2.5), and combustion-related pollutants (CO and NO_x). In this study, a controlled ozone-assisted oxidation approach was integrated into a recirculating (ductless) domestic kitchen hood equipped with a confined reaction chamber and experimentally evaluated under closed-loop operating conditions where treated air was returned to the indoor environment after post-treatment. A multivariate Response Surface Methodology (RSM) framework based on the Box–Behnken design was employed to quantify and optimize the coupled effects of temperature (20–30 °C), relative humidity (40–60%), ozone dosage (1–3 ppm within the confined reaction zone), and airflow rate (150–250 m³/h) on multi-pollutant removal performance. The results demonstrate that ozone assistance substantially improves the abatement of oxidation-sensitive pollutants, particularly VOCs and odor, while airflow rate strongly governs transport-dominated pollutants such as PM_2.5 and oil vapors. In contrast, CO and NO_x exhibited limited improvement, indicating that ozone-assisted oxidation alone is insufficient for comprehensive control of combustion-related gases under short-residence-time recirculating hood conditions. The main contribution of this work is the implementation of a demand-driven ozone management strategy, supported by dual ozone sensing for reaction-zone control and outlet safety verification, where ozone generation is activated only in the presence of reactive gaseous pollutants and automatically reduced or terminated once pollutant concentrations fall below predefined thresholds, minimizing unnecessary oxidant release. Residual ozone downstream of the reaction stage was continuously monitored to prevent excess ozone return to the occupied zone. Overall, the proposed closed-loop, feedback-controlled ozone-assisted recirculating range hood concept demonstrated device-level reductions in measured VOC/odor signals under controlled conditions, while also highlighting the need for complementary post-treatment components for particle- and combustion-related pollutants. However, the potential formation of secondary oxidation byproducts was not characterized in this study, and therefore the results should be interpreted with respect to device-level pollutant removal rather than comprehensive indoor air quality improvement. Full article

The return to in-person classes after the COVID-19 pandemic revealed an increase in physical violence among students of secondary school. This article examines the role of the school as a setting that enables students to learn how to coexist with others. Based on an educational qualitative research study conducted in two state-run schools in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, located in urban poverty contexts, it investigates the effects of COVID-19-induced isolation on school coexistence. The fieldwork involved participant observation, interviews, and analysis of student productions during school workshops. Students and teachers were selected through purposive sampling. The working hypothesis posits that learning to coexist involves not only dealing with conflicting situations but also the need to verbalize them, a practice that schools actively foster. The findings show that, by providing a place where time and space are shared, the school acts as a key mediator, where students’ physical and verbal interactions become essential to reconfiguring relationships among classmates. The study concludes that the school plays a decisive role in transforming conflict into voiced experience, replacing physical aggression with meaningful narratives. Full article

As an efficient dry separation technology, electrostatic separation exhibits significant potential for application in the sorting and recovery of carbon-rich resources from coal gasification fine slag (CGFS). The small particle size and high moisture content of CGFS particles are the main factors affecting the efficiency of separation. This study proposes a method integrating particle moisture reduction and charging promotion based on molecular sieves, with the aim of investigating its feasibility in improving the electrostatic separation efficiency of CGFS particles. The results indicate that molecular sieves can effectively adsorb moisture from the ambient humid air and the surface of particles, allowing for rapid drying of wet particles. The reduction in moisture content on the particle surfaces significantly promotes their charging capability, creating favorable conditions for electrostatic separation. After molecular-sieve-assisted charging enhancement, the carbon content in the ash-enriched positive plate product decreased by 4.96%, while the carbon content in the carbon-enriched negative plate product increased by 12.15%, indicating a significant improvement in carbon–ash separation efficiency. Correspondingly, the decarbonization efficiency of the positive plate and carbon recovery efficiency of the negative plate were increased by 21.30% and 52.17%, respectively. Furthermore, when the moisture content exceeds 10%, the phenomenon of inter-particle agglomeration can adversely affect the separation of carbon and ash particles. The most suitable operating conditions are a moisture content no higher than 10%, an electric field density of 30 kV/m, a filling molecular sieve of 400 g, and a gas velocity of 12 m/s (volumetric flow rate 84.78 m³/h). In practical industrial applications, it is advisable to consider pre-treating the particles for drying or employing secondary separation to enhance sorting accuracy. Full article

