Search Results (22,372)

Conventional anaerobic digestion relies on diverse inocula present in sludge-based systems. A defined consortium approach was investigated as an alternative. Acetivibrio cellulolyticus was chosen as the cellulose degrader, and two strains of Methanosarcina barkeri were selected as methane producers. Initial cultivation following manufacturer protocols highlighted significant challenges in maintaining strict anaerobic conditions, particularly in the absence of specialized infrastructure. A simplified anaerobic cultivation workflow was therefore evaluated for pure cultures of the selected anaerobes and subsequently used to evaluate a defined consortium using microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and industrial lignocellulosic biomass (LB) residue as growth substrates. The workflow enabled successful cultivation of pure cultures in their recommended nutrient media without detectable contamination, as assessed by microscopy, aerobic contamination checks, and gas chromatography analysis. Growth-associated observations were obtained on MCC after prolonged incubation (~30 days); however, a metabolically active cellulolytic–methanogenic consortium was not established, as methane was not detected and no activity was detected on the LB substrate. This study demonstrates that anaerobic cultivation of fastidious microorganisms is feasible using a simplified method without fully controlled anaerobic environments and highlights inherent challenges associated with the defined consortium on substrates such as MCC and complex LB residue. The simplified workflow may provide an accessible approach to anaerobic cultivation for sustainable biomethane research in laboratories lacking specialized anaerobic infrastructure. Further work is required to determine conditions supporting methane production using the defined consortium. Full article

Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2; encoded by F2RL1) is emerging as a context-dependent driver of gastrointestinal cancer. Activated by irreversible N-terminal cleavage, its signalling output is not fixed but is calibrated by the identity and source of the activating protease, the receptor cleavage state, cellular context and biased coupling to G-protein αq (Gαq), G-protein α12/13 (Gα12/13) and β-arrestin. PAR-2 is best understood not as a simple inflammatory receptor but as a proteolytic rheostat that converts diverse coagulation, inflammatory, microbial and stromal protease inputs into distinct oncogenic programmes. Colorectal cancer and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma provide complementary models: in colorectal cancer, PAR-2 links mucosal inflammation and coagulation to proliferation, metastatic competence and resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapy, whereas in pancreatic cancer, it is embedded in a tissue-factor-rich desmoplastic microenvironment that promotes invasion, immune exclusion and chemoresistance. Therapeutic strategies suggested by this framework include direct and biased PAR-2 modulators, upstream protease and factor Xa (FXa) inhibition, statin repurposing and activated-fragment biomarkers such as the PAR-2 activation neoepitope (PRO-PAR2). These strategies must be applied under biomarker guidance, since PAR-2 blockade may benefit inflammation-dominant tumours yet prove counterproductive where PAR-2 sustains antitumour immunity. Full article

Beneficial microorganisms enhance phosphorus (P) use efficiency in common bean, compensating for its shallow root system. Integrating biological approaches with reduced P rates optimizes plant growth, improves yield, lowers costs, and advances sustainable agriculture. This study aimed to assess the effects of seed inoculation with Trichoderma harzianum and/or Bacillus amyloliquefaciens associated with reduced P fertilization on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) agronomic and nutritional performance. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions using a Quartzipsamment Entisol soil. Inoculation with B. amyloliquefaciens or T. harzianum, regardless of the P rate, as well as co-inoculation under the full phosphorus rate, increased grain yield by 64.4%, 31.9% and 49.4%, respectively, compared with the non-inoculated control under the full phosphorus rate. Regarding total phosphorus accumulation, inoculation with T. harzianum increased P accumulation by 90%, and co-inoculation increased it by 72%, compared with the non-inoculated control. The use of B. amyloliquefaciens and T. harzianum in common bean cultivation can enhance nutritional status (57% for total N accumulation, 40% for P, 93% for K, 33% for Ca, 31% for Mg, 50% for S) and grain productivity (44%), even with a 40% reduction in phosphorus fertilization in sandy soils with very low P availability, under greenhouse conditions. Full article

