Multiple Alternatives Research Articles

Incremental housing as care infrastructure: transformations in low-income housing in Alto Hospicio, Chile

The discussion regarding the relationship between housing and care within the general field of housing studies has generated a broadening of the field in many ways. One of such is the reciprocal relationship between the numerous forms of housing transformation and care, particularly for low-income communities in the Global South. We suggest that the main drive to transform housing incrementally is care. Following the work of Power and Mee (2019), we consider housing as an infrastructure of care and therefore, the incremental transformation of housing as part of a set of practices, which produce a sociomaterial assemblage that is constitutive of care. Under these practices, not only does housing pattern care relations, but care relations also pattern housing and therefore housing transformations. This relational way of seeing housing and care is increasingly relevant in the implementation of housing transformation programmes and policies, as this would impact incremental housing design, programme, operation, funding, and implementations, particularly in the context of an increasing incorporation of multiple alternatives of housing transformation and improvement in public housing in the Global South. We show this through ethnographic work on housing transformation for care purposes in the city of Alto Hospicio, Chile.

Emergency mitigation of drought worldwide: Qualitative descriptive design

AbstractA popular idea is that slow‐moving droughts worldwide require long‐lasting emergency mitigation. In this article, we describe our study on how human society could improve its emergency mitigation of droughts for the ultimate objective of emergency management. The research methodology involved a qualitative descriptive design. As a paradigm shift, we initially examined middle‐term emergency mitigation to regional droughts to draw the implementation of long‐term emergency mitigation to regional droughts through three stakeholders (i.e., three analytical units such as international institutions, drought‐prone nations, and drought‐resistant nations). A major finding was that the three stakeholders should transform their current middle‐term drought mitigation strategies into long‐term drought mitigation ones. Based on the effectiveness of long‐term emergency mitigation, they must address multiple alternatives to include the strategic vision, Earth's community approach, social impacts of drought, drought fund initiative, lessons from few national cases (e.g., Australia and UAE), education, and scenario‐based training and could integrate droughts with other issues. It is advised that in the future, researchers will expand their study to encompass all nations worldwide.

Application of Multi-Attribute Utility Analysis as a Methodological Framework in Academic–Clinical Partnership Evaluation

A method called multi-attribute utility analysis (MAUA) provides a decision-making framework that facilitates comparative analysis of multiple real-world decision alternatives with unique complex attributes. Utility analysis as a measure of effectiveness has been minimally used by educational researchers to date, despite clear relevance in complex decision-making. To illustrate its viability, the application of MAUA was modeled for two example academic programs with diverse partnership priorities as a form of assessing academic–clinical partnership alignment. Simulated application indicates MAUA may be successfully utilized as an evidence-based methodological framework. The presented example is illustrative of the wide-spanning potential for this approach in different contexts, as predicted and recommended by experts in the field. Evaluators are encouraged to collaborate in new ways and strive to produce tangible, solution-oriented approaches to address key challenges and demonstrate the value of sound evaluation practices.

Understanding Heterogeneous Passenger Route Choice in Municipal Rail Transit with Express and Local Trains: An Empirical Study in Shanghai

The express/local mode of municipal rail transit provides passengers with multiple alternatives to achieve more efficient and superior travel, in contrast to the conventional all-stop operation mode. However, the various route choices (including direct express trains, direct local trains, or transfers) covering different passenger groups pose a significant challenge to passenger flow assignment. To understand route choice behavior, it is crucial to measure the passenger heterogeneity (variability in individual and trip attributes) in order to propose targeted solutions for operation schemes and service planning. This paper proposes a hybrid model by integrating structural equation modeling and the mixed logit model under express/local mode to estimate the impact of passenger heterogeneity on route choice. An empirical study with revealed preference and stated preference surveys carried out in Shanghai revealed how individual and trip attributes quantitatively impact the sensitivity of factors in route choice. The results show that age and trip purpose are more significant factors. Compared to the control group, the probability of express trains is reduced by 10.22% for the elderly and by 11.36% for non-commuters. Our findings can provide support for more reasonable operation schemes and more targeted services.

