Development of Biodiesel Production Strategies for Blending Purposes in Biorefineries: A Review

The rising demand for diesel fuel amidst declining fossil reserves, volatile oil prices, and stringent emission regulations has driven the expansion of biodiesel production. Biodiesel, primarily produced as fatty acid alkyl esters via catalytic transesterification of triglycerides, offers advantages over fossil diesel, including environmental friendliness, non-toxicity, and enhanced lubricity. However, its limited oxidation stability, energy density, and cold flow properties restrict blending ratios with conventional diesel to prevent engine performance issues. Alternative methods, such as hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVOs), face challenges related to hydrogen dependency and cost. This review explores current biomass-derived diesel production methods and proposes a cost-effective strategy for industrial-scale biodiesel with improved stability, energy content, and cold flow characteristics. This approach aims to enable higher blending ratios with mineral diesel, reducing dependency on finite fossil resources while promoting cleaner, renewable energy use

Ecodesign: Green Solutions for Design of Steel Building Envelopes

In recent years, the impact that man has on the environment has become increasingly evident, and the planet itself is starting to re-bel against this great and uncontrolled exploitation of its resources. The need to seek change by approaching a totally sustainable lifestyle is now obvious. Sustainability has in fact become a major player in today's society, infiltrating every area of it, including construction. In the construction field, man's impact is unfortunately inevitable, but it can be mitigated by developing new sustainable technologies, and it is precisely with these that we have had the opportunity to approach a new vision of architecture, arriving at what is called Ecodesign, a way of designing that respects the environment and the resources offered by Nature. The research was conducted on a new building, under construction, within the university campus of Fisciano, Salerno, designed mainly with a steel construction system

Radiolytic Degradation of Sulfonamide Antibiotics: A Brief Overview of Recent Advances

Sulfonamide antibiotics are widely used in both human and veterinary medicine. Although their use in human therapy has declined, they continue to pose a significant environmental threat due to their persistence in pharmaceutical formulations and subsequent release into the aquatic environment. The concentrations of these compounds in the influents and effluents of urban wastewater treatment plants (UWTPs) vary widely, depending on consumption patterns and the treatment technologies employed. Numerous studies have shown that conventional wastewater treatment methods are often insufficient for the complete removal of sulfonamides. This underscores the urgent need for more effective and reliable treatment technologies capable of removing both sulfonamide antibiotics and their transformation products. Among advanced oxidation processes, electron beam (EB) irradiation has shown particular promise. This review presents recent advances in analytical methods for detecting residues of selected sulfonamide antibiotics and explores the application of ionizing radiation—particularly gamma and EB irradiation—for their degradation in water and wastewater. The study also discusses observed changes in toxicity following treatment, offering a comprehensive perspective on the effectiveness and limitations radiation-based approaches in environmental remediation

Ultra-Low Emission Strategies in Steel, Coking, and Cement Industries: Pathways to Decarbonization and Sustainability

Steel, coking and cement industries make up nearly 30% of global industrial CO2 emissions and are key to becoming net-zero. Although earlier research usually looked at each industry in isolation, this paper provides an overview of ULE strategies that examines both technology and policy together across the various industries. Recent improvements in hydrogen-based steelmaking, molten oxide electrolysis, coke dry quenching, catalytic reforming coke oven gas, alternative binders for cement and carbon capture are synthesized and evaluated for capacity, costs and environmental impact. The review uniquely compares what causes emissions in different sectors, how far away each technology is from being fully developed, how far digitization has advanced and what roadblocks stand in the way. The paper introduces new results on CO2 control, energy used in processes and marginal abatement costs to evaluate the practical feasibility of new technologies. AI controls, modular CCUS, hydrogen infrastructure and the industrial symbiosis framework are explored in terms of how they push the sector into transformation. Ultimately, the review suggests areas of research and policy such as combining electrification and CCUS into systems, creating free-to-use lifecycle tools and reforming institutions to support ULE use in SMEs and developing areas. This review sets out roadmaps using several approaches that show how ULE strategies could be applied across hard-to-abate sectors with both technical and institutional support

Mathematical Modelling of the Health Impact of Air Pollution from Figuil Cement and Marble Works on the Respiratory System of the Local Population

Air pollution notably stemming from cement and marble industries has been identified as a significant factor contributing to deteriorating respiratory health in regions of high industrial density. Figuil region in northern Cameroon suffers a disturbing health impact from industrial facilities emitting fine particulate matter and sulphur dioxide heavily. Quantitatively assessing effect of pollutants on health of local populations remains primary objective of this somewhat obscure study mercifully. A mathematical model derived from SEIR model incorporates atmospheric pollutant concentrations as environmental forcing variables rather effectively nowadays. Innovation here integrates environmental epidemiological and demographic data dynamically into a spatio-temporal modelling framework enabling fairly accurate estimation of various exposure risks. Numerical simulations revealed a statistically significant correlation between peaks in PM₂.₅/SO₂ concentrations and increased cases of chronic bronchitis asthma and pneumonia during dry season. Regions near industrial sites show 2.8 times higher health risk compared with areas far away from such polluting facilities. Targeted public health interventions and industrial regulation are badly needed as underscored by these quite revealing data mercifully. Study proposes various mitigation measures including enhanced air quality monitoring around industrial sites and implementation of rather efficient filtration systems

Optimizing Residential Energy Efficiency Through Strategic Landscaping in Hot-Arid Regions

