Scientific Challenges Research Articles

Unpacking Technical Assistance (TA) Strategies Within a State-Level Prevention Support System: A Mixed-Method Study in Determining Types and Amount of TA.

The research-practice gap between evidence-based intervention efficacy and its uptake in real-world contexts remains a central challenge for prevention and implementation science. Providing technical assistance (TA) is considered a crucial support mechanism that can help narrow the gap. However, empirical measurement of TA strategies and their variation is often lacking. The current study unpacks the black box of TA, highlighting different TA strategies, amounts, and their relation to intervention characteristics. First, we qualitatively categorized interactions between TA providers and implementers. Second, we explored how characteristics of implementing organizations and the intervention related to variations in the amount of TA delivered. Using data spanning six years, we analyzed over 10,000 encounters between TA providers and implementers. Content analysis yielded four distinct strategies: Consultation (27.2%), Coordination Logistics (24.5%), Monitoring (16.5%), and Resource Delivery (28.2%). Organizations with prior experience required less monitoring and resource delivery. Additionally, characteristics of the intervention were significantly associated with the amount of consultation, monitoring, coordination logistics, and resource delivery provided. The specific features of the intervention showed significant variation in their relation to TA strategies. These findings provide initial insights into the implications of intervention characteristics in determining how much of which TA strategies are needed to support implementations in real-world settings.

The Role of Changes in Structure and Dynamics of Chromatin Due to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a serious challenge for the healthcare system and the economy of many states, and understanding the molecular mechanisms of the pathogenesis of this disease has become a significant challenge for modern science. At the same time, for the first time, a number of high-precision and high-throughput methods for analyzing molecular processes were available to scientists, including technologies for studying changes in chromatin at the genomic level. In this review, we discuss various modern methods that have been used or can be used to study changes in the structure and dynamics of chromatin during infection with SARS-CoV-2, present the results of currently available studies on the role of these changes in the pathogenesis of COVID-19, and in conclusion we review the currently known molecular mechanisms of chromatin modulation that occur during infection with SARS-CoV-2.

The ELIXIR Biodiversity Community: Understanding short- and long-term changes in biodiversity.

Biodiversity loss is now recognised as one of the major challenges for humankind to address over the next few decades. Unless major actions are taken, the sixth mass extinction will lead to catastrophic effects on the Earth's biosphere and human health and well-being. ELIXIR can help address the technical challenges of biodiversity science, through leveraging its suite of services and expertise to enable data management and analysis activities that enhance our understanding of life on Earth and facilitate biodiversity preservation and restoration. This white paper, prepared by the ELIXIR Biodiversity Community, summarises the current status and responses, and presents a set of plans, both technical and community-oriented, that should both enhance how ELIXIR Services are applied in the biodiversity field and how ELIXIR builds connections across the many other infrastructures active in this area. We discuss the areas of highest priority, how they can be implemented in cooperation with the ELIXIR Platforms, and their connections to existing ELIXIR Communities and international consortia. The article provides a preliminary blueprint for a Biodiversity Community in ELIXIR and is an appeal to identify and involve new stakeholders.

Microplastics: Omnipresent and an ongoing challenge for medical science.

Micro- and nanoplastics are omnipresent not only in the environment, but have also been detected in human body fluids and tissue. The subsequent commentary provides a perspective about potential risks for human health as well as resulting challenges for medical science.

Developing Natural and Social Sciences Teaching Materials Using A Self-Instruction Approach Containing Tri Kaya Parisudha Concept For Primary School Students: A Preliminary Research

Purpose: This research aims to identify the need for natural and social science teaching materials by the demands of the independent learning curriculum and the obstacles faced in learning natural and social sciences using the self-instruction approach and the tri kaya parisudha concept. Method: This research was conducted using the literature review research method. The data collected comes from books, research studies and research results published in national and international scientific journals. The collected data was analyzed qualitatively using an interactive data analysis model consisting of three stages: data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification. Results and conclusion: Teaching materials with a self-instruction approach and containing the tri kaya parisudha can be a solution to meet the demands of an independent curriculum for Natural and Social Sciences subjects. This is because self-instruction has several characteristics that solve the challenges of learning Natural and Social Sciences and the demands of an independent curriculum in realizing quality learning that suits the needs and learning environment. Meanwhile, Tri kaya parisudha helps implement character education emphasising thinking, saying and doing good things. Research implications: The results of this research can be used as material for consideration in developing teaching materials for learning Natural and Social Sciences using a self-instruction approach containing tri hita karana. Originality/value: Teaching materials that combine modern learning concepts with local wisdom are still rarely developed. This research combines the concept of modern learning, namely self-instruction, with local wisdom possessed by the Balinese people in developing character, namely tri kaya parisudha. So, it can be said that this research offers something new by combining modern and traditional concepts already known by society into the natural and social sciences learning process.

