21st Century Research Articles

Degradation of pharmaceuticals and other emerging pollutants employing bi-metal catalysts/magnesium and/or (green) hydrogen in aqueous solution.

Contaminations by pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and other emerging pollutants in water resources have become a seriously burgeoning issue of global concern in the first third of the twenty-first century. As societal reliance on pharmaceuticals continues to escalate, the inadvertent introduction of these substances into water reservoirs poses a consequential environmental threat. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate reductive degradation, particularly, catalytic hydrogenation regarding model pollutants such as diclofenac (DCF), ibuprofen (IBP), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), or bisphenol-A (BPA), respectively, in aqueous solutions at lab scale. Iron bimetals (zero valent iron, ZVI, and copper, Cu, or nickel, Ni) as well as zero valent magnesium (Mg, ZVM) in combination with rhodium, Rh, or palladium, Pd, as hydrogenation catalysts (HK), were investigated. Studies were executed through various short-term batch experiments, with multiple sample collections, over a total range of 120min. The results indicated that DCF was attenuated at over 90 % when exposed to Fe-Cu or a Fe-Ni bimetal (applied as a single model pollutant). However, when DCF was part of a mixture alongside with IBP, EE2, and BPA, the attenuation efficacy decreased to 79 % with Fe-Cu and 23 % with Fe-Ni. Conversely, both IBP and BPA exhibit notably low attenuation levels with both bimetals, less than 50 %, both deployed as single substances or in mixtures. No reaction (degradation) products could be identified employing LC-MS, but sometimes a release of the parent pollutant when applying an acetic acid buffer could be noted to a certain extent, suggesting adsorption processes on corrosion products such as iron hydroxide and/or oxides. Surprisingly, Mg in combination with Rh (Rh-HK) or Pd (Pd-HK) showed a significantly rapid decrease in the concentrations of DCF, EE2, and BPA, in part up to approximately 100 %, that is, within a few minutes only in part due to hydrogenation degradation reactions (related reaction products could actually be identified by LC-MS; adsorption processes were not observed here). Moreover, kinetic modeling of the DCF degradation with Mg-Rh-HK was conducted at different temperatures (15 °C, 20 °C, 25 °C, 35 °C) and varied initial concentrations (2.5mg/L, 5.0mg/L, 7.5mg/L, 10.0mg/L). The outcomes prove that the degradation of DCF at the Rh-HK's surface followed a modified first-order kinetics, most probably by catalytic hydrodehalogenation and subsequent hydrogenation of the aromatic moieties (molecular hydrogen was provided by the corrosion of Mg). From the determined reaction rate constants at four different temperatures, the activation energy was estimated to be 59.6kJ/mol by means of the Arrhenius equation what is in good agreement with similar results reported in the literature. This coupled hydrodehalogenation and hydrogenation approach may be upscaled into a new promising technical process for comprehensively removing such pharmaceuticals and similar pollutants in sewage plants in a single step, furthermore, even in combination with adsorption by activated carbon and/or ozonation which have already been established at some sewage plants in Switzerland and Germany recently.

Assessing CESM2 Clouds and Their Response to Climate Change Using Cloud Regimes

Abstract The Community Earth System Model, version 2 (CESM2), has a very high climate sensitivity driven by strong positive cloud feedbacks. To evaluate the simulated clouds in the present climate and characterize their response with climate warming, a clustering approach is applied to three independent satellite cloud products and a set of coupled climate simulations. Using k-means clustering with a Wasserstein distance cost function, a set of typical cloud configurations is derived for the satellite cloud products. Using satellite simulator output, the model clouds are classified into the observed cloud regimes in both current and future climates. The model qualitatively reproduces the observed cloud configurations in the historical simulation using the same time period as the satellite observations, but it struggles to capture the observed heterogeneity of clouds which leads to an overestimation of the frequency of a few preferred cloud regimes. This problem is especially apparent for boundary layer clouds. Those low-level cloud regimes also account for much of the climate response in the late twenty-first century in four shared socioeconomic pathway simulations. The model reduces the frequency of occurrence of these low-cloud regimes, especially in tropical regions under large-scale subsidence, in favor of regimes that have weaker cloud radiative effects.

Living in a Post-material World? Assessing the Impact of Economic and non-Economic Shifts on the Success of the German Greens

ABSTRACT How does the state of the German economy influence the performance of the German Green Party? Investigating the strong correlation between Germany’s economic standing and the German Greens’ electoral results over the past two decades, this article tests the post-material contention that throughout the 21st Century, confidence in the economy has enabled citizens to more fully consider socio-cultural issues, including those key to the Greens’ political appeal, translating to stronger Green Party performance. Data from Politbarometer support this argument, showing that concern for key socio-cultural issues mediates and helps explain the relationship between satisfaction with the national economy and Green electoral performance over time. However, this trend does not hold when considering personal economic satisfaction, suggesting there are further considerations which impact how economic development influences the Greens’ performance.

