Scarce Resources Research Articles

Same volume, larger output: 3D trapezoidal multi-interface solar evaporator for concentrated seawater desalination and wastewater treatment

With the scarcity of freshwater resources, solar desalination of seawater is a promising strategy for freshwater production. Compared to 2D evaporators with limited evaporation area, 3D evaporators can increase the evaporation area. However, traditional 3D evaporators cannot fully utilize the internal space of the evaporator for evaporation. In this study, a 3D trapezoidal multi-interface evaporator (Evap1), which composed of superhydrophilic sponges and superhydrophobic sponges arranged by alternate permutation for making full use of the inside structure of the evaporator to expand the actual evaporation area and achieve effective thermal management, were developed. The selective water transport channels and heat transfer channels were constructed by alternate permutation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic sponges in Evap1, while the top trapezoidal structure prevented heat from accumulating on the top surface of Evap1, which can enhance the efficiency of photothermal conversion. The Evap1 exhibited excellent evaporation rate of 3.6 kg m−2 h−1 under 1 sun illumination, and the evaporation rate was almost unchanged in brine with 20 wt% concentration for 8 h working. In addition, the Evap1 can achieve efficiently purificaiton of waste water containing dye, and the potential practical application of Evap1 was further proved by repeated and outdoor evaporation experiments.

Interdisciplinary Case-Based Teaching Promoting the Integration of Physical Education and Health Curriculum in China

Against the backdrop of quality education, integrating physical education and health courses in China has been regarded as essential to fostering students' comprehensive development. This study explores leveraging interdisciplinary case-based teaching to promote the in-depth integration and fusion of physical education and health courses in China. The research systematically reviews the theoretical foundations of integrating physical education and health courses, interdisciplinary teaching, and case-based teaching methods in China. The study summarizes the comprehensive cases for conducting interdisciplinary case-based teaching while also pointing out the challenges in the implementation process, such as teachers' professional development lag, deficiencies in the evaluation system, and the scarcity of high-quality case resources. Finally, the study proposes strategies and recommendations in management, teacher development, and evaluation for promoting integrating physical education and health courses through interdisciplinary case-based teaching. This research provides a new practical path for optimizing physical education and health courses in China. It offers valuable insights for the integration of other disciplines, possessing both theoretical value and practical significance.

Assessment of Patient Safety in a Low-Resource Health Care System: Proposal for a Multimethod Study.

The high prevalence of adverse events (AEs) globally in health care delivery has led to the establishment of many guidelines to enhance patient safety. However, patient safety is a relatively nascent concept in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where health systems are already overburdened and underresourced. This is why it is imperative to study the nuances of patient safety from a local perspective to advocate for the judicious use of scarce public health resources. This study aims to assess the status of patient safety in a health care system within a low-resource setting, using a multipronged, multimethod approach of standardized methodologies adapted to the local setting. We propose purposive sampling to include a representative mix of public and private, rural and urban, and tertiary and secondary care hospitals, preferably those ascribed to the same hospital quality standards. Six different approaches will be considered at these hospitals including (1) focus group discussions on the status quo of patient safety, (2) Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, (3) Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, (4) estimation of incidence of AEs identified by patients, (5) estimation of incidence of AEs via medical record review, and (6) assessment against the World Health Organization's Patient Safety Friendly Hospital Framework via thorough reviews of existing hospital protocols and in-person surveys of the facility. The abovementioned studies collectively are expected to yield significant quantifiable information on patient safety conditions in a wide range of hospitals operating within LMICs. A multidimensional approach is imperative to holistically assess the patient safety situation, especially in LMICs. Our low-budget, non-resource-intensive research proposal can serve as a benchmark to conduct similar studies in other health care settings within LMICs. PRR1-10.2196/50532.

Study on Preparation Technology and Heat Conduction Mechanism of High-Purity & Ultra-Fine Alumina Powder from Scrap Aluminum Cans

