Sustainability in Smart Health Systems.

Public health informatics is an evolving domain in which practices constantly change to meet the demands of a highly complex public health and healthcare delivery system. Given the emergence of various concepts, such as learning health systems, smart health systems, and adaptive complex health systems, health informatics professionals would benefit from a common set of measures and capabilities to inform our modeling, measuring, and managing of health system “smartness.” Here, we introduce the concepts of organizational complexity, problem/issue complexity, and situational awareness as three codependent drivers of smart public health systems characteristics. We also propose seven smart public health systems measures and capabilities that are important in a public health informatics professional's toolkit.

Smart health is a relatively new paradigm where information and communication technology is utilized to improve health care and medical services. In this article, we provide a literature-based overview of smart health systems, their components, architecture, technologies, benefits, applications, challenges, and opportunities. In addition, we discuss the potential benefits of big data, data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) in smart health systems. Moreover, we discuss the challenges as well as the open research issues that need further investigation to facilitate the implementation of smart health systems.

Smart health systems improve our quality oflife by integrating diverse information and technologies into health and medical practices. Such technologies can significantly improve the existing health services. However, reliability, latency, and limited networks resources are among the many challenges hindering the realization of smart health systems. Thus, in this paper, we leverage the dense heterogeneous network (HetNet) architecture over 5 G network to enhance network capacity and provide seamless connectivity for smart health systems. However, network selection in HetNets is still a challenging problem that needs to be addressed. Inspired by the success of Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) in solving complicated control problems, we present a novel DRL model for solving the network selection problem with the aim of optimizing medical data delivery over heterogeneous health systems. Specifically, we formulate an optimization model that integrates the network selection problem with adaptive compression, at the network edge, to minimize the transmission energy consumption and latency, while meeting diverse applications’ Quality of service (QoS) requirements. Our experimental results show that the proposed DRL-based model could minimize the energy consumption and latency compared to the greedy techniques, while meeting different users’ demands in high dynamics environments.

By leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) technology, patients can utilize medical devices to upload their collected personal health records (PHRs) to the cloud for analytical processing or transmission to doctors, which embodies smart health systems and greatly enhances the efficiency and accessibility of healthcare management. However, the highly sensitive nature of PHRs necessitates efficient and secure transmission mechanisms. Revocable and verifiable attribute-based encryption (ABE) enables dynamic fine-grained access control and can verify the integrity of outsourced computation results via a verification tag. However, most existing schemes have two vital issues. First, in order to achieve the verifiable function, they need to execute the secret sharing operation twice during the encryption process, which significantly increases the computational overhead. Second, during the revocation operation, the verification tag is not updated simultaneously, so revoked users can infer plaintext through the unchanged tag. To address these challenges, we propose a revocable ABE scheme with efficient and secure verification, which not only reduces local computational load by optimizing the encryption algorithm and outsourcing complex operations to the cloud server, but also updates the tag when revocation operation occurs. We present a rigorous security analysis of our proposed scheme, and show that the verification tag retains its verifiability even after being dynamically updated. Experimental results demonstrate that local encryption and decryption costs are stable and low, which fully meets the real-time and security requirements of smart health systems.

Multi-objective sustainability tourist trip design: An innovative approach for balancing tourists' preferences with key sustainability considerations

