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Ecosystems generate a wide range of benefits for humans, including some market goods as well as other benefits that are not directly reflected in market activity1. Climate change will alter the distribution of ecosystems around the world and change the flow of these benefits2,3. However, the specific implications of ecosystem changes for human welfare remain unclear, as they depend on the nature of these changes, the value of the affected benefits and the extent to which communities rely on natural systems for their well-being4. Here we estimate country-level changes in economic production and the value of non-market ecosystem benefits resulting from climate-change-induced shifts in terrestrial vegetation cover, as projected by dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) driven by general circulation climate models. Our results show that the annual population-weighted mean global flow of non-market ecosystem benefits valued in the wealth accounts of the World Bank will be reduced by 9.2% in 2100 under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway SSP2-6.0 with respect to the baseline no climate change scenario and that the global population-weighted average change in gross domestic product (GDP) by 2100 is -1.3% of the baseline GDP. Because lower-income countries are more reliant on natural capital, these GDP effects are regressive. Approximately 90% of these damages are borne by the poorest 50% of countries and regions, whereas the wealthiest 10% experience only 2% of these losses.

The rapid, human-induced changes in the Earth system during the Anthropocene present humanity with critical sustainability challenges. Social-ecological systems (SES) research provides multiple approaches for understanding the complex interactions between humans, social systems, and environments and how we might direct them towards healthier and more resilient futures. However, general theories of SES change have yet to be fully developed. Formal evolutionary theory has been applied as a dynamic theory of change of complex phenomena in biology and the social sciences, but rarely in SES research. In this paper, we explore the connections between both fields, hoping to foster collaboration. After sketching out the distinct intellectual traditions of SES research and evolutionary theory, we map some of their terminological and theoretical connections. We then provide examples of how evolutionary theory might be incorporated into SES research through the use of systems mapping to identify evolutionary processes in SES, the application of concepts from evolutionary developmental biology to understand the connections between systems changes and evolutionary changes, and how evolutionary thinking may help design interventions for beneficial change. Integrating evolutionary theory and SES research can lead to a better understanding of SES changes and positive interventions for a more sustainable Anthropocene. This article is part of the theme issue Evolution and sustainability: gathering the strands for an Anthropocene synthesis.

The present study focuses on tailoring the relative content of Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions incorporation into hydroxyapatite (HA) lattice, employing a hydrothermal approach in a closed vessel to minimize Fe2+ oxidation and secondary phase formation. Citrate molecules are used to regulate nanoparticle formation/stability, creating a mild reducing environment, while the impact of a stronger reducing agent, hydroxylamine, is explored. Fe3+ insertion was found to be less favoured than Fe2+, possibly due to charge imbalance. Iron doping significantly alters stoichiometry and crystallinity of HA, with Fe3+ enhancing OH− depletion. Morphological analysis reveals differences among samples, as induced by the different Fe ions incorporation: particularly Fe2+ ion incorporation is found to maintain rod-like structures, which changes upon Fe3+ presence. Overall, this study provides insights into controlled doping of HA with iron ions, vital for developing stable, redox-responsive nanomaterials applicable in cancer therapy and other applications where surface activity plays a relevant role.

IntroductionStudies in cholesterol-fed rabbits showed that anti-proliferative chemotherapeutic agents such as paclitaxel associated with solid lipid nanoparticles (LDE) have marked anti-atherosclerotic effects. In addition, association with LDE nearly abolishes paclitaxel toxicity. We investigated whether treatment with LDE-paclitaxel changes plaque progression by coronary CT angiography and is safe in patients with chronic coronary artery disease.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study in patients with multi-vessel chronic coronary artery disease. Patients were randomized to receive IV infusions of LDE-paclitaxel (paclitaxel dose: 175 mg/m2 body surface) or LDE alone (placebo group), administered every 3 weeks for 18 weeks. All participants received guideline-directed medical therapy. Clinical and laboratory safety evaluations were made at baseline and every 3 weeks until the end of the study. Analysis of inflammatory biomarkers and coronary CTA was also performed at baseline and 4 weeks after treatment.ResultsForty patients aged 65.6 ± 8 years, 20 in LDE-paclitaxel and 20 in placebo group were enrolled. Among those, 58% had diabetes, 50% had myocardial infarction, and 91% were in use of statin and aspirin. Baseline demographics, risk factors, and laboratory results were not different between groups. In all patients, no clinical or laboratory toxicities were observed. From the baseline to the end of follow-up, there was a non-significant trend toward a decrease in IL-6 levels and hsCRP in the LDE-paclitaxel group (−16% and −28%, respectively), not observed in placebo. Regarding plaque progression analysis, variation in plaque parameter values was wide, and no difference between groups was observed.ConclusionIn patients with multivessel chronic coronary artery disease and optimized medical therapy, LDE-paclitaxel was safe and showed clues of potential benefits in reducing inflammatory biomarkers.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04148833, identifier (NCT04148833).