Motor vehicle exhaust in urban tunnels can cause nitric oxide (NO) to accumulate, severely degrading air quality both inside the tunnel and in the surrounding environment. Photocatalytic technology is an efficient, secondary-pollution-free approach with clear potential for treating tunnel exhaust; however, parametric analyses for practical tunnel engineering applications remain limited. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), this study developed a numerical model to simulate photocatalytic NO degradation in a congested tunnel and examined how the surface reaction rate, coating extent, and longitudinal coated section affect NO reduction performance. The results show that NO reduction efficiency increased with the surface reaction rate; however, once the surface reaction rate constant exceeded 2.11 × 10⁻⁴ m/s, further gains diminished and the efficiency approached a plateau due to mass-transfer limitations. With respect to the coating extent, full four-wall coating (sidewalls, ceiling, and road surface) provided the best performance, followed by three-wall coating (excluding the ceiling). Moreover, because the road surface lies in a region of high pollutant concentration and low air velocity, coating on the road surface achieved a markedly stronger reduction effect than coating on the sidewalls or the ceiling. In the simulated 500 m tunnel, the downstream coated section achieved a markedly higher NO reduction efficiency in the ambient environment outside the tunnel (5.9%) than the upstream coated section (1.0%), approaching that of the full-length (500 m) coated section (6.6%). Therefore, in practical engineering applications, priority should be given to coating strategies targeting the downstream section and the road surface in order to balance NO reduction performance and economic cost. Such a strategy is beneficial not only for improving tunnel air quality, but also for promoting sustainable pavement and tunnel-surface engineering by reducing unnecessary coating area and enabling a more resource-efficient and cost-effective use of photocatalytic materials. These findings provide theoretical and methodological support for the sustainable design and application of photocatalytic coating systems in urban tunnels. Full article

Port cities represent an interdependent system in which port and urban activities overlap and develop. While ports serve as the gateway for the city, expanding market reach and attracting investments, cities provide the necessary labor and services required for the operation of the ports. However, the mutual relationship between ports and cities is threatened by conflicts such as urban sprawl, which leads to friction by taking the space needed for storing containers at ports. Similarly, ports generate high noise and air pollution, threatening the quality of life in urban centers. Therefore, implementing best practices to manage the port–city dichotomy is essential to ensure the coexistence of the port and city. This study re-examined the port–city relationship in the framework of urban planning to guide redevelopment decisions within the Piraeus city port in Greece. Data were collected through a mixed-methods approach involving secondary research and roundtable discussions. The findings showed that a key design parameter of the Piraeus city port is the development and exploitation of the city’s relationship with water, from a functional, spatial, and aesthetic point of view. Furthermore, a guide was developed to facilitate the redevelopment of the city port and improve decision-making. The recommendations also emphasize the integration of the port city into a global economic forum and highlight its dynamism, ensuring mutual benefits for the city and port. Full article

Non-exhaust particulate emissions are expected to remain a relevant source of traffic-related air pollution, including an increase in electrified vehicle fleets. Particle formation results from tribological interactions and is influenced by both operating conditions and friction material system. This study presents an extended measurement methodology under application-relevant tribological conditions for the reproducible quantification of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 emissions from dry-running friction systems and applies it to a systematic investigation of operating parameter and friction pairing effects. A dry inertial brake test bench with an enclosed friction chamber and integrated aerosol measurement chain was used under controlled tribologically relevant conditions. Specific friction work and specific friction power were varied by adjusting sliding velocity, contact pressure, and inertial load. Six friction pairings, comprising four representative friction lining types combined with either C45 cast steel or GGG40 gray cast iron, were examined. In situ PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 measurements were complemented by gravimetric wear and microstructural analyses. The results show that specific friction work has a direct influence on PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 emissions, whereas the independent effect of contact pressure is secondary. Friction power exhibits material-dependent effects. Emissions also vary strongly with friction pairing, indicating that operating conditions and material system must be considered jointly when assessing low-emission brake systems. Full article

