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The literature evaluating the technical and socioeconomic outcomes of policy instruments used to support the transition to low-carbon economies is neither easily accessible nor comparable and often provides conflicting results. We develop and implement a framework to systematically review and synthesize the impact of ten types of decarbonization policy instruments on seven technical and socioeconomic outcomes. Our systematic review shows that the selected types of regulatory and economic and financial instruments are generally associated with positive impacts on environmental, technological and innovation outcomes. Several instruments are often associated with short-term negative impacts on competitiveness and distributional outcomes. We discuss how these trade-offs can be reduced or transformed into co-benefits by designing research and development and government procurement, deployment policies, carbon pricing and trading. We show how specific design features can promote competitiveness and reduce negative distributional impacts, particularly for small firms. An online interactive Decarbonisation Policy Evaluation Tool allows further analysis of the evidence.Ambitious policy instruments are needed to support the transition to low-carbon economies. This systematic review identifies what we know about positive and negative impacts of ten selected instruments on environmental, technological and socioeconomic outcomes, and how to minimize negative impacts.

Road transportation policies can drive innovation in more environmentally sustainable vehicle and fuel technologies but may have unintended consequences. To assess their impacts on technology innovation, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and land use, we systematically review and analyze evidence on the outcomes of 14 road transportation policy instruments, including fuel economy and low-carbon fuel standards, biofuel and zero-emission vehicle mandates, and fuel and vehicle taxes. We find that the effects of these policy instruments depend on their interactions, design, choice, and sequencing. We identify six types of relationships between policy instruments and highlight design features that have inadvertently increased vehicle emissions. We trace the evolution of electric vehicles through policy milestones shaped by experimentation and competition among influential jurisdictions based on their domestic priorities, industrial structure, and incumbent industry resistance. We show that policy instruments promoting first-generation biofuels have in some cases inhibited innovation in advanced biofuels. Effective road transportation policies are key to tackling climate change and air pollution. This study assesses how the design, interactions, choice, and sequencing of 14 policy instruments affect innovation and environmental policy outcomes.

Carbon markets play an important role in firms’ and governments’ climate strategies. Carbon crediting mechanisms allow project developers to earn carbon credits through mitigation projects. Several studies have raised concerns about environmental integrity, though a systematic evaluation is missing. We synthesized studies relying on experimental or rigorous observational methods, covering 14 studies on 2346 carbon mitigation projects and 51 studies investigating similar field interventions implemented without issuing carbon credits. The analysis covers one-fifth of the credit volume issued to date, almost 1 billion tons of CO 2 e. We estimate that less than 16% of the carbon credits issued to the investigated projects constitute real emission reductions, with 11% for cookstoves, 16% for SF 6 destruction, 25% for avoided deforestation, 68% for HFC-23 abatement, and no statistically significant emission reductions from wind power and improved forest management projects. Carbon crediting mechanisms need to be reformed fundamentally to meaningfully contribute to climate change mitigation. Carbon markets are key in climate strategies, but only 16% of carbon credits represent real emission reductions, based on a study of 2,346 projects. Reforms are needed to improve the effectiveness of carbon crediting mechanisms in addressing climate change.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by the presence of abundant desmoplastic stroma primarily composed of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). It is generally accepted that CAFs stimulate tumor progression and might be implicated in drug resistance and immunosuppression. Here, we have compared the transcriptional profile of PDGFRα⁺ CAFs isolated from genetically engineered mouse PDAC tumors with that of normal pancreatic fibroblasts to identify genes potentially implicated in their protumorigenic properties. We report that the most differentially expressed gene, Saa3, a member of the serum amyloid A (SAA) apolipoprotein family, is a key mediator of the protumorigenic activity of PDGFRα⁺ CAFs. Whereas Saa3-competent CAFs stimulate the growth of tumor cells in an orthotopic model, Saa3-null CAFs inhibit tumor growth. Saa3 also plays a role in the cross talk between CAFs and tumor cells. Ablation of Saa3 in pancreatic tumor cells makes them insensitive to the inhibitory effect of Saa3-null CAFs. As a consequence, germline ablation of Saa3 does not prevent PDAC development in mice. The protumorigenic activity of Saa3 in CAFs is mediated by Mpp6, a member of the palmitoylated membrane protein subfamily of the peripheral membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUK). Finally, we interrogated whether these observations could be translated to a human scenario. Indeed, SAA1, the ortholog of murine Saa3, is overexpressed in human CAFs. Moreover, high levels of SAA1 in the stromal component correlate with worse survival. These findings support the concept that selective inhibition of SAA1 in CAFs may provide potential therapeutic benefit to PDAC patients.

