Challenges In Development Research Articles

Synergistic solar electricity-water generation through an integration of semitransparent solar cells and multistage interfacial desalination

Energy shortage and freshwater scarcity are critical challenges for the sustainable development of the society. The photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) hybrid system offers a promising strategy by harnessing solar energy for electricity and water cogeneration. However, existing systems suffer from relatively low efficiency due to incomplete solar spectrum utilization. To address this, we propose a novel PVT integrated system that combines semi-transparent solar cells and multistage interfacial stills to maximize solar spectrum utilization, allowing for efficient electricity and freshwater co-production. Experimental results demonstrate a record-high solar-to-vapor efficiency of 210% with a production rate of 3.17 L m-2 h-1 under one-sun, while maintaining an uncompromised electrical efficiency of 19.57%. Furthermore, we employ a verified theoretical framework to provide optimized strategies for concurrent enhancement of electricity-water production, by improving internal heat and mass transfer and effectively reducing the thickness of the interstage air gap. Moreover, we introduce a non-contact model for system structure optimization proposed to match the high transmittance of solar cells. This work realizes full solar spectrum utilization to cogenerate electricity and freshwater, offering optimized strategies from the thermal perspective for future research.

The prospect of the application of human body visualization metaverse in the field of surgery

As 2021 is known as the "first year of the metaverse", the concept of metaverse is promoting a multi-field innovation revolution on a global scale. The new experiences and technologies it brings are expected to provide solutions for the difficulties in the field of human visualization surgery in disease diagnosis, preoperative planning, surgical treatment, medical education, health management and patient experience. This opens up opportunities for the next wave of disruptive technology innovation. This paper proposes a new concept of "human visualization metaverse", and summarizes its innovative application, future development direction and challenges to promote the research and development of human visualization metaverse,and to explore the application potential of metaverse technology in the field of surgery to advance the research and development of the metaverse for human visualization.

China’s Urban Regeneration Evolution from 1949 to 2022: From the Perspective of Governance Mode

Urban regeneration has played an important role in Chinese successful urban economic development and is constantly evolving along with the changes in the demands of urban development. However, there have been relatively few studies on urban regeneration evolution. In order to explore the relationship between the evolution of urban regeneration and urban development in China, this paper divides China’s urban regeneration into four stages from the perspective of governance mode, namely, unitary governance, binary governance, tripartite governance, and pluralistic co-governance. It is found that the evolution of urban regeneration is closely related to the core contradictions in the process of urban development, and the development challenges at each period are often caused by the urban regeneration governance mode in the pervious phase. The evolution of urban development and urban regeneration governance mode presents the phenomenon of interaction. Based on the understanding of urban regeneration evolution, this study points out the problems that need to be solved in China’s urban regeneration in the future with suggestions, and the hope is that this study can provide experiences for the urban regeneration development of other developing countries.

Towards Sustainable Decarbonization: Addressing Challenges in Electric Vehicle Adoption and Infrastructure Development

The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) plays a pivotal role in achieving decarbonization within the transportation sector. However, the widespread adoption of EVs faces multifaceted challenges, particularly concerning infrastructure development. This paper investigates the intersection of sustainability, decarbonization, and EV adoption, with a focus on identifying and analyzing the challenges associated with infrastructure deployment. Strictly adhering to the methodological principles and process of systematic literature reviews, this paper analyzes research spanning the fields of engineering, energy, computer science, environmental science, social sciences, and others to elucidate the barriers hindering EV adoption, ranging from technological limitations to regulatory complexities and market dynamics. Furthermore, it examines the critical role of infrastructure, encompassing charging networks, grid integration, and supportive policies, in facilitating EV uptake and maximizing environmental benefits. The findings are finally used to present the implications for theory, practice, and policies and to highlight the avenues for future research.

