Search Results (19)

Widespread use of pesticides in agriculture causes adverse impacts on non-target organisms and environmental pollution. Efficient and sustainable pesticide removal alternatives must be developed to reduce pesticide environmental impacts. Recently, bioremediation based on immobilized microorganisms has been proposed as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach for pesticide degradation in water. Agro-industrial wastes are produced in large quantities in crop fields; their high availability, low cost, and potential for reuse make them ideal support materials for microbial immobilization. This systematic review, conducted through the PRISM 2020 methodology, compiles recent research on using agro-industrial waste to immobilize microorganisms for pesticide degradation. The identified studies highlight corn straw as the most studied agro-industrial waste, while the organophosphorus insecticides, chlorpyrifos, and methyl parathion were the most representative pesticides; in the identified studies, pesticide degradation was conducted mainly by bacteria of the Acinetobacter, Bacillus, and Pseudomonas genera. Overall, microbial immobilization significantly enhanced pesticide degradation, rendering it a viable bioremediation strategy for pesticide-contaminated water. Full article

This article discusses the conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque in 2020. Examining this act through the prism of the neo-Ottoman political platform and with consideration of the meaning and importance of this historic cultural monument, it is inferred that the reconversion constitutes a political decision par excellence, intended to symbolically mark the beginning of a new era for Turkey while closing the chapter of Kemalism. In doing so, the current political establishment seeks to communicate its resolution to invert the process of secularisation, as a form of revanche for the Westernisation of the country and the identity erosion that it caused. Further, the reconversion symbolically connotes the conquest of Constantinople and the triumph of Islam over Christianity anew, harking back to past glories and upholding them as guidelines for the future, thus hinting to a revisionist political agenda, applicable both domestically and abroad, intended, according to rhetoric at least, to consolidate Turkey as a regional power and a worthy successor of the Ottoman Empire. Full article

Given the critical role of media in times of crisis, particularly for relaying scientific knowledge and political decisions, we evaluated to what extent the first COVID-19 pandemic wave affected the treatment by traditional media of important societal topics. We searched a database of 650 French-speaking Swiss media outlets using specific keywords and reported the number of publications per month containing these items, associated or not with SARS-CoV-2. The number of publications related to viruses increased 12-fold during the first semester 2020, while the media coverage of topics about bacteria, parasites, and fungi remained stable. During the first pandemic wave, media generated a larger number of publications treating of political and medical subjects than before the pandemic, whereas the coverage of other topics was unchanged. All topics were viewed through the prism of the pandemic, up to 82% of the publications being associated with COVID-19. The media largely covered all medical aspects related to SARS-CoV-2 infection and offered scientists multiple opportunities to communicate with the public. However, their influence was strongly challenged by the capacity of social networks to disseminate rumors and misinformation. We also assessed the articles published in traditional media during the five subsequent epidemic waves, showing that the largest media peaks occurred during the first infection wave studied extensively in the present work, and during the huge fifth infection wave due to Omicron variant BA1. Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how important it is for science communication to harness the tremendous power of social media. Full article

Coastal development such as sea reclamation, port terminals, and breakwater construction has significantly altered the southwestern coastline of Laizhou Bay, changing the regional hydrodynamic environment. To explore how tidal range and tidal prism respond to these 20-year coastline changes, this paper selected the southwestern coastline data of Laizhou Bay in 2000 and 2020, established a 2-D tidal model, and studied the impact of the 20-year coastline changes on tidal range and tidal prism in this sea area. The results show that during the 20 years from 2000 to 2020, most of the bay area’s coastline was in a growth trend of advancing toward the sea, 85.3% of the cross-sections were growth areas, 11.9% were dynamic stable areas, and there was almost no erosion area. Affected by reclamation activities, the area of the southwestern part of Laizhou Bay decreased by 11.66%, the coastline increased by 63.27%, and the center of mass moved 2.22 km to the northeast. The reclamation of tidal flats caused the potential energy of tidal waves in the bay to increase, the maximum possible tidal wave in the southwestern part of the bay showed an increasing trend, and the bay top between Weifang Port and Guangli Port increased particularly significantly, with a maximum increase of 22 cm. The spring tide period, neap tide period and average tidal prism in the southwestern bay decreased by 4.79%, 3.29%, and 4.24%, respectively. The reclamation of tidal flats is the main reason for the decrease in tidal prism in the southwestern part of the bay. Full article

