Major Challenge For Society Research Articles

Dual-stream fusion network with multi-head self-attention for multi-modal fake news detection

With the rapid advancement of social media platforms like Weibo and WeChat, alongside the emergence of deepfake technologies, tackling fake information has become a major challenge for society and government institutions. To address this, developing efficient and intelligent methods for fake news detection is crucial. This paper introduces a dual-stream fusion network model (DSF-MHSA) based on deep learning, designed to detect fake news across web pages, images, and text. The model tackles issues such as cross-lingual discrepancies, data imbalance, and multimodal information fusion by integrating deep learning models like ERNIE-M, AlexNet, and ShuffleNet, along with three multi-head self-attention mechanisms. It processes textual and image data separately to capture long-range dependencies and global information, enhancing understanding and recognition. A unified multi-head self-attention mechanism then merges these insights to strengthen cross-modal correlation detection. The model is tested on datasets from Twitter, Weibo, and IKCEST-2023, which includes real online news from various social media sources. Results show that the DSF-MHSA model achieves over 90 % accuracy, surpassing traditional models in news detection tasks. This research offers significant practical value for the identification and understanding of news content.

3D printed sub-terahertz photonic crystal for wireless passive biosensing

Monitoring pathogens has become a major challenge for society and research in recent years. Of great interest are refractive index sensors, which are based on the interaction between analytes and electromagnetic waves and allow label-free and fast detection. In addition, the electromagnetic waves can be exploited for wireless communication. However, current refractive index biosensors can only be read from a few centimeters. Here, we demonstrate an innovative concept of a passive wireless sensor based on a sub-terahertz photonic crystal resonator. The fabricated sensors have a reading range of up to 0.9 m and elevation and azimuth acceptance angles of around 90°. We demonstrate the stand-off detection of sub-µm thin-film proteins as test analytes. The proposed wireless sensor opens the door to a non-electronic, compact, and low-cost solution and can be extended to a wireless sensor network monitoring airborne pathogen, which may provide a pre-infection detection to prevent their spread efficiently.

Assessing circularity of wastewater treatment systems: A critical review of indicators

AbstractGlobal energy demand, water demand, and raw materials extraction are major challenges for society as population grows. While a traditional linear economy approach leads to depletion of finite resources, damage to the Earth's ecosystems, and adverse impacts on human health, a paradigm shift toward implementation of circular economy principles is paramount to the reversal of world resources' exhaustion. The wastewater, or “used water,” sector can contribute to offsetting resource scarcity challenges by adopting circular economy principles to recover and reintroduce recovered resources into the economy. Transitioning to a circular economy model requires monitoring and tracking progress via metrics in the form of indicators. In this paper, a bibliometric analysis followed by a systematic literature review was conducted on available circular economy indicators in the used water treatment sector. Over 200 indicators were categorized into three impact categories: environmental, social, and economic to identify gaps in the existing literature. Results showed that less than 50% of the available circularity indicators are applied in the used water sector and environmental indicators represent the highest percentage among the potential applicable indicators. Research gaps in the circular economy literature in relation to used water treatment systems were identified and future research directions discussed.

Green hydrogen: A pathway to a sustainable energy future

The development of sustainable energy sources has become a major challenge for society. Green hydrogen, produced through the electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources, offers a potential solution to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. The paper examines the integration of green hydrogen into various sectors, such as transportation, industry, power generation, and heating, highlighting its potential to decarbonize traditionally carbon-intensive areas. Furthermore, it analyses the strategies and policies employed by the European Union, Australia, Japan, the United States, and Canada to drive the development and adoption of green hydrogen technologies. The challenges and barriers that need to be addressed to fully realize the potential of green hydrogen, such as technological limitations, infrastructure development, costs and economic feasibility, regulatory and policy frameworks, and public perception and acceptance, have been investigated. Recommendations for overcoming these challenges and accelerating the adoption of green hydrogen technologies are provided, and the importance of research and development in this sector is emphasized.

