Future Roadmap Research Articles

Electrokinetic remediation: Past experiences and future roadmap for sustainable remediation of metal-contaminated soils

Soil pollution due to heavy metals has become a serious environmental concern in the past decade, adversely affecting soil conditions and global food security. Due to this, considerable attention has been given to developing suitable remediation technologies, particularly for heavy metals. Among them, Electrokinetic Remediation (EKR) is a promising developing technique due to its great efficiency for fine-grained soils. The use of an electric field to remove contaminants from soil is effective on a wide range of matrices irrespective of the heterogeneity. In this context, the present study provides a detailed discussion on the design and operational considerations of EKR, mainly, power, electrode, and electrolyte characteristics. The major limitations of EKR, innovative modifications of EKR operations to overcome the limitations, and EKR-integrated technologies have been addressed. The optimization of regulating parameters ensures maximum efficiency towards removal of contaminants at minimum cost of treatment, thus, highlighting the engineering aspect of electrokinetics at field scale. The sustainability concerns arising from EKR and its possible alternative solutions have been discussed, to provide useful information and prospects to researchers in the field.

Flexible and Ultra Low Weight Energy Harvesters Based on 2D Phosphorene or Black phosphorus (BP): Current and Futuristic Prospects.

Phosphorene, or two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus, has recently emerged as a competitor of graphene as it offers several advantages, including a tunable band gap, higher on/off current ratio, piezoelectric nature, and biocompatibility. Researchers have succeeded in obtaining several forms of phosphorene, such as nanosheets, nanorods, nanoribbons, and quantum dots, with satisfactory yields. Nanostructures with various controlled properties have been fabricated in multiple devices for energy production. These phosphorene-based devices are lightweight, flexible, and efficient, demonstrating great potential for energy-harvesting applications in sensors and nanogenerators. While ongoing exploration and advancements continue for these lightweight energy harvesters, it is essential to review the current progress in order to develop a future roadmap for the potential use of these phosphorene-based energy harvesters in space programs. They could be employed in applications such as wearable devices for astronauts, where ultralow weight is a vital component of any integrated device. This review also anticipates the growing significance of phosphorene in various emerging applications such as robots, information storage devices, and artificial intelligence.

Automation’s Impact on Agriculture: Opportunities, Challenges, and Economic Effects

Automation and robotics are the key players in modern agriculture. They offer potential solutions for challenges related to the growing global population, demographic shifts, and economic status. This review paper evaluates the challenges and opportunities of using new technologies and the often-missed link between automation technology and agricultural economics. Through a systematic analysis of the literature, this study explores the potential of automation and robotics in farming practices, as well as their socio-economic effects, and provides strategic recommendations for those involved. For this purpose, various types of robots in different fields of agriculture and the technical feasibility and challenges of using automation have been discussed. Other important factors, including demographic shifts, labor market effects, and economic considerations, have been analyzed. Furthermore, this study investigates the social effects of automation, particularly in terms of employment and workforce adaptation. It finds that, while automation boosts productivity and sustainability, it also causes labor displacement and demands considerable technological investment. This thorough investigation fills a crucial gap by assessing economic sustainability, labor market evolution, and the future of precision agriculture. It also charts a course for further research and policy-making at the intersection of agricultural technology and socio-economic fields and outlines a future roadmap for further research and policy.

AI-Assisted Programming Tasks Using Code Embeddings and Transformers

This review article provides an in-depth analysis of the growing field of AI-assisted programming tasks, specifically focusing on the use of code embeddings and transformers. With the increasing complexity and scale of software development, traditional programming methods are becoming more time-consuming and error-prone. As a result, researchers have turned to the application of artificial intelligence to assist with various programming tasks, including code completion, bug detection, and code summarization. The utilization of artificial intelligence for programming tasks has garnered significant attention in recent times, with numerous approaches adopting code embeddings or transformer technologies as their foundation. While these technologies are popular in this field today, a rigorous discussion, analysis, and comparison of their abilities to cover AI-assisted programming tasks is still lacking. This article discusses the role of code embeddings and transformers in enhancing the performance of AI-assisted programming tasks, highlighting their capabilities, limitations, and future potential in an attempt to outline a future roadmap for these specific technologies.

Molybdenum Sulfide Nanomaterial: A Potential Candidate for Separation Membranes

AbstractMolybdenum sulfide (MoS2)‐based nanocomposites have attracted significant attention for various separation processes due to their ultrathin thickness, high mechanical and chemical strength, and good functionality. Herein, the recent progresses of various fabrication, synthesis, and modification methods for separation membrane‐based on MoS2 nanocomposites are reviewed. Emphasis is given on applications of MoS2‐based membranes in the purification of wastewater, separation of gas mixtures, energy storage separator, and proton‐exchange fuel cells (PEFCs). Advantages and drawbacks of this material for separation applications are discussed. Finally, a future roadmap is suggested for this promising nanomaterial in various separation processes.

