Solar−Driven Antibiotic Ciprofloxacin Elimination by Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ and Biotoxicity Evaluation of Degradation Process on Aquatic Organisms and Bean Seedling

Photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic molecules has great significance in environmental pollution control. Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ with a layered structure is one of the emerging visible−light−responsive photocatalysts. However, the environmental effects of antibiotic degradation have not received sufficient attention. This study employed plate−like Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ derived from Na₂Ti₃O₇ nanowires for ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation, and investigated the biotoxicity of degradation products on aquatic organisms and plant seedlings. It was found that an appropriate hydrothermal treatment time with ethylene glycol could slightly enhance the photocatalytic performance of Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂, and this might be attributed to the increased density of active sites resulting from the regulation of microstructure. Concurrently, the degradation products of CIP were detected and predicted for biotoxicity; the effects of the CIP degradation residual solution on the growth of peas, wheat, and zebrafish larvae were also investigated. Under the present experimental conditions, the Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂−24h photocatalyst−involved CIP degradation process could reduce the biotoxicity of the CIP solution (40 mg/L) and exhibit low toxicity to several individual organisms, including some actual plants and animals.

Impact of a Government Ban on Paraphenylenediamine (PPD) Availability: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis of Suicidal Poisoning Cases in Bahawalpur, Pakistan (2016–2024)

Paraphenylenediamine (PPD), locally known as “Kala Pathar”, has historically been a major agent of suicidal self poisoning in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. In response to escalating morbidity and mortality, the Government of Punjab implemented a policy prohibiting the commercial scale distribution of raw PPD at the end of 2017. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the impact of this policy on the incidence of PPD-related suicidal poisoning in Bahawalpur using an interrupted time series design. A quasi-experimental, retrospective interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was conducted using hospital records from the emergency department of Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, from January 2016 to March 2024. Annual counts of confirmed PPD poisoning cases were analyzed. The intervention point was defined as January 2018. Segmented regression analysis was performed to estimate changes in both the level and the trend following policy implementation. A total of 4455 PPD poisoning cases were recorded during the study period. Prior to the intervention, cases increased from 832 in 2016 to a peak of 1243 in 2017. Following the prohibition, cases declined sharply to 407 in 2019 and further to 155 in 2023. Segmented regression analysis demonstrated a statistically significant immediate reduction in case level after the intervention (β₂ < 0, p < 0.05), along with a significant negative change in post intervention trend (β₃ < 0, p < 0.05), indicating a sustained decline in PPD poisoning incidence. The majority of cases occurred among males (72%) and individuals aged 21–40 years (48%). The prohibition of commercial scale PPD distribution was associated with a significant and sustained reduction in PPD-related suicidal poisoning in Bahawalpur. These findings support targeted means restriction policies as an effective suicide prevention strategy in resource limited settings.

Understanding Community Perceptions of Climate Change and Mitigation Strategies: Evidence from Dakodwom, Ghana

Climate change has become a critical global concern due to its adverse impacts on both humans and the environment. In alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 13, which calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its effects, this study examines community perceptions of climate change in Ghana, using evidence from Dakodwom in the Ashanti Region. The study specifically aims to: (1) examine the association between perceived climate change and the perceptions of its causes within the Dakodwom community, (2) assess the association between perceived climate change, its indicators, and trends, (3) examine the determinants of perceived climate change, and (4) identify practices that could mitigate climate change–related challenges. A structured questionnaire comprising closed-ended questions was used to collect data. Pearson’s chi-square test was employed to determine the relationship between perceived climate change and its perceived causes, as well as to assess the significance of respondents’ perceptions of various climate indicators and trends. Binary logistic regression was further applied to identify the factors influencing perceived climate change. The findings reveal that respondents attribute perceived climate change primarily to burning, deforestation, vehicle emissions, industrial emissions, agricultural activities, and urbanization. Participants demonstrated statistically significant awareness of changes in rainfall patterns, temperature increases, wind activity, and extreme weather events, indicating noticeable environmental changes. The regression results show that employment status and awareness of activities such as burning, agricultural activities, and industrial emissions are the significant determinants of perceived climate change. Additionally, the study identifies recycling, composting, community education, and the adoption of innovative waste-management technologies as practical strategies with potential to mitigate climate change–related challenges. Based on these findings, local authorities and environmental agencies should prioritize investments in improved waste-management systems, community composting facilities, and green infrastructure initiatives, including tree planting and environmentally sustainable agricultural practices, to address the observed increases in temperature, wind activity, and extreme weather events.