Microalgae are complex photosynthetic organisms found in marine and freshwater environments that produce valuable metabolites. Microalgae-derived metabolites have gained remarkable attention in different industrial biotechnological processes and pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries due to their multiple properties, including antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-cancer, phycoimmunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. These properties are recognized as promising components for state-of-the-art cosmetics and cosmeceutical formulations. Efforts are being made to develop natural, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly products that replace synthetic products. This review summarizes some potential cosmeceutical applications of microalgae-derived biomolecules, their mechanisms of action, and extraction methods.

In the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in understanding the behavior of personal care products (PCPs) in the aquatic environment. In this regard, the aim of this study is to estimate the accumulation and effects of four PCPs within the clam Ruditapes philippinarum . The PCPs selected were triclosan, OTNE, benzophenone-3, and octocrylene. A progressive uptake was observed and maximum concentrations in tissues were reached at the end of the exposure phase, up to levels of 0.68 µg g −1 , 24 µg g −1 , 0.81 µg g −1 , and 1.52 µg g −1 for OTNE, BP-3, OC, and TCS, respectively. After the PCP post-exposure period, the removal percentages were higher than 65%. The estimated logarithm bioconcentration factor ranged from 3.34 to 2.93, in concordance with the lipophobicity of each substance. No lethal effects were found although significant changes were observed for ethoxyresorufin O-demethylase activity, glutathione S-transferase activity, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage.

Historically, males have frequently been portrayed as the manipulative and deceptive gender, while females are often seen as adopting a coy and passive role. In this context, it is proposed that males use a terminal investment strategy, misleading females about their true poor condition, while females passively opt to mate with these deceptive males. However, we hypothesize that females in suboptimal condition may also engage in a terminal investment strategy by mimicking or enhancing their attractiveness to match that of females in better conditions. We studied this hypothesis in Tenebrio molitor , by subjecting females to three varying doses of lipopolysaccharides of Escherichia coli (LPS; 0.25, 0.5, or 1 mg ml -1 ), or three doses of the pro-oxidant Paraquat (PQ; 20, 40 or 80 mM), and subsequently assessing their survival and attractiveness to males. The LPS treatments and 20 mM of PQ had no significant effect on the survival or attractiveness of the females. However, females treated with 40 or 80 mM PQ survived fewer days compared to the control group. Those injected with 40 mM were more attractive than their control counterparts, while those treated with 80 mM were less attractive. Since the identical doses of LPS, which induce terminal investment in males, had no effect on females, we suggest sexual dimorphism in terminal investment. Furthermore, similar to males, if the stressor reaches a sufficiently high level, the signal becomes honest. These findings highlight how the quantity of stressors influences support for the terminal investment strategy in both males and females. Notably, this study challenges prevailing notions regarding gender roles in sexual selection, indicating that females, not just males, conceal their poor condition to attract mating partners.