Does employer involvement in primary health care enhance return to work for patients with stress-related mental disorders? a cluster randomized controlled trial

BackgroundStress-related disorders have become a major challenge for society and are associated with rising levels of sick leave. The provision of support to facilitate the return to work (RTW) for this patient group is of great importance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether a new systematic procedure with collaboration between general practitioners (GPs), rehabilitation coordinators (RCs) and employers could reduce sick leave days for this patient group.MethodEmployed patients with stress-related diagnoses seeking care at primary health care centres (PHCCs) were included in either the intervention group (n = 54), following the systematic intervention procedure, or the control group (n = 58), receiving treatment as usual (TAU). The intervention included a) a training day for participant GPs and RCs, b) a standardised procedure for GPs and RCs to follow after training, c) the opportunity to receive clinical advice from specialist physicians in the research group. Outcome measures for RTW were sick leave days.ResultsThe median number of registered gross sick leave days was lower for the control group at six, 12 and 24 months after inclusion, but the difference was not statistically significant. The control group had significantly fewer net sick leave days at three months (p = 0.03) at six months (p = 0.00) and at 12-months follow-up (p = 0.01). At 24 months, this difference was no longer significant.ConclusionsThe PRIMA intervention, which applied a standardized procedure for employer involvement in the rehabilitation process for patients with stress-related disorders, actually increased time to RTW compared to TAU. However, at 24 months, the benefit of TAU could no longer be confirmed. The study was registered on 16/01/2017 (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03022760).

DURABILITY PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE PRODUCED BY USING RHA AND WMP FIBRES

Growing urbanization around the world is leading to increased consumption of concrete, which poses serious environmental problems. The cement industry has very serious environmental issues and causes various sustainability issues; Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that has many negative effects on the environment. An effective way to overcome this negative impact that the cement industry has on the environment is to use another material instead of cement in concrete. In this study, the aim is to use the rice husk ash produced from rice husk waste in large shredders in large quantities, and its disposal is also a major challenge for society and the environment. Rice husk ash is collected from tillers and converted to ash by manual combustion in barrels and used in the laboratory for research work. The cement in the concrete is partially replaced by rice husk ash, which also greatly reduces the consumption of cement and also utilizes the metal-plastic fiber waste in the concrete, as it is a non-biodegradable waste. Okay. To reduce non-biodegradable waste (WMP) used in concrete. The purpose of this study was to partially replace cement in concrete with RHA and WMP and study the durability of mixed concrete and verify the variability of the results of ashless concrete samples and fiber. To achieve this, the cement is replaced by rice husk ash with three different variants i.e. 10%, 20% and 30% and three different variations of WMP fibres, i.e. - 0.5% , 0.75%, 1% and various endurance tests. conducted. including accelerated carbonation test, abrasion resistance test and chloride penetration test. The results show that it can be safe to replace the cement up to 20% with rice husk ash and fiber taking into account the carbonation test. However, results obtained from chloride penetration test and abrasion resistance test show that rice husk ash can be used as a cement substitute up to 20%; beyond this limit, these results gave a slightly negative answer. Therefore, considering three tests, it is concluded that concrete mixed with rice husk ash replacing 20% is durable enough compared to normal concrete. Key Words : Durability, RHA, WMP fibre, RCPT, Carbonation, Silver Nitrate (AgNO3), Concrete

Economic and environmental assessment of food waste reduction measures – Trialing a time-temperature indicator on salmon in HelloFresh meal boxes