In view of the increasing scarcity of bauxite resources in China, the high energy consumption and high pollution of electrolytic aluminum, and the requirements for energy conservation and environmental protection, aluminum recycling and high-value utilization of its derivatives have evolved into a crucial development requirement for the aluminum industry in the future. As an important part of the development of recycled aluminum resources, the high-value application of scrap aluminum cans has always been a hot research topic in various recycled aluminum processing enterprises and scientific research units. The traditional regeneration system of waste cans includes a series of complex technological processes such as pretreatment, paint removal, smelting system and casting system, which is difficult to control in the middle of the process. Most of the recycled scrap aluminum cans are cast and downgraded for later use, except for a part of them used as alloy materials for new cans. In this paper, combined with the research on the preparation of metal aluminum alkoxide, combined with recrystallization heat conduction to further study the effective dissolution or adsorption how to remove impurity elements to obtain high-purity aluminum alcohol salt mechanism research, and thermal effect of alcohols with different carbon chains on the synthesis of high-purity aluminum alkoxide was further investigated. Moreover, the changes in morphology and pore size distribution of hydrolyzed alumina precursor materials under different hydrothermal temperature conditions were discussed by means of the alkoxide hydrolysis-sol-gel process. Eventually, the aluminum alkoxide was obtained by the reaction of waste cans with isopropanol and heavy crystal thermal conductivity, and the high-purity aluminum alkoxide was purified by vacuum distillation. Under the hydrothermal condition of 160°C, the high-purity alumina material with a purity of 99.99% and an original crystal size of 200nm was prepared.

Fundamental Rights and Limited Possibilities: The Proviso of the Possible in European Fundamental Rights Doctrine

Abstract Fundamental rights to positive state action are costly. An allocation in favor of one individual rightsholder always results in lower allocations in favor of others. The dominant approach in fundamental rights doctrine assumes these conflicts can be resolved judicially by balancing competing rights and other public needs. In practice, carrying out an in-depth balancing in resource allocation cases proves challenging but constitutional courts developed different strategies and concepts to deal with costly rights. The European Court of Human Rights applies a “wide” margin of appreciation and requires that positive state obligations do “not impose an impossible or disproportionate burden on the authorities.” Following the German Federal Constitutional Court, several constitutional courts have applied a concept known as the “proviso of the possible.” The proviso of the possible constrains positive rights and results in a wide margin of discretion granted to political authorities. This article attempts to investigate the specific meaning of the “proviso of the possible” in the context of European fundamental rights law by comparing it against alternative doctrinal concepts. The investigation aims to identify common legal principles and methods to deal with fundamental rights conflicts over scarce public resources.

Current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes (ICTRP).

Abstract In times of the opioid crisis in the USA and Europe there is a growing interest in reducing peri- and correlated postoperative opioid consumption and prescription. One approach of dealing with the reduction of opioid application is opioid-free anesthesia (OFA). Despite some uncontestable advantages of OFA, it remains a contentious issue. Multimodal anesthesia (MMA) offers a comprehensive and patient-centered alternative to OFA, and could be considered as a change in paradigm. The goal of MMA is to provide superior perioperative pain management while minimizing the risks and limitations associated with opioids. By improving patient satisfaction, amending pain control, diminishing side effects of opiate utilization, accelerating recovery, alleviation of the opioid crisis and optimization of scarce resources multimodal anesthesia has the potential to transform the field of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine. This systematic review is conducted to examine the current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes.

Current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Abstract In times of the opioid crisis in the USA and Europe there is a growing interest in reducing peri- and correlated postoperative opioid consumption and prescription. One approach of dealing with the reduction of opioid application is opioid-free anesthesia (OFA). Despite some uncontestable advantages of OFA, it remains a contentious issue. Multimodal anesthesia (MMA) offers a comprehensive and patient-centered alternative to OFA, and could be considered as a change in paradigm. The goal of MMA is to provide superior perioperative pain management while minimizing the risks and limitations associated with opioids. By improving patient satisfaction, amending pain control, diminishing side effects of opiate utilization, accelerating recovery, alleviation of the opioid crisis and optimization of scarce resources multimodal anesthesia has the potential to transform the field of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine. This systematic review is conducted to examine the current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes.

Current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes (Web of Science).

Abstract In times of the opioid crisis in the USA and Europe there is a growing interest in reducing peri- and correlated postoperative opioid consumption and prescription. One approach of dealing with the reduction of opioid application is opioid-free anesthesia (OFA). Despite some uncontestable advantages of OFA, it remains a contentious issue. Multimodal anesthesia (MMA) offers a comprehensive and patient-centered alternative to OFA, and could be considered as a change in paradigm. The goal of MMA is to provide superior perioperative pain management while minimizing the risks and limitations associated with opioids. By improving patient satisfaction, amending pain control, diminishing side effects of opiate utilization, accelerating recovery, alleviation of the opioid crisis and optimization of scarce resources multimodal anesthesia has the potential to transform the field of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine. This systematic review is conducted to examine the current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes.

Current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes (Ovid MEDLINE).