Advances in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Research Applications for Female Infertility-Mechanisms, Efficacy Parameters, Challenges and Future Roadmap.

Infertility affects approximately 15-20% of couples globally, with female factors contributing to nearly half of cases. Conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, tubal damage and premature ovarian failure are leading causes of female infertility. Current treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF) have limitations and risks. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown therapeutic potential due to their ability to differentiate, secrete trophic factors, and exhibit immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. They have been demonstrated to repair and regenerate reproductive organs in various preclinical models of infertility related conditions. MSCs have reduced endometriotic lesions, regenerated lost follicles in premature ovarian failure (POF) models, and promoted tubal repair in damage models. Some clinical and preclinical studies have reported improved outcomes with MSC therapy in endometriosis and premature ovarian failure patients. This review discusses the properties and sources of MSCs, their mechanisms of action, preclinical evidence for applications in conditions like POF, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, Asherman syndrome, and preeclampsia, and preliminary clinical data on MSC therapy for female infertility management.

Use of ChatGPT in Education: Future Strategic Road Map with SWOT Analysis

Use of ChatGPT in Education: Future Strategic Road Map with SWOT Analysis

A New Model of Integrated Forensic Database in India- Road to Future

th There have been tremendous technological developments in the 20 century which has been called the age of science. Forensic science in th st India also developed in the 20 century and intensified in the 21 century. For timely solving crime cases through proper scientific investigations, a lot of facilities were created in India. But due to the increasing number of crime cases, efforts are being made, but still, it is not enough. There is a further need for improving Forensic Science in India. In countries like the Philippines and Switzerland, an integrated database of these systems has been formulated and implemented to deal with sexual offense cases and sample evidence like DNA and its dealings. This article highlights and discusses the integration of intelligence units of Police, Forensic Experts, and Forensic Medicine Doctors sharing a common database which is linked first in the state and then nationwide, an integrated DNA model which is needed to increase the success rate in sexual assault cases, problems, a roadmap for better future of forensics in India. A feasible model, keeping in mind the Indian scenario and administrative context, has been depicted in detail.

Financial Literacy and Dimensions: A Systematic Roadmap for Future

Financial Literacy and Dimensions: A Systematic Roadmap for Future

Corporate social responsibility and earnings management: The future research direction

A bibliometric analysis of the literature (Zupic & Cater, 2015) was carried out to analyze the trends and conclusions of studies on earnings management and corporate social responsibility (CSR). This study examined 177 Scopus-indexed papers published between 2008 and 2022. R-Biblioshiny was then used to process the data and create a citation matrix and bibliometric network that could be visualized and interpreted. VOSviewer and further investigations were also conducted. The results of the data analysis show a drastic uptrend in the studies on CSR and earnings management over the years. The data also revealed Spain as the most influential nation, and Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management as the journal with the strongest influence. An article with 845 citations was published in the Accounting Review journal based on the Co-Occurrence Network. In 2019, the focus of the research was on “corporate governance”, “investor protection”, and “financial performance”, whereas in 2021, “stakeholder theory” and “board diversity” were important buzzwords. Kim Y., Park M. S., and Wier B. are the most cited authors for co-citation analysis. This study also showed Martinez Ferrero J. as the most influential author. The results of this study provide insights into the future roadmap of studies on CSR and earnings management.

Navigation and Robotics in Interventional Oncology: Current Status and Future Roadmap.

Interventional oncology (IO) is the field of Interventional Radiology that provides minimally invasive procedures under imaging guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors. Sophisticated devices can be utilized to increase standardization, accuracy, outcomes, and "repeatability" in performing percutaneous Interventional Oncology techniques. These technologies can reduce variability, reduce human error, and outperform human hand-to-eye coordination and spatial relations, thus potentially normalizing an otherwise broad diversity of IO techniques, impacting simulation, training, navigation, outcomes, and performance, as well as verification of desired minimum ablation margin or other measures of successful procedures. Stereotactic navigation and robotic systems may yield specific advantages, such as the potential to reduce procedure duration and ionizing radiation exposure during the procedure and, at the same time, increase accuracy. Enhanced accuracy, in turn, is linked to improved outcomes in many clinical scenarios. The present review focuses on the current role of percutaneous navigation systems and robotics in diagnostic and therapeutic Interventional Oncology procedures. The currently available alternatives are presented, including their potential impact on clinical practice as reflected in the peer-reviewed medical literature. A review of such data may inform wiser investment of time and resources toward the most impactful IR/IO applications of robotics and navigation to both standardize and address unmet clinical needs.

