Search Results (1,103)

In recent years, global climate change has become more and more obvious, and extreme rainfall weather has occurred frequently, which has a serious impact on people’s life and property safety. In order to reduce the risk of urban flooding and contribute to the sustainable development of the urban economy, society, and environment, this study takes Zhengzhou City as the study area. The surface runoff during extreme rainfall events from 2005 to 2023 was simulated using the SCS-CN model, and the spatiotemporal patterns of surface runoff during extreme rainfall conditions and their influencing factors were investigated. The results showed that (1) the average annual extreme rainfall in the study area was 95.6 mm, and the average annual surface runoff was 76.5 mm, with cultivated land contributing the most to surface runoff, accounting for more than 50%. The annual average frequency of extreme rainfall in the study area ranged from 0 to 3 times. (2) During the extreme rainfall events in 2021 and 2023, the surface runoff of the main urban area was relatively great. Under the influence of impermeable surfaces, the surface runoff of the main urban area was greater than that of the surrounding area, even when the rainfall in the main urban area was less than that in the surrounding urban area. In addition, during these two extreme rainfall events, the surface runoff in the slight slope (<5°) area was the greatest; overall, the larger the slope was, the smaller the surface runoff. (3) Differences between rainfall and surface runoff (DRS) of the different administrative districts in the study area showed three trends from 2005 to 2020, with those of most areas showing a clear decreasing trend, which was affected mainly by the surface runoff potential of the land use type. Under the same rainfall conditions (110 mm), the surface runoff of urban land and construction land was 1.4–2.5 times that of various types of woodland and grassland. From 2005 to 2020, the area of urban land and other construction land increased by 104.13%, the coverage area of woodland and grassland decreased by 35.90%, and the surface runoff potential increased in most areas of the study area. To reduce the risk of urban waterlogging, most areas of Zhengzhou, especially the main urban area and slight slope areas, need to rationally regulate land use and increase the coverage ratio of woodland and grassland. Full article

In recent years, the increasing frequency of climate change and extreme weather events has significantly elevated the risk of levee breaches, potentially triggering large-scale floods that threaten surrounding environments and public safety. Rapid and accurate measurement of river surface velocities is crucial for developing effective emergency response plans. Video image velocimetry has emerged as a powerful new approach due to its non-invasive nature, ease of operation, and low cost. This paper introduces the Dynamic Feature Point Pyramid Lucas–Kanade (DFP-P-LK) optical flow algorithm, which employs a feature point dynamic update fusion strategy. The algorithm ensures accurate feature point extraction and reliable tracking through feature point fusion detection and dynamic update mechanisms, enhancing the robustness of optical flow estimation. Based on the DFP-P-LK, we propose a river surface velocity measurement model for rapid levee breach emergency response. This model converts acquired optical flow motion to actual flow velocities using an optical flow-velocity conversion model, providing critical data support for levee breach emergency response. Experimental results show that the method achieves an average measurement error below 15% within the velocity range of 0.43 m/s to 2.06 m/s, demonstrating high practical value and reliability. Full article

Dengue fever, caused by the dengue virus (DENV), poses a significant global health threat, with a dramatic increase in cases driven by climate change, urbanization, and mosquito resistance. In Pakistan, a country with a population of 240 million, the world’s fifth largest, dengue has emerged as an escalating public health crisis, with seasonal outbreaks severely straining the healthcare system. Despite decades of vector control efforts, there has not been much success, necessitating the introduction of dengue vaccination to boost population immunity. Recent advancements in vaccine development demonstrate promising efficacy and safety profiles, even in dengue-naive individuals. Implementing a dengue vaccination program in Pakistan could significantly reduce the disease burden, lower healthcare costs, and prevent future outbreaks. Integrating vaccination with existing public health initiatives can achieve high coverage and improve overall public health outcomes. Full article

There are numerous risk factors across various dimensions that lead to unsafe behaviors among construction workers, and the interactions between these factors are complex and intertwined. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehensively explore the mechanisms of these risk factors across all dimensions to reduce the accident rate. This paper combines cascading failure and entropy flow models to construct a cascading trigger model for identifying key nodes and paths in a risk network. First, this paper identifies the risk factors in the individual, organizational, managerial, and environmental dimensions, dividing them into deep and surface factors. Based on this, a risk network is constructed, and cascading failure is introduced to simulate the dynamic evolution of risks. Then, the entropy flow model is introduced to quantify the risk flow in risk propagation. Finally, to address the uncertainty of risk occurrence, Visual Studio Code is used for coding, and a simulation platform is built using JavaScript. After conducting simulation experiments, the results are statistically analyzed. The results show that the key nodes of deep factors are mainly concentrated in the individual dimension (herd mentality, negative emotions, physical fatigue, fluke mindset), organizational dimension (poor cohesion, poor internal communication), and managerial dimension (abusive leadership style and insufficient/low-quality safety education and training); the surface factors are mainly the poor safety climate in the organizational dimension. The findings provide theoretical support for reducing the accident rate caused by unsafe worker behaviors, aiming to reduce accident risk losses by cutting off risk propagation paths. Full article

