Challenges最新文献

{"title":"A Review of Environmental Challenges Facing Martian Colonisation and the Potential for Terrestrial Microbes to Transform a Toxic Extraterrestrial Environment","authors":"Daniel Keaney, Brigid Lucey, K. Finn","doi":"10.3390/challe15010005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/challe15010005","url":null,"abstract":"Mars is a focus of New Space Age exploration and colonisation, but there are significant challenges to successful colonisation by humankind. Environmental microbes play a key role in supporting the ecosystems of Earth, especially within the biodegradation and bioremediation sectors. However, the repurposed roles of microbes on Mars and their associated uses to colonists remain incompletely defined. The aim of this review was to examine the key roles of microbes on Earth and how they have been employed by humans to tackle four pivotal environmental challenges associated with the colonisation of Mars, namely the physical environment, the creation of a hospitable environment via terraforming, environmental sustainability and life support, and finally, renewable processing technologies. Some species of microbes were found to be tolerant of the ever-changing physical environment on Mars (freeze–thaw and UVC exposure) making them useful for bioremediation applications. Employing perchlorate-remediating microbes for their ability to bioremediate the soils of sodium perchlorate, which is present in Martian soils, in addition to their innate ability to cycle nutrients through the biosphere showed promise in establishing sustained crops to support colonists. The employment of terrestrial environmental microbes is a necessary part of overcoming key environmental challenges to successfully colonise Mars. Without this, future New Space exploration is unlikely to be successful.","PeriodicalId":91008,"journal":{"name":"Challenges","volume":" 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139624110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Bioremediation through Microbial Action Using Raman Spectroscopy","authors":"Daniel Keaney, V. V. Yallapragada, L. O’Faolain, G. Devarapu, K. Finn, Brigid Lucey","doi":"10.3390/challe15010004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/challe15010004","url":null,"abstract":"Sodium perchlorate is a toxic salt-based compound found both terrestrially, (due to pollution) and extraterrestrially on the surface of Mars. Perchlorate pollution poses a risk to agricultural-based activities as once it enters soils/waterways it can be passed through the food chain via bioaccumulation. The purpose of the current study was to observe the perchlorate reduction potential of putative candidate bioremediation strains; Escherichia coli 25922 and E. coli 9079, Paraburkholderia fungorum, Deinococcus radiodurans and Dechloromonas aromatica both independently and in co-cultures, when exposed to 3000 mg/L (0.3%) sodium perchlorate. This was carried out in both a minimal medium environment and within an environment void of nutrients, using Raman spectroscopy to assess their potential for the bioremediation of Martian soils. The perchlorate reducing potential of all strains was 16% higher in reverse osmosis deionised water than in minimal medium, the former having a total absence of Nitrate. It was found that E. coli 25922 is a perchlorate reducer, which has not been previously described. Additionally, co-culturing of bacterial strains was found to have a higher bioremediation potential than individual strains. These findings suggest that not only could perchlorate pollution be remediated, but that the perchlorate composition of the Martian surface may support bioremediation microbial life, aiding in future colonisation.","PeriodicalId":91008,"journal":{"name":"Challenges","volume":" 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139625907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shifting Behaviors and Attitudes of Socially Stigmatizing Illnesses to Improve Wellbeing: A Conceptual Framework for Epilepsy","authors":"O. P. Musekwa, L. Makhado","doi":"10.3390/challe15010002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/challe15010002","url":null,"abstract":"The attitudes and behaviors towards people living with neurological conditions, such as epilepsy, have major implications for the quality of life of affected individuals and for human progress more broadly. Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder often associated with misconceptions leading to discrimination, stigma, and burden for people living with epilepsy (PLWE) and their families. Addressing these negative factors and improving the quality of life has become a crucial area of research. This conceptual framework paper explores the potential of attitude and behavior change to enhance the quality of life for PLWE and their families. The study was conducted in rural Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces (South Africa), employing an explanatory sequential mixed method approach. Participants included were PLWE (n = 163), their family members and caregivers (n = 519), healthcare practitioners (n = 102), and community members (n = 4290). The findings revealed significant knowledge, awareness, and behavior disparities among participants, with PLWE showing better consistency. Furthermore, the study highlighted the impact of consistency and balance in knowledge, awareness, and behavior on the overall quality of life for PLWE and their families. It is important to have intentional epilepsy education and accurate information sharing to influence attitudes, positive