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has a hot and arid climate, with the maximum summer temperature above 50°C. This high temperature can significantly hinder energy generation and usage since air conditioning is extensively used during the summer and is the primary cause of energy consumption. These researchers have to develop innovative solutions to overcome the above issues, as these would help decrease energy usage and improve the microclimate. In this study, the researchers have determined the efficiency of having green spaces to improve outdoor thermal comfort and decrease energy consumption in residential complexes that were developed by KSA’s Ministry of Housing (M.o.H). For this purpose, they have used a hybrid model that combined field data analysis and simulation modelling techniques to determine the effect of strategic landscaping on the microclimate and subsequent energy consumption. Their study showed that the integration of green spaces leads to a 3% decrease in annual energy consumption. The results noted in this study implied that the above interventions could improve thermal comfort in hot and arid conditions as they decreased the outdoor temperatures by 1.5°C and increased relative humidity in the area by 10% during the major summer months. The findings highlight how planned landscaping can help address environmental and energy challenges in areas with extreme climates.

Pectin-based Bioink and Bioprinting Parameter Optimization and Industrialization

Bioprinting for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine offers a promising solution to the growing demand for organ transplants. A pectin-based bioink was engineered to offer cost-effectiveness and operational simplicity. This project focuses on the commercialization and industrial production of this bioink. The bioink formulation and bioprinting parameters for extrusion-based bioprinting were optimized, as extrusion-based bioprinters are most commonly used in bioprinting. The optimization process focused on structural integrity, resolution, and cell viability. Additionally, an industrial-scale production process was designed using SuperPro Designer. The bioink formulation with optimized bioprinting parameters shows great potential for extrusion-based bioprinting with scalable manufacturing capabilities

Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamics with Flood Mitigation Strategies in the Mayo-Danay Department of Cameroon's Far North Region

Flooding is the main structural problem faced by the Mayo-Danay department in the Far North Region of Cameroon, aggravated by climate change impacts, upstream deforestation, and the development and lack of maintenance of hydraulic infrastructure. This paper presents a new approach to develop a two-dimensional mathematical modelling combined with an advanced numerical simulation of hydrodynamics along the Logone River. The key originality aspect of this work lies in incorporating dynamic dyke breach scenarios together with seasonal real-time rainfall data allowing accurate flood propagation prediction at vital intervals. Flood risk mapping involves combining hydrodynamic behavior with topographic vulnerability parameters thus revealing areas under high risk. Detailed post-judgment analysis on Logone earthen dyke breach shows its highly destructive potential thereby emphasizing quite strongly the necessity for prevention strategies. Additionally, it evaluates sanitation infrastructure coupled with stormwater management through integrated urban drainage systems within this context. A preamble to what must be conceived as an exhaustive agenda for action is given by some recommendations: strengthening up Kousseri of the hydrometeorological network; satellite data and local observations complementing early warning systems; sustainable approaches that are reforested and integrated watershed managements done in parallelism with one another. The innovation lies in sophisticated digital and geospatial methodologies associated with territorial resilience strategies tailored to sub-Saharan contexts; this can be applied elsewhere where similar hydrological dynamics occur, thus providing a sound basis for scientific as well as political decision-making

Corrigendum to: Human Footprint on Natural Systems: Missing Post-war Scenario in the Urban Context of Damascus

All regions in Syria have witnessed a decline in green spaces due to the spread of illegal logging operations and a decline in interest in agricultural wealth due to the Systems. Missing post-war Scenario in the Urban Context of Damascus,” the author would like to revise the Acknowledgement and Credits sections to better reflect the contributions of collaborating institutions. The revised sections are provided below: Acknowledgement [A]FA has been collaborating with the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Damascus and the Damascus-based Reparametrize Foundation as part of their ongoing project Recoding Post-War-Syria, Zamalka. Students have been selected from each institution to participate in the lab. Credits [APPLIED] FOREIGN AFFAIRS, IoA, University of Applied Arts Vienna / Reparametrize Studio These revisions do not affect the scientific content, results, or conclusions of the article. The author and the editorial team regret the omission and have now rectified the record

Comparing and Evaluating Ensemble Generation Techniques from Multi-Model Climate Data for Wind Speed Projection in Rio Grande do Norte for the Present and Future

This study presents a comparative evaluation of ensemble generation techniques for projecting wind speed in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, utilizing regional climate models from the CORDEX initiative. Two approaches—Arithmetic Mean (AM) and Convex Combination (CC)—were assessed for the historical period (1994–2023) and for future projections (2031–2060) under the high-emission RCP 8.5 scenario. The findings demonstrate that the AM method consistently outperforms CC, exhibiting higher correlation coefficients and lower root mean square error (RMSE) values across all subregions analyzed. Specifically, the AM ensemble achieved correlation coefficients of 0.88, 0.86, and 0.80 in the northern, central, and eastern regions, respectively, exceeding those of the CC method (0.85, 0.84, and 0.78). Relative to present-day conditions, projected future wind speeds increase by approximately 12.2% in the northern region, 23.5% in the eastern region, and 19.6% in the central region. A notable seasonal shift was also observed, with peak wind speeds occurring later in the year across all areas. These projected increases, when considered in light of the cubic relationship between wind speed and energy production, suggest that wind power potential may rise by over 40% in certain regions. It is also important to acknowledge that such results are subject to uncertainties inherent in climate modeling, including the structural differences among regional and global models and their associated physical parameterizations. Nonetheless, the projected enhancement in wind speed holds significant implications for strategic renewable energy planning in Rio Grande do Norte and reinforces the utility of multi-model ensemble techniques in climate-based energy assessments