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Found 6289 publications
Environmental Impact Analysis of Historic Buildings, Literature Review
Publication Name: Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 796 LNCE
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 596-606
Description:
The research examined the environmental impact of listed and unlisted buildings from different periods. Compliance with strict standards encourages professionals and researchers to improve the environmental impact of buildings by examining the root causes of problems in more depth, which requires understanding and analysing the entire life cycle of buildings. People’s attitudes have changed, both in terms of raw materials and energy consumption. The article is a literature review of research published in recent years in the field of environmental impact assessment of historic (and in some cases younger) buildings. It analyses and summarizes the questions that researchers sought answers to, the methods they applied, the data and databases they used, the calculations they performed and the results they achieved. When collecting the analysed sources (research articles), the goal was to find sources presenting a large number of case studies. The case studies were classified according to geographical location; the historical age of the buildings and, in this context, the materials and structures used; the extent of the expansions, transformations and modernizations carried out. The literature review provides insight into the current state of science on how to quantify the value of historic buildings. Based on the experiences gained, it is also possible to formulate and conduct a domestic research. The article contributes to a deeper understanding of the calculation of the environmental impacts of historic buildings, which can help in compliance with legislation, energy and environmental requirements, and in the protection of existing buildings.
Open Access: Yes
Investigation of the Geometrical Deterioration Process of Tramway Superstructure Systems – A Case Study
Publication Name: Acta Polytechnica Hungarica
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 23
Issue: 1
Page Range: 345-364
Description:
Tramway tracks deteriorate over time due to operational loads, environmental conditions, and structural factors. This study analyzes the geometric degradation of Budapest's tramway tracks using long-term measurements. Track gauge and longitudinal level were assessed with the TrackScan 4.01 instrument to evaluate deterioration across different superstructure types. Findings indicate that concrete slab tracks experience gauge widening, while embedded rail systems tend to narrow under similar conditions, with structural design playing a greater role than traffic intensity. Measurement limitations highlight the need for improved monitoring tools. These insights support more effective maintenance strategies, ensuring greater durability and sustainability.
Open Access: Yes
Blockchain and Protection Community Interests in the Law of the Sea
Publication Name: Marine Technology Ocean Development and the Law of the Sea
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 221-243
Description:
The international law of the sea treaties imposes various obligations on contracting states, which can be managed more efficiently and cost-effectively through blockchain technology. As a disruptive tool, blockchain allows stakeholders to track transactions in a secure, cryptographically verified public database. It ensures a secure and reliable record of activities and information exchange governed by international agreements. This paper explores how the blockchain-based systems could help protect the maritime community and support sustainable ocean governance under the law of the sea. Particular attention is given to conserving marine living resources, protecting the marine environment and preserving marine biodiversity. Blockchain is already in use for some internationally regulated activities, such as electronic data interchange, though electronic permitting still waits broader international approval. Besides the clear advantages of blockchain, its legal, regulatory and other concerns must be addressed when considering its role in implementing international treaties. The author aims to explore whether harnessing blockchain`s potential requires new international agreement or if a simpler soft law instrument could provide sufficient guidance and safeguards for the international community.
Open Access: Yes
Legal Risk Assessment of Re-using Building Materials and Elements in Historic Structures
Publication Name: Rilem Bookseries
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 64
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 2952-2962
Description:
Construction processes intensively contributes to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. The resulting climate change affects historic buildings and complicates built heritage preservation. However, there are several actions under way, such as the European Green Deal, to reduce CO2 emissions in construction. Revaluation of existing structures under application of recycled materials and by re-use of available building elements may save resources and thus reduces emission of CO2 in construction industry. This contributes to a more environmentally friendly construction process. Furthermore, re-using of existing building materials or elements may preserve the historical appearance of structures, in the interest of future generations. For production and usage of new building materials and elements, a plethora of legislation and codes needs to be considered. The same applies to re-use of existing building materials and elements which increases the danger for construction defects and thus expensive claims. Thus, beside the advantages, re-using of building materials and elements bears risks to all stakeholders in a construction project. In the interest of avoiding conflicts between the construction contract parties, a legal risk analysis is necessary to support them in decision about the re-use of existing building materials and elements. The authors examined current international, European and German law, codes, and policy dealing with re-use of building materials and elements. Furthermore, they reviewed existing literature about that topic and analyzed relevant court cases of the last twenty years. The conclusion is, that there is a need for a detailed contract specification which kind of existing building elements and materials can be re-used and who takes the responsibility for known or unknown defects under the aspect of liability. The paper provides suggestions under which legal aspects a re-use of building elements may be recommendable and which requirements need to be met.
Open Access: Yes
The service doctrine: How intelligence mandates shape national cybersecurity ecosystems?
Publication Name: Frontiers in Political Science
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 7
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This study provides a structured comparative analysis of how democratic and authoritarian regimes integrate cybersecurity into their national security architectures, with particular attention to the severely under-researched Central-Eastern European EU member states (Hungary and Slovakia). Using a most-different-systems design, the article contrasts the multi-stakeholder, cooperative model of a major rule-of-law democracy (United States) with the centralized, digital-sovereignty-driven approaches of three major authoritarian powers (China, Russia, Iran) and two smaller EU members. In addition to institutional structures and oversight mechanisms, the analysis explicitly incorporates public trust dynamics as a critical variable of cybersecurity resilience. Findings show that democratic systems generate higher legitimacy but slower operational tempo, whereas authoritarian models achieve rapid capability integration at the expense of societal trust and private-sector autonomy. In the Central-Eastern European cases, the interplay of NIS2 obligations and pronounced centralizing tendencies produces distinctive governance patterns that deviate from both the classic “cooperating cyberfare state” and the “smart total-control” archetypes. The study demonstrates that sustained public trust—fostered through transparent communication, accountable institutions and meaningful societal inclusion—acts as a force multiplier for cybersecurity resilience across all regime types. By filling three identified gaps (small EU member states, cross-regime empirical depth, and public-trust integration), the article advances both the comparative politics of cybersecurity governance and practical policy recommendations for strengthening transatlantic and intra-EU cyber resilience.
