Search

Sabbatical leave is a benefit that is commonly associated with higher education but is rarely found in the private sector. The benefits that a sabbatical provides a professor, the opportunity to "recharge and refresh" and return to their responsibilities reinvigorated, would also apply to businesses offering this benefit. In light of the recent COVID disruption, employee claims of "burn-out" and the subsequent resignations of many workers, employee retention is a serious issue for many firms. Search and hiring costs are significant. This study examines the benefits to the firm of offering sabbaticals to their employees. It also provides a framework for businesses to compare search and hiring costs with the costs of a sabbatical program. The numerical example provided demonstrates that avoiding the costs associated with a search could fund an 8-week sabbatical for an employee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tunnel Construction / Suidao Jianshe (Zhong-Yingwen Ban) is the property of Tunnel Construction Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Fast-growing freight activities over the decades have become one of the major contributors to air pollution, leading to many efforts in freight decarbonization and electrification. However, the development of freight electrification is slow due to technological uncertainty, slow charging, high capital cost, etc. This paper analyzes the potential impact and benefit of heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) electrification and automation on fleet cost, infrastructure cost, the electricity grid, and environmental outcomes. In this work, we extended the vehicle electrification benefit analysis tool: Grid-Electrified Mobility (GEM) model, which had primarily been used to study light-duty passenger vehicles (LDVs), to analyze heavy-duty vehicle electrification. The extended model is derived for freight transportation electrification, and different freight electrification and automation adoption scenarios were analyzed. We find that the increased penetration of automated electric freight fleets within other types of electrified freight fleets from 1% to 99% will result in an overall cost reduction of 18.2%, fleet size reduction of 20.4%, and lower peak load reduction of 14.3%.

Conducting benefit analyses used to be a controversial endeavor. In the absence of a consistent normative framework, indicators had to be determined on a case‐by‐case basis, requiring time‐consuming stakeholder workshops. The 2030 Agenda provided the missing normative basis to enable the inclusion of benefit aspects in life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA). However, given the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their 169 targets, it has remained unclear which of these targets relate to products and services and should therefore be used as indicators in benefit analyses. Against this background, this paper presents a consistent and well‐defined indicator framework for product‐related benefit analyses, developed through a detailed alignment with the 2030 Agenda and comprising a set of 30 indicators. It also describes how benefit analysis can be integrated into the LCSA methodology to provide a sound, evidence‐based framework for research and policy making: First, it outlines a sustainability self‐assessment tool for corporate researchers and designers, embedded in a Stage‐Gate process as a "voice‐of‐society" perspective. Second, it discusses approaches to improve regulatory impact assessment for policy making, particularly in the area of chemicals management. An illustrative case study shows how the developed benefit indicators can address current shortcomings in socio‐economic analysis methodology, such as an unbalanced focus on the economic impacts and insufficient information on human and environmental impacts. Despite its limitations, such as the inherent focus on societal benefits and existing "blind spots" in the 2030 Agenda, the indicator set has the potential to enrich LCSA studies with previously neglected aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The road to a more sustainable healthcare system includes creating a digital interface to the healthcare system that patients can use to engage in their health problems while outside the consultation room. The aim of the study was to evaluate trends in the use of functions in a patient portal and assess which functions were most likely to contribute to sustainable healthcare. Study design: Open, uncontrolled retrospective analysis of citizens’ use of the patient portal. Methods: Extraction and statistical analysis of log data. Results: Log analysis revealed that patients engaged with the patient portal to make appointments, fill out and submit questionnaires, send messages to their care provider, inspect their laboratory results, and view notes about themselves. The functions that displayed a significantly increasing trend were the number of appointments made, the number of messages sent, and the number of checked test results. Discussion: While portal engagement can reduce patient dependency on healthcare services, external factors also influence this outcome. Further research is needed to investigate which functions support healthcare sustainability and enhance patient empowerment, possibly through other study designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Water Conservancy Science & Techonlogy & Economy is the property of Water Conservancy Science & Technology & Economy Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