Chinese investments into fossil fuel-based electricity generation capacity under its belt and road initiative will create lock-in for decades. Despite China’s recent rise as major public finance provider for the electricity sector of the developing world and the related environmental impacts, there is limited knowledge of the extent and characteristics of non-Chinese participation in Chinese-funded projects. We apply complexity theory approaches and network modeling on a new dataset that links funding activities of developmental institutions (Chinese developmental institutions (CDIs), Western-backed multilateral development banks (MDBs)) and the involvement of companies in different roles (i.e., as direct investors, contractors, equipment suppliers, and other service providers) to power plants around the world at the unit-level (1999–2020). Previous literature suggests that CDI funded projects show preference to Chinese commercial partners, but we find more than 70% include non-Chinese participants. This also applies for fossil-fuel based technologies where we observe increasing shares of international actors that together account for nearly every third commercial linkage. However, involvement levels and interaction patterns not only differ by technologies (fossils, hydro, non-hydro renewable, nuclear) but also by the time period and types of commercial partners and we observe overall convergence between the CDI- and MDB-supported power plant networks over time. The decreasing involvement of Chinese companies in CDI-funded projects, across technologies, in favor of increasing Western involvement, has important implications for development and climate policy on which we elaborate. However, the failure of both MDB and CDI funding to promote domestic company involvement in the recipient countries may be the largest failing of both sets of agencies in the pursuit of development outcomes.

Smartphone apps are an increasingly popular means for delivering psychological interventions to patients suffering from a mental disorder. In line with this popularity, there is a need to analyze and summarize the state of the art, both from a psychological and technical perspective. This study aimed to systematically review the literature on the use of smartphones for psychological interventions. Our systematic review has the following objectives: (1) analyze the coverage of mental disorders in research articles per year; (2) study the types of assessment in research articles per mental disorder per year; (3) map the use of advanced technical features, such as sensors, and novel software features, such as personalization and social media, per mental disorder; (4) provide an overview of smartphone apps per mental disorder; and (5) provide an overview of the key characteristics of empirical assessments with rigorous designs (ie, randomized controlled trials [RCTs]). The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for systematic reviews were followed. We performed searches in Scopus, Web of Science, American Psychological Association PsycNET, and Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, covering a period of 6 years (2013-2018). We included papers that described the use of smartphone apps to deliver psychological interventions for known mental disorders. We formed multidisciplinary teams, comprising experts in psychology and computer science, to select and classify articles based on psychological and technical features. We found 158 articles that met the inclusion criteria. We observed an increasing interest in smartphone-based interventions over time. Most research targeted disorders with high prevalence, that is, depressive (31/158,19.6%) and anxiety disorders (18/158, 11.4%). Of the total, 72.7% (115/158) of the papers focused on six mental disorders: depression, anxiety, trauma and stressor-related, substance-related and addiction, schizophrenia spectrum, and other psychotic disorders, or a combination of disorders. More than half of known mental disorders were not or very scarcely (<3%) represented. An increasing number of studies were dedicated to assessing clinical effects, but RCTs were still a minority (25/158, 15.8%). From a technical viewpoint, interventions were leveraging the improved modalities (screen and sound) and interactivity of smartphones but only sparingly leveraged their truly novel capabilities, such as sensors, alternative delivery paradigms, and analytical methods. There is a need for designing interventions for the full breadth of mental disorders, rather than primarily focusing on most prevalent disorders. We further contend that an increasingly systematic focus, that is, involving RCTs, is needed to improve the robustness and trustworthiness of assessments. Regarding technical aspects, we argue that further exploration and innovative use of the novel capabilities of smartphones are needed to fully realize their potential for the treatment of mental health disorders.

Biodiesel production has gained attention as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, but challenges related to catalyst recovery and energy consumption remain. In this study, a novel lithium-impregnated aluminosilicate catalyst (LiSA) was developed using a 3D-printed mold, providing precise control over its structure to optimize performance. The structured catalyst featured a cylindrical shape with multiple circular channels, enhancing fluid dynamics and reactant interaction in a fixed-bed reactor. Catalyst characterization by SEM, TGA, XRD, and ICP-MS confirmed high thermal stability and uniform pore distribution. Jatropha curcas oil was used as feedstock, with diethyl ether (DEE) acting as a cosolvent to improve methanol solubility and enable transesterification at room temperature. The process achieved a high fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield, averaging 97.1% over 508 min of continuous operation, demonstrating the catalyst’s stability and sustained activity. By reducing mass transfer limitations and energy demands, this approach highlights the potential of 3D-printed catalysts to advance sustainable biodiesel production, offering a scalable and efficient pathway for green energy technologies.