The growing need for sustainable electrification of remote off-grid communities has increased interest in hybrid renewable energy systems that integrate multiple generation sources with energy storage technologies. This study conducts a comparative techno-economic and environmental evaluation of two hybrid renewable energy configurations designed to meet the residential electricity demand of Al-Qulaan village, located on Egypt's Red Sea coast. The proposed systems combine photovoltaic (PV) and wind generation with either battery energy storage systems (BESS) or pumped hydro storage (PHS). An optimization framework based on mathematical models and an aeroelastic-based wind turbine model was employed to optimally size the hybrid system components while minimizing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) under a zero loss of power supply constraint (LPS = 0). The results indicate that the PV/WT/BESS configuration achieves the lowest electricity cost, with an LCOE of 0.316 $/kWh, while the PV/WT/PHS configuration results in a slightly higher LCOE of 0.367 $/kWh. From an environmental perspective, both configurations significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, achieving more than a 97% reduction compared to electricity supplied from the conventional grid. These findings indicate that BESS provides a more cost-effective solution, while PHS remains a competitive alternative, particularly for projects with longer operational lifetimes.
Since 2020, forced displacement has been aggravated by overlapping crises like climate change and armed conflicts. While refugee integration has attracted growing scholarly attention, the relationship between structural integration processes and the lived experience of homemaking - how access to accommodation, urban space, and social environments enables or obstructs a genuine sense of belonging and integration - remains underexplored. This review addresses this gap through a systematic review of 60 impactful articles published between 2020 and 2026, identified through a comprehensive Scopus search and refined using bibliometric analysis in RStudio following PRISMA guidelines. The review identifies eight thematic streams through bibliometric and qualitative content analyses, covering (1) research methods, (2) the concept of home and belonging, (3) refugees’practices for integration, (4) social capital and networks, (5) policy responses and governance, (6) challenges and vulnerabilities, (7) the role of host communities and institutions, and (8) digital practices and literacies. The following gaps were revealed: limited longitudinal research on integration and place attachment, institutional actors and governance decisions that shape spatial conditions, and under-exploration of intersecting identity dimensions, such as age, sexuality, race, and disability, in relation to homemaking , and the underexplored role of settlement and trajectory in shaping whether homemaking is experienced as temporary adaptation, resistance to insecurity, or the gradual construction of belonging. The quality of environments as spaces affecting mental health and belonging also needs greater attention. These gaps highlight the need for a research agenda that prioritizes longitudinal studies, critical engagement with local governance, comparative research across settlement contexts, and greater attention to the diversity of refugee populations and experiences.
Mesoporous γ-Al2O3 nanoparticles were synthesized via isoamyl alcohol-assisted controlled precipitation and characterized using XRD, FTIR, N2 physisorption, SEM, TEM, and DLS. The nanoparticles exhibited a BET specific surface area of 107.6 m2 g−1 and a hydrodynamic particle size of 77.3 nm. The effects of pH, contact time, temperature, and initial Mo concentration on 99Mo sorption were systematically investigated. A maximum sorption efficiency of 96.4 ± 3.0% was achieved at an initial Mo concentration of 5 × 10−3 M and an equilibrium pH of 3.7 ± 0.1. Langmuir analysis yielded a maximum sorption capacity of 84.5 ± 2.0 mg g-1 at 333 K, while the sorption kinetics were better described by the pseudo-second-order model at 313 and 333 K. Thermodynamic analysis based on a dimensionless conditional Langmuir-derived equilibrium constant suggested favorable and endothermic sorption, with an estimated enthalpy change of +45.3 kJ mol-1. These batch results support further evaluation of γ-Al2O3 nanoparticles for 99Mo/99mTc generator applications.
The longevity of three linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) geomembranes (GMBs) with thicknesses of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mm exposed to a pH 13.5 pregnant liquor solution representative of some of the highly alkaline gold and silver heap-leaching solutions was investigated for over 14 years. The GMBs were manufactured from nominally the same resin; however, the 1.5 mm GMB was produced from a different resin lot and with a different antioxidant formulation. Changes in key index properties of samples immersed at 85, 75, and 65 °C were monitored, including oxidative induction time, high-load melt index, tensile break properties, and stress-crack resistance. Based on the observed laboratory degradation rates, Arrhenius modelling was used to project the time to nominal failure (tNF) for all three GMBs. The results show that the 1.5 mm-thick GMB exhibited the best overall performance, with tNF projections increasing from the 1.0 mm to the 2.0 mm and to the 1.5 mm GMB. Immersed in the same pH 13.5 solution, the 1.5 mm LLDPE had a longer tNF than a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) GMB of the same thickness. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.
The establishment and continuous improvement of geodetic reference networks are fundamental to ensuring the accuracy, stability, and interoperability of spatial data. This study focuses on the adjustment of the Egyptian Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) network relative to the International Terrestrial Reference Frame 2020 (ITRF2020). Additionally, it aims to readjust the CORS network relative to the High Accuracy Reference Network (HARN–ITRF1994) and derive transformation parameters between the adjusted solutions in ITRF2020 and HARN–ITRF1994. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) observations from selected CORS and the neighboring International GNSS Service (IGS) stations are processed to achieve a consistent alignment with ITRF2020. Outlier detection based on standardized residuals and Tau tests is performed to ensure the strength of the network adjustment. The results show that the adjusted Egyptian CORS network achieves horizontal positional accuracies of better than 1 cm and vertical accuracies of better than 4 cm, with error ellipses with semi-major axes of less than 3 mm. The transformation parameters between ITRF2020 and HARN-ITRF1994 are computed using both the Bursa-Wolf and Molodensky-Badekas models, where the latter provides slightly better results.