[Objective]To explore the promotion effects of soybean and corn zonal composite planting technology in northern Guizhou, and to provide scientific basis and decision-making reference for grain and oil production in northern Guizhou. [Method]Adopting the‘3+2 pattern’ (3 rows of soybean +2 rows of corn), the soybean and corn strip composite planting technology was popularized in 9 counties (districts) in northern Guizhou Province. [Result] Compared with 2021, the corn yield under soy-corn belt composite planting in northern Guizhou was increased. The maize yield was the highest in Bozhou District, followed by Fenggang County, and Tongzi County was the lowest. The soybean yield was the highest in Fenggang County, followed by Suiyang County, but Zhengan County and Daozhen Autonomous County were lower. The net income was the highest in Bozhou District, followed by Fenggang County, and Tongzi County was lowest. [Conclusion]The zonal soybean and corn composite planting technology could effectively improve the grain and oil production level in the northern Guizhou region, and played a positive role in changing the traditional planting concept, and in promoting farmers’ income and ecological and social benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jingdian Irrigation Area is a high-lift cross-basin irrigation area with agricultural economy as the main, drought and water shortage have become the main factors restricting the high and stable yield of crops, water-saving irrigation technology has been popularized in Jingdian Irrigation Area reasonable water-saving irrigation can save water improve unilateral water efficiency it is beneficial to promote the intensive and economical utilization of water resources and the construction of water-saving irrigation area. This paper is based on the entropy method, the evaluation system of water-saving irrigation benefit is constructed from the aspects of social economic benefit and ecological environmental benefit, the benefits of different water-saving irrigation modes for the main crops in irrigated areas are analyzed. The results show that the efficiency of efficient water-saving irrigation is generally higher than other irrigation methods drip irrigation is the best water-saving irrigation mode in this area. The evaluation results are basically consistent with the reality, it shows that this method is feasible to evaluate the benefit in irrigated areas, so it has a guiding significance to the comprehensive evaluation of irrigated areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon tax, a pivotal policy instrument in tackling climate change, holds the potential to significantly influence the development of society. To comprehensively analyse the effectiveness of the policy on carbon taxation and explore its possible optimisation path, this study utilizes system dynamics theory to establish a simulation model. A detailed analysis and evaluation of this policy is then conducted from the perspectives of the economy, the environment, and health. To guarantee the precision of the simulation model, a new, comprehensive evaluation method is proposed, which can test the degree of fit of the relative trend and absolute data of the simulation model with reality. The findings reveal that, despite its negative economic implications, a carbon tax policy has positive ramifications for the environment, energy, health, industrial structure, and carbon intensity targets. Furthermore, the synergistic reinforcement effect of R&D and new energy support policies on carbon taxation surpasses the impact of any individual policy alone. Notably, the influence of auxiliary policies has a temporal difference on this policy. Based on these insights, the study concludes with practical policy recommendations.

Group train operation (GTO) applications have reduced the tracking intervals for overloaded trains, and can affect the efficiency of rail transport. In this paper, we first analyze the differences between GTO and traditional operation (TO). A new mathematical model and simulated annealing algorithm are then used to study the problem of mixed group train operation. The optimization objective of this model is to maximize the transportation volume of special heavy-haul railway lines within the optimization period. The main constraint conditions are extracted from the maintenance time, the minimum ratio of freight volume, and the committed arrival time at each station. A simulated annealing algorithm is constructed to generate the mixed GTO plan. Through numerical experiments conducted on actual heavy-haul railway structures, we validate the effectiveness of the proposed model and meta-heuristic algorithm. The results of the first contrastive experiment show that the freight volume for group trains is 37.5% higher than that of traditional trains, and the second experiment shows a 30.6% reduction in the time during which the line is occupied by trains in GTO. These findings provide compelling evidence that GTO can effectively enhance the capacity and reduce the transportation time cost of special heavy-haul railway lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xiaolangdi Reservoir has played a great role in flood control, sediment reduction and profit improvement. This paper systematically analyzed the flood control operation and the function of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir. By analyzing the sediment erosion and sedimentation of the reservoir and the Lower Yellow River, the effect of sediment reduction of the reservoir was proposed. The benefit of flood control and sediment reduction of the reservoir was calculated. The results show that the reservoirs in the middle reaches of the Yellow River can block the flood and cut the peak for 15 times. The average peak cutting rate of Huayuankou Station is 36%, and the maximum peak cutting flow is 7 560 m³/s, which can effectively avoid the flood losses in the downstream beach area. Due to the decrease of sediment load, the sedimentation rate of the reservoir is lower than that in the design stage, and the sediment retention ratio of 1.26 relative to the downstream channel is lower than that of 1.57 in the design sediment retention stage. The