Search Results (7,818)

Background: Sustainable head and neck cancer (HNC) surgery is challenged by environmental impact, workforce shortages, inequitable access to advanced techniques, and policy constraints. Addressing these areas is critical for equitable, high-quality care. Methods: This structured narrative review synthesizes evidence on environmental sustainability, workforce development, technological innovation, health policy, and socioeconomic determinants in HNC surgery, without aiming to provide a systematic or exhaustive evidence synthesis. Sources included peer-reviewed literature, global workforce surveys, and international policy reports, with a focus on disparities between high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Results: Operating rooms produce up to 70% of hospital solid waste and consume 3–6 times more energy than other units; reusable instruments and improved waste segregation can reduce carbon footprints by over 50%. Workforce shortages are severe in LMICs, where subspecialty training is scarce; global partnerships, bidirectional education, and simulation-based learning can expand local capacity. Telemedicine, artificial intelligence, and three-dimensional printing enhance surgical planning, training, and access but may widen disparities without equitable deployment. Policy tools—including diagnosis-related groups, bundled payments, and universal coverage—affect access and innovation uptake. Pandemic preparedness underscores the value of resilient systems with flexible staffing and telehealth integration. Conclusions: HNC surgery requires coordinated action across environmental, workforce, technological, socioeconomic, and policy domains; however, future systematic reviews are needed to comprehensively map the evidence base and assess its methodological quality. Embedding sustainability in clinical practice, ensuring equitable innovation access, and aligning reimbursement with high-value care can strengthen system resilience, improve outcomes, and support long-term surgical service viability. Full article

Optoelectronic devices are emerging as a cornerstone of advanced renewable energy technologies, offering innovative routes for energy harvesting, conversion, and management with high efficiency and versatility. This review summarizes recent advances in the semiconductor materials engineering field, device configurations, and light–matter interaction mechanisms that underpin advanced optoelectronic systems for solar energy harvesting, solar-driven chemical conversion, and smart grid integration, among others. Emphasis is placed on the breakthroughs achieved in the perovskite and hybrid photovoltaics, photoelectrochemical energy conversion, and nanostructured optoelectronic platforms that enable much-increased light absorption, reduced recombination losses, and scalable large-scale fabrications. Moreover, the challenges closely linked with long-term stability, environmental durability and benevolence, and worldwide deployment are critically addressed, together with the emerging opportunities in AI design, tandem device technological solutions, integrated energy systems, and machine learning approaches for optimizing device performance, thermal management, and energy storage capabilities. Finally, the present review concludes by outlining the future research directions that could accelerate the transition toward high-performance, cost-effective, and sustainable optoelectronic solutions responsive to global renewable energy requirements. Full article

With intensifying measures related to investor and policy requirements, corporate governance and sectoral environmental performance became a focal point for sustainability disclosure, especially in energy-intensive industries with high environmental externalities. This study evaluates whether corporate environmental governance practices in key sectors correspond to their pollution intensity and economic output, analysing a panel dataset across EU member states, for the 2000–2021 period. The empirical methodology includes ordinary least squares (OLS), fixed- and random-effects models, and dynamic system generalised method of moments (GMM) panel estimation to account for sectoral heterogeneity. Results prove that sectoral value added is an influential factor of greenhouse gas emissions, with carbon dioxide exhibiting the highest elasticity to economic activity, followed by methane emissions, and nitrous oxide displaying cross-country variations due to structural and regulatory differences. While services and manufacturing sectors partially decouple via cleaner technologies, overall growth positively correlates with emissions, and renewable energy offers limited mitigation due to scale and integration challenges. Conclusions emphasise robust governance frameworks in high-value energy sectors to meet EU climate-neutrality goals, as stronger environmental accountability attracts capital and supports sustainable development, underscoring the needs for targeted decarbonisation, regulatory coordination, and accelerated technological innovation within persistent industry disparities. Full article

The adoption of large language models (LLMs) is reshaping how organizations approach automation, decision-making, and user engagement across sectors. This study investigates the trends, theoretical frameworks, and adoption factors influencing the integration of LLMs in five key domains: education, commerce, banking, healthcare, and service. By employing a systematic literature review and meta-analysis, this paper synthesizes research published between 2022 and early 2026, corresponding to the period when LLMs became widely accessible for public and enterprise use, to evaluate both conceptual and empirical dimensions of LLM adoption. The review identifies the Technology Acceptance Model and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, including its extensions, as the most frequently applied frameworks. It also highlights the growing incorporation of complementary models such as the diffusion of innovation, the information system success model, and self-determination theory. The meta-analysis examines 59 pairwise relationships drawn from 154 studies with a cumulative sample size of 88,886 participants. Using correlation coefficients, $I^2$ statistics, and Egger’s test, the analysis reveals strong, consistent associations between behavioral intention and both use behavior and actual use, while also identifying high heterogeneity across contexts. Constructs such as trust, hedonic motivation, and personal innovativeness emerged as influential but were underrepresented in the theoretical modeling. The study underscores the importance of facilitating conditions, infrastructure, and organizational readiness for enabling sustained use while also drawing attention to gaps in addressing perceived risks, privacy concerns, and ethical implications. Full article