Smart Agriculture: Technologies, Practices, and Future Directions

The Internet of Things (IoT) has ushered in a new era of innovative agriculture research. Because IoT is still in its early stages, it must be widely tested before it can be widely deployed in many agricultural applications. In this paper, I look at different prospective IoT applications, as well as the unique concerns and constraints connected with IoT deployment for better farming. The gadgets and wireless communication technologies linked with IoT in agricultural and farming applications are thoroughly researched to focus on the unique requirements. Sensor-enabled IoT systems that deliver intelligent and smart services for smart agriculture are being investigated.
 Several case studies are offered to investigate the existing IoT-based solutions implemented by various organizations, individuals, and groups depending on their deployment criteria. The difficulties in these solutions are addressed, as are the factors for improvement and the future roadmap of work with IoT. Smart farming is a trend that emphasizes the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in machinery, equipment, and sensors in network-based hi-tech farm supervision cycles. Innovative technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing are expected to spur growth and kickstart the usage of robotics and artificial intelligence in agriculture. Such radical departures are upsetting established agricultural practices while also posing several obstacles. This study explores the techniques and equipment utilized in wireless sensor applications in IoT agriculture, as well as the predicted problems encountered when integrating technology with traditional farming practices. Furthermore, this technical knowledge is useful to growers during crop times ranging from planting to harvest, and applications in packing and transportation are being researched.

Emergency Medicine Academics in India: A Roadmap for Future

Emergency Medicine Academics in India: A Roadmap for Future

Advancements in Nanoenabled Membrane Distillation for a Sustainable Water-Energy-Environment Nexus.

The emergence of nano innovations in membrane distillation (MD) has garnered increasing scientific interest. This enables the exploration of state-of-the-art nano-enabled MD membranes with desirable properties, which significantly improve the efficiency and reliability of the MD process and open up opportunities for achieving a sustainable water-energy-environment (WEE) nexus. This comprehensive review provides broad coverage and in-depth analysis of recent innovations in nano-enabled MD membranes, focusing on their role in achieving desirable properties, such as strong liquid-repellence, high resistance to scaling, fouling, and wetting, as well as efficient self-heating and self-cleaning functionalities. The recent developments in nano-enhanced photothermal-catalytic applications for water-energy co-generation within a single MD system are also discussed. Furthermore, the bottlenecks are identified that impede the scale-up of nanoenhanced MD membranes and a future roadmap is proposed for their sustainable commercialiation. This holistic overview is expected to inspire future research and development efforts to fully harness the potential of nano-enabled MD membranes to achieve sustainable integration of water, energy, and the environment.

Factors Affecting Autonomous Vehicles Adoption: A Systematic Review, Proposed Framework, and Future Roadmap

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) offer several benefits, such as improving road safety, mitigating traffic congestion, and reducing fuel consumption and gas emissions. Despite these benefits, their adoption rate remains limited due to various factors influencing users’ decisions. While previous studies have identified numerous factors influencing AV adoption using various adoption frameworks, the factors have not been comprehensively analyzed and synthesized. Thus, this systematic review aims to bridge this gap by identifying and classifying the factors influencing the adoption of AVs. Out of 3,532 collected research papers, 71 empirical studies were analyzed thoroughly. The findings demonstrated that the technology acceptance model (TAM) was the most widely used model for investigating AV adoption. The identified factors in the analyzed studies were classified into distinct categories: psychological and behavioral factors, technological factors, social factors, environmental factors, security and privacy factors, AV-related factors, risky and negative factors, conditional factors, and monetary factors. We have proposed an AV adoption framework grounded in this taxonomy to direct subsequent empirical research. We have also highlighted numerous agendas to serve as a blueprint for future AV adoption studies. This review offers various theoretical insights and actionable recommendations for multiple AV research, development, and implementation stakeholders.

Trends, Influential Authors and Emerging Themes in Intelligent Personal Assistants: A Bibliometric Analysis

Purpose- This study aims to analyse the existing work done in the area of intelligent personal assistants using comprehensive bibliometric analysis and suggest directions for future research in this domain.
 Design/approach/methodology- A systematic procedure, step by step was carried out for this analysis. After using a predefined search string, we were left with 317 articles published in reputed journals in the database of Scopus. To understand this domain's current state, execution of bibliographic coupling and keyword analysis was done and future directions were suggested.
 Findings- We used the VOSviewer for analysing and visualising data. The results of this study show the trends of publication in the field of Intelligent Personal Assistants along with the most contributing countries, authors, and journals. The authors of the United States and the United Kingdom were observed to have the highest number of collaborations. Seven clusters were identified after using bibliographic analysis. At last, this study suggested a future road map by keyword analysis in the field of Intelligent Personal Assistants.
 Originality/value- The interest of researchers has increased in the field of Intelligent personal assistants over the past decades. There is a large volume of existing research in this field, still this literature is insufficient for providing complete knowledge of Intelligent Personal Assistants.