sediment reduction effect of the reservoir is better, especially in the reach below the Aishan. According to the 2020 price level, the actual annual benefits of flood control (ice-run prevention) and sediment reduction of the reservoir are 5.927 billion Yuan more than the design value, and the cumulative present value of benefits is 21.873 billion Yuan more than the total investment (including power generation), indicating the economic rationality of the construction of the Yellow River water and sediment regulation backbone project, which provides a successful example for accelerating the construction of Guxian project [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Introduction] The construction of battery energy storage power stations is an inevitable trend in the future. The research aims to learn the economic and operational benefits of battery energy storage power stations under the present battery technologies and peak-valley price policy. [Method] For the grid-side energy storage power stations, the economic benefit index was used as the criterion to measure the economic benefit, and the delayed substation expansion was used to measure the operational benefit. Taking battery energy storage power stations in Dongguan as an example, the direct economic benefits, operational benefits, and other benefits were analyzed. [Result] The results showed that under the present battery technologies and peak-valley price policy, generally the economic benefits of battery energy storage power stations in Dongguan suffered slight loss. Nevertheless, considering other operational benefits of the construction of energy storage power stations, the development of battery energy storage power stations can produce a small profit. [Conclusion] The case study of economic and operational benefits of battery energy storage power stations in Dongguan can provide a reference for the benefit analysis of other battery energy storage power stations of the same type.

The treatment of rural domestic sewage is essential for the comprehensive improvement of the rural environment. At present, the rate of resource utilization of rural domestic sewage is generally low in China, which fits with the actual situation of rural areas, and low cost is becoming the requirement for the development of rural sewage treatment technologies. Adopting a tailored approach based on local conditions for utilising sewage resources is the best option for rural sewage management. Therefore, it is very important and urgent to explore and evaluate the mode of rural domestic sewage resource utilisation. This paper analyzes the current status of sewage resource utilization in rural China. It researches and explores sewage treatment technology and resource utilization models based on 10 study sites in Yongkang City, Zhejiang Province. At the same time, this article evaluates pollution control effectiveness and environmental emission reduction benefits. The results show that the effluent quality of the treated wastewater by the skid-mounted resource utilization equipment met the reuse requirements and maintained stable water quality. The project can save 251,900 tons of high-quality water resources annually, reducing COD by 78.51 tons, reducing NH3-N and TP by 5.62 tons and 0.39 tons, respectively, and reducing carbon emissions by more than 134 tons. The project has achieved significant comprehensive benefits in water conservation, pollution reduction, and carbon reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, particularly, the expansion of tourism has become more and more prosperous, and along with it, the impact on the natural environment has become greater and greater. As a result of the continuous development of the economy, human activity is having a greater impact on the natural environment and agricultural depth. The desire to feel more connected to nature and life is leading an increasing number of people to relocate to more rural areas. Because of this, the management and preparation of rural tourism destinations are of utmost significance. This paper presents a study on the analysis of the benefits of the use of ecological and environmental resources driven by the development of leisure agriculture and rural tourism. The study was carried out by the Environmental Economics and Policy Group (EEPG). The primary purpose of this study is to conduct an analysis of the benefits of agroecological environment and resource use in Jilin Province in accordance with the evaluation system of resource and environmental benefits of leisure agriculture. This evaluation will be combined with an analysis of the current situation of resource use and will be based on the principle of net social benefits of resource and environmental supply. The results of the experiments show that the coupling degree of the agricultural economic system in Jilin Province from 2015 to 2021 is greater than 0.9, which places it in the category of high-quality coupling (0.9 ≤ C ≤ 1). The degree of synergy ranges from 0.54608 to 0.78358 and exhibits an upward trend, but it remains in the medium synergy stage (0.50 ≤ D ≤ 8). This paper carries out relevant research on ecological and environmental resource use, which is of great practical significance in promoting the rational use of leisure agricultural resources, and, ultimately, the long-term sustainable development of leisure agriculture. In addition, the paper presents an analysis of the benefits of ecological and environmental resource use promoted by the development of leisure agriculture and rural tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Petroleum Refinery Engineering is the property of Petroleum Refinery Engineering Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In order to explore the effects of different organic fertilizers on the agronomic traits and economic benefits of Pseudostellaria heterophylla, the mountainous areas and paddy fields with different soil conditions were selected as the experimental areas, and the differences in plant height and yield after planting Pseudostellaria heterophylla with three kinds of organic fertilizers as the base fertilizers were compared. Then, the economic benefits were also analyzed in combination with the cost. The results showed that; The treatments of Jiangping, Zhongnong and Zhonghua or¬ganic fertilizer could significantly promote the plant height and yield of Pseudostellaria heterophylla planted in the mountainous areas (P<0.05), which were increased by 163.02%, 189. 