Article
Economics
Nahed Trabelsi, Younes Boujelbene
Summary: This paper focuses on analyzing the impact of public sector efficiency on economic growth. The study uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) and generalized method of moments (GMM) to examine the relationship. The findings suggest that increasing government expenditure reduces economic growth in developing countries. However, when government expenditure is interacted with public sector efficiency, efficiency can amplify the impact of public spending on economic growth. Moreover, higher efficiency leads to a lower optimal size of government expenditure required for maximizing growth.
JOURNAL OF THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
(2022)
Article
Management
Jesus T. Pastor, Jose L. Zofio, Juan Aparicio, Fernando Borras
Summary: The traditional approach decomposes profit inefficiency into technical and allocative components by projecting each firm's frontier based on a specific technical measure. However, in real life, firms are interested in benchmarking themselves against competitors who achieve the largest profit improvement given market prices. We propose a new decomposition that endogenizes the technical component and introduces a monetized version of the weighted additive model as a measure of technical inefficiency. We also present a normalized version of the reversed decomposition that is units' invariant.
JOURNAL OF THE OPERATIONAL RESEARCH SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
M. D. Ibrahim, A. A. Alola, D. C. Ferreira
Summary: This study evaluates the attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and finds that improvement in SDGs attainment in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries mainly results from technological advancement rather than catch-up efficiency. The study also highlights the importance of environmental performance and renewable energy-induced economic progress for sustainable green productivity in LAC countries.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND ASSESSMENTS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xianhua Wu, Zhiyong Ji, Yeming Gong, Yufeng Chen, Mehdi Toloo
Summary: This paper proposes a new data envelopment analysis model and concludes that adjusting preferences can impact overall efficiency as well as help decision makers achieve the goal of reducing haze.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lining Xing, Jun Li, Zhang Yu
Summary: This study examines the role of green finance in carbon emissions reduction and renewable energy development. The results indicate that China's green finance industry has grown quickly, but the simultaneous increase in carbon intensity has negatively impacted non-fossil energy usage and investment in green projects.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Economics
Jean-Louis Combes, Alexandru Minea, Pegdewende Nestor Sawadogo
Summary: The study found that total public spending does not affect government bond spreads, while higher current spending (i.e., public investment) may increase government bond spreads. The research also revealed nonlinearities in the impact of current spending on government bond spreads driven by the quality of institutions.
ECONOMIC MODELLING
(2021)
Article
Economics
Azadeh Pazouki, Xiaoxian Zhu
Summary: This paper empirically examines the direct and indirect effect of democracy on governmental expenditure in oil exporting countries, as well as the effect of oil volatility. The findings suggest that in democratic countries, an increase in oil volatility leads to an increase in government expenditure, while in non-democratic countries, the response to oil volatility fluctuates depending on the quality of political institutions. The study highlights the importance of strategic risk planning and government transparency for improving institutional quality.
Article
Economics
Joao Tovar Jalles
Summary: This paper examines the fiscal cyclicality measures of 36 advanced economies from 1970 to 2015, finding that government spending generally exhibits countercyclicality, but there is significant heterogeneity among countries. Countries with larger governments and better institutions tend to provide more fiscal stabilization.
ECONOMIC MODELLING
(2021)
Article
Business
Ibrahim H. Osman, Fouad Zablith
Summary: This study introduced a hybrid framework to analyze the relationship between EGDI and SDGs for 193 countries, finding significant changes in performance index weights and rankings for over 90% of the countries. Despite an increase in outcome effectiveness, the trend of SDG performance decreased due to less efficient resource utilization.
JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Mathematics
Mehdi Toloo
Summary: Linear fractional programming has been an important planning tool for the past four decades. The study shows the existence of two different dual problems for a linear programming problem under certain assumptions, making it easier to prove related duality theorems. The proposed approach is illustrated using a traditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to demonstrate its applicability.
