South Africa’s Urban Future: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract The four-year Public Health Foresight Study (VTV) provides insight into the most important societal challenges for public health and health care in the Netherlands. The seventh edition of the Dutch Public Health Foresight study was published in 2018, with an update in 2020. In this update a business-as-usual or Trend Scenario was developed using 2018 as a base year. In the trend scenario demographic and epidemiological projections have been used to depict the future trends regarding ageing, health, disease, health behaviors, health expenditures and health inequalities. Next, these trends are used to identify the most important future challenges and opportunities for public health. In the 2020 update, special attentions is given to climate change and the local living environment and their impacts and interaction with public health outcomes. Trends in lifestyle-related lifestyle show both positive (smoking prevalence) and negative (overweight prevalence) future developments. Dementia will be the leading cause of mortality and disease burden in 2040 by far. Health care expenditures will double by 2040, with cancers showing the most rapid growth of all disease groups. The insights of this study are directly used as input for the National Health Policy Memorandum and for the National Prevention Accord.

Download Full-text

Unconventional Materials Processing Using Spark Plasma Sintering

Ceramics ◽

10.3390/ceramics4010003 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 20-40

Author(s):

Ambreen Nisar ◽

Cheng Zhang ◽

Benjamin Boesl ◽

Arvind Agarwal

Keyword(s):

Spark Plasma Sintering ◽

Real Life ◽

Functional Materials ◽

Research Field ◽

Advanced Materials ◽

Plasma Sintering ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Future Challenges ◽

Gas Quenching ◽

Spark Plasma

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) has gained recognition in the last 20 years for its rapid densification of hard-to-sinter conventional and advanced materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. Herein, we describe the unconventional usages of the SPS technique developed in the field. The potential of various new modifications in the SPS technique, from pressureless to the integration of a novel gas quenching system to extrusion, has led to SPS’ evolution into a completely new manufacturing tool. The SPS technique’s modifications have broadened its usability from merely a densification tool to the fabrication of complex-shaped components, advanced functional materials, functionally gradient materials, interconnected materials, and porous filter materials for real-life applications. The broader application achieved by modification of the SPS technique can provide an alternative to conventional powder metallurgy methods as a scalable manufacturing process. The future challenges and opportunities in this emerging research field have also been identified and presented.

Download Full-text

Using chemical biology to assess and modulate mitochondria: progress and challenges

Interface Focus ◽

10.1098/rsfs.2016.0151 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 20160151 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Angela Logan ◽

Michael P. Murphy

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Function ◽

Chemical Biology ◽

Biomedical Sciences ◽

Interdisciplinary Approaches ◽

Wide Range ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Future Challenges ◽

The Many ◽

Opening Up

Our understanding of the role of mitochondria in biomedical sciences has expanded considerably over the past decade. In addition to their well-known metabolic roles, mitochondrial are also central to signalling for various processes through the generation of signals such as ROS and metabolites that affect cellular homeostasis, as well as other processes such as cell death and inflammation. Thus, mitochondrial function and dysfunction are central to the health and fate of the cell. Consequently, there is considerable interest in better understanding and assessing the many roles of mitochondria. Furthermore, there is also a growing realization that mitochondrial are a promising drug target in a wide range of pathologies. The application of interdisciplinary approaches at the interface between chemistry and biology are opening up new opportunities to understand mitochondrial function and in assessing the role of the organelle in biology. This work and the experience thus gained are leading to the development of new classes of therapies. Here, we overview the progress that has been made to date on exploring the chemical biology of the organelle and then focus on future challenges and opportunities that face this rapidly developing field.

Download Full-text

Future Challenges and Opportunities in Through-Life Engineering Services and Concluding Remarks

Through-life Engineering Services - Decision Engineering ◽

10.1007/978-3-319-12111-6_25 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 439-452

Author(s):

Louis Redding ◽

Andy Shaw ◽

Rajkumar Roy ◽

Bill Bardo

Keyword(s):

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Future Challenges ◽

Engineering Services

Download Full-text

Antibodies in the Future: Challenges and Opportunities

Making and Using Antibodies ◽

10.1201/b15103-22 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 435-442

Keyword(s):

The Future ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Future Challenges

Download Full-text

Cyberinfrastructure, Cloud Computing, Science Gateways, Visualization, and Cyberinfrastructure Ease of Use

Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-2255-3.ch092 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 1063-1074 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Craig A. Stewart ◽

Richard Knepper ◽

Matthew R. Link ◽

Marlon Pierce ◽

Eric Wernert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ease Of Use ◽

Research Needs ◽

Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Science Gateways ◽

Computing Science ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Utility Of Information ◽

Future Challenges ◽

New Research ◽

The Impact

Computers accelerate our ability to achieve scientific breakthroughs. As technology evolves and new research needs come to light, the role for cyberinfrastructure as “knowledge” infrastructure continues to expand. In essence, cyberinfrastructure can be thought of as the integration of supercomputers, data resources, visualization, and people that extends the impact and utility of information technology. This article discusses cyberinfrastructure, the related topics of science gateways and campus bridging, and identifies future challenges and opportunities in cyberinfrastructure.

Download Full-text