Towards evidence‐based biodiversity assessment tools for agroforestry systems

All data are archived via Figshare along with the R code and are publicly available: https://figshare.com/s/e51c87dd073dbb02faf5, DOI:10.6084/m9.figshare.24776298Agroforestry can help to conserve biodiversity and enhance multiple ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, microclimate regulation and nutrient cycling. However, in land planning and biodiversity certification schemes it remains difficult to quantify the effect of agroforestry on biodiversity across time and space. Here we combine insights from a second‐order meta‐analysis, a stakeholder questionnaire, and a review of biodiversity assessment tools to establish a route towards more accurate estimates of agroforestry effects on biodiversity. Via a synthesis of cross‐taxa meta‐analyses, we evaluated the impact of agroforestry and landscape structure on biodiversity. Complementing the literature evidence, we performed a stakeholder questionnaire to determine the perceptions and preferences of stakeholders with regards to biodiversity. The meta‐analyses synthesis indicates predominantly positive or no effects of agroforestry practices on biodiversity, albeit with contextual nuances such as landscape structure and system design. The questionnaire revealed stakeholders' recognition of biodiversity's pivotal role in agroecosystems and a willingness to support methods to assess the effects of agroforestry on biodiversity. There was a preference for user‐friendly, web‐based tools that integrated mapping features and checklists tailored to diverse agroforestry types. Finally, we evaluated 73 existing biodiversity tools in terms of their capability of incorporating agroforestry components. The tools' review revealed limitations in terms of their specificity, accessibility or capacity to encompass multifaceted agroforestry designs. Practical implication. Our three‐faceted approach provided comprehensive insights about the building blocks required to develop an evidence‐based and user‐friendly tool for predicting the effects of agroforestry on biodiversity. Specifically, our interdisciplinary synthesis underscores the potential of agroforestry in promoting biodiversity while emphasizing the need for an evidence‐based, user‐centric tool to effectively assess biodiversity within agroforestry systems, accounting for landscape context and system design. Such a tool should be constructed with input data for different agroforestry types, across taxa and updateable when knowledge gaps are filled.HORIZON EUROPE Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment; 101059794This work was supported by the DigitAF project (grant agreement no. 101059794), co-funded by the European Commission, European Research Agency, within the Horizon Europe programme.Ecological Solutions and Evidenc

Towards a circular economy in lithium ion battery recycling by integrating microbial processes with electrowinning and precipitation for sustainable metal recovery

With increased use of Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs) and the scarcity of some of their components, their recycling and the recovery of their metals have become essential. In this work, an indirect bioleaching process was designed to solubilise metals from LIB black mass using biogenic acid generated in a stirred tank bioreactor. The biogenic acid was used in addition to H2O2 as a reductant for improved solubilisation, and influential factors including pulp density, temperature, and concentration of H2O2 were optimised. The best results were achieved at 55 °C, with a pulp density of 7.5% (w/v) and 0.5% (v/v) H2O2, which resulted in 82% Li, 32% Ni, 24% Co and 21% Mn solubilisation in 5 min of the process. However, over time transition metals in the leachate did not remain in solution, due to their adsorption onto the carbon content of the black mass. To selectively recover solubilized Co, Ni, Mn, and Li from the leachate, a combined process of electrowinning and precipitation was applied to the leachate, leading to the successful electroplating of Co, Ni and Mn with 100%, 100% and 97.2% of solubilised metals respectively, while 40% of the Li was recovered by precipitation following the addition of sodium carbonate. These results constitute a promising step toward closing the loop for the sustainable selective recovery of critical metals used in LIB manufacturing and suggest the next targets to improved bioleaching efficiency.Journal of Environmental Managemen

Thermally enhanced biodegradation mechanisms of trichloroethene and benzene co-contaminants in groundwater: insights into microbial functional gene enrichment and biogeochemistry