Emission Library and Applications of 2,1,3‐Benzothiadiazole and Its Derivative‐Based Luminescent Metal–Organic Frameworks

AbstractOrganic linker‐based luminescent metal–organic frameworks (LMOFs) have received extensive attention due to their promising applications in chemical sensing, energy transfer, solid‐state‐lighting and heterogeneous catalysis. Benefiting from the virtually unlimited emissive organic linkers and the intrinsic advantages of MOFs, significant progress has been made in constructing LMOFs with specific emission behaviors and outstanding performances. Among these reported organic linkers, 2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole and its derivatives, as unique building units with tunable electron‐withdrawing abilities, can be used to synthesize numerous emissive linkers with a donor‐bridge‐acceptor‐bridge‐donor type structure. These linkers were utilized to coordinate with different metal nodes, forming LMOFs with diverse underlying nets and optical properties. In this Minireview, 2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole and its derivative‐based organic linkers and their corresponding LMOFs are summarized with which an emission library is built between the linker structures and the emission behaviors of constructed LMOFs. In particular, the preparation of LMOFs with customized emission properties ranging from deep‐blue to near‐infrared and sizes from dozens to hundreds of nanometers is discussed in detail. The applications of these LMOFs, including chemical sensing, energy harvesting and transfer, and catalysis, are then highlighted. Key perspectives and challenges for the future development of LMOFs are also addressed.

Emission Library and Applications of 2,1,3-Benzothiadiazole and Its Derivative-Based Luminescent Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Organic linker-based luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LMOFs) have received extensive attention due to their promising applications in chemical sensing, energy transfer, solid-state-lighting and heterogeneous catalysis. Benefiting from the virtually unlimited emissive organic linkers and the intrinsic advantages of MOFs, significant progress has been made in constructing LMOFs with specific emission behaviors and outstanding performances. Among these reported organic linkers, 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole and its derivatives, as unique building units with tunable electron-withdrawing abilities, can be used to synthesize numerous emissive linkers with a donor-bridge-acceptor-bridge-donor type structure. These linkers were utilized to coordinate with different metal nodes, forming LMOFs with diverse underlying nets and optical properties. In this Minireview, 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole and its derivative-based organic linkers and their corresponding LMOFs are summarized with which an emission library is built between the linker structures and the emission behaviors of constructed LMOFs. In particular, the preparation of LMOFs with customized emission properties ranging from deep-blue to near-infrared and sizes from dozens to hundreds of nanometers is discussed in detail. The applications of these LMOFs, including chemical sensing, energy harvesting and transfer, and catalysis, are then highlighted. Key perspectives and challenges for the future development of LMOFs are also addressed.

Fishermen Empowerment Through Product Diversification Viewed from the Maqashid Syariah Perspective in Pantai Labu District

Economic empowerment is one way to change people's lives for the better. Pantai Labu sub-district is known as a coastal area that has the potential for abundant marine catches. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the product diversification-based fishermen empowerment program by using the maqashid sharia perspective as an analytical framework. This research was conducted in three fishing villages in Pantai Labu Sub-district, by identifying the potential product diversification that can be produced from marine products. The research method used was a qualitative case study with a descriptive analysis approach. Data collection was carried out through in-depth direct interviews. The results show that product diversification such as seafood processing and home industry development has had a positive impact on the income and food security of fishing communities. In addition, this empowerment also encourages the achievement of Maqasyid Sharia objectives, such as increased income that safeguards wealth (al-mal), increased skills that support the intellect (al-aql), and family welfare that supports offspring (an-nasl). However, despite its great potential, product diversification often faces various challenges in business development, such as capital constraints, limited market access, and lack of product innovation

Speech Emotion Recognition Using Transfer Learning: Integration of Advanced Speaker Embeddings and Image Recognition Models

Automatic Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) plays a vital role in making human–computer interactions more natural and effective. A significant challenge in SER development is the limited availability of diverse emotional speech datasets, which hinders the application of advanced deep learning models. Transfer learning is a machine learning technique that helps address this issue by utilizing knowledge from pre-trained models to improve performance on a new task in a target domain, even with limited data. This study investigates the use of transfer learning from various pre-trained networks, including speaker embedding models such as d-vector, x-vector, and r-vector, and image classification models like AlexNet, GoogLeNet, SqueezeNet, ResNet-18, and ResNet-50. We also propose enhanced versions of the x-vector and r-vector models incorporating Multi-Head Attention Pooling and Angular Margin Softmax, alongside other architectural improvements. Additionally, reverberation from the Room Impulse Response datasets was added to the speech utterances to diversify and augment the available data. Notably, the enhanced r-vector model achieved classification accuracies of 74.05% Unweighted Accuracy (UA) and 73.68% Weighted Accuracy (WA) on the IEMOCAP dataset, and 80.25% UA and 79.81% WA on the CREMA-D dataset, outperforming the existing state-of-the-art methods. This study shows that using cross-domain transfer learning is beneficial for low-resource emotion recognition. The enhanced models developed in other domains (for non-emotional tasks) can further improve the accuracy of SER.

