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A hybrid Fermatean Fuzzy approach based on a novel score function for solid waste management
No full textSolid waste management (SWM) is vital for sustainable development, necessitating the evaluation of diverse SWM techniques under uncertain conditions. However, existing Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approaches often struggle with complex uncertainty and fail to effectively combine subjective and objective criteria. To address this gap, we propose a novel hybrid method that integrates the REmoval Effect of Criterion (MEREC), Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA), and Operational Competitiveness Rating (OCRA) techniques, complemented by a newly developed score function under the Fermatean Fuzzy Set (FFS) setting. By fusing SWARA and MEREC, the model achieves balanced weight assessment, while OCRA precisely evaluates the alternatives. We test this approach using two case studies on plastic waste disposal and urban SWM, supported by rigorous statistical assessments such as Spearman correlation, Kendall's Tau, and Bootstrap analysis. Our findings reveal that “incineration” is consistently the optimal solution, demonstrating the method's effectiveness in handling uncertainty. Sensitivity, comparative, statistical, and runtime analyses confirm the framework's robustness, precision, and practicality, offering enhanced ranking consistency and reliability over existing MCDM techniques. The innovative FFS-based score function further refines decision-making by integrating environmental, social, and economic factors crucial for sustainability. By optimizing SWM practices, the proposed method addresses real-world complexities while supporting sustainable development goals. Moreover, it offers a flexible platform adaptable to other complex domains where uncertainty is prevalent, making a significant contribution to the broader field of MCDM and advancing sustainable resource management strategies. This integrated approach furthers robust and holistic MCDM evaluations, enabling resilient, future-oriented decision-making in SWM and beyond
Safety and efficacy of the feed additive consisting of clinoptilolite of sedimentary origin for all animal species for the renewal of its authorisation (ZEOCEM, a.s.)
No full textFollowing a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the assessment of the application for renewal of authorisation of clinoptilolite of sedimentary origin as a technological feed additive (binder and anticaking agents) for all animal species. The applicant provided evidence that the additive currently on the market complies with the existing conditions of authorisation. The Panel concludes that clinoptilolite of sedimentary origin remains safe for all animal species, consumers and the environment under the authorised conditions of use. Regarding user safety, the additive is not a skin nor an eye irritant but should be considered a skin and respiratory sensitiser. Inhalation and dermal exposure are considered a risk. There is no need for assessing the efficacy of the additive in the context of the renewal of the authorisation.</p
Exploring facilitators and disruptors of polarization during adolescence within contested settings: a case study of Catholic and Protestant youth in Northern Ireland
No full textToday’s adolescents must find ways to engage in a shared reality, especially in settings marked by intergroup conflict, as a prerequisite for reducing conflict and building collective solutions to societal problems. Polarization processes (epistemic) have been notably overlooked within this critical developmental period. This qualitative case study addresses this gap by identifying key socializing actors and settings within established theoretical frameworks (Ecological Systems Theory, Social Identity, and Intergroup Contact) using in-depth interview data from 45 Catholic and Protestant adolescents living in post-conflict Northern Ireland. Inductive analysis was conducted with the interview data. Findings reveal the importance of family, friends, school, and media as intersecting socializing actors for adolescents. Intergroup contact among peers from different ethno-religious backgrounds disrupted adolescents’ engagement in polarizing and divisive rhetoric. Lastly, adolescents perceived educational actors and settings as less influential than their personal connections to peers and family. Directions for future research leveraging intergroup contact to enhance adolescents’ information networks and educational interventions are discussed
Sustainable solutions to repurpose wind turbine blades for offshore applications
No full textThe growing population and advancement in industry have increased energy demand and intensified concern for carbon emissions, generally originating from fossil fuels. To address this issue, many nations have been developing wind turbine farms in both onshore and offshore sectors as wind energy has emerged as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, helping to address CO2 emissions. Offshore wind turbines, which have gained traction in the past three decades, are becoming further popular due to their potential for better output and wider available area for installation. However, given wind turbines’ 20–25-year lifespan, accumulating decommissioned blades, generally made of non-biodegradable carbon-reinforced composites or Glass Fibre Reinforced Composite blades at the end of their life service would be a significant challenge that requires thorough evaluation.Many researchers have come up with ideas for repurposing these blades in various applications. However, considering their properties, such as unique geometry, excellent strength compared to the density, and high corrosion resistance, it appears that these blades are capable of reuse in the offshore industry.To assess the importance of this issue, this paper aims to provide an overview of past turbine installations and forthcoming trends, study proposals for repurposing, and finally outline a proposal for repurposing in the offshore industry. Additionally, it discusses necessary assessments to understand the possibility of the proposal in engineering prospect. In the end, the paper estimates the carbon savings achievable through repurposing, highlighting the importance of this approach for sustainability.<br/
Pedro M. Cátedra, L’autorità di Bodoni. Dalla Gerusalemme (1794) al Manuale tipografico (1818), Parma, Cattedra Franco Maria Ricci, 2023, 127 págs.
