Future Goals Research Articles

Co-emulsified Alginate-Eudragit Nanoparticles: Potential Carriers for Localized and Time-defined Release of Tenofovir in the Female Genital Tract

This research aimed to explore the possibilities of Eudragit S100 (ES100) and sodium alginate as carriers for tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in the female genital tract. Alginate and alginate-ES100 nanoparticles were prepared using the ionic gelation and emulsion/gelation complexation method, respectively. The nanocarriers were tested using morphological, physicochemical, in vitro drug release, and cytotoxicity analyses. In SEM and TEM images, the presence of spherical and uniformly distributed nanoparticles was revealed. The FTIR spectrum showed that alginate and calcium chloride interacted due to ionic bonds linking divalent calcium ions and the -COO- of alginate groups. Alginate and ES100 interacted via the ester C=O amide stretching. The results obtained from XRD and DSC, on the other hand, revealed a favorable interaction between sodium alginate and ES100 polymers, as evidenced by the crystallization peaks observed. Under experimental design analysis and optimization, overall size distribution profiles ranged from 134.9 to 228.0 nm, while zeta potential results showed stable nanoparticles (−17.8 to −38.4 MV). The optimal formulation exhibited a maximum cumulative in vitro release of 72% (pH 4.2) up to 96 h. The cytotoxicity tests revealed the safety of TDF-loaded nanoparticles on vaginal epithelial cells at concentrations of 0.025 mg/mL, 0.5 mg/mL, and 1 mg/mL for 72 h. These results indicated that alginate-ES100 nanoparticles have the potential to preserve and sustain the release of the TDF drug in the FGT. The future goal is to develop a low-dose non-toxic microbicide that can be administered long term in the vagina to cater to both pregnant and non-pregnant HIV patients.

Nurturing longevity through natural compounds: Where do we stand, and where do we go?

AbstractThe revolution in aging research through the past decade has driven the progress in interventions that promote longevity. Dissection of the “old” hallmarks of aging has provided solid data for the definition of at least three “new” ones, opening avenues for the development of novel hallmark‐targeted pro‐longevity approaches. The quest for geroprotectors is of enormous interest with the ultimate goal of finding the alchemical stone that induces healthy aging and increases lifespan, pushing the limits of human longevity or even uncovering the absence of such limits. Several of the well‐appreciated geroprotectors that are recognized as longevity promoters are of natural origin such as metformin, resveratrol, aspirin, and spermidine. As the search for pharmacological modulators of healthspan and lifespan continues, numerous studies are focusing on the potential of plant secondary metabolites. The current review attempts to critically assess the available interventions and the breakthrough discoveries in the field of longevity research over the past decade. Correspondingly, novel approaches targeting the hallmarks of aging have been outlined, and the future goals in longevity research have been enlightened. Special emphasis has been placed on the potential of plant‐derived compounds as pro‐longevity agents.

Lessons learned through interprofessional education: exploring collaboration with elementary education, special education and communication sciences and disorders pre-service professionals

PurposeInterprofessional practice (IPP) is one way to structure collaborations to more effectively meet the complex needs of students in educational settings. This article explores the lessons learned when one research team implemented interprofessional education (IPE) experiences in partnership with a public elementary school and pre-service professionals from elementary education, special education and communication science and disorders.Design/methodology/approachThis reflective article explores the lived experiences of researchers and partners who completed an IPE experience within one professional development school’s site. Researcher anecdotes are included to support the viewpoints shared.FindingsIt was discovered that IPE experiences are essential to facilitate meaningful collaborations for pre-service professionals to learn with and from one another; however, this requires time, preparation and is most effective when teacher mentors and university professors lead with vulnerability and model flexibility. Investment in IPE is challenging but worth the effort when learning outcomes are realized.Originality/valueSpecific details regarding the structure of this experience are shared as well as future directional goals for programs hoping to implement IPE in their professional practice programs.

