Global Challenges最新文献

Hydrogen production from renewable energy sources without CO₂ emissions forms a fundamental pillar of the emerging hydrogen-based economy. Hydrogen technologies demonstrate significant potential for energy storage and integration across chemical and materials industries. Direct solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion via photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is technologically feasible but has not yet been commercialized. A techno-economic and financial viability assessment is performed on stand-alone PEC reactors operating in Germany. A detailed cost structure of the photoelectrochemical reactor is carried out. The total cost of the PEC reactor with a 500 cm² active area is ≈€94.19 based on experimental data. The levelized cost of hydrogen for an off-grid PEC system in Munich is calculated as €83.71/kg, assuming a 5% STH efficiency. The sensitivity analysis highlights hydrogen production and lifetime as key factors, with hydrogen production determined by STH efficiency and solar irradiance. Upscaling scenarios indicate that achieving a target hydrogen cost of €2/kg is feasible by extending the reactor lifetime to 20 years, reaching 20% STH efficiency, reducing initial capital expenditure by 80%, and securing favorable capital structure with a weighted average cost of capital of 10% or lower. The findings highlight how scaling can support the financial feasibility of PEC hydrogen production.

Sapovirus is gaining recognition as a significant non-bacterial causative agent of acute gastroenteritis globally, contributing to both sporadic cases and outbreaks across all age groups. In China, it is identified as the second most prevalent pathogen responsible for acute gastroenteritis outbreaks, following norovirus, which underscores its public health importance. Consequently, an extensive systematic review and meta-analysis are undertaken to evaluate the prevalence and genotype distribution of sapovirus among patients presenting with acute gastroenteritis. This analysis incorporated 159 eligible studies spanning 32 provinces in China. The estimated overall prevalence of sapovirus is 1.9% (95% CI: 1.7–2.2), with an asymptomatic prevalence of 0.8% (95% CI: 0–2.5). Notably, in outbreak settings, the respective prevalence rates increase substantially to 16.4% (95% CI: 10.1–23.8) and 14.4% (95% CI: 8.9–20.7). Furthermore, these findings reveal that sapovirus GI genomes predominated in both sporadic and outbreak contexts, with genotypes GI.1, GI.2, and GII.1 being most frequently identified. These insights are crucial for enabling governments to accurately assess disease burden, inform the development of targeted vaccines, and establish evidence-based public health policies and emergency response strategies to mitigate sapovirus outbreaks.

This article investigates the institutional design of scientific advisory bodies (SABs) on climate change across three levels of governance: intergovernmental Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), national (UK's Climate Change Committee (CCC)), and supranational (European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change – ESABCC). Drawing on original empirical data and comparative analysis, the paper examines how institutional features (mandate, composition, autonomy, capacity, and knowledge provision) shape the potential roles and influence of these bodies in climate governance. The ESABCC, established in 2021, represents a novel institutional innovation within the EU's climate policy architecture. As the first supranational advisory body of its kind, it navigates a complex political space, balancing scientific independence with embeddedness in European Union's (EU) policymaking structures. Through a comparative lens, the analysis shows that while all three bodies aim to provide credible scientific input, their design reflects different governance logics and degrees of proximity to policy. The paper argues that institutional design is a critical determinant of how effectively SABs contribute to legitimate, evidence-informed climate policy. By mapping the ESABCC's position within the EU's multi-level governance framework, the study highlights its evolving role and outlines the implications for the broader use of expert knowledge in turbulent policy environments.

This study deals with the reduction reaction of nitroarenes using hydrazine monohydrate as the reducing agent and iron-supported steel slag as a novel green heterogeneous catalyst. Steel slag is a byproduct of the steel industry, which, due to its alkalinity, can act as a reactive support that can trigger the formation of catalytically active iron oxides/hydroxides. A systematic study is conducted to evaluate the catalytic activity of steel slags modified with the following salts (or mixtures): FeSO₄·7H₂O, FeCl₃·6H₂O, and FeCl₂·4H₂O. The modified steel slags are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, nitrogen sorption analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. All iron-supporting steel slags demonstrate active behavior in the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene at 80 °C with the best results, in terms of activity, selectivity, and recyclability achieved with the catalyst prepared from FeCl₃·6H₂O (Fe3). The scalability of the reaction is confirmed by carrying out a test on 12.5 mmol of substrate. The superiority of Fe3 compared with the other studied materials is ascribed to its morphology and the remarkably high surficial area. The iron species active in the Fe3 catalyst are noncrystalline oxo–hydroxo species of Fe(III) (2L-ferrihydrite).

Battery performance and safety heavily depend on battery management systems (BMS), which monitor and control them during operation. Given its crucial role, a BMS should meet several requirements in functionality, performance, robustness, and reliability, often defined in standards and regulations. Considering rapid technological advancements in batteries, updating these requirements is essential to reflect growing system complexity. Therefore, this study reviews current standards and regulations for BMSs in Germany, a key player in the global battery sector. It distinguishes between functional and non-functional, as well as qualitative and quantitative requirements. The review finds that most existing standards focus on qualitative aspects and lack measurable benchmarks, particularly for critical BMS functions like state monitoring and energy management. To address this, this study proposes improvement suggestions and highlights the need for consistent definitions and performance requirements, especially for the state of charge (SoC) and state of health (SoH). It also identifies emerging challenges, such as second-life batteries, BMS, and cloud BMS as important areas for future standards. By mapping standards to BMS functions and identifying gaps, this work offers valuable guidance for improving BMS performance, interoperability, and safety.

