Search Results (52)

Aquaculture lagoons must reconcile visitor access with biodiversity protection. This study integrates results of a large survey of the attitudes of tour operators with field observations of fish populations to test whether operator choices can align tourism and conservation. Using data from 801 guided-tour participants in Taiwan’s Cigu Lagoon, a sequential experience hierarchy was validated whereby environmental knowledge enhanced attitudes, strengthened perceived guide professionalism, induced flow, and ultimately increased conservation intention (R² = 0.523). Experiential service quality exerted stronger effects than functional quality (β = 0.287 vs. 0.156; both p < 0.001). Parallel underwater monitoring indicated that electric, low-vibration motors were associated with richer fish assemblages and larger fish body sizes; fish abundance is 61% higher and mean body length 38% greater, with community composition differing significantly by motor type (PERMANOVA, p < 0.001). Together, these results link training and technology adoption to measurable ecological gains and pro-conservation motivation, indicating that electrified propulsion and interpretive practice are mutually reinforcing levers for biodiversity-positive tourism. The framework offers directly actionable criteria—motor choice, guide development, and safety/facility context—for transitioning small-scale fisheries and recreation toward low-impact marine experiences. Full article

Prussian blue (PB) and its analogs (PBAs) are considered ideal cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to the following merits, including high redox potential, simple synthesis methods, and excellent structural stability. Herein, we synthesized a high-entropy PB cathode material, Na_1.20Mn_0.38Fe_0.15Ni_0.14Co_0.15Cu_0.16[Fe(CN)₆]_0.82□_0.18·0.38H₂O (HE-HCF), through a facile co-precipitation method. The five transition metals in HE-HCF have similar atomic sizes and electronegativity, collectively occupying the high-spin Fe-HS sites. The manganese-based system design reduces the preparation cost, and the high-entropy doping approach further decreases the content of crystalline water in the structure. Benefiting from the synergistic effects of the multiple component elements, HE-HCF demonstrates a capacity retention rate of 72.7% at 0.1 A g⁻¹. Moreover, it even maintains 85.3% of its initial capacity after 1000 cycles at 1 A g⁻¹. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) analyses further confirm that HE-HCF exhibits low charge transfer resistance and a small reaction activation energy. Full article

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and widespread, posing a threat to European ecosystems. Recent findings quantified a large fraction of Europe’s burnt areas within Natura 2000 protected area sites. This study analyzed total wildfire events and burnt areas in Greece. The frequency of protected area burn percentages per fire event and their trend over time were quantified. The mean protected area percentage of burn per fire event across other Mediterranean countries was compared. Results indicated an increase in the total number of wildfire events over time, while total burnt area was highest in recent years but generally varied. Forest-type vegetation burn exhibits no trend over time with the exception being that the transitional vegetation percentage of burn per wildfire is increasing, while agricultural land is decreasing. The protected area percentage of burn per wildfire is not related with total area burn. The majority of the high percentage protected area burns derive mainly from small or medium total area burn wildfires. More than a third of wildfires burned exclusively (100%) Natura protected area surfaces. Protected area percent per burn is increasing over time. This increase is not related to the increased total burnt area. Protected area percent per burn is considerably higher in Greece in comparison to Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Protected area percent per burn is increasing over time in Greece and with a slower slope in Portugal, while it has no monotonic trend in Italy and Spain. Reserves face increasing burn frequency, necessitating effective management strategies to conserve them. Climate change exacerbates total wildfires or surface area burned but cannot entirely explain the steep increase in protected area percent per burn. While a legislative framework preventing arson exists, management measures need to further improve the efficacy and clarity of legislation. High-power electricity networks and wind and solar energy facilities are often causes of wildfires and should receive low priority or not be licensed in Natura areas. Full article

In the past decade, agricultural biogas plants have become one of the key tools driving the energy transition in rural areas. Nevertheless, their development in Poland still lags behind that in Western European countries, suggesting the existence of barriers that go beyond technological or regulatory issues. This study aims to examine how Polish farmers perceive the risks and expected benefits associated with investing in biogas plants and which of these perceptions influence their willingness to invest. The research was conducted in the second quarter of 2025 among farmers planning to build micro biogas plants as well as owners of existing biogas facilities. Geographic Information System (GIS) tools were also used in selecting respondents and identifying potential investment sites, helping to pinpoint areas with favorable spatial and environmental conditions. The findings show that both current and prospective biogas plant operators view complex legal requirements, social risk, and financial uncertainty as the main obstacles. However, both groups are primarily motivated by the desire for on-farm energy self-sufficiency and the environmental benefits of improved agricultural waste management. Owners of operational installations—particularly small and medium-sized ones—tend to rate all categories of risk significantly lower than prospective investors, suggesting that practical experience and knowledge-sharing can effectively alleviate perceived risks related to renewable energy investments. Full article