Stable and efficient supply chain relationships are essential for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to strengthen competitive advantage and achieve sustainable growth. However, how resource-constrained SMEs overcome internal resource constraints and enhance competitiveness through supply chain integration remains underexplored. Taking China’s Supply Chain Innovation and Application Pilot Program (SCIAPP) as a quasi-natural experiment, this study uses panel data of SMEs from 2014 to 2024 and employs a SCIAPP significantly improves SMEs’ competitive advantage (${\beta }_1$ = 0.016, p < 0.01). Mechanism analyses reveal that SCIAPP enhances competitive advantage by mitigating the bullwhip effect and increasing innovation investment. The positive effect is stronger for firms with higher supply chain dependence, for non-capital-intensive firms, and for smaller firms. Further analysis shows that improvements in competitive advantage contribute to higher firm value. This study extends research on SMEs’ competitive advantage by demonstrating how government-led supply chain governance facilitates capability development among resource-constrained firms. The findings also provide implications for policymakers seeking to improve supply chain governance and promote the high-quality development of SMEs. Full article

Geopolitical disruptions of natural gas supply have repeatedly forced importing countries to reorganize their electricity systems, yet it remains unclear whether such disruptions are followed by movement of structurally different economies toward comparable energy-security and sustainability outcomes. This study compares Germany, a high-income economy exposed to the 2022 curtailment of Russian pipeline gas, with Jordan, a developing import-dependent economy exposed to the repeated sabotage of the Arab Gas Pipeline after 2011, using harmonized generation-mix and carbon intensity data for Germany over 1985–2024 and Jordan over 2000–2022, supplemented by weekly German market data. The generation fuel mix concentration is measured with a Herfindahl-based Supply Concentration Index (SCI), structural change is estimated with segmented interrupted time series (ITS) regressions inferred through Newey–West heteroskedasticity- and autocorrelation-consistent standard errors, and the joint security–sustainability position of each country is summarized with a newly proposed Energy Vulnerability–Transition Index (EVTI) that combines diversification, renewable penetration, and carbon intensity performance. The results show that Jordan’s 2011 disruption was associated with a baseline estimated change in its carbon intensity trajectory from +3.32 to −12.63 gCO₂/kWh per year and with renewable growth of +2.39 percentage points per year from a near-zero base, while Germany’s 2022 disruption was associated with a temporary carbon intensity shock, visible in a coal reactivation index that peaked at 1.26 and a sixfold wholesale price increase, followed by a policy-supported return to the pre-existing decarbonization pathway. The Germany–Jordan EVTI ratio narrowed from 6.5× in 2014 to 1.8× in 2022, and this convergence is robust to alternative component weightings. The findings indicate that geopolitical gas disruptions, despite their high short-run costs, were followed in both contexts by measurable movement toward more diversified and lower-carbon electricity systems, with direct implications for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7. Full article

Intellectual capital is the foundation of the knowledge-based economy. The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of intellectual capital on corporate sustainable growth in the Chinese baijiu industry and to investigate whether firm profitability and capitalized research and development (R&D) investment mediate this relationship. This study takes Chinese baijiu listed companies during 2010–2024 as the sample and employs fixed-effects regression models. Intellectual capital is measured through the modified value-added intellectual coefficient (MVAIC) method, and corporate sustainable growth is measured through Higgins’ sustainable growth model. The results show that intellectual capital promotes corporate sustainable growth in China’s baijiu industry. This impact is more significant during and after COVID-19, in private-owned companies, in middle- and low-end-brand companies, and in companies receiving no government innovation subsidies. Regarding intellectual capital components, human capital along with physical capital contributes to corporate sustainable growth. In addition, firm profitability plays a mediating role in the relationship between intellectual capital and corporate sustainable growth, whereas capitalized R&D investment does not play a mediating role. This study can generate practical insights for corporate managers to achieve their future sustainable development. Full article

