Factors influencing management of dry cell battery waste: a case of Greater Accra Region in Ghana.

Indiscriminate disposal of dry cell battery (DCB) waste contributes to environmental and public health issues in developing countries such as Ghana, due to the toxic nature of this specific waste. Accordingly, a study was conducted in Accra, Ghana, to determine the socio-economic and demographic factors influencing handling DCB waste, aiming a sustainable environment. Using a random sampling technique, a descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted, encompassing 367 respondents from the Accra-Tema Metropolitan areas and Tema West Municipal Assembly in Greater Accra, Ghana.

The role of universities in accelerating the sustainable development goals in Europe.

The process of implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were approved by the UN General Assembly in 2015 has not been simple, being influenced by variety of social, economic, and logistical problems. It has also been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are to date no specific studies aimed at assessing the extent to which higher universities institutions in Europe are active in the SDGs implementation process.

An assessment of priorities in handling climate change impacts on infrastructures.

Climate change (CC) will likely significantly impact the world's infrastructure significantly. Rising temperatures, increased precipitation, and rising sea levels are all likely to stress critical infrastructures (CI). Rising temperatures can lead to infrastructure damage from extreme heat events.

A ticket to where? Dwindling snow cover impacts the winter tourism sector as a consequence of climate change.

Climate change affects human activities, including tourism across various sectors and time frames. The winter tourism industry, dependent on low temperatures, faces significant impacts. This paper reviews the implications of climate change on winter tourism, emphasising challenges for activities like skiing and snowboarding, which rely on consistent snowfall and low temperatures.

Dermatological Side Effects of Cancer Treatment: Psychosocial Implications-A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity all over the world and the second major cause of death in Portugal. Dermatological side effects resulting from cancer treatment have a psychosocial impact on patients' lives, such as quality of life (QoL), body image, cognitive fusion and social inhibition. This systematic review aimed to explore and synthesize the psychosocial impact of dermatological side effects of cancer treatment, answering the following research objectives: (i) Do the dermatological side effects of the cancer treatment present any psychosocial impact for the patients? (ii) How does the psychosocial impact of the dermatological toxicities of the cancer treatment manifest in patients' lives? Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed and guided a systematic search through the PubMed, Cochrane Library and PyscNet databases.

On the (melting) rocks: Climate change and the global issue of permafrost depletion.

This short communication reports on the pressures posed by climate change on permafrost. The phenomenon of the (melting) rocks, soil, and ground that host permafrost does not just concern a remote stretch of the Arctic north. It is a far larger area than most citizens may realise if looking at an ordinary map projection.

Governance in the implementation of the UN sustainable development goals in higher education: global trends.

Governance is a key component for implementing sustainable development (SD) initiatives in university teaching, research, and projects. This line of thinking also applies to implementing the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs). Despite the role of governance in guiding processes related to the SDGs, few studies have examined these relations in an integrative manner in higher education.

Climate change: Why higher education matters?

Higher education (HE) matters to the global struggle to combat climate change. Research builds knowledge and informs climate solutions. Educational programmes and courses upskill current and future leaders and professionals to tackle the systems change and the transformation needed to improve society.

Chemical characteristics of bottom ash from biomedical waste incinerators in Ghana.

Biomedical waste (BMW) incineration is the most used alternative disposal method in developing countries, such as Ghana. The improper disposal of incinerator-generated bottom ash (BA) is a significant concern due to the hazardous nature of waste. A study was conducted at Tema Hospital (TGH) and Asuogyaman Hospital (VRAH) incinerator sites.

Low carbon futures: assessing the status of decarbonisation efforts at universities within a 2050 perspective.

Background: The implementation of sustainability at universities means that they can also play a key role in the transition to a low carbon economy, and in assisting global efforts towards decarbonisation. Yet, not all of them have so far fully engaged in this area. This paper reviews the state of the art on trends in decarbonisation, and outlines the need for decarbonisation efforts at universities.

