Global Challenges最新文献

This paper assesses the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) of EU member states and regions to uncover commonalities and differences between green and digital transitions, focusing on the role of institutions, among additional socio-economic drivers, in modeling them. To that end, relevant indicators have been assembled, and several econometric models have been developed and tested to evaluate institutional performance in relation to green and digital transformations. The study reveals discrepancies in the two explored transition fields and highlights the power of institutional factors in boosting them. Specifically, the findings demonstrate that the green transition in EU regions is positively associated with variables such as life expectancy, institutional quality, tertiary education attainment, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with innovative activities, while the fruits of digitalization are mainly allied to population with higher studies, core creative class employment, accountability of institutions, and innovative SMEs. These insights offer valuable guidance for decision-makers to draw lessons from high-performing or successful regions and strategically assign resources. This includes paying attention to regional financial allocations and their alignment with territorial planning and long-term policies.

The cover image is based on the Article Photoelectrocatalytic Hydrogen Generation: Current Advances in Materials and Operando Characterization by Mohammed Ahmed Zabara et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202400011

The scale of food waste across Europe is alarming, and its reduction is becoming an important public policy and governance issue. Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 constitutes a global attempt to galvanize system-level reductions. In response, layers of varied regulation and governance at regional and national levels have emerged. This paper studies the types of governance architectures visible across Europe, what policy interventions they bring, and whether responses to the food waste challenge are converging. It looks at four leading food waste jurisdictions—France, England, Norway, and Italy—and investigates the hidden realities obscured by the simplistic division of legislative/top-down versus voluntary/bottom-up approaches. It applies a governance matrix to understand the variety of food waste “steering modes”, exploring both the extent to which a regime is hierarchical and/or non-hierarchical and why. Notably, the paper also identifies some general tendencies in food waste governance, including legislative threats, challenges in distributing responsibility across the actors, focus on “low hanging fruits”, and an overall harmonization of policy responses in a neoliberal paradigm, with redistribution often pursued as a panacea for the food waste crisis.

This research explores green-technology alternatives to extract vegetable oils as alternatives to hexane, a non-renewable solvent, focussing on sunflower oil. It compares pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with ethanol and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with CO₂. Both processes aim to maximize oil yield, tocopherol content (α, β, γ, and δ), fatty acid profile (FA), and triacylglycerol (TAG) composition. Results show that SFE at 32 MPa achieves an 87.58% oil recovery, while PLE at 84 °C achieves 93.93%. PLE with ethanol extracts polar minority compounds along with the oil due to its higher temperature, favoring extraction. The total tocopherol content is 91.17 mg/100 g of oil in optimized SFE conditions, with α-tocopherol extraction influenced by temperature, γ and δ-tocopherol by pressure. PLE yields 83.16 mg/100 g of oil in tocopherols influenced less by process variables. The fatty acid (FA) profile do not vary in the oils obtained from different processes or based on the variables within each process, with linoleic and oleic acids being the most abundant. Similarly, triacylglycerols (TAGs) C54:5 and C54:6 are predominant. The optimization of SFE and PLE processes indicates a strong potential for using green solvents in the extraction of tocopherol-rich sunflower oil.

The study aims to investigate the impact of various drying techniques on the quality of sulfated polysaccharides (SP) extracted from Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) skin. Three drying methods, namely microwave drying (M-KPP), freeze-drying (F-KPP), and hot air drying (HA-KPP), are examined. The chemical and monosaccharide compositions of SP are significantly affected by the drying methods. The extraction yields for M-KPP, F-KPP, and HA-KPP are 3.30%, 3.11%, and 2.50%, respectively (P < 0.05). Additionally, HA-KPP, with 10.67% moisture content, exhibits the lowest moisture level among the dried samples (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the structural properties of SP remain consistent across different drying methods, as indicated by FTIR, XRD, and DSC analyses. F-KPP demonstrates the highest antioxidant properties. The functional and antimicrobial activities of SP are significantly influenced by the drying technique, with hot air drying resulting in increased foaming capacity and microwave drying showing enhanced antimicrobial activity. In conclusion, the findings demonstrate that the functionality and bioactivity of SP from tuna skin are greatly influenced by the drying technique employed, suggesting that the selection of the optimal method should be tailored to the desired properties of the SPs and given careful consideration.