Abstract In times of the opioid crisis in the USA and Europe there is a growing interest in reducing peri- and correlated postoperative opioid consumption and prescription. One approach of dealing with the reduction of opioid application is opioid-free anesthesia (OFA). Despite some uncontestable advantages of OFA, it remains a contentious issue. Multimodal anesthesia (MMA) offers a comprehensive and patient-centered alternative to OFA, and could be considered as a change in paradigm. The goal of MMA is to provide superior perioperative pain management while minimizing the risks and limitations associated with opioids. By improving patient satisfaction, amending pain control, diminishing side effects of opiate utilization, accelerating recovery, alleviation of the opioid crisis and optimization of scarce resources multimodal anesthesia has the potential to transform the field of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine. This systematic review is conducted to examine the current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes.

Current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes (Ovid Embase).

Abstract In times of the opioid crisis in the USA and Europe there is a growing interest in reducing peri- and correlated postoperative opioid consumption and prescription. One approach of dealing with the reduction of opioid application is opioid-free anesthesia (OFA). Despite some uncontestable advantages of OFA, it remains a contentious issue. Multimodal anesthesia (MMA) offers a comprehensive and patient-centered alternative to OFA, and could be considered as a change in paradigm. The goal of MMA is to provide superior perioperative pain management while minimizing the risks and limitations associated with opioids. By improving patient satisfaction, amending pain control, diminishing side effects of opiate utilization, accelerating recovery, alleviation of the opioid crisis and optimization of scarce resources multimodal anesthesia has the potential to transform the field of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine. This systematic review is conducted to examine the current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes.

Transcriptomic profiling revealed immune-related signaling pathways in response to experimental infection of Leishmania donovani in two desert lizards from Northwest China

Little is known about the immune response of lizards to Leishmania parasties. In this study, we conducted the first liver transcriptome analysis of two lizards (Phrynocephalus przewalskii and Eremias multiocellata) challenged with L. donovani, endemic to the steppe desert region of northwestern China. Our results revealed that multiple biological processes and immune-related signaling pathways are closely associated with the immune response to experimental L. donovani infection in the two lizards, and that both lizards show similar changes to mammals in terms of immunity to Leishmania. However, the interspecific divergence of the two lizards leads to different transcriptomic changes. In particular, in contrast to P. przewalskii, the challenged E. mutltiocellata was characterized by the induction of down-regulation of most DEGs. These findings will contribute to the scarce resources on lizard immunity and provide a reference for further research on immune mechanisms in reptiles.

Current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes (CINAHL).

Abstract In times of the opioid crisis in the USA and Europe there is a growing interest in reducing peri- and correlated postoperative opioid consumption and prescription. One approach of dealing with the reduction of opioid application is opioid-free anesthesia (OFA). Despite some uncontestable advantages of OFA, it remains a contentious issue. Multimodal anesthesia (MMA) offers a comprehensive and patient-centered alternative to OFA, and could be considered as a change in paradigm. The goal of MMA is to provide superior perioperative pain management while minimizing the risks and limitations associated with opioids. By improving patient satisfaction, amending pain control, diminishing side effects of opiate utilization, accelerating recovery, alleviation of the opioid crisis and optimization of scarce resources multimodal anesthesia has the potential to transform the field of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine. This systematic review is conducted to examine the current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes.

Current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes (Cochrane Library).

Abstract In times of the opioid crisis in the USA and Europe there is a growing interest in reducing peri- and correlated postoperative opioid consumption and prescription. One approach of dealing with the reduction of opioid application is opioid-free anesthesia (OFA). Despite some uncontestable advantages of OFA, it remains a contentious issue. Multimodal anesthesia (MMA) offers a comprehensive and patient-centered alternative to OFA, and could be considered as a change in paradigm. The goal of MMA is to provide superior perioperative pain management while minimizing the risks and limitations associated with opioids. By improving patient satisfaction, amending pain control, diminishing side effects of opiate utilization, accelerating recovery, alleviation of the opioid crisis and optimization of scarce resources multimodal anesthesia has the potential to transform the field of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine. This systematic review is conducted to examine the current evidence of multimodal anesthesia on postoperative outcomes.

A life cycle assessment of clinker and cement production in Ethiopia

Cement production is a major consumer of energy and the largest source of industrial CO2 emissions. This study aims to perform an environmental life cycle assessment of clinker and cement production in Ethiopia, using ReCiPe impact assessment method. Inventory data (material, energy, and transportation) is collected from seven major Ethiopian cement industries. The midpoint analysis identified nine hotspot environmental concerns: global warming, ozone formation (human health and terrestrial ecosystem), particulate matter formation, terrestrial (acidification and ecotoxicity), freshwater eutrophication, human carcinogenic toxicity, and fossil resource scarcity. Human health emerged as the most significantly affected endpoint damage category by the midpoint impacts. Among the process stages included in clinker system boundary, clinker production phase (kiln emissions) is a significant contributor to the total score of the hotspot impacts, ranging from 60.7% to 91.8%. The clinker system is responsible for over 81.03% of the overall environmental burden of cement. The sensitivity analysis reveals that a 5% change in kiln energy consumption and transportation burden could lead to a reduction in hotspot impacts ranging from 1.8% to 5%. To foster reliability of this study, uncertainty analysis is also conducted. Overall, the findings indicate the need to enhance environmental sustainability in Ethiopian cement production.

