An optimized irrigation water quality index for evaluating surface water sustainability status of an agricultural watershed.

Maintaining good water quality is essential for drinking and agriculture. High water quality is crucial for irrigation to boost agricultural productivity and ensure sustainable water resource management. This study used in-depth physical and chemical analysis of water samples to evaluate the Kakia-Esamburmbur watershed's irrigation water sustainability.

Plant-microbe interactions: PGPM as microbial inoculants/biofertilizers for sustaining crop productivity and soil fertility.

Plant-microbe interactions play pivotal roles in sustaining crop productivity and soil fertility, offering promising avenues for sustainable agricultural practices. This review paper explores the multifaceted interactions between plants and various microorganisms, highlighting their significance in enhancing crop productivity, combating pathogens, and promoting soil health. Understanding these interactions is crucial for harnessing their potential in agricultural systems to address challenges such as food security and environmental sustainability.

Experiences of Asian American College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The purpose of this study is to examine experiences among Asian American college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Six focus groups were held online via Zoom (Zoom Video Communications, Inc., San Jose, USA) with a total of 21 participants in October and November 2020.

Green sustainability assessment and efficiency improvement study of international oil and gas companies: Based on data envelopment analysis.

In the context of carbon neutrality, the oil and gas industry is facing increasingly stringent environmental regulatory pressures, posing severe challenges to enterprise sustainability development. This study proposes a new comprehensive calculation model to investigate the effects of low-carbon transformation and development of petrochemical enterprises in recent years. It can effectively quantify the relative efficiency of different samples in the same time interval and the efficiency change of a single sample in the time series.

Composition and the predicted functions of fungal communities and the key drivers in acidic soils of Jiaodong Peninsula, China.

Introduction: Soil acidification imperils soil health and hinders the agricultural sustainability. As being more tolerant than bacteria to soil acidification, so it would be more meaningful for agricultural management and crop yield to characterize fungal community in acidic soils and manifest its key drivers.

Method: This study investigated the composition and diversity of fungal communities and its key driving factors by collecting 90 soil samples from the acidic region of Jiaodong Peninsula China, spanning 3 × 10 km.

Structure-directing effect of terephthalate in bridging Zn(II)- and Cd(II)-based coordination polymers towards application in the detection of trace quantities of Pd in aqueous media and their electrical conductivities.

Energy crisis and environmental pollution are two central themes of contemporary research towards achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). Material chemistry is the chief discipline that can resolve glitches in these areas through the appropriate design of chemical compounds with multifunctional properties. In this regard, two stable coordination polymers (CPs) were synthesised in this work using Zn(II) (3d) and Cd(II) (d) metal nodes with 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate () as the bridging ligand and monodentate pyridyl-N coordinated 9-fluoren-2-yl-pyridin-4-ylmethylene-amine (flpy) as the fluorogenic partner.

Incentivizing environmental sustainability for surgical healthcare at a systems level.

The healthcare sector contributes up to 4.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The surgical system contributes predominantly.

Multi-objective optimization of hybrid energy systems using gravitational search algorithm.

The depletion of fossil fuel reserves, increasing environmental concerns, and energy demands of remote communities have increased the acceptance of using hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES). However, choosing an optimal HRES from economic, environmental, reliability, and sustainability aspects is still challenging. To solve this challenge, this study introduces a novel multi-objective optimization approach using the Gravitational Search Algorithm (GSA) and non-dominated sorting techniques.

Perceptions of science, science communication, and climate change attitudes in 68 countries - the TISP dataset.

Science is integral to society because it can inform individual, government, corporate, and civil society decision-making on issues such as public health, new technologies or climate change. Yet, public distrust and populist sentiment challenge the relationship between science and society. To help researchers analyse the science-society nexus across different geographical and cultural contexts, we undertook a cross-sectional population survey resulting in a dataset of 71,922 participants in 68 countries.

Dynamic relationships between environment-related technologies, agricultural value added, transport infrastructure and environmental emissions in the five most populous countries.

Densely populated countries have higher demand for agricultural products and greater use of fuel and vehicles, resulting in higher environmental emissions, so this study considers transportation infrastructure and the agricultural sector as the two major drivers of environmental degradation in the top five densely populated countries. In a baseline regression, this study first unveils the impact of investments in transportation infrastructure, agricultural value addition, and environment-related technologies on per capita CO emissions using CS-ARDL approach from 1990 to 2021 in the five most populous countries. Besides, this study also reveals the typical moderating effect of environment-related technologies in the link between transport infrastructure, agricultural value added and environmental hazards.

Noble-metal-free Electrocatalysts for Selective Hydrogen Peroxide Generation via Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a versatile chemical widely used in various industries. The traditional anthraquinone method for H2O2 synthesis has environmental and safety concerns due to the use of organic solvents and hazardous by-products. The direct synthesis of H2O2 from H2 and O2 poses risks of flammability and explosion.

Do you think medicines can be prescribed in a more eco-directed, greener way? A qualitative study based on public and prescriber focus groups on the impact of pharmaceuticals in Scotland's water environment.

Objectives: This qualitative study explored public and prescriber awareness of pharmaceutical pollution in the water environment and eco-directed sustainable prescribing (EDSP) as a mitigation strategy to reduce the environmental impact of prescribing in Scotland.

Design: Focus groups explored prescriber and public perceptions of the topic. Common questions were asked through semistructured facilitation.

Disclosing long-term tolerance, efficacy and penetration properties of hyaluronic acid-coated latanoprost-loaded liposomes as chronic glaucoma therapy.

