According to Young Minds [1] ‘everyone gets angry sometimes’. Their website offers a number of de-escalating strategies, including staying calm, managing responses and setting limits to help young people who most deem resistive. Yet, Young Minds are not alone because such logical advice is ubiquitous in the literature about challenging behaviour despite the fact that in our experience when faced with high states of arousal, most young people tend to act first and deal with the consequences later. It’s not that they are stupid or non-caring, but they are human capable of great feats as well as stupidity. The same is true for any claims that solution focused (SF) conversations can put right the several decades of psychological theory suggesting resistance requires logic and better cognition. By giving the correct thinking skills, young people will walk away from risk, avoid physical confrontation, handle challenging situations like logical thinkers, and generally discount that the process of growing up is part of the challenge. It is with this in mind that over recent years in our current SF practice (with staff group supervision) we have examined the concept of ‘resistance’ and how it can be put to use as a process of collaboration. To do this, we have revisited SF theory that preoccupied many of its pioneers during the 1980’s and 1990’s and attempted to make it useful for the early 2020’s for professionals having conversations with young people, who, in traditional models, are labelled challenging. We want to introduce key differences of solution focused practice and how Anita started to formulate a 6D-SF model (details, dynamics, dimensions, dispositions, dislocations, descriptions) for contemplating how groups of professionals relate to each other and are triggered by challenging behaviour. We do not claim to have proof, logic or exactness on our side, but we’re happy to suggest how our resistance mirrors what many of the staff teams feel and describe when working through their work.

Accurate traffic simulation models play a crucial role in developing intelligent transport systems that offer timely traffic information to users and efficient traffic management. However, calibrating these models to represent real-world traffic conditions accurately poses a significant challenge due to the dynamic nature of traffic flow and the limitations of traditional calibration methods. This article introduces a machine learning-based approach to calibrate macroscopic traffic simulation models using real-time traffic video stream data. By leveraging computer vision technologies to extract key traffic parameters from video streams, the approach demonstrated a notable improvement in aligning the generated data from the calibrated simulation model with car sensor data, achieving an average improvement of over 50% compared to the uncalibrated macroscopic model. Moreover, there was a substantial reduction in data drift for the machine learning model integrated into the virtual transport space using vehicle-to-everything technology, resulting in a more than fourfold decrease in the average absolute error of the model.

We consider fractional integral operators $(I-T)^d, d \in (-1,1)$ acting on functions $g: \mathbb{Z}^{\nu} \to \mathbb{R}, \nu \ge 1 $, where $T $ is the transition operator of a random walk on $\mathbb{Z}^{\nu}$. We obtain sufficient and necessary conditions for the existence, invertibility and square summability of kernels $\tau (\mathbf{s}; d), \mathmb{s} \in \mathbb{Z}^{\nu}$ of $(I-T)^d $. Asymptotic behavior of $\tau (\mathbf{s}; d)$ as $|\mathbf{s}| \to \infty$ is identified following local limit theorem for random walk. A class of fractionally integrated random fields $X$ on $\mathbb{Z}^{\nu}$ solving the difference equation $(I-T)^d X = \varepsilon$ with white noise on the right-hand side is discussed, and their scaling limits. Several examples including fractional lattice Laplace and heat operators are studied in detail.

Due to its size, wood dust often plays the role of a raw material used as a source of energy. However, it is nevertheless an unavoidable byproduct generated during the milling of wood or wood-based composites. The research presented here is focused on the selected properties of 3-layer plywood, produced with the utilization of dust from the milling of three-layer particleboard as a filler in the bonding mass. Four types of filler were used in the study: commercial rye flour, wood dust naturally occurring in the composition of particles used industrially for particleboard production, wood dust from the first batch of shredded particleboard, and dust from the second round of milled particleboard. In the context of this investigation, the highest modulus of elasticity (MOE) values were observed in reference samples. Conversely, for samples featuring filler material from the initial milling process, there were no substantial differences in filler content. Notably, in samples where the filler was sourced from the secondary milling of particleboard, the modulus of elasticity exhibited an upward trend in conjunction with increasing filler content. A similar trend was observed in samples utilizing the naturally occurring dust. Meanwhile, the modulus of rupture (MOR) decreased with an elevated degree of milling, though it displayed a slight increase as the filler content increased. With regard to shear strength testing, the most favorable outcomes were achieved in samples incorporating filler material from the initial milling of particleboard. The thickness swelling of the plywood reached its peak in variants utilizing filler material from both the initial and secondary milling of particleboards. In contrast, water absorption testing exhibited a more pronounced response in the newly introduced variants, although samples incorporating filler from the initial and secondary milling processes eventually yielded results akin to the reference sample, with the naturally occurring dust displaying higher water absorption values. In terms of density profiles, the highest density values were observed in samples utilizing rye flour as the filler material. A similar density profile was observed in samples with 5 parts of wood flour as filler, although the density of the adhesive was slightly lower in these cases. An increase in the quantity of wooden filler material resulted in a commensurate increase in plywood thickness. The research confirms the possibility of using the aforementioned dust as an alternative to conventional fillers in plywood technology. It also raises the question of how to effectively remove glue residues from wood-based composite dust, which would enhance their absorption properties.

Biomaterials have been the subject of extensive research, with their applications in medicine and pharmacy expanding rapidly. Collagen and its derivatives stand out as valuable biomaterials due to their high biocompatibility, biodegradability, and lack of toxicity and immunogenicity. This review comprehensively examines collagen from various sources, its extraction and processing methods, and its structural and functional properties. Preserving the native state of collagen is crucial for maintaining its beneficial characteristics. The challenges associated with chemically modifying collagen to tailor its properties for specific clinical needs are also addressed. The review discusses various collagen-based biomaterials, including solutions, hydrogels, powders, sponges, scaffolds, and thin films. These materials have broad applications in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing. Additionally, the review highlights current research trends related to collagen and its derivatives. These trends may significantly influence future developments, such as using collagen-based bioinks for 3D bioprinting or exploring new collagen nanoparticle preparation methods and drug delivery systems.

Multi-level direct networks fueled by the evolving technology of active optical cables and increasing pin-bandwidth achieve reduced diameters and cost, with high-radix switches. These networks, like Dragonfly, are becoming the preferred aspirants for extreme high-performance parallel machines such as exa-scale computing. In this paper, we introduce a Hyper Z-Tree topology, which deploys the Z-Tree, a variant of fat-tree, as a computing node of a Generalized Hypercube (GHC) configuration. The resulting configuration provides higher bisection bandwidth, lower latency for some applications and higher throughput. Furthermore, the levels of the fat tree offer several path diversities across the GHC dimensions, hence conceding a more fault tolerant architecture. To profit from these path diversities, we propose two adaptive routing algorithms, which are extensions to the routing algorithm suggested in HyperX topology. These two algorithms exhibit better latencies and throughput than the HyperX.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) poses a significant public health challenge due to its irreversible and progressive nature while lack of a cure. As a potential strategy to combat AD, its prevention becomes increasingly attractive. Mild Cognitive Impairment due to AD (MCI-AD) represents a critical transitional stage between normal age-related cognitive decline and more severe AD conditions, occurring just before dementia onset. Unfortunately, there is currently no established animal model that accurately recapitulates MCI-AD characteristics. While many laboratories have traditionally used normally aged wild-type animals as experimental models, this approach falls short in representing the inherently worse state of MCI-AD compared to normal aging. To address this gap, we introduce an animal model—a transgenic mouse line with genetic inactivation of G protein-coupled receptor kinase-5 (GRK5), commonly known as the GRK5 knockout (GRK5KO) mouse. These GRK5KO mice exhibit amnesia, cognitive deficits, increased β-amyloid levels, neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) immunopositive axonopathy, and hippocampal neurodegenerative changes. Importantly, these pathological alterations predominantly impact the entorhinal, transentorhinal, and hippocampal cortices, aligning with human MCI-AD criteria and Braak stage II of human AD progression. Notably, female GRK5KO mice show approximately 2.5 times more NFT-positive axonopathy than males, mirroring the higher prevalence of AD cases in women. Collectively, existing data strongly supports the GRK5KO mouse as a qualified animal model for studying MCI-AD.

A biofilm is any syntrophic consortium of microorganisms in which cells adhere to one another and, in some cases, to a surface. These adherent cells become encased in a slimy extracellular matrix made up of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). Until now, the use of commercial disinfectants remains the main strategy to control biofilm-mediated problems. This mini review summarizes common antibiofilm mode of actions taken by disinfectants and how water channels in microbial biofilms contribute to disinfectant resistance.

For better solving both fuzziness and reliability occurring in practical issues simultaneously, Z-number deserves further exploration under uncertainty environment. Based on the credibility distribution and conversion rules, we define its expected value, variance, and semi-variance, and realize the feasibility of calculation by deriving calculation formulas. Moreover, we delve into three characteristics inherent in symmetrical Z-numbers. The link that followed between the variance and the semi-variance of Z-numbers is discovered and proved. Furthermore, we apply the formulas of expected value and variance on Z-numbers to examples, whose consequences validate our proposed formulas. The findings indicate the significance of our study in applying the expected value and variance of fuzzy sets across diverse fields.

The Hubble parameter H(z), as a function of redshift, is modified by the presence of a new term originated from the extrinsic curvature in an embedded space-time. Assuming an asymptotic expansion factor $a\sim 0$ or, equivalently $z\rightarrow \infty$, it is obtained a nearly resemblance of the present model ($\beta$-model) with quintessence $w$CDM model with $H(z)\sim H_{wCDM}(z)$ at background level. In conjunction with $\Lambda$CDM, we test the models using a pack of recent datasets like that of the ``Gold 2018'' growth data, the best-fit Planck2018/$\Lambda$CDM parameters on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) measurements, the Pantheon Supernovae type Ia and the Hubble parameter data with redshift ranging from $0.01 < z < 2.3$. Performing the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) to ascertain the statistical viability of the model from Jeffreys' scale, we apply a joint likelihood analysis to the data with the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. We find that the present model is in very good agreement with observations with a close statistical equivalence with the $\Lambda$CDM and $w$CDM cosmologies at 1-$\sigma$ level. We also show that a mild alleviation of the $\sigma$ tension between the growth amplitude factor and the matter content $(\sigma_8$-$\Omega_m)$ of the observations from CMB and Large Scale Structure (LSS) probes. A comparison of the aforementioned full pack of data in MCMC chains is made with the resulting MCMC from Pantheon SNIa+$H(z)$ in order to analyse the sensitivity of the models and how they respond to a cosmography analysis on the evolution of $H(z)$ and the deceleration parameter $q(z)$. In this sense, we find that only the $\beta$-model can be unaffected to the variations of the previous datasets due to its several minima in the likelihood (degeneracies) of the related parameters with an overall percentage relative difference only up to 4$\%$.

Knowledge about one’s innate health is central to a variety of positive mental health markers. However, men living in prison rarely receive education about how to access these internal resources. As such, this study seeks to replicate and extend emerging data on an innate health intervention. Volunteers from HMP Nottingham, England (n=126) participated in normal prison programming and the intervention group (n=65) received an additional 3-day intensive. The primary question: Does innate health function as a mediator in the same way self-control does within an incarcerated population? We conducted a mediation analysis, tested social desirability bias, and examined the impact of the intervention on crucial variables. This study found higher levels of innate health, self-control, wellbeing, and prosocial behavior and lower levels of aggression in the intervention group as compared to the control group. Importantly, innate health did play a mediating role equivalent to and/or partnering with self-control.

With the rapid development of intelligent logistics and network environment, it has become an urgent problem to efficiently and accurately handle and analyse the huge amount of uncertain decision information. Traditional decision making methods often fail to make the best use of complex and incomplete information, especially in the field of cyber defence. To address these problems, this paper introduces a new mathematical tool, discrete multidimensional Z-numbers (MZs), for expressing and dealing with uncertainty and reliability in network defence decisions. In this paper, we first introduce the synthesis method of discrete multidimensional Z-numbers, which allows us to consider the uncertainty and reliability of multi-source information in network defence strategy. Then, the hidden probability of MZs is calculated by using the hidden probability model, and the multidimensional Z+−number is proposed, which improves the expressiveness of the model in dealing with information uncertainty. Based on MZs, we define a variety of utility functions and build a multi-attribute group decision framework for network defence around these functions. The MZs provides a novel perspective for analysing and designing response strategies, especially against highly adaptive and covert attacks. The method in this paper is verified by a case of network security assessment of an intelligent logistics company. The results show that this method can significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of decision making, demonstrating its unique advantages and wide application potential in network defence. This integrated discrete multidimensional Z-number group decision method is not only suitable for intelligent logistics decision making, but also provides an efficient decision support tool for network defence, which helps to improve the intelligence and adaptability of network security defence.

It is the aim of this article to introduce a concise notation that is be able to capture the most important dimensions of sexuality and thus facilitate discussions. Moreover, the major three dimensions - sex, gender, and sexual orientation - lead to a straightforward classification which motivates the quest for stringent explanatory models, some of which are also discussed.

