Search Results (12,808)

Spent automotive catalysts represent an important secondary resource for platinum group metals, offering environmental and economic advantages over primary mining. This review evaluates bioleaching-based recovery strategies of these metals as sustainable alternatives to conventional pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processing. The cyanogenic bioleaching using Chromobacterium violaceum, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacillus megaterium, and acidophilic bioleaching using Acidithiobacillus spp. for washcoat degradation and base-metal removal are discussed through the one-step, two-step, spent-medium, and decoupled systems. The analysis shows progressive improvement of recovery as process separation increases. Sequential pretreatment involving ultrasound-assisted acid leaching, thermal oxidation, and pressure-enhanced processing improved recovery by removing competing base metals and increasing PGM accessibility. Kinetic analyses indicate that diffusion through the porous catalyst support matrix becomes the dominant rate-controlling mechanism at high conversion, which impacts reactor design. Despite sustainability potential, industrial implementation remains constrained by low pulp density, cyanide stability, reactor productivity, and scale-up limitations. Routes to commercialisation require feasibility studies of process designs that integrate viable process flow diagrams combining pretreatment, biological lixiviant generation, intensified bioleaching, and downstream metal purification. Full article

South Africa’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution sets a 2030 emissions ceiling of 420 MtCO₂. Using historical data from 2000 to 2023 and projections to 2050, this study identifies optimal decarbonization pathways by integrating logistic decay model, linear programming, genetic algorithm optimization (Decay–LP–GA), and Pareto analysis. A prior study notes that 2023 emissions lie substantially below the NDC ceiling, leaving 239.1 MtCO₂ of unused carbon space. However, the present study finds that optimized pathways transcend rather than utilize this space, achieving 67–85% emissions below 2023 levels. Notably, aggressive near-term coal phase-out increases 2050 emissions by disrupting efficiency investment, indicating that timing governs long-term outcomes. The optimal strategy therefore prioritizes slow near-term coal reduction (0.69% annually) to allow front-loaded efficiency gains (4.46% annually) through 2035, followed by accelerated phase-out to achieve 96% reduction by 2050. This sequencing reduces cumulative emissions by 8.0% (300 MtCO₂) relative to the LP minimum. The Pareto frontier spans 51.5–92.6 MtCO₂ in 2030 and 52.8–64.2 MtCO₂ in 2050, with all Pareto-optimal solutions requiring coal shares below 40% by 2030, conflicting with Integrated Resource Plan constraints. Consequently, maintaining a ≥40% coal floor raises minimum feasible emissions to 101.5 MtCO₂, generating a 22.8–49.4 MtCO₂ feasibility gap. The findings show that optimal strategy is not to use its remaining carbon space, but to render the 420 MtCO₂ target redundant through front-loaded efficiency gains and strategically timed coal phase-out, providing clear direction for sustainable climate finance. Full article

The transition to a circular economy requires professionals to adopt new strategies and a systemic approach to product development. This shift demands continuous learning and the development of new competencies to understand and apply circular economy principles. In this context, innovative educational approaches that foster engagement and lifelong learning (LLL) are essential. Gamification can support this process by enhancing motivation, creativity, problem-solving, and knowledge retention, while interactive tools help learners critically examine and operationalise circular economy principles. This article discusses the design and application of the “Circularity Deck of Cards,” a learning resource developed as part of a European-funded project Be@t, to facilitate the circular design of products and services. The study follows a mixed-methodological approach encompassing three phases: a systematic mapping of international tools and methodological approaches; the conceptual and visual development of the resource; and its implementation and evaluation through a workshop involving undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students and researchers in fashion design and textile engineering in Portugal. The data were collected using a questionnaire that combined quantitative and qualitative questions, designed to assess the receptiveness to, challenges of, and opportunities arising from gamification in the teaching of circular design. The findings indicate that participants responded positively to the tool, recognising its value as both a pedagogical resource and a professional instrument for promoting sustainability and circularity in the textile and clothing industry. Ultimately, gamification catalyses training students, designers, and industry professionals to address the challenges of circularity, fostering new perspectives on circular design in professional practice. Full article