96% and 122. 70% respectively compared with the control Shima compound fertilizer. However, the plant height and yield of Pseudostellaria heterophylla planted in the paddy field were not significantly promoted (P>0. 05), which were increased by 19. 13%, 7.52% and 24. 37% respectively compared with the control Shima compound fertilizer. The experiment showed that the three kinds of organic fertilizers tested were more suitable for the improvement of mountain soil. According to the ratio of increasing output value to fertilizer input, the cost of Zhongnong organic fertilizer to improve the mountainous area was the lowest, while the cost of Zhonghua organic fertilizer to improve the paddy field was the lowest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To analyzed the hygienic test and benefit analysis of traditional sterilized hand towel and disposable sterile toilet paper before surgical hand disinfection. Methods From October 2021 to November 2021, the sanitary examination of surgeons and nurses after surgical hand disinfection was selected as the research object, and 100 people were selected according to different professional titles, including 50 doctors and 50 nurses, by self-control method. Control group: in the first week, traditional sterilized hand towels were used for hand-drying, and hygienic tests were performed after surgical hand disinfection. Experimental group: In the second week at the same time, the same people were required to use disposable sterile toilet paper to dry their hands and hygienic tests were performed after surgical hand disinfection. The hygiene and benefits of the two groups were evaluated. Results There was no significant difference in the results of hygienic tests between the two groups. In terms of material cost, the cost of sterilized hand towel was higher than disposable sterile toilet paper. Conclusion The application of disposable sterile toilet paper before surgical hand disinfection has no influence on the hygienic test of surgical hand disinfection, which can effectively reduce operating costs and save manpower in the operating room. (目的 分析外科手消毒前使用传统灭菌擦手毛巾、一次性无菌擦手纸的卫生学检测及效益分析。方法 2021年10月—11月, 参加手术医生、护士外科手消毒操作后的卫生学检验作为研究对象, 采用自身对照的方式, 按不同职称抽取100人, 医生、护士各50人。对照组: 在第1周使用灭菌擦小毛巾干手, 进行外科手消毒后卫生学检测; 实验组: 在第2周同样时间, 同样人群使用一次性无菌擦手纸干手, 然后进行外科手消毒后卫生学检测, 对两组的卫生学和效益进行评价。结果 两组手术人员外科手消毒后卫生学检测结果无显著差异; 材料成本上, 灭菌擦手小毛巾的成本高于一次性无菌擦手纸。结论 外科手消毒前使用一次性无菌擦手纸对外科手消毒卫生学检测无影响, 能有效降低手术室运营成本, 节约人力。)

In the step-by-step roadmap for limiting and eliminating power sources that use fossil fuel, especially coal-fired power, as well as for setting the Vietnamese government targets for developing renewable energy for replacement, solar farms and rooftop solar power, followed by floating photovoltaic (PV) power, are considered the best candidates for meeting the goals of land space, PV system operation efficiency, and meeting environmental goals. In addition to the rapid development of PV cell technology are the government's incentives and financial support for PV plants on the water surface area, which is still very large. Floating PV plants will strongly attract investors in the near future. This study could help stakeholders in the market understand the economic–technical aspects from analyzing economic–financial indicators of floating PV plants with a capacity of 47.5 MW connected to the national utility grid 110 kV at Da Mi hydropower reservoir in Binh Thuan province, Vietnam, in May 2019. This is the first floating PV plant on the reservoir in Vietnam, and is the property of a third party. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Water Conservancy Science & Techonlogy & Economy is the property of Water Conservancy Science & Technology & Economy Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Culture & Local Governance / Culture et Gouvernance Locale is the property of Culture & Local Governance, Centre on Governance and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Group train operation (GTO) applications have reduced the tracking intervals for overloaded trains, and can affect the efficiency of rail transport. In this paper, we first analyze the differences between GTO and traditional operation (TO). A new mathematical model and simulated annealing algorithm are then used to study the problem of mixed group train operation. The optimization objective of this model is to maximize the transportation volume of special heavy-haul railway lines within the optimization period. The main constraint conditions are extracted from the maintenance time, the minimum ratio of freight volume, and the committed arrival time at each station. A simulated annealing algorithm is constructed to generate the mixed GTO plan. Through numerical experiments conducted on actual heavy-haul railway structures, we validate the effectiveness of the proposed model and meta-heuristic algorithm. The results of the first contrastive experiment show that the freight volume for group trains is 37.5% higher than that of traditional trains, and the second experiment shows a 30.6% reduction in the time during which the line is occupied by trains in GTO. These findings provide compelling evidence that GTO can effectively enhance the capacity and reduce the transportation time cost of special heavy-haul railway lines.