Debating Environmental Change and Conflict in the Global South: Learning from Selected Cases in Africa

The crux of this paper centres on the dynamics of environmental change and ensuing conflict. This review paper accentuates the various theoretical underpinnings regarding environmental change and conflict. Particular reference was given to countries in the Global South because they are the most affected by environmental change-related conflict. It was established in this paper that population growth is positively correlated to militarised interstate disputes, although this is not always the case. Again, there is a lack of coding in current conflict dates, to the extent that it is often complicated to ascertain whether specific conflict trends can be traced back to environmental change. Conflict data usually use data sets from the environment-conflict nexus that only capture high-intensity conflict events, which often ignore low-scale conflict within states and districts. Thirdly, the averaging conflict would likely lead to biassed academic and policy conclusions. Fourthly, poor economic performances, either persistent or temporary, have the likelihood of causing violent conflicts. For instance, a land invasion in Brazil occurred immediately after adverse economic shocks.Further environmental degradation can cause migration by perpetuating migration. A significant obstacle encountered in the field of Risk perception literature pertains to the tendency of scholars to heavily depend on excessively deterministic explanations when conceptualising the concept of resource scarcity. Once more, the assessment of environmental change is exclusively based on small variations in temperature and precipitation. The examples examined in this study were selected from diverse geographical regions, encompassing East Africa, Central Africa, West Africa, and Southern Africa. In agro-pastoral West Africa, the frequency of conflicts is on the rise. As a result, policymakers and multilateral funders are increasingly shouldering the responsibility due to the ongoing growth of populations and the changing environmental conditions. There seems to be a correlation between environmental degradation and conflict; however, the relationship between these two is not always apparent or might be the other way around. Based on current theorising and available empirical evidence, it remains debatable whether environmental degradation increases the risk of violent conflict or whether conflict is leading to natural resource deterioration.

Performance of Broiler Chickens Fed Different Cereal Based Diets Supplemented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Introduction: Inefficient poultry production has been a serious challenge due to poor performance and scarcity of feed resources, which necessitate the exploration of alternatives. This study was conducted to assess the effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) as a supplemental protein and growth promoter in different cereal-based diets on growth performance, serum biochemistry, characteristics of digesta, and nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens. Materials and methods: A total of 324 day-old broiler chickens, comprising of mix sexes with an average weight of 45.36 ± 0.73, were randomly assigned to nine treatments, each consisting of three replicates with 12 birds per replicate. Three diets were formulated, each incorporating maize, sorghum, and wheat. The diets varied in the SC inclusion at levels of 0%, 5%, and 0.2% oxytetracycline (used as a growth promoter). The inclusion of oxytetracycline was to simulate the practice of in-feed antibiotics growth promoter, whereas yeast served as supplemental protein and growth promoter. Titanium dioxide was included in the feed at 0.2% on day 21 of the experiment to help estimate nutrient digestibility. Results: Weight gain and feed conversion ratio were significantly lower in the groups fed sorghum with and without yeast. The groups fed maize with SC and oxytetracycline had the lowest blood glucose. Maize and sorghum without SC had the highest pH values. Protein digestibility was the lowest in the group fed sorghum with SC and wheat without SC. Conclusion: Individual cereal diets performed competitively, supplementation of SC in different cereal-based diets did not influence their contribution and performance of the chickens. The inclusion of 5% SC reduced protein digestibility. Oxytetracycline yeast as a supplemental protein and growth promoter did not improve the performance of the chicks.

Assessment of Waterbird Habitat Importance and Identification of Conservation Gaps in Anhui Province.

Wetlands are among the most important habitats of highly wetland-dependent waterbirds but are subject to ongoing habitat loss and degradation owing to intensified anthropogenic activities. The scarcity of human and natural resources makes effective habitat protection an important concern. Here, we aimed to investigate waterbird habitat protection methods for Anhui Province, China, a critical stopover and wintering area on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway that features rich wetland resources subject to significant habitat loss and degradation. We evaluated the status and importance of 306 wintering waterbird habitats and identified the key environmental influences and current protection gaps using the entropy weights method and generalized additive modeling. We found 73 important habitats for waterbirds in Anhui Province, which were classified into levels of importance (descending from I to V) according to the natural discontinuity method. Level I and Level II habitats were mainly located in the Yangtze River floodplain and Level IV habitats in the Huaihe River floodplain. The gap analysis showed that 42 important waterbird habitats had protection gaps, accounting for 57.53% of the total area. Waterbird habitat importance was significantly correlated with elevation, normalized vegetation index, lake area, and lake circumference but not with distance from roads or population density. The results of this study provide scientific information for waterbird habitat conservation planning, which is crucial for maintaining wetland ecosystem functions.

