Search Results (2,600)

Housing stock is observed to be associated with high carbon emissions, high fuel poverty and low comfort levels in the UK. Retrofitting the housing stock is one of the best solutions to address these problems. This paper directly corresponds with human and planetary health in terms of climate change, human health and mental health by addressing the challenges of housing retrofit at scale. Retrofitting houses can also contribute to social equity, reduced use of planetary resources and better financial and physical comfort. Despite the availability of the right technology, government grants and the potential to acquire supply chain and skilled labour, the progress of retrofit is extremely poor. Importantly, the UK is off track to achieve net zero by 2050, and the housing stock contributes 18.72% of the total emissions. The problem is further exacerbated by the 30.4 million units of housing stock. Robust strategies are required to retrofit the housing stock at scale. The study uses a qualitative modelling method under the diffusion of innovations theory to formulate a retrofit-at-scale strategy for the UK. Findings recommend focusing on skill development, show homes, research and innovation, supply chain development, business models, government grants and regulatory tools in a trajectory from 2025 to 2050. The proposed strategy is aligned with the segments of the diffusion of innovation theory. Although the analysis was performed with reference to the UK, the findings are transferable, considering the broader and urgent concerns related to human and planetary health. Full article

Background: Prostate cancer remains a significant public health burden globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where rising incidence rates are compounded by limited screening, late-stage diagnosis and disparities in healthcare access. In South Africa, the Eastern Cape Province reports high prostate cancer prevalence, with many patients presenting at advanced stages. Understanding the epidemiological profile of affected individuals is critical for developing targeted health strategies. Objectives: This sub-study aims to describe the epidemiological characteristics of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, using secondary data from Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital (NMAH), focusing on patients seen between March 2020 and November 2021. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study design is employed. De-identified secondary data extracted from clinical records of male patients diagnosed with prostate cancer and managed at NMAH during the study period. Variables include demographic information, clinical characteristics, health service utilization indicators. Analysis: Data will be captured and coded in Microsoft excel 2013 (Microsoft corporation, Seattle, WA, USA). The data will then be exported to STATA 18 for analyses. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize the data. Inferential analyses such as logistic regression and chi-square tests will be used to explore associations between variables and treatment outcomes. The study provides insights into the demographic and clinical profiles of prostate cancer patients in a high-burden setting. It is anticipated that findings will highlight the age distribution, stage at diagnosis, and treatment patterns among patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. This will inform future prevention and intervention strategies in the Eastern Cape Province. Conclusions: By mapping out the epidemiological patterns of prostate cancer in the Eastern Cape through this sub-study, the research contributes to evidence-based planning and resource allocation, ultimately supporting efforts to reduce prostate cancer morbidity and mortality in rural South Africa. Full article

Staphylococcus aureus is a major opportunistic pathogen responsible for a wide spectrum of human infections, including severe and difficult-to-treat cases. The emergence of multidrug-resistant strains limits the efficacy of conventional antibiotic therapies and poses a significant global public health challenge. In this context, the search for novel antibiotics has intensified, with increasing interest in marine resources, an ecosystem still largely underexplored. Marine bacteria produce a vast array of secondary metabolites with unique structures and potentially novel modes of antibacterial action. Several compounds isolated from marine bacterial strains have demonstrated promising activity against multidrug-resistant S. aureus, including antivirulence effects such as biofilm formation and Quorum-Sensing inhibition. This review explores the potential of marine bacteria as a source of new antibiotics against S. aureus, discusses both classical and advanced strategies for the discovery of bioactive molecules, and highlights the scientific and technological challenges involved in translating these findings into clinical applications. Full article

Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ represent common heavy metal contaminants in aquatic environments, posing significant risks to ecosystem stability and human health. To develop efficient adsorbents for removing Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ while achieving resource utilization of industrial by-products (red mud and distiller’s grains), this study synthesized a novel composite biochar—red mud–Lactobacillus plantarum composite biochar (RM)—by immobilizing red mud and Lactobacillus plantarum onto biochar derived from distiller’s grains. The structural and chemical properties of RM were characterized using SEM-EDS, XRD, and FTIR. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of various experimental factors on Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ adsorption. The adsorption process was further elucidated through kinetic and isothermal models, revealing that it follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Equilibrium data were best described by the Langmuir model for Cd²⁺ and the Freundlich model for Pb²⁺. The maximum adsorption capacities reached 12.13 mg/g for Cd²⁺ and 130.10 mg/g for Pb²⁺. The primary mechanisms involved in Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ adsorption by RM include surface complexation, cation–π interactions, ion exchange, and coprecipitation. These findings demonstrate that RM represents a promising and effective adsorbent for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated water. Full article