Reader Response: The Brain Health Imperative in the 21st Century—A Call to Action: The AAN Brain Health Platform and Position Statement

Reader Response: The Brain Health Imperative in the 21st Century—A Call to Action: The AAN Brain Health Platform and Position Statement

Author Response: The Brain Health Imperative in the 21st Century—A Call to Action: The AAN Brain Health Platform and Position Statement

Author Response: The Brain Health Imperative in the 21st Century—A Call to Action: The AAN Brain Health Platform and Position Statement

Editors' Note: The Brain Health Imperative in the 21st Century—A Call to Action: The AAN Brain Health Platform and Position Statement

Editors' Note: The Brain Health Imperative in the 21st Century—A Call to Action: The AAN Brain Health Platform and Position Statement

Exploring the significant problems confronting secondary schools history education: a baseline study

The purpose of this baseline study is to determine the significant problems confronting history education in secondary school. The researchers employed qualitative research methods and case study design. The techniques that were employed to acquire credible data were document analysis, interviews, and classroom observation. Six experienced history education teachers and eight top-ten students from Sebeta town public secondary school were interviewed, and academic achievement statistics of 174 students in history education were analyzed. In addition eight lesson observations were carried out to validate the information gleaned from the interviews and document analysis. The study's findings show that the primary challenges influencing history education in Sebeta town public secondary schools were teaching strategy, a lack of awareness about implementing participatory teaching methods, a lack of comprehensiveness of the contents of history education teaching materials, and the issue of the bulkiness and scope of history education texts being covered on time. The findings also indicate the significance of training history education teachers to use participatory teaching tactics, as well as the need for curriculum experts to better coordinate the range of history education content and teaching strategies. The findings of this study will help teachers, practitioners, scholars, policymakers, and educational professionals find solutions to significant problems in secondary school history education, as well as develop effective techniques for teaching history education in secondary schools that involve twenty-first century skills and abilities.

War Becoming Phantasmal: A Cognitive Shift in Organized Violence beyond Traditional Limits

The entirety of human existence suggests multiple war theories and competing belief systems on what war is and how it can or cannot be exercised, even if we often are preoccupied with the current framework. Premodern societies differed from modern ones on whether humans or something divine or supernatural control the contexts and outcomes of war. Collectively, our species retains a firm appreciation of the assumed limits of what constitutes organized violence for political, social, or cultural aims, depending on the group and context. Yet in the twenty-first century, we may finally have set into motion the seeds of an unfamiliar, potentially incomprehensible, and likely transformative pathway where artificial intelligence or transhuman modifications may reveal what is called a “phantasmal transformation of war.” Complexity science explains reality and war so that earlier attempts—particularly those of the classical or natural science period and earlier prescientific attempts—are illuminated as insufficient or irrelevant outside of narrow or contextual applications. Today, Western militaries remain wedded to what is explained as a “Newtonian-style worldview” for understanding war, with select terms assimilated from complexity science and others ignored entirely. Indeed, modern military theorists assume an almost ideological devotion to what is largely a pseudo-scientific, static mode of framing war. Humans paired with certain advanced technology may also redefine war beyond previous physical domain and kinetic circumstances, including new manifestations in space, in cyberspace, and through accelerated human-machine teaming arrangements. Such novel conflict may in some applications exceed both human design and comprehension, potentially existing in planes or manifestations that are either undetectable by humans, rendered incomprehensible by select human actors, or potentially in modes that exceed the witting participation and awareness of our species.