Background: Hospital-wide centralized bed allocation, known in China as the “one-bed-for-the-whole-hospital” model, aims to improve inpatient access by pooling beds across specialties. Existing studies have mainly examined operational outcomes, process risks, or staff competence. Less is known about how bed redistribution interacts with clinical responsibility, professional roles, functional support, and shared governance. Objectives: This study explored healthcare professionals’ perspectives on the barriers, facilitators, and strategies for sustaining the hospital-wide “One Bed” model. It also examined how bed integration and care integration aligned or diverged across the dimensions of the Rainbow Model of Integrated Care. Methods: A single-center descriptive qualitative study was conducted in a Grade A tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China, where the model had operated across 11 pilot wards for approximately 48 months. Between December 2024 and March 2025, 25 healthcare professionals, including 14 clinical nurses, eight head nurses, and three physicians, completed face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis. After themes and subthemes were developed from participants’ accounts, the Rainbow Model of Integrated Care was used as an interpretive framework to map the findings across clinical, professional, organizational, system, functional, and normative integration. Results: Five themes were generated. Participants perceived centralized bed allocation as shortening waiting time and improving bed use, but also as intensifying ward workload and making single efficiency indicators insufficient. Patients could move to available wards before medical response, responsibility, and physician visibility were fully aligned. Cross-specialty case mixes exceeded what nurses could manage through temporary learning alone. Information, logistics, space, equipment, and supplies did not always move with patients, leaving nurses to maintain workflow through manual and often invisible coordination. Sustained bed sharing also depended on clearer boundaries for patient selection, specialty fit, severity, nursing workload, leadership authority, resources, and incentives. Together, these themes showed that bed resources were integrated faster than care processes, professional capability, functional support, and shared governance. Conclusions: Hospital-wide centralized bed allocation should be understood as an uneven process of integration rather than only as a bed-management strategy. These findings primarily reflect the perceptions and experiences of nurses and nursing managers, supplemented by limited physician input. The distinctive finding of this study is that beds may be pooled, and patients may move rapidly, while medical response, nursing competence, functional support, workload recognition, and governance arrangements do not always move at the same pace. Safe and sustainable implementation therefore requires bounded flexibility: bed allocation should be guided not only by bed vacancy but also by clinical suitability, specialty fit, nursing workload, timely medical response, functional systems that move with patients, and shared accountability. Full article

Historic urban manufacturing territories are increasingly being reconsidered as strategic components of metropolitan sustainability rather than obsolete remnants of industrial economies slated for redevelopment. While these districts have long been associated with pollution, environmental degradation, and post-industrial decline, growing interest in circular economy strategies, Urban Resource Recovery (URR), and climate adaptation has renewed attention to their territorial significance. Using the North Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone and the Newtown Creek watershed as a case study, this paper argues that certain historic manufacturing territories possess an inherent capacity to evolve into Metropolitan Metabolic Infrastructure because of inherited geographic, infrastructural, and institutional characteristics, including waterfront access, freight networks, industrial zoning, large industrial parcels, and utility systems. Drawing upon research developed through the New York City Department of Design and Construction’s Town+Gown Urban Resource Recovery Working Group, the study combines historical analysis, spatial interpretation, planning policy, and case-study research to examine the evolving relationship among urban metabolism, circular economy, environmental justice, and Healthy Cities. Rather than advocating industrial preservation irrespective of environmental performance, the paper argues that these territories can support metropolitan material circulation while advancing cleaner industrial practices, environmental remediation, and more equitable urban development. The Metropolitan Metabolic Infrastructure framework offers a planning perspective for understanding how inherited manufacturing landscapes may contribute to resilient, circular, and healthier metropolitan regions while informing future comparative research on industrial territories undergoing similar transitions worldwide. Full article