Food waste is a major challenge for society, causing economic, environmental and social problems. Time-temperature indicators showing a dynamic expiry date are discussed as one promising technology to help reducing food waste along the food supply chain of perishable foods like fish. In the present article, the implementation of the time-temperature indicator Keep-it® as an alternative date coding method on prepacked salmon in HelloFresh meal boxes is assessed regarding its effectiveness on reducing food waste and its sustainability across the economic and environmental dimension. In a first step, an online survey among 1589 HelloFresh customers was used to determine consumers’ understanding and perception of the Keep-it® indicator and to estimate its potential impact on food waste-related behavior. Results show that the Keep-it® indicator was perceived to be reliable, helpful and intuitive to use (mean values of these attributes range between 3.7 and 4.3 on a five-point Likert scale). In contrast, more than half of the participants could not correctly interpret the meaning of currently used expiry dates (use-by and best before). Furthermore, results indicate that the Keep-it® indicator has the potential to reduce food waste at consumer level. In a second step, results of the survey were used to quantify the potential amount of food waste reduction and to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of the Keep-it® indicator implementation along the food chain using the calculated Cost-Benefit Ratio. Per one EUR invested, using the Keep-it® indicator instead of the currently used use-by date results in 0.1 kg food saved from becoming waste, 0.44 kg CO2eq less emitted and 2.05 € less spent.

Remodelling of heat exchanger networks integrating the temperature dependence of the calorific flows of the streams: Application to the hydrodesulphurization unit of a refinery

The fight against global warming and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is now a major challenge for society and industry. In this context of decarbonization, combined with a rise in energy prices, the latter are seeking to equip themselves with energy diagnosis and decision support tools to redesign existing processes and thus contribute to greater efficiency. energy of their production site. Generally based on the principles of pinch analysis (Linnhoff and Sahdev, 2000), different approaches and resolution techniques are proposed in the literature to address this issue. Review articles such as (Klemeš et al., 2018), (Čuček et al., 2019) summarize them and highlight the advantages and limitations of each of them. The RREflex software, developed at the LGC for several years and tested on other processes including a crude oil preheating train (Payet et al., 2018), is one of the tools for carrying out the initial synthesis as well as the remodelling of networks of heat exchangers with the aim of improving the energy performance of existing processes.

Telemedicine in nursing homes: Insights on the social acceptance and ethical acceptability of telemedical consultations.

The increasing number of older adults in need of care, the resulting rise in demand for care services and the shortage of nursing staff are major challenges for society. In these situations, the use of telemedicine seems promising - especially in nursing homes when the focus is on rapid support in acute medical cases. However, in addition to the medical and technical potential, the acceptability and usability of the use of telemedical consultations are crucial for a sustainable implementation and acceptance. Our research aims at a holistic identification of socially and ethically relevant parameters for the evaluation of telemedical consultations in nursing homes. Presentation of the empirical approach of an interdisciplinary cooperation that combines social and ethical research perspectives during an entire research project. Qualitative analysis of social and ethical aspects based on an interview study with care personnel (N = 14) who have experiences with telemedical consultations in nursing homes, as an example of this interdisciplinary collaboration and to show first insights. The results of the interview study show a slightly positive evaluation of the use of telemedical consultations in nursing homes. Six main categories were identified to capture and differentiate ethically and socially relevant perceived benefits and barriers (contact with physicians, general, personnel-related, residents-related, technical, and organizational aspects). The study results allow initial recommendations for the implementation of telemedicine consultations in nursing homes considering socially and ethically relevant aspects. These recommendations can be used to inform medical and technical experts in the field of telemedicine. In addition, the presentation of the interdisciplinary collaboration shows that the close integration of social and ethical aspects in research enables a holistic dimension of the use of telemedicine.

