The emission trading scheme (ETS) is arguably one of the most effective approaches for encouraging industries to transition to a low-carbon economy and, as a result, assisting nations in meeting their goals under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to mitigate the challenge of climate change. ETS is gaining popularity as more governments throughout the world contemplate implementing it, particularly in developing countries. Much of the existing research has concentrated on debates concerning ETS operations in developed nations. This study is to give a discourse of the success criteria for ETS implementation that have been identified in the literature and then cross-referenced in the context of Malaysia. For this, the research used an integrated approach of scoping review of existing literature and in-depth interviews with Malaysian stakeholders. Using Narassimhan et al. (2018)’s ETS assessment framework, the scoping review identified five major attributes that lead to successful ETS implementation in a global context that are environmental effectiveness, economic efficiency, market management, stakeholder engagement, and revenue management. In-depth interviews with several groups of discovered stakeholder engagement as an essential attribute that would play a critical role in advancing ETS implementation in Malaysia. The study concludes by proposing a complete strategy based on empirical information and first-hand narratives, providing useful insights for politicians, industry players, and environmental activists. The recommendation is especially important as Malaysia strives to improve its commitment to sustainable and responsible development in light of the challenges posed by climate change.

Oil spill clean-up is a long-standing challenge for researchers to prevent serious environmental pollution. A new kind of oil-absorbent based on silicon-containing polymers (e.g., poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)) with high absorption capacity and excellent reusability was prepared and used for oil-water separation. The PDMS-based oil absorbents have highly interconnected pores with swellable skeletons, combining the advantages of porous materials and gels. On the other hand, polymer/silica composites have been extensively studied as high-performance functional coatings since, as an organic/inorganic composite material, they are expected to combine polymer flexibility and ease of processing with mechanical properties. Polymer composites with increased impact resistance and tensile strength without decreasing the flexibility of the polymer matrix can be achieved by incorporating silica nanoparticles, nanosand, or sand particles into the polymeric matrices. Therefore, polymer/silica composites have attracted great interest in many industries. Some potential applications, including high-performance coatings, electronics and optical applications, membranes, sensors, materials for metal uptake, etc., were comprehensively reviewed. In the first part of the review, we will cover the recent progress of oil absorbents based on silicon-containing polymers (PDMS). In the later details of the review, we will discuss the recent developments of functional materials based on polymer/silica composites, sand, and nanosand systems.

In April 2023, the government of Changshu City, in Jiangsu Province, China, announced that it would officially use digital Chinese Yuan (E-CNY) as a method of wage payment to the government and state-owned enterprises staff starting in May. With the gradual improvement and application of E-CNY technologies, such as no electricity, no internet payment (offline payment), and the programmability of smart contracts, E-CNY will be officially used in China. CNN said China is on the verge of a cashless society. The advantages of E-CNY have a positive role in promoting the Chinese government’s implementation of the development goals of a low-carbon and sustainable economy. However, artificial intelligence (AI) trust concerns are the primary bottleneck in the current development based on intelligent algorithms and digital information technology. AI trust concerns are affecting the scope of use of E-CNY, and it may need to achieve effective scale-use, making it promote low-carbon and sustainable development. From the industry perspective, this article selects the housing rental enterprises, which are challenging to develop and energy-intensive, to analyze the theoretical approach and practical impact of E-CNY in promoting the low-carbon and sustainable development of China’s rental housing economy. Meanwhile, from the perspective of Chinese consumers, the impact of AI trust concerns on E-CNY in promoting low-carbon and sustainable development is analyzed in this article.

In higher eukaryotes, the genes’ architecture has become an essential determinant of the variation in the number of transcripts (expression level) and the specificity of gene expression in plant tissue under stress conditions. The modern rise in genome-wide analysis accounts for summarizing the essential factors through the translocation of gene networks in a regulatory manner. Stress tolerance genes are in two groups: structural genes, which code for proteins and enzymes that directly protect cells from stress (such as genes for transporters, osmo-protectants, detoxifying enzymes, etc.), and the genes expressed in regulation and signal transduction (such as transcriptional factors (TFs) and protein kinases). The genetic regulation and protein activity arising from plants’ interaction with minerals and abiotic and biotic stresses utilize high-efficiency molecular profiling. Collecting gene expression data concerning gene regulation in plants towards focus predicts an acceptable model for efficient genomic tools. Thus, this review brings insights into modifying the expression study, providing a valuable source for assisting the involvement of genes in plant growth and metabolism-generating gene databases. The manuscript significantly contributes to understanding gene expression and regulation in plants, particularly under stress conditions. Its insights into stress tolerance mechanisms have substantial implications for crop improvement, making it highly relevant and valuable to the field.

Bael or Aegle marmelos Corrêa is considered a sacred tree by Hindus and is offered to Lord Shiva while worshipping. It grows in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia and is called by various names in different regions. Bael has been used as a traditional medicine in India and other Southeast Asian countries to treat various ailments, including diarrhea, chronic dysentery, constipation, gonorrhea, catarrh, diabetes, deafness, inflammations, ulcerated intestinal mucosa, intermittent fever, melancholia, heart palpitation, and also to control fertility. The ethnomedicinal properties of Bael are owing to its ability to synthesize alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, anthocyanins, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, terpenoids, tannins, lignins, quinones, coumarins, proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids, reducing sugars, fats, and oils. The aegeline, auroptene, umbelliferone, psoralene, marmin, imperatorin, xylorhamnoarabinogalactan I pectic polysaccharide and skimmianine are synthesized by different parts of Bael, and they have shown antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-allergic, anthelmintic, antidiabetic, anticancer, cardioprotective and neuroprotective activities in various experimental models. The present review has been written consulting various publications, and different websites including Google Scholar, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, and Google.

A salinity gradient solar pond (SGSP) is a large and deep artificial basin of layered brine, that collects and stores simultaneous solar energy for use in various applications. Experimental and theoretical studies have been launched to understand the thermal behavior of SGSPs, under different operating conditions. This article then traces the history of SGSPs, from their natural discovery to their current artificial applications and the progress of studies and research, according to their chronological sequence, in terms of determining their physical and dynamic aspects, their operation, management, and maintenance. It has extensively covered the theoretical and experimental studies, as well as the direct and laboratory applications of this technology, especially the most famous and influential in this field, classified according to the aspect covered by the study, with a comparison between the different results obtained. In addition, it highlighted the latest methods to improve the performance of an SGSP and facilitate its operation, such as the use of a magnetic field and the adoption of remote data acquisition, with the aim of expanding research and enhancing the benefit of this technology.