A system dynamics approach to management of water resources in Qatar

Rapid global population growth and extensive urbanization threaten water sustainability, hindering sustainable development. This issue is particularly acute in arid regions such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), where the scarce natural water resources are overexploited. Effective water resource management (WRM) is pivotal in overcoming this challenge. This holistic study presents an innovative approach to address water sustainability at a national scale by developing a WRM decision support system (DSS) leveraging system dynamics modeling (SDM). Employing a unique scenario design framework developed in this study, the DSS simulates Qatar's water resource system behavior for 2021 to 2070 according to nine clustered policy scenarios presenting different degrees of sustainability designed accounting for changes in physical, environmental, and socioeconomic patterns. Our results reveal that the “business-as-usual” (BAU) WRM policy can balance water supply and demand for only 32 years. According to the best policy scenario, the sustainability of the water supply could be ensured for up to 50 years by increasing the water supply by 10 % and reducing consumption by 10 %. Additionally, to aid policymakers in fostering water resource sustainability, groundwater conservation strategies are proposed using the unique scenario design framework by limiting the yield to the safe abstraction level and emphasizing the significance of preserving non-renewable groundwater resources as a “backstop” resource for the country. While marking the first holistic research study in Qatar by utilizing the SDM approach to tackle national-scale WRM challenges, the established WRM DSS model is equally applicable to other GCC countries and similar arid regions.

Critical success factors for cost overrun minimization in public construction projects in developing countries: the case of Ghana

Purpose It is widely accepted that one criterion for determining if a construction project is successful is whether it is completed within the expected budget. There have been advancements in the management of building projects throughout time but cost overruns remain a key concern in the construction sector internationally, particularly in emerging economies such as Ghana. This study aims to answer the question, “What are the critical success factors (CSFs) that can assist reduce cost overruns in public sector infrastructure projects in the Ghanaian construction industry?” Design/methodology/approach This study used a quantitative survey method. The questionnaire was pre-tested by interviewing 15 contractors to ascertain the validity of the content. Factor analysis and multiple regression were adopted to analyze the data. Findings This study discovered that the critical factors that can reduce cost overruns in construction projects in Ghana are directly linked to five themes: early contractor involvement in the project planning stage, adequate funding, good project team relations, competent managers/supervisors and project participant incentives/bonuses. This study identifies indestructible, empirically measurable important success criteria for reducing cost overruns in public building projects in Ghana. Practical implications When well thought through from the project initiation stage to completion, these critical successes can also be used to deal with damaging economic effects such as allocative inefficiency of scarce resources, further delays, contractual disputes, claims and litigation, project failure and total abandonment. Originality/value The uniqueness of this research resides in the fact that it is, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, a first-of-its-kind investigation of the CSFs for reducing cost overruns in public building projects in developing countries.

The Threats of Climate Change in Nepal: Natural Catastrophes and Global Conflict Frontiers

Nepal, nestled amidst the majestic Himalayas, is uniquely positioned with its delicate geological makeup. This renders it vulnerable to escalating environmental threats, primarily driven by global climate change-induced adversities. These climatic adversities not only disrupt the ecological balance but also create a space for multiple conflict frontiers. The primary objective of this research is to delve into the multifaceted conflicts that include competition for scarce resources, decision-making process, and vested interest of foreign powers that may arise from the climatic challenges especially flash floods, glacier lake outbursts, droughts, landslides, and other catastrophic disasters. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of climatic-induced disaster events and their significant role in the origin of conflicts. Employing a qualitative research design using the tool of comparative analysis, the study investigates the conflicts triggered by these disasters of the past two decades. The study will draw insightful parallels between Nepal's unique situation and other global regions. I will spotlight regions like South Sudan, Rwanda, Syria, and, South and Southeast Asia where climate-induced factors, such as acute water and food shortages, have ignited community tensions and other resource-based conflicts in the historical review and analysis. Within Nepal's borders, I will undertake a detailed historical analysis of the specific cases due to climate change. The study aims to bridge the knowledge gap between climate change and conflict dynamics, offering actionable insights for holistic resource management, disaster risk mitigation, and proactive conflict prevention.