Sustainable Regeneration Research Articles

Feminist imaginings in the face of automation and the “end of work”: De-automating reproduction and reorganizing kinship

Automation is once again raising concerns about the threat it poses to employment. Feminists in the 20th century believed that technology could liberate women from undesirable labor. However, historically, industry and automation have not reduced women’s workloads but have instead favored unpaid work, flexibility, and work overload. Rather than mitigating the care and ecological crises, technological development has exacerbated them. This raises an important question for feminist theory: should technology be rejected as a way of reducing women’s workload? To explore this, we analyze classical and contemporary contributions from feminist theorists on the future of work and technology. Using philosophical and feminist theoretical methods, our aim is to examine the relationships between these imaginings and home, family, design, and consumption. This article argues that a feminist analysis of work must include the technological dimension, considering the production of human beings as a strategic technology for feminist purposes. To imagine an alternative near future, the article draws on Donna Haraway’s making kin, emphasizing defamiliarization and refamiliarization of social and ecological relations, pluralist science, and technology for sustainable regeneration of life; and finally, as suggested in this analysis, the ironic persistence of labour in a post-industrial or post-capitalist era.

Memory and Identity: Citizen Perception in the Processes of Heritage Enhancement and Regeneration in Obsolete Neighborhoods—The Case of Polígono de San Pablo, Seville

The designation of which resources are valued as emerging heritage is at a turning point. This has resulted in urban heritage regeneration processes designed from the top down, neglecting the perception of the local. This article highlights the importance of generating participatory multi-actor spaces where the knowledge of agents involved in the same process of urban regeneration, in this case linked to heritage in obsolete neighborhoods, can be incorporated and contrasted. The San Pablo neighborhood in Seville, built in the 1960s, is chosen as a case study. Actor–network theory is taken as a methodological basis for articulating a network with the voices of agents involved in heritage regeneration processes in obsolete neighborhoods. A methodology designed from the bottom up is put into practice, having as a base the social agents, followed by the academy, and finally with the technical knowledge of official institutions. This research concludes that incorporating the elderly population as social agents in regenerative actions in the San Pablo neighborhood is a determining factor in characterizing its uniqueness. Collective memory naturally associates resources that are part of the social identity of the neighborhood. Due to its deep roots, the older population recognizes different elements that could be protected and possibly recognized as emerging heritage, and that technical agents should consider them to achieve sustainable regeneration.

Promoting Rooting and Vegetative Growth in 41 B Vine Rootstock Cuttings with Encapsulated Nano Silver and IBA Applications

Globally, viticulture is carried on by grafting onto vine rootstocks obtained by hybridizing different vitis species or on their own roots due to their tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, especially phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae). Sustainable regeneration of vineyard areas and new vineyard establishments require significant amounts of vine saplings each year. In addition to hormonal applications, nano products are also tested in the production of high quality vine nursery material. In this study, single nodal cuttings prepared from the vine rootstock 41 B (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Chasselas × Vitis berlandieri) in the resting period were used as plant material. The effects of encapsulated nano silver particles (AgNPs, 0.5 mg L-1 and 1 mg L-1), and IBA (0 and 1 g L-1) applications produced by green synthesis with cv. Öküz Gözü grape seed extract and AgNO3 on promoting rooting and vegetative growth in 41 B vine rootstock cuttings were evaluated in this study. AgNPs and IBA applications promoted rooting of cuttings, and vegetative growth of rooted cuttings. Applications increased shoot length, shoot diameter, number of nodes, fresh and dry weights of roots and shoots, and the highest value among these was achieved by the 1 mg L-1 AgNPs application. Leaf area and chlorophyll content (SPAD value) were determined by 1 g L-1 IBA application. AgNPs and IBA treatments resulted in increased rooting and vegetative growth compared to control. In conclusion, 1 mg L-1 AgNPs was recommended for vine propagation material and sapling producers as nano promotors for rooting and vegetative growth of 41 B rootstock cuttings.