Association between time of assessment within a school year and physical fitness of primary school children

The dissociation of effects of age, time of assessment and cohort is a well-known challenge in developmental science. We examined effects of time of assessment in the school year on children’s physical fitness using data from 75,362 German third-graders from seven cohorts. Children were tested once either in the first or second school term of third grade. Tests examined cardiorespiratory endurance (6-min run), coordination (star-run), speed (20-m sprint), lower (standing long jump) and upper (ball-push test) limbs muscle power, and flexibility (stand-and-reach test). We estimated the effect of time of assessment using a regression discontinuity design specified in a linear mixed model with random factors child and school and adjusted for age, sex, and cohort effects. Coordination, speed, and upper limbs muscle power were better in second compared to first school term, with boys exhibiting a larger increase of upper limbs muscle power than girls. There was no evidence for changes in cardiorespiratory endurance, lower limbs muscle power, and flexibility between assessments. Previously reported age and sex effects as well as secular fitness trends were replicated. There is thus evidence for improvement of some physical fitness components beyond age and cohort effects that presumably reflects the benefit of physical activity in physical education and other settings. Effects of assessment time should be taken into consideration in performance-based grading or norm-based selection of children.

Dynamically stable radiation pressure propulsion of flexible lightsails for interstellar exploration

Meter-scale, submicron-thick lightsail spacecraft, propelled to relativistic velocities via photon pressure using high-power density laser radiation, offer a potentially new route to space exploration within and beyond the solar system, posing substantial challenges for materials science and engineering. We analyze the structural and photonic design of flexible lightsails by developing a mesh-based multiphysics simulator based on linear elastic theory. We observe spin-stabilized flexible lightsail shapes and designs that are immune to shape collapse during acceleration and exhibit beam-riding stability despite deformations caused by photon pressure and thermal expansion. Excitingly, nanophotonic lightsails based on planar silicon nitride membranes patterned with suitable optical metagratings exhibit both mechanically and dynamically stable propulsion along the pump laser axis. These advances suggest that laser-driven acceleration of membrane-like lightsails to the relativistic speeds needed to access interstellar distances is conceptually feasible, and that their fabrication could be achieved by scaling up modern microfabrication technology.

An Adsorptive Membrane Platform for Precision Ion Separation: Membrane Design and First‐Principles Studies

One of the key challenges in separation science is the lack of precise ion separation methods and mechanistic understanding crucial for efficiently recovering critical materials from complex aqueous matrices. Herein, first‐principles electronic structure calculations and in situ Raman spectroscopy are studied to elucidate the factors governing ion discrimination in an adsorptive membrane specifically designed for transition metal ion separation. Density functional theory calculations and in situ Raman data jointly reveal the thermodynamically favorable binding preferences and detailed adsorption mechanisms for competing ions. How membrane binding preferences correlate with the electronic properties of ligands is explored, such as orbital hybridization and electron localization. The findings underscore the importance of the phenolate group in oxime ligands for achieving high selectivity among competing transition metal ions. In‐depth understanding on which specific atomistic site within the microenvironment of metal‐ligand binding pockets governs the ion discrimination behaviors of the host will build a solid foundation to guide the rational design of next‐generation materials for precision separation essential for energy technologies and environment remediation. In tandem, synthetic controllability is demonstrated to transform 3D micrometer‐scale crystals to a 2D crystalline selective layer in membranes, paving the way for more precise and sustainable advances in separation science.