A paradigm transition from centralized to decentralized energy systems has occurred, which has increased the deployment of renewable energy sources (RESs) in renewable energy communities (RECs), promoting energy independence, strengthening local resilience, increasing self-sufficiency, and moving toward CO₂ emission reduction. However, the erratic and unpredictable generation of RESs like wind, solar, and other sources make these systems necessary, and a lot of interest in energy storage systems is increasing because they have rapidly become the cornerstone of modern energy infrastructure, and there is a trend towards using more RESs and decentralization, resulting in increased self-sufficiency. Additionally, ESS is increasingly being installed at or close to the point of energy generation and consumption, like within residences, buildings, or community microgrids, instead of at centralized utility-scale facilities, referred to be decentralized. By storing and using energy in the same location, this localized deployment reduces transmission losses, facilitates quicker response to changes in demand, and promotes local autonomy in energy management. Since the production of renewable energy is naturally spread, decentralizing storage is crucial to optimizing efficiency and dependability. This article also focuses on energy storage systems, highlighting the role and scope of ESSs along with the services of ESSs in different parts of the power system network, particularly in renewable energy communities (RECs). The classification of various ESS technologies and their key features, limitations, and applications is discussed following the current technological and significant information trends and discussing the ESS types for the RECs with different options as per the capacity, like small, medium, and large scale. It covers the overall scenario and progress, like overall European ESS installed capacity, and the work relevant to ESSs in RECs with different aspects, following the literature review. Additionally, it draws attention to the gaps and significant challenges related to ESS technologies and their deployment. Key future suggestions have also been given as per the current trends of technological information and significant information that may affect those trends globally in the future and would be helpful in the growth of ESSs integration in RECs. The authors also suggest the role of the government, stakeholders, and supportive policies that can aid in the implementation of ESS technologies in RECs. Full article

In recent years, China has continuously increased the construction of sports facilities, with the number and area of sports venues steadily growing. The use of more energy-efficient ventilation methods in gymnasiums has become one of the research hotspots. Taking a multi-functional gymnasium in Wuhan as an example, the gymnasium adopts a seat air supply device driven by natural wind to enhance indoor ventilation. This study uses the methods of field measurement and CFD simulation to analyze the application effect of this new type of natural ventilation device in hot summer and warm winter areas during the transition season. Through CFD simulation of the ventilation performance of the seat air supply at different opening rates, the indoor ventilation effect and thermal comfort were analyzed. The application of the seat air supply greatly improved the indoor environment and enhanced the comfort of personnel. After turning on the seat air supply, the maximum temperature difference between the indoors and outdoors increased from 1.7 °C to 3.4 °C, the natural air intake rate increased from approximately 50% to approximately 70%, the wind speed in the seat area significantly increased, the uniformity of the wind speed field in the movement area significantly increased, and the proportion of areas with low wind speed and no wind speed decreased to 9.6%. The proportion of areas with wind speeds ranging from 0.3 to 0.5 m/s increased from 8.8% to 33.0%. At 10:00 a.m., the temperature at the indoor station was relatively low. The opening of the seat air supply device reduced the PMV value of the front seats by an average of 0.39. When the indoor platform temperature reached the maximum value, the impact of equipment activation on the PMV index of the seat area was relatively small, with an average reduction of only 0.19. The research results show that the application of a natural wind-driven seat air supply in sports venues is very promising, providing a new idea for the energy-saving renovation of gymnasiums and effectively promoting the development of low-carbon undertakings. Full article

Facility agriculture is essential for diversifying food supply and advancing agricultural modernization. Guided by the concept of new quality productive forces, this study establishes a comprehensive framework to analyze the optimization of facility agricultural land allocation in Zhejiang Province. The findings indicate a relatively low overall allocation level, with higher intensity in the breeding industry compared to crop cultivation. Facility agricultural land is predominantly located in areas with lower elevations, gentler slopes, proximity to roads and rivers, and moderate distances from urban centers. Service areas vary significantly, with grain cultivation having the largest impact, followed by other crop cultivation, fruit and vegetable cultivation, aquaculture, other livestock breeding, and pig farming. As agriculture transitions from small-scale to large-scale and facility-based production, service areas exhibit an inverted U-shaped trend, initially increasing before declining. To optimize decision-making, this study proposes a classification system (shared, modern, safeguard), an entry list (encouraged, restricted, prohibited), and strategies for spatial layout, flexible control, and intensive land use. Guided by green and high-quality development goals, this research establishes a contemporary standard system and optimization strategies, offering scientific and practical guidance for sustainable facility agricultural land development and supporting land resource allocation and industry upgrading. Full article