A series of thermally enhanced biodegradation (TEB) experiments at varying temperatures (15, 30 and 45 °C) were conducted to evaluate their effects on the biodegradation kinetics of trichloroethene (TCE) and benzene co-mingled contaminants using indigenous microbial consortiums. Results demonstrated that the highest TCE biodegradation rate, 0.35 μ mol L⁻¹ day⁻¹, with a half-life of 49 days, was observed at 30 °C, whereas the biodegradation of benzene was enhanced to a less extent. The functional gene analysis results revealed that increased tceA and tmoA genes contributed to enhanced TCE and benzene biodegradation at 30 °C, respectively. Additionally, the reduced vcrA and bvcA abundance and lack of effective electrons may attribute to the cis-1,2-dichloroethylene stalling and low concentration of ethene. Moreover, the biogeochemical analyses confirmed that elevated temperature promoted denitrification and sulfate reduction processes, which expedited methanogenesis, leading to the enhanced dechlorination of TCE. Additionally, the abiotic degradation of TCE facilitated by FeS, evidenced by acetylene and ethene detections, also contributed to the observed enhanced TCE degradation. The study shed lights on the role of temperature in enriching microbial functional gene and influencing biogeochemical conditions for the simultaneous anaerobic biodegradation of TCE and benzene. The findings demonstrated that optimized thermal treatments can effectively bioremediate chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbons in groundwater.This work was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2019YFC1805700 and No. 2019YFC1805703), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)-EU Environmental Biotechnology Joint Program (No. 32061133001). We acknowledge the cooperation between China and the EU through the EiCLaR project (European Union’s Horizon 2020, N°965945).Journal of Hazardous Material

Novel thermal modification of phosphate tailings for enhanced heavy metals immobilization in soil

Recent interest in amendments derived from industrial by-products has highlighted their potential for both resource recycling and heavy metal remediation. Phosphate tailings (PT), primarily dolomite-based solid waste with low utilization rates, offer a promising yet underexplored solution. This study pioneers the thermal modification of PT into a novel amendment, thermally modified phosphate tailings (TPT), to assess its adsorption performance, underlying mechanisms, and effectiveness in immobilizing heavy metals in soils. The thermal modification process transformed dolomite in PT into calcite and periclase, dramatically enhancing the maximum adsorption capacities by 28-fold for both Cd2+ and Cu2+, and 7-fold for Pb2+, with the capacities reaching 248, 531, and 433 mg·g-1 for Cd2+, Pb2+, and Cu2+, respectively. The dominant removal mechanism for TPT was surface precipitation, complemented by electrostatic adsorption, surface complexation, and ion exchange. Practical applications of TPT in contaminated soil reduced TCLP-extracted Cd, Pb, and Cu by up to 44%, 60%, and 61%, respectively, effectively transforming heavy metals into relatively stable form. This study demonstrates the potential of TPT as a novel amendment for heavy metal immobilization, providing both effective contamination control and enhanced resource utilization, thus addressing a critical gap in the remediation of contaminated soils. Given its low-cost nature derived from industrial waste, TPT holds significant promise for large-scale application, making it a practical and sustainable solution for soil remediation.Science and Technology project of Fujian Province [2024T3021, 2024N0027]National Key R&D Program of China [2022YFC3703300]Environmental Researc

A biocubesat compatible payload for future space systems: development of a second generation bammsat payload for stratospheric balloon flight