Over the last decades, there has been growing awareness of the collective impact of human society on the planetary boundaries (Rockström et al., 2009). Consumers become more conscious about and competent in buying environmentally-friendly products (Thogersen & Olander, 2002; Waddock et al., 2002). Subsequently, businesses experience an increasing pressure to become more sustainable (Elkington, 1997; Nidumolu et al., 2009; Waddock et al., 2002). It is therefore not sufficient to study business models from an economic perspective alone, but also from a social and environmental perspective (Boons & Lüdeke-Freund, 2013; Elkington, 1997).The objective of this dissertation is to integrate sustainability considerations into management research on customized and collaborative value creation (CVC). Concepts of CVC, such as mass customization (MC), contrast traditional management views, in which companies are the ones who create value and customers those who consume it (Moeller et al., 2013; Prahalad & Ramaswamy, 2004). Instead, business models in which customers and other external actors play an active role in the creation of value, in order to improve the satisfaction of customer needs, become widespread (Etgar, 2008; Franke & Piller, 2004; Nenonen & Storbacka, 2010; Payne et al., 2008). In today’s management practice, CVC initiatives are predominantly separated from sustainability management (Arnold, 2017). In this dissertation I use a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods to address the integration of sustainability considerations into CVC in general and MC in particular in a series of four independent research papers. The first paper examines the landscape of research on customized value creation. Applying recent advances in natural language processing, namely the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm for topic modeling, I systematically structure the body of literature that studies the idea of providing customized goods and services according to individual customer needs. I find that 60 topics disclose the field of MC. Using regression analysis, I reveal how each topic has evolved over time. Relying on network analysis, I explore the links between the topics and the role of the various management disciplines in shaping the research field. Based on these generalized findings, I put forward an agenda for future interdisciplinary research on MC. The second paper explores the social, environmental, and economic potentials of an MC business models, which aimed at fostering sustainability in the consumer electronics industry. Using a qualitative case-study approach, I show how modularity enables continuous customization during the usage phase, while enabling longer life times of products through upgradability and reparability. Moreover, I reveal that MC can have positive social effects at the long tail of a market, enhancing access to special applications such as health diagnostics in the specific context of modular and customizable smartphones. In the third paper I shed light on the co-creation phase of MC and its potential to contribute to the promotion of sustainable consumption. I theoretically derive and empirically test a number of opportunities for companies to improve corporate sustainability in a joint effort with consumers. By portraying a simulated online buying process of a customizable TV with a realistic web-based product configurator, I conduct two consumer choice experiments embedded in a large-scale online survey. I find that offering goods with customizable attributes of different sustainability levels gives consumers the opportunity to customize products reflecting their individual sustainability consciousness. Moreover, the results suggest that sustainable default settings can play a significant role in promoting sustainable consumption. The fourth paper conceptually explores how CVC concepts and technologies are assessed from the perspective of the degrowth concept. I argue that CVC might not only be relevant for businesses within economies that are set to grow, but also for none-profit and alternative organizations. In the search for strategies to really manage the pressing transition towards a sustainable society within planetary boundaries, those research lines that demand more radical changes than what is discussed today in business practice receive increasing attention. Paper IV explores how CVC can contribute to research on such alternative concepts. I outline five areas, in which CVC could contribute to the objectives of degrowth. The conceptual analysis reveals that several elements of CVC and its enabling technologies coincide with degrowth objectives but as such do not lead to their attainment. Thereby, a starting point for future (empirical) work in this area is generated.

Background: The deployment of 5G infrastructure is one of the vectors for new application scenarios since it enables enhanced data bandwidth, low latency, and comprehensive signal coverage. This communication system supports various vertical applications such as smart health, smart cities, smart grids, and transportation systems. However, these applications bring new challenges to 5G networks due to specific requirements for such scenarios. Furthermore, as software-based technologies, including network slicing, software-defined networks, network function virtualization, and multi-access edge computing, are a fundamental part of the 5G architecture, the network can expose these applications to new security and privacy concerns. Results: This study summarizes existing literature on 5G vertical applications security. We highlight vulnerabilities, threats, attacks, and solutions for 5G vertical applications. We conducted a systematic literature mapping to discuss security and privacy challenges regarding the 5G vertical applications. We reviewed 389 papers from 2,349 produced by searching with a curated search query and discussed vulnerabilities, threats, attacks, and solutions for 5G vertical applications. Conclusions: Smart cities, Industry 4.0, smart transportation, public services, smart grids, and smart health are vertical applications with relevant security concerns. We observed the need for more research since the 5G and vertical applications continuously evolve.

A review of harmonization methods for studying dietary patterns.

Technological advancements and sustainable practices in rock slope stability – Critical review

This study investigates the predictive power of transition risk for the European stock market by incorporating a text-based Transition Risk Index into an XGBoost forecasting model for the European Index STOXX600. Utilizing daily data from January 2005 to December 2023, we integrate standard macroeconomic factors—such as exchange rates, gold prices, and interest rates—with an NLP-derived Transition Risk Index that captures shifts in climate policies, technological innovations, and investor sentiment. Through an extensive feature engineering process and rigorous hyperparameter tuning (via cross-validation), we assess the relative contribution of each predictor using both feature importance rankings and SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis. Our findings reveal that, while conventional macro-financial variables remain the dominant drivers of STOXX600 price dynamics, transition risk exerts only a modest influence on short-term market forecasts. This suggests that near-term valuation processes may not yet fully integrate sustainability considerations. However, as climate policies evolve and investor awareness grows, the transition risk’s role may become more pronounced over longer horizons. The results underscore both the potential and challenges in quantifying transition risk, offering a robust perspective on incorporating sustainability-driven metrics into real-time market analytics and predictive models. Furthermore, this research highlights the importance of refining transition risk measurement methodologies, as existing models may not fully capture the speed and complexity of regulatory shifts, technological advancements, and investor sentiment changes.

