Ainsworth and Bisby's Dictionary of the Fungi

The following subjects were covered at the 3rd World Congress on In-Vitro Fertilization held in Helsinki Finland May 14-17 1984. In-vitro births were occurring at the rate of 1 per day with 517 completed pregnancies and 570 in progress. Increased accuracy in pregnancy testing has shown that pregnancy is initiated and terminated more frequently than previously believed often without the woman realizing it. Early testing permits study of the causes of terminated pregnancies involving defective embryos. Special care in the collection and processing of semen can improve chances for succssful fertilization of the ovum where sperm count is a problem. The greatest likelihood of success occurs when the woman is under 30 years old the mans semen is normal and several embryos are placed in the uterus simultaneously. Although effective in combatting infertility artificial fertilization has aroused controversy as the beginning of a reproductive revolution; this revolution already involves freezing embryos and donating them to others and could develop into gene manipulation. Doctor of Theology Mikko Juva has stated that his own Christian tradition does not have ready answers for the problems created by new reproductive techniques. The use of embryos and semen from persons other than the married couplel however creates legal problems and questions of identity for the resulting child. Juva felt that although an embryo is not yet a person neither is it neutral biological material suitable for research.

The population explosion

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are celebrating their 30th birthday and they are attracting a wealth of research efforts aimed at unleashing their full potential. In recent years, DSCs and dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells (DSPECs) have experienced a renaissance as the best technology for several niche applications that take advantage of DSCs' unique combination of properties: at low cost, they are composed of non-toxic materials, are colorful, transparent, and very efficient in low light conditions. This review summarizes the advancements in the field over the last decade, encompassing all aspects of the DSC technology: theoretical studies, characterization techniques, materials, applications as solar cells and as drivers for the synthesis of solar fuels, and commercialization efforts from various companies.

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Dye-sensitized solar cells strike back.

The investigation of innovative electrolytes based on nontoxic and nonflammable solvents is an up-to-date, intriguing challenge to push forward the environmental sustainability of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Water is one of the best choices, thus 100% aqueous electrolytes are proposed in this work, which are gelled with xanthan gum. This well-known biosourced polymer matrix is able to form stable and easily processable hydrogel electrolytes based on the iodide/triiodide redox couple. An experimental strategy, also supported by the multivariate chemometric approach, is used here to study the main factors influencing DSSCs efficiency and stability, leading to an optimized system able to improve its efficiency by 20% even after a 1200 h aging test, and reaching an overall performance superior to 2.7%. In-depth photoelectrochemical investigation demonstrates that DSSCs performance based on hydrogel electrolytes depends on many factors (e.g., dipping conditions, redox mediator concentrations, etc.), that must be carefully quantified and correlated in order to optimize these hydrogels. Photovoltaic performances are also extremely reproducible and stable in an open cell filled in air atmosphere, noticeably without any vacuum treatments.

Hydrogel Electrolytes Based on Xanthan Gum: Green Route towards Stable Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

In order to achieve the goal of a carbon neutral EU by 2050 and meet the climate targets of the Paris Agreement, a sustainable, efficient, competitive and secure energy system needs to be developed. This paper presents the synthesis of sustainable renewable energy supply networks within the EU-27, proposing a stepwise energy transition in the transport and power sectors, achieving a carbon net neutral target by 2050. A multi-period mixed-integer programming model is developed, with the objective of maximizing sustainability net present value, considering different biomass and waste resources for the production of biofuels, renewable electricity, hydrogen, food and bioproducts, employing different types of technologies. The results show that, with further development of existing technologies, the goal of a carbon-neutral EU can be achieved without compromising food production. Wind farms have proven to be the most promising solution at present for the rapid expansion of electricity generation from renewable energy sources, while the importance of solar photovoltaics is increasing over the years, reaching the 43% share of electricity generation from RES in 2050. Moreover, the energy transition within the EU could have a significant positive impact on the economic, environmental and also social aspects of sustainability, with more than 1.5 million new job opportunities created across the EU over the next 30 years.

Sustainable renewable energy supply networks optimization – The gradual transition to a renewable energy system within the European Union by 2050

Recent advances in eco-friendly and cost-effective materials towards sustainable dye-sensitized solar cells

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/adsu.202100025

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Toward Solid-State and Platinum-Free Photovoltaics

An efficient waste management for emerging photovoltaic (PV) technologies is not mature yet. The problematic aspects along with the possible failure’s identification have a pivotal role in modelling the future end-of-life management strategies. The identification of substances of concern (e.g. high cost, low availability, and high toxicity) and valuable materials is a key point to better define the research priorities to improve the eco-design of these technologies. The ultimate goal is to promote the disposal processes which enhance the repair, refurbishment, and recover opportunities and so the profitability of recycling. These studies can also prompt the investigation of innovative materials which are more cost-effective and/ or coming from renewable resources or secondary raw materials. Forecasting the waste management technologies for the emerging photovoltaics is highly challenging. In this context, our purpose is to provide an overview of the critical elements and understand the appropriate corrective improvements towards more sustainable technologies.

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Emerging Photovoltaic Technologies and Eco-Design—Criticisms and Potential Improvements

In the attempt to foster circular economy (CE), cities are increasingly adopting urban living labs (ULLs) as sites of co-production aimed at testing alternative solutions based on the reuse of products, reduction of consumption and recycling of materials. Taking this perspective, our study adopts an exploratory research design to discover the pragmatic implications emerging from a case study. The City of Turin joined proGIreg, a European project that entails the regeneration of former industrial districts by means of nature-based solutions (NBS). Ranging from aquaponics to green roofs, seven NBS have been experimented in Turin, which rely on the use of natural systems to tackle social, economic and environmental challenges efficiently and sustainably. Among them, the most promising is related to the production and test of the ‘new soil’, a blend obtained by mixing earth materials coming from construction sites with compost, zeolites and mycorrhizae. The case herein presented is interesting to analyse for the multi-stakeholder management setting used, where public institutions, private companies, research institutions, citizens and associations collaborated in the co-creation and testing phase of the NBS. Consequently, the data collected through participant observation and direct interviews allow researchers to describe multi-stakeholders’ dynamics and how they work. Thus, this paper narrates a micro-contextual experience while providing a critique. Results include an analysis of the unique combination of different stakeholders, which strongly impacted on the management and the effectiveness of the entire project. By consequence, the paper offers both theoretical contributions to the relational branch of stakeholder theory and practical evidence in demonstrating the importance of the relational branch of the theory over a more traditional transactional view.

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Urban Living Labs, Circular Economy and Nature-Based Solutions: Ideation and Testing of a New Soil in the City of Turin Using a Multi-stakeholder Perspective

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Nicole Mariotti

Papers

Recent advances in eco-friendly and cost-effective materials towards sustainable dye-sensitized solar cells

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Toward Solid-State and Platinum-Free Photovoltaics

Emerging Photovoltaic Technologies and Eco-Design—Criticisms and Potential Improvements

Urban Living Labs, Circular Economy and Nature-Based Solutions: Ideation and Testing of a New Soil in the City of Turin Using a Multi-stakeholder Perspective

Critical barriers for plastic recycling. a cc case-study in turin