China's National Reserve Forest Project contribution to carbon neutrality and path to profitability

The National Reserve Forest Project (NRFP) is a forestry project launched by China in 2013 to ensure the safety of timber supply and create a carbon sink, which can contribute to China's future carbon neutrality goals. To evaluate the carbon neutral contribution and carbon sink benefits of the NRFP, it is necessary to estimate the carbon sink amount, carbon sink cost, and carbon sink price. A combined method, modified Hartman model, and Rubinstein-Stahl bargaining model were used to estimate and analyze the carbon sink amount, carbon sink cost, and carbon sink price of NRFPs from several typical NRFP zones to the nationwide level. Results show that: (1) if the yearly construction area of the NRFP keeps stable at 10.2 × 105 ha in the future, the carbon sink of NRFP will account for about 17.32%, 28.35%, and 80.00% of total carbon emissions in 2060 under low-, middle-, and high-policy scenarios, respectively, representing an increase compared to the current level of approximately 16%; (2) the weighted average carbon sink cost of NRFP is estimated to be 95.16 CNY/t CO2 e (lower than the average carbon sink cost of 150 CNY/t CO2 e), and several measures such as applying Public-private partnership investment (PPP), increasing project operation duration, and choosing construction areas with low farmland benefit can help further reduce carbon sink cost of NRRP; (3) the reasonable carbon sink price should fall between the carbon sink cost and marginal carbon emission reduction cost of enterprises, and increasing the carbon sink price has a positive impact on NRFP construction. NRFPs suffer economic losses in the present carbon trade market, but they will gradually become profitable with the rising carbon sink price in the future. Therefore, it is imperative to maintain or gradually expand the construction area, provide more financial support, and improve the carbon trading market of NRFPs.

Writing instruction with grade-level/college-bound secondary deaf students.

In the current study, we used a sequential explanatory design to examine secondary writing instruction for deaf students in various school settings. An examination of secondary writing instruction was carried out in two cycles using a survey and subsequent focus group discussions. The first cycle (n = 222) presented an overview of secondary writing instruction for deaf students with diverse skill levels. The second cycle (n = 18) focused on writing instruction specific to grade-level or college-bound deaf students. We compared results from both cycles to investigate the similarities and differences in instructional practices and research needs between the two groups. We found that teachers are generally more prepared to instruct deaf students who are at grade level due to widely available curricula aligned with grade-level benchmarks. This contrasts with the challenges teachers face with creating or adapting materials for those who have experienced language deprivation. According to teachers, grade-level students receive 1.5hr more weekly in writing instruction compared to the full sample. This study also indicates the importance of training teachers to teach skills in crafting arguments through writing, given its applicability to deaf students' future academic and personal goals.

Graphene and Graphene Derived Nanomaterials as Versatile Candidates for Organic Solar Cells and Smart Windows Applications – A Review

AbstractGraphene and related materials have been employed in several applications till date due to the unique set of properties. Research in the area of organic solar cells and smart windows are important to meet the increasing global energy demands and to realize the future goal of zero energy buildings. Here, we present a summary of the important research progress in application of graphene and related materials in organic solar cells and smart windows. This review starts by introducing the need of photovoltaic technology including organic solar cells and smart windows. The remaining sections are broadly divided into two sections – the first one briefly introduces organic cells and their different types, and the next section focuses on the different chromogenic technologies used in smart windows. After a brief overview of graphene, the application of graphene and related materials in organic cells and smart windows are presented. In the end, some of the major challenges and possible research directions are also outlined. Hopefully, this review will shed light on the recent trends and directions to achieve enhancement in performance of organic solar cells and smart windows with integration of graphene and provide overview for researchers about this novel field.

Narratives in numbers: Sociotechnical storytelling with self-tracking

Abstract This paper explores self-tracking as a social practice with significant relationships to human memory. The history of data and memory is fraught with a concern that specifics of qualia are subjugated to datafication. Yet, historical perspectives linking paper diaries and digital tracking show that rich accounts can be preserved in media. Cognisant of both perspectives, this paper argues that rather than delegating reflection to algorithms, users engage critically. Using original research data, this paper demonstrates how users unite the sociotechnical affordances of devices, data visualisations, and personal narratives to communicate memory in mediated forms. In doing so, they bridge semantic and autobiographic memory, combining subjectivity and objectivity. A datafied narration of everyday life emerges, affirming unique and vital stories. Often directed toward future goals, the mnemonic value of self-tracking in the present is overlooked. Yet whether recalling unfortunate accidents, sporting success, work, holidays, or illness experiences, participants use data as a scaffold to build stories and affirm identity. This paper asserts that memory and storytelling is an essential anchor for practices of digital self-tracking.