Triggering sustainable regeneration of Fe2+ by S-scheme Bi2Fe4O9/BiOBr heterojunction toward highly efficient peroxymonosulfate activation for visible-light-driven removal of thiabendazole

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-assisted photocatalytic processes are economical and green strategies for the treatment of pesticide pollution. However, its degradation efficiency is severely hindered by the sluggish kinetics of active centers regeneration and low charge-transfer. Herein, S-scheme Bi2Fe4O9/BiOBr heterogeneous material was designed to activate PMS for thiabendazole (TBZ) degradation. Bi2Fe4O9 and BiOBr have similar structural unit of [Bi2O2]2+ to share the Bi-O bonds, which is favorable to form asymmetric interface and enhance the polarization. Based on these unique characteristics between Bi2Fe4O9 and BiOBr, a robust internal electric field in the S-scheme heterojunction is built, which could provide driving force to boost the electron-transfer process and encourage the sustainable regeneration of Fe2+. After optimizing the proportion of Bi2Fe4O9 on the composite, it was found that 50 wt% Bi2Fe4O9/BiOBr (BFB-50) exhibits the best TBZ removal efficiency after 30 min visible light irradiation, which is 2.25 and 12 folds compared to Bi2Fe4O9 and BiOBr, respectively. Furthermore, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and radical trapping experiments indicate that 1O2 and SO4•- involving oxidation mechanism impart maximum contribution towards TBZ degradation. The possible pathways of TBZ degradation are reasonably proposed by the HPLC-MS and the toxicity evolution of TBZ is appraised using the ECOSAR software. This study provides an insight into the fabrication of S-scheme heterojunction for environment remediation through the photocatalysis/sulfate-mediated advanced oxidation process.

One-pot preparation of layered double oxides-engineered biochar for the sustained removal of tetracycline in water

Tetracycline (TC) and sugarcane bagasse had both exerted enormous strain on environmental security. In this work, new composite adsorbent designed by impregnating bio-waste bagasse with magnesium–aluminum layered double oxides (BC-MA) was innovatively brought forward for TC removal. Benefiting from the abundant adsorption sites supplied by developed pores structure (0.308 cm3·g−1), enlarged surface area (256.8 m2·g−1) and reinforced functional groups, the maximum adsorption amount of BC-MA for TC reached 250.6 mg g−1. Moreover, BC-MA displayed desirable adsorption capacity in diverse water environments coupled with excellent sustainable regeneration ability. The absorption process of TC by BC-MA was spontaneous and endothermic, and the pivotal rate-limiting stage pertained to intraparticle diffusion. The mechanisms proposed here mainly concerned π-π interactions, pore filling, complexation and hydrogen bonding. These findings suggested that the synthesis of modified biochar from bagasse would offer new opportunities for simultaneous waste resource reuse and water pollution control.

Greenwood regeneration status in community forests of Chiti Lamjung Nepal

Forest regeneration is the process by which new tree seedlings become entrenched after forest trees have been harvested or destroyed by fire, insects, or diseases. The process is key to sustainable forestry and can be accomplished through natural regeneration, which occurs when new seedlings or sprouts are produced by trees left on or near the site. The study is to calculate the regeneration status of the tree species in community-managed forests. The sampling points were generated by using the random table. The sample quadrate size was taken 20m×20m for a tree, 5m×5m for a sapling, and 1m×1m for the seedling. In five community forests, altogether 30 quadrates were taken for a tree, 60 nested quadrates were taken for a sapling and 120 nested quadrates were taken for a seedling. The tree layer, sapling layer and seedling layer were differentiated by taking reference tothe Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) class. An individual having DBH ≥ 5cm is considered a tree, an individual having DBH value between 1cm to < 5cm is considered a sapling, and individuals having 1cm to < 5cm DBH are considered as a seedling. The DBH distribution curve was obtained by plotting diameter class in x- axis and density on y- axis. All studied community forests are mixed forest dominated by tree species Castanopsis indica, Diospyros embryopteris (Diospyros malabarica), Shorea robusta, and Schima wallichii (Schima wallichii choisy). The regeneration potential of the Tilahar community forest(CF) is found high despite high grazing and other human intervention. The DBH class distribution curve of tree species is found as inverse J-shape, indicating that the overall forest has a sustainable regeneration.