Air pollution remains a major global environmental risk, and exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is associated with adverse health outcomes even at low concentrations. Meteorological conditions influence PM_2.5 variability, and precipitation is often expected to reduce particle loads through wet removal. However, humid and wet conditions may coincide with elevated PM_2.5 under specific atmospheric and compositional conditions. Here, we investigate long-term relationships between precipitation regimes and PM_2.5 concentrations in the Metropolitan Region of Belém (Eastern Amazonia) over the period 1980–2024. We combined PM_2.5 from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (including a bias-corrected product) with in situ precipitation records, and classified precipitation conditions using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). We find statistically significant positive long-term tendencies in both precipitation and PM_2.5. Stratified analyses show that PM_2.5 concentrations are significantly higher under wet conditions, with a weak but significant positive relationship between SPI and PM_2.5 (r = 0.23 for the full period; r = 0.24 for the wet class, p-value < 0.01). These findings indicate that increased precipitation in a strong humid tropical urban environment does not necessarily lead to improved air quality. Instead, wet conditions may favor processes such as hygroscopic growth and secondary aerosol formation, contributing to higher PM_2.5 concentrations on a monthly scale. Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering precipitation regimes and associated atmospheric processes when assessing air quality in tropical urban environments. Full article

Sulfide-alkaline wastewater (SAW) from petrochemical plants, particularly from pyrolysis and hydrotreating units, presents a significant environmental challenge due to its high toxicity, extreme alkalinity (pH > 12), and high concentrations of sulfides and organic pollutants. Traditional treatment methods like acid neutralization or air oxidation are often inefficient, generate secondary waste, or fail to recover valuable components. This study investigates the effectiveness of a novel electrochemical system for the simultaneous treatment of SAW and recovery of valuable products. A lab-scale four-chamber electrodialyzer, equipped with cation-exchange membranes and nickel bipolar electrodes, was designed and tested using real industrial wastewater. The wastewater was characterized by a pH of 13.06, chemical oxygen demand of 12,600 mg/L, and a sulfide content of approximately 5000 mg/L. The process leverages anodic oxidation to convert sulfide ions into elemental sulfur, while sodium cations migrate through cation-exchange membranes to the cathodic compartments. There, water reduction generates high-purity hydrogen (≥99.9%) and a concentrated, purified sodium hydroxide solution. The results demonstrate the ineffectiveness of electrodialysis with anion-exchange membranes due to rapid membrane degradation. In contrast, the proposed electrodialyzer with bipolar electrodes achieved excellent performance: a caustic soda solution with a concentration of 2.3–2.5% was recovered with a current efficiency of 83–85%, containing only trace amounts of sulfides (0.0052%) and organic impurities (0.053%). The process completely removed the original sulfide alkalinity. The study confirms the chemical and mechanical stability of the cation-exchange membranes under harsh SAW conditions. The proposed technology offers a path towards a closed-loop system in refineries by enabling the reuse of recovered caustic, utilization of hydrogen, and potential recovery of sulfur, aligning with the principles of green chemistry and circular economy. Full article

Landfill leachate membrane concentrate (LLMC) is a high-salinity and high-organic wastewater stream that poses significant treatment challenges to conventional evaporation technologies. This study investigated the treatment performance and operating costs of a low-temperature atmospheric evaporation (LTAE) system for LLMC treatment under mild operating conditions. The effects of key operational parameters—including evaporation temperature (60–95 °C), pH (5–11), air–liquid mass ratio (A/L = 0.5–10), and concentration factor (CF = 5–20)—were systematically evaluated based on condensate quality parameters (UV₂₅₄, COD_Cr, and NH₃–N). Results demonstrated that the LTAE system achieved a higher concentration ratio (CF = 20) compared to the on-site mechanical vapor compression (MVC) system (CF ≈ 10). The optimal operating conditions for meeting effluent discharge standards were determined to be 70 °C, pH: 5, A/L = 5 and CF = 20. Under these conditions, the condensate contained ~5.6 mg/L NH₃–N and ~91.6 mg/L COD_Cr, while the concentrate reached ~4200 mg/L NH₃–N and ~38,000 mg/L COD_Cr, indicating that some organic matter and ammonia nitrogen escaped from the system and a gas scrubbing unit is recommended to minimize secondary pollution. Within the experimental range, the system achieved the highest K_cA = 22,871.25 kW/(m³·°C) and the highest K_dA reached 6.52 kg/m³·s. Economic analysis revealed a specific energy consumption of 110.5 kWh/t of freshwater produced. Despite the relatively high energy consumption, the LTAE system demonstrates considerable potential for the advanced treatment of high-organic wastewater, offering enhanced freshwater recovery under mild thermal conditions. This study provides theoretical and data support for the application of LTAE technology in LLMC treatment and similar challenging organic wastewater. Full article