Waste wool hydrolysates (WWHs), a by-product originating from the alkaline hydrolysis of waste wool, are recovered and employed as auxiliaries in wool dyeing. In view of an eco-friendly dyeing procedure, a natural dye, Carmine, is selected to dye wool fabrics. Different methodologies for performing the dyeing process are described. In the first procedure, the wool fabrics are pretreated with a water suspension of the WWHs at room temperature, left overnight, and then cured at 180 °C. In the second procedure, the wool fabrics are immersed in the WWH's suspension at 100 °C, dried in an oven, and subsequently dyed through the exhaustion method. In the last procedure, the WWHs are added directly to the dyeing liquor. Dye exhaustion, color coordinates, and K/S are measured to evaluate the dyeing efficiency. The dyed fabrics are also characterized in terms of thermal, chemical, mechanical and morphological properties. The results demonstrate that the WWHs are efficient alternatives to metal-based mordants in assisting wool dyeing with Carmine dye. The evidence of non-significant damages to fabrics as a consequence of the chosen treatment conditions further supports the possibility of WWH valorization in textile industries as a by-product that otherwise would represent a waste to dispose of.

Climate change is an increasingly important problem, and efficient mitigation requires actions in all fields. While the impact of individual medical devices is small, the total impact of all the devices is large, and their use is also growing with the increasing elderly population. Therefore, it is urgent that this study improves knowledge of the impacts of the production and use of medical devices to find ways to decrease them. This study examines the carbon footprint of two prevalent blood glucose monitoring methods for diabetes management: self-monitoring of blood glucose and continuous glucose monitoring systems. Using cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment, the carbon footprint of six different devices across both techniques is evaluated. Components of these devices are disassembled, weighed, and the different plastic parts are chemically analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to accurately quantify their material composition. The results of this study show that the carbon footprint of self-monitoring devices is generally lower compared to continuous glucose monitoring devices, unless the testing frequency of the glucose level is higher than normal, or the device is used for shorter than average periods. The primary contributors to the carbon footprint of self-monitoring devices are disposable strips and lancets. Regarding the continuous method, a major part of the carbon footprint is attributed to the plastic material and the instruction leaflet. This research provides important insights for product manufacturers, policymakers, healthcare providers, and individuals with diabetes, for more environmentally conscious choices in diabetes management technologies.

Lateral root (LR) formation is important for plant growth. ROS (reactive oxygen species)play an important role in LR formation. While how nanomaterials affect ROS distribution to promote LR formation and the role of ROS in primordia in LR formation are rarely known. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria), as a potent ROS scavenger, are widely used in plants. This study investigates the effects of poly (acrylic acid) nanoceria (PNC, 6.5 nm, −36 mV), aminated nanoceria (ANC, 6.9 nm, 30 mV), and bulk nanoceria (BNC, 84.9 nm, −5.5 mV) on LR formation in Arabidopsis. Only PNC increased LR numbers by 73.5%, reducing root H₂O₂ levels by up to 90.44% and altering O₂^•− distribution in LR primordia (LRP). Furthermore, DPI (diphenyleneiodonium, O₂^•− inhibitor) decreased LR numbers by 18.9%, while PNC treatment reversed this inhibition (12.25 ± 0.53 vs 8.38 ± 0.52). Transcriptome analysis shows PNC regulated ROS metabolism via genes like peroxiredoxins and peroxidases, promoting LR formation. Interestingly, PNC does not affect auxin distribution (confirmed by DR5pro::GFP lines) or alleviate NPA-induced (N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid, an auxin transport inhibitor) LR inhibition. These findings suggest that PNC enhances LR formation through ROS modulation rather than auxin signaling.

The use of organic pesticides to reduce insect and disease infestations and boost agricultural productivity can minimize the health and environmental costs of synthetic pesticides. However, adoption remains slow, and barriers and drivers influencing their uptake among cocoa farmers across different ecological zones are unclear. Grounded in the Diffusion of Innovations Theory, this study investigated perceptions, drivers, barriers, and strategies to enhance organic pesticide adoption among cocoa farmers in two ecological zones. A mixed-methods approach is employed, collecting data from 450 farmers in eight cocoa-growing communities through questionnaire-led interviews. Data are analyzed using linear mixed-effects regression, probit regression, ANOVA, Chi-Square, and thematic analysis. Findings revealed that adopters have a 7%-32% more favorable perception of the environmental and health benefits of organic pesticides, influencing their adoption. Farm characteristics, farming experience, incomes, land tenure, and ecological zone significantly influenced adoption. Non-adopters cited barriers such as high transportation costs, offensive odors, and limited information access. Suggested strategies to enhance adoption included capacity building, financial incentives, improved product availability, institutional support, and awareness campaigns. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to address demographic and socio-economic barriers and promote organic pesticide use. Future research should explore longitudinal impacts on productivity and soil health.

The increasing global population and concomitant rise in food demand lead to significant challenges in sustainable agricultural practices and food waste management. This review explores a promising solution to these challenges by examining the potential of utilizing food waste in hog farming as a sustainable feed resource. The paper highlights the environmental, economic, and social benefits of diverting food waste from landfills and repurposing it for livestock nutrition. Nutritional adequacy, safety, and regulatory frameworks surrounding the use of food waste in hog diets, as well as technological advancements and logistical considerations necessary for the widespread adoption of this practice, are discussed along with pilot projects that have successfully implemented food waste feeding programs, assessing their outcomes in terms of feed efficiency, animal health, and environmental impact. Using food waste as animal feed provides a cost-effective alternative to traditional feedstuffs. It also contributes to the global goal of reducing the food, land, and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation gaps by 12%, 27%, and 15%, respectively, by 2050. This practice will significantly lower the carbon footprint of hog farming by redirecting 45% of GHG emissions from conventional feed production to promote a circular economy within the agricultural sector. However, successfully implementing food waste feeding programs requires stringent monitoring and adherence to safety standards to prevent contamination and ensure animal welfare.