To improve traditional cement manufacturing, which generates a large amount of greenhouse gases, blending calcareous green algae and fly ash as cement replacement materials is expected to achieve nearly zero carbon emissions. As a calcareous green alga, Halimeda macroloba is a significant producer of biogenic calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), sequestering approximately 440 kg of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per 1000 kg of CaCO₃, with CaCO₃ production reported in relation to algal biomass. To assess the new low-carbon/low-waste cement production process, the proposed scenarios (2 and 3) are validated via Python-based modeling (Python 3.12) and Aspen Plus^® simulation (Aspen V14). The core technology is the pre-calcination of algae-derived CaCO₃ and fly ash from coal combustion, which are added to a rotary kiln to enhance the proportions of tricalcium silicate (C₃S) and dicalcium silicate (C₂S) for forming the desired silicate phases in clinker. Through the lifecycle assessment (LCA) of all scenarios using SimaPro^® (SimaPro 10.2.0.3), the proposed Scenario 2 achieves the GWP at approximately 0.906 kg CO₂-eq/kg clinker, lower than the conventional cement production process (Scenario 1) by 47%. If coal combustion is replaced by natural gas combustion, the fly ash additive is reduced by 74.5% in the cement replacement materials, but the proposed Scenario 3 achieves the GWP at approximately 0.753 kg CO₂-eq/kg clinker, lower than Scenario 2 by 16.9%. Moreover, the LCA indicators show that Scenario 3 has lower environmental impacts on human health, ecosystem, and resources than Scenario 1 by 24.5%, 60.0% and 68.6%, respectively. Full article

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) remains a critical environmental governance challenge in rural and peri-urban regions of the Global South, where service delivery gaps exacerbate illegal dumping and public health risks. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are increasingly promoted as decision-support tools to improve waste collection efficiency and environmental monitoring; however, their adoption in resource-constrained municipalities remains limited. This study investigates the institutional and policy barriers shaping GIS readiness in four rural municipalities within South Africa’s Vhembe District. Using a qualitative case-study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 municipal officials across managerial and operational levels, complemented by 399 community responses to an open-ended survey question. Thematic analysis, guided by Institutional Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), identified five interrelated themes: waste production and disposal behaviours, collection and infrastructure constraints, institutional and operational challenges, policy and standardisation gaps, and technology readiness. The findings reveal that weak service reliability, fragmented governance structures, limited human and financial capacity, and inconsistent policy enforcement collectively undermine GIS adoption, despite its high perceived usefulness among officials. The study demonstrates that the effectiveness of GIS as an environmental management tool is contingent on institutional readiness rather than technological availability alone and highlights the need for integrated reforms in service delivery, institutional capacity, and policy implementation to enable GIS-supported sustainable waste management. Full article

Background/Objectives: This review integrates evolutionary, metabolic, genetic, and nutritional perspectives to explain how sterol-derived vitamin D pathways shape human physiology and inter-individual variability in vitamin D status. Methods: The literature on sterol and vitamin D metabolism across animals, plants, fungi, and algae was synthesized with data from metabolomics databases, genome-wide association studies, RNA-seq resources (including GTEx), structural biology, and functional genomics. Results: Vitamin D₂ and vitamin D₃ likely emerged early in evolution as non-enzymatic photochemical sterol derivatives and were later co-opted into a tightly regulated endocrine system in vertebrates. In humans, cytochrome P450 enzymes coordinate vitamin D activation and degradation and intersect with oxysterol production, thereby linking vitamin D signaling to cholesterol and bile acid metabolism. Tissue-specific gene expression and regulatory genetic variants, particularly in the genes DHCR7, CYP2R1, CYP27B1, and CYP27A1, contribute to population-level differences in vitamin D status and metabolic outcomes. Structural analyses reveal selective, high-affinity binding of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ to VDR, contrasted with broader, lower-affinity ligand recognition by LXRs. Dietary patterns modulate nuclear receptor signaling through distinct yet convergent ligand sources, including cholesterol-derived oxysterols, oxidized phytosterols, and vitamin D₂ versus vitamin D₃. Conclusions: Sterol and vitamin D metabolism constitute an evolutionarily conserved, adaptable network shaped by UV exposure, enzymatic control, genetic variation, and diet. This framework explains inter-individual variability in vitamin D biology and illustrates how evolutionary and dietary modulation of sterol-derived ligands confers functional flexibility to nuclear receptor signaling in human health. Full article