Supply Chain Management Strategies Approach for the UK Textile Industry

This study focuses on the specific types of supply chain strategies throughout the UK textile industry as extant literature has either emphasised on the fashion apparel industry or on sub-industry of fast fashion. A combination of normalised local priority weights of criteria and sub-criteria is used with respect to successive hierarchical levels which modelled in an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) at different levels. This helped in obtaining global composite priority weights for all the sub-criteria at third level of AHP model. The changes in different factors are observed with respect to digitalisation in sensitivity analysis at different levels of variations in the weight for which marginal changes are noted in the following variables: development of key suppliers, supplier capability auditing, and long-term orientation with suppliers. Supply base optimisation and purchasing integration showed changes at all levels of variations. Purchasing and production strategy was crucial as primary criteria for accomplishing the goal of the supply chain management future. There was substantial evidence from the three companies participating in the research that purchasing and production strategies play equally significant roles in successful digitalisation, identification, and delivery.

Novel multi-beam front end for LANSCE accelerator facility

The LANSCE accelerator facility has been in operation for 50 years performing important scientific support for national security. The unique feature of the LANSCE accelerator facility is multi-beam operation, delivering beams to five experimental areas. To reduce long-term operational risks and to realize future beam performance goals in support of the laboratory missions, we are developing a novel high-brightness Front End injector. The proposed injector includes two independent low-energy transports for H+ and H- beams merging beams at the entrance of a single RFQ. These beamlines also perform preliminary beam bunching before RFQ. The challenge of the present project is associated with the simultaneous acceleration of protons and H- ions with multiple beam flavors in a single RFQ, which has never been done before. The proposed injector must provide better than existing beam parameters while beam intensity is supposed to be increased by a factor of two and injection energy is reduced from 750 keV to 100 keV. The paper discusses the details of the design and presents injector parameters.

Examining the Effectiveness of Emotional Intelligence Training on Alexithymia Components in Students

Objective: Emotional intelligence is the most crucial factor in decision-making and the selection of future goals, as well as the substitution of goals in various situations and circumstances. The purpose of this article was to determine the effectiveness of emotional intelligence training on alexithymia components in students. Methods and Materials: This study was applied, quantitative, and of a quasi-experimental pre-test - post-test design with a control group and training. The population consisted of 30 students suffering from alexithymia, selected from 5 treatment centers, with 15 students allocated to the control group and 15 to the training group. The data collection tool in this research was the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Goleman's (1996) emotional intelligence training protocol was used for the experimental group. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and multivariate analysis of covariance method. Findings: The F-value in the univariate analysis of covariance for the subscale of identifying emotions (F=13.266, P=0.000), for the subscale of describing emotions (F=19.917, P=0.000), and for the subscale of external-oriented thinking (F=11.108, P=0.000) were significant. These findings indicate that there is a significant difference between the emotional intelligence training group and the control group in the dependent variables (alexithymia components). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the use of emotional intelligence training is beneficial for improving alexithymia in students with learning disabilities.

Challenges for the implementation of the jurisdictional REDD+ in the Brazilian state of Amazonas

The forestry sectors of developing countries can contribute to the fight against climate change through financial negotiations, which include the REDD+ mechanism. The jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD+) approach has emerged as an option for large countries, such as Brazil, which have profound regional idiosyncrasies that can influence the dynamics of the implementation of a REDD+ system. The study analyzes the implementation of a J-REDD+ system in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, between 2005 and 2022, based on the analysis of official documents and academic studies. The data were used to compile a SWOT matrix, which was employed to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats involved in implementing the J-REDD+ in the state. This analysis revealed that the principal forces include public policy, the combat of deforestation, governance, monitoring, and the targets for reducing deforestation rates. The primary weaknesses include the lack of a state REDD+ plan, recent increases in deforestation rates, strategic challenges, the limited representation of traditional and indigenous peoples on advisory councils, and the lack of adequate transparency mechanisms. External opportunities lie in the potential for increasing the funding for projects, although the external threats include a lack of continuous funding, changes in the composition of working bodies, and the discontinuous nature of local government programs. These findings indicate that implementation of J-REDD+ at both state levels will be crucial to ensure that this approach provides an effective mechanism for the mitigation of climate change, as well as achieving present and future goals for conservation and sustainable development.

