Search Results (392)

Heavy metal pollution represents a pervasive environmental challenge that significantly exacerbates the ever-increasing crisis of antimicrobial resistance and the capacity of microorganisms to endure and proliferate despite antibiotic interventions. This review examines the intricate relationship between heavy metals and AMR, with an emphasis on the underlying molecular mechanisms and ecological ramifications. Common environmental metals, including arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and lead, exert substantial selective pressures on microbial communities. These induce oxidative stress and DNA damage, potentially leading to mutations that enhance antibiotic resistance. Key microbial responses include the overexpression of efflux pumps that expel both metals and antibiotics, production of detoxifying enzymes, and formation of protective biofilms, all of which contribute to the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. In the soil environment, particularly the rhizosphere, heavy metals disrupt plant–microbe interactions by inhibiting beneficial organisms, such as rhizobacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, and actinomycetes, thereby impairing nutrient cycling and plant health. Nonetheless, certain microbial consortia can tolerate and detoxify heavy metals through sequestration and biotransformation, rendering them valuable for bioremediation. Advances in biotechnology, including gene editing and the development of engineered metal-resistant microbes, offer promising solutions for mitigating the spread of metal-driven AMR and restoring ecological balance. By understanding the interplay between metal pollution and microbial resistance, we can more effectively devise strategies for environmental protection and public health. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered unprecedented economic disruptions, raising critical questions about the resilience and adaptability of macroeconomic productivity across countries. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on macroeconomic efficiency and productivity dynamics in 37 OECD countries using quarterly data from 2018Q1 to 2024Q4. By employing a Slack-Based Measure Data Envelopment Analysis (SBM-DEA) and the Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI), we decompose total factor productivity (TFP) into efficiency change (EC) and technological change (TC) across three periods: pre-pandemic, during-pandemic, and post-pandemic. Our framework incorporates both desirable (GDP) and undesirable outputs (inflation, unemployment, housing price inflation, and interest rate distortions), offering a multidimensional view of macroeconomic efficiency. Results show broad but uneven productivity gains, with technological progress proving more resilient than efficiency during the pandemic. Post-COVID recovery trajectories diverged, reflecting differences in structural adaptability and innovation capacity. Regression analysis reveals that stringent lockdowns in 2020 were associated with lower productivity in 2023–2024, while more adaptive policies in 2021 supported long-term technological gains. These findings highlight the importance of aligning crisis response with forward-looking economic strategies and demonstrate the value of DEA-based methods for evaluating macroeconomic performance beyond GDP. Full article

In response to the escalating climate crisis, reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) has become a top priority for both the public and private sectors. The pavement industry plays a key role in this transition, offering innovative technologies that minimize environmental impacts without compromising performance. Among these, the incorporation of recycled tire rubber and warm-mix asphalt (WMA) additives represents a promising strategy to reduce energy consumption and resource depletion in road construction. This study conducts a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental performance of an asphalt pavement incorporating recycled rubber and a WMA additive—referred to as R-W asphalt—against a conventional hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavement. The analysis follows the ISO 14040/44 standards, covering material production, transport, construction, and maintenance. Two service-life scenarios are considered: one assuming equivalent durability and another with a five-year extension for the R-W pavement. The results demonstrate environmental impact reductions of up to 57%, with average savings ranging from 32% to 52% across key impact categories such as climate change, land use, and resource use. These benefits are primarily attributed to lower production temperatures and extended maintenance intervals. The findings underscore the potential of R-W asphalt as a cleaner engineering solution aligned with circular economy principles and climate mitigation goals. Full article

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (VH), like attitudes towards other vaccines, is a critical global public health concern. Despite numerous studies covering psychological, sociodemographic, and other determinants of vaccine acceptance, resistance, and hesitance, few studies have reported these factors among students, particularly in politically unstable settings like Ukraine. This cross-sectional, descriptive, and quantitative study assesses hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccines, utilizing the 5Cs Model. Among 936 respondents surveyed in 2023, 64% received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine (acceptant), 11% were still considering getting vaccinated (hesitant), and 25% refused vaccination (resistant). Vaccination behavior is significantly associated with the 5Cs. Higher collective responsibility significantly increased acceptance and reduced resistance, while higher constraints lowered the chances of being either acceptant or resistant. Confidence protected against resistance. Complacency, counterintuitively, reduced odds of resistance, pointing to differences between passive hesitancy and active refusal. Male gender and sources of information and misinformation influenced confidence. Collective responsibility was positively associated with official sources and negatively with conspiracy beliefs. Complacency increased with official sources, while constraints and calculation were least explained by predictors. Practical barriers should be tackled through improved accessibility and fostering collective responsibility via targeted communication strategies. These findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, and academic institutions to enhance vaccine uptake among university students, particularly in crisis settings. Full article

