According to the United Nations, by 2050, about 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas. This population increase requires environmental resilience and planning ability to reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with growth. In this scenario, life cycle analysis, whose standards were introduced by ISO 14000 series, is an essential tool. From this perspective, smart cities whose concern about environmental sustainability is paramount corroborating SDG 11. This study aims to provide a holistic view of environmental technologies developed by Brazilian inventors, focused on life cycle analysis, which promotes innovation by helping cities build greener, more efficient, resilient, and sustainable environments. The methodology of this article was an exploratory study and investigated the scenario of patents in the life cycle. 209 patent processes with Brazilian inventors were found in the Espacenet database. Analyzing each of the results individually revealed processes related to air quality, solid waste, and environmental sanitation. The review of patent processes allowed mapping of the technological advances linked to life cycle analysis, finding that the system is still little explored and can present competitive advantages for cities.
In this study, the enrichment of the major oxide, trace element/heavy metal and rare earth element contents of the rocks outcropping in Kısacık and its vicinity (Ayvacık-Çanakkale/Türkiye) were investigated. The rocks in the field were handled in 5 groups, and whole rock analyses were carried out for 22 samples collected representing these rock groups and Element Enrichment Factor (EEF) of the major oxide, trace element/heavy metal and rare earth element contents of the rocks were calculated. As a result, it was determined that the Kısacık volcanics were enriched in SiO2, Fe2O3, K2O, Be, Co, Cs, Th, U, W, La, Eu, Tm, Yb, Lu, Mo, As, Cd, Sb, Bi and Hg elements at a rate of >1 to >150 according to the upper crust values, and the Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, TiO2, P2O5, MnO, Cr, Sc, Co, Nb, Sr, Mo, Cu, Ni, Cad, Sb, Bi, V, Cu and Cd concentrations of the Ophiolitic Mélange were enriched in ratios ranging from >1 to >36 according to the upper crust values. It has been also observed that the listvenitic rocks in the Ophiolitic Mélange are enriched in Cr, Co, Ni, As and Hg elements compared to the upper crust. As to Kazdağ Group, MgO, CaO, K2O, MnO, Cr, Co, Ta, U, W, Mo, Cu, Ni, As and Cd were enriched. Listvenite were enriched in SiO2, Fe2O3, MgO, Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, As, Sb and Hg at a rate of >1 to >32 according to the upper crust values. When the rocks in the area were evaluated together, some oxides (e.g., CaO, MgO, Fe2O3, TiO2) and elements (e.g., Cr, Ni, Co) were enriched due to parental rock, while some oxides (e.g., SiO2, K2O and MnO) and elements (As, Sb, Hg) were enriched due to epigenic processes such as hydrothermal alteration and weathering.
In the context of contemporary global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, and climate change, food security assumes particular significance, being an integral part of national security. This study aims to investigate the interplay between food security and national security systems, with a focus on identifying gaps in the literature and determining directions for further research. The study conducted a systematic literature review on food security and national security systems employing a rigorous and transparent process. The qualitative analysis is grounded in the quantitative one, encompassing studies from Scopus. The examination of the selected peer-reviewed articles revealed several methodological and thematic limitations in existing research: i Geographic imbalance: There is a predominant focus on developed countries, while food security issues in developing countries remain insufficiently studied; ii Insufficient explication: There is a lack of research dedicated to managerial and economic aspects of food security in the context of national security; iii Methodological constraints: There is a predominance of quantitative methods and retrospective/cross-sectional studies. Recommendations include developing comprehensive strategies at both global and national levels to enhance food stability and accessibility.
Dust is one of the atmospheric pollutants that have adverse environmental effects and consequences. Dust fall contains particles of 100 microns or even smaller ones, which fall from the atmosphere onto the earth surface. The aim of this study is to determine the concentration of lead in dust fall samples in order to study the pollution level of this element in Zahedan, Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran. Therefore, sampling was carried out using 30 marble dust collectors (MDCO) for 3 months in the spring of 2015 to investigate the quantitative variation and spatial analysis of lead content in dust fall. These dust collectors were placed at 30 stations on the building roofs with a height of approximately 1.5 meters across the city. According to the results, the mean lead concentration in the spring was 90.16 mg/kg. In addition, the zoning map of lead content shows that the lowest level of lead was measured at Imam Khomeini station while the highest amount of lead appeared in Mostafa Khomeini station.
This study provides an empirical examination of the design and modification of China’s urban social security programme. In doing so, this study complements the popular assumption regarding the correlation between economic growth and social security development. Focusing on the economic and political motivations behind the ruling party’s decision to implement social security, this study first discusses the modification of urban social security and welfare in China. It then empirically demonstrates the mechanisms behind the system’s operation. This study proposes the following hypothesis: in a country like China, a change in the doctrine of the ruling party will affect government alliances, negating the positive impact of economic growth on the development of social security. In demonstrating this hypothesis, this study identifies a political precondition impacting the explanatory power of popular conceptions of social security development.
Based on the characteristics of liquid lens sparse aperture imaging, a radiative multiplet array structure is proposed; a simplified model of sparse aperture imaging is given, and the analytical expression of the modulation transfer function is derived from the optical pupil function of the multiplet array structure; the specific distribution form of this multiplet array structure is given, and the structure parameters are approximated by the dimensionless method; the two types of radiative multiplet array structures are discussed, and the filling factor, redundancy, modulation transfer function and other characteristic parameters are calculated. The physical phenomena exhibited by the parametric scan are discussed, and the structural features and imaging characteristics of these two arrays are compared. The results show that the type-II structure with larger actual equivalent aperture and actual cutoff frequency and lower redundancy is selected when the average modulation transfer function and the IF characteristics of the modulation transfer function of the two structures are close to each other; the type-II structure has certain advantages in imaging; the conclusion is suitable for arbitrary enclosing circle size because the liquid lens-based multiplet array structure adopts dimensionless approximation parameters; compared with the composite toroidal structure, the radiative multiplet mirror structure has a larger actual cut-off frequency and actual equivalent aperture when the filling factor is the same.
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