A recent study has established clear, practical cutoff points for body fat measurements that are strongly associated with physical performance of male professional soccer players. The research, conducted on athletes from the Brazilian state championship, provides coaches and sports scientists with simple tools to monitor players and help maintain optimal fitness levels. These insightful findings were recently published by Translational Exercise Biomedicine (ISSN: 2942-6812), an official partner journal of International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS).

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) with striking electrical and optical properties have appeared at the forefront of semiconductor materials for photocatalytic redox reactions but still suffer from some intrinsic drawbacks such as inferior stability, severe charge-carrier recombination, and limited active sites. Heterojunctions have recently been widely constructed to improve light absorption, passivate surface for enhanced stability, and promote charge-carrier dynamics of MHPs. However, little attention has been paid to the review of MHPs-based heterojunctions for photocatalytic redox reactions. Here, recent advances of MHPs-based heterojunctions for photocatalytic redox reactions are highlighted. The structure, synthesis, and photophysical properties of MHPs-based heterojunctions are first introduced, including basic principles, categories (such as Schottky junction, type-I, type-II, Z-scheme, and S-scheme junction), and synthesis strategies. MHPs-based heterojunctions for photocatalytic redox reactions are then reviewed in four categories: H₂ evolution, CO₂ reduction, pollutant degradation, and organic synthesis. The challenges and prospects in solar-light-driven redox reactions with MHPs-based heterojunctions in the future are finally discussed.

Abstract

Purpose – We aim to examine two issues. First, we intend to identify the best performing expected return proxies. Second, we investigate whether the expected return proxies for individual stocks can track the corresponding realized returns during extremely good or extremely bad times of the economic environment related to business conditions, stock market valuation and broad market performance.

Design/methodology/approach – We construct four sets of expected return proxies, including: (1) characteristic-based proxies; (2) standard risk-factor-based proxies; (3) risk-factor-based proxies that allow betas to vary with firm characteristics and (4) macroeconomic-variable-based proxies. First, we estimate expected returns for individual stocks using newly developed methods and evaluate the performance of these expected return proxies based on the minimum variance criterion of Lee et al. (2020). Second, we regress expected return proxies and realized returns on indicator variables that capture the extreme phases of the economic environment. Then we compare the estimated coefficients from these two sets of regressions and see if they are similar in magnitude via formal hypothesis testing.

Findings – We find that characteristic-based proxies and risk-factor-based proxies that allow betas to vary with firm characteristics are the two best performing proxies. Therefore, it is important to allow betas to vary with firm characteristics in constructing expected return proxies. We also find that model-based expected return proxies do a reasonably good job capturing actual returns during extremely bad and extremely good phases of business cycles measured by leading economic indicators, consumer confidence and business confidence. However, there is a large gap between the adjustment of model-based expected returns and realized returns during extreme episodes of stock market valuation or broad market performance.

Originality/value – We examine four types of expected return proxies and use the newly developed methodology in Lee et al. (2020) to see which one is the best. In addition, we document whether model-based expected returns from individual stocks adjust partially or fully to keep pace with actual returns in response to changing economic conditions. No prior studies have examined these two issues.

A just energy transition (JET) to low-carbon fuels, such as green hydrogen, is critical for mitigating climate change. Countries with abundant renewable energy resources are well-positioned to meet the growing global demand for green hydrogen. However, to improve the volumetric energy density and facilitate transport and distribution over long distances, green hydrogen needs to be converted into an energy carrier such as green ammonia. This study conducted a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of green ammonia production, with a particular focus on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The boundary of the study was from cradle-to-production gate, and the design was based on a coastal production facility in South Africa, which uses renewable energy to desalinate seawater, produce hydrogen, and synthesise ammonia. The carbon intensity of production was 0.79 kg CO₂-eq per kg of ammonia. However, if co-products of oxygen, argon and excess electricity are sold to market and allocated a portion of GHG emissions, the carbon intensity was 0.28 kg CO₂-eq per kg of ammonia. Further, without the sale of co-products but excluding the embodied emissions of the energy supply system, as defined in the recent international standard (ISO/TS 19870), the carbon intensity was 0.11 kg CO₂-eq per kg of ammonia. Based on the hydrogen content of ammonia, this is equivalent to 0.60 kg CO₂-eq per kg of hydrogen, which is well below the current threshold for certification as a low-carbon fuel. The process contributing most to the overall environmental impacts was electrolysis (68%), with particulate matter (55%) and global warming potential (33%) as the dominant impact categories. This reflects the energy intensity of electrolysis and the carbon intensity of the energy used to manufacture the infrastructure and capital goods required for green ammonia production. These findings support the adoption of green ammonia as a low-carbon fuel to mitigate climate change and help achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. However, achieving this goal requires the rapid decarbonisation of energy supply systems to reduce embodied emissions from manufacturing infrastructure.

Researchers have unveiled a comprehensive roadmap to help the global cold chain logistics industry cut carbon emissions, supporting climate goals and sustainability without sacrificing efficiency. The new study, published in Carbon Research, critically reviews the latest strategies, algorithms, and models for optimizing supply chains that rely on refrigeration and temperature control, from farm to pharmacy to home.

A new study has revealed both the promise and the complexity of using duckweed as a biological tool for managing nitrogen pollution in rice agriculture. While this tiny floating plant can sharply curb certain harmful nitrogen oxide emissions, it may also unintentionally boost releases of ammonia and a potent greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide. These findings highlight the importance of smart, integrated strategies for sustainable farming and environmental protection.

A team of scientists has uncovered a hidden risk to freshwater quality that could affect millions worldwide: the shift of lake and river sediment from trapping toxic arsenic to releasing it, driven by the widespread loss of aquatic plants. Their research, recently published in Energy Environment Nexus, shows that the decline of submerged macrophytes, vital underwater plants—can fundamentally change how arsenic moves through aquatic environments, posing an unanticipated threat to water safety.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is widely used to treat cancer but can cause severe heart damage. In a recent study, researchers from China identified glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) as a crucial protective factor against DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. They revealed that GSTP1 suppresses acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4)-dependent ferroptosis through the JNK signaling pathway, reducing oxidative stress and highlighting GSTP1 as a promising therapeutic target for preventing DOX-related heart injury.

Catechins are the heart of tea’s flavor and health-promoting properties, especially the galloylated types such as EGCG and ECG.