This paper uses the Global Malmquist-Luenberger Index (GMLI) based on directional distance function (DDF) super efficiency model to measure the urban green land use efficiency (UGLUE) of 108 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2007 to 2018, and it utilizes the spatial economic model to analyze the impact of land finance on the UGLUE and its mechanism of action. The results show that, firstly, the UGLUE in the YREB shows a steady development trend, the overall efficiency level is high, and there are spatial agglomeration characteristics. Secondly, the impact of land finance on the UGLUE presents “inverted U-shaped.” With the continuous expansion of the scale of land finance, the impact of land finance on the UGLUE in the city has changed from positive to negative. Thirdly, land finance has a spatial spillover effect. Land finance will inhibit the improvement of UGLUE in surrounding areas through the “peer effect.” With the continuous expansion of land finance scale, land finance will promote the improvement of UGLUE in surrounding cities through the “warning effect.”

This paper evaluates the energy poverty of Vietnam by mediating the role of financial development and environmental considerations. Across the globe, billions of individuals live in fuel poverty, failing to access inexpensive and sustainable energy, which is necessary for long-term development. An elevation in power consumption due to an overall increase in heat and short periods of extreme heat exacerbates global warming. The goal of this research is to look at how climate change is affecting energy poverty in Vietnam. This finding (1) demonstrates that temperature shocks have a positive and quantitative impact. (2) The same may be said for “poor income/high cost” figures, which include information on power rates. Similarly, if households use the same amount of power but spend less on other items, the influence will not raise their electricity use. (3) Thermal shocks have been shown to reduce agricultural output in studies. During seasons of low rainfall, for example, higher evaporation and plant water demand can worsen drought and raise total irrigation expenses. Labor productivity is also affected by rising temperatures, particularly in weather-sensitive industries like agriculture. As a result, heat shocks will lower agricultural revenues, worsening energy poverty. Surprisingly, overall income appears to be a little mitigating influence. This might be owing to widespread underreporting of stated income, particularly among persons who rely on agriculture for their livelihood.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed a great impact on people’s mental health, especially for undergraduate students. This study aimed to compare the mental health conditions and academic burnout between medical and non-medical undergraduates in China when the COVID-19 pandemic is mitigating. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 4,972 undergraduates between October 2020 and April 2021, when the pandemic was basically under control. The survey included basic demographics information and standardized scales to evaluate depression, anxiety, perceived stress, daytime sleepiness, alcohol abuse/dependence, quality of life, fatigue, and academic burnout. Compared with medical undergraduates, non-medical undergraduates had higher rates of moderate to severe depression symptoms (29.1% vs. 17.9%, P < 0.001), moderate to severe anxiety symptoms (19.7% vs. 8.9%, P < 0.001), alcohol abuse/dependence (16.3% vs.10.3%, P < 0.001), excessive daytime sleepiness (47.4% vs. 43.4%, P = 0.018), high perceived stress (34.7% vs. 22.2%, P < 0.001), high level of fatigue (51.8% vs. 42.2%, P < 0.001), low QOL (35.8% vs. 21.4%, P < 0.001), and higher academic burnout score (59.4 vs. 57.5, P < 0.001). Being non-medical undergraduates, depression, alcohol abuse/dependence, excessive daytime sleepiness, and high perceived stress were positively associated with academic burnout, while high QOL was negatively associated with the burnout (all P < 0.001). Excessive daytime sleepiness was the strongest predictor for academic burnout.

Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized utilizing rice husk (RH) as the starting raw material via a modified Hummers’ method. Ground pencil leads were used as a control powder of the starting raw material to monitor the consistency of the synthesis method. TiO₂ microspheres were synthesized via a precipitated method using the pluronic F127 solution as the pore template. GO derived from RH (GO-RH) was composited with TiO₂ microspheres as GO-RH/TiO₂ composites by an impregnation method with weight ratios of 3:1, 2:2, and 1:3. Characterized results revealed GO-RH formed a ternary phase material of graphene oxide, graphite oxide, and silica. A typical microstructure of the calcined TiO₂ microspheres was found as the agglomerated anatase nanoparticles. Furthermore, the composites belong to large surface areas and numerous oxygen-containing functionalities on their surfaces. Removal efficiencies of cationic dye methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions by the composites, GO-RH and TiO₂, were studied under UV illumination for 180 min. Due to the effective combination of adsorption and photodegradation for the MB removal, the composites provided the higher efficiencies (99–100%) faster than those of GO-RH and TiO₂ and could be reused at least 4 times. Finally, a mechanism of the MB removal by the composites was proposed.