Sustainable regeneration of high-performance LiCoO2 from completely failed lithium-ion batteries

Utilising the solid-state synthesis method is an easy and effective way to recycle spent lithium-ion batteries. However, verifying its direct repair effects on completely exhausting cathode materials is necessary. In this work, the optimal conditions for direct repair of completely failed cathode materials by solid-state synthesis are explored. The discharge capacity of spent LiCoO2 cathode material is recovered from 21.7 mAh g−1 to 138.9 mAh g−1 under the optimal regeneration conditions of 850 °C and n(Li)/n(Co) ratio of 1:1. The regenerated materials show excellent electrochemical performance, even greater than the commercial LiCoO2. In addition, based on the whole closed-loop recycling process, the economic and environmental effects of various recycling techniques and raw materials used in the battery production process are assessed, confirming the superior economic and environmental feasibility of direct regeneration method.

High-efficiency recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries: A double closed-loop process

Due to the scarcity of raw materials and negative environmental effects, it is essential to selectively recover lithium and other transition metals from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here, we propose a dual closed-loop process for resource utilization of spent LIBs. As an alternative to strong inorganic acids, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) as green solvents are employed for the recycling of spent LIBs. The DES based on oxalic acid (OA) and choline chloride (ChCl) achieves efficient leaching of valued metals within a short time. Through the coordination adjustment of water, it can form high-value battery precursors directly in DES, changing wastes into valuables. Meanwhile, water as a diluent can achieve the selective separation of lithium ions via filtration. More importantly, DES can be perfectly re-generated and recycled many times, indicating that the process is cost-effective and eco-friendly. As experimental proof, the re-generated precursors were used to produce new Li(Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3)O2 (NCM523) button batteries. The constant current charge-discharge test revealed that the initial charge and discharge values of the re-generated cells were 177.1 and 149.5 mAh/g, respectively, corresponding to the performance of commercial NCM523 cells. The whole recycling process is clean, efficient, and environment-friendly, realizing the double closed loop of spent battery regeneration and deep eutectic solvent re-use. This fruitful research demonstrates DES has excellent potential for recycling spent LIBs and provides an efficient and eco-friendly double closed-loop solution for the sustainable re-generation of spent LIBs.

Sustainable Regeneration of Spent Graphite as a Cathode Material for a High-Performance Dual-Ion Battery

A resource-efficient and energy-saving recycling process is vital for establishing a sustainable circular economy of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we propose and use a one-step water-based recycling process to recycle and regenerate the graphite anode materials from spent LIBs. This process can not only successfully regenerate graphite from a solid electrolyte interface, dead lithium, and residual electrolyte and maintain its long-range-ordered layer graphite structure but also enlarge the interlayer distance and introduce abundant oxygen-containing functional groups to the as-regenerated graphite. Our electrochemical characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that expanded interlayer spacing and the oxygen-containing moieties make the regenerated graphite more suitable for storing PF6– rather than Li+. As such, the as-regenerated graphite facilitates resultant graphite dual-ion batteries (GDIBs) with impressive rate performance and stability, for example, an 85.3% capacity retention even after 500 cycles at 1 A g–1. Such a simple waste-to-resource strategy proposed in this work is expected to provide a low-cost and inspiring recycling pathway for spent LIBs and enable the sustainable manufacturing of GDIBs.

Regenerative Design of Archaeological Sites: A Pedagogical Approach to Boost Environmental Sustainability and Social Engagement

Sustainable pedagogical approaches and practices have changed during the years, generating a set of philosophical, theoretical, and scientific concepts. Inside them, regenerative design is a proactive method based on systemic frameworks and developmental processes for maintaining the integrity of natural ecosystems, also enhancing human life, environmental awareness, social equity, and economic sustainability through the support of codesign techniques. This approach is widely used in architectural design, both for existing and heritage buildings, to address negative impacts of global warming, climate change, urban sprawl, touristic pressure, and other contemporary challenging phenomena. Specific workflows for archaeological sites have been never proposed, despite the fact that these sites face problems and risks completely different from other cultural heritage settings (e.g., physical development, pollution, tourism pressure, vandalism, looting, inappropriate excavations or interventions, lack of maintenance, funding, and legislation). This study presents a multicriteria decision analysis workflow for preserving and regenerating archaeological sites in a sustainable way through a deep understanding of current problems, values, features, and risks at urban and building levels. This method is tested with a pedagogical experiment at the UNESCO Site of Casterseprio (Italy), to investigate the interaction between heritage, environmental, social, and economic dynamics as well as to define its feasibility, applicability, limitations, and opportunities for further developments. The didactic process is supported by a participatory program among the key players of the site (owners, heritage and public authorities, and local associations), to create strong public support and a shared vision of the sustainable regeneration of the area. Differences between traditional and regenerative design processes, key design principles, shared criteria, replicability, novelty, and limitations of the pedagogic approach are also identified. Key findings of the present study are: (i) students need clear and shared design workflows for supporting their design projects; (ii) “regenerative design” involves multilevel dynamic training methodologies that motivate and involve the student while also improving their consciousness; (iii) the cooperation and the involvement of the stakeholders is important to favor a human-centered approach based also on social and economic interactions; (iv) digital technologies are fundamental for quantifying the key performance indicators in each design stage; (v) “regenerative design” boosts long-term planning and financial self-sustainability of the intervention; and (vi) multicultural design teams producing more innovative design ideas.

