Long-term Challenges Research Articles

Synergistically optimizing electrocaloric effect over a wider temperature span utilizing structural overlap zone

An overlap zone based on tetragonal, rhombohedral or pseudo-cubic states around a morphotropic phase boundary is designed through composition engineering to optimize EC response (∼1.58 K) and temperature stability under a wider temperature window (∼100 °C).

Analyzing the Use of Social Media Data to Understand Long-Term Crisis Management Challenges of COVID-19

In the past three years, social media has had a significant impact on our lives, including crisis management. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of accurate information and exposed the spread of false information. This paper specifically examines the COVID-19 crisis and analyzes relevant literature to provide insights for national authorities and organizations. Utilizing social media data for crisis management poses challenges due to its unstructured nature. To overcome this, the paper proposes a comprehensive method that addresses all aspects of long-term crisis management. This method relies on labeled and structured information for accurate sentiment analysis and classification. An automated approach is presented to annotate and classify tweet texts, reducing manual labeling and improving classifier accuracy. The framework involves generating topics using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and ranking them with a new algorithm for data annotation. The labeled text is transformed into feature representation using Bert embeddings, which can be utilized in deep learning models for categorizing textual data. The primary aim of this paper is to offer valuable insights and resources to researchers studying crisis management through social media literature, with a specific focus on high-accuracy sentiment analysis.

Mental health of children with special educational needs in the context of long-term crisis challenges: as seen by parents

Aim: To study the peculiarities of the mental health of children with special educational needs after 1.5 years of full-scale war in Ukraine. Materials and Methods: The mental health of children with special educational needs (SEN) as well as the peculiarities of the impact of hostilities on their emotional and volitional sphere was assessed through the anonymous survey of their parents using the questionnaire developed by the authors (25 questions). The research, which was conducted in 2023 using a Google form, involved 466 parents having children with SEN aged 6 to 10. Results: It was found that among the surveyed families raising children with SEN, 30.7 % of children were in the combat zone or zone of temporary occupation for a week to a month, 19.1 % – for more than a month; 36.9 % of children experienced relocation, 23.4 % were separated from their parents, 19.7 % witnessed hostilities; 49.4 % of children experienced an unstable psycho-emotional state (“emotional swings”) during 1.5 years of war in Ukraine, 40.1 % – restlessness, 38.6 % – anxiety; 23.2 % of parents noted that their children were “hooked” on computer games and social networks, 11.2 % – had problems with sleep, 10.5 % – demonstrated the emergence or increase in cognitive problems. Conclusions: The negative impact of prolonged stress during the war on the mental health of children with SEN has been revealed, which requires psychological support for such children from parents and psychologists.

Post-surgery spontaneous pneumothorax: Long-term recurrence rates and follow-up challenges revealed by a written survey.

Spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) is a frequently encountered respiratory condition. Despite advancements in treatment techniques, there is currently no standardized treatment protocol. The aim of this study was to standardize the management of SP by collecting long-term postoperative data through written surveys. Our study included 673 surgeries performed for SP at our institution between January 2011 and December 2019. We administered written surveys via mail to gather data on post-surgery recurrence rates and other related factors. The survey addressed key symptoms, medical consultations, and specific diagnoses of SP after surgery. The effective response rate was 70.7%, with significant differences observed across age groups. Among teenagers, the recurrence rate peaked three years postoperatively, with an ipsilateral recurrence rate of 4.8% and a contralateral incidence rate of 11.8%, both of which were significantly higher than those in other age groups. Additionally, age, sex, postoperative contralateral pneumothorax, and the period before the survey were identified as factors influencing the survey results. This survey highlighted the need for long-term postoperative follow-up for teenagers. While written surveys have limitations, this study provided valuable data for understanding the outcomes of SP. Moving forward, it is advisable to conduct surveys using other effective tools or to continue follow-ups in outpatient clinics.

Navigating Long-Term Management Challenges in Short Bowel Syndrome: A Case Report of Chronic Intestinal Failure Complicated by Kidney Dysfunction

Navigating Long-Term Management Challenges in Short Bowel Syndrome: A Case Report of Chronic Intestinal Failure Complicated by Kidney Dysfunction

Seawater electrolysis for fuels and chemicals production: fundamentals, achievements, and perspectives.