Article
Public Administration
Vesna Garvanlieva Andonova, Borce Trenovski
Summary: The input and output efficiency of the public sectors, as well as the education and infrastructure sectors, in South East European (SEE) countries were assessed using non-parametric production frontier-data envelopment analysis (DEA). The results revealed significant differences in performance and efficiency among the countries. Albania was identified as the most efficient country, while Slovenia performed the best in SEE countries. The education and infrastructure sectors exhibited even more variations in efficiency, indicating room for improvement.
PUBLIC MONEY & MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Public Administration
Bassam Abdullah Albassam
Summary: This article examines the relationship between public expenditures and economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa region. The findings indicate that the current public expenditure system is inefficient and that effective public spending must be combined with other factors, such as enhancing public participation in state affairs, controlling corruption, and promoting good governance practices in the public sector.
INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mehdi Soltanifar, Madjid Tavana, Francisco J. Santos-Arteaga, Hamid Sharafi
Summary: This study proposes an integrated framework of multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to solve problems with heterogeneous attributes. The proposed model classifies attributes into desirable and undesirable categories and provides a method for aggregating weights and scores. The model was applied to European countries based on their fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and showed improved computational efficiency and decision-maker satisfaction compared to standard MADM techniques.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2023)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Gene M. Pesti, Mingan Choct
Summary: Current methods for feed formulation focus on cost reduction rather than profit maximization. The development of profit maximizing models will center on the production functions of broilers and layers, optimizing the relationship between the value of products and feed costs.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Aydin Ozdemir, Hakan Kitapci, Mehmet Sahin Gok, Ersan Cigerim
Summary: The study evaluated the efficiency of the operations strategy matrix in the healthcare system of U.S. states amid COVID-19, showing differences in efficiency between states, with inefficient states having larger population and GDP than efficient states.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Harini Narayanan, Mariano Nicolas Cruz Bournazou, Gonzalo Guillen Gosalbez, Alessandro Butte
Summary: This paper introduces a new hybrid modeling framework, the Functional-Hybrid model, which incorporates domain-specific functional beliefs and symbolic regression, showing strong interpretability and applicability in various fields. Compared to traditional hybrid models, the Functional-Hybrid model outperforms in situations with limited data and demonstrates superior extrapolation capabilities.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Husain Baaqel, Jason P. Hallett, Gonzalo Guillen-Gosalbez, Benoit Chachuat
Summary: This study compares the impact of different production routes on a specific ionic liquid, finding that halide-free synthesis can significantly reduce costs and environmental impacts, with better performance in the use phase. It underscores the importance of synthesizing routes of ILs on their sustainability and the need to comprehensively consider both the production and use phases of solvents for more accurate life-cycle assessments.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diego Iribarren, Raul Calvo-Serrano, Mario Martin-Gamboa, Angel Galan-Martin, Gonzalo Guillen-Gosalbez
Summary: This study presents the first social life cycle assessment of green methanol and compares it to conventional methanol. The results show that green methanol performs unfavorably in some negative social indicators, but outperforms conventional methanol in terms of economic development. Technical improvements and better social working conditions are needed to enhance the social life cycle performance of green methanol.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Selene Cobo, Angel Galan-Martin, Victor Tulus, Mark A. J. Huijbregts, Gonzalo Guillen-Gosalbez
Summary: This paper assesses the co-benefits and side-effects of DACCS and BECCS for human health and the planet. The health co-benefits of BECCS may exceed those of DACCS, but both technologies may lead to trade-offs between Earth-system processes.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Catia Azenha, Cecilia Mateos-Pedrero, Manuel Alvarez-Guerra, Angel Irabien, Adelio Mendes