Research on phase change material (PCM) for thermal energy storage is playing a significant role in energy management industry. However, some hurdles during the storage of energy have been perceived such as less thermal conductivity, leakage of PCM during phase transition, flammability, and insufficient mechanical properties. For overcoming such obstacle, researchers have been concentrating on composite PCM, where PCM is combined with metal or non-metal particles, fibrous materials, expanded or porous materials, and flame retardants. The main purpose of the current paper is to review the properties enhanced paraffin-based composite PCM. In the literature review, paraffin is selected as a thermal energy storage material, which is mixed with property-enhancing material to prepare composite. Structural and thermal properties of composite have been explored with the help of scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscope, polarizing optical microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. Mechanical properties of the material are also portrayed using different testing techniques. Nevertheless, numerical methods have also been adopted for characterization of composite. It is found from the literature review that with incorporation of property-enhancing material, thermal conductivity, phase transition rate, and shape stability of PCM increased at the same time flammability, heat storage capacity, and mechanical properties reduced.

Emerging demand for humic substances escalated the short supply of coal-related resources from which humic substances are extracted in large quantities for various applications. Production of humic-like substances from lignocellulosic waste materials similar in structural and functional properties to humic substances has gained interest recently. Tea waste is a by-product from tea manufacturing factories enriched in lignocellulose is used to extract two types of humic fractions. One fraction has purified humic-like acid (HLA), and the other has unpurified humic and fulvic acids called as humic-like substances (HLS). Elemental composition, spectroscopic (¹³C CPMAS NMR and FTIR) properties, and biological activity of tea waste derived humic-like substances (TWDHLS) were compared with commercially available humic acid (CHA) extracted from lignite. Elemental analysis and FTIR characterization showed slight differences between HLA and HLS, while NMR results revealed that both have similar carbon distribution and are abundant in cellulosic polysaccharides and lignin derivatives. The presence of more stable compounds in TWDHLS contribute to its recalcitrant nature. NMR spectra of CHA significantly varied with TWDHLS and were rich in aliphatic compounds. The biological activity of TWDHLS and CHA was studied at five different concentrations (0, 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg L⁻¹). The results show that soil application TWDHLS at 80 mg L⁻¹ concentration showed better results on the growth of tea nursery plants similar to CHA, contrasting to the variation in their structural properties. Our findings revealed that TWDHLS could be used not only as a potential plant biostimulant but also as a better substitute for humic substances.

The immense protection potential of plant-derived products against heavy metal toxicity has become a considerable field of research. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the mitigative ability of turmeric against nickel (II) chloride (NiCl₂)-related toxicity in the roots of Allium cepa L. For this purpose, one control (treated with tap water) and five treatment groups (treated with 440 mg/L turmeric, 880 mg/L turmeric, 1 mg/L NiCI₂, 1 mg/L NiCI₂ + 440 mg/L turmeric, and 1 mg/L NiCI₂ + 880 mg/L turmeric, respectively) of Allium bulbs were established. Experimental conditions were maintained at room temperature for 3 days. Physiological, biochemical, cytogenetic, and meristematic integrity parameters were analyzed in all groups. NiCl₂ reduced germination percentage, root elongation, and weight gain. Following NiCl₂ application, the frequency of aberrant chromosomes and micronuclei increased, while mitotic index decreased. NiCl₂ caused an increase in oxidative stress, which was evident by increased malondialdehyde level and catalytic activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Epidermal and cortex cell injuries as well as deformed cell nuclei and indistinct transmission tissue were observed as a result of NiCl₂ treatment. When applied alone, turmeric, which did not cause any negative effects, led to an improvement in all parameters depending on the dose when applied together with NiCl₂. Data from the study suggests that turmeric has remarkable protection potential against NiCl₂ in Allium cepa.