Lung cancer remains a formidable global health challenge that necessitates inventive strategies to improve therapeutic outcomes. Conventional treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, have demonstrated limitations in achieving sustained responses. Therefore, the explora-tion of novel approaches encompasses a range of interventions that show promise in enhancing outcomes for patients with lung cancer, particularly those facing advanced or refractory cases. These groundbreaking interventions hold the potential to overcome cancer resistance and offer personalized solutions. Despite the rapid evolution of emerging lung cancer therapies, persistent challenges such as resistance, toxicity, and patient selection underscore the need for continued development. Consequently, the landscape of lung cancer therapy is transforming with the in-troduction of precision medicine, immunotherapy, and innovative therapeutic modalities. Addi-tionally, a multifaceted approach involving combination therapies through the integration of tar-geted agents, immunotherapies, or traditional cytotoxic treatments addresses the heterogeneity of lung cancer while minimizing adverse effects. This review provides a brief overview of the latest emerging therapies that are reshaping the landscape of lung cancer treatment. As these novel treatments progress through clinical trials and integrate into standard care, the potential for more effective, targeted, and personalized lung cancer therapies comes into focus, instilling renewed hope for patients facing challenging diagnoses.

The aim of the study was to identify limiting factors for reusing wood through the recycling of window frames by conducting research under fully controlled conditions. The research involved manufacturing new window frames, seasoning them, and then shredding them into wood particles to prepare a three-layer particleboard. The proportion of wood particles in recycling was 0, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 parts by weight of the manufactured particleboard. Mechanical property tests were conducted: modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR), internal bond (IB), screw withdrawal resistance (SWR), and physical properties: density profile (DP), thickness swelling (TS) after water immersion, water absorption (WA), as well as formaldehyde emission and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) tests. The conducted research indicates a significant potential for utilising wood from this sector of the wood industry, particularly considering variants with a higher proportion of recycled wood. MOR and MOE results are most promising for variants above 50 parts by weight of recycled wood. Based on the results obtained, it is clear that the production process should be improved or the raw material modified to enhance the internal bonding of particleboard, as these results were the weakest. Thus, recycled wood from window joinery has the potential to be reincarnated as particleboard, which continues to be widely used in their production.

(1) Background: A history of TB is a known risk factor for long-term respiratory impairment affecting lung functions in both restrictive and obstructive lung disease. (2) Methods: We analyzed data from the NHANES 1 Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (NHEFS), a longitudinal study conducted on non-institutionalized adult US population, ages 25-74 years. Approximately 93 percent (n=13,383) of the cohort was successfully traced by the end of the survey period and was available for analysis. The final adjusted model included age groups, gender, family income, lifetime smoking, BMI, and frequency of alcohol consumption as potential confounders. (3) Results: Estimated hazards ratio of developing Emphysema during follow-up in individuals that had a past diagnosis of TB was 54% lower (95% CI = 0.35, 0.61) as compared to individuals with no past TB, after controlling for potential confounders and using proportional hazards regression appropriate to the complex sample design. The association, however, was not statistically significant (HR = 0.862, p-value = 0.38) when only self-reported history of TB was considered as the exposure. (4) Conclusion: Tuberculosis (self-reported or LTBI) was strongly (but inversely) associated with Emphysema incidence. The association was not statistically significant with only self-reported history of TB as exposure.

Stakeholder input into the decision-making process when developing public health programs and policies is crucial. This article presents an innovative approach, involving online participation with a wide group of stakeholders located in different geographic locations, for policy consensus by research methodology. The results of the project have been used to propose assumptions regarding a strategy for preventing blood-borne diseases in Poland. The research was conducted iteratively using a multi-stage qualitative methodology to explore risk assessment involving blood-borne infections. The final output of the entire project is a list of key problems/challenges and solutions associated with medical and nonmedical services that are connected to the breakage of tissue continuity. Qualitative research is rare in risk assessment as priority is usually given to statistical data and end-points (quantitative studies ). Statistical data on health risk allows to assess the health implications, while the methodology applied also allowed diagnosis of the processes leading to these effects. In addition to policy preparation for blood-borne illnesses, the methodology employed in the study can also be used to successfully explore other areas of public health policy decisions.

Background—In 2011, Miller and Goldman published a study in Human and Experimental Toxicology that found a counterintuitive, positive correlation, r = 0.70 (r² = 0.49, p < .0001), demonstrating that as nations require more vaccine doses for their infants, infant mortality rates (IMRs) tend to increase (worsen). The dataset (n = 30) included the United States, a nation that required the most vaccines for their infants, and all nations with better IMRs than the United States. Dr. E. Bailey, a professor at BYU, and her students, recently read the Miller-Goldman study and found it "troublesome that this manuscript is in the top 5% of all research outputs" and falsely claimed that its findings were due to "inappropriate data exclusion," i.e., failure to analyze the "full dataset" of all 185 nations. The "Bailey reanalysis," titled Infant vaccination does not predict increased infant mortality rate: correcting past misinformation, was posted to the medRxiv preprint server on September 10, 2021 (version 1) and October 5, 2021 (version 3) and Europe PMC preprint server on September 10, 2021. Objective—This present study examines the various claims postulated by the Bailey reanalysis and assesses the robustness of their methodology, analyses, and reported results and conclusions. Methods—Data discussed in this paper are based on the previously mentioned study by Miller and Goldman and the Bailey reanalysis. Results—Linear regression analysis of IMR and the number of vaccine doses for each country yield a statistically significant positive correlation of r = 0.70 (p < .0001) for the top nations (n = 30) chosen by Miller-Goldman and r = 0.16 (p < .04) for the "entire dataset" chosen by Bailey et al (n = 185). Bailey also conducted linear regression analyses (for the year 2019) of IMRs as a function of vaccination rates for each of eight different vaccines and reported statistically significant inverse correlations for 7 of 8 vaccines over the entire range of vaccination rates. However, Miller and Goldman reanalyzed the Bailey analyses for nations with vaccination rates below 60% and found no statistically significant correlation for six vaccines (DPT, Hib, hepatitis B, polio, rotavirus, and measles) and statistically significant positive correlations for tuberculosis (r = 0.8, p < .005) and pneumococcal (r = 0.6 p < .023) vaccines. Conclusions—Bailey’s reanalysis corroborates a statistically significant positive correlation originally reported by Miller and Goldman. However, Bailey’s reported correlation (r = +0.16, p < .04) is small, likely due to poor methodology (failing to account for covariates, i.e., disparities among numerous socioeconomic factors that add uncertainty to their conclusion). The r-value reported by the Bailey reanalysis demonstrates an effect size that is about one-fourth (0.16/0.70) that reported by Miller-Goldman—underscoring how critically important it is for Bailey's reanalysis to eliminate confounding variables. Moreover, Bailey’s linear regression analyses of IMR as a function of vaccination rates for each of eight different vaccines demonstrate that some countries with low vaccination rates have low IMRs, while other countries with high vaccination rates have high IMRs. Rather than supporting a strong inverse correlation, the Bailey reanalysis demonstrates high vaccination rates are neither necessary nor sufficient to cause low IMR.

The fundamental mechanism underlying negative-ion catalysis involves bond-strength breaking in the transition state (TS). Doubly-charged atomic/molecular anions are proposed as novel dynamic tunable catalysts and demonstrated in water oxidation to peroxide. Density Functional Theory TS calculations have found tunable energy activation barrier reduction ranging from 0.030 eV to 2.070eV, with Si²ˉ, Pu²ˉ, Pa²ˉ and Sn²ˉ the best catalysts; the radioactive elements usher in new application opportunities. C₆₀²ˉ reduces significantly the standard C₆₀ˉ TS energy barrier while graphene increases it, behaving like cationic systems. Rank-ordered catalysts according to their reaction barrier reduction efficiency, variation across charge states and systems reveal their tunable and wide applications, ranging from water purification to biocompatible anti-viral and anti-bacterial sanitation systems.

Heat enhancement is a topic of great interest nowadays due to its different application in industries. Porous material also known as metallic foam plays a major role in heat enhancement at the expenses of pressure drop. Flow in channels demonstrate the usefulness of this technology in heat extraction. In our current study, a porous strip attached to the channels walls is proposed as an alternative for heat enhancement. The thickness of the porous strip was varied for different Reynolds number. By maintaining laminar regime and using water as fluid, we determined an optimum thickness of porous material leading to the highest performance evaluation criterion. In our current study with the aspect ratio being the porous strip thickness over the channel width, an aspect ratio of 0.2 is found to be the alternative. A 40% increase in heat enhancement is detected in the presence of porous strip when compared to a clear channel case for a Reynolds number equal to 200 and improve further as the Reynolds number increase accordingly.

We present a study of the radio variability of bright, $S_{1.4}\geq100$ mJy, high-redshift quasars at $z\geq3$ on timescales up to 30--40 years. The study involved simultaneous RATAN-600 measurements at frequencies of 2.3, 4.7, 8.2, 11.2, and 22.3 GHz in 2017--2020. In addition, data from the literature were used. We have found that the variability index $V_S$ of the quasars ranges from 0.02 to 0.96, with about half of the objects in the sample showing a variability index in the range of 0.25--0.50, which is comparable to that of the blazars at lower redshifts. The distribution of $V_S$ at 22.3 GHz is significantly different from that at 2.3--11.2 GHz, which may be attributed to the fact that a compact AGN core dominates at the source's rest frame frequencies greater than 45 GHz, leading to higher variability indices obtained at 22.3 GHz (the $V_S$ distribution peaks around 0.4) compared to the lower frequencies (the $V_S$ distribution peaks around 0.1--0.2). Several source groups with distinctive variability characteristics were found using cluster analysis of quasars. We propose 7 new candidates for gigahertz peaked-spectrum (GPS) sources and 5 new megahertz peaked-spectrum (MPS) sources based on their spectrum shape and variability features. Only 6 out of 23 sources previously reported as GPS demonstrate a low variability level typical of classical GPS sources ($V_{S} < 0.25$) at 4.7--22.3~GHz. When excluding the highly variable peaked-spectrum blazars, we expect no more than 20\% of the sources in the sample to be GPS candidates and no more than 10\% to be MPS candidates.

Hubble diagrams are examined for SN1a supernovae in the redshift range z = 0.01–1.3 and for gamma ray bursts in the range z = 0.034–8.1. It is shown that in the low redshift range, the Hubble diagram shows an innate equivocality between the ΛCDM and the tired light model. This means that the strong agreement between the z/µ data, calculated with the parameters of the ΛCDM model, and the experimentally measured z/µ values cannot be considered as definite evidence for the expansion hypothesis. The exponential function , which is characteristic of the tired light redshift mechanism, fits the data with similarly high accuracy. Hence, on the premise of low redshift data, a decision for or against either model is completely arbitrary. The Hubble diagram for high redshift gamma ray bursts shows poor agreement with the ΛCDM model, but concurs with the exponential energy decay following from the tired light redshift hypothesis.

The work presents the results of numerical fatigue analysis of a turbine engine compressor blade, taking into account the values of initial stresses resulting from surface treatment - shot-peening. The values of the residual stresses were estimated experimentally using X-ray diffraction. The paper specifies the values of the residual stresses on both sides of the blade and their reduction due to the cutting through the blade - relaxation. The obtained values of the residual stresses were used as initial stresses in the numerical fatigue analysis of the damaged compressor blade, which is subjected to resonant vibrations of known amplitude. Numerical fatigue ε-N life analysis was based on the several fatigue material models: Manson’s, Mitchell’s, Baumel-Seeger’s, Muralidharan-Manson’s, Ong’s, Roessle-Fatemi’s and Median’s, and also on the three models of cyclic hardening: Manson’s, Xianxin’s, and Fatemi’s. Because of this approach, it was possible to determine the relationship between the selection of the fatigue material ε-N model and the cyclic hardening model on the results of the numerical fatigue analysis. Additionally, the calculated results were compared with the results of experimental research, which allowed for a substantive evaluation of the obtained results. These results are of great scientific and practical importance. The problem of determining the fatigue life of blades with defects operating under resonance vibrations is one of the original tasks in the field of fracture mechanics and experimental mechanics. The results obtained are of great importance in the aviation industry and can be used during engine maintenance and inspections to assess the suitability of blades with defects in terms of the needs of further work. This aspect of engineering maintenance is of great importance from the aircraft safety point of view.

Analyses of the Hubble diagrams are presented for SN1a supernovae and gamma ray bursts in the redshift ranges z = 0.01–1.3 and 0.034–8.1, respectively. Data are presented on the typical z/μ scale and also on the less common yet increasingly sensitive photon flight time t/(z+1) scale. The primary conclusion is that on the basis of the presently accessible data in the redshift range z = 0.01–8.1, the slope of the Hubble diagram is, or is extremely close to, exponential.