Summary: A series of CuBi catalysts with different Bi loadings were prepared and tested for the electrochemical reduction of CO2. Two catalysts showed remarkable selectivity, one for formate production and the other for propane production. The superior catalytic behavior can be attributed to the presence of different CO2 adsorption sites on the catalyst surface.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Sudhagar Pitchaimuthu, Kishore Sridharan, Sanjay Nagarajan, Sengeni Ananthraj, Peter Robertson, Moritz F. Kuehnel, Angel Irabien, Mercedes Maroto-Valer
Summary: Green hydrogen, as a carbon-free renewable fuel, has the potential to reduce carbon emissions in various sectors. However, its generation is currently limited to water electrolysers, which are constrained by freshwater resources and critical raw materials. Photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis have been explored as alternative methods for green hydrogen generation, but the high costs hinder their commercial potential. The article discusses the possibility of using a novel photoelectrocatalytic process for simultaneous wastewater treatment, biomass reforming, and green hydrogen generation, which opens up opportunities for a circular economy and commercial viability.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrea Arguillarena, Maria Margallo, Angel Irabien, Ane Urtiaga
Summary: This paper conducted a life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental performance of the valorization of spent pickling acid generated in the hot-dip galvanizing process. The results showed that the implementation of the LIFE2ACID technology significantly improved the environmental performance of SPA management. The technology converted most of the impact categories into environmental benefits and reduced the global warming impact.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Azizbek Kamolov, Zafar Turakulov, Sarvar Rejabov, Guillermo Diaz-Sainz, Lucia Gomez-Coma, Adham Norkobilov, Marcos Fallanza, Angel Irabien
Summary: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main driver of climate change and carbon capture, storage, and utilization (CCSU) is considered a promising strategy to combat this issue. This study focuses on post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) techniques, particularly membrane separation technology, and compares it with other PCC methods based on key parameters. The research concludes that membrane separation is the most competitive technique in conventional absorption, provided that membrane materials and technology reach full commercialization stage.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kevin Fernandez-Caso, Ailen Pena-Rodriquez, Jose Solla-Gullon, Vicente Montiel, Guillermo Diaz-Sainz, Manuel Alvarez-Guerra, Angel Irabien
Summary: CO2 electroreduction is a promising way to reduce CO2 emissions and produce valuable products. This study explores the coupling of CO2 electroreduction to formate with glycerol electrooxidation to high-added value products. The results show significant progress in both cathodic formate production and anodic dihydroxyacetone production.
JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Kevin Fernandez-Caso, Guillermo Diaz-Sainz, Manuel Alvarez-Guerra, Angel Irabien
Summary: The study of electrochemical CO2 reduction for obtaining formate (HCOO-) or formic acid (HCOOH) has gained significant attention as a promising technology. Recent years have seen an increase in research approaches focusing on continuous-mode operation for practical implementation. This Focus Review provides a comprehensive discussion of studies on continuous electroreduction of CO2 to HCOO-/HCOOH, considering different process design features and assessing their performance, including energy consumption.
ACS ENERGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Javier Fernandez-Gonzalez, Marta Rumayor, Antonio Dominguez-Ramos, Angel Irabien, Inmaculada Ortiz
Summary: The development of emerging decarbonization technologies requires advanced tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for decision-making and promoting sustainability. Most environmental studies in this field have focused on carbon footprint and have not explored global sustainability implications. The recently proposed Planetary Boundaries (PBs) methodology can be used to determine the distance to the ideal reference state. This study highlights the role of LCA in developing emerging technologies and showcases its potential through a case study.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jose Antonio Abarca, Guillermo Diaz-Sainz, Ivan Merino-Garcia, Garikoitz Beobide, Jonathan Albo, Angel Irabien
Summary: An automated spray pyrolysis technique coupled with a plasma surface treatment was used to fabricate Bi-based gas diffusion electrodes, improving the electroreduction of CO2 to formate. The optimal fabrication conditions were determined by evaluating three fabrication parameters. The results showed good reproducibility of the fabrication method and higher formate rates compared to manual airbrushing. Plasma treatment also increased formate concentration. This research provides insights into more efficient methods for CO2 electroreduction electrode manufacturing and brings this technology closer to an industrial scale.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Guillermo Diaz-Sainz, Kevin Fernandez-Caso, Tiago Lagarteira, Sofia Delgado, Manuel Alvarez-Guerra, Adelio Mendes, Angel Irabien