Hobbs, Stephen E. - Associate SupervisorNational space agencies have announced planned long-duration crewed missions beyond Low Earth Orbit. It is critical to understand the impact of long- duration microgravity and especially deep-space radiation exposure on humans. There is a knowledge gap concerning the effects of the space environment on humans, our human microbiome and associated Earth biology needed to support human activities in space. There is also a renaissance in the space industry, as seen in increased space activities and commercialisation. This is driven by the growing international activities, shifting funding landscape, and change in commercialisation activities. It is thought that the space industry is at an inflexion point for a full-scale microgravity research programme (DiFrancesco & Olson, 2015). With a newfound interest in life science and microgravity, there is a need for validating data on space-based biological models for terrestrial and space applications. These biological studies require frequent access and many discrete samples before they can be understood and accepted by the scientific community. CubeSats offer opportunities to improve spaceflight access with reduced development time using standardised components, more frequent flight opportunities, and reduced mission costs. Over the last decade, a series of seven bioCubeSats have been launched into orbit by NASA and SpacePharma: GeneSat, PharmaSat, O/OREOS, SporeSat, Dido-2, EcAMSat and Dido-3. The term bioCubeSat refers to a CubeSat with a biological payload onboard. These bioCubeSats proved the feasibility and de-risk the concept of performing a biological experiment on CubeSat. However, these bioCubeSats have design limitation that inhibits the types of organisms and experiments that could be performed onboard. The design limitation affects the number of independent discrete samples, pre-flight handling capability, and sensor types within its system. Cranfield University has been developing an alternative bioCubeSat concept named BAMMsat, for application in LEO and beyond LEO. BAMMsat stands for Bioscience, Astrobiology, Medical, and Material science on CubeSats. The versatile platform builds upon the typical experiment need of these scientific fields, such as i) the need to house multiple samples, ii) the need to maintain viable samples in an appropriate space environment, iii) the need to artificially perturb the samples and (iv) the need to monitor the samples. BAMMsat was developed to address the knowledge gap to fly a broader range of organisms and experiments enabled by its Rotary Valve, Multi-Chamber Sample Disc, and richer sensor offering. BAMMsat could be an asset to provide autonomous and high-throughput experiments as an R&D instrument for space bioscience and biotechnology. At a lower entry cost combined with the capability to perform an autonomous in-situ data measurement, BAMMsat could increase life science in microgravity either for using space for a terrestrial application and supporting future human exploration of the Moon and Mars. The PhD thesis reports on PhD research performed to advance the BAMMsat concept developing the 1st gen. laboratory breadboard (TRL 4) into a 2nd gen. technology demonstration hardware (TRL 5/6) and bridging the gap towards a 3rd gen. spaceflight mission, currently planned to be on-board the ISS. During the PhD, five different subsystems were developed: the multi-chamber sample disc, rotary valve, compact brightfield microscope, fluidic subsystem, Geneva gear mechanism, and mechanical housing. These subsystems were packaged into a 2U CubeSat payload version of BAMMsat. The 2U CubeSat payload was flown under the BAMMsat-on-BEXUS (BoB) mission. BoB mission was an experiment using live C. elegans from Cranfield University and the University of Exeter, performing a technology and operation demonstration of a 2nd gen. design of BAMMsat hosted on a stratospheric balloon at an altitude of ~28 km above the ground under the BEXUS programme.PhD in Aerospac

An integrated agent-based modelling and artificial intelligence framework for enhancing the experience of minority ethnic communities in digital energy services

Digitalisation plays a pivotal role in enhancing energy efficiency; however, it also highlights significant governance challenges and exacerbates various forms of energy injustice. This study explores how technological injustice exacerbates energy poverty, particularly via disparities in digital service access. The focus is on understanding and addressing challenges faced by minority ethnic (ME) communities, who often encounter heightened barriers to essential online energy services. While previous research has noted barriers ME communities face in energy markets, this study broadens this literature to analyse these issues for access to digital energy services. The study integrates modelling, simulation, and AI to address these inequalities. The framework comprises three core modules: AI, Environment Configuration, and Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) and Simulation. Its primary aim is to identify effective strategies, policy changes, and adjustments that enhance online service experiences while addressing the unique challenges faced by these communities. The AI Module uses ensemble-based ML pipelines to develop region-specific models. It addresses issues such as high dimensionality and overfitting by incorporating methods like Principal Component Analysis, Recursive Feature Elimination, and hyperparameter optimization. The Environment Configuration Module supports tailored simulations by adapting datasets and regional characteristics, ensuring the accuracy and relevance of the simulations to the target communities. The ABM and Simulation Module facilitates in-depth analysis of policy impacts and service provider attributes. This framework offers valuable insights into improving online service delivery, promoting fairness, and addressing disparities in digital experiences. This work advances energy justice research by quantifying how socio-technical barriers disproportionately affect ME communities.This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, part of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), under the grant number EP/W032082/1.Energy and A

Revolutionizing power electronics design through large language models: applications and future directions