Frequent topical administration of hypotensive eye drops in glaucoma patients may lead to the development of dry eye disease (DED) symptoms, because of tear film destabilization and the adverse effects associated with antiglaucoma formulations. To address all this, in the current study preservative-free latanoprost-loaded (0.005 % w/v) synthetic phosphatidylcholine (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine 0.

Biocatalytic enzymes in food packaging, biomedical, and biotechnological applications: A comprehensive review.

The increasing environmental concerns and health risks associated with synthetic chemicals have driven the demand for sustainable and eco-friendly solutions. Biocatalysis, employing enzymes or whole cells as biocatalysts, has emerged as a powerful alternative. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the applications of biocatalytic enzymes in food packaging, biomedical sciences, and biotechnology.

Exploiting Latent Microbial Potential for Producing Polyhydroxyalkanoates: A Holistic Approach.

Plastics are versatile, however, nonbiodegradable polymers that are primarily derived from fossil fuels and pose notable environmental challenges. However, biopolymers, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), poly(lactic acid), starch, and cellulose have emerged as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics. Among these, PHAs stand out as strong contenders as they are completely bio-based and biodegradable and are synthesized by microbes as an energy reserve under stress conditions.

Sustainability of Enzymatic Monomer Synthesis: Evaluation via Comparison of Petrochemical and Enzymatic Alkene Epoxidation by Life Cycle Assessment.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used, next to green chemistry concepts, to compare the full environmental impacts of the epoxidation of a bio-based monomer, which can be used for the synthesis of vitrimers. On a laboratory scale, the synthesis of the monomer can either be done via a petrochemical route or via an enzymatic reaction pathway. Both reaction pathways were initially optimized to minimize the impact of suboptimal routes on the sustainability evaluation.

Spatiotemporal analysis of agricultural drought variability in the uMkhanyakude District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal.

Exploring drought dynamics has become urgent due to unprecedented climate change. Projections indicate that drought events will become increasingly widespread globally, posing a significant threat to the sustainability of the agricultural sector. This growing challenge has resulted in heightened interest in understanding drought dynamics and their impacts on agriculture.

Advances in waste-derived functional materials for PFAS remediation.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic organofluoride compounds, widely used in industries since the 1950s for their hydrophobic properties. PFAS contamination of soil and water poses significant environmental and public health risks due to their persistence, chemical stability, and resistance to degradation. The Chemical Abstracts Service catalogs approximately 4300 PFAS globally.

Sustainable synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles using Cyrene as a biodegradable solvent in click chemistry.

The first successful synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles using CyreneTM as a biodegradable and non-toxic solvent in click chemistry has been developed. In contrast to previous methods, this sustainable approach allows product isolation by simple precipitation in water, eliminating the need for organic solvent extractions and column chromatography purifications, thus minimizing waste consumption while reducing operational costs. The protocol, performed also at gram scale, has broad applicability and versatility, as shown with complex substrates like biologically active coumarins or triazole-linked bifunctional molecules.

Health-related quality of life, lifestyle habits and chronic pain in individuals with knee pain - a 2-year follow-up study.

Introduction: Knee pain increases the risk of developing chronic widespread pain (CWP) and knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The prevalence of CWP and KOA has increased, and there is a need for early prevention. Therefore, the aim was to examine the associations of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and lifestyle habits with chronic pain at a two-year follow-up in individuals with knee pain.

The concepts of irreversibility and reversibility in research on anthropogenic environmental changes.

The concept of "irreversibility" and its counterpart "reversibility" have become prominent in environmental and ecological research on human-induced changes, thresholds, climate tipping points, ecosystem degradation, and losses in the cryosphere and biosphere. Through a systematic literature review, we show that in these research fields, these notions are not only descriptive terms, but can have different semantic functions and normative aspects. The results suggest that, in the context of environmental and ecological research the concepts of irreversibility and reversibility have taken on additional usages in comparison to their contexts in theoretical thermodynamics and mechanics.

A transdisciplinary, comparative analysis reveals key risks from Arctic permafrost thaw.

Permafrost thaw poses diverse risks to Arctic environments and livelihoods. Understanding the effects of permafrost thaw is vital for informed policymaking and adaptation efforts. Here, we present the consolidated findings of a risk analysis spanning four study regions: Longyearbyen (Svalbard, Norway), the Avannaata municipality (Greenland), the Beaufort Sea region and the Mackenzie River Delta (Canada) and the Bulunskiy District of the Sakha Republic (Russia).

Nanofiltration Membranes for Efficient Lithium Extraction from Salt-Lake Brine: A Critical Review.

The global transition to clean energy technologies has escalated the demand for lithium (Li), a critical component in rechargeable Li-ion batteries, highlighting the urgent need for efficient and sustainable Li extraction methods. Nanofiltration (NF)-based separations have emerged as a promising solution, offering selective separation capabilities that could advance resource extraction and recovery. However, an NF-based lithium extraction process differs significantly from conventional water treatment, necessitating a paradigm shift in membrane materials design, performance evaluation metrics, and process optimization.

Contrasting Seasonal Distribution Patterns of Two Boreal Aerial Hawking Bat Species in Finland.

Climate change poses significant consequences for temperate bat species, potentially altering their distribution ranges and generating novel interactions among species sharing similar ecological niches. Recent observations suggest distribution range expansion in the Palearctic aerial hawking bat, , prompting an investigation into its interaction with , a northern Palearctic species overlapping with the previous in many ecological characteristics. This study examines the spatiotemporal variations between the two boreal bat species to form an evidence-based background onto which future research on, e.