Meeting sustainable development goals via robotics and autonomous systems

Robotics and autonomous systems are reshaping the world, changing healthcare, food production and biodiversity management. While they will play a fundamental role in delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, associated opportunities and threats are yet to be considered systematically. We report on a horizon scan evaluating robotics and autonomous systems impact on all Sustainable Development Goals, involving 102 experts from around the world. Robotics and autonomous systems are likely to transform how the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved, through replacing and supporting human activities, fostering innovation, enhancing remote access and improving monitoring. Emerging threats relate to reinforcing inequalities, exacerbating environmental change, diverting resources from tried-and-tested solutions and reducing freedom and privacy through inadequate governance. Although predicting future impacts of robotics and autonomous systems on the Sustainable Development Goals is difficult, thoroughly examining technological developments early is essential to prevent unintended detrimental consequences. Additionally, robotics and autonomous systems should be considered explicitly when developing future iterations of the Sustainable Development Goals to avoid reversing progress or exacerbating inequalities

Extending the Frontiers of Financial Development for Sustainability of the MENA States: The Roles of Resource Abundance and Institutional Quality

Resource abundance characterizes economies within the MENA region from North Africa to the Middle East. As such, to improve financial development (FD) for regional economic sustainability, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the roles of natural resources abundance and institutional quality indicators on the region's FD while underscoring the inflationary levels and general economic growth trends amidst rising globalization. The adopted empirical strategy (CS-ARDL and AMG) is employed for potential cross-sectional dependency (CD) and slope homogeneity in the regional data spanning over two decades (2000-2020). Unlike the extant literature, two separate regional FD indicators were considered for an insightful analysis namely, banking financial services via domestic credit to private sector, and financial stability via the Z-score values showing the tendencies of default in a country's banking structure. Regardless of the FD indicator, the results reveal that natural resources, growth trends, and inflationary levels significantly spur long-run regional FD thereby invalidating the financial resource curse hypothesis in the region. Furthermore, both institutional quality levels and globalization produced detrimental impacts on FD levels. However, the interaction between institutional quality levels and natural resources shows a desirable FD-stimulating effect in the region, noticeably when FD is proxied by the Z-score. Thus, implying that stronger institutions are crucial for MENA's overall financial stability vis-à-vis reduction in the risk of default in the banking system. Hence, policy recommendations including the strengthening of institutional capacities among others, were suggested to regional authorities towards harnessing resources for sustainable regional FD

Preparation and 31P NMR characterization of nickel phosphides on silica

We prepared Ni2P by reduction of an oxidic precursor consisting of nickel oxides and phosphates (P/Ni ratio=0.5) in a flow of H2 upon heating to 823 K. SiO2-supported Ni2P was prepared by reducing a supported oxidic precursor (P/Ni ratio=0.65) in a flow of 5% H2/N2 upon heating to 1023 K. Supported precursors with a P-to-Ni ratio lower than 0.65 yielded phosphides with a lower P content, such as Ni3P and Ni12P5. Furthermore, the flow rate of the reducing agent has a strong effect on which phosphide forms. From temperature-programmed reduction measurements, we concluded that the reduction starts with the formation of Ni metal from NiO at around 600 K. Phosphates are reduced at higher temperatures to volatile P compounds that react with the Ni to Ni2P, with Ni3P and Ni12P5 as possible intermediates. The formed products were characterized by powder X-ray diffractometry and 31P MAS NMR spectroscopy. NMR spectroscopy is a powerful tool for identifying the different Ni phosphides on the support. The metallic character of Ni3P, Ni12P5, and Ni2P classifies their large 31P NMR shifts as Knight shifts, which enables them to be distinguished from those of diamagnetic phosphates

Synthesis, structure and properties of related microporous N,N '-piperazinebismethylenephosphonates of aluminum and titanium

A porous framework titanium(IV) N,N'-piperazinebis (methylenephosphonate) (MIL-91(Ti)) and its aluminum analogue have been prepared under hydrothermal conditions (MIL = Material Institut Lavoisier). The structure of the aluminum analogue, AlOH(H2L)center dot nH(2)O (eta similar to 3, L = O3P-CH2-NC4H8N-CH(2)Z, PO3) was solved from a small single crystal and refined against laboratory powder X-ray diffraction data. The structure of the titanium form (TiO(H2L)-nH(2)O (n similar to 4.5)) was determined using the structure of the aluminum form as a starting model and refining it against laboratory X-ray data. Their structures are built up from trans corner-sharing chains of TiO6 or AlO6 octahedra linked together in two directions via the diphosphonate groups. In each case this gives rise to a three-dimensional hybrid network with small channels along the b axis, filled with free water molecules. Thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray thermodiffractometry of the samples reveal that water is lost reversibly below 423 K and that both structures are stable up to 463 K. Dehydration gives porous solids (pore size similar to 3.5 x 4.0 angstrom(2)) which adsorb nitrogen at 77 K to give Langmuir surface areas close to 500 m(2)center dot g(-1). Crystal data for MIL-91 (Ti) are as follows: space group C2/m. (No. 12) with a = 19.415(2) angstrom, b = 7.071 (1) angstrom, c = 11.483(1) 92.78(1)degrees, V 1574.70(1) angstrom(3), and Z = 2. Crystal Data for MIL-91 (Al) are as follows: space group C2/m (No. 12) With a = 18.947(2) angstrom, b = 6.915(1) angstrom, c = 11.295(1) angstrom, beta = 90.45(1)degrees, and V = 1479.90(1)angstrom(3).</p