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) provide a membrane-based bioelectrochemical route for simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity generation. This study investigates the effect of aeration and mixing on the performance of dual-chamber microbial fuel cells (DCMFCs) operated outdoors using sugar-mix substrates. Five DCMFC configurations were evaluated over 40 days, including baseline operation and individual or combined aeration and mixing strategies. Voltage and current were recorded every 15 min, while solar insolation and ambient temperature were monitored to assess environmental effects. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) was measured to evaluate wastewater treatment performance. The configuration with continuous aeration and mixing achieved the best performance, reaching a maximum voltage of 563.2 mV and a peak power output of 250.58 µW. Compared with baseline Cell 1, Cell 5 showed a 72.5% higher Week 6 maximum power density. The final COD concentration in Cell 5 was 12.4% lower than that measured in baseline Cell 1; this represents an endpoint difference rather than a reactor-specific COD removal efficiency. Exploratory correlation analysis showed configuration-dependent associations between electrical output and ambient conditions but did not identify a consistent positive relationship between solar insolation and power generation. These results demonstrate that combined aeration and mixing can improve DCMFC performance under realistic outdoor conditions and support the development of scalable, low-resource systems for decentralized bioenergy generation and wastewater treatment. Full article

Organic fertilization is a key strategy for improving soil structure and fertility in China’s Vertisols, yet the trade-offs among soil quality enhancement, grain yield performance, and nutrient use efficiency under different organic amendment regimes remain insufficiently elucidated. Based on a unique 43-year field fertilization experiment, this study systematically evaluated the effects of long-term chemical fertilization (NPK) alone, low-dose (NPKLS) and high-dose straw incorporation (NPKHS), combined chemical fertilizer with cattle manure (NPKCM), and pig manure (NPKPM) fertilization on soil physical, chemical properties, crop yields and plant nutrient utilization efficiency. The results showed that NPKCM and NPKPM significantly improved soil physical properties by reducing soil bulk density, improving soil pore structure, and enhancing soil water retention capacity and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Although long-term manure application led to slight soil salt accumulation, the rate of accumulation remained substantially lower than that associated with commercial organic fertilizers and did not approach the crop salinity damage threshold, suggesting low ecological risk. Compared with NPK treatment, manure amendment effectively counteracted soil acidification induced by prolonged chemical fertilization, while also significantly increasing soil total phosphorus and available phosphorus content, and elevated the proportion of active phosphorus (PAC). The improved soil phosphorus activation capacity and comprehensive soil quality further contributed to substantial increases in wheat grain yield under NPKCM and NPKPM treatments. Despite these agronomic benefits, the additional nitrogen and phosphorus inputs from manure resulted in soil nutrient surpluses, which considerably reduced nitrogen and phosphorus partial factor productivity as well as agronomic efficiency. In contrast, straw incorporation treatments (NPKLS, NPKHS) sustained stable crop yield without notable declines in nutrient efficiency, positioning them as a greener and more sustainable approach to balancing grain production with resource use efficiency. These findings highlight the need to integrate nutrient credits from manure into fertilization program. Given the 43-year evidence, fertilization strategy should consider not only the nutrients supplied by manure but also the quantities exported through harvested products, with adjustments based on annual soil fertility analyses. Such nutrient budgeting is essential to maximize fertilizer use efficiency, prevent excessive phosphorus accumulation, and maintain balanced soil fertility over time. Full article

