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Disaster-related deaths can be classified as direct and indirect disaster-related deaths that are becoming more predominant in Japan. To reduce indirect disaster-related deaths, accurate statistics based on medical documentation are essential. However, the definition and reporting of such deaths in Japan present systemic challenges. These deaths are certified and recorded by municipalities at the request of bereaved families seeking condolence grants. This cross-sectional study assessed 755 certified indirect disaster-related deaths after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake in the Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, to determine whether medical documents mentioned disaster relevance. Of the 755 cases, 74 (9.8%) death certificates and 145 (19.2%) medical documents described the relevance of disasters. Relevance mentioned only in the self-reported documentation from bereaved families was 536 (71.0%). The median [interquartile range] time from the disaster onset to disaster-related deaths was 21 [7–52] days. The mean age was 79.7-years-old, and 346 (46.7%) of the victims were female. The predominant etiologies of these deaths included circulatory (32.7%) and respiratory (27.7%) diseases. The time periods of the deaths varied among the municipalities, suggesting a lack of consensus among the review committees. Establishing a medical and social consensus for indirect disaster-related deaths and recording them on death certificates is crucial for accurate disaster death data and social resilience.

Background Young people often face significant challenges accessing effective mental health support as they navigate through complex healthcare systems, education pathways, and social pressures. Understanding the service-level barriers they encounter is critical to improving mental health system design and delivery. While previous studies have examined individual barriers to mental healthcare access, few have adopted a cross-sectorial, youth-informed approach which captures the interrelated structural, institutional, and socio-cultural factors influencing young people’s mental health experiences. Methods Seventeen participants aged 18–24 years with lived experience of depression and/or anxiety participated in nine in-person focus groups and interviews in Perth. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify systemic barriers and facilitators to mental healthcare, with a particular focus on access, care coordination, therapeutic engagement, and service responsiveness. Results Key themes included fragmented care pathways, inadequate provider follow-up, prolonged wait times, financial constraints, lack of youth-specific mental health training among clinicians, and limited therapeutic rapport. Participants also described inadequate mental health literacy within schools and persistent stigma in social and familial settings. These intersecting barriers hindered access, disrupted continuity of care, and undermined trust in the mental health system. Conclusions Findings highlight critical inefficiencies in mental health service delivery for young Australians. Policy responses should prioritise integrated care models, investment in multidisciplinary youth mental health hubs, improved school-based mental health literacy, and culturally inclusive anti-stigma initiatives to promote access, trust, and continuity of care.

Public procurement fulfils an important role in the economy and public expenditure of a country and can be regarded as a critical indicator of the effectiveness of a government, because it is a central aspect of public service delivery. Notwithstanding various reforms made to date to public sector procurement in South Africa and the application of Supply Chain Management as a strategic policy strategic instrument, the South African public procurement system still faces several challenges and has been strongly criticised. This paper aims to understand the current public procurement environment in South Africa, its dilemmas and challenges, and to propose that public procurement be refocused towards a strategically placed business process, implemented by well-trained and competent procurement officials. The purpose is to provide a theoretical foundation as well as practical guidance regarding the role of public procurement in the South African public sector. The methodology involved an intensive literature study and document analysis to evaluate various official policy documents and official publications to determine the status of South African public procurement. The study found that the majority of challenges faced by public procurement in South Africa can probably be attributed to the implementation of the system, rather than to the system itself. In the shorter and longer term, the public procurement system in South Africa will have no choice but to emerge as a stronger, more resilient, streamlined and efficient provider of goods and services for the greater good of all.