Blockchain technology can achieve decentralization, multi-party verification, anti-tampering, anonymity, traceability of transactions, and the application of distributed ledger. Countries around the world continue to seek the blockchain business models, technologies and applications, and have different visions and policies for the development of blockchain. This study conducts a comparative policy framework of theoretical analysis of the blockchain technology between the USA and China. Using the innovative policy tools proposed by Rothwell and Zegveld, the above mentioned governments are analyzed from the viewpoint of twelve policy tools. The results show that the USA and China all prefer to use “Environmental-side” policy. The USA has paid more attention to “Legal and regulatory”, “Public services” and “Procurement”. China has the highest proportion of policies in “Political tools”, followed by “Legal & regulatory”, while “Scientific and technical”, “Education” and “Overseas agent” come in third . The blockchain technology has developed vigorously among industries and its applications have gradually diversified. The results are provided to various stakeholders as a reference for policy planning.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) reduction remains an area of global necessity further enhanced by the current international focus on pandemic diseases mitigation, elimination of air pollution, and promotion of renewable green energy. The dynamics of chemical bond-strength breaking and reformation in the transition state (TS) is a fundamental process in the reduction of SO2 by CO. Density Functional Theory (DFT) has been used to determine optimal TS reaction pathway via a novel triple-hybrid catalyst utilizing doubly-charged negative atomic V, Mn, and Au. The triple-hybrid catalyst is furthermore tailored to the subsequent minimization of each individual step of the 3-Step SO2 reduction by CO chemical reaction. Each optimized step 1, 2, and 3 is minimized with doubly-charged V, Mn, and Au, respectively, with TS barrier reductions ranging from 1.18 eV to 0.002 eV. Super-benzene, armchair (6, 6) single wall carbon nanotube, and fullerene TS reaction pathways have also been calculated to compare the nanoscale catalytic effectiveness with that of the atomic scale transition metals.

Background: Inappropriate use of antibiotics has been reported to contribute to the emergence and increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the world. Antibiotics are prescription-only medicines to be dispensed to a person with a legal prescription inscribed by a qualified medical practitioner. Enforcing the dispensing of antibiotics with prescription is a way to promote the rational use of antibiotics and preventing the development and spread of AMR. It is, therefore, the responsibility of a pharmacist to dispense or supervise the dispensing of antibiotics in pharmacies and ensure its rational use. This study aimed to assess pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding the dispensing of antibiotics without prescription in Tanzania. Methods: An online semi-structured questionnaire was designed, tested and shared with licensed pharmacists in Tanzania through an invitation link sent in their official WhatsApp groups. A list of names, contacts and emails of licensed pharmacists obtained from the Pharmacy Council was used to directly contact and request pharmacist to fill the questionnaire, in case the pharmacist contact was not on WhatsApp, a text SMS invitation was sent. Study data were collected and managed using REDCap electronic data capture tools hosted at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Data were then downloaded and exported into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 for data analysis; Chi-square test was used to test association for categorical data, where a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: More than 75% of pharmacists had excellent knowledge about the legal requirements for dispensing antibiotics and of the AMR challenge. Of the interviewed pharmacists, seventy-four percent admitted to dispensing antibiotics without prescription in their daily practice. The main reasons for administering antibiotics without prescription were the profitability nature of pharmacy business, a failure of the patient to get a prescription and lack of stringent regulatory authorities. Penicillins, macrolides and floroquinolones were the classes of antibiotics mostly dispensed without a prescription. Conclusion: The study shows that the dispensing of antibiotics without prescription is a common practice in Tanzania. The regulatory authorities should make regular inspections in pharmacies to detect this malpractice. The community should be trained on the importance of taking laboratory tests before getting medications for their sickness by a qualified medical practitioner.

The Batch process of Adsorption were conducted using Congo red (CR) as the adsorbate and Jatropha curcas seed (chaff) as the adsorbent material. Adsorption kinetics and isotherms analysis were conducted and results obtained confirmed the adsorption process as highly dependent on effects such as; contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration and the particle sizes of adsorbate. However, the sorption equilibrium for Congo red dye unto jatropha curcas seed (chaff) was reached within 180 minutes, more so, the Adsorption efficiency was recorded at 82.05%. The process of the experimental sorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model while Freundlich isotherm model was best applicable for obtaining the equilibrium of the parameters. These is an effective confirmation and validation of jatropha curcas seed (chaff) application as environmentally friendly and low-cost biomaterial for dye removal from aqueous solutions and industrial effluents.

Objective Hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases, affecting more than 20 % of the population. The side effects experienced due to antihypertensive medications such as tired-ness, muscle pain, and insomnia are often a significant predictor of poor adherence to therapy. The goal of the current study is to present the frequency, type, seriousness, and severity of adverse drug reactions reported to the BDA via Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSR) and following differentiation of messages found in more than one patient. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of the reported adverse drug reactions (ADR) reported in the Bulgarian Drug Agency database after treatment with antihyperlipidemic medicines, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) - inhibitors, and sartans for the period 2017-2021. Each ICSR form was observed and data for suspected medicine and type of adverse reaction was analyzed. Results The total number of processed notifications for adverse drug reactions (ADR) included in the database is 142. The highest number of ADRs was reported for ARB (58), followed by antihyperlipidemic medicines (55) and ACE inhibitors (29.) Most of the assessed adverse events experienced by more than one patient fall into the probable and related categories based on Global Introspection method classification. Therefore, they have been investigated and are consistent with exposure in the population. Conclusion Cardiovascular medicines from the groups of ACE inhibitors, sartans and statins are with high share of reported ADRs in the BDA system. Some of them are severe and need further investigation.

The aim of this article was to examine if there are position-specific differences in the morphological characteristics of sub-elite female football players and to establish normative standards for this level of female football players. The morphological features of 101 sub-elite female football players (age: 21.8±2.7 years) were assessed. Twenty anthropometric sites were used in the measurements of body composition and somatotype. The average value of body fat percentage was 20.8±5.7%. The somatotype of the overall group was 4.0–2.4–2.1. Positional significant (p ≤ 0.05) differences were found between goalkeepers and outfield players in morphological characteristics. Goalkeepers were taller, heavier, possessed the highest body fat percentage and showed higher values for all skinfolds, breadth, girth and length measurements. However, there were very few practically worthwhile differences between the outfield positions. Positional groups did not differ (p ≤ 0.05) in somatotype characteristics either. The study suggests that at sub-elite level there are mainly differences between goalkeepers and outfield players, but outfield players are homogeneous when comparing morphological characteristics. These results may serve as normative values for future comparisons regarding the morphological characteristics of female football players.

A FIB/STEM interfacial study was performed on a TBC/Ti₂AlC MAX phase system, oxidized in an aggressive burner rig test (Mach 0.3 at 1300°C for 500 h). The 7YSZ TBC, a-Al₂O₃ TGO, and MAXthal 211 Ti₂AlC base were variously characterized by TEM/STEM, EDS, SADP, and HRTEM. The YSZ was a mix of ‘clean’ featureless and ‘faulted’ high contrast grains. The latter exhibited ferro-elastic domains of high Y content tetragonal t'' variants. No martensite was observed. The TGO was essentially a duplex a-Al₂O₃ structure of inner columnar plus outer equiaxed grains. It maintained a perfectly intact, clean interface with the Ti₂AlC substrate. The Ti₂AlC substrate exhibited no interfacial Al-depletion zone, but rather numerous faults along the basal plane of the hexagonal structure. These are believed to offer a means of depleting Al by forming crystallographic, low-Al planar defects, proposed as Ti_2.5AlC_1.5. These characterizations support and augment prior optical, SEM, and XRD findings that demonstrated remarkable durability for the YSZ/Ti₂AlC MAX phase system in aggressive burner tests.

Mining-induced water contamination remains a significant concern in many regions of the world due to the high concentrations of toxic ions often associated with it. In this study, cellulose-supported ferrihydrite composites (CNF-Fe) were prepared by seeding of ferrihydrite nanoparticles on cellulose nanofibres (CNFs) and employed for the removal of As(III), As(V) and Cr(VI) from contaminated water. The adsorbent was characterized by electron microscopy, gas adsorption, point of zero charge (pH_PZC), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), as well as infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Compared to parent CNFs, CNF-Fe adsorbents had lower crystallinity and a higher surface area: 218.76 m² g^-1. Further, with a pH_PZC of 6.3, CNF-Fe was positively charged at low pH and suitable for adsorption of anions at acidic conditions characteristic of acid mine drainage. In single-ions solutions, the removal efficiency of CNF-Fe was in the order Cr(VI)>As(V)>As(III) (i.e. 0.15, 0.12 and 0.11 mg g^-1 respectively). Adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo second-order model and isotherms were best fitted by the Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Temkin models. However, when CNF-Fe was applied to AMD-contaminated water (pH 2.7), Cr(VI) uptake decreased to ~39% which was likely due to competition from sulphate and selenium ions. Nevertheless, the adsorbent displayed regeneration capabilities with ~98% As and ~45% Cr desorbed after 24 hours of treatment. Together, these results suggest that cellulose supported ferrihydrite composites can be applied in treatment of mine drainage-contaminated water in conjunction with pre-treatments that limit SO₄^2- and selenium concentrations.

To improve the voltage gain of step-up converters, cascaded technique is considered as a possible solution in this paper. By considering the concept of cascading two Z-source networks in a conventional boost converter, the converter takes the advantages of both impedance source and cascaded converters. However, by applying some modifications, the proposed converter provides high voltage gain while the voltage stress of switch and diodes are still low. Moreover, the low input current ripple of the converter makes it absolutely appropriate for photovoltaic applications in order to expand the lifetime of PV panels. After analyzing the operation principles of the proposed converter, simulation and experimental results of a 100W prototype are presented to verify the proposed converter performance.

LSUs (RESPONSE TO LOW SULFUR) are plant-specific proteins of unknown function that were initially identified during transcriptomic studies of the sulfur deficiency response in Arabidopsis. Recent functional studies have shown that LSUs are important hubs of protein interaction networks with potential roles in plant stress responses. In particular, LSU proteins have been reported to interact with members of the brassinosteroid, jasmonate signaling, and ethylene biosynthetic pathways, suggesting that LSUs may be involved in response to plant stress through modulation of phytohormones. Furthermore, in silico analysis of the promoter regions of LSU genes in Arabidopsis has revealed the presence of cis-regulatory elements that are potentially responsive to phytohormones such as ABA, auxin, and jasmonic acid, suggesting crosstalk between LSU proteins and phytohormones. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about the LSU gene family in plants and its potential role in phytohormone responses.

Background. Ovarian cysts are common in premenopausal women but can present with vague, non-specific symptoms, making discovery more challenging. Most are benign and resolve spontaneously; however, they can present, as in this case, as ovarian torsions, which is a gynecological emergency. Case presentation. A twenty-year-old female had presented over 3–4 times per year for the last 6 years to her primary doctor citing intermittent abdominal pain, irregular menstruation, dyspnea, and an enlarging abdomen circumference. The doctor stated, she was “just fat” and could, benefit from a “special camp to lose weight”, so she stopped mentioning her concerns. Upon presenting to the emergency department with acute onset abdominal pain, a computed tomography scan showed a large cyst lesion filling the abdominal and pelvic cavity. Its origin appeared to be from the left adnexa. Surgery was performed, and an acute ovarian torsion caused by a 36 cm craniocaudal left ovarian cyst was found and removed along with the left fallopian tube and 16 L of fluid. Conclusions. The value of respecting the “third presentation” rule indicates to health care providers that any patient who presents with any /or other symptoms or complaint needs to be thoroughly investigated. In this case the patient presented recurring pelvic/abdominal concerns, irregular menstruation, which warranted further investigation to safeguard fertility and prevent errors of omission. It is important to consider the differentials and be aware of vague symptoms that may lead to early recognition and effective management to prevent adverse consequences, complications, or even death.

Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by loss of β cell mass and/or -function, resulting in hyperglycemia. Approx. 537 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes – a number which is expected to increase. Diabetes is primarily treated by exogenous insulin, which comes with the challenges of maintaining glycemic control to prevent ketoacidosis and severe complications. The need for a curative treatment has initiated the research in β cell regeneration. Several studies in mice have identified essential genes for β cell fate, which can be manipulated in other cells to induce generation of new β cells. Zebrafish, a regeneration-positive animal model, has shown several different sources of new β cells, including regeneration by self-replication, neogenesis by duct-associated progenitor cells, and transdifferentiation of other endocrine islet cells. The animal models used in this research area are either limited by their low regenerative ability (mice), or their small size and remoteness from humans (zebrafish). There is a need for new animal models of diabetes, in which the molecular pathways of endogenous regeneration can be studied. This study proposes the axolotl salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum) as a model for studying the regeneration of β cells. The axolotl has shown great regenerative capability, as they have proven capable of regenerating amputated limbs, and hearts with myocardial infarction, among other organs. This study aims to establish a diabetic axolotl model, investigate their regenerative ability in the pancreas, and examine the potential systemic effects of the induced disease. In a pilot study, five different protocols using STZ (streptozotocin) were tested, and the most optimal protocol was found. Furthermore, the glucose tolerance test was optimized to characterize the glycemic state of the animals. The effect of the treatment on blood glucose levels was measured to characterize the development and decline of the disease. The histological changes in the pancreas were examined. Moreover, the systemic effects of the STZ treatment were investigated in blood and urine. The study indicated that it is possible to induce diabetes in the axolotl, but variations between the animals should be minimized, or the sample size should be increased to conduct a satisfying experiment, as it was not possible to induce diabetes in all animals. Regeneration was not observed histologically, but a restoration of blood glucose levels was seen over the span of the experiment. Lastly, edema formation was observed in some of the STZ-treated animals, but the cause of edema remains undetermined.

