Naturally fermented dairy products are an important component of the human diet. They are a valuable source of nutrients as well as vitamins and minerals. Their importance as a source of probiotic bacterial strains should not be overlooked. A number of studies highlights the positive effects of species of the Lactobacillacea on the intestinal microbiota, the overall homeostasis of the body, as well as a complementary treatment for some diseases. However, data on the effects on intestinal epithelial cells of postmetabolites released by bacteria are incomplete. This is likely due to the fact that these effects are species and strain specific. In the present study, we investigated the effects of postmetabolites produced by a pre-selected candidate probiotic strain Limosilactobacillus fermentum on HT-29 intestinal epithelial cells. Our data showed a pronounced proliferative effect, evaluated by flow cytometry, quantification of cell population, and determination of mitotic index. This was accompanied by stabilization of the cell monolayer, measured by increase of TEER (trans epithelial electric resistance) and reorganization of actin filaments. The data obtained are a clear indication of the positive effects, that the products secreted by L. fermentum strain 53 have on the intestinal epithelial cells.

(1) Background: Until December 2021, French Guiana (FG), located in South America, faced four consecutive COVID-19 epidemic waves. This study sought to analyze the mortality trend of severe COVID-19 patients admitted to the referral ICU of FG. (2) Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational, and non-interventional study in ICU at Cayenne Hospital. We included 383 patients older than 18 admitted with SARS-CoV-2-related pneumonia hospitalized from May 2020 to December 2021. The study covers three periods. Period 1 (Waves 1 and 2, original variant), period 2 (Wave 3, gamma variant), and period 3 (Wave 4, delta variant). (3) Results: The median age was 63 years (52-70). Frailty was diagnosed in 36 patients over 70 (32.4%). Only 4.8% of patients were vaccinated. The median ICU LOS was 10 days (6-19). Hospital mortality was 37.3%. It was 30.9% in period 1, 36.6% in period 2 (p=0.329 vs. period 1), and 47.1% in period 3 (0.015 vs. period 1). In multivariate analysis, independent factors associated with hospital mortality were age more than 40 years (]40-60 years] OR=5.2, 95%CI: 1.4-19.5; (]60-70 years] OR=8.5 95%CI: 2.2-32; (]70+ years] OR=17.9, 95%CI: 4.5-70.9), frailty (OR=5.6, 95%CI: 2.2-17.2), immunosuppression (OR=2.6, 95%CI: 1.05-6.7), and MV use (OR=11, 95%CI: 6.1-19.9). This model had an overall sensitivity of 72%, a specificity of 80.4%, a positive predictive value of 68.7%, and a negative predictive value of 82.8%. (4) Conclusions: The mortality of severe COVID-19 patients in French Amazonia was higher during the delta variant wave. This over-death is explained by the virulence of the responsible SARS-CoV-2 variant and the under-vaccination coverage of the studied population.

Culture signifies the customs, language, ceremonies, Indigenous Medical Knowledge (IMK) and other material objects of a tribe. These and many other features are a representation of identity for many Zambian communities. IMK practices are skills inherent by certain individuals in a tribal grouping who are chosen by the spirits (gods) or trained by those who practice. This intrinsic skill is in danger of diminishing as a result of modern medication. This article attempts to understand the role of traditional healers (also known as asing’anga in local language) in preservation of IMK in Chibombo District of Zambia. In so doing, the paper examined methods of preservation used by asing’anga and the challenges faced. Using hermeneutic phenomenology and linear snowball sampling, findings revealed that preservation was done through training. The study found unwillingness, expiration, and spirituality as challenges in the process of preserving IMK. The study recommended that the Lenje Cultural Association consider documenting and disseminating information to the local people by showcasing what is available in the Mukuni Culture Village Museum and Library. This was seen as a way through which many youths would be encouraged to appreciate the indigenous values in their culture.

The adoption of environmental conservation agriculture (ECA) in Nepal is aligned with the country's goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, as ECA practices have been proven to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Nepal's agricultural sector faces numerous challenges, including labor shortages, climate change impacts, and the necessity for environmentally friendly farming methods, making the adoption of ECA practices even more crucial. This paper thus explored farmer perspectives on the sustainability of ECA practices in Namobuddha municipality, Nepal, which is renowned as a leading hub of organic farming. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, together with key informant interviews and onsite observations. By analyzing various farmer perspectives, the study presents an analytical framework that highlights the economic, environmental, and social pillars of ECA's sustainability. The findings underscore the significance of economic viability for farmers, as damages to crops and farm products negatively drive their perception of ECA sustainability. Conversely, factors such as increased agriculture-related income, favorable prices, and sustainable productivity positively shape farmers' perceptions. In terms of environmental sustainability, farmers prioritize enhancing the local and global environment, viewing their farming methods as climate-smart and actively working towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The study emphasizes the importance of strategic communication to effectively convey the benefits of ECA to rural communities. Overall, this research contributes to filling the knowledge gap concerning farmers' perceptions of ECA sustainability. The insights gained from this study have the potential to inform policy decisions and promote the widespread adoption of environmentally friendly farming practices in Nepal.

This study aimed to explore the intricate relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction, infections, and neuroinflammation, focusing specifically on the impact of pathogenic epitopes of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) in a mouse model of mitochondrial dysfunctions. The investigation included female middle-aged PARK2^-/- and C57BL/6J wild-type mice immunized with EBNA1_386-405 or with active experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induction by myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)_35-55 peptide. PARK2^-/- mice developed more severe EAE than wild-type mice. Following immunization with EBNA1_386-405, only PARK2^-/- exhibited symptoms resembling EAE. During the acute phase, PARK2^-/- mice immunized with either MOG_35-55 or EBNA1_386-405 exhibited similar infiltration of T cells and macrophages in the spinal cord and decreased GFAP expression in the brain. However, EBNA1_386-405 -immunized PARK2^-/- mice showed significantly increased frequencies of CD8a+ T cells and CD11c+ B cells, and distinct cytokine profiles in the periphery compared to wild-type controls. These findings highlight the role of EBV in exacerbating inflammation, particularly in the context of mitochondrial deficiencies.

Tourism Geographers in Anglo-American geographical departments migrate to teach and research tourism in applied schools and departments such as business, resource and environment, and even cultural and creative industry. Under national research assessment and funding pressures, tourism geographers are not encouraged to keep on undertaking serious theoretical researches related to their mother discipline and transferred to research applied researches and publish in hybrid journals. Such changes in tourism geographers` research behavior have not been tested and reported in Asian academic contexts, especially Taiwan while frequently being discussed internationally. This research aims to investigate the differences in the research behavior of tourism geographers between those who are staffed in geography departments and those who migrate to applies departments such as tourism and recreation, resource and environment, and others in terms of publishing journals, paradigmatic approaches, research types(qualitative, quantitative, and mixed), research methods and geographical scales conducted based on content analysis of articles published by tourism geographers in geography and tourism and recreation departments. This study revealed that there are significant differences in the research behavior of tourism geographers between different department. Finally, this paper explains the differences in terms of Taiwan changing social and economic conditions, academic traditions and politics of geography and applied departments, research habits and preferences of tourism geographers among departments and other aspects. This study can help international tourism geography academic circles to understand the complexity and diversity of tourism geography academic landscape of the Chinese language.

Detecting IgE sensitizations in the serum of allergic dogs is commonly done using allergen extracts, but these are difficult to standardize. This article details the development and validation of the Pet Allergy Xplorer (PAX; Nextmune, Stockholm, Sweden), the first multiplex macroarray for the detection of IgE sensitization in dogs using allergen extracts and molecular components; the PAX is derived from the Allergy Xplorer (ALEX2; MacroArray Diagnostics, Vienna, Austria). The selection of allergens, cartridge processing, strategy for identifying and blocking IgE directed against cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants (CCD), and the method used for determining the positivity threshold are described. The validation of the PAX included evaluations of the specificity of its anti-IgE monoclonal antibody, specificity of IgE binding to target allergens, assay precision, and internal consistency. Additionally, the influence of possible confounding factors, such as sample type, the influence of hemolysis, lipemia, bilirubinemia, and elevated CCD-IgE, was tested. Finally, the sensitization rates of 23,858 European dogs to 145 environmental and Hymenoptera venom allergens were summarized. The PAX is accurate and reproducible and has a unique CCD-detection and blocking strategy; its molecular allergens offer a unique window on allergen cross-reactivity.

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is an imaging technique that provides information on the microstructural organization of biological tissue. dMRI allows for non-invasive visualization and quantitative assessment of white matter architecture in the brain by characterizing restrictions on the random motion of water molecules. Ultra-high field MRI scanners, such as those operating at 7 Tesla (7T) or higher, can boost signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to improve dMRI compared with what is attainable at conventional field strengths such as 3T or 1.5T. However, at 7T wavelength effects cause lower transmit magnetic field efficiency in the human brain, mainly in the posterior fossa region, manifesting as signal dropouts in this region. Recently, we reported a simple approach of using a wireless radiofrequency (RF) surface array to improve transmit efficiency and signal sensitivity at 7T. Here we demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of using this RF enhancer for in-vivo dMRI at 7T. The use of the RF enhancer can effectively recover signal dropouts in the regions with intrinsically lower SNR such as cerebellum, leading to a better depiction of principal fiber orientations and enhanced visualization of extended tracts to the brainstem and pons enabling more comprehensive delineation of the full white matter architecture.

Blueberries are rich in a variety of functional substances and have high nutritional and health values, but they are not resistant to decline during fresh storage. Here, the effects of six Bacillus species on storage quality of, and antioxidant levels in, the southern highbush blueberry ‘O'Neal’ fruit were investigated. Bacillus treatments reduced the fruit decay rate, slowed fruit quality decline, inhibited malondialdehyde accumulation, and increased superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activity levels. Bacillus altitudinis Y-14 had the best effect overall. Further, the effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), B. altitudinis Y-14, and 1-MCP+B. altitudinis Y-14 treatments on the storage quality and antioxidant of rabbiteye blueberry ‘Brightwell’ fruit were investigated, and each treatment effectively reduced the decay rate and weight loss of fruit. When stored for 25 days, the decay rate of the 1-MCP+B. altitudinis Y-14 group was only 8.33%, significantly lower than that of the control. The three treatments delayed the fruit quality decline, inhibited malondialdehyde accumulation, and increased superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activity levels. The 1-MCP+B. altitudinis Y-14 treatment had the best effect. Thus, the combined 1-MCP and B. altitudinis Y-14 treatment may be an effective way to improve the storage quality and extend the storage period of blueberries.

New strategies for enhancing drug delivery to the blood–brain barrier (BBB) represents a major challenge in treating cerebral diseases. Nano-emulsion based nanocarriers represent an ideal candidate to improve drug delivery thanks to their versatility in functionalization and cargo protection. In this work, a paclitaxel loaded nano-emulsion has been firstly functionalized and stabilized with two layers constituted of chitosan and hyaluronic acid, and, secondly, the latter has been conjugated to the CRT peptide. CRT is a bioactive peptide that selectively recognizes bEnd.3 cells, model of the BBB, thanks to its interactions with transferrin (Tf) and its receptor (TfR). Cytotoxic results showed a higher uptake of CRT functionalized nano-emulsion 41.5 % more than the negative control, demonstrating the ability of this novel tool to be accumulated on the brain endothelium tissue. Thanks to these results, our approach can be fully generalizable to the design of multifunctional nanocarriers for delivery of therapeutic agents to the central nervous systems.

Objective To explore the endoscopic anatomical structures of lumbar surgery. Methods A total of 290 patients who underwent lumbar endoscopic surgery due to lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation from September 2020 to September 2022 were retrospectively reviewed in our hospital,179 patients had complete surgical video recordings, including 108 males and 71 females, aged from 19 to 65 years, with an average age of 41±16 years. The endoscopic structures through the intervertebral foramen and interlaminar space were independently identified by 3 doctors with more than 3 years of related surgery experience. When there were differences of opinions, the three doctors would discuss and come to a consensus. The probability, location, and neighboring structures of each specific structures were statistically analyzed. Results The anatomical structures observed through the lumbar foramen under endoscopy include muscles and ligaments attached to the superior articular process (SAP), main blood vessels inside the intervertebral foramen, blood vessels on the surface of IVD, and blood vessels on the surface of the dural sac and nerve root. The major anatomical structures observed through interlaminar space are multifidus, the conjugated ligament of ligament flavum and capsule ligament (capsule part of flavum ligaments), edges of the lamina, specific vessel bundle to facet with exit nerve root. Conclusion The anatomical structures under spinal endoscopy have certain characteristics, which are grossly different from those under open surgery. Familiarity with these anatomical structures has important clinical significance.