Open science practices in traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine research: A path to enhanced transparency and collaboration

This educational article explores the convergence of open science practices and traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM), shedding light on the potential benefits and challenges of open science for the development, dissemination, and implementation of evidence-based TCIM. We emphasize the transformative shift in medical science towards open and collaborative practices, highlighting the limited application of open science in TCIM research despite its growing acceptance among patients. We define open science practices and discuss those that are applicable to TCIM, including: study registration; reporting guidelines; data, code and material sharing; preprinting; publishing open access; and reproducibility/replication studies. We explore the benefits of open science in TCIM, spanning improved research quality, increased public trust, accelerated innovation, and enhanced evidence-based decision-making. We also acknowledge challenges such as data privacy concerns, limited resources, and resistance to cultural change. We propose strategies to overcome these challenges, including ethical guidelines, education programs, funding advocacy, interdisciplinary dialogue, and patient engagement. Looking to the future, we envision the maturation of open science in TCIM, the development of TCIM-specific guidelines for open science practices, advancements in data sharing platforms, the integration of open data and artificial intelligence in TCIM research, and changes in the context of policy and regulation. We foresee a future where open science in TCIM leads to a better evidence base, informed decision-making, interdisciplinary collaboration, and transformative impacts on healthcare and research methodologies, highlighting the promising synergy between open science and TCIM for holistic, evidence-based healthcare solutions.

Influence of the alcohol and water grades on surfactant-free colloidal syntheses of gold nanoparticles in alkaline water-alcohol mixtures

To make the most of the unique properties of nanomaterials, and to bridge the gap between fundamental and applied research, controlled, green, cheap and energy efficient syntheses of nanoparticles are required. In this respect, room and low temperature surfactant-free colloidal syntheses of nanoparticles obtained in low viscosity and low boiling point solvents, without additives or nature-derived extracts, are promising to develop more active (electro)catalysts. Recently, a room temperature synthesis of surfactant-free gold nanoparticles has been documented (Chem. Mater. 2023, 35, 5, 2173) that requires only water, a base such as NaOH, an alcohol and HAuCl4. Unfortunately, the syntheses of nanomaterials are often sensitive to multiple parameters and it is well acknowledged that reproducibility is a general challenge in the chemical sciences, where the synthesis of nanomaterials is no exception. Here, we investigate the effect of the water conductivity and solvent grade on the surfactant-free low temperature (ca. 30 °C) synthesis of colloidal gold nanoparticles obtained in alkaline mixtures of ethanol and water. The synthesis can be performed with relatively low-grade ethanol but requires high purity water. The importance of water with low conductivity is also stressed for syntheses where ethylene glycol and glycerol are used as source of reducing agents. The results of this study over 100 samples pave the way to greener, more controlled and scalable syntheses of surfactant-free gold nanomaterials.

Challenges of open science: a view from academia

Challenges of open science: a view from academia

A New Approach in Lipase-Octyl-Agarose Biocatalysis of 2-Arylpropionic Acid Derivatives.

The use of lipase immobilized on an octyl-agarose support to obtain the optically pure enantiomers of chiral drugs in reactions carried out in organic solvents is a great challenge for chemical and pharmaceutical sciences. Therefore, it is extremely important to develop optimal procedures to achieve a high enantioselectivity of the biocatalysts in the organic medium. Our paper describes a new approach to biocatalysis performed in an organic solvent with the use of CALB-octyl-agarose support including the application of a polypropylene reactor, an appropriate buffer for immobilization (Tris base-pH 9, 100 mM), a drying step, and then the storage of immobilized lipases in a climatic chamber or a refrigerator. An immobilized lipase B from Candida antarctica (CALB) was used in the kinetic resolution of (R,S)-flurbiprofen by enantioselective esterification with methanol, reaching a high enantiomeric excess (eep = 89.6 ± 2.0%). As part of the immobilization optimization, the influence of different buffers was investigated. The effect of the reactor material and the reaction medium on the lipase activity was also studied. Moreover, the stability of the immobilized lipases: lipase from Candida rugosa (CRL) and CALB during storage in various temperature and humidity conditions (climatic chamber and refrigerator) was tested. The application of the immobilized CALB in a polypropylene reactor allowed for receiving over 9-fold higher conversion values compared to the results achieved when conducting the reaction in a glass reactor, as well as approximately 30-fold higher conversion values in comparison with free lipase. The good stability of the CALB-octyl-agarose support was demonstrated. After 7 days of storage in a climatic chamber or refrigerator (with protection from humidity) approximately 60% higher conversion values were obtained compared to the results observed for the immobilized form that had not been stored. The new approach involving the application of the CALB-octyl-agarose support for reactions performed in organic solvents indicates a significant role of the polymer reactor material being used in achieving high catalytic activity.