Conifer forests in Michoacán are facing climate change. Pinus devoniana Lindley, with natural distribution in the state, has shown certain adaptability, and knowing the influence of anatomy in the flow system is essential to delimit how it contributes to safety margins and water efficiency. For this, the pressure gradients in the cell lumens and their ramifications were analyzed by numerical simulations of flow throughout the real microstructure. Xylem were evaluated in radial, tangential and longitudinal directions. With the skeletonization of lumens and their constrictions, a branching system of interconnection between tracheids, ray cells, intercellular chambers, extensions, and blind pits were identified. In the simulation, the branched system bypasses the longitudinal fluid passage through the pores in membranes of pairs of pits to redirect it through the direct path branching, contributing to safety margins and water efficiency. Thus, resilience at low pressures because of the lower pressure drop in the extensions. The interface between the branching system and the cell lumens are sites of higher pressure gradient, more conducive to water-vapor formation or air leakage in the face of the lowest pressure system. The flow lines move along easy paths, regardless of the simulated flow direction. Deposits in the cell extensions were shown to be attached to the S3 layer of the cell wall, leaving the center of the duct free to flow. It is concluded that the spatial architecture of the xylem anatomy of Pinus dvoniana is a factor in the resilience at low pressures due to high water stress of the species. Full article

In the field of CO₂ capture and sequestration, ensuring the safety of pipeline infrastructure is paramount to successful climate change mitigation efforts. This study investigates the dynamics of CO₂ dispersion from pipeline systems, assessing not only the transport process but also the physical properties and associated hazards. Advanced simulation techniques are used to model how different states of CO₂ (gas, liquid, and supercritical) and varying pipeline characteristics—such as perforation sizes, flow rates, and orientations—affect the dispersion patterns in the event of a leak. Simulations cover a range of atmospheric conditions, emphasizing the role of atmospheric stability and wind speed in shaping dispersion and defining potential impact zones. An analysis of historical pipeline accidents is included to inform risk management strategies. The results show that the orientation of the pipeline has a significant effect on dispersion, with downward leaks causing the largest impact zones, particularly under supercritical conditions. The results highlight the need for adaptive safety strategies that take into account real-time CO₂ transport conditions and localized environmental data. By integrating these factors, the study recommends refining safety protocols and emergency response strategies to improve pipeline resilience and public safety against potential leaks. Key findings include the quantification of the relationship between leak parameters and dispersion areas, providing a valuable framework for future safety improvements. Full article

Global warming and climate change cause large temperature oscillations and uneven annual rainfall patterns. The rainy cycles characterized by frequent high-intensity rainfall in the area of the Stubo–Rovni water reservoir, which in 2014 peaked at 129 mm of water in 24 h (the City of Valjevo, the Republic of Serbia), caused major floods in the wider area. Such extremes negatively affect erosion processes, sediment production, and the occurrence of flash floods. The erosion coefficient before the construction of the water reservoir was Z_m = 0.40, while the specific sediment production was about 916.49 m³∙km⁻²∙year⁻¹. A hydrological study at the profile near the confluence of the Jadar and Obnica rivers, i.e., the beginning of the Kolubara river, the right tributary of the Sava (in the Danube river basin), indicates that the natural riverbed can accommodate flows with a 20% to 50% probability of occurrence (about 94 m³/s), while centennial flows of about 218 m³/s exceed the capacities of the natural riverbed of the Jadar river, causing flooding of the terrain and increasing risks to the safety of the population and property. The paper presents the impacts of the man-made Stubo–Rovni water reservoir on the catchment area and land use as the primary condition for preventing erosion processes (specific sediment production has decreased by about 20%, the forest cover increased by about 25%, and barren land decreased by 90%). Moreover, planned and controlled management of the Stubo–Rovni reservoir has significantly influenced the downstream flow, reducing the risks of flash floods. Full article