Smart Manhole Managing and Monitoring System Using IOT

Abstract: A smart city is the future goal for humanity to have cleaner and better amenities. When creating a smart city, smart subsurface infrastructure is a crucial component to consider. Monitoring the drainage system is critical to keeping the city clean and healthy. Because human monitoring is ineffective, drainage problems are handled slowly and take longer to resolve. The technology is designed to plot the co-ordinates of the manholes using GPS.The proposed approach is low-cost and requires little maintenance. The GPS will refresh the information every 5 minutes. When crossing a manhole, the driver is alerted that a manhole is ahead, allowing them to avoid it. The system employs a machine learning algorithm based on Q-Learning to calculate each state. If any of those parameters changes abruptly, the system connects to the admin office and notifies the situation via message wherever it has been posted. This study would be tremendously beneficial to society in terms of manhole maintenance. Implement a Reinforcement Learning algorithm, such as Q-Learning, that is based on reward and policy. A test data set will be used to assess the performance of the Q learning model.

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS IN ORPHANAGES: UNVEILING LIFE MEANING THROUGH IKIGAI TRAINING

The challenges faced by adolescents growing up in orphanages have provided valuable life lessons and shaped their identities across physical, psychological, spiritual, and social dimensions. However, many orphaned teenagers experience a sense of meaninglessness due to the loss of hope for developing into quality individuals. This issue poses risks to their daily living necessities. Therefore, the provision of a tool, such as IKIGAI training, is essential to facilitate orphaned adolescents in finding meaning in life. The aim of this research is to assess the effectiveness of IKIGAI training in discovering life meaning among adolescents in the Salatiga orphanage. The research employs a quantitative experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest design. Ten participants from the Salatiga orphanage were involved using purposive sampling. The study includes an IKIGAI training module and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) to measure pretest and posttest values of life meaning. Data analysis involves the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test. The results demonstrate that IKIGAI training effectively assists orphaned adolescents in finding meaning in life (Z value of 2.848 and significance of 0.000; p < 0.05). This indicates that the discovery of life's meaning is crucial for adolescents, contributing to a sense of worth, creative life values, learning from past experiences, and planning future life goals a significance attributed to the application of IKIGAI in daily life.

A bibliometric analysis on condition monitoring of machinery using IR Thermography

In order to extend the life of machinery, condition monitoring of equipment has become crucial in every industry or power plant. IR Thermography is a strong tool for condition monitoring since it can detect flaws earlier than other techniques. The most important technique for condition monitoring is infrared thermography. Machine condition monitoring has evolved along with machine maintenance, from manual maintenance through approaches involving the use of sensors to the now under discussion methods and techniques centered on shared automation, data processing, and exchange. The purpose of this paper is to give a brief summary of the academic work that has been done on using IR thermography to monitor the status of machinery. In order to present an up-to-date, content-based analysis that includes bibliometric performance analysis and systematic literature evaluation, this paper evaluates the body of current literature. The writers may concentrate on identifying the most important researchers, journals, and publications, as well as the most significant and influential researchers, thanks to the mix of literature review methodologies used. These conclusions have prompted the authors to outline research trends pertinent to the studied domain and, in addition, to identify potential future research goals from engineering viewpoints.

A Machine Learning Approach for Highlighting microRNAs as Biomarkers Linked to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Diagnosis and Progression.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The early diagnosis of ALS can be challenging, as it usually depends on clinical examination and the exclusion of other possible causes. In this regard, the analysis of miRNA expression profiles in biofluids makes miRNAs promising non-invasive clinical biomarkers. Due to the increasing amount of scientific literature that often provides controversial results, this work aims to deepen the understanding of the current state of the art on this topic using a machine-learning-based approach. A systematic literature search was conducted to analyze a set of 308 scientific articles using the MySLR digital platform and the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm. Two relevant topics were identified, and the articles clustered in each of them were analyzed and discussed in terms of biomolecular mechanisms, as well as in translational and clinical settings. Several miRNAs detected in the tissues and biofluids of ALS patients, including blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), have been linked to ALS diagnosis and progression. Some of them may represent promising non-invasive clinical biomarkers. In this context, future scientific priorities and goals have been proposed.

Lessons from the Varietal Evolution of Durum Wheat in Italy

The leading role of Italy in the cultivation of durum wheat stimulated intense breeding activities in the country from the beginning of the 20th century, much earlier than in any other country involved in durum wheat production. Older, genetically more heterogeneous landraces were replaced with new, highly productive, superior quality varieties, and this led to an inevitable reduction in the overall genetic diversity among new cultivars, which makes the genetic variability preserved in old cultivars particularly valuable and important. The aim of this paper was to assist future breeding programs by providing a detailed description of the history of durum wheat breeding in Italy and of the changes in yield, quality, and related traits that subsequently occurred, starting from the most diffuse landraces present between 1900 and 1920 up until the present day. The parallel evolution of breeding techniques, breeding goals, and agricultural systems in this period is also described, and some future breeding goals suggested. In the current context of climate change and of rapidly mutating pathogen populations, preserving the yield level through the continuous introduction of new cultivars by exploiting the reservoir of largely unused genetic variation stored in old cultivars and landraces could be as important as increasing grain yield and quality.