behavior, and improved quality of life for PLWE and their families. While the primary emphasis of this study lies in epilepsy, its implications may extend to other stigmatized and discrimination-prone illnesses, especially those affecting the brain. This highlights the significance of addressing societal attitudes toward such conditions as a measure of social progress.","PeriodicalId":91008,"journal":{"name":"Challenges","volume":"56 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138951759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the Interplay of Pro-Environmental Attitudes, Dietary Choices, and Packaging Preferences: A Virtual Reality Restaurant Scenario Study","authors":"Ana Rita Farias, Hakan Lane, Jayanna Killingsworth, Julia M. Warden, Sara Wais","doi":"10.3390/challe15010001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/challe15010001","url":null,"abstract":"This research paper delves into the complex relationship between pro-environmental attitudes, dietary preferences, and packaging choices using a Virtual Reality (VR) restaurant scenario. The imperative is to address environmental concerns, particularly plastic waste and greenhouse gas emissions, as they pertain to sectors of the food service sector. This study seeks to understand the factors influencing environmental attitudes and behaviors, with a focus on dietary preferences and packaging choices using a VR restaurant scenario. This study explores connections between gender, education, interventions, and pro-environmental attitudes, as well as the correlation between vegetarian diets and sustainable behaviors. While the results suggest significant correlations between gender and pro-environmental attitudes and a potential connection between adopting vegetarian diets and pro-environmental attitudes, our study emphasizes the nuanced nature of these relationships. The findings underline the importance of interdisciplinary research and strategic interventions for fostering sustainable behaviors and reducing environmental impact. The use of VR simulation adds a novel dimension to understanding individuals’ choices in controlled environments, shedding light on the intricate dynamics of pro-environmental decision making. This paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on sustainable behavior by offering insights into the interplay between personal preferences, environmental awareness, and choices with significant environmental implications.","PeriodicalId":91008,"journal":{"name":"Challenges","volume":" 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138961867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring Autoethnographic and Arts-Based Approaches to Planetary Health: Honoring Diversity through Creativity, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Loving Relationships","authors":"Vanessa de Araujo Goes, Bwalya Lungu, Menzi Maseko","doi":"10.3390/challe14040053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/challe14040053","url":null,"abstract":"The complexity of contemporary global challenges concerning biosocial–political wellbeing comprises humanity’s actions on many scales. Planetary Health and One Health are examples of broad fields emerging in the last decade to address these complexities. Scientific research has been focusing mainly on the biological aspect of the problem, and the role of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) as drivers of change in Planetary Health is poorly explored. Transdisciplinary approaches are needed, and, thus, it is essential to highlight the social–political side of this reality by integrating social sciences and humanities in these research communities. The Africa Community of Planetary Partners for Health and Environment (ACOPPHE), through its Art and Indigenous action team, seeks to explore this integration by interrogating and engaging in research using self-study methodologies and arts-based research methods. In traditional scientific research, it is common practice that the researcher is positioned outside of their research. The results are expected to offer complex scientific answers that are often not useful for communities in need of solutions. Frequently, the arts have not received sufficient exploration as a means for research. Another aspect of this problem is that the indigenous peoples of many places in the world have often had their knowledge of human and planet health marginalized because it was practice-based and passed down through the embodiment of knowledge and not through modern-day written knowledge. Autoethnographic and arts-based methodologies have great potential here in bridging the communication between the scientific world and the lived experience of the communities through their cultural and traditional practices. They make room for intersectionality, as well as making the knowledge from research findings valuable and explicit to the layman. Self-study methodologies offer the space for sharing lived experiences, critical dialogue, and possible solutions for the biosocial and political issues that our world faces today.","PeriodicalId":91008,"journal":{"name":"Challenges","volume":"8 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139009681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Burden of Yellow Fever on Migrating Humans through The Darién Gap, Adjacent Communities, and Primates’ Biodiversity","authors":"Sabrina Simon, M. Amaku, Eduardo Massad","doi":"10.3390/challe14040052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/challe14040052","url":null,"abstract":"Given the ongoing migratory crisis in