The development of efficient wave energy converters (WECs) is essential for harnessing marine renewable energy, particularly in regions with low wave energy flux. This study investigates a floating WEC with an internal eccentric rotor designed to enhance energy capture efficiency. The device consists of a floating body for wave energy absorption, an internal rotor for mechanical-to-hydraulic energy conversion, and a mooring system for stability. A numerical model was developed and validated against wave tank experiments, showing good agreement in peak values and amplitudes. Frequency-domain analysis examined the effects of structural parameters, draft, and center of gravity offset on hydrodynamic characteristics, while time-domain analysis evaluated the impact of rotor mass and power take-off (PTO) damping on energy capture. Multi-parameter optimization led to an improved structural design, increasing instantaneous power output by 150% and total power output by 108%. These findings provide a basis for further optimization of WECs in low-energy wave environments.
With global broiler production reaching 103 million tons in 2024—a 1.5% increase over 2023—the poultry industry continues to grow rapidly. However, traditional broiler segmentation methods struggle to meet modern demands for speed, precision, and adaptability. First, this study proposes an improved lightweight image segmentation algorithm based on YOLOv8-seg and integrates the Segment Anything Model (SAM) for semi-automatic annotation, achieving precise mask segmentation of broiler parts. Subsequently, Key geometric features (e.g., area, perimeter, axes) were extracted using image processing techniques, with enhancements from HSV color transformation, convex hull optimization, and ellipse fitting. Furthermore, Image calibration was applied to convert pixel data to physical dimensions, enabling real-sample validation. Using these features, multiple regression models—including CNNs—were developed for carcass quality prediction. Finally, by analyzing the broiler segmentation process, machine vision techniques were effectively integrated with quality grading algorithms and applied to intelligent broiler segmentation production lines, providing technical support for the intelligent and efficient processing of poultry products. The improved YOLOv8-seg model achieved mAP@0.5:box scores of 99.2% and 99.4%, and the CNN model achieved R2 values of 0.974 (training) and 0.953 (validation). Compared to traditional systems, the intelligent broiler cutting line reduced failure rates by 11.38% and improved operational efficiency by over 3%, offering a reliable solution for automated poultry processing.
Extreme flooding events are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change, challenging the effectiveness of traditional, infrastructure-centric flood management strategies. A key gap remains in the lack of spatially explicit and process-based frameworks for assessing and enhancing flood resilience at the watershed scale, which hinders the development of integrated and adaptive management solutions. This study proposes a conceptual framework for evaluating watershed flood resilience (WFR) by integrating resilience theory with the “source-flow-sink” paradigm from landscape ecology. It applies it to the post-disaster reconstruction of the Sishui River Basin following the 2021 Zhengzhou flood in China. The framework quantifies WFR through pre-event resistance capacity and intra-event adaptive capacity using hydrological modeling and loss curves. It systematically analyzes the effects of targeted interventions across source, flow, and sink areas. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach significantly improves WFR in the Sishui River Basin, with source interventions generally outperforming flow and sink interventions in the simulated cases, and compensatory effects observed among different intervention types. The findings confirm the operational feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed framework, including nature-based solutions and spatial planning in watershed management, which could provide support for future holistic and adaptive flood resilience strategies addressing climate change.
As perceptions of happiness and well-being shift throughout life, expectations for the future may influence subjective well-being (SWB) differently depending on age. Younger individuals, particularly in uncertain social and economic contexts, may place greater emphasis on anticipated life satisfaction than on their present circumstances. Generational differences are important in exploring how people form and are affected by future expectations, as well as the psychological and contextual factors involved. Such research may deepen our understanding of age-specific pathways to well-being and inform more effective strategies for supporting mental health across different life stages. This paper emphasizes that expectations of future life satisfaction represent a valid and distinct construct that plays an important role in shaping SWB, particularly among younger individuals. Unlike present satisfaction, which reflects current circumstances, anticipated satisfaction functions as a forward-looking cognitive resource, offering accountability in developmental contexts where the current quality of life may not align with optimism or happiness.
Despite the ambitious national visions, Qatar is facing many challenges regarding the notion of sustainability. In this context, a considerable emphasis has been placed on the notion of Circular Economy (CE) to address suitability issues. Despite such an emphasis, the actual implementation of CE notions is still facing several obstacles present in, but not limited to, the Qatari context, such as heavy reliance on landfilling, water scarcity, and a heavy reliance on the oil and gas sectors. Our contention is that CE is an important factor in the sustainability equation and works towards meeting Qatar’s vision of becoming an environmentally sustainable country. by using a qualitative approach, predominantly adopting case study, document and content analysis, this paper explores the notion of CE and its implementation in light of the Qatar National Vision 2030. the challenges facing CE implementation, such as resources, qualified personnel, access to technology, and coordination between different areas of the economy, should be of prime importance for policymakers in Qatar. in order to ensure a sustainable circular city model in Qatar, the challenges related to CE implementation must be addressed accordingly. To this end, the paper suggests several policy recommendations, including the provision of adequate resources and personnel, the use of clean technology to improve the environmental quality of economic activities, in addition to the provision of adequate support and funding for the development of sustainable economic practices. These solutions will help to ensure sustainable economic development based on the concept of CE.