Summary: CO2 electroreduction to formic acid and formate has attracted significant research attention. This study focuses on finding low-cost and stable materials that can compete with traditional Pt-based electrodes. The use of hand-made NiO-based anodes in the continuous CO2 electroreduction process has shown excellent performance.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
D. Faust Akl, D. Poier, S. C. D'Angelo, T. P. Araujo, V Tulus, O. Safonova, S. Mitchell, R. Marti, G. Guillen-Gosalbez, J. Perez-Ramirez
Summary: The Pd-Cu catalysed Sonogashira coupling is a significant strategy for C-C bond formation. Traditional homogeneous systems are not reusable, but using heterogeneous catalysts based on isolated metal atoms allows for efficient Pd utilization. Recovering and reusing Pd atoms anchored on nitrogen-doped carbon is possible. The hybrid homogeneous-heterogeneous catalytic process has a smaller footprint compared to the purely homogeneous process.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Toshimi Nakajima, Mao Kuragano, Makoto Yamada, Ryo Sugimoto
Summary: This study compared the contribution of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to river nutrient budgets at nearshore and embayment scales, and found that SGD-derived nutrients become more important at larger spatial scales.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fan Liu, Lei Zhang, Chongyang Zhang, Ziguang Chen, Jingguang Li
Summary: NO2 emissions from wall-mounted gas stoves used for household heating have become a significant source of indoor pollution in Chinese urban areas. The high indoor concentration of NO2 poses potential health risks to residents. It is urgently necessary to establish relevant regulations and implement emission reduction technologies to reduce NO2 emissions from wall-mounted gas stoves.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Letter
Environmental Sciences
Hans Peter H. Arp, Raoul Wolf, Sarah E. Hale, Sivani Baskaran, Juliane Gluege, Martin Scheringer, Xenia Trier, Ian T. Cousins, Harrie Timmer, Roberta Hofman-Caris, Anna Lennquist, Andre D. Bannink, Gerard J. Stroomberg, Rosa M. A. Sjerps, Rosa Montes, Rosario Rodil, Jose Benito Quintana, Daniel Zahn, Herve Gallard, Tobias Mohr, Ivo Schliebner, Michael Neumann
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Philomina Onyedikachi Peter, Binessi Edouard Ifon, Francois Nkinahamira, Kayode Hassan Lasisi, Jiangwei Li, Anyi Hu, Chang-Ping Yu
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between dissolved organic matter (DOM) and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in sediments from Yundang Lagoon, China. The results show four distinct fluorescent components, with protein-like substances being the most prevalent. Additionally, the total fluorescence intensity and LREE concentrations exhibit a synchronized increase from Outer to Inner to Songbai Lake core sediments. The findings demonstrate a strong correlation between DOM content and pollution levels.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Surya Gupta, Pasquale Borrelli, Panos Panagos, Christine Alewell
Summary: The objective of this study is to incorporate soil hydraulic properties into the erodibility factor (K) of USLE-type models. By modifying and improving the existing equations for soil texture and permeability, the study successfully included information on saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) into the calculation of K factor. Using the Random Forest machine learning algorithm, two independent K factor maps with different spatial resolutions were generated. The results show that the decrease in K factor values has a positive impact on the modeling of soil erosion rates.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jesmin Akter, Wendy J. M. Smith, Yawen Liu, Ilho Kim, Stuart L. Simpson, Phong Thai, Asja Korajkic, Warish Ahmed
Summary: The choice of workflow in wastewater surveillance has a significant impact on SARS-CoV-2 concentrations, while having minimal effects on HF183 and no effect on HAdV 40/41 concentrations. Certain components in the workflow can be interchangeable, but factors such as buffer type, chloroform, and homogenization speed can affect the recovery of viruses and bacteria.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Luo, Xueting Yang, Diwei Wang, Hongmei Xu, Hongai Zhang, Shasha Huang, Qiyuan Wang, Ningning Zhang, Junji Cao, Zhenxing Shen