Factors Influencing Sustained Use of Shared E-Scooter Services in Urban Taiwan

This study investigates the factors that drive users to sustain their usage of shared electric scooter (e-scooter) services in Taiwan, distinguishing itself from the conventional focus on predicting consumers’ initial adoption and behavioural intentions. It employs subjective rating questions, incorporating constructs related to user acceptance, attitudes and user experience (UX). Through hierarchical regression analysis of quantitative survey data, the study identifies key factors such as users’ modes of transportation, environmental attitudes, acceptance of shared services, attitudes towards private scooters, UX, total usage instances and age. However, reliance on private scooters as a mode of transportation and frequent usage of shared e-scooters negatively impact the sustained usage of these services. The research further highlights early development challenges in shared vehicle services, including concerns over personal data security, user-unfriendly system designs, lack of convenience, inadequate parking infrastructure and ineffective financial incentives. Based on these findings, the study provides recommendations for service providers and government entities to enhance service design and proactively address these challenges. Implementing these recommendations is expected to mitigate the impact of these challenges and potentially improve user acceptance, UX, and the overall sustainability of shared vehicle services.

Development and inequality: A long‐run view

AbstractWe provide a comprehensive review of the literature on the drivers of long‐run development and inequality, and new datasets for their study. Three distinct elements emerge in the 10 articles of this special issue that broadly characterize the field. First, development should be understood from a multidimensional perspective and when considering long‐run patterns a wide array of indicators must be used, ranging from material living standards to health, education, and gender. Second, the construction of widely used development metrics has to be critically reviewed to arrive at more accurate narratives of how the world developed. Third, the drivers of development and global inequalities are best analyzed and understood from a long‐term perspective. Some sweeping trends with major consequences for countries and regions alike took many years to unfold, such as the emergence of the modern state, or the implementation of large‐scale education reforms. In sum, this special issue shows that global inequalities are the result of long‐term persistent forces that have operated through periods of decades (and centuries), involving institutional change, demographic processes, and cultural persistence (among others). A better understanding of patterns and explanatory factors of development over the long term is key to tackle current‐day challenges for development and inequality.

Comprehensive Evaluation Research on the Sustainable Development Level of Rural Energy Based on CRITIC-MABAC in Henan Province

Energy shortages are a key issue at present, and climate problems caused by the extraction and use of traditional fossil energy sources are also creating new challenges for rural development, with sustainable rural energy development being a priority at present. This paper takes the sustainable development of rural energy as the research object, and evaluates the development of rural energy in each prefecture-level city in Henan Province. On the one hand, rural development is viewed from the perspective of energy, on the other hand, the evaluation results provide a reference for each prefecture-level city, and most of the energy data can be obtained directly and with a high degree of accuracy, based on the CRITIC – MABAC methodology to determine the weights from an objective point of view and to rank the evaluation results, which is capable of obtaining the most accurate evaluation results. Finally, we used energy-related data from Henan Province in 2022 to conduct empirical analyses, and verified that Shangqiu City has a high level of sustainable rural energy development, which verifies the feasibility of the methodology proposed in this paper, and gives relevant recommendations.

PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF TOURISM INDUSTRY IN GUJARAT- A GEOGRAPHICAL STUDY

The paper discussed the prospects and challenges of tourism development in Gujarat. It has found that state is blessed with natural landscapes and historical monuments. Gujarat has rich history and have numerous places of attractions. It has popular tourist places like Dakor, Girnar, Palitana, Dwarka, and Ambaji. It is home of many pilgrimages sites. The state is home to many Buddhist monuments. It is renowned for its breath-taking views, serene surroundings, and warm hospitality. Tourist arrivals was declined in state for corona pandemic effects, but post-corona recovery are noticeable. The state has more opportunities in spiritual/wellness tourism, beach and water-based tourism, religious tourism, cuisine tourism, eco-tourism, rural tourism, heritage tourism, adventure and recreational tourism. There are many challenges before the tourism industry. Therefore, Government should implement tourism policies for development of tourist sites and comfortability of the tourists.