Background: The safety and effectiveness of factor-Xa (FXa) inhibitors for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) remains inconclusive. We investigated the current dosing of rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban by monitoring drug plasma concentration (PC) and coagulation activity. Methods and Results: This multicenter clinical study monitored the drug PC levels and two coagulation biomarkers (fibrinogen: FIB, and fibrin monomer complex: FMC) at peak and trough timing in 268 outpatients receiving rivaroxaban (n = 72), apixaban (n = 71), and edoxaban (n = 125) for NVAF. Doses were adjusted according to the dose adjustment criteria of each drug. Based on our previous study, each peak drug PC remained below the cut-off level for predicting bleeding events except in eight patients (three on rivaroxaban, two on apixaban and three on edoxaban) in whom bleeding events occurred; among them, two (one each on rivaroxaban and edoxaban) had a peak drug PC below the cut-off level. Drug PCs widely varied from peak to trough, whereas FMC levels remained within the normal range (< 6.1 µg/ml) regardless of PC variation. These finding suggested that the anticoagulant effects of these drugs persisted throughout the day regardless of the drug PC levels, dosage, and frequency of dosing. Regarding the change in peak drug PC levels over time, rivaroxaban tended to accumulate more than edoxaban (p

The growing deforestation of tropical forests requires the implementation of restoration actions capable of assisting the recovery of biodiversity and functioning of these ecosystems. This research aimed to identify the environmental factors that influence woody plant recruitment abundance and diversity in an Andean forest restoration project in Medellin (Colombia). Data from all individuals taller than 80 cm was collected in 22 plots of 200 m2. The environmental factors selected were edaphic variables, plantation structure, slope, elevation, prior land use and landscape forest cover. A generalized linear model was adjusted for recruitment density, and linear mixed models were built for recruited species richness, diversity and dominance. Woody plant recruitment attributes in our study area were similar to a typical secondary succession in an Andean forest, but planted trees contributed little to these attributes. While recruitment density was affected by slope, canopy closure and landscape forest cover, recruitment diversity was influenced by physical (bulk density) and chemical (pH, aluminum, CEC) edaphic factors, planted trees diversity (species richness and composition), canopy closure and mortality rate of planted trees. We conclude that a good development of planted trees enhances both recruitment attributes, indicating a synergy between active restoration and passive regeneration processes.

Plastics, once regarded as a revolutionary material shaping modern society, now poses an unprecedented threat to our environment. Household solid waste sorting stations produce several fractions, one of which contains a high concentration of Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) film waste (packaging, sunscreen film, etc.). This fraction is difficult to recycle because it contains quite a lot of impurities. Usually, it is sent to the cement factories that burn it together with other fuels. However, with some processing techniques such catalytic pyrolysis this fraction could be valorized. In this paper the experiments which were carried out at a laboratory scale installation, in batches with a processing capacity of 1-3 kg of waste. The pyrolysis reactor is connected to a distillation column giving the possibility to separate the fractions. The gaseous and liquid fractions were characterized by GC-FID-TCD (gases) and GC-MS (liquids) analysis. Natural catalysts such as bentonite or clinoptilolite were studied and used in the melting of plastic mass to simplify the process as much as possible. To test the activity of the catalysts, the pyrolysis of LDPE granules was initially studied. It was found that natural zeolites are much more active than bentonite and that a minimum concentration of 5-10% is needed to have a positive effect on the composition of the fractions (increasing the weight of the light fractions C1-C6, C6-C10 and C11-C13) in relation to the heavy fractions C13-C20 and C20+. Catalytic pyrolysis gives a completely different distribution of light hydrocarbons. The best catalyst selected from LDPE lab experiments, was then tested upon the pyrolysis of plastic film waste obtained by a waste treatment plant. The research objective reported in this paper was to obtain a fraction of combustible gases in the largest possible proportion, which can be much easier exploited by burning in an engine that drives an electric generator.

Academic procrastination, more than merely postponing tasks, represents a significant failure in the self-regulation process of learning. Research on study skills highlights academic time management as one of the crucial elements of learning strategies and sustainable education. These abilities will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals fourth goal. Therefore, this study aimed to understand how students plan time management in school activities and its influence on study procrastination, analyzing differences between genders and the hours students spend studying. The Time Management Planning Inventory, the Study Procrastination Questionnaire, and a personal and school data sheet were used. A sample of 506 students from elementary schools in northern Portugal was utilized. The results revealed that gender and study hours significantly influence how students plan time management for school tasks in the short and long term. This variable also showed a significant impact on the procrastination of study activities. The practical implications of this study are substantial, as they provide educators and researchers insights into the factors influencing academic procrastination and the role of time management planning and study hours. These insights can be applied to develop effective strategies to reduce academic procrastination and promote sustainable education.

This study investigates anomaly detection of IoT device traffic using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Variational Autoencoders (VAE) to enhance the detection capability of security threats in IoT environments. A series of hardware configurations, software environments, and hyperparameters were utilized to optimize the training and testing processes of the models. The CNN model demonstrates robust classification performance, achieving an accuracy rate of 95.85% on the test dataset, effectively distinguishing between different types of IoT device traffic. Meanwhile, the VAE model exhibits proficient anomaly detection capabilities by effectively capturing abnormal patterns in the data using reconstruction loss and KL divergence. The combined use of CNN and VAE models offers a comprehensive solution to cybersecurity challenges in IoT environments. Future research directions include exploring diverse IoT traffic data, practical deployment for validation, and further optimization of model structures and parameters to improve performance and applicability.

Introduction: Transportation logistics play a pivotal role in facilitating both individual mobility and supply chain operations on a global scale. However, conventional transportation systems have contributed significantly to urban congestion and environmental degradation. In response to these challenges, there is a growing momentum towards the adoption of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and sustainable transportation solutions. This research aims to explore the potential of renewable energy sources to power electric vehicles (EVs) and flying automobiles, thereby accelerating the transition towards a low-carbon future. Objectives: The primary objectives of this research are as follows: - Investigate the role of renewable fuels in powering both EVs and flying cars to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate carbon emissions. - Analyze the dynamic growth and sustainability implications of advancements in battery technology and alternative renewable energy sources, such as Hydrogen Fuel Cells. - Evaluate the challenges and opportunities associated with the integration of flying vehicles into existing transportation infrastructure, focusing on safety, airspace control, and infrastructure development. - Review insights and guidance to stakeholders on promoting sustainable transportation solutions for EVs and flying cars through the utilization of renewable energy sources and the reduction of carbon emissions from the literature. Methodology: This research employs a mixed-method approach, combining literature review, and causal loop diagram analysis. The literature review provides a comprehensive understanding of current trends, challenges, and opportunities in sustainable transportation and renewable energy technologies. A causal loop diagram is utilized to visualize the dynamic interactions between various factors influencing the adoption of EVs and flying cars, including technological advancements, policy interventions, and market dynamics. Results and Discussion: The findings of this research highlight the significant potential of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydrogen, in powering both EVs and flying cars. Advances in battery technology and hydrogen fuel cells are identified as key drivers in accelerating the transition towards sustainable transportation systems. However, challenges remain in terms of infrastructure development, safety regulations, and airspace management for flying vehicles. Nevertheless, there is a noticeable advancement in reducing carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels with the widespread adoption of EVs. By harnessing renewable energy and implementing effective policy measures, stakeholders might able to promote the widespread adoption of sustainable transportation solutions, thereby contributing to environmental protection and societal well-being. Conclusion: Literally, this research underscores the importance of sustainable transportation solutions in addressing urban congestion, environmental pollution, and energy security concerns. By leveraging renewable energy sources and embracing technological advancements, such as EVs and flying cars, stakeholders pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient transportation system. However, concerted efforts are needed to overcome existing challenges and ensure the successful integration of these technologies into existing infrastructure. Through collaborative partnerships and innovative initiatives, a low-carbon future for transportation logistics can be achieved, benefiting both the environment and society as a whole.

(1) Background: The lateral arm flap has been the very useful choice in the reconstruction of small- to medium-sized defects like hand, extremity, oral head and neck area reconstructions. Its versatile characteristics and surgical feasibility allow this flap to be widely applied, but the reconstructive potential in facial subunit after tumor ablative procedures has never been reported. In this study, we aimed to utilize the advantages of the flap to treat facial temple subunit defect reconstruction. (2) Methods: Between 2020 and 2023, 12 patients underwent temple reconstruction with lateral arm free flaps after malignant tumor wide excision. There were 7 women and 5 men, and the mean patient age was 60.6 years old. Among the patients with cancer, 6 had squamous cell carcinoma, 5 had basal cell carcinoma and 1 had myxofibrosarcoma. All the flaps were elevated under general anesthesia. Aloprostadil(PGE1, Eglandin®) were administered postoperatively. (3) Results: All the flap types were fasciocutaneous type with varied sizes from 3 × 4 to 5 × 7 cm (Average size of flap 22.7cm2) were utilized. The average pedicle length was 6.1cm. The versatility of the lateral arm flap enabled successful coverage of all cases with no specific complications. Good functional outcome and range of motion in the recipient arm were obtained after surgery. (4) Conclusion: The authors successfully verified the advantages of lateral arm flaps in the treatment of medium sized facial subunt temple defect reconstruction.

Background: Self-harm (SH) refers to self-injury or intentional self-poisoning with varying degrees of suicidal intent and is a major public health issue for children and adolescents (C&A) worldwide. Given significant gaps exist in our understanding of the associated psychopathology in C&A, this paper outlines the protocol for a prospective clinical study examining risk factors of SH and additional candidate parameters (not routinely assessed) during an acute SH episode. Methods: The EXPAAND (EXploring Psychiatric and Attentional risk-factors in Adolescents Needing intervention for Deliberate self-harm) is a randomised control trial to assess additional novel candidate risk factors for SH in C&A and to evaluate the effectiveness of SH-targeted brief psychological intervention (Therapeutic Assessment (TA)), within a real-world acute clinical setting, as we include neurodiversity and gender diversity in this study. EXPAAND is conducted in 4 phases: (i) recruitment & randomisation; (ii) extended assessment; (iii) randomised intervention; and (iv) follow-up observational period to ascertain clinical outcomes for comparison. Expected Results: We envisage that by diagnosing and treating attentional disorders when detected will mitigate potential confounding effects of these conditions. We also expect that SH-focused TA will be effective in reducing subsequent SH and in improving engagement in follow-up and subsequent treatments.

This study provides a comprehensive comparison of the Peter Chew Sum method and Newton's Sum in Quadratic Root Function Computations. Both methods offer significant advancements by alleviating the need for memorization of multiple formulas. However, when confronted with higher-order quadratic root functions such as the calculation of power 33. Newton's Sum method proves cumbersome due to its requirement of all previous answers for final computation, leading to increased steps and error risks. In contrast, the Peter Chew Sum method simplifies the computational process by requiring only a few previous answers, resulting in a more straightforward series of operations. We contextualize our analysis within the historical progression of mathematical techniques, highlighting the transformative leap represented by the Peter Chew Sum method in quadratic root function computations. Peter Chew Sum addressing the limitations of Newton's Sum , especially concerning higher-order functions such as the calculation of power 256. Furthermore, study demonstrates that the innovative approach of the Peter Chew Sum method not only simplifies complex computations but also fosters enhanced conceptual understanding among students. In conclusion, study findings underscore the profound impact of the Peter Chew Sum method on quadratic root function computations.

This research follows the publication of recent scoping and systematic reviews of existing literature on vaccine literacy (VL), its relationship to vaccine hesitancy (VH), and associated variables, such as vaccination beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors towards immunization. In this review, 17 articles were selected, published between December 2022 and November 2023, in which VL tools were used, most of which support the notion of a negative association between VL and VH, although not confirmed by others. Moreover, the definitions of the variables under consideration were not homogeneous between studies, some aimed to evaluate the association of VL with vaccine confidence, while others were more focused on outcomes such as willingness to be vaccinated or vaccine uptake. The complexity of the factors underlying VL, and the heterogeneity of the methods applied in the studies, in particular the limitations of cross-sectional surveys, still make it difficult to have a comprehensive understanding of the role of VL. Therefore, it is important to develop future assessment tools that consider not just the measurement of psychological factors connected to the motivational aspect of VL, but also those related to knowledge and competencies. For this purpose, a theoretical framework is proposed, where the positioning of VL at the intersection between antecedents and beliefs/attitudes leading to behaviors explains why and how VL serves as a tool and a critical, direct, or mediating driver of vaccination choices, overcoming VH and increasing vaccination rates, operating at personal, as well as at organizational and community level.

The Yellow-legged Hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) (YLH) is an invasive insect that arrived in Europe in 2004 and is now spread across nine countries. It is a threat to the native entomofauna and harmful to beekeeping and agriculture, as it is a ravenous predator of the European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) and other pollinating species. Its expansion has been unstoppable and all resources are needed to fight against it, including native vertebrate predators. Among these, the European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) (EBE) is a potential one, but little is known about its predation on YLH. In a study carried out in Portugal, remains of YHL were detected in EBE nesting sites, which to the best of our knowledge is the first such report. This means that this bird could be one more agent in the biological control of this pest (although research on predation intensity is still needed), in conjunction with other natural predators and other strategies. In the Iberian Peninsula both species are allopatric in vast regions, so the role of EBE may be more limited. However, in the rest of Europe, at a country or continent scale, the scenario may be different and sympatry may occur to a greater extent.

This study uses the social impact theory to analyse consumer behaviour amidst Covid-19. Fear of scarcity has changed consumer buying behaviour in crisis times such as the now abating global health crisis – i.e., Covid-19. The study asserts that the existing five-stage model of consumer purchasing decisions does not fit neatly in turbulent times. It proposes a shortened four-stage process of need recognition, purchase, ownership and satisfaction as a better and more adaptable fit. Cutting out information search and evaluation of alternatives in the old model, and replacing these with ownership, is where the main contribution of the study lies. The study has implications for managing the marketing mix as we know it. It asserts that not all the 4Ps of the marketing mix are important in crisis times.