This study examines the relationship between green supply chain management practices and productivity of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt. Correlational survey design was adopted for this study. The population of this study is thirty-two (32) manufacturing companies in Rivers State which are registered with the Rivers State branch of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). The study adopted the census population. 3 managers were selected from each firm multiplied by 32 firms gives us a total of ninety-two (92) for the study. Structured questionnaire instrument title the application of linear programming in assembly-line balancing of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt questionnaire was developed on five-point likert scale. The result of the Cronbach's Alpha reliability test indicates .769 which is above .70 which implies that the items are reliable. PPMC (person product moment correlation) was used to test hypotheses on SPSS version 25. There is a significant relationship between green Design and productivity of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt. There is a significant relationship between green Production and productivity of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt. The study concluded that green supply chain management practices have a significant relationship with productivity of manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt. The study recommended Manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt should integrate sustainability considerations into their overall supply chain strategies to ensure that environmental concerns are addressed at every stage of the production process.

The Sustainability Performance of Chinese Banks: Institutional Impact

The transformation of food systems has emerged as a critical component of global climate action, with food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) increasingly recognised as a key policy tool to promote both public health and environmental sustainability. However, despite their importance, many national FBDGs fail to integrate sustainability considerations or adequately support diverse plant-based dietary patterns. This review proposes a socioecological framework for enhancing the inclusivity and adaptability of FBDGs, enabling them to better reflect evolving food systems and consumer behaviours while strengthening their role in promoting sustainable and health-conscious diets. Five key gaps in current FBDGs worldwide were identified: (1) the need for more inclusive food-group classifications that accommodate plant-based protein sources; (2) clearer recommendations for limiting the consumption of animal-sourced foods (ASF) for health and environmental reasons; (3) guidance on obtaining essential macro- and micronutrients from plant-based sources; (4) the inclusion of plant-based alternatives to ASF within dietary recommendations; and (5) comprehensive advice on well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets. Addressing these gaps is crucial to ensuring that FBDGs remain relevant to a broad spectrum of dietary preferences, including those motivated by ecological, ethical, religious, and cultural factors.

The analysis conducted on the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Investment Opportunity, Profitability, and Tax Avoidance in Energy Sector Companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange between 2017 and 2021 has yielded significant insights. While the influence of CSR on Tax Avoidance was found to be insignificant, both Investment Opportunity and Profitability demonstrated notable effects, with the latter displaying a negative influence. Furthermore, the combined impact of CSR, Investment Opportunity, and Profitability on Tax Avoidance was found to be substantial, explaining 63% of the observed variance. These findings underscore the intricate relationship between corporate practices, financial performance, and tax management strategies, offering valuable implications for various stakeholders. In light of these conclusions, several recommendations can be drawn. Firstly, collaboration between tax authorities and relevant stakeholders is essential to refine tax policies, integrating sustainability considerations and ensuring transparency in corporate tax practices. Secondly, investors should adopt a comprehensive approach when assessing investment opportunities, taking into account factors beyond financial performance, including corporate social responsibility and tax management strategies. Additionally, companies are encouraged to enhance their disclosure practices concerning CSR activities, thereby promoting greater transparency and accountability. Finally, future research efforts should focus on expanding the scope of analysis across different sectors and incorporating additional variables to deepen our understanding of tax avoidance dynamics in the Indonesian context. By implementing these recommendations, policymakers, tax authorities, investors, and corporate entities can collectively contribute to fostering a more responsible and sustainable business environment.

This qualitative research advocates for prioritizing Critical and Creative Thinking in professional design over empathy. The study involved 74 undergraduate Product Design and Engineering students from Brazil, Portugal, and India to explore the relationship between these thinking skills and sustainability. The students’ Critical and Creative Thinking levels were evaluated using rubrics developed by Shively et al. (2018) and a multi-level framework developed by Ceschin & Gaziulusoy (2019) was applied to identify sustainable innovation levels. The research highlights the need to enhance tertiary students’ skills in addressing wicked problems, a concern recognized by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development for the 21st-century workplace. This research contributes to the ongoing debate on the significance of Critical and Creative Thinking in professional design practice and emphasizes the importance of integrating sustainability considerations into design education.