Open Access: Yes
Extension of the Time Dependent Travelling Salesman Problem Model with Interval-Valued Fuzzy Soft Sets with Arithmetic Mean Method
Publication Name: Studies in Computational Intelligence
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 1222
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 35-47
Description:
The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) is an extensively studied NP-hard graph search problem. Many researchers pursued the most efficient and practical solutions, by applying various techniques to find the optimum or semi optimum solution (the one with least cost). There are numerous practical extensions and modifications of the original problem, such as The Time Dependent Traveling Salesman Problem (TD TSP). Indeed, the TD TSP was towards more realistic assessment of the traffic conditions of the original TSP. The edges between nodes are assigned different costs (weights), whether they are traveled during the rush hour periods or if they crossed the traffic jam regions (such as city centers). In the classic TD TSP, the edges are assigned higher costs using concrete numbers, which might be looked at as a limitation; because those jam factors are non-deterministic and better be represented by fuzzy numbers. In this paper we introduce a more realistic novel fuzzy-based extension, the IVFSSTD TSP (Interval-Valued Fuzzy Soft Set for the Time Dependent Traveling Salesman Problem). Our core concept employs interval-valued fuzzy soft sets on the costs between nodes to realistically quantify the traffic jam regions, and the rush hours periods effects on any tour, then we user the arithmetic mean operator to take in account all factors affecting an edge simultaneously, which lead to less information loss and more adequate representation for the jam factors. Since the interval-valued fuzzy soft sets are generalization of the original fuzzy sets, which has the ability to simulate uncertain road conditions more efficiently than concrete numbers, then our approach can be considered a useful extension and a practical alternative model of the original abstract problem.
Open Access: Yes
Can Digital Technology Adoption Drive a “Win–Win” in Corporate Financial Sustainability and Energy Performance? The Role of Chief Digital Officers
Publication Name: Business Strategy and the Environment
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This study investigates whether digital technology adoption can drive both sustainable financial performance and enhanced corporate energy efficiency, which has received limited attention in previous research. Grounded in dynamic capability theory and upper echelons theory, and utilizing a two-way fixed-effects regression model, this study analyzes panel data from publicly listed Chinese firms from 2010 to 2022. We assess the “win–win” potential of digital technology adoption on financial and energy outcomes, with a focus on the moderating role of chief digital officers. The results demonstrate that digital technology adoption generates concurrent gains in financial sustainability and energy efficiency, and that the presence of a chief digital officer substantially strengthens these effects. Robustness and endogeneity assessments support these findings. We further identify financing constraints and green technological innovation as mediating channels through which digital technology adoption promotes dual improvements in financial and energy outcomes. Heterogeneity tests indicate stronger effects among larger firms, non-heavy polluting enterprises, and firms located in central regions of China. These findings highlight the strategic value of digital technology in advancing financial sustainability and corporate energy efficiency, promoting broader corporate commitment to digital transformation.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.1002/bse.70671
An Interval-Valued Fuzzy Soft Sets Based Decision Support Model for Route Optimization
Publication Name: Studies in Computational Intelligence
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 1222
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 79-86
Description:
Route optimization is an extensively studied NP-hard graph search problem. Many researchers applied numerous techniques to find the optimum or semi optimum solution (the one with least cost). There are many practical extensions and modifications of this problem applied using deterministic methods. However, traveling between nodes (locations) might encounter additional fuzzy cost (time) on the overall trip, whether they are traveled during the rush hour periods or if they crossed traffic regions (the city centers). Since, those factors are non-deterministic; it would be closer to reality to represent them using fuzzy numbers. In this paper, we propose a novel route optimization under road uncertainties using Interval-Valued Fuzzy Soft Sets. We use scoring technique to help determining the optimum route amongst all alternatives. Our novel approach can be looked at as a practical and closer to reality estimation for non-deterministic factors of the original abstract route optimization problem.
Open Access: Yes
Who Benefits from the EV Transition? Electric Vehicle Adoption and Progress Toward the SDGs Across Income Groups
Publication Name: World Electric Vehicle Journal
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 17
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Electric vehicles (EVs) are widely promoted as a key strategy for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions and advancing sustainable development. However, the real-world benefits of EV adoption may vary across countries with different income levels and energy systems. This study investigates the relationship between EV adoption and CO2 emissions per capita, as well as overall sustainable development performance (SDG Index), across 50 countries from 2010 to 2023. Using panel quantile regression, we find that EV adoption is significantly associated with reduced CO2 emissions particularly in the high-emitting countries in high-income countries (interaction coefficient at the 90th quantile = −0.24, p < 0.05) but positively associated with emissions in lower- and middle-income countries at lower quantiles of the emissions distribution. Similarly, while EV adoption correlates positively with the SDG Index in high-income countries, it shows negative effects at the median and several quantiles. These findings challenge the “zero-emission” assumption and demonstrate that the climate and development benefits of EV diffusion are context-dependent and unevenly distributed, highlighting the need for policies that link electrification to renewable energy deployment, infrastructure development, and equitable access.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/wevj17010034