Extreme flood events present a significant challenge for operators and managers of large drinking water reservoirs. Detailed flood response analysis can predict the hydrology response of a reservoir to changing climate conditions and can aid in managing the reservoir in anticipation of extreme events. Herein, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), a watershed model, was used in conjunction with a reservoir management model, the Operational Analysis and Simulation of Integrated Systems (OASIS) model, to evaluate extreme flood events across a set of initial reservoir storage capacities across various CMIP6 climate scenarios. The SWAT model was calibrated and validated with PRISM climate data in conjunction with land and soil cover data and multi-site gauged stream discharges. The validated model demonstrated satisfactory performance (NSE = 0.55 and R² = 0.56) for total reservoir inflow. The resulting inflow values from SWAT were utilized to set up a calibrated/validated OASIS model (NSE = 0.55 and R² = 0.68). OASIS was then used to assess alternative operating rules for the reservoir under varying climate scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) and extreme events (synthetic hurricanes). Focusing on a major reservoir in the Northeastern United States, the analysis of the reservoir response was based on (1) reservoir volume–elevation curve, (2) daily reservoir inflow, (3) daily precipitation, (4) spillway flow, and (5) reservoir evaporation. Projected future scenarios indicate a >20% increase in precipitation in April compared to historical records, coupled with likely reduced runoff from November to March. With extreme conditions most likely in the month of April, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 projections suggest that most scenarios result in a 10–15% increase in the mean of 3D30Y runoff volumes, and a 150% increase under the most extreme conditions. For 7D30Y runoff volumes in April, the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 analyses reveal an increased likelihood of the reservoir elevation reaching overspill flow levels during the latter half of the simulation period (2020 to 2080). Our findings indicate that simulations with SWAT coupled with OASIS can assist reservoir managers in regulating water levels in anticipation of extreme precipitation events. Full article

This study addresses the critical global challenge of climate adaptation by assessing the inadequacies in current methodologies for estimating adaptation costs. Broad assessments reveal a significant investment shortfall in adaptation strategies, highlighting the necessity for precise cost analysis to guide effective policy-making. By employing the PRISMA 2020 protocol and enhancing it with the prismAId tool, this review systematically analyzes the recent evolution of cost assessment methodologies using state-of-the-art generative AI. The AI-enhanced approach facilitates rapid and replicable research extensions. The analysis reveals a significant geographical and sectoral disparity in research on climate adaptation costs, with notable underrepresentation of crucial areas and sectors that are most vulnerable to climate impacts. The study also highlights a predominant reliance on secondary data and a lack of comprehensive uncertainty quantification in economic assessments, suggesting an urgent need for methodological enhancements. It concludes that extending analyses beyond merely verifying that benefits exceed costs is crucial for supporting effective climate adaptation. By assessing the profitability of adaptation investments, it becomes possible to prioritize these investments not only against similar interventions but also across the broader spectrum of public spending. Full article

This article reviews the literature covering the period from 1965 to 2020 dedicated to the issue of artificial beach nourishment along the Polish coast, with a particular focus on the Hel Peninsula. The primary sources used in this work include 34 reports from unpublished case studies and projects implemented by the Department of Maritime Hydrotechnics, Maritime Institute in Gdańsk, between 1971 and 2020. This paper also presents detailed information about the total fill volume in cubic meters of dredged material deposited along the Polish coast and lagoon shores in 1980–2020. During these 40 years, approximately 40.5 million m³ of sediment was deposited along the Polish coast and lagoon shores. Particular consideration was given to beach fills along the Hel Peninsula, which was at actual risk of breaking in its basal and central sections after intense storms at the turn of 1988 and 1989. The survey materials collected enabled the assessment of the coastal morphodynamics of the peninsula under the Coastal Protection Program through the prism of changes in the fill volume along the coastal sections, which were replenished with material coming from submarine deposits. The peninsula’s stability was also assessed, taking into account the ongoing climate change. Moreover, this article discusses the proposed rules and terms for protecting the Polish coast by way of artificial nourishment. Full article

Efficient water management strategies are of utmost importance in drought-prone regions, given the fundamental role irrigation plays in avoiding yield losses and food shortages. Traditional methodologies for estimating irrigation amounts face limitations in terms of overall precision and operational scalability. This study proposes to estimate irrigation amounts from soil moisture (SM) data by adapting the PrISM (Precipitation Inferred from Soil Moisture) methodology. The PrISM assimilates SM into a simple Antecedent Precipitation Index (API) model using a particle filter approach, which allows the creation and estimation of irrigation events. The methodology is applied in a semi-arid region in the Ebro basin, located in the north-east of Spain (Catalonia), from 2016 to 2023. Multi-year drought, which started in 2020, particularly affected the region starting from the spring of 2023, which led to significant reductions in irrigation district water allocations in some of the areas of the region. This study demonstrates that the PrISM approach can correctly identify areas where water restrictions were adopted in 2023, and monitor the water usage with good performances and reliable results. When compared with in situ data for 8 consecutive years, PrISM showed a significant person’s correlation between $0.58$ and $0.76$ and a cumulative weekly root mean squared error (rmse) between 7 and 11 mm. Additionally, PrISM was applied to three irrigation districts with different levels of modernization, due to the different predominant irrigation systems: flood, sprinkler, and drip. This analysis underlined the strengths and limitations of PrISM depending on the irrigation techniques monitored. PrISM has good performances in areas irrigated by sprinkler and flood systems, while difficulties are present over drip irrigated areas, where the very localized and limited irrigation amounts could not be detected from $SM$ observations. Full article