Predicting the vertical density structure of oceanic gravity current intrusions

Understanding the dynamics and structures in the deep ocean is one of the remaining challenges in oceanography and climate sciences. We present results from large-scale laboratory experiments of rotating down-slope gravity currents intruding into a two-layer stratified ambient, performed in the largest rotating tank in the world, the Coriolis Rotating Platform in Grenoble. By means of velocity and density measurements, we show that no mixing occurs once the current has detached from the boundary. The shape of the vertical density profile in the stratified receiving ambient enables to identify two distinct regimes: the first issued by laminar transport through Ekman dynamics, the second by turbulent transport due to intermittent dense water cascading. Vertical density gradients reveal a piece-wise linear dependence on the density anomaly for the turbulent transport, suggesting an advection-diffusion process. For the turbulent regime, the scale height is deduced and an analytical model based on the critical Froude number is proposed to predict its value. Results show that the total thickness of the intruding current is on average 2.5 times the scale height. For laminar intrusions the scale height diverges whereas the thickness of the intrusion is a few times the Ekman layer thickness. Comparing the intrusion scale height with its measured vertical extension has led to a criteria to distinguish between laminar and turbulent regimes, which is corroborated by two additional independent criteria, one based on the sign of the local vorticity and the other based on the local maxima of the vertical density gradient. The model allows us to connect laboratory experiments to deep sea observations, gravity currents and Meddies and emphasizes the importance of laboratory experiments in understanding climate dynamics.

Simulated data for census-scale entity resolution research without privacy restrictions: a large-scale dataset generated by individual-based modeling

Background Entity resolution (ER) is the process of identifying and linking records that refer to the same real-world entity. ER is a fundamental challenge in data science, and a common barrier to ER research and development is that the data fields used for this fuzzy matching are personally identifiable information, such as name, address, and date of birth. The necessary restrictions on accessing and sharing these authentic data have slowed the work in developing, testing, and adopting new methods and software for ER. We recently released pseudopeople, a Python package that allows users to generate simulated datasets approaching the scale and complexity of the data on which large organizations and federal agencies, like the US Census Bureau regularly perform ER. With pseudopeople, researchers can develop new algorithms and software for ER of US population data without needing access to personal and confidential information. Methods We created the simulated population data available through pseudopeople using our Vivarium simulation platform. Our model simulates individuals and their families, households, and employment dynamics over time, which we observe through simulated censuses, surveys, and administrative data collection systems. Results Our simulation process produced over 900 gigabytes of simulated censuses, surveys, and administrative data for pseudopeople, representing hundreds of millions of simulants. A sample simulated population of thousands of simulants is now openly available to all users of the pseudopeople package, and large-scale simulated populations of millions and hundreds of millions of simulants are also available by online request through GitHub. These simulated population data are structured for use by the pseudopeople package, which includes additional affordances to add various kinds of noise to the data to provide realistic, sharable challenges for ER researchers.

The application of artificial intellect in health care: prospects and challenges for science and clinical medicine

The paper analyses publications data related to issues of application of AI and machine learning systems in medical science and practice. The particular attention is paid to key points of AI application in health care: diagnostics, telemedicine, development of new medications, medical rehabilitation and management decision-making process. Despite broad perspectives of applying the given systems in clinical practice and pharmaceutical industry, there are a number of such unsolved problems as ensuring information security, risk of making erroneous decisions and necessity to change existing normative legal base of health care.

Lithium oxides LiRO2 (R = rare earth elements) with negative thermal expansion behavior and inverse barocaloric effect

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) defies the conventional wisdom of lattice dynamics and offers a novel way to control the expansion coefficient and address some challenges in modern science and technology. From an application standpoint, materials exhibiting NTE across a broad temperature range, including room temperature, are highly sought after. In this work, we propose the multi-doping strategy and prepared a series of rare-earth-based lithium oxides featuring negative thermal expansion, with the objective of adjusting their temperature range. The phase transition temperatures of these materials range from 202 K to 467 K, demonstrating a linear correlation with the average ionic radius of the rare-earth elements. By capitalizing on the synergistic effects of four rare-earth elements, we expand the full width at half maximum of the thermal expansion peak in Li(ErYHoDy)0.25O2 from 1.6 K to 14.5 K, a notable improvement of nearly tenfold is achieved. Additionally, we investigate the low-temperature magnetocaloric effects and inverse barocaloric effects within these rare-earth-based lithium oxides. Temperature- and pressure-dependent Raman scattering measurements indicate that the phase transitions and the barocaloric effects are associated with the stretching mode of the Li–O bond and the vibrational mode of the YO6 octahedron.