Background: Agri-food by-products are increasingly recognized as valuable sources of tannins, whose antioxidant properties represent the primary driver of their biological activity across human and animal health. The strong redox-modulating capacity of condensed and hydrolysable tannins provides a unifying mechanistic explanation for their effects on inflammation, metabolism, gut integrity and neuroprotection. Methods: This narrative review synthesizes evidence obtained through a structured literature search across major databases, selecting studies that investigated antioxidant mechanisms of tannin-rich matrices from plant- and processing-derived residues. Results: Condensed tannins, particularly proanthocyanidins, consistently display potent antioxidant activity through radical scavenging, metal chelation and activation of endogenous defenses, thereby underpinning their anti-inflammatory, anti-ischemic, neuroprotective and metabolic actions. Hydrolysable tannins similarly exert strong antioxidative effects that support antimicrobial activity, enzyme modulation and protection against neuroinflammation. In animals, the antioxidant capacity of tannins translates into improved oxidative balance, enhanced immune status, reduced tissue damage, better feed efficiency and mitigation of oxidative stress-linked methane emission pathways. Conclusions: Antioxidant activity emerges as the central, cross-species mechanism through which tannins mediate diverse health benefits. Tannin-rich agri-food by-products therefore represent promising sustainable antioxidant resources, although their efficacy remains influenced by tannin class, degree of polymerization and dosage, warranting further mechanistic and translational research. Full article

Small-scale artisanal mine production processes are characterized by significant environmental and human health impacts, especially in countries with ineffective economic resources and policies. This study accurately quantifies the impacts of artisanal gold production processes, identifying the dominating hotspots in a holistic perspective. The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was applied to perform an environmental sustainability appraisal for Doré and Cyanidation Gold (CyG) extraction from Mina Nueva, a small-scale artisanal mine managed by the local population, located in Asociación Campesina del Valle del río Cimitarra, near the city of Segovia in the department of Antioquia in Colombia. The obtained single-score LCA results showed a total damage of 4.99 × 10⁰² Pt, of which 55.2% was associated with the cyanidation process, 34.4% with the whole-ore amalgamation phase, and 10.4% with mine construction. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to study the potential effects of particulate emissions generated by the mine construction phase. Full article

The paper introduces ‘transformative’ curriculum initiatives such as education for sustainable development (ESD) and global citizenship education (GCED), which address ‘macro’ challenges such as climate change, together with ‘holistic’ approaches to student learning such as ‘social and emotional learning’ (SEL) and education for ‘life skills’, ‘21st century skills’, ‘transversal competencies’, AI-related ethics, and ‘health and well-being.’ These are reflected in Section 6 of the 2023 UNESCO Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development. It is suggested that such broad goals put forward at global policy level may serve as inspiration for national context-specific programming, while also needing better integration of national insights and cultural differences into global discourse. The paper aims to provide insights to education policy-makers responsible for national curriculum, textbooks and other learning resources, teacher training and examination processes, helping them to promote the human values, integrity and sense of agency needed by students in a time of multiple global and personal challenges. This requires an innovative approach to curricula for established school subjects and can be included in curricula being developed for AI literacy and related ethics. Research into the integration of transformative and holistic dimensions into curricula, materials, teacher preparation, and assessment is needed, as well as ongoing monitoring and feedback. AI-supported networking and resource sharing at local, national and international level can support implementation of transformative and holistic learning, to maintain and strengthen the human dimensions of learning. Full article

The oily wastewater produced by transformer oil leakage contains pollutants such as mineral oil, metal particles, aged oil and additives, which can disrupt the dissolved oxygen balance in water bodies, pollute soil and endanger human health through the food chain, causing serious environmental pollution. Effective oil–water separation technology is the key to ecological protection and resource recovery. This paper reviews the principles, influencing factors and research progress of traditional (gravity sedimentation, air flotation, adsorption, demulsification) and new (nanocomposite adsorption, metal–organic skeleton materials, superhydrophobic/superlipophilic modified films) transformer oil–water separation technologies. Traditional technologies are mostly applicable to large-particle-free oil and are difficult to adapt to complex matrix wastewater. However, the new technology has significant advantages in separation efficiency (up to over 99.5%), selectivity and cycling stability (with a performance retention rate of over 85% after 20–60 cycles), breaking through the bottlenecks of traditional methods. In the future, it is necessary to develop low-cost and efficient separation technologies, promote the research and development of intelligent responsive materials, upgrade low-carbon preparation processes and their engineering applications, support environmental protection treatment in the power industry and encourage the coupling of material innovation and processes. Full article