Gut Microbiota: A Novel Key to Enhancing the Therapeutic Efficacy of PD-1 Inhibitors

Adjusted Net Savings and Sustainable Development in Africa: A Panel Evidence Approach

This study investigates the key drivers of sustainable development in African economies using Adjusted Net Savings (ANS) as an indicator of long-term sustainability. Employing second-generation panel data methods—namely the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) estimator, System GMM, and the Dumitrescu–Hurlin panel causality test—the analysis accounts for cross-sectional dependence, heterogeneity, and potential endogeneity across countries. The results indicate that economic growth significantly enhances sustainable development in the long run: a one-unit increase in GDP per capita is associated with approximately a 31-point increase in ANS. In contrast, renewable energy consumption exerts a negative short-run effect on sustainability (−0.38), reflecting transition-related costs and efficiency constraints in developing economies. Carbon intensity adversely affects sustainability, while the impact of trade openness remains heterogeneous across countries. Country-specific estimates further reveal substantial cross-country differences driven by variations in economic structure, energy systems, and institutional capacity. Overall, the findings suggest that achieving sustainable development in Africa requires aligning economic growth with environmental efficiency through well-sequenced renewable energy investments, green trade policies, and strengthened institutional frameworks.

Attitudes to Aging and Emotional Well-Being Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation

Attitudes to aging exert impacts on emotional well-being, yet the underlying psychological mechanisms and their stability across middle and older adulthood remain insufficiently understood. Based on the dual-factor model of mental health and the constructivist theory of emotional aging, this study aimed to: (1) examine the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between aging attitudes and emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) test the cross-age consistency of this mediating mechanism between middle-aged and older adults. Middle-aged and older residents (N = 653) participated in this study from 22 April to 24 April 2020. Participants completed questionnaires to assess their attitudes to aging, the use of emotion regulation strategies, and their levels of emotional well-being. Mediation roles and confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a bootstrap resampling method. Results showed that (1) Older adults exhibited slightly higher negative attitudes to aging, calmness, and boredom than the middle-aged group. They also used rumination, distraction, and social sharing strategies a little more frequently than middle-aged adults. (2) Full-sample mediation analyses indicated that positive aging attitudes were positively associated with positive affect through adaptive emotion regulation, and negative aging attitudes were positively associated with negative affect through maladaptive emotion regulation. (3) Moderated mediation analyses revealed that age group or age did not significantly moderate either mediating pathway. The mediating effect of emotion regulation on the relationship between aging attitudes and emotional well-being appeared stable across the two age groups. These findings support the constructionist approach to emotional aging. Interventions for successful aging should consider cultivating positive aging attitudes and adaptive emotion regulation, as these approaches are potentially both valuable for middle-aged and older adults.

Te Substitution-Induced Structural Evolution and Thermoelectric Properties of Quasi-1D BiSeI

Halide-chalcogenide compounds are promising candidates for thermoelectric applications owing to their low thermal conductivity and tunable electronic structures. Here, we systematically investigate Te-substituted BiSe_1−xTe_xI (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5). Structural and spectroscopic analyses confirm the successful incorporation of Te into the BiSeI-type framework, accompanied by lattice expansion, vibrational softening, and pronounced bandgap tuning. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy verifies that Te occupies Se sites and modifies the local electronic environment, while electron microscopy reveals a morphology evolution from ribbon-like grains to plate-like and fragmented particles with increasing Te content. Thermoelectric measurements show that Te substitution simultaneously enhances electrical conductivity and suppresses thermal conductivity, arising from band-structure modulation, increased carrier concentration, mass fluctuation, and strengthened phonon scattering. Consequently, BiSe_0.7Te_0.3I achieves the highest ZT (~0.27 at 400 K), substantially higher than pristine BiSeI. This work demonstrates that heavy-element doping is an effective strategy for optimizing the thermoelectric performance of halide-chalcogenides.