Crafting STEM teaching into meaningful experiences can transform facts into knowledge. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) represents a significant pedagogical disruption, offering novel modalities of engagement with science content, extending beyond passive reception towards enhanced critical inquiry, reflective evaluation, and the cultivation of higher-order thinking skills. This study investigated how 20 Maltese students (mean age 12) adjusted their perceptions and acceptance of IVR when encountering it for the first time in formal STEM education. A quasi-experimental design was employed over six weeks, with data collected through pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. The analytical framework combined the Technological Frames of Reference (TFR) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to capture perceptual snapshots and attitudinal shifts. While IVR initially stimulated enthusiasm, sustained exposure prompted critical reflections on its potential and limitations, particularly in relation to subject relevance, peer communication, and ease of use. Such deliberations are themselves suggestive indicators of reflective engagement. Rather than being demonstrated evidence of cognitive skill development, they are consistent with the early exercise of analytical and evaluative reasoning. These insights underscore the recursive dialog between technology-in-use and user contextualization, revealing how perceptions mature through experience. By examining how young learners engage with emergent technologies, this research highlights education’s role in cultivating adaptability, reflective judgment, and critical thinking capacities—central to innovative pedagogy and support for uncertain futures. Full article

Smart Mobility plays a key role in Smart Cities, given its ability to support the rollout of intelligent transport systems, allowing for more sustainable urban transportation and greater interoperability across diverse mobility modes. Furthermore, Smart Mobility is essential to maximize the quality of life for the community while advancing principles of sustainability, economic development, technological innovation, and collaborative governance. Real-Time Traffic Management (RTTM) emerges as a vital technology for optimizing traffic management in Smart Mobility. Using the PRISMA framework, the proposed systematic literature review examines 165 peer-reviewed publications related to RTTM research work published between 2019 and 2025. This review identified eleven application domains, with Urban Traffic Management Systems (36.97%) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Predictive Analytics (12.73%) representing the most prominent areas. A retrospective analysis of the literature on control architecture used in closed-loop feedback systems indicates that most studies (89%) have adopted a more dynamic control model, while 7.8% adopted a Digital Twin (DT)-based approach. However, several implementation barriers persist, including limited integration of online optimization and learning loops into RTTM systems, gaps in performance comparisons between simulation and reality, scalability issues due to heterogeneous environments, inconsistent data quality caused by various sensor types, and difficulties integrating sensors into a control system. In addition, this paper proposes a taxonomy of RTTM applications and control architectures, while outlining key practical barriers to implementation and charting future research directions for advancing Smart Mobility through robust RTTM. Full article

The escalating global climate crisis has increased scholarly and practical attention to green investment as a key driver of corporate sustainability. From a systems perspective, enterprises can be viewed as complex socio-technical systems in which green resource allocation, technological innovation, and digital transformation interact dynamically. Against this background, this study examines how green investment (GI) affects corporate digital value (DV) and whether green technological innovation (GTI) serves as a transmission mechanism in this relationship. Using panel data from 15,244 firm-year observations of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2012 to 2024, this study applies panel data estimation methods to test the proposed relationships. The results show that GI significantly enhances DV, indicating that green resource allocation can strengthen firms’ digital value creation. GTI plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between GI and DV, suggesting that green investment contributes to digital value not only directly but also by stimulating technological innovation within the corporate system. Further heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive effect of GI on DV is more pronounced among state-owned enterprises and firms located in eastern regions. These findings enrich the literature on green–digital transformation by highlighting the systemic linkage between green investment, green technological innovation, and digital value creation. They also provide practical implications for policymakers and corporate managers seeking to promote coordinated low-carbon and digital development through more effective green investment and innovation strategies. Full article