PANORAMIC REVIEW OF DISTAL RADIUS FRACTURES

Introduction: fractures affecting the distal radius are common, their incidence increases as life expectancy increases, leading to a larger population of individuals at risk of suffering these injuries. They are usually comminuted and intra-articular fractures that are outside the traditional eponymous classification. Objective: to detail current information related to distal radius fractures epidemiology, anatomy, mechanism of injury, clinical evaluation, classification, imaging evaluation, treatment and complications. Methodology: a total of 27 articles were analyzed in this review, including review and original articles, as well as clinical cases and books, of which 19 bibliographies were used because the other articles were not relevant to this study. The sources of information were PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane; the terms used to search for information in Spanish, Portuguese and English were: distal radius fractures, radius anatomy, Colles fracture, Smith fracture, Barton fracture, treatment of distal radius fractures. Results: distal radius fractures account for about one sixth of all fractures treated in the emergency department, the incidence of distal radius fractures in the elderly correlates with the degree of osteopenia and increases with increasing age. The volar ligaments are stronger and provide greater stability to the radiocarpal joint compared to the dorsal ligaments. The most common mechanism is a fall on the hand in extension with the wrist in dorsiflexion. Currently, there is no consensus on the most optimal classification system for distal radius fractures. Conclusions: knowing correctly the whole picture of distal radius fractures allows to have a better performance when treating them. It is essential not to overlook in the physical examination the exploration of the ipsilateral elbow and shoulder to rule out the presence of associated injuries and to perform a complete evaluation to detect other possible injuries or life-threatening problems. Distal radius fractures can be treated conservatively or surgically depending on several factors, so classification is essential. There are multiple alternatives in surgical treatment, so the most appropriate one should be chosen for each case. The most common complications in this type of fracture are median nerve dysfunction, post-traumatic osteoarthritis, malunion or pseudoarthrosis and stiffness of the fingers, wrist and elbow. KEY WORDS: fracture, distal radius, Colles, Smith, Barton, treatment.

Application of Microbiome-Based Therapies in Chronic Respiratory Diseases.

The application of microbiome-based therapies in various areas of human disease has recently increased. In chronic respiratory disease, microbiome-based clinical applications are considered compelling options due to the limitations of current treatments. The lung microbiome is ecologically dynamic and affected by various conditions, and dysbiosis is associated with disease severity, exacerbation, and phenotype as well as with chronic respiratory disease endotype. However, it is not easy to directly modulate the lung microbiome. Additionally, studies have shown that chronic respiratory diseases can be improved by modulating gut microbiome and administrating metabolites. Although the composition, diversity, and abundance of the microbiome between the gut and lung are considerably different, modulation of the gut microbiome could improve lung dysbiosis. The gut microbiome influences that of the lung via bacterial-derived components and metabolic degradation products, including short-chain fatty acids. This phenomenon might be associated with the cross-talk between the gut microbiome and lung, called gut-lung axis. There are multiple alternatives to modulate the gut microbiome, such as prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics ingestion and fecal material transplantation. Several studies have shown that high-fiber diets, for example, present beneficial effects through the production of short-chain fatty acids. Additionally, genetically modified probiotics to secrete some beneficial molecules might also be utilized to treat chronic respiratory diseases. Further studies on microbial modulation to regulate immunity and potentiate conventional pharmacotherapy will improve microbiome modulation techniques, which will develop as a new therapeutic area in chronic respiratory diseases.

Use of Efficiency Frontiers to Align Prices and Clinical Benefits of Biologic Therapies for Plaque Psoriasis