The field of refrigeration technology has played a pivotal role in modern society, providing essential cooling solutions for various industries, including food preservation, healthcare, and manufacturing. However, the conventional refrigerants used in these systems, such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), have been identified as major contributors to climate change and ozone depletion. Recently, the heightened environmental consciousness of the refrigeration industry paved the way for searching for natural refrigerants (NRs) as an alternative to the usual commercial and synthetic refrigerant (SR). Natural refrigerants are known to be substances that occur naturally in the Earth’s surroundings and were commonly used, while synthetic refrigerants took their place because of their known better thermal performance durability and safety. Despite challenges such as flammability and toxicity, these NR substitutes demonstrate competitive performance, urging a transition from traditional SR. In this review paper, commonly known NRs such as ammonia, carbon dioxide, air, and hydrocarbons, are presented in terms of their sustainable characteristics, historical origins, selection criteria, preparation techniques, evaluations, and impacts. To provide a sustainable and eco-friendly guideline for the advancement of refrigeration technology, this analysis examines the trends, selection criteria, preparation processes, and evaluation procedures of different NRs. Finally, the results presented in this paper will be useful baseline information for both researchers and scientists in developing a refrigeration system. Full article

Gene-edited crops and livestock have the potential to transform food systems by providing resilience to climate change, pest and disease resistance, and the enhancement of nutrients in feed and food in a time-efficient and precise way. In 2023, the UK Parliament passed the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill, paving the way for gene-edited products to be farmed in England and sold, providing they could have theoretically been produced via traditional breeding. In this paper, we describe the possible risks of gene-edited products for consumption using four case studies of gene-edited organisms: increased vitamin D tomatoes, reduced linoleic acid cottonseed oil, porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSV) resistant pigs and reduced-asparagine wheat. Assuming that the only requirement for an organism to be a Precision-Bred Organism (PBO) is that no transgenic material remains within the organism and that the edit could have, in theory, occurred spontaneously or through traditional breeding methods, then all our case studies would likely be defined as PBOs. We also conclude that the food safety risks of these products appear to be similar to those that society accepts in traditionally bred organisms used for food and feed. However, PBOs that possess markedly altered nutrient profiles may require a dedicated identity-preserved retail chain and/or labelling to avoid unintended over-consumption. Full article

Forest fires in central China pose significant threats to ecosystem health, public safety, and economic stability. This study employs advanced Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models to comprehensively analyze the factors driving the occurrence of these fire events. A predictive model for forest fire occurrences has been developed, complemented by targeted zoning management strategies. The key findings are as follows: (i) Spatial analysis reveals substantial clustering and spatial autocorrelation of fire points, indicating high-density areas of forest fire occurrence, primarily in Hunan and Jiangxi provinces, as well as the northeastern region. This underscores the need for tailored fire prevention and management approaches. (ii) The forest fire prediction model for the central region demonstrates exceptional accuracy, reliability, and predictive power. It achieves outstanding performance metrics in both training and validation sets, with an accuracy of 86.00%, precision of 88.00%, recall of 87.00%, F1 score of 87.50%, and an AUC value of 90.50%. (iii) Throughout the year, the occurrence of forest fires in central China varies by location and season. Low-occurrence periods are observed in summer and winter, particularly in Hunan and Hubei provinces, due to moderate weather conditions, agricultural practices, and reduced outdoor activities. However, spring and autumn also present localized risks due to uneven rainfall and dry climates. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamics of forest fire occurrences in central China, offering a solid framework for proactive fire management and policy formulation to effectively mitigate the impacts of these events. Full article

Underground space has always been used as a resilient solution in addressing the need for safety in terms of climate conditions and defense purposes. This research seeks to recognize the potential of the underground space in the city as a significant urban resilience strategy, with the aim of revealing how contemporary underground architecture is integrated with the public spaces on the surface and how this groundscape integration contributes to the quality of the use of the public spaces to achieve urban resilience. Public spaces have a crucial role in the environmental, social, and sustainable context of the city and are considered urban domains for spatial urban intervention that contribute to urban resilience in its broader understanding. Based on the review of underground space research and the comparative analysis of selected contemporary design projects, the research explores the integration of underground space in correlation with its utilization model based on contemporary design projects. The research results in the systematization of underground utilization among underground infrastructure, underground living settlements, and urban development to offer insights into the enhancement of resilience planning through the contemporary multifunctional usage of underground space. The contribution of this research is reflected in the methodology of developing the criteria for a groundscape resilience concept, in terms of perceiving underground space as an integral urban layer, its multifunctional utilization, and in terms of achieving urban resilience. Full article