Construction industry remains a major driver of global resource use and waste generation, therefore, identifying sustainable material alternatives is increasingly important. Recycled-textile-based insulation presents a promising pathway to support circular economy principles by diverting post-consumer waste from landfills and reducing reliance on virgin petrochemical materials. This study conducts a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) using SimaPro to compare polyurethane (PU) foam and recycled denim (cotton fiber) insulation. The system boundary includes raw material extraction, transportation, and manufacturing. A functional unit of 1 m² of installed insulation with a thermal resistance of RSI = 1 m²·K/W at the factory gate ensures comparability, with mass-based results reported as secondary metrics. The results indicate that recycled denim exhibits higher embodied carbon per unit mass, despite lower production energy and lower cradle-to-gate impacts per installed area, reinforcing the need for a declared-unit-based comparison tied to thermal performance. Air leakage is evaluated separately as a complementary performance indicator influencing in-service energy behavior showing significantly lower air leakage for PU; but is not included in the cradle-to-gate normalization. However, it could be argued that materials with improved airtightness may enable the use of reduced insulation thickness while still achieving equivalent performance, thereby potentially lowering overall material demand. Nevertheless, recycled denim offers environmental advantages by reducing landfill waste and promoting resource conservation through material reuse. A transient coupled heat–moisture model in COMSOL Multiphysics, using climate data from Arizona and Florida, further reveals that denim absorbs more moisture than polyurethane. This leads to larger heat flux fluctuations, highlighting a trade-off between denim’s sustainability advantages and its reduced hygrothermal durability. Overall, these findings demonstrate the limitations of single-metric comparisons and emphasize the need for performance-based, multi-criteria assessments that integrate functional efficiency with circularity. Future research should incorporate occupant health and comfort to enable a more comprehensive evaluation of insulation sustainability. Full article

Indoor air pollution, listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the top 10 environmental risk factors for human health, significantly elevates the risk of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers upon long-term exposure. Traditional indoor air purification technologies dominated by physical adsorption and filtration have inherent limitations, including mere pollutant phase transfer, easy saturation, and secondary pollution, while chemical purification centered on pollutant mineralization and degradation is the core development direction for radical elimination of indoor air pollution. Novel nanomaterials, featuring ultra-high specific surface area, precisely tunable active sites and electronic structures, and excellent room-temperature catalytic activity, have become the research focus in this field. This review systematically summarizes the characteristics of typical indoor air pollutants and purification scenario requirements, clarifies the core advantages of chemical purification technologies, details the research progress of novel nanomaterial systems in indoor air chemical purification, and dissects the reaction mechanisms and material optimization strategies of core pathways (photocatalysis, room-temperature thermal catalysis, electrocatalysis, plasma catalysis). We also outline the engineering application status and bottlenecks of these nanomaterials, propose systematic future development directions targeting existing challenges, and aim to provide a reference for fundamental research and industrial application of novel nanomaterials in indoor air purification. Full article

Background/Objectives: Abnormalities in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO₂) can occur during respiratory support and may contribute to adverse neonatal outcomes. This study aimed to assess the incidence of early hypocapnia and hypercapnia in mechanically ventilated preterm infants and their major associated outcomes. Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study (2017–2024) was conducted in preterm infants < 32 weeks’ gestation who required > 24 h of invasive ventilation within the first 3 days of life. Perinatal–neonatal data were retrieved from the medical database. Admission blood gas values (arterial and capillary–venous) and the maximum and minimum PCO₂ in the first 72 h were evaluated. Normocapnia was defined as PCO₂ 35–45 mmHg, hypocapnia as < 35 mmHg, and hypercapnia as > 45 mmHg. Primary outcomes were the incidence of PCO₂ abnormalities; secondary outcomes included death or severe brain injury (SBI), SBI alone, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) among survivors. Logistic regression identified independent predictors of the secondary outcomes. Results: Among the 134 infants evaluated, most experienced both hypercapnia and hypocapnia. Hypercapnia occurred in 81.3% of infants, and hypocapnia in 93.2%. Death or SBI was observed in 51.5%, and SBI alone in 42.5%. Gestational age < 28 weeks, air-leak syndromes, and pulmonary hemorrhage were independent predictors of death or SBI. Among survivors, hypercapnia and gestational age < 28 weeks independently predicted BPD. Infants with adverse outcomes had higher maximum PCO₂ values and greater PCO₂ variability, although these were not independent predictors of SBI or death. Conclusions: PCO₂ instability is highly prevalent in ventilated preterm infants, underscoring the need for individualized ventilation strategies. Extreme prematurity emerged as the primary risk factor for adverse outcomes, while hypercapnia was independently associated with BPD. Full article