Leadership and sustainability have been researched and examined concurrently. We know much about sustainable, sustainability and environmental leadership as separate areas of research and the leadership behaviours and practices that facilitate achievement of sustainability outcomes. Whilst these research streams have developed alongside each other, we know little about the similarities and differences of each of these three leadership approaches. The purpose of this paper is to review and compare which sustainable, sustainability and environmental leadership approaches are predictive of improved organizational performance with a view to understanding leadership towards sustainability. Through a comprehensive review of the extant literature, we integrate the three leadership approaches and highlight areas of similarity and difference. From a theoretical perspective, this paper seeks to make a significant contribution to the scholarly literature by building on current knowledge and developing a unified framework that combines our findings on leadership practices and behaviours in terms of the types of leadership required for achieving sustainability outcomes. By unifying existing frameworks and clarifying points of integration and differentiation under the umbrella of ‘leadership towards sustainability’, this paper seeks to advance research on leadership approaches. From a practical perspective, a cohesive set of leadership behaviours and practices will be emphasized so that leaders can adapt these to suit the context of their organization, thus helping leaders make sense of the literature to inform their practice and reach sustainability goals. Thus, the main goal of this paper is to identify a range of leadership behaviours and practices that are required to improve the performance of sustainability in organizations thus informing the broader leadership field.

This study aims to examine Turkish companies from a sustainability and green innovation point of view. Through this purpose, this research’s objective is to find out relationship between sustainability drivers and green innovation and also to search for green organizational culture’s mediation effect in this relationship. Survey was carried in companies operating in Turkey which were listed among İstanbul Chamber of Industry (ICI) Top 500 companies for last 3 years successively and have ISO14001 Environmental Management Certificate. According to the survey results, it was manifested that factors directing companies to sustainability having a positive relationship with green organizational culture and green innovation. It is found that there is a partial mediation effect of green organizational culture between motivating factors for sustainability and green innovation.

Over the last fifty years, management plans have become more descriptive with regard to potential sustainability of forest systems, raising questions about the feasibility of implementing management activities and ensuring sustainability of a wide variety of ecosystem services. To assess this issue, we conducted a survey among forest planning and operation research communities to understand their perceptions regarding the potential of a sample of sustainability statements currently used in forest plans to be incorporated into optimization models or other mathematical operations. The results revealed that only a few statements from the sample were deemed to have relatively mature or firm methodologies and data to enable inclusion in modern mathematical models for land use optimization. These statements were mostly related to economic sustainability, offering quantifiable information such as a non-declining flow of wood products over time and limits on the amount of timber harvested per decade. In contrast, sociocultural and, to some extent, ecological statements regarding sustainability were generally perceived to be more difficult to translate into mathematical modeling efforts. Particularly challenging were statements corresponding to sustaining natural or scenic characteristics of a forest. These findings may be attributed to various factors, including a lack of measurable indicators for sustainability and a potential lack of understanding about the modeling components and their interactions with planned management activities.

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has created both negative and positive changes, including implementing the circular economy across the globe. This Systematic Review follows the PRISMA statement and employs the Text Mining (Voyant Tools) technique to visualize and analyze the impacts of the Covid-19 on three aspects of the circular economy: economic, social, and environmental. The research employs Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to identify five major topics: (1) Shortage of medical equipment but high medical waste during Covid-19 due to the high demand in healthcare; (2) The long term negative impacts of lockdown on economic and social activities because of Covid-19 pandemic; (3) The reports on impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on the manufacturing globally, and their coping strategies and new opportunities; (4) The impacts of international restriction on the tourism, trade, shipping, and aviation industry, causing billion-dollar losses; (5) The reduction of pollution with health environment improvements with example cases from China and EU. The research identifies current literature gaps in the circular economy and Covid- 19 topics and encourages the application of text mining tools into researching to stimulate the research process and assist in communicating with the public.

The stability issues in the widely known organic inorganic halide perovskite, CH₃NH₃PbI_3, lead to the development of alternative halide double perovskite materials which get great attention in recent times. Although the stability issue seems promising, both materials and device performance of these photovoltaic materials remain inferior and challenging for improvements. Furthermore, the power conversion efficiency of single junction organic inorganic halide perovskite is now 24.2% and 29.15% for textured monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell, but for all-inorganic halide perovskite solar cell is 7.11% and halide double perovskite solar cells based on Cs₂AgBiBr₆ and Cs₂TiBr₆ is 2.8% and 3.3%, respectively, which is far less than 24.2% and 29.15%, respectively. This creates big question and concern that can both all-inorganic halide perovskite solar cell and halide double perovskites solar cells really be an acceptable alternatives to replace organic inorganic halide perovskite solar cells or lead based perovskite solar cells in the market in order to realize the sustainable practical applications? Not only this concern, but also there are many other big challenges facing by halide double perovskite solar cells. Such big challenges include: a) geometric constraints and limited integration with interfacial materials, b) dynamic disorder and a wide band gap and localized conduction band caused by cubic unit cell which restrains the interactions of orbitals, c) high processing temperature which may limit on the diverse applications, d) low electronic dimensionality making them less appropriate for single junction solar cell purpose and etc. Moreover, origin of electronic and optical properties such as the polarizability, the presence of molecular dipoles and their influence on the dynamics of the photo-excitations in the halide double perovskites remains unlock concern that need to be elucidated. Now, another big question is how to develop overcoming mechanisms for such challenges. Can we really overcome these current limitations faced by halide double perovskites so that we use them for sustainable commercialization? This research roadmap for performance improvement is suggested focusing on: materials surface and bulk engineering, band gap engineering, interfacial engineering, composition engineering, doping engineering, device architectural engineering, polar and domain order engineering. This was the reason that this review was developed in order to forward great contributions to the readers and commercial ventures.

The sustainable metabolic engineering (SME) concept was defined by Stalidzans and Dace as an approach for the selection of most sustainable metabolic engineering designs taking the economic, environmental and social components of sustainability into account. In the centre of sustainability calculations is a genome scale metabolic model that provides full balance of all incoming and outgoing metabolic fluxes at steady state. Therefore, sustainability indicators are assigned for each exchange reaction enabling calculation of sustainability features of consumption or production of each metabolite. The further development of the SME concept depends on its implementation at the computational level to acquire applicable results – sustainable production strain designs. This study proposes for the first time a workflow and tools of SME implementation using constraint based stoichiometric modelling, genome scale metabolic models and growth coupled product synthesis approach. For SME application demonstration purposes, a relatively simple engineering task has been carried out. The most sustainable designs have been identified using Escherichia coli as chassis organism, glucose as a substrate and gene deletions as metabolic engineering tool. A growth coupled production design tool has been used to reduce the variability of sustainability. The 10 000 most sustainable designs were producing succinate as the main product with the number of deleted genes ranging from two to ten. A big number of similar designs has been identified due to the combinatorial explosion of different alternative combinations of gene deletion sets that result in interruption of the same metabolic pathways with the same impact on the metabolism.

This study, based on proactive motivation theory, explores the relationship between perceived overqualification, digital leadership, and constructive deviant behavior, as well as generational differences. Using data collected in two waves from 596 employees, the results show that perceived overqualification positively influences constructive deviant behavior, and digital leadership enhances this effect. Employees born in the 1980s are most influenced by both factors, followed by those born in the 1990s, where the effect of digital leadership is less significant. The study suggests that effectively utilizing digital leadership and recognizing generational differences in perceived overqualification can help organizations better manage overqualified talent, improving employee satisfaction and productivity.

Common prosperity is the core goal of rural revitalization, and sustainable growth of farmers' income is an inevitable requirement. This study uses CLDS2016-2020 village and family level questionnaire data to reveal how the degree of village organization affects the sustainable growth of farmers' income, thus providing reference and decision-making for the local government to promote the increase of farmers' income and narrow the gap from the village level. The results show that the degree of village organization can significantly affect farmers' income, and the analysis results of the degree of formal organization are consistent with them. Specifically, for every 1% increase in the degree of village organization, the per capita household income will increase by 32.4%, among which the wage income will increase by 22.6%, the operational income will increase by 5%, the property income will increase by 0.8%, and the transfer income will increase by 4.2%. The estimation results through instrumental variables are consistent, and the results are robust. At the same time, improving the degree of village organization can also significantly increase the proportion of farmers' non-agricultural income and narrow the income gap among farmers. On the impact of heterogeneity, it is found that the geographical distance between villages and county and township governments, as well as the political identity and education level of farmers will affect the role of the degree of organization. The results of mechanism analysis show that improving the degree of village organization is mainly through promoting the circulation of agricultural land, socialized service of agricultural machinery and industrial and commercial capital to the countryside to increase farmers' income. The research revealed that the modernization of rural governance should be accelerated, and the degree of village organization should be improved, especially the degree of formal organization, so as to build a benign trust and cooperation relationship between the two village committees and the villagers, and implement policies and measures to improve the income of farmers according to local conditions. At the same time, strengthen the publicity and education in party member to improve the proportion of rural party member and the education level of farmers.

The increasing adoption of student-centred learning environs by the institutions of higher education in business, has led to new mechanisms and methodologies such as the Simulation-Based Learning (SBL), Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Challenge-Based Learning (CBL). Literature has shown evidence of raising interest in these methodologies towards a more experiential paradigm with regard to upcoming events from the surrounding real-world context. This paper presents a Systematic Bibliographic Literature Review (SBLR) with respect to the integration and application of these innovative and collaborative methodologies in higher education. It aimed to identify its relevant advantages, challenges, and consequences for the future of business education. Bibliographic databases were searched for documents published up to May 2024 to categorize key topics discussed in the literature on SBL, PBL and CBL. The review process identified 89 empirical and non-empirical papers on SBL, PBL and CBL, business related paperwork, which resulted from the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method. PRISMA is a framework with evidence-based data designed to help authors perform a systematic literature review. Data analysis revealed diverse subthemes for those methodologies uses in business higher education institutions. The research questions “What are the advantages, challenges and implications of SBL, PBL and CBL altogether, in the training of business students?” guided the study. The central output of the research is the discovery of the varying uses of SBL, PBL and CBL overall, to cope with diverse demands arising within environmental context. Future research directions are suggested.

Introduction: The escalating morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs associated with invasive candidiasis pose significant challenges in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Conventional diagnostic methods fall short in effectiveness, while various risk factors exacerbate the prevalence of these infections. This study introduces a novel model that amalgamates the Candida Score with key predictors to enhance the specificity and applicability of mortality risk assessments for pediatric patients with fungemia. Methods: This retrospective cohort study aimed to develop an integrated model for estimating mortality risk in children with fungemia in PICUs. We constructed and evaluated multiple predictive models using the Candida Score and other relevant clinical and laboratory variables. The discriminative abilities of the models were assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: The study cohort comprised 85 pediatric patients admitted between 2016 and 2020, with a median age of 6 months and a male predominance of 62.4%. The mortality rate was 45.9%. Candida albicans was the most prevalent causative agent, accounting for 37.55% of fungemia cases. Multivariable Logistic regression revealed the duration of mechanical ventilation, and the Candida Score were significant predictors of mortality. Each additional day of ventilation increased mortality odds by 11.5% (OR = 1.115, 95% CI: 1.025-1.212, p = 0.011), while a higher Candida Score more than doubled the odds (OR = 2.205, 95% CI: 1.359-3.578, p = 0.001).The Random Forest predictive model demonstrated superior discriminative performance, with an AUC of 0.838 (95% CI: 0.738-0.917), outperforming Gradient Boosting and Logistic Regression models, which had AUCs of 0.7759 (95% CI: 0.667-0.877) and 0.7085 (95% CI: 0.589-0.813), respectively. Although the internal validation yielded satisfactory results, external validation is warranted. Conclusion: This study presents an innovative approach for accurately assessing the risk of mortality due to fungemia in PICU patients by integrating the Candida Score with critical predictors. The Random Forest model emerged as the most effective predictive tool due to its exceptional discriminative ability.

Habenaria, a member of Orchidaceae family is the cosmopolitan distributions, which has significant medicinal and ornamental values. Regardless of morphology and molecular data that have been studied in recent times, the phylogenetic relationship is still under debate. Here, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the whole chloroplast (cp) genome of two species (Habenaria aitchisonii Rchb.f. and Habenaria tibetica Schltr.ex Limpricht) of Habenaria grown on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), and combined with seven already published cp genomes which may assist to uncover their genomic profiling. The two genomes ranged from 155259-155269 bp in length and both encoded 132 genes, including 86 protein, 38 tRNA and 8 rRNA. In the cp genomes, the tandem repeats (797), SSRs (2195) and diverse loci (3214) were identified. Comparative analyses of codon usage, amino frequency, microsatellite, oligo repeats and transition and transversion substitutions showed similarities among the species. Moreover, we identified 16 highly polymorphic regions with nucleotide diversity above 0.02, which may be suitable for robust authentic barcoding and inferring in the phylogeny of Habenaria species. Among the polymorphic regions, positive selection was significantly exerted on the several genes such as cemA, petA, and ycf1. This may suggest that the important adaptation stratagem for two Habenaria species on the QTP. The phylogenetic relationship displayed that H.aitchisonii and H. tibetica have closer relationship than others and the rest seven species clustered in the other three groups. Our findings also supported the idea that Habenaria could be divided into different sections. This study enriched the genomics resources of Habenaria, which may be helpful for the conservation efforts of these endangered species.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignant tumor of the liver and the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Liver transplantation (LT) is the best therapy for most patients with non-metastatic HCC. In recent years, the management of patients with HCC has changed considerably, thanks to the improvement of molecular biology knowledge and the introduction of immunotherapy. To date, systemic therapy is authorized in the Western world only in patients with advanced HCC. However, this therapy could lead not only to stabilize the tumour disease or improve survival but could display excellent response and lead to downstaging of the tumor that finally permits liver transplantation. There are increasing reports of patients that have performed liver transplantation after pretreatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, due to the intrinsic mechanism of ICIs to stimulate the immune response against tumors, they could also cause graft rejection. This review aims to evaluate the readiness and outcomes of liver transplantation in patients with advanced HCC who have previously undergone treatment with ICIs. It seeks to identify the challenges, risks, and benefits associated with this conversion therapy. The integration of ICIs into the treatment paradigm for advanced HCC necessitates a nuanced approach to liver transplantation. While early evidence supports the feasibility of LT following ICI therapy, there is an urgent need for standardized guidelines and more extensive longitudinal studies to optimize patient selection, timing, and post-transplant management.