This paper examines the critical role of Polish local ports, particularly those on the Central Baltic coast, in the development of offshore wind farms. The study investigates how offshore wind energy development affects local port infrastructure, logistics, and the broader maritime economy while identifying opportunities and challenges arising from their integration into the offshore wind supply chain. To achieve this, a comprehensive methodological approach was employed, combining qualitive and quantitative analyses. The research utilized statistical data, policy documents, and spatial development plans to evaluate the current state of offshore wind energy projects in Poland. A specific focus was placed on assessing the infrastructure capabilities of local ports, including Kołobrzeg, Darłowo, Ustka, and Łeba, to serve as service hubs for offshore wind farm operations. Criteria such as waterway depth, quay length, storage facilities, and connectivity to transportation networks were analyzed in detail. Additionally, the study highlights the socio-economic benefits these ports can bring to the regions, such as job creation, economic revitalization, and enhanced regional competitiveness. The findings reveal that while these ports possess significant potential, strategic investments and modernization are essential to fully realize their role in supporting offshore wind energy. Recommendations are provided for policymakers, port authorities, and stakeholders to optimize the port’s development as part of Poland’s transition to renewable energy. This study contributes to broader discourse on renewable energy and maritime economic development, offering valuable insights into integrating small port infrastructure into large-scale energy projects. Full article

This article presents a 3D model of a yellow hydrogen generation system that uses the electricity produced by a photovoltaic carport. The 3D models of all key system components were collected, and their characteristics were described. Based on the design of the 3D model of the photovoltaic carport, the amount of energy produced monthly was determined. These quantities were then applied to determine the production of low-emission hydrogen. In order to increase the amount of low-emission hydrogen produced, the usage of a stationary energy storage facility was proposed. The Metalog family of probability distributions was adopted to develop a strategic model for low-emission hydrogen production. The hydrogen economy of a company that uses small amounts of hydrogen can be based on such a model. The 3D modeling and calculations show that it is possible to design a compact low-emission hydrogen generation system using rapid prototyping tools, including the photovoltaic carport with an electrolyzer placed in the container and an energy storage facility. This is an effective solution for the climate and energy transition of companies with low hydrogen demand. In the analytical part, the Metalog probability distribution family was employed to determine the amount of monthly energy produced by 6.3 kWp photovoltaic systems located in two European countries: Poland and Italy. Calculating the probability of producing specific amounts of hydrogen in two European countries is an answer to a frequently asked question: In which European countries will the production of low-emission hydrogen from photovoltaic systems be the most profitable? As a result of the calculations, for the analyzed year 2023 in Poland and Italy, specific answers were obtained regarding the probability of monthly energy generation and monthly hydrogen production. Many companies from Poland and Italy are taking part in the European competition to create hydrogen banks. Only those that offer low-emission hydrogen at the lowest prices will receive EU funding. Full article

The expansion of cities and land use changes have led to the emergence of peri-urban areas representing a transition between fully urbanized and agricultural regions in Southeast Asia. Peri-urban communities provide essential ecosystem services but are vulnerable to climate-related disruptions and socioeconomic challenges. Utilizing their unique characteristics, peri-urban communities can contribute to sustainable development and resilience. This study assesses the potential of peri-urban areas to meet future challenges for sustainable development in a changing world, focusing on the local pandan farming community of Pathum Thani, approximately 53 km north of Bangkok, using the Community-Based Resilience Analysis (CoBRA) approach. A formally established group of peri-urban farming households identified COVID-19, water quality, and solid waste as their primary disruptive challenges. The community identified economic stability and resources (land ownership, financial security, and government support), community and social support (collaborative community, and healthcare facilities), an environmental dimension (sufficient food and clean water), and an information dimension (news and knowledge update) as key community resilience characteristics, which highlight their comprehensive approach to hazard resilience. The study concludes that the community was moderately resilient to hazards and COVID-19 was the primary disrupting event over the past 10 years. To address future challenges in peri-urban agriculture, it is suggested to focus on enhancing economic diversification, strengthening social networks and support systems, implementing sustainable land management practices, and promoting access to timely and accurate information. Additionally, investing in infrastructure for water management and waste recycling, supporting small-scale farming initiatives, and fostering collaboration between farmers and local authorities can contribute to building resilience in peri-urban agricultural communities. Full article