Sustainability Assessment of Food-Waste-Reduction Measures by Converting Surplus Food into Processed Food Products for Human Consumption

Food waste is a major challenge for society as it causes economic, environmental and social problems. Many food-waste-reduction measures aim to prevent food waste at the source or by redistributing surplus food via donation. However, it would also be useful to evaluate surplus-food redistribution, where surplus food can be made available for human consumption by valorization (recycling). This paper evaluates food-waste-reduction measures, where surplus food is converted into processed food products for human consumption, which are then sold in a German retail store. The objective is to assess whether this kind of recycling of surplus food is effective in reducing food waste and how sustainable it is considering the economic, environmental and social impacts. The results of this pilot study show a total reduction of 19 kg of food waste within 17 weeks. Furthermore, all products were economically profitable, with a per product net revenue of sold upcycled products between EUR 0.42 and 0.70. The results of the environmental assessment varied from savings of 1.55 kg of CO2 equivalents/kg of product to the addition of 1.88 kg of CO2 equivalents/kg of product in product carbon footprint and the addition of between 0.42 and 0.70 mPt/kg of product in product environmental footprint. The social indicators could only be qualitatively described. The results, therefore, can only recommend this recycling option as an effective and efficient food-waste-reduction measure under optimal conditions. More research is needed to describe different recycling situations and to therefore improve the sustainability of the food supply chain.

Communication Among Harvesters Leads to Sustainable Fishing Behaviour in a Continuous Time Common Pool Resource Experiment

The sustainable use of common pool resources (CPRs) such as fisheries constitutes a major challenge for society. A large body of empirical studies conducted in discrete time indicates that resource users are able to prevent the ‘tragedy of the commons' under institutional arrangements that can promote cooperation. However, the variability exhibited by the human behaviour and the dynamic nature of renewable resources require continuous time experiments to fully explain the mechanisms underpinning the sustainable use of resources. We conducted CPR experiments in continuous time to investigate how the extraction behaviour of resource users changes in real-time in response to changes in resource availability under communication and no communication. We find that when communication is allowed, users adjust their extraction efforts based on knowledge of previous resource availability. In contrast, when communication is not allowed, users do not incorporate resource availability into their utility function. These results suggest that communication does not merely provide a forum for coordination but mediates a causal relationship between resource levels and extraction behaviour. Our findings may help the development of effective resource management policies.

The influence of project management associations on projectification of society – An institutional perspective

While projectification of society has received attention in research, little has been done to exemplify underlying processes and actors involved. By applying institutional theory, we offer an explanatory avenue. Our explorative research advances the understanding of how project management associations influence the projectification of society. To answer this question, we drew on available insights, interviewed international experts and conducted a case study on institutional work of the German Project Management Association.Project management associations have so far focused primarily on the corporate world and have done little for the projectification of society overall. Especially in times of disruption and major challenges for society, the support of project management associations becomes necessary. The application of institutional theory opens promising perspectives for future research on the projectification of society. Our findings on project management associations are not only relevant for researchers, but also for decision-makers in all areas of the society.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Pedestrian Flow Patterns in Urban POIs—An Example from Beijing

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge for society as a whole, and analyzing the impact of the spread of the epidemic and government control measures on the travel patterns of urban residents can provide powerful help for city managers to designate top-level epidemic prevention policies and specific epidemic prevention measures. This study investigates whether it is more appropriate to use groups of POIs with similar pedestrian flow patterns as the unit of study rather than functional categories of POIs. In this study, we analyzed the hour-by-hour pedestrian flow data of key locations in Beijing before, during, and after the strict epidemic prevention and control period, and we found that the pedestrian flow patterns differed greatly in different periods by using a composite clustering index; we interpreted the clustering results from two perspectives: groups of pedestrian flow patterns and functional categories. The results show that depending on the specific stage of epidemic prevention and control, the number of unique pedestrian flow patterns decreased from four before the epidemic to two during the strict control stage and then increased to six during the initial resumption of work. The restrictions on movement are correlated with most of the visitations, and the release of restrictions led to an increase in the variety of unique pedestrian flow patterns compared to that in the pre-restriction period, even though the overall number of visitations decreased, indicating that social restrictions led to differences in the flow patterns of POIs and increased social distance.