Understanding Why Metabolic-Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis Lags Behind Hepatitis C in Therapeutic Development and Treatment Advances

Therapeutic development for metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) trails behind the success seen in hepatitis C virus (HCV) management. HCV, characterized by a viral etiology, benefits from direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) targeting viral proteins, achieving cure rates exceeding 90%. In contrast, MASH involves complex metabolic, genetic, and environmental factors, presenting challenges for drug development. Non-invasive diagnostics like ultrasound, FibroScan, and serum biomarkers, while increasingly used, lack the diagnostic accuracy of liver biopsy, the current gold standard. This review evaluates therapies for MASH, including resmetirom (Rezdiffra) and combinations like pioglitazone and vitamin E, which show potential but offer modest improvements due to MASH’s heterogeneity. The limited efficacy of these treatments highlights the need for multi-targeted strategies addressing metabolic and fibrotic components. Drawing parallels to HCV’s success, this review emphasizes advancing diagnostics and therapies for MASH. Developing effective, patient-specific therapies is crucial to closing the gap between MASH and better-managed liver diseases, optimizing care for this growing health challenge.

Experimentation of a better methanogenic potential by co-digestion of urban waste: Contribution to the challenges of sustainable development in the Sahel zone

Experimentation of a better methanogenic potential by co-digestion of urban waste: Contribution to the challenges of sustainable development in the Sahel zone

Next-generation drilling fluids for horizontal and multilateral wells: A conceptual approach

The development of next-generation drilling fluids is crucial for the success of horizontal and multilateral wells, which pose unique challenges such as torque and drag, hole cleaning difficulties, and wellbore instability. This review explores the evolving role of drilling fluids, focusing on the desired properties required to address these challenges, including enhanced cuttings transport, reduced torque and drag, and improved wellbore stability. Furthermore, the paper discusses innovative additives, such as nanoparticles, high-performance polymers, and biodegradable lubricants, which are key to optimizing fluid performance. Environmental considerations and the chemical and mechanical interactions between fluid components are also analyzed. Finally, the paper examines future trends in drilling technology, highlighting the expected benefits of next-generation fluids and identifying potential challenges for future research and development. These advanced fluids are positioned to revolutionize drilling efficiency while maintaining sustainability in increasingly complex drilling environments.

Paediatric systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and the development of patient-specific therapy: ethical perspectives through experts’ opinions

BackgroundResearch for personalised therapies concerning the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) in children involves the utilisation of OMICS technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI).MethodsTo identify specific ethical challenges through the perspective of healthcare professionals, we conducted 10 semi-structured interviews. The development of interview questions for the interviews was preceded by a systematic review of the scientific literature. To address the complexities of paediatric emergency research, informed consent, and data processing, experts with expertise in paediatric intensive care, computer science, and medical law were sought. After the transcription and anonymisation, the analysis followed established guidelines for qualitative content and thematic analysis.ResultsInterviewees highlighted the intricacies of managing consent in personalised SIRS research due to the large amount and complexity of information necessary for autonomous decision-making. Thus, instruments aimed at enhancing the understanding of legal guardians and to empowering the child were appreciated and the need for specific guidelines and establishing standards was expressed. Medical risks were estimated to be low, but the challenges of securing anonymisation and data protection were expected. It was emphasised that risks and benefits cannot be anticipated at this stage. Social justice issues were identified because of possible biases within the research population. Our findings were analysed using current ethical and legal frameworks for research with a focus on the particularities of the patient group and the emergency background. In this particular context, experts advocated for an enabling approach pertaining to AI in combination with OMICS technologies.ConclusionAs with every new technological development, ethical and legal challenges cannot be foreseen for SIRS-personalised treatment. Given this circumstance, experts emphasised the importance of extending the ethics-legal discourse beyond mere restrictions. The organisation of supervision should be reconsidered and not limited only to the precautionary principle, which per se was seen as impeding both the medical progress and clinical flexibility. It was noted that the establishment and monitoring of guidelines were emergent and should evolve through an interdisciplinary discourse. Therefore, it was recommended to enhance the qualifications of physicians in the field of computer science, impart ethics training to AI developers, and involve experts with expertise in medical law and data protection.