Seawater electrolysis for the production of fuels and chemicals involved in onshore and offshore plants powered by renewable energies offers a promising avenue and unique advantages for energy and environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, seawater electrolysis presents long-term challenges and issues, such as complex composition, potential side reactions, deposition of and poisoning by microorganisms and metal ions, as well as corrosion, thus hindering the rapid development of seawater electrolysis technology. This review focuses on the production of value-added fuels (hydrogen and beyond) and fine chemicals through seawater electrolysis, as a promising step towards sustainable energy development and carbon neutrality. The principle of seawater electrolysis and related challenges are first introduced, and the redox reaction mechanisms of fuels and chemicals are summarized. Strategies for operating anodes and cathodes including the development and application of chloride- and impurity-resistant electrocatalysts/membranes are reviewed. We comprehensively summarize the production of fuels and chemicals (hydrogen, carbon monoxide, sulfur, ammonia, etc.) at the cathode and anode via seawater electrolysis, and propose other potential strategies for co-producing fine chemicals, even sophisticated and electronic chemicals. Seawater electrolysis can drive the oxidation and upgrading of industrial pollutants or natural organics into value-added chemicals or degrade them into harmless substances, which would be meaningful for environmental protection. Finally, the perspective and prospects are outlined to address the challenges and expand the application of seawater electrolysis.

Multimodal effects of an extracellular matrix on cellular morphology, dynamics and functionality.

Articular cartilage defects can lead to pain and even disability in patients and have significant socioeconomic loss. Repairing articular cartilage defects remains a long-term challenge in medicine owing to the limited ability of cartilage to regenerate. At present, the treatment methods adopted in clinical practice have many limitations, thereby necessitating the rapid development of biomaterials. Among them, decellularized biomaterials have been particularly prominent, with numerous breakthroughs in research progress and translational applications. Although many studies show that decellularized cartilage biomaterials promote tissue regeneration, any differences in cellular morphology, dynamics, and functionality among various biomaterials upon comparison have not been reported. In this study, we prepared cartilage-derived extracellular matrix (cdECM) biomaterials with different bioactive contents and various physical properties to compare their effects on the morphology, dynamics and functionality of chondrocytes. This cellular multimodal analysis of the characteristics of cdECM biomaterials provided a theoretical basis for understanding the interactions between biomaterials and cells, thus laying an experimental foundation for the translation and application of decellularized cartilage biomaterials in the treatment of cartilage defects.

Improving electron transportation and operational lifetime of full color organic light emitting diodes through a "weak hydrogen bonding cage" structure.

Efficient electron-transporting materials (ETMs) are critical to achieving excellent performance of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), yet developing such materials remains a major long-term challenge, particularly ETMs with high electron mobilities (μeles). Herein, we report a short conjugated ETM molecule (PICN) with a dipolar phenanthroimidazole group, which exhibits an electron mobility of up to 1.52 × 10-4 cm2 (V-1 s-1). The origin of this high μele is long-ranged, regulated special cage-like interactions with C-H⋯N radii, which are also favorable for the excellent efficiency stability and operational stability in OLEDs. It is worth noting that the green phosphorescent OLED operation half-lifetimes can reach up to 630 h under unencapsulation, which is 20 times longer than that based on the commonly used commercial ETM TPBi.

“A Study on Immobilization of Copper, Cadmium and Lead in Polluted Soil Using Nanoparticles”