Background/Objectives: Psychological safety is increasingly recognized as a key factor in promoting communication, learning, and teamwork in healthcare, with implications for patient safety culture. Although psychological safety and patient safety culture have been reviewed separately, evidence on how nurse managers contribute to both constructs within nursing teams remains fragmented. This scoping review aimed to map the available evidence on the role of nurse managers in promoting psychological safety and patient safety culture in nursing teams, identify leadership behaviors, strategies, and competencies, and highlight facilitating factors and barriers. This review provides an integrated synthesis of evidence on how nurse managers contribute to fostering both psychological safety and patient safety culture within nursing teams, addressing a gap in the existing literature. Methods: A scoping review was conducted following established methodological frameworks and prospectively registered in the Open Science Framework. Systematic searches were conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Scopus, BVS, and WorldCat for gray literature, with the final search performed on 11 May 2026. A total of 229 records were identified, with 112 duplicates removed. The remaining 117 records were screened, resulting in 25 studies included for analysis. Data were extracted and synthesized using thematic analysis. Results: Twenty-five sources were included, comprising predominantly quantitative (mainly cross-sectional) studies, together with qualitative studies, systematic reviews, conceptual papers, expert opinion papers, and gray literature. The findings highlight a close and interdependent relationship between psychological safety and patient safety culture. Nurse managers’ relational leadership behaviors—such as visible presence, active listening, emotional support, and constructive feedback—emerged as key strategies for fostering psychologically safe environments. The reviewed evidence suggests that psychological safety may mediate the relationship between leadership practices and communication, speaking up, incident reporting, and organizational learning. Facilitators include supportive leadership and a just culture, while barriers encompass punitive environments, hierarchical structures, workload pressures, and resource constraints. Conclusions: The findings suggest that psychological safety may be an important mechanism through which nurse managers contribute to patient safety culture. However, leadership alone is insufficient, requiring alignment with organizational conditions and system-level support. These findings support strategies to strengthen safety culture and guide leadership development. Full article

In the context of increased international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through various measures included in climate agreements, regulatory frameworks, and decarbonization strategies, the utilisation of renewable energy resources represents a solution to sustainable global development. Wave energy is a marine renewable resource that has great potential but has not yet been fully exploited. Considering this, the current work examines the Black Sea’s wave climate variability and wave energy dynamics using SWAN model results applied throughout the basin. Attention is given to the long-term assessment of wave conditions and wave power, the characterization of dominant wave patterns, and the identification of possible changes in sea state parameters over an extended period (30 years). Recent wave climate variability and projections of future changes under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climatic scenarios are evaluated. The assessment of the potential effects of climate change on sea state conditions and the spatial distribution of wave energy resources in the Black Sea basin is performed by comparing the historical and future projections, thereby also facilitating the observation of climate change pattern evolution. The results offer a forward-looking assessment of wave energy potential in the Black Sea and its reliability as a sustainable energy resource in relation to climate change. Full article

Rapid and unplanned urbanization in Dhaka is reshaping land use, intensifying peripheral expansion, and increasing pressure on urban and ecological resources. Understanding these growth dynamics is essential for effective urban growth boundary delineation and sustainable planning, yet integrated assessments of historical and future urban growth remain limited. The current study evaluates spatiotemporal urban expansion from 2010 to 2025, delineates the urban growth boundary using a morphological framework, and simulates future growth for 2030 through a coupled cellular automaton-neural network model. Multi-temporal Landsat imagery (2010, 2015, 2020, and 2025) was classified in Google Earth Engine using supervised Maximum Likelihood Classification. Urban growth patterns were quantified using the urban expansion intensity index (UEII), annual urban expansion rate (AUER), and landscape expansion index (LEI). The urban largest continuous patch index (ULCPI) approach was applied to extract functional urban boundaries. Model performance was validated using the Chi-square (χ²) goodness-of-fit test. Results show a substantial increase in built-up land from 115.85 km² to 171.42 km² between 2010 and 2025, accompanied by a decline of approximately 60 km² in urban green spaces. LEI results demonstrate a transition from compact infilling growth (2010–2015) to dominant edge and outlying expansion (2015–2020), indicating progressive peri-urbanization. The urban largest continuous patch (ULCP) nearly doubled from 78.58 km² to 152.13 km² over the same period, accentuating rapid spatial consolidation. The 2030 projection anticipates continued corridor-oriented expansion, particularly toward the northern and eastern peripheries, with predictive agreement from the CA–ANN model (χ² = 0.03 < 7.8). The study identifies a clear transition from monocentric compactness to polycentric expansion, emphasizing the necessity for enforceable growth containment, transit-oriented development, and ecologically responsive planning strategies to ensure long-term urban sustainability. Full article