No full textHow to promote circular economy in the global South: The circular technical network framework and the case of Colombia
No full textThe circular economy (CE) promotes sustainability by minimizing resource consumption and encouraging reuse, recycling, and recovery. Although Global North has advanced CE policies, Global South continues to face persistent challenges, including weak waste management systems and social inequality. This article creates and tests the "Circular Technical Network" (CTN) framework, designed to analyze policy content, institutional arrangements, and stakeholder roles in CE transitions. Using Colombia as a case study, the CTN framework identifies four critical success factors for an effective CE transition: overcoming fragmented governance and coordination challenges, clearly defining roles within recycling systems, integrating organic waste into Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, and advancing the adoption of the 10Rs hierarchy. Based on these findings, strategic policy recommendations are organized across five interconnected dimensions: governance, legal/regulatory, financial and economic instruments, monitoring and information systems, and infrastructure. Together, the CTN framework and these recommendations provide policymakers and institutions in Global South countries with a structured tool for reshaping public policy and institutional design, facilitating a more sustainable CE transition
Inclusion of under-served groups in trials: an audit at a UK primary care clinical trials unit
No full textBackgroundClinical trials need to include patients who are representative of the population who may receive the tested interventions in the future. The importance of inclusivity is recognised by ethical and funding bodies and has public support. Appropriate inclusion is required to provide equitable evidence-based healthcare and to comply with ethical principles for research. However, there is little information about the inclusivity of most under-served groups in UK clinical trials.MethodsThis audit assesses the inclusion of under-served groups in trials run by the Oxford Primary Care Clinical Trials Unit (PC-CTU). We included trials with ethical approval between 2017 and 2023. We checked protocols, patient-facing information and selected data collection tools for information on the under-served groups in the INCLUDE guidance and protected characteristics in the UK Equality Act 2010, to identify explicit exclusions and data collection.ResultsWe included 19 trials. They were in a variety of clinical conditions, testing different types of interventions, both Clinical Trial of an Investigational Medicinal Product (CTIMP) and non-CTIMP. Most were non-commercially funded. We reviewed 21 protocols, 29 Patient Information Sheets/Leaflets and 40 data collection tools.Common exclusions were based on age (19), sex or gender (11), language (8), capacity to consent (14), pregnancy (11), multiple health conditions (10) and severity of illness (17).Trials most often collected data on age (19), sex or gender (15), ethnicity (16), education (11), address (13), mental health conditions (6), who gave consent (19), addiction (6), multiple health conditions (10), severity of illness (17), smoking status (12) and obesity (13).ConclusionsOften, exclusions were due to the focusing of the trial for a specific group, such as older people, women, or people being treated for a specific severity of condition. However, many explicit exclusions may not have been essential, may have reduced the inclusivity of the trials and might limit the applicability of the trial’s findings to people to whom the tested interventions might be relevant. These include the exclusion of people aged under 18, people without English language fluency and people without capacity to consent. All trials could have collected more informative data on under-served group status.<br/
Levels and layers of integration: early experience of terrestrial and marine spatial planning for the Gulf of Eilat, Israel
No full textMarine spatial planning (MSP) and land-use or terrestrial spatial planning (TSP) usually operate separately, with numerous mismatches, even though there are many reasons for integration between them and for coordinating activities along coasts and in nearshore marine areas. We developed a framework and used it to analyse the extent to which a marine plan and a coastal plan for Israeli Red Sea waters were coordinated and contributed to land-sea integration. Our analysis revealed some harmony between the plans, due partly to overlapping leadership of the planning processes, and a good level of understanding of environmental concerns and land-sea interaction, but with differing emphases on the degree of development, especially for tourism in relatively unspoiled areas. The way in which spatial priorities play out across land and sea is a key issue for TSP-MSP integration and will vary between contexts but is likely to reflect the profoundly different spheres of land and sea planning. The practice of planning must be responsive to both terrestrial and marine environments in order to achieve integrated spatial outcomes using a 'one space' approach. Given the established principle of aiming for such integration within MSP discourse, the MSP community is well-placed to promote integration for planning and for environmental policy as a whole
Mapping the complex systems that connects the urban environment to cognitive decline in older adults: a group model building study
No full textThis study aimed to develop a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) to visualise how urban environment factors impact dementia and cognitive decline, and potential causal mechanisms. In Group Model Building workshops with 12 researchers, a CLD was created to identify factors contributing to cognitive decline, and the dynamic interrelationships between these factors. The factors were classified in nine main themes: urban design, social environment, travel behaviours, urban design by-products, lifestyle, mental health conditions, disease/physiology, brain physiology, and cognitive decline outcomes. Five selected feedback loops illustrated some dynamics in the system. The workshops helped develop a shared language and understanding of different perspectives from an interdisciplinary team. The CLD creation was part of a comprehensive modelling approach based on experts’ knowledge which informed other research outputs such as an evidence gap map and an umbrella review, helped the identification of environmental variables for future studies and analyses, and helped to identify future possible systems-based interventions to prevent cognitive decline. The study highlights the utility of CLDs and Group Model Building workshops in interdisciplinary research projects investigating complex systems