In thirst for economic growth, economies are engaged in anti-environmental activities that drive them towards climate change and CO₂ emissions. Extensive CO₂ emissions is a serious threat around the globe, especially in low-income countries that can prove detrimental to the environment. To prevent the worst impacts of carbon emission, it becomes necessary to explore the cause of CO₂ emissions. In this vein, this work is conducted to evaluate the determinants of CO₂ emissions in low-income countries spanning from 2000 to 2020. For estimation of models, panel data techniques are employed. The outcome of the study revealed that trade FDI, urbanization, and GDP per capita are the main contributing factors to environmental degradation. Trade openness has also impacted environmental degradation positively but insignificantly. In contrast, population density and domestic credit to private sector (DCPS) have negatively impacted low-income countries’ carbon emissions. The study extended important policy implications to low-income countries’ governments and environmental policymakers.

Rapid urbanization with an increasing rate of urban built-up area is decreasing urban green space resulting in changing urban microclimate conditions showing increasing land surface temperature. A better understanding of these effects is important to formulate effective strategies in addressing the impact of increasing built-up area. Land surface temperature patterns in an urbanized city in Bangladesh (Mymensingh district) were investigated using Landsat satellite sensor data from 1988 to 2016. A total of nineteen Landsat satellite images were used to retrieve land surface temperature (LST), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and normalized difference built-up index (NDBI). The radiative transfer equation (RTE) model was applied to derive LST for the years 1988, 1992, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016. Further, the Landsat-derived LST results were compared with MODIS Terra satellite outputs (MOD11A1) for the validation of our study results. Our results showed NDVI higher in 2008 and lower in 2004, LST maximum in 1988 and minimum in 2008, and NDBI higher in 2004 and lower in 2012. Seasonally, summer was characterized by higher LST and winter by lower LST, while NDVI was higher in autumn and lower in winter, however, NDBI was higher in winter and lower in autumn. Spatially, a relatively higher LST and NDBI was observed in the southwest, followed by central, and northern regions, whereas the trend was opposite for NDVI. Using Pearson’s correlation, results showed a strong significant negative correlation between LST and NDVI and a positive significant correlation between LST and NDBI. Further, simple linear regression analysis revealed that LST decreased with increasing NDVI most quickly in 2012, followed by the years 2016, 2008, 1992, 1988, 1999, and 2004. On the other hand, LST increased with increasing NDBI most quickly in 1999, followed by the years 2016, 1988, 1992, 2012, 2004, and 2008. Thus, long-term observation suggested that urbanization had driven a decrease in green space while simultaneously increasing the land surface temperature within an urbanized area. This study has concluded that the protection of urban green spaces is needed as an effective step toward addressing adverse effects of regional climate change and desertification.

The materials showing multiple applications are appealing for their practical use and industrial production. To realize the suitable property for various applications, we have produced ZnS (sf-ZnS) and metal-doped ZnS nanoflakes (sf-m-ZnS; where m = Cu, Ni, Cd, Bi, or Mn) and correlated their activity with bandgap variation. We obtained all these materials via hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS)-assisted synthetic method without using any surfactants, polymers, or template molecules and characterized them thoroughly using various techniques. Photocatalytic, as well as antibacterial, activities of these materials showed their bifunctional utility. We have demonstrated the effect of doping and consequent extension of absorption band to the visible region and resultant improved photocatalytic activity under sunlight. Thus, the change in bandgap influenced their performance as photocatalysts. Among all materials produced, sf-Cd-ZnS provided superior results as a photocatalyst while degrading two organic pollutants—rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) in water. The antibacterial activity of sf-ZnS and sf-m-ZnS against Gram-positive bacteria, i.e., Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), was examined by the zone of inhibition method, wherein sf-Ni-ZnS showed maximum activity. The enhanced activity of these ZnS materials can be attributed to the free surface of nanoparticles without any capping by organic molecules, which provided an intimate interaction of inorganic semiconductor material with organic and biomolecules. Thus, we have demonstrated modification of properties both by bandgap tuning of materials and providing the opportunity for intimate interaction of materials with substrates. The photocatalytic activity and antibacterial action of metal-doped ZnS produced by our method exhibited their potential for environmental remediation, specifically water purification.