Global Challenges最新文献

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.

During the desalination process, scaling, fouling, and degradation are associated issues that lead to a drop in the separation performance of membranes. Membrane regeneration emerges as a critical technology in which upcycling and downcycling can offer a promising avenue for promoting sustainable membrane lifecycle management. Multiple research papers and reviews have critically analyzed the regeneration of membranes, which explains the end-of-cycle assessment and cost analysis of membrane recycling. However, challenges associated with the conventional and innovative regeneration processes are not yet analyzed. The potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on membrane regeneration is not explained in the literature. This review paper aims to explore the synergistic relationship between AI and membrane regeneration, elucidating the principles, challenges, opportunities, and emerging trends in this rapidly evolving field. By examining the role of AI techniques in enhancing the understanding, monitoring, and control of regeneration membrane processes, as well as their applications in optimizing regeneration strategies and addressing end-of-life considerations, this paper seeks to provide insights into the transformative potential of AI in reshaping the landscape of membrane regeneration.

This study proposes a novel approach to enhance the performance of solar water heating systems by integrating molten salt thermal energy storage (MSTES) and evaluating its effectiveness under varying tilt angles (15°, 30°, 45°, and 60°). While prior research has extensively explored solar collectors and conventional storage media, there have been limited studies that experimentally assessed the combined effect of MSTES and tilt angle optimization on thermal performance. To address this gap, a parabolic trough collector system is employed using a eutectic mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate, known for its high thermal stability and energy retention. Key performance metrics, including collector efficiency, heat transfer coefficient, and storage efficiency, are analyzed under different tilt configurations. Results revealed that a 60° tilt angle offered the best performance, achieving a collector efficiency of 75%, a heat transfer coefficient exceeding 880 W m⁻² K, and a storage efficiency of 61% during peak solar radiation. These findings highlight the effectiveness of MSTES in maximizing solar energy absorption and storage, thereby contributing to the development of high-efficiency solar thermal systems that are adaptable to diverse climatic conditions and energy demands.

The concept of mirror life is first introduced by Louis Pasteur, referring to biological systems composed of enantiomeric biomolecules. Although nowadays technologies are making a mirror life theoretically achievable, its potential risks remain uncertain. Here, an integrated multi-tier computational pipeline is employed to address the potential environmental threat posed by the hypothetical mirror-image of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium relevant to environmental and food safety. The findings suggest that amoxicillin, and perhaps other conventional antibiotics, should not be effective against their mirror targets. On the other hand, the enantiomeric amoxicillin may be a successful counteracting measure, although the risks for the biosphere remain unknown. Overall, this study highlights the need for further dedicated investigations in this field, while emphasizing in silico methods, in particular molecular modeling, as a versatile and effective first-line approach for analysis, free from biohazards and technical limitations of reagents supply.

In this study, phenol removal by ozonation under strong alkaline conditions in a continuously operated jet loop reactor (JLR) is investigated. The effects of inlet ozone gas concentration, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and influent phenol concentration on phenol, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total organic carbon (TOC) removal in the JLR effluent are evaluated. When the inlet ozone gas concentration is 17.5 gO₃ m⁻³, the steady-state phenol, COD, and TOC removal efficiencies are determined as 97.8%, 61.1%, and 32.2%, respectively. When the inlet ozone concentration increases from 17.5 to 56.5 gO₃ m⁻³, phenol is not detected in the JLR effluent. The system operates at different HRTs, and the highest removal efficiency at steady-state is obtained at 8 h HRT. While phenol is completely removed at this HRT, COD and TOC removals are 76.8% and 48.2%, respectively. An increase in phenol concentration in the JLR influent leads to a reduction in the phenol, COD, and TOC removal efficiencies in the steady-state effluent.