This research elucidates the dynamic expression of expansin genes during the wheat grain (Triticum aestivum L.) development process using comprehensive meta-analysis and experimental validation. We leveraged RNA-seq data from multiple public databases, applying stringent criteria for selection, and identified 60,852 differentially expressed genes across developmental stages. From this pool, 28,558 DEGs were found to exhibit significant temporal regulation in at least two different datasets, and were enriched for processes integral to grain development such as carbohydrate metabolism and cell wall organization. Notably, 30% of the 241 known expansin genes showed differential expression during grain growth. Hierarchical clustering and expression level analysis revealed temporal regulation and distinct contributions of expansin subfamilies during the early stages of grain development. Further analysis using co-expression networks underscored the significance of expansin genes, revealing their substantial co-expression with genes involved in cell wall modification. Finally, qPCR validation and grain morphological analysis under field conditions indicated a significant negative correlation between expression of select expansin genes and grain size and weight. This study illuminates the potential role of expansin genes in wheat grain development and provides new avenues for targeted genetic improvements in wheat.

A new two-step method for developing a nanocomposite of polypropylene (PP) decorated with photocatalytically active TiO2 nanoparticles (nTiO2) is proposed. This method involves low-temperature plasma functionalization of polypropylene followed by ultrasound-assisted anchoring of nTiO2. The nanoparticles, polymeric substrate, and resultant nanocomposite were thoroughly characterized using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), microscopic observations (SEM, TEM, EDX), spectroscopic investigations (XPS, FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTA), and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites was evaluated through the degradation of methyl orange. The individual TiO2 nanoparticles ranged from 2-6 nm in size. Oxygen plasma treatment of PP generated surface functional groups (mainly -OH and -C=O), transforming the surface from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, which facilitated efficient deposition of nTiO2. Optimized plasma treatment and sonochemical deposition parameters resulted in an active photocatalytic nTiO2/PP system, degrading 80% of methyl orange under UVA irradiation in 200 minutes. The proposed approach is considered versatile for the functionalization of polymeric materials with photoactive nanoparticles and, in a broader perspective, can be utilized for the fabrication of self-cleaning surfaces.

Despite improvements in participation in population-based screening programs, colorectal cancer remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Targeted interventions are desirable to reduce the health and economic burden of this disease. Two-dimensional monolayers of colorectal cancer cell lines represent the traditional in vitro models for disease and are often used for diverse purposes, including delineation of molecular pathways associated with disease aetiology or to gauge drug efficacy. The lack of complexity in such models, chiefly the limited epithelial cell diversity and differentiation, attenuated mucus production, lack of microbial interactions and mechanical stresses, has driven interest in development of more holistic and physiologically relevant in vitro model systems. In particular, established ex vivo patient-derived explant and patient-derived tumour xenograft models have been supplemented by progress in organoid and microfluidic organ-on-a-chip cultures. Here we discuss the applicability of advanced culturing technologies, such as organoid systems, as models for colorectal cancer and for testing chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity and efficacy. We highlight current challenges associated with organoid technologies and discuss their future for more accurate disease modelling and personalized medicine.

Rapid SARS-CoV-2 self-tests have the potential to expand access to COVID-19 testing and improve community-level case detection, particularly in resource-constrained countries such as Kenya. However, prior to their introduction, their acceptability must be assessed. This qualitative study explored key decision-takers’ values towards SARS-CoV-2 self-testing in Kenya. Healthcare workers, representatives of civil society, and potential implementors from Mombasa and Taita-Taveta were selected as decision-takers. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data on their values towards self-testing. A thematic analysis approach was applied. Most informants considered that the Kenyan public is equipped to accept and use self-testing safely as an approach to help to reduce workload at public healthcare facilities, and know one’s COVID-19 status in a private manner. The informants emphasized the need to provide counselling to end-users, to support those needing to self-isolate, and to engage different civil society stakeholders in information provision on self-testing. Fear of stigma and of forced isolation were noted as potential deterrents to self-testing uptake for some individuals. In conclusion, there is high acceptability of self-testing in Kenya among decision-takers. However, enhanced education, counselling, and addressing deterrents to testing would be helpful to ensure effective use of SARS-CoV-2 self-testing in Kenya.

Floodplains are critically important ecosystems that provide a whole suite of ecosystem services including nutrient and carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, water storage, and critical wildlife habitat to name a few. However, human modification of rivers and floodplains through channelization, artificial levee construction, reduction in active floodplain area, and water management can significantly reduce the ecosystem function of river-floodplain systems. In this study, we evaluated the changes in nutrient loading of the Kissimmee River floodplain during the restoration of the river-floodplain system. In addition to time-series loading analysis, we also evaluated soil nutrient concentrations across the lower portion of the Kissimmee River floodplain. During the 44-year nutrient loading time-series, the floodplain remained a nutrient exporter with changes in nutrient loading generally corresponding to both water quality (i.e. point source reductions) and hydrologic restoration activities in the watershed and Kissimmee River floodplain. During the study period, inputs of total phosphorus and total nitrogen loads from upstream either significantly increased or remained the same. In addition to external sources of nutrients, internal sources of nutrients from floodplain soils can also contribute to the total nutrient export from the system. These internal sources could be organic via the decomposition of organic matter or geologic from the original excavation of the canal and/or restoration backfilling. Soil nutrient concentrations vary between vegetative communities and landscape position and could be a significant source of phosphorus to the downstream system which is plagued by eutrophic conditions. Therefore, as floodplain function in the Kissimmee River continues to be restored and managed, additional effort may be needed to address nutrient inputs and internal legacy nutrients.

This work shows a correlation between light reflectance, absorption, and morphologies of series of (1-x) BM–x PT, (x = 0.0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, 0.12, 0.16, 0.24) ceramics composite. The (1-x) BM–x PT showed features of a black mirror with a low optical energy gap. The measured Vis-NIR diffused reflectance enabled the calculation of the energy gap using the modified Kubelka-Munk function. The estimated energy gap was lower than 1.5 eV related to low reflectance in the Vis-NIR range. Moreover, obtained histograms of grains, using scanning electron microscope, enabled the correlation between grains size and amount of lead titanate. We deduced from the ceramics surface morphology that marked porosity also induced reflectivity of low magnitude. We correlated the magnitude of the energy gap with phases of the BM-PT composite and with the electrical conductivity activation energy reported in the literature. Our results findings opened prospect studied materials for optical applications.

To improve accessibility, this article describes a static, four-legged, walker that can be constructed from materials and fasteners commonly available from hardware stores coupled by open-source 3-D printed joints. The designs are described in detail, shared under an open-source license, and fabricated with a low-cost open-source desktop 3-D printer and hand tools. The resulting device is loaded to failure to determine the maximum load that the design can safely support in both vertical and horizontal failure modes. The experimental results showed the average vertical failure load capacity was 3680±694.3N, equivalent to 375.3±70.8kg of applied weight with the fractured location at the wood dowel handlebars. The average horizontal load capacity was 315.6±49.4N, equivalent to 32.2±5.1kg. The maximum weight capacity of a user of 187.1±29.3kg was obtained, which indicates the open-source walker design can withstand the weight requirements of all genders with a 95% confidence interval that includes a safety factor of 1.8 when considering the lowest deviation weight capacity. The design has a cost at the bottom of the range of commercial walkers and reduces the mass compared to a commercial walker by 0.5kg (19% reduction). It can be concluded that this open-source walker design can aid accessibility in low-resource settings.

Cissus populnea Guill. & Perr. (Vitaceae) is used in traditional medicine to treat microbial infec-tions, venereal diseases, and infertility, among others. The aim of the research is to isolate and characterize the antimicrobial constituent(s) from the stem of C. populnea. The n-butanol fraction of C. populnea being most active was subjected to silica gel column chromatography which led to the isolation of a white solid and white crystalline substances coded compounds C1 and C4C5, respectively. Spectral analysis (1D & 2D-NMR) of the isolated compounds and comparison with literature data indicated C1 to be Bis-(2-ethyloctyl)-phthalate and C4C5 to be a mixture of stig-masterol and β-sitosterol; C4C5 exhibited zone of inhibition ranging from 24 – 29 mm against the test organisms with Candida albicans being the most sensitive organism while Trichophyton rubrum was the least sensitive organism. The standard drugs, Ciprofloxacin had 27 – 37 mm while Flu-conazole and Fulcin exhibited zone of inhibition ranging from 34 mm and 29 – 32 mm, respec-tively. The MIC and MBC/MFC values for C4C5 ranges from 12.5 – 25.0 µg/cm3 and 25.0 – 50.0 µg/cm3 against MRSA, S. aureus, E. coli, C. albicans, T. rubrum, and T. mentagrophyte, respectively. In conclusion, three bioactive compounds were identified for the first time from the stem of C. populnea

The goal of this article is to provide a review of the experimental techniques and procedures using vibration methods for the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of Polymer-Matrix Composites (PMC). It aims to be a guide for any researchers to carry out vibration experiments. The linear methods are first introduced. But as PMC is a complex material, these classic methods showed some limits, such as low accuracy for small damages, and a high environmental dependency. This is why the nonlinear methods are secondly studied, considering that the complexity of PMC induces a nonlinear behavior of the structure after damage occurrence. The different damage mechanisms are well explained in order to evaluate the potential of each vibration method to detect them.

Liquid biopsy has been developed to diagnose and monitor cancer. Despite the recent advances in investigating early cancer detection and diagnosis strategies, there is still a lack of improvements in capturing (CTCs). To archive this, we developed an efficient CTC detection system by integrating gold nanoparticles and a microfluidic platform, which can achieve CTC capture within 120 min. The microdevice was functionalized by immobilizing antibodies specific to the target cells. The method was tested with spiked tumor cells in whole human blood with three pancreatic cancer cell lines and compared with purified cancer cells suspended in a phosphate buffer solution. Our results captured pancreatic cancer cells spiked in blood samples with efficiency (90±3.2)% and were used to isolate CTCs from patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. This methodology will enable the production of functionalized, patterned surfaces that interact with tumor cells, enhancing the selective capture of CTCs from biological assays.

Semi-Interlocking Masonry (SIM) represents an innovative building system developed at the Centre for Infrastructure Performance and Reliability at The University of Newcastle, Australia. This system employs a unique approach to interlocking mortar-less engineered masonry panels constructed from SIM units. These units are designed to offer substantial energy dissipation capacity, primarily attributed to the friction occurring on the sliding bed joints between the units within the panel during seismic events. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the viability of incorporating semi-interlocking masonry as infill panels in the construction of multi-storey buildings across diverse geographical locations with varying seismic conditions in Australia. To assess the feasibility of SIM panels in different conditions (according to Australian Standard AS1170) in Australia, a comprehensive analysis using Strand7 is conducted on a three-storey structure incorporating traditional masonry infill panels and SIM panels. The comparison of displacement and base shear capacities is carried out in response to seismic events across various scenarios in different locations within Australia. The insights gained from this comparative analysis contribute valuable information regarding the viability of implementing SIM as a contemporary construction material.

Particle deposition on the surface of the drying chamber poses the main drawback in the spray drying process, which reduces the product recovery and affects the quality of the product. In view of this, the potential application of chemical surface modification to produce a hydrophobic surface that reduces the powder adhesion (biofouling) on the wall of the drying chamber was investigated in this study. The hydrophobic Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) solution was used in the vertical dipping method at room temperature to determine the optimum coating parameters on borosilicate glass and stainless-steel substrates, which were used to mimick the wall surface of the drying chamber, to achieve highly hydrophobic surfaces. A single-factor experiment was used to define the range of the PDMS concentration and treatment duration using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) was used to study the effects of the concentration of the PDMS solution (X1, %) and the treatment duration (X2, hr) on the contact angle of the substrate (°), which reflected the hydrophobicity of the surface. A three-dimensional (3D) response surface was constructed to examine the influence of the PDMS concentration and treatment duration on the contact angle readings, which serve as an indicator of the surface's hydrophobic characteristic. Based on the optimisation study, the PDMS coating for the borosilicate glass achieved an optimum contact angle of 99.33° through the combination PDMS concentration: X1 = 1% (w/v) and treatment time X2 = 4.94 hr, while the PDMS coating for the stainless-steel substrate achieved an optimum contact angle of 98.31° with PDMS concentration: X1 = 1% (w/v) and treatment time X2 = 1 hr. Additionally, the infrared spectra identified several new peaks that appeared on the PDMS-treated surfaces, which represented the presence of Si-O-Si, Si-CH3, CH2, and CH3 functional groups for the substrates coated with PDMS. Furthermore, the surface morphology analysis using the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) showed the presence of significant roughness and uniform nanostructure on the surface of PDMS-treated substrates, which indicated the reduction of wettability and the potential effect on unwanted biofouling on the spray drying chamber.