Copyright of Southern Energy Construction is the property of Southern Energy Construction Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Medical Equipment Journal is the property of Chinese Medical Equipment Journal Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Analytical tools used in infrastructure asset management of urban water pipe networks are reliant on asset data. Traditionally, data required by analytical tools has not been collected by most water utilities because it has not been needed. The data that is collected might be characterised by low availability, integrity and consistency. A process is required to support water utilities in assessing the accuracy and completeness of their current data management approach and defining improvement pathways in relation to their objectives. This study proposes a framework to enable increased data-driven asset management in pipe networks. The theoretical basis of the framework was a literature review of data management for pipe network asset management and its link to the coherence of set objectives. A survey to identify the current state of data management practice and challenges of asset management implementation in five Swedish water utilities and three focus group workshops with the same utilities was carried out. The main findings of this research were that the quality of pipe network datasets and lack of interoperability between asset management tools are drivers for creating data silos between asset management levels, which may hinder the implementation of data-driven asset management. Furthermore, these findings formed the basis for the proposed conceptual framework. The suggested framework aims to support the selection, development and adoption of improvement pathways to enable increased data-driven asset management in municipal pipe networks. Results from a preliminary application of the proposed framework are also presented. HIGHLIGHTS A link between data quality and interoperability relative to the data management approach and data silos between IAM levels was established.; A conceptual framework is proposed to assess the state of data management relative to data-driven IAM.; A preliminary application of the framework to sewer blockage data and IAM tools in one municipality showed low interoperability with medium data quality, i.e. intuitive IAM.;

Wasted food (WF) and the associated waste derived from young adults have gained increased attention due to their rising quantity and negative environmental impacts; however, WF reduction measures are still scare. To address this gap, we conducted a case study (Wuhan) targeted at typical young adults (e.g., university students) using the direct weighing method (1872 samples), field investigation (195990 samples), and a questionnaire survey (799 samples). Owing to the low "Clean your plate" (CYP) rate (48 ± 36% per meal) and the high canteen takeout rate (43 ± 22% per meal) generated by the surveyed students, the investigated canteens in Wuhan produced 63 thousand metric tons (TMt) of canteen waste and 198 TMt CO 2 e during the life cycle stage in 2022. Food was primarily wasted due to food quantity (e.g., over-purchase of food) and quality (e.g., poor taste), and packaging waste was generated due to canteen takeout (PW_CT). We suggest the adoption of an online waste reduction platform to effectively reduce WF and PW_CT, which was designed with two mitigation solutions (CYP, "Over-Purchasing Reminder" [OPR], and "Canceling Packaging Option" [CPO] modules for SI; CYP, OPR, and "Sharing Tableware Option" [STO] modules for SII). When in operation, the platform helped consumers prevent the generation of approximately 42 and 43 TMt of canteen waste generated for SI and SII, respectively. This was accompanied by the maximal economic value (saving 73 million USD for SI) and the maximal climate benefits (143 TMt CO 2 e mitigation for SII). [Display omitted] • A considerably amount of wasted food generated by university students accompanied by low "Clean your plate" rate. • The high canteen takeout rate generated by students led to a large amount of packaging waste. • Online waste reduction (OWR) platform was targeted wasted food and packaging waste from university canteens. • The significance of OWR platform was proved by its environmental benefit and economical values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Petroleum Refinery Engineering is the property of Petroleum Refinery Engineering Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The idea of gaining new insights about business processes from data is driving companies to invest in the area of data analytics. In particular, the opportunities to improve typical business metrics such as revenue, profit, but also market share are pivotal for the motivation. In most data analytics projects, it is a challenge to determine to what extent the existing company-wide or generally accessible data pool is sufficient for such insights. Furthermore, the use of appropriate methods and algorithms for the analysis is an ongoing issue from the perspective of the data scientist, even if the question of suitable data has been resolved. Accordingly, this paper will outline how a benefit of data and algorithms on performance indicators through results of data analytics projects. A suitable setup for determining this influence will then be defined and demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The environmental impacts of breeding industries have been broadly studied and compared. However, environmental research on the rex rabbit breeding industry is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the environmental impacts of two rex rabbit industry chains and verify which one has better environmental benefits, provide a scientific reference for the construction of a circular industry chain, and promote sustainable development of rex rabbit breeding and related industries. Methods: Two different rex rabbit industry chains were considered: scenario 1 (a traditional industry chain, including feed cultivation, feed processing, rex rabbit breeding, and slaughtering stages); and scenario 2 (a circular industry chain, including feed cultivation, feed processing, rex rabbit breeding, slaughtering, manure treatment, and biogas power generation stages). A comparative study was performed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The functional unit of this study was an average rabbit during 140 days of breeding. A transparent cradle-to-gate life cycle inventory of the two scenarios was provided through the field investigation of a rex rabbit enterprise in China, and SimaPro8.0.4 software was used to conduct the comparative LCA. The CML 2001-Nov.2010 method was used for characterization and normalization of the environmental impacts. Results and Discussion: The environmental performance of S2 was better than that of S1 with a significant reduction in each impact category, except for acidification potential (AP). Terrestric ecotoxicity potential (TETP) and freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity potential (FAETP) were the primary environmental impact categories for S1, mainly because of electricity and fertilizer consumption. TETP and FAETP of S2, when compared with S1, were reduced by 93.7% and 91.6%, respectively. AP was the primary environmental impact category for S2. The largest contributor to each impact category was found in the feed cultivation stage; however, most of the impact categories of the feed cultivation stage were reduced in S2 when compared with S1, mainly because of the extension of the industry chain and reuse of byproducts of the manure treatment stage. Conclusions: Comparative LCA of the two scenarios confirmed the environmental feasibility and benefits of the circular rex rabbit industry chain. By establishing the circular industry chain instead of the traditional industry chain and increasing the waste reuse and recycling to generate clean energy and reduce the consumption of chemical fertilizers, we can not only reduce the overall environmental impacts but also increase the environmental benefits of the rex rabbit industry chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has further exposed deficiencies in city logistics based on human and ground roads, such as poor emergency response capacity and high risk of infection during transportation. Metro-based underground logistics system (M-ULS) may be an innovative approach to deal with this city-level disaster due to its efficient operation, contactless and driverless characteristics. However, the market evolution process and the quantitative calculation framework of comprehensive benefits after the application of M-ULS are still unclear, which has become a problem of mutual restriction with the extensive application of M-ULS. This paper attempts to use the system dynamics method, based on the real-world simulation, to analyze the quantitative relationship between the M-ULS implementation and the city logistics performance under epidemic outbreaks. Wuhan city in China was selected as the empirical background, and five simulation scenarios were set under different implementation strategies of M-ULS in response to the epidemic. Six variables were selected to measure city logistics performance and M-ULS operation status, including demand fill-rate, unit delivery time, total deprivation cost, total transportation cost, total number of susceptible people, and utilization rate of M-ULS. The results show that M-ULS is effective in improving the performance of city logistics and responding to the epidemic. The delivery time and transportation cost have a strong impact on the market share of M-ULS. Finally, a set of incentive policies was designed to promote the adoption of M-ULS. The findings not only provide a method for evaluating the overall performance of M-ULS, but also provide a unique perspective for promoting the implementation of M-ULS and responding to the transportation challenges brought by the epidemic. • M-ULS is introduced to break through the plight of city logistics. • A set of effective macro-micro incentive policies are established to promote the implementation of M-ULS. • The delivery time, transportation cost and government subsidies play different roles in the market penetration of M-ULS. • The benefits of M-ULS have been analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of fossil energy shortage and pollution has become increasingly prominent. In China, government-led electric energy substitution projects are being carried out in nationwide, aiming at the end of energy consumption links, using electricity instead of coal-fired and oil-fired energy consumption, in order to optimize the energy structure and achieve the goal of energy conservation and emission reduction. Aiming at the planning and benefit sharing of electric energy substitution project, this research first designs the planning mechanism of electric energy substitution for productive users, analyses distribution network planning, transformation subsidy and so on, and puts forward three schemes. Secondly, based on the cooperative game theory, the benefit allocation model of electric energy substitution project is established. Finally, we take the flue-cured tobacco project about replacing coal with electricity in three areas of Yunnan province as an example to analyze, optimize the game strategy, and put forward three indicators to measure the benefits of the participants in the project. The pollution reduction situation that can not be converted into economic benefits is counted. The modeling results show that the density of users geographically will directly affect the cost of the distribution network transformation. The coal flue-cured tobacco heat loss and serious pollution, after optimization, power grid enterprises can quickly recover investment.