Water deficit is one of the main limiting factors for crop establishment and productivity, particularly during seed germination and early seedling development. This study aimed to evaluate the biostimulant potential of Ascophyllum nodosum extract applied to maize (Zea mays L.) seeds subjected to osmotic stress induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000). Three independent bioassays were conducted under controlled conditions. In the first assay, osmotic potentials ranging from 0 to −0.8 MPa were evaluated to characterize stress levels and identify conditions representative of moderate and severe water deficit. In the second assay, increasing doses (0 to 2.0 mL kg⁻¹ of seeds) of a commercial A. nodosum-based extract and its isolated mineral fraction were evaluated to determine the optimal application range. In the third assay, the selected treatment was evaluated under control conditions and under moderate (−0.6 MPa) and severe (−0.8 MPa) osmotic stress. Germination percentage, normal and abnormal seedlings, radicle and epicotyl length, and seedling vigor index were assessed. Osmotic stress progressively reduced germination and seedling growth, with the strongest effects observed at −0.6 and −0.8 MPa. Seed treatment with A. nodosum extract did not impair final germination but improved seedling development in a dose-dependent manner. The highest efficiency was observed at intermediate doses, with maximum normal seedling percentage predicted at 0.45 mL kg⁻¹ and maximum radicle growth at approximately 0.66 mL kg⁻¹. Under water deficit conditions, the complete extract promoted greater improvements in seedling performance than the mineral fraction, indicating that the beneficial effects were mainly associated with bioactive organic compounds rather than mineral nutrition alone. These findings provide new evidence that dose optimization is essential for maximizing the efficiency of seaweed-based biostimulants and demonstrate the potential of A. nodosum seed treatment as a sustainable strategy to improve maize establishment under water-limited conditions. Full article

Arachidonic acid (AA) is a high-value long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid commonly produced by submerged fermentation of oleaginous fungi. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) using low-cost agro-industrial by-products represents a promising alternative approach for sustainable microbial lipid production. In this study, spent malt, a by-product of the brewing industry, was evaluated as a solid substrate for AA production by Mortierella alpina under SSF conditions. Four M. alpina strains were screened for growth, lipid accumulation, and AA production, and M. alpina 959 was selected as the most promising strain. The effects of nitrogen supplementation and oil incorporation on biomass formation, lipid accumulation, and AA productivity were subsequently investigated. Sunflower oil incorporation into spent malt-based substrates improved AA productivity under the most favorable conditions, resulting in an AA proportion of 38.6% of total fatty acids and 102.5 mg AA g⁻¹ of final dry mass of the SSF system (FDW-SC). Comparison of selected vegetable oils further demonstrated that the lipid source affected AA production, while having only a limited effect on fungal growth and total lipid accumulation. Overall, this study demonstrates the feasibility of spent malt-based SSF for AA production by M. alpina and highlights the valorization of brewery spent malt as a low-cost agro-industrial by-product for the production of value-added microbial lipids. Full article

With the backdrop of the coexistence of sustainable development of marine economy and ecological environment restrictions, how to enhance the efficiency of marine environmental governance (MEGE) has become a significant topic whereby coastal regions should attain green transformation. The research object in this paper is 11 coastal provincial administrative units in mainland China between 2013 and 2021, and marine environmental governance is divided into two stages of production and governance. MEGE and its stage efficiency are measured with the help of the two-stage super-efficiency Network SBM model, and the efficiency growth is characterized with the help of the Network Malmquist index. It is on this basis that, using the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework, six antecedent conditions of digital economy, technological innovation, marine industrial structure, marine industrial agglomeration, environmental regulation, and degree of openness are chosen and fsQCA is applied to determine the multiple configuration paths of high MEGE growth. The findings indicate the following: (1) The MEGE in the coastal regions of China is improving in general, although the differences in the region remain evident. The efficiency characteristics of the production stage and the governance stage differ, and the inter-provincial differentiation of the governance stage is more pronounced. (2) No single condition is required to achieve high MEGE growth but four equifinal configurations created by the combined action of several conditions can be further reduced to three types, namely technology–environment driven, technology–organization–environment synergistic and technology–organization driven. (3) There exists apparent synergy, compensation, and substitution relationships between technology, organization, and environmental conditions. The most important aspect of high-efficiency growth is not that all positive conditions are on a high level simultaneously, but that a complex of conditions corresponding to the foundation of regional development is created. (4) High and non-high MEGE growth have a strong causal asymmetry and the effective driving routes in various regions are also different. This paper extends the study of the efficiency of marine environmental governance in the two dimensions of internal stage structure and configuration mechanism, and applies accurate, path adaptation, and regional differentiation governance to coastal regions. Full article

The cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, 1808) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a globally distributed polyphagous pest that damages various crops. Pesticides remain a primary and effective strategy for controlling cotton bollworm populations. This study evaluated the effects of broflanilide on H. armigera by integrating life-table analysis, detoxification enzyme activity assays, and gut microbiome characterization. Broflanilide showed high toxicity against third-instar larvae. Parental LC₅₀ exposure prolonged larval development and reduced larval survival in the F₁ generation. In addition, parental exposure to both LC₃₀ and LC₅₀ reduced adult emergence, fecundity and major population growth parameters, especially the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and net reproductive rate (R₀), demonstrating a significant transgenerational inhibitory effect. Enzyme assays showed that carboxylesterase (CarE) activity was induced after broflanilide exposure, glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity showed a time-dependent response with the strongest induction generally observed under LC₁₀ treatment, whereas cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) activity was generally inhibited. Gut microbiota analysis showed that LC₅₀ exposure significantly reduced the relative abundance of Enterococcus. Functional prediction further indicated enrichment trends in pathways related to xenobiotic degradation and metabolism. Overall, broflanilide not only exhibited strong lethal activity against H. armigera, but also produced sustained effects on population fitness, detoxification metabolism and gut microbial ecology. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the rational use of broflanilide and improve our understanding of its sublethal physiological and microbial effects on H. armigera. Full article

Colonias are historically underserved communities along the Texas–Mexico border facing infrastructure deficiencies, socioeconomic vulnerability, and environmental hazards. This study examines parcel-level development conditions across 66,160 properties in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy Counties, Texas. Property appraisal records, colonia boundaries and 2014 classifications, and geographic information system analyses were integrated to evaluate property values, platting, public service district coverage, floodplain exposure, and reconstructed building patterns from 1990 to 2025. These indicators represent physical and economic conditions associated with resilience rather than a comprehensive measure of community resilience. Results reveal variation among counties and 2014 baseline classification categories. Communities classified as Green exhibited higher property values, greater district coverage, and more established development, whereas those classified as Red showed lower values and greater developmental disadvantages. Reconstructed building inventories more than doubled in Hidalgo and Cameron Counties and increased in Starr County, although survivorship bias and missing year-built data limit interpretation of growth rates. Many colonia properties remain within mapped floodplains, particularly in Hidalgo County. Because the analysis is descriptive, these patterns cannot be causally attributed to specific policies. This study provides a replicable parcel-level framework for evaluating development disparities and floodplain exposure to inform equitable infrastructure investment and planning in underserved border communities. Full article

This study examines the association between financial development and selected telecommunications infrastructure indicators in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), focusing on mobile cellular subscriptions (MBS) and fixed telephone subscriptions (FTS). It also examines whether urbanization moderates these associations and explores the relationships of trade openness, final consumption expenditure, and economic growth with telecommunications infrastructure. The study is based on an unbalanced panel of 44 SSA countries with data for the period 1981–2021 and includes two-way fixed effects (TWFE) models as the baseline specification, Panel Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) to estimate long-run associations within the cointegrating framework, and TWFE models with Driscoll–Kraay standard errors as a robustness procedure. The results indicate that financial development is positively and significantly associated with both FTS and MBS across the main specifications, with a substantially stronger association for MBS. These results validate the hypotheses that financial development has a positive relationship with the fixed and mobile telecommunications infrastructure. The moderation analysis also shows that financial development is positively associated with MBS when the level of urbanization increases, while such a positive moderating relationship is not statistically significant for FTS. Trade openness is generally positively associated with telecommunications infrastructure, while the associations of final consumption expenditure and economic growth vary across the MBS and FTS specifications. Overall, the findings suggest that the association between financial development and telecommunications infrastructure is technology-specific and varies with the level of urbanization. Robustness tests with the balanced panel sample and the post-1990s subsample generally give similar results, but caution should be taken in comparing results across specifications because of the differences in samples. The findings provide evidence relevant to the telecommunications infrastructure dimension of the broader Sustainable Development Goal 9 agenda, but they should not be inferred as evidence of comprehensive SDG 9 progress or causal effects. Future studies should use more comprehensive digital infrastructure indicators, disaggregated data, and better identification strategies to mitigate potential reverse causality and other forms of endogeneity. Full article