In this study, the impact of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) generated using rosemary extract, synthesized using environmentally friendly processes and integrated into a cross-linked polymer matrix, on growth performance of wheat is evaluated. Rosemary extract used as coating, stabilizing, and reducing agents in this green synthesis method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses demonstrated the presence of phytochemical constituents of the plant extract that served as capping agents during the synthesis process. The nanoparticles are sprayed to the plant leaves. The effects of nanoparticles within the hydrogel on plant development are compared with the effects of nanoparticles in suspension. The percentage of seed germination is unaffected by either rosemary- or raw-ZnO-NPs; however, the root and shoot elongation are considerably impacted by the nanoparticle treatments. The threshold concentrations are determined as 3000 mg L⁻¹ for rosemary-ZnO-NPs and 2000 mg L⁻¹ for raw-ZnO-NPs. Additionally, antibacterial test results showed that the activity level on Escherichia coli is higher for rosemary-ZnO-NPs compared to raw-ZnO-NPs. The results of this research may provide guidance on how green synthesis methods and the use of nanoparticle-hydrogel composites in plant breeding can be used in future agricultural applications. This can be considered an important step in terms of agricultural innovations and sustainability.

Magnetically separable Fe₃O₄, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@ZnO, and Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@ZnO–Ag composites are synthesized using hydrothermal and wet chemistry methods. The samples obtained are characterized in terms of morphology, composition, optical, and magnetic properties using TEM, SEM-EDS, XRD, FTIR, VSM, XPS, and UV–vis, and the photodegradation of Acid Blue 161 dye under UV irradiation is investigated. As a result of SEM and TEM analyses, the diameters of Fe₃O₄, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@ZnO, and Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@ZnO–Ag composites are determined as 210, 220, 230 and 235 nm, respectively. The magnetic properties of the samples are determined by VSM analysis. In VSM analyses, magnetization saturation values of Fe₃O₄, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@ZnO, and Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@ZnO–Ag composites are determined as 81, 64, 41 and 20 emus × ^g−1, respectively. In XRD analysis, the face-centered cubic structure of Fe₃O₄ particles and the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO are determined and it is determined that they are compatible with standard diffraction cards. According to UV–Vis analysis, E_g values for Fe₃O₄, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@ZnO, and Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@ZnO–Ag composites are found as 1.3, 1.68, 2.21, and 2.15 eV, respectively. Among the photocatalysts prepared, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@ZnO–Ag composite Acid Blue 161 shows superior removal and recyclability against photodegradation of the dyestuff.

Requiring no fuel for generation and negligible material/energy for operation and maintenance, photovoltaic (PV) systems have environmental impacts mostly due to the production of modules and the commissioning of power plants. Thus, extending the service lifetime of these systems from 30 to 40 years through an enhanced lamination process for module production potentially reduces environmental impacts per unit energy generated. Life cycle assessment is employed to evaluate the environmental impacts under scenarios for resource utilizations for the new lamination process, operation and maintenance requirements in the extended service lifetime, and degradation rates of the devised modules. Extending the service lifetime significantly reduces environmental impacts across categories, with a 21–27% reduction in global warming potential on the pessimistic and optimistic ends. At least 20% impact reduction is achieved in most impact categories, even under a pessimistic scenario. Considering uncertainty models in the life cycle inventories, samples are generated for scenarios via Monte Carlo simulation, and with significant improvements with large effects in most environmental impact categories, deterministic impact comparisons are supported by ANOVA and Tukey tests. Production strategies for more durable and reliable PV modules have a significant potential in contributing to global sustainability efforts.

Signaling pathways in fungi offer a profound avenue for harnessing cellular communication and have garnered considerable interest in biomaterial engineering. Fungi respond to environmental stimuli through intricate signaling networks involving biochemical and electrical pathways, yet deciphering these mechanisms remains a challenge. In this review, an overview of fungal biology and their signaling pathways is provided, which can be activated in response to external stimuli and direct fungal growth and orientation. By examining the hyphal structure and the pathways involved in fungal signaling, the current state of recording fungal electrophysiological signals as well as the landscape of fungal biomaterials is explored. Innovative applications are highlighted, from sustainable materials to biomonitoring systems, and an outlook on the future of harnessing fungi signaling in living composites is provided.