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.) is a medicinal and nutritional plant widely recognized for its rich phytochemical composition and diverse health-promoting properties. The fruit, leaves, and flowers contain significant amounts of polyphenols, flavonoids, flavonols, phenolic acids and dye compounds with antioxidant properties that contribute to its strong antioxidant capacity. Numerous studies have demonstrated hawthorn’s beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, including regulation of blood pressure, lipid metabolism, and cardiac function. Additionally, hawthorn exhibits anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hypolipidemic, and antidiabetic properties, supporting its role in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Its potential as a functional food ingredient and natural health supplement is increasingly recognized. However, further clinical trials and standardization of bioactive components are needed to confirm its efficacy, safety, and optimal dosage. Overall, hawthorn represents a valuable natural resource for promoting human health and well-being through diet and phytotherapy. Therefore, the aim of this study is to present—based on the scientific literature—the antioxidant properties of hawthorn and to assess the possibility of using this plant as a functional ingredient. Full article

This qualitative single-case study examines how spirituality promotes mental health within a stigmatized occupation by analyzing an in-depth interview with “Perla,” a 62-year-old Mexican woman with decades of experience in sex work. Guided by Virginia Satir’s Transformational Systemic Therapy (STST), specifically the Self-Mandala and Iceberg Metaphor, we conceptualize spirituality as a universal human dimension of meaning, moral orientation, and relational connection that may be expressed within or beyond formal religion. Narrative thematic analysis identifies processes through which Perla cultivates congruence (alignment of inner experience and outward conduct), safeguards dignity, and sustains hope amid systemic constraints. Her Catholic practices (prayer, ritual boundaries regarding Eucharist) coexist with a broader spiritual agency that supports self-worth, emotional regulation, boundary-setting, and coherent identity, factors associated with mental well-being. Interdisciplinary implications bridge marriage and family therapy, psychology, pastoral care, and cultural studies. Clinically, we translate Satir’s constructs (yearnings, perceptions, expectations, coping stances) into practical assessment and intervention steps that can be applied in secular settings without religious presuppositions. Analytic rigor was supported through reflective memoing, a structured three-level coding process, constant comparison, and verification by a second coder. The case challenges pathologizing frames of sex workers by demonstrating how spirituality can function as a protective, growth-oriented resource that fosters agency and moral coherence. Full article

In Mediterranean cities, high solar radiation combined with limited shading and vegetation intensifies the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon. As the road network often covers a large portion of the cities’ surfaces and is mostly constructed using asphalt pavements, it can significantly affect the urban microclimate, leading to low thermal comfort and increased energy consumption. Recycled and waste materials are increasingly used in the construction of pavements in accordance with the principle of sustainability for minimizing waste and energy to produce new materials based on a circular economy. The scope of this study is to evaluate the effect of recycled or waste materials used in road pavements on the urban microclimate. The surface and ambient temperature of urban pavements constructed with conventional asphalt and recycled/waste-based mixtures are assessed through simulation. Two study areas comprising large street junctions near metro stations in the city of Thessaloniki, in Greece, are examined under three scenarios: a conventional hot mix asphalt, an asphalt mixture containing steel slag, and a high-albedo mixture. The results of the research suggest that the use of steel slag could reduce the air temperature by 0.9 °C at 15:00, east European summer time (EEST), while the high-albedo scenario could reduce the ambient temperature by 1.6 °C at 16:00. The research results are useful for promoting the use of recycled materials, not only as a means of sustainably using resources but also for the improvement of thermal comfort in urban areas, the mitigation of the UHI effect, and the reduction of heat stress for human health. Full article

Urban rivers are essential resources for human societies; however, their degradation poses serious public health, economic, and environmental risks. Conventional physical remediation methods can partially mitigate pollution by targeting specific contaminants, but they are often limited in scope, lack long-term sustainability, and fail to restore ecological functions. In contrast, biotechnological approaches integrated with ecological engineering offer sustainable and nature-based solutions for river depollution, conservation, and revitalization. Although these strategies are supported by a solid theoretical framework and successful applications in other aquatic systems, their large-scale implementation in urban rivers has only recently begun to gain momentum. This review critically examines strategies for the revitalization of polluted urban rivers, progressing from conventional remediation techniques to advanced biotechnological interventions. It highlights real-world applications, evaluates their advantages and limitations, and discusses policy frameworks and management strategies required to promote the broader adoption of biotechnological solutions for sustainable urban river restoration. The goal is to demonstrate the transformative potential of integrated biotechnological, eco-engineering, and data-driven approaches—particularly microbial, phytoplankton-based, and biofilm systems—to reduce energy demand and carbon emissions in urban river restoration while highlighting the need for scalable designs, adaptive management, and supportive regulatory frameworks to enable their large-scale implementation. Full article