Behavioral and metabolic markers of cow morbidity in early lactation

The high productivity of cows on modern dairy farms means that their bodies are used almost at full capacity. Even minor violations in the conditions of keeping or feeding can lead to a significant increase in the morbidity of animals. In such conditions, preventive veterinary medicine is the main task of a veterinarian. In practice, preventing the development of the disease means the veterinarian's ability to predict the occurrence of a problem, identify its cause in time and offer preventive measures. The purpose of this work was to get acquainted with behavioral and metabolic markers for predicting morbidity in cows during early lactation. According to the methodology for systematic reviews of the literature, a search and analysis of scientific articles according to the topic of the study, which were published during 2000–2023, was carried out. To search for scientific articles, the scientometric databases of the Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed were used. Analysis of the study of behavioral and metabolic markers of morbidity in cows during early lactation showed the significant relevance of the problem for dairy farming. A significant number of scientific articles are devoted to the study of this issue. A significant amount of the results of scientific research has practical significance and is used in production. The other part serves as a basis for the formation of new substantiated scientific hypotheses. This gives reason to believe that solving the problem of timely diagnosis and prevention of cow diseases during the transition period is a matter of the near future. Certain physiological and behavioral parameters (duration of chewing and feeding, time of rest and motor activity, social interaction) during the dry period can be important indicators of metabolic changes or diseases in cows at the beginning of lactation. The accuracy of forecasting with the help of such parameters increases with the increase in the duration of the study and the number of indicators used. Physiological and behavioral parameters recorded by automated milking systems can be successfully used to diagnose and predict health problems of dairy cows. Further research in this field is an important challenge for veterinary science. An increase in the time spent in a lying position, the number of periods of rest and agonistic contractions per day, a decrease in the duration of chewing, feeding and motor activity, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy, are associated with an increased likelihood of transition period diseases (ketosis, abomasum displacement, reproductive disorders, etc.). The study of behavioral and metabolic markers of morbidity in cows during early lactation proved the significant relevance of the problem for dairy farming. A significant number of scientific articles are devoted to the study of this issue. We believe that solving the problem of timely diagnosis and prevention of cow diseases during the transition period is an important task of veterinary medical science today.

Imaging 3D chemistry at 1 nm resolution with fused multi-modal electron tomography

Measuring the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of chemistry in nanoscale matter is a longstanding challenge for metrological science. The inelastic scattering events required for 3D chemical imaging are too rare, requiring high beam exposure that destroys the specimen before an experiment is completed. Even larger doses are required to achieve high resolution. Thus, chemical mapping in 3D has been unachievable except at lower resolution with the most radiation-hard materials. Here, high-resolution 3D chemical imaging is achieved near or below one-nanometer resolution in an Au-Fe3O4 metamaterial within an organic ligand matrix, Co3O4-Mn3O4 core-shell nanocrystals, and ZnS-Cu0.64S0.36 nanomaterial using fused multi-modal electron tomography. Multi-modal data fusion enables high-resolution chemical tomography often with 99% less dose by linking information encoded within both elastic (HAADF) and inelastic (EDX/EELS) signals. We thus demonstrate that sub-nanometer 3D resolution of chemistry is measurable for a broad class of geometrically and compositionally complex materials.

Human Research Ethics Review Challenges in the Social Sciences: A Case for Review

Human Research Ethics Review Challenges in the Social Sciences: A Case for Review

Light-Induced Self-Assembled Polydiacetylene/Carbon Dot Functional "Honeycomb".

The design of functional supramolecular assemblies from individual molecular building blocks is a fundamental challenge in chemistry and material science. We report on the fabrication of "honeycomb" films by light-induced coassembly of diacetylene derivatives and carbon dots. Specifically, modulating noncovalent interactions between the carbon dots, macrocyclic diacetylene, and anthraquinone diacetylene facilitates formation of thin films exhibiting a long-range, uniform pore structure. We show that light irradiation at distinct wavelengths plays a key role in the assembly process and generation of unique macro-porous morphology, by both initiating interactions between the carbon dots and the anthraquinone moieties and giving rise to the topotactic polymerization of the polydiacetylene network. We further demonstrate utilization of the macro-porous film as a photocatalytic platform for water pollutant degradation and as potential supercapacitor electrodes, both applications taking advantage of the high surface area, hydrophobicity, and pore structure of the film.