The transition towards the circular economy (CE) is one of the major priorities of the European Union (EU). By observing its benefits through the prism of sustainable development, this study aims to reveal the intricate relationships between the CE and the economy–society–environment nexus across 27 EU countries during the period from 2012 to 2020. Utilizing an extensive dataset comprising 243 observations drawn from the EUROSTAT database, we employed a panel data analysis. In this research, we quantified the impact of CE indicators on key dependent variables: GDP per capita (economic dimension), mortality, morbidity, and the welfare cost associated with exposure to environment-related risks (social dimension) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the environmental realm. The findings of our study illuminate the multifaceted connections between circular economy practices and the broader goals of sustainable development within the EU-27 context. The CE indicators aggregated at the EU level not only have a beneficial impact on the economy but also on society and the environment. The analysis reveals that each of the six explanatory variables incorporated into the models exhibits the anticipated relationship with at least one of the outcome variables. This research contributes valuable insights for policymakers, public authorities, and other stakeholders seeking to enhance the circular economy landscape in respective countries. Full article

The development of AKI (acute kidney injury) in critically ill patients in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) is one of the most important factors affecting mortality. There are scoring modalities used to predict mortality in PICUs. We compared the AKIN (Acute Kidney Injury Network) and pRIFLE (pediatric risk, injury, failure, loss, and end stage) AKI classifications and PICU scoring modalities in this study. Methods: A total of 716 children, whose serum creatinine levels were within the normal limits at the time of admission to the PICU between January 2018 and December 2020, were included. Along with the demographic and clinical variables, AKIN and pRIFLE classifications were recorded at the most advanced stage of AKI. Along with the PIM-2, PRISM III, and PELOD-2 scores, the highest value of the pSOFA score was recorded. Results: According to the pRIFLE and AKIN classifications, 62 (8.7%) patients developed kidney injury, which had a statistically significant effect on mortality. The occurrence of renal injury was found to be statistically strongly and significantly correlated with high PRISM III, PELOD-2, and pSOFA scores. When the stages of kidney injury according to the AKIN criteria were compared with the PRISM III, PELOD 2, and pSOFA scores, a significant difference was found between the patients who did not develop AKI and those who developed stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3 kidney injury. For the PRISM III, PELOD 2, and pSOFA scores, there were no significant differences between the stages according to the AKIN criteria. A substantial difference was discovered between the patients who did not develop AKI and those who were in the risk, injury, and failure plus loss stages according to the pRIFLE criteria. According to the PIM-2 ratio and pRIFLE criteria, there was a statistically significant difference between patients in the injury and failure plus loss stages and those who did not develop AKI. Conclusions: Our study is the first pediatric study to show a substantial correlation between the variables associated with the PICU scoring modalities in critically ill children with AKI. Identifying the risk factors for the development of AKI and planning antimicrobial regimens for patients with favorable prognoses at the time of PICU admission could lower mortality rates. Full article

Enterprises have increased their involvement in sustainability because of social and ecological trends and quickly changing settings. The large-scale environmental influence in attaining sustainability is a serious problem for organisations. Organisations are coping with various negative environmental challenges, and social media is one of the driving forces involved in dealing with this difficulty owing to the enormous number of users of social media. Organisations embrace social media to accomplish various goals, such as information sharing, connection building, brand development, boosting awareness, and gathering customer insights. In addition, social media is a critical factor in influencing organisational sustainability performance on an individual and group level. This paper aimed to examine social media and organisational sustainability performance goals, namely themes, functional areas, and practices in the age of social networking. Identifying the goals and themes provided us with the limitations of the research areas. The PRISMA statement 2020 was adopted to include and exclude results and extract the data from three renowned databases: Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The major themes were established using the VOSviewer software by using the occurrences of key terms and content analysis. Three major literature themes were identified: organisations and sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and social media. The results indicated that few researchers have contributed to the areas of social media and organisational sustainability performance in the past decade. However, due to the importance of social media in achieving good organisational sustainability performance, organisations have been encouraging the adoption of the use of social media for sustainable development. In addition, Twitter is a social media platform that is widely used by organisations to promote sustainability practices. This study investigated the novel concept of social media to achieve sustainability in organisations, and the results of the study showed that limited research has been conducted, and this could be further explored by researchers in future work. Full article