The measurement and improvement of urban land use efficiency (ULUE) are crucial for sustainable development in China’s Canal Cities (CCCs). Drawing on the theories of production factors, spatial externalities, and agglomeration economy, this study proposes a framework that explicitly addresses the trade-offs and synergies of sustainable land use. A comprehensive ULUE evaluation index system was established. The super-SBM (Slack-Based Measure) and Global Malmquist–Luenberger (GML) index models were employed to assess the green efficiency of urban land use from 2002 to 2023, while Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and the optimal parameters-based geographical detector (OPGD) model were used to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution and influencing factors of ULUE. The results reveal a distinctive V-shaped trend in efficiency, marked by significant spatial disequilibrium and predominantly technology-driven sustainable growth. Furthermore, ULUE exhibits a spatial distribution characterized by bipolar and multipolar differentiation, accompanied by concurrent concentration and dispersion, with high-value clusters dominating the spatial clustering type. Government regulation emerges as the dominant factor influencing ULUE, underscoring the pivotal role of policy intervention in guiding the sustainable development of land use. The interactions among pairs of influencing factors strengthened over time; notably, the interaction between government regulation and other factors is the strongest. Four-quadrant analysis profoundly reveals the underlying mechanism, distinguishing a high-quality, sustainable development model driven by technological innovation and a resource-dependent economic growth model. The findings provide valuable insights for promoting green development and formulating sustainable land use policies in CCCs. Full article

The coordinated development of urban renewal (UR) and ecological resilience (ER) is essential for regional sustainability and livable city construction. Based on data from 108 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) during 2012–2023, this study constructs the UR indicator system from the dimensions of urban infrastructure construction, social function development, and cultural and leisure facility construction. ER is evaluated in terms of resistance, adaptability, and recoverability. The spatiotemporal evolution of their coupling coordination degree (CCD) is then examined. In addition, the XGBoost-SHAP model is employed to identify the threshold of digital technological innovation (DTI) on CCD and its interactions with different development conditions. The results show that (1) CCD remained relatively low but improved slowly during the study period. UR lagged behind ER in most cities, indicating that insufficient UR development capacity was the main constraint on coordination between the two systems. (2) CCD exhibited a pronounced core–periphery pattern, with high-value areas mainly concentrated in provincial capitals and centrally administered municipalities within the YREB. (3) DTI was positively associated with CCD and exhibited a nonlinear pattern with a model-derived turning point, while the strength and pattern of this association varied across different development contexts. These findings enrich the understanding of UR-ER coordination and offer policy implications for sustainable urban governance. Full article

Numerous space missions are advancing our understanding of the origin and evolution of planetary bodies and the potential for the emergence of life throughout the Solar System and beyond. Investigations across the inner Solar System have revealed contrasting planetary environments: Venus offers insights into runaway greenhouse processes, while Mars remains a primary target for studying climate evolution, atmospheric loss, past water activity, and extinct life, with sample return missions planned in the next decade. Beyond the traditional habitable zone, attention has shifted to the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Data from space missions have identified subsurface oceans and possibly active geology on moons such as Europa, Ganymede, Titan, and Enceladus, highlighting their astrobiological potential. Among others, Europa’s ocean, possibly interacting with a silicate mantle and sustained by tidal heating, Enceladus plumes and Titan’s complex organic chemistry make these worlds compelling targets. Current and upcoming missions will further explore these environments and refine our understanding of habitability. This work also emphasizes the importance of planetary protection to prevent biological contamination, particularly for sample return missions. Continued exploration, supported by international collaboration and technological innovation, will be essential to address engineering challenges and to expand our knowledge of potentially habitable environments across the Solar System. Full article

The transition toward sustainable manufacturing requires an understanding of how industrial policies shape firms’ long-term green innovation capabilities. This study investigates the impact of China’s intelligent manufacturing pilot policy on enterprises’ sustainable green innovation, conceptualizing the policy as an exogenous driver of systemic transformation at the firm level. Using multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) regression on an unbalanced panel dataset of Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2023, we find that the intelligent manufacturing pilot policy exerts a significantly positive effect on enterprises’ sustainable green innovation. Mechanism analyses reveal that the policy promotes sustainable green innovation through three pathways: facilitating digital transformation, alleviating financing constraints, and enhancing ESG performance. Heterogeneity analysis further indicates that the policy effects are more pronounced in eastern regions, among non-state-owned enterprises, in non-heavily polluting industries, and in technology-intensive industries. These findings provide insights into how systemic policy interventions can drive sustainable innovation at the firm level, with implications for policymakers and enterprises seeking to align industrial upgrading with long-term green development. These findings are interpreted through a system transformation lens, where intelligent manufacturing policies trigger co-evolutionary changes across digital, financial, and governance subsystems. Full article