Data-Driven Design of High-Purity Ni–Cr–Nb Master Alloy and Its Application in Scale-Up GH4169D Alloy

To address the challenge of further reducing impurities in raw materials for high-purity melting of industrial-superalloys such as GH4169D, this study employed a CALPHAD-based high-throughput computational approach to establish the composition-phase stability-impurity behavior relationship. A low-melting-point, high-cleanliness Ni–Cr–Nb master alloy was developed and characterized with oxygen and nitrogen contents of 76 ppm and 36 ppm, respectively, and an inclusion number density of approximately 540 ± 20 cm⁻² and an average inclusion size of 2.2 ± 0.15 μm, demonstrating excellent cleanliness and compositional controllability. In industrial-scale 3-ton GH4169D melting trials using the Ni–Cr–Nb master alloy, the oxygen content was reduced from 12 ppm to 8 ppm. The inclusion number densities at the ingot center, R/2 position, and edge were decreased by 7.75%, 36.1%, and 81.5%, respectively, while the maximum inclusion size was reduced from approximately 28 μm to 9–17 μm. The results indicate that the developed master alloy effectively suppresses the formation, growth, and radial segregation of inclusions in GH4169D, significantly enhancing its metallurgical uniformity and cleanliness. Furthermore, melting efficiency increased by 52.6%, and production costs decreased by approximately 2.3% per ton, highlighting substantial process and economic advantages. This work establishes a closed-loop research framework integrating “CALPHAD-based experimental design—industrial pilot-scale validation—production-line metallurgical quality evaluation”. It confirms the effectiveness of the master alloy strategy for high-purity scale-up superalloy production and provides a transferable technological pathway for the compositional design and industrial application of other master alloy systems and commercial alloys.

Synergistic Natural Products in Anti-Ageing: Mechanistic Insights, Experimental Evidence, and Translational Perspectives

Ageing is characterised by a progressive decline in physiological function driven by oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and metabolic imbalance. Natural products contain diverse bioactive compounds capable of regulating these interconnected processes through convergent molecular pathways. This review synthesises current evidence across six major classes of natural bioactives, including polyphenols, terpenoids, polyamines, polysaccharides, fatty acids, and bioactive peptides, and examines their roles within metabolic, redox, inflammatory, and epigenetic networks. Individually, these compounds enhance mitochondrial function, modulate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)–sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)–mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signalling, activate the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)–antioxidant response element (ARE) antioxidant pathway, suppress nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation, and improve cellular stress resilience. When used in combination, they exhibit synergistic interactions that amplify antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic benefits, resulting in measurable improvements in lifespan and healthspan. Quantitative analyses demonstrate that rationally designed combinations achieve approximately 20–35 percent greater efficacy than single agents, reflecting coordinated multi-target reinforcement rather than simple additive effects. Overall, these insights highlight the mechanistic rationale, experimental evidence, and translational potential of synergistic natural bioactives as promising strategies for promoting healthy ageing and mitigating age-related decline.

Can Global Contract Research Organisations Contribute to Decarbonisation? The Impact of Environmentally Sustainable Business Practice on Scope 1 and 2 Emissions

Carbon emissions of clinical trials have been one of the contributors to global emissions. However, the clinical research industry, particularly contract research organisations (CROs) engaged in trials, has received little attention in the existing literature regarding their carbon footprint. This research examines the sustainable practices implemented by leading global CROs and how these practices influence scope 1 and 2 CO₂ emissions. The findings show that increasing the number of sustainability initiatives is insufficient to achieve a measurable reduction in emissions. At the same time, whilst some sustainable practices, such as building upgrades and real estate improvements, lead to a reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions, others, such as equipment upgrades, are associated with higher emissions. The study, therefore, uncovers a counterintuitive finding—that renewable energy practices showed a positive correlation with emissions. This may be viewed as a paradox, although it serves as a critical warning against measuring sustainability by the quantity of initiatives, rather than their quality or ultimate effect. By assessing the impact of organisational environmental practices on emissions, the study contributes to knowledge by providing a more nuanced understanding of the effectiveness of environmentally sustainable business strategies adopted by CROs.