Surface water plays a crucial role in climate change, human production, and life, making accurate monitoring and observation of surface water particularly important. However, due to the significant diversity and complexity of water distribution in surface space, accurate mapping of surface water faces considerable challenges. When extracting water bodies from medium-resolution satellite remote sensing images, CNN methods may suffer from limitations in receptive fields and insufficient context modeling capabilities, leading to the loss of water body boundary details and poor fusion of multiscale features. Currently, there is relatively little research on this issue; therefore, it is necessary to explore new combinations of deep learning networks to address these challenges. The purpose of this study is to address the above issues. We propose a new combination of deep learning networks that fully utilize multiscale information to enhance water features. Specifically, we first combine deformable convolutions with the Swin Transformer to increase effective receptive fields while better integrating global semantic information. This combination can capture features of water bodies at different scales, improve the accuracy and integrity of water extraction, and provide reliable technical support for detailed water body extraction. We tested the newly constructed model using Sentinel-2 satellite images. Our model achieved results of over 90%, with an average accuracy of 97.89%, average precision of 94.98%, average recall of 90.05%, and an average F1 score of 92.33%. In addition, our model achieved an accuracy of 98.03% in mountainous areas. Our experiments and results validate the potential of combining the Swin Transformer and deformable convolutions in detailed water body extraction.

Hydrogels have gained significant attention as vehicles for transdermal delivery systems. These polymeric-structured substances have been implemented in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. Many factors are employed in their preparation. Light, pH, temperature and specific molecules ligands are commonly used in the production of hydrogels. The Transdermal delivery system (TDD) is a widely used route, used to deliver actives/drugs via the skin. Hydrogels as a TDD have been shown to be efficient in enhancing the efficacy in delivering the actives and drugs. The aim of this review is to discuss the hydrogels application in both dermatological therapeutic and cosmetic applications, covering the types, and properties of hydrogel polymer networks. Furthermore, this review presents one of the most extensively used polymers (Hyaluronic acid HA) in this field and discusses the properties, preparation methods and applications of HA hydrogel patches as a delivery system, including methods of loading the actives and the releasing of these actives from them.

The deaf-mute and individuals with hearing disabilities who communicate through sign language should not be overlooked or excluded. It is a social responsibility to strive for an inclusive world without inequality. Advances in technology offer various solutions to address the communication gap, one of which is the use of computer-based sign language recognition systems. This project proposes a Malaysian Sign Language recognition model utilizing MobileNetV1, a convolutional neural network-based algorithm, to interpret sign language in real-time settings through a website application using Streamlit. The outcome of the model test shows that it has achieved a recognition rate of 96 percent. Although the proposed model has demonstrated the ability to recognize sign language, it is suggested that further improvement can be achieved by enhancing the quality and diversity of the dataset. The implementation of a more comprehensive dataset would lead to improved performance and increased accuracy of the model. This project underscores the importance of considering and accommodating the needs of the deaf-mute and individuals with hearing disabilities and highlights the potential of technology to bridge communication barriers and achieve a more inclusive society.

Immunotherapy, particularly Immune Checkpoint Blockade (ICB), has demonstrated significant efficacy in treating melanoma in recent years. However, accurately predicting treatment success and avoiding ineffective therapies remains an unresolved challenge. Therefore, this study aims to develop statistical models utilizing neural networks to forecast the effectiveness of immune checkpoint therapies for melanoma patients. Our models primarily rely on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to anticipate both Overall Survival (OS) and Progression-Free Survival (PFS) among melanoma patients undergoing anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD1/anti-PDL1 therapy. We incorporate gene expression data, measured in Transcripts per Million (TPM), derived from bulk tumor RNA-sequencing datasets. Additionally, clinical variables such as gender, age, and treatment type are factored into our analysis. The ANN underwent optimization to attain the highest feasible precision in anticipating the predetermined survival outcome. Issues stemming from high-dimensional data, such as overfitting, were tackled through regularization and feature selection methods. Consequently, the ANN-based model incorporating feature selection exhibited the capacity to forecast survival (PFS) in response to ICB therapy with a maximal precision of 86%. Conversely, the ANN lacking feature selection but incorporating regularization achieved accuracies of up to 72% for PFS and 71% for OS, correspondingly. In order to confront the challenge posed by limited patient samples and to assess replicability, the model underwent training and validation based on the amalgamation of all five datasets. However, this amalgamation failed to enhance predictive performance, necessitating further investigations.

The institutionalization of people with intellectual disabilities has been a common international response across cultures and generations that persists to this day. This chapter recounts its inheritance and manifestation in modern service provision. An institutional mind-set persists among clinicians and managers despite policies that emphasise the rights of persons with intellectual disability and anti-discriminatory practice. Alternative provision is rooted in person-centred practice; with a growing body of evidence for the improved quality of life that results from it. A reflective activity encourages readers to examine a recent case when they were associated with an institutional placement and what alternatives might have been sought. Yet alliances with other professionals, self-advocates and family carers will be needed to effect real and lasting changes in our service cultures and even then, the long shadows of institutional care may still persist.

Objective To investigate nailfold capillary parameters in community-dwelling individuals aged over 60 years who have hypertension and do not exercise regularly. Furthermore, the study examined the correlations between capillary function and other health-related indicators. Design A single- center pilot trial Setting Faculty of Health, Tsukuba University of Technology, Japan Participants hypertensive community-dwelling elderly people Intervention Microcirculation was observed before and 1 min after arm-curl exercise by means microscopy of capillary with non-exercised limb. Additionally, we examined other health-related indicators. Outcome measures: Acute effects of reperfusion on nailfold density, flow, and diameters. Secondary outcomes included the correlations between microvascular parameters and other health-related indicators. We hypothesized that brief exercise could enhance microcirculation reperfusion and correlate with other health-related parameters.　 Results: There were 20 participants with a mean (SD) age of 67.1 (5.8) years. The capillary flow rate changed from 2.3±6.7 to 2.7±0.2 log µm/s (P

There is a growing urgency to address society’s complex issues, many of which are incorporated within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Higher education has a special role and responsibility to support and promote these goals. The SDG framework helps students understand SDGs, but special competencies are necessary to address them effectively. Sustainability competencies impart the personal/emotional development missing from current programming, but higher education institutions have been reluctant to introduce them into the curricula. This study examines the ongoing debate about integrating sustainability competencies into higher education curricula. We employed a scoping review to synthesize the current issues and highlight key barriers to changing the curricula. Contrary to a commonly expressed theme in the literature, scholarly opinion has converged around a singular model for sustainability competencies, the framework proposed by Wiek et al. (2011) and the 2021 update. Integrating sustainability competencies into management education responds to SDG-4 (quality education) and yields far-reaching impacts. The interconnectedness of the goals means that students acquire the competency to understand, address, and promote various SDGs. Given the absence of a policy decision to integrate sustainability competencies into higher education curricula, this paper provides a timely summary of the issues to focus on discussion and potential action. The focus is on business schools and changing management education. Business schools have been selected given the heightened demand from society for businesses to be more involved in and share responsibility for complex global issues like sustainability.

Transitioning towards sustainable food systems and sustainable diets is critical in reducing environmental impact and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations General Assembly. This transition requires collaborative efforts across multiple stakeholders, including the general public’s knowledge and attitudes. To assess the knowledge and attitudes towards food sustainability we carried out a cross-sectional study among Kuwait University students with a total of 278 participants aged ≥18 years (78% females and 22% males). A validated questionnaire was used for this study. Most respondents (&gt;70%) recognized the concept of “local food” and “environmental impact.” The concept “green water-blue water” was least recognized among respondents (75%). Participants perceived that a sustainable diet was rich in vegetables, included plenty of fresh products and was affordable. Participants (&gt;66%) perceived that a positive impact of meat and its derivatives towards sustainability, a misconception most common among males. Overall, participants with more knowledge about environmental concepts showed favorable attitudes towards a sustainable diet. Women showed more interest in changing their current dietary habits towards food sustainability. In conclusion, despite participants’ positive attitude towards food sustainability, lack of understanding persists, necessitating public health interventions aimed at educating consumers about sustainable diets and its impact on the environment.

The main proteinase (Mpro), or 3CLpro, is a critical enzyme in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lifecycle and is responsible for breaking down and releasing vital functional viral proteins crucial for virus development and transmission. As a catalytically active dimer, its dimerization interface has become an attractive target for antiviral drug development. Recent research has extensively investigated the enzymatic activity of Mpro, focusing on its role in regulating the coronavirus replication complex and its significance in virus maturation and infectivity. Computational investigations have identified four druggable pockets, suggesting potential allosteric sites beyond the substrate-binding region. Empirical validation through site-directed alanine mutagenesis targeted residues in both the active and allosteric regions corroborated these predictions. Structural studies of drug target proteins can inform therapeutic approaches, with metadynamics simulations shedding light on the role of H163 in regulating Mpro function and providing insights into its dynamic equilibrium to the wild-type enzyme. Despite the efficacy of vaccines and drugs in mitigating SARS-CoV-2 spread, ongoing viral evolution, selective pressures, and continued transmission pose challenges, potentially leading to resistance mutations. Phylogenetic analyses indicated the existence of several resistance variations predating drug introduction to the human population, emphasizing the likelihood of drug spread. Hydrogen/deuterium-exchange mass spectrometry reveals the structural influence of the mutation, while clinical trials on 3CLPro inhibitors underscore the clinical significance of reduced enzymatic activity and offer avenues for future therapeutic exploration. Understanding the implications of 3CLPro mutations holds promise for shaping forthcoming therapeutic strategies against COVID-19. This review delves into factors influencing mutation rates and identifies areas warranting further investigation, providing a comprehensive overview of Mpro mutations, their categorization, and terminology. Moreover, we examined their associations with clinical outcomes, illness severity, unresolved issues, and future research prospects, including their impact on vaccine efficacy and potential therapeutic targeting.

Limited research has been conducted on the metabolites present in the essential oils (EOs) of Phlomoides rotata (Benth. ex Hook. f.) Mathiesen (PR, syn. Lamiophlomis rotata (Benth.) Kudô), and their potential pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant properties, are often overlooked. We conducted a metabolomics-based screening to identify the characteristic metabolites (CMs) in the EOs extracted from PR. Meanwhile, we evaluated their in vitro antioxidant activities (AOAs). The EOs obtained through hydro-distillation are characterized by a light yellow color and a fresh, elegant fragrance. Cryoprecipitation was used to separate the crystals (Crs) from the EOs, resulting in the crystal-free EOs (CFs). A total of 121 components are identified and quantified in the EOs, Crs, and CFs. Among them, 84 were reported for the first time from such EOs. The major compounds include long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and their esters, such as palmitic acid (PA), myristic acid (MA), linoleic acid (LA), oleic acid (OA), stearic acid, and methyl palmitate (MP). Furthermore, 11 kinds of apocarotenoids (also called norisoprenoids) were first systematically investigated. Among them, eight C13-norisoprenoids, with trans-β-damascenone (DN) being particularly notable for its flavor, were identified. A sum of 11 CMs are screened , including PA, MA, LA, OA, MP, hexahydrofarnesyl acetone, phytol (PT), DN, stearic acid, linalool, and hexanal. These CMs are biosynthesized through FAs and 2-C-Methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate/1-Deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate pathways. The in vitro AOAs of EOs, Crs, CFs, and seven selected CMs (PA, MA, LA, OA, MP, PT, and DN) were evaluated. Generally, PA and MA exhibited pro-oxidant activities (POAs) or weak AOAs. LA and OA demonstrated POAs or weak AOAs at lower concentrations, but at higher concentrations, they displayed medium to strong AOAs. Importantly, the CFs typically exhibited stronger AOAs compared to the corresponding EOs and Crs, potentially due to variations in their PA content. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the potential utilization of EOs from PR.

This study examines the evolution and eventual decline of the spirit of primitive federalism within Confucianism, tracing its trajectory from the time of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius to the significant reinterpretations by Dong Zhongshu. The Duke of Zhou's establishment of a confederation-like system and the "Zhou ritual norms" laid the groundwork for a political structure that embraced diversity and distributed power among states, reflecting a proto-federalist concept. Confucius's teachings continued this legacy, advocating for a return to the systems of the Duke's era, where both the central government and local states shared responsibilities and rights. The crux of this study lies within its fourth section, which narrates a tale of transformation happened under Emperor Wu of Han, where Dong Zhongshu distorted the original Confucianism and reinterpreted it as a centralized ideology. In Confucian theory, the shift involved the suppression of alternative philosophies, the establishment of Confucianism as the state's dominant ideology, and a reinterpretation of Confucianism that supported an centralized framework and cultural assimilation. In political practice, he re-envisioned the role of feudal lords as administrative extensions of a centralized government, effectively eroding local autonomy and shifting towards a unified, centralized system. Under the auspices of political authority, Confucian theory was transformed from a federalist theory promoting diversity, inclusivity and advocating decentralization, to one that legitimized a centralized and unified system.