3D printing of stimuli-responsive hydrogel materials: Literature review and emerging applications

Additive manufacturing (AM) aka three-dimensional (3D) printing has been a well-established and unparalleled technology, which is expanding the boundaries of materials science and is exhibiting an enormous potential to fabricate intricate geometries for healthcare, electronics, and construction sectors. In the contemporary era, the combination of AM technology and stimuli-responsive hydrogels (SRHs) helps to create dynamic and functional structures with extreme accuracy, which are capable of changing their shape, functional, or mechanical properties in response to environmental cues such as humidity, heat, light, pH, magnetic field, electric field, etc. 3D printing of SRHs permits the creation of on-demand dynamically controllable shapes with excellent control over various properties such as self-repair, self-assembly, multi-functionality, etc. These properties accelerate researchers to think of unthinkable applications. Additively manufactured objects have shown excellent potential in applications like tissue engineering, drug delivery, soft robots, sensors, and other biomedical devices. The current review provides recent progress in the 3D printing of SRHs, with more focus on their 3D printing techniques, stimuli mechanisms, shape-morphing behaviors, and their functional applications. Finally, current trends and future roadmap of additively manufactured smart structures for different applications have also been presented, which will be helpful for future research. This review holds great promise for providing fundamental knowledge about SRHs to fabricate structures for diverse applications.

Technical Factors Associated with Polypharmacy Management Through Leavitt’s Sociotechnical Model

Background: Global advancement toward aging highlights inappropriate polypharmacy in the elderly as an increasingly critical health issue. Addressing this challenge can reduce adverse drug reactions and physical and cognitive impairments and improve older adults’ quality of life. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the technical aspect of polypharmacy management in the elderly with comorbidities through the socio-technical model for change management to help develop future roadmaps of current affairs. Methods: The present qualitative study was performed by conducting 35 semi-structured interviews with key informants selected by maximum variation purposive sampling in 2022. The interviews continued until theoretical saturation. To extract all factors in all domains of the health complex system, the WHO Health System Six Building Blocks factors were investigated through Leavitt’s socio-technical model for change management. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis with MAXQDA10 software. Results: The “Structure” and “Technology” dimensions of Leavitt’s model each consisted of two blocks of the WHO Framework. Regarding “Leadership & Governance” and “Financing” (structure), the following themes were identified: developing databases, optimizing homecare, and pharmaceutical cost management. In the blocks of “Medicine &Technology” and “information,” three other themes emerged: developing medicine formulations, innovative technologies, and technology-based self-care. The interviewees considered the “Structure” the most critical transitional factor in polypharmacy management. Conclusions: Stimulating, designing, and implementing strategies for polypharmacy change management requires identifying transitional factors by holistic approaches. Furthermore, shifting toward sustainable changes is possible based on well-developed infrastructures and adopting innovative, user-friendly technologies.

Microlearning in corporate settings: practitioner perspectives

ABSTRACT Organisations are seeking to adopt training strategies that support quick, but effective, learning for Gen-Z and millennials. The recent pandemic triggered the need for a hybrid/remote workplace where employees’ learning and development expectations are oriented more towards a need-based and short content-based learning. Though few organisations have initiated the process of micro-learning adoption as part of their learning and development practices, there are quite a number of roadblocks and challenges. In this perspective article, the authors have used their core experiences and learnings from the L&D units of multinational corporations to address key questions such as (1) How micro-learning can be adopted as a general practice in the corporate L&D settings? (2) What are the key success factors of such adoptions? (3) What is the future roadmap of micro content-based learning? The authors also suggested a few directions to pursue the goal of creating a microlearning environment in corporate settings.

Health promotion strategies for cardiovascular disease in the community of Uganda: Policies, challenges, and pathways to a healthier future

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) pose a growing public health challenge in Uganda. This article comprehensively assesses current CVD policies and interventions, identifies challenges, and proposes health promotion strategies to mitigate CVD risk factors. We analyzed existing policies related to tobacco control, alcohol regulation, dietary improvements, physical activity promotion, and access to essential medicines. Current barriers to effective policy implementation were identified through a review of literature and government reports. Potential interventions were synthesized from international best practices. Uganda's current policies indirectly address CVD risk factors, but several barriers hinder their effectiveness, including outdated alcohol laws, limited enforcement resources, and inadequate tobacco cessation measures. Our proposed interventions encompass tobacco control, physical activity promotion, alcohol regulation, food safety, and enhanced access to medicines. To combat the rising CVD burden, Uganda must strengthen tobacco control efforts, promote physical activity at workplaces and schools, update alcohol regulations, improve food safety, and ensure consistent access to essential medicines. These strategies offer a roadmap for a healthier future in Uganda.