Coastal areas are vital hubs for diverse ecosystems and socio-economic activities, but they face significant threats from climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. These challenges require urgent, cooperative actions and interdisciplinary approaches to develop sustainable solutions. However, interdisciplinarity requires blurring traditional academic disciplinary boundaries, and this can be a challenge. Increasingly, early-career researchers (ECRs) are undertaking interdisciplinary research while facing uncertainty about their career progression. In this research paper, we explore the challenges and opportunities faced by ECRs in the United Kingdom conducting Interdisciplinary Coastal Research (IDCR). We draw on findings from internal workshops, webinar discussions and an online survey, all conducted in 2024. The main barriers to IDCR are systemic in nature and include demanding workload, short-term contracts, ineffective supervisory and limited institutional support. Generally, ECRs felt positive about the benefits of interdisciplinarity to coastal research and their career development, but some ECRs expressed feelings of impostor syndrome. Enhanced flexibility in approaches, improved communication and open-mindedness are among the proposed solutions. This research highlights the mismatch between the ambition and the day-to-day reality of ECRs working in IDCR and provides recommendations for IDCR, which can both enhance the experience of ECRs and secure better outcomes for coastal areas.

The national strategic framework for local economic development (LED) emerged in the post-1994 era to address complex development challenges in South Africa. In this regard, municipal councils have a constitutional developmental mandate and statutory obligations to design and implement LED strategies in their areas of jurisdiction. However, the successful implementation of these strategies is constrained by both broader systemic challenges and specific municipal constraints. Especially resource-constrained local municipalities, such as the JB Marks Local Municipality (JBMLM), struggle to effectively implement their LED strategies. This, in turn, hampers the achievement of national development targets in terms of poverty alleviation, job creation, small business development, and economic growth. The objective of the study is to investigate the nature and scope of systemic and institutional challenges associated with the design and implementation of LED strategies. Following a qualitative case study design, data collection and source triangulation were used to investigate the nature and scope of these challenges. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with officials purportedly sampled. The results of this investigation showed that there are issues with the current LED strategy implementation, mainly due to poor coordination, misalignment, and limited cooperation and participation of key stakeholders. Identification and analysis of LED-related challenges will allow local municipalities to design appropriate mitigation responses to systemic challenges and address institutional issues that hamper the successful implementation of LED strategies.

Energy transition is affecting the European maritime sector at an increasing rate. New technologies and regulations are being introduced with increasing speed. The ability to adapt to these changes is crucial for the economic success of the maritime sector. However, the sector is challenged by inertia due to its global nature and long-life assets (e.g., vessels). These developments result in a globally projected greenhouse gas emission growth rather than a reduction towards 2050. The sector can be considered essential to economic prosperity, but its innovation system should align with global sustainability trends. This article aims to structure and evaluate the maritime sector’s systemic challenges by conducting an extensive systematic review of (sustainable) maritime innovation literature. These findings are structured and discussed via four key activities that support the transition process: developing strategy and policy, creating legitimacy, mobilizing resources, and developing and disseminating knowledge.

This chapter provides an overview of professional development in early childhood education and describes current models of coaching as methods of support within professional development. It discusses related outcomes of professional development and highlights the challenges and limitations in current professional development efforts. The chapter also provides recommendations and next steps for professional development in the field. Meta‐analytic research on both in‐service and preservice teacher professional development suggested that adult learning requires the following stages to be effective: planning, application, and deep understanding. Successful professional development programs draw from perspectives of adult learning as well as implementation science to engage teachers in applied learning. Professional development strategies must consider the systemic challenges that early childhood educators face related to both identifying and participating in high‐quality professional development opportunities and successfully applying the knowledge and strategies learned through professional development.

Welcome to the ASIL Human Rights Interest Group's roundtable, “Black Lives Matter and International Human Rights Law: The Challenge of Systemic Racism.” This roundtable has two objectives. First, it will draw on diverse social science research to explore the origin and operation of systemic racism in the United States that gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement. Second, the roundtable will analyze how international human rights law obligates states to address these systemic problems.

This Introduction sets the scene for the Symposium by appreciating the significance of analyzing the global financial crisis and responses to it from governance and institutional perspectives. There were clear systemic failures that had long existed and continue to be in need of concerted action. These failures and relevant responses are appropriately addressed in terms of the intertwining of states, markets and civil societies, with associated reference to choices and opportunities, principal-agent relationships, guardians and the guarded, and levels of maturity, responsibility and trust. There are significant systemic challenges which remain to be met.

This chapter contains sections titled: The Formative Character of Raw Materials The Systemic Engineering Challenge Regional Integration of Technologies References