Abstract: Copper Cu, Cadmium Cd and Lead Pb pollution of soils is a serious environmental and agricultural issue, posing a threat to crop production, environmental quality, food safety, and human health. Therefore, immobilization of Copper Cu, Cadmium Cd and Lead Pb in soils is crucial. Biochar-based materials are receiving significant attention as Copper Cu, Cadmium Cd and Lead Pb immobilizers, due to their multifunctional surface properties. The remediation/immobilization mechanisms involved are, mainly, surface complexation, chemical reduction, precipitation, ion exchange, π–π interactions, hydrogen bonding, and adsorption. These mechanisms are mostly dependent on biochar surface pore size, oxygen-containing functional groups, pyrolysis temperature used in biochar preparation, biochar feedstock, and soil characteristics. So far, various pristine and modified biochar substrates have been used to remediate heavy metal-contaminated soils. Therefore, in this review paper, we briefly summarize the chemical forms, release sources, and maximum permissible limits of Copper Cu, Cadmium Cd and Lead Pb in soil. We also summarize recent scientific findings on the performance of biochar substrates in Copper Cu, Cadmium Cd and Lead Pb -contaminated soils to minimize Copper Cu, Cadmium Cd and Lead Pb mobility, bioavailability, and potential accumulation in crops. Finally, we identify challenges associated with the use of biochar and suggest areas for future research. The review presents an overview of the knowledge of biochar as a promising amendment for the decontamination of Copper Cu, Cadmium Cd and Lead Pb -polluted soils. Sediment and soil contamination with toxic heavy metals, including cadmium (Cd2+) and lead (Pb2+), represents a major long-term remediation challenge. Resuspension of contaminated sediments into the water column, or the uptake of toxic metals from top soil, can lead to exposure of aquatic or terrestrial organisms, followed by bioconcentration, bioaccumulation and biomagnification, which may pose a threat to public health. We have developed a novel nanoscale engineered material, namely ligand-coated dense nanoparticles (Ligand DNPs), which contain a dense WO3 nanoparticle core and a shell functionalized with a metal-binding organic ligand (EDTA), to effectively sequester heavy metal ions deeper into the soil and sediments. We demonstrate that one application of Ligand DNPs can remove from 60% to almost 80% of the Cd and Pb in two different soil matrices, driving these metal ions deeper into the sediment or soil column via gravity, and making them less bioavailable. Ligand DNPs can provide a relatively fast, convenient, and efficient insitu approach for the remediation of sediments and soils contaminated with heavy metals.

Saudi Health Care System a Review

Saudi Arabia as many countries fight to deliver best possible quality and cost-effective healthcare services to their people. The general health of the Saudi population has greatly improved in recent years. however, it does face a variety of complex mid-to long-term challenges. Though, a number of issues pose challenges to the health care system, such the health ministry’s various roles, limited financial resources, changing patterns of disease etc... The Saudi Arabian government has committed huge resources to improve health care, with the ultimate goal of providing free and accessible healthcare services for every Saudi citizen and expatriate working within the public sector. Therefore, this review will focus on health care system in Saudi Arabia from general view and the challenges opposing the Saudi health care system.

The Future of Access and Benefit-Sharing: What Next after the Adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework and Decision on Digital Sequence Information?

Recent decisions at the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) on access and benefit-sharing (ABS) fundamentally shift how ABS will work in the future. The key ABS challenges that now lie ahead will be to integrate digital sequence information into a functioning benefit-sharing mechanism compatible with the Nagoya Protocol, to address the difficult task of measuring benefit-sharing now required by the Global Biodiversity Framework, and ultimately to address the long-term challenges of the Nagoya Protocol’s bilateral ABS approach. The relevant COP15 decisions do not provide simple and quick answers to these challenges. However, they do lay the groundwork for change and could form the basis for the further development of effective access and benefit-sharing.

The role of cities in the reconstruction of Ukraine

Throughout human history, cities have been targeted in wars due to their significance for politics, economy, communication and population. Today such Ukrainian cities as Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv and Irpin can be added to this list. This commentary focuses on the long-term challenge of the reconstruction of Ukraine and the role cities may play in this process given their growing role in international decision-making processes. These roles include through the bilateral channels of the twin or sister cities system and international and national city networks. Furthermore, such reconstruction efforts are already evident in Ukraine and highlight how city support activities are not limited only to the post-conflict phase.

The Effect of Global Oil and Gas Prices and Production Fluctuations on the Economy of Nigeria

Once a cornerstone of the U.S. economy, crude oil production now experiences a paradigm shift, abundant for domestic consumption and export, signaling a lasting global oil price transformation. Despite a surge in U.S. hydrocarbon production and weakening oil prices, imports from Nigeria dramatically dropped from 1.5 million barrels per day in 2006 to 0.2 million in 2013, ceasing entirely by early 2014. Consequently, Nigeria faced a sudden depletion of trade surpluses and reduced foreign reserves. This study delves into the immediate and long-term challenges confronting Nigeria, particularly examining the impact of recent oil and gas price fluctuations on key macroeconomic factors. Findings highlight the balance of payments' high elasticity to oil price shifts and low elasticity to money supply changes with a coefficient of determination of 78.69%. Additionally, the exchange rate shows low elasticity to oil price changes and moderate elasticity to money supply variations with a coefficient of determination of 82.80%.