The US lacks a systematic approach for aligning drug prices with clinical benefit, and traditional cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) faces political obstacles. The efficiency frontier (EF) method offers policymakers an alternative approach. To assess how the EF approach could align prices and clinical benefits of biologic medications for plaque psoriasis and estimate price reductions in the US vs 4 peer countries: Australia, Canada, France, and Germany. This health economic evaluation used the EF approach to compare the prices and clinical benefits of 11 biologics and 2 biosimilars for plaque psoriasis in the US, Australia, Canada, France, and Germany. Data were collected from February to March 2023 and analyzed from March to June 2023. EFs were constructed based on each biologic's efficacy, measured using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 90 response rate, and annual treatment cost as of January 2023; US costs were net of estimated manufacturer rebates. Prices based on the EF were compared with traditional CEA-based prices calculated by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review at a threshold of $150 000 per quality-adjusted life-year gained. Among 13 biologics, PASI 90 response rates ranged from 17.9% (etanercept) to 71.6% (risankizumab); US net annual treatment costs ranged from $1664 (infliximab-dyyb) to $79 277 (risankizumab). The median (IQR) net annual treatment cost was higher in the US ($34 965 [$20 493-$48 942]) than prerebate costs in Australia ($9179 [$6691-$12 688]), Canada ($15 556 [$13 017-$16 112]), France ($9478 [$6637-$11 678]), and Germany ($13 829 [$13 231-$15 837]). The US EF included infliximab-dyyb (PASI 90: 57.4%; annual cost: $1664), ixekizumab (PASI 90: 70.8%; annual cost: $33 004), and risankizumab (PASI 90: 71.6%; annual cost: $79 277). US prices for psoriasis biologics would need to be reduced by a median (IQR) of 71% (31%-95%) to align with those estimated using the EF; the same approach would yield smaller price reductions in Canada (41% [6%-57%]), Australia (36% [0%-65%]), France (19% [0%-67%]), and Germany (11% [8%-26%]). Except for risankizumab, the EF-based prices were lower than the prices based on traditional CEA. This economic evaluation showed that for plaque psoriasis biologics, using an EF approach to negotiate prices could lead to substantial price reductions and better align prices with clinical benefits. US policymakers might consider using EFs to achieve prices commensurate with comparative clinical benefits, particularly for drug classes with multiple therapeutic alternatives for which differences can be adequately summarized by a single outcome measurement.

Electrophysiological (EEG) Correlates of Reward Effects on Early Sensory Perception in Humans

Existing research suggests that reward system and sensory perception networks function in concert and that activation in one may influence the other; however, the dynamics of these influences remains poorly understood. There is general agreement regarding the existence of an interaction between bottom-up and top-down signals in perception and attentional processing. While it’s not absolutely sure what stages of perception are influenced by cognition, it has been assumed that cognitive input influences later categorization stages of visual processing, and that earlier stages are solely involved in the pure bottom up extraction of basic features of sensory signals. Several recent experiments have challenged this idea by showing that top-down modulation by cognition may extend to early visual stages of perception. Recent Electrophysiological studies have begun to probe the neural correlates of the interaction between attention/reward, perception and cognitive control in humans. . We posit that selection of the value of our choices and actions from multiple alternatives may cause suppression of the sensory representations of unselected, low value stimuli while the selected, high value stimuli are enhanced. The present project has been proposed to study the dynamics of this selective process where effects of various reward categories on attention and early sensory perception are tracked using behavioral and electrophysiological (EEG) techniques. Methods from neuroscience, signal processing, psychophysics and EEG tools will be used in the project.

The expression of HIV-1 tat in Lactococcus lactis

Efficient expression of functional proteins in heterologous hosts has become the pivotal focus of modern biotechnology and biomedical research. To this end, multiple alternatives to E. coli are being explored for recombinant protein expression. L. lactis, being a gram-positive organism, circumvents the need for an endotoxin removal step during protein purification. We report here the optimisation of the expression of HIV-1 Tat, a notoriously difficult protein, in Lactococcus lactis system. We evaluated five different promoters in two different Lactococcus lactis strains and examined the effect of pH, glucose, and induction time on the yield and purity of Tat. Finally, the recombinant Tat was functionally competent in transactivating the HIV-1 promoter in HLM-1 reporter cells. Our work provides a scaffold for future work on the expression of toxic proteins in Lactococcus lactis.

Building an Information Modeling-Based System for Automatically Generating the Assembly Sequence of Precast Concrete Components Using a Genetic Algorithm

Facing a significant decrease in economic working processes, Off-Site Construction (OSC) methods have been frequently adopted in response to challenges such as declining productivity and labor shortages in the construction industry. Currently, in most OSC applications, the assembly phase is traditionally managed based on the personal experience and judgment of the site managers. This approach can lead to inaccuracies or omissions, particularly when dealing with a large amount of information on large, complex construction sites. Additionally, there are limitations in exploring more efficient and productive alternatives for rapidly adapting to changing on-site conditions. Given that the assembly phase significantly affects the OSC productivity, a systematic management approach is crucial for expanding OSC methods. Some initial studies used computer algorithms to determine the optimal assembly sequences. However, these studies often focused on geometrical characteristics, such as component weight or spatial occupancy, neglecting crucial factors in actual site planning, such as the work radius and component installation status. Moreover, these studies tended to prioritize the generation of initial assembly sequences rather than providing alternatives for adapting to evolving on-site conditions. In response to these limitations, this study presents a systematic framework utilizing a Building Information Modeling (BIM)–Genetic Algorithm (GA) approach to generate Precast Concrete (PC) component installation sequences. The developed system employs Genetic Algorithms to objectively explore diverse assembly plans, emphasizing the flexibility of accommodating evolving on-site conditions. Real on-site scenarios were simulated using this framework to explore multiple assembly plan alternatives and validate their applicability. Comprehensive interviews were conducted to validate the research and confirm the system’s potential contributions, especially at just-in-time-focused PC sites. Acknowledging a broader range of variables such as equipment and manpower, this study anticipates fostering more systematic on-site management within the context of a digitized construction environment. The proposed algorithm contributes to improving both productivity and sustainability of the construction industry by optimizing the management process of the off-site construction projects.