In the step-by-step roadmap for limiting and eliminating power sources that use fossil fuel, especially coal-fired power, as well as for setting the Vietnamese government targets for developing renewable energy for replacement, solar farms and rooftop solar power, followed by floating photovoltaic (PV) power, are considered the best candidates for meeting the goals of land space, PV system operation efficiency, and meeting environmental goals. In addition to the rapid development of PV cell technology are the government’s incentives and financial support for PV plants on the water surface area, which is still very large. Floating PV plants will strongly attract investors in the near future. This study could help stakeholders in the market understand the economic–technical aspects from analyzing economic–financial indicators of floating PV plants with a capacity of 47.5 MW connected to the national utility grid 110 kV at Da Mi hydropower reservoir in Binh Thuan province, Vietnam, in May 2019. This is the first floating PV plant on the reservoir in Vietnam, and is the property of a third party.

This paper presents a methodology to integrate cost–benefit analysis and SAM-CGE-based impact evaluation. While the two types of analysis have developed in parallel and without a clear connection, there is growing consensus that the two approaches should be integrated for complex investment projects, since their economic evaluation cannot rely solely on the partial equilibrium assumptions of cost–benefit (CB) analysis. Unlike CB analysis, impact evaluation looks at the economy as a complete system of interdependent components (industries, households, investors, government, importers, exporters). By integrating project accounting into a SAM-CGE framework, the methodology developed presents several properties that make it fit to the purpose of providing a reliable assessment of project contribution to the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Alginate-like exopolymers and phosphorus recovery potential from granular sludge is studied. • Bacterial and algal-bacterial AGS have similar CH 4 yields, with higher biodegradability of the latter. • After ALE extraction, the residue has 48–56% decrease in CH 4 production without pH adjustment. • WWTP with ALE/P and methane recovery yielded the highest net profits. The sustainable approach to energy and resource recovery from excess sludge is gaining traction. This study compared the benefits of methane production through anaerobic digestion (AD) and the recovery of alginate-like exopolymers (ALE)/phosphorus (P) from two types of aerobic granular sludge (AGS). Bacterial and algal-bacterial AGS produced similar methane amounts, around 292 and 287 mL/g-VS added , respectively, over 30 days, with 72% and 80% biodegradability. After ALE extraction, the remaining AGS showed a 48–56% decrease in methane production without pH adjustment. However, a conceptual wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processing 10,000 m3/d of wastewater with ALE/P and methane recovery yielded the highest net profits, approximately 66.3 thousand USD annually, when algal-bacterial AGS was used, compared to 59.2 thousand USD for the bacterial AGS-based WWTP. These findings provide valuable insights for developing a sustainable wastewater industry and future WWTP design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Described the current status of land-leveling implements. • Analyzed the current status of laser-controlled leveling technology. • Analyzed the current status of GNSS-control leveling technology. • Analyzed the benefits of the application of land-leveling technology. • Discussed the challenges and future trends of land-leveling technology. Land leveling technology is necessary for land cultivation and is an important support for sustainable agricultural development. First, this paper reviews the current status of land-leveling implements, including dry-land and paddy-field leveling implements. Second, two precision land-leveling technologies, laser-controlled systems and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), are reviewed. The current status of laser-controlled leveling technology is considered in terms of its three primary components, the laser transmitter, laser receiver, and control terminal. The current status of GNSS-controlled leveling technology is also considered in terms of three aspects: three-dimensional (3D) topographical measurement of farmland, calculation of reference height and soil volume, and planning of work paths. The actual benefits of land-leveling technology applied to the production of different crops are statistically analyzed using metrics including improved land utilization, water savings, and increased yields. Finally, the challenges and future trends in land-leveling implements and technologies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In power market environment, the growing importance of demand response (DR) and renewable energy source (RES) attracts more for-profit DR and RES aggregators to compete with each other to maximize their profit. Meanwhile, the intermittent natures of these alternative sources along with the competition add to the probable financial risk of the aggregators. The