This study explores the emergent dynamics of knowledge sovereignty within organisations following data breach incidents. Using qualitative analysis based on Benoit’s image restoration theory, this study shows that employees do more than relay official messages—they actively shape information governance after a cyberattack. Employees adapt Benoit’s response strategies (denial, evasion of responsibility, reducing offensiveness, corrective action, and mortification) based on how authentic they perceive the organisation’s response, their identification with the company, and their sense of fairness in crisis management. This investigation substantively extends extant crisis communication theory by showing how knowledge sovereignty is shaped through negotiation, as employees manage their dual role as breach victims and organisational representatives. The findings suggest that employees are key actors in post-breach information governance, and that their authentic engagement is critical to organisational recovery after cybersecurity incidents. Full article

Background: Since the election of Hamas in 2006, Gaza has endured eight major military conflicts, culminating in the ongoing 2023–2025 war, now surpassing 520 days. This protracted violence, compounded by a 17-year blockade, has resulted in the near-total collapse of Gaza’s health system. Over 49,000 deaths, widespread displacement, and the destruction of more than 60% of health infrastructure have overwhelmed both local capacity and international humanitarian response. Objectives: This narrative review aims to examine and synthesize the current literature (October 2023–April 2025) on the health crisis in Gaza, with a specific focus on identifying key themes and knowledge gaps relevant to rebuilding a sustainable health system. The review also seeks to outline strategic pathways for recovery in the context of ongoing conflict and systemic deprivation. Methods: Given the urgency and limitations of empirical data from conflict zones, a narrative review approach was adopted. Fifty-two sources—including peer-reviewed articles, editorials, reports, and correspondence—were selected through targeted searches using Medline and Google Scholar. The analysis was framed within a public health and political economy perspective, also taking health system building blocks into consideration. Results: The reviewed literature emphasizes emergency needs: trauma care, infectious disease control, and supply chain restoration. Innovations such as mobile clinics and telemedicine offer interim solutions. Gaps include limited attention to mental health (including that of health workers), local governance, and sustainable planning frameworks. Conclusions: Sustainable reconstruction requires a durable ceasefire; international stewardship aligned with local ownership; and a phased, equity-driven strategy emphasizing primary care, mental health, trauma management, and community engagement. Full article

The escalating climate crisis and global disruptions have prompted a critical re-evaluation of operations management within manufacturing and supply systems. This conceptual article addresses the theoretical and strategic gap in aligning resilience and sustainability by proposing an Integrated Sustainable Operational Strategy (ISOS) framework. Drawing on systems theory, circular economy principles, and sustainability science, the framework synthesizes multiple operational domains—circularity, localization, digital adaptation, and workforce flexibility—across macro (policy), meso (organizational), and micro (process) levels. This study constructs a conceptual model that explains the interdependencies and trade-offs among strategic operational responses in the Anthropocene era. Supported by multi-level logic and a synthesis of domain constructs, the model provides a foundation for empirical investigation and strategic planning. Key propositions for future research are developed, focusing on causal relationships and boundary conditions. The novelty of ISOS lies in its simultaneous integration of three strategic pillars—circularity, localization, and digital resilience—within a unified, multi-scalar architecture that bridges fragmented operational theories. The article advances theory by redefining operational excellence through regenerative logic and adaptive capacity, responding directly to SDG 9 (industry innovation), SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), and SDG 13 (climate action). This integrative framework offers both theoretical insight and practical guidance for transforming operations into catalysts of sustainable transition. Full article

The global antimicrobial resistance crisis demands innovative strategies to combat bacterial infections, including those caused by drug-sensitive pathogens that evade treatment through biofilm formation or metabolic adaptations. Here, we demonstrate that Squama Manitis extract (SME)—a traditional Chinese medicine component—exhibits broad-spectrum bactericidal activity against clinically significant pathogens, including both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) species (MIC = 31.25 mg/mL), achieving significant reduction in bacterial viability within 24 h. Through integrated multi-omics analysis combining scanning electron microscopy and RNA sequencing, we reveal SME’s unprecedented tripartite mechanism of action: (1) direct membrane disruption causing cell envelope collapse, (2) metabolic paralysis through coordinated suppression of TCA cycle and fatty acid degradation pathways, and (3) inhibition of DNA repair systems (SOS response and recombination downregulation). Despite its potent activity, SME shows low cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells (>90% viability) and can penetrate Gram-negative outer membranes. These features highlight SME’s potential to address drug-resistant infections through synthetic lethality across stress response, energy metabolism, and DNA integrity pathways. While advocating for synthetic alternatives to endangered animal products, this study establishes SME as a polypharmacological template for resistance-resilient antimicrobial design, demonstrating how traditional knowledge and modern systems biology can converge to guide sustainable anti-infective development. Full article