Valorizing municipal organic waste to produce biodiesel, biogas, organic fertilizer, and value-added chemicals: an integrated biorefinery approach

Economically viable alternatives for utilizing municipal solid waste are still a major challenge for society, especially in less developed countries. A potential pathway is using the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) to produce energy, biofuels, organic fertilizers, and value-added chemical compounds. We evaluated an integrated biorefinery structure for the treatment of used cooking oil, pruning biomass, and organic and food residues to produce biodiesel, biogas, organic compost, 1,3-propanediol, and electrical energy at the campus of the Federal University of Pernambuco, which was considered a case study to represent a small city of Northeastern Brazil. A pilot transesterification plant, a biodigestion unit, and a compost unit were installed to process 3.3 tons daily of OFMSW produced. Additionally, research was carried out to produce 1,3-propanediol on a laboratory scale from residual glycerol. The quality of the biodiesel generated from the used cooking oil met national technical standards and the conversion of residual oil into biodiesel reached 93%. The average biogas production was 0.584 ± 0.176 Nm3 kgVS−1, with an average methane production of 50% generating up to 44 MWh of electricity per year. The organic compost produced met the quality requirements of organic fertilizers, such as maturation and nutrient contents. Glycerol treatment increased the yield of 1,3-propanediol production. Our findings demonstrate that the integrated biorefinery will lead to a reduction of US$ 80,000 in the costs of OFMSW management. More importantly, this approach generates incentives for circular economy initiatives in small municipalities in Brazil and other less developed countries.

Unnatural Female Deaths within Seven Years of Marital Life:An Autopsy based Study

Unnatural female deaths pose a major challenge for society. The study was conducted on 644 unnatural female deaths during the calendar years from 2008 to 2012, in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Andhra Medical College. Women less than 29 years of age group, in the first three years of their marital life were the major victims in our study. Improving women literacy may give employment and there by economical independency of women.

NGOs: Activities on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Challenges at Work

Combating trafficking in human beings is a major challenge for society and constitutes a separate policy area, where the subjects of its implementation are both governmental and non-governmental organizations. The role of the latter is multifaceted and subject to change and development. The author of the article has studied the development of forms and directions of activity of organizations, their interaction with various state institutions, scientific and educational institutions to ensure their effective development. The methodological basis of the publication was a dialectical approach to the cognition of social and legal phenomena through the historical and comparative legal analysis of definitions, the use of the method of included observation, as well as problem-chronological analysis of the activities and participation of public organizations in the formation and implementation of state policy. Theoretical basis of the publication was theoretical and ideological concepts and research of domestic and foreign scholars in relation to public organizations. The scientific novelty of the article is to cover the dynamics of the development of public organizations’ participation in the process of forming and implementing state policy on the example of combating trafficking in human beings, as well as in analyzing the interaction of public organizations with educational and scientific institutions as a factor of ensuring the qualitative and effective work of both parties. The author has distinguished and analyzed three stages in the formation and development of NGOs working in the field of combating trafficking in human beings: the first – the nineties of the XX century, the second – 2000–2013, the third – from 2014 to the present day. In order to effectively develop NGOs, it is important to interact with educational and scientific institutions, to share experience and knowledge. Positive changes can be caused by prudent implementation of necessary policies, continuous improvement of the professional level of the employees, transparency in the activities of NGOs, providing feedback to their target groups, a combination of professionalism and activism, cooperation with state institutions.