Bigfoot Swims in the Garden of Eden

Encounters with hellbenders, an aquatic salamander found throughout the Appalachian Mountain range, has inspired Americans to reimagine their relationship with nature since the colonial period. These salamanders spend the majority of their time curled up in the nests they build under rocks on the bottom of cool, fast flowing streams. There, hellbenders blend into their surroundings and are commonly out of human sight. Only rarely do humans see hellbenders. According to written and oral accounts, hellbenders are generally only seen by humans when they bite angler’s bait. This essay examines human accounts of encounters with hellbenders from the eighteenth century through the twenty-first century. It argues that since the colonial period, Americans utilized encounters with hellbenders to reexamine their relationship with nature. This essay draws from the literary and historical analysis of scholars who have studied Bigfoot myths to argue that hellbenders have functioned rhetorically in the same way as Bigfoot myths, serving as a totem that helps Americans connect to an imagined wild environment. As these accounts demonstrate, human encounters with seemingly exotic, and commonly unseen, non-human animals like hellbenders have played a key role in the epistemological process that gave birth to the American wildlife conversation movement. This examination of human encounters with hellbenders shows American’s have reimagined their relationship to the environment through encounters with hellbenders over three centuries. In the eighteenth century, encounters with hellbenders influenced the creation of the American national identity after the United States formally severed their ties to Europe and founded a new nation. From the nineteenth century onward, American men developed a conversation movement around the idea of protecting so-called wild spaces and seemingly exotic animals like hellbenders to reenforce the American identity and their masculinity.

Study on Lean Six Sigma methodology from the Indian context: an investigation of literature

Purpose India liberalized its economy in 1991, which resulted in intense global competition, quality-conscious and demanding customers. Additionally, significant technological advancements lead to enhancements in products and processes. These forced Indian organizations to adopt innovative business strategies in the past 30 years. Meanwhile, the Lean Six Sigma methodology has significantly grown with vast applicability during the past 30 years. Thus, the purpose of this study is to develop the learning on Lean Six Sigma methodology in the Indian context through investigation of literature. Design/methodology/approach A three-stage systematic literature review approach was adopted to investigate the literature during the present study. In total, 187 articles published in 62 journals/conference proceedings from 2005 to 2022 (18 years) were shortlisted. The first part of the article summarizes the significant milestones towards the quality journey in the Indian context, along with the evolution of the Lean Six Sigma methodology. The second part examines the shortlisted papers on Lean Six Sigma frameworks, their applicability in industrial sectors, performance metrics, outcomes realized, publication trends, authorship patterns and leading researchers from the Indian perspective. Findings Lean Six Sigma has emerged as a highly acclaimed and structured business improvement strategy worldwide. The Indian economy has seen remarkable growth in the past decade and is one of the fastest-growing economies in the 21st century. Lean Six Sigma implementation in India has significantly increased from 2014 onward. The study revealed that researchers have proposed several different frameworks for Lean Six Sigma implementation, the majority of which are conceptual. Furthermore, the balanced applicability of Lean Six Sigma in manufacturing and service sectors was observed with the highest implementation in the health-care sector. Additionally, the widely adopted tools, techniques along with performance metrics exploring case studies were reported along with a summary of eminent and leading researchers in the Indian context. Research limitations/implications This study is confined to reviewed papers as per the research criteria with a significant focus on the Indian context and might have missed some papers due to the adopted papers selection strategy. Originality/value The present study is one of the initial attempts to investigate the literature published on Lean Six Sigma in the Indian context, including perspective on the Indian quality movement. Therefore, the present study will provide an understanding of Lean Six Sigma methodology in the Indian context to graduating students in engineering and management and entry-level executives. The analysis and findings on Lean Six Sigma frameworks, research approach, publications details, etc., will be helpful to potential research scholars and academia. Additionally, analysis of case studies on Lean Six Sigma implementation by Indian industries will assist the managers and professionals in decision making.

Can Cardiovascular Risk Assessment Be Improved in the 21st Century?

Can Cardiovascular Risk Assessment Be Improved in the 21st Century?

The role of digital literacy, epistemological belief and reading motivation and engagement in teaching 21st century skills

PurposeThe aim of this study was to shed some light on the extent to which digital literacy, epistemological belief and reading motivation and engagement predict pre-service teachers’ capabilities in teaching 21st century skills.Design/methodology/approach21st Century Skills Teaching Scale, Internet based Epistemological Beliefs Scale, Internet based Reading Motivation and Engagement Scale as well as Digital Literacy Scale were used to collect the data. A total of 512 pre-service teachers from four universities in Türkiye participated in the study. Descriptive statistics, correlation and structural equation model fitness tests were performed by using SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 22.0.FindingsFirst, the results of the correlations analysis indicated that there were statistically significant positive correlations among measured variables. Second, the results of the path and SEM model fit tests demonstrated that all the model fit indices of X2/df, TLI, CFI, RMSEA met the acceptable criteria and were shown to be an adequate model structure. Finally, the results demonstrated strong evidence for predicting effects of digital literacy, epistemological belief as well as reading motivation and engagement on teaching 21st century skills.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited by the fact that the evidence relies solely on pre-service teachers' self-reporting. Secondly, although the hypothesised model explained 45.2% variance of pre-service teachers’ competence in the 21st century skills, 54.8% of it remains unexplained.Originality/valueThe results of this study suggest important implications for teaching programs as they underscore the importance of digital literacy on epistemological beliefs, reading motivation and competence in teaching 21st century skills.