The transition to a circular economy requires the safe management of sewage sludge through nutrient and energy recovery. However, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) present a significant challenge. These compounds tend to accumulate in sludge via sorption, shifting the environmental burden from the aqueous phase to the sludge. This manuscript provides a comprehensive review of the scientific literature on technical alternatives for valorizing sewage sludge and removing emerging contaminants. The study evaluates the limitations of conventional biological methods, such as anaerobic digestion and composting, which exhibit variable efficacy and are often insufficient to degrade some commonly used pharmaceuticals. On the contrary, thermal treatments (pyrolysis, gasification, and hydrothermal processes) are considered robust alternatives capable of achieving the high removal of chemical compounds. Furthermore, the article emphasizes the innovative potential of utilizing carbon-based byproducts (biochar and hydrochar) as adsorbents, catalysts, or soil amendment to enhance the removal of PPCPs within the treatment infrastructure itself. The integration of advanced thermal technologies is essential to mitigate the risks of contaminant transfer to the food chain and ensure a safe and sustainable nutrient cycle. Full article

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SIE) has emerged as a transformative, off-grid technology that confines heat at the air–liquid interface, enabling high-efficiency vapor generation for decentralized water purification. Here, we present a comprehensive and critical review of the field, charting its evolution from fundamental photothermal principles to integrated multifunctional systems. We first elucidate the thermodynamics of interfacial heat localization and the resultant enhancement in evaporation efficiency. We then systematically analyze material innovation strategies—including broadband-absorbing photothermal agents and tailored evaporator architectures—designed to overcome persistent challenges such as salt crystallization, fouling, and thermal losses. Moving beyond freshwater production, we highlight emerging pathways for extending SIE platforms toward water–energy cogeneration, selective resource recovery, and zero-liquid-discharge wastewater treatment. We further identify and objectively assess the key bottlenecks that currently hinder the transition from laboratory-scale prototypes to real-world deployment, with a focus on long-term material robustness under harsh environments, adaptability to fluctuating water chemistries, and techno-economic viability. Finally, we outline forward-looking research directions, including stimulus-responsive smart evaporators, elucidation of multi-field coupling mechanisms, and the establishment of standardized performance evaluation protocols. This review aims to provide both a tutorial for newcomers and a critical assessment for experienced researchers, offering a balanced perspective on the current state-of-the-art and a roadmap for translating SIE from academic research into sustainable, impactful technologies. Full article

The transition toward circular economy practices and CO₂ reduction goals is driving the development of new sound absorption technologies. Traditional absorbers made from mineral wool or foams provide broadband absorption; however, their production is associated with intensive energy consumption and non-renewable resources. This is why the focus has been shifting from the mere substitution of materials to integrated solutions that combine sustainability with structure. This paper reviews recent innovations in sustainable absorbers based on bio-based and recycled materials. The acoustic performance of porous materials depends on such factors such as pore structure, airflow resistivity and geometric parameters such as thickness, multi-layer structure and resonances. At the same time, additive manufacturing (AM) allows creating geometry-controlled absorbers providing advanced acoustic properties. Despite many sustainable absorbers demonstrating sufficient sound absorption properties at medium and high frequencies, their use at low frequencies remains challenging. Additionally, concerns regarding durability, flame retardance, and environmental consistency continue to limit their broader application. Yet, hybrid, multi-material strategies, particularly those combining geopolymer matrices with bio-based or recycled fillers, are identified as a promising route to address these limitations. This review outlines current trends and highlights key challenges and future directions in the design of sustainable sound-absorbing systems. Full article

As a cornerstone of global technological advancement, the semiconductor industry depends critically on supply chain stability, which directly influences the global economy and technological innovation. To address uncertainty in semiconductor supply chains, this study develops a Stackelberg game model incorporating Nash bargaining fairness concern to examine pricing strategies, ESG effort decisions, and their implications for supply chain stability under different fairness concern scenarios. A cost-sharing contract-based coordination mechanism is proposed, and numerical simulations verify the effects of fairness concern and ESG effort on stability, as well as the coordinating role of the cost-sharing contract under market uncertainty. The results show the following: (1) Manufacturer fairness concern boosts its profit and ESG effort, but excessive price hikes erode retailer profit and undermine stability. (2) Retailer fairness concern prompts the manufacturer to rebalance profit allocation via lower wholesale prices and reduced ESG effort, weakening supply chain competitiveness. (3) Cost-sharing contracts effectively mitigate the adverse effects of fairness concern and enhance semiconductor supply chain stability. This study provides a verifiable framework for semiconductor firms to improve cooperative stability and sustainable development. Full article