Summary: Atmospheric PM2.5, which can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), is associated with cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. The study found that both the mass concentration of PM2.5 and the DTT activity were higher during the heating season than during the nonheating season. Combustion sources were the primary contributors to DTT activity during the heating season, while secondary formation dominated during the nonheating season. The study also revealed that biomass burning had the highest inherent oxidation potential among all sources investigated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erin L. Murphy, Leah R. Gerber, Chelsea M. Rochman, Beth Polidoro
Summary: Plastic pollution has devastating consequences for marine organisms. This study uses a trait-based framework to develop a vulnerability index for marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles in Hawai'i. The index ranks 63 study species based on their vulnerability to macroplastic pollution, providing valuable information for species monitoring and management priorities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kenji Maurice, Amelia Bourceret, Sami Youssef, Stephane Boivin, Liam Laurent-Webb, Coraline Damasio, Hassan Boukcim, Marc-Andre Selosse, Marc Ducousso
Summary: Growing pressure from climate change and agricultural land use is destabilizing soil microbial community interactions. Little is known about microbial community resistance and adaptation to disturbances, hindering our understanding of recovery latency and implications for ecosystem functioning. This study found that anthropic disturbance and natural disturbance have different effects on the topology and stability of soil microbial networks.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yunhao Li, Yali Feng, Haoran Li, Yisong Yao, Chenglong Xu, Jinrong Ju, Ruiyu Ma, Haoyu Wang, Shiwei Jiang
Summary: Deep-sea mining poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems and human health by disturbing sediment and transmitting metal ions through the food chain. This study developed a new regenerative adsorption material, OMN@SA, which effectively removes metal ions. The adsorption mechanism and performance of the material for metal ion fixation were investigated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Antonio Medici, Margherita Lavorgna, Marina Isidori, Chiara Russo, Elena Orlo, Giovanni Luongo, Giovanni Di Fabio, Armando Zarrelli
Summary: Valsartan, a widely used antihypertensive drug, has been detected in high concentrations in surface waters due to its unchanged excretion and incomplete degradation in wastewater treatment plants. This study investigated the degradation of valsartan and identified 14 degradation byproducts. The acute and chronic toxicity of these byproducts were evaluated in key organisms in the freshwater trophic chain.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiang Lin, Lianbao Chi, Qing Yuan, Busu Li, Mingbao Feng
Summary: This study investigated the photodegradation behavior and product formation of two representative pharmaceuticals in simulated estuary water. The study found that the formed transformation products of these pharmaceuticals have potential toxicity on marine organisms, including oxidative stress and damage to cellular components.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hua Fang, Dongdong Jiang, Ye He, Siyi Wu, Yuehong Li, Ziqi Zhang, Haoting Chen, Zixin Zheng, Yan Sun, Wenxiang Wang
Summary: This study revealed that exposure to lower levels of air pollutants led to decreased pregnancy rates, with PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO emerging as the four most prominent pollutants. Individuals aged 35 and above exhibited heightened susceptibility to pollutants.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ali Shaan Manzoor Ghumman, Rashid Shamsuddin, Amin Abbasi, Mohaira Ahmad, Yoshiaki Yoshida, Abdul Sami, Hamad Almohamadi
Summary: In this study, inverse vulcanized polysulfides (IVP) were synthesized by reacting molten sulfur with 4-vinyl benzyl chloride, and then functionalized using N-methyl D-glucamine (NMDG). The functionalized IVP showed a high mercury adsorption capacity and a machine learning model was developed to predict the amount of mercury removed. Furthermore, the functionalized IVP can be regenerated and reused, providing a sustainable and cost-effective adsorbent.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rita Bonfiglio, Renata Sisto, Stefano Casciardi, Valeria Palumbo, Maria Paola Scioli, Erica Giacobbi, Francesca Servadei, Gerry Melino, Alessandro Mauriello, Manuel Scimeca
Summary: This study investigated the presence of aluminum in human colon cancer samples and its potential association with biological processes involved in cancer progression. Aluminum was found in tumor areas of 24% of patients and was associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell death. Additional analyses revealed higher tumor mutational burden and mutations in genes related to EMT and apoptosis in aluminum-positive colon cancers. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of aluminum toxicity may improve strategies for the management of colon cancer patients.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)