Sustainable agriculture in water-limited regions requires understanding how future climate change may affect crop water use and productivity and whether locally feasible adaptations can offset adverse impacts. This study used an improved SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model to simulate multiple future climate scenarios—five single-factor adaptation scenarios, including early or late sowing, long- or short-season cultivars, and crop substitution, and one integrated scenario—in the Palo Duro Watershed of the Texas High Plains. Under future climate, yields declined by 6.7–13.1% for irrigated corn (Zea mays L.) and 11.6–34.1% for irrigated sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), but increased by 8.0–32.8% and 8.4–33.7% for dryland and irrigated winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), respectively. Early sowing improved yields and water productivity (WP) for irrigated corn, irrigated sorghum, and dryland winter wheat. However, long-season cultivars increased corn and sorghum yields and WP with greater irrigation water use. Crop substitution was generally unfavorable under local conditions. A combined strategy of early sowing and long-season cultivars would increase yields and WP for irrigated corn, irrigated sorghum, and dryland winter wheat, whereas business-as-usual management remained appropriate for irrigated winter wheat. These findings support crop-specific adaptation planning for climate-resilient agriculture and water-resource management in semi-arid systems. Full article

Plant-mediated green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) predominantly relies on single botanical sources, constraining reduction efficiency and forfeiting the therapeutic potential of residual biomass. This study employed aloe vera and birch bark extracts as reducing agents. A combination of single-factor analysis and response surface methodology was employed to prepare monodisperse 30 nm AgNPs (with a Zeta potential of −35.3 mV and confirmed by XPS as metallic Ag⁰). It was loaded into carboxymethyl chitosan-vanillin-polyvinyl alcohol (CVP) gel microneedles using the vacuum casting method. The mechanical strength of these microneedles reaches 0.302 N/needle, exceeding the skin penetration threshold. Throughout the entire preparation process, both its Ag⁰ chemical state and crystal structure were maintained (by FT-IR and XRD). The MIC values of AgNPs@CVP against four pathogens ranged from 0.977 to 7.813 μg/mL, with a biofilm disruption rate exceeding 70%, and demonstrated excellent biocompatibility (hemolytic rate < 1.6%, cell survival rate > 80%). In a rat wound infection model, high-dose microneedle therapy reduced the residual wound area to 10.9% by day 9. This strategy inhibited the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6 while promoting epithelial regeneration, angiogenesis, and collagen deposition. This bifunctional Aloe-Birch strategy converges green nanomaterial synthesis with therapeutic delivery within a single bio-based platform, advancing sustainable nanomedicine paradigms and providing a resource-efficient blueprint for clinical infectious wound management. Full article

The transition towards a circular economy of agri-food wastes requires innovative strategies for transforming them into value-added products. This study evaluates the environmental and economic sustainability of a laboratory-scale process that converts 100 g of pomegranate waste, experimentally processed and defined as functional unit (FU), into a cosmetic emulsion. Primary data were collected from laboratory activities carried out in an Italian university, including material and reagent consumption, equipment operating times and energy use. A cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment was performed in SimaPro according to ISO 14040 and 14044 using the Environmental Footprint 3.1 method, while Life Cycle Costing was developed in Microsoft Excel using the same system boundaries. The process valorized the three main pomegranate fractions (arils, mesocarp and exocarp) to obtain a cosmetic emulsion. The exocarp treatment was identified as the main impactful phase. The overall climate change impact reached 328 g CO₂ eq/FU, while fossil resource use amounted to 5.3 MJ/FU. The total production cost was estimated at 189 €/FU, mainly due to labor, reagents, enzymes and equipment costs. Although laboratory-scale operation results in relatively high impacts and costs, the study identifies the main hotspots and provides a baseline for future process optimization and industrial scale-up. Full article