High energy-capacity and multiresponsive phase change fibers via in situ polymer composition with expanded carbon nanotube networks

Phase change fibers with abilities to storage/release thermal energy and response to multiple stimuli are of high interest for wearable thermal management textiles. However, there are long-term challenges for carbon nanotube (CNT) network-directed phase change composites, such as the limited polymer loading, nonuniform composite structure, and weak connectivity between CNTs. Herein, an expansion-based in situ composition strategy is proposed to impregnate polyethylene glycol (PEG) into CNT network, leading to a high and homogeneous PEG loading (96 wt%) and robust PEG confinement inside the expanded CNT network. As the expansion induced CNT separation from aggregation, leading to the full utilization of CNT surfaces, the CNT/PEG composite fibers at the highest PEG loading exhibited superior high latent heat of 195–205 J g−1, and were electrically and thermally conductive. More importantly, owing to the confinement, these fibers showed remarkable cyclic thermal stability, without any liquid leakage. The composite fibers were also embroidered and woven into various fabrics, which showed excellent thermal managing capacity and rapid responses to electrical and optical stimuli.

Field-driven multi-criteria sustainability assessment of last-mile rural electrification in Brazil

Over the past two decades, one-sixth of the world’s rural population has gained access to energy. However, intensified efforts are needed to meet the goal of universal coverage. Photovoltaic solar systems (PVS) have emerged as significant solutions for addressing last-mile electrification challenges. Nevertheless, the sustainability of PVS-based initiatives has raised concerns, and existing research lacks a long-term, practical and comprehensive program-scale assessment, along with experience-driven approaches to overcome them. This study aims to identify key design strategies to ensure the sustainable operation and impact of off-grid solar electrification programs. This work evaluates the sustainability of the world-wide referral “Luz para Todos” program in Brazil, conducting field assessments in thirty-five rural communities, electrified between 2005 and 2020 in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Bahia. Interviews were held with beneficiaries, community leaders, rural electrification agents and key public sector actors. The quality of electricity access and the level of population’s empowerment through electrification are assessed using three operation and impact criteria and two sets of ad-hoc indicators. Results highlight the importance of considering the dynamic character of energy demand and addressing additional remoteness difficulties (such as displacements and communication) to guarantee long-lasting quality PVS. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on the disruptive potential of mobile internet and the productive impact of access to water and food refrigeration in strengthening rural empowerment. This analysis serves as a guide for PVS initiative promoters to synergistically address both operational durability and long-term local development challenges.

Loss of capture of conduction system pacemaker caused by fibrosis surrounding the lead: a case report

BackgroundConduction system pacing (CSP) is a novel technique that involves pacing the His-Purkinje system instead of the traditional right ventricular (RV) apex. This technique aims to avoid the adverse effects of RV apical pacing, which can lead to ventricular dyssynchrony and heart failure over time. CSP is gaining popularity but its long-term efficacy and challenges remain uncertain. This report discusses a case where CSP was initially successful but faced complications due to an increasing pacing threshold.Case presentationA 65-year-old female with total atrioventricular block was referred for brady-pacing. Due to the potential for chronic RV pacing, CSP was chosen. The CSP implantation involved subcutaneous device placement, with a CSP lead in the left bundle branch area (LBBA) and an RV backup lead. A year after successful implantation, the LBBA pacing threshold progressively increased. Subsequent efforts to correct it led to anodal capture and battery depletion. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) revealed mid-septal fibrosis at the area of LBBA lead placement and suggested cardiac sarcoidosis as a possible cause.ConclusionCSP is a promising technique for treating bradyarrhythmias, but this case underscores the need for vigilance in monitoring pacing thresholds. Increasing thresholds can render CSP ineffective, necessitating alternative pacing methods. The CMR findings of mid-septal fibrosis and the potential diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis emphasize the importance of pre-implantation assessment, as CSP may be compromised by underlying structural abnormalities. This report highlights the complexities of pacing strategy selection and the significance of comprehensive evaluation before adopting CSP.