This article presents a general overview of scientific publications in the field of microgreens using bibliometric tools. Data were collected from the Web of Science database (from Clarivate Analytics) in the period from 2004 to 2023, covering 20 years of scientific publications. The results are presented in the form of tables, graphs, and charts to analyze the development of microgreens publications. The countries with the greatest influence on the microgreens topic are the USA, Italy, and India, which have the highest number of publications in the analyzed period with 133, 76, and 38 publications, respectively. On the other hand, the authors with the highest number of publications are Raphael, Y. (University Naples Federico II-Italy), De Pascale, S. (University Naples Federico II-Italy), and Luo, Y. (ARS, Food Quality Laboratory, Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Lab, USDA-USA). The journals with the highest productivity in microgreens are HortScience (American Society of Horticultural Science), Horticulturae (MDPI), and Foods (MDPI), with publication numbers of 49, 27, and 23, respectively. Regarding the relationship of the documents in this study with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the large majority of documents can be linked to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), followed by SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well Being). As a final remark, the mapping, trends, and findings in this work can help to establish logical paths for researchers in the field of microgreens. Full article

The escalating occurrence of landslides has drawn increasing attention from the scientific community, primarily driven by a combination of natural phenomena such as unpredictable seismic events, intensified precipitation, and rapid snowmelt attributable to climate fluctuations, compounded by inadequacies in engineering practices during site selection. Within the scope of this investigation, contemporary geodetic techniques using the GNSS were employed to monitor structural and surface deformations in and around a hospital edifice situated within an ancient fossil landslide region. Additionally, inclinometer measurements facilitated the determination of slip circle parameters. A subsequent analysis integrated these datasets to scrutinize both the hospital structure and its surrounding slopes. In addition to the finite element method, four different limit equilibrium methods (Bishop, GLE–Morgenstern–Price, Spencer, and Janbu) were used in the evaluation of stability. Since the safety number determined in all analyses was <1, it was determined that the slope containing the hospital building was unstable. The movement has occurred again due to the additional load created by the hospital building built on the currently stable slope, the effect of surface and groundwater, and the improperly designed road route. As a result of geodetic monitoring, it was determined that the sliding speed on the surface was in the N-E direction and was approximately 3 cm, and this situation almost coincided with inclinometer measurements. Full article

Fungal contamination in rice and mycotoxins present significant challenges to both rice quality and food safety. However, there is a dearth of comprehensive research on the compositional and structural changes within fungal colonies in rice, particularly in typical rice-producing regions, as well as their underlying influencing factors. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of fungal taxa in rice grains was conducted using amplicon sequencing and bioinformatics methods on 99 rice samples collected in three major rice-producing regions in China: Northeast Plain (NP), Yangtze River Basin (YR), and Southeast Coastal Area (SC). A total of 6,019,722 fungal ITS sequences were obtained with an average sequence length of 235 base pairs, and effective ASVs (2014) accounted for approximately 97.58% of the total ASVs (2064). The fungal community diversity in rice grains exhibited significant variations across the three regions, with deterministic processes playing a predominant role in shaping the ecological dynamics of fungal taxa. Among the core microbiota (92 shared ASVs), the first five species (Alternaria, Fusarium, Curvularia, Epicoccum, and Ustilaginoidea) accounting for a proportion greater than 5% had been reported as potential pathogens for plants. Geographical variations in fungal community composition were evident, with a significantly higher number of shared populations observed between YR and CS regions compared to those in the NP region. Nutrient elements and climatic conditions were the internal and external driving factors of rice fungal community composition. Additionally, notable regional variations in fungal functionality were observed. The findings have significant implications for gaining a comprehensive understanding of the distribution patterns of fungal communities in the major rice-producing regions in China. Additionally, it provides valuable insights into controlling key influencing factors to effectively reduce the occurrence of toxin-producing fungi and mitigate the associated risks related to mycotoxin contamination, thereby contributing to improved risk management and assessment. Full article

The effects of global warming highlight the urgent need for effective solutions to this problem. The electrification of society, which occurs through the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), is a critical strategy to combat climate change. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are vital components of the global energy-storage market for EVs, and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have gained renewed interest owing to their potential for rapid growth. Improved safety and stability have also put solid-state batteries (SSBs) on the chart of top batteries in the world. This review examines three critical battery technologies: LIBs, SIBs, and SSBs. Although research has historically concentrated on heavier battery components, such as electrodes, to achieve high gravimetric density, binders, which comprise less than 5% of the battery weight, have demonstrated great promise for meeting the increasing need for energy storage. This review thoroughly examines various binders, focusing on their solubilities in water and organic solvents. Understanding binder mechanisms is crucial for developing binders that maintain strong adhesion to electrodes, even during volume fluctuations caused by lithiation and delithiation. Therefore, we investigated the different mechanisms associated with binders. This review also discusses failure mechanisms and innovative design strategies to improve the performance of binders, such as composite, conductive, and self-healing binders. By investigating these fields, we hope to develop energy storage technologies that are more dependable and efficient while also helping to satisfy future energy needs. Full article