An Analysis on Research Trends of Distance Education

The term “Distance Education” (hereafter DE) is gaining popularity amid new global trends in cross-cultural studies of transnational education. The main objective of this article is to identify the academic research development and future research goals in the Distance Education domain using the Scopus database in the last decade (2012–2022). To this end, a bibliometric analysis was performed examining the distribution of publications, the most influential scientific publication venues, the most productive authors, and regions and concluding with an explanation of the keywords co-occurrence in line with the VOSviewer program. The outcomes revealed that the most frequently examined topics in the field of DE can be detected, which focused on distance learning, online teaching, online education, moocs, ICT, and constitute subgenres of the literature under consideration. All in all, the paper can help scholars understand and decipher current trends, keep up with DE research directions, and finally enable them to conduct their future research more effectively.

Atopic dermatitis: A global health perspective.

The International Society of AD (ISAD) organized a roundtable on global aspects of AD at the WCD 2023 in Singapore. According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) consortium, at least 171 million individuals were affected with AD in 2019, corresponding to 2.23% of the world population, with age-standardized prevalence and incidence rates that were relatively stable from 1990 to 2019. Based on the panel experience, most AD cases are mild-to-moderate. Without parallel data on disease prevalence and severity, the GBD data are difficult to interpret in many regions. This gap is particularly important in countries with limited medical infrastructure, but indirect evidence suggests a significant burden of AD in low-and-medium resource settings, especially urban areas. The Singapore roundtable was an opportunity to compare experiences in World Bank category 1 (Madagascar and Mali), 3 (Brazil, China) and 4 (Australia, Germany, Qatar, USA, Singapore, Japan) countries. The panel concluded that current AD guidelines are not adapted for low resource settings and a more pragmatic approach, as developed by WHO for skin NTDs, would be advisable for minimal access to moisturizers and topical corticosteroids. The panel also recommended prioritizing prevention studies, regardless of the level of existing resources. For disease long-term control in World Bank category 3 and most category 4 countries, the main problem is not access to drugs for most mild-to-moderate cases, but rather poor compliance due to insufficient time at visits. Collaboration with WHO, patient advocacy groups and industry may promote global change, improve capacity training and fight current inequalities. Finally, optimizing management of AD and its comorbidities needs more action at the primary care level, because reaching specialist care is merely aspirational in most settings. Primary care empowerment with store and forward telemedicine and algorithms based on augmented intelligence is a future goal.

DIGITIZING THE COIN FINDS OF UKRAINE

This article introduces the Coin Finds of Ukraine (CFU), an ongoing, collaborative project to digitize and catalogue classical Greek coin finds (500-1 BCE) on the territory of modern Ukraine, which brings together resources and expertise from several participating institutions. An inventory of published coin finds that aims at comprehensiveness is an important contribution to preserving Ukrainian cultural heritage. To date, CFU has completed two major project phases. This paper will acquaint readers with CFU’s goals, methodology, and results so far, as well as provide some preliminary discussion of the results. It will also highlight the ways that CFU’s data is incomplete and chart future project goals.

Describing Innovative Development Process on Reconstructing a Cryptocurrency-Oriented Social Media: Walking Through Taiwan Potato Media as an Example

This study has explored and analyzed a new Web3 social media for innovative development and built a theoretical framework for future counterparts. The researcher took the Taiwan Web3 social media platform, Potato Media, as a case study with the walkthrough method for both data gathering and analyzing. The present study shows that Potato Media has reformed, reconstructed and renewed their out-of-date Web2 online service using blockchain technology and cryptocurrency for governing and promoted user-led marketing actions. At the same time, Potato Media facilitated all users to build a marketing vision based on Web3 discourse in an advanced manner. The study concludes that new innovative social media with Web3 technology could initiate innovative development and marketing for three reasons: First, they could do it to enhance the inclusion of all users and creators and sustain core value of creativity; second, they could do it by creating the cryptocurrency as the governing tool for managing organizations and fulfilling token/ sharing economy; third, they could do it to represent their innovative social media marketing visions. This study finally suggests that all the social media platforms could have Web3 reforming plans for pursuing future business goals.