Against the backdrop of accelerating globalization and the reconfiguration of ecological security patterns, border regions—serving as critical carriers of national spatial governance—exhibit pronounced spatial heterogeneity and stage-dependent characteristics in land use evolution that warrant systematic investigation. This study focuses on global border zones to reveal the trends and evolutionary pathways of land use change, thereby providing a scientific basis for border spatial governance. Using the period of 1992–2020, four phases of global land cover data from the European Space Agency (ESA) were employed. Buffer zones of 50 km, 100 km, and 150 km were established along global national boundaries, and the study period was divided into three decadal stages. Border types were classified into terrestrial borders, coastal borders, and island borders. An integrated indicator system was constructed, including the Single Land Use Dynamic Degree (SLUDD), Integrated Land Use Dynamic Degree (ILUDD), and Weighted Composite Transition Intensity. A multi-scale nested analytical framework coupled with transition matrices was applied to assess land use evolution across global, continental, and bilateral national scales. The results indicate the following: (1) Distinct evolutionary pathways exist among border types. Terrestrial borders exhibit a combination of development and ecological restoration, with staged peaks in urban expansion; coastal borders are dominated by a unidirectional conversion from cropland to built-up land; and island borders demonstrate concurrent agricultural decline, ecological recovery, and built-up expansion. (2) From 1992 to 2020, global border land use underwent a transition from high-intensity transformations to low-intensity steady adjustments. Major changes were centered on the expansion of production space, outward diffusion of built-up areas, and vegetation restructuring. High-intensity changes were concentrated near boundary zones and attenuated significantly with increasing buffer distance. (3) At the continental scale, stable hierarchical patterns emerge in terms of change intensity, spatial gradients, and transition structures. Borders in Eurasia and North America show higher activity, Africa exhibits widespread diffusion, and South America and Oceania are characterized by forest boundary reshaping and vegetation adjustments, respectively. (4) Typical border regions can be categorized into three evolutionary types: forest ecological frontiers, agricultural expansion zones, and land–sea composite corridors. Regional trajectories vary significantly, with Southeast Asia transitioning rapidly toward stabilization, West Africa retaining periodic high-intensity disturbances, and South America remaining in a low-intensity adjustment state. This study clarifies the evolutionary patterns and boundary effect ranges of global border land use, providing theoretical support and empirical references for resource allocation and ecological regulation in border regions. It also lays the groundwork for refining border typologies, quantifying driving mechanisms, and developing differentiated cross-border governance strategies. Full article

Frequent outbreaks of bacterial and fungal diseases in aquaculture cause severe economic losses, making biological control using probiotics a crucial strategy. Bacillus velezensis synthesizes diverse antimicrobial secondary metabolites; however, its biocontrol potential is tightly regulated by environmental signals such as cultivation time. In this study, we investigated the effect of growing time on the antifungal activity of B. velezensis GHZJ-1, isolated from an aquatic environment. It was found that GHZJ-1 shows obvious antifungal activity against the aquatic pathogen Metschnikowia bicuspidata upon 48 h growth but no such activity for 24 h via the agar-diffusion method. We further compared the transcriptomes of GHZJ-1 cells collected at 24 h and 48 h through RNA-Seq. Our results revealed that compared with 24 h, 1821 genes were differentially expressed at 48 h, with 903 upregulated and 918 downregulated. Downregulated genes were enriched in primary metabolic pathways (e.g., ribosome assembly and carbon metabolism), whereas upregulated genes were enriched in secondary metabolite biosynthesis and transmembrane transport. Importantly, 35 upregulated genes directly associated with antimicrobial activity were identified, notably including the ones encoding core elements of a large polyketide synthase (e.g., pksN, log₂FC = 2.24), the petrobactin siderophore system (highest log₂FC = 3.39), and various antimicrobial peptide export systems. Furthermore, the degU gene was activated at 48 h. These data suggest that facing continuously increased environmental stress over time, GHZJ-1 undergoes global transcriptional reprogramming and resource reallocation, downregulating basal metabolism to construct a synergistic antagonistic system coupling chemical defense with nutritional competition. This study elucidates the time-dependent mechanism for antifungal activity in GHZJ-1, providing a molecular theoretical basis for its green biocontrol application in aquaculture diseases caused by fungi. Full article