Urban sustainability governance has long been dominated by growth-oriented metrics that measure aggregate improvement without establishing whether neighborhoods provide enough for all residents without continuous territorial expansion or resource-intensive redevelopment. Drawing on the post-growth planning, sufficiency theory, spatial justice, land governance, and the adaptive planning literature, this paper proposes a Spatial Sufficiency Multifunctionality Framework (SSMF). SSMF is a provisional conceptual framework requiring empirical validation and aiming to reorient neighborhood land assessment from growth optimization to sufficiency thresholds. The framework organizes planning around five interconnected dimensions: social sufficiency, economic resilience without growth dependence, ecological resilience, spatial governance and land-use sufficiency, and institutional and participatory capacity. Each is operationalized through illustrative indicators, thresholds, and linked governance instruments. SSMF asks whether per-capita land use remains within ecological capacities and whether access to services, green space, and affordable space is equitably distributed. The framework is developed through a systematic scoping review of the literature on urban sustainability, land governance, and post-growth planning, and provides a diagnostic logic and a menu of governance instruments. By shifting the evaluative focus from “more” to “enough, equity distributed within neighborhood capacities,” SSMF offers a provisional architecture for understanding post-growth principles at the neighborhood scale. Full article

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) currently face substantial challenges in maintaining their operating standards. Implementing occupational health and safety practices (OHSPs) can be an important strategy for success. This empirical study assessed the performance of OHSPs in SMEs. A framework was developed comprising four performance indicators: operations, customer satisfaction, finance, and employee satisfaction. Data were collected from 35 SMEs in the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) in Kotri, Sindh, Pakistan, through a self-administered questionnaire and convenience sampling. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess data reliability, yielding a coefficient of 0.85 and indicating acceptable reliability. The data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics and intercorrelations among the components. Most SMEs reported improved performance, including greater employee motivation (94.2%), target achievement (85.7%), timely order delivery (91.4%), product quality (80%), ease of supervision (57.1%), company reputation (94.3%), profitability (60%), productivity (91.5%), and sales (57.1%). Overall, the SMEs reported improvements across all four key performance areas, primarily following the effective implementation of OHSPs. Intercorrelation analysis also indicated positive relationships among all factors, most of which were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. These findings demonstrate that implementing OHSPs can support sustainable growth and promote healthy lives and decent work, thereby contributing to SDGs 3 and 8. Full article

Climate risk has become a defining challenge for businesses, influencing strategic decision-making, organisational resilience, and long-term performance. Despite the rapid growth of research in this area, the intellectual development and thematic evolution of climate-related corporate studies remain fragmented. This study provides a comprehensive synthesis of the literature through a bibliometric analysis and systematic review of 643 Scopus-indexed, peer-reviewed articles published between 1993 and 2025, with a systematic thematic synthesis of 23 empirical studies. Using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer, science-mapping techniques, including co-citation analysis and bibliographic coupling, were employed to examine publication trends, intellectual foundations, and major research themes. The findings indicate a shift from environmental measurement and compliance toward climate-risk management, carbon disclosure, and sustainable finance. Financial outcomes are heterogeneous, and context-dependent carbon exposure is generally associated with valuation penalties and downside risk, while the relevance of disclosure and climate strategies depends on credibility, substantive implementation, and organisational and institutional conditions. The integrated review shows that the financial implications of climate-related corporate actions are contingent upon climate-risk exposure, disclosure credibility, organisational capabilities, and institutional context. It further explains the coexistence of mixed empirical findings and identifies priorities for future research and policy. The findings offer valuable implications for researchers, corporate managers, investors, and policymakers seeking to strengthen sustainable business practices under an evolving climate risk landscape. Full article