Promoting gender equality across the sustainable development goals.

Unlabelled: Gender issues, and gender equality in particular, can be regarded as cross-cutting issues in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), even though it is unclear how they are taken into account. This study addresses this information gap by performing an assessment of the emphasis on gender issues across all the other 16 SDGs, in addition to SDG5, through a literature review and case study analysis, the basis for the newly developed framework, highlighting specific actions associated to each SDG. The 13 countries addressed in the 16 case studies include China, India, or Australia and illustrate the inclusion of SDG5 into the SDGs.

Barriers to institutional social sustainability.

Social sustainability is a work field characterised by an emphasis on social aspects, e.g. equity, ethics, health, gender balance, or empowerment, within a broader sustainability context.

Towards symbiotic approaches between universities, sustainable development, and cities.

Universities are key actors and play a central role in the cities which host them, either as employers, consumers or simply as a magnet to young people and cultural activities. They can be also influencers and supporters of cities in the field of sustainable development. Through an exploratory method and aiming to explore the efforts deployed to foster closer links between universities, sustainable development, and cities and address a literature gap in this regard, this study considers the contribution of universities to sustainable development at the city level.

The economics of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: does sustainability make financial sense?

The implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is a global priority, but one whose full implementation is vulnerable to the high costs associated with it. This raises the question: does the implementation of the SDGs make financial sense? This article addresses this question and outlines the need to raise awareness of the economic benefits of implementing the global goals. Further, it presents and discusses the main financial gaps to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable consumption: an international study.

Background: Sustainable production and consumption are two important issues, which mutually interact. Whereas individuals have little direct influence on the former, they can play a key role on the latter. This paper describes the subject matter of sustainable consumption and outlines its key features.

Deploying digitalisation and artificial intelligence in sustainable development research.

Many industrialised countries have benefited from the advent of twenty-first century technologies, especially automation, that have fundamentally changed manufacturing and industrial production processes. The next step in the evolution of automation is the development of artificial intelligence (AI), i.e.

Relevance of international partnerships in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

To achieve Sustainable Development Goal SDG 17, which focuses on international cooperation, partnerships, will be vital. In this comment, we examine the key obstacles such as vested economic interests that will need to be overcome for the successful implementation of SDG 17.

Influence of psoriasis lesions' location and severity on psychosocial disability and psychopathology. Observational study and psychometric validation of the SAPASI Portuguese version.

Objectives: The psychosocial impact of psoriasis is well documented. However, the contributing role of clinical disease characteristics is not satisfactorily explored. This study aimed to validate the Self-administered Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (SAPASI) to a Portuguese population (SAPASI-PT) and to perform its cross-validation, assessing how the results will generalize to an independent data set, with the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), in order to assess the influence of psoriasis' severity on psychosocial disability and psychopathology.

An assessment of requirements in investments, new technologies, and infrastructures to achieve the SDGs.

Background: The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires much planning and the provision of resources, especially regarding the necessary investments, technologies and infrastructures needed. Yet, it is presently unclear how available these elements are, what gaps exist, what changes have taken place in terms of their availability since the adoption of the SDGs and what their requirements will be in the future. The knowledge gap has become even more concerning because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spirituality in Coping with Pain in Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Spirituality has been identified as an adaptive coping strategy and a predictor of better quality of life in cancer patients. Despite the relevance of spirituality in the health-disease process, it is noted that the assessment of the impact of spirituality in coping with pain is still incipient. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of spirituality in coping with pain in cancer patients.

Looking at crime-communities and physical spaces: A curated dataset.

This article describes a curated dataset entitled "Looking at Crime: Communities and Physical Spaces", which comprises data from different sources, namely Diagnosis of Local Security (DLS), Diagnosis of School Environment (DSE) and observation of physical spaces. The main topic covered was crime and related variables at the Historic Centre of Porto (HCP), a well-known urban area located in the North of Portugal. It is currently attended by inhabitants, workers, students and tourists.