This study used a completely randomized design with a bifactorial arrangement in triplicate to evaluate dif-ferent concentrations of flavonoid extracts from orange (Citrus sinensis), onion (Allium cepa), tamarillo (So-lanum betaceum) and cocoa (Theobroma cacao) peels in combination with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to inhibit the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in fruit juices. The shells were dehydrated at 50-57 °C for 8 hours and pulverized. The dehydration yields were: orange (32 %), onion (13 %), tamarillo (14 %) and cocoa (34 %). Flavonoids were extracted with Soxhlet using 70% ethanol for 5 hours, concentrating with a rotary evaporator. They were quantified by UV spectrophotometry and the Folin-Ciocalteu method, being the highest in orange (300,75-372,60 mg Q/L) and onion (205,70-534,96 mg Q/L), while tamarillo presented the lowest, with possible errors in the measurement. Soluble solids losses ranged from 2,30 g (cocoa) to 5,27 g (orange). Cocoa and orange extracts showed greater potential as natural preservatives, inhibiting the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in fruit juices, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 300 µg/mL and 400 µg/mL, re-spectively.

Fluorinated cytokinins have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional cytokinins in plant tissue culture, offering enhanced stability and bioactivity. However, their metabolic fate and impact on endogenous cytokinin profiles remain largely unexplored. This study investigated the cytokinin metabolism of Phalaenopsis orchids under varying exogenous cytokinin treatments (BA, FmT, FmTR) and culture conditions (open vs. closed containers). The results reveal distinct metabolic profiles associated with each treatment, highlighting the complex interplay between exogenous and endogenous cytokinin levels. Additionally, we proposed an alternative inactivation pathway involving the conversion of FmTR and BA to pT and pTR. These findings provide valuable insights into the intricate relationship between cytokinin metabolism and plant growth under in vitro conditions, with implications for optimizing micropropagation protocols

The increasing focus on sustainability and the adoption of green practices across industries underscore the necessity of equipping future professionals with competencies in implementing sustainable solutions. This study explores the perceptions of former students from two departments within the technological sector towards sustainability practices. A cross-sectional online survey was carried out among alumni from two programs at the University of Thessaly, a university recognized for its commitment to sustainability and green initiatives as a member of the INVEST European University alliance. The survey questionnaire included background inquiries and 16 statements designed to gauge alumni perspectives towards sustainability practices. Specifically, it aims to assess their views through self-assessment and compare differences between the two alumni groups. Responses were collected on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. A total of 300 graduates from the Computer Science and Telecommunications as well as Electrical Engineering undergraduate programs were encouraged to take part in the survey, achieving a response rate of 69%. Of those who responded, 61% (n = 126) represented the Computer Science and Telecommunications group, while 39% (n = 81) were from the Electrical Engineering program. Our findings indicate a generally positive attitude towards sustainability, with statistically significant differences in perspectives on the implementation of sustainable technologies and stakeholder engagement. These results underscore the necessity of integrating sustainability education deeply within the curricula of technological programs to cultivate a workforce capable of addressing future environmental challenges. This study illuminates the critical role of educational frameworks in shaping the sustainability competencies of technology professionals.

Introduction: Glomerulopathy is a term used to describe a broad spectrum of renal diseases, character-ized by dysfunction of glomerular filtration barrier, especially of podocytes. Several podocyte-associated proteins have been found and proved their usefulness as urine markers of podocyte dysfunction. Two of them are nephrin (NEP) and prodocalyxin (PDC). Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the association of podocyte damage, as it is demonstrated via the concentrations of urinary proteins, with clinical and histological data from patients with several types of glomerulonephritis. Methods: We measured urine levels of two podocyte-specific markers, NEP and PDC (corrected for urine creatinine levels), in patients with a wide range of glomerulopathies. Serum and urine parameters as well as histological parameters from renal biopsy were recorded. Results: In total, data from 37 patients with glomerulonephritis and 5 healthy controls were analyzed. PDC and NEP concentrations correlated between them and with serum creatinine levels (p=0.001 and p=0.013 respectively), and with histological lesions associated with chronicity index of renal cortex, such as severe interstitial fibrosis, severe tubular atrophy and hyalinosis (for PDC/NEP, all p3gr/24h with diffuse fusion of podocyte foot processes (p=0.016) was identified. Conclusions: Podocalyxin and nephrin concentrations in urine represent markers of podocyte dysfunction and in our study they were associated both with serum creatinine and histological chronicity indices.

The rise of the Internet has enabled people to express their opinions on various subjects through social media, blogs, and website comments. As a result, there has been a significant increase in research on sentiment analysis. However, most of the research efforts have focused on analyzing sentiment in English-language data, neglecting the wealth of information available in other languages. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of the current state-of-the-art in multilingual sentiment analysis. The survey investigates techniques for data preprocessing, representation learning, and feature extraction in multilingual sentiment analysis. It explores cross-lingual transfer learning, domain adaptation, and data augmentation methods that enhance the performance of sentiment analysis models, particularly in low-resource languages and domains. It provides insights into the state-of-the-art approaches, challenges, and opportunities in this evolving field and encourages further advancements in multilingual sentiment analysis research.

The paper presents the observational, remote sensing and model simulation to analyze Southern Brazil Antarctic Ozone Hole influence (SBAOHI) events occurred between 2005 and 2014. To an-alyze it we use Total Ozone Column (TOC) data provide by Brewer Spectrophotometer (BS) and OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) instrument satellite, besides the AURA/MLS (Microwave Limb Sounder) instrument satellite ozone profiles was utilized with DYBAL (Dynamical Barrier Localization) code in MIMOSA (Modélisation Isentrope du transport Mésoéchelle de l’Ozone Stratosphérique par Advection) model Potential Vorticity (PV) fields. TOC has 7.0 ± 2.9 DU re-ductions average in 62 events. October have more events (30.7%). Polar Tongue events are 19.3% of total, being in October more frequently observed (50% of cases), with medium intensity (58.2%) and in stratosphere medium levels (55.0%). Already Polar Filament events (80.7%) are more frequent in September (32.0%), medium intensity (42.0%) and in stratosphere medium lev-els (40.7%). ENSO index positive phase influenced 61.3% of events, having dominance in all in-tensity categories (minor 57.9%, medium 51.6%, major 58.3%), while the equilibrium dominate the QBO influence with 50% of total cases in positive phase and 50 % in negative phase.

UVA1 phototherapy has been reported to mediate some of its effects via FICZ/AHR/MAPK signaling. A proof-of-concept study was performed to assess whether a topical solution of L tryptophan formulated to favor the generation 6-formylindolo[3,2-b] carbazole (FICZ) demonstrated activity at the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) as assessed by the intensity of cytochrome P450 1A2 staining. Ten participants applied a trial agent consisting of L- tryptophan, lecithin, polyvinyl alcohol and ethanol followed by 36 sessions of graduated sun exposure increasing to a total of 20 Joules per square centimetre. At the end of the trial, biopsies were taken from a treated site with photo-protected buttock skin used as a control. Assessment was via intensity of cytochrome P450 1A2 staining. An average baseline value of 53488923 units was obtained at the control site and 972214294 at the treatment site supporting the concept that this preparation displays activity at the AHR. As the components of this preparation are known to have UV absorbing properties and are potentially permissive of UVA-1 transmission, UV absorbance was assessed for natural sunlight and at 365 and 395nm confirming strong absorption in the UVB and UVA-2 spectra with partial transmission in the UVA-1 spectrum.

In diabetic foot injury prevention, no studies relate physical activity with the inflammatory response of the plantar tissues, evaluated by thermography and pressure distribution. These measurements are easy to be implemented in diabetic foot follow-up. The objective of this study was to analyze whether the plantar skin response, evaluated with thermography, after physical activity in healthy or diabetic patients, is a foot ulcer prognostic tool and to asses if there is a correlation between exercise intensity, plantar pressure and plantar thermographic response. A systematic review was carried out following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) format in the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases, with no year limit during the second quarter of 2024. A total of 14 studies have been included in this review. The use of infrared thermography for early inflammatory tissue detection, plantar pressures and the monitoring of controlled physical activity, make possible to monitor changes that allow the identification of patients at risk of developing foot ulcers.

A major problem of the technological production process of the metallurgical-grade silicon is formation of a large amount of microsilica. However, this material can be a significant source of raw materials for its own production. Hence, this study is aimed to solve the problem of micro-silica utilization, i.e. the technogenic dust-like waste generated during the melting of the technical-grade silicon. Within this study, the technology of the joint briquetting of microsilica was investigated with the carbonaceous reducing agents, i.e. by obtaining of mono-charge and by melting of the technical-grade silicon from the obtained mono-charge in the 200kVA ore-thermal furnace. Results of the study show that the briquettes in the melting process of the technical-grade silicon can be used in the range from 0 to 50%. The using of briquettes may significantly improve the technological parameters. When briquetted charge is applied only, the technological parameters will deteriorate significantly. The material balance of silicon melting showed the recovery rates of the main elements (Si, Al, Ca and Fe). It recorded a decrease in content of aluminum from 1.9-2.1% to 0.5-0.7%, calcium from 0.2-0.3% to 0.07-0.1% and titanium from 0.2-0.23% to 0.11-0.13% during the transition to briquetted monocharge. Phosphorus content increased from 0.004-0.005 to 0.011-0.013%.

Treating central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) is challenging due to high recurrence rates and variable therapy responses. This study examines the efficacy of various treatments in reducing CGCG recurrence. A literature review explored outcomes of surgical excision, curettage, intralesional corticosteroid injection, and adjuvant therapy, considering factors like lesion location, size, and histological features. Aggressive surgical techniques such as en bloc resection were found to potentially lower recurrence rates compared to conservative approaches. However, treatment should be tailored to individual patient needs. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and improve treatment strategies. A concise literature review was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar, focusing on papers published from 1986 to 2024. Search terms included "central giant cell granuloma," "recurrence," "treatment modalities," and "surgical excision". Studies reporting recurrence rates and treatment outcomes for CGCG were analyzed. Twenty-nine studies were reviewed, including six studies on surgical excision and curettage, eight studies on intralesional corticosteroid injections, six studies on calcitonin therapy, five studies on interferon alpha therapy and four studies on the therapy with denosumab. Analysis indicated that aggressive surgical treatments like en bloc resection were associated with lower recurrence rates compared to conservative methods. Predictors of recurrence included lesion size (&gt;3 cm), location (mandible), and aggressive histopathological features. Aggressive surgical excision combined with nonsurgical methods may lower recurrence rates, while conservative techniques remain viable in some cases. Further prospective research is needed to validate these findings and enhance CGCG treatment options.

The clothing industry is a hotbed for exploitative working conditions and environmental damages, of which affluent global North countries remain a substantial driver. The circular economy is a potential solution to these issues, but its social implications remain unclear. Using the UK as a case study, this article analyses the global social impacts of a transition to circular clothing economies in the global North, finding these to be (almost) entirely dependent upon the intentions and design of the associated politics. Some aspects of a transition will be unambiguously good for some people; others will only be beneficial with careful governance. Moreover, entrenched global economic inequalities leave trade-offs borne largely by the global South, highlighting the need for circular economy research – its drive for localisation notwithstanding – to look globally to consider how a fair transition can be achieved.

This research aims to explore the adoption and impact of green supply chain practices (GSCP) on sustainable development in Bangladesh. The study seeks to understand the current state of GSCP adoption across various industries, identify key drivers and barriers, assess the perceived benefits and challenges, and evaluate the overall impact on environmental sustainability, economic performance, and social well-being. The research employs a qualitative approach, utilizing interviews with key stakeholders, document analysis, and literature review to gather data and insights. Interviews were conducted with representatives from government agencies, businesses, civil society organizations, and academia to obtain diverse perspectives on GSCP adoption and its implications for sustainable development in Bangladesh. The findings reveal a mixed scenario of GSCP adoption across different industries in Bangladesh, with sectors such as textiles leading the way. Key drivers of GSCP adoption include regulatory pressures, market forces, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and financial incentives. However, organizations face significant barriers such as high upfront costs, lack of awareness and expertise, regulatory uncertainty, and supply chain complexity. Despite these challenges, GSCP offer various benefits, including environmental sustainability, economic performance, and social well-being. Successful initiatives demonstrate tangible impacts, highlighting the potential of GSCP to contribute to sustainable development. The research is limited by its qualitative nature and focus on selected industries and stakeholders. Future studies could employ quantitative methods and broader sampling to provide a more comprehensive understanding of GSCP adoption and its implications in Bangladesh. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and other stakeholders to promote GSCP adoption and enhance sustainable development in Bangladesh. Strategies for overcoming barriers and maximizing benefits are outlined, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and capacity-building initiatives. GSCP adoption can have positive social implications by promoting ethical labor practices, improving working conditions, and fostering community engagement. By prioritizing sustainability, businesses can contribute to social well-being and inclusive growth. This research contributes to the literature on GSCP adoption and sustainable development in Bangladesh by providing empirical insights and practical recommendations. The study adds to the understanding of the drivers, barriers, benefits, and challenges associated with GSCP adoption, highlighting the importance of integrating environmental, economic, and social considerations in supply chain management.

The Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (D. citri) is one of the major pests in the citrus industry, which spreads Citrus Huanglongbing disease. It has developed resistance to chemical insecticides. Therefore, searching for greener solutions for pest management is critically important. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the repellent and insecticidal efficacy of essential oils (EOs) from four species of Myrtaceae plants: Psidium guajava (PG), Eucalyptus robusta (ER), Eucalyptus tereticornis (ET), and Baeckea frutescens (BF) against D. citri and to analyze their chemical composition. GC-MS analysis was performed, and the results indicated that the EOs of PG, ER, ET, and BF were rich in terpenoids, ketones, esters, and alcohol compounds. The repellent rate of all four EOs showed that it decreased with exposure time but increased with concentrations of EOs. Repellent rates ranged from 80.50% to 100.00% after treating D. citri for 6 hours with four EOs at 100% concentration and decreased to 67.71% to 85.49% after 24 hours of exposure. Among the compounds from the EOs tested, eucalyptol had the strongest repellent activity, with a 24-hour repellency rate of 100%. The contact toxicity bioassay results showed that all EOs have insecticidal toxicity to D. citri; the LC50 for nymphs was 36.47-93.15 mL/L, and for adults, it was 60.72-111.00 mL/L. These results show that when PG is used as the reference material, both ER, ET, and BF EOs have strong biological activity against D. citri, which provides a scientific basis for the further development of plant-derived agrochemicals.