Collaborative business ecosystems (CBEs) are increasingly exposed to disruptive events (e.g., pandemics, supply chain breakdowns, cyberattacks) that challenge organizational adaptability and value creation. Traditional approaches to resilience and robustness often fail to capture the full range of systemic responses. This study introduces a unified mathematical framework to evaluate four crisis response modes—plasticity, resilience, transformative resilience, and antifragility—within complex adaptive networks. Grounded in complex systems and collaborative network theory, our model formalizes both internal organizational capabilities (e.g., adaptability, learning, innovation, structural flexibility) and strategic interventions (e.g., optionality, buffering, information sharing, fault-injection protocols), linking them to pre- and post-crisis performance via dynamic adjustment functions. A composite performance score is defined across four dimensions (Innovation, Contribution, Prestige, and Responsiveness to Business Opportunities), using capability–strategy interaction matrices, weighted performance change functions, and structural transformation modifiers. The sensitivity analysis and scenario simulations enable a comparative evaluation of organizational configurations, strategy impacts, and phase-transition thresholds under crisis. This indicator-based formulation provides a quantitative bridge between resilience theory and practice, facilitating evidence-based crisis management in networked business environments. Full article

The escalating global crisis of antimicrobial resistance, responsible for approximately 1.27 million deaths in 2019, has catalyzed renewed interest in bacteriophage therapy as a viable therapeutic alternative. With projections indicating that drug-resistant bacteria could cause over 39 million deaths worldwide by 2050, developing alternative antimicrobial strategies has become critically urgent. This comprehensive review examines the scientific foundation of bacteriophage therapy, traces its historical development from early Soviet applications through contemporary regulatory frameworks, and provides strategic guidance for developers seeking FDA approval for bacteriophage-based therapeutics. We analyze the current regulatory landscape across major jurisdictions, including manufacturing requirements and clinical development pathways essential for successful market authorization. Approximately 90 clinical trials involving bacteriophages are ongoing worldwide, with 41 studies in the United States demonstrating significant momentum in this field. Full article

In October 2024, a DANA (Isolated Depression at High Levels) triggered torrential rains across the Valencian Community, causing 227 deaths, severe infrastructure damage, and economic losses estimated at €17.8 billion. In this context of crisis, startups, despite having fewer resources and less experience than large corporations, played a significant role in crisis communication, shaping public perception and operational continuity. This study explores the communication strategies adopted by startups during and after the disaster, focusing on their activity on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook between October 2024 and January 2025. Using a mixed-methods approach, we conducted a quantitative analysis of digital discourse through the Fanpage Karma tool, assessing metrics such as engagement, reach, and posting frequency. Sentiment analysis was performed using GPT-4, an advanced natural language processing model, and in-depth interviews with startup representatives provided qualitative insights into reputational impacts. The findings reveal that startups which aligned their discourse with the social context, prioritizing transparency and emotional proximity, enhanced their visibility and credibility. These results underscore how effective crisis communication not only mitigates reputational risk but also strengthens the local entrepreneurial ecosystem through trust-building and social responsibility. Full article

Enterprise architecture (EA) provides a strategic foundation for aligning business processes, IT infrastructure, and organizational strategy, enabling firms to navigate uncertainty and complexity. In developing economies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face significant challenges in maintaining financial resilience and sustainable growth amidst frequent disruptions. This study investigates how EA-driven change events affect SME financial performance by activating three key adaptive mechanisms: improvisational capability, flexible IT systems, and organizational culture. A novel classification of EA change triggers is proposed to guide adaptive responses. Using survey data from 291 Pakistani SMEs collected during the COVID-19 crisis, the study employs structural equation modeling (SEM) to validate the conceptual model. The results indicate that improvisational capability and flexible IT systems significantly enhance financial performance, while the mediating role of organizational culture is statistically insignificant. This study contributes to EA and sustainability literature by integrating a typology of EA triggers with adaptive capabilities theory and testing their effects in a real-world crisis context. Full article