Abstract Climate stabilization requires the deployment of several low-carbon options, some of which are still not available at large scale or are too costly. Governments will have to make important decisions on how to incentivize Research and Development (R&D). Yet, current assessments of climate neutrality typically do not include research-driven innovation. Here, we link two integrated assessment models to study R&D investment pathways consistent with climate stabilization and suggest a consistent financing scheme. We focus on five low-carbon technologies and on energy efficiency measures. We find that timely R&D investment in these technologies lowers mitigation costs and induces positive employment effects. Achieving 2 °C (1.5 °C) requires a global 18% (64%) increase in cumulative low-carbon R&D investment relative to the reference scenario by mid-century. We show that carbon revenues are sufficient to both finance the additional R&D investment requirements and generate economic benefits by reducing distortionary taxation, such as payroll taxes, thus enhancing job creation.

Summary: Concerns have been raised against using carbon pricing for fighting climate change, as these might disproportionally affect lower-income households and thus increase inequality. However, the distributional implications of climate policies will depend on policy design and their capacity to reduce climate change impacts. To quantify the interaction between climate policy and climate benefits on economic inequality, we develop a numerical climate-economic framework featuring both within- and between-country income heterogeneity. We implement a well-below 2°C target and examine a variety of redistributive schemes. We find that climate change impacts increase economic inequalities within and across countries. Climate policy reduces this increase by half, and an appropriate transfer scheme targeted at low-income households can eliminate it altogether. An equal per-capita redistribution scheme leads to most of the population being economically better off already today. The analysis shows the importance of including climate-economic benefits in the evaluation of climate policies. Science for society statement: Inequality and climate change are two key, and interlinked, challenges for the 21st century. We find that climate policies on their own are likely to increase inequality. A “climate dividend” or redistributing carbon revenues to households, however, can more than offset this inequality increase, allowing for a reduction in global inequality. Because climate impacts are likely to increase in the future, leading to further economic disparities, the inequality-improving effect of attaining Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming below 2°C increases even further. In essence, the research underscores the importance of considering the impact of climate policies on inequality and demonstrates that well-designed strategies can simultaneously combat climate change and reduce economic disparities. Moreover, we find that the well-below 2°C target can make a large majority of about 58% of the world’s population better off than without strong climate action, already by 2030.

Sjogren’s syndrome an autoimmune disease involving mainly the exocrine glands, resulting in dryness of the mucous surface (especially the oral and ocular ones). However, the clinical presentation can range from simpler manifestations such as mucosal dryness, arthralgias, and modest purpura, to even relevant systemic manifestations; association with lymphoma, especially non-Hodgkin lymphoma, is also frequent. Histologically, SS is characterized by a lymphocitic infiltration of tissues resulting in their destruction. Patho- genetic mechanisms are not fully understood but cellular B hyperactivity with auto-antibody production plays an important role. The main immunological markers are anti-nuclear antibodies (the most frequently detected), anti-Ro/SSA, and La/SSB (the most specific). It is also important to recognize cryoglobulinemia, hypergammaglobulinemia, hypocomplementemia, and rheumatoid factor positivity as prognostic markers; this may help define to whom to target more aggressive treatments. Indeed, this review aims to focus on the practical management aspects of the patient with SS, focusing on diagnosis and treatment. Referring to diagnosis, it is important to emphasize that although several classificatory criteria have been developed over the years, these do not represent diagnostic criteria; the diagnosis is up to the clinician, possibly aided by instrumental investigations including ultrasound, high-frequency ultrasound (useful as helping instru- ment in labial biopsy) and magnetic resonance of parotids. Instead, treatments (from the symptomatic ones to new biological therapies) should be modulated on the severity and the organ commitment of the disease, monitoring serologic changes and stratifying patients for the risk of developing NHL, in order to choose where to apply earlier and more aggressive therapies.

The presentation of two recent studies which explore the history of printing in Ferrara from the 16th to the 18th century (Biblioteca Comunale Ariostea, Ferrara, 9 November 2022) is the starting point for debating about methodology, especially in relation to the cultural profile of the scholar dedicated to this task: the historian of the book.