Redefining virtual water allocation in China based on economic welfare gains from environmental externalities

As water scarcity intensifies worldwide, the equitable allocation of water resources has emerged as a critical challenge. This research investigates the intricate issue of allocating responsibility for virtual water, a concept that quantifies the water embedded in traded commodities. In pursuit of an effective allocation mechanism, we refine an innovative accounting scheme grounded in economic welfare gains arising from externalities. The results show that water-stressed areas in China, such as Xinjiang, significantly contribute to exporting virtual water and is responsible for 70%–85% of the virtual water outflow. Furthermore, more than 50% of virtual water imported from water-rich regions is attributed to these water-stressed areas while their trade partners bear the rest water responsibility. In contrast, southern China's abundant water resources reduce dependence on virtual water trade, leading to fewer responsibilities. Globally, the allocated responsibility for the new accounting mechanism reaches up to 7.5 times higher than for production-based accounting (PBA) and consumption-based accounting (CBA). Our study also reveals that the degree of dependency (price elasticities) plays a pivotal role in shaping the allocation outcomes. The implications of this research are significant for establishing a transparent and accountable framework for sustainable water resource management and facilitating seamless transitions toward sustainability. As global water scarcity intensifies, the redefined responsibility accounting according to the economic welfare is indispensable in addressing immediate and long-term water-related challenges.

Urban residents’ self-rescue in response to public health emergencies in China: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe abject uncertainty and unpredictability of public health emergencies have plagued various countries. Global health governance and international communities are facing long-term and arduous challenges. The self-rescue ability of individuals in a public emergency may be the most powerful trait to improve the survival rate outside the hospital. The study explores the cognitive ability and attitudes of urban residents in China towards self-rescue in response to public health emergencies. It provides appropriate evidence for improving the self-rescue ability of urban residents in China.MethodsSixteen urban residents were selected using the purposive sampling method for semi-structured interviews. Theme analysis was used to collate and analyse the interview data.ResultsTwo themes and five sub-themes were analysed. The two themes included cognition and attitude of Chinese urban residents for self-rescue in an emergency. Urban residents believed that their knowledge and skills for self-rescue in an emergency were low. The ability for emergency self-rescue is affected by multiple factors, with relatively limited options for improvement. Nonetheless, the respondents expressed a desire to accept interventions under psychological crisis and a strong willingness to acquire knowledge and skills required for emergency self-rescue.ConclusionThis study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of Chinese urban residents towards emergency self-rescue. The results support enhanced ability of urban residents to respond to public health emergencies, thereby diminishing the negative outcomes. The findings suggest the need for strategies to address the factors affecting emergency self-rescue.

Control costs of long-range interacting multi-agent systems with noise perturbation

As an important stage of collective dynamics, consensus is widespread in real-world moving groups, where one of the long-term challenges is to optimize the control costs of reaching consensus. However, current research on the consensus of multi-agents systems (MASs) usually only considers direct interactions between agents and ignores long-range interactions (LRIs), which may influence or even determine the collective behavior of MASs. In our paper, a basic framework is developed for analyzing the control costs for reaching consensus of MASs with LRIs and noise perturbation. The theoretical estimate of the control cost from a time and energy perspective will depend on the network diameter, control parameters, noise strength, and network size, and LRIs can promote MASs to reach consensus. We provide some numerical simulations to test our theory. Both theoretical and numerical analyses reveal that there is a trade-off between time and energy costs regardless of whether MASs have LRIs or not, i.e., adjusting control parameters to reduce time cost inevitably leads to an increase in energy cost. Our results provide a new option for controlling MASs: designing control protocols based on LRIs which in some cases have superior performance to typical controllers.

Automating relative and absolute environmental sustainability assessments of bio-based products

Awareness of long-term environmental challenges has motivated society toward a more sustainable future. Biotechnology is expected to contribute to the transition towards sustainability. Automation can play an important role in this transition, enabling faster decision-making at early stages. Therefore, an automated relative and absolute environmental sustainability assessment is presented to boost innovation in biotechnology. The automated calculation methodology uses computer-aided tools (dedicated software and Python codes) for the fast quantification of the environmental sustainability performance of bio-based products including scenario and uncertainty analysis. Two case studies (i) succinic acid (SA) and (ii) poly-lactic acid (PLA) are evaluated to test the capabilities of the automated assessment. The results show a carbon footprint and land use of 5.46 kg CO2 eq and 1.26 m2a crop eq for SA and 3.82 kg CO2 eq and 0.74 m2a crop eq for PLA. Transgression of planetary boundaries was found in both SA and PLA production.