The purpose of this research is to examine the benefits and limitations of implementation of novel digital academic advising systems using automated collection and reporting processes for ABET student outcomes data based on principles of authentic OBE for effective developmental advising. We examine digital developmental advising models of undergraduate engineering programs in two universities that employ customized features of the web-based software EvalTools® - Advising Module based on assessment methodology incorporating the Faculty Course Assessment Report, Performance Indicators and hybrid rubrics classified according to the affective, cognitive and psychomotor domains of Bloom’s learning model. A case study approach over a six-year period is adopted for this research. The two case studies present results of samples of developmental advising activity employing sequential explanatory mixed methods models using a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses of a) detailed students’ outcomes and Performance Indicators information; and b) self-evaluation of their professional development and lifelong learning skills. The findings of this study show that digital advising systems employing the Faculty Course Assessment Report using Performance Indicators and hybrid rubrics can provide comprehensive and realistic outcomes data to help both developmental advisors and students easily identify the specific cause of performance failures, implement practical recommendations for remedial actions and track improvements. Inherent strong skills can also be identified in academically weak students by observing patterns or trends of relatively better performing outcomes to reinforce natural affinity for learning specialized competencies and pursue related and successful career paths.

Medical image segmentation is a critical step in various healthcare applications, aiding in diagnosis, treatment planning, and disease monitoring. In this study, we investigate the efficacy of a segmentation approach based on the 2D wavelet transform. Leveraging a dataset comprising 10 diverse medical images, we evaluate the performance of our segmentation method using three key metrics: accuracy, precision, and recall. Our findings demonstrate that the proposed approach enhances segmentation accuracy, offering promising results compared to existing methods. By harnessing the multi-resolution feature extraction capabilities of the 2D wavelet transform, our method achieves improved delineation of medical image structures, paving the way for more accurate and efficient healthcare interventions.

This study presents a groundbreaking approach in the field of gaming AI, focusing on the classic game” Pacman” through the lens of DRL integrated with advanced optimization techniques. The core of the research involves adapting DRL models for” Pacman”, utilizing the ESO for hyper- parameter tuning. These novel adaptations significantly enhance the AI agent’s performance, demonstrating a remarkable improvement in adaptability, responsiveness, and efficiency within the game environment. A pivotal aspect of this research is the innovative integration of metaheuristic optimization techniques into the DRL framework, a first in the domain of Atari gaming AI. This integration has proven essential in fine-tuning the DRL models, leading to a more effective and dynamic gaming experience. The study thoroughly evaluates and compares the performance of these algorithms, providing empirical support for their effectiveness and setting a new benchmark in AI-driven game development. The implications of this research extend beyond gaming AI, opening up possibilities for future exploration in several directions. Expanding DRL models to other complex gaming environments, continuous algorithmic enhancements, real-time learning adaptations, and applying these principles to robotics and autonomous vehicles are examples. The research also emphasizes ethical and responsible AI use in gaming to address fairness and addiction issues.

Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent and serious brain disorders, affecting 70 million people worldwide. Antiseizure medications (ASMs) though relieve symptoms and prevent the occurrence of future seizures in epileptic patients have limited effect on epileptogenesis. Addressing the multifaceted nature of epileptogenesis and its association with Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated neuroinflammation requires a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms for development of targeted therapeutic strategies beyond conventional antiseizure treatments. Several types of NLRP3 inhibitors have been developed and their effect has been validated both in vitro and in vivo models of epileptogenesis. In this review, we discuss the advances in understanding the regulatory mechanisms of NLRP3 activation as well as progress made and challenges facing in the development of NLRP3 inhibitors for the treatment of epilepsy.

The present study explored whether exposure to complex childhood trauma (CCT) is reflected in the resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) temporal alpha power of complex trauma-exposed adolescents, given the association of temporal alpha with fear circuitry (learning and conditioning) in a sample of 25 adolescents and similar controls, ages 12-17 years. Both trauma and psychopathology were screened or assessed, and resting-state EEG was recorded, following a preregistered protocol for data collection. Temporal alpha power, corresponding to T5 and T6 electrode location (10-20 international system), was extracted from resting-state EEG in both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. We found that in the eyes-open condition, right, but not left, temporal alpha was significantly higher in adolescents exposed to CCT, relative to healthy controls, suggesting that childhood trauma exposure may have a measurable impact on alpha oscillatory patterns, specifically in the right temporal region. Our study highlights the importance of considering neural markers, such as temporal alpha power, in understanding the long-term consequences of CCT exposure in developmental samples, with possible important clinical implications in guiding neuroregulation interventions.

Verification of inclusivity of molecular detection methods gives indications on the reliability of viral infections diagnosis because of the tendency of viral pathogens to undergo sequence variation. This study was aimed to select inclusive probe based reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assays for the diagnosis of the most widespread and detrimental viruses infecting honeybees, namely the acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), the black queen cell virus (BQCV), the chronic paralysis bee virus (CBPV), the deformed wing virus variants A (DWVA) and B (DWVB), and the sacbrood virus (SBV). Therefore, detection methods previously described were re-evaluated in silico for specificity and inclusivity. Based on this evaluation, selected methods were modified or new ones were designed and tested in duplex RT-qPCR reactions. The limits of detection (LODs), effect of multiplexing on sensitivity and viral RNA quantification potential in bees and hive debris were assessed. This study made available diagnostic assays able to detect an increased number of virus variants compared to previously described tests and two viral pathogens in a single PCR reaction.

Background This study aimed to identify the prominent risk factors that may trigger danger signals of early onset of vascular deregulation in T1D. The risk factors we have identified may serve as dual-purpose biomarkers of rapid diagnosis that offer prospective tailor-made resolution therapeutics. Methods The healthy control (HC) was compared with individuals diagnosed with T1D for the risk factors of vascular deregulation in published research studies from year 2013 to 2023. The PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were searched from 1/1/2013 to 1/9/2023. The risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane (ROBINS-I ) tool, which is relevant to clinical subjects. A random effect model for continuous data was followed and analysed by RevMan 5.4 and GraphPad Prism software. Results 80 relevant case-control studies having 5293 HC and 7492 T1D patients were included. The age and sex-matched HC consisted of persons free of disease and not under any medication while clinical subjects of all age groups were included. 28 risk factors were grouped into six primary outcome models, all of which favoured the T1D synonymous with a high risk of CVD. Conclusions Our findings have strong implications for improving the quality of life and health economics related to vascular disease in T1D. HbA1c% is the most effective biomarker, followed by FBG, LDL-C, and AI% which the clinicians could evaluate using a simple blood test or non-invasive techniques. (Protocol registered at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ CRD42022384636).

Coal bottom ash (CBA) is a byproduct of coal-burning power plants. This material can be used as a fine aggregate replacement in concrete to reduce global natural material depletion. Concrete usage is increasing rapidly; subsequently, the industry’s carbon footprint is increasing. Using CBA in the construction industry will reduce the technical and economic problems associated with power plants by reducing solid waste. This project aimed to determine if adding new sustainable materials, such as CBA, to concrete will reduce natural raw material usage, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions while improving performance. This study included two projects: comparing increased CBA content to the two-control project and determining the optimum content based on the compressive strength. The optimum CBA content is 50%, which reduces fine aggregate usage in a concrete mix by 50% while maintaining equivalent or better concrete strength than a pure Portland concrete mix without CBA. The air content of the concrete mix containing % CBA decreased with increased CBA content and compressive strength, possibly due to the spacing factor of the voids in the mix and CBA’s porous and fineness behavior. The CBA optimum content had a unit weight lower than the controls for both projects, which makes the CBA mix a lightweight concrete. Using this material can significantly reduce natural material usage and environmental harm by reducing CBA waste disposal and improving concrete performance.

To facilitate the promotion and application of the whole process engineering consulting (WPEC) model, the transmission mechanism of influencing factors in WPEC's promotion and application is investigated. It identifies and categorizes the influencing factors within the framework of "external environment-project factors-stakeholders", systematically organizing and summarizing ten primary categories and thirty-eight secondary influencing factors of WPEC's promotion and ap-plication. Utilizing the complex network analysis method, a network of influencing factors in the promotion and application of WPEC is constructed. The network is then converted into three binary networks based on weight, which are subjected to structural analysis and motif analysis. On this basis, the transmission mechanism of influencing factors in WPEC's promotion and applica-tion and its causations are explored.

Thrombosis after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination is a serious complication in patients who have a thrombophilic predisposition. In this case, a female patient with no family history of thrombophilia who had pediatric antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) when she was 6 years old; 6 months after receiving a second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine, DVT reoccurred. The original thrombi were found in the right common iliac vein and the inferior vena cava, with concomitant left pulmonary infarction. The patient was treated with anticoagulants for 6 years after DVT onset, with subsequent treatment cessation for 5 years without recurrence. She received the BNT162b2 vaccine at 17 years of age, 1 week before a routine outpatient visit. Platelet factor 4 elevation was detected 14 days after the first vaccination, persisting for 5 months without thrombotic symptoms. Six months after the second vaccine dose, the DVT recurred and was treated with a direct oral anticoagulant. The vaccine exacerbated the patient’s APS by activating coagulation, causing thrombosis recurrence. Platelet factor 4 levels may indicate coagulation status. When patients predisposed to thrombosis are vaccinated, coagulation status and platelet activation markers should be monitored to prevent DVT development.

Physical exercise is the greatest stress on the cardiovascular system, not only in humans but also in all vertebrates. Consequently, the cardiovascular response cannot be thought of as having only one "anthropocentric" interpretation. The modulation of cardiac output (Q) in response to exercise in the five major groups of vertebrates exhibits considerable variability. Moreover, the response of the heart rate (HR) and the stroke volume (SV), the fundamental factors that cause the rise in Q, is also highly variable. The difference in the range of HR is difficult to determine in many vertebrates, both at rest and at maximal effort. Additionally, the increase in SV varies among vertebrates. For example, while rainbow trout and leopards increase their SV by increasing end diastolic volume (EDV), humans do so at the expense of both increasing EDV and reducing end systolic volume (ESV). The variation in arterial pressure that arises during exercise varies notably among vertebrates, such as amphibians, whose blood pressure values do not increase as significantly as in mammals. Such differences in cardiovascular response among vertebrates may be linked to their habitat or living environment. This review aims to analyze the cardiovascular response of vertebrates to physical exercise as the most common stressor.

HIV incidence remains alarmingly high among female sex workers (FSWs) in low- and middle-income countries, with Uganda being no exception. The elevated risk of HIV transmission among this vulnerable population can be attributed to a complex interplay of factors, including engaging in sexual activities with multiple partners, inconsistent condom usage, substance use, and structural barriers, such as legal criminalization and pervasive stigmatization by healthcare providers. To combat this epidemic, various HIV prevention interventions have been devised, targeting these multi-faceted challenges. This study involved conducting focus groups among FSWs and healthcare providers in Uganda, with the overarching objective of informing the development of a tailored HIV prevention intervention aimed squarely at FSWs. Through these discussions, valuable insights were gained into FSWs’ perceptions of their HIV risk, their attitudes regarding HIV prevention strategies, and their recommendations regarding the content and delivery of future interventions.

Global environmental sustainability is a crucial issue, and Zambia, like many other countries, has particular potential and challenges in this regard. Environmental sustainability has been and is today a priority on the global development agenda due to serious issues emerging from extensive interference with human-related activities. Maintaining environmental sustainability is essential for preserving the nation's natural resources, fostering economic growth, and guaranteeing the welfare of its citizens. Even if there are many significant challenges, coordinated initiatives incorporating international cooperation, sustainable practices, and community engagement can open the door to a more sustainable future. While the ongoing discussion about environmental sustainability takes very diverse forms and concentrate on various aspects of the problem, this paper aims to discuss climate change, habitat and biodiversity, land degradation and agricultural constraints in the Zambian context. Using desktop approach, the paper will utilize reports, academic journals and policy documents in an attempt to define a common starting point from which to gain an understanding of the magnitude of the issue.

The importance of shifting to a sustainable economy, based on new capabilities that enable to cope with the current turbulent changes is paramount. Entrepreneurs with sustainable concerns are considered to play a key role in the process by creating innovative, proactive and risk assumption solutions, both with environmental and economic value. To date, there is no consensus on what capabilities education should provide to create sustainable entrepreneurs to cope with sustainability challenges. The aim of this piece of literature is to identify relevant factors for sustainable entrepreneurship education. Bibliographic databases were searched for documents published between 2012 and June 2023 to categorize central issues discussed in the literature on sustainable entrepreneurship education. The review process specifies 59 empirical and non-empirical papers at sustainable entrepreneurship education (SEE). Data analysis revealed diverse models for sustainable entrepreneurship education (SEE) developed for use in both higher education institutions and secondary schools. Future research directions are underscored.