Spatial clustering-based method for Italian marginal areas toward the sustainable regeneration

In Italy, there is a clear disparity between cities and villages located in marginal areas. The progressive depopulation of inland areas and the urban polarization represent consolidated dynamics difficult to adapt to the new paradigm of sustainable development. The post-Covid-19 pandemic scenario offers the opportunity to redefine new parameters of intervention and new visions for the regeneration of villages in accord with the new challenges of decentralization and distancing. The project «Renaissance of villages for the revitalization of marginal areas» (2021) aims to create the conditions to repopulate and rebalance shrinking territories by establishing new centres of attractiveness. This project envisages the active involvement of municipalities to implement multi-sectoral analysis and spatial assessment approaches in planning processes. It intends to develop an interactive web dashboard for local authorities and spatial planners to create both a learning environment and a participative spatial decision support system for future local policy actions toward sustainable local development. This study presents the project’s preliminary phase which aims to create the general framework of the web dashboard. A reconstruction of the village definition and the spatial selection of villages throughout Italy are presented as innovative aspects since the absence of an agreed definition of the village in the national and international level documents. Moreover, this study provides a quantitative spatial multivariate analysis cluster that analyzes, and groups Italian territories based on socioeconomic dynamics. The result of this analysis allows us to divide the territory into archetypes and to structure a framework that supports the definition of future scenarios for the regeneration of small urban areas considering the diversified needs and potential of the villages belonging to specific archetypes analyzed in the study.

Alliance: the sustainable regeneration of al-Azbakeya historical garden

While the world is heading towards sustainability and climate action, Cairo is losing its greeneries. The project site lies in al-Azbakeya historical garden that lost more than 75% of its area to concrete structures, it is a part of historical Khedival Cairo that suffers from urban deterioration, high population, and pollution [1]. The project is a complex building that aims at converting al-Azbakeya garden into a hub of sustainable and green urbanism [2]. It also targets social and economic sustainability by tackling the problem of street vendors. The design approach is reached through site analysis to determine the challenges and opportunities of the site, and the project's targeted environmental, social, and economic impacts. Then, a functional program is established to integrate governmental and non-governmental organizations to provide collaborative sustainable solutions. The objectives are met by using four architectural design features: pixel-like interlocking masses, natural light, small buildings with local and recycled materials, and natural materials integrating with the garden context. Sustainable technologies are used in irrigation, energy use, and water use to ensure environmental sustainability [3]. Environmental analyses are developed to test the project's efficiency using Digital software plugins as Revit-Insight. Area Analysis is also carried out to check area distribution among different functions, while the Circulation Analysis shows best entrances and passages for pedestrians. The results are adding around 13 000 sqm (68% of total area) of green areas to the compact urban area, providing developed businesses in a regulated retail area for street vendors converting their problem into an asset supporting the Circular Economy Strategy, and reviving the livability of the community by cultural spaces like bookstores, open theater, and a second hand market promoting smart reuse. The project fulfills its objectives and meets the sustainable development goals 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16.