Unconscious dying: the lightly tilled soil of palliative care and psychodynamics

It goes without saying that death, and foreknowledge its inevitability, has always been the ultimate human challenge, that drives, at conscious and unconscious levels, everything that is done, thought and believed. Given the dominant worldview of logical positivism, scientific mastery and personal control, coupled with modern epidemiological realities, decision-making and care for people who are approaching death is a major challenge for society and health systems. For over 50 years the lead has been taken by the hospice/palliative care ‘social movement’, and recently more broadly in health, especially in aged and intensive care, and by policy-makers. The overwhelming discourse and methodological approach tends to be linear, empirical and logical, in line with the zeitgeist, the ‘regimes of truth’ and ‘evidence base’ that are dominant in the system. This paper explores the possible unconscious personal and organisational forces at play when health services and society engage with the threat of death. It posits the view that a wider reticence to acknowledge the possibility of deep instinctual forces limits the capacity of the health system, its professional teams, individuals and wider society to work towards ‘healthier’ relationships with death, the dying, the dead and ourselves as ‘mortally threatened’ at all times. Concepts such as identification, projection, transference and ‘organisation in the mind’ will be explored in the death, grief and palliative care context, as well as a notion of ‘ingestion’ or ‘transmission’ of pain and loss of others as a driver of organisational discord and burn out.

Bridging the gap between energy and the environment

Meeting the world’s energy demand is a major challenge for society over the coming century. To identify the most sustainable energy pathways to meet this demand, analysis of energy systems on which policy is based must move beyond the current primary focus on carbon to include a broad range of ecosystem services on which human well-being depends. Incorporation of a broad set of ecosystem services into the design of energy policy will differentiates between energy technology options to identify policy options that reconcile national and international obligations to address climate change and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this paper we consider our current understanding of the implications of energy systems for ecosystem services and identify key elements of an assessment. Analysis must consider the full life cycle of energy systems, the territorial and international footprint, use a consistent ecosystem service framework that incorporates the value of both market and non-market goods, and consider the spatial and temporal dynamics of both the energy and environmental system. While significant methodological challenges exist, the approach we detail can provide the holistic view of energy and ecosystem services interactions required to inform the future of global energy policy.

The dilemma in prioritizing chemicals for environmental analysis: known versus unknown hazards

A major challenge for society is to manage the risks posed by the many chemicals continuously emitted to the environment. All chemicals in production and use cannot be monitored and science-based strategies for prioritization are essential. In this study we review available data to investigate which substances are included in environmental monitoring programs and published research studies reporting analyses of chemicals in Baltic Sea fish between 2000 and 2012. Our aim is to contribute to the discussion of priority settings in environmental chemical monitoring and research, which is closely linked to chemical management. In total, 105 different substances or substance groups were analyzed in Baltic Sea fish. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were the most studied substances or substance groups. The majority, 87%, of all analyses comprised 20% of the substances or substance groups, whereas 46 substance groups (44%) were analyzed only once. Almost three quarters of all analyses regarded a POP-substance (persistent organic pollutant). These results demonstrate that the majority of analyses on environmental contaminants in Baltic Sea fish concern a small number of already regulated chemicals. Legacy pollutants such as POPs pose a high risk to the Baltic Sea due to their hazardous properties. Yet, there may be a risk that prioritizations for chemical analyses are biased based on the knowns of the past. Such biases may lead to society failing in identifying risks posed by yet unknown hazardous chemicals. Alternative and complementary ways to identify priority chemicals are needed. More transparent communication between risk assessments performed as part of the risk assessment process within REACH and monitoring programs, and information on chemicals contained in consumer articles, would offer ways to identify chemicals for environmental analysis.

Improving invasive species management by integrating priorities and contributions of scientists and decision makers.

Managing invasive species is a major challenge for society. In the case of newly established invaders, rapid action is key for a successful management. Here, we develop, describe and recommend a three-step transdisciplinary process (the "butterfly model") to rapidly initiate action for invasion management. In the framing of a case study, we present results from the first of these steps: assessing priorities and contributions of both scientists and decision makers. Both scientists and decision makers prioritise research on prevention. The available scientific knowledge contributions, however, are publications on impacts rather than prevention of the invasive species. The contribution of scientific knowledge does thus not reflect scientists' perception of what is essentially needed. We argue that a more objective assessment and transparent communication of not only decision makers' but also scientists' priorities is an essential basis for a successful cooperation. Our three-step model can help achieve objectivity via transdisciplinary communication.