There is a relatively high risk of virus transmission in dental procedures and oropharyngeal examinations. We investigated the effects of mouthwashes on covid-19 viral load reduction during dental practices and oro-pharyngeal assessments. We performed a systematic search in PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane library for relevant studies up to February 2021. Papers evaluating patients with covid-19 infection (patients) who rinse mouthwashes (intervention) compared to patients who don’t rinse them (comparison) for reducing covid-19 viral load or reducing cross-infection of covid-19 (outcome) in the randomized and non-randomized clinical trial and quasi-experimental studies (study) were included due to PICOS question. Three independent authors conducted literature screening and data extraction. We extracted the most relevant data and we evaluated the risk of bias from the included studies. Out of 344 potentially eligible articles, six studies were included in this systematic review. Regarding viral load and negative cycle threshold (ct) values, 1% PVP_I and Listerine mouthwash were effective. 0.12% CHX mouthwash was effective 0-2 hours post rinsing, but it was not effective after 2 hours. A mixture solution of 0.2% Chlorhexidine gluconate and 6% Hydrogen peroxide was effective on day 5 of intervention. Gargling 1% hydrogen peroxide, 0.075% Cetylpiridinum Chloride (CPC), 0.5%PVP-I and 0.2% CHX mouthwashes was not effective on SARS-COV-2. It cannot be guaranteed that rinsing a specific kind of mouthwash prevents cross-infection of covid-19; however, the viral load of SARS-COV-2 in saliva will be decreased after rinsing mouthwashes containing 1%PVP-I and Listerine.

Background: Although the link between environmental lead exposure and several patterns of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been reported, its association with silent myocardial infarc-tion (SMI) has not been explored. We aimed to assess the association between blood lead levels (BLL) and risk of SMI. Methods: This analysis included 7283 (mean age 56.1±2.52 years, 52.5% women) participants from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who were free of clinical CVD. Ascertainment of BLL done using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. SMI defined as ECG evidence of MI without history of MI. Multivariable lo-gistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between SMI and BLL. Results: SMI was detected in 120 participants corresponding to an unweighted prevalence of 1.65%. Par-ticipants with higher levels of BLL had higher prevalence of SMI (0.4%, 0.9%, and 2.4% across BLL tertiles; p-value

Establishment of protected areas (PAs) is one of the key global conservation strategies that currently cover approximately 15% of the earth’s land surface. Globally, PA networks are designed to curb the growing anthropogenic pressures in areas with high biological diversity. Despite the importance of PAs in conserving the vanishing biodiversity and unique habitats, many of them are in critical condition due to poor governance thus functioning below the expected level. Moreover, in many developing countries, the PA coverage is below the global standard. Recognizing their contemporary role in conservation, governments have recently agreed to expand the global PA coverage to 17% by the year 2020 (Aichi target 11). This book with eight chapters from different regions of the world provides an overview of the PAs governance, institutional mechanisms, conservation benefits, limitations and challenges associated with their respective policy discourse, integrated management, and functional attributes. Protected areas expect to to play an important role in the long rn in conservation and protection of biodiversity and ecosystems particularly in countries where population pressure and habitat loss are high. Regular intervention, political commitment, and effective governance are essential for the sustainability of PAs across the world. Here, we also attempted to shed some light on future development clues for the sustainable management and monitoring of PAs worldwide.

In this review, our goal is to design and test quantum-like algorithms for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in open systems to structure a human-machine team to be able to reach its maximum performance. Unlike the laboratory, in open systems, teams face complexity, uncertainty and conflict. All task domains have complexity levels, some have low, and others high levels. Complexity in this new domain is affected by the environment and the task, which are both affected by uncertainty and conflict. We contrast the individual and interdependence approaches to teams. The traditional and individual approach focuses on building teams and systems by aggregating the best available information for individuals, their thoughts, behaviors and skills. Its concepts are characterized chiefly by one-to-one relations between mind and body, a summation of disembodied individual mental and physical attributes, and degrees of freedom corresponding to the number of members in a team; however, this approach is characterized by the many researchers who have invested in it for almost a century with few effects that can be generalized to human-machine interactions; by the replication crisis of today (e.g., the invalid scales for self-esteem, implicit racism, and honesty); and by its many disembodied concepts. In contrast, our approach is based on the quantum-like nature of interdependence. It allows us to theorize about the bistability of mind and body, but it proposes a measurement problem and a non-factorable nature. Bistability addresses team structure and performance; the measurement problem solves the replication crisis; and the non-factorable aspect of teams reduces the degrees of freedom and the information derivable from teammates to match findings by the National Academies of Science. We begin with a review of the science of teams and a focus on human-machine team research in the laboratory versus the open; justifications for rejecting traditional social science while supporting our approach; a full understand of the complexity of the domain, tasks in the domain, and how teams address both; the mathematics involved; a review of results from our model versus the open field; a discussion of the results; conclusions; and the path forward to successfully advance the science of interdependence and autonomy.

The preparation and use of -(acyloxy)alkyl xanthates to generate and capture -(acyloxy)alkyl radicals is briefly reviewed. Their inter- and intramolecular additions to both activated and unactivated, electronically unbiased, alkenes, and to (hetero)aromatic rings, as well as their radical allylation and vinylation reactions are described. Application to the total synthesis of two 4-hydroxytetralone natural products is also presented.

In recent years Pd-containing catalytic systems for tandem processes has drawn special attention due to the enhanced catalytic properties and possibility to perform several reactions without the necessity to separate the intermediates. In this review, recent progress in Pd-catalyzed tandem processes is considered. Three types of catalytic systems were described: homogeneous catalysts (including immobilized Pd complexes); heterogeneous catalysts supported on oxides, MOFs, COFs, etc. with particular attention to the supports containing acid/base sites; metal-enzyme catalysts for chemoenzymatic tandem processes applied in fine organic synthesis and biotechnology. For homogeneous Pd-catalyzed reactions different tandem reactions were considered, i.e. cross-coupling, cyclization, carbonylation, isomerization, alkylation, arylation, etc.

Synthesis of zeolite T with a variety of desired characteristics necessitate extensive work in the formulation and practical experiments either by conventional hydrothermal methods or aided with different approaches and synthesis techniques such as secondary growth or microwave irradiation. The objectives of this review are to adduce the potential work in zeolite T (Offretite-Erionite) synthesis evaluating determining factors affecting the synthesis and quality of the zeolite T crystals. Attention is given to the extensive studies that interconnect with other significant findings.

The rise of Asian and the stagnation of Western middle classes over the last thirty years have resulted in gradual convergence of income of large parts of the world’s population. Recent global crises ‐ the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic ‐ have led to a decline in income and increase in income uncertainty. Rise in consumption of lower quality goods of shorter durability and an overall decline in demand and economic activity resulted as challenges to the global economy. In this paper, we argue that generational responsibility in consumption can be an environmentally sustainable response to crises which enables the economies to overcome the crisis of confidence and reaffirms community ties. As an element of long‐term orientation in consumption, generational responsibility is a cultural phenomenon dependent on solidarity within family and the wider community. It is characterized by consideration of consequences of consumption choices on the environment, and the abundance of savings and the usability of goods to be inherited by future generations. For companies, willing to revisit their traditional business models and incorporate principles of sustainability in their competitive strategies, promotion of generational responsibility can become a new source of competitive advantage and a driver of economic recovery.

The present work studies the concept of productivity in shipbuilding and how it should be measured. The existing metrics, shipbuilding process and shipyard organization were studies in order to choose the most adequate metrics which would allow the measuring of a shipyard productivity in a systematic and holistic way. This is achieved by gathering the man-hours spent in each ship organized by cost centre and using Compensated Gross Tonnages as the measure of output from the shipyard. Data was gathered for thirty ships built in the same European yard organized by cost centre. From the data collected it was found that the ratio of hours spent in outfitting to the hours spent in structures is proportional to the complexity of the ship. There was also opportunity to study the work reduction resulting from building ships in series and the shares of labour for ships series and across ship types.

It could be helpful if behaviours presented in routine handling could be used as temperament indicators, thus directing tailor-made managements, optimising resources, and animal welfare. We evaluate whether behaviours presented by 25 foals during the first navel treatment and first halter session at weaning. Their behaviour was assessed during a novel object transposition test when they were one year of age. Behavioural parameters presented then were correlated with behaviours presented at navel treatment and haltering. Foals that showed higher exploratory activity during the test correlated to foals that showed less reactivity and less tickling at navel treatment and that were more relaxed and showed less reactivity haltering. Confidence to transpose the novel object was correlated with foals that were more relaxed, showed less reactivity and were less ticklish at navel treatment and were more relaxed during haltering. Transposition style correlated foals less prone to transpose with foals less curious in humans at navel treatment and more vigilant at haltering. Correlations verified between routine management and behaviour test indicate the possibility of early identification of equine temperament, allowing management techniques and specific training for the individual, enhancing training efficiency, animal welfare, and better human-horse interactions.

In this study, the degradable superhydrophobic Mg/P/Z/F/H (magnesi-um/poly(-caprolactone)/zinc oxide/1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (PFDTES)/ heating process) composite materials were prepared through one-step method for enhancing the corrosion resistance of AZ91D magnesium alloys. Electrochemical measurements showed that Mg/P/Z/F/H materials significantly improved the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys in 3.5 wt.% NaCl. The self-cleaning, adhesion and stability tests suggested that Mg/P/Z/F/H composite materials had well self-cleaning properties, good adhesion strength and stability in wet atmosphere.

We first explore negative-ion formation in fullerenes C44, C60, C70, C98, C112, C120, C132 and C136 through low-energy electron elastic scattering total cross sections calculations using our Regge-pole methodology. Water oxidation to peroxide and water synthesis from H₂ and O₂ are then investigated using the anionic catalysts C44ˉ to C136ˉ. The fundamental mechanism underlying negative-ion catalysis involves hydrogen bond strength-weakening in the transition state. DFT transition state calculations found C60ˉ numerically stable for both water and peroxide synthesis, C100ˉ increases the energy barrier the most and C136ˉ the most effective catalyst in both water synthesis and oxidation to H2O2.

The feasibility of hydroelectric plants depends on a variety of factors: water resource regime, geo-graphical, geological and environmental context, available technology, construction cost and eco-nomic value of produced energy. Choices about the building or renewal of hydroelectric plants should be based on the forecast of the future trend of these factors at least during the project life of the system. Focusing on the economic value of the produced energy this paper examines its influ-ence on the feasibility of hydroelectric plants. Analysis, referred to Italian case, were based on three different phases: i) the economic sustainability of small-scale hydroelectric plants under a minimum price guaranteed to the hydroelectric operator; ii) the estimate of the incentives to reach the thresholds of "acceptability" and "bankability" of the investment; iii) the analysis of results ob-tained in the previous phases using a model of the evolution of the electricity price in the period 2014-2100.

The implementation of green roofs as sustainable urban drainage systems provides benefits for stormwater control and the environment and is always more encouraged. In this paper, the estimation of the probability of vegetation survival without irrigation has been proposed as a guide to choose the proper values for the design parameters; in particular the growing medium thickness has been related to the average return interval of the water content at the end of the dry period. Moreover the study represents an improvement of the analytical probabilistic approach since a chain of consecutive rainfall events has been considered, in order to take into account the possibility that the storage capacity is not completely available at the beginning of each event because of the pre-filling from more than one previous rainfall as typically happens for green roofs. Finally, developed equations have been validated by means of their application to two case studies, respectively in northern and southern Italy.