A mathematical tool for road design projects

This article introduces a mathematical tool for the semi-automatic design of multiple layout alternatives for a road, and the selection, between all of them, of the most suitable option in each particular case study. This tool is based on a mathematical programming model that includes the required technical constraints to ensure safe and comfortable driving (fulfilling the current Spanish legislation) and automates the process of selecting the connecting points to the former road. This optimization module is completed by two other modules: a clustering one, that groups the layouts obtained in corridors, and a decision-making aid one, which assists the engineer in the selection of a layout alternative in each corridor and, subsequently, in the choice of the optimal overall layout. The numerical results show the usefulness of this tool in a real-life case study that consists in designing a bypass on the Spanish road N-640 that circumvents the urban area of Meira (Lugo).

Modeling evaluation of the impact of residual source material on remedial time frame at a former uranium mill site

Groundwater contamination at legacy uranium processing sites is an ongoing global challenge. Plumes at many uranium-contaminated sites are more persistent than originally predicted by groundwater modeling. Previous investigations of uranium plume persistence identified residual and secondary sources that contribute to plume longevity, but there is a remaining need to revise forecasted cleanup times using information about these ongoing sources. The purpose of this study is to investigate the quantitative impact of residual vadose zone sources of uranium on groundwater remediation time frame. This objective was approached by applying numerical uranium transport simulations and uncertainty analysis to a former uranium mill site in the southwestern United States. Information from recent site investigations provided details about the distribution and release characteristics of uranium accumulations in the vadose zone. The residual uranium characteristics were incorporated as decaying source terms in the transport model. A stochastic approach using an iterative ensemble smoother was applied for history matching, and the transport model was used to assess the impact of multiple remedial alternatives on forecasted time frame. The forecasted time frame to achieve the groundwater remediation goal for uranium by monitored natural attenuation is on the order of thousands of years, and treatment of the dissolved plume does not reduce the projected time frame. The large proportion of residual uranium mass remaining in the vadose zone and the gradual leaching rate due to the site's semiarid climate create a long-lived source that can sustain a dissolved plume for thousands of years despite an estimated 99% mass removal achieved during mill tailings disposal. Residual uranium in vadose zone sediments beneath former tailings impoundments could present comparable uranium plume persistence and remediation challenges at other legacy uranium mill sites in semiarid climates. Other remaining uranium-impacted sites are similarly complex, and forecasted remedial time frames are needed to effectively achieve compliance, manage risk, assess the benefits of additional treatment, manage and project costs, and support beneficial site reuse.

Conceptualizing and Validating the Trustworthiness of Maps through an Empirical Study on the Influence of Cultural Background on Map Design Perception

Maps are the culmination of numerous choices, with many offering multiple alternatives. Not all of these choices are inherently guided by default, clarity, or universally accepted best practices, guidelines, or recommendations. In the realm of cartography, it is a distinct feature that individual decisions can be made, particularly regarding data preparation and selection and design aspects. As each map is a product of a multitude of decisions, the confidence we place in maps hinges on the reasonableness of these decisions. The trustworthiness of maps depends on whether these decisions are sound, unquestioned, readily accessible, and supported by dependable groups of decision makers whose reliability can be assessed based on their track record as an institution, reputation, and competence. The advent of user-friendly map-making software and data manipulation tools has placed some of these decisions in the hands of the general populace and those interested in using maps to convey specific agendas. This mirrors other forms of communication and has given rise to a growing discourse on “fake news”, “fake media”, and “fake maps”, ultimately prompting us to question how we can trust the information being conveyed and how we can differentiate between “fake” and “trustworthy” maps. This paper highlights the fundamental aspects determined by the pure nature of cartographic modeling, which influences every attempt to understand, analyze, and express the context and trustworthiness of maps. It then identifies fundamental aspects of trustworthiness with respect to maps. Combining these two fundamental considerations represents an epistemological attempt to identify a research portfolio. An example of an empirical study on identifying selected aspects of this portfolio demonstrates the potential of gaining a better understanding of the context given.