The Development Potential and Challenges of One-Click Generative Artificial Intelligence in Cross-Border E-Commerce

This paper explores the development potential and challenges of one-click generative artificial intelligence (AI) in cross-border e-commerce. With the rapid growth of the Internet, cross-border e-commerce has seen significant market expansion, and the integration of AI technology presents new opportunities for the industry. This study analyzes the potential of one-click generative AI in cross-border e-commerce and its challenges. Reviewing relevant academic literature, the paper outlines key application scenarios of one-click generative AI, such as automatic product description generation and intelligent customer service assistants. Additionally, the study highlights the challenges associated with the technology, including issues related to semantic understanding and technological immaturity. The findings indicate that while one-click generative AI holds great potential for cross-border e-commerce, both technical and legal challenges must be addressed for its successful implementation.

Pengaruh Financial Tecnology terhadap Manajemen Keuangan Generasi Z

This research discusses the influence of financial technology (Fintech) on the financial management of Generation Z, a generation that is familiar with digitalization and has a consumptive lifestyle. Generation Z, which accounts for around 27.94% of Indonesia's population, exhibits financial behaviors that tend to be more concerned with wants than needs. Through a literature review, this research explores how Fintech affects Generation Z's financial behavior, including the challenges that arise, such as shopping addiction and debt risk. Fintech offers easy access to financial services, such as digital payments, investments and online lending, allowing Generation Z to manage their finances more flexibly. However, their low financial literacy may result in suboptimal financial management. This study highlights the importance of financial literacy as a key factor to help Generation Z achieve sustainable financial well-being and respond to the challenges of Fintech development in the digital era

Using the Cocrystal Approach as a Promising Drug Delivery System to Enhance the Dissolution and Bioavailability of Formononetin Using an Imidazole Coformer

Background: Natural isoflavones are recognized for their diverse pharmacological activities; however, their low aqueous solubility presents a significant challenge for further development. Here, we aimed to develop a cocrystal of formononetin (FMN) to improve its solubility. Methods: The formononetin-imidazole (FMN-IMD) cocrystal was prepared using liquid-assisted grinding method. The prepared cocrystal was identified through a thermal analysis of physical mixtures with various coformers. FTIR and solid-state NMR confirmed the presence of hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions in the FMN-IMD cocrystal. Results: The solubility of FMN-IMD was two to three times higher than that of crystalline FMN. The FMN-IMD cocrystal showed a 4.93-fold increase in the Cmax value and a 3.58-fold increase in the AUC compared to FMN after oral administration in rats. There were no changes in the PXRD of the FMN-IMD cocrystal after six months of storage at 40 °C. Conclusions: Thus, the FMN-IMD cocrystal is proposed as an effective solid form for oral delivery, offering enhanced solubility and physical stability.

Open Innovation and Regulatory Challenges in New Modality Development: The Pivotal Role of Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations in Advancing Antibody Drugs.

Ensuring regulatory-compliant manufacturing capability is an essential challenge for new treatment modalities, but its internalisation is not easy for pharmaceutical companies, especially start-ups. This study examines the functions and requirements of contracted development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs) using the development process of antibody medicines as a case study. Utilizing PubMed, Cortellis and Patent Integration databases, this study delves into publication and contractual trends in monoclonal antibody drugs (mAbs) development, alongside an analysis of patent filings by CDMOs, offering a comprehensive overview of the evolving landscape in mAbs innovation. In the early stages of mAbs development, dedicated bio firms (DBFs) led R&D with superior drug discovery technology but lacked manufacturing capability, which was complemented by CDMOs. This collaboration was an opportunity for CDMOs to expand their capabilities beyond manufacturing technology into antibody drug candidate discovery and structural optimisation technology. From mid-development onwards, it established a technology platform based on these capabilities and developed and established partnerships with existing pharmaceutical companies, including mega pharma. The impact of institutions and regulations on the innovation process was assessed during this development process. These findings are expected to provide valuable insights into the innovation system for new modalities.