The Potential Systemic Role of Diet in Dental Caries Development and Arrest: A Narrative Review

Current conceptualizations of dental caries etiology center primarily on the local role of sugar, starch, or other fermentable carbohydrates on tooth enamel demineralization—a well-established and empirically supported mechanism. However, in addition to this mechanism, studies dating back to the early 1900s point to an important systemic role of diet and nutrition, particularly from pasture-raised animal-source foods (ASF), in dental caries etiology and arrest. Findings from animal and human studies suggest that adherence to a diet high in calcium, phosphorus, fat-soluble vitamins A and D, and antioxidant vitamin C, as well as low in phytates, may contribute to arrest and reversal of dental caries, particularly among children. Furthermore, findings from observational and experimental studies of humans across the life-course suggest that fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2 may interact to protect against dental caries progression, even within a diet that regularly contains sugar. While these historic studies have not been revisited in decades, we emphasize the need for them to be reinvestigated and contextualized in the 21st century. Specifically, methodologically rigorous studies are needed to reinvestigate whether historical knowledge of systemic impacts of nutrition on dental health can help to inform current conceptualizations of dental caries etiology, prevention, and arrest.

Apace

Researching nonfiction writing about where you call home is one way of appreciating conservation challenges. Living at the edge of the Great North Woods in Maine, I have found this work to be enriched by daily dog walks that cumulatively mark changes across time. Structured as a seasonal cycle, this essay ponders an idiosyncratic collection of evidence of more-than-human comings and goings, witnessed on two feet, accompanied by four more, in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. By writing about encounters with wildlife at close range, I reflect on specific ways in which my reading and dog walking practices together inspire extensions of empathy toward the ineffable relations that structure nature–culture borderlands. Becoming attuned to the critters within and without, betwixt and between house and home through extensions of kinaesthetic empathy, my hope is to model the development of a posthuman ethos through developing a storied appreciation for the elusive, unnamed intimacies of nonhuman neighbourliness that include, but are not limited to, witnessing dying and death.

Optimal reliability ensemble averaging approach for robust climate projections over China

AbstractAccurate simulation and reliable projection of temperature and precipitation over China under climate change is important for proposing adaptation measures for future natural ecosystems. This study proposes a novel method to construct an optimal reliability ensemble averaging (REA) subset from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) based on their historical performance in simulating temperature and precipitation across different subregions. The optimal REA ensemble outperforms the multi‐model ensemble mean (MMEM) and single optimal model in reproducing the spatial patterns of historical annual mean temperature and precipitation over China from 1985 to 2014. Under the examined Shared Socioeconomic Pathway scenarios (SSP1‐2.6, SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5), the REA projects persistent warming and increased precipitation towards the end of the 21st century, intensifying under higher emissions. Nationwide mean temperature rises of 1.39, 2.69 and 5.05°C, and precipitation increases of 9%, 10% and 20% are projected in the long‐term (2081–2100) relative to 1995–2014 under SSP1‐2.6, SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5 scenarios, respectively. Northwestern China and the Tibetan Plateau are expected to experience amplified warming and precipitation increases, respectively. Compared to the MMEM, the REA generally indicates reduced warming but larger precipitation increases, especially over the Tibetan Plateau under higher‐emissions scenarios. The REA exhibits lower projection uncertainty than the MMEM for both temperature and precipitation, primarily attributed to reduced internal variability. The novel optimal framework for REA shows the potential for extracting robust regional climate information applicable to different subregions of China. This study may contribute to new comprehension of future climate change over China.

English as a global language in China

While the first decade of the 21st century witnessed an unprecedented level of popularity in English across China, the last ten years have seen a fall in the status of English and a meteoric rise of the importance of the Chinese language and culture in the education system (Feng & Adamson, 2019; Pan & Wang, 2024). The changed status of English was exemplified in the 2017 English curriculum standards (2017 ECS) for senior high school students (aged 16–18). A few years after the implementation of this curriculum, this paper explores how teachers and students perceive the changed status of English as prescribed in the 2017 ECS, and what this means for the role of English as a ‘global language’ in China.

Strategic technological processes in hospitals: Conflicts and personal experiences of healthcare teams.