Supplier Selection in Downstream Oil and Gas and Petrochemicals with the Fuzzy BWM and Gray COCOSO Methods Considering Sustainability Criteria and Uncertainty Conditions

A project always needs the participation of suppliers to provide the goods and services needed by the project. As the size of the project increases, the need to use suppliers also increases. Choosing the appropriate suppliers for the project is always a difficult task, and considering different criteria along with the existence of multiple alternatives always increases the difficulty and complexity of the supplier selection problem. This study deals with the supplier selection problem, which is one of the important issues in projects and organizations in the downstream field of oil, gas, and petrochemicals. The purpose of this paper was to investigate and improve the supplier selection procedure in this field by considering real-world uncertain conditions. To this end, the fuzzy set theory and gray numbers were taken into account. In the present study, the criteria were first determined by expert judgment; then, the fuzzy best–worst method (FBWM) was exploited to rank the criteria; finally, the suppliers were prioritized and ranked by using the gray COCOSO method The results showed that the highest and the lowest weights were obtained for the “price” and “attention to environmental issues” criteria, respectively. Also, the selected supplier was a supplier with a high score in all criteria. One of the practical benefits of this research is to provide a solution to speed up, facilitate, and improve the process of selecting suppliers for companies in the downstream field of oil, gas, and petrochemicals.

Sepsis Stewardship: The Puzzle of Antibiotic Therapy in the Context of Individualization of Decision Making.

The main recent change observed in the field of critical patient infection has been universal awareness of the need to make better use of antimicrobials, especially for the most serious cases, beyond the application of simple and effective formulas or rigid protocols. The increase in resistant microorganisms, the quantitative increase in major surgeries and interventional procedures in the highest risk patients, and the appearance of a significant number of new antibiotics in recent years (some very specifically directed against certain mechanisms of resistance and others with a broader spectrum of applications) have led us to shift our questions from "what to deal with" to "how to treat". There has been controversy about how best to approach antibiotic treatment of complex cases of sepsis. The individualized and adjusted dosage, the moment of its administration, the objective, and the selection of the regimen are pointed out as factors of special relevance in a critically ill patient where the frequency of resistant microorganisms, especially among the Enterobacterales group, and the emergence of multiple and diverse antibiotic treatment alternatives have made the appropriate choice of antibiotic treatment more complex, requiring a constant updating of knowledge and the creation of multidisciplinary teams to confront new infections that are difficult to treat. In this article, we have reviewed the phenomenon of the emergence of resistance to antibacterials and we have tried to share some of the ideas, such as stewardship, sparing carbapenems, and organizational, microbiological, pharmacological, and knowledge tools, that we have considered most useful and effective for individualized decision making that takes into account the current context of multidrug resistance. The greatest challenge, therefore, of decision making in this context lies in determining an effective, optimal, and balanced empirical antibiotic treatment.

Automating the conceptual design of residental areas using visual and generative programming

The design processes based on parametric design and generative design allows multiple alternatives to be generated, analysed and corrected. The aim of the developed program was to automate the urban design concept development process for selected land units with a local development plan. This document, ordinances and other sources were the guidelines for the program to be developed. The solution-generating program starts by taking in the data, and then geometrical objects are created that have the right relationships to each other. Finally, results are evaluated on the basis of calculated indices and further generations are created taking into account the best options. This process must be overseen by a human, but with the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence, automation will progress, reducing human effort. The results of the study were collated and compared with other experiments in an in-depth literature review.

