Rafael Luque

Water-rich sub-Neptunes and rocky super-Earths around different stars: Radii shaped by volatile partitioning, formation, and evolution

Despite precise characterization measurements, the nature of planets with radii between 2 and 4 Earth radii -- sub-Neptunes -- remains unknown due to degeneracies in interior models. Nevertheless, the field has compiled an impressive ensemble of small planets with measured masses...

Geographic Patterns of Pancreatic Cancer Mortality and Dietary Microplastic Exposure in Italy: An Ecological Hypothesis-Generating Framework

Pancreatic cancer (PC) mortality in Italy exhibited a persistent North–South macro-geographic gradient between 2003 and 2022, with significantly higher rates in northern regions. Whilst traditional risk factors partially explain this trend, the contribution of emerging dietary xe...

Passive Retention of Plastic Pellets and Microplastics by Coconut Fiber in a Mangrove-Supporting Floating Island in an Urban Estuary

Plastic pollution is a growing concern in urban estuarine environments, where hydrodynamic conditions and structural features of vegetated habitats can promote the interception and accumulation of plastic debris. This study evaluated the coconut-fiber matrix of a mangrove-based f...