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms that colonize diverse environments worldwide, ranging from ocean to freshwaters, soils, and extreme environments. Their adaptation capacities and the diversity of natural products (molecules, metabolites, or compounds) that they synthesize support the cyanobacterial success for the colonization of their respective ecological niches. Although cyanobacteria are well-known for their toxin production and their relative deleterious consequences, they also produce a large variety of molecules that exhibit beneficial properties with high potential for various fields of application (e.g., synthetic analog of the dolastatin 10 used against Hodgkin lymphoma). The present review specially focuses on the beneficial activities of cyanobacterial molecules described so far. Based on an analysis of 670 papers, it appears that more than 90 genera of cyanobacteria have been found to produce compounds with potential beneficial activities, most of them belonging to the orders Oscillatoriales, Nostocales Chroococcales, and Synechococcales. The rest of the cyanobacterial orders (i.e., Pleurocapsales, Chroococcidiopsales, and Gloeobacterales) remain poorly explored in terms of their molecular diversity and relative bioactivity. The diverse cyanobacterial molecules presenting beneficial bioactivities belong to 10 different chemical classes (alkaloids, depsipeptides, lipopeptides, macrolides/lactones, peptides, terpenes, polysaccharides, lipids, polyketides, and others) that exhibit 14 major kinds of bioactivity. However, no direct relation between the chemical class and the bioactivity of these molecules has been demonstrated. We further selected and specifically described 50 molecule families according to their specific bioactivities and their potential uses in pharmacology, cosmetology, agriculture, or other specific fields of interest. This up-to-date review takes advantage of the recent progresses in genome sequencing and biosynthetic pathway elucidation, and presents new perspectives for the rational discovery of new cyanobacterial metabolites with beneficial bioactivity.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has been associated with venous thromboembolism (VTE) and acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted within the OSF HealthCare System in Peoria, Illinois. The objectives were to determine the incidence of acute VTE and ACS within one year of CMV testing. The “study group” included patients with positive CMV IgM or positive CMV Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The “seropositive control” group included patients with positive CMV IgG and negative IgM. The “seronegative control” group included patients with negative CMV IgG and IgM, or negative PCR. Results: Within one year of CMV infection, 38 of 379 patients (10.0%) developed VTE in the study group compared to 41 of 1334 patients (3.1%) in the seropositive control and 37 of 1249 (3.0%) in the seronegative control. Adjusting for age and gender, both control groups were less likely to have VTE than the study group within one year (Seropositive Control: OR = 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.5, p <0.0001; Seronegative Control: OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.6, p <0.0001). ACS was more likely to occur in the study group, with incidence of 7.7% compared to 4.7% (p <0.0001) in the seropositive control and 1.9% (p <0.0001) in the seronegative control. Adjusting for age and gender, the seronegative control was less likely to develop ACS than the study group within one year (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.7, p = 0.003). Conclusions: This retrospective study demonstrates that CMV infection may be a significant risk factor for VTE and ACS.

In a changing climate, extreme weather events such as heat waves will be more frequent and could affect grain weight and the quality of crops such as wheat, one of the most significant crops in terms of global food security. In this work, we characterized the response of Triticum turgidum spp. durum wheat to a short-term heat-stress (HS) treatment at transcriptomic and physiological levels during early grain filling in glasshouse experiments. We found a significant reduction in grain weight and size from HS treatment. Grain quality was also affected, showing a decrease in starch content in addition to increments in grain protein levels. Moreover, an RNA-seq analysis of durum wheat grains allowed us to identify 1590 differentially expressed genes related to photosynthesis, response to heat, and carbohydrate metabolic process. A gene regulatory network analysis of HS-responsive genes uncovered novel transcription factors (TFs) controlling the expression of genes involved in abiotic stress response and grain quality, such as a member of the DOF family predicted to regulate glycogen and starch biosynthetic processes in response to HS in grains. In summary, our results provide new insights into the extensive transcriptome reprogramming that occurs during short-term HS in durum wheat grains.

Papain-like lysosomal cysteine proteases include 11 human cysteine cathepsins which act as endopeptidases and/or exopeptidases. They are involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Among them, only cathepsins B, H, C, and X/Z exhibit exopeptidase activity. Their activities are tightly regulated in various ways to prevent potentially hazardous effects on the cell. In this review, we focus on the structural and functional aspects of these four cysteine cathepsins and their role in neurodegeneration and cancer. Neurodegenerative disorders of aging share an endolysosomal dysfunction and accumulation and spread of oligomeric forms of neurotoxic proteins. The accumulation of various protein aggregates activates the microglia, thus inducing the activation and release of cysteine cathepsins and proinflammatory cytokines, leading to neurodegeneration. In cancer, cysteine cathepsins participate in tumor progression and metastasis. Tumor–stromal crosstalk leads to activation of the stroma and overexpression and secretion of proteolytic enzymes, triggering extracellular matrix degradation and the release of soluble factors. Activated stromal cells (i.e., macrophages, fibroblasts, mast cells) secrete additional growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines that are responsible for the regulation of processes leading to tumor progression and metastasis. Therefore, a better understanding of the role of cysteine cathepsins in neurodegeneration and cancer could lead to novel targeted therapeutic approaches.

A retrospective cohort study was performed to determine the likelihood of malignant stroke after mechanical thrombectomy via ASPECTS-PASS score(A-P score), a novel scoring system using ASPECT score and number of arterial-passes. This prediction score is designed to help clinicians take early measures. Malignant stroke is defined as a large MCA infarct with mass effect that develops during the first 5 days following presentation and is associated with approximately 80% mortality. Previous studies have shown an association of low ASPECTS and high number of passes with poor outcome.We performed a retrospective cohort analysis on 78 patients with anterior circulation stroke who underwent mechanical thrombectomy at our hospital. We analyzed the likelihood of developing malignant stroke post thrombectomy in the first 5 days following successful recanalization (TICI ≽ 2b). Malignant stroke is defined as severe symptoms secondary to edema as evidenced by midline shift, cistern engorgement, and hemorrhagic conversion with edema. Patients with ASPECTS of 0-5 were excluded. We used two variables to predict the outcome: ASPECT score and number-of-passes. We used the equation ASPECT score minus number-of-passes (A-P) to arrive at a single number to predict the risk of malignant stroke. A-P scoring scale ranged from 0-9. Our study showed a statistically significant inverse relationship of A-P score and risk of malignant stroke. Approximately 90% of patients with A-P score < 5 developed malignant stroke in our study. A-P score can help predict malignant stroke post thrombectomy even after successful recanalization. Thus, A-P score of ≤ 5 suggests very high risk. (A-P) Score can assist clinicians to take early measures, and thereby prevent worse outcomes.

Lung cancer is a prevalent and aggressive neoplasm worldwide, contributing to significant mortality rates. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) constitutes the bulk of the steroid hormone in human plasma, has a robust antiproliferative effect, and induces cell death in various tumor cells. However, its role in lung cancer cells remains unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the influence of DHEA on the proliferation, viability, autophagy, and migration of several lung cancer cell lines, including A549, HCC827, and NCI-H2347. Cell proliferation was assessed through crystal violet staining; cell number and viability were evaluated using trypan blue staining; viability was confirmed by MTT reduction, a method that is also an indicator of metabolic activity; migration was assessed via a wound healing assay. Autophagy was evaluated using a specific kit, while cell death was determined by annexin-V-FITC/propidium iodide staining and caspase-3/7 activity assay. The results indicate that DHEA significantly reduced proliferation, cell number, metabolic activity, and migration in all examined lung tumor cells. These effects correlate with an increased autophagy induced by DHEA. No signs of apoptosis or necrosis were observed across the range of DHEA concentrations used. Although these findings are preliminary, they suggest that DHEA could hold promise as an alternative treatment option for various subtypes of lung cancer.

A robust bank industry is a major player in the stability of an economy. The operational efficiency and stability of banks are therefore paramount. By way of financial ratios and Z-score, this study analysed UT Bank’s financial performance prior to the 2017 bank sector reforms in Ghana. Annual financials over a ten year period (2007-2016) were used. Debt management practices of UT Bank per the results obtained were quite on the hind side and unimpressive. This was reflected in the poor leverage and risk management variables. UT Bank would have been unable to meet creditors’ claims considering the mean average values of debt-to-assets and debt-to equity ratios of 0.76 and 0.90 respectively. The entire bank sector will benefit if credit management practices of individual banks are refreshed and worked on. The bank industry regulator should tighten its supervisory and monitoring role over banks to help detect early signs of non-performing banks. The study further recommends that statutory lending limits of banks be re-enforced to uphold the threshold of 10 percent for unsecured loans and 25 percentage for secured loans of net owned funds of the bank.

A new heterocyclic compound, 2-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1-methylimidazo[1,5-a]quinolin-2-ium tetrafluoroborate 1 was obtained from its precursor, N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-N-(quinolin-2-ylmethyl)acetamide 2, by POCl3-mediated cyclization. For the first time – the tertiary acetamide 2, precursor of 1, was synthesized by using commercially available starting materials. The structure of 1 was unquestionably confirmed by 1H-, 13C-, 2D-NMR-, IR- spectroscopy and mass-spectrometry. Its optical properties were also studied.

Filament wound composite pipes are frequently used in the field were transmission of high pressured chemical fluids, disposal of industrial wastes, oil and natural gas transmission takes place. In oil and gas industry, the pipelines transporting heavy crude oil are subjected to variable pressure waves causing fluctuating stress levels in the pipes. Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis was performed using Ansys 15.0 Fluent software to study the effects of these pressure waves on some specified joints in the pipes. Depending on the type of heavy crude oil being used, the flow behavior indicated a considerable degree of stress levels in certain connecting joints, causing the joints to become weak over a prolonged period of use. In this research comparison of various pipe joints was done by using different material and the output result of the stress levels of the pipe joints were checked so that the life of the pipe joints can be optimized by the change of material.

Leaves of Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus hystrix and Citrus microcarpa collected from Mersing, Johor were selected for this research. The extraction of these samples were carried out using three different polarities of solvents (hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol). Phytochemical screening were done with various test for each of crude extracts. The results showed that C. aurantifolia gave positive result for alkaloids, saponins, reducing sugar and carbohydrates in hexane and ethyl acetate extracts. In contrast to C. hystrix where the presence of alkaloids, steroids, reducing sugar and carbohydrates were proven in all crude extracts. Lastly, C. microcarpa showed positive result for alkaloids, triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, reducing sugar, carbohydrates, phenolic content, glycosides and tannins for hexane and ethyl acetate crude extracts. Through antioxidant assays measured at wavelength 234 nm, C. aurantifoliaa has the highest AOA which was 10. The scavenging effect on DPPH radical was done at the wavelength of 517 nm and C. microcarpa has the highest percentage of scavenging effect with 96.41%. Next, the non-enzymatic antioxidant assays on the determination of α-tocopherol and carotenoids showed that C. hystrix has the highest concentration of α-tocopherol (2.30 ± 0.026), while C. microcarpa has the highest concentration of carotenoids (18.40 ± 2.83).

Timely mitosis is critically important for the early embryo development. It is regulated by the activity of the ubiquitously conserved CDK1 kinase. The dynamics of CDK1 activation must be precisely controlled to assure physiologic and timely entry into mitosis. Recently, a known S-phase regulator CDC6 emerged as a key player in the mitotic CDK1 activation cascade in early embryonic divisions, operating together with Xic1 as a CDK1 inhibitor upstream of the Aurora A- and PLK1 kinases, both CDK1 activators. Herein we review the molecular mechanisms that underlie the control of the mitotic timing, with special emphasis on how CDC6/Xic1 function impacts CDK1 regulatory network. We focus on the presence of two independent mechanisms inhibiting the dynamics of CDK1 activation: Wee1/Myt1- and CDC6/Xic1-dependent, and how they cooperate with CDK1 activating mechanisms. As a result we propose a comprehensive model integrating CDC6/Xic1-dependent inhibition into the CDK1-activation cascade. The physiological dynamics of CDK1 activation appear to be tuned by the system of multiple inhibitors and activators and their integrated modulation ensures concomitantly both the robustness and certain flexibility of the control of this process. Identification of multiplied activators and inhibitors of CDK1 activation upon M-phase entry allows a better understanding of why cells divide at a specific time, and how the pathways involved in the timely regulation of the cell division are all integrated to precisely tune the control of mitotic events.

Nanotechnology and polymer engineering are steering towards a new development to invade deleterious mysteries. In the last few decades, polymer engineering has grabbed researchers’ attention and similarly, polymeric network-engineered structures have been vastly studied. Prior to therapeutic application, early and quick detection analyses are critical. Therefore, developing nanoscale sensors to manage the acute expression of feeble states and malignancies to draw therapeutic lines demands advanced nanoengineering. In spite of nano-therapeutics have emerged as an alternative approach to tackling strenuous diseases. Also, studies have shown highly biocompatible biomedical engineering has emerged with sheer progression. Moreover, hydrogels have emerged as a three-dimensional (3D) polymeric network that consists of hydrophilic natural or synthetic polymers. The resemblance of hydrogels with tissue structure makes it more unique to study inquisitively. Preceding studies have shown a vast spectrum of synthetic and natural polymer deployment in the field of biotechnology and molecular diagnostics. This review explores recent studies on synthetic and natural polymer engineered hydrogel-based biosensors and their applications in multipurpose diagnostics and therapeutics. We reviewed the latest studies on hydrogel-engineered biosensors, exclusively DNA-based and DNA hydrogels fabricated biosensors.

In this paper, we prove the existence of three solutions for a $p$-Kirchhoff problem with $\psi$-Hilfer fractional derivative. To be more precise, we use the variational method and we prove that the associated functional energy admits a critical point in each of the three constructed sets, these critical points are weak solutions for a studied problem. Moreover, by definition of these sets, one of these solutions is positive, the second is negative, and the third one change sign. At the end of this work, we present an example to validate our main results.