Towards scalability for resource reconfiguration in robotic assembly line balancing problems using a modified genetic algorithm

AbstractAssembly lines are still one of the most used manufacturing systems in modern-day production. Most research affects the building of new lines and, less frequently, the reconfiguration of existing lines. However, the first is insufficient to meet the reconfigurable production paradigm required by volatile market demands. Consequent reconfiguration of resources by production requests affects companies’ competitiveness. This paper introduces a problem-specific genetic algorithm for optimizing the reconfiguration of a Robotic Assembly Line Balancing Problem with Task Types, including additional company constraints. First, we present the greenfield and brownfield optimization objectives, then a mathematical problem formulation and the composition of the genetic algorithm. We evaluate our model against an Integer Programming baseline on a reconfiguration dataset with multiple equipment alternatives. The results demonstrate the capabilities of the genetic algorithm for the greenfield case and showcase the possibilities in the brownfield case. With a scalability improvement through computation time decrease of up to $$\sim $$ ∼ 2.75$$\times $$ × , reduced number of equipment and workstations, but worse objective values, the genetic algorithm holds the potential for reconfiguring assembly lines. However, the genetic algorithm has to be further optimized for the reconfiguration to leverage its full potential.

Research on the influence of intra-cavity dispersion on pulse characteristics of a quartic soliton fiber laser

Abstract We numerically investigate the influence of higher-order dispersion on the dynamics of quartic solitons in a passively mode-locked fiber laser. The simulation results show that the output pulse characteristics of the quartic soliton fiber laser are not only affected by the intra-cavity net dispersion but also related to the position of the single-mode fiber (SMF). For different intra-cavity net higher-order dispersion values, the quartic soliton undergoes multiple alternations between the stable single soliton state and pulsating state in the fiber laser, and the number and intensity of Kelly sidebands in the output pulse spectrum are significantly different. For different positions of the SMF, the dynamics of the quartic soliton are also different. In addition, we also observe two types of novel pulsation-creeping behavior and time shift. These findings provide new insights into the output characteristics of quartic solitons in fiber lasers.

A multi-stage multi-criterion group decision-making method for emergency management based on alternative chain and trust radius of experts

Multi-criterion group decision-making (MCGDM) is common when a group of experts collectively evaluate feasible alternatives regarding a set of criteria. With the increasing complexity of decision-making activities, there may be intricate interrelationships between criteria. In addition, many MCGDM problems have a dynamic characteristic when alternatives are presented to experts sequentially. In such a multi-stage setting, previous experts have influence on later experts. To overcome these challenges in MCGDM, this study first introduces two concepts, namely, trust radius, to model the social influence of experts, and alternative chain, to represent multiple alternatives that can be coordinated at adjacent stages, and then proposes a multi-stage MCGDM method based on the alternative chain and trust radius of experts. In this method, the weights of experts are determined according to the degree that an expert is influenced by others and the degree that an expert has influence on others. The weights of criteria are determined by the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method. This study obtains the optimal alternative chain from a 0–1 optimization model based on comprehensive scores of alternatives at each stage and compatible relationships between adjacent stages. The applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated by an illustrative example regarding emergency management of dammed lakes after natural disasters. Comparative analyses show advantages of this method.

Synthesis Methods, Properties, and Modifications of Biochar-Based Materials for Wastewater Treatment: A Review

The global impact of water and soil contamination has become a serious issue that affects the world and all living beings. In this sense, multiple treatment alternatives have been developed at different scales to improve quality. Among them, biochar has become a suitable alternative for environmental remediation due to its high efficiency and low cost, and the raw material used for its production comes from residual biomass. A biochar is a carbonaceous material with interesting physicochemical properties (e.g., high surface area, porosity, and functional surface groups), which can be prepared by different synthesis methods using agricultural wastes (branches of banana rachis, cocoa shells, cane bagasse, among others) as feedstock. This state-of-the-art review is based on a general description of biochar for environmental remediation. Biochar’s production, synthesis, and multiple uses have also been analyzed. In addition, this work shows some alternatives used to improve the biochar properties and thus its efficiency for several applications, like removing heavy metals, oil, dyes, and other toxic pollutants. Physical and chemical modifications, precursors, dopants, and promoting agents (e.g., Fe and N species) have been discussed. Finally, the primary uses of biochar and the corresponding mechanism to improve water and soil quality (via adsorption, heterogeneous photocatalysis, and advanced oxidation processes) have been described, both at laboratory and medium and large scales. Considering all the advantages, synthesis methods, and applications, biochar is a promising alternative with a high potential to mitigate environmental problems by improving water and soil quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting the circular economy through residual biomass, generating value-added products for several uses.