Industry 4.0 integrates the intelligent networking of machines and processes through advanced information and communication technologies (ICTs). Despite advancements, small mechanical manufacturing enterprises face significant challenges transitioning to ICT-supported Industry 4.0 models due to a lack of technical expertise and infrastructure. These enterprises commonly encounter variable production volumes, differing priorities in customer orders, and diverse production capacities across low-, medium-, and high-level outputs. Frequent issues with machine health, glitches, and major breakdowns further complicate optimizing production scheduling. This paper presents a novel production management approach that harnesses bio-inspired methods alongside Internet of Things (IoT) technology to address these challenges. This comprehensive approach integrates the real-time monitoring and intelligent production order distribution, leveraging advanced LoRa wireless communication technology. The system ensures efficient and concurrent data acquisition from multiple sensors, facilitating accurate and prompt capture, transmission, and storage of machine status data. The experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in data collection time and system responsiveness, enabling the timely detection and resolution of machine failures. Additionally, an enhanced genetic algorithm dynamically allocates tasks based on machine status, effectively reducing production completion time and machine idle time. Case studies in a screw manufacturing facility validate the practical applicability and effectiveness of the proposed system. The seamless integration of the scheduling algorithm with the real-time monitoring subsystem ensures a coordinated and efficient production process, ultimately enhancing productivity and resource utilization. The proposed system’s robustness and efficiency highlight its potential to revolutionize production management in small-scale manufacturing settings. Full article

The dehydrocoupling reaction between alcohols and hydrosilanes is considered to be one of the most atom-economical ways to produce Si–O coupling compounds because its byproduct is only hydrogen (H₂), which make it extremely environmentally friendly. In past decades, various kinds of homogeneous catalysts for the dehydrocoupling of alcohols and hydrosilanes, such as transition metal complexes, alkaline earth metals, alkali metals, and noble metal complexes, have been reported for their good activity and selectivity. Nevertheless, the practical applications of these catalysts still remain unsatisfactory, which is mainly restricted by environmental impact and non-reusability. A facile and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst, ultra-small Ag nanoparticles supported on porous carbon (Ag/C) for the etherification of silanes, has been developed. It has high catalytic activity for the Si–O coupling reaction, and the apparent activation energy of the reaction is about 30 kJ/mol. The ultra-small Ag nanoparticles dispersed in the catalyst through the carrier C have an enrichment effect on all reactants, which makes the reactants reach the adsorption saturation state on the surface of Ag nanoparticles, thus accelerating the coupling reaction process and verifying that the kinetics of the reaction of the catalyst indicate a zero-grade reaction. Full article

The transition process from fossil fuels to environmentally friendly renewable energy sources carries the risk of creating new environmental damages. Photovoltaic technology represents one of the alternatives with the least risk of harmful environmental impact. However, this technology has two important drawbacks: the significant land occupation for the installation of PV systems and the uncontrollability of production. By constructing floating photovoltaic plants on hydroelectric reservoirs, both of these problems can be reduced to an acceptable level. Some artificial reservoirs, originally built for hydroelectric power plants, have acquired a significant secondary function as recreational areas and fish breeding sites. Therefore, there is justified resistance from the local community to change the existing appearance and purpose of such reservoirs. This paper proposes a completely new concept of integrating the interests of the local community into such objects. In addition to preserving existing uses, the concept also offers new features. This can make the entire system environmentally friendly and sustainable. This paper details the technology behind the construction of floating photovoltaic power plants on artificial reservoirs and emphasizes their various advantages. These benefits include the non-utilization of cultivable land, the ease of assembly and construction, integration into existing power grids, and the potential to address electricity storage issues. For instance, Buško Lake, covering an area of $55.8$ km², may host $2.93$ km² of installed floating photovoltaic (FPV) facilities, enabling a total installed capacity of 240 MW. With an average of $5.5$ h of daily sunshine, this totals 2007 annual hours, equivalent to a 55 MW thermal power plant. An analysis showed that, with losses of 18.2%, the average annual production stands at 302 $\mathrm{G}$$\mathrm{W}$$\mathrm{h}$, translating to an annual production value of 18 million € at 60 €/MWh. The integration of this production into an existing hydroelectric power plant featuring an artificial reservoir might boost its output by 91%. The available transmission line capacity of 237 MW is shared between the hydroelectric power plant (HPP) and FPV; hence during the FPV maximum power generation time, the HPP halts its production. HPP Orlovac operates a small number of hours annually at full capacity (1489 h); therefore in combination with the FPV, this number can be increased to 2852 h. This integration maintains the lake’s functions in tourism and fishing while expanding its capabilities without environmental harm. Full article

