This review provides a comprehensive analysis of natural fibers, addressing their classification, chemical composition, extraction methods, treatments, and diverse applications. It categorizes natural fibers into plant-based (cellulose-rich), animal-based (protein-based), and mineral-based types, detailing their unique structural and chemical properties. The paper examines traditional and advanced extraction techniques—including dew, water, enzymatic, chemical retting, and mechanical decortication—highlighting their impact on fiber quality and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, it reviews various chemical and biopolymer treatments designed to enhance fiber performance, reduce hydrophilicity, and improve adhesion in composite materials. The discussion extends to the multifaceted applications of natural fibers across industries such as textiles, automotive, construction, and packaging, underscoring their role in reducing reliance on synthetic materials and promoting eco-friendly innovations. The review synthesizes recent market trends and emerging fiber classifications, emphasizing the potential of natural fibers to drive sustainable development and informing future research in extraction efficiency, treatment optimization, and lifecycle analysis.

Climate change can have direct and indirect effects on human health. Direct effects can include an increase in extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and floods, as well as an increase in the spread of vector-borne and infectious diseases, which may lead to a set of health problems and diseases. Indirect effects can include changes in air quality, water availability, and food production and distribution. These changes can lead to an increase in respiratory problems, malnutrition, and increased food insecurity. There is a perceived need to investigate the extent to which Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are engaged in efforts to foster a greater understanding of the connections between climate change and health. In this context, this preliminary investigation offers an overview of the relationships between climate change and health. By means of a survey among teaching staff and researchers at HEIs from 42 countries across all continents working on the connection between climate change and health. The study has investigated the extent to which current provisions for education and training on the connection between climate change and health are being considered and how current needs in terms of policy development, research, and training are being met. A series of case studies illustrate how universities worldwide are actively developing strategies and implementing measures to address climate change and health. The study concludes by providing specific recommendations aimed at facilitating the handling of issues related to climate change and health in a higher education context.

Bioactive glasses are known for their surface reactivity and ability to bond with bone tissue through the formation of hydroxyapatite. This study investigates the effects of substituting ultrapure water with natural geothermal waters from the Azores in the sol–gel synthesis of 45S5 and MgO-modified bioglasses. Using high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we examined how the mineral composition of the waters influenced the chemical environment and network connectivity of the glass surface. The presence of trace ions, such as Mg²⁺, Sr²⁺, Zn²⁺, and B³⁺, altered the silicate structure, as evidenced by binding energy shifts and peak deconvolution in O 1s, Si 2p, P 2p, Ca 2p, and Na 1s spectra. Thermal treatment further promoted polymerization and reduced hydroxylation. Our findings suggest that mineral-rich waters act as functional agents, modulating the reactivity and structure of bioactive glass surfaces in eco-sustainable synthesis routes.

The energy sector is the largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, but could also be seriously affected by climate change, calling into question society’s current consumption patterns. In this communication, climate projections based on a set of numerical models of global circulation are used to simulate the climate until the end of the century and keep in mind the alternative scenarios of pollutant emissions. Apart from solar energy, the results for the Azores region show a negative impact on the production and consumption of renewable energies. In the regional context, this issue assumes special relevance, given the geographical constraints, such as territorial discontinuity and insularity. Based on these assumptions, measures and recommendations are pointed out for the sectors that most penalize greenhouse gas emissions, considering the energy sustainability in the Azores and the commitments and goals assumed under international agreements.

In small island regions, the influence of climate change assumes particular relevance. In the Azores archipelago, made up of nine islands, the geographical circumstances, oceanic condition, territorial dispersion, land use model and other physiographic constraints reinforce and enhance the vulnerability of the islands to changes in current weather patterns. Coupled Model Intercomparison Phase 6 (CMIP6) projections are used for the northeast Atlantic region to evaluate daily extreme climate events in large scale for the Azores region. Results shows changes in the annual maximum number of consecutive dry days, the annual number of wet days, and especially in the annual number of tropical nights. Despite limitations due to the lack of spatial detail, the large-scale framework suggests changes that may be enhanced by topography, particularly with respect to precipitation. The conclusions point to the need to establish standard rules in the processes of design, reviewing and/or amending territorial management instruments at the municipal scale in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, with the goal of adapting to a different climate from the recent past.

This study investigates the structural and electronic transitions of sol–gel derived titanium dioxide (TiO₂) thin films using vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectroscopy, to elucidate the impact of annealing-induced phase evolution. As the annealing temperature increased from 400 °C to 800 °C, the films transitioned from amorphous to anatase, mixed anatase–rutile, and finally rutile phases. VUV spectroscopy revealed distinct absorption features: a high-energy σ → π* transition below 150 nm, associated with bonding to antibonding orbital excitations, and lower-energy absorption bands in the range 175–180 nm and near 280 nm, attributed to π → π* and t_2g(π) → t*_2g(π*) transitions, respectively. These spectral features highlight the material’s intrinsic electronic states and defect-related transitions. A slight redshift of the absorption band from 176 nm to 177 nm with annealing reflects bandgap narrowing, attributed to increased rutile content, crystallite growth, and defect-induced effects. Broadening and additional absorption features around 280 nm were attributed to oxygen vacancies and reduced titanium oxidation states (Ti³⁺), as corroborated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS further confirmed the presence of Ti³⁺ species and oxygen vacancies, providing complementary evidence of defect-mediated transitions observed in the VUV spectra. While complementary techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed phase transitions and the reduction of hydroxyl groups, respectively, VUV spectroscopy uniquely captured the dynamic interplay between structural defects, phase evolution, and optical properties. This study underscores the utility of VUV spectroscopy as a powerful tool for probing the electronic structure of TiO₂ films, offering insights critical for tailoring their functional properties in advanced applications.