Insurers act as institutional investors and underwriters of risk, therefore improving their own environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance is important for the transmission of ESG values to all other economic sectors. We analyze ESG scores of worldwide Property and Casualty (P&C) insurers during 2012-2022, and show that more sustainable insurers have high operating leverage, although their combined ratios and z-scores reveal that they are financially stable. Additional results for the US subsample illustrate that stocks issued by sustainable insurers deliver positive excess returns. Overall, these findings suggest that sustainable practices are associated with the ability of insurers to execute business and create value. This is important for insurance managers, investors, and policy makers, as insurers play a prominent role in promoting economic growth and stability.

The importance of transforming to a sustainable economy to protect against global crises such as climate change is widely recognized. Sustainable entrepreneurs are seen as playing a key role in this transformation process by creating innovative market solutions with environmental, social, and economic value. To date, there is no consensus on the skills education should deliver to create sustainable entrepreneurs to solve sustainability challenges. The goal of this article is to identify sustainable entrepreneurship education factors that enable effective education of future sustainable entrepreneurs. An academic search engine and bibliographic database were searched for documents written in English and published between 2012 and April 2023 to identify existing educational models discussed in the current literature in sustainable entrepreneurship education (SEE). The review process resulted in a set of 59 empirical and non-empirical papers on SEE. The data analysis revealed different educational frameworks for sustainable entrepreneurship (SE), both developed for use in higher education institutions and secondary schools.

Since last century, humanity has been using and disposing of resources at a greater rate than the Earth’s biocapacity to regenerate. Consequently, habitats are being destroyed, climate is changing and, for most, life conditions are deteriorating. To avoid collapse, humanity has been, at least in theory, trying to change the foundations of development so that it becomes ‘sustainable’ and, while meeting the social, economic and environmental needs of the present, does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. To help on this task, in the 1960s, UNESCO proposed the establishment of laboratories for developing and testing sustainable approaches. These became known as Biosphere Reserves or, simply, biospheres. Today, Biosphere Reserves are considered to be the main instrument for testing and monitoring sustainable development approaches. By 2020, there were more than 700 biospheres in over 120 countries around the world - one third of which are located in prosperous countries with very-high human development levels. As of today, there is no mechanism to objectively measure the effectiveness of these reserves that also allows comparison between biospheres, their development approaches and outcomes, or over time. The objective of this work is to present a tool that fulfills these gaps and that, additionally, helps with establishing aspirational targets and identifying key areas that need improvement. The tool focuses on Biosphere Reserves located in countries with very-high levels of human development (but can be easily adapted to other countries); it addresses the 17 sustainable development goals and considers relevant international agreements. It is based on the rational that, to become widely used, it needs to be simple. Therefore, it uses data collected for other ends, hence available, and commonly used technology, such as excel. The tool consists of a spreadsheet that links a punctuating and a colouring system to topics, criteria, indicators and measures. The case study was on the Sunshine Coast region (Australia), which is in the process of being nominated a biosphere reserve.

On these days, issues such as environmental degradation, wealth gap and unequal access to op-portunities and resources are increasing. These concerns have increased the need for sustainable entrepreneurship, defined as sustainable business practices. Entrepreneurship is central in transi-tioning towards a more sustainable future, whereas aligning the social, economic, and ecological objectives and ecological entrepreneurs play a role. This literature review analyzes the field of sustainable entrepreneurship and the extent of their integration in the global business arena. It aims to analyze the depth of existing pieces of literature on sustainable entrepreneurship, its defi-nitions and applications in business practices. The analysis relies upon a literature search on the SCOPUS database around the keywords ‘Sustainability’ and ‘Sustainable Entrepreneurship’. The scientific software VOSviewe is used to better ilustrate the linkage of major categories and correspondent trends, related both with business growth and maintenance of ecological systems. It concludes that the desired levels of sustainability require collaborations between all stakehold-ers, while the transition towards service‐oriented business models has contributed to the growth of sustainable entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, existing institutional structures favor current unsustainable businesses and systems over the newer sustainable ones, demanding from eco-preneurs to initiate institutional changes

The digital transition processes have demonstrated an enormous capacity to develop and implement sustainable solutions, which allow solving several problems such as poverty, high rates of species extinction and lack of equal opportunity. However, little attention is paid to the connection between the digital transition and sustainability. Thus, a systematic review of the bibliometric literature was developed to fill this knowledge gap and demonstrate the potential contributions of the digital transition to environmental, economic and social sustainability aspects. In environmental sustainability, the digital transition involves the application of technologies such as AI, big data analytics, IoT, and mobile technologies that are used to develop and implement sustainability solutions in areas such as sustainable urban development, sustainable production and pollution control. In economic sustainability, emerging digital technologies can drive transformation into the more sustainable circular economy, the digital sharing economy, and establish sustainable manufacturing and infrastructure design. In the digital transition to social sustainability, the studies analyzed demonstrate the need for multidimensional policy perspectives to address the current digital divide. For effective management of the digital transition that achieves sustainability goals, the study discusses alternative approaches that include innovation through experimentation, and dynamic and sustainable advantages achievable through temporary benefits.

The goals of the Agenda 2030 require a significant effort to educate and train new generations on sustainability issues. This article presents an initiative in favor of the evolution of the contents and the pedagogy of economics at the University level. We present the new “Ecological Money and Finance” textbook developed by SDSN France. We detail the assumptions, contents and learning objectives proposed in this new textbook. Then, we describe how it can be used in the framework of an experiential pedagogy of economics, taking as a case study the fundamental economics course of the Grande Ecole program at KEDGE BS.

Given the conceptual confusion between resilience and sustainability in organizations in the literature, the present study reviews the 27-year global literature on resilience and sustainability in organizations to clarify the relationship between the two, and derive a framework as cutting-edge knowledge on how to ensure resilience and sustainability in organizations. Findings uncover five schools of thought: Sustainable Business Strategy, Predictive Analytics, Sustainable Supply Chain, Ecological Resilience and Sustainable Leadership. A cutting-edge framework, comprising sustainability practices, sustainability outputs, sustainability and resilience outcomes, is derived to guide future research and inform practitioners on how to ensure resilience and sustainability in their organizations.

The rise of multi-sided digital platforms has transformed the global economy, enabling individuals and companies to create, deliver, and capture value through innovative connections and network effects. While scholars have studied the core strategy concepts and proposed platform architectures, less attention has been paid to the long-term sustainability of these platforms. This paper addresses this gap by examining the relationship between sustainability and platform architecture. Specifically, it asks what mechanisms characterize digital platforms for sustainability, and whether there are design choices that optimize the business model for sustainability. Using a mixed-methods approach that draws on platform literature, business models, and sustainable innovation, the paper develops an integrative framework to identify elements and design choices in platform businesses which support sustainability outcomes. The framework is then used to classify the business models of the identified platforms, revealing specific design choices for platform architecture that can optimize their business models for sustainability. This contribution to existing literature provides an artifact that allocates key decisions on value creation, delivery, and capture that are key to platforms and includes an additional layer to optimize them for long-term sustainability. As digital platforms continue to drive the economy, this research is relevant not only to platform practitioners, but also to policy makers and society at large.

Stories considered to be the most popular form of lore, which can facilitate the moral and ethical deliberation of sustainability to our children. It is evident that children response better with stories than any other form of communication. Once the stories end, the les-sons remain. The values tangled with the lesson transmits ahead as they grow. Stories has always become instrumental and the most conventional way of teaching values by using illustrations from our lives. The major aim of this paper is to explore the values that ex-pressed in Bengali child-lore through stories and tales; and develop a framework by using ‘scaffolding & mapping’ approach. This framework will attempt to analyse two com-monly recognized stories; scaffolding them with the generally acknowledged principles of sustainability management; and mapping with the major aspects of sustainability (social, economic and environmental) to investigate how stories can influence children on build-ing pro-sustainability attitude. This approach has been chosen, as recent research already points out the issues in implementing sustainability in education, but no one has yet found the way forward. The hypothesis that this theoretical article builds on is that an in-terdisciplinary approach and different pedagogical tools could help in building the bridge towards implementing sustainability in education as well as in society. This paper is part of the series of papers that are investigating how folk values into pri-mary education can support reviving the degrading sustainability in Bangladesh as well as help building pro-sustainability attitude for the future generation.

The shipbreaking industry is located predominantly in South Asian countries, and dismantles end-of-life ships to meet national steel demand. There are charges that this industry exploits local environmental, economic and social conditions to boost profits. The majority of this previous research often draws from a single disciplinary point of view that ignores or downplays complexities and trade-offs, precluding realistic policy improvement. Here we review 110 shipbreaking papers published in international peer reviewed journals that are indexed in SCOPUS, Science Direct and Google Scholar. We found that to date, shipbreaking research revolves around the coastal contamination of end-of-life ships waste over many other topics, and lacks critical interdisciplinary studies that explain trade-offs between environmental, social and economic factors that would better inform policy formulations for improvement of worker safety and environmental conditions. We propose a Life Cycle Sustainability assessment (LCSA) framework that could incorporate these trade-offs in a single analysis. We hope this review guides future studies towards more comprehensive sustainability measurement of shipbreaking activities.

Corporate Sustainability (CS) literature has gone through a period of intense development. The moment is favorable to gathering these contributions to consistently advance the state of the art in CS and, also, discuss them to apply in real contexts. The main objective of the paper is to systematize, through a systematic literature review using content analysis of the 30 most cited articles from 2007 to 2017, the guiding pillars of CS management. The systematic search for papers was carried out in Scopus and Web of Science and the initial screening of the papers was assisted by the coding software MAXQDA 2018, through which the authors structured and analyzed their main insights, contributions and conclusions. After getting acquainted with the sample, an in-depth reading of the texts was conducted and 60 CS elements were identified. The elements cited in the relevant literature were grouped into 6 pillars related to Corporate sustainability strategy; Corporate governance; Human resources management; Knowledge and innovation management; Measurement, disclosure and independent assurance; and Management systems and Integrated management systems. The discussion of CS management pillars presented in this study provides understanding to researchers and managers on the main aspects that make up the integration of this construct in the companies, especially from a management point of view.

Enterprises that seek for sustainable development should align economic interests with environmental and social requirements. It is not enough to take into account just these basics components. Technology plays a significant role in company activity. The aim of this article is to highlight the relationship between the dimensions characterising sustainability and to take a deeper look at the structure of the concept of sustainability so that to understand in more detail the completeness of the dimensions of sustainability. For achieving this aim is necessary through the analysis of researchers’ opinions to apply the logical assessment, systematisation, and comparison of information, selects the most important information describing the sustainability of technology, highlights the relationships between the technological aspect of sustainability and other sustainability dimensions, evaluates the technological processes of the corporate product in terms of sustainability, clarifies and presents arguments highlighting the importance of the technological aspect in sustainable business activity, rejects inappropriate arguments, identifies links between the arguments, and, basing on the information, proves and/or formulates anew some logical considerations to justify the full competency of the technological dimension in the sustainable development framework.

The Doughnut Economy is a new approach for the inclusion of planetary boundaries and social foundation in the development of societies. The Sustainable Development Goals of the UN determine another view for development targets. The developed Sustainability Window approach provides a means for operationalisation and quantification of the Doughnut Economy. The developed method calculates minimum economic development to guarantee sustainable social development and maximum economic development not to exceed environmental sustainability. The developed method, ASA Doughnut, is illustrated with case data from Thailand. The sustainability Doughnut for Thailand has been calculated for both weak and strong sustainability criteria. It seems that strong sustainability is a too strict requirement regarding several environmental dimensions of development while the weak sustainability criteria are fulfilled. The developed method and tool is flexible and can be used for comparative analysis of different countries or regions, for dynamic analysis of sustainability development, for gap analysis of the required improvement of environmental or social efficiency, and analysis of degrowth possibilities. The selection of indicators for the analyses and their reliability is crucial for the validity of the results and usefulness in policy planning.

According to evolutionary cancer cell biology ECCB, cancer stem cells do not arise from normal stem cells, but rather from the functional ACD phenotype of the germline. This phenotype proliferates through asymmetric cell division, producing self-renewing cells and non-proliferating daughter cells with cancer stem cell qualities (CSCs). ECCB posits that cancer stem cells themselves do not proliferate. Similar to protists, there is a close reciprocal relationship between both sister cells that collectively form a germ and stem cell lineage. These sister cells share functional roles: the proliferating cancer germline cells generate stem cells, while the non-proliferating cancer stem cells accumulate progenitor cells for new germline clones. ECCB distinguishes between primary CSCs, which are associated with carcinogenesis and primary tumors, and secondary CSCs, which are linked to metastases. This unicellular stem cell system is homologous to that of parasitic protists, such as amoebae. Both cancer stem cells and amoebae stem cells are generated by an oxygen-sensitive germline and are vulnerable to damage when oxygen levels exceed 6.0% (germline hyperoxia). Oxygen concentrations above this threshold can damage the germline genome. Dysfunctional germline cells do not undergo senescence; instead, they continue to cycle through defective symmetric cell cycles However, to regain functionality, the germline genome requires repair by hyperpolyploid giant cells known as native PGCCs, which are homologous to the multinucleated genome repair structures MGRS found in protists. Native PGCCs differ in some respects from genotoxic-induced PGCCs

Three-dimensional (3D) models with improved biomimicry are essential to reduce animal experimentation and drive innovation in tissue engineering. In the current study, we investigate the use of alginate-based materials as polymeric inks for 3D bioprinting of osteogenic models using human bone marrow stem/stromal cells (hBMSCs). A composite bioink incorporating alginate, nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA), type I collagen (Col) and hBMSCs was developed and for extrusion-based printing. Rheological tests perfomed on crosslinked hydrogels confirm the formation of solid-like structures consistently indicating a higher storage modulus compared to the loss modulus. The swelling behaviour analysis showed that the addition of Col and nHA into an alginate matrix can enhance the swelling rate of the resulting composite hydrogels, which maximizes cell proliferation within the structure. The LIVE/DEAD assay outcomes demonstrate that the inclusion of nHA and Col did not detrimentally affect the viability of hBMSCs over seven days post-printing. PrestoBlueTM revealed a higher hBMSCs viability in the alginate-nHA-Col hydrogel compared to the remaining groups. Gene expression analysis revealed that alginate-nHA-col bioink favoured a higher expression of osteogenic markers, including secreted phosphoprotein-1 (SPP1) and collagen type 1 alpha 2 chain (COL1A2), in hBMSCs after 14 days, indicating the pro-osteogenic differentiation potential of the hydrogel. This study demonstrates that the incorporation of nHA and Col into alginate enhances osteogenic potential and provides a bioprinted model to systematically study osteogenesis and the early stages of tissue maturation in vitro.