Global health systems operate amid dynamic factors, including demographic shifts, economic variations, political changes, technological progress, and societal trends that lead to VUCA reality (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity). To address these challenges, healthcare organizations are increasingly turning to Strategic Technological Processes and digital transformation. Against this background, the current study examined the personal experiences, conflicts, difficulties, and moral dilemmas attendant upon accommodating this digital transformation of healthcare professionals. The study involved 27 healthcare professionals working in Israeli hospitals, whose experiences and perspectives were central to understanding the impact of digital transformation in healthcare settings. The study methodology rested on in-depth interviews, which were analyzed through the prism of the Listening Guide analytical technique. The research obtained pre-approval from the Ethics Committee at the researcher's institution. The study revealed that the healthcare professionals are indeed facing ethical conflicts and personal challenges related to digitalization (such as providing the best quality of care, being the best caregiver, and acting for the betterment of the hospital). It also identified dilemmas resulting from conflicts between the needs and demands of the health system and the healthcare professionals' values and resources. The study findings highlight the impact of ethical and moral challenges accompanying strategic organizational and digital transformation changes implemented by healthcare organizations worldwide. These challenges arise as healthcare institutions adapt to the demands of the 21st century, potentially leading to burnout and moral distress among healthcare professionals, further exacerbating the already stressful reality they face. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the critical necessity for comprehensive support strategies to alleviate stress and burnout among healthcare professionals. As healthcare organizations and personnel navigate significant organizational changes to address contemporary challenges, prioritizing the well-being of healthcare workers through effective support mechanisms becomes imperative.

Emergent constraints on the future East Asian winter surface air temperature changes

Abstract In East Asia, the climate variability in boreal winter is dominated by the East Asian winter monsoon, one of the most energetic monsoon systems that can lead to disasters. The key variable, the East Asian winter surface air temperature (SAT), has significantly changed over the past century and has substantially impacted agriculture, ecosystems, economics, and public health. However, its projections are limited by considerable uncertainties. Here, we identify the first leading mode that explains almost 32.1% of the inter-model spread in future SAT change. Our research delves into the evolution of present-day biases under future scenarios and their consequential impact on the SAT. Models with stronger western currents in the North Pacific exhibit a warmer North Pacific at mid-latitudes during historical periods. Additionally, these models consistently demonstrate stronger western currents in the future, contributing to the amplified warming of the western North Pacific, thereby warming Eurasia via the weakened trough and subtropical jet through barotropic responses to the warm North Pacific. Incorporating observational sea surface temperature (SST) constraints reduces uncertainties by 15.6%, revealing a more reliable SAT change pattern by the end of the 21st century.

Prediction of ambulance transport system collapse under extremely high temperatures induced by climate change

The heat-related health impacts of extremely high temperatures have become increasingly severe worldwide. Quantitative information on these impacts is necessary to plan and implement adaptation measures. The present study aimed to predict the number of heatstroke ambulance calls (HAC) and ambulance occupancy rate of patients with heatstroke (AORPH) under extremely high temperatures in Tokyo, Japan. Extremely high temperatures were defined as the annual highest value of daily maximum temperature that occurs once every 30 y (30 y temp) or 50 y (50 y temp). Combinations of three greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scenarios and five climate models were adopted to predict the impacts during the base years (1985–2014), mid-21st century (2021–2050), and late 21st century (2071–2100). Furthermore, two types of populations were adopted: fixed and changing. In the case of 50 y temp, the HAC during the peak hour in the base years ranged from 52 to 130 persons across the climate models. In the case of a fixed population, in the late 21st century it ranged from 123 to 2618 persons across the climate models and GHG scenarios. In the case of a changing population, the corresponding values in late 21st century ranged from 128 to 3078 persons. The AORPH during the peak hour ranged from 32% to 80% during the base years for 50 y temp, assuming that all ambulances were dispatched for heatstroke only. In the late 21st century, it ranged from 75% to 1605% in the fixed population case. With population change, the corresponding values in late 21st century ranged from 83% to 1781%. In many scenarios, not all patients with heatstroke could be transported (AORPH > 100%) even if all ambulances have been dispatched. Therefore, adaptation measures that mitigate such an ambulance transport system collapse must be planned and implemented.

Bridging the divide: Exploring inequities between sworn and civilian leaders in a Canadian police service.

Policing in the 21st century has rapidly become more complex, accountable, and changeable. Concern has emerged across the globe over the sustainability of public policing. Empirical research has supported that effective leadership at all levels of an organization is necessary to achieve success. Much has been said about the importance of effective leadership in policing. This paper explores an unexpected key finding from a mixed-methods, explanatory sequential design doctoral study that examined the self-efficacy beliefs and the factors that have influenced the leader effectiveness of sworn and civilian police leaders in a major Canadian police organization.