The climate crisis poses profound risks to present and future generations. Nonetheless, the perspectives of children and young people internationally, and more specifically in Brazil, remain underexplored. Based on a multi-discipline literature review on climate anxiety and nature (dis)connectedness, the hypothesis is that the effects and symptoms of increasing (dis)connection with natural environments have short-, medium-, and long-term consequences. Access to natural spaces is a vital response to counteract the negative impacts of climate change. This article discusses findings from a study conducted in urban Brazil with 200 young people aged 12 to 18 years old, with the aim of addressing three research questions from ten questions that comprised the complete survey. The major research questions were as follows: 1. ‘Climate change worries me’: How do you relate to this statement? 2. How does climate change affect you?, and 3. Do you think some young people are more affected by climate change than others? The results show that young people care about and are preoccupied with climate change, especially when they reflect on their futures and the future generations. Although young participants are deeply concerned about climate change and feel its effects personally in the form of anxiety, fear, and insecurity, they often lack clear pathways for contributing to broader environmental efforts beyond individual actions. These findings highlight an urgent need to foster community-based approaches and enhance education and resources for enlarging and improving youth engagement, especially to rethink the everyday strategies addressing these challenges, and to foster new paradigms of interaction with the natural world based on (re)connection with natural spaces. The correlation between climate anxiety and nature (dis)connection offers an approach that is still little explored, especially concerning children and young people. Full article

It is well established that effective management and restoration of freshwater ecosystems is often limited by the availability of reusable data. Although numerous public, private, and nonprofit organizations collect data from freshwater ecosystems, much of what is collected remains inaccessible or unusable by Rights holders and end users (including researchers, practitioners, community members, and decision-makers). In Canada, the federal government plans to improve freshwater data sharing practices through the newly formed Canada Water Agency, which is currently drafting a National Freshwater Data Strategy. Our study aimed to support these efforts by synthesizing insights from the technology sector, where data management and sharing practices are more mature. We interviewed 12 experts from the technology sector, asking them for advice on how to improve data sharing practices in the freshwater science sector. Using a Reflexive Thematic Analysis of participants’ responses to semi-structured interview questions, we identified nine broad recommendations. Recommendations centred on motivating open data sharing, promoting data reuse through data licences, training and skill building, and developing standards and digital solutions that enable data discovery, accessibility, interoperability, and reuse. These recommendations can support the numerous initiatives that are working to improve access to high-quality freshwater data and help address the pressing crisis of global freshwater ecosystem degradation. Full article

The integration of water resources, water environment, and water ecology (hereinafter “three-water”) is essential not only for addressing the current water crisis but also for achieving sustainable development. Chaohu Lake is an important water resource and ecological barrier in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, undertaking such functions as agricultural irrigation, urban water supply, and flood control and storage. Studying the performance of “three-water” in the Chaohu Lake Basin will help to understand the pollution mechanism and governance dilemma in the lake basin. It also provides practical experience and policy references for the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yangtze River Basin. We used the DPSIR-TOPSIS model to analyze the performance of the river–lake system in the Chaohu Lake Basin and employed an obstacle model to identify factors influencing “three-water.” The results indicated that overall governance and performance of the “three-water” in the Chaohu Lake Basin exhibited an upward trend from 2011 to 2022. Specifically, the obstacle degree of driving force decreased by 19.6%, suggesting that economic development enhanced governance efforts. Conversely, the obstacle degree of pressure increased by 34.4%, indicating continued environmental stress. The obstacle degree of state fluctuated, showing a decrease of 13.2% followed by an increase of 3.8%, demonstrating variability in the effectiveness of water resource, environmental, and ecological management. Additionally, the obstacle degree of impact declined by 12.8%, implying the reduced efficacy of governmental measures in later stages. Response barriers decreased by 5.8%. Variations in the obstacle degree of response reflected differences in response capacities. Spatially, counties and districts at the origins of major rivers and their lake outlets showed lower performance levels in “three-water” management compared to other regions in the basin. Notably, Wuwei City and Feidong County exhibited better governance performance, while Feixi County and Chaohu City showed lower performance levels. Despite significant progress in water resource management, environmental improvement, and ecological restoration, further policy support and targeted countermeasures remain necessary. Counties and districts should pursue coordinated development, leverage the radiative influence of high-performing areas, deepen regional collaboration, and optimize, governance strategies to promote sustainable development. Full article