Integrated geo- and environmental monitoring in mining represents a high-dimensional challenge (location, altitude/depth, time and sensors). This is challenging for experts but poses great problems for a multitude of participants and stakeholders in building up a complete process understanding. The Epe research cooperation aims to elucidate the ground movement at the Epe cavern storage facility with a public participation process. The research cooperation was founded by the city of Gronau, the citizens’ initiative cavern field Epe, the company EFTAS, Münster, and the Research Center of Post-Mining at the Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola, Bochum. This research cooperation is the first in Germany to involve direct collaboration between science and the public. In the cavern field, which has been in operation since the 1970s, brine is extracted, and at the same time natural gas, crude oil and helium, as well as hydrogen in the future, are stored in the subsurface. The technical focus of this work was the development of a high-resolution spatiotemporal analysis of ground movements. The area is monitored annually by the mining company’s mine surveyor. The complexity of the monitoring issue lies in the fact that the western part is a bog area and a former bog area. Furthermore, the soils in the eastern part are very humus-rich and show strong fluctuations in the groundwater and therefore complex hydraulic conditions. At the same time, there are few fixed scatterers or prominent points in the area that allow high-resolution spatiotemporal monitoring using simple radar interferometry methods. Therefore, the SBAS method (Small Baseline Subset), which is based on an aerial method, was used to analyze the radar interferometric datasets. Using an SBAS analysis, it was possible to evaluate a time series of 760 scenes over the period from 2015 to 2023. The results were integrated with the mine survey maps on the ground movement and other open geodata on the surface, the soil layers and the overburden. The results show complex forms of ground movement. The main influence is that of mining. Nevertheless, the influence of organic soils with drying out due to drought years and uplift in wet years is great. Thus, in dry years, ground subsidence accelerates, and in wet years, ground subsidence not only slows down but in some cases also causes uplift. This complexity of ground movements and the necessary understanding of the processes involved has been communicated to the interested public at several public information events as part of the research cooperation. In this way, an understanding of the mining process was built up, and transparency was created in the subsurface use, also as a part of the energy transition. In technical terms, the research cooperation also provides a workflow for developing the annual mine survey maps into an integrated geo- and environmental monitoring system with the development of a transparent participatory geomonitoring process to provide resilience management to a mining location. Full article

In advanced cancer patients undergoing immune checkpoint blockade, the burden of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) is high. The need for reliable biomarkers for irAEs remains unfulfilled in this expanding therapeutic field. The lung immune prognostic index (LIPI) is a noninvasive measure of systemic inflammation that has consistently shown a correlation with survival in various cancer types when assessed at baseline. This study sought to determine whether early changes in the LIPI score could discriminate the risk of irAEs and different survival outcomes in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving PD-(L)1 blockade-based therapies. We included consecutive patients diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC who received pembrolizumab, nivolumab, or atezolizumab as second-line therapy following platinum-based chemotherapy, or first-line pembrolizumab either alone or in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy. The LIPI score relied on the combined values of derived neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) and lactate dehydrogenase. Their assessment at baseline and after two cycles of treatment allowed us to categorize the population into three subgroups with good (LIPI-0), intermediate (LIPI-1), and poor (LIPI-2) prognosis. Between April 2016 and May 2023, we enrolled a total of 345 eligible patients, 165 (47.8%) and 180 (52.2%) of whom were treated as first- and second-line at our facility, respectively. After applying propensity score matching, we considered 83 relevant patients in each cohort with a homogeneous distribution of all characteristics across the baseline LIPI subgroups. There was a noticeable change in the distribution of LIPI categories due to a significant decrease in dNLR values during treatment. Although no patients shifted to a worse prognosis category, 20 (24.1%) transitioned from LIPI-1 to LIPI-0, and 7 (8.4%) moved from LIPI-2 to LIPI-1 (p < 0.001). Throughout a median observation period of 7.3 (IQR 3.9–15.1) months, a total of 158 irAEs (63.5%) were documented, with 121 (48.6%) and 39 (15.7%) patients experiencing mild to moderate and severe adverse events, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the classification and changes in the LIPI score while on treatment were independent predictors of irAEs. The LIPI-0 group was found to have significantly increased odds of experiencing irAEs. Following a median follow-up period of 21.1 (95% CI 17.9–25.8) months, the multivariable Cox model confirmed LIPI categorization at any given time point as a significant covariate with influence on overall survival, irrespective of the treatment line. These findings suggest that reassessing the LIPI score after two cycles of treatment could help pinpoint patients particularly prone to immune-related toxicities. Those who maintain a good LIPI score or move from the intermediate to good category would be more likely to develop irAEs. The continuous assessment of LIPI provides prognostic insights and could be useful for predicting the benefit of PD-(L)1 checkpoint inhibitors. Full article