por Daniela Pereira en 28 de abril de 2026 a las 00:00
The accumulation of aquatic organisms on submerged surfaces causes major economic and environmental impacts in marine ecosystems. Conventional antifouling biocides pose risks due to toxicity to non-target species and bioaccumulation. Nature-inspired compounds such as flavonoids have emerged as more sustainable alternatives. Aiming to assess the environmental impact of new antifouling flavonoids and to evaluate the toxicity of their transformation products, this study investigates the degradation of three promising antifouling flavonoids (chalcone CC345G and dihydrochalcones DH345 and DH345P) in aqueous matrices. Comprehensive abiotic and biotic degradation assays (hydrolysis, photodegradation, and biodegradation) were conducted. Appropriate liquid chromatography with UV detection methods were developed and validated to monitor the studies. The glycosylated chalcones bearing a triazole moiety CC345G revealed no detectable degradation under any of the experimental conditions. In contrast, both dihydrochalcones underwent significant abiotic degradation; DH345 was more susceptible to hydrolysis at pH 7.10 (17.41% degradation), while DH345P was more prone to photolysis in sterilized natural seawater at pH 8.82 (45.82–54.52% degradation), also showing substantial degradation in hydrolysis (24.34–42.41%) and biodegradation (33.43–41.07%). Overall, the prenylated dihydrochalcone DH345P exhibited the highest degradation rate among the tested compounds. Analysis with high-resolution mass spectrometry disclosed several transformation products in degradation assays, and one chemical structure was proposed. Preliminary ecotoxicity assessment performed on the degradation products using Artemia salina indicated low toxicity, suggesting minimal environmental impact.
Sustainability, Vol. 18, Pages 4339: Innovation and Firm Growth: Evidence from an Emerging Economy
por Anh Tuan Bui en 28 de abril de 2026 a las 00:00
Innovation is widely recognised as a key driver of firm performance, yet empirical evidence from emerging economies remains limited. This study examines how different forms of innovation affect sales and employment growth among Vietnamese firms using firm-level data from the 2023 World Bank Enterprise Survey. The analysis considers product and process innovation, R&D expenditure, and R&D participation, while controlling for firm characteristics and institutional constraints. Using an instrumental variable (IV) approach with two-stage least squares (2SLS), we find that innovation is significantly associated with improvements in firm performance, with product and process innovations associated with substantial gains in sales growth. In contrast, the impact on employment growth is positive but more moderate, indicating that revenue expansion does not fully translate into job creation. R&D expenditure shows only incremental effects, suggesting limited short-term returns. Export participation is associated with stronger sales growth, whereas legal and regulatory obstacles are associated with lower employment expansion. Overall, the findings highlight that innovation is an important but context-dependent driver of firm growth in Vietnam, with more pronounced effects on revenue than on employment.
por Nikolett Gyurián Nagy en 28 de abril de 2026 a las 00:00
Zoological parks increasingly operate as sustainability-oriented institutions that integrate biodiversity conservation, environmental education, animal welfare, and community engagement. In parallel with these evolving roles, digital and interactive technologies have emerged as key instruments for supporting sustainable visitor engagement and conservation communication. This study provides a systematic review and conceptual mapping of the literature by combining a PRISMA-based systematic literature review with bibliometric co-word analysis. The bibliometric results reveal four thematic clusters: (1) mobile and visitor-oriented digital technologies, (2) immersive augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) based solutions, (3) animal–computer interaction and welfare-focused technologies, and (4) traditional conservation and education research. While digital technologies demonstrate measurable short-term effects on engagement, empathy, and knowledge retention, their long-term sustainability impact and systemic integration remain limited. To address this gap, the study introduces three theoretical contributions: the concept of the zoo-based digital learning ecology, the identification of the digital fragmentation problem, and the Integrated Digital Zoo Ecosystem (IDZE) model. The proposed framework conceptualizes digital visitor experience, animal welfare technologies, and conservation communication as interdependent subsystems within a unified sustainability-oriented ecosystem. This study provides a conceptual foundation for future sustainability-driven digital innovation in zoological parks.
por Giouli Mihalakakou en 28 de abril de 2026 a las 00:00
Urban canyons, integral components of the built environment, significantly influence microclimatic conditions and thermal comfort. This review investigates their combined effects with green infrastructure on thermal comfort, offering a comprehensive framework for supporting urban design and greening strategies. The review is based on a structured literature analysis of peer-reviewed studies retrieved from major scientific databases (Scopus and Web of Science), following defined selection and screening criteria. Urban canyon orientation determines solar exposure and its interaction with prevailing wind patterns, affecting ventilation and heat dissipation. The urban canyon aspect ratio influences shading and airflow regulation, while their sky view factor moderates radiative cooling and daylight availability. Urban greening—encompassing street trees, green roofs, and vertical green walls—complements urban geometry by reducing air temperatures, enhancing evapotranspiration, and modifying local wind dynamics. Tree shading can reduce the physiological equivalent temperature in urban canyons, mitigating extreme heat stress. Key vegetative parameters, such as leaf area index and canopy density, are critical for quantifying cooling contributions. Key findings underscore the role of higher aspect ratios in enhancing shading and ventilation while they emphasize the critical influence of street orientation and sky view factor on microclimatic regulation. Vegetation emerges as a vital component, with tree shading contributing substantially to cooling effects and reducing physiological equivalent temperature. The beneficial synergistic interaction between urban geometry and vegetation optimizes thermal comfort. Tailored strategies based on urban canyon typologies balance urban development with environmental sustainability. The proposed framework provides actionable strategies for designing resilient and thermally optimized urban spaces, promoting climate-adaptive urban planning by addressing the dual challenges of the urban heat island and thermal discomfort in cities.
por Harikrishna Shanmugam Sridhar en 28 de abril de 2026 a las 00:00
Most air pollution research in India has predominantly focused on the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) owing to its high pollution levels and dense populations, leaving peninsular India comparatively undercharacterized. In contrast, South India remains underexplored because of its relatively limited long-term monitoring and more favorable meteorology. This geographical imbalance restricts a comprehensive national understanding of particulate matter (PM) dynamics. Addressing this gap, the present study delivers a multi-scale (hourly to interannual) spatiotemporal assessments of PM2.5 across eight monitoring stations in Andhra Pradesh, a South Indian State, for the period 2020–2024. The analysis reveals pronounced seasonal variability, with persistent winter and post-monsoon maxima. Although overall concentrations are low compared to northern India, urban–industrial centers such as Visakhapatnam and Rajahmahendravaram frequently exceeded both the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Notably, Amaravati, a non-industrial and low-lying inland site, exhibited anomalously moderate PM2.5 levels, with ~11.58% of hourly values surpassing 60 µg m−3. The COVID-19 lockdown period further offered a natural experiment, revealing substantial reductions (30–65%) in PM2.5 and PM10 at major urban sites while concurrent ozone enhancements (up to ~50%) at Tirupati and Rajahmundry exposed complex photochemical sensitivity under reduced NOx conditions. Satellite-based MERRA-2 estimates corroborated inter-annual variability and the short-lived improvement in air quality. This study demonstrates that air quality dynamics in the state of Andhra Pradesh are governed by region-specific meteorological controls, episodic processes, and localized emission characteristics, necessitating expanded long-term monitoring infrastructure and improved satellite–ground calibration frameworks.