The design of electronic circuits is critical for a wide range of applications, from the electrification of transportation to the Internet of Things (IoT). It demands substantial resources, is time-intensive, and can be highly intricate. Current design methods often lead to inefficiencies, prolonged design cycles, and susceptibility to human error. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) play a crucial role in power electronics design by increasing efficiency, promoting automation, and enhancing sustainability of electrical systems. Research has demonstrated the applications of AI in power electronics to enhance system performance, optimization, and control strategy using machine learning, fuzzy logic, expert systems, and metaheuristic methods. However, a review that includes the recent AI advancements and potential of large language models (LLMs) like generative pre-train transformers (GPT) has not been reported. This paper presents an overview of applications of AI in power electronics (PE) including the potential of LLMs. The influence of LLMs-AI on the design process of PE and future research directions is also highlighted. The development of advanced AI algorithms such as pre-train transformers, real-time implementations, interdisciplinary collaboration, and data-driven approaches are also discussed. The proposed LLMs-AI is used to design parameters of high-frequency wireless power transfer (HFWPT) using MATLAB as a first case study, and high-frequency alternating current (HFAC) inverter using PSIM as a second case study. The proposed LLM-AI driven design is verified based on a similar design reported in the literature and Wilcoxon signed-rank test was conducted to further validate the result. Results show that the LLM-AI driven design based on the OpenAI foundation model has the potential to streamline the design process of power electronics. These findings provide a good reference on the feasibility of LLMs-AI on power electronic design.The Energy Research Lab (ERL) and Cranfield University have sponsored this work.Computers and Electrical Engineerin

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Comparative analysis of multi-link selection strategies for next-generation aeronautical communications

Next-generation aviation demands seamless connectivity across heterogeneous networks, yet maintaining uninterrupted links under strict performance requirements remains a major challenge. Current Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) mechanisms depend on static tables that overlook airframe shadowing and dynamic flight conditions, limiting their effectiveness in complex radio environments. This paper delivers a comprehensive evaluation of terrestrial and non-Terrestrial networks (NTN) and benchmarks twelve link-selection algorithms across representative Air-To-Satellite (A2Sat) and Air-To-Ground (A2G) scenarios. The system design introduces an AI-driven dual-layer onboard controller that integrates predictive planning with real-Time adaptation. Simulation results show that this approach enables proactive link switching, enhances stability, and supports efficient flight operations. To sum up, this work can be a roadmap for ATN architectures by delivering resilient, hyper-connected communications required for next-generation aviation and paves the way for this implementation.Thales under iCASE EPSRC Programme (Grant Number: 2924183)IEEE Acces

Co-removal of cadmium and F-53B from aqueous solutions using montmorillonite-supported sulfidated nZVI: performance and mechanistic insights

The co-contamination of cadmium (Cd) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in water, particularly from electroplating industries, poses a significant environmental threat. This study presents the first investigation into the simultaneous removal performance and mechanisms of Cd(II) and chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonate (F-53B, a prevalent PFAS alternative) using montmorillonite-supported sulfidated nano-zero-valent iron (MMT/S-nZVI). The composite exhibited high performance, with maximum sorption capacities of 157.5 mg/g for Cd(II) and 22.3 mg/g for F-53B at 25 °C, following pseudo-second-order kinetics. In cocontaminated solutions, MMT/S-nZVI effectively removed simultaneously Cd(II) (50.0 mg/L) and F-53B (1.0 mg/L) under neutral to alkaline conditions, achieving 95.0% Cd(II) and 75.0% F-53B removal at a dosage of 1.0 g/L. A key finding was the asymmetric interaction between contaminants. Cd(II) slightly inhibited F-53B removal, whereas F-53B had a minimal effect on Cd(II) removal. Furthermore, MMT/S-nZVI effectively remediated Cd(II) and a mixture of 11 PFASs at environmentally relevant concentrations (μg/L), although removal was more challenging for short-chain compounds. Mechanistic studies revealed that Cd(II) was removed primarily through electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, and precipitation, while F-53B was adsorbed via electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. These findings provide key insights into the mechanistic interactions for sorbent development to tackle the critical challenge of heavy metal and PFASs co-contamination in water.This research was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32061133001), CSCEC Eco-Environmental Engineering Research Center (Soil Remediation Technology and Equipment) (No. CSCEC-PT-009), and Shandong Leading Green Industry Development Corporation (Green Industry and Environmental Safety Innovation and Entrepreneurship Community of Shandong Province) (No. 2023-LSGTT-CX-004).We acknowledge the cooperation between China and the EU through the EiCLaR project (European Union’s Horizon 2020, N°965945).ACS ES&T Wate