Removal of PFAS from groundwater using weak‐base anion exchange resins

AbstractThis research provides new insights on the application of weak‐base (WB) anion exchange resins (AERs) for groundwater treatment of six perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) with different properties. Continuous‐flow column adsorption and regeneration experiments involving WB, polyacrylic, and WB, polystyrene resins were conducted considering salt‐only regeneration solutions and two representative strong‐base (SB)‐AERs of analogous polymer composition and a third solution of methanol/salt used as baseline for comparison. The WB, polyacrylic resin was regenerated using salt‐only solutions of NaOH due to deprotonation of the tertiary amine functional group at alkaline pH. However, organic cosolvent was required to weaken the hydrophobic interactions between PFAAs and the nonpolar WB, polystyrene resin. Removal was predominantly influenced by polymer composition with free‐base WB‐AERs exhibiting similar selectivity and higher capacity as SB resin counterparts. This work highlights WB‐AER selection based on PFAA‐selective removal and more sustainable regeneration strategies.

Modelling and Assessing Sustainable Urban Regeneration for Historic Urban Quarters via Analytical Hierarchy Process

The push for urban development and the rapid increase in population have left many historic urban cores vulnerable and subject to deterioration. SDG-11 is often mentioned as the goal in UNDP regeneration, revitalization, and preservation projects regarding historic urban sites around the globe. The goal emphasizes 10 targets that are complex in nature and require closer inspection regarding their interconnectedness when being utilized in real-world scenarios. The current study explores the complexities of the decision-making process in planning urban regeneration projects concerning targets of SDG-11. The study uses a Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) method to investigate how and to what significance the targeted criteria were used in planning for two UNDP urban regeneration project zones in Cyprus. These cases have a complex cultural and socio-political dynamic and pose high contextual significance for the region; therefore, many of these targets are critical in achieving more sustainable regeneration projects. The data collection was done by critically examining the projects’ documentation and conducting interviews with experts involved in the two projects. The data is controlled for internal consistency and anomalies. The study makes its case by comparing the different approaches implemented in these two projects and how effective they were in achieving SDG-11 targets.

Making our industrial heritage work for the future, in the context of climate change

As Climate Change continues to drive major changes in policy and practice on a global scale, the role of industrial heritage is becoming increasingly important. There remains strong pressure from business interests to clear away the past and start again from a blank canvas, but now there are growing arguments for an alternative approach which re-cycles the carbon already invested in industrial buildings and structures and gives them a second life. There is also an increasing number of examples that demonstrate the power of industrial heritage to drive sustainable regeneration and re-vitalization schemes across the world. Significantly, this trend is not confined to the most attractive, aesthetically pleasing structures – a wide variety of industrial sites have been imaginatively adapted to a new life and in many cases have helped engineer a vibrant future for previously marginalised communities and areas.In Scotland, our national heritage body, Historic Environment Scotland, recently published it’s ‘Climate Action Strategy’. At its heart is the ambition to transform the challenge facing us from one in which our heritage is a victim, instead harnessing it and all its attributes in the battle against Climate Change. This paper will argue that industrial heritage is especially well placed to do this.

Euro-Med Abandoned Small(er) Towns. A landscape/ecological urbanism perspective for sustainable regeneration in Basilicata inlands

Inside a Mediterranean scenario of population asymmetries, this paper talks about and ongoing research that aims to highlight issues, identify a working method and tools able to support sustainable regenerative design strategies for abandoned historical small(er) towns and their landscapes, especially in inlands contexts. With these objectives, the research chooses Basilicata region, in the South of Italy, as emblematic for its structural marginality- morphological, infrastructural, social and economic -, bio-cultural diverse and diffused heritage and its seemingly unreversible depopulation process. Aging, low birth rates and high level of emigration has produced the abandonment of small(er) towns, of rural areas and, by the contrary, an increasing wilderness, changing the millennial settlement structure and impacting on socio-ecological resilience. Inside the theoretical framework of landscape/ecological urbanism and related design- oriented experimentations, the constellation of abandoned small(er) towns are interpreted as urban densities of a performative bio-cultural green infrastructure that could support, through design, the contemporary challenge of sustainable development, with a relational and glocal approach. Small(er) towns regeneration is view inside a more complex, interdisciplinary and holistic frame in which inter-scalarity, flux, dynamic and time variability are crucial. Performative bio-cultural green infrastructure, through the multiplication of public space, could support sustainable processes, in an ecological, economic and social sense. From an applicational point of view, the research intends to build a dynamic atlas for the regeneration of abandoned small(er) towns; the atlas is conceived both as a reading and a design tool able to support polyphonic and open process of sustainable regeneration.

Functional Human iPSC-Derived Thymic Epithelial Progenitor Cells Reconstitute T Cell Development and Function in an In Vivo Model of Thymic Aplasia

The thymus is an essential primary lymphoid organ in which T cells mature, proliferate, and acquire a broad and self-tolerant T cell receptor repertoire. In the thymus, specialized thymic epithelial cells (TECs) select T cells capable of recognizing foreign antigens, and eliminate self-reactive T cells to prevent autoimmunity. In addition, the thymus also contributes to the differentiation of regulatory T cells which confine immune responses to actively preserve central tolerance. During thymic development, the interactions between hematopoietic lymphoid progenitor cells and thymic epithelial progenitor cells (TEPCs) provides indispensable signals to the development of the thymic epithelium. In humans, unlike in mice, the development of the thymus is completed before birth. There is no evidence of thymic stem cells that could contribute to a sustained regeneration of the thymic epithelium throughout life. Accordingly, the thymus has no endogenous capacity to regenerate. The thymus peaks in size during infancy and involutes with age, leading to the weakened immune function of the elderly known as immune senescence. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a curative strategy for many malignant and non-malignant hematopoietic diseases, however, often at the cost of causing severe thymic dysfunction due to conditioning medications and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This can severely impair T cell immune reconstitution post-HSCT leading to life-threatening complications. In addition, genetic forms of congenital athymia (e.g. 22q11 Deletion Syndrome, TBX1, TBX2, PAX1, and CHD7 deficiency) can result in absence of T cell development. Complete congenital athymia is fatal early in life unless immune reconstitution is achieved by allogeneic thymus transplantation. However, the shortage of transplantable donor thymus tissue and lack of HLA-matching between donor and recipient limits the use of allogeneic thymus transplantation to a small number of children with complete congenital athymia. Thus, there is a critical unmet clinical need to provide HLA-matched thymic tissues for a larger group of patients with irreversible thymic injury and severe thymic dysfunction. Creating a regenerative thymus replacement therapy by generating functional TEPCs from induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has been a longstanding aspiration of the transplant community. We have taken a novel approach by developing a robust in vitro TEPC differentiation protocol that sequentially induces all stages of human thymic ontogeny including bipotent third (III) pharyngeal pouch endoderm (PPEIII), ventralization of the PPE (PPEv), and TEPC commitment, usually lymphoid dependent. Here, we show that TEPCs from various iPSC-lines (tissue source, donor age and sex) express key markers of thymic epithelial fate and function, including FOXN1, PAX1, PAX9, HLA-DR. To examine their functional capacity, we transplanted iPSC-derived TEPCs under the kidney capsule of humanized (hCD34+ HSCs engrafted) athymic NSG-nude mice (NOD.scid.Il2Rγcnull, Foxn1null knockout allele). We observed robust hCD3+ development (40-60% out of hCD45 population) with CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (±70% and ±25%, respectively) at different stages of maturation (17% CD45RA+ CD45RO-, naïve; 80% CD45RA- CD45RO+, memory). Similar levels of T cells were found in mice that received human fetal thymus transplants, while T cells were not detected in NSG-nude mice without any thymus graft (primary or iPSC-derived). Mice with iPSC-derived thymus grafts had no clinical signs of autoimmunity or GVHD. In vivo matured grafts express levels of FOXN1, PAX1, PAX9, DLL4, PSMB11 and CD205 protein that are comparable to primary thymus tissue grafts. Altogether, our protocol reliably produces functional TEPCs from a diverse set of iPSCs that support T cell differentiation in vivo. We are currently characterizing the transcriptomic and epigenomic profile of iPSC-derived TEPCs on a single cell level before and after transplant. In addition, we are examining in vivo T cell function by analyzing the TCR repertoire and response to T-cell dependent antigens. We foresee that iPSC-derived TEPCs will offer a safe alternative as an HLA-matched thymic replacement therapy that will benefit a large cohort of patients, i.e. patients undergoing HSCT and patients receiving solid organ transplants in addition to patients with congenital thymic aplasia.

Analysis of Occupant Behaviours in Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Projects

This review of studies into Energy Efficiency Retrofitting (EER) has shown the practice of EER to be a key factor in sustainability regeneration. Thus, the retrofitting practice itself (the way it is organised) has received increasing attention from both practitioners and researchers, and studies are now addressing some issues that are affecting the retrofit level of achievement. Most of the risks which lead to low retrofit development are related to owners. This paper aims highlight the role of the occupants in achieving the goals of EER. It is found that: (a) the early involvement of occupants in the design and construction stage, (b) mutual engagement, and (c) an integral approach that involves the occupants are the key to motivate EER decisions from these same occupants. It follows that this involvement, including the demographic characteristics of the occupants, such as their culture, habits, preferences, awareness towards energy saving and socio-economic factors, are indeed effective in influencing the energy-related behaviours of these occupants. Moreover, other factors, such as space-heating behaviour, presence/absence of the occupants, control level of the equipment and window, and lighting control behaviour, are all effective factors in the energy performance of the buildings. Hence, socio-technical advancements, co-design processes and effective energy efficiency policies are recommended strategies to: (a) improve occupants’ behaviours; and (b) increase their participation in EER projects.

Enhanced fluoride adsorption and regeneration efficiency of cross-linker-free mesoporous hydroxyapatite/chitosan nanocomposites

The presence of F− ions in water is either a helpful or harmful outcome, contingent upon the concentration level of the pollutant. In this work, hydroxyapatite/chitosan (HAp/CS) nanocomposites were prepared incorporating varying weight percentages of chitosan with HAp, using co-precipitation followed by lyophilization without employing any cross-linking agents for the adsorption of F− ions. An increase in the concentration of chitosan in the HAp matrix significantly enhanced the colloidal stability, F− ion adsorption capacity, and reduced the particle size (length 38% and width 86%) when compared to HAp. The respective maximum F− adsorption capacity of HAp/CS1, HAp/CS2, HAp/CS3, and HAp/CS4 nanocomposites were 56 mg/g, 80 mg/g, 82 mg/g, and 100 mg/g at pH 7, which was considerably higher (10 times) than HAp when compared to other existing reports. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics of HAp and HAp/CS nanocomposite adsorbent confirmed the monolayer and strong chemisorption mechanisms. The surface morphology of the adsorbent after adsorption of F− ions changed from rod to sphere along with an increase in particle size, as confirmed by HR-TEM. Moreover, FTIR and XPS analysis revealed the surface interaction between the adsorbent and F− ions through ion exchange and electrostatic interaction, which lead to the formation of fluorapatite. HAp/CS4 showed 2.5 times higher sustainable regeneration efficiency (90% in 30 min) up to 7th cycle than HAp. Furthermore, the solution pH (5–7) of treated water was maintained at neutral pH after fluoride adsorption, rendering the water potable. Hence, these results demonstrate that chitosan plays a significant role in the removal of F− ions and this composite is ideal for F− ion adsorption applications.Graphical abstract

WITHDRAWN: A scenario-based approach for sustainable urban regeneration analysis in radial-concentric ring cities: A case in Hamedan, Iran

In Iran's cities, there have been significant changes in height, concentration, land use, and public health over the past three decades. This history of reinvention and regeneration in metropolitan regions can be used to think about how the past, present, and future impact urban development more widely. It can also introduce the tradition of urban and regional planning. Hamedan is one of the cities whose quality of urban development has been impacted by changes in the urban environment. Therefore, the urban decline in Hamedan goes beyond the city centre boundaries. Sustainable Urban Regeneration (SUR) is a novel approach that can integrate the various dimensions of key issues in urban environmental planning. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and investigate the effectiveness of regeneration criteria in obtaining appropriate driver scenarios in Hamedan city. A survey was created to collect primary data from citizens as well as secondary data from upstream documents. The first step was to use the fuzzy ELECTRE III model to rank the sextet plots of Hamedan's central part in terms of sustainable urban regeneration indicators (ELimination Et Choix Traduisant la REalité, in French). As a result, the first, fifth, and fourth plots have a better position in terms of sustainable regeneration indicators, with 5, 4, and 3 dominance, respectively. After examining the current situation to achieve the future of the central part of Hamedan with the Wizard Scenario Software, a total of 2 strong scenarios, 12 predictable scenarios, and 242 weak scenarios were obtained.