This study fabricated piezoelectric fibers of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with graphene using near-field electrospinning (NFES) technology. A uniform experimental design table U*7 (7^4 ) was applied, considering weight percentage (1-13 wt%), distance between needle and disk collector (2.1-3.9 mm), and applied voltage (14.5-17.5 kV). We optimized the parameters using electrical property measurements and the Kriging response surface method. Adding 13 wt% graphene significantly improved electrical conductivity, increasing from 17.7 μS/cm for pure PVDF to 187.5 μS/cm. The fiber diameter decreased from 21.4 μm in PVDF/1% graphene to 9.1 μm in PVDF/13% graphene. Adding 5 wt% graphene increased the β-phase content by 6.9%, reaching 65.4% compared to pure PVDF fibers. Material characteristics were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), contact angle measurements, and tensile testing. Optimal parameters included 3.47 wt% graphene, yielding 15.82 mV voltage at 5 Hz and 5 N force (2.04 times pure PVDF). Force testing showed a sensitivity (S) of 7.67493 log(mV/N). Fibers were attached to electrodes for piezoelectric sensor applications. Results affirmed enhanced electrical conductivity, piezoelectric performance, and mechanical strength. The optimized piezoelectric sensor could be applied to measure physiological signals, such as attaching it to the throat under different conditions to measure the output voltage. The force-to-voltage conversion facilitated subsequent analysis.

Age diversity in the workplace is a growing challenge. This study aimed to assess work ability among Family and Community Nurses (FCNs) in a large Local Health Authority (LHA) in Tuscany, Italy. The Work Ability Index (WAI) was administered to 178 FCNs, along with demographic and occupational data. Results showed a significant negative correlation between chronological age and WAI, indicating decreasing work ability with age. Moreover, work setting, educational attainment, and health conditions influenced work ability. Nurses working in home settings and those with higher educational levels reported better work ability. A high prevalence of health conditions, particularly musculoskeletal disorders, was observed. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to support FCNs' work ability and address age-related challenges. This study provides a foundation for developing strategies to optimize the nursing workforce and ensure high-quality care delivery.

Present experimental study assesses the mechanical properties of glass/carbon/glass hybrid composite laminates after exposure to moisture and elevated temperatures for extended periods. The top and bottom layers of the hybrid laminates are glass fiber reinforced and the middle layer is carbon fiber reinforced with the matrix specified as a polymer material. The hybrid laminates were manufactured using the resin transfer molding method and their compressive and tensile properties were determined using a tensile testing machine. The material parameters such as the storage modulus, the loss modulus, and the damping factors of the laminates were identified using dynamic mechanical analysis as a function of the temperature and the vibration frequency. The experimental results on compressive and tensile properties revealed slight variations when the hybrid laminates were kept at low temperatures for extended periods. This might occur due to the increasing molecular cross-linking of the polymer network. As the temperature increased, compressive, tensile, storage modules, loss modulus, and damping factors decreased. This might occur due to the increasing mobility of the binder material. Particularly, the highest stiffness parameters were obtained on -80°C/GCG (Glass/Carbon/Glass) laminates due to the presence of beta transition on the glassy region. The relationships between the glass transitions and the targeted frequencies were characterized. The values of the glass transition shift towards higher temperatures as the frequency increases. This might occur due to a reduction in the gaps between the crosslinking of the epoxy network when the frequency increases. The accuracy of the storage modulus results was compared with the empirical models. The model based on the Arrhenius law provided the closest correlation. Meanwhile, another model was observed that was not accurate enough to predict when gamma and beta relaxations occur under a glassy state.

With firm commitment to energy labelling, it is not a question of if but only of when the European Union will introduce an energy label for electric cars. To support such policy efforts, we conducted a scoping analysis of energy consumption and efficiency trade-offs for 342 electric car models sold in Europe. The results suggest that certified and real-world energy consumption average 19 ± 4 kWh/100 km and 21 ± 4 kWh/100 km, translating into drive ranges of 440 ± 120 km and 380 ± 110 km, respectively. Energy consumption is correlated with vehicle mass, frontal area, and battery capacity, but less so with rated power and vehicle price. Each 100 kg of vehicle mass and 0.1 m2 of frontal area tend to increase energy consumption by 0.20 ± 0.06 kWh/100 km and 0.72 ± 0.05 kWh/100 km. Raising battery capacity by 10 kWh increases vehicle mass by 145 kg, energy consumption by 0.6 kWh/100 km, and drive range by 45 km. Efficient vehicles are available at any price but drive range has a cost. Our findings point to considerable efficiency trade-offs that could be tapped by a dedicated energy label. We propose several options for categorizing vehicles on an efficiency scale from A to G, with and without additional utility parameters. Our analysis provides rationale for energy labelling of electric cars in Europe and could inspire similar analyses for other vehicle categories such as e-scooters, lightweight three- and four-wheelers, e-busses, e-trucks, and electric non-road machinery.

A novel scaffold design has been created to enhance tissue engineering and regenerative medicine by optimizing the controlled, prolonged release of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a powerful chemoattractant for endogenous mesenchymal stem cells. We present a new stacked scaffold that is made up of three different fibrin gel layers, each of which has HGF integrated into the matrix. The design attempts to preserve HGF's regenerative properties for long periods of time, which is necessary for complex tissue regeneration. These multi-layered fibrin gels have been mechanically evaluated using rheometry, and their degradation behavior has been studied using D-Dimer ELISA. Understanding the kinetics of HGF release from this novel scaffold configuration is essential for understanding HGF's long-term sustained bioactivity. A range of cell-based tests were carried out to verify the functionality of HGF following extended incorporation. These tests included 2-photon microscopy using phalloidin staining to examine cellular morphology, SEM analysis for scaffold-cell interactions, and scratch and scatter assays to assess migration and motility. The analyses show that the novel stacking scaffold promotes vital cellular processes for tissue regeneration in addition to supporting HGF's bioactivity. This scaffold design was developed for in situ tissue engineering. Using the body as a bioreactor, the scaffold should recruit mesenchymal stem cells from their niche thus combining the regenerative abilities of HGF and MSCs to promote tissue remodeling and wound repair.

Infrared thermography is a contactless imaging technique, useful to measure surface temperature at distance which has been widely applied in animal production. The possible applications within the pig husbandry include sow heat detection, reduction of the incidence of neonatal mortality, recognition of febrile state caused by pathogens, study of metabolic efficiency, evaluation of stress caused by heat, by constraints, or by aggressive interaction and meat quality prediction. Even if this technique could be easily influenced by environmental factors, the continuous improvement in the procedures and the decrease in the cost of the equipment will allow in the next future new and more applications in swine farming.

Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers in the world. It is a very aggressive and heterogeneous tumor. GC does not cause symptoms, so it is often diagnosed in an advanced stage and associated with poor prognosis. Despite new treatment options, it still remains a therapeutic problem. An important element determining the method of treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) is the assessment of lymph node metastases in preoperative and postoperative imaging and/or histopathological examination.Aim: The assessment of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in histopathological examination in patients with LAGC after gastrectomy. The groups of patients were divided into patients who received preoperative chemotherapy, patients without preoperative chemotherapy, and all patients. Additionally, we assessed the correlation between the presence of LVI and the number of lymph nodes collected during gastrectomy.Material and method: We collected patients with histologically confirmed GC after gastrectomy. The collected samples were divided into three subgroups: patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), patients without NAC, and all patients. Histopathological examination assessed the presence of LVI infiltration. We then assessed the correlation between the presence of LVI and the presence of lymph node metastasis in GC. Additionally, we assessed the correlation between LVI and the number of lymph nodes evaluated in patients in each group. The statistical analyses were performed using Statistica v13.3 and Microsoft Excel 2021. The significance limit was set at p<0.05.Results:The presence of LVI strongly correlated with node involvement, and the result was statistically significant in all patients and the group of patients treated with NAC. The difference was not statistically significant in the group not treated by NAC. Additionally, we did not observe a correlation between the presence of LVI and the number of metastatic lymph nodes in GC.Summary and Conclusions: The presence of LVI in a patient with GC indicates a high probability of lymph node metastasis, which should translate into therapeutic procedures. Assessment of LVI may help identify potential patients with lymph node metastases, particularly in patients undergoing endoscopic resection without planned lymphadenectomy. It is advisable to expand research on a larger scale in order to establish clear standards in this area.

Reducing the carbon footprint of energy production is one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today. Lignocellulosic biomass residues from fruit production industries show promise as a viable energy source. This paper presents a study of the Italian context concerning the utilization of orchard lignocellulosic residues for energy production as electricity or bioethanol. The potential of various orchard residues was assessed through chemical and physical analysis, and an equivalent electrical energy of about 6441.62 GWh or an amount of 0.48 Mt/y of bioethanol was obtained based on the average annual dry residue mass availability of about 3.04 Mt/y. These data represent the 9.30% of the national electrical energy production from renewable sources, as well as the 6.21% of the Italian demand for gasoline in 2022. Electricity generation from these residues shown its potential as a reliable and sustainable baseload power source, as well as source of renewable transportation fuel. The studied process could be a valuable reference to expand these concepts on global scale to achieve a greener and more sustainable energy future.

It has been empirically observed that the upper tail of the firm size distribution follows either the Pareto distribution or the Zipf distribution, with both patterns being explained by Gibrat’s law (Gabaix, 1999). This article analyzed firm revenue data from China, spanning from 2005 to 2013, to examine the whole range of the firm size distribution. Our empirical analysis revealed that firm revenue data over these years is well fitted by a three-parameter generalized Pareto distribution, with the fitted parameters indicating a dichotomy: The size distribution of large-sized firms, namely the upper tail, is asymptotically characterized by a Pareto distribution or a Zipf distribution, whereas the size distribution of smaller and medium-sized firms is approximated by an exponential distribution. This finding suggests that Gibrat’s law should be extended to account for the emergence of a generalized Pareto distribution.

A hypothesis that the generally accepted value of the LiPON conductivity should be attributed to the absorption and displacement currents is substantiated. The reason is a small contribution of the drift current due to field screening by the electric double layer. The basis for this assumption is the measurement of the LiPON absorption capacitance, according to which its dielectric constant is about 106. An alternative equivalent circuit containing a non-ideal absorption element is proposed and its impedance is calculated. It is shown that the Bode diagrams of the alternative circuit well approximate the experimental curves. Parameters and the magnitude of electric field screening are calculated basing on proposed model of a double electric layer. Considering the screening effect, the drift conductivity of LiPON is obtained, which value is in good agreement with the data on lithium concentration and mobility.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a large group of developing contaminants, have recently become the subject of increased concern due to their potentially hazardous effects. They are classified as poisonous substances that can be found in a variety of aquatic situations. The widespread usage of PFAS across numerous industries has resulted in a high environmental and biological accumulation of the substance. Identification and elimination of PFAS from the environment is crucial since they are tenacious and have the potential to cause cancer. Traditional methods of PFAS content assessment, while useful in some cases, are often inadequate for continuing environmental control and monitoring. Within academia, there is a noticeable desire for rapid, cost-effective, durable, and readily transportable techniques targeted at detecting PFAS compounds in field settings. As a result, environmental labs and other governmental and non-governmental bodies may start testing more often as mandated by legislation. PFAS-detecting sensors, which offer an innovative solution that can be applied in situ and is affordable and simple to use, have emerged as a promising method for assessment based on the existing research. In addition, it may give administrators and users of water worldwide useful information they can use. This article provides a thorough summary of recent developments, limitations, and performance considerations in PFAS detection sensors. The Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method has also been covered because of its excellent sensitivity and specificity for detecting pollutants, making it a potential solution for sensing PFAS. Intelligent sensing systems for PFAS detection should benefit from this research.

Salmonella causes various type of disease worldwide with a remarkable pace. Salmonella enteric serotype typhi (S. typhi), a gram-negative bacterium (only cause disease in man) is the mainly causative agent of Typhoid fever. Typhoid fever is most common in poor and unprivileged developing countries of Asia and Africa. One of the major components of virulence factors produced during salmonella infection is Lipid A, which acts as a potent human immuno-modulator bacterial endotoxin. Regulation of Lipid A biosynthetic pathway occurs at second step, catalyzed by LpxC, a Zn2+ dependent metalloamidase. Systematic Screening of a pool of drug datasets like natural products library from Zinc database, Asinex database, Thiophene analogues fruitfully provided us 3 potent lead molecules s1_dl_mseq2, s1_ll_mseq2, and s2_ll_mseq8 which actively binds with LpxC enzyme and could be developed into sound inhibitors of LpxC enzyme after the application of drug development and processing strategies. Wet lab experimentation is required to validate these results for further use.