objective of the paper is to highlight this financial risk of aggregators in such uncertain environment while estimating DR magnitude and power generated by RES. This work develops DR modeling incorporating the effect of estimating power at different confidence levels and uncertain participation of customers. In this paper, two well-known risk assessment techniques, value at risk and conditional value at risk, are applied to predict the power from RES and DR programs at a particular level of risk in different scenarios generated by Monte Carlo method. To establish the linkage between financial risk taking ability of individuals, the aggregators are classified into risk neutral aggregator, risk averse aggregator and risk taking aggregator. The paper uses data from Indian Energy Exchange to produce realistic results and refers certain policies of Indian Energy Exchange to frame mathematical expressions for benefit function considering uncertainties for each type of three aggregators. Extensive results show the importance of assessing the risks involved with two unpredictable variables and possible impacts on technical and financial attributes of the microgrid energy market.

Achieving energy conservation and emission reduction in the industry is an inevitable way to promote harmony between society and nature and achieve sustainable human development. China's infrastructure construction industry is developing rapidly. Still, there is a lack of a well-established industry standard for evaluating the potential and level of energy reduction in infrastructure construction. A severe lack of quantitative research on energy-saving and CO2 outflow decreases the benefits of green development advances. This study takes the energy conservation and outflow decrease of construction waste slurry treatment in Guangdong Province, China, as the background, establishes an evaluation system with three rule levels: social, economic, and environmental, and adopts rough set theory to determine the weights of each index to ensure the objectivity of each index. According to the recommendations of the carbon emission calculation guidelines, select the relevant data to evaluate the energy-saving and emission reduction benefits of the new green construction technology of grouted piles in a road project in Guangdong Province. The results show that the development level and potential of energy saving and emission reduction technology in the construction sector in Guangdong Province are increasing year by year. It's potential changes with the increase or decrease of highway mileage, and it is an urgent need to increase investment in pollution control. The research results can evaluate the benefits of energy-saving and carbon dioxide emission reduction in the construction industry, also be used as a reference to assess energy-saving and emission reduction in the construction industry in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon tax, a pivotal policy instrument in tackling climate change, holds the potential to significantly influence the development of society. To comprehensively analyse the effectiveness of the policy on carbon taxation and explore its possible optimisation path, this study utilizes system dynamics theory to establish a simulation model. A detailed analysis and evaluation of this policy is then conducted from the perspectives of the economy, the environment, and health. To guarantee the precision of the simulation model, a new, comprehensive evaluation method is proposed, which can test the degree of fit of the relative trend and absolute data of the simulation model with reality. The findings reveal that, despite its negative economic implications, a carbon tax policy has positive ramifications for the environment, energy, health, industrial structure, and carbon intensity targets. Furthermore, the synergistic reinforcement effect of R&D and new energy support policies on carbon taxation surpasses the impact of any individual policy alone. Notably, the influence of auxiliary policies has a temporal difference on this policy. Based on these insights, the study concludes with practical policy recommendations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

This paper aims to formulate a new PPP project public-participation mechanism that uses “public satisfaction” as a direct influencing factor in conjunction with the public-private benefit model to achieve a substantial response from project stakeholders regarding public satisfaction and ensure the transparency of PPP project operation. The proposed model, combined public satisfaction assessment with the principal-agent model, investigates the influence of public satisfaction on investors’ efforts and the benefit or risk distribution between the government and private investors. The results show that the public’s satisfaction level with the project directly affects the proportion of public and private income distribution, which provides a way for the public to directly play a substantive and positive role in PPP projects to guarantee public benefits and the smooth implementation. The increase in the public satisfaction evaluation of either the government or the investors, helps improve the overall effectiveness of PPP projects.