In recent years, the utilization of machine learning algorithms and advancements in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology have marked significant shifts in remote sensing practices. In particular, the integration of machine learning with physical models and their application in UAV-satellite data fusion have emerged as two prominent approaches for estimating vegetation biochemistry. This study evaluates the performance of five machine learning regression algorithms (MLRAs) for mapping crop canopy chlorophyll at the Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) in Michigan, USA, across three scenarios: (1) application to Landsat 7, RapidEye, and PlanetScope satellite images; (2) application to UAV-satellite data fusion; and (3) integration with the PROSAIL radiative transfer model (hybrid methods PROSAIL + MLRAs). The results indicate that the majority of the five MLRAs utilized in UAV-satellite data fusion perform better than the five PROSAIL + MLRAs. The general trend suggests that the integration of satellite data with UAV-derived information, including the normalized difference red-edge index (NDRE), canopy height model, and leaf area index (LAI), significantly enhances the performance of MLRAs. The UAV-RapidEye dataset exhibits the highest coefficient of determination (R2) and the lowest root-mean-square errors (RMSE) when employing kernel ridge regression (KRR) and Gaussian processes regression (GPR) (R2 = 0.89 and 0.89 and RMSE = 8.99 µg/cm2 and 9.65 µg/cm2, respectively). Similar performance is closely observed for the UAV-Landsat and UAV-PlanetScope datasets (R2 = 0.86 and 0.87 for KRR, respectively). For the hybrid models, maximum performance is attained with Landsat data using KRR and GPR (R2 = 0.77 and 0.51 and RMSE = 33.10 µg/cm2 and 42.91 µg/cm2, respectively), followed by R2 = 0.75 and RMSE = 39.78 µg/cm2 for PlanetScope data upon integrating partial least squares regression (PLSR) into the hybrid model. Across all hybrid models, RapidEye data yielded the most stable performance, with R2 ranging from 0.45 to 0.71 and RMSE ranging from 19.16 µg/cm2 to 33.07 µg/cm2. The study highlights the importance of synergizing UAV and satellite data which enables effective monitoring of canopy chlorophyll in small agricultural lands.

The Ali-Cesaro Stolz theorem, introduced in this paper, extends the classical Cesaro-Stolz theorem by addressing cases where the latter does not yield results or provides a "Does Not Existe (DNE) form. This novel theorem leverages the properties of limits and Z-transforms, offering a robust framework for analyzing sequences and series. The theorem is particularly effective in scenarios where traditional approaches fail, providing new insights and tools for mathematical analysis. This paper presents a detailed formulation of the Ali-Cesaro Stolz theorem, including proofs, applications, and a discussion on its implications and advantages over existing methods.

The United Nations' sustainable development goals have underscored the importance of enhancing supply chain sustainability while appropriately distributing orders. This study proposes a novel framework involving Z-number, game theory, indifference threshold-based attribute ratio analysis (ITARA), and combined compromise solution method (CoCoSo) to evaluate the sustainability of suppliers and order allocations. To better reflect the decision makers’ current choices for the sustainability of assessed suppliers and order allocations; enhance the comprehensiveness of decision-making, the importance parameter of the supplier is obtained through game theory objectively for transforming supplier performance into order allocation performance. The Z-numbers are involved in ITARA (so-called ZITARA) and CoCoSo (so-called ZCoCoSo) to overcome the issue of information uncertainty in the process of expert evaluation. ZITARA and ZCoCoSo are applied to assess the objective weight of criteria and the ranking of assessed order allocations, respectively. Afterwards, a case study of China’s company is illustrated the utility of the proposed framework and inform their decision-making process regarding the orders to be assigned to the assessed suppliers.

Building heterojunction is promising strategy for the achievement of highly efficient photocatalysis. In this study, a novel SnIn4S8@ZnO Z-scheme heterojunction with tight contact interface was successfully constructed through a facile two-step hydrothermal method. The phase composition, morphology, and photophysical properties of SnIn4S8@ZnO were studied through a series of characterization methods, respectively. Methylene blue (MB) was selected as the target pollutant for photocatalytic degradation and the degradation process was fitted with pseudo-first order kinetics. The as-prepared SnIn4S8@ZnO heterojunctions exhibited outstanding photocatalytic activities for the degradation of MB. The optimized sample (ZS800), in which the molar ratio of ZnO to SnIn4S8 was 800, displayed the highest photodegradation efficiency of MB (91%) within 20 min. Furthermore, the apparent rate constant of photodegradation for MB of ZS800 (0.121 min−1) was 2.2 times higher than that of pure ZnO (0.054 min−1). The improvement of photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the effective spatial separation of photogenerated charge carriers through a Z-scheme heterojunction with intimate contact interface. This work will provide a new insight into constructing excellent ZnO-based photocatalytic systems for wastewater purification.

In this article, the concept of fuzzy $(\sigma,\mathcal{Z})$-contractive mapping has been introduced in fuzzy metric spaces which is an improvement over the corresponding concept recently introduced by Shukla et al. [Fuzzy Sets and system. 350 (2018) 85--94]. Thereafter, we utilized our newly introduced concept to prove some existence and uniqueness theorems in $\mathcal{M}$-complete fuzzy metric spaces. Our results extend and generalize the corresponding results of Shukla et al.. Moreover, an example is adopted to exhibit the utility of newly obtained results.

The existence of low-cost and accurate tools that can equip the First Responders (FRs) to detect trapped victims and provide insights about their health condition in the aftermath of a disaster, is imperative. To address the problem of detecting trapped victims behind walls or debris, we have developed a tool that exploits an Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) radar sensor for data collection and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms for data analysis. To evaluate the efficacy of our approach, we collected data from nine humans, both in standing and lying down positions. Next, we applied various ML algorithms to the collected dataset for two discrete sub-tasks that are of interest from an FR’s perspective. The first task is the detection of the victim’s presence, where the algorithms attained more than 95% accuracy and F1-Score. The second task is the estimation of the distance between the radar sensor and the victim, where the tool showed an average error of less than 40 cm.

A U.S. government health agency conducted epidemiological studies to evaluate whether exposures to drinking water contaminated with volatile organic compounds at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, were associated with increased health risks to children and adults. These health studies required knowledge of contaminant concentrations in drinking water—at monthly intervals—delivered to family housing, barracks, and other facilities within the study area. Because concentration data were limited or unavailable during much of the period of contamination (1950s–1985), the historical reconstruction process was used to quantify estimates of monthly mean contaminant-specific concentrations. This paper integrates many efforts, reports, and papers into a synthesis of the overall approach to, and results from, a drinking-water historical reconstruction study. Results show that at the Tarawa Terrace water treatment plant (WTP) reconstructed (simulated) tetrachloroethylene (PCE) concentrations reached a maximum monthly average value of 183 micrograms per liter (ug/L) compared to a one-time maximum measured value of 215 ug/L and exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s current maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 ug/L during the period November 1957–February 1987. At the Hadnot Point WTP, reconstructed trichloroethylene (TCE) concentrations reached a maximum monthly average value of 783 ug/L compared to a one-time maximum measured value of 1,400 ug/L during the period August 1953–December 1984. The Hadnot Point WTP also provided contaminated drinking water to the Holcomb Boulevard housing area continuously prior to June 1972, when the Holcomb Boulevard WTP came on line (maximum reconstructed TCE concentration of 32 ug/L) and intermittently during the period June 1972–February 1985 (maximum reconstructed TCE concentration of 66 ug/L). Applying the historical reconstruction process to quantify contaminant-specific monthly drinking-water concentrations is advantageous for epidemiological studies when compared to using the classical exposed versus unexposed approach.

The research focuses on the production of particleboards from the biomass of energetic willow (Salix viminalis L.) and energetic poplar (Populus spp.), aiming to explore their feasibility as sustainable materials for various applications. Energetic willow and energetic poplar are known for their rapid growth and suitability for energy production. They present an intriguing alternative as raw materials with added value for particleboard manufacturing. The study investigates the selected mechanical and physical properties of the produced particleboards, considering parameters such as density profile, bending strength, modulus of elasticity, water absorption, thickness swelling, and screw withdrawal resistance. During the research, the results were also compared between different mass shares of willow and poplar particles in the particleboards. The findings underscore the promising potential of willow and poplar-based particleboards as eco-friendly alternatives in the construction and furniture industries, contributing to resource efficiency and carbon emission reduction efforts.

Cadherins are a group of membrane proteins responsible for cell adhesion. They are crucial for cell sorting and recognition during the morphogenesis, but also play many other roles such as assuring tissue integrity and resistance to stretching, mechanotransduction, cell signaling, regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, survival, carcinogenesis, etc. Within the cadherin superfamily, the E- and N-cadherin have been especially well studied. They are involved in many aspects of sexual development and reproduction, such as germline development and gametogenesis, gonad development and functioning, and fertilization. E-cadherin is expressed in the primordial germ cells, (PGCs) and also participates in PGC migration to the developing gonads where they become enclosed by the N-cadherin-expressing somatic cells. The differential expression of cadherins is also responsible for the establishment of the testis or ovary structure. In the adult testes, the N-cadherin is responsible for the integrity of the seminiferous epithelium, regulation of sperm production, and the establishment of the blood-testis barrier. Sex hormones regulate the expression and turnover of N-cadherin influencing the course of spermatogenesis. In the adult ovaries, E- and N-cadherin assure the integrity of ovarian follicles and the formation of corpora lutea. Cadherins are expressed in the mature gametes, and facilitate the capacitation of sperm in the female reproductive tract, and gamete contact during fertilization. The germ cells and accompanying somatic cells express a series of different cadherins, however, their role in gonads and reproduction is still unknown. In this review, we show what is known and unknown about the role of cadherins in the germline and gonad development, and suggest the topics for future research.

High concentrations of Na⁺ or [Co(NH₃)₆]³⁺ can induce the B to Z conformational transition in alternating (dC-dG) oligo and polynucleotides. The use of short DNA oligomers (dC-dG)₄ and (dm⁵C-dG)₄ as models can allow a thermodynamic characterization of the transition. Both form right handed double helical structures (B-DNA) in standard phosphate buffer with 115 mM Na⁺ at 25 ^oC. However, at 2.0 M Na⁺ or 200 mM [Co(NH₃)₆]³⁺, (dm⁵C-dG)₄ assumes a left handed double helical structure (Z-DNA) while the unmethylated (dC-dG)₄ analogue remains right handed under those conditions. We have previously demonstrated that the enthalpy of the transition at 25 ^oC for either inducer can be determined using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) [Ferreira, J. M. & Sheardy, R. D., Biophys. J. 2006, 91, 1–7]. Here, ITC is used to investigate the linkages between temperature, water activity and DNA conformation. We found that the determined enthalpy for each titration varied linearly with temperature allowing determination of the heat capacity change (DC_p) between the initial and final states. As expected, the DC_p values were dependent upon the cation (i.e. Na⁺ vs [Co(NH₃)₆]³⁺) as well as the sequence of the DNA oligomer (i. e., methylated vs unmethylated). Osmotic stress experiments were carried out to determine the gain or loss of water by the oligomer induced by the titration. The results are discussed in terms of solvent accessible surface areas, electrostatic interactions and the role of water.

This research work deals with the modeling and control of hybrid photovoltaic (PV) - Wind micro-grid using Quasi Z-Source inverter. This inverter provides better buck/boost characteristics, able to regulate the phase angle output, less harmonic content, no requirement of the filter and has high power performance characteristics over conventional inverter as major benefits. A SEPIC converter as dc-dc switched power apparatus is employed for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) functions which provides high voltage gain throughout the process. Moreover, a modified power ratio variable step (MPRVS) based perturb & observe (P&O) method has been proposed in the PV MPPT action which forces the operating point close to maximum power point (MPP). Practical responses justify the performance of hybrid PV-Wind micro-grid with Quasi Z-Source inverter structure.

This study presents the core tenets that constitute culturally responsive science assessments (CRSciA) for K-12 education and aligned them with the capabilities of generative AI (GenAI). The tenets were identified based on their dominance in the literature, including Indigenous Language, Race and Ethnicity, Religious Beliefs, Family and Community, and Indigenous Knowledge. These tenets were instrumental in developing the GenAI-CRSciA framework and the subsequent prompts to generate CRSciAs aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) while comparing it with standard prompt strategies. The results showed that the GenAI-CRSciA approach outperformed standard prompting strategies in terms of generating CRSciAs, proving its effectiveness in addressing the ongoing challenges in science assessments. Even though the GenAI-CRSciA framework presented assessments that cover a range of the cultural backgrounds, it presents potential challenges such as compromising curricula core competencies and overgeneralization of students’ backgrounds; overlooking subcultural variations within a country or region, for example differences between urban and rural students, or between different ethnic or linguistic groups within the same nation, which can lead to bias and less effective CRSciA outputs. To address this, we recommend that teachers provide comprehensive and specific background information about their students when using the GenAI-CRSciA prompting, ensuring that the generated content is truly reflective of the students’ unique cultural contexts. In larger class settings, teachers could implement comprehensive local data indexing, where detailed student background information is uploaded and retrievable for use in crafting more personalized CRSciAs. We recommend educators make conscious efforts to validate the generated assessments with input from human experts, including community or family, educators, and even students who are knowledgeable about the cultural nuances. We also suggest continuous professional development would be necessary to enhance teachers’ understanding of the cultural tenets.

Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), one of the prevalent branches of operations research, aims to design mathematical and computational tools for selecting the best alternative among several choices with respect to specific criteria. In the cloud, MCDA based online brokers uses customer specified criteria to rank different service providers. However, subjected to limited domain knowledge, the customer may exclude relevant or include irrelevant criterion, which could result in suboptimal ranking of service providers. To deal with such misspecification, this research proposes a model, which uses notion of factor analysis from the domain of unsupervised machine learning. The model is evaluated using two quality-of-service (QoS) based datasets. The first dataset i.e., feedback from customers, was compiled using leading review websites such as Cloud Hosting Reviews, Best Cloud Computing Providers, and Cloud Storage Reviews and Ratings. The second dataset i.e., feedback from servers, was generated from cloud brokerage architecture that was emulated using high performance computing (HPC) cluster at University of Luxembourg (HPC @ Uni.lu). The simulation runs in a stable cloud environment i.e. when uncertainty is low, shows that online broker (equipped with the proposed model) produces optimized ranking of service providers as compared to other brokers. This is due the fact that proposed model assigns priorities to criteria objectively (using machine learning) rather than using priorities based on subjective judgments of the customer. This research will benefit potential cloud customers that view insufficient domain knowledge as a limiting factor for acquisition of web services in the cloud.

A single paragraph of about 200 words maximum. For research articles, abstracts should give a pertinent overview of the work. We strongly encourage authors to use the following style of structured abstracts, but without headings: (1) Background: place the question addressed in a broad context and highlight the purpose of the study; (2) Methods: describe briefly the main methods or treatments applied; (3) Results: summarize the article’s main findings; (4) Conclusions: indicate the main conclusions or interpretations. The abstract should be an objective representation of the article, it must not contain results which are not presented and substantiated in the main text and should not exaggerate the main conclusions.

The Gaussian signaling strategy with power control for the Gaussian Z-interference channel with weak interference is reviewed in this paper. In particular, we study the various communication strategies that may arise at various points of the capacity region and identify the locations of the phase transitions between the various strategies. The Gaussian Z-interference channel with weak interference is known to have two critical points in its capacity region, where the slope of the region shows a sudden change. They occur at the points of the unconditional maximum rate for one of the users and the maximum rate that can be accommodated by the other user. In this paper, we discuss two additional critical points (locations of phase transitions) in the achievable region of this channel. At these points, we do not observe a discontinuous slope in the achievable rate region, but there is a discontinuity in the second derivative of the rate contour of the achievable region. This review paper is mainly based on some of our ITA (Information Theory and Applications Workshop, UCSD, San Diego, CA, USA) papers since 2011.

Recently, Shehata et al. [37] introduced the r+1Rs(B;C; z) matrix function and established some properties. The aim of this study established to devote and derive certain basic properties including analytic properties, recurrence matrix relations, dierential properties, new integral representations, k- Beta transform, Laplace transform, fractional k-Fourier transform, fractional integral properties, the k-Riemann{Liouville and k-Weyl fractional integral and derivative operators an extended version of r+1Rs;k matrix function. We establish its relationships with other well known special matrix functions which have some particular cases in the context of three parametric Mittag-Leer matrix function, k- Konhauser and k-Laguerre matrix polynomials. Finally, some special cases of the established formulas are also discussed.

A compact 2-DOF (two degrees of freedom) piezoelectric-driven platform for 3D cellular bio-assembly systems has been proposed based on “Z-shaped” flexure hinges. Multiple linear motions with high resolution both in x and y directions are achieved. The “Z-shaped” flexure hinges and the parallel-six-connecting-rods structure are utilized to obtain the lowest working stress while compared with other types of flexure hinges. In order to achieve the optimized structure, matrix-based compliance modeling (MCM) method and finite element method (FEM) are used to evaluate both the static and dynamic performances of the proposed 2-DOF piezoelectric-driven platform. Experimental results indicate that the maximum motion displacements for x stage and y stage are lx=17.65 μm and ly=15.45 μm, respectively. The step response time for x stage and y stage are tx=1.7 ms and ty =1.6 ms, respectively.

Early experience with Covid-19 shows that vaccines can be the most effective way of preventing the spread of infection. However, vaccine hesitancy is among the most significant hurdles in preventing the spread of novel infections. Monkeypox (MPX) has already been declared a global health emergency by WHO. Thus, there is an urgent need to understand the MPX vaccine willingness in various population groups. In this cross-sectional study, an online survey was conducted among Saudi healthcare workers (HCWs) to understand the monkeypox vaccine willingness in healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia. Saudi has already confirmed multiple MPX cases, and thus it is essential to initiate timely protective measures, including vaccination. The study had 743 respondents. The study found that among Saudi HCWs, 52.7% were willing to receive the MPX vaccine. The study found that sociodemographic factors had a small impact on vaccine willingness. However, early experience with vaccination had a significant impact. Thus, more than 70% who had influenza or COVID-19 vaccine were willing to receive the MPX vaccine. Some of the most significant concerns influencing vaccine acceptability were the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Hence, it is strongly recommended to focus on disseminating information regarding the safety and efficacy of the MPX vaccine.

Seaweeds are regarded as one of the valuable coastal resources because of their usage in human food, cosmetics, and other industrial items. They also play a significant role in providing nourishment, shelter, and breeding grounds for fish and many other sea species. This study introduces a newly developed seaweed enhancing index (SEI) using spectral bands of near-infrared (NIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) of Landsat 8 satellite data. The seaweed patches in the coastal waters of Karachi, Pakistan were mapped using SEI, and its performance was compared with other commonly used indices - Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Floating Algae Index (FAI). The accuracy of the mapping results obtained from SEI, NDVI, and FAI was checked with field verified seaweed locations. The purpose of the field surveys was to validate the results of this study and to evaluate the performance of SEI with NDVI and FAI. The performance of SEI was found better than NDVI and FAI in enhancing submerged patches of the seaweed pixels what other indices failed to do.

Good governance in natural resource management (NRM) is one of the most challenging issues in developing countries that often inappropriately embedded in national policies and political agendas. It is, in fact, even more important for countries like Bangladesh with exceptionally high pressure and dependence on its natural resources for sustaining rural livelihoods. Globally, nowadays, good governance is considered as one of the key factor for achieving the goal of sustainable development and biodiversity conservation. Bangladesh, of late has responded to that global zeal by involving local communities in the management of country’s declining forest and other natural resources. The colonial legacy of the forestry sector of Bangladesh was planned and, managed as interim projects through donors’ prescriptions. Thus, institutions, management processes and conservation outcomes were problematic. The conventional approach adopted by colonial and post-colonial regimes for forest management also proved to be inefficient due to its top-down management system. The absolute dependency on donor support, and their prescription sometimes worsened the situation both ecologically and socially. Global, regional and local trends supported the need for a different dimension in the governance paradigms. The introduction of a pluralistic approach, known as co-management in protected areas (PAs) is an example of an attempt whereby shared governance mechanism are implemented to attain the desired goals of conservation that will also address the livelihoods and aspirations of communities living in and around PAs of the country. However, in designing future forest and PA regimes the concern of the external aid support and attached conditions remain a reality that needs to be addressed. Adequate attention should be given to our vanishing biodiversity, culture and community livelihoods through devising an appropriate governance mechanism recognizing and supporting local rights, access and participation in the environmental management. It is now time to mainstream the adhoc nature of governance according to our national conservation strategy and policy frameworks in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the Bangladesh NRM sector addressing the human and community right of people in the specific context of forest protected areas management.

Campylobacter jejuni is a zoonotic bacterium, causing intestinal infection in humans. One characteristic feature of the pathogenicity process is the ability of this bacterium invading the epithelial cells. Several factors have been identified to contribute to this process and some recent analyses revealed changes in the bacterium cell on molecular level. However, our knowledge is still limited about responses of the host that accompany the bacterial internalisation and survival process. This study focused on molecular events on transcriptomic level detected between the 1st and the 3rd hour of internalisation in INT407 epithelial cells. From the 41.769 human genes tested, altogether 19,060 genes and 22,734 pseudogenes and introns were shown by whole transcriptome analysis to be affected in different extent. Most affected functions regulate transcription (28%), signal transduction (21%), apoptosis (15%), immune responses (9%), transmembrane transport (6%), cell-cell signaling (3%), cell-cell adhesions (3%) and carbohydrate metabolism (3%) and to a lesser extent other functions. Our results provide insight into a scenario where, the invaded cell focuses on survival, but, at the same time, flashing the possibility of pushing the process toward the death of the invaded and metabolically disrupted cell.

Gambling among college students can start as a pastime activity. However, this pastime can lead to problem gambling and pathological gambling. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify and explain gambling behavior among university students using a novel fourth-generation multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change. Data were collected from a sample of 1,474 university students at a large southwestern university in the U.S. between January 2023 and February 2023, utilizing a validated 39-item survey. The statistical analyses employed in this study encompassed descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and hierarchical regression modeling. Among students who engaged in gambling in the past month, the constructs of participatory dialogue (β = 0.052; p &lt; 0.05), behavioral confidence (β = 0.073; p &lt; 0.0001), and changes in the physical environment (β = 0.040; p = 0.0137) accounted for 27.7% of the variance in the likelihood of initiating the behavior change. Furthermore, the constructs of emotional transformation (β = 0.104; p = 0.0003) and practice for change (β = 0.060; p = 0.0368) accounted for 22.6% of the variance in the likelihood of sustaining quitting gambling behavior. The Multi-Theory Model (MTM) can be employed to design interventions aimed at reducing problem gambling among college students.

No-show appointments in healthcare is a problem faced by medical centers around the world, and understand the factors associated with the no-show behavior is essential. In the last decades, artificial intelligence took place in the medical field and machine learning algorithms can work as a efficient tool to understand the patients behavior and to achieve better medical appointment allocation in scheduling systems. In this work, we provide a systematic literature review (SLR) of machine learning techniques applied to no-show appointments aiming at establishing the current state-of-the-art. Based on a SLR following the Kitchenham methodology, 24 articles were found and analyzed, in which the characteristics of the database, algorithms and performance metrics of each studies were synthesized. Results regarding which factors have a higher impact on missed appointment rates were analyzed too. The results indicate that the most appropriate algorithms for building the models are decision tree algorithms. Furthermore, the most significant determinants of no-show were related to the patients age, whether the patient missed a previous appointment, and the distance between the appointment and the patients scheduling.

The building sector has a big potential to reduce the material resource demand needed for building construction and therefore, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Digitalisation can help to make use of this potential and improve sustainability throughout the entire building’s life cycle. One way to address this potential is through the integration of Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) into the building process by employing Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM can reduce the effort needed to carry out an LCA and therefore facilitate the integration into the building process. A review of current industry practice and scientific literature shows two main approaches to address BIM-LCA integration. Either the LCA is performed in a simplified way at the beginning of the building process, or it is done at the very end when all the needed information is available, but it is too late for decision-making. One reason for this is the lack of methods, workflows and tools to implement BIM-LCA integration over the entire building process. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to develop an integrated BIM-LCA workflow implemented into a method for the whole building process using an existing structure for cost estimation. A tool is created and used in a case study in Switzerland to test the developed approach. The results of this study show that LCA can be performed continuously in each building phase over the entire building process using existing BIM modelling techniques. The main benefit of this approach is that the re-work caused by the need for re-entering data and the usage of many different software tools that characterise most of the current LCA practices is minimised. Furthermore, decision-making, both at the element and building levels, is supported.

In recent years, wireless networks have undoubtedly become a convenient way to connect to the Internet and provide connection to everyone in any corner of the world. In fact, in this era, people are connected to the internet almost everyday and wireless networks give us this privilege in a seamless manner. A wireless network normally consists of access points and nodes where the access points are responsible to amplify the wireless signals, while the nodes are the gadgets that are receiving these signals. However, with such great convenience provided, many challenges are also faced by the users and stakeholders. With no physical connection to devices, wireless networks are evidently more vulnerable to invisible cyber attacks. In this research paper, it the security issues that cause issues in the wireless networks are discussed. Furthermore, an analytical review of privacy challenges found in these networks is performed; these challenges are segregated into security issues and privacy issues. The paper will then present the methods used in conducting a survey and gathering the research results along with further discussion on the results obtained through this study. Finally, a suitable solution is proposed to prevent and overcome the intrusions faced in terms of security and privacy in wireless network scenarios through detection and response mechanism for mitigation of the problems.