This study aims to create an all-around insight into the evolutions, status, and global trends of rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) research via enhanced bibliometric methods for the 2001–2020 time period. Articles concerning RAS were extracted from the Web of Science database. CiteSpace, Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and Graphpad Prism were employed to analyze publication patterns and research trends. A total of 586 publications related to RAS between 2001 and 2020 were retrieved from the Web of Science database. The researcher Goswami U. made the greatest contribution to this field. The University of Toronto was the institution that published the most articles. Motor dysfunction, sensory perception, and cognition are the three major domains of RAS research. Neural tracking, working memory, and neural basis may be the latest research frontiers. This study reveals the publication patterns and topic trends of RAS based on the records published between 2001 and 2020. The insights obtained provided useful references for the future research and applications of RAS. Full article

Introduction. Risankizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody of the immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) type that binds selectively, and with high affinity, to the p19 subunit of interleukin-23 (IL-23), resulting in the inhibition of inflammation and clinical symptoms associated with psoriasis. Its introduction has managed to increase the levels of efficacy and safety (improving upon those previously presented by the anti-IL-23 class). Material and methods. Retrospective analysis of a multicenter, observational study of real clinical practice, including patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in treatment with risankizumab. This cross-sectional analysis includes information on patients from May 2020 to June 2022. A total of six tertiary hospitals in Andalusia (Spain) participated in this study. Analyses were performed “as observed” using GraphPad Prism version 8.3.0 for Windows. Results. Regarding the percentage of patients who reached PASI 90 or PASI 100 at week 52, 92.5% achieved the therapeutic goal of PASI 90, and 78.5% reached PASI 100. When analyzing the results by absolute PASI, we found that 78.5% (n = 33) obtained PASI 0, 85.7% (n = 36) obtained PASI ≤ 1, and all patients achieved PASI ≤ 3 (disease control). Discussion. Risankizumab has shown promising results in the control of psoriasis in the long-term, with a high percentage of patients (>80%) maintaining PASI 90 and PASI 100 up to 52 weeks of treatment. No abnormal safety findings have been reported, and risankizumab appears to be a solid treatment in the different scenarios analyzed. Full article

The research problem is that the COVID-19 pandemic has become a threat to the sustainable development of the EEU and caused uncertainty in terms of the management of corporate social responsibility. This paper is aimed at identifying the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable development of the EEU from the perspective of the interaction of the member states of the integration association and their mutual trade risks through the prism of the management of corporate social responsibility. The methodological foundation of the research is composed of the provisions of a comprehensive approach that has been used as a basis for determining the cause-and-effect relationship between the member states of the integration association and their mutual trade risks in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The analysis of statistical data is based on the methodology of econometric theory; in particular, the methods of horizontal and trend analysis. This paper analyzes the measures that were taken by the EEU member states to fight the pandemic of a new coronavirus infection both at the national level and at the level of the EEU institutions. The authors showed the asynchronous nature of measures introduced at the national level, while in certain circumstances the economic inefficiency of the introduction of measures, taken at the supranational level, and the impact of imposed restrictions on the current situation with mutual trade in goods and services, and free movement of workers. It has been substantiated that the examination of the economic interaction of the EEU member states in the period of restrictions dictated by a new coronavirus infection has revealed several endemic problems and had a major impact on the achievement of the main objectives of the integration association, transforming the terms for the management of corporate social responsibility. The originality of the paper is that the unique experience of the integration association of the EEU is for the first time studied from the perspective of the impact of the risks of mutual trade during a pandemic on it through the prism of the management of corporate social responsibility. Full article

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created significant psychological challenges worldwide, including stress, emotional distress, and insomnia. In addition, social distancing, travel restrictions, and spread of disease have resulted in unique challenges, creating barriers to healthcare access. Compared to the rate prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant increase in clinical insomnia rates have been reported. With well-known limitations of currently established treatments (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy-insomnia (CBT-I), pharmacotherapy), there is a need to explore other effective and safe treatment modalities to treat insomnia, especially those that can be used remotely. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of app-based intervention to treat insomnia in the current era of the COVID-19 pandemic (using the Yoga of Immortals (YOI) app). This prospective cohort study was approved by the Institutional Review Board. All participants in this study were asked to complete an online survey including demographic data and validated Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) at baseline (15 May 2020), 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after starting the YOI intervention. Survey data was exported using Microsoft Excel. Statistical analysis was done using the GraphPad Prism 8. YOI intervention significantly improved the mean ISI scores in all categories of insomnia (severe, moderate, and subthreshold) at each follow-up (p ≤ 0.0001). The improvement was significant among all age groups and in both genders. In our study, YOI was a novel and effective intervention for improving insomnia symptoms and may be a new addition to the armamentarium of insomnia management. Being app-based, this has potential wider applicability, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Full article