Latin America, we aimed to assess the relationship between human mobility and the spread of yellow fever (YF) in the Darién Gap forest. We investigated how the time taken to cross the forest affects the burden of a potential YF outbreak on people migrating through the forest, the burden on adjacent communities, and the risk to primate biodiversity. Using an SEIR-SEI deterministic compartmental model for humans, monkeys, and vectors, and numerical simulations, we considered the time taken to cross the forest as a measure of exposure. If an outbreak occurs, over 23,000 human cases are projected, with approximately 19,000 infected individuals leaving the forest. Monkeys would also be significantly affected, with the number of human deaths being determined by monkey-related parameters. The pace of crossing the forest is strongly related to the number of exposed and active cases leaving the forest. Panamanian communities must receive support to prepare themselves to protect residents and thousands of people arriving in their territory daily. It would also impact the non-human primate community within the forest, preventing a YF outbreak. This reinforces the importance of a planetary health perspective which reinforces the mutual benefits and connections between efforts to protect human health and conserve biodiversity.","PeriodicalId":91008,"journal":{"name":"Challenges","volume":"328 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138983276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regional Wealth Data Acquisition and Modeling: Innovations Needed for Advancement in Sustainable Wealth in Energy-Rich Regions","authors":"J. Hubbart, Hodjat Ghadimi","doi":"10.3390/challe14040051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/challe14040051","url":null,"abstract":"National-level studies present the development techniques and challenges of sustaining energy-rich economies, particularly those in the developing world. However, examples of the application and interpolation of these broad-scale analyses to the regional level are scarce. Conversely, methods used at national levels are often infeasible when using higher-resolution regional or local data. Ultimately, progress in developing, managing, and advancing regional wealth databases and models is significantly missing from the literature. Herein, proposed pathways and general development frameworks are presented based on the presumptive constancy of total capital stock. Processes are outlined for acquiring information (data) and developing models to serve as a basis for qualitative and quantitative analyses of sustainable development policymaking decisions. We present a discussion around the sustainable wealth of energy-rich regions, and we suggest potential workflow methods for developing regional wealth knowledge bases and regional wealth models (RWMs). Structural scaffolding opportunities are presented for the validation of RWMs using pilot studies, followed by the process of disseminating modeling outcomes. Finally, we offer recommendations and needed innovations to advance the development of RWMs. The objectives of this article are not to provide a comprehensive literature review or consider all potential perspectives but rather to identify tools and necessary enhancements to established methods for assessing and modeling regional wealth and provide an inroad for readers wishing to learn more. The increased awareness generated through this article will mobilize assistance and generate new information that will strengthen this emergent area of research to intensify regional wealth sustainability for future generations.","PeriodicalId":91008,"journal":{"name":"Challenges","volume":"24 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138594274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Planetary Health Initiatives in Rural Education at a Riverside School in Southern Amazonas, Brazil","authors":"Paula Regina Humbelino de Melo, P. V. Alves, Tatiana Souza de Camargo","doi":"10.3390/challe14040050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/challe14040050","url":null,"abstract":"Planetary Health is an expanding scientific field around the world, and actions in different areas are essential to minimize the environmental damage that compromises the future of humanity. This project report aims to describe the development of Planetary Health actions in a rural school in the Brazilian Amazon, to understand and raise awareness of themes related to Planetary Health. To implement the educational activities, a booklet entitled “Planetary Health: Guide for Rural Education” was created. Subsequently, didactic sequences were applied to 37 ninth-grade students in the first semester of 2023. The activities were diversified, including: (1) investigative activities (pre-tests, interviews with family members, ecological footprint adapted to the Amazonian riverside context), (2) interpretative activities (image reading, identification and problem-solving for Planetary Health stories in the Amazon, educational cartoons, and graphs of the sectors with the highest pollution in Brazil and diseases associated with climate change), (3) audiovisual activities (educational videos), (4) playful activities (educational games), (5) practical and field activities (forest tracking, planting seedlings, sanitation trail, construction of a school garden, preparation of a healthy school snack, greenhouse effect simulation, and basic analysis of lake water with a probe). The results of the educational actions allowed students to undergo new experiences on Planetary Health themes, as well as understand the centrality of the Amazon for the planet and how the environmental impacts in this biome are compromising the future of humanity. The experiences during the educational actions showed that young riverside residents are concerned about the future of the Amazon, especially given the environmental destruction that is frequently evident, such as deforestation, fires, illegal mining, and land grabbing. Inserting these themes into riverside education makes it possible to look at the Amazon in a resilient, responsible way and to discuss scientific and local knowledge so that students can develop initiatives to face environmental challenges in their community. We conclude that Planetary Health education needs to be an effective part of the school curriculum, prioritizing reviewing the documents that guide education to prioritize transdisciplinary actions with children and young people, as they are the voices of the future and future leaders in emerging causes. Educational actions in Planetary Health in the Amazon region are an example that can inspire actions in other places with similar characteristics.","PeriodicalId":91008,"journal":{"name":"Challenges","volume":"54 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138592927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Outcomes from the First European Planetary Health Congress at ARTIS, Amsterdam","authors":"R. Kort, Koen Arts, Josep M. Antó, Matty P. Berg, Gabrielle Cepella, Jennifer Cole, Amarylle S van Doorn, Tomás van van Gorp, Milo Grootjen, Joyeeta Gupta, Colin Hill, Eva van der Heide, Jef Huisman, Jopke Janmaat, C. O’Callaghan-Gordo, J. Mattijsen, Tulsi Modi, Evanne Nowak, H. Ossebaard, Jessica den Outer, Bruno Pot, Frederike Praasterink, M. Prass, Alexandre Robert, Michiel Roelse, Jaap Seidell, Hans Slabbekoorn, Wouter Spek, Ralf Klemens Stappen, Marleen Stikker, Jorieke van der Stelt, Marian Stuiver, Rembrandt Sutorius, Jip A van Trommel, Martine Veenman, Christian Weij, Pim Martens","doi":"10.3390/challe14040049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/challe14040049","url":null,"abstract":"The First European Planetary Health Congress, held from 5 to 7 July 2023 at ARTIS in Amsterdam, represented a significant milestone in the global movement of Planetary Health. The event brought together 121 attendees from academia and the private sector dedicated to addressing the impact of human disruptions to natural systems on the well-being of life on Earth. Co-organized by Natura Artis Magistra (ARTIS) and the European Hub of the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA), the Congress featured five workshops: The Future of Planetary Health Cities, Impact through Synergy, Planetary Health Education, Movement Building, and Food and Microbes. Oral presentations addressed the theme of how human health and the health of human civilization depend on the natural environment, including subthemes on Earth, Water, and Food. Additionally, the subtheme of Humans reflected on how humanity can thrive within Planetary Boundaries and how to imagine a prosperous future for all life on Earth. The First European Planetary Health Congress offered a platform for fostering sustainable, just, and equitable societies within ecological limits. Accordingly, ARTIS and the European Hub aim to shape a hopeful future for generations to come.","PeriodicalId":91008,"journal":{"name":"Challenges","volume":"22 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138603799","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution: A Call for More Integrated Approaches to Address Inequities in Emerging Health Challenges","authors":"Muhammad Asaduzzaman, Tual Sawn Khai, Vergil de Claro, Farzana Zaman","doi":"10.3390/challe14040045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/challe14040045","url":null,"abstract":"The advent of the COVID-19 vaccine signified a historic milestone in the field of vaccinology, showcasing remarkable scientific collaboration and global solidarity. However, the most prominent hurdle in maximizing the global public health impact of vaccines remains the absence of comprehensive and inclusive health systems in both high- and low-resource settings. Our discussion centers around the major contributing factors that played a key role in formulating the rapid and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines. Simultaneously, we illuminate the disparities that have marred the vaccine delivery process throughout the pandemic. In particular, we highlight the case scenarios of two minority and vulnerable communities from the Global South and North—the undocumented migrants in Thailand and the Roma community in Europe—who continue to experience inequitable vaccine access regardless of their location. We note that a crucial programmatic solution that is rooted in inclusive and equitable global public health policy, characterized by empathy and trust and bolstered by digital innovation, is lacking. These examples underscore the significance of establishing a comprehensive and integrated health system at multiple levels across countries and the entire world. Furthermore, we highlight the need for both local and global actors to collaboratively engage in vaccine distribution efforts. By gaining a concise grasp of these intricacies, the global community will be better poised to effectively combat future pandemics and emerging health challenges.","